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Hunter x Hunter is among the most popular ongoing shounen manga and anime series today. Fans love how it defies tropes at every corner, showing off crazy moments and characters. This Killua HxH guide will go over one particular character: Killua.
Killua Zoldyck is one of the most famous Hunter x Hunter characters of all time. He is also one of the most loved in the community, consistently ranking among the best. He is one of my favorites, too, and this is because he is a surprisingly complex character. In this Killua HxH guide, I am going to let you know everything that you need to know about him. From his age to his abilities to history in the series, here is what you should know.
Bottom Line Up Front
Killua Zoldyck is one of the main characters in Hunter x Hunter. If you were to rank the most important characters in the series, he would be second behind only Gon. Killua is roughly 14 years old at the current point in the manga and anime.
He is from the most famous assassin family in the world. As such, he was trained from birth to be a fellow professional assassin. In addition to his superhuman capabilities, he is a transmuter, allowing him to manipulate electricity. He plays a key role in almost all of the Hunter x Hunter arcs in the series.
Who Is Killua?
Killua Zoldyck is the second protagonist in the Hunter x Hunter series. He is introduced early on in the manga and anime, quickly becoming friends with Gon. As such, he sticks by Gon’s side for the majority of the series as a lead character. He also happens to be among the most popular ones in the series, consistently topping user polls.
Killua is a young boy, not even a teenager at the start of the series. Despite this, he had a hard life growing up in his family. He is part of the infamous Zoldyck assassin family and has been trained as such. In this way, he has assassin abilities and tendencies to kill.
He is not the typical shounen protagonist, either, as he is a little bit on the wild side. Some would even go so far as to say that his moral compass is a bit out of whack. While not an evil person, for sure, he has no qualms at all about doing vile deeds. This is especially true when it comes to protecting his friends.
He is a natural-born killer and one of the most powerful characters in the series. Killua’s abilities outshine almost every other Hunter and main character in Hunter x Hunter. He can win most fights by sheer force and speed alone, devastating his foes before they know what happened.
But he does have a soft side at the same time. This develops over the chapters and episodes of the series. He cares deeply about his friends, especially Gon, and will do anything for him. Because of these numerous layers to him, I would argue that Killua is the most complex character in Hunter x Hunter.
He is well-written, having complicated emotions and thoughts. Killua struggles at times with the right path and how to go about it. He also deals with the weight of his family and past, and how it still affects him today. It appears that he also deals with some serious trauma that is still lurking underneath, resulting in many negative effects mentally and emotionally.
Appearance
Killua is a 12-year-old boy at the beginning of the series. The preteen has silver-ish white hair, is understandably short, and has silvery-blue eyes. His hair has a spiky style to it that is notable and unique. This gives him a playful but mysterious allure to his character.
As for his normal outfit at the start of the series, he wears rather casual and plain attire. He has a white shirt that he wears over a blue long-sleeve shirt. With that, he has gray-ish long shorts and large blue-ish purple shoes. His entire style and design are nicely in sync with the same general blue, silver, gray, and white color scheme.
One of the most striking parts of the character, though, is his skateboard. Occasionally in the series, he will carry around a yellow skateboard. Or, at the very least, the skateboard is yellow in the Madhouse adaptation. In the manga, it is, of course, black-and-white so there is no telling what the skateboard color is supposed to be.
Killua is a natural-born assassin so his body is rather skinny and toned. He gains more muscle as the series goes on and looks more mature. This is also because he ages a couple of years in the series thus far. This gives him an older look in current episodes and chapters compared to the beginning.
Transmutation Form
However, the above appearance is notable for his normal form. Killua does have a more sinister form that is a mix of two things. During certain fights and moments, he will appear differently. This is either due to his assassin nature or when he is using his Nen abilities.
In either case, his eyes will look sharper and his hair will sometimes stand up straight. This gives him a lightning appearance that matches his transmutation abilities. He will also have an aura of electricity around him that will swirl.
He also has sharp fingers and nails at this point, which is used for killing his enemies in a split second. During this time, Killua sheds his innocent boy look and has the appearance of a sinister killer.
Personality
At the start of the series, Killua is a rather cold person. When he meets Gon, he has a darkness to him that permeates. That said, Gon changes him and causes him to have a more lighthearted personality. This one cares about his friend and is more like a kid his age should act.
