Ichibē Hyōsube

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

Appearance
Ichibē is a large and broad individual with a bald head, red eyes, bushy eyebrows and a long black beard. He wears the standard shihakushō beneath a white, long-sleeved haori decorated with the Royal Guard's emblem. The top of his uniform is open enough to expose his hairy chest. He also wears a large set of red prayer beads around his neck and a pair of single-toothed tengu geta.

Personality
At first glance, Ichibē appears to an upbeat person who speaks in a loud and upfront manner. However, underneath his outer demeanor lies an authoritative Shinigami who is utterly dedicated to maintaining the balance of the world at any cost and looks down on anyone who might threaten that balance. Additionally, he is a shrewd politician, attempting to make a deal with Yhwach that ultimately just served to maintain the status quo, which enraged the latter, and even Shunsui Kyōraku and Mayuri Kurotsuchi have questioned his motives on occasion.

In battle, Ichibē displays what might be his true nature, ruthless and somewhat patronizing while constantly bearing a smile on his face, with Yhwach even noting that he seems to become much happier after he resolves to kill someone. He displays a mocking kindness toward his opponents, claiming to have cut Yhwach's power in half to avoid "tarnishing" the reputation of the Quincy by defeating him at full power. He also seems to have a tendency to overkill his enemies, using his Bankai against an already defeated opponent simply to show them the difference between their strengths.

Ichibē places great importance in the meaning of names, looking down on Yhwach since, as he puts it, his name does not stand for anything.

History
Ichibē was given the title "Monk Who Calls the Real Name" by the Soul King. He was also the first person to name everything that existed in the Soul Society, including Zanpakutō, Shikai, and Bankai. At some point in the past, Ichibē was the first Shinigami to obtain an evolved form of his Zanpakutō, which was known at the time as Shin'uchi.

At some point over 1,000 years ago, Ichibē personally traveled to the Human World to negotiate a truce with Yhwach's Lichtreich, proposing that the Lichtreich would be allowed to unify the Quincy race in peace if they agreed to let the Shinigami maintain the balance between worlds without interference. When Yhwach refused due to wanting to disrupt the balance so that he could create a world without death, he attacked Ichibē using The Almighty, but Ichibē revealed that he had taken the Soul King's Left Arm as his own and used its powers to negate The Almighty, though it was claimed by Yhwach in the process. Ichibē then left, proclaiming that Yhwach would never again be able to use The Almighty until his death and telling him to live a modest life until then.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc
After the death of Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Ichibē uses the Tenchūren to travel to Soul Society with the other members of the Royal Guard. There, they are greeted by most of the surviving Gotei 13 captains and Ichigo Kurosaki. After some of his unit converse with the Gotei 13 captains, Ichibē tells them that they can talk later. Captain Shunsui Kyōraku asks why they are here and Ichibē responds that they are there to rebuild the Gotei 13, but first they will take Ichigo to the Royal Palace. After initially ignoring Captain Suì-Fēng's interruption, he hits Tenjirō Kirinji, one of the other Royal Guard members that admonishes Suì-Fēng, telling him to talk later. Senjumaru Shutara arrives with several badly injured Shinigami in orbs. After the others discuss the wisdom of moving them in their current condition, Ichigo asks why he has to accompany them when his injuries are not so grave. Ichibē states that the reason they are bringing him is different, but he is interrupted by another person.

After Ichigo's subsequent conversation with Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo asks Ichibē if his Zanpakutō will be fixed there. Ichibē tells him that it is not possible, but that there is a way for him to restore it to something similar to its original form. Ichigo agrees to go and Ichibē brings Ichigo to Kūkaku Shiba's home, intending to have Kūkaku launch the Tenchūren back to the Royal Palace using her cannon. He explains to Ichigo that the Tenchūren cannot return there unaided and reasserts that there is a way to restore Tensa Zangetsu, but Ichigo states that he is now making it sound like a lie. Kūkaku launches the Tenchūren and they arrive in the Royal Palace. After Ichibē tells Ichigo that he should be proud of the fact he has been allowed to come to the Soul King Palace, Ichigo asks him when they used the Ōken. Ichibē explains that the Ōken is in fact a power imbued upon them by the Soul King and is a part of them. He states that Aizen was effectively trying to create one of them to access the Palace. Not long after, Ichibē goes to attend the Soul King, asking him if he has awoken.

