Old Man Zangetsu: THE QUINCY | BLEACH: Character Analysis

[@orangehat1924]

I've waited for this analysis for so long... Thank you. Old Man Zangetsu is the literal representation of Kubo's foreshadowing and his approach to storytelling in Bleach.

[@daydreamdirty]

I’ve waited for this for years myself and I admit he’s one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever seen in almost every single aspect.

[@XxRAPRxX-bh7mt]

100% accurate i agree i belive he was the final push the ichigo always needed to find his resolve in any battle

[@m74568]

Yea its an inspiration

[@SigmaTheWhiteFlame]

Man as someone who has a huge Bleach fan for many years, one of my college finals I based around Bleach, this reads like the biggest copium comment for people that won't accept that Bleach was a narrative failure.

[@orangehat1924]

@@SigmaTheWhiteFlame Me stating the author's intentions are reflected through a character has nothing to do with Bleach having bad writing. Some may prefer the approach Kubo went with, others may not- but arguing whether it was narratively good or bad was never the point of my comment.

[@Majalis_Seyvren]

I always thought Old Man Zangetsu was insanely cool as a kid because of how he never showed hostility towards Ichigo. Everything he said always felt like he wanted to keep him safe. He always felt like someone who knew more than we did but never shoved this knowledge into our faces. I'm glad that I can learn even more from videos like this.

[@BrucifyMe]

Well said. He spoke with authority, making you always tune in to what he had to say, but did so without any arrogance or malice towards Ichigo. Easily one of my favorite characters of the show, and I still think Tensa Zangetsu's character design is among the best in the series.

[@dnlmoretti]

@@BrucifyMe and that’s saying a lot given Kubo’s ridiculous gift for character design 🙏

[@trexpeliahelvetios2302]

And we were right all along, are we ? That dude just want ichigo to be a normal person and away far from the dangers of battle and blood. Maybe if ichigo did not caught up with all these shinigami batshit, he could saves ichigo from murder/ accident/cancer and disease

[@Life21HD]

So did Zangetsu but ichigo never trusted him, until he realized he always saved his arse when he was about to die.

[@garteroid8892]

I found cool cuz of his drip

[@Devlinam]

We do see Old Man Zangetsu one more time. When Ichigo gets both of his new zanpakuto and calls them both Zangetsu. I really like that part, because its like Ichigo is saying that they are both equally as important to him. It doesn't matter that Old Man Zangetsu was apart of Ywach's soul because now he is apart of Ichgo's soul and that's what matters more. Also love the fact that Ichigo's Quincy powers are represented by Black Zangetsu and his Soul Reaper powers are represented by White Zangetsu, when normally it would be the other way around. Its like Ichigo's powers are link together whether they realize it or not.

[@KennedyMKool]

Wait, so Ywachb is every Quincy's inner world??? Also if he faded and didn't show up till his new zankpatos that meant his powers were gone or not working??????Or should we just keep thinking his always there without kubo drawing it.....I still think it's Ywachb with Ichigo and Ywachb choose to appear to Ichigo this all time and can do it to anyone Quincy....

[@Kor1134]

a part, not apart. Apart means separate.

[@mehtabsingh5593]

Ichigo's Quincy powers being represented by black zangetsu n through out the series his bankai was a black blade.

[@fg009letyrds8]

Then it gets absorbed by SK Yhwach a minute later 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@noor_xd9473]

@@mehtabsingh5593 yeah all that Time it only was his forged shangami power zangetsu was manipulate his original power with his Quincy ability so he doesn't get full access to his true potential

[@princeamori]

White Ichigo brought me first to your channel many months ago and now we have arrived at old man Zangetsu. Love the analysis.

[@chadmabe7069]

Hate to tell you but white is a hollow that bite masaki on the neck while she was pregnant with ichigo but she killed white with an arrow to its temple but white transfer its power to ichigo in the womb so yea in a way zangetsu an white are one an the same as he tells ichigo so thank you an your welcome an you didnt need this guys analysis to figure that fact out ahahaha

[@jamillypb3174]

@@chadmabe7069 K

[@Greekhalo2010]

@@chadmabe7069 3W2w8194w ⁿ5q5

[@sethtrahan2659]

@@chadmabe7069 trollerific 🖕🏻

[@susannagarlitz792]

​@@chadmabe7069 Masaki fought the hollow White on the same day she met Isshin Shiba, Ichigo's father so she couldn't have been pregnant with Ichigo then. White must've waited before being inherited by Ichigo or being transferred to Ichigo.

[@poke23114]

One of the interesting things about Old Man Zangetsu is how he was a comforting presence to me as a child. Seeing him was like being covered in a warm blanket after a cold day, you just knew that everything would be okay. I feel like it was the same with Ichigo, expect, the blanket covering him served 2 purposes. One, to protect Ichigo and to support his goals. Two, to hide Ichigo from the world that would hurt him and cause rain to fall in his inner world. Old Man Zangetsu just wanted what was best for Ichigo, and when he realized that his and Ichigo's versions of what might be the best for him differ, Old Man Zangetsu gave up control as he realized that Ichigo has matured and no longer needs his protection anymore. It's a bittersweet farewell for the 2 characters and I love how Kubo wrote it out

[@m74568]

Same

[@ovidiufarcau243]

The most insane thing about him was the music, when your heard that music it was like god sent you knew Zangetsu is comming for a boost to give him butkicking powers !