He can enjoy spending time with his friends, smiling, cracking jokes, and enjoying sweets. That said, there is a clear divide between the innocent, child-like Killua and his darker self. Both somehow find a way to coexist inside his personality and will appear at different moments.
When he is around Gon and their group of friends, he is a mostly carefree boy. He is a bit serious still unlike his best friend but a caring guy. However, when his friends are in danger or he is fighting someone, his personality changes immensely.
He becomes his ruthless, cold, and calculated self. This version of Killua is almost scary and disturbing. He has no care for the value of that person’s life and will kill them with ease. This can even be the case for people who are not inherently or notably evil if he feels threatened in any way. His personality is overall much an antithesis to Gon’s much of the time.
Key Relationships
If you had not guessed it already, the most important relationship in the entire world to Killua is his friendship with Gon. They are the best of friends and permanent partners through and through. No matter what comes their way, Killua is always going to have Gon’s side. He will even take the side of Gon against his family and the rest of the world.
Speaking of his family, Killua has a distinct lack of a relationship or hostility towards most of them. Some of his family are even his direct enemies. That said, he adores and loves his younger sister, Alluka. She is very important to him and the opposite is true as well.
Beyond that, Killua has a key relationship with the other main characters of Hunter x Hunter: Kurapika, Leorio, and rival/sometimes enemy Hisoka. Killua mostly cares about Gon so his relationships with these three are not as developed as they could be.
But he does seem to care about Kurapika and Leorio to an extent and is always willing to help them. With Hisoka, they are intense rivals. The anti-hero has an obsession with Killua and Gon to an unhealthy level. Likely, Killua does not like Hisoka, despite having similar killer instincts and love for Gon.
Quotes
Killua spends a lot of time in the Hunter x Hunter series. That said, there are a few notable (and spoiler-free) quotes that you should know about. Here they are:
- “Not killing people is really hard.”
- “I want to become friends with Gon. I’m sick of killing people. I want to become friends with Gon, and to live a normal life.”
- “I’m not an assassin anymore, I’m a hunter!”
- ”Nanika, will you forgive me for being a bad big brother?”
- ”Gon, you are light itself. Sometimes you’re too bright and I can’t look at you. But can I still stay by your side?”
- My personal favorite Killua scene: “Move and you die. Use Nen or utter one word and you die. Now, close your eyes, you see what happens when you break promises? Open your eyes again and look at me in the mirror. Listen, don’t you ever show your scummy face to use ever again. This is a promise you will keep.”
Abilities
Killua has a wide array of abilities, coming down to a few different categories. There are some that have to do with the physical, superhuman capabilities that he has. In addition, there are the traits that he gained from growing up in an assassin family. Lastly, there is his special Nen ability.
Physical Capabilities
The physical traits of Killua are superior to most humans out there in many different ways. The most notable part of the main character is his speed. He is one of the fastest Hunters to ever live as we see in the series. Though he is not the fastest person in the series, he certainly comes close.
He can move at literally lightning-fast speed, able to deal damage without the person noticing. This speed also applies to his dodging capabilities, too, allowing him to avoid even gunshots. He also has superhuman strength as well, being able to lift items that weigh several tons.
He is resistant to electricity since this is his affinity. Killua can also withstand some serious attacks and damage, and recover nicely as well.
Assassin Traits
There are traits that Killua acquired through his childhood as a part of the Zoldyck Family. As a trained assassin, he has some extra abilities that most humans do not. For one, he is completely immune to any poison of any kind. He is also able to heal himself and kill someone with precision.
Part of his killing abilities come from the claws that he possesses. He can turn his fingers into claws that are capable of even ripping limbs off of someone. Finally, for this category of powers, he is unbelievably intelligent.
Unlike Gon and others who are so carefree, Killua plans out every move that he does. He knows a lot about the world and its inhabitants as a trained killer. As such, he knows how to look for weaknesses and plan out his method of attack at a moment’s notice. He can act and react in an astoundingly short period.
Transmutation
This is all before bringing up the Nen ability that Killua has. Almost every Hunter in the world of the series has Nen. This is the inner energy that they can channel into abilities. Each person has a designated category of Nen.
In the case of Killua, he is a transmutation Nen user. This allows him to manipulate his own body to channel-specific energy. The energy that he excels in is electricity. He can channel this electricity into his body, causing an aura around him. This enhances his abilities and allows him to use electric-based attacks in battle.
History
Killua has a very long and detailed history in the Hunter x Hunter series. This is because he is one of the two lead characters in the series. He is the best friend of the main character, Gon, and, therefore, in most of the arcs. He is featured prominently in them as well with major moments and fights.
