Killua Zoldyck

Killua Zoldyck
Hunter × Hunter character
Killua Zoldyck, as illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi
First appearance	Hunter × Hunter manga chapter 6: "The First Phase Begins, Part 2" (1998)
Created by	Yoshihiro Togashi
Voiced by	Japanese Kanako Mitsuhashi (1999 anime) Mariya Ise (2011 anime) English Annika Odegard (1999 anime) Cristina Vee (2011 anime)
In-universe information
Family	Zeno Zoldyck (grandfather) Silva Zoldyck (father) Kikyo Zoldyck (mother) Illumi Zoldyck (first older brother) Milluki Zoldyck (second older brother) Alluka Zoldyck (younger sister) Kalluto Zoldyck (younger brother)

Killua Zoldyck (Japanese: キルア=ゾルディック, Hepburn: Kirua Zorudikku) is a fictional character from the Hunter × Hunter manga series written by Yoshihiro Togashi. Killua is a twelve-year-old boy who has left his former life as a member of the world's most notorious assassin family. The middle child to a family of renowned assassins, the Zoldyck family. Showing great promise from birth, Killua has already mastered many killing techniques at a tender age, and is set to be one of the best assassins the family has ever produced. Bored and tired of killing, Killua unexpectedly rebelled against his family. He met Gon during the first portion of the Hunter Exam and became great friends. Initially, he wants to be neither an assassin nor a Hunter but instead to become friends with Gon and accompany him in his journey. However, he later becomes a Hunter after passing the 388th Hunter Exam. The duo travel to find Gon's missing father Ging and develop supernatural abilities by controlling their Nen energy with Killua developing powers that allow him to control electricity. The character has also been explored in films and video games.

Killua was one of the first characters created by Togashi in the making of the manga, standing out as Gon's friend. Much of their relationship was inspired by the protagonist's personality and young age, while Killua was influenced by several works Togashi enjoyed reading and watching. In the anime adaptations of the manga, Killua has been voiced by Kanako Mitsuhashi and Mariya Ise in Japanese and Annika Odegard and Cristina Vee in English dubs. Killua became a popular character, inspiring other characters from other manga as well as cosplay. His characterization was praised for while overcoming his brooding personality in the story and then becoming so devoted to Gon that he has often been recognized as one of the best characters in the series.

Creation

Mariya Ise (not pictured) and Cristina Vee (pictured), the respective Japanese and English voice actresses for Killua in the 2011 anime.

After creating the protagonist of the manga Hunter x Hunter Gon Freecss, manga author Yoshihiro Togashi conceived two important characters: a friend and a villain of Gon. Killua was set to be Gon's friend while Hisoka had the role of villain. In creating Killua's character and fit him into the story, he was given Gon's same age in order to make their friendship natural. His circumstances such as having superhuman physical abilities and being in a family of assassins were roughly determined, an appearance was then created to fit his circumstances and background, and finally his personality was shaped by the conversations he had with Gon and the other two. Both Killua and Hiei from YuYu Hakusho are both inspired by characters from a manga Patalliro! by Mineo Maya, who influenced the work of Yoshihiro Togashi as he was also reading yaoi works while working to write about shonen manga.

When deciding on his appearance, Togashi refer to his mental inventory of manga, novels, movies, music, historical and cultural figures, entertainers, and athletes that he had seen. In the case of Killua, around the time that I was deciding what number child of the assassin family he would be, thoughts of Kuroyume's shounen, Atsushi Kamijō, Multiple Personality Detective Psycho, among others, came to mind, and these led to his appearance. In the full-body illustration when he first appeared, there's a part where the outline is interrupted by light, and the artist made see references to Kamijō and Shou Tajima.

