Quote Originally Posted by Nadouku
Hitsugaya's Shikai is basically his normal sword with a chain attached to it and his attacks become ice-based, which is probably the main difference between normal and Shikai mode.
I don't think that's correct.

If I remember right, his Shikai turns Hyourinmaru into an ice dragon form using the sword as its base, similar to the way Renji uses Zabimaru except its more like a snake of ice.

In Bankai, Daiguren Hyourinmaru, Toushirou actually takes on the form of the dragon.