Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Episode 12 and 13, “Everything but the rain: June Truth,” and “The Blade is Me,” explore what makes Ichigo Kurosaki identity. In episode 12, Isshin Shiba returns to Soul Society. He leaves out some details of his experience in the Human World but informs the Gotei 13 of the new hollow. Masaki and Isshin think of each other and hope to meet again. Masaki has developed a new problem she beginning the process of Hollowfication. The first time she experiences anything strange she’s walking with friends and feels like she’s “crawling in darkness.” As she’s distracted, Masaki bumps into Urahara Kisuke, who quickly notices somethings wrong with her.

At home, Masaki is accosted by her aunt, Izumi, who demands to know why she saved a Shinigami. Turns out Kanae Katagiri was the one that told Izumi in the first place. She’s afraid for the purity of the Quincy bloodline being infected after Masaki was bitten by the Hollow. Downstairs Masaki collapses as the process of Hollowfication begins. A Hollow hole appears in the middle of her chest, Ryuken is horrified. He begs Izumi for the location of his father Soken Ishida, but she doesn’t know. However, as far as Izumi’s concerned Masaki is a lost cause and she doesn’t think Ryuken should waste more time on her.

Urahara’s aid and Isshin’s sacrifice

Ryuken encounters a hollow and is rescued by Isshin. Ryuken and Isshin begin to argue with Ryuken blaming Isshin for Masaki’s condition. Suddenly, Urahara appears and tells them they have “no time to argue.” He has developed a cure of sorts. Masaki cannot be returned to normal but saved form death. He explains what Hollowfication is:

“the process of a Hollow’s Soul being poured into another Soul and destroying the boundary between the two in an attempt to sublimate the latter Soul to a higher level, with it initially being meant to strength a Shinigami’s Soul but ultimately causing all subjects to become mindless monsters.”

Urahara can “counteract” Hollowfication by “injecting the victim’s Soul with a certain substance, allowing it to maintain its balance so that its boundaries are not destroyed and preventing Soul Suicide.” If Isshin is willing to become a human Shinigami hybrid, he can become the counteracting force that will save Masaki. Isshin will never be a Shinigami again (at least at the time). He doesn’t hesitate in agreeing to Urahara’s plan shocking Ryuken who assumed a Shinigami would never save a Quincy. Masaki and Isshin forever connected fall in love, get married, and have children. In the present, Isshin tells Ichigo he the reason his mother died was due to Auswahlen.

The identity of Zangetsu

When Yhwach regains his powers he robs other “impure” Quincy of their power. Basically, Yhwach is the reason both Ichigo’s and Uryu’s mothers died. Isshin reveals that Yhwach is the “father of the Quincy,” and his blood runs through the veins of every Quincy. Ichigo regains what was lost, his resolve and prepares to return to Soul Society.

Episode 13 of Bleach is mostly set up for the upcoming war. Sui-Fang, Sajin Komamura, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and Hisagi Shuhei begin to train. Ichigo returns to the Soul King Palace, where he quickly chooses his Asauchi. Oetsu Nimaiya gets to work. Inside the inner world, it is revealed that Ichigo’s Zanpakuto spirit is his inner hollow. The man we knew as Ichigo’s Zanpakuto’s spirit is actually Ichigo’s Quincy Powers taking the form of Yhwach. To be honest its all too confusing but Ichigo gets two cool Zanpakuto.