Killua is voiced by Kanako Mitsuhashi in the 1999 series and Mariya Ise in the 2011 series in Japanese. For the English dubs, Annika Odegard voices him in the 1999 series, and Cristina Vee in the 2011 series. Mitsuhashi said found the work challenging especially during the Greed Island Final original video animations but still found it enjoyable to work besides Biscuit's actress during this anime production especially since their mentor developed a mother relationship with the two protagonists. Ise's performance met positive response by Togashi himself in his twitter account based on how carefully she portrayed Killua's sensitive side much to her own surprise. She enjoyed the anime since her childhood, often cosplaying as Gon or the Naruto title character Naruto Uzumaki but is not sure if she might get a chance to portray Killua again due to the manga taking focusing on other characters as Killua and Gon stopped being the focus of the series in the Dark Continent story arc. Cristina Vee said that while Killua comes across as happy child, he has a notable dark side as a result of the family who raised him. The actress had no knowledge about the series until she was cast to play Killua which made here interested into the story. She originally auditioned to Gon, Killua and Kurapika but ended with the second due to the tone needed. She then received an email about she was accepted as Killua. She often saw cosplayers of Killua and Gon in conventions of fans, attracted especially the cosplayers were always duos.

Appearances

Killua is initially introduced as a cheeky, cheerful and mischievous boy who befriends Gon during the Hunter Exam. His ruthlessness and aptitude in killing show the other side of him — deadly, violent, and bloodthirsty. A member of the famous Zoldyck Family of assassins, Killua has been trained to be an assassin since birth and conditioned to possess extreme tolerance for poison, electricity and overall pain. Although Killua fails during his first Hunter Exam by killing an opponent due to his elder brother Illumi's influence, he attends the exam again the following year, earning his license by eliminating all other applicants in the very first trial.^{[ch. 36, 37, 148]} Killua and Gon learn about Nen from Wing and later train further under Biscuit Krueger.^{[ch. 47, 48, 137]} He becomes one of the first people to beat Greed Island, helps stop the Chimera Ants, and uses his sibling Alluka's special abilities to heal the dying Gon. As Gon is about to meet Ging, Killua decides to part ways and travel the world with Alluka ^[ch. 338].

Conflicting with Killua's predisposition to kill is his unyielding loyalty to his new friends, as Killua puts them before himself without a single complaint. His greatest flaw is initially his fear of those seemingly more powerful than him,^[ch. 210] a result of Illumi's instructions to be extremely cautious and only engage in combat if victory is absolutely certain. Showing great promise from birth, he possesses extraordinary agility and strength as a one-man killing machine. Killua has mastered many killing techniques at a tender age and is set to be one of the best assassins his family has ever produced. His Nen type is Transmutation, which he utilizes by altering his aura into electricity. ^{[ch. 60, 122]} His Hatsu involves various uses of electricity to increase his physical capabilities, such as Godspeed (神速, Kanmuru), which allows him to move at immeasurable speeds.^[ch. 281]

In the film Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge, Killua and Gon help Kurapika in a mission to recover his eyes taken by his childhood friend. He is also present in Hunter × Hunter: The Last Mission where he and his friends protect the fighting arena from Shadow", the Hunter Association's black ops squad, that was destroyed by the Chairman Isaac Netero. The character is also playable in Hunter × Hunter: Nen × Impact. Outside Hunter x Hunter, Killua also appears in the crossover fighting games such as Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, J-Stars Victory VS, and Jump Force.

Reception

Killua is a popular character with fans, coming in first place in the series' first two popularity polls. In the Funimation's Decade of Anime fan poll, Killua was voted as one of the five recipients for the "Best Boys of the Decade" category. In an Anitrendz poll, he was voted as one of the best male characters from the 2010s. The character has often been compared with Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen due to physical and personality similarities. When Mariya Ise was cast to portray the younger Gojo in a flashback from the anime's second season, Hindustan Times said the "meme came to life" as Ise was also popular for voicing Gojo in his youth and fans were happy with such casting. The character has also been the subject of cosplay within the anime fandom. Jujutsu Kaisen manga author Gege Akutami was also influenced by Killua's character when he saw the deteriorated state Gon was brought down after using his entire health to defeat the Chimera Pitou. This resulted in a similar scene from Jujutsu Kaisen where the protagonist Yuji Itadori stares at his friend Megumi Fushiguro in horror when he becomes the new vessel of the villain Ryomen Sukuna. Reebok has also created marketing using Killua's image.

