Ichibē Hyōsube/Expanded Universe

is the commanding Shinigami of the Royal Guard, holding the title.

Personality
Not much is known about Ichibē's own characteristics, as he appears to be driven solely by an unquestionable loyalty and obedience towards the ancestors of the five Noble Houses. Ichibē seems to be indifferent to the status of the three worlds by themselves, caring only about maintaining the status quo as he was ordered to do by the Five Ancestors, as evidenced by him berating Ōetsu Nimaiya for suggesting that the Royal Guard interfere more.

Ichibē is noted to be extremely apathetic, almost to the point of sociopathy, towards the horrifying and degrading existence of the Linchpin. People such as Tier Harribel, Sōsuke Aizen, his fellow members in the Royal Guard, Tokinada Tsunayashiro, and even Yhwach, have all expressed a disgust towards the nature of the Linchpin and the Soul King's inhuman mutilation. Ichibē, meanwhile, is noted to discuss the subject as if he were merely conversing about the weather. Indeed, when Shunsui Kyōraku expressed a genuine relief that Ichigo Kurosaki did not need to be sacrificed as the new Linchpin, Ichibē callously brushed off the subject, noting that he would only have missed conversing with the Human boy.

Regardless, Ichibē has shown a rather enigmatic conviction towards the Soul King, expressing his belief that everything that happens does so only according to the Soul King's wishes.

Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World
Millions of years prior to the Quincy Blood War, Ichibē Hyōsube came into being in a chaotic, primordial world. By his own admission, he was one of the few "exceptional" beings born during that time, alongside the ancestors of the five Noble Houses and the Soul King.

Ichibē was personally present as the Five Ancestors sealed an unresisting Soul King inside a crystal and used his omnipotent powers to split their world into three new ones: Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World, and in the process created the cycle of life and death. Ichibē likewised witnessed the Soul King's degrading mutilation at the hands of the Five Ancestors, a process he was unfazed by. For the following millions of years, Ichibē dutifully protected the linchpin and the status quo as he was instructed to do by the Five Ancestors.

At some point in the primeval days of Soul Society, a powerful Hollow attacked Soul Society and even defeated a young Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto before attempting to devour the Soul King himself. However, the Hollow was defeated by Ichibē, who used his Ichimonji to erase the Hollow's name. Since the Hollow contained too many consumed Souls to purify at once, Ōetsu Nimaiya sealed the Hollow inside a Zanpakutō, and Ichibē used Shirafude Ichimonji to rename the Hollow as Ikomikidomoe.

Powers & Abilities
True Name Manipulation: Ichibē can manipulate true names - the metaphysical representations of sentient being - which grants him a certain amount of power over the target.

Limited Clairvoyance: According to Ōetsu Nimaiya, Ichibē has the ability to view events that happen inside the realms outside the Soul King Palace. This clairvoyance even extends to the Valley of Screams.

Ōken: As one of the Royal Guards, Ichibē has the Ōken imparted in his bones. According to Ichibē himself, he can feel the Soul King's will inside his Ōken.

Zanpakutō

 * Its sealed form takes the form of a large calligraphy brush which Ichibē uses to write calligraphic characters.


 * Shikai: Its release command is . Upon release, the brush transforms into a form of a somewhat short glaive, with the top portion taking the form of a short, single edged blade reminiscent of a tip of a chokutō, attached to the long brush handle.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Whenever Ichibē swings Ichimonji, its blade releases ink. Anything that this ink covers loses its name, and thus its powers.


 * Shin'uchi: : Uniquely, Ichibē activates his Bankai by calling out instead of Bankai, as Ichimonji was the first Zanpakutō to take on an evolved form long before the term "Bankai" existed. Upon activation, the blade of Ichibē's brush turns white and becomes a long, thick thread that coils in the air around him.


 * Shin'uchi Special Ability: With Shirafude Ichimonji, Ichibē can give and change the name of targets who have been struck by the ink of Ichimonji by writing kanji on their body; doing so gives his target the properties and powers of the name granted. By granting Ikomikidomoe its current name, Ichibē stripped the Hollow of most of its power and bound it into servitude.

Zanpakutō
Soul King: While Ichimonji is an extremely powerful Zanpakutō, it seems to be less effective upon any being with the power of the Soul King in them. Yhwach was able to nullify Ichimonji upon activating The Almighty, and upon consuming a few of the Soul King fragments that composed Hikone Ubuginu, Ikomikidomoe was able to break free of Ichimonji ' s curse.