Illumi Zoldyck

Illumi Zoldyck (イルミ＝ゾルディック) is the eldest child of Silva, and Kikyo Zoldyck. During the 287th Hunter Examination, he appeared under the guise of Gittarackur (ギタラクル). Illumi currently seems to be the only person that Hisoka Morow claims as a friend, although their relationship is unconventional. At Hisoka's request, Illumi joins the Phantom Troupe as Uvogin's replacement, becoming Troupe member #11. He served as a secondary antagonist of the Hunter Exam arc and the primary one of the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc.

Background
Illumi is the eldest son of Silva and Kikyo, and was raised by his parents from early birth in the art of assassination. He and his father had also trained his brother Killua to become an assassin as well. At some point in the past, he had learned the skill of Nen, and in order to control the development and actions of his younger brother, he inserted a needle into Killua's brain, forcing him to run away from the battles he wasn't sure he could win. Sometime prior to the 287th Hunter Exam, he established some sort of relationship with Hisoka. When Killua ran away, Illumi was sent by his mother to watch over his little brother.

Personality
Illumi, for the most part, displays very little expression. 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, and reflects only his interest. 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 as to how it developed. Illumi once came to the aid of Hisoka by standing for him as a double in the Phantom Troupe's hideout while Hisoka attempted to find Chrollo. However, when Hisoka asked Illumi would it be okay if he killed Killua, Illumi displayed a horrifying side of himself and asked if Hisoka wanted to die then and there - he acted very similar to how Hisoka did himself after Illumi was opting whether or not to kill Gon, who he sees as a threat due to his closeness with Killua, during the Hunter Exam, albeit on a much lesser expense.

Illumi cares for most of the Zoldyck family members. 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 his little sister Alluka, and does not consider Alluka as a member of the family.

While Illumi seems devoid of many human emotions, he is not without a sense of desire as he greatly hankers Alluka's Wish Granting ability. Tsubone implies that Illumi's sinister ambition to control Alluka's power even caused him to stray from the path of an assassin.

Appearance

 * 1999

Illumi appears expressionless, his face like an emotionless mask. He has very long jet black hair, usually combed behind his head as well as very large, dark eyes. To disguise himself as Gittarackur, Illumi uses large round head pins to reconstruct his facial structure, and even voice, beyond recognition. The pins in his chest seem to affect the muscles in his body, as he looks more slender without them.
 * 2011

Illumi appears expressionless, his face like an emotionless mask. He has very long jet black hair, usually combed behind his head as well as very large, dark eyes. To disguise himself as Gittarackur, Illumi uses large round head pins to reconstruct his facial structure, and even voice, 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.

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 those familiar with it. Hisoka rates Illumi's overall power 95 points, ranking him higher than some members of the Zodiacs.[23] 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 more than 20 amateur Hunters without any of them managing to press the emergency button.[27] He might have superhuman control over his body, as he told Hisoka he was going to sleep for five days.[13] Illumi is also a very skilled impersonator, and he seems to be able to conceal his strength and other aspects that might give him away when disguised since he managed to fool Killua and the Phantom Troupe.[32] This skill is seemingly accompanied by the ability to hide his real power, as none of the Examiners seemed to be aware of his capacities until he revealed himself in the last phase.[33]

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.[26] His speed allowed him to kill a group of Hunters before any of them could ask for help.[27]

Advanced Stamina
Illumi was able to complete a long-distance run more than 80 kilometers long, and taking place on uneven terrains such as ascending stairs and a swamp,[34] without breaking a sweat.[35]

Immense Pain Tolerance
Illumi did not flinch when Gon broke his arm;[17] afterward, he exhibited no visible distress from the pain.[18]

High Intelligence
Illumi is able to formulate accurate predictions as seen concerning Alluka's power since he was able to completely understand the method in which Killua's wishes were granted with no further consequences.[30]

Master Thrower
Illumi can throw multiple needles at once[16] or in quick succession with great accuracy.[13]

Nen
Illumi is a Manipulator[1] and has an incredibly sinister Ren which can at least be felt from a distance of several hundred meters.[25] His aura is so powerful that, if injected into a normal person, it will cripple them for life.[26] His Nen abilities allow him to change his physical appearance,[32] control the dead[19] and the living alike[26] with overpowering mind and body control, and influence others with subtler types of Manipulation,[5] a range of applications that suggests a great mastery over this Nen category. He might have made a different use of Manipulation when he closed a hole in the ground seemingly without touching it, moving the soil with Nen.[13] Illumi appears to have abundant aura reserves, since, despite coercive Manipulation being rather taxing,[36] he is capable of controlling dozens of targets at the same time.[19][27]