After Ōetsu Nimaiya has reforged Ichigo's Zanpakutō, Ichibē takes Ichigo to his shrine, where Ichibē brings up the extensive damage that Soul Society has suffered thanks to the Wandenreich. Ichibē slams his Zanpakutō on the ground and calls this pathetic because a thousand years of peace have clearly made the Shinigami weak, though Ichigo points out that the Royal Guard merely watched as this happened. In response, Ichibē asserts that part of their duty is to watch in addition to training Ichigo, whom he informs that the Wandenreich are sure to attack again in the near future. In response, Ichigo thanks Ichibē for his help and tells an inquisitive Ichibē that he is returning to Soul Society to help the Gotei 13 before the next attack, to which Ichibē merely questions if he is that eager to die and declares that Ichigo has no chance of winning against Yhwach right now, to Ichigo's shock. As Ichigo prepares by taking off his Shihakushō and setting down his Shikai, Zangetsu, Ichibē reiterates that Ichigo cannot defeat Yhwach in his current state and declares that he must surpass the existence of a Shinigami, claiming that Ichigo will only ever be a Shinigami if he merely hones his Zanpakutō skills. Ichibē takes Ichigo to the Irazu Sandō, which he claims is a sacred place which not even the Royal Guard can enter without the permission of the Soul King and that he will test Ichigo to see if he is worthy of surpassing the existence of Shinigami.

After Renji and Rukia train in his palace, Ichibē comes in, commenting that they are talkative. He then reviews their progress in their training, stating that initially they could not even stand or breathe. He remarks that they made great progress. He then asks if both of them are ready to train with him in the "inner room." Inside, he tells Renji that Hihiō Zabimaru is only part of his Bankai's name and that the fact Zabimaru only taught him part of the name indicates that it only partly acknowledged Renji. He reveals the meaning behind his title and that he knows the names of all Zanpakutō. He tells Renji the full name of his Bankai, noting that he has become powerful enough to be worthy of calling that name.

Later, when Ichigo agrees to walk down to the Seireitei instead of taking the Tenchūren, Ichibē laughs and notes Ichigo has finally stopped overreacting before revealing the Wandenreich has begun attacking the Seireitei. As Ichigo launches himself down the stairs and tells Ichibē to inform him of such things earlier, Ichibē asks him what he said. When Kirio Hikifune states Ichigo has become strong, Ichibē denies this and says Ichigo grew up before stating he became strong. When Kirinji points out this is the same thing, Ichibē says both Ichigo's body and soul became stronger and states Ichigo has become a real Shinigami. The next day, when Yhwach, Jugram Haschwalth, and Uryū Ishida arrive at the palace, Ichibē senses their presence.

While Yhwach and his elite guard contend with Senjumaru Shutara, Ichibē uses the calligraphy character for "Hidden" to hide the entire Soul King Palace from sight upon the arrival of the Quincy. Senjumaru explains this, prompting Ichibē to state that he is surprised that she would reveal the trick so soon before noting that this means Hikifune created her cage in time.

After the cage is opened by Pernida Parnkgjas, Ichibē is surprised when Yhwach appears before him, asking if the Royal Guard would let him pass. Ichibē rises from his position and tells Yhwach not to use his name in such a familiar tone, lest his voice go hoarse from doing so. Ichibē draws a line on the ground and informs Yhwach that this is where he will kill him. When Yhwach calls him by name once more, Ichibē reminds him that doing so might crush his throat as an enormous hand pushes Yhwach off the side of the palace. Ichibē appears next to Yhwach and explains how this hand will send him flying 1000 ri away before pushing him downward with another hand. When Yhwach attempts to speak, but is unable to, Ichibē gleefully reminds him how he warned him about misusing his name. However, he is shocked when Yhwach restores his voice and subsequently uses Sankt Bogen to propel himself upward by shooting himself with a Heilig Pfeil and notes that this means he must destroy Yhwach.