In regards to critical response, EX.org felt Togashi rehashed characters from his previous works when writing Hunter x Hunter bringing up comparisons between Killua and Hiei. THEM Anime Reviews found Killua's brooding personality as a counterpoint for Gon's kind personality and their friendship felt appealing. Website Polygon listed Killua as one of their "favorite boys" in on how determined is to help Gon across the series as a result of their friendship, to the point he comes across as the more likable character from the duo. Comic Book Resources said that the first animated version of Hunter x Hunter gave Killua a different characterization from the manga's, often coming across as a tsundere archetype, shy to express his feelings for Gon and often clashed with his dark childhood origins when meeting Gon early in the series. This often made the first Killua harder to like than Togashi and Madhouse's takes. The same website said that while there are several moments Killua stands out thanks to his developed characterization such as his bonding with Alluka or Gon, there are also counterpoints where the dark influences the Zoldyck upbringing he had resulted in his character acting in a more negative manner. While reviewing the film Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge, Anime News Network criticized his weaker portrayal in the film as he is often scared by the antagonists and lamented the movie never ends this arc the character is supposed to face. For the Chimera arc, The Fandom Post said that Killua became more likable than Gon, due the negative become antagonistic to the Chimera and hurting Killua's feelings during his emotional outburts. Anime News Network also noted that Killua started coming across as a better protagonist than Gon during this story arc as a result of Gon's anger overshadowing his own likable traits making Killua more reasonable.

References

Hunter × Hunter manga

Entire series

• Togashi, Yoshihiro. ハンター×ハンター [Hunter × Hunter] (in Japanese). 36 vols. Tokyo: Shueisha, 1998–present.
• Togashi, Yoshihiro. Hunter × Hunter. 36 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media, 2005–present.