It should go without saying but this entire next section will be nothing but spoilers. If you do not want to know what Killua does during the events of Hunter x Hunter, turn away now. This will understandably include the fates of some other characters and the results of Killua’s fights.
Hunter Exam
It all begins for Killua at the start of the series in the Hunter Exam arc. He meets Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio in the first phase of the exam. During this time, he begins to get to know each of them. However, he is not yet close to any of the three other main characters just yet.
Throughout the first and second phases, Killua begins to befriend Gon. Killua and the three main characters each survive to make it to the third phase. At this point, there are only 42 competitors left. Through this, we see the cruelty and killer nature of Killua against some of the other applicants.
In the midst of the third phase, Killua and the other three have a series of fights. Killua has the final one, which is a fight to the death against a strong killer. However, Killua shows his prowess as a fighter here, instantly defeating the enemy.
In the final part of the Hunter Exam, there are matches that each competitor has. Killua surrenders in his first fight since it would be too easy. In his next, he ends up fighting against his brother, Illumi, who forces him to surrender again. Afterward, he murders Leorio’s next opponent and fails the Hunter Exam.
After this, Killua arrives back at his family’s home and is tortured there for three weeks until Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio arrive. He reunites with his friends before separating again. Killua joins Gon at the Heaven’s Arena to train and earn money.
Heavens Arena
At Heaven’s Arena, Killua enters the tournament with Gon. Together, the two travel to the 50th floor and meet Zushi, a fellow fighter. Through this, Killua fights Zushi and wins but is bothered by his resilience and similarities to his brother Illumi.
Through Zushi, Killua and Gon can meet his master, Wing, who knows a lot about Nen. Wing unlocks the Nen inside of them forcefully and Killua and Gon can awaken to it. Reaching the 200th floor and passing Hisoka, they continue their time in the tournament.
After Gon’s subsequent fight, injuries, and recovery, they eventually train more under Wing. This leads to them learning about their Nen and how Killua has transmutation abilities.
Yorknew City and Greed Island
Eventually, after six months have passed, Killua and Gon plan to reunite with Kurapika and Leorio in Yorknew City. Before this, Killua learns that Gon’s father has challenged him to find him. Killua tries to destroy the evidence of this, including a memory card.
The memory card includes information about the Greed Island video game. To gain access to the game, Killua must acquire one of the few expensive copies. This leads Killua and the group to Yorknew City where they attempt to make enough money.
This eventually leads them to the Phantom Troupe who Kurapika is hunting down. Taking out one of those would lead to a great reward. In the process of trying to spy on some of the Phantom Troupe members, Killua is taken, hostage.
Killua escapes with Gon and eventually gets in contact with Kurapika. They go up against the Phantom Troupe again. After this, the four split up again, and Killua and Gon head into the Greed Island video game. The goal of the game is to clear it.
Strangely enough, the Greed Island video is in virtual reality that feels real. Through a series of tests and battles, Killua and Gon meet Biscuit. She is another Hunter and she becomes the duo’s next teacher. Through rigorous training, Killua becomes more powerful under the guidance of Biscuit. Eventually, Killua and Gon can triumph over Greed Island and leave.
Chimera Ant Arc
Soon after the events of Greed Island, Killua and Gon become involved in the events of the Chimera Ant arc. The Chimera Ant Queen is spreading her children around a far-away nation. They are a dangerous intelligent species and many Hunters are tasked with tracking them down.
This includes Killua who is part of the extermination squad. Through this, Killua and Gon train once more under the tutelage of Palm, along with the help of Biscuit. Afterward, they enter the Chimera Ant King’s country to help take him out.
Killua engages in fights against some of the ants, wins some, and almost loses in others. He joins the invasion into the palace and fights Youpi some in the process. He flees in the end, though, to try and find Gon. He eventually arrives at the fight scene where Gon is taking on Pitou.
He witnesses the transformation that Gon has and his victory. With Gon now out of commission, Killua takes it upon himself to find a way to make him better.
Chairman Selection Arc
Thus enters the most recent story moments for Killua. During the Chairman Selection arc, Killua is looking for a way to heal Gon. To do this, he visits Alluka, his younger sister. He intends to use Nanika, the other side of her, to make a wish to heal Gon.
