History Fridge / Bleach

* The fact arrancars hollow holes moves away from there chest and to more unique locations is not only a fun stylistic choice but is our first hint they aren't all evil, hollows holes are on there chests to represent there lack of a heart, as they are near universally either evil or to bestial to really comprehend morality, but arrancar are shown to be morally complex and capable of being genuinely good people, fittingly many of there holes are in other locations as they have regained there hearts

* I got a bit of insight regarding Karin's crying during the Shrieker arc, early in the series. Ichigo mentioned that up until Masaki's death, Karin was as big of a crybaby as Yuzu was, but when their mother died she never let people see her cry so as to become stronger. When in the presence of Yuichi Shibata -- a spirit trapped in a parakeet's body -- their closeness in age and her own budding spiritual abilities caused her to -- as she told Ichigo later -- feel and all-but-''witness'' his most vivid memory, which was his mother's murder, and it drove her to tears. Obviously, she is empathizing with him because of closeness in age and similar circumstances (it's not a pain you'd want ''anyone'' else to feel like that) but it's a ''lot'' deeper than that:
** First off, the experience leaves her bedridden the next day, evidently from emotional sickness. She's seen trembling in bed the night leading up to that, obviously disturbed. On some level, she's suddenly feeling all that grief and sorrow that she's been bottling up since then -- perhaps including what she felt about her mum's death -- hit her full force. That kind of emotional strain would be ''immense'', and would certainly explain why she was hardly able to move at all (particularly while knowing that poor boy's spirit is restless in his own grief). But it gets worse, because --
** Secondly, Yuichi saw his mother murdered protecting him, and he looks to be, what, eight or nine years old? Now, how old was ''Ichigo'' when Masaki died? ''What'', exactly, did he wake up to that day? His mother's dead body right on top of him, and it only becomes worse when you learn that [[spoiler: Masaki was murdered]]. So Karin was not only feeling grief similar to her own or empathizing with Yuichi -- she was feeling just ''how'' her older brother must have felt at the time! Small wonder she forced herself out of bed despite her condition to find Ichigo, and finally let it out in front of ''him'' of all people, especially when he's the one in the family she's closest to personality-wise. Talk about rolling CharacterDevelopment and MythArc into one package, ''and'' disguising it as a MonsterOfTheWeek filler-sort of episode ... Creator/TiteKubo is a ''fucking genius''!

* The moment when [[spoiler:Captain Aizen]] was revealed to be the BigBad in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', I thought it was something like the epitome of AssPull, especially considering that [[spoiler:he was supposed to be dead]]. Then I realized that they'd probably been planning this practically since they [[spoiler:killed him]], and if not at least a while before TheReveal, because they'd been foreshadowing it since before they [[spoiler:killed him]].
* Kenpachi's [[FloatingAdviceReminder inner debate]] while he's fighting Tousen during the Soul Society arc turns out to be brilliant after the fact when we see what tactic he actually used. The illusion of Yachiru advises him to swing wildly, which he dismisses as useless. Ikkaku advises him to use the mind's eye, which he dismisses because he can't do it. Yumichika advises him to give up beautifully, which he dismisses indignantly. Then he gets his brainwave -- since Tousen has to hold one end of the sword, if the sword is pinned in one spot, Tousen will be easy to locate and grab. The only way to pin the sword is to bury it in his body. In other words, he quits fighting in order to tank a sword to the gut, thereby letting him locate and grab Tousen. In other words, he took Yumichika's advice, after all -- and he interpreted it in a way that was beautiful for his BloodKnight aesthetics.
* During the Soul Society arc, I always wondered why Byakuya didn't just kill Ichigo on the bridge, when Ichigo and Rukia were bickering. Ichigo was clearly distracted, and he could've killed him in seconds. Then, when everything about Hisana is revealed and we see that Byakuya was a lot more conflicted than he let on, you realize he was probably stalling ''on purpose''. He had the perfect opportunity to kill Ichigo, but waited until ''after'' Ichigo and Rukia were finished to do anything.
** That was actually Lampshaded: Ichigo thanks Byakuya for not attacking him while he was distracted, but he simply tells him that he [[ArrogantKungFuGuy doesn't need to attack an enemy while he's distracted to win.]]

* Ichigo survives a near killing from Byakuya and Renji, the rescue Rukia team lands safely and away from dangers when entering soul society; Ichigo's healing rate is extremely fast; Renji lives from Ichigo's attack; Ichigo lives a sure death battle with captain Kenpachi Zaraki; Ganju lives from Byakuya's attack and Ichigo shows up to save the day; Renji surviving Byakuya's bankai at point blank range; Ichigo masters bankai, stops a super weapon, beats Byakuya; Ichigo surviving near dissection and Renji and Byakuya living the aizen assault, everyone's extreme luck with no casualties while attacking a super power... Coincidence? No, because Rukia [[spoiler: was at the center of it all. And what did Rukia have with her? The Hougykou: the magic genie that grants its users will and makes shit happen like save people from certain death and give power ups.]]
** [[spoiler: Which is why Gin broke her resolve! Because before, while she wasn't wishing to die, she was resigned to it, but when he shook her resolve, she actively wished for a saviour, and the Hogyoku responded, powering Ichigo up enough that he'd get there right in the nick of time! But that's not the clever part! The clever part is that, while Gin is just a sadistic shit, he also wants revenge on Aizen, and keeping the Hogyoku sealed in her fucks up his plan! Every little mistake of his was like that, probably/maybe.]]
* Some people wonder why [[spoiler:Aizen didn't even attack Captain Unohana when she found out about his betrayal, considering he had just one-shotted Hitsugaya. This makes more sense when you realize Aizen ''wanted to be spotted''. Additionally, Unohana is as strong as him, if not more, so there would be no reason to waste his time trying to get rid of her when the rest of Soul Society is in so much chaos he can just walk up to Rukia and take the Hogyoku out before anyone can respond.]] Additionally, [[spoiler:getting "captured" makes a lot more sense when you realize that Aizen could have chosen any time for the Hollows to take him into Hueco Mundo. The reason he decided to give the Shinigami a HopeSpot by making them think they've captured him was to crush their spirits by getting away in full view of them with nothing they could do about it. And it worked spectacularly, with not only every captain and lieutenant present, but also Yoruichi, the Ryoka and two from Rukongai. Not only that, he also got to take down three captains, two lieutenants, and one of the most powerful Substitute Shinigamis on the way out!]] [[spoiler:Aizen]], you MagnificentBastard!
* When Ichigo prepared to fight Kenpachi, as Ganju runs off with Yamada, he notes that he has a few questions to ask Ichigo once they return to the Rukongai. Could those questions have something to do with Ichigo's [[spoiler: similar appearance to Kaien Shiba?]] If that were the case, then Ichigo would've learned about [[spoiler: his Father's status as a former Shinigami Captain, and more humorously, that Ichigo is technically Ganju's cousin]].
** Also, during Byakuya's and Ichigo's rematch, Byakuya wonders how Ichigo could've achieved Bankai, believing Ichigo only became a Soul Reaper because he borrowed Rukia's powers, and didn't have any noble lineage. [[spoiler: He was wrong about Ichigo not having his own Soul Reaper powers or not having a Bankai (even though he was correct that Tensa Zangetsu wasn't Ichigo's true Bankai), so was it any surprise to learn that he was also wrong about Ichigo not having a lineage of what was one of the noble houses?]]

* I found the way Rukia defeated Aaroniero to be fairly interesting upon further examination. Earlier on, when Rukia used the double chant to attack him, he mentions that [[spoiler:Kaien doesn't remember anyone except Byakuya possessing that ability]]. When Rukia finally gets out of her HeroicBSOD caused by [[spoiler:realizing that Aaroniero really has Kaien's body within him]], she uses Shirafune, a previously unmentioned technique, to defeat him. It's actually quite interesting if you remember that [[spoiler:Rukia realized the limitations of Kaien's memories after her previous attack, and decided to use an attack that Aaroniero couldn't know about to defeat him. While her emotional attachment to Kaien, her guilt over her death and his knowledge of her fighting style had weakened her before, she used her knowledge of the person he was to claim victory in the end]]. -- @/{{Rampulus}}
* There is another instance of brilliance here. Back when Kenpachi was fighting Nnoitra, he commented on how he met many guys who claimed they couldn't be cut, much like Nnoitra. He told Nnoitra that in those experiences, he found that there was no opponent he ever fought who could survive getting their neck/throat being cut open, or being stabbed through the eye. When Hisagi [[spoiler: stabbed Tousen]], he stabbed him STRAIGHT THROUGH THE NECK, one of two parts of the body that no matter how much reiatsu you have, is not protected by a Shinigami's overflowing reiatsu, or an Arrancar's Hierro. In other words, it wasn't an event that ignored the difference in power; Hisagi simply aimed straight for the weakest spot [[spoiler: on Tousen's body]]. It also gives a little insight into the Zanpakuto spirit Kazeshini's personality, and Hisagi's own supressed nature: he used a tactic that Kenpachi himself has used in the past, hinting at Hisagi's hidden and suppressed BloodKnight side.
** Hisagi's attack is an example even further, as ''way'' back in some of the earliest episodes, Rukia mentions that Shinigami train themselves to attack the back of the neck. Specifically, this is because breaking off a Hollow's mask risks showing them the person they were in life. This makes quite a bit of sense from Hisagi's perspective in this moment since [[spoiler: he's attacking Tousen from behind to avoid reminding himself of who exactly it is that he's attacking.]] This one was called back to even further, as [[spoiler: when Ichigo breaks out of Hueco Mundo and attacks Aizen, the back of the neck is the first place he aims his attack to. It was effectively the first time Ichigo was truly willing to take a non-Hollow life and was adhering to Rukia's advice so he wouldn't have to look at Aizen's face (and is also a really good way to get the drop on somebody).]]
* Another piece of fridge brilliance, for those who are pulling their hair out over why Ichigo has been struggling to beat his opponents whereas Captains he'd previously bested were having better odds. You want to know ''why'' the Captains were so late? It was because Urahara had been working on stablizing the Garganta (the gate to Hueco Mundo) so that ''Captain-Level Shinigami could pass through at full power.'' So chances were, because Ichigo was so impatient, he used the Garganta before it was ready (evident by Soul Society's initial refusal to participate in the rescue), and thus as a result wasn't able to use his full power in Hueco Mundo. It wasn't BadassDecay, it was Ichigo's own unwillingness to wait before going off to rescue Orihime that was holding him back. This of course only stands if he regains his badass by going back to either soul society or the human world, so until then...
** No. He fights Grimmjow in the human world and in Hueco Mundo. He utterly gets his ass kicked in the first fight, while when he fights Grimmjow in Hueco Mundo he's only losing by a small margin in the beginning, when he has no mask and Grimmjow is unreleased. I know his Hollow had something to do with his loss in the human world, but it didn't interfere until Ichigo used Getsuga Tensho, and he was getting shitkicked way before that.
*** It could maybe simply that Hueco Mundo's atmosphere is detrimental or harmful to humans and shinigami, far more than it is to Hollows. This would make sense since the world is entirely populated (with the rare exception) by Hollow creatures. So, since Ichigo has been fighting in this world for quite a while, it could be fatiguing him, impairing his ability to fight.
*** It must also be considered that Ichigo has simply been exerting himself, by running and fighting for who knows how long in Hueco Mundo (and possibly keeping his Bankai active for the entire duration of his stay). He was [[spoiler:killed by Ulquiorra]] once, but was saved by Orihime's miraculous healing ability, and then only barely [[spoiler:won his fight against Grimmjow before being beaten down by Nnoitra]]. Does that not account for battle fatigue?
*** Doesn't the revelation during the Lost Agent arc that [[spoiler:Ichigo's combat pass given to him by Ukitake was used to monitor him and supress his power]] explain perfectly why Ichigo was weaker during the Hueco Mundo arc?

* About the Narm-King Zommari Rureaux. His powers, on a second thought, are extremely dangerous [[spoiler: If you don't know about that kido-barrier spell anyway]], as he has to look at your head to defeat you, so, why he's just the Septima Espada, Reishi levels besides? Because he's too dumb and careless with his powers, making him a lesser threat than other high-level Espada.
** The aspect of death he represents is intoxication.

** And if you subscribe to the theory that Yumichika having a Kido-type release in a Melee-type Company is the Bleach analogue to Don't Ask, Don't Tell, like this troper does, then you may come to the conclusion that Yumichika sabotaging his training in front of Ikkaku to keep his release a secret is the equivalent of a StraightGay cockblocking himself on purpose in front of his straight buddies.
* Just a random thing this troper noticed -- maybe a weird sort of CallBack? When a Hollowfied Ichigo is fighting Grimmjow, Orihime thinks about how Ichigo doesn't 'see' her/didn't come for her. Later on, when he's fighting [[spoiler: Ulquiorra and taken over by his SuperpoweredEvilSide]], Orihime is the only thing he seems to 'see'. -- Ody
* One off the reasons why Zommari lose so quickly against Byakuya (other than misusing his powers?) When you think carefully about it, Byakuya's power is perfect against a power like the one of Zommari. Against another opponent things may have gone differently...
* Ichigo's second Hollow form was quite possibly a massive foreshadowing on Kubo's part. Not a Resurrección as some people would think (and not a Vasto Lorde, please, go consult the Bleach Wiki or the manga and anime to hear how a Menos reaches the level of Vasto Lorde). During Ichigo's first battle with [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Hichigo]], he gave Ichigo a little lecture.