Individual volumes

• Vol. 1 (ch. 1–8): The Day of Departure. April 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-753-2. and 出発の日 (in Japanese). June 1998. ISBN 978-4-08-872571-0.
• Vol. 2 (ch. 9–17): A Struggle in the Mist. May 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-785-3. and 霧の中の攻防 (in Japanese). September 1998. ISBN 978-4-08-872606-9.
• Vol. 3 (ch. 18–26): Resolution. July 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-849-2. and 決着 (in Japanese). November 1998. ISBN 978-4-08-872630-4.
• Vol. 4 (ch. 27–35): End Game. September 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-992-5. and 最終試験開始! (in Japanese). February 1999. ISBN 978-4-08-872672-4.
• Vol. 5 (ch. 36–44): Family Matters. November 2005. ISBN 978-1-4215-0184-0. and ジン=フリークス (in Japanese). April 1999. ISBN 978-4-08-872713-4.
• Vol. 6 (ch. 45–54): Nen Sense. January 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0185-7. and ヒソカの条件 (in Japanese). October 1999. ISBN 978-4-08-872749-3.
• Vol. 7 (ch. 55–63): Nen Combatant. March 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0332-5. and これから (in Japanese). December 1999. ISBN 978-4-08-872788-2.
• Vol. 8 (ch. 64–73): The Island. May 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0643-2. and オークション開催!! (in Japanese). April 2000. ISBN 978-4-08-872847-6.
• Vol. 9 (ch. 74–83): Shadow Beasts. July 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0644-9. and 9月1日 (in Japanese). July 2000. ISBN 978-4-08-872890-2.
• Vol. 10 (ch. 84–93): Fakes, Swindles, and the Old Switcheroo. September 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0645-6. and 9月3日 (in Japanese). November 2000. ISBN 978-4-08-873021-9.
• Vol. 11 (ch. 94–103): Next Stop: Meteor City—The Junkyard of the World. November 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0646-3. and 9月4日 (in Japanese). March 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873087-5.
• Vol. 12 (ch. 104–115): September 4th: Part 2. January 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-0647-0. and 9月4日 その2 (in Japanese). July 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873135-3.
• Vol. 13 (ch. 116–127): September 10th. March 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1069-9. and 9月10日 (in Japanese). November 2001. ISBN 978-4-08-873180-3.
• Vol. 14 (ch. 128–139): The Secret of Greed Island. May 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1070-5. and 島の秘密 (in Japanese). April 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873262-6.
• Vol. 15 (ch. 140–151): Progress. July 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1071-2. and 躍進 (in Japanese). October 2002. ISBN 978-4-08-873314-2.
• Vol. 16 (ch. 152–163): Face-Off. September 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1072-9. and 対決 (in Japanese). February 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873382-1.
• Vol. 17 (ch. 164–175): A Fierce Three-Way Struggle. November 2007. ISBN 978-1-4215-1073-6. and 三つ巴の攻防 (in Japanese). June 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873443-9.
• Vol. 18 (ch. 176–187): Chance Encounter. January 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1471-0. and 邂逅 (in Japanese). October 2003. ISBN 978-4-08-873516-0.
• Vol. 19 (ch. 188–199): N.G.L.. March 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1786-5. and NGL (in Japanese). February 2004. ISBN 978-4-08-873562-7.
• Vol. 20 (ch. 200–211): Weakness. May 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1787-2. and 弱点 (in Japanese). June 2004. ISBN 978-4-08-873607-5.
• Vol. 21 (ch. 212–223): Reunion. July 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1788-9. and 再会 (in Japanese). February 2005. ISBN 978-4-08-873661-7.
• Vol. 22 (ch. 224–235): 8: Part 1. September 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1789-6. and 8-① (in Japanese). July 2005. ISBN 978-4-08-873792-8.
• Vol. 23 (ch. 236–247): 6: Part 1. November 2008. ISBN 978-1-4215-1790-2. and 6-① (in Japanese). March 2006. ISBN 978-4-08-873882-6.
• Vol. 24 (ch. 248–260): 1: Part 4. January 2009. ISBN 978-1-4215-2216-6. and 1-④ (in Japanese). October 2007. ISBN 978-4-08-874453-7.
• Vol. 25 (ch. 261–270): Charge. March 2009. ISBN 978-1-4215-2588-4. and 突入 (in Japanese). March 2008. ISBN 978-4-08-874535-0.
• Vol. 26 (ch. 271–280): We Meet Again. January 2010. ISBN 978-1-4215-3068-0. and 再会 (in Japanese). October 2008. ISBN 978-4-08-874610-4.
• Vol. 27 (ch. 281–290): Name. March 2011. ISBN 978-1-4215-3862-4. and 名前 (in Japanese). December 2009. ISBN 978-4-08-870065-6.
• Vol. 28 (ch. 291–300): Regeneration. September 2012. ISBN 978-1-4215-4260-7. and 再生 (in Japanese). July 2011. ISBN 978-4-08-870326-8.
• Vol. 29 (ch. 301–310): Memory. January 2013. ISBN 978-1-4215-4261-4. and 記憶 (in Japanese). August 2011. ISBN 978-4-08-870327-5.
• Vol. 30 (ch. 311–320): Answer. May 2013. ISBN 978-1-4215-5267-5. and 返答 (in Japanese). April 2012. ISBN 978-4-08-870450-0.
• Vol. 31 (ch. 321–330): Joining the Fray. December 2013. ISBN 978-1-4215-5887-5. and 参戦 (in Japanese). December 2012. ISBN 978-4-08-870697-9.
• Vol. 32 (ch. 331–340): Crushing Defeat. April 2014. ISBN 978-1-4215-5912-4. and 完敗 (in Japanese). December 2012. ISBN 978-4-08-870698-6.
• Vol. 33 (ch. 341–350): Threats. March 2017. ISBN 978-1-42-159264-0. and 厄災 (in Japanese). June 2016. ISBN 978-4-08-880352-4.
• Vol. 34 (ch. 351–360): Battle to the Death. March 2018. ISBN 978-1-42-159948-9. and 死闘 (in Japanese). June 2017. ISBN 978-4-08-881248-9.
• Vol. 35 (ch. 361–370): Ship of Fools. March 2019. ISBN 978-1-9747-0306-7. and 念獣 (in Japanese). February 2018. ISBN 978-4-08-881455-1.
• Vol. 36 (ch. 371–380): Balance. August 2019. ISBN 978-1-9747-0841-3. and 均衡 (in Japanese). October 2018. ISBN 978-4-08-881640-1.
• Vol. 37 (ch. 381–390): Escape. October 2023. ISBN 978-1-9747-1540-4. and 脱出 (in Japanese). November 2022. ISBN 978-4-08-883365-1.
• Vol. 38 (ch. 391–400): Founding. and 結成 (in Japanese). September 2024. ISBN 978-4-08-884279-0.