Hunter Exam Arc
Illumi briefly appears during the first parts of the Hunter Exam, under the name of Gittarackur, though his appearance is highly distorted by countless pins. He first appears when Tonpa considers offering him his laxative-laced juice. When Hisoka lags behind to play judge, Illumi helps him find his way to the second stage with a walkie-talkie and a transponder.[8] He almost fails the second phase due to Menchi's temper. He is amongst the examinees who pass the third phase.

Before the fourth phase on Zevil Island, the examiner, Lippo, gives each of the 25 remaining candidates the number of another's badge. Gittarackur phones Hisoka and offers his help, but Hisoka turns down the offer. He later finds his target, Goz, but is interrupted by Siper, who has Gittarackur as her target and attempts to kill him by sniping at him from a distance. However, she hits Goz, who is fatally injured. Gittarackur then kills Siper. Later, he goes to Hisoka and gives him the number badge belonging to Siper. He then digs a hole and sleeps in it with until the end of the fourth phase.

The final phase is an elimination tournament where the winners are removed from the tournament and the losers given more chances; winning match results in the victor receiving his or her Hunter License.[14] Killua must fight Gittarackur as his second match after taking pity on his first opponent and letting him win. When the match begins, Illumi reveals himself to Killua.[15] He mentions that his reason for taking the exam was not only to obtain a license, which he needed for an assassination mission but also to watch over Killua because of their mother's worries about Killua going off on his own. Illumi then tells his brother that he will never make a good Hunter because he cannot break free of his training as an assassin. He states that Killua's only purpose in life is killing others and that he is only a puppet who wants nothing. Having severely disoriented him, he asks what it is that Killua expects from becoming a Hunter.[16]

Killua replies that he does not want anything from the Exam, but he wants to stop killing people and wants to be friends with Gon, whom he had met during the Exam. Illumi deems it impossible since he and his father raised Killua to be a cold-blooded assassin. He also claimed that if Killua were to stay with Gon, he'd eventually hurt or even kill him because it's in his nature. Leorio, upset by Illumi's speech, claims that Gon already views Killua as his friend. Illumi, troubled by this, begins to consider murdering Gon but realizes that killing him would break the rules of the Exam. He asks Netero if he would be disqualified if he killed Gon after his match with Killua. Netero replies that his actions wouldn't be breaking any rules since he would already be considered a licensed Hunter. Illumi tells Killua that he will kill Gon unless Killua fights him. This is a trick question, however, the needle in Killua's head makes him unable to attack opponents he cannot defeat. It's due to the needle's influence that Killua surrenders. Illumi wins the match by forfeit, going on to obtain his Hunter License.[16]

Gon, awoken from his sleep, hears about how Killua lost and was disqualified for killing a fellow contestant from Satotz. He then asks Illumi to apologize to Killua, but Illumi does not understand Gon's reasoning. Gon claims that Illumi is not qualified to be Killua's brother. Illumi asks if one needs a qualification to be a brother. Gon, further angered, lifts Illumi up using one hand and breaks his arm. Netero, who was discussing the topic with everyone else before Gon came in, notes that they are examining the nature of Killua's act. The verdict they arrive at is that Killua was rightfully disqualified, but he is still eligible for the following year's exam.[17]

Illumi, aware that Gon would not stop bothering him until he knows where Killua is, tells Gon that Killua went home to Kukuroo Mountain.[17] He is later seen discussing with Hisoka on the matter. Hisoka asks Illumi if it was a good idea for him to reveal the location where Killua was. Illumi says that the location is already famous and that there is no harm in revealing it to Gon. Illumi thinks that Gon is dangerous and suggests that it would be best if he killed him, but Hisoka warns him that Gon will only die by his hands.[18]

Yorknew City Arc
During the Southernpiece Auction in Yorknew City, it is revealed that Illumi is an acquaintance of Chrollo Lucilfer. He, Maha, and Kalluto are hired by Chrollo to assassinate the Ten Mafia Dons,[19] who placed bounties on the Phantom Troupe's heads. After he accomplishes this mission, Hisoka hires Illumi to disguise himself as him and infiltrate the Phantom Troupe's hideout.[20] Illumi uses Kalluto to distract the members in the hideout while switching places with Hisoka.

