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Villain Overview

I don't mind dying as long as it means the rest of my family will be safe... Killua will suffer for the rest of his life. And I will live on forever... in Killua's heart...!!
~ Illumi Zoldyck.
Now I can tell you, that you would not make a good Hunter. Your calling is as an assassin. There's no fire in you, just darkness. It sustains you, drains you of any desire. Your only joy is in causing death, and even that is fleeting. That is how Dad and I molded you.
~ Illumi Zoldyck to Killua.
I will kill you. Right here, right now.
~ Illumi responding to Hisoka's request to kill Killua.
Killing within the family of prohibited. But if you wish "it", that's different. Now then, are you ready to do me in?
~ Illumi Zoldyck.

Illumi Zoldyck is a major antagonist in the manga/anime series Hunter x Hunter. He is Killua Zoldyck's oldest brother and archenemy and a Phantom Troupe member; Illumi currently seems to be the only person that Hisoka claims as his friend, although their relationship is unconventional.

In Japanese, he was voiced by Urara Takano in the 1999 anime and Masaya Matsukaze in the 2011 anime. In English, he was voiced by Victor Atelevich in the 1999 anime and Chris Hackney in the 2011 anime.

Appearance[]

Illumi appears expressionless, his face like an emotionless mask. He has very long jet-black hair combed behind his head and very large, dark eyes. To disguise himself as Gittarackur, Illumi uses large round head pins to reconstruct his facial structure beyond recognition. The pins in his chest seem to affect the muscles in his body, as he looks more slender without them.

When he was younger, Illumi's hair only reached his shoulders. He wore long sleeves with a shirt underneath, as well as grey pants.

Personality[]

Illumi, for the most part, displays very little emotion. In contrast to his expressionless demeanor, Illumi often speaks in a somewhat joyful and absent-minded tone. He is generally a stony, ruthless person with an extremely cold way of thinking, reflecting only his own interests. Still, he holds a twisted and overprotective form of love for his younger brother, Killua; this manifests to the point that he used his Nen ability to control Killua and ensure he survives and obeys.

He and his father raised Killua to believe that the only thing sustaining him was darkness, and that he could only obtain joy in causing the death of others. To ensure that Killua would live to carry on the family business, and as a means of protecting his little brother, Illumi implanted a needle in Killua's brain, forcing the latter to run from battles he wasn't sure he could win.

He also has an unusual friendship with Hisoka, although it is unclear how it developed. Illumi once came to the aid of Hisoka by standing in for him as a double in the Phantom Troupe's hideout while Hisoka attempted to find Chrollo. However, when Hisoka asked Illumi if it would be okay if he killed Killua, Illumi displayed a terrifying side of himself and asked if Hisoka wanted to die then and there. This reaction was similar to how Hisoka reacted after Illumi debated whether to kill Gon during the Hunter Exam, whom he saw as a threat due to his closeness with Killua.

Illumi cares for most of the Zoldyck family members, with Killua appearing to be his favorite. He is willing to handle Alluka's power, even if it costs him his life. He has stated, however, that family members are not allowed to kill during an inner mission (a mission where there is internal conflict) but insinuates that he would be fine with killing Alluka and does not consider Alluka a member of the family.

Tsubone implies that Illumi's sinister ambition to control Alluka's power even caused him to stray from the path of an assassin.

Biography[]

Illumi is the eldest son of Silva and Kikyo and was raised from birth in the art of assassination. He trained Killua to become an assassin. Illumi was sent by his mother to watch over Killua, who also entered the Hunter Exam.

In order to control the development and actions of his younger brother, as well as protect him, prior to the series Illumi inserted a needle into Killua's brain, forcing him to run away from the battles he wasn't sure he could win.

Powers and Abilities[]

Illumi has all the benefits granted by his status as a Hunter. Furthermore, as a member of the Zoldyck Family, he has vast wealth and capable underlings at his disposal. His family name alone is enough to scare many. Illumi has been trained since birth in assassination techniques. Hisoka rates Illumi's overall strength and Nen at 95 points (out of 100), which makes him considerably stronger than some members of the Zodiacs.

Thanks to his training, he possesses rare abilities, such as strong resistance to poison, high tolerance to electricity, great agility and physical strength, and advanced armed and unarmed combat techniques. He was able to single-handedly wipe out a squadron of rookie and pro Hunters before any of them had the chan ce to react. He is also a very skilled impersonator (which can be seen in his camouflage as Gittarackur). He might have superhuman control over his body, as he told Hisoka he was going to sleep for five days.

