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| “ | Those eyes. That look. That spirit... I can't wait... to break you. | „ |
| ~ Hisoka Morow during his fight with Gon. |
| “ | My greatest pleasure comes when people like you buckle to their knees and I look down upon their disbelieving faces as their plans fail. ♥ | „ |
| ~ Hisoka Morow to Chrollo Lucilfer. |
| “ | Opposites attract.♥ I'd bet we'd get along.♥ We could be great friends.♦ But be careful, as Transmuters are fickle... What used to be valuable can instantly turn to chaff.♠ | „ |
| ~ Hisoka Morow |
| “ | Pop quiz. You shot 24 coins at me. How many will I send back at you? (...) The answer? Enough to kill you. A reaper's quiz needs no answer. | „ |
| ~ Hisoka, killing Gotoh. |
Hisoka Morow is one of the main antagonists of the manga/anime series Hunter × Hunter. He is an enigmatic magician/serial killer who is always in search for strong opponents, going so far as to spare those who have great potential, such as Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck.
Hisoka is both an enemy or ally to both Gon and Killua, depending on the situation, being the former's arch-rival, as well as Illumi Zoldyck's on & off partner in crime. He's also the archenemy of Chrollo Lucilfer, having used to be a former associate of the Phantom Troupe, until he broke off with them and killed two of their members, earning Chrollo and the troupe's hatred.
In the 1999 anime, he was voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in Japanese and Brendan Hunter in English. In the 2011 anime, he was voiced by Daisuke Namikawa (who also voiced Rock in Black Lagoon, Beelzebub in Record of Ragnarok, Dr. Genus in One-Punch Man and Yoshiuo Minamoto in My Bride is a Mermaid) in Japanese and Keith Silverstein (who also voiced Johan Liebert in Monster, Chairman Rose in Pokemon: Twilight Wings, Masayoshi Shido in Persona 5, Hawk Moth in Miraculous Ladybug, Deep Sea King in One-Punch Man, Dr. Wily in Mega Man 11, Aaroniero Arruruerie in Bleach, Doctor Tomoe in Sailor Moon, the Cat Mask Seller in A Whisker Away, Kurozumi Orochi in One Piece, and Captain Gantu in Stitch!) in English.
Quick Answers
What is the driving force behind Hisoka Morow's actions in Hunter x Hunter?
What is Hisoka Morow's relationship with the Phantom Troupe in Hunter x Hunter?
How does Hisoka Morow's role fluctuate between ally and enemy in Hunter x Hunter?
What led to Hisoka Morow's break off with the Phantom Troupe in Hunter x Hunter?
Appearance[]
Hisoka's appearance resembles a joker or a jester. He is a very tall (6'2") and thin man of about 28 years. He has red hair (blonde in the manga) that points upwards and very pale skin. On his face, he paints his left cheek with a fuchsia star and his right cheek with a green teardrop. He has golden-yellow eyes which often appear eerie and sinister. During his time at the Phantom Troupe, Hisoka wore a fake Spider tattoo created by Texture Surprise, located in his upper back.
His attire is usually adorned with various suit symbols on the front and back torso, and he changes outfits in each story arc.
Personality[]
Hisoka getting aroused while fighting Gon
| “ | Don't look at me like that. You're making me all... excited! ♥ | „ |
| ~ Hisoka while fighting Gon |
Hisoka is portrayed as a cocky, boastful, hedonistic, and self-serving man. He has an insane lust for blood and enjoys fighting strong opponents. While he does like Gon, Killua, and many others, he has stated that, for him, what is valuable one day could easily become trash the next, and he will not hesitate to kill anyone should they not meet his standards.
Hisoka kills people he deems "unworthy," regardless of age or sex. He displays some sadomasochistic tendencies as he derives pleasure from fighting, regardless if he's beating his opponents or getting beaten. In a way, he is more amoral than evil, despite his sociopathic and malevolent nature. Despite his lust to fight strong opponents, Hisoka knows his limits - since he didn't try to attack Netero when he left his guard down or stated that fighting Chrollo Lucilfer was actually too much for him to handle. Hisoka is also shown to be a highly manipulative, cunning, crafty, and deceitful magician. Aside from his paraphilia towards fighting, Hisoka is also shown to have more conventional attractions, such as the case with Machi, whom Hisoka appears to occasionally lust after.