* A similarly interesting moment comes when Tousen is taken by surprise [[spoiler:and stabbed in the head by Hisagi]]. Hisagi and Komamura had set out to open Tousen's eyes, and it just so happens that Tousen [[spoiler:using his Resurrecion]] enables him to see. Tousen, the first person to accept Komamura despite his appearance, denounces him as ugly, and relying on his sight instead of the other senses that helped him become a badass, doesn't notice [[spoiler:Hisagi leaping onto his head]], and Hisagi comments that he should have been able to avoid it if he were blind. In a tragically ironic sense, Komamura and Hisagi succeeded in opening Tousen's eyes, but in so doing, revealed how far he had fallen, and [[spoiler:only managed to kill him]] -- @/{{Rampulus}}.
** Also, blind creatures gaining sight can lead to insanity. Guess what happens to [[spoiler: Tousen]]?
* For years, fans were wondering why Soul Society puts up with Ichigo. I mean, yeah, he's decently powerful, but since all he does on a normal basis is kill Hollows, how does that justify them forgiving him for [[LeeroyJenkins running into Hueco Mundo and playing right into Aizen's hands]]? [[spoiler: Turns out, he's the only captain level Shinigami who's never seen Aizen release his Zanpaktou, and therefore the only one who's immune to his illusions. Presumably, everyone else with a Bankai (Gotei 13 captains, some of the Visored, Urahara, Tessai, Isshin) have all seen his shikai and are therefore susceptible to his tricks. Ichigo is literally the only one who can defeat him at this point.]]
** Furthermore, the Lost Agent arc confirms that Soul Society initially planned to [[spoiler:use Ichigo as bait to lure out Ginjou, then kill both of them]] only to change their minds. They didn't ''intend'' to put up with Ichigo, but [[spoiler:as messed up as Soul Society is, they aren't dickish enough to screw over the guy who helped them take down Aizen]].
* In Chapter 392, many people, including I, has wondered why Ichigo didn't start yelling at the captains until ''after'' they had torn apart [[spoiler: Momo]]. And then the personal epiphany: He ''was'' yelling from the beginning, but since [[spoiler: Aizen controls the five senses, and it takes the sense of hearing to hear Ichigo's warning, well...]]
* Another long running head scratcher was why Aizen even bothered to retreat after the reveal in the first place -- given his game breaker power why didn't he just finish it then? It only got more confusing as he causally discards the Espada who were supposed to be the reason he was spending time building up in Las Noches in the first place. Then finally he owns up in Chapter 393 that Yamamoto actually could kick his ass due to the sheer power of his Zanpakutou -- and his counter? [[spoiler: Wonderweiss -- the Hollow that he is seen completing right before he kicks off events leading to the current attack -- the entire wait was just to complete this counter -- everything else was just a distraction.]]

* And now, everything seems to be falling into place. Aizen has revealed that [[spoiler: he had planned every one of Ichigo's fights.]] I'm probably overanalyzing this, but it makes sense. Why send a captain and Lieutenant to the human realm? [[spoiler: So Ichigo can fight Renji.]] Why let them run amok in SS? [[spoiler: So that he'll face a captain who will probably bring him to the verge of death: in this case, Zaraki.]] Why not, after he's stirred things up, just kill Ichigo, who is a distraction at best? [[spoiler: So Ichigo can fight Byakuya.]] Why keep Grimmjow alive? [[spoiler: So that Ichigo will fight him again.]] Why leave, Uliquorra, of all people, behind? [[spoiler: So that uber-Hollow will awaken.]]
** In a bit of a tie-in with the above troper's entry, I never really thought much about Aizen's comments to Ichigo during the Soul Society arc; that is, until the most recent chapters when Aizen said [[spoiler: "I've known about you since you were born."]] I reread the Soul Society scene just recently and realized: as he goes through the Negacion, Aizen says to Ichigo, "You were interesting... for a human." [[spoiler: The only way Aizen could have known that Ichigo was half-human is if he had known about Ichigo since his birth.]]
** And it seems that Aizen's got to be omniscient to see it all coming, but at least it makes ''some'' sense of the situation.
*** 'Everything But The Rain' reveals how he knows so much; [[spoiler: him siccing White on Isshin leads to Masaki taking the blow, her blowing it's head off with her Quincy powers, but being infected with Hollow essence at the same time, leading Isshin losing his powers to keep it under control for as long as Masaki's alive, and eventually to Ichigo's Fullbringer abilities and explains why White and Hichigo look so alike.]]
* Here's one -- in both his fight against Ichigo and Komamura/Tosen, Kenpachi Zaraki has grabbed the blade or arm of his opponent -- and then against Nnoitra, the first opponent where he's in danger of dying, it won't help him, because Nnoitra has six arms.
* Halibel. Her Aspect of Death is "sacrifice". The manga never gets into this, so it seems like a bit of an AssPull, right? Yeah, that's what I thought until the anime got more in depth about it. While everyone's commended Halibel on how close and friendly she is with her Fraccion, and how much she hurts after their deaths (especially in comparison to the Espada who are indifferent to or outright ''abuse'' their Fraccion), they didn't realize that she's actually the CRUELEST of them all. Halibel's element of sacrifice isn't referring to herself -- it's referring to ''them''. Unlike the other Fraccion, Halibel has specifically trained her Fraccion to kill themselves in order to help her cause. They're essentially suicide-bombers, which explains why they do the most damage of ''any'' other Fraccion in the series. And the reason Halibel lets herself get close to them is so that when they die, she can kick their killers' ass that much harder.
* Also rather minor: This troper found the Kyoraku vs. Starrk battle to be rather anti-climatic. (Kyoraku stabs/slashes Starrk in the Hollow hole, killing him.) Because, really with all the damage Bleach characters take, that's going to be what kills the Primera Espada? However, I read through some of the earlier chapters and realized that Kyoraku stabbed Starrk in the same spot where Byakuya stabbed Ichigo, causing Ichigo to lose his Shinigami powers the first time!
** Aside from the fact this troper found Kyoraku's efficient last attack to be more satisfying than an over-blown 'final battle super power...thing', she has limited knowledge of Bleach canon and so wonders whether Starrk dying in the specific manner mentioned above suggests he may not be dead, merely depowered.
** Regardless of location, rules are rules -- since Kyoraku's body was almost completely covered in black, the attack would've dealt huge damage to ANY black spot due to the rules of the game instated by his Shikai, overriding the damage that normally would've been sustained from the wound, most likely increasing it in this case. Stabbing Starrk in a vital spot probably just sealed the deal.
** And THIS Troper questions how stabbing Starrk in the Hollow hole would have any effect at all, since it's, y'know, a hole. Remember when Zaraki stabbed Nnoitra through the eyepatch and -- surprise! -- that's where his Hollow hole is? Same thing.
*** (previous troper) Eh, right, it doesn't work. However, IIRC Nnoitra's hole was just that -- you could see through it -- whereas Starrk's is just black and Kyoraku appears to stab straight through it. Given the colour's there, perhaps for the purposes of the game the lack of a physical target doesn't matter. Flimsy, I know, but the premise of the crazy-ass shikai does make a 'any colour counts' rule seem appropriate in its lack of sense.
*** Objection, the hole itself may not have a color but the sides of Hollow holes have been shown as black when we look at them from an angle.
*** Also, since color is just a matter of reflected light, it may just be the appearance that matters. This isn't cannon, but there's a fan fiction where Kyoraku uses Irooni on Tosen's bankai and shatters it, and it seems like a plausible idea.
*** His shikai just became a lot more broken if that's the case. Irooni Black at nighttime would be a 1-hit KO if its rules count non-illuminated voids as black.
*** Actually, long after suggesting that I've recently re-watched the episode where Starrk dies and it appears that while the colour called is 'black' and the shot focusses in on Starrk's Hollow hole, the actual hit is diagonally across his chest, not just in/over the hole. The 'black' referred less to any colour on Starrk and merely the power-up Kyoraku gained from calling it when he was wearing only his black clothing (the slow loss of his 'colourful' image being another minor well-done bit) since in Irooni the damage caused is related to the risk to the 'attacker' meaning what he is wearing most of.
** All that aside, with that fight I realized a bit of Kyoraku's fridge brilliance -- he's the only captain in unconventional garb, and it's not just an interesting fashion statement like I had thought previously. Think of it -- his outermost layer is 90% pink? How many opponents have we seen in this whole series who are wearing pink? His second layer of clothing is the standard captain's white. Now, how many Hollows/Arrancar have white as a primary color? Then underneath that, black. Again, almost all enemies in the series are wearing either black or white clothing, and almost none wear pink. So the tactical reason Kyoraku wears pink is for an almost impenetrable defense when he needs, using Irooni. It works both ways of course, but Kyoraku can also change the game whenever he wants. So, pink for a tactical defense, switch to shadow game or height game whenever he's ready, then back to Irooni so the opponent can barely scratch him. Then, if he does need to go on total offense with Irooni, he can easily switch to white or black as needed, and plow through 90% of the enemies out there. It's genius.
*** That method of tactical fighting assumes Kyoraku has the ability to change what game is played at will. He outright states that is not the case, and that the game played depends on the mood of his Zanpakuto.

* As grating as Mayuri's Karma Houdini is, it makes some sense with the reveal of Tosen's motives. [[spoiler: Tosen's reason for wanting to destroy Soul Society involved an officer who killed a fellow Shinigami in an argument, then killed Tosen's friend (who was either in the academy or a full Shinigmai at the time of her death) when she complained about it, and didn't receive any punishment. Seems like getting away with killing subordinates is something that isn't just limited to Mayuri.]]
* For some, the Arrancar saga might seem convoluted and unnecessary, not to mention the fact that Inoue, who was hyped up by fans to be super-important to the story, ended up serving only as bait so Aizen could lure Ichigo and Captains of Soul Society to Hueco Mundo. This seemingly leads to plot points that were "foreshadowed" to be tossed away in favour of the story line that the arc ended on. But perhaps that is the point: everything else was an "illusion". Fitting with the motif of Kyoka Suigetsu, that makes people see what Aizen wants them to see, the Arrancar saga was constructed in a way that Aizen's true goals were masked behind deception and illusions regarding other characters and objects. As the arc progressed, the illusions (the importance of the Espada and Inoue's importance in the story) were stripped away until we were left with the undeniable truth.

* People have been ripping on the Deicide arc for the longest time due to the misspelling of its name. The correct spelling is Decide, right. Wrong. [[spoiler: The word is not the misspelling of a word that means "to make a decision", deicide means "the murder of a deity." And in this arc, Gin does exactly that. He kills Aizen... or at least he tries to. But the point still stands.]]
** On that topic, Gin's Bankai, Kamishimi no Yari, means "God-Slaying Spear". [[spoiler: Guess what it's used for?]]
** Urahara on the other hand [[spoiler: succeeds where Gin failed in the latest chapter, committing Deicide in the only way possible, by using Kidou to seal Aizen up, commenting that while fused with the Hougyoku, Aizen would be unkillable]].
** Also, why use 'deicide' as a name? After all, Aizen might be ridiculously powerful, but he's not God. Firstly, remember that at the end of the Soul Society arc, he proclaimed he'd "stand atop the heavens"? Uh... he more or less managed that. Secondly, it's generally accepted among theologians and some philosophers that a 'true' god cannot die (basically, that deicide is impossible). [[spoiler: Aizen is defeated, but not killed.]] A case of GodIsEvil?

* I always wondered what took Gin so long to [[spoiler: attempt to kill Aizen]] since he would've succeeded if he had just done it earlier. I realized that Gin couldn't have done it earlier even if he wanted to. That moment was the only time Gin knew it was definitely Aizen. In Soul Society and Hueco Mondo, there were plenty of arrancar and shinigami around to be decoys for Aizen. For all we know, Aizen could've been chilling in a secret room the entire time while hypno-generated Aizen interacted with shinigami/arrancar. Hinamori in Fake Karakura was Tite Kubo's example of why Gin [[spoiler: didn't try to kill Aizen]]. When they entered the real Karakura town, it was the only time when he knew the real Aizen must be there and the two were alone. The reason Gin carried Rangiku away was [[spoiler:not only to protect her from Aizen but to make sure she doesn't become his decoy]].
** I don't think that's it. There's no way Gin wouldn't have had other opportunities to kill Aizen. In the first place, I doubt Aizen is that paranoid in terms of using his Shikai, especially outside of battle. From what we've seen of his use of it, he often switches himself with another thing or person when he does so, and it's usually to avoid an attack he knows is coming. There also would've been other times when Gin had to know it was Aizen, like when he was switching out with Aizen when they were impersonating the Central 46 back in the Soul Society arc, or when Aizen was using the Hougyoku to create the Arrancar. That being said, why did Gin wait to hurt Aizen by betraying him so late into the game? I mean, he helps Aizen betray the entire Soul Society, a plan which Aizen relied on Gin heavily for, and there were generally so many other opportunities Gin had to betray Aizen if he wanted to stop him from causing so much damage. The answer is right in Gin's motivation. He didn't want to stop Aizen, he wanted to hurt him. If Gin had betrayed Aizen earlier, especially before the Hougyoku accepted Aizen as its master, he might have stopped him, but Aizen would just see it as a Shinigami doing their job and stopping a threat to the Soul Society. In fact, Aizen's such a sociopathic MagnificentBastard, that betraying Aizen at any other time would've been impersonal and Aizen would've shrugged it off. So what does Gin do? He waits until the last minute, right when all of Aizen's plans are coming together, right before Aizen achieves his ultimate goal, and then tries to kill him. Aizen knew that Gin was going to betray him, but Gin didn't know that Aizen suspected him. From his perspective, he was Aizen's trusted right-hand man. To be duped by a man you trust, right as you're about to achieve all your goals from the past couple of centuries, and be killed right at the height of your power. That's definitely something that would make even Aizen despair.
* Ichigo ‘s role as a shinigmai ends in Chapter 423, in goroawase world play
Shinigami can translate to 4(shi) 2(ni) 3(mi).