[@poke23114]

@@ovidiufarcau243 Facts all the way

[@yessirde]

@@ovidiufarcau243 all the way bro

[@tinaxu6121]

He gave up the control? does that mean old man zangetsu leave ichigo's soul?

[@drizzitdude]

In a sense Old Man Zangetsu did hold part of Ichigo back. Because he suppressed his inner shinigami and trained him in his stead Ichigo never truly knew how to weild Zangetsu. The hollow did, and he tried to teach him those techniques and movements every time he manifested. The first surge of what we can interpret to be White is when Ichigo's spiritual pressure spikes when fighting Renji and he suddenly get's the upper hand. He gets the typical grin of the Hichigo, and he flourishes with his movement, delfecting Renji's sword with a spin. Something we will notice about Zangetsu/Hollow Ichigo is that he does a lot of chaotic, spinning motions. He utilizes the cloth on the Shikai to use it as a flail, even in the form of Tensa Zangetsu he spins it like a chain. Something Ichigo NEVER emulated, because he rejected that part of him. That was true Zangetsu trying to show him how to use him properly the whole time.

[@Grayson-Winchester]

I think Zangetsu contains Misaki's wish to always protect her son. A really good story twist later on

[@MrYoda2k]

I thought i was the only who catch that xD.

[@ayusshanubhav2097]

Hollow ichigo to be more precise

[@dnlmoretti]

You know I was thinking the same? 😂

[@sgwaris8853]

If you know the grand father of ishida, he always protected his grandson 🙂 and maybe that soul was the one which was chosen by soulking to provide wisdom to ichigo 🤔 and ichibe was ready for the process to how to download it 😀

[@meiru2453]

Makes sense considering that the quincy power comes from his mother.

[@sewerrat11000]

Old man Zangetsu looks like a spitting image of my dad in his youth. My dad was always a bad and absent father, so the scenes where Zangetsu gives advice always felt like fatherly love I was missing all of my life. I still remember and respect his words for Ichigo like they were for me. The most meaningful character of all time for me. Thank you, Kubo.

[@allscope8484]

That's deep 😢

[@sewerrat11000]

@@allscope8484 Thanks man! :) Gonna have him tattooed.

[@starflatinum244]

@@sewerrat11000 So, technically you have -Yhwach- Old Man Zangetsu as your father.

[@sewerrat11000]

@@starflatinum244 More like Yhwach since he evil and borderline ruined my mother lol

[@jablue4329]

Old Man Zangetsu’s journey feels like a parent learning to step away and let their child - the one they want to protect most in this world - grow up.

[@ovidiufarcau243]

In a sense it is cause he has the will of his mother's desire to protect her child ! the source of the Quincy power !

[@kamaudorsey4184]

That's kinda exactly what it is if u read the manga

[@omslaw8258]

Ywach: Im not Zangetsu. Ichigo: Old man Zangetsu. Ywach: yes

[@yancyjarquin4683]

It’s kinda like he split himself in half, kinda like kurama , both half’s are of one but both end up being different

[@MatthewKelley-mq4ce]

​It's more like.. he had two 'incarnations' from the start.

[@dnlmoretti]

I still can’t wrap my head around how so many people believe Kubo to be a terrible writer… Bleach foreshadows and connects events separated by hundreds of chapters, and not only that, the entire story is saturated with imagery, symbolism, and deeply profound themes that many of us can relate to - out of the big three, Bleach is without a doubt the manga that resonates with me the most

[@billykotsos4642]

I will give you a reason…… where the HELL is Giriko??!!?!!??!?! ANY IDEAS ?

[@marcuswilliams2910]

B/c his reasoning for limiting Ichigo's power didn't make sense. It led to much more conflict & pain for Ichigo instead of limiting it. Ichigo almost died plenty of times b/c he wasn't strong enough to fight an opponent even tho he had the power to. Ulquiorra killed him twice, Grimmjow almost twice, Byakuya almost twice, Kenpachi, Yhwach & Yammy all b/c his power was being limited for no good reason

[@joestarxshinigami4235]

@@marcuswilliams2910 because he didn’t want ichigo to fight he limits him to make ichigo not want to be a soul reaper

[@marcuswilliams2910]

@@joestarxshinigami4235 He's been in Ichigo since he was born he already knew how Ichigo is & what he would endure to be a SR. It makes no sense to limit his power in fights he could lose/die just to make him want to stop. He should already Ichigo isn't going to stop protecting ppl defined who he is after his mom died & he didn't have the power to protect her

[@miember676]

@@marcuswilliams2910 Don't you know if Ichigo's powers aren't sealed, the Bleach World will be in danger? It was already stated by Shunsui to his friends that Ichigo might never return to the World of the Living because at that time, he will come back stronger and already obtained his true power and he will be a threat to the Bleach Universe. Remember in the Bleach Universe, it's Reiatsu>=Any power in Bleach except Almighty, I guess. Aizen was sealed by many seals and when Shunsui unlocked 3 seals, Aizen was still able to crush/kill beings using his spiritual pressure. The thing with Ichigo is, he doesn't know how to control his reiatsu. Ichibei already stated in the CFYOW novel, that if Ichigo failed to defeat Yhwach, Ichigo will become the linchpin that will hold the Bleach Universe like the Soul King. And besides, what Ichigo want to protect is different from what they want to protect. Tensa Zangetsu wants to protect Ichigo and never put him into danger, while Ichigo rushes to danger to protect his friends.

