#I personally think it would've been interesting if he swung in completely the opposite direction

[aurora-313]

Random new year thought that I might make into a fanfic at some point:

Ichigo is meant to be this perfect culmination-slash-combination of everything but imagine an AU where Ichigo's contradicting origins (Shinigami/Hollow/Human/Quincy gag) actively handicapped him. Not the lazy 'Yhawch parasite holding him back' explanation. Simply by his very nature, its impossible for any of his powers to manifest to advanced levels without threatening to implode.

Try to advance his Hollow powers? His Quincy powers deteriorate.

Try to advance his Quincy powers? His Hollow powers deteriorate.

Try to advance his Shinigami powers? His Hollow powers love every second but his Quincy side weakens dramatically.

Try to advance Shinigami and Quincy together? Hollow wants a slice of the pie.

Try to advance Hollow and Quincy? Gets no where slowly because they're anathema - very nearly killing himself in the process.

No amount of 'achieving inner balance' would help him with it because by the nature of his existence, he lacks capacity to do these things. The only reason Ichigo managed to gain a high tier shinigami technique like Bankai in the first place? Yoruichi used a doll to force out a twisted malformed parody out of him.

Which would place a whole new spin on the asauchi trial when he fails: O'etsu reveals Ichigo's bankai shattered so easily because he was never supposed to have one in the first place.

Ichigo can never obtain a true Bankai or Vollstandig or Resurrección because the other aspects of his powers violently reject that from happening. At best he can mix-max his base stats to levels far beyond anything others could achieve but he would never obtain the advanced techniques of a pure Shinigami, Hollow or Quincy.

Ichigo could be like Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. Compared to the powerhouses of Kyle Katarn or Starkiller aka. Galen Marek, Luke is actually quite weak. But he brought balance to the force, he brought down an empire and his very name has the ability to shakes worlds (before Disney ruined him).

In my mind, that is the ultimate power Ichigo should've had. Not copious amounts of actual power piled upon him by being a cosmic paradox and freak of nature. His power comes from his symbolism, his feats of will, his ability to inspire change and unshakeable loyalty through sheer force of personality.

Especially since one themes of Bleach is how power shackles and isolates a person. The complete opposite of that theme would be not necessarily the most powerful character, but one with the greatest ability to forge bonds despite that?

It'd be interesting to see how Bleach's narrative would change from that perspective.