Shonen heroes largely rely on melee-based attacks, as illustrated by My Hero Academia‘s Deku, Dragon Ball‘s Goku, Hunter x Hunter‘s Gon, and Demon Slayer‘s Tanjiro. Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach similarly uses his Zanpakuto while fighting, though he has occasionally been known to release Cero blasts.
Although the other Shinigami characters employ a technique known as Kido, which can be described as spiritual magic spells, Ichigo shows very little affinity for this technique. Given the sheer versatility of Hado and Bakudo spells, it doesn’t make sense for Ichigo to ignore Kido entirely. In fact, it can be argued that his combat expertise would be enhanced if he ever decides to go down this path.
10 Ichigo Would Have Access To A Wide Range Of Defensive Powers
Hado spells cause immense damage and therefore serve as excellent long-range attacks. By contrast, Bakudo spells are exclusively designed for damage control, crafting barriers, shields, and binding mechanisms that protect the practitioner from unforeseen attacks.
Aizen uses a special Bakudo shield around his nape, covering his only blind spot. Ichigo should learn Bakudo if only to save himself from his own recklessness. He constantly charges his enemies without thinking and ends up with severe injuries, so Kido spells like Sekienton, Enkosen, and Tsuriboshi might help mitigate any unnecessary side-effects.
9 He Can Resort To Stealth And Espionage
Ichigo’s primary mode of offense and defense is his blade. He blocks, parries, and dodges almost every attack with his Zanpakuto, effectively making him a tank. Stealth and espionage are concepts that Ichigo barely comprehends, mostly because he seldom relies on the element of surprise.
There are several enemies far beyond his capacity, such as Aizen and Yhwach. Against these individuals, Ichigo would have greatly benefited from his Kido knowledge. That said, it’s extremely hard to sneak up on either Aizen or Yhwach, but Ichigo could have surely figured out some way to blend Kido with his usual style.
8 Ichigo Can Theoretically Save More People With Kido
Fighting on behalf of others is a truly noble undertaking. Ichigo persistently endeavors to save his friends and allies from dangerous threats, even if it means putting himself in harm’s way. When rescuing Rukia, he bravely challenges the overpowered Kikoo with nothing more than his Shikai.
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And yet, Ichigo would have most certainly perished had Shunsui and Ukitake not destroyed the Kikoo in time. There are innumerable Bakudo spells that work as literal safety nets, allowing practitioners to simultaneously rescue multiple people. Given Ichigo’s penchant for heroism, there’s no reason for him not to learn some Kido.
7 He’d Have A Greater Degree Of Reiatsu Control
Ichigo’s Reiatsu, or spiritual energy, is all over the place. During his return from Hueco Mundo, he travels through the Dangai with Unohana Retsu, who criticizes his messy aura while demonstrating her masterful Reiatsu control. Ichigo’s inability to manage his aura output is likely due to his inexperience, explaining why he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
On the other hand, learning Kido requires the practitioner to finesse their Reiatsu levels, allowing them to unleash precisely calibrated spells. The better Ichigo gets at Kido, the more he’ll be able to control his spiritual energy.
6 Ichigo’s Basic Attacks Are Conveniently Repetitive
Ichigo is a hack-and-slash machine — nearly all his attacks involve swinging his Zanpakuto with as much force as he can muster. His prodigious strength is more than enough to defeat most opponents, or at least weaken them beyond recovery.
Ichigo wins the bulk of his battles this way, but it gets somewhat tiresome to watch him perform the same conveniently repetitive motions over and over again. Shonen protagonists don’t always have to be cast from the same cliched mold. Variety is the spice of life, and Kido would make Ichigo’s fights all the more interesting.
5 He Could Have Evaded Ulquiorra In Las Noches
Ichigo’s rematch with Ulquiorra takes place on the roof of Las Noches, where the 4th Espada proceeds to beat the hero senseless. Ulquiorra even “kills” Ichigo by puncturing his heart, but Orihime’s desperate screams awaken the Hollow lying dormant within the Shinigami.
A newly resurrected Ichigo effortlessly overwhelms Ulquiorra before utterly decimating the villain. Fans absolutely love this Vasto Lorde form, and were understandably disappointed that it never appears again. Then again, Ichigo may not have needed to resort to this form if he had sufficient Kido expertise.
4 Ichigo Can Learn To Pace His Fights Properly
Ichigo’s duels are either instant or extremely drawn out; there’s rarely any middle ground. He crushes the Vice-Captains Chojiro Sasakibe, Isane Kotetsu, and Marechiyo Omaeda in less than a second, whereas his battle with Aizen occupies multiple chapters/episodes.
This happens because Ichigo doesn’t know how to pace his fights properly. He tries to finish the job as quickly as possible, and gets frustrated when his opponents manage to counter his attacks. This is where Hado spells are going to come in handy — as long as Ichigo is capable of efficiently alternating between Kido and Zanjutsu.
3 He Could Have Mastered His Cero Much Earlier
Given his quasi-Hollow heritage, Ichigo has access to abilities that Shinigami can only dream of. Ichigo struggles to suppress his inner Hollow, but his temporary death unleashes his magnificent Cero for the first time. Although the resultant attack effectively obliterates Ulquiorra, Ichigo is unable to re-release this unique power until his training stint in the Royal Realm.
Having obtained access to both aspects of his Zanpakuto, he finally produces a Gran Rey Cero during his penultimate fight with Yhwach. Ichigo could have mastered his Cero long before this point if he had learned Kido, as both techniques utilize similar mechanisms.
2 Ichigo Can Finally Be Eligible For Captaincy
The Gotei 13 selects its Captains based on three general principles: an unequivocal endorsement from 6 standing Captains and the consent of 3 more, a Captain Proficiency test that examines the candidate’s Bankai expertise, and a rarely used trial-by-combat method.
While Kido isn’t categorically mentioned, it’s assumed that a prospective Captain would at least possess expert-level knowledge of Hado and Bakudo spells. Nobody has mentioned anything about Ichigo becoming a Gotei 13 Captain as he’s technically still part of the Human world. However, when Ichigo does eventually make it to Soul Society, he better start honing his non-existent Kido skills.
1 He Wouldn’t Always Depend On Getsuga Tensho
Every iconic Shonen hero has a trademark attack. Gon Freecss uses Jajanken, Yusuke Urameshi has his Spirit Gun, whereas Deku is known for his Shoot Style. Ichigo’s most famous ability is the Getsuga Tensho, a crescent moon-shaped blast of Reiatsu that eviscerates everything in its path.
Both his Shikai and Bankai can cast Getsugas, albeit radically different in terms of appearance, scope, and energy yield. Ichigo has become synonymous with this technique, so much so that people who’ve never watched Bleach have heard of it. That said, a Kido-empowered Ichigo wouldn’t need to depend solely on the Getsuga Tensho.
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