Is Zangetsu a villain in Bleach? His role in the series, explained

Modified May 22, 2024 18:02 GMT

Is Zangetsu a villain in Bleach? His role in the series, explained (Image via Pierrot)

Following the events of the TYBW anime series, one of the biggest questions new and old fans alike are asking has become is Zangetsu a villain in Bleach considering the latest reveals on him. This is extremely understandable, as before the TYBW anime series, Zangetsu had been portrayed as nothing but a key ally to protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki during his Soul Reaper adventures.

In truth, the question of is Zangetsu a villain is extremely easy to answer, even in light of the major reveals the TYBW anime makes about his character and origins. Nevertheless, that answer requires doing a deep dive into both who the character Zangetsu is, and what his relationship with Ichigo is like throughout the series.

Who is Zangetsu in Bleach?

Zangetsu as seen in the original anime series (Image via Pierrot)

Within the world of Bleach, there exist a group of beings known as Soul Reapers, who wield spiritual katana known as Zanpakuto.

These Zanpakuto are, in a way, living creatures by nature of the fact that they can communicate with their Soul Reaper owners. Zangetsu takes this phenomenon a step further and manifests as an old man who communicates with, trains and grounds Ichigo throughout his battles.

Throughout the entirety of the original anime series, it’s believed that “old man Zangetsu,” as Ichigo calls him, is the manifestation of Ichigo’s Soul Reaper powers.

The other half of Zangetsu, also called White or The Hollow Within, was thought to represent Ichigo’s Hollow powers. In reality, though, old man Zangetsu was the manifestation of Ichigo’s Quiny powers found inside his own inner world.

Zangetsu's role in the series & true identity

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Likewise, Zangetsu’s original chosen role as the manifestation of Ichigo’s Quincy powers was to impede him from becoming a Soul Reaper, given the history between the two races.

However, he himself reveals that as Ichigo continued to struggle and persevere on the path of becoming a Soul Reaper, he couldn’t help but assist him. Likewise, he started to actively help Ichigo instead of impeding him.

In other words, old man Zangetsu’s role throughout Bleach, as touched on earlier, is one which actively helped Ichigo. That's confirmed in the pair’s final meeting, where Zangetsu promises that he never led Ichigo astray, and the only lie he ever told Ichigo was his name.

It’s likewise revealed in this scene that, as the manifestation of Ichigo’s Quincy powers, Zangetsu both is and isn’t Yhwach despite their similar appearances.

More specifically, Zangetsu is Yhwach in the sense that all Quincy powers are derived from Yhwach, and that by nature of being a Quincy, a part of Yhwach manifests inside Ichigo as Zangetsu.

However, he’s not Yhwach in the sense that the two aren’t linked by any means other than appearance, with Zangetsu not capable of being influenced by the present day Yhwach via external means.

Zangetsu's relationship with Ichigo, explained

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His own words to Ichigo further confirm this, painting him as a true ally of Ichigo’s despite his true identity and the lie he was forced to tell the Bleach protagonist.

While their goodbye is a tearful one, it clearly reveals the impetus behind Zangetsu’s actions as being his love for Ichigo. He specifically states that the reason he tried to impede Ichigo’s journey to becoming a Soul Reaper was due to the fact that, eventually, he would have to kill Ichigo as Yhwach.

Their interactions in Bleach prior to this TYBW scene further support the idea that Zangetsu is indeed an ally to Ichigo, and his true friend. By training him and showing him how to properly utilize his Soul Reaper powers, Yhwach clearly put Ichigo’s own desires and feelings above his own. With this in mind, it’s hard to say Zangetsu was anything but an ally to Ichigo.

In conclusion

Likewise, the answer to the question of is Zangetsu a villain in creator, author, and illustrator Tite Kubo’s manga-turned-anime series is a definitive no. Not only is he not in a villainous role throughout the series, but his actions as they relate to Ichigo specifically paint him as a caring ally more than anything else.