Throughout the series, he wears "women's" shoes and uses an alluring and seductive speech style typically reserved for females in Japanese. In the manga, he ends nearly every sentence with a suit symbol.
Biography[]
Background[]
Not much is known about Hisoka's history, because he is typically uninterested in his past and focuses on the present - especially when in the presence of strong opponents he deems "worthy." He kills anyone who opposes him or weaker than him in battle.
It is stated that Hisoka chewed "Bungee Gum" a lot as a child, but because his family was very poor, he often chewed it until it lost its flavor. He later named his signature Nen technique after the brand.
Hunter Exam arc[]
Hisoka is introduced as an applicant for the Hunter Exam - one of the most powerful contenders. He failed the exam the previous year, because he was disqualified after killed a proctor. Throughout this year's exam, he encounters Gon and takes an interest in him. Hisoka becomes somewhat protective of Gon, saying that the boy is his target only.
Heavens' Arena arc[]
When Gon and Killua reach the 200th floor in Heaven's Arena, Hisoka stops them and offers to fight Gon if he can win a match on the 200th floor. Hisoka then fights Kastro. At first, Hisoka plays around, and it seems like Kastro has the upper hand, with one of Hisoka's arms missing. Then, he kills Kastro, and reveals himself to be a member of the Phantom Troupe. He later pays Machi, a fellow member of the Phantom Troupe, a visit and gets her to reattach his severed arms.
Yorknew City arc[]
Hisoka is revealed, along with Machi, to be a member of Phantom troupe. He helps them out with stealing the bounties and expensive auctionable items at the World Auction. However, he is also seen to be betraying the Troupe members, as he helps Kurapika to carry out his killings simply for the sake of exciting pleasure. In this sense, Hisoka's duty is ultimately to his desires for amusement and entertainment, rather than to one specific group.
When Kurapika finally catches Chrollo Lucilfer (Kuroro Rushirufuru),and seals off his Nen powers with his Chain Jail, Hisoka, unaware of the seal on Chrollo's powers, challenges him to a fight. Hisoka then smugly reveals that he had never been a part of the Spiders, and, in fact, had been cheating on them.
Chrollo gives him a lukewarm reaction, smiling softly, and informs Hisoka about the seal on his powers. Hisoka isn't interested in fighting Chrollo without the use of Nen, so he resolves to fight him at a later unnamed date.
Greed Island arc[]
Hisoka is found to be using Chrollo Lucilfer's name as an alias in the game of Greed Island. However, he admits that he had been doing this to attract the attention of Troupe for purging the sealed Nen of Chrollo.
Upon being confronted by Killua and Gon, he decides to accompany them to a dodgeball game against Razor, who had formerly been a disciple of Gon's father, Ging, which results in Killua and Gon getting an ultra-rare card of the game. Hisoka also encounters Biscuit Krueger, the teacher of the teacher (whom she describes as a messy kid who always forgot to tuck in his shirt) of Gon and Killua, who is unsurprisingly attracted to him despite being twice his age (57, to his 28).
Hisoka leaves the two friends shortly after, remarking that he will come to them if he needs anything and using the cards provided by the game. This leads to Killua realizing that Hisoka had not been very unaware of the game tactics, and had been obviously lying.
Hisoka meets a Nen exorcist shortly after and asks him to remove the seal on Chrollo's powers.
Chairman Election arc[]
Hisoka is first seen arriving at the venue to cast his vote and inquire after Ging's presence. He is also seen to mentally calculate the powers of all the arriving Hunters on a scale of 100. When he is notified that Ging isn't there, he simply sits down and continues to rate the Hunters following the casting ballot.
After a while, he feels a strong presence behind him, who is revealed to be Illumi Zoldyck. He then accompanies Illumi on his mission to stop Killua from running away with Alluka and capture him.
Hisoka kills off the family butler of the Zoldycks, Gotoh, and is seen to be very keen and interested in the mission. Even so, Illumi catches on and comments that Hisoka is just accompanying him for some fun. Hisoka then admits that he thinks of everybody around him as a toy for his own amusement.
