Highlights
- Hunter x Hunter is a classic shōnen series that has stood the test of time as one of anime's greatest hits.
- Illumi Zoldyck is a dangerous and ruthless assassin who uses his Nen manipulation skills to control and manipulate others.
- Illumi's Nen ability includes using pins and needles to change appearances, manipulate minds, and even control dead bodies.
Anime over the years has and continues to have great shōnen series, one of the classics being Hunter x Hunter. This anime and its adaptations ran for 15 years, from 1999 to 2014. With such a long history and track record, it stands the test of time as one of anime's greatest hits.
Fans have seen a smorgasbord of eclectic and interesting characters, and not just from the main stars of the show. Leading man Gon encounters various friends and foes throughout his hunter journey, one, in particular, being the pin-wielding assassin Illumi Zoldyck.
This Might be the Most Hated Character in Hunter x Hunter
Even thoughHunter x Hunter is filled with villains like Chrollo and Hisoka, Gon's father is still one of the most hated characters in the anime.
What is Hunter x Hunter about?
Young Gon Freecss makes the bold decision to participate in the gruelling Hunter's Exam, a difficult test where those who pass become Hunters. Hunters are drawn to the unknown, unexplored terrains, fearsome monsters, and overall unchartered adventures. Gon wants to become a Hunter to find his long-lost father, who was also a Hunter. This anime follows Gon and his friends as he navigates this tumultuous test and colourful characters to achieve his ultimate goal of locating his father.
Who is Illumi Zoldyck?
Illumi is a trained assassin who enters the 287th Hunter exam under the alias Gittarackur. With this name, he uses his nen manipulation of pins to distort his face and partake in the exam. He keeps a low profile but hides a very dangerous and ruthless personality trait. Illumi has a permanent blank stare and aloof way of speaking. Despite his cold demeanour, Illumi holds a soft spot for his younger brother Killua and follows him to the Hunter Exam to watch over him under their mother's instruction. He is close with the anime's main antagonist Hisoka, and even joins his Phantom Troupe.
Hunter x Hunter: Hisoka's Nen Test Explained
Is there a correlation between Nen and personality? Hisoka thinks so.
Illumi's Nen, Explained
Manipulation is Illumi's Nen type, this allows him to manipulate people and himself. Illumi is a Manipulator to be feared, for he has mastered his Nen to literally control those around him in a variety of creative and sinister ways. He chooses to wield his Nen through various pins and needles, which he keeps in three sets. Set one are his most commonly used weapons, they are pins with rounded heads which allow him to change his or others' appearances and even control dead bodies. Set two are small needles, like those used to sew. They contain the abilities to manipulate the minds of others when stuck into their head. Set three are longer needles which turn the victims who get stuck with them in "Needle People". This powerful ability makes the targets carry out Illumi's orders without question or sentient.
Illumi's Use of Nen Needles
The first sign of Illumi's manipulation in Hunter x Hunter is his first appearance as his diguise Gittarackur in the 287th Hunter Exam. Gittarackur has a longer face than Illumi's with his first set of pins stuck in, this is because Illumi infused his Nen into the pins to manipulate his facial structure to fashion a disguise. This facial manipulation is possible without the needles, but is very taxing on Illumi which would result in the disguise lasting only five hours with his eyes unchanged.
Illumi uses his first set of needles to also manipulate dead bodies. He first pierces their heads with them, then they carry out his bidding. Sometimes, the corpses behaviours appear very life-like with no hint that they are being panipulated with Nen.
Both Illumi and Killua were trained to be assassins since they were very young by their parents Silva and Kikyo. In fact, it was Illumi and his father that trained Killua. During Killua's childhood, Illumi (under his father Silva's instruction) planted a Nen needle from his second set into his little brother's skull that activated whenever he was in a dangerous situation. If Killua ever found himself in a fight he couldn't win, the needle would trigger a severe flight response in him and he would run from the danger. Later on in the anime, Killua no longer wants to have the voice of his big brother ringing in his head in dangerous situations. In his fight with Rammot, with great difficulty he yanked the needle out of his head to finally be free from his family's intervention. Illumi's mind manipulation is also very sneaky, for it makes the user feel that they are making decisions of their own volition and not due to a tampering outside force. Even the greatest Nen user in the world, Isaac Netero, couldn't see the effects of Illumi's Nen use on Killua.
The rare Needle People are not to be confused with Illumi's corpse control. The Needle People are already living humans, but when stuck with Illumi's Nen Needles from his third set, they become slave to his bidding. This ability uses a lot of his aura, more so than when he controls dead bodies. Illumi hardly uses these needles, but when he does the target will obey his orders until they die from fatigue. The aura infused into these needles is rare to survive, when the rare few do they are left disabled. If he wants to inject more aura into his targets, he will simply pierce them with another needle.
Hunter x Hunter: Who Is Gon's Granddaughter?
In the revealed Hunter x Hunter ending, Yoshihiro Togashi updates fans on Gon Freecs and introduces them to his granddaughter.
