New Theory: Ichigo is the Spirit King

[MarcoPR1]

Hey Everyone, another great theory from the box jumper...

Here we go....

I've been thinking, Ichigo is the Spirit King....

First, it was the spirit energy that seeped out of his body, causing others to get abilities... like Tatsaki being able to see ghosts... If we look at her, she didn't spend a lot of time around Rukia to have the hogyoku get an imprint of her desire to fight ghosts, and she wouldn't have had that imprint anyway... she got those abilities from her association with Ichigo... she's known him the longest of anyone besides his family... she's likely gotten dosed longer than anyone...

Then there was the fight with Aizen after the Dangai training... who has shinigami ability that is unreadable after 3 months worth of training, especially to Aizen with the assistance of the Hogyoku? That is unprecedented... Aizen not being able to read Ichigo's reiatsu because it's so high that he can't sense it... To me, that equates to a reiatsu that the hogyoku can't catch because it needs something to compare it to... look at the result, eight heads attacked and damaged an arm and some clothing, and were destroyed with a single sword strike.... my point, the hogyoku and its raising reiatsu was pointless... Ichigo could have gone all day, and never been matched....

Finally, there's Buckbeard's attitude... I think Buckbeard knows exactly who Ichigo is... he's deliberately trying to put people in Ichigo's way so that he's not interfering in the overall goal. Why? For Ichigo being a human, and not a true shinigami, it seems that Buckbeard is paying the most attention to what he's doing rather than the true shinigami... that's something to note.

Personally, I think Buckbeard knows why Ichigo's birth was considered "special". I also think Buckbeard is the head of the Shiba clan and the reason why they lost their nobility.

I'll end with this comment... Buckbeard is incredibly strong, he uses people like tools, and yet he's doing things in a manner that stays outside the range of Ichigo. He's moving at a rate where Ichigo won't catch up... look at his actions...

One other thing...

Ichigo's name means what? The number one protector, or something like that right? What if that means the Spirit King in the Soul Society because Shinigami protect souls....

just a thought...

[Buzz Killington]

So many different theories, 2 from this morning alone, lol

This one's pretty cool too, though I have alot of doubts about Ichigo being the Spirit King, given how many times the dude has been left to die, almost killed and all that other jazz without any interference from those tasked with protecting him (Not to mention Aizen and Urahara's banter about the Spirit King's methods)

Not to mention, if he does turn out to be the Spirit King.. I dunno, not really a plot twist I'd be too fond of

[The Lost Shinigami]

I am now adopting this theory...this is definitely the most interesting and follows closest to what i believe..
People will discredit because not to many people are Ichigo fans but we need to remember who the main character is. Why else would he be this unsurpassed prodigy that cant be killed?....because he is the lynchpin.
@Marco..
I agree with pretty much everything. Tatsuki is the flaw in the Hogyoku theory because she has powers(granted they are small) but she is definitely a player with talent to be shown.
However, there is far to little known about BB I just cant even begin to guess how he truly fits in to this equation.

[ryuutohime1982]

Originally Posted by MarcoPR1

I've been thinking, Ichigo is the Spirit King....



Ichigo's name means what? The number one protector, or something like that right? What if that means the Spirit King in the Soul Society because Shinigami protect souls....

just a thought...

The characters are "one" (ichi) and "protect" (go). I guess you can read that as "one to protect", "one who protects", "number one protector"...any of the above is realistic. I think in the show Ichigo explains it in a particular way but Kubo is goooood at hiding meanings in names.

If that works out to be the final conclusion, though, Marco, it will be Kubo's ultimate brainbreaking twist. And we know he likes doing things like that to his poor, unsuspecting readership. Also, we know the Soul King lives in a different world away from the rest of Soul Society.

...I dunno if you're on to something or not, but it sure is interesting o.O.

[Hitmansrb]

wow this is very interesting theory!!!

now when you write this, i see that this can be true! nice reasoning dude
it would be very interesting if it was true, but i think that we will not witness it for atleast several years because maybe kubo wants to reveal ichigo's identity at very end of anime :P

anyway if this is true, you deserve a medal XD

[MarcoPR1]

LOL, thanks Hitman.... I don't know... it's just the behavior of this new guy... its something strange about the way he's treating a newly envigorated Ichigo... I mean, he has to know about that too...