[@josephisrael8959]

Ichigo finally getting closure on the nature of his powers and heritage is where TYBW peaked for me. Can't wait to see old man zangetsu again in the anime despite his brief appearance :(

[@STULF20X6]

This character really hit close to home for me in the sense I grew up with a loving dad that I wasn't related to. An older man with a melancholic worldly experience. Someone who just wanted to protect someone important to them Old Man Zangetsu was truly a master class written character

[@thatdudemoe9109]

Really wish they showed Ichigo interacting, confronting, and conversing with his hollow more. Even showing a softer side to him.

[@widodoakrom3938]

Fun fact yhwach is going to have the same VA as old man zangetsu and he share the same VA as senju hashirama from Naruto

[@skippi99r32]

I wonder if the same is gonna be for the eventual dub, I hope so

[@dannyfonseca07]

Ohhhh Noooo :)

[@hashiramauchiha2877]

It's hashirama uchiha, bakayaro

[@Zarathustra_infinite]

Thats right Madara I've achieved it the almighty

[@sarojandongol1482]

Aah the other anime protag whose mothers died protecting them who previously held a power that our protag inherited, whose fathers share the same voice actor and now you're telling me both these protags share dna from the same godlike beings who share the same VA?

[@theloneshadow14]

This analysis just shows how well Kubo can foreshadow, he is def my second fav Zanpakutou in terms of design, Kubo literally calls back stuff from literally the earliest of chapters and when you read it it makes so much sense, yet Bleach gets a bad rep for stuff readers/watchers arent bright enough to see because it isnt spoonfed to them so they call it asspulls or plot when it was intentional, sure the story was a bit rushed because of how things went, but it still holds up well to this day, Your analyses are amazing as always Imran, i cant wait for you to review the Zanpakutou rebellion arc and hear which Zanpakutou design you like most

[@dnlmoretti]

Agreed - Bleach has aged incredibly well. I actually love this series for many of the same reasons I love the ancient classics - there is a certain poetry that moves along Kubo’s writing style that challenges the reader to dig a little deeper into the narrative - to this day I notice new details when I read and discuss with other Bleach nerds

[@christiansanchez1644]

Personally I don’t think for 1 second that Kubo had this planned from the beginning. I think it’s way more likely that He came up with this in retrospect

[@EzComEzG0]

@@christiansanchez1644 Shh, you might hurt his feelings.

[@meiru2453]

People are like that in general... Not only towards Bleach.

[@yuliysolos157]

Who is your #1 favorite if he’s #2

[@Zac_Frost]

One thing that's not touched on in a lot of videos on this "Quincy Zangetsu" as I call him, and "Hollow Zangetsu" as I call Ichigo's real Zanpakuto Spirit, is that they, in effect, play Good Cop/Bad Cop when it comes to training Ichigo. Quincy Zangetsu is very supportive, encouraging, and uses more positive reinforcement to bring out the best in Ichigo, while Hollow Zangetsu plays the part of an obstacle to overcome to make Ichigo rise to the occasion himself.

[@nothisispatrick5691]

Just call Hollow Zangetsu, Zangetsu. He's the real one and the only one. Quincy Zangetsu only stole the name while hindering Ichigo by suppressing his powers.

[@Zac_Frost]

@@nothisispatrick5691 That's true, but Ichigo did accept both of them as both "Zangetsus" so that's why I make the distinction.

[@Ivan-hv2zc]

The old man never confirmed his name was Zhangetsu.

[@Zac_Frost]

@@Ivan-hv2zc Seems like you didn't read the "as I call him" part...

[@findingnemo2089]

@@nothisispatrick5691 Quincy Zangetsu is able to take the place of Hollow Zangetsu in Bankai training, I don't think it's as clear cut as that. If anyting, I believe the quincy manifestation is also in some part his shinigami power as well (hence why he has place in the reforging and how Nimaiya accepted that those two are zangetsu).

[@RockaByeYT]

When you realize "Life's like a boat" was actually the song of Old Man Zangetsu

[@miiamidblu]

Broke: Aizen's reveal was the greatest twist in bleach history Woke: Zangetsu's reveal was the greatest twist in bleach history Bespoke: Hollow Ichigo was actually telling the truth

[@squilliamfreakyson]

Transcend: Yhwach solos

[@DonMegaPLP]

I think when White says "that power will be mine" we thought he was talking about Ichigo. It's funny that what he meant was the power "old man" had. His influence over Ichigo, his place as the source of his strength.

