Bleach: What’s The Deal With Ichigo's Final Zanpakuto?

The following contains manga spoilers for the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Bleach has retained its popularity for over 20 years, a rare feat for any anime or manga. Millions of fans worldwide enjoyed Ichigo Kurosaki's adventurous journey for 686 chapters. Like a stereotypical Shonen protagonist, Ichigo becomes stronger and stronger as the series evolves. He originally acquires Shinigami abilities after Rukia stabs him with her blade, but Ichigo's complicated genetic history makes his powers rather unpredictable. Ichigo also has trouble conversing with his Zanpakuto spirit for the longest time, only discovering Zangetsu's true nature during the Thousand-Year Blood War. Nimaiya Oetsu helps Ichigo reforge his single-bladed Zanpakuto into a dual set-up, making the hero one of the most powerful characters in Bleach. Ultimately, a sizeable fraction of the fandom was left confused by the manga's ending. Ichigo uses his original Shikai to defeat Yhwach, which makes no sense because it's suppos...