The star of Bleach is none other than Ichigo Kurosaki, a classic shonen protagonist who's ready to fight all comers. Ichigo was a seemingly ordinary high school student at first until the day came when the Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki granted him her powers and thrust him into her world of swords and monsters. Much has changed since then.
For the most part, Ichigo is the same tough, cool antihero he always was, but Ichigo is open to some changes, and he has since gained a greater appreciation for the people around him and, indeed, his own powers. By the end of the Bleach manga, Ichigo is a new man, but not everything is different. How has Ichigo evolved as a character, and how has he not?
10 HOW ICHIGO CHANGED: His Relationship To His Father, Isshin Kurosaki
Ichigo and his father Isshin butted heads in all kinds of silly ways in the early days of Bleach, with Ichigo being a rebellious and grumpy son and Isshin being a factory of classic "dad jokes." Over time, though, father and son would become much closer.
Isshin eventually outed himself as a Soul Reaper, and he trained Ichigo to learn the final Getsuga Tensho to take on Sosuke Aizen himself. Ichigo and his father were more alike than Ichigo ever thought, and he had a new respect for his old man.
9 HOW ICHIGO DIDN'T CHANGE: His Loyal To All His Friends
Ichigo's name can be read as "one defender," and he takes that quite seriously. Ichigo is always ready to stand up for his friends, no matter how big and scary the antagonist may be, and his friends know that Ichigo is a 100% reliable teammate.
Ichigo isn't the warmest hero, but everyone can count on him to rush to their defense and risk their lives for him. Ichigo will even challenge Ulquiorra Schiffer for Orihime Inoue's sake, even when he's hugely outclassed.
8 HOW ICHIGO CHANGED: His Relationship To The Kuchikis
Ichigo's earliest Soul Reaper ally, Rukia, was more loyal to the Soul Society than Ichigo, but that changed over time. Rukia never forgot her duty, but Ichigo made an impression on her. And even more importantly, Ichigo had a huge impact on Byakuya Kuchiki, too.
Ichigo was Byakuya's worst enemy for a time, and vice versa, but after the Soul Society arc ended, Byakuya became a friend, and Ichigo accepted Rukia and Byakuya as his most reliable Soul Society allies of all. It's good to have Kuchikis as friends instead of enemies.
7 HOW ICHIGO DIDN'T CHANGE: His Punkish Streak
Ichigo is in the same league as Monkey D. Luffy, Son Goku, and Naruto Uzumaki in the shonen world. Unlike those three, Ichigo is a punkish antihero who isn't known for his warm personality or charisma. In a different lifetime, he could have been a bully or antagonist, in fact.
Ichigo isn't really a bully, but he's grumpy and standoffish attitude does set him apart from many other shonen protagonists. Ichigo will even kick around other punks without apology if they cross him or his friends, such as that time Ichigo saved Yasutora "Chad" Sado from some bullies.
6 HOW ICHIGO CHANGED: His Particular Powers And Abilities
At the beginning of Bleach, Ichigo could only swing around a generic, nameless zanpakuto in battle, which really limited his options. Then his zanpakuto was broken, and he trained with Kisuke Urahara to gain Zangetsu. And he still wasn't done gaining new powers.
Ichigo also learned how to perform the Getsuga Tensho, a ranged attack that can also be wrapped around Zangetsu's blade. And if that weren't enough, Ichigo also learned to master his Hollow mask with the help of the Visoreds. Finally, he performed one instance of Blut Vene when Yhwach, the Quincy king, tried to stab him.
5 HOW ICHIGO DIDN'T CHANGE: Ichigo's Preference For Fighting By Instinct
Ichigo is far from a sloppy swordfighter, but then again, he never attended the Soul Reaper academy to learn time-tested combat forms and movesets (as opposed to Byakuya, for example). Ichigo trained hard with Urahara to learn the basics, improve his speed and reflexes, and little else.
Ichigo will use any creative or opportunistic move in battle, making him a bit crude but unpredictable in battle. This improvisational combat technique served him well even against foes such as Byakuya, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.
4 HOW ICHIGO CHANGED: Why He Fights At All
Why exactly does Ichigo pick up a zanpakuto and risk his life against powerful enemies? That changed a few times. At first, Ichigo fought to keep the streets safe from Hollows, and he also fought to keep his friends safe. But soon, not even that was enough.
In later story arcs, Ichigo realized that he was fighting for the entire world and for justice, too. He stormed the world of Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue but later admitted that he also wanted to fight Grimmjow and defeat him to settle their grudge (just as Grimmjow expected). Finally, Ichigo was fighting the Wandenreich not just to protect his friends but to save the entire world.
3 HOW ICHIGO DIDN'T CHANGE: His Incredible Grit As A Shonen Hero
A proper protagonist needs grit and courage to move the story forward, and Ichigo doesn't disappoint. He'll push himself to great lengths to defeat an enemy or gain a new ability, and Ichigo nearly died in the attempt more than once.
Ichigo faced death itself to train with Zangetsu, and the same was true during his risky bankai training with Yoruichi Shihoin. Ichigo also pushed himself to new, stubborn heights when he faced Grimmjow and refused to give in, no matter how badly Grimmjow hurt him. Ichigo doesn't go down so easily.
2 HOW ICHIGO CHANGED: His Knowledge Of His Mixed Heritage
For years on end, Ichigo thought that he was an ordinary kid with ordinary parents. He would only describe his heritage as "Japanese," but both his parents had a little extra mixed in. First, Ichigo learned that his father is a Soul Reaper, giving him a new perspective on Isshin and himself.
Then, Ichigo learned his mother Masaki was no ordinary woman. She had been a Quincy, related to the Ishida family, and she had nearly died at the hands of a Hollow. This is Ichigo's connection to the world of Quincies, and it's why Yhwach calls Ichigo "my son lost in the darkness."
1 HOW ICHIGO DIDN'T CHANGE: His Desire For An Ordinary Life
It's true that Ichigo soon delved deep into the world of Soul Reapers and Hollows, and he didn't regret it. But he never intended to move to the Soul Society or work as a Soul Reaper forever. Ichigo still remembered the ordinary life he once had.
And Ichigo wants to keep that ordinary life. Yes, he will pick up his zanpakuto and risk his life to face great evil, but he's not a dedicated hero. Once the fighting dies, Ichigo will return to his mundane life and enjoy the peace and quiet.
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