



"My greatest pleasure comes when such people crumple to their knees and I look down upon their disbelieving faces as their plans fail.♥"

— Hisoka Morow to — Hisoka Morow to Chrollo Lucilfer in " Troublesome

Hisoka Morow (ヒソカ゠モロウ, Hisoka Morou) is a Hunter and former member #4 of the Phantom Troupe; his physical strength ranked third in the group. He is always in search for strong opponents, and would spare those who have great potential, such as Gon and Killua in order for them to get strong enough to actually challenge him. He originally served as the primary antagonist of the Hunter Exam arc and a secondary one of the Heavens Arena arc, before becoming a supporting character during the Yorknew City arc and Greed Island arc. During the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc, he briefly reprises his role as a secondary antagonist.

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Appearance

Hisoka's appearance is similar to that of a magician or jester. He is tall and has light skin and a very muscular physique. His attire is usually adorned with various suit symbols ( ♦/♦ ♣/♣ ♥/♥ ♠/♠ ) on the front and back torso, and he changes outfits in each story arc. He wears face paint of a star (★) on his right cheek and a teardrop ( 💧 ) on his left cheek, and like his attire, in the 2011 anime, his face paint also occasionally changes colors. During the Greed Island arc, Hisoka wears the Greed Island Ring on his left middle finger. And in the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc, Hisoka wears a pair of earrings with ornamental hearts. For unknown reasons, Hisoka has long, pointed nails, giving his hands a claw-like appearance, hinting at his sinister nature.

In his first appearance in the 1999 anime series, Hisoka's hair is blue. After a revamp of the show, it was replaced with a red or almost neon pink color to be in accordance with the manga. In the 2011 anime, Hisoka has red hair and light amber eyes. In the manga, during the Yorknew City arc, Hisoka dyes his hair light green. These dynamic variations in appearance illustrate the complexity of his character.

Personality

Hisoka is portrayed as entirely self-serving, self-absorbed, and selfish; he does whatever he likes as long as it pleases him in some way. His insatiable love for spilling the blood of powerful fighters in combat and his enjoyment of extreme pain while doing so fuels his seemingly sadomasochistic desires. In order for them to grow to their full potential (so as to improve the pleasure of killing them later), Hisoka allows the main protagonists to live in situations wherein he is easily able to kill them. Likewise, he grows excited to meet new people he deems worthy of fighting or anyone with the potential to be a good fighter and entertain him in the future. The thrill of fighting strong Nen users in tactical battles and near-death experiences is an orgasmic experience for him. It is likely one of the reasons why he goes out of his way to find new toys to play with. If they break, he either loses interest or kills them before going out to find more potential prey.

With his manipulative and self-centered nature, Hisoka is essentially a murderous sociopath. While he does like Gon, Killua, and many others, he has stated that for him, what is valuable one day could easily become trash the next, and he will not hesitate to kill anyone should they not meet his standards. He does not care for what has happened in the past, as he is only interested in what could be amusing to him in the future or present. While Hisoka's nature tends to be malevolent, he isn't an indiscriminate killer. He has no problems killing anyone regardless of age or sex; however, he only kills people who are in his way or those he deems "worthy". As such, his character is more simply amoral than flat out evil. He even assists the protagonists if there is "fun" in doing so or if it will make them stronger leading to a more entertaining fight in the future. Above all else, Hisoka cares only about having fun and a good challenge which may or may not involve killing people. He has a nasty habit of skipping out on Spider meetings. He also can be a whimsical liar and has a tendency to freak out or play cruel jokes on his victims. Just witnessing their uncomfortable expressions because of him getting under their skin pleases him. His chaotic nature is inherent in everything he does and makes him dangerously unpredictable.

Hisoka has displayed a morbid attraction of sexual nature to fight powerful fighters, or people with Nen who have the potential to become strong, which is expressed through barely repressible murderous tendencies; neither age nor gender do seem to influence his desire to fight them. He has expressed a desire to fight or kill random victims just to satiate his bloodlust. After his defeat at the hands of Chrollo, Hisoka's sociopathic nature has taken itself to worse heights by vowing to kill all the members of the Phantom Troupe even if they were defenseless and claiming he will no longer let his opponents fight in their preferred conditions. However, he did temporarily spare Machi, who has been an implied interest of Hisoka's as a potential opponent he likes to flirt with or as a romantic interest, although he stated it was so she could warn the Troupe of his intentions.