Chimera Ant arc
Illumi does not formally appear in this arc, though Killua discovers a needle in his brain that Illumi had planted in order to control him[5] and removes it during his fight against Rammot. Shortly afterward, Silva and Zeno deduce that Killua has removed the needle.

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc
Illumi shows up at the election for the next chairman as Gittarackur. He talks with Hisoka about what had happened during the Chimera Ant crisis, the death of chairman Netero, his younger sibling Alluka (whom he wishes to eliminate), and the current situation with Killua.[23] In Killua's flashback, Illumi experimented with Alluka's wish-granting ability using a servant named Kasuga, resulting in the death of the servant and at least 66 other people.[3]

Knownable Relatives

 * Maha Zoldyck (Great Great Grandfather)
 * Great-Grandmother (status unknown)
 * Zeno Zoldyck (Grandfather)
 * Grandmother (status unknown)
 * Kikyo Zoldyck (Mother)
 * Silva Zoldyck (Father)
 * Killua Zoldyck (Younger brother)
 * Milluki Zoldyck (Younger brother)
 * Alluka Zoldyck (Younger sister)
 * Kalluto Zoldyck (Younger brother)

Trivia

 * In the official databook, Illumi's name is also spelled as "Yellmi Zaoldyck". In one of Hunter × Hunter's merchandising products, the character's disguise/alias, Gittarackur, is alternatively named as "Guitarakle".
 * "Illumi" may come from an Italian word ("illuminato") that means "enlightened." However, his name may be related to the Illuminati, who are often associated with goals of world domination. Illumi is also a Manipulator, which fits with the Illuminati's iconic (if not misleading) description.
 * Illumi has known Hisoka a little longer than Chrollo Lucilfer.
 * In Chapter 320 Illumi was shown disguised as Gittarackur for the first time since the Hunter Exam arc, where the First Election for the 13th Hunter Chairman voting took place.
 * Illumi's abilities might have been inspired by certain magic tricks (such as the bed of nails and needle-through-arm) as well as lobotomy, and/or be an allusion to "Voodoo" dolls, usually represented as effigies into which pins are inserted, that are doubtfully linked to Vodou (or Voodoo); both the object and the religion are associated in some popular culture depictions with zombies (as in the film White Zombie) — a possible reference reinforced by the "zombified" behavior of Illumi's Needle People and of his mastery over corpses.
 * In the 1999 anime adaptation, there is a bonus stage right after the 3rd phase, in which the candidates are required to collect treasures in order to be provided with a room of a ship for three days. Gittarackur collects treasures with ease, and his first roommate happens to be Tonpa. When a storm approaches them, Gittarackur and Hisoka decide to help Gon's team. Hisoka saves Gon from drowning, while Gittarackur takes over the steering wheel of the ship after Kurapika bumped his head and lost consciousness. The next morning, Hisoka compliments him on his great job, to which Gittarackur only gives him a peace sign. His head is not yet shown at this point but his hair can clearly be seen.
 * In the 1999 series, Illumi has a fight with Gon after the exam. Gon kicks him in the head by swinging on a vine. Presumably, Illumi let him do this, as Gon is nowhere near the raw speed necessary to land a blow with his own power. He praises Gon's combat potential and is about to kill him for corrupting Killua when he is stopped by Hisoka. He then gives Killua's location, saying that it doesn't matter that he knows because he still can't reach him.
 * In the 1999 version of the Greed Island arc, Illumi appeared in a non-speaking cameo.
 * In the 2011 series, a younger Illumi appears in Killua's flashback of his childhood. It shows a continuity error involving Illumi's hair, which is long in this flashback,[44] while it should be short, as seen in the flashback in Episode 138. Here, he welcomes Killua home and asks how his work went. Killua knows that Illumi has been watching him, and neglects to answer the question. Illumi stands beside Killua and tells him their mother Kikyo is waiting inside, but Killua replies that he does not want to see her.

Voice Actresses & Actors

 * Japanese : Urara Takano (1999 series)
 * Japanese voice actor : Massaya Matsukaze (2011 series)
 * English : Victor Atelevich (1999 series), Chris Hackney (2011 series)