Ichigo's Hollow Mask

[Sentinel]

why would yourichi keep Ichigo away from the Hollow Mask?

[Sandal Hat]

Remember, no spoilers Manga viewers! :)

[A2k]

You tell me? I know, so why would I spoil it for you.

No spoilers people, unless they are wrapped in spoiler tags.

You can make a spoiler tag by doing the text below and removing the *

[*spoiler="what the spoiler is about"]Put the spoiler here[/spoiler]

[EDIT:] Damn you're fast tonight. =P

[General Cox]

ill post a reply but i wont spoil anything :P

I think she took it to try and figure out what it was, she says somehting like, "it cant be", and goes away off on a thought, certanly seemed adament to keep it though ^_^

[A2k]

Hollows are a bad thing, even the little 4th division guy said that Ichigo should throw the mask away remember. So he threw it into the sewer.

It came back though. o.O

Hey...it's like the Mask "P_A_R_T_Y? Because I gotta."

[Sentinel]

oo i see i didnt kno that

[Polygon]

Anyone notice how the mask kind of healed? Similar to how a zanpaktou does. When he first had the mask he smashed it with the hilt of his broken zanpaktou. But after his fight with renji the only damage to the mask is where renji hit it. I'm sure this has been awnsered in the manga. I also have to say this is the coolest hollow mask so far.

[A2k]

oo i see i didnt kno that

o.O

That happens before Yoruichi comments on the mask. o.O

What episodes have you seen?

[EDIT:] I think so too octogon. I like the awesome looking red marks on it. They set it apart from all the other hollow masks.

[Kuta~]

the only part of bleach i currently...have no god damn idea about....

The only Reason i can think of is that the mask has some sorta evil power in it....duh?...

I think its so important that It cant be taken away for ichigo for a long time or something catastrophic will happen...Like a blue whale Sitting on Rukia... :doindadom

(That was totaly unneccasary....but hey....im BORED out of my skull)

__________

That mask looks too cool its painful...

Imagine sneaking up behind somebody in the dark, Tapping them on the shoulder...and then Leap towards them lol...would certainly scare the living PooPoo out of me

[JamesThePhox]

I haven't read the manga, so I haven't a clue. I know it's a bad thing. Obviously. It's a remnant of the Hollow Transformation/Interrupted. And Hollows are bad and mysterious. Rukia herself said that SS had no idea about their habits and such.

Now, I had heard stuff from people talking about it and they were all like "OMG We read the manga lemme tell you something...<insert muffled spoiler>" Then I get all mad, but I get intruiged.

So here's a question for the manga people:

This mask has something to do with Alter Ichigo. Now, my question is.... Is Alter Ichigo like... a part of Zangetsu? I was scared when he said, "Train him well... that power's gonna be mine someday." So yeah, I know Ichigo and Alter Ichigo will fight each other. But like... Is Alter Ichigo a bad spirit that sprouted from the Hollow thing? OR IS HE THE HOLLOW that Ichigo was going to become? My guess is that Alter Ichigo is bad... dur. And that it was sprouted by the Hollow Transformation..... and also that he controls Zangetsu to some extent... unless Zangetsu knows about Alter Ichigo all along.... and he himself is bad.... or maybe it's another one of his tests for Ichigo, to see if Ichigo can mentally handle Alter Ichigo... because once Ichigo is strong Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually, he's unstoppable... >.> Maybe. But this is a horrible risk Zangetsu is taking right now.... And I also hope that Zangetsu/Ichigo kick Alter Ichigo's ass... destroy him forever so that Ichigo has complete control. This little aspect will prolong the story line a lot. o.o

Okay sorry, that's a lot of questions, but I must know!!!!

[A2k]

If you want to know for definate 100% you'll have to read the manga, and it'll be a long time before you reach the answer if you were to read all the way through it.

If you are certain you want to get an idea about it, I'm sure someone will give you a spoiler. I will give you a minor one, but nothing too revealing.

You have used the term alter Ichigo, this is a good way to look at it. Think along the lines of a split personality if you will. The shadow of Ichigo reformed into part of Zangetsu after their little tussle in Zangetsu's world, so thinking along the lines you were is also good. Though you might be missing one vital aspect.

The Soul Slayer isn't a sword with a spirit in it. Zangetsu's spirit, and the Soul Slayer itself are all defined by Ichigo himself. It's difficult to explain without unveiling "too much".

[Sandal Hat]

Here is my more in-depth opinion about it

Whenever ichigo (http://ads.clicksor.com/serving/search4.php?q=lWL--%FE%25%2F%7D%FE%29.%FD%29%2C%25%FD%F9gSW4%FE%FD+-%7E&q3=%5BQTY_U0pS%5B%F9icNeS_MqW0%28%7E%7D%260%7C%28%2A%7E+&tl=6939&pn=19071&pid=7717&sid=12132&sc=ichigo) turns into Vaizard his "Alter Ichigo" takes over(who could be defined as Ichigo's hollow spirit). The alter ichigo is sort of like zangetsu sort of since ichigo can combine with him. He usually kicks in when Ichigo is about to die horribly...In the manga some vaizards like ichigo know how to control there hollow selves more fluently like how ichigo has mastery over zangetsu right now

[A2k]

I'll explain a little bit that SH told you about, but didn't explain. ^_~

Don't read these spoilers unless you want to know!!

