Bleach Episode 233: Zangetsu Becomes an Enemy
Filler/LOW
OSHIMETER
9.2
67 Fans
5
4
3
2
1
PacingVisualWritingEmo ImpactSoundtrack
OSHIMETER
9.2
67 Fans
5
4
3
2
1
PacingVisualWritingEmo ImpactSoundtrack
QUICK TAKES
zexion_456
Ichigo needs more than just Getsuga Tensho if he wants to beat his own sword, especially since Zangetsu knows every move he is going to make before he even starts the swing
kakashi_kage_98
Muramasa using those illusions to keep Ichigo pinned down was such a cool way to show how dangerous he is even if he isn't swinging a sword the whole time
calamity_ganon_297
The white Ichigo showing up and laughing while he overpowered Zangetsu really worked for me because it reminded me how scary he can be when he stops holding back
tyson_350
Watching Zangetsu turn on his own master feels so wrong but the fight choreography in this episode was way more fluid than what you usually get from a filler arc
rana_rhapsody_503
The way the Hollow just absolutely wrecked Zangetsu without even trying was cool and the animation during that sequence was actually better than the canon stuff usually is
gillian_giant
Muramasa is such a strange villain, and it is weird seeing him get so interested in the Hollow side of Ichigo instead of just focusing on the soul reaper powers like everyone else does
kushina_kunoichi
It is wild that a filler episode spent more time exploring the relationship between Ichigo and his inner spirit than half of the main story and the tension in the inner world felt real
lelouch_lamperouge
I thought the Hollow form looked so much more intimidating than the usual mask during that clash and he really showed Muramasa that he isn't something you can just control easily
bazardo_blast_484
I can't believe how much better this arc is than the other filler we usually get and seeing the Hollow come out to protect Ichigo from Zangetsu was a total trip because you usually think of him as the enemy but here he was the only one who could actually stand up to Muramasa and his weird mind games
salvatore_367
I was seriously shocked to see Zangetsu turn on Ichigo like that, it just felt so wrong after everything they've been through. I mean, my guy really got tossed around, showing how truly dependent he is, and it makes me wonder how he'll ever fight without his zanpakuto's full cooperation now.
ruby
Mayuri’s casual self-experimentation to figure out those zanpakuto manifestations was so utterly on-brand for him, but I gotta say, it still genuinely chilled me. It’s like he views his own flesh and blood as just another disposable tool for his research, which is a truly disturbing thought.
diana_376
My jaw practically hit the floor when Muramasa's strike unleashed Ichigo's hollow form, just bursting out and regenerating him instantly – it's such a visceral reminder of how precarious his control truly is. I can't shake the feeling that he's walking a knife's edge, constantly battling an overwhelming power that could easily consume him entirely.
veldora_vortex
Muramasa really showed his desperation when he tried to get to that hollow right after it saved Ichigo, and honestly, it just makes me think even more about what kind of soul reaper would even *make* a zanpakuto like him in the first place.
jorogumo_jester_58
I'm actually so relieved I didn't skip this "filler" episode, because the Ichigo and Zangetsu duel was just breathtakingly dramatic, I mean, the choreography was insane. It really made me think about how much of Ichigo's own power fights against him sometimes, and seeing that struggle unfold so intensely felt genuinely pivotal, not just a side story.
bang_brawler
I honestly think this is the only filler arc I've actually enjoyed, and watching Ichigo finally accept his hollow felt like such a massive, dramatic breakthrough. It was so intense seeing him come to terms with that terrifying part of himself, and I just know it's going to change everything for him moving forward.
peepe_wabawaba_487
I felt genuinely betrayed when Zangetsu turned on Ichigo like that, it was a gut punch, especially after everything. But then Hollow Ichigo just exploded onto the scene, brutally regenerating and completely shattering Muramasa’s control, and I couldn't help but feel a dark satisfaction watching Muramasa realize his fatal miscalculation. Even with all that going on, Mayuri doing weird self-experimentation felt perfectly on brand for him, which kinda made me chuckle.
goh
When that hollow kept shrugging off hits, I really started to grasp just how much raw strength Ichigo usually keeps under wraps. It's almost unsettling to consider the true depth of his power, making me wonder how much more he'll unleash as things get even crazier.
ptilol_385
I honestly couldn't believe my eyes when Muramasa just ripped Zangetsu straight out of Ichigo; it felt so incredibly personal and violating, like his very soul was being torn apart. Watching him battle his own power, the source of everything he is, was just agonizing to me, making me wonder if he could even win against a part of himself.
miriam_368
That hollow form of Ichigo just *demolishing* Zangetsu was intense, but my jaw dropped seeing him immediately afterward simply *shrug off* Muramasa's attack like it was nothing. It honestly made me wonder if Ichigo even comprehends the sheer, untamed power he holds, and it feels a little terrifying to imagine what else he might be capable of.
skull_kid
I really thought the wait for that inner hollow vs zangetsu fight was going to kill me, but wow, watching Ichigo's darker side clash with his very soul made me wonder just how much more intense his powers can get when he's really pushed. Seeing that crazy form again, after all this time, just cemented for me that this fight was everything I hoped it would be and more.