  • Enhanced Speed: While the true extent of Illumi's physical abilities is unknown, he is at least fast enough to run through a crowd and stick his needles into multiple targets without being noticed. His speed allowed him to kill a group of Hunters before any of them could ask for help.
  • High Pain Tolerance: Illumi does not flinch when Gon breaks his arm; afterward, he exhibits no visible distress from the pain.
  • Intelligence: Illumi is able to formulate accurate predictions, especially concerning Alluka's power, since he was able to completely understand the method in which Killua's wishes were granted with no further consequences. He has also foreseen Killua's movements from the moment he took Alluka to heal Gon, assuring his high deductive intelligence.
  • Body Alteration: Using his needles, Illumi can alter his body into his "Gittarackur" disguise. If removed so, it will simply revert him back to his original form.
  • Master Thrower: Illumi can throw multiple needles with high accuracy, always hitting the target with their point, despite them not appearing balanced. He can even pierce rock-hard materials with them, which could be due to some sort of emitted Nen being attached to the needles themselves or his sheer physical strength.
  • Necromancy: Illumi can use his Nen needles to manipulate the corpses of any individuals. The manipulated corpses lack a will of their own, but they are are capable of performing many actions. Sometimes, he can manipulate corpses in order to deceive onlookers.
  • Mind Control: Illumi implanted a needle in Killua's brain to secure his survivability, ensuring his little brother will withdraw from fights he can't win. The needles can be given a set order and will activate if the target victim violates the given orders.
  • Nen: Illumi is a Manipulator-type Nen. His ability is called Needle People, which means he can simply stick his needles to a person and issue an order. While the Needle People are notably inhuman due to their movements, those struck with two needles have more human-like behavior.

Trivia[]

  • The Official Hunter × Hunter Character and World Databook has spelled Illumi as "Yellmi Zaoldyck".
  • It was hinted that Illumi knew Chrollo Lucilfer before the Yorknew City arc started.
  • Illumi may come from an Italian word ("illuminato") that means "enlightened," the opposite of Illumi Zoldyck's personality. However, his name may also be related to the Illuminati, whose goal is to control the world. Illumi is also a Manipulator, which fits with the Illuminati's iconic description.

Navigation[]

           Hunter x Hunter Villains

Zoldyck Family
Illumi Zoldyck | Kalluto Zoldyck | Kikyo Zoldyck | Milluki Zoldyck | Silva Zoldyck

Phantom Troupe
Chrollo Lucilfer | Bonolenov Ndongo | Feitan Portor | Franklin Bordeau | Illumi Zoldyck | Kalluto Zoldyck | Machi Komacine | Nobunaga Hazama | Pakunoda | Phinks Magcub | Shalnark | Shizuku Murasaki | Uvogin | Kortopi | Omokage (non-canon)

Greed Island
Bombers (Genthru | Sub | Bara) | Death Row Convicts (Bopobo) | Binolt

Kakin Empire Royal Family
Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou | Benjamin Hui Guo Rou | Camilla Hui Guo Rou | Tubeppa Hui Guo Rou | Zhang Lei Hui Guo Rou

Kakin Empire Mafia Families
Heil-Ly Family
Morena Prudo | Padaille | Luini | Cashew | Quorolle | Tevelares | Bille | Daemon | Gelato | Matvere | Perigord | Voconte
Cha-R Family
Brocco Li | Tajao | Ken'i Wang | Ittoku | Tsudonke | Sun-bin
Xi-Yu Family
Onior Longbao | Hinrigh Biganduffno | Connelly | Lynch Fullbokko | Zakuro Custard | Misha Hao

Dark Continent Calamities
Five Threats
Ai | Brion | Pap | Hellbell | Zobae Disease
Chimera Ants
Royal Family
Chimera Ant Queen | Meruem
Royal Guards
Neferpitou | Shaiapouf | Menthuthuyoupi
Squadron Leaders
Zazan | Leol | Cheetu | Peggy | Yunju | Alligator
Officers
Bat | Centipede | Flutter | Gun-toting Ant | Hina | Hollow | Mosquito | Ortho Siblings | Pike | Rammot

Neutral/Others
Gyro | Beyond Netero | Pariston Hill | Hisoka Morow | Zegin Highline | Johness the Dissector | Sadaso | Saiyu | Gido | Riehlvelt | Jed | Ming Jol-ik

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