* [[spoiler: The new BigBad, Tsukishima, is [[MagnificentBastard genius]], [[GoodScarsEvilScars scarred]], {{pretty boy}} who can cut anything with a katana made from a bookmark and, as of Chapter 456, has effectively [[SpotlightStealingSquad hijacked]] Ichigo's life story. It's almost as if Tsukishima is Kubo's own twisted take on the concept of self-insert characters.]]
* A bit of FridgeBrilliance from reading Chapter 461. It explained why ''Rukia's'' actions in the beginning were illegal! Why would transferring one's powers to a human be illegal unless it had been done before? Laws are rarely made preemptively. To me, it made the whole series make more sense.
** Fridge brilliance is an accidental interpretation but Kubo's set this information up for a long time so it's not really fridge brilliance, it's more a case of tying up loose ends or at least answering questions some fans have had for a very long time: In Chapter 1, Rukia knew this method of transferring power to a human existed, so it was obvious even then that there had to be a history of it happening. The fact it was against the law simply reinforced that notion. Then there was Ukitake at the end of the Soul Society arc when he gave the substitute badge to Ichigo, telling him it was given to any substitute that proved useful to Soul Society and the badge was invisible to humans because it was dangerous in the wrong human's hands. That immediately told us that Ichigo wasn't their first substitute and it even inferred that they must have had substitutes that didn't prove useful, as well as others proving useful. Then there's the idea of actually knowing that a substitute's badge is a problem if it falls into the wrong hands, suggesting that it's happened in the past for them to know about it. Yes, Kubo's given a lot of information for fans to ask questions about for a very long time. It's nice to see him addressing it at last.
* Remember waaaayy back when [[spoiler: Ichigo first received the Substitute Shinigami badge, and he was told it was only given to those who ''benefit'' Soul Society? But when he tried to use it to show he is a Substitute, the guy brushes him off? At first we thought it was because said Shinigami was an idiot. Then it was never brought up again, till this arc. Then we learn what it really is: it's for those who ''benefit'' or are a ''problem'' to Soul Society and can [[BigBrotherIsWatching spy on them]], [[RestrainingBolt ''supress their reiastsu'']], and otherwise make sure they are not a threat to them. This explains how Soul Society knew where he was in the human world, as well as why he needed to be in spirit form to use his Shinigami powers after SS arc, or why he wasn't leaking reiatsu and making more spiritually awakened people.]]
** It also explains why they were so quick to trust a guy that had just committed breaking and entering on a military facility and assaulted high-ranking officers based on his own personal ideology. It might have been correct at the time, but its still not a terribly trust-building thing to do.
* As of Chapter 479, there's been some changes in Soul Society after Ichigo's 17 months out of action. Namely, things like [[spoiler: Kenpachi and Sui-Feng changing to their 'old' hairstyles and some of the Vaizards getting back their captain positions]]. And then the realization: after Aizen's incarceration, [[spoiler: everything is reverting back to normality, as in before the ''Turn Back The Pendulum'' arc and before Aizen began plotting.]]
** Which only means it's the calm before the storm...
*** There is also the caption at the end of Deicide 18 [The End], which says "Time Stops...!/Enough to stop time...!" [[spoiler:With the revert to normality before the ''Turn Back the Pendulum'' arc, Aizen's time has stopped.]]
* From their dialogue and mannerisms, as well as being the two captains to interact the most with Ichigo, its obvious that Kubo likes to draw parallels between Kenpachi(Street thug, AxeCrazy, etc.) and Byakuya (Refined, upper class, and educated). After seeing Byakuya fight Tsukishima, another comparison was realized. Kenpachi likes to swing away wildly and fight like a madman with no strategy. However this doesn't work against Nnoitra. So what does he do? He uses a technique that one would expect from Byakuya! This arc, Byakuya finds that smooth control isn't working, so what does he do? He abandons all technique and metaphorically "swings" madly like Kenpachi! Now if only we can get an all out fight between the two...
* Even the title of this arc is Fridge Brilliance on its own. It both refers to [[spoiler: Ichigo being "lost" as a substitute shinigami, due to him not having powers anymore,]] and to [[spoiler: Ginjo going rogue after he discovers that the badge was actually a tracking device, making him a "lost substitute.]]

* FridgeBrilliance: Why have [[FillerVillain Kageroza]] and Nozomi gained such a reputation as Mary Sues? [[spoiler: Because they were constructed so by their creator, Ouko Yushima. Yushima himself lacked any notable combat ability, and thus used his mod soul creation experience to create [[AuthorAvatar a version of himself]] with superior abilities.]] Exactly like a bad FanFic writer might make a character that's essentially him/herself but with SuperpowerLottery winning powers.
* During the Zanpaktou rebellion arc, Zangetsu is the only one to not take advantage of his newfound power to walk around freely even after Ichigo defeats him and frees him of Muramasa's influence. [[spoiler: Now we know that he's actually a manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy blood and also identical to Yhwach as he was 1000 years ago.]] When he fought Ichigo, nobody else was around. [[spoiler: It's only natural that he wouldn't want to be around veteran Shinigami. He might have been recognized.]]
** Another piece of (unintentional?) FridgeBrilliance kicks in during the opening used in this arc, Anima Rossa; where we see a scene of Ichigo and his Hollow fight side to side, immediately followed by the humanized Zanpaktou Spirits. [[spoiler: With the recent reveal that Hollow Ichigo is actually Zangetsu, this makes you wonder if the writers were in the know about Zangetsu's true identity.]]

* In the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc, Nanao meets the materialized spirit of [[spoiler: Kyokotsu, one of the two spirits of Shunsui Kyoraku's Zanpakuto, Katen Kyokotsu,]] and forms a friendly relationship with her. How is this Fridge Brilliance? [[spoiler: Kyokotsu was created by her "sister", Katen, to house Nanao's Zanpakuto! Nanao was essentially hanging out with her own Zanpakuto Spirit!]]

* The reason why Ikkaku was never forced to become a captain along with Renji right after Aizen's betrayal is because Yama's lieutenant is exactly the same as them. [[spoiler: Yama's lieutenant, Sasakibe actually ''knows'' Bankai, but never took a captain's position]] because he strictly kept his loyalty to Yama and no one else. Yama is no idiot. He would've known Ikkaku had Bankai, but because he was strictly loyal to Kenpachi, he respected his wish because he has a lieutenant who is exactly the same.

* Byakuya, Komamura, Sui-Feng, and Toshiro decide to [[spoiler: use their bankais against the Stern Ritters, only to get them stolen. At first this seems like a stupid thing to do, until you remember that the Soul Society actually thought the Quincy could ''seal'' Bankai, not steal it. They deliberately used Bankai to allow their opponents to "seal" them, so that they could immediately get to work on finding a way to unseal them and counter the ability for future confrontations. It backfired only because it turned out the Bankai wasn't just sealed, but directly stolen from it's wielder's soul and thus there was no "seal" to analyze.]]

** Them stealing those two bankai isn't actually a weakness. In fact it was a mistake on the Soul Society's part to allow the Vandenreich to get those bankai. Why? They cause the most collateral damage, and when your mission is destroy everything in sight and commit mass slaughter, having an ICBM and a massive warrior that destroys everything around it is more useful than say, a bankai like Ichigo's [[spoiler:old]] one. [[spoiler:Which makes it lucky for the Soul Society that the Vandenreich will not get to use them (yet).]]
* Chapters 507 and 508 have shown Yamamoto using [[spoiler: his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi.]] Seeing what it is capable of '''so far''', it is perfectly understandable why Aizen opted for sealing Yamamoto's Shikai with Wonderweiss, and did not dare engage Yamamoto directly in combat.
* As of the latest chapter, where it turns out [[spoiler: Ichigo's mother is a Quincy and Ichigo has Quincy powers]] it seems like Kubo just done another AssPull, right? But when you think about it, it actually makes sense. [[spoiler: Ichigo's Bankai has always been considered unusual in that it compressed his powers around him rather than expand them outwards, but what makes Quincies so different to Shinigami? Rather than release their own power, they draw in power from around them!]] What made Ichigo unique was actually pretty clever {{Foreshadowing}}.
* Related to the above, the revelation that [[spoiler: Ichigo has Quincy ancestry through Masaki]] begins to explain an enduring question about Isshin and Ryuuken's (and probably Kisuke's) shared past: why Isshin and Kisuke have respected Ryuuken's willful rejection of the spirit world when they obviously could have used his help during Aizen's invasion of Karakura -- and to a lesser extent during the Fullbringer incident. [[spoiler: By guarding the Quincy Clan's secrets from Ichigo and Uryuu, Ryuuken is covering for Isshin as much as Isshin is covering for him.]]
** It also explains WHY no Shinigami ever heard of the "Kurosaki" name even though Isshin is a former Captain...
*** I thought that was because 'Kurosaki' was Masaki's surname. As a Shinigami, Isshin was Isshin ''Shiba''.
* More on the revelation of [[spoiler: Masaki being an Echt Quincy and Ichigo having Quincy powers.]] Very early on in the series, Zangetsu explained to Ichigo that, while Ichigo did lose the Shinigami powers Rukia gave him, he still had his own dormant Shinigami powers that Rukia's reiatsu awakened. How did Yhwach explain Ichigo having [[spoiler: Quincy powers]]? They awakened when Quilge's reiatsu, after Ichigo exhausted his reiryoku trying to break out of "The Jail", [[spoiler: was absorbed by Ichigo which awakened Ichigo's Quincy powers at their very roots.]] In other words, Kubo used the same explanation he did to explain Ichigo having Shinigami powers to explain Ichigo's [[spoiler: Quincy powers]].

* Some readers have noted the resemblance between Stern Ritter As Nodt and Retsu Unohana. At first this appears to be a case of lazily reusing old character designs...but with the reveal of [[spoiler: Unohana being the original Kenpachi, in turn implying she was one of the vicious original Gotei 13 members]], it could have been foreshadowing, which becomes even more interesting knowing [[spoiler: Nodt's brutal CurbStompBattle against Byakuya that nearly cost the latter his life.]]
* As of Chapter 540, it's revealed who [[spoiler: "Zangetsu"]] really is. However, it's to be noted that the name [[spoiler: Zangetsu itself is a foreshadow on who Ichigo's real zanpakutou actually is. "Slaying Moon" or in other terms "The Moon that Slays". The moon is white, the blade that Ichigo always uses? Black. Not the "moon" at all, but the blade that Hollow Ichigo has always used? It's white, another indication that when he claimed to be the real Zangetsu and the sword Ichigo was using was fake was actually true from the beginning.]]
* The ''Everything but the Rain'' arc makes this obvious, but Aizen's involvement in Ichigo's life makes a lot more sense. Of course he would know about Ichigo since [[spoiler:his birth. He was the reason Ichigo was even born in the first place, and knew all along that Ichigo had Quincy blood. He realized that Ichigo had the potential to become the most powerful shinigami in history, just because he had the potential power from the three major species in the series. Makes you wonder why he never told Ichigo about it, if only just to screw around with him.]]

* A common complaint amongst fans has long been that Ichigo's training seems to bring greater results than others get from theirs, the most common argument being that the Shinigami have trained for over a hundred years at the least, and Ichigo only half a year.[[spoiler: This makes perfect sense after the revelation of Zangetsu's true identity. The nature of Ichigo's power was, from the very beginning, closer to an Arrancar's than a Shinigami's. Shinigami bond and develop their zanpakuto, and grow along with it, achieving more and more power as they grow. Arrancar seal off their full power, and simply release more and more of it rather than grow with it, the exact opposite of what Shinigami do, in precisely the same way that Zangetsu has always sealed off Ichigo's true reiatsu, and only given him as much as he needed at any given time. He's exactly like an Arrancar whose control over their power was governed by a split personality!]]
* So in this arc, we learn that Yhwach has taken a special interest in [[spoiler:Uryu]] because of the fact that [[spoiler:he's the only Gemischt (mixed-ancestry) Quincy who survived Selektion. You know who else we found out is a Gemischt Quincy, who also evidently survived the Selektion process? Ichigo.]]
* In Chapter 519, Kirinji mentions something about "rotten blood" getting sucked out and replaced by new blood to Ichigo. In 565, we learn that [[spoiler:Ywach can transfer pieces his soul through blood and used the Sternritter to infect the Shinigami.]]
* The revelation in "Everything But The Rain" that [[spoiler:Kanae and Masaki both died as a side effect of Yhwach's Selection]] explains a niggling question that's been around since we first found out Ryuuken had powers and knew the Kurosakis: [[spoiler:why hadn't he killed Grand Fisher and saved Masaki]]? Answer: [[spoiler:Because halfway across town ''his wife had just collapsed into a mysterious coma''. Tad bit distracted at that point.]]
* Giselle's friend Candice [[spoiler: explicitely told her to NOT use blood while [[CombatMedic restoring]] her severed arm. Candice not only knew the extent of Giselle's BloodMagic powers, but she ''was'' there when Giselle told Bambietta that she'd "help" her -- and likely witnessed what Giselle ''exactly'' did to her, or at least was aware of it.]] She basically [[spoiler: refused to become Giselle's "puppet weapon", like it happened to Bambietta who was in no position to resist due to her injuries.]]

* All of Yhwach's incredible powers begin to make sense with the revelation that [[spoiler:he is the son of the Soul King]]. He is able to bring out the latent powers of the Stern Ritter through the Schrift, just as the Soul King was able to bestow the Squad Zero members with the Ouken, only the Soul King can also bestow abilities relating to the title he gives the Squad Zero members ("Hot Spring Demon" Kirinji can manipulate his hot spring waters in battle; "King of Grains" Hikifune can grow things from her own body such as the '''Cage of Life'''; "The Monk Who Calls The True Name" Ichibei has power over "Names" that even allows him to heal himself when someone calls his name). While the Soul King's scope of power is not known outside of him being the "lynchpin" of all of reality, one can see how [[spoiler:Yhwach is his son]].
** On a related note, there's Yhwach's Schrift, [[spoiler:The Almighty]]. It gives His Majesty [[StoryBreakerPower the utterly devastating, eight ways from Sunday ability]] to [[AdaptiveAbility effectively shut down anything that's been thrown at him]] so long as he has seen it and comprehended the full scale of his opponent's powers. With this in mind, the Vandenreich's interest in three of the known Special War Powers is understandable, as Yhwach knew ''nothing'' about the full extent of their powers: Kenpachi had yet to learn his Zanpakuto's name at the time and thus achieve Shikai or Bankai, Aizen--assuming the Hogyoku were to miraculously start working for him again--could continually evolve to counteract Yhwach's "omnipotence"/"omniscience," and Ichigo, [[NextTierPowerUp being]] [[HeinzHybrid Ichigo]], is a being like no other, one whose very existence almost defies all logic. Comparatively, Yamamoto was excluded from this list not only because he had grown soft(er) in the intervening 1000 years, but because Yhwach knew every trick the Head Captain was capable of, allowing him to NoSell him like there's no tomorrow.

