Ichigo Kurosaki’s journey in Bleach has been filled with multiple fights where he had to surpass his opponents and himself to achieve victory. These fights are one of the reasons why Tite Kubo’s Bleach is so famous in the anime and manga world. Since the day Ichigo was appointed as the Substitute Soul Reaper, he has been training and fighting to prove his worth.
From Hollows to Quincies, Ichigo has faced every kind of foe, the narrative of Bleach has to offer. Additionally, he has also been given some great powers that make him one of the strongest characters in the series. Even Ichigo’s English voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch feels that Ichigo had to fight a lot to get to where he is today.
However, Bosch has admitted that his favorite Ichigo fight is not against an Arrancar or a hollow, but against a Soul Reaper from the Soul Society. The Soul Reaper is none other than Kuchiki Byakuya, the captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13 and the 28th head of the famous Kuchiki clan in Bleach.
Ichigo’s Voice Actor’s Favorite Bleach Fight
In an exclusive interview with Gamerant last year, Ichigo’s voice actor discussed some major topics concerning Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. He revealed some great details about the latest addition to the Bleach franchise and how he was preparing for the role. He was even asked about his favorite Ichigo battle in the series.
Bleach fans were shocked when Bosch stated:
“So many, but I’ll go with Byakuya, when Hollow Ichigo shows up. “I have…no name!”
According to Bosch, the reason he likes the fight is that Byakuya not only had to face Ichigo’s newly awakened Bankai but also had to fight his hollow identity. Although it’s not the best battle Ichigo has fought in the series, it is certainly one of the most epic moments in the history of Tite Kubo’s Bleach.
Ichigo vs Byakuya Rematch Changed a Lot in Bleach
Although Ichigo has fought a lot of battles, his second battle against Kuchiki Byakuya held a lot of importance for the overall narrative of Bleach. The battle took place because Ichigo wanted to save Rukia, who was being executed for giving her powers to Ichigo. However, Rukia’s own brother Byakuya decided to stop Ichigo from stopping her execution.
Ichigo had already fought Byakuya once, which is why he knew that he might have to go extreme against him. Ichigo trained hard to unlock his Bankai and initially was able to go toe to toe with Byakuya. However, even his Bankai’s powers were not sufficient to defeat one of the division captains of Gotei 13.
Ichigo’s desperation to save Rukia forced his hollow side to take over which made the battle even more interesting for Bleach fans. Still, Ichigo was not able to defeat Byakuya but he managed to change his opinion about himself, which not only led to Rukia being saved but also made Ichigo an essential member of the Soul Society in Bleach.
You can watch Bleach on Hulu.