[@richardjohns9832]

That's because a zanpacto is suppose to be a manifestation of the shinagamis spiritual power. Since Ichigo's spiritual power is derived from 3 different sources it stands to reason that there are more than 1. There's Ishein's soul reaper power, then there's the hollow that transferred to Ichigo's mother's womb, then there's Ywaichi,'s Quincy power. So there's basically 3 sources fighting for dominance inside Ichigo's psyche.

[@evandugas7888]

@@richardjohns9832 Well really two. I think that Hollow that was implanted into Ichigo was a mix of the soul reaper and hollow spirit to start with. Hollow Ichigo is really just a troll tricking him into getting stronger. XD he has had so many chances to take over and never has. Since it was never his goal.

[@strawhatshinigami9190]

"Train him well ,because one day that power will be mine " Yhwach foreshadowing for sure ☝🏽

[@Daruno]

That was said by White so its more like: "When the king learns and accept the truth, we all be the same" type of speech, and since the message in "The blade is me" is that both Zangetsu arr part of Ichigo, White's word's became true in the end.

[@wanderingbufoon]

I love how Tensa Zangetsu's look completely mimic's Ulquiorra's. This is even more amazing when White shows up as a Vasto Lordo

[@dnlmoretti]

Is it me or is DBZimran’s community legit full of sensible, intelligent, well spoken individual? ❤️

[@MrL1G3R]

We sure are

[@dnlmoretti]

@@MrL1G3R it’s so nice to see civil discourse take place instead of the usual shit show worth of trolling and hurt feelings 😂

[@MrL1G3R]

@@dnlmoretti Nah all the haters shrunk into bits. We the fans are the kings in this bitch.

[@iwenttoohio5045]

@@dnlmoretti the haters are the horse and we the fans are the king

[@ibreathairunfortunatelyish4444]

@@iwenttoohio5045 bleach has haters a lot of them but criticism ≠ hating like imran does

[@MW-cx3sb]

All Quincy are connected to Yhwach from blood and with it he can control their fates. But since Ichigo's soul is mixed, he shinigami and the other parts keep Yhwach's control in check, so a bond is formed instead eventually. With that bond it shifted this bloodline clone of Yhwach into training Ichigo on how to defeat Yhwach. Pretty awesome foreshadowing, you can tell Kubo had the ending in mind from very early on if not the beginning.

[@DeusGamez]

well.. Ywach himself said some rather chilling things when ichigo finally confronts him and that was that he knew all along where ichigo had been and what he had achieved and struggled with.. and i guess this makes perfect sense that he knew everything due to his blood ability but also the Almighty. Ywach made ichigo stronger so that he could fulfill his wish which he saw predicted with the almighty Ywach wanted to end his father's suffering and humility and to take back the world which he believed was by rights his and his family's. and its even more brutal when Ywach asks ichigo countless times why he's standing in his way because Ywach truly did believe the had a bond an were family. and he goads ichigo further asking him why he has no murderous intent toward him who let his mother die. i think deep down ichigo was questioning wether there was an ounce of the kind hearted oldman "zangetsu" inside Ywach or not.

[@MichaelisBLee-nw8wy]

Yes! You have no idea how long I've waited for this. White Zangetsu gets so much appreciation, but I cannot help but love the more tender, fatherly love of Black Zangetsu!

[@Razielus89]

One of the most important teachers of Ichigo at last explained in a great way. Oldman always was a person who intrigued me. The way how he speaks, how he behave, everything was different. In some moments tears, about which he was speaking to ichigo and were also drops of the rain in the inner world, I was thinking that they belongs to Oldman himself, not to ichigo, he probably was a little bit afraid about that what can happen to his owner/student.

[@zangetsu912]

A year ago on the 27 of December I got the "Believe me you aren't fighting alone" panel tattooed on my left forearm

[@markedelylumbao1609]

Old Man Zangetsu is Ywach if he ever had true empathy without the visceral and all consuming hatred for the current state of their world. A father Ichigo did not know he needed. In a way he's truly blessed to have such bonds. He may have lost his mother and it is not a consolation by any means but he has someone who watched over him just the same.

[@hmohngcheelee7549]

Hollow Ichigo foreshadowed this ending, train him well, because that power will be mine.

[@DBZimran]

Holy crap! This is unbelievable this power will be mine, because of course he is Ichigo's true Zanpakuto Spirit!

[@AJ-kt5zo]

@@DBZimran 💙

[@samlerf]

@@DBZimran Wasn't it said by the manga Bakuman that Jump not only uses reader polls but that unpopular Manga are cancelled after ten weeks? Woudn't that give more credit to the idea of Bleach being cancelled? Or am I missing something?

[@DBZimran]

Those reader pols are valid and significant for newer series. Not BLEACH which is a well established top 10 best selling series.