Despite his agreement with Illumi, Hisoka is seen to display his fickle-mindedness as he mentally argues whether to kill Alluka or Killua to gain the hatred of the Zoldyck brothers.
Succession Contest arc[]
Chrollo finally agrees to fight Hisoka in a death match at Heaven's Arena. As soon as the fight begins, Chrollo activates Shalnark's ability and takes control of the referee, using him to attack Hisoka while, the latter reckons, preparing to stick a second antenna in him. However, the second antenna was a feint and Chrollo kicks down Hisoka, then proceeding to stomp on him. Hisoka frees himself by hurling the referee at him. Chrollo then commands the referee to attack Hisoka again, but explodes before the two can make contact thanks to a new ability stolen by Chrollo, who is now also capable of using two abilities at the same time or one without needing to touch his book. Hisoka gets more and more excited as the fight progresses, but feels Chrollo is still holding back. The two then briefly discuss the latter's new abilities, with Hisoka rejoicing due to his opponent's newfound power.
Chrollo combines two abilities, Order Stamp and Kortopi's Gallery Fake, to attack Hisoka with a copy of the referee. However, thanks to Chrollo's explanation, Hisoka easily deactivates Order Stamp by beheading the puppet. Chrollo finally shows the last ability he has prepared, Convert Hands. Much to Hisoka's annoyance, before the two can trade blows again, Chrollo reveals that one of his abilities belongs to someone who is already dead. Hisoka instantly realizes it is because the user's Nen has become stronger after his death, and improves his guard. When he learns that, thanks to the creator's resolve, once affixed, the marks of Sun and Moon will never disappear unless they explode, Hisoka smiles, thinking that could indeed prove problematic. Although Chrollo claims that his victory is certain, Hisoka is willing to keep fighting and continues attacking him. The two end up in the audience, which Chrollo manipulates with Black Voice to attack Hisoka while disguising himself with Convert Hands.
Hisoka notices the antennae have disappeared and that Chrollo has already created copies with Gallery Fake. Then, around thirty copies controlled with Order Stamp start attacking him, forcing him to use Bungee Gum to retreat, but the puppets climb on top of each other and reach him. As he retaliates, Chrollo, having stolen someone else's clothes, maneuvers behind Hisoka, who prepares to counter, but is tricked by the opponent's feint and kicked in the nape. As he falls into the crowd of puppets, Hisoka is ecstatic. Struggling not to be overwhelmed, Hisoka begins dispatching the puppets, all the while taking damage from Chrollo's hit-and-run tactic. He manages to anticipate the latter's next move, flinging a severed head at him, but Chrollo dodges and kicks Hisoka, claiming he had seen him prepare the attack. However, Hisoka manages to hit him with a second projectile attached to his foot, replying he knows while coughing up blood.
He lands one more hit with the other head, forcing Chrollo to retreat. Unable to give chase, Hisoka disables more puppets and tries to figure out Chrollo's next move basing on whether Order Stamp and Gallery Fake are deactivated. When the stamp disappears from the head of a puppet, Hisoka manages to track down Chrollo in the audience, immobilizing him with Bungee Gum. However, he notices something is off and swiftly attacks him with the head. It is revealed the one he killed was a spectator Chrollo had been controlling with Black Voice and to whom he had given his appearance with Convert Hands.
However, as Gallery Fake is still active, Hisoka realizes that the copies on which Sun and Moon have been affixed will not disappear even if Chrollo is using other abilities. He moves back to the center of the arena, guessing Chrollo will have to launch an assault with all his puppets lest they are mistaken for injured spectators by the rescue personnel. In fact, Chrollo steals the announcer's microphone and orders to "break Hisoka," causing all the puppets with the stamp to rush at Hisoka, who proceeds to destroy them using the head as a projectile and by attaching Bungee Gum to multiple puppets and using them as a hammer. Suddenly, however, the head he was gripping explodes in his hand, heavily injuring it and obliterating four of his fingers.
