Ichigo Kurosaki

**Ichigo Kurosaki** (Japanese: 黒崎 一護, Hepburn: Kurosaki Ichigo) is a fictional character in the Bleach manga series and its adaptations created by Tite Kubo. He is the main protagonist of the series, who receives Soul Reaper powers after befriending Rukia Kuchiki, the Soul Reaper assigned to patrol around the fictional city of Karakura Town. These powers come at the cost of Rukia's own, and as a result, Ichigo concedes to work as Rukia's stand-in, fighting to protect people from evil spirits called Hollows and sending good spirits, wholes, to a dimension known as the Soul Society.

He is voiced by Masakazu Morita in the Japanese dub and Johnny Young Bosch in the english dub.

## Why He Rocks

1. He has an excellent backstory on why he protects people after his mother died.
2. Very good character development from a person that didn't really cared about anyone and rather used his powers selfishly, he turned into someone who helps the soul society as well as anyone else in danger.
	* Also after the emotional beating he receives during the Fullbring arc, he becomes much calmer and displays greater self-awareness. And while he still won't hesitate to get involved in a fight, he's more aware and analytical about his situations with a more mature outlook than before.
3. Unlike many shonen protagonist he doesn't need tropes such as having a goal to make him a great character.
4. Masakazu Morita and Johnny Yong Bosch did a great jobs voicing him.
5. His very human characteristic is very relatable to many viewers.
6. He also has the ability to read the emotions of his opponents when he matches blades with them. For example he pities Aizen for his loneliness and Ginjo for his despair.

## Bad Qualities

1. He gets pissed of too often in the series.
2. In the beginning of the series he was very selfish as he wanted to protect people he wanted to.

## Trivia

* According to Shonen Jump's character popularity polls, Ichigo was consistently the most popular character in Bleach in the first three polls, but ranked 3rd in the fourth popularity poll.
* Ichigo's Zanpakutō, Zangetsu, was voted the 3rd most popular Zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō popularity poll, while his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, was ranked 10th.
* As credited by Tite Kubo, his theme music is "News from the Front" by Bad Religion.
* Ichigo claims his name comes from ichi for first prize and go for guardian angel, though his father told him his name means "he who protects." Using certain kanji (苺), Ichigo's name can mean "strawberry," which led Jidanbō Ikkanzaka to comment that Ichigo has a cute name and Mashiro Kuna to nickname him "Berry-tan". Upon hearing his name, Ikkaku Madarame stated men whose names contain the word ichi are often powerful and talented.
* The number 15 on Ichigo's bedroom door is both a reference to his age and a pun on his name: ichi-go can be read to mean "one-five (一五)".
* Despite various people noticing how Ichigo resembles Kaien Shiba in looks and personality, neither Ganju nor Kūkaku, Kaien's siblings, have commented on that.
* In the manga, after Ichigo sliced of one of Grand Fisher's tentacles, he cut off the Hollow's arm in order to save Karin. In the anime however, Eikichirō Saidō sliced off Grand Fisher's arm instead.
* In the manga, Kanonji protects Ichigo from the Demi-Hollow and frees the Shinigami's Zanpakutō while inside the abandoned hospital. In the anime however, this all takes place on the roof of the hospital, and Kanonji frees Ichigo from being bonded to the railings instead.
* In the manga, after Ichigo won his battle against Byakuya, he yelled in victory before collapsing. However, in the anime, he yelled in pain instead.
* There is some inconsistency regarding Ichigo's wounds from training with Hiyori when Orihime arrived at the Visored Warehouse to find him. Though in the anime the wounds aren't visible, but between pages in the manga, they aren't initially visible, but then reappear in the next pages.
* When Ichigo takes a new Hollow form in his fight against Ulquiorra, the chapter sketches reveal his Substitute Shinigami Badge is broken.
* In chapter 499, Ichigo's Bankai's tsuba seems to revert to its previous form, rather than being curved and jagged.
* Though his Reiatsu is gold in the manga, the anime portrays it as blue.
* In chapter 627, the shoulder pads on Ichigo's new Shinigami outfit appear to be reversed, with the scaled pad appearing on his right shoulder and the normal strap appearing on his left, when he first sees the new Wandenreich city.
* Ichigo's registry number in Xcution was 007.