* Ukitake being the host of Mimihagi-sama, [[spoiler:the Right Arm of the Soul King]], which allows him to [[spoiler:halt the destruction of Soul Society by "replacing" the Soul King]] would seem out of left-field, but the connection made to his illness is what makes it a moment of brilliance. Ukitake contracted a fatal lung disease when he was three years old, meaning he would have most likely died as a result of the disease, and the doctors in Soul Society would not have the means to cure such a disease. The set-up came when we saw Ukitake in the shrine at the beginning of the invasion, and the result was shown when Kyoraku commented on the Kamikake. Chapter 616 simply revealed "what" the Kamikake was, "why" Ukitake was the one to use it, and "the reason" for him using it now. It was a form of {{Foreshadowing}} and a ChekhovsGun as subtle as Unohana being [[spoiler:the First Kenpachi]] - simple details about the character's personality or nature that make them more than what they seem.

* The true terror of Yhwach's "The Almighty" has actually been staring at us in the face (literally) and we never noticed. The "Almighty" allows Yhwach to control what he sees, like how he hijacked Ichibei's Kido and turned it on the user. [[spoiler:Since the "Almighty" can see the future, it should've been obvious what the implications of this is.]]
* Gremmy Thoumeaux [[spoiler: died because He tried to imagine himself as stronger than Kenpachi.]] This is actually justified. Kenpachi's [[spoiler: bankai constantly increases his strength with no defined limit. It's only weakness is Kenpachi himself starts to break down because his body can't handle it. ''Kenpachi'' can't handle the full strength of ''his own bankai''. No wonder Gremmy died. He literally tried to imagine himself stronger than infinity.]]
* At first, Auswahlen seems incredibly inconsistent in it's effects. It's stated to be a way for Yhwach to steal Quincy powers from anyone it hits and distribute them to others, with the results always being fatal to the ones who got their power's stolen. However, we see that this isn't the case. The effects range from him instantly incinerating the person who's power he's stealing, like we see happen to Robert Accutrone. When he uses it to steal Haschwalth's powers, he dies a few minutes later. When he used it 9 years ago to regain his power, Uryuu's mother collapsed and lost consciousness, but only died months later, and Masaki lost her Quincy powers and was killed by Grand Fisher (though it is unknown if she would have died to the Auswahlen otherwise, she didn't collapse like Uryuu's mother and it's implied that Grand Fisher was directly responsible for her death and that Yhwach was only the catalyst, meaning she likely would've survived). We also see Bazz-B get hit with Auswalen, but it only takes away the powers Yhwach gave to him, and he retained his Quincy powers. So, counting the effects of the Auswalen, we have:

* So, Auswahlen seems to have 5 different effects. How is this fridge brilliance? Well, what does the Quincy Cross look like? a 5 pointed cross. Or to interpret it another way 5 different pillars of light from Auswahlen (the 5 different effects it has) all converging on a single person; Yhwach.

* I first thought Zangetsu (Slaying Moon) was named that just because it sounded cool then I realized what the name meant when Byakuya told Renji about the monkey and the moon. When Byakuya told that it was impossible to capture to moon, then I realize that not only can Zangetsu capture the moon, but he can also slay it. The name means it Zangetsu can do the impossible which fits into how Ichigo always pulls off miracles.

** We know that the zanpakuto are created from the soul of the Shinigami, their features reflecting the owner's desires, character and way of thinking. This troper believes it is possible that Zangetsu is a zanpakuto created for the sole purpose of defeating Byakuya. He was given form only after Ichigo's encounter with cpt. Kuchiki, when the hero was training in order to be able save Rukia. Ichigo must have known at the time that he'll have to defeat Byakuya sooner or later and his Zanpakuto reflected that in it's entirety.
* Too minor to be truly 'brilliant', but this troper found Ukitake's shikai -- though all too-convenient for the circumstances, thanks author -- rather neat. He can't really rely on his own strength, so he turns others' against them. Although the manipulation of power and speed Starrk calls 'malicious' could be cause [[PersonalityPowers for concern]].

* May I nominate Ichigo's Bankai? The first time it was used he managed to (marginally) beat Byakuya, a man who has had his Bankai for what one can assume is centuries. When you sit down and think about the abilities of most bankai, Ichigo's bankai seem pretty basic right?... That's the point! Ichigo's bankai is covering his lack of experience by giving him a Bankai that's easy to use. He's more a brawler and good at close combat, so wouldn't increased speed and strength from a easy-to-use Bankai help with his fighting style?
** Captains normally need 10 years training with their Bankai after gaining it meaning that they have to center their fighting style on their bankai. Ichigo's Bankai, however, fits around his fighting style rather than forcing him to change it when he uses his bankai.
*** It goes even further -- excepting when he fires off Getsuga Tenshou, he keeps his power quite focused and "around him" most of the time, "cloaking" himself in it just like Chad noted. When we compare the style of his Bankai to the captains, it becomes obvious pretty quickly that the majority of them are the opposite. Big, flashy effects that get just tossed all over the place, with their weapons/effects of said weapons sometimes becoming these big, vulnerable, flailing behemoths (Hitsugaya and Komamura being the two biggest offenders in this case.) This might even be why some of the Fullbring arc fights the Captains were involved in so recently ended up playing out like they did -- they're starting to see how effective his style is, and are trying it his way now. Doing things quickly and efficiently instead of throwing power all over the place might end up being the new norm.
*** Thanks for making me realize that above troper. Another plus for Ichigo is that he stays in his bankai longer then should he be, making me question why at first. Sure he has a crap ton of reiatsu but so do most captains. This makes me think that EVERY bankai (bar Ichigo's) sacrifices most of their reiatsu to enter bankai. Ichigo's just takes a little reiatsu to activate and leaks off little leading to why he just sits in it even an hour after a fight with no minus whatsoever. So with the fight with Byakuya he didn't just overwhelm him but also wear him down by just showcasing his speed. Hell, the longest time we have seen him hold it is from when he fought (in order) Ulquiorra, lost, came back, killed Ulquiorra, healed injuries, saved Rukia, fired a Gestuga at Yammy, walked through the Garganta with Unohana for what can be assumed to be an hour BEFORE she offers to heal his reiatsu. And through all that he ended up at 40-50%. In terms of time that's round about 2-3 hours. Just wow. -- AvergeNOOB
*** May I add that all of this might be the reason why the [[spoiler: Vandenreich]] can't do anything to his bankai. The other bankai are expansive types, while Ichigo's cloaks him. So they can't [[spoiler: steal it]] because they can't get a grip on it!
*** Also, it's possible that they can't steal the bankai of the Visoreds. [[spoiler:Yamamoto's bankai, Zanka no Tachi, concentrated his flames into his sword and Yhwach stole it anyway, but none of the visoreds have lost their bankai yet.]]
*** Real fridge Brilliance actually kicks in when you realized that [[spoiler:Ichigo's zanpakutou is the only one that is not formed from an Asauchi. This helps explain why Ichigo's power is opposite of a typical bankai -- and the reason why his bankai cannot be stolen, as it is based on a different mechanism.]]
*** Once you rethink the entire 1000-year Blood war arc do you realize why Ichigo's Bankai can never be stolen: 1) His "Zangetsu" is actually his Quincy power, and seeing that even Yhwach cannot take it during his his purge, the lesser Quincies cannot touch it either. 2) His real zanpakutou is permanently infused with Hollow power, which as demonstrated by Urahara, allows stolen bankai to be returned to its original owner. In short, even consider his current Zangetsu set as seperate swords, their very nature means they cannot be stolen by Quincy.
** It's even more brilliant when you consider Yamamoto's words about Ichigo's bankai. Yamamoto himself claims that, because Ichigo only got his bankai recently, his bankai still has plenty of room to evolve, and that's why the Vandenreich couldn't [[spoiler:steal it]]. It's not just a case of the bankai fitting the owner's needs, it's also a case of Ichigo having an incomplete bankai!
* Ichigo's Zangetsu is in the form of a mysterious middle-aged who is very level-headed. It perfectly reflects Ichigo because he is a very mature and wise person who, despite being a teenager, has the mentality of someone who is an adult.
** Then what does that make Tensa Zangetsu? (A slight reflection of) Ichigo's repressed emotional side due to childhood trauma?
*** Ichigo gets emotional when he's trying to protect someone. Tensa Zangetsu is emotional because he wants to protect Ichigo and Ichigo is doing something that goes against that.
*** The name Tensa has a second meaning hinting at this. Aside from its actual Japanese meaning, there's also the fact that it sounds similar to the English adjective ''tense''.

* TheReveal that [[spoiler:Hollow power is toxic to Quincies]] explains why their method of stealing Bankais didn't work on Ichigo. [[spoiler:Ichigo's been partially Hollowfied since ''birth''.]]
** It also explains why [[spoiler:they never seemed to target any of the Visoreds.]]

** Gin's Bankai is faster, longer and capable of killing an enemy with one strike, allowing him to [[spoiler: kill Aizen even when under the effects of hypnosis]]
** [[spoiler: Rukia's]] Bankai combats [[spoiler: As Nodt's fear-inducing abilities]] by wiping out an entire block of land as soon as it's activated and forcing the user to enter a meditative state. Both actions free the user of the pressures of having to watch their opponent and thus be exposed to any mind-altering attacks.
* During the 1000 Year Blood War Arc, [[spoiler: Ichibei tells Renji and Rukia the names of their bankai.]] Initially I was wondering why Ichibei didn't just do this for everyone in Soul Society and make the fight against the Vandenreich that much easier. Then it hit me. [[spoiler: Bankai]] isn't something everyone can do. In fact only a fraction of all Soul Reapers are capable of it. And zanpakutou are reflections of their owners. The reflection of someone who is [[spoiler: incapable of achieving bankai wouldn't be able to do it either, meaning their zanpakutou has no bankai at all. The reason Ichibei doesn't unlock everyone's bankai is that most of them don't have a bankai to unlock in the first place.]]
** The reason may actually be much more simple - It's not so much that [[spoiler: not everyone can achieve Bankai period]] so much as [[spoiler: They lack the ''experience''. Some Bankai may require some very specific skills such as Shunsui's storytelling. Others are flat out SuperpowerLottery. Rojuro's bankai can kill if you're able to hear the sound. Unohana's bankai is ''nasty''. Shinji's bankai is so powerful he needs ''permission'' to use it. Imagine if someone had the Bankai to summon a cyclone. You do ''not'' want people without experience to have ''that'' kind of power!]]
* The reveal from 668 that [[spoiler: Yachiru is actually Kenpachi's sword spirit Nozarashi has been foreshadowed since we'd first met Knepachi. During his flashback of meeting Yachiru, he asks who she is, and she basically points to his sword. She's also the only individual who's not affected by his spiritual pressure either. Coyote Starrk himself was foreshadowing as well. Both of them were afraid of being alone so they'd either shackled their true power with limiters, and thus both had their Zanpakuto's materialize in the real world and could interact with their environments.]]
*** There's another early example of foreshadowing immediately after losing his fight with Ichigo. When he asks his zanpakutou if it would share it's name with him, Yachiru's shown to become visibly saddened. [[spoiler: Because she wants to tell him her name, but he still can't hear it.]]

** I'd say that Yachiru isn't actually Nozarashi. Think about it. Yachiru has her own zanpakutou, and while I don't recall there ever being anything saying that that a zanpakutou can't have one of their own, there's an even better explanation. Yachiru is to Kenpachi as what Lilynette is to Coyote Starrk. Kenpachi wanted to fight strong opponents, and is willing to make himself weaker to have more of a challenge. Coyote Starrk wanted to become weaker so he could actually be around others. While their reasons differed they both wanted the same thing. Its possible that Kenpachi unknowingly split his soul, which lead to the creation of Yachiru. There are also parallels in the way they first "met". Starrk and Lilynette both knew they were originally the same being, and exchanged their names. On the other hand, neither Kenpachi nor Yachiru had names until their meeting.
** So far, it has been shown that the "proper" way of achieving Bankai is for the user to fight and defeat their Zanpakuto Spirit in battle and basically beat the spirit into submission. [[spoiler: In Kenpachi's case, Yachiru allowed him to go Bankai on his own. In other words, Zaraki, the epitome of brute force and the guy who scoffed the most at forming a bond with his Zanpakuto spirit, did the complete opposite. He is actually the one who has formed the closest bond with his spirit (and probably the only one who truly treats his Zanpakuto spirit as an equal), and the only one who has achieved Bankai through kindness and a rapport with his spirit. Yachiru saying "what everyone's been calling Bankai" implies that maybe that Zaraki is going to get a far superior version of Bankai to everyone else because of the incredibly unique way he unlocked his.]]

* Why did Ichigo's bankai [[spoiler: shatter again so easily after Tsukishima and Orihime repaired it? Because Ichigo's Hollow and Quincy powers were stolen by Yhwach. Only his sword was repaired, and without the unified power supporting it!]]
** [[spoiler:Or Yhwach just pulled another "sword is broken" future into the present like he did the first time.]]
* In the 1000 year blood war [[spoiler: we learn that Zangetsu the old man that we meet is Yhwach, and that the real Zangetsu is the Hollow/Shinigami powers that Ichigo has been using since he earned his zanpaktou's name. Even though Zangetsu was restrained by Ichigo's quincy powers, Zangetsu everytime he fought was showing Ichigo the real way to wield him. That means he was trying to teach him how to use him ever since he was introduced.]]
** [[spoiler: The time he first appeared during his fight with Zaraki he swung his blade around keeping ichigo away from him. The genius here is that Zangetsu while light for ichigo is still rather large weapon and should have problems fighing up close. The time he fought Ichigo when learning to gain control over the hollow side of his powers he displayed not only his fighting style but demonstrated how to use Getsuga Tensho in a way that ichigo himself hadn't thought of.]]
* Nimaiya tells Ichigo that he's not a true Shinigmai as he's never received an asauchi to infuse his reiatsu with. So how did Ichigo even gain a sword way after losing Rukia's borrowed powers? Remember when Urahara trained Ichigo, Ichigo hollowfied first, then removed his mask, which manifested Zangetsu. In other words, ''he underwent shinigamification, just like an arrancar.