Hisoka understands how Chrollo managed to make the head explode and quickly decapitates another puppet. Using Bungee Gum through his legs, he starts walking on the sides of a stand, destroying more puppets from that position before running away. However, he finds multiple explosive puppets waiting for him. Although he survives the explosion, he is blasted in the air towards another stand filled with Chrollo's explosive puppets. The loss of a leg prevents him from escaping to the ceiling, but before he can project Bungee Gum from his other leg, Chrollo throws two spectators at him, causing him to fall back into the ring. As the puppets prepare to attack him, Hisoka prepares for his death and is soon engulfed in an explosion.
The next time Hisoka is seen, he is, by all means, dead; presented before Kortopi, Shalnark and Machi, his face is extremely disfigured by the explosion, with one of the three wondering why he did not suffer more damage. Shalnark explains that he used a large portion of the puppets as a "meat shield," protecting him from the bulk of the explosion, but ultimately causing him to die from suffocation. Shalnark and Kortopi leave after Machi says that she'll stay to tend to his wounds. Closing his eyes before attempting to stitch up his neck, Machi is shocked to see his aura re-emerge from his body; she mistakenly believes this to be his Nen preserving after his death before it is revealed that he used Bungee Gum to restart his heart and lungs after his demise.
Greeting her rather cheerfully after coming back to life, Machi confirms that he was indeed dead for some time, after which Hisoka admits that fighting someone of Chrollo's league and hundreds of Nen puppets at the same time was more than he could handle, referring to the experience as a "wake up call." He then proceeds to mend and hide his wounds, whilst simultaneously replacing his missing arm and leg using Bungee Gum and Texture Surprise. After declaring that his next opponents won't have a choice in where and who they fight, he restrains Machi using Bungee Gum before she leaves, telling her that he shall kill all members of the Phantom Troupe. Struggling to get out, she shouts and swears at Hisoka, saying she'll kill him herself before Hisoka makes his exit.
The next time Hisoka is seen, Shalnark had just come off of the phone with Chrollo, discussing plans to board the Kakin Royal Family's ship and steal their valuables. While Shalnark is wondering what's taking Kortopi so long in the bathroom, Hisoka walks out instead. Shocked, Shalnark runs towards him before Hisoka throws Kortopi's severed head at him. After catching it, Shalnark cries out in shock, before Hisoka lands an extremely powerful attack to his head, killing him. Shalnark's mangled body is then seen tied to a swing with Kortopi's severed head in front of him and crows gathering around their corpses.
Two days later Hisoka boards the Kakin Royal Family's ship as the troupe goes about searching for him, forming a temporary allyship with the Xi-Yu Mafia Family to find him. At some point on tier 1 of the ship, Hisoka plays a game of Square X while he thinks of the disappointing revelation of prince Halkenburgs ability wishing he could fight or "love" someone to death one on one.
Powers and Abilities[]
Although he isn't in the same caliber as Meruem, Netero or Chrollo Lucilfer, Hisoka is undoubtedly one of the strongest characters in the series due to his versatile powers and high intelligence.
- Superhuman Strength: Hisoka was ranked 3rd in the Phantom Troupe for physical strength, being capable of shattering rocks and incapacitating powerful fighters with just a finger.
- Enhanced Speed & Reflexes: Hisoka's main attribute is his tremendous speed, easily faster than opponents going at speeds faster than the eye can see. He routinely outmatches his opponents and defeats them with extremely precise movements.
- Extreme pain-tolerance: Hisoka pain tolerance is very high, to the point where he hardly even notices when he is injured. Time and time again, he has shrugged off attacks that have crushed his limbs and kept fighting like nothing happened. This, coupled with superhuman durability, has lead to him to engage many fighters and leave the battlefield without a hint of exhaustion. His reflexes are remarkable, as he can easily dodge the barrage of attacks from his opponents with little to no effort as well as defeat multiple examinees in a single blow.
- Genius-level Intellect: Hisoka is arguabley one of the smartest characters in the series. Hisoka is quite observant and a master strategist, as he is able to guess an opponent's strength by merely looking at them. He is also able to predict his opponent's attacks before they even occur, enabling him to win numerous battles. Barring Chrollo, he has hardly lost a tactical battle when not playing around, even then he usually quits when he doesn't see the point of fighting or postpones the match until the other is stronger.