A Vaizard is a combination of Shinigami and a Hollow. As you now understand about the "hollow side" taking over when Ichigo is basically dead to rights, you should also understand something more about the mask. Something that has progressed since you first see him break it when training with Urahara...The cool looking marks on the mask are slashes for the times when Ichigo should have recieved fatal blows.

As SH said, the Vaizard takes over at this point, basically taking the blow instead of Ichigo, thusly why you will notice the number of markings has increased each time he gets his ass kicked.

[JamesThePhox]

Hmm. That really.. wow.... helps a lot, thanks. o.O That's.... woah. O.o I need to pay attention better. Hmm. Thanks for the info, it cleared a lot up. o.o It's always good to know that my train of thought is still relatively good.

Time to develop my own theories, such as Aizen's Death. I have this crazy idea that might work. o.O O.o

[A2k]

Sure thing, but make sure you add it to the thread already made further down the page. =)

[newsaidin]

I'll explain a little bit that SH told you about, but didn't explain. ^_~

Don't read these spoilers unless you want to know!!

The cool looking marks on the mask are slashes for the times when Ichigo should have recieved fatal blows.

As SH said, the Vaizard takes over at this point, basically taking the blow instead of Ichigo, thusly why you will notice the number of markings has increased each time he gets his ass kicked.

Are you certain? I hadn't noticed that - weren't there already marks on it when he appeared after Shatterd Shaft? I dont have the manga or anime available to check right now.. but i'm pretty sure there were. how many fatal blows did he get so far? 2 as far as I can remember - Renji and Ken-chan, right?

[ultimate]

yorouichi and hanatarou would keep ichigo away from the hollow mask cos its a hollow mask... or for a better answer to why, u can read those spoiler tags or the manga... oh yeh about wat newsaidin said... i dont remember stripes or watever being added on cos i thought it looked that when he came outta the shattered shaft...
hollow mask is part of ichigo, which means that ichigo has a hollow within him... shinigami with hollows inside of them are called vaizards and have been exiled from soul society... the vaizards that have been exiled have learnt to control the hollows within themselves but ichigo cannot and struggles with it...

[A2k]

Yeah, I'm pretty certain about my spoiler, but it is an opinion, that doesn't mean to say I'm any less certain.

I've just checked, you are correct about it already having that look about it when training with Urahara but...

...if you remember, when Ichigo fought Renji and Byakuya before taking Rukia away, he got back up when he should have been dead. That makes one slash...as for the second slash...I'm checking that out now.

When he nearly gets killed by Kenpachi later on a 3rd slash is added in a groovy curve underneath the eye hole.

[MYKidd]

i checked back a few weeks ago about the issue where they say stripes are added to the mask...they do not show it in the anime...

[tenieldjo]

What I think is it took to long for him to transform so he's part hollow now. just a theory, but it keeps showing up and i can't see any other reason for it too. Maybe i'm just reading into it too much though, but a hollow mask following you around is never a good thing...

ooo wait! what about that weird mean ichigo that ichigo fought? the one that his sword pit him against that had the mysterious conversation with the sword guy after they fought? i think i am totally on to something. Or I'm wrong. whichever.

[A2k]

You might just have something there.

You have a long time to wait until you find out anythig that could actually give you anything solid.

Even the manga readers haven't really had it made fact to them, it's speculation at this point.

[MaxP2P]

I'll explain a little bit that SH told you about, but didn't explain. ^_~

Don't read these spoilers unless you want to know!!

A Vaizard is a combination of Shinigami and a Hollow. As you now understand about the "hollow side" taking over when Ichigo is basically dead to rights, you should also understand something more about the mask. Something that has progressed since you first see him break it when training with Urahara...The cool looking marks on the mask are slashes for the times when Ichigo should have recieved fatal blows.

As SH said, the Vaizard takes over at this point, basically taking the blow instead of Ichigo, thusly why you will notice the number of markings has increased each time he gets his ass kicked.

Just a question about that.
If the number of the "cool looking marks" increas each time Ichigo is at his very end, why are there still 3 of them in episode 41? Because in episode 19, there are 3 of them, but that was like way before the fight with Kenpachi.
So I am a little confused there...

Thanks!

[geyut]

I recently thought of this, and I think that the hollow mask has something to do with that alter Ichigo that he fought in his mind. Not sure exactly what it could be, but I think there is a connection.

[ramonnl]

Yea something like that yust cant wait for next episode finnaly ichigo will show up!