* Yet another one about Ichigo's Zangetsu: Why, when Yhwach [[spoiler:broke Zangetsu]], did he still have its original, pre-Asauchi Shikai form inside? Because Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers are tied to [[spoiler:White, who functions as an Asauchi for]] SpontaneousWeaponCreation. Breaking the "official" Asauchi just makes [[spoiler:White take over as the blade instead]]. This, in turn, counts as another example, since Hollowfication is instantly fatal to Quincies; [[spoiler:it was impossible for Yhwach to absorb White to begin with, the best he could do was just suppress White]]! ...Which in turn leads to a ''third'' example: Due to Ichigo's unique nature, [[spoiler:even his Quincy powers are innately Hollowfied, and thus couldn't be taken by Yhwach]], as implied by the ''True'' Zangetsu's offhand blade. [[spoiler:His Soul Reaper and Hollow powers are one and the same, so the offhand blade being representative of his Quincy powers shows that his Quincy powers are intrinsically connected to his Soul Reaper powers, and by extension his Hollow powers as well. All three power sets are fully interweaved, and not separate entities. Trying to take one would pull the others along with it; they're all-or-nothing. Ichigo still having his Soul Reaper powers showed that Yhwach hadn't ''truly'' stolen the other two.]]
** Furthermore, the form that Zangetsu takes is its original, pre-reforging form. Y'know, the form generated through his ''Quincy'' powers suppresing his Soul Reaper powers. He defeated Yhwach not as a Soul Reaper, but by overpowering him as a Quincy.

* Loads of fans have been complaining of [[spoiler:the heroes being invincible, and the bad guys dying off in droves]]. However it becomes brilliance when you realise that most of the bad guys only got swords and their new powers after the soul society arc, while the Shinigamis have been training for hundreds of years in most cases. So logically the good guys SHOULD be out-fighting them at every turn
** However, that doesn't explain how Ichigo was in the exact same situation earlier (with his foes having hundreds of years worth of experience compared to his few months) with him pulling out several wins against the captains, aside from his status as [[PlotArmor the main protagonist]]. --@/{{Megadoomer}}
*** [[spoiler: Aizen]] claims that this was because he planned it. Whether or not this makes it any better, or whether you even believe it for that matter...
*** A possible explanation for Ichigo's insane learning speed and growth rate, could be his hybrid nature. Ichigo is the reincarnation/rebirth of the specialized Hollow White, which itself was based off of a Shinigami's soul, and made from numerous Shinigami souls. Is Ichigo really "learning" the Shinigami methods and techniques, or is he simply "remembering" them? Given the true nature of his soul, Ichigo could quite literally be interpreted or also identified as the reincarnation of each and every Shinigami that was used in White's creation, right? Fully Trained Shinigami, who all completed said training, quite an advantage don't you think?
*** This is subtly addressed in the recent manga arcs (Fullbring stories.) It makes sense when you look at the Soul Society as a whole, and then look at Ichigo. Soul Society, until recently, has been largely unchanging over hundreds of years -- rather stagnant. Ichigo on the other hand, had to go through some rapid changes in a pretty short amount of time. His powers came from an urgent need. The rest of the Shinigamis developed their powers rather slowly, due to the nature of Soul Society apparently making them think they "have all the time in the world." Cut to present-day, and we find guys like Renji and Shuhei immediately going out after the Arrancar crisis ended, to train and get stronger instead of just "patiently waiting for it to happen." Renji himself admitted to having trained to try to be strong enough to take on Aizen. The whole thing was a huge wake-up call to Soul Society at how complacent they'd gotten.

** Recent reveal show that [[spoiler: she was actually the FIRST Kenpachi and knows 8000 ways to kill you, and she learnt healing art just so she can hurt you again. FourIsDeath indeed.]]

** Also in regards to Orihime, the reason why Loly and Menoly hate her ''even more'' after [[spoiler: she uses her RealityWarper powers to bring them back to life.]] is ''more'' complicated than just being [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitches]]. To start, Hollows/Arrancar/Espada/etc. as a whole [[spoiler: are beings that are born when souls don't cross to Soul Society and stay in our world, becoming corrupted with supernatural energies.]] And here, two Arrancar girls (Hollows who have removed their mask and gained Shinigami-like powers) have witnessed [[spoiler: how a lowly human has the power to ''undo death'', pretty much messing with [[EvilCannotComprehendGood everything they know about their own existence]]]]. What is a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for Orihime, in the view of these two girls (and ''especially'' Loly, who had a better look at all of this than Menoly since, yanno, she was horribly mutilated by Grimmjow yet she was not ''dead'') is [[spoiler: like catching view of ''an EldritchAbomination'']], which explains the whole "she's a monster" deal; while it ''is'' about {{Yandere}}ism to quite a degree, it also involves one hell of a MindScrew for Hollows/Arrancars/etc.
** Hollows, beings that are born from death, despair and fear, are being faced with a being who [[spoiler: can literally rewrite reality]] so that events do not occur. Taken in this context, [[spoiler: Orihime]] is less like an angel of mercy to these two and more like Cthulhu from their perspective. '''A being whose nature and abilities are so alien that they outright defy explanation.''' Considering this, its understandable that they would react less than pleasantly to what happened to them. -- Other tropers

*** Actually, about Tsubaki... let's analyze the [[AttackReflector Shiten Koushun aka Shield of Four Heavens' Resistance.]] How is it formed? Via adding Tsubaki to the Three God Reflection Shield, thus making him turn a defensive barrier into an offensive weapon. Tsubaki is the weakest of the six Rikka spirits as well as the one who's [[BloodKnight less]] like [[NiceGirl her]], personality wise; and the ones forming the Reflection Shield ([[EyepatchOfPower Hinagiku]], [[GenkiGirl Lilly]] and [[GentleGiant Baigon]]) are relatively similar to her in character. This means that, if she wants to join the battle effectively, Orihime ''must'' accept to use Tsubaki '''yet not by simply sending him off towards the enemy''' (like [[NotBadassEnoughForFans many of her haters want her to]]), but by '''integrating him to the side that she dominates the most'''. Only by using Tsubaki in combination with Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon she can draw his attack potential... mirroring how Orihime must now fight alongside Ichigo, Chad and others if she wants to not stay behind. Also, when was the Shiten Koushun seen first? ''When she and Ichigo were attacked by Ginjou''. Who was actually '''a humanoid enemy''' [[spoiler: (more exactly the ex-Substitute Shinigami, but we didn't know that back then and neither did she]]; This means that Orihime [[CharacterDevelopment either is working on the issue mentioned above, or has already gotten past behind it.]]

** [[spoiler: Another thing about Nelliel is that she is the former Trecera Espada, and the current one represents the aspect of death that is Sacrifice. As stated above, Harribel grows stronger and more ruthless with the sacrifice of her comrades. When did Nel regain her true form (albeit temporarily), as well as impulsively get into a fight with Nnoitra that ended with her seriously injured and in her SleepModeSize? When she saw her friends seriously injured, possibly fighting for HER SAKE. Not entirely in the case of Ichigo vs. Nnoitra (Orihime was being held captive by Tesra), but Nel was also in danger. Not so different, maybe?]]
* When I found out that [[Creator/TetsuyaKakihara Ggio Vega's seiyuu]] could speak Spanish, I wondered why it he didn't pronounce the Spanish words right. Then it hit me: just because the voice actor can speak the language, doesn't mean the character can. It's possible that all Hollows and Arrancar are originally Japanese souls who gained foreign names upon Hollowfying. Remember Grand Fisher? Bulbous G? Numb Chandelier? Orihime's brother Sora who became "Acidwire"? Although these could be code names given to them by Soul Society (they seem to be more descriptive than they seem to be actual names), I doubt so many people would be able to speak Japanese if their names were indicative of where they originated: [[GratuitousSpanish Yammy Llargo, Dordonii Alessandro del Socaccio, Gantenbainne Mosqueda]], [[GratuitousFrench Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Zommari Rureaux]], [[GratuitousGerman Szayelaporro Grantz]], [[GratuitousEnglish Coyote Starrk]]...
** There are such things as accents, you know ;-).

* Look at Mayuri's speech about perfection, about how becoming the absolute best would only stunt your growth, as it offers nothing more to learn or overcome, and that for scientists especially, perfection would only bring about despair. Now, analyze what just happened by the end of the Deicide arc: [[spoiler:Once Ichigo became one with his Hollow and Shinigami selves, having fully mastered both sides to his soul, he had become the "perfect hybrid", in the sense that his power was unmatched, even by Aizen. Just the same, with this whole "Transcendence" (perfect hybridization) in mind, there was literally nowhere for Ichigo's power to go after that (there's the "perfection shall stagnant growth" part). No one could possibly become stronger than Ichigo was; his Nakama would never be able to catch up to him again; he could defeat any enemy he ever came across; he may have even been labeled as a threat to the Soul Society for his power (there's the "perfection brings despair" part). With all that in mind, the only other door for Ichigo to walk through was for him to completely lose all of his power via Mugetsu, thereby tossing aside and escaping that perfection by reverting back into a human]]. Coincidence or is Kubo smarter than we give him credit for?
* Ichigo's hair is the color that Asians get when the BLEACH it... geddit? BLEACH it? (Corniness)
** Funny, but that is, in a way, connected to why Kubo named it that. He wanted to play around with the black/white contrast, and said that bleach causes people to think of that.

* So Szayel Aporro's Hollow hole is located [[spoiler: in his penis, more specifically in the glans]]. ''Then'' you realize that the ''smallest'' Hollow hole we've seen was no smaller than that you could fit a golf ball through with maybe 1/4 of an inch of free space on each side. [[spoiler: Szayel Aporro, the living incarnation of {{Squick}}, has a GagPenis.]] FridgeHorror or FridgeBrilliance?
** Maybe [[spoiler: he's just a normal-sized penis and the hole is simply proportionated and thus smaller than your usual Hollow hole.]]
* There is a very good reason why the Espada did not matter that much in Aizen's plans, the same way Gin and Tousen didn't matter that much in the end. It all goes back to Aizen's claims about Ichigo being what he '''needed''' for his research. Aizen did not '''need''' the Espada, since he showed he could defeat the Shinigami Captains all with his own power, aside from Yamamoto; he did not '''need''' Tousen or Gin either, one who desired vengeance for his friend's death, and the other who wanted revenge against Aizen. So why did he recruit all of them, and create the army of Arrancar? '''Curiosity. And a smoke-screen.''' The Espada were nothing more than a "false army" to distract Soul Society from his true goals, goals which had to do with Ichigo's developing power, and him becoming a "Being that transcends Hollow and Shinigami". Aizen didn't need the Espada, or Tousen and Gin to help him take on the Royal Guard and the Soul King: he believed that, once he became a Transcendental Being, he would not need anyone's assistance. Every single character, both on soul Society's side and on Aizen's side were hoodwinked.
* Hiyori's injury is changed in the anime from [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe being cut in half]] by Gin to being ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, and while she is still in one piece, the injuries remain critical. At the time the episode aired, [[spoiler:Gin's Zanpakuto's poison ability]] had recently been revealed.

* Everyone (especially 11th Division) fears Unohana. And then it's revealed, that she's [[spoiler: the first Kenpachi]] and that her real name is Yachiru. No wonder everyone is terrified of her. Especially since, even if they don't know, Kenpachi named Yachiru after a woman he "greatly respected." Anyone who realized Unohana's real first name would be horrified from that alone.

* In the Arrancar arc, Rangiku and co. enter Ichigo's house through the ductwork, despite the doors being perfectly viable given the circumstances; its made clear it was Rangiku's idea to do so -- and Hitsugaya enters via the window, bypassing the rest of the house entirely. [[spoiler: Isshin is Rangiku and Hitsugaya's former Captain, who they were fairly close to. They were trying to avoid seeing him because they knew he'd recognize them and visa-versa, and wanted to avoid the pain of seeing him again, in addition to avoiding awkward conversation and explanation -- they don't know he's aware of his son's involvement.]]
* With the revelation of what Zangetsu truly is to Ichigo, Ichigo's major power boost in the Deicide arc suddenly makes sense in a different light. [[spoiler:The merging of Zangetsu and Ichigo's Hollow was not the merging of his Shinigami and Hollow powers -- it was instead the merging of his ''Quincy'' powers and his Shinigami powers -- the Shinigami half just happened to have Hollow in it. Therefore while Aizen transcended the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow, Ichigo transcended the barrier between Shinigami, Hollow, ''and'' Quincy, a representation of all of his heritage.]]
** Is it possible that the Final Getsuga Tensho is actually [[spoiler: Ichigo's Quincy-Letzt Stil? it seams to work on a similar premises and the power loss was healed the same way.]]
*** It's entirely possible that it was a combination of [[spoiler:his Bankai and that. Remember, the abilities of Quincies and Shinigami are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. If anyone were to somehow transcend the barrier between not only them but also that of a Hollow, they'd easily be the most powerful character in the series -- like Mugetsu Ichigo. Since Ichigo's inner Hollow is his Zanpakuto, and he merged with Zangetsu, the manifestation of his Quincy powers, they became the manifestation of the combination between both Quincy and Shinigami -- something practically unheard of.]]
*** [[spoiler:What happens when he learns Vollstandig? I mean that is supposed to be a more powerful Letz stil with out it's drawbacks if he learns that then he could hypothetically combine it with Saigo no Getsuga Tensho and then he would be god.]]
*** [[spoiler:This also explains why the Vandenreich were unable to steal his Bankai -- because Ichigo's never used his ''actual'' Bankai.]]
** Lots of what seemed asspulls make a frightening amount of sense after this revelation. Yes, Ichigo power indeed fluctuates wildly, depending on how well Old Man Zangetsu [[spoiler: suppresses it]]. That immense wave of power which has beaten Zaraki back in the Soul Society arc? Apocalypse Hollow Ichigo form which flattened Ulqiorra? [[spoiler: That was the actual level of Ichigo's Shinigami power all along. Every time when he struggled against seemingly weaker foes.]]