The problem with this choice, though, is that others want to get a hold of his sister, too. So, while Leorio is trying to figure out the Hunters Association situation, Killua is on the run for his life. He rescues his sister and reveals the truth about his relationship with Alluka and Nanika.
With Nanika, she can grant any wish but at a cost. These costs are insane, involving the loss of limbs or even the death of a loved one. However, the only exception to this rule is Killua. He can make a wish without the need for this sort of sacrifice.
He tries to keep this secret hidden from everyone else. He eventually does succeed in rescuing Alluka and uses her to turn Gon back into a normal kid again. From there, Killua travels with Alluka and Gon to the World Tree to finally meet Ging, Gon’s father.
At this point, Killua finally says goodbye to his best friend, Gon. He tells Gon that he wants to travel the world with Alluka and keep her safe. He agrees that once time has passed, he will see Gon again. This will happen after spending some time with his sister and seeing the world.
From here, the end of the anime happens and the manga continues for some more chapters. At this part, Killua’s story in the manga mostly comes to an end. He refuses to join the expedition to the Dark Continent with Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. Instead, he recommends his former teacher, Biscuit, to go in his place.
At that point, this is the end of the story for Killua up until now. With the Hunter x Hunter manga on hiatus, there is no telling where his story will pick up next. The series looks to be in a very long period of telling the Dark Continent storyline so it could be quite a while until we see Killua again. That is if the Hunter x Hunter manga ever finishes in the first place.
Trivia
Killua is one of the most featured characters in Hunter x Hunter. As so, he has a good bit of interesting facts about him that fans should know. Some of these are rather obscure and could be elusive to even the most diehard fans.
For starters, he is the youngest of the four main characters in the series. With his birthday being July 7 and Gon’s being May 5, he is just a tad bit younger. He is also the only one of the four to fail the Hunters Exam, though he does get his license later on.
As for Killua’s name inspiration, that part is unknown. The name Killua in Japanese is written with Katakana or the Japanese alphabet for words originating in a foreign language.
Some think that the name is a reference to the English word “killer” but in Japanese. However, the spelling is different from the usual Katakana form of the word killer. The same goes for the word “kill.” At the same time, there is a castle in Ireland named Killua Castle.
Lastly, his birthday falls on the day of the Tanabata summer holiday in Japan. It is based on the tale of two star-crossed lovers with similarities to Killua himself. It is unknown if this connects with any possible future romance for Killua.
FAQs
Question: Is Killua straight? Is he in love with Gon?
Answer: The orientations of both Killua and Gon are uncertain at this time. Neither person has expressed explicit interest in anyone at all. As such, it is impossible to determine the orientation of Killua at this time. That said, many in the fan base ship Killua and Gon.
As for whether or not Killua is in love with Gon, that is also uncertain. He undoubtedly loves his best friend but it is hard to gauge if it is more than that. I do think that there is the chance, for sure, that he cares about Gon romantically or could in the future.
However, it is hard to know at this time. We would not likely find out until the end of the series when they are presumably much older.
Question: How old is Killua?
Answer: Killua is about 12 years old when he meets Gon in the Hunter Exams. Using the time skips that we know of in the anime and manga, he is about 14 years old in the most recent chapters and episodes.
Question: Is Killua a girl?
Answer: No, Killua is not a girl. He is a boy. Any confusion around this would come from the fact that Killua is voiced by a girl in both Japanese and English. This is pretty common practice, though, for boys in anime. I think that both actresses do a phenomenal job, though, of nailing his more mature parts. It is worth noting that Hunter x Hunter has one of the best English dubs I’ve ever seen, which is rare.
Question: Is Killua a villain? Does Killua become evil?
Answer: Killua is not at all a villain. I would say that he has not become evil at all, either. That said, he has dark tendencies and has done some questionable acts in the series so far. While I do not see him ever becoming a villain, I could see him in a more Sasuke or Vegeta-like role at some point in the series. However, I truly do not think he is evil. He is a just struggling young boy dealing with a lot of trauma and forced expectations.
Killua HxH Guide: Conclusion
The Killua HxH guide, hopefully, helped you to learn more about one of the best characters in the series. Killua is one of my favorites after Kurapika and Hisoka so he is worth learning about. Also, considering that he is one of the leads in the series, you are going to spend a lot of time with him.
For more on Hunter x Hunter, be sure to take a look at our overall characters guide for the series. In it, we break down all of the main characters from the manga and anime you should know about. This, of course, includes Killua and a bunch of others that are crucial parts of Hunter x Hunter.