Noting that he must kill Yhwach because of his failure to atone, Ichibē draws his brush and prepares to attack. Ichibē and Yhwach clash, with Yhwach noting that he looks much happier than he expected. When Yhwach deflects Ichibē's brush with his arm, Ichibē reveals that his brush can cut names as a shocked Yhwach's arm falls to his side. Ichibē reveals that Yhwach's arm is now Ar and that his physical capabilities have been cut in half before slashing him down the center of his body, causing Yhwach to fly back into the palace. Moving back to the palace, Ichibē asks Yhwach what he thinks about being cut to pieces.

After telling Ichibē that everything in the world is his to take, Yhwach attacks him with his Reishi pillars, only for Ichibē to stop them by clasping his hands together. Noting that he was trying to preserve Yhwach's reputation by defeating him at half power, Ichibē leaps into the air before using '''Bakudō #62. Hyapporankan, which Yhwach counters with Blut Vene Anhaben'''. Ichibē notes this is interesting before using Ura Hadō: Sannodō — Teppūsatsu, which seemingly breaks through Yhwach's barrier, before grabbing Yhwach by the throat. However, black lines begin appearing along Ichibē's arm as Yhwach explains that Blut Vene Anhaben consumes everything around it in order to remain active. Hearing this, Ichibē mocks Yhwach before forcing the veins of Blut Vene Anhaben back onto Yhwach, causing the blood vessels in his face to explode, and reprimands him for daring to invade the body of a Royal Guard before releasing his Zanpakutō, Ichimonji.

When Yhwach expresses confusion at the appearance of his Shikai, Ichibē asks him if he can tell the difference between a sword and a pen before attacking him. Ichibē and Yhwach clash as Yhwach asks Ichibē if he is just going to remove his powers again, only to fall silent with shock after failing to call out the name of his sword. Asking Yhwach if he knows what the name of his sword is, Ichibē reveals Ichimonji has removed its name entirely with its ink. Upon hearing this, Yhwach attempts to steal Ichibē's power with Sankt Altar, but Ichibē simply shrugs off the spell and explains how his power cannot be used by another because Ichimonji wields darkness before splashing Yhwach's face with ink.

As Yhwach stands covered in ink, Ichibē notes it must have been painful for his name to be taken away and claims he shall give Yhwach a new name as his master before activating his Bankai, Shirafude Ichimonji. Ichibē notes that this form of a Zanpakutō used to be known as an Evolved Zanpakutō before proclaiming that Yhwach's name is now Black Ant, which means his life is as short as one. Manifesting an enormous foot above Yhwach, Ichibē smashes him through the floor before bidding him farewell and crushing him in midair with two giant hands. However, Ichibē is surprised when Yhwach bursts through the floor and attacks him, causing him to wonder what is happening.

When Yhwach explains how The Almighty allows him to see everything that will happen in the future, Ichibē claims this does not matter because Yhwach is still covered in blackness before using the darkness on Yhwach's body for Futen Taisatsuryō, which he claims will destroy Yhwach and leave him unable to reincarnate. However, Yhwach states he is no longer nameless and will be the one to take everything from Ichibē before obliterating his torso. As Ichibē's head falls to the ground, Yhwach notes he was correct about Ichibē dying in three steps. Soon afterward, when Ichigo and his friends arrive at the palace, Ichibē mentally calls out to Ichigo and tells him to call his name, which Ichigo does, allowing Ichibē to take some of his power in order to heal himself. After explaining how this happened, Ichibē asks Ichigo to stop Yhwach from killing the Soul King because the latter is what keeps everything in existence.

Soon afterward, Ichibē apologizes to the group heading toward the palace and states they cannot defeat Yhwach before telling them to not worry because this is what peace is all about and asking Yhwach if this is not the case.

Powers & Abilities
True Name Manipulation: Ichibē can manipulate the true names—the metaphysical representations of, among other things, sentient beings—which grants him power over those he targets with his power.


 * Name Identification: Ichibē has the innate ability to determine the true name of all things. He came up with the name "Zanpakutō" and the release names "Shikai" and "Bankai", and he was the first one to choose all the names of all things in Soul Society. Due to this unique skill, Ichibē also knows the names of every Zanpakutō from the time they are handed to a Shinigami as Asauchi created by Ōetsu Nimaiya.


 * Name Curse: Due to its importance, Ichibē's name carries a curse upon it; those who are unworthy to speak it will lose their voices if they do so.


