Tetsuzaemon Iba stands out immediately—distinctive haircut, black sunglasses permanently attached to his face, and a massive back tattoo of a flaming cat with the kanji for "inviting luck." He's got a whole yakuza vibe going, right down to the casual way he talks and the fact that he smokes. His Zanpakutō stays sealed as a small blade tucked into his uniform, and he's apparently obsessed with collecting sunglasses from "Silver Dragonfly Glasses Store"—the same place Renji buys his goggles.
Iba transferred to the 7th Division specifically to make lieutenant, since climbing the ranks in the 11th Division (where he started) is basically impossible. Fans often note that he probably did it to impress his mother rather than out of real ambition. This move earned him some contempt from his old squad mates, who see the 7th Division as soft. That said, he still hangs around 11th Division headquarters constantly and clearly misses the fighting.
He's fiercely loyal to Captain Komamura and proved it when he grabbed an injured Ikkaku and ran during a fight with the Arrancar Pō—he knew they wouldn't survive head-to-head, and he refused to abandon Ikkaku even when Pō was bearing down on them. When Komamura fell back to the battlefield, Iba immediately stayed at his captain's side without question.
Iba runs the Shinigami Men's Association like a macho frat house, forcing all members to dress like him at meetings. The Women's Association constantly roasts him for it, especially Nanao Ise. He also writes a column for Seireitei Communication's "Guys Corner" about the Hiroshima dialect, which is his passion—he actually tried to teach a course on it once, though nobody showed up. His favorite food is okonomiyaki, but only Hiroshima-style; he despises the Osaka version.
As a fighter, Iba's well-rounded in both swordsmanship and Kidō, though he only developed those skills to make the lieutenant promotion easier. He regularly spars with Ikkaku, and both clearly enjoy it, though Iba puts loyalty above the desire to keep fighting—he'll retreat if the mission calls for it.
His Zanpakutō has never been fully explained. When sealed it's just a small tantō, but in Shikai it extends into a large falchion or scimitar with a pick-like protrusion. He's released it a few times (mostly off-screen), including in the Memories of Nobody movie, but the actual command and name remain a mystery. He hasn't achieved Bankai.
He does have recurring stomach problems, which he's mentioned a few times with obvious embarrassment. Also, he seems to enjoy the same kind of pervy humor as the other male lieutenants and seated officers. Despite not getting much screen time overall, Iba's shown he'll do the right thing—he once lied directly to Komamura before Rukia's execution because he knew his captain was conflicted, and he wanted to give him space to decide. Komamura saw through it immediately but let it slide, understanding the compassion behind it.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
