Bleach's hero is none other than Ichigo Kurosaki, who in many ways is a classic shonen protagonist, in all the best—and worst—ways. He was born to Isshin Kurosaki, an ex-Soul Reaper, and Masaki, a human Quincy, and inherited all kinds of powers from both parents. Then, at age 15, Ichigo unlocked his Soul Reaper powers with the help of Rukia Kuchiki.

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Over time, Ichigo trained hard, overcame steep odds, and emerged as the great hero of the Soul Society and Karakura Town. Ichigo has a lot going for him, but still, he has a few weaknesses or drawbacks, or a few aspects of his personality that aren't so great. How does he measure up?

10 STRENGTH: Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu

Ichigo and Zangetsu

All Soul Reapers have a zanpakuto, or a soul-cutting sword, and some zanpakuto are capable of a mighty bankai release. Ichigo's own zanpakuto is Zangetsu, which is often in shikai mode. Then, when Ichigo uses bankai, his true potential is released.

Tensa Zangetsu is a long, thin, compressed bankai that grants Ichigo incredible speed, enough to rival the notoriously quick Captain Byakuya Kuchiki in battle and nearly defeat him. And of course, this bankai can cut just about anything it touches.

9 WEAKNESS: His Abrasive Attitude

ichigo yelling at rukia bleach

Ichigo is not a bully, but at times, he might come across as one. Unlike cheerful protagonists like Naruto Uzumaki or Monkey D. Luffy, Ichigo is rather stern and gruff, and he is quick to fuss at silly behavior or get in someone's face if they cross him. He has a bit of a temper.

Because of this, Ichigo sometimes struggles to make friends or convince people to help him, and he doesn't always inspire trust or confidence in others. Fortunately, he has allies such as Orihime Inoue to do the sweet-talking for him.

8 STRENGTH: His Conviction To Defend His Friends

ichigo bleach

Although Ichigo doesn't take "the power of friendship" to the same extreme as Natsu Dragneel (to name just one example), Ichigo is still deeply driven to protect his friends and family from harm. In fact, his first name can be read as "one defender."

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Ichigo will fight to protect his own honor and life, but when a villain threatens his friends, Ichigo's power and resolve will get a massive boost. Ichigo almost lost to Grimmjow Jaegerjaques at some point, until Orihime cheered him on, and that gave Ichigo the power to triumph.

7 WEAKNESS: Trying To Live A Double Life

Rukia reinacts what would happen if someone found Ichigo's body, wearing kon on her head as ichigo listens

Some shonen heroes don't have to hide what they're doing. Naruto, for example, is an official Leaf Village ninja, and Goku is widely accepted as humanity's defender. But Ichigo is trying to live as a seemingly ordinary high school student and as a substitute Soul Reaper.

For various reasons, Ichigo doesn't want his two lives to cross over with each other, and this is stressing him out. He almost had to repeat his first year of high school because he was away fighting in the Soul Society. He also has to come up with excuses for his constant absences.

6 STRENGTH: The Getsuga Tensho

Ichigo Kurosaki Summoned In Bleach Brave Souls App

One of Ichigo's best assets is his ranged technique, the Getsuga Tensho (moon slayer fang). Ichigo can use this technique with either his shikai or his bankai, and he can release a blast of energy that can demolish his foes and the terrain alike.

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The power of Getsuga Tensho scales up as Ichigo goes from shikai to bankai to his Hollow mask, and the black version is stronger than the blue iteration. Also, Ichigo can wrap the Getsuga Tensho around his zanpakuto for enhanced melee attacks.

5 WEAKNESS: Limited Tactical Acumen

ichigo kurosaki bleach

Ichigo doesn't quite fit the "dumb but tough" mold, but still, he is rather simplistic in his technique. This sets him apart from his Quincy ally Uryu Ishida, who is a sharp tactical thinker, and the scientist Kisuke Urahara.

Instead, Ichigo tends to use blunt, direct attacks, and he often relies on his sheer speed and power to overcome his opponent's strategy and beat them down. Sometimes, that will work, but other times, he needs more than a sharp sword and iron will to win.

4 STRENGTH: His Inner Hollow's Power

ichigo bleach

Many shonen heroes have a hidden secondary power that they can draw upon, and in Ichigo's case, that bonus power is the strength of his inner Hollow. After Ichigo trained with the Visoreds, he learned how to wield this power in combat.

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Now, Ichigo can don his Hollow mask and get a huge boost to his speed, power and stamina, and the Getsuga Tensho turns black. With this immense power,  Ichigo was able to take on the mighty Espadas when he invaded Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime.

3 WEAKNESS: How Difficult It Was To Control That Hollow

ichigo inner hollow bleach

On the downside, that Hollow power had a mind of its own, and up to a point, that inner Hollow was actually rather problematic. It fully manifested during Ichigo's duel with Byakuya, and Ichigo forced it out of the picture. He actually apologized to Byakuya for the interruption.

Later, that inner Hollow kept trying to take control, and it interfered with Ichigo's fight with Yammy Llargo, sabotaging him and leading to Ichigo's defeat at Yammy's hands. Ichigo was being tormented nonstop until he turned to the Visoreds for help.

2 STRENGTH: Ichigo's Many Allies

Ichigo High School Classmates

Ichigo may be the "one defender," but bit by bit, he inspired his friends and former enemies to stand by his side, and they have helped him out more than once. Yoruichi Shihoin bailed Ichigo out of a losing battle against Byakuya, and Orihime's kind words helped motivate Ichigo to defeat Grimmjow later on.

Also, Ichigo inspired not one, but four people to aid him during the quest to rescue Orihime, with Uryu and Chad insisting on coming along. Then, in the Hueco Mundo desert, Rukia and Renji arrived to help, since they were loyal friends.

1 WEAKNESS: His Lack Of Kido Spells

Ichigo holding the hilt of his Bankai

Ichigo can make good use of the Getsuga Tensho and blast his enemies apart, but aside from his Hollow mask, that's his only fancy technique. Against some foes, that's sufficient, but other enemies have very tricky abilities that can totally shut down a straightforward fighter like Ichigo.

By contrast, Soul Reapers such as Byakuya and Rukia can use advanced Kido spells, which gives them a serious edge in battle. For example, the Danku spell creates a tall, thin barrier, and Riku Jokoro can lock an enemy in place to make them an easy target to hit. Ichigo wishes he could do all that.

Next: Bleach: 10 Times Ichigo Kurosaki Changed Everything