Nen Type: Transmutation[]
Bungee Gum (Elastic Love)[]
Hisoka using Bungee Gum to deflect Gotoh's coins.
| “ | Bungee Gum possesses the properties of both rubber and gum. | „ |
| ~ Hisoka explaining his nen ability, and one of his most infamous quotes |
Hisoka's signature ability allows him to manipulate his aura to mimic and combine the properties of gum and rubber. This ability is highly versatile and can be used in many situations, such as restraining opponents, deflecting attacks, or pulling things against him. The result is a very sticky gum-like mass that is deceptively strong. Bungee Gum enables Hisoka to ensnare his opponents and attack them with a flurry of punches. Hisoka can change its shape and size at will. This ability was named after Hisoka's favorite chewing gum.
Texture Surprise (Flimsy Lies)[]
Hisoka sealing his nen stitches with Texture Surprise
Hisoka can alter his appearance by attaching his aura to any thin surface, such as paper. However, this trick fails easily once physical contact is made. He can even use this ability to change writing to something he wishes, having altered his fortune that revealed his betrayal to a version that made it look like he was being forced against his will. By applying Texture Surprise on his body, Hisoka is able to seal his wounds, reattach limbs (though he still requires nen stitches to fully reattach them to his body), make fake tattoos and even recreate entire body parts using his sticky aura. This ability was named after Hisoka's favourite sticker brand.
Quotes[]
| “ | Hisoka: Gon is my prey. ♥ Touch him, and you'll suffer the consequences. ♣ Illumi: I know. I've only known you for a short while, but I know your tastes. So, Hisoka... what are you going to do now? |
„ |
| ~ Hisoka warning Illumi to not kill Gon |
| “ | Two down... Ten to go...♪ | „ |
| ~ Hisoka after killing Shalnark and Kortopi |
| “ | O, my rubber Nen... After I'm dead... come back to life!!! Along with my heart!!! And lungs!!! | „ |
| ~ Hisoka using Texture Surprise to restart his heart and revive himself and one of his most infamous quotes |
Themes[]
Kijutsushi no Baire[]
The Mad Bailaor[]
Kyoso Requiem (Hisoka's Character Song)[]
Trivia[]
- In the official databook, his name is "Hyskoa."
- Hisoka's name written in Kanji (密か) can mean "secretly."
- Hisoka's Nen abilities are named after his favorite candy and chewing gum brands.
- Hisoka's appearance as a clown, hairstyle, painted teardrops, and card-throwing skills may be references to another Yoshihiro Togashi character, Suzuki, from his earlier work YuYu Hakusho, when he was dressed up as a clown.
- Hisoka changes his appearance after each story arc, always wearing a different outfit adorned with his trademark card suit symbols.
- Hisoka's Hunter Exam number is 44. The number 4 has heavy implications of death in some Asian languages - including Japanese and Chinese - since it's synonymous with the word "death" or "to die." The number 44 can mean "certainty of death".
- Furthering his connection with the number, during his time in the Phantom Troupe, Hisoka was filling the place of the No. 4.
- In Episode 54 of the 2011 edition, Hisoka wrote a message, "the corpses were fake," using an emoticon (★—_—♠) of himself.
- Daisuke Namikawa also voices Ulquiorra Cifer, Rokuro Okajima, and Jellal Fernandes.
- Hisoka is often considered to be a very unusual villain, as his motivations can seem conflicting and confusing. His past decisions frequently contradict his later actions, and he is willing to entirely alter his behavior at a moment's notice in order to more aptly fit a situation.
External Links[]
- Hisoka Morow on the Hunter x Hunter Wiki
[]
 Villains
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Zoldyck Family Phantom Troupe Greed Island Trick Tower Prisoners Kakin Empire Royal Family Kakin Empire Mafia Families Dark Continent Calamities Republic of East Gorteau Neutral/Others | ||
 Fighting Game Villains
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Dragon Ball: Naruto: Bleach: One Piece: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Yu-Gi-Oh!: Fist of the North Star: Death Note: Hunter x Hunter: Yu Yu Hakusho: Assassination Classroom: Rurouni Kenshin: Original characters: | ||
 Villains
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The Abyss Agelta Drylands Cadia Riverlands Northern Vale Vonetis Sea Crossover | ||