** Back to the Final Getsuga Tensho: [[spoiler:it really the true form of Ichigo's power and possibly his Bankai, due to the fact that the true form of Ichigo's zanpakuto is when his inner Hollow and Zangetsu are combined. The reintegration of Ichigo's quincy powers into his true zanpakuto allows him to wield its true form -- which exemplifies the two extremes of his nature (Shinigami and Quincy), represented by the inner Hollow and Zangetsu, by it's dual wielding form.]]
*** [[spoiler:In fact, the protectiveness of Ichigo's inner Hollow makes sense on yet another level. The Visored's had their Hollows implanted by Aizen -- Ichigo's was always there, from the day of his birth and born of his soul, unlike the other inner Hollows. While those Hollows are basically parasites, Ichigo's is a mere reflection, an AnthropomorphicPersonification of his hollow and soul reaper powers. Those ollows will basically attempt to take over their host's bodies, while Ichigo's will do anything protect him, because he basically ''is'' Ichigo, which is why his status as Ichigo's real zanpakuto shouldn't have been surprising.]]

* Going back to Ichigo's battle with Kenpachi, remember the aura that surrounded Ichigo before the last clash? [[spoiler: It was bright blue and shaped like a Hollow's mask. Not only is the mask a big clue about Zangetsu's true identity, but what is one of the main colors that represents the Quincies?]]
** From the same battle, remember the aura surrounding Kenpachi, and how it was shaped like a skull? Well now we know his zanpakutou's name is [[spoiler: Nozarashi. [[http://irebokuro.tumblr.com/post/21901579200/nozarashi Nozarashi refers to a motif of bones, skulls and/or skeletons]].]] Kubo was foreshadowing the name of Kenpachi's zanpakutou all the way back in the Soul Society arc.

* A lot of stuff about the Quincies is making a lot more sense with the revelation that Yhwach [[spoiler: is the Soul King's son]]. Think about it: people originally associated Yhwach with God himself. It wouldn't surprise me if when he explained his nature to people [[spoiler: (I am the Soul King's son) they went "Wow! This guy is God's son, he must be the second coming of Christ!"]] And consider the old school Quincy's method of summoning their bows: A cross. Now who does the Cross symbolize? They might have chosen that icon specifically because they equated Yhwach with Jesus. It also explains their holy warrior motif. As far as the original Quincies were concerned, they were serving the son of God. As for why the shift to pentacles over crosses, it was likely for the same reason Yhwach chose that name over YHWH, to differentiate himself from those figures. And the last part that makes the connection even more obvious? How do Sternritters receive their Schrift? By drinking his blood. Now what popular religion regularly makes a ceremony that consists of symbolically drinking the blood of their savior?

* Toshiro's jokes about [[SelfDeprecation his size]] wasn't just a gag. It was a comically reference to his mastery of his Bankai and[[spoiler:[[OlderAlterEgo growing older as a result]].]]
* In the end, some fans are confused as to why [[spoiler: a TechnicalPacifist like Chad became a professional boxer]]. It's surprisingly fitting, however, when one remembers some details: [[spoiler: many boxers come from underprivileged backgrounds (like Chad himself) and use it as a chance to ''escape'' delinquency, boxing is a ''sport'' rather than simple street fighting even if it's riskier than other disciplines, [[TheBigGuy Chad's fighting style]] isn't that far away from boxing itself, ''and'' (aside of the quite obvious ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' parallels), there are three very famous shounen mangas about box.... [[Manga/TomorrowsJoe plus two]] [[Manga/HajimeNoIppo of these]] feature JapaneseDelinquents, which is what Chad would have become if his Abuelo didn't straighten him up and he hadn't befriended Ichigo, AND [[Manga/RingNiKakero the third]] was written by [[Creator/MasamiKurumada the same guy]] who wrote ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', which Kubo has cited as one of his biggest influences for ''Bleach'' itself.]] Suddenly, him taking up [[spoiler: boxing]] makes a SCARY lot of sense.
* The issue of [[spoiler: Renji ''not'' [[TheMaidenNameDebate taking up Rukia's surname]] after they got together [[BabiesEverAfter and had a child]]]] is actually pretty easy to explain... [[spoiler: Rukia is the younger sister and prospect heiress of the leader of the family, Byakuya, who is still liable to get married and have kids since Soul Society nobles can have children. (It's even a plot point in the anime {{filler}} arcs). Were Renji to take up the Kuchiki surname, he and Rukia would unintentionally "create" a ''branch line of the Kuchiki clan'', which could get incredibly messy if Byakuya ever sired an heir. By having Renji keep the Abarai surname and passing it to Ichika instead, they're saving themselves and Byakuya a lot of trouble.]]

** [[ComicallyMissingThePoint So.... Mizuiro was supposed to wear a suit designed for a woman! Oh Noes!!]]
* Ichigo's Fullbring has [[spoiler: been given to Xcution]] and Allows any Fullbring to be worn. Thing makes the powers of [[spoiler:Tsukishima]] so much more powerful now that they're not [[spoiler:limited to his sword.]]
** Actually [[spoiler: it seems that they've been given only to the lesser members of Xcution: during his fight against Byakuya Tsukishima still tries to hit him with his sword, meaning that he needs it.]]
** A little bit of extra brilliance here as to why [[spoiler: Jackie Tristan and Giriko Kutsuzawa]] were so easily curbstomped. [[spoiler:Dirty Boots and Time Tells No Lies: both are Fullbring where the focus is already an accessory to be worn. Since Ichigo's Fullbring was a "clad type", instead of the focus being rapidly increasing the POWER of both their Fullbrings, their EFFECTS were altered to be more like Ichigo's (i.e. Jackie is more powerful when her entire BODY is dirty, not just her boots)]].

** [[spoiler:Kyoraku recently revealed that Unohana was the first Kenpachi. Not only that, she outright stated that she learned healing arts JUST SO she can enjoy her fights as long as possible. NotSoHarmless indeed]]
** In a recent flashback one of her subordinates points out a mountain of corpses next to her. Her response? [[spoiler: Ask aloud and sincerely if she made that pile. Granted, she didn't, but really that just makes it worse, since it just shows how much this woman is so accustomed to killing and being around dead bodies.]]

*** In the recent manga, we learn that Ukitake's disease is actually integral to the plot. [[spoiler: As a young child, Ukitake's disease was even worse, and his parents feared he would die from it. There was no cure, so they enacted an ancient ritual where they called upon the Right Hand of the Soul King (Mimihagi), to take away Ukitake's lungs, with the only side effect being the continuous coughing up blood. Later, we learn that if a person has had a part of them taken away by Mimihagi, they can offer up the rest of their body to Mimihagi to give it a corporeal form. In this corporeal form, Mimihagi can protect the Soul King if it's ever threatened.]]
*** Furthermore, some people question why such skilled healers as Unohana, Tenjiro, or hell, even Mayrui, haven't simply stepped in and healed him.[[spoiler: The Mimihagi represents, according to Mayuri, stagnation, or stillness. He's been locked into a perceptual state of stillness or sickness, because it's literally divine intervention that he can't be killed or cured by it!]]
*** I went to [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} the other wiki]] and found this piece of info: "When people suffering from active pulmonary TB cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or spit, they expel infectious aerosol droplets 0.5 to 5 µm in diameter." Yeah. If Ukitake has TB, his squad is totally screwed. IncurableCoughOfDeath, indeed.

* Seeing that [[spoiler: Yammy is actually Espada #0,]] had he released his Zanpakuto when he and Ichigo first fought, things would have ended even worse than [[WorfHadTheFlu they]] [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown already did,]] and not even Ulquiorra would have been able to stop him.
* Tsukishima's Fullbring, "Book of the End." It is an ability that allows him to rewrite the past of whomever [[spoiler:or whatever]] is cut by it. No, not their memories. Their ''actual past'', as in, swapping in an alternate timeline of the wielder's liking. Everything [[spoiler:and anything]] in your past will have been arranged exactly as the wielder desires. Your entire past could be a carefully-fabricated lie, ''and you'd never even realize it''. Now imagine that power in the hands of a [[StalkerWithACrush stalker]]. Or a [[PresidentEvil ruthless dictator]]. Or [[OhCrap AIZEN]].

*** This doubles as brilliance, but this is exactly why [[spoiler:Ryuuken]] never killed [[spoiler:Grand Fisher]], despite obviously having so many chances to do so; doing so would erase [[spoiler:Masaki]]'s soul forever. It HAD to be [[spoiler:Isshin]] who would take their revenge, or else the woman they both loved would be destroyed ''forever''.
** Recent chapters reveal the truth to be even worse, the souls of those slain by the Quincy don't reincarnate not because they are destroyed but [[FateWorseThanDeath because they are]] [[TheAssimilator absorbed by Yhwach.]]
* In Chapter 510, Yhwach states that he [[spoiler:broke into the First Division's Headquarters in order to speak to Aizen, who refused to join up with him. However, he did not clarify what else he did, leaving 3 options: 1. He killed Aizen (good), but it means he's 'that' much more powerful. 2. He simply left Aizen sealed/tied up (ok). 3. He set Aizen free, meaning that Aizen is now currently on the loose with nobody knowing about it (very bad).]]
** Well you can put your worries to rest. [[spoiler:Chapter 514 shows that he's still rotting in jail.]] Of course, this is ''Aizen'' we're talking about...

* Throughout the entire assault on the Gotei 13, there was only one brief activation of Vollstandig by one of the Stern Ritter. The Stern Ritter [[spoiler: have crushed the Gotei 13]], '''and none of them used their trump card.'''
* Related to the above mentions of Unohana: unless she's been pulling a Yumichika with Minazuki this entire time and in light of [[spoiler:her recent battle with Kenpachi (currently a CurbStompBattle on Unohana's part, by the way)]], there's a distinct possibility that Unohana didn't learn her healing techniques from Kirinji ''after'' [[spoiler:she renounced her title as the first Kenpachi and 11th Division Captain]], but instead [[spoiler:was a CombatMedic from the very start and used her medicinal knowledge to sadistically and horrifically prolong her fights by ''mending the wounds she just inflicted.'' It'd be a terrifying take on the concept of a MartialMedic[=/=]DeadlyDoctor.]] In 526, she admits that this really is the reason she wanted to learn the healing arts.
** Adding to that, [[spoiler:even if she does learn her healing skills from Kirinji, let's take a second look on Kirinji's fountains of healing. Essentially, the fountains work by ''breaking down the patient's body before reconstituting it, sometimes several times''. What if Unohana's healing work the same way? See, her bankai dissolves the flesh, and after the flesh is dissolved, she probably uses her healing skills to rebuild the flesh.]] Is this perhaps why her Minazuki [[GoryDiscretionShot heals people by eating them]]?
* From Chapter 537, Uryuu's MissingMom died when [[spoiler:Yhwach [[ThePurge purged]] the clan of all Quincies deemed insufficiently [[FantasticRacism "pure"]], stealing their powers for himself]]. But [[spoiler:Kanae]] didn't die immediately -- she slipped into a coma and lingered for ''three months'' before expiring. That's already pretty horrifying, but think about it for a few minutes more and it gets worse: [[spoiler:Ryuuken's a doctor -- he's been trained to dread losing a patient even if that person is a perfect stranger. He had to watch ''his wife'' die for ''three months'' while unable to do anything to help her. Remember [[HeroicBSOD how bad]] he freaked out when ''his cousin'' collapsed in front of him and he couldn't save her? GrayRainOfDepression indeed.]]
** Making it even worse is that [[spoiler:Kanae]] wasn't just [[spoiler:his wife]]. She was also [[spoiler:a [[ChildhoodFriendRomance loyal friend he's known since childhood]]. Ryuuken had to watch someone who's been there for him nearly his entire life die a slow wasting death while he was utterly powerless to prevent it. All because of her Quincy heritage. No wonder he doesn't like being a Quincy.]]
*** It's even worse than that. One of the last things we hear her say in that flashback arc is that she wants to protect him from anything that happens... in the end, he was powerless to do the same for her: not his medical training, not his [[spoiler:quincy]] powers. Nothing. Not being able to reciprocate loyalty like that, making such a vow seem so terribly hollow, must be soul-destroying.
** Going into a bit of WMG here, this gives Ryuuken even more motivation to destroy the Quincies. [[spoiler: Going as far as sending his own son into the lions' den.]]
** The revelation of the full Kaiser Gesang prophecy in chapter 546 turns the knife a little more: [[spoiler:Because of the prophecy, Ryuuken would have known from the moment the Selection took place that Yhwach would be back to full strength in exactly nine years. His days were literally numbered, counting down to the final confrontation. No ''wonder'' he smokes like he's not afraid of lung cancer... he doesn't expect to ''survive'' past 40!!]]
* From the fourth movie, [[spoiler:Kokuto claims that following his sister's death and the death of her murderers, he "set out to make everyone feel the same pain that he did". This probably implies that he was a serial killer that murdered younger sisters or even little girls before he was sent to hell. It also shows with Yuzu; he has absolutely no problem with dropping her into a pool of lava and taunting Ichigo with her dead body.]]

