Yes Ichigo could've done it from the beginning but this hollowfication does take a toll on his body and drain a lot of spirit energy. It's not a power to be casually flung around whenever he wants. The build up to the moment he used it was in my opinion part of the beauty of the story.
Sensei Ken
2025-08-28 06:00:11 +0000 UTC
Don’t forget they all started life as soul eating monsters, of course some of that nature is still there as arrancars