EPISODE CONTEXT
Following Episode 232's focus on Rukia battling her Zanpakutō spirit Sode no Shirayuki, this episode escalates the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales filler arc by making the rebellion personal for Ichigo himself. It deepens the arc's central question about the bond between Soul Reapers and their weapons by putting the series' protagonist directly in the crosshairs. Subsequent episodes continue expanding these confrontations across the broader cast as the rebellion storyline builds toward its resolution.
QUICK TAKES
zexion_456
Ichigo needs more than just Getsuga Tensho if he wants to beat his own sword, especially since Zangetsu knows every move he is going to make before he even starts the swing
kakashi_kage_98
Muramasa using those illusions to keep Ichigo pinned down was such a cool way to show how dangerous he is even if he isn't swinging a sword the whole time
calamity_ganon_297
The white Ichigo showing up and laughing while he overpowered Zangetsu really worked for me because it reminded me how scary he can be when he stops holding back
tyson_350
Watching Zangetsu turn on his own master feels so wrong but the fight choreography in this episode was way more fluid than what you usually get from a filler arc
rana_rhapsody_503
The way the Hollow just absolutely wrecked Zangetsu without even trying was cool and the animation during that sequence was actually better than the canon stuff usually is
gillian_giant
Muramasa is such a strange villain, and it is weird seeing him get so interested in the Hollow side of Ichigo instead of just focusing on the soul reaper powers like everyone else does
kushina_kunoichi
It is wild that a filler episode spent more time exploring the relationship between Ichigo and his inner spirit than half of the main story and the tension in the inner world felt real
lelouch_lamperouge
I thought the Hollow form looked so much more intimidating than the usual mask during that clash and he really showed Muramasa that he isn't something you can just control easily
bazardo_blast_484
I can't believe how much better this arc is than the other filler we usually get and seeing the Hollow come out to protect Ichigo from Zangetsu was a total trip because you usually think of him as the enemy but here he was the only one who could actually stand up to Muramasa and his weird mind games
salvatore_367
I was seriously shocked to see Zangetsu turn on Ichigo like that, it just felt so wrong after everything they've been through. I mean, my guy really got tossed around, showing how truly dependent he is, and it makes me wonder how he'll ever fight without his zanpakuto's full cooperation now.
ruby
Mayuri’s casual self-experimentation to figure out those zanpakuto manifestations was so utterly on-brand for him, but I gotta say, it still genuinely chilled me. It’s like he views his own flesh and blood as just another disposable tool for his research, which is a truly disturbing thought.
diana_376
My jaw practically hit the floor when Muramasa's strike unleashed Ichigo's hollow form, just bursting out and regenerating him instantly – it's such a visceral reminder of how precarious his control truly is. I can't shake the feeling that he's walking a knife's edge, constantly battling an overwhelming power that could easily consume him entirely.
veldora_vortex
Muramasa really showed his desperation when he tried to get to that hollow right after it saved Ichigo, and honestly, it just makes me think even more about what kind of soul reaper would even *make* a zanpakuto like him in the first place.
jorogumo_jester_58
I'm actually so relieved I didn't skip this "filler" episode, because the Ichigo and Zangetsu duel was just breathtakingly dramatic, I mean, the choreography was insane. It really made me think about how much of Ichigo's own power fights against him sometimes, and seeing that struggle unfold so intensely felt genuinely pivotal, not just a side story.
bang_brawler
I honestly think this is the only filler arc I've actually enjoyed, and watching Ichigo finally accept his hollow felt like such a massive, dramatic breakthrough. It was so intense seeing him come to terms with that terrifying part of himself, and I just know it's going to change everything for him moving forward.
peepe_wabawaba_487
I felt genuinely betrayed when Zangetsu turned on Ichigo like that, it was a gut punch, especially after everything. But then Hollow Ichigo just exploded onto the scene, brutally regenerating and completely shattering Muramasa’s control, and I couldn't help but feel a dark satisfaction watching Muramasa realize his fatal miscalculation. Even with all that going on, Mayuri doing weird self-experimentation felt perfectly on brand for him, which kinda made me chuckle.
goh
When that hollow kept shrugging off hits, I really started to grasp just how much raw strength Ichigo usually keeps under wraps. It's almost unsettling to consider the true depth of his power, making me wonder how much more he'll unleash as things get even crazier.
ptilol_385
I honestly couldn't believe my eyes when Muramasa just ripped Zangetsu straight out of Ichigo; it felt so incredibly personal and violating, like his very soul was being torn apart. Watching him battle his own power, the source of everything he is, was just agonizing to me, making me wonder if he could even win against a part of himself.
miriam_368
That hollow form of Ichigo just *demolishing* Zangetsu was intense, but my jaw dropped seeing him immediately afterward simply *shrug off* Muramasa's attack like it was nothing. It honestly made me wonder if Ichigo even comprehends the sheer, untamed power he holds, and it feels a little terrifying to imagine what else he might be capable of.
skull_kid
I really thought the wait for that inner hollow vs zangetsu fight was going to kill me, but wow, watching Ichigo's darker side clash with his very soul made me wonder just how much more intense his powers can get when he's really pushed. Seeing that crazy form again, after all this time, just cemented for me that this fight was everything I hoped it would be and more.
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