I wasn't going to say anything...but I am
seriously bored. So here goes...
It's safe to say that Ichigo
is a Vaizard. It's also safe to say he is he got his Hollow powers at the same time he discovered his
own Shinigami powers; in the shattered shaft...aka Urahara’s pit.
Not from his parents. There is no evidence to suggest that Isshin was born with an inner hollow and it goes against everything we know about how hollows are created.
Although it has never been said whether Ichigo's mother was human or not; I believe it is safe to assume that she was
not a Shinigami . Because two spirits
should have a spirit baby. So unless he has a gigai that grows with him...He's part human. This would account for his having a chain of fate when he was just a normal plus. Grand Fisher said he ate her instead of Ichigo…because he liked eating women.
Since it has already been said that Zankpakuto is a direct reflection or manifestation of the soul’s spirit power (I didn’t say person, because I am talking about Shinigami/Pluses) It is safe to say that Zangetsu was latent inside of Ichigo his entire life. However I believe that, his being part human was like a seal. But being that his Reiatsu is immensely powerful, it still leaked out…so he could only see spirits. He could have had these powers naturally (Because we’ve seen some Shinigami become so after they died. I.e. Rukia.) But it’s more than a possibility that he inherited his from his father.
Though Urahara knew that Ichigo was using Rukia’s powers, I believe Urahara always knew Ichigo had latent Shinigami powers…LONG before Ichigo met Rukia. (He knew of Grand fisher murdering Ichigo’s mother…He could have found out afterwards, but I doubt it)
Although Byakuya took only Rukia’s powers…He still turned Ichigo back into the human with latent powers. I believe that because Byakuya destroyed the Chain link and the Soul Sleep. The ONLY way Ichigo could awaken his own powers was to become a Hollow or a hollow-like being..More commonly known as Vaizards.… Since he could no longer become a Shinigami, even though he had the hidden power of one.
I believe that Zangetsu materialized in the form of an older man…Hero type. Due to Ichigo’s character…He has an old soul, and cool so he has a bad ass sword. Oigichi, who said that he was once one with Zangetsu, I believe he meant in the form of Reiatsu and not the actually Avatar (Old man) of it. I believe he meant before Ichigo awakened his own powers.
See I don’t believe he is really a Hollow. I believe the left over by product of almost becoming a hollow merely causes the Reiatsu to split into a Shinigami-like one and a Hollow like one. In other words instead of just the Zankpakuto the other half of the Reiatsu cannot return, or even become part of its original Shinigami form (But they can coexist) …so in manifests itself in the form of a mask. This allows the Shinigami to also use Hollow powers as well as his former powers, WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING A REAL HOLLOW.
I believe Oigichi’s appearance is like Ichigo’s for this reason. He represents the dead-almost-dead soul of Ichigo and originated from Hollow origins. So his appearance is something in between. I believe that once the mask was formed he was no longer a part of Zangetsu. (They were both born at the same time) He just used to be. I believe the reason only Zangetsu had the power to call him out and was dominate…Was because he was still sealed in the form of the Mask Ichigo carried around and he like Zangetsu had to be released.
So Ichigo could at first only see in his world and was not able to call him out like he did Zangetsu during his fight with Zaraki. I believe since he was created because Ichigo was in a state near death. He had to be released the same way. So you could say that the partially formed mask was like a second Shikai (Ichigo vs. Byakuya) and the fully formed masked is like the Bankai (Ichigo vs. Grimjow…Pick a round)
Once he was fully released. He can out at anytime like Zangetsu in the Soul-Slayers realm, but unlike Zangetsu who is always released. He has to be called out by Ichigo. I think that because Ichigo has turned into a hollow then back to Shinigami-hollow-Vaizard. (Twice) I believe that he has another form that is somewhere between hollow and Shinigami…Much like how when he goes Bankai…His clothes and speed resembles the Old mans. I think that there is a level beyond the Mask.
I also believe the Hollow never wanted control of Ichigo. He said many times he is Ichigo's power. If he did he wouldn't have instructed him, he'd could of kill Ichigo if he'd wanted to at that time. Instead he changed forms and showed Ichigo his own weaknesses. I believe that although he is the dark side of Ichigo he wants Ichigo to be the king, and not the Horse. He just wants his king to trust him in battle and to admit that he is a natural fighter and not the wuss KT has turned him into (I almost want him to die...for that. But No Kubo=No Ichigo so the bastard gets to live).
Since Ichigo always depends on Zangetsu. Oigichi had to be the one to give him that instruction. Like Zangetsu taught him his Bankai...Ogiichi had to teach him his form of it. I believe that they were once the same when they were just latent spirit power, but they are now two separate types of spirit power that co-exist, inside one soul..
What is I want to know is….Since he gave Chad and Orihime the powers they have now…