Hisoka often exhibits androgynous characteristics throughout the series, manifested in his wearing of "women's" shoes and using an alluring speech style typically reserved for females in Japanese. In the manga, he ends nearly every sentence with a suit symbol.

Despite his calm and composed personality, he can express his emotion comically in some situations. An example is when Gon becomes honest and rather innocent about his question of why Hisoka was in Greed Island. Another example is his stunned face when he learns he could not fight Chrollo after Kurapika's Judgment Chain.

Background

Hisoka speaks little of his past because he is uninterested in it.[6] It is revealed, however, that Hisoka joined the Phantom Troupe as a false member at some point after the Kurta massacre, and about two years before the events in Yorknew City, after defeating the previous #4.[7] Around the same time, he "initiated" Kastro to Nen at the Heavens Arena, sensing potential in him.[8] He then took part in the 286th Hunter Exam, during which he murdered 20 examinees. He was disqualified for almost killing an examiner during his first attempt.[1]

It is said that he named both of his techniques after a candy brand and a chewing gum brand he liked when he was a kid,[6] implying that they may have been named "Texture Surprise" and "Bungee Gum" respectively.

Plot

Hunter Exam arc

Hisoka, applicant #44, is seen as a heavy contender throughout the Hunter Exam. He first appears as another applicant bumps into him without apologizing; shortly afterward the applicant's arms are severed and removed from his body. Tonpa explains to Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio that he failed the previous year's exam after nearly killing a proctor he did not approve of.[1] He effortlessly keeps up with Satotz when the first trial begins.[9] When they reach the Milsy Wetlands and a Man-faced Ape tries to pass himself off as the real examiner, Hisoka throws cards at both him and Satotz, killing the monkey, whereas Satotz blocks his attack, leading Hisoka to declare he is the real proctor. The incident rouses his appetite for murder and, when the fog descends, he "plays examiner" and attacks the surrounding applicants, among which are Kurapika and Leorio, with the intent to kill.[10]

Numerous examinees gang surround him but he dispatches them without effort, until only Cherry, Leorio, and Kurapika remain. The three split up and run away, which Hisoka judges a smart move. He begins to count down from ten, but Leorio returns to fight him. The magician easily dodges his strike but is suddenly struck by Gon's fishing rod. He praises the boy and knocks out Leorio, and, when Gon tries to intervene, lightly clutches his throat. He determines that both Leorio and Gon will make fine Hunters. An examinee known as "Gittarackur" contacts him to lead him to the site of the Second Phase, and Hisoka leaves with the unconscious Leorio on his shoulder.[11] He kills any beast that attacks him as well as Cherry and makes it to the location of the second trial. He shoots his bloodlust at Gon to allow him to find Leorio. At Buhara's request, he slays and cooks a Great Stamp.[12] He is, however, stumped when Menchi demands to be served sushi. He fails her first test,[13] but passes the amended one.[14]

When Satotz, Menchi, and Buhara discuss the batch of examinees, Buhara picks Hisoka as his top contender and notes that he released the largest amount of negative aura during Todo's outburst. Menchi and Satotz confirm that he constantly exuded bloodlust as if to provoke them. The latter also remarks that Hisoka is their equal and bears watching. Meanwhile, the magician makes a house of cards and, when he is done, knocks it down, chuckling loudly.[15] In the Third Phase, Hisoka is targeted by Togari for having nearly killed him during the previous Hunter Exam. Hisoka, however, catches his spinning blades and beheads him, expressing his disappointment. He is the first to pass through the Trick Tower, having taken 6 hours and 17 minutes.[16]

