Unnamed Ise

She was the previous head of the Ise Clan, as well the late mother of Nanao Ise and the late wife of Shunsui Kyōraku's older brother.

Appearance
Ise had black hair, which she kept tied back except for two bangs hanging either side of her face. She used pin-wheel hairpins to keep her hair in place and wore oval framed glasses and a flowery pink kimono.

Personality
Ise was a kind-hearted woman. She was somewhat superstitious, believing in the curse of the House of Ise and going to great lengths to avoid it, including attempting to end the family bloodline by leaving the Ise family and giving away her Zanpakutō.

History
At some point, she married the eldest son of the Kyōraku family. She gave one of her hairpins to her husband, explaining that it made her feel safe knowing that he had the other one while she was performing her duties as a Shinigami. He subsequently died, and as was customary, she returned to the Ise family with her daughter, Nanao.

In order to protect the young Nanao, she attempted to end the curse by entrusting the House's Zanpakutō, Shinken Hakkyōken, to her husband's brother, Shunsui Kyōraku. Believing that the sword may be the source of the curse, she asked him to conceal it. Though Shunsui was initially reluctant to take the Ise family heirloom, she convinced him to do so, claiming that she had nobody else outside her own family to turn to.

Ise was subsequently sentenced to death by the Central 46 for losing said valuable artifact and was executed.

Zanpakutō

 * Shinken Hakkyōken is a holy sword held by the Ise family, a Shinto family. As they are in charge of rites and rituals, the members of the family do not have their own individual Zanpakutō. Instead, the head of the house inherits and uses Shinken Hakkyōken, which is passed down from generation to generation.


 * Shikai: Shinken Hakkyōken takes the form of an ornate medium-sized bladeless sword with a flat end. Its "blade" is decorated with four inlaid diamonds, resembling the design commonly found on the wrapped hilt of a katana, and its forte possesses a tassel on either side. Instead of a tsuba, there is a ornate band guard covering an inch of the blade with tassels hanging from either side of it. The handle of Shinken Hakkyōken is only somewhat shorter than the "blade", and possesses two tassels attached to the ring at its end.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Purportedly, Shinken Hakkyōken has the power to take the power of a god into itself and disperse it off in the eight directions. The blade itself reflects the power of the godly opponent that its wielder is facing.

Quotes

 * (To her husband regarding her hairpins) "While you're away from me fighting Hollows, knowing you have the same thing will comfort me."