[@AJ-kt5zo]

@@DBZimran 💛

[@jojoberry6320]

You have no idea, no idea how much the reveal about old man Zangetsu at the TYBW did to me. Like, I was a wreck: I was shocked, then I was happy, then I was crying but I still love his character regardless

[@IchigosBestFriend]

I can’t wait for this reveal, such great writing

[@arg_9584]

I love how the Bleach OST is played in the background of all the videos. I also loved this video because Old man zangetsu was so cool and TYBW was such a twist, but in reality it made sense.

[@sidneyshaw9205]

Tybw?

[@arg_9584]

@@sidneyshaw9205 thousand year blood war

[@gentaridzkyfitrian1157]

I remember the first time I saw Juhabach I felt familiar with his form; and the sudden reveal that old man zangetsu is indeed the younger version of Juhabach shock me to my core

[@NJ-ss5bc]

Notice where when the old man First introduced white he says "this time your enemy is you". More hints that white was his soul reaper powers. When you know how zanpakuto work and look back at this sentence it says a lot.

[@BlossomPathOnStage15]

@John Mondshine The Zanpakuto spirit represent their user most inner self and I quote "The Zanpakuto the the Soul Reaper are one and the same." Soo yeah... basically that.

[@B4rto7o]

I've always thought of Zangetsu as the spirit of the samurai that got swallowed in the industrialization of the Meiji era. Darkness symbolized the samurai authoritarianism of the decades of isolation, and light symbolized the openness Japan had to exercise in order to cope up with the West. Kubo was so good that the nuances of the mechanics between light and dark remain ambiguous to the end. It is as if whatever makes Ichigo very powerful is the Real of his existence, transcending both his Shinigami and Quincy origins. Kubo made him an anchor point in the dialectic between Shinigami and Quincy. Genius.

[@UnifiedEntity]

Everyone, name your favorite moments of old man Zangetsu. For me it was the following: - Obviously him guiding Ichigo while fighting Kenpachi - When Ichigo is told he was tied to Juha Bach. - When he tells him how proud he is of Ichigo. - When he was Tensa Zangetsu and reveals why he fights.

[@marcomilillo23]

For me,it's the speech about the rain

[@deanoor9391]

Another great video and in great time since BLEACH is almost here Tensa Zangetsu and White looked soooo cool together in the inner world (towards that end of the arc). The reveal of Zangetsu and White's true purpose in the manga was insane Ichigo is such a solid character that many seem to overlook

[@animefan77]

It's because Old Man Zangetsu was such a beneficial aid to Ichigo that I'm hopelessly wishing for an eventual reveal that Yhwach- whom Old Man Zangetsu is based on- was actually corrupted by what's likely the big bad of the Hell arc because I find the truth very saddening.

[@Regret_xx]

Bro your videos are so good I've watched them all keep the good work

[@tobysatriayudha4564]

Thank you. Knowing the relation between the ending of "The Thousand Year Blood War" arc and the beginning of the story, I can finally appreciate the ending Kubo has set.

[@ayusshanubhav2097]

This is the analysis I was waiting for

[@rand0mGT]

Love old man zangetsu. Thanks for this analysis. Didn’t know so many things until this

[@718Insomniac]

I can't get enough of these videos.

[@akinazxy3693]

the OST-Never meant to belong, hit me deep with the story of this amazing character. after i read the manga he was one of my fav characters but now...he is listed even higher. Thank you very much for this video :)

[@IlDeimos]

Its insane how much foreshadowing there is. The old man showed up in the first season of bleach, and in the last arc, we find out his true identity. Its crazy

[@willtogs]

i cried when ichigo cried and shouted at Zangetsu, asking if he was a friend or a foe, it was emotional for me

[@zamant88]

Dude! Your deep dives are awesome! I can only imagine how long it takes to make these videos with FACTS and not guessing or assumptions. Love them! Please keep them coming

[@Tikimohn]

Old Man Zangetsu has some of the deepest and most profound lines in the manga/anime. "Do you know how I hate the rain".

[@cornpop838]

LMAO bro its a cool line but its only deep and profound if you’re a middleschooler😂💀

[@Tikimohn]

@Cornpop i know that ones not, it was just one that i could remember.

[@trigunlover11]

Zangetsu is a mysterious being of Zanpakto for Ichigo, and a whole lot more too. He is badass.

[@rain1676]

I love you

[@filthyfrankTV]

@@rain1676 thank you kyo mebi it feels good to hear that

[@doedoel035]

oh my god... that part of defeating yhwh with the original zangetsu... i could feel my mind exploded with amazement at that realization, holy shit! thank you for the video!

[@Mino..233]

The immense details you've picked up is just 🔥 I'm speechless.

[@WorlBoss]

Wow that foreshadowing you mentioned at the end was mind blowing 🤯. Amazing analysis 👏🏾

[@Portvoid]

Then i thought Oda has the best Foreshadowing and plot twist not until i watched this! Thank you for the detailed explanation

[@greyworld6242]

Finally a video on the old man! I wonder if you can use Jungian psychology to help better understand bleach? 6:55 it Still sucks that I never knew about this in the anime. The first foreshadowing(well at least for white’s side of this anyway). Your right we haven’t seen the old man since soul society arc and then we see him about in the final arc, damn that’s a long time! 21:02 it was not the bankai that would cut him down but the shikai hidden within the bankai that did the deed. Adds more to the future ywahch saw and ignored until the end.