For the Fourth Phase, the remaining examinees are shipped to Zevil Island in order to take part in a week-long manhunt among themselves to capture their respective target's number plate. He is the first to disembark, due to his ranking in the previous trial.[17] Hisoka spends his first two days on Zevil Island in idleness. Gittarackur offers to tell him who his target is, but he declines, stating he will just take three random tags. His wounds attract hemotropic butterflies that feed on blood, leading his "predator", Gon, to him.[18] Hisoka fails to sense him, but detects Goz hiding nearby, who challenges him to a duel. Despite understanding his opponent is dying and that he wants to end his life as a warrior, Hisoka does not fight back, since he is "uninterested in the dead". Gittarackur then appears and finishes Goz off. Hisoka realizes he decided to honor the dying man's last request. Gittarackur hands him another examinee's number plate. When night falls, Hisoka decides to get himself two other tags.[19]

He spots Leorio and Kurapika,[19] but, fascinated with their resolve, he allows them to leave unharmed in exchange for a number plate. Their potential and quick development whet his bloodlust, impelling him to find someone to kill.[20] He comes across Agon, whom he immediately kills. As he does so, he has his badge stolen by Gon, who has been tailing him. While going after him, Hisoka finds and decapitates Geretta, who turns out to be his target. He praises Gon's stealth and technique and leaves him his badge. Gon refuses to accept the favor, but Hisoka blasts him with a right hook and leaves after challenging him to do the same.[21] Having obtained the necessary number of plates, Hisoka qualifies for the Final Phase. Interviewed by Isaac Netero, he states he wants a Hunter License to attain impunity and that the applicants who caught his attention the most are Killua and Gon. He also declares he would prefer to fight neither of them, especially not Gon, and challenges Netero, but is casually dismissed.[22]

The Final Phase of the exam is an elimination tournament in which the winner of a match is removed from the candidate list and receives his very own Hunter License, and the loser is given more chance. Hisoka frowns when Hanzo threatens to break Gon's arm.[23] He laughs when the boy refuses to give up and states he would also prefer not to have his leg cut off.[24] Hisoka's first match is against Kurapika. After tussling for a while, he whispers something to Kurapika, then he forfeits the match. [25]

His next opponent is Bodoro. It was a one-sided match, but Bodoro doesn't want to surrender. Hisoka knocks him down and whispers something to him. Right after this, Bodoro admits defeat and Hisoka becomes a licensed Hunter.[25] When the exam is over, he is surprised to see Gon lift Illumi in the air.[26] He has a short conversation with Illumi about Gon and the Zoldyck Family and warns Illumi not to touch Gon because the boy is his target only.[27]

Heavens Arena arc

Hisoka follows Gon and Killua to the Heavens Arena and with his Ren prevents the duo from entering the 200th floor until they are able to use Nen, declaring them not ready.[28] Gon and Killua return after learning Ten from Wing. Hisoka allows both of them to pass and tells Gon if he can win one match on the 200th floor, he might consider fighting him.[29] He becomes excited when he sees Gon enter a state of Zetsu against Gido.[30] A fighter at Heavens Arena named Kastro fights Hisoka to avenge his past loss. At the beginning of the fight, Kastro seems to have the upper hand, landing some blows on Hisoka from unimaginable positions and angles, gaining a 4-0 lead.[8][31] When Kastro prepares his Tiger Bite Fist, Hisoka willingly gives him his left arm, but has the right one severed instead. The exchange allows him to figure out Kastro's secret, the use of a Nen double. When Kastro declares he will take Hisoka's left arm next, Hisoka remarks he may feel more eager to take the fight seriously.[31] He performs a series of magic tricks seemingly for no reason. After Kastro sends his double to chop off his left arm, Hisoka's right arm magically reappears. He states Kastro will dance himself to death and proceeds to tell him apart from his clone and dodge its attacks, claiming the flaw of the ability is that the clone never shows any damage, and as an Enhancer Kastro has insufficient "memory" for such a complex Conjuration technique. As he completes the explanation, he hits Kastro in the chin using his severed left arm then kills Kastro by stabbing him with the cards on the ground.[32]

After the fight, Hisoka pays Machi to reattach both his arms, concealing the seams with a combination of Bungee Gum and Texture Surprise. It is revealed that Hisoka pretended to be holding back against the Kastro by concealing part of his aura with In, and that he resorted to his brutal magic tricks to prevent Kastro from figuring it out. When his right arm was severed, he connected it to the stump with Bungee Gum, whereas he linked the right one to Kastro's chin. He used the same ability to send the cards he had previously scattered on the ground flying at Kastro, setting the technique up during another magic trick.[6]

