Killua Zoldyck
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is a fictional character from ''
Hunter × Hunter ''Hunter × Hunter'' (pronounced "hunter hunter") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. It has been serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since March 1998, although the man ...
'', a
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series written by
Yoshihiro Togashi is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age, before being recognized for his talent by the publishing company Shueisha while attending college. Togashi has authored several different manga series in different Literary ge ...
. Killua is a skilled and rebellious twelve-year-old boy from the world's most notorious assassin family, the Zoldyck family. Bored and tired of killing, he meets ''Hunter × Hunter'''s young protagonist,
Gon Freecss is the protagonist of Yoshihiro Togashi's manga series ''Hunter × Hunter''. Gon is a young boy who discovers his father, Ging, who left Gon at a young age, is actually a world-renowned Hunter, a licensed professional who specializes in locat ...
, during the first portion of an examination for people who wish to become "Hunters". Aiming to escape his family and his past, Killua joins Gon's quest to find his missing father, and they work together to become stronger fighters. As the story goes on, they become inseparable friends. Killua has also featured as a character in two films and several video games. Killua was one of the first characters created in the making of ''Hunter × Hunter''. Togashi created Killua to fill the role of Gon's friend, and much of the relationship between the two characters was inspired by the protagonist's personality and young age. In creating Killua, Togashi was also inspired by several
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
and manga works that he enjoyed. In
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
adaptations of the manga, Killua has been voiced by Kanako Mitsuhashi and
Mariya Ise is a Japanese actress who specializes in voice acting. She played Riko Mine in '' Hidan no Aria'', Urara Kasugano/Cure Lemonade in ''Yes! PreCure 5'' and its sequels ''GoGo!'' and '' Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom'', Killua Zoldyck in '' H ...
in Japanese and Annika Odegard and
Cristina Vee Cristina Danielle Valenzuela (born July 11, 1987), known professionally as Cristina Vee, or Cristina "Vee" Valenzuela, is an American voice actress. She provides voices for English dubs of anime, animation, and video games. Early life and ed ...
in English. Killua became a popular character and an inspiration to both other manga artists, some of whom based characters on Killua, and readers who went on to do
cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...
. Critics have praised his characterization, particularly the character arc in which he overcomes his brooding personality and becomes devoted to Gon. He has often been recognized as one of the best characters in the series.


Creation

After creating the protagonist of the manga ''Hunter x Hunter'',
Gon Freecss is the protagonist of Yoshihiro Togashi's manga series ''Hunter × Hunter''. Gon is a young boy who discovers his father, Ging, who left Gon at a young age, is actually a world-renowned Hunter, a licensed professional who specializes in locat ...
, manga author
Yoshihiro Togashi is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age, before being recognized for his talent by the publishing company Shueisha while attending college. Togashi has authored several different manga series in different Literary ge ...
conceived two important characters: a friend and a villain of Gon. Killua was set to be Gon's friend while the character Hisoka Morow would be Gon's antagonist. Togashi made Killua the same age as Gon in order to make the friendship between the two characters natural. He developed a rough sense of Killua's circumstances, such as that he would have superhuman physical abilities and be from a family of assassins, then designed Killua's appearance to fit his circumstances and background. Finally, Togashi wrote Killua interacting with Gon and the series' other two main characters, Leorio and Kurapika, and from this developed Killua's personality. Both Killua and Hiei from ''
YuYu Hakusho is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. It tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and killed by a car while saving a child's life. After several tests presented to him ...
'' were inspired by characters from the manga ''
Patalliro! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mineo Maya. The comedy manga was serialized in ''Hana to Yume'' from 1978 to 1990, before switching to ''Bessatsu Hana to Yume'' in 1991, and now currently is serialized on the app M ...
'' by
Mineo Maya is a Japanese manga artist born in 1953. His series ''Patalliro!'' is one of the List of best-selling manga, best-selling and the longest-running shōjo manga of all time. Life Maya was born in Niigata (city), Niigata. He made his debut as a ...
; ''Patalliro!'' was an influence on Togashi's work, as he read it and other works while working to write manga. When deciding on his appearance, Togashi referred to multiple works he has enjoyed seeing. In the case of Killua, around the time that he was deciding what number child of the assassin family he would be, thoughts of Kuroyume's manga, Atsushi Kamijō, ''
Multiple Personality Detective Psycho ''MPD Psycho'', short for , is a Japanese manga series written by Eiji Ōtsuka and illustrated by Shōu Tajima. ''MPD Psycho'' is a very successful series having sold more than four million copies in Japan as of 2007. It was originally publi ...
'', 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 subtle references to Kamijō and Shou Tajima. In the first animated adaptation of ''Hunter x Hunter'' by
Nippon Animation is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with its headquarters in their Tama, Tokyo, Tama City studio and an administrative office in the Ginza district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō. Nippon Animation is known for prod ...
, the staff was catching up to the printed adaptation and thus planned their own original ending. In this original scenario, Killua and Gon split after their friend Kurapika's death while facing criminals, and there is a timeskip of seven years until the final episode. In the final episode, a now adult Killua returns to Gon's home in Whale Island alongside his father under a job that would result in him killing Gon in the process. Upon being notified of this scenario, Togashi rejected the story, and the 1999 television series instead ended with Kurapika's reunion with his friends, which is followed in
original video animations , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
that follow the manga instead.