[@ayusshanubhav2097]

Jungian??

[@greyworld6242]

@@ayusshanubhav2097 look it up.

[@dnlmoretti]

My man! The assimilation of the hollow (shadow) allows Ichigo to make full use of his power in a controlled and deliberate manner

[@CoDSucks]

We seen him in the Zanpakuto arc. Which further shows ichigos Shinigami powers and quincy. Also, how ichigo defeated him with his true sword.

[@ayusshanubhav2097]

@@greyworld6242 yes! I would recommend you take a look at the idea of "non-duality"... Because that is pretty much the essential theme of Ichigo.

[@GeassKing0]

Great video! My mind was blown when you brought attention to what Old Man Zangetsu said during training and the end of the Thousand Year Blood War Arc. I started thinking🤔. That makes sense. He wanted to protect him, and he never left him. He was always a part of him, and at the end, when the sword shattered, and there's the other sword, like you said... it's the same one. So maybe it was a double meaning during training. I wonder if Old Man Zangetsu knew he would fight the real Juha one day since, he knew he would come back. Ichigo would continue his path, and would end up fighting him because that was the him from 1000 years ago when he got defeated. The Quincy King was defeated by his own essence from within Ichigo. 🤯

[@RaraPremium]

It makes sense about the one sword that can kill him. Ywach was afraid of ichigos true bankai and so he broke ichigos sword

[@dijon3106]

Also another cool point to talk about would be Ichigo's main attack Getsuga Tensho, Byakuya stated (don't kill me if i didn't get it fully right) that it translates to Piercer of Heaven. We all thought it was cool because of the situation Ichigo was in, invading the afterlife's toughest place to save a comrade. Not sure if i'm reaching but Aizen also said he was trying to i believe sit on the throne of the heavens. Just to have what we believed to be Ichigo's Zanpakuto spirit to be the "younger version" of Ywach, who literally pierced the heavens to sit on the throne. Idk i thought that was a cool parallel to point out. Good video man!!

[@gb1421]

Damn the foreshadowing is crazy. I forgot that Zangetsu said that to Ichigo when he was training to achieve Bankai. Makes alot more sense how he defeated Ywach now. Kubo really planned far ahead.

[@sunnyditta4810]

wow as a bleach head. Watching your channel just takes me back to my younger days. However I would say absolutely phenomedelete the alarm good work and thank you for putting in all the hard work for putting this video together. I hope when bleach comes back that they do some Justice to it.

[@Nobawde]

i love your takes and analysis. makes me love the series so much more! i keep trying to tell these younger weebs to watch bleach as its such a great story and once the TYBW arc is animated itll revitalize the series and bring it back to the main stream. with demon slayer being so popular its a perfect time to satisfy those fans and even pull new fans. another reason i love this art form and cant thank YTers like yourself that make me think so much more into a character.

[@devonh117]

the writing is so underrated i swear, really breaking down bleach has some deep stuff unlike anime today where its just the power of feelings to get through everything.

[@ghostspider2056]

Zangetsu’s design always gives me like a Vampire hunter vibes.

[@marmapade1796]

see old man fade away actually brought a tear to my eye

[@RaraPremium]

I love the representation of how your zanpakuto is literally you. Ichigo cares for all his friends/family. He tries his best to protect them as well as prevent them from fighting. Just like ichigos zanpakuto tried its best to protect him. As well as try to prevent him from fighting.

[@YanYancore]

One thing I see connection from the rain was when Masaki died it was raining too. Since she is a Quincy, Ywach can and may be residing in her too just like the other Quincy. His soul gives them the power (maybe or maybe not) or old man zangetsu is a manifestation from Ichigo's mother. Her Quincy power and will as a mother, as a parent. That is why Masaki and Old Man Zangetsu is almost closely connected in some way or another

[@adrianrusko8384]

I would like to present something I pict up on that seems to go unnoticed that could be used for a video or a discussion: There is a scene in the Bleach anime during Ichigo's visored training with White Zangetsu where he is taken back through his past fights agains Byakuya, Kenpachi and Kariya from the Bount arc. What's interesting here is that the stage during his bout with Kariya is the secret training ground Youruichi took Ichigo to in order to teach him bankai and is filled with swords, just like Old Man Zangetsu's trial and Ichigo says he knows what to do here and calles ot Zangetsu and seemingly pulls the sword out of himself. It is a shame that the resolution of his training was off-screaned in the manga, but this scene in the anime (even if it is filler) could be forshadowing and giving us a hint to the revelation of "The blade is me". Ichigo was prezented with a bunch of different looking Zangetsus, but he only one that could defeat Old Man Zangetsu was the true Zangetsu, the one that was inside Ichigo, the one that was Ichigo.

