| “ | You fail as a Royal Guard! (...) You don't want him to be with that woman!!!! An absolute King feeling concern for a lowly human... visiting the chambers of a lowly human by choice... It is unforgivable! But... that's probably where the King is... You fail as a Royal Guard not because you didn't know his whereabouts... but because you didn't go there even though you knew! | „ |
| ~ Pouf berating himself for not finding Meruem, who went to protect Komugi when the palace is attacked. |
Shaiapouf, also known as Pouf, is one of the secondary antagonists of the Chimera Ant arc in the manga/anime series Hunter x Hunter. Shaiapouf is a butterfly-like Chimera Ant and one of King Meruem's three Royal Guards, alongside Neferpitou and Menthuthuyoupi.
Out of all of the three, Shaiapouf is arguably the evilest among them, as he is heavily obsessed with the king to the point that he is willing to ensure Meruem stayed as the king he envisioned him to be, even willing to kill Komugi, Meruem's human friend.
He was voiced by Wataru Hatano in Japanese and Chris Niosi (who also voiced Kawaki in Boruto: Naruto Next Generetions, Conrad Leto in Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King and Garma Zabi in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin) in English.
Appearance[]
Unlike the other Royal Guards, Shaiapouf resembles more a human. He looked like a young adult, with a tall and lanky frame, thistle purple skin, and short dark blond hair, covering up his forehead and ears. The only insect parts that Pouf had were his multi-colored butterfly wings and antennae. He wore a frilly white shirt, black pants and a pair of black shoes.
Personality[]
In the beginning, Shaiapouf posited himself as the calmest and most rational of the three Royal Guards, often speaking about the importance of logic and reasoning, more than his emotions. However, his intense devotion to the Chimera Ant King clouded his judgment. He held a preconceived absolute ideal to live up to, with no room for amendment. Pouf also held the King to a similarly impossible ideal, manifesting in mad fanatical monologues and treacherous action when it appeared that his lord was being led astray. He was often seen reading books and playing his violin; he usually played this instrument while talking or whenever he was agitated.
Shaiapouf vehemently loathed Komugi. He believed the woman to be holding back the King from his supposed right to world domination, as the pinnacle of evolution and had made several attempts to eliminate her as a result of his petty loathsome feelings towards Komugi. A master of psychological games and subterfuge, Shaiapouf was willing to deceive, betray, and murder anyone in order to preserve his image to the King.
In crises involving the Chimera Ant King, Pouf forsook delegated duty and acted solely according to the sway of his emotions. Shaiapouf was indeed the most irrational of the three Royal Guards; manic and demented by his magnification and love for the King. In the end, Shaiapouf became loyal only to his "version" of the King, not Meruem himself, and would always try to change the King to that version while getting privately enraged when it did not happen. Of all the three guards, Pouf proved himself to be the only one who was genuinely disloyal to the King himself and grew the least out of the three.
Biography[]
Shaiapouf is the second-born royal guard his only purpose in life is to protect the ant king Meruem, Shaiapouf is willing to do anything to make sure the kind is safe and will not let human ideologies such as compassion, love, or kindness cloud his mind as Shaiapouf fears it will make him weak, Shaiapouf is even going to the extreme of attempting to murder Meruem only real companion Komugi and even make him forget she even existed. Shaiapouf believes the love that Meruem has for Komugi is holding the king back from his true potential, Shaiapouf also shows jealousy towards her for receiving most of Meruem's attention to do this Shaiapouf loathes Komugi and wants her erased from the king's life.
Shaiapouf views himself as the most sophisticated and level headed of the three Royal Guards, he believes speaks in a with logic over his emotions but it has been proven more than once that Shaiapouf rarely thinks with logic over is emotions, but his actions of the anime were to do his devotion to please or kill anyone who might cause Meruem in order to preserve his image to the King, even if it means damaging the Chimera Ant kingdom. Shaiapouf is the most irrational and selfish of the three Royal Guards mainly due to him choosing his own morality over the king's happiness.
Shaiapouf is the last Royal Guard to die as he is killed by the Miniature Rose's poison, then he fell down to the floor dead with tears in his eyes and his mouth covered in blood.
Powers and Abilities[]
Being one of the Royal Guards of the Chimera Ant King, Shaiapouf is more powerful than the Squadron Leaders and shows considerable strength throughout the course of the series, despite being a newborn Chimera Ant. According to Colt, Shaiapouf like most of the Royal Guard is capable of defeating Isaac Netero, the 12th chairman of the Hunter Association, who is immensely powerful even at his old age. Most of his abilities are centered in manipulation-type Nen. He is able to exploit the emotions of others, shape-shift himself into an another person, or even split his body into smaller forms.
- Nen: Shaiapouf's Nen type is a Manipulation-type Nen. He can encase a certain person in cocoon to transfer Nen powers, however the person inside the cocoon lacks consciousness until the metamorphosis is complete. He can also summon scales of En, allowing him to perceive the emotions of others. This Nen ability is called "Spiritual Massage."
- Genius-level intellect: He is considered to be the most intelligent among the three Royal Guards. He has shown to be able to think of numerous possible strategies and scenarios, however his love and loyalty for the King often led to his judgment getting clouded. This combines with his ability to read his opponent's minds and emotions makes him a formidable foe. He also has a keen knowledge in the human society, explaining to Meruem how certain politicians can gain power through bloodline and connections.
- Superhuman capabilities: Despite his somehow slim appearance, Shaiapouf shows immense powers for a Chimera Ant. He has shown to be superhumanly powerful that he can destroy numerous rubbles and debris with a single punch fly at a considerable speed, and has also survived an attack from Meruem who have hit him for his insubordination, while in spite of the others whipped by the King's tail which ended up getting decapitated.
- Body splitting: Shaiapouf's Nen ability allows him to split his body into a swarm of smaller forms known as "Beelzebub". Each of these smaller forms have their own tasks such as surveillance, creating an imperfect copy of himself, or as a means of diversion and escape.
- Shape-shifting: He can use his Nen ability to morph himself into the likeness of another person. This process has also shown to be able to heal injuries, even the fatal ones.
- Power bestowal: Shaiapouf has given other known Chimera Ants such as Leol or Cheetu their own Nen abilities via a cocoon.
Trivia[]
- Shaiapouf is named after Shai, the Egyptian deity of fate and Pouf, character from a French children's book known as Caroline et ses Amis (Caroline and her Friends).
- The fact Pouf appears to be more humane than his other fellow guards makes it all the more ironic that he was the most monstrous and vile member of the trio, since Pitou and Youpi grew to be a bit more humane.
Gallery[]
.png "Shaiapouf (Hunter x Hunter).png (817 KB)")
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Zoldyck Family Phantom Troupe Greed Island Kakin Empire Royal Family Kakin Empire Mafia Families Dark Continent Calamities Neutral/Others | ||