Background of Ichigo's Bankai Tensa Zangetsu Khyber Sword Kurosaki Ichigo's True Zanpakuto Zangetsu Swords are a unique manifestation of his Zanpakuto spirit in the anime and manga series Bleach. In the storyline, Zanpakuto are swords wielded by Shinigami, or Soul Reapers, and represent their owners' spiritual power.

Ichigo's Zanpakuto initially takes the form of a large, ordinary-looking katana named Zangetsu. However, as the series progresses, Ichigo learns that his Zanpakuto spirit is actually a manifestation of his own latent spiritual power, rather than a separate entity.

During the thousand year blood war arc, Ichigo learns to communicate with his Zanpakuto spirit and discovers that his true Zanpakuto is actually a pair of swords: a larger sword which is a manifestation of his Shinigami powers and a shorter blade which is a manifestation of his Quincy powers. These swords reflect Ichigo's dual nature as both a human and a Shinigami, and their unique abilities allow him to unleash powerful attacks that surpass those of other Soul Reapers. During this arc, the two blades merged to form a black and white Khyber blade.

Ichigo's journey to discover the true nature of his Zanpakuto is a central plot point in Bleach and is one of the key aspects of his character development.