 * Self-Reconstitution: If his body is destroyed, Ichibē will remain alive and can completely restore it to its former state by reconstructing every piece of his body that was out of place. He achieves this by stealing a small amount of power from someone that says his name to initiate the process; in order to prompt this, he can mentally speak to the individuals around him and ask them to do so.

Spirit Appendage Manifestation: Ichibē can manifest giant representations of his hands and feet in the air. These limbs copy his movements and possess greater strength in proportion to their greater size.


 * Ichibē manifests a large hand to push his opponent away with extreme force. According to him, it will send his opponent flying 1000 ri away.

Wisdom: As the commander of the Royal Guard ever since ancient times, Ichibē holds a vast knowledge and understanding of most worldly affairs, along with great strategic acumen and leadership instincts that allow him to always act with optimum judgement of a situation. Combined with his innate ability to perceive an enemy's true nature at a glance, along with his generally diverse Shinigami skillset, it is Ichibē's tremendous wisdom that makes him dangerous to confront and led to him being recognized by the Wandenreich as one of Soul Society's Special War Powers.

Master Swordsman: Ichibē possesses incredible skill in Zanjutsu, as shown by his ability to clash evenly with Yhwach during their battle.

Shunpo Master: Ichibē is highly proficient in Shunpo, appearing next to Yhwach almost immediately after propelling him 1000 ri away with Senri Tsūtenshō. He effortlessly sidestepped a multitude of Heilig Pfeil fired by Yhwach's Sankt Bogen.

Kidō Master: Ichibē is a master of Kidō, using mid-level spells to great effect by simply stating the name without incantation, number, or type. Ichibē has used a "secret" Hadō spell that was strong enough to shatter the dome formed by Yhwach's Blut Vene Anhaben, further demonstrating his skill.

Immeasurable Spiritual Power: As the commander of the Royal Guard whose collective power far surpasses the combined might of the entire Gotei 13, Ichibē possesses vast amounts of spiritual power. His power is of such a degree that he was able to fight evenly with Yhwach, who possesses vast amounts of Reiryoku himself, with both his sealed Zanpakutō and his Shikai. With his Bankai, Shirafude Ichimonji, Ichibē would have been able to permanently neutralize the Quincy King if the latter had not activated The Almighty.

Immense Strength: Ichibē has a tremendous amount of physical strength. After pushing Yhwach a large distance away from Soul King Palace with Senri Tsūtenshō, Ichibē sent him flying the same distance back to the palace with a single slash from his brush. He crushed a Reishi attack from Yhwach by merely clasping his hands around it, and reversed the absorbing effects of Yhwach's Blut Vene Anhaben by flexing the muscles on the left side of his body, rupturing the blood vessels in Yhwach's face in the process.

Immense Endurance: Ichibē possesses a great tolerance for pain; when Yhwach pierced him with his Reishi Broadsword, Ichibē stood his ground despite considerable blood loss, shrugged off the pain, and kept fighting.

Ōken: As one of the Royal Guards, Hyōsube has the Ōken imparted in his bones, which grants him the ability to travel in and out of the Soul King Palace as he pleases, as well as grant permission to others simply by willing it.

Zanpakutō

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


 * Ink Manipulation: Ichimonji has ink based spiritual powers, allowing Ichibe to manifest written characters that carry the power of their meaning.


 * Hides large physical objects, such as the entirety of the Soul King Palace, from view.


 * Creates a boundary that cannot be passed.


 * Name Severing: When used as a weapon, this brush does not cut flesh, but instead names. For example, if Ichibē lands a blow on his opponent's, he can halve its name to and, as a result, reduce the physical capabilities of that arm by half.


 * 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. Additionally, a large halo of black ink appears in the air behind Ichibē.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Whenever Ichibē swings Ichimonji, its blade releases ink. Anything that this ink covers loses its name, and thus its powers. Its power is the power of black: every time Ichibē releases Ichimonji, all of the color black from all beings, dead or alive, becomes his power.


 * Power Absorption Immunity: The power summoned by Ichimonji can be stolen, but it cannot be used by the assailant or used against Ichibē because he controls all of the color black in the universe; as such, it is simply restored to him, proven when Yhwach's Sankt Altar fails to work against him.


