Summary
The following contains spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, Episodes 25 and 26, “The Master”, and “BLACK”, available onHuluandDisney+.
The leader of the Zero Squad, otherwise known as the Royal Guard, Ichibē Hyōsube, is an extremely powerful Shinigami whose influence over the events ofBLEACHhave very far-reaching consequences. Known by the moniker, Manako Oshō (“Monk Who Calls the True Name”), Hyōsube’s contribution to Soul Society is names – he is responsible for naming everything in Soul Society, and has the power to govern names themselves.
His Zanpakutō, Ichimonji, is an extremely unique weapon and enables him to manipulate the true names of objects and entities, but what is Ichimonji, really?
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Write It Away, Write It Away
The Soul King assigned Hyōsube the moniker Manako Oshō because he named everything in Soul Society, but also as a reflection of Hyōsube’s ability to knowthe true name of an object or entity. Knowing the true name grants one dominion over that thing, as such, Hyōsube is capable of rewriting and manipulating the power inherent to names themselves. Ichimonji is written 一文字, which is literally “The Character for ‘One’” , which looks like this 一, a straight line. The Zanpakutō itself takes the form of a large calligraphy brush when sealed, and he can use it to write characters whose meanings are then manifested. The ink that comes from the tip of Ichimonji can also be used to censor/conceal something, a literal blacking out. Prior to Yhwach’s arrival at the Soul King’s Palace, Hyōsube uses Ichimonji to mark the actual Soul King’s Palace with the character 隠, meaning conceal, which effectively hides the true palace from view; in addition to delineating a boundary that the Quincy King will not cross.
Blacken
Hyōsube’s ability to black things out is actually first seen during the Soul Society arc, when Ichigo is training with Urahara to learn the name of his Zanpakutō. When “Old Man Zangetsu” appears, he’s surprised to see that Ichigo doesn’t recognize him and when he says his name, Ichigo doesn’t hear it. In the manga, the panel is very clearly obstructed by a black bar, as if the name has been censored. Kubo has confirmed that this was in fact due to Hyōsube having used Ichimonji toseal away the name “Yhwach”. When Ichimonji is wielded like a sword, it doesn’t cut flesh, but names; severing the very essence of an object. During the events of “The Master” and “BLACK”, Hyōsube uses Ichimonji to sever Yhwach’s arms at the name, meaning that they’d only carry half of their original ability as “ar"s (instead of arms). When Shikai activated with the phrase “Blacken”, the tip of Ichimonji fluctuates between the brush seen in its sealed form, and a short blade that makes the entire Zanpakutō resemble a spear or naginata.
Each swing of Ichimonji while in Shikai state releases black ink that covers the target, effectively blacking out its name. When Yhwach is “slashed”, his name (therefore, his power) is cut in half, until he is eventually subsumed in black ink. Ichimonji draws this power from everything black in existence, effectively turning the colour black into his weapon. TheFuten Taisatsuryō(“Slaughterous Mausoleum of Halted Reincarnation”) ability is an incredibly powerful move that starts with Hyōsube drinking from a cup filled with black ink before manifesting a mausoleum out of black gravestones in a technique that steals all the darkness within the opponent, leaving nothing behind. This move heraldsa destruction so absolute, those who experience it cannot reincarnate because there’s simply nothing left of their existence.
True Blade
Ichimonji is actually the first Zanpakutō in history to have gained an evolved form, long before the term “Bankai” even existed. It is for that reason that Hyōsube does not technically have a Bankai, but rather, a “Shin’uchi” – a “True Blade”. The Shin’uchi Shirafude Ichimonji (“White Brush” Ichimonji) turns the tip of the brush white instead of black, and grants Hyōsube the ability to alter the names of objects and entities that have been splashed with Ichimonji’s ink. He uses this ability against Yhwach to overwrite his identity and power to that of a mere black ant “to be trampled underfoot”.
In theCan’t Fear Your Own Worldnovels written byDurarara!!author Ryohgo Narita, Hyōsube once used the abilities of Ichimonji Shirafude to seal away a primordial Hollow that was so powerful it attacked Soul Society and defeated former Captain-Commander Genryusai Yamamoto before attempting to eat the Soul King himself. Due to the sheer number of souls this Hollow had consumed, it could not be purified through normal means, so Hyōsube used the powers of Ichimonji to strip away its name and seal the beast away in a Zanpakutō that has been hidden away since. Ichimonji is an extremely powerful Zanpakutō capable of rewriting aspects of reality; however, as we will soon find out inBLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict, Hyōsube and Ichimonji are powerful but cannot use their abilities on the Soul King himself – or those who have a connection to him.