[@RedzyOne]

Omg mind blown. I really appreciate you made this video sir. Salute

[@shaunnyboy7769]

A bit on but an off-topic question. Why has Old Man Yamamoto never taken specific notice in the shapes of both Ichigo's original and fullbring Shikai's? Since the blade of Ichigo's fullbring shikai is the same blade shape of Juha Bach Sword's blade, it would make sense that the blade of Ichigo's original shikai is the same blade shape of Juha Bach Sword's blade from a thousand years ago, the same sword and blade shape he fought against.

[@nameless_moon]

He was... too old ? Jk, but I think the same blade shape is not that rare, plus do you sure you meant *shikai* aka fake Zangetsu , not *bankai* a.k.a Tensa Zangetsu ?

[@BlossomPathOnStage15]

While he did see Ichigo Zanpakuto shape he never actually see the Spirit. For all he know it could be a coincidence. Either that or Kubo didn't think that far in the later arc.

[@joaquincasascortes624]

@@BlossomPathOnStage15 It wouldn't matter either way because: 1. Nobody in soul society knew Ichigo was a Quincy, since the Twelfth division was given the task to either surveillance or kill the last couple of Quincy. 2. Zangetsu had no hilt and was considerably larger than Yhwach's. They aren't really 100% the same. 3. Yamamoto hasn't interacted much Ichigo, and the fake Tenza Zangetsu wasn't like Yhwach's blade, so it would require a very veeeery detailed observator. Later down the line, Ichigo became a trusted member of Soul Society that saved all of them from Aizen taking over the world, so they had even less reasons to suspect him (Yamamoto himself even ordered himself to give Ichigo shinigami powers after Ginjo stole them).

[@leonmwangi4943]

came here after watching the end of TYBW cour 1, your analysis really does this character justice

[@oongaboonga7098]

Finished Bleach a few days ago, and the concept of Zangetsu fascinated me the most. Glad to see u covering him

[@ilikethis3203]

God I love your Bleach videos.

[@turnerbrawley4715]

I cant for ichigos acceptance of oldman zangetsu and hollow zangetsu to be animated it will be so beautiful!

[@ghostbearr1]

The rain could also be a representation of Ichigo's mother dying to both the Hollow and Yhwach, if the hollow transferred so could Quincy spirit and the soul reaper power transfer at the same time. So both the hollow and old man Zangestsu would known Ichigo's mother wishes and they both would feel sorrow at Ichigo's mother death.

[@nagarajanveerannan2967]

Kubo's writing and foreshadowing is really underrated. I know Bleach is not perfect and it sure has its mishaps but Bleach is more complex and mature when it comes to the Big 3 or your any other typical shonuen.

[@tanned_cosines_]

exactly; mature is the correct word! What a well thought masterpiece. Once in a century kinda thing!

[@garrettlaturski6703]

This is the video I never even realized I needed

[@TocomoLom]

Idk if this comment will even be seen with this video being a year old. But holy foreshadowing I just noticed. Old Man Zangetsu asks if Ichigo understands being rained on in a lonely world. Well... when Ginjo later takes his Fullbring away from him... Ichigo has no one else, from what it seems. Everyone is against him. And it begins to rain. It rains on him in his lonely world. And then he gets stabbed by the spirit sword to bring his powers back. Showing that he finally understands and is ready to wield that power properly.

[@Cheif_Espada]

So much I want to know about Zangetsu but didn’t quite grasp. Thank you for this.

[@miguelsanmiguel9377]

Last week my nephew (who just started watching bleach) was looking at my Bleach manga I had on a shelf and pointed out that Zengetsu and Ywach look very similar and asked if they were the same based on the cover art and I was like uhhhh ummmm no? I didn't want to spoil it lol

[@levinsajor]

Such a great analysis. Zangetsu will always be one of the best characters Kubo has ever written

[@jollygoodgordon5580]

I always found it kinda funny when Ichigo calls him “old man” Cus to me, I never got the idea that zangetsu was old lol

[@camcam794]

all teenagers think adults are old lol

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

Japans defintion is old is weird

[@jollygoodgordon5580]

@@camcam794 true lol

[@_jp_0966]

Ichigo is 15. When I was 15 people in their 30s were really old to me

[@KuroTheRuler]

Fun fact: For the old man zangestu part it’s juha but with the glasses on, the new episode of tybw we got to see the past and got to see how he looked and not just that it was anime exclusively

[@Bricksgaming710]

I love how hollow Ichigo uses zongetsu and grabs it by the ribbon and start spinning it and ichi goes like I never thought the sword could be used like that and then never uses it like that. It kind of is aggravating actually

[@whitecomix4915]

I've always wanted to know who he is when I was younger, he looked so cool during the soul society arc.

[@IyadAbouziab]

Phenomenal video. I always liked OMZ, he was mysterious but cool, and was always there for Ichigo. Man, everytime I watch one of your analysis videos, I realize more and more how great Kubo is.

[@deny3638]

Hell yea, a good way to start the morning

[@HAli-jd2ph]

Great video, appreciate the effort and insight poured into some of the hidden details around this character. Especially with Jump Festa 2021 around the corner, which will supposedly have a big trailer coming up!