Casting

Killua is voiced by Kanako Mitsuhashi in the 1999 series and
Mariya Ise is a Japanese actress who specializes in voice acting. She played Riko Mine in '' Hidan no Aria'', Urara Kasugano/Cure Lemonade in ''Yes! PreCure 5'' and its sequels ''GoGo!'' and '' Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom'', Killua Zoldyck in '' H ...
in the 2011 series in Japanese. For the English dubs, Annika Odegard voices him in the 1999 series, and
Cristina Vee Cristina Danielle Valenzuela (born July 11, 1987), known professionally as Cristina Vee, or Cristina "Vee" Valenzuela, is an American voice actress. She provides voices for English dubs of anime, animation, and video games. Early life and ed ...
in the 2011 series. Mitsuhashi said she found the work challenging, especially during the ''Greed Island Final''
original video animations , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
, but still found it enjoyable to work beside Biscuit Krueger's actress, Chieko Higuchi, during this anime production, especially since their mentor developed a mother relationship with the two protagonists. Ise's performance was met with a positive response by Togashi himself on 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 ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' title character
Naruto Uzumaki () is the title character, titular protagonist of the manga ''Naruto'', created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is a ninja from the fictional . As a boy, Naruto is ridiculed and ostracized on account of the Kurama (Naruto), Nine-Tailed Demon Fox—a ...
, but is not sure if she might get a chance to portray Killua again due to the manga taking a focus on other characters as Killua and Gon stopped being the focus of the series in the Dark Continent story arc.
Cristina Vee Cristina Danielle Valenzuela (born July 11, 1987), known professionally as Cristina Vee, or Cristina "Vee" Valenzuela, is an American voice actress. She provides voices for English dubs of anime, animation, and video games. Early life and ed ...
said that while Killua comes across as a 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 her interested in the story. She originally auditioned for three characters, Gon, Killua and Kurapika and was accepted for Killua. She often saw cosplayers of Killua and Gon at conventions of fans, attracted especially because the cosplayers were always duos.


Appearances


In the ''Hunter × Hunter'' manga

Killua is initially introduced as a mischievous child who befriends the young protagonist Gon during the examination of Hunters. 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. 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. 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. 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. While training in an arena to earn money, Killua and Gon learn about the energy called Nen from a Hunter called
Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
. Killua's Nen type is Transmutation, which he utilizes by altering his aura into electricity, aided also by his resistance his body had due to his violent upbringing. From there, Killua accompanies Gon on his journey to find his missing father, Ging, who left a clue in the form of a memory from a rare video game called ''Greed Island''. After helping Kurapika with dealing with a criminal organization known as the Spider, Killua and Gon "enter into" ''Greed Island'', which was found in an auction. They are actually transported to lands maintained by Nen users trained further under Biscuit Krueger. Killua develops his Hatsu, which involves various uses of electricity to increase his physical capabilities, such as , which allows him to move at immeasurable speeds. In fights that take place during Greed Island, Killua's hands are wounded, forcing him to use yoyos as weapons in place of electricity. After becoming one of the first people to beat ''Greed Island'', Killua and Gon use their prize to find Ging but instead end up finding him and Gon's mentor, Kite. They help stop the Chimera Ants, where Killua fears being killed several times when facing more powerful enemies than him, a result of Illumi's instructions to be extremely cautious and only engage in combat if victory is absolutely certain. Upon being confronted with the idea of losing Gon, Killua faces his fears and removes Illumi's needle. Killua and Gon join a group to exterminate the Chimera Ant Exterminators and save Kite, but Gon's rage over the latter's state depresses Killua. Following the Chimera's defeat, Killua frees his sibling Alluka Zoldyck to use the special abilities to heal the dying Gon following the battle with the Chimera Neferpitou. This causes another fight between Killua and his family, but he manages to escape from Illumi. After Gon is healed, Killua has him apologize over his recent rude demeanor. As Gon completes his journey and meets Ging, Killua decides to part ways and travel the world with Alluka.


