Ichibē Hyōsube is the Leader of the Zero Division holding the title Monk Who Calls the Real Name High Priest. 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. Ichibē is an authoritative Shinigami who remains focused on the mission at hand. He speaks in a loud and upfront manner, and usually has an upbeat expression on his face. However, in battle, he is ruthless and somewhat patronizing, though he constantly smiles throughout his fights. Yhwach notes that he becomes much happier when he has resolved to kill someone. He displays a patronizing kindness toward his opponents, such as when he cut Yhwach's physical and spiritual power in half in order to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the Quincy by defeating him at full power.
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 can completely restore it to its former state and reconstruct every piece of his body that was out of place. He achieves this by stealing a bit 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.
Heavenly Passing Palm of the Thousand Ri: 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 a current commander of the Royal Guard with vast knowledge, understanding, common sense and insight from centuries of service, Ichibē possesses great experience and instincts as a leader, and always acts with optimum judgement of the situation; combining this with his innate ability to see the true nature of his opponent and his diverse skillset, Ichibē is also a very adaptable strategist. His wisdom and common sense have been recognized by the Wandenreich as being potent enough to make him one of the Special War Powers of Soul Society.
Expert Swordsman: Ichibē possesses considerable skill in Zanjutsu, clashing 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 possesses considerable skill in 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 a captain-class combatant and commander of the Royal Guard, Ichibē has a colossal amount of spiritual power. Ichibē's power is of such a degree that he was able to fight evenly with Yhwach, who possesses vast Reiryoku himself, with just his sealed Zanpakutō and later 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.
Enhanced Strength: Ichibē possesses a large 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.
Enhanced 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 into and out of the Soul King Palace, as well as grant permission to others simply by willing it.
Zanpakutō
Ichimonji : Its sealed form takes the form of a large calligraphy brush which Ichibē uses to write calligraphic characters.
Calligraphy: Ichibē is an accomplished calligrapher, allowing him to draw characters that carry the power of their meaning.
Conceal : Hides large physical objects, such as the entirety of the Soul King Palace, from view.
Seal: 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 arm, he can reduce the physical capabilities of that arm by half if he cuts its name in half to Ar.
Shikai: Its release command is "Blacken" 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.
Futen Taisatsuryō : 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: Shirafude Ichimonji: Uniquely, Ichibē activates his Bankai by calling out "Shin'uchi" 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. For example, by changing their name to Black Ant his opponent would be as weak and powerless as an ant.