[@danyvedelago5441]

This is the kind of analysis that is worth watching and hearing

[@aaronansley5961]

You can extrapolate a bit more about Old Man Zangetsu if you posit that he was Yhwach from 1000 years ago or some aspect of him (kind of like Pernidas and the Soul King, the Soul King's power and fullbrings, etc.) Yhwach's greatest fear, from my understanding, is death. Old Man Zangetsu hates to see Ichigo sad, which makes me think that Yhwach came to a point where the fear of death made him incredibly depressed, so much so that he started a war over it that would last 1000 years with a conclusion that he should have been able to foresee given his ability. Yhwach fears returning to nothing. The Almighty, by its very definition, cursed him to see his inevitable death. He can see every possible future. Given a long enough timeline, there is only one ultimate factor for any living being. Thus, Yhwach's sadness is brought about by the end (that he knows through the Almighty.) If you liken Yhwach to Aizen in that he can enact massive plans, then it's possible that, 1000 years ago, a piece of Yhwach flowing to Ichigo was part of his plan. Or it was a fluke. Or it was both. Given that this Yhwach is part of Ichigo, Ichigo's death would be what Old Man Zangetsu would fear because that would coincide with Yhwach from 1000 years ago. Given that the Soul King was Yhwach's father, it's possible that the Soul King gave birth to Yhwach to create a cycle incarnation to circumvent death and a return to nothingness. If you posit that Old Man Zangetsu is one and the same with the Father archetype as posed in Jung's works, then the parallels become even clearer. Now.. for the last thing that's worth noting, that's the fact that Ichigo's "Inner World" is a world itself. I'm not sure in anything canon we see this except for with the realms created by the Soul King in CFYOW. Essentially, Old Man Zangetsu is unable to control the setting of the world he created. He cannot stop the rain; only Ichigo could stop his rain by embracing his agency. Yhwach could not stop his death without changing the way the world worked. Even after Yhwach dies, he persists in the world because he clings. Old Man Zangetsu is essentially the version of Yhwach that reincarnates according to the cycle that the Soul King, or perhaps the world itself, put forth. Kubo's writing is scary deep. Really scary. It gets even scarier when you realize that, much like Yhwach feared his own death, Kubo's understanding intimate understanding of those fears likely wasn't realized until he felt the end of his manga nearing. It's beyond me right now to take this further back and guess what kind of turmoil Kubo dealt with, but.. the more you analyze Bleach, the more touching it becomes.

[@jayto4949]

I will pay you to make more comments like this

[@tteerabeats9116]

Fire analysis

[@howardli7129]

Fire

[@joaquincasascortes624]

And yet some people think Kubo is only good at making cool character designs 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@frapponerd]

Good analisys, the oldman Zangetsu say never "i am your shinigami's power"

[@alex-rf5ze]

It makes sence but the fact of the foreshadowing on the one blade that can defeat zongetsu is true at the end I mean freaking sweet

[@lionelinx7]

The last point was insane. Great video bro

[@Nestle245]

Now that I'm looking back I can't believe we seen Yhwach so early in the story.

[@maverickcortez2845]

Oh man!! 😢 Zangetsu really does care about Ichirin so much and vice versa. He didn't want to teach him the Final Getsugatensho because he knew how much it would hurt Ichigo by not having the power to protect others. In the end, he really did love Ichigo!!

[@rudibotha3947]

❤❤❤❤❤❤ Dude Bleach is still the best even after all these years. Even after it received all the criticism Bleach has a special place in my life

[@sultansuleyman6872]

I think Old man Zangetsu doesn't hate rain itself, but he hates it because of the pain and sadness of Ichigo. He just hates when Ichigo is upset and ready to do anything to see him happy again. I think he would hate snow or sunshine if it was caused by Ichigos sadness and sorrow

[@najibsultan9765]

Could you please do Ichibe the Leader of The Zero Squad Character Analysis pls?? Thanks in advance, I really like your character analysis content

[@Silvamoon]

Amazing video. Old man zangetsu is without doubt one if my favorite characters despite the little screen time. Seeing this video shows how well thought out the plot was originally. Too bad shonen jump rushed the author.

[@mellizard2901]

Ive been waiting! I live for the Quincy ones. 💙 Good job!

[@RealLifeIronMan]

Ichigo being a Quincy is wasted as he never demonstrates any uniquely Quincy flavored powers.

[@genshinsbizzareadventures]

Because he is mainly a soul reaper , soul reaper don't kill hollows but quincies do so a Quincy power is basically a posion to ichigo's body as he is a hollow/human/soul reaper product.

[@shinkaiatsuya950]

Ever since I found out the truth like Ichigo I wondered how trust worthy Old Man Zangetsu really was. Thanks to this video I know. Kinda forgot how he said he hates rain. I do wonder what would have happened if Ichibe didn't cover his name, and Ichigo eventually got to use Shinigami, Hollow/vizard, and Quincy techniques. Also, would like to know how Isshin knows Getsuga Tenshou and about the final Getsuga Tenshou.

[@terwrell6398]

fr

[@shadymann9468]

Isshin's Getsuga Tenshou is fire while Ichigo is energy