001 - Illumi Zoldyck

Gender:

Male

Age:

24(Debut) 26(Current; by the Timeline)

Height:

185 cm(6'1")

Weight:

68 kg(150 lbs)

Birthday:

1975

Eye Color:

Black

Hair Color:

Black

Blood Type:

A

Affiliation:

Zoldyck Family Hunter Association Phantom Troupe

Occupation:

Zoldyck Assassin Hunter Thief Phantom Troupe member #11

Previous Occupation:

287th Hunter Exam Examinee #301

Relatives:

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

Type:

Manipulation

Abilities:

Pin and Needle Manipulation: Body Alteration Hypnotic Spell Corpse Control Needle People

Appearance:

Illumi is most often expressionless. He has very long, jet black hair, with a piece of hair not put back, usually combed behind his head as well as large, black, pupil-less eyes. To disguise himself as Gittarackur, Illumi uses large, round head pins to reconstruct his facial structure, musculature, and voice, beyond recognition. His spider tattoo has the number 11 on the spider's abdomen, but the tattoo location has yet to be revealed. When he was younger, Illumi's hair only reached his shoulders. He wore long sleeves with a shirt underneath, as well as gray pants.

Personality 1:

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 solely on 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 in order to ensure his survival and obedience. 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. 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. 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 an internal conflict), but insinuates that he would be fine with killing Alluka and does not consider Alluka 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.

Personality 2:

At some point, Illumi formed an unusual relationship with Hisoka, which he described as "give-and-take".[2] He once came to the aid of the magician by standing for him as a double in the Phantom Troupe's hideout while Hisoka attempted to find Chrollo. However, when Hisoka asks Illumi if it would be okay if he killed Killua, Illumi displays a horrifying side of himself and asks if Hisoka wants to die then and there. His demeanor and bloodlust were very similar to how Hisoka reacted to Illumi's indecision on whether or not to kill Gon, whom he sees as a threat due to his closeness with Killua during the Hunter Exam, albeit on a much lesser extent. Despite the mutual benefit of their relationship, Illumi always believed one of them would wind up killing the other. He, therefore, accepted to form a contract with Hisoka with the condition that if the magician is killed, Illumi will receive his reward. The assassin cryptically refers to it as an "engagement ring" and "prenuptial agreement". Illumi casually commits mass murder every time he uses his abilities, sacrificing the lives of innocent people the vast majority of the time. He also joined the Phantom Troupe, an organization notorious for committing genocide, however, he doesn't appear loyal to them when he discloses that all the Spiders were on the Black Whale to Zodiac member, Mizaistom.

Background:

Illumi is the eldest child of Silva and Kikyo and was raised from birth in the art of assassination. He and his father trained Killua to become an elite assassin. At some point during his childhood, he learned Nen. In order to control the development and actions of his younger brother, Illumi inserted a Nen needle into Killua's brain under Silva's order; the needle prompted him to run away from the battles he wasn't certain he could win. Sometime prior to the 287th Hunter Exam, he also established a partnership with Hisoka; however, this partnership is not detailed. About three years prior to the events of the Yorknew City arc, Illumi and his brothers were summoned by their father, who, having just assassinated member #8 of the Phantom Troupe for a price deemed not worthy of the job (the highest compliment he ever gives a target), admonished them to stay away from the Troupe. Following Killua's escape from the Zoldyck manor, Illumi was sent by his mother to watch over his brother at the Hunter Exam.

Equipment:

Needles: Illumi is in possession of three sets of needles which, when infused with his Nen, can be utilized in different ways. The ones he employs most commonly are round-head needles that come in various sizes and have a yellow handle and a silver shaft. They enable him to change other people's appearance or his own. He can also use them to manipulate corpses to an unknown extent (in the 1999 anime adaptation, the needles used for this task were light blue). The second type of needles he has shown allows him to brainwash a target when implanted in their head. They look like golden sewing needles. Illumi also possesses a third set of needles, which he rarely resorts to. They have a much thinner and longer shaft with a spherical, yellow handle than his usual set. When stuck in the skull of a target, Illumi can turn them into a Needle Person and freely control them. Zoldyck Personal Transmitter: The assassins of the Zoldyck Family can contact each other with a special transmitter to report the fulfillment of a murder contract.

Abilities & Powers 1:

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. 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 might have superhuman control over his body, as he told Hisoka he was going to sleep for five days. 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. 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. Assassination Skills: Illumi is a master assassin and combatant, having single-handedly wiped out a squadron of more than 20 amateur Hunters without any of them managing to press the emergency button. He also threatened to kill Hisoka if he tried to attack Killua. Enhanced Strength: Illumi is strong enough to pierce the skulls of other Nen users with no problem with his needles. He also easily dug a large hole in the ground with his bare hands in seconds. Since he is a Zoldyck assassin, Illumi can also open the Testing Gates, although the number of doors he can open is unknown. Immense Speed and Reflexes: 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.

Abilities & Powers 2:

Advanced Stamina: Illumi was able to complete a long-distance run of more than 80 kilometers long, taking place on uneven terrains such as ascending stairs and a swamp, without breaking a sweat. Immense Endurance: Illumi did not flinch when Gon broke his arm; afterward, he exhibited no visible distress from the pain. Keen Intellect: Illumi is able to formulate accurate predictions as seen concerning Alluka's power since he was able to completely understand the method by which Killua's wishes were granted with no further consequences. Master Thrower: Illumi can throw multiple needles at once or in quick succession with great accuracy.

With:

Illumi is a Manipulator and has an incredibly sinister Ren which can at least be felt from a distance of several hundred meters. His aura is so powerful that, if injected into a normal person, it will cripple them for life. His Nen abilities allow him to change his physical appearance, control the dead and the living alike with overpowering mind and body control and influence others with subtler types of Manipulation, 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. Illumi appears to have abundant aura reserves, since, despite coercive Manipulation being rather taxing, he is capable of controlling dozens of targets at the same time. The only techniques he has been seen using so far are Ten, Hatsu, Zetsu, and Ren.

Quotes:

(To Hisoka) "Okay. I've known you a little longer than Chrollo. But it'll cost you." (To Hisoka) "I'll kill you. Right here. And now." "I'm happy to die to save the rest of the family. Killua will suffer for the rest of his life. I'll live on forever in his heart!!" "Amazing! I want this power above all else!!! Nanika is mine!!" (To Killua) "At this rate, Alluka will remain locked away in a room forever. But if you let me manage the two of you I can guarantee you minimal freedom, at least." (To Killua) "Killua. Know your place." "Amazing. Killua's orders are risk-free. I could turn Killua into a complete puppet and the pros would still outweigh the cons!!" (To the Phantom Troupe) "I joined the Spiders on Hisoka's commission. We had a give-and-take relationship... but we knew one of us would kill the other in the end. And now that's come to pass."

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" 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 never refers to Alluka as a girl, but as a boy, which offends her. Illumi is one of the few Spiders who were not born in Meteor City, the others being Bonolenov, Hisoka and his brother Kalluto.