* [[spoiler: The fact that Yhwach can control whether he can steal powers from his Quincy brethren]], this puts a creepy, new perspective into the death of a few of the Vandenreich.
* Chapter 540 revealed that [[spoiler: Old Man Zangetsu is the personification of his Quincy powers and he has been using him for most of his fights. Now, does his Shinigami powers allow the spirits to go the Soul Society or does his Quincy powers cause them to be erased]]?
** Not quite. The next chapter reveals that [[spoiler:The Old Man had actually been suppressing Ichigo's Shinigami powers all along in an attempt to prevent him from ever becoming a Shinigami. Every time the Old Man "helped" him he always used Ichigo's Hollow's (his true Zanpakutou spirit) power to do so. Ichigo's Quincy powers only manifested very recently as a side effect of being trapped in a cage of spirit particles. Ichigo has been fighting with a mere fraction of his Shinigami powers throughout the entire series.]]
** Also, Ichigo sent Shrieker to Hell and performed Konso to several souls.
* So Ouetsu Nimaiya is [[spoiler:finally going to forge Ichigo's zanpakuto, giving the boy his weapon back. Hurray!]]. One problem though: [[spoiler:Out of the many Bankai users who fight Vandenreich, Ichigo is the only one whose Bankai cannot be stolen. The reason is eventually revealed: Tensa Zangetsu is not Shinigami power, but rather Quincy power, and thus is not affected by the Bankai-stealing tool. Now that Ichigo will get a real zanpakuto, he will finally be susceptible to the Bankai-stealing tool. If Mayuri and/or Urahara can't create a counter-measure against that, Soul Society will be screwed either way.]]
** They most likely will develop countermeasures, because Quincies also have an offensive Blut, made specifically for fighting bankai-wielding enemies. If they won't, then instead of bankai vs. Blut Arterie we'll be seeing shikai vs. Blut Vene for the rest of the series, which isn't cool.
** Ichigo is still shown to have Quincy powers prevalent in his sword, if the shiny new offhand weapon is any indication. He may still possess elements of his original "Bankai" when we see his true one. Alternatively, this will be a brand new power for him, meaning that it might not be stealable since Ichigo hasn't learned all there is to know about it. Yhwach may try to steal it during their inevitable showdown, it all depends on who much of a troll Kubo is being.
** Quincies can't handle hollow powers. Meaning they can't take Ichigo's Bankai because it is literally poison to them. But the point about Yhwach may be valid. Is he affected by the Hollow=poison to quincy thing?
*** The reason Hollow is like poison is because Quincies have a TRIPLE imbalance when forcefully Hollowfied (Plus, Hollow, and Yhwach). But if the spirit is ALREADY a stabilized hybrid, like Ichigo, there's no Soul Suicide to worry about, anyway. The scary part is; Yhwach (whose own hybrid status is becoming increasingly clear) himself might not have to worry about Hollowfied Bankai, and we'd better hope he doesn't get bored of Yamamoto's and starts a shopping spree for more.
* Going way back to 226 for this one, but the use of Vollstandig by the Stern Ritter got me thinking recently: The technique Ryuuken uses to restore Uryuu's powers after Letzt Stil requires the subject to be run to physical and mental exhaustion and then shot through a chakra point less than an inch from a major organ. I can buy that Ryuuken personally learned this from some sort of spellbook. But ''how'' exactly did their ancestors discover this combination worked, anyway?? Medical experimentation on par with Mayuri? Friendly fire incident?? ''Botched execution?''

** And as to why Ryuken himeself would even need to learn such an method? [[spoiler: Because Kanae had her powers stolen from her! Ryuken may have learned it and tried (but failed), in an effort to restore her powers and save her life! Also, since he knows that Uryuu survived Yhawch's selection, then he would be more certain of it working!]]
*** Now that's just making it worse. [[spoiler:Remember that one condition for this power-restoring ritual to work is for the target to be physically and mentally exhausted. Sure, being sick means Kanae is easily physically exhaused, but mentally exhausted? That's the problem: For Ryuuken to mentally exhaust Uryuu isn't an issue seeing that they hate each other, but for Ryuuken to stress out the woman he loves? Probably he failed to restore her power because he just couldn't bring himself to mentally torture her. Poor guy.]]

* Aizen may not have known it, but [[NiceJobFixingItVillain it's a damn good thing he Hollowfied Shinji]]. Shinji's bankai is revealed to be one of ''the'' most powerful Bankai ''period'' - so powerful that he needs ''permission'' from the central 46 to use it. What does it do? [[spoiler: It makes everyone think their allies are enemies and vice versa - with only Shinji being unaffected. When he uses it in the expanded universe? He [[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing sits back and watches a swarm of Hollows kill each other]], since they perceived him as an ally.]] Imagine if the Vandenreich was able to steal ''that''!
* Due to the revelations of the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc, [[spoiler:Ichigo and all his friends are going to Hell when they die because their spirit energy is too dense]].

*** During his fight against Grimmjow, Ichigo was also being [[WorfHadTheFlu actively sabotaged]] by [[spoiler: the Old Man]], while during his fight with Zaraki, [[spoiler: the Old Man was letting him use his real shinigami power, as shown by his Hollow mask BattleAura]]].
* Now, a bit of FridgeLogic: Aizen managed to [[spoiler: survive against Yamamoto's extremely powerful suicide attack and endure his flames.]] So, why he said that he feared his powers, or why did he bother to create Wonderweiss in the first place?

*** You have a point, but...why couldn't they get rid of their powers AND memories. I mean, they have that memory replacer, why couldn't they have come up with something to selectively make them forget all about Hollows and everything to do with the Spirit World. Get rid of all solid evidence and viola! No more Quincies ''ever''. [[spoiler: Which means the Vandereich probably wouldn't have shown up for the finale of course...]]

* Now, there isn't a clear reason why [[spoiler:Unohana would change her name]], but, let's assume that, like Yamamoto, she wanted to forget her violent past. [[spoiler: One has to wonder how she would hide it by re-naming herself something that translates to ''violent''.]]
** [[spoiler: If that's the case, maybe she wanted to hide it from others but never let herself forget.]]
* In the latest arc we find out from Mayuri that if a bankai is broken it can't be repaired, has to be remodeled or reforged. Ikkaku's bankai was said to have been barely slavaged and much weaker because it broke in his only manga fight where he used it. Mayuri says that Renji's bankai is still missing some joints from when Byakuya damaged it. The problem with this is that Byakuya did more than destroy a few joints. He completely destroyed Renji's Bankai into several pieces. It seemed beyond saving. How could Mayuri and the lab guys hobble together Renji's Bankai that was in pieces, but not hobble together Ichigo's Bankai that was only into 2 pieces? Granted Ichigo's bankai probably would be weaker, but Mayuri acts like he can't even save the sword.

** There are too many holes in your logic. Yes, Zaraki and Yamamoto did kill a number of Quincy, but they only killed '''FIVE''' between the two of them. One of them is a Special War Potential, and the other is the Captain-Commander; As Nodt and Mask de Masculine showed us how dangerous the Stern Ritter are to not only the Vice-Captains, but the Captains as well, and [[spoiler: Royd effortlessly defeating Zaraki]] shows how high the Stern Ritter's level of power goes. The threat of their Bankai being stolen severely weakens the Captains' combat power, because they cannot use it lest they give their enemy an extra advantage. Yes, Quilge did die, but not before he showed us exactly what the Vandenreich upper ranks are capable of. Of all the Stern Ritter in the Vandenreich Invasion, '''NONE OF THEM''' used Vollstandig to fight the Shinigami. The Robert Accutrone briefly used it, but only for a temporary speed boost that allowed him to completely outpace Kyoraku and shoot his eye out. The Vandenreich also have five Bankai at their disposal, not three, and one of them is Zanka no Tachi. That is why it was such a big victory for the Vandenreich: they turned the Shinigami Captains' greatest strength, the Bankai, into a liability through the threat of it being stolen and used against them, and none of the Stern Ritter used their trump card, the Vollstandig, in battle. This was mentioned already in the FridgeHorror section.

* The Zanpakutou filler arc has become this as Zangetsu was possessed by Muramasa's powers. [[spoiler:The old man is actually the personification of Ichigo's Quincy powers while the inner Hollow, who wasn't affected at all, is the one who ''does'' contain Ichigo's Shinigami powers.]]
** Except that Kubo wasn't the one who wrote that arc, and therefore it's not supposed to make sense storywise and fit the future revelations.
*** Considering some of the revelations and how the anime fillers manage to NOT contradict a lot of stuff I keep thinking that maybe Kubo gave them a list of "people who are not supposed to meet/see each other" and some other hints towards later revelations. Like [[spoiler:Toshiro or Rangiku meeting Isshin]] in the anime wouldn't be that strange, especially as Karin and Toshiro kind of made friends, but it never happened. Similarly, Zangetsu, in the filler arc, was [[spoiler:not seen by anyone who would have recognized Yhwach]] (Unless I remember it wrong and they DID see him. Then my first point still stands, though).
** How is this fridge logic? I mean, Zangetsu being possessed by Muramasa's power [[spoiler:DOESN'T make sense, since he IS the personification of Ichigo's Quincy Power and the power supposedly works on Zanpakuto, not Quincy Powers... ]]
*** That's exactly what makes it fridge logic. Fridge Logic is when something doesn't make sense if you think about it. Fridge Brilliance, on the other hand, is when stuff makes more sense after you think about it.
** Possibly heading into WMG territory, but since the latest arc showed that Ichigo's "true" Zanpakuto is a DualWield that represents aspects of both his Shinigami/Hollow and Quincy powers, it's possible that while "Zangetsu" may not be the actual Zanpakuto ''per say'', he's still deeply connected to it. He's shown using those powers in order to teach Ichigo, even though they weren't his. Maybe Ichigo's "true zanpakuto" is actually an amalgamation, with the Old Man and the Hollow being representations of that, sort of like Kyoraku and Ukitake's swords? Alternatively, maybe the Old Man just thought it would be a bad idea if the Hollow/Zanpakuto was set loose with absolutely no way to rein him in. After all, the Hollow's deepest desire is to apparently murder and consume all of Ichigo's loved ones (if you believe he was being truthful), making a "freed" version FridgeHorror in itself.
** I always thought that the Old Man was just playing along to keep Ichigo safe, both because if Muramasa ''thought'' that was all there was he wouldn't investigate any further (the Hollow torpedoed ''that''), and he could avoid actually killing Ichigo while prompting ihm to become stronger.

* In the end, some fans are confused as to why [[spoiler: a TechnicalPacifist like Chad became a professional boxer]]. It's surprisingly fitting, however, when one remembers some details: [[spoiler: many boxers come from underprivileged backgrounds (like Chad himself) and use it as a chance to ''escape'' delinquency, boxing is a ''sport'' rather than simple street fighting even if it's riskier than other disciplines, [[TheBigGuy Chad's fighting style]] isn't that far away from boxing itself, ''and'' (aside of the quite obvious ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' parallels), there are three very famous shounen mangas about box.... [[Manga/TomorrowsJoe plus two]] [[Manga/HajimeNoIppo of these]] feature JapaneseDelinquents, which is what Chad would have become if his Abuelo didn't straighten him up and he hadn't befriended Ichigo, AND [[Manga/RingNiKakero the third]] was written by [[Creator/MasamiKurumada the same guy]] who wrote ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', which Kubo has cited as one of his biggest influences for ''Blrach'' itself.]] Suddenly, him taking up [[spoiler: boxing]] makes a SCARY lot of sense.

*** Furthermore, it actually makes a ''ton'' of sense that it shatters so easily, too. Orihime's powers are a form of {{Reality Warp|er}}ing, after all, being what Aizen calls "the Rejection of Events"; she's essentially the [[Retconjuration Queen of Retcons]]. Logically, when her base shield blocks an attack, it also retcons that attack out of existence. But then, that raises the question... if there was never any attack to block, then why would she even make a shield in the first place? The reason it shatters isn't that it's fragile; it's the shield disappearing in a PuffOfLogic, because the attack it was meant to block suddenly never existed in the first place.

*** Actually, about Tsubaki... let's analyze the [[AttackReflector Shiten Koushun aka Shield of Four Heavens' Resistance.]] How is it formed? Via adding Tsubaki to the Three God Reflection Shield, thus making him turn a defensive barrier into an offensive weapon. Tsubaki is the weakest of the six Rikka spirits as well as the one who's [[BloodKnight less]] like [[NiceGirl her]], personality wise; and the ones forming the Reflection Shield ([[EyepatchOfPower Hinagiku]], [[GenkiGirl Lilly]] and [[GentleGiant Baigon]]) are relatively similar to her in character. This means that, if she wants to join the battle effectively, Orihime ''must'' accept to use Tsubaki '''yet not by simply sending him off towards the enemy''' (like [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass many of her haters want her to]]), but by '''integrating him to the side that she dominates the most'''. Only by using Tsubaki in combination with Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon she can draw his attack potential... mirroring how Orihime must now fight alongside Ichigo, Chad and others if she wants to not stay behind. Also, when was the Shiten Koushun seen first? ''When she and Ichigo were attacked by Ginjou''. Who was actually '''a humanoid enemy''' [[spoiler: (more exactly the ex-Substitute Shinigami, but we didn't know that back then and neither did she]]; This means that Orihime [[CharacterDevelopment either is working on the issue mentioned above, or has already gotten past behind it.]]

* One off the reasons why Zommari lose so quickly against Byakuya (other than [[WhatAnIdiot misusing his powers]]?) When you think carefully about it, Byakuya's power is perfect against a power like the one of Zommari. Against another opponent things may have gone differently...

* It is pretty well known among the Bleach fandom that we have never seen Aizen's Bankai... but who is it that claims that we haven't? Aizen. The eternal manipulator, trickster and con artist. Does it not make more sense, given just how broken the illusion ability is, that it is in fact his Bankai and he has just been telling lies this whole time? You may be asking yourself what the point of that would be but there is actually an excellent reason for this: it makes it all that more frightening to fight a man that is not only capable of kicking your ass with his level 1 abilities whilst you are barely touching him with everything you have, but it adds a layer of doubt into your head. ''What if I am the one he decides to go all out on?'' is a pretty powerful fear to have. So what is his actual Shikai? Probably just a weaker form of hypnosis given how both are always related in some way.

