Isuzu Ise

Overview

Image Gallery

Isuzu Ise
Race	Soul
Gender	Female
Professional Status
Previous Affiliation	Soul Society
Base of Operations	Seireitei, Soul Society
Personal Status
Relatives	Shunzan Kyōraku (husband) Nanao Ise (daughter) Shunsui Kyōraku (brother-in-law)
Zanpakutō
Shikai	Shinken Hakkyōken
First Appearance
Manga	Chapter 651
Anime	Episode 403
Voices
Japanese	Kikuko Inoue
English	Megan Hollingshead

Isuzu Ise (伊勢 檍涼, Ise Isuzu) was the previous head of the Ise Clan, as well the late mother of Nanao Ise and the late wife of Shunsui Kyōraku's late older brother, Shunzan.

Appearance

Isuzu 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

Isuzu 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

Isuzu with her husband Shunzan and his brother, Shunsui.

At some point, Isuzu married the eldest son of the Kyōraku Family, Shunzan Kyōraku. The latter gifted two hairpins to Isuzu, though Isuzu insisted that he keep one, explaining that it made her feel safe knowing that Shuzan had the other one while he was out performing his Hollow-fighting duties as a Shinigami; Shunzan was flattered by this gesture, though he quickly grew annoyed when his younger brother Shunsui teased him about it, to Isuzu's amusement. Shunzan eventually died during his duties, and as was customary, Isuzu returned to the Ise family with her daughter, Nanao.

Nanao's mother entrusts Shinken Hakkyōken to Shunsui.

In order to protect the young Nanao, she attempted to end the Ise Clan's curse by entrusting the house's Zanpakutō, Shinken Hakkyōken, to her husband's brother Shunsui. 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. Isuzu was subsequently sentenced to death by the Central 46 for losing said valuable artifact and was executed.

Equipment

Isuzu with the Shinken Hakkyōken.

• Shinken Hakkyōken (神剣・八鏡剣, Divine Sword, Eight-Mirror Sword): A sacred ceremonial sword without an edge, meant for religious rites and rituals, that has been passed down through the Ise Clan's generations. Isuzu was the previous owner of this blade and, wanting to spare her daughter from the Ise Curse, entrusted Shunsui Kyōraku to keep the blade hidden (which he did via his own Zanpakutō), though Nanao would eventually inherit the blade regardless, at her own behest. The Hakkyōken holds the power to absorb, disperse, and reflect the power of a god.

Trivia

• The reading of Isuzu's given name was confirmed as いすず by Tite Kubo in a comment from Dec. 15 on his fansite "Klub Outside" (about Ep. 403).

Quotes

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