‘Hunter X Hunter’ has some of the most complex yet fascinating characters in anime history. These characters are both the protagonists and the antagonists of the series. Some of these characters belong to the Zoldyck family. The Zoldyck family is the best assassin family in the series. One member of the family is particularly complex. Illumi is the oldest son of Silva Zoldyck and is quite controlling.
Fans dislike his character because of his violent and manipulative tendencies. Some fans also believe that despite his efforts, Illumi was always a bad brother to Killua.
Related: ‘Hunter x Hunter’ Dark Continent: Everything You Need To Know About The Mysterious Place
Who Is Illumi Zoldyck?
Illumi Zoldyck is the eldest son of Silva Zoldyck and is one of the most proficient nen users in ‘Hunter X Hunter’. As a member of the infamous Zoldyck family, Illumi was trained to be an assassin ever since he was young. Illumi has black hair that is straight and reaches his waist. He has black eyes and a very slender build. Personality-wise, Illumi is a ruthless person. He doesn’t value people outside of his family and considers them to be a means to an end.
He keeps his face mostly expressionless, and cold. His tone however betrays his expressionless demeanor as he speaks in a very light-hearted manner. As mentioned above, he is a great nen user and he is great at using needles as weapons. He can even use them to change the shape of his face and body. He did that in the Hunter exam arc to become Gittarackur and disguise himself. Power-wise, Illumi is very strong and his manipulative tendencies come in handy in battle.
Is He A Bad Brother To Killua?
Surprisingly, the answer to this question is no. Illumi is most manipulative and ruthless, but he is not a bad brother to Killua. Illumi was raised in a family of assassins and he was trained to not be weak during his childhood. His childhood played a great role in shaping his personality. He is oddly and in a twisted way, protective of his brother.
Killua didn’t want to be an assassin and wanted to leave his family behind. Illumi however saw the potential in Killua and thought that he’d be the best assassin of the family. As a result, he tried his best to keep Killua in the family. To achieve this, he cut Killua off everyone, going as far as to threaten Gon and his friends. He wanted to keep Killua in the family and he wanted to eliminate any obstacle in his path. He inserted a needle in Killua’s brain infused with his nen.
That particular needle messed with Killua’s brain and forced him to run or cower away when fighting someone stronger than him. Although that was a very bad thing to do, Illumi didn’t have any mal intentions for Killua. He just wanted to keep his brother safe and make sure that he doesn’t fight someone he can’t win against. He even threatened to kill Hisoka when he jokingly asked if he was allowed to kill his brother. Therefore, whilst Illumi is a villain and antagonist, he is not a bad brother to Killua.
In case you missed: ‘Hunter X Hunter’: What Is Nen? What Are Nen Classifications?
