Quote (Taxidermy @ 7 Dec 2011 18:46)
Well he was a soul outside of his body w/ his soul chain w/e thing broken. Pretty much means he was dead. Thats why his choices were become a hollow or being a shinigami
as Urahara said it is part of his training to gain the power no other way. Be a hollow and get killed by him or Shinigami and live. Ichigo could easily do it from the start if he knew you could talk and if his fear didn't block Zangetsu