Nanao Ise

Vice Captain of Squad Eight

A female Shinigami with a serious personality who wears glasses. She refers to herself as "I."

She often scolds Kyoraku for slacking off at work and tends to be curt, but she actually respects him deeply.

She does not possess her own Zanpakuto but was appointed as Vice Captain solely for her talent in Kido.

She has been a member of the Gotei 13 since she was a child, 110 years ago, and her hairstyle and glasses have remained unchanged. She was close to Lisa, the former Vice Captain of Squad Eight, and they would meet once a month to read books.

She comes from the Ise family, a priestly lineage, and her father was Kyoraku Shunsui's brother, making Nanao his niece. The Ise family is matrilineal, traditionally marrying men from other families, who are said to die young due to the "curse" of the Ise family. Thus, her mother decided to break the bloodline by marrying into the Kyoraku family. However, her father died of illness when Nanao was young, and eventually, she and her mother were sent back to the Ise family. Her mother, believing the curse was due to the divine sword managed by the Ise family, hid the sword claiming it was lost, which led to her execution. Afterwards, Nanao was raised by an elderly couple who were relatives.

In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, after the death of Genryusai, Kyoraku was appointed as the Captain of Squad One, and Nanao was named his Vice Captain because "she knows how to handle him." During the second invasion of the "Invisible Empire," she confronted Haschwalth with Kyoraku, created a barrier to prevent Haschwalth's entry, and supported Kyoraku. Later, she followed Kyoraku to the Royal Palace and stayed behind on his orders to stop Lille's sniping, but eventually returned to Kyoraku's side and took the divine sword of the Ise family, the "Shinken Hakkyoken," from the severely injured Kyoraku. With Kyoraku's help, she bisected Lille.

After the battle, in the novel version, she was almost recruited by Lisa because her assistant was Okikiba, but Kyoraku refused, so she temporarily served as the acting Vice Captain of Squad Eight, assisting both Kyoraku and Lisa, and seemed very busy.

【Zanpakuto】: Shinken Hakkyoken (Divine Sword, Eight Mirror Sword)

A ceremonial sword passed down through the heads of the Ise family, characterized by its lack of a blade. It is unclear if it has abilities like Shikai or Bankai.

As such, Shinigami of the Ise family do not possess personal Zanpakuto.

It is said to have the power to receive divine power when confronting a god, and to disperse the received power in all directions, which was demonstrated when it deflected rays of light during the battle with Lille.