Buckbeard seems incredibly well informed... and man, many of these people are... people who haven't supposedly set foot in Soul Society in years... people like Isshin and Urahara for instance... and yet those two can trend out bigwigs like Aizen with no issues...

Now this guy Buckbeard sends in guys to beatdown a guy whose had a bankai for a while then beats the leader of those guys down like he was crouton on a salad, and sends a guy to delay a guy who just got his powers back only to know he was got get crushed...

This guy Buckbeard likely put all those scars on Yamamoto's body in the first place and Yamamoto knows it...and likely fears Buckbeard... and Buckbeard likely fears Ichigo, because of his actions...

I'm telling you, this is about the Seretei and the command of the G13... whatever it is, this is an internal affair that has been going on long before that battle a 1000 years ago...

To me Buckbeard is likely the head of the Shiba clan... and the leader of the vizards that created the taboo for the others... and I'm betting he tried to kill or capture the king...

I'm telling you all, Quincies, Vasto Lordes, everyone with some spiritual ability will be because of the that original interference to the king...

and somehow, Ichigo is at the center of it all...

[MGB2000X]

Ichigo does seem to be on a whole new level, compared to all the other Shinigami. In terms of his rate of growth and reiatsu. Isshin seems to at least match him on reiatsu considering he wasn't at full power when he initiated Ichigo's dangai training.

But where are the royal guard? and what's all this hullabaloo about creating the kings key to access the soul king? and why do Uruhara and Aizen refer to the SK as an it?

I'd love to hear Mayuri's spin on this subject, he no doubt has some cold hard facts to deliver.

[Mystery_Man]

Well that's kind of similar but different to my own theory that Ichigo's mom was the Spirit King or... "Spirit Queen" as she'd be.

I wouldn't think the Royal Guard would let Ichigo get into situation where he could possibly be killed off, but good theory though Marco.

[Tousen_sama]

Yea i like this theory it covers the bases.
And its interesting enough to persue, but im holding no reservations for this ARC because its the last and Kuro has to answer all questions and tie up all lose ends.

[Navarre]

I like this theory a lot. Here's my critique of it.

I think that it may be too early to guess on Buckbeard's origins (if that is his real name). If I had to put mine out there with the current evidence, it would be that he is simply the current leader of the remaining Quncies, that Yamamoto was Captain-commander 1000 years ago when the Quincies were first exterminated, but due to some error, he was not able to kill their leader. Now that man, Buckbeard, has been hiding in seclusion with the remaining Quincies all that time, increasing their strength and numbers, until they thought themselves powerful enough to take on Soul Society (which it seems they are). But that belongs in another discussion somewhere.

As for Ichigo being the Soul King, it's entirely possible. I'm not certain how far Kubo had the story planned out when he started writing it, but it may be that he thought of an ending early and has been dropping hints toward it this whole time. He proved to us early on with the Aizen betrayal that he was willing to set up massive plot twists before there was really enough establishment to see it coming. Ichigo having so much Reiatsu, he insane ability to learn quickly, and the way in which all of these powerful leaders who are supposed to know exactly what skill and strength their enemies are keep underestimating him, I'm starting to think that there's more to him that we've been told so far.

A few problems I have right away are about Ichigo's birth. He was born as a human only a few years ago (in Shinigami time). Isshin seems to be his real father, with no reason to think otherwise. So, what does that mean for Ichigo being the Soul King? Does the Soul King undergo some kind of reincarnation cycle? Does he die? Did Ichigo lose him memory?

A theory I have to clear that up would involve the Soul King being killed around the same time as Ichigo's birth, that the Soul King reincarnates when it is killed, and that somehow Isshin knows this and had moved to the human world with Ichigo as a child to better ensure his safety and secrecy as he grew up and learned how to fight. This would also explain why Isshin, who doesn't seem to be any better a fighter than Ichigo, has such a powerful son that he has no hesitation to let Ichigo walk into dangerous, world-in-the-balance battles to the death day after day.