* May I nominate Ichigo's Bankai? The first time it was used he managed to (marginally) beat Byakuya, a man who has had his Bankai for what one can assume is centuries. When you sit down and think about the abilities of most bankai, Ichigo's bankai seem pretty basic right?... That's the point! Ichigo's bankai is covering his lack of experience by giving him a Bankai that's easy to use. He's more a brawler and good at close combat, so wouldn't increased speed and strength from a easy-to-use Bankai help with his fighting style? -- AverageNOOB

* It is forbidden to transfer Shinigami powers to a normal human. Reason? Aizen and Shao-Long said it themselves. Basically (paraphrased and summarized): " A dead soul be it Shinigami or Hollow has a set point to where their power can reach. After that they stagnate and their power stops growing." They ARE dead so that's "DUH" right? Humans, however, keep growing and we age. The dead don't. Ichigo is basically a result of why that law is in place. If the law wasn't in place what would stop, say a Shinigami from having 3 kids, have 3 Shinigami transfer their power to the kids, give them training from hell akin to Ichigo, help them master their growing powers then have 3 kids end up like Ichigo near the end of the Deicide Arc? Yeah... In case your lost, it's to make sure no unstoppable gods are made.
** Before his supposed death Aizen pointed out that Rukia transferring her powers was a minor offense at most and the Shinigami constantly express surprise at how powerful Ichigo and (during the Soul Society arc) the rest of his friends are. They clearly don't expect humans to get that kind of power. Besides the flashbacks we see of Renji, Byakuya, Suifon, Ikkaku and Yumichika suggest they weren't as powerful as they are now, implying that Shinigami can increase their power. -- Grant
** "A dead soul be it Shinigami or Hollow HAS A SET POINT WHERE IT'S POWER CAN REACH. After that they stagnate and their power stops growing." I wasn't suggesting that the others had reached their peak. I always figured they could get stronger if they weren't lazy and made the effort. Urahara did say that when a soul is in danger, its reiatsu increases dramatically. Ichigo's soul has been through A METRIC BUTTLOAD of danger and he always comes out stronger due to this. The others have too but not to the extent Ichigo's has. -- AverageNOOB

* Old Man Genocide has no aptitude for strategy. No wait...hear me out. During the Soul Society Arc, his only orders were, in order: "Stay on guard for the ryoka" and "All Zanpakuto are allowed to be released." Honestly he just seems to rely on being one of the strongest people (in brute force anyway) to handle his problems yet gets outwitted by guys like Kisuke, Aizen and the Vandenreich who know how to plan things and play XanatosSpeedChess when needed. How else would you explain the oldest character in ''Bleach'' being outsmarted by others way younger than him? He's '''1000 years old''' yet guys round about 300 centuries play him like a puppet. -- AverageNOOB

** And complacent unfortunately. He even called Kurotsuchi's suspicions of a Quincy invasion paranoia. That just screams "I think way to highly of my abilities" and makes him come across as a know-it-all who gets angry when disagreed with. -- AverageNOOB

** Dear God, it all makes sense now. Has anyone else ever wondered why someone as coarse, powerful and sadomasochistic as Kenpachi Zaraki is so incredibly lenient towards his enemies? He hates killing people. He hates even mercy killing. This gives rise to two possible scenarios where Unohana is concerned: A, Zaraki respects her because she is very much like him, extraordinarily powerful yet disdainful of killing (see Unohana's selfless treatment of former Espada Gantenbainne Mosqueda). Option B is that Zaraki was originally a Nihilist à la Ulquiorra until Unohana taught him.
*** Debunked in the latest chapter, as it's revealed that Unohana was a merciless killer before being the 11th captain.

* This is most likely coincidental, as Gin and Tosen both had actual reasons to join Aizen, but I realized something. Aizen's shikai ''is'' ridiculously powerful, but it still can only be used on someone if they've seen it before. This applies to most of Soul Society, excluding Ichigo, and possibly a few other individuals. Who might they be? Gin and Tosen. And why? Well, one of Gin's defining traits is that his eyes are always closed, so it could be assumed that he's never actually seen Aizen's shikai. And Tosen is ''blind'' so he's definitely never seen it. In other words, they're two people who would legitimately never ''ever'' be affected by Suigetsu. With that in mind, it makes even more sense that Aizen would want to make sure that they're on his side, considering that his zanpakuto is useless against them.
* Ichigo's resemblance to Kaien Shiba makes a lot more sense after we find out in Chapter 529 that [[spoiler:Isshin was the head of the Shiba clan before taking his wife's surname as his own. Ichigo and Kaien are family!]]

** [[spoiler: If Rangiku and Toushiro are well aware that Ichigo is their former captain's son, then it was a good decision to do so. Why? because Ichigo would've gone ballistic if he found out the truth that much earlier.]]
* When Ichigo is first fighting Ikkaku, Ikkaku mentions how Ichigo acts like a complete and total amateur and doesn't even know many things that you should know when you're in a fight. This can easily be explained away because of the fact that Ichigo literally is new to the entire sword-fighting thing. However Ikkaku then goes on to say that at the same time as he acts and speaks like an amateur his reactions are like that of someone who, from what I recall, has been fighting for quite a long time. [[spoiler: Now factor in the fact that at this point in time Hollow Ichigo's mask has been protecting Ichigo from damage that would kill him, even though he's asleep, and you can easily realize that perhaps all of those reactions were actually from Hollow Ichigo forcing Ichigo's body to react and respond in a way that would protect and defend him, because he certainly doesn't want to die with Ichigo even if he's asleep or whatever inside him. That would mean that the entire time Ichigo has ever fought he hasn't actually won any battles on his own, because he's been unconsciously relying on Hollow Ichigo's reactions to keep him alive. If it wasn't for the Hollow within him he wouldn't have survived almost any of the battles he's been in, because his amateur abilities would have been severely outclassed by those who have been training for so many years.]]

* The Quincy extermination. So a bunch of humans who've been around for a short time (50-60 years maybe?) gaining power are labeled a threat by Soul Society. Quincy being able to completely eradicate a being out of existence aside, how badass must they have been to need genocide get rid of them? How hard is it to restrain them with kido and harmlessly mess up their soul sleep? How is defending yourself from Hollows due to the Gotei 13 doing a crappy job wrong? -- AverageNOOB

** Point to you Sir or Madam. Wouldn't it have been easier to just explain the effect their powers have? PoorCommunicationKills just screwed over the Quincy. -- AverageNOOB

* Soul Society itself is arguably this. While the [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority Shinigami-dominated system]] isn't so odd in shonen series, stop to consider what we know about parts of Soul Society from [[CrapsackWorld Yachiru's flashbacks]], the occasional genocide of artificial life forms and the fact that some of the most important captains are actually unrepentent murders. Suddenly Soul Society is more like a military-dominated state that doesn't seem to care much about much beyond keeping itself in power. Heck, if it wasn't for Aizen's [[KickTheDog really dickish actions]] his efforts would seem much more reasonable.

** Dear God, it all makes sense now. Has anyone else ever wondered why someone as coarse, powerful and sadomasochistic as Kenpachi Zaraki is so incredibly lenient towards his enemies? He hates killing people. He hates even mercy killing. This gives rise to two possible scenarios where Unohana is concerned: A, Zaraki respects her because she is very much like him, extraordinarily powerful yet disdainful of killing (see Unohana's selfless treatment of former Espada Gantenbainne Mosqueda). Option B is that Zaraki was originally a Nihilist a lá Ulquiorra until Unohana taught him.

** "A dead soul be it Shinigami or Hollow HAS A SET POINT WHERE IT'S POWER CAN REACH. After that they stagnate and their power stops growing." I wasn't suggesting that the others had reached their peak. I always figured they could get stronger if they weren't lazy and made the effort. Urahara did say that when a soul is in danger, its reiatsu increases dramatically. Ichigo'x soul has been through A METRIC BUTTLOAD of danger and he always comes out stronger due to this. The others have too but not to the extent Ichigo's has. -- AverageNOOB

** As for her Santen Kesshun (Three God Reflection Shield)? It too, is not the fragile thing it seems to be. It is specifically stated to Reject an attack and its consequences. It stands to perfectly good reason that it doesn't matter if the shield shatters instantly or not -- anther can always be thrown up. What matters is that whether the shield shatters or not, it genuinely ''DOES'' reject the attack that hits it.

** Also in regards to Orihime, the reason why Loly and Menoly hate her ''even more'' after [[spoiler: she uses her RealityWarper powers to bring them back to life.]] is ''more''' complicated than just being [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitches]]. To start, Hollows/Arrancar/Espada/etc. as a whole [[spoiler: are beings that are born when souls don't cross to Soul Society and stay in our world, becoming corrupted with supernatural energies.]] And here, two Arrancar girls (Hollows who have removed their mask and gained Shinigami-like powers) have witnessed [[spoiler: how a lowly human has the power to ''undo death'', pretty much messing with [[EvilCannotComprehendGood everything they know about their own existence]]]]. What is a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for Orihime, in the view of these two girls (and ''especially'' Loly, who had a better look at all of this than Menoly since, yanno, she was horribly mutilated by Grimmjow yet she was not ''dead'') is [[spoiler: like catching view of ''an EldritchAbomination'']], which explains the whole "she's a monster" deal; while it ''is'' about {{Yandere}}ism to quite a degree, it also involves one hell of a MindScrew for Hollows/Arrancars/etc.

* Hm... In 588, the [[BewareTheSillyOnes until then quirky and cute]] Giselle flies into a rage when Yumichika accuses her of being a CreepyCrossdresser because she reeks of semen. This can easily seen, however, as Yumi SlutShaming Giselle (because a heterosexual/bisexual woman wouldn't likely smell of semen unless she was sleeping around recently), and/or as him [[spoiler: discovering that she was carrying Bambietta's zombified corpse around; since Bambietta ''did'' have sex with a guy a little before the invasion, it's likely that '''she''' (or better said, her zombified body) was reeking of semen, not Giselle]]. With these details in consideration, Giselle [[LetsGetDangerous going completely serious]] can potentially take a '''completely''' new meaning: in two {{Armor Piercing Question}}s Yumichika misgendered her, caller her a slut, ''and'' [[spoiler: uncovered her secret and probably most powerful weapon.]] Let's see if it's confirmed or {{jossed}}.
** This also explains why Giselle's friend Candice [[spoiler: explicitely told her to NOT use blood while [[CombatMedic restoring]] her severed arm. Candice not only knew the extent of Giselle's BloodMagic powers, but she ''was'' there when Giselle told Bambietta that she'd "help" her -- and likely witnessed what Giselle ''exactly'' did to her, or at least was aware of it.]] She basically [[spoiler: refused to become Giselle's "puppet weapon", like it happened to Bambietta who was in no position to resist due to her injuries.]]

* Giselle can turn anyone who gets her blood on them into a zombie puppet slave. We do not know any threshold for this technique, so as far as we know, a single drop of her blood anywhere on the victim's body can turn her into her zombie slave. A drop such as might be drawn from breaking her hymen, perhaps. She hasn't just weaponized being wounded, she's weaponized sex! And her Healing Factor ensures that this won't be a one-off event. No wonder she's so lewd.
** No wonder she reeks of semen!

*** I went to [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} the other wiki]] and found this piece of info: "When people suffering from active pulmonary TB cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or spit, they expel infectious aerosol droplets 0.5 to 5 µm in diameter." Yeah. If Ukitake has TB, his squad is totally screwed. IncurableCoughOfDeath, indeed.

* Soul Society itself is arguably this. While the [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority Shinigami-dominated system]] isn't so odd in shonen series, stop to consider what we know about parts of Soul Society from [[CrapsackWorld Yachiru's flashbacks]], the occasional [[KillEmAll genocide]] of artificial life forms and the fact that some of the most important captains are actually unrepentent murders. Suddenly Soul Society is more like a military-dominated state that doesn't seem to care much about much beyond keeping itself in power. Heck, if it wasn't for Aizen's [[KickTheDog really dickish actions]] his efforts would seem much more reasonable.

*** Now that's just making it worse. [[spoiler:Remember that one condition for this power-restoring ritual to work is for the target to be physically and mentally exhausted. Sure, being an IllGirl means Kanae is easily physically exhaused, but mentally exhausted? That's the problem: For Ryuuken to mentally exhaust Uryuu isn't an issue seeing that they hate each other, but for Ryuuken to stress out the woman he loves? Probably he failed to restore her power because he just couldn't bring himself to mentally torture her. Poor guy.]]

** Also in regards to Orihime, the reason why Loly and Menoly hate her ''even more'' after [[spoiler: she uses her RealityWarper powers to bring them back to life.]] is ''more''' complicated than just being [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitches]]. To start, Hollows/Arrancar/Espada/etc. as a whole [[spoiler: are beings that are born when souls don't cross to Soul Society and stay in our world, becoming corrupted with supernatural energies.]] And here, two Arrancar girls (Hollows who have removed their mask and gained Shinigami-like powers) have witnessed [[spoiler: how an ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl has the power to ''undo death'', pretty much messing with [[EvilCannotComprehendGood everything they know about their own existence]]]]. What is a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for Orihime, in the view of these two girls (and ''especially'' Loly, who had a better look at all of this than Menoly since, yanno, she was horribly mutilated by Grimmjow yet she was not ''dead'') is [[spoiler: like catching view of ''an EldritchAbomination'']], which explains the whole "she's a monster" deal; while it ''is'' about {{Yandere}}ism to quite a degree, it also involves one hell of a MindScrew for Hollows/Arrancars/etc.

* So Szayel Aporro's Hollow hole is located [[spoiler: in his penis, more specifically in the glans]]. ''Then'' you realize that the ''smallest'' Hollow hole we've seen was no smaller than that you could fit a golf ball through with maybe 1/4 of an inch of free space on each side. [[spoiler: Szayel Aporro, the living incarnation of {{Squick}}, has a BiggusDickus.]] FridgeHorror or FridgeBrilliance?

*** To be exact in the novel his bankai causes all the hollows around him to slaughter each other. More then likely since his bankai affects friends and foes if activated it would have casued every one to go beserk and kill each other. If shikai is reverse what you know, there is a very good chance his bankai is just forget everything you know, and in doing so become a beserker with no moral compass and only the need to kill.