 * Ichibē brings forth a massive amount of blackness from his surroundings and fills a cup with it before drinking from the cup. After chanting an incantation, Ichibē creates a large mausoleum with a fence in front on top of shattered gravestones out of the blackness. This technique takes away all of the darkness in his opponent, including their flesh, blood, and bones, until nothing is left; their destruction is so absolute that they will not even reincarnate.


 * 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 into white bristles akin to its sealed state, but begin emitting white energy instead of black ink, with some of this energy forming a large circle around Ichibē himself.


 * 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. For example, by changing their name to, his opponent would be as weak and powerless as an ant.

Appearances in Other Media

 * Ichibē Hyōsube appears in Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, where his fate after Yhwach's defeat, as well as parts of his past, are revealed. Read more...
 * In Bleach: Brave Souls, Ichibē makes his first appearance outside of the manga as the first character with the Zero Division affiliation. Ichibē is a melee normal attack character with the "Speed" Attribute and the "Espada Killer" ability who has a chance to inflict Weaken with every attack other than his third Strong Attack; his first Strong Attack is Senri Tsūtenshō, while his third is Ura Hadō: Sannodō — Teppūsatsu. His unlockable skills are "Berserker +50%", "Bruiser +20%", "Flurry", "Paralysis Duration -100%", "Pierce Barrier", "Poise", "Sprinter +1", and "Start Barrier +10", while his Soul Trait is "Damage Taken -16%"; meanwhile, his Arena Traits are "Normal Attack Damage +13%" and "Focus +30", while his Arena Abilities other than "All Stats +5%" are "Strong Attack Damage +10%" at level 5 and "Strong Attack Damage +20%" at level 10. Ichibē's special is, where he creates a mausoleum oozing with strange, jet-black Reiatsu that inflicts immense damage and Weaken. He is voiced by Naomi Kusumi.

Trivia
General Trivia= Klub Outside Trivia=
 * Ichibē was voted the 40th most popular Shinigami character in the fifth character popularity poll.
 * Ichimonji ranked 30th in the second Zanpakutō poll.
 * In the second best bout poll, Ichibē's fight with Yhwach ranked 38th.
 * According to Q&A #117 by Tite Kubo on his fansite "Klub Outside", Ichibē was responsible for using his power over names to prevent the manifestation of Ichigo Kurosaki's Quincy powers from revealing his true name to Ichigo during their first meeting.

Quotes

 * (To Yhwach) "Dear me, dear me... I tell you not to say my name, and you say it again. I send you to go and cool your head, and you come right back. Though you may have a few years under your belt, you're still a proper cheeky little brat, aren't you? If you can't do as you're told, I suppose there's nothing else for it. I'll just kill you."


 * (To Yhwach) "Now, then, my little halved friend "Yhw". Quincy Chief with half of your power cut clean away. Tell me, how does it feel to be utterly crushed by a chief of the Shinigami you so despise?"


 * (To Yhwach) "Dear me. You don't seem to appreciate others' kindness. It was for the sake of protecting your dignity that I went to the trouble of halving your strength. If I were to strike you down at your full potential, how could your precious Quincy underlings ever respect you again?! Though of course, I suppose you don't need any dignity when you're dead!"


 * (To Yhwach) "You really are a crude one. First you have the nerve to set foot in the Soul King Palace, then you invade even the body of a member of Division Zero, the retainers of the Soul King. Filthy human, it's time you learned your place. I shall deliver your divine punishment."


 * "Anything covered by the ink of my Ichimonji loses its name. That which has no name can hold no power."


 * "My power is... "black". From the moment I unleash my Ichimonji, be they Shinigami or Quincy, living or dead, all black things that exist in this world... belong to me."


 * (To Yhwach) "Shin'uchi. Shirafude Ichimonji. Or to use the latest terminology... I suppose you would call this a 'Bankai'. After all... Long before the concept of a Bankai was born into this world this was the first Zanpakutō ever to take on an evolved form. This blade has the power to carve a new name into anything that has been painted over by Ichimonji. ...Now, then. How do you feel? You who were once called Yhwach and are now called Black Ant. Your power right now is equal to that of a single ant crawling upon the ground. A frail life, all too easily destroyed."


 * (To Yhwach) "You say my name so lightly... Don't blame me if you lose your voice."

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