Other media

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 The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...
such as ''
Jump Super Stars is a 2D crossover fighting game for the Nintendo DS, based on ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' characters. It was developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo. The game was released on August 8, 2005, in Japan and accompanied the release of a red ...
,'' ''
Jump Ultimate Stars ''Jump Ultimate Stars'' is a 2006 crossover fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS.Tor Thorsen, "Jump! Ultimate Stars details dished", GameSpot, September 28, 2006, It is the sequel to '' Jum ...
,'' '' J-Stars Victory VS'', and '' Jump Force''.


Reception

The character has appeared in first place in the series' first two popularity polls. Killua was one of the five recipients for the "Best Boys of the Decade" category in the
Funimation Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...
's Decade of Anime fan poll. 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 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. It was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen manga, manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from March 2018 to September 2024, with its chapters collected in 30 volumes. The ...
'' due to physical and personality similarities. When
Mariya Ise is a Japanese actress who specializes in voice acting. She played Riko Mine in '' Hidan no Aria'', Urara Kasugano/Cure Lemonade in ''Yes! PreCure 5'' and its sequels ''GoGo!'' and '' Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom'', Killua Zoldyck in '' H ...
was cast to portray the younger Gojo in a flashback from the anime's second season, ''
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'' 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 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. It was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen manga, manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from March 2018 to September 2024, with its chapters collected in 30 volumes. The ...
'' manga author
Gege Akutami is a Japanese manga artist known for the manga series ''Jujutsu Kaisen''. Biography Gege Akutami was born in Iwate Prefecture, afterwards he moved to Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture in fifth grade. Akutami began drawing manga by mimicking a frie ...
was also influenced by Killua's character when he saw the deteriorated state Gon was brought down in after using his entire health to defeat the Chimera Pitou. This resulted in a similar scene from ''Jujutsu Kaisen'' where the protagonist,
Yuji Itadori is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the manga series ''Jujutsu Kaisen'' created by Gege Akutami. Yuji is a first-year Jujutsu Sorcerer at Tokyo Jujutsu High who is thrown into the world of sorcery after he ate a Cursed Object ...
, stares at his friend, Megumi Fushiguro, in horror when he becomes the new vessel of the villain,
Ryomen Sukuna is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the manga and anime series '' Jujutsu Kaisen'' created by Gege Akutami. A Heian Era sorcerer, he was once known notoriously as the King of Curses and well known as the greatest Sorcerer to ev ...
.
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has also created marketing using Killua's image. In regards to critical response, '' THEM Anime Reviews'' found Killua's brooding personality as a counterpoint for Gon's kind personality, and their friendship felt appealing. Website ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' listed Killua as one of their "favorite boys" in on how determined he 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 ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
'' 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 is a Culture of Japan, Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with an initially harsh personality who gradually reveals a warmer, friendlier side over time. The word is derived from the terms (adverb, 'mo ...
archetype, shy to express his feelings for Gon and often clashing 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 of 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 Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...
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 arc where the cast battles the Chimeras, ''The Fandom Post'' said that Killua became more likable than Gon due to Gon become antagonistic to the Chimeras and hurting Killua's feelings during his emotional outbursts. ''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. In analysis of such an arc, ''Polygon'' said the narrative the characters are into continuously tests Gon's and Killua's relationship as the former becomes selfish in his quest to save Kite until it is made impossible for the duo to be together. Michaela Bakker of
Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...
said about the following arc that Killua is shown to be the only member of his family to care about Alluka's well-being, giving the impression of accepting the apparent transgender sibling since the gender identity of Alluka is presented in a subtle fashion by the family who locked the child while Killua wishes his sibling to be free regardless of gender.


References


''Hunter × Hunter'' manga


Entire series

* Togashi, Yoshihiro. ''ハンター×ハンター unter × Hunter' (in Japanese). 36 vols. Tokyo:
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
, 1998–present. *Togashi, Yoshihiro. ''Hunter × Hunter''. 36 vols. San Francisco:
Viz Media Viz Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, ...
, 2005–present.


Individual volumes

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Specific

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoldyck, Killua Anime and manga characters who can move at superhuman speeds Anime and manga characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Anime and manga characters with superhuman strength Anime and manga characters introduced in 1998 Child characters in anime and manga Fictional assassins in comics Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities Fictional characters with extrasensory perception Fictional hunters Fictional skateboarders Fictional torture victims Fictional victims of child abuse Hunter × Hunter characters Male characters in anime and manga Martial artist characters in anime and manga Teenage characters in anime and manga