Machi then tells him that everyone in the Phantom Troupe must meet up in Yorknew City at noon at the end of August, and that Chrollo might punish him if he skips another gathering. He invites her to spend the evening with him, but she leaves before he finishes his invitation. As he showers, he peels off the fake spider tattoo on his back, which he made from a piece of cloth using his Texture Surprise ability.[6] After Gon defeats Gido and Riehlvelt, he declares himself willing to fight the boy.[33] They decide to have their showdown at the Heavens Arena on July 10th.[34]

On the day of the match, Hisoka can barely contain his excitement. He easily repels all of Gon's attacks without moving from his original position, until Gon uses a flagstone as a diversion and succeeds in punching him in the face.[35] Hisoka accepts to take his badge back. He deduces Gon is an Enhancer and explains his personality-based Nen test, revealing he is a Transmuter. He then begins to fight for real, surpassing Gon in both speed and strength. When Gon attempts to keep his distance, Hisoka pulls him towards himself with Bungee Gum and punches him hard.[36] He offers to let Gon strike him if he can tell him when he attached Bungee Gum, giving him three options, only to reveal the correct one was a fourth one, and that Gon could not have prevented him from using the ability. Realizing he cannot escape, Gon charges at him. Hisoka is so delighted with his initiative he has a hard time preventing himself from killing him, letting himself be beaten up by Gon until he regains his composure. While Gon complains to the judge, he attaches the strand of aura on Gon's cheek to a rock and tricks him into being hit, winning the match. He then leaves after telling Gon that the next time they fight, it will be to the death.[37]

Yorknew City arc

On August 31st, Hisoka meets the other members of the Phantom Troupe in an abandoned building in Yorknew City, where their leader gives the order to rob the Mafia Community of the Underground Auction items.[38] On the night of September 1st, he listens intently to Chrollo's conversation on the phone with Uvogin about a traitor[39] and leaves the hideout to meet up with Kurapika.[40] He texts him to meet as arranged, and, when they do, tells Kurapika what he knows about the Phantom Troupe, that he joined the Troupe only to fight Chrollo, and that they should team up because they share a common interest. He offers Kurapika information about the abilities of seven Spiders in return.[7] Before giving his reply, Kurapika enquires about the Scarlet Eyes, which Hisoka reckons have been already sold. Alerted by Melody that Uvogin escaped, Kurapika leaves after stating he will give his answer the following day at the same time.[41]

The next day, he has an unexpected meeting with Gon and Killua after the two were captured and brought to the Troupe's hideout. They pretend not to know each other and Hisoka seemingly notices Killua realizes the "Chain Dude" is none other than Kurapika.[42] Despite his liking for Gon, he cannot do anything to help them and even threatens to slit Killua's throat with a card if the boy makes any move without permission. Since Nobunaga is busy watching Gon and Killua, Machi is forced to pair up with Hisoka.[43] That night, he receives the order to create a commotion before stealing the auction loot.[44] However, he only stands on the top of a building admiring the massacre.[45] He later lights Bean's cigarette instants before Machi kills him.[46] Like the other Spiders, he passes himself off as auction staff and hides from Kurapika when the latter comes to retrieve the fake Scarlet Eyes. Upon returning to the hideout with the loot, he wants to tell Kurapika that the corpses of several Troupe's members left behind are fake, but fails to contact him.[47]

On September 4th, Chrollo announces his intention to leave Yorknew City. When Nobunaga protests, he uses the Lovely Ghostwriter ability he stole from Neon on him and Shizuku, learning that tangling with the "Chain Dude" will lead to the death of five other members. Hisoka sends a message to Kurapika, telling him about the fake corpses[48] as part of his plan to force the Spiders to remain in Yorknew City, so he can fight Chrollo. The Troupe leader then writes fortunes for nearly all members, including Hisoka.[49] The magician's prophecy exposes his treachery and promises he would fight Chrollo the following Tuesday, by which time half the Spiders would be dead.[50] When Pakunoda insists on reading it,[49] he alters it with Texture Surprise, implying that he will die if he leaves the hideout. The Spiders initially interpret his forged fortune as a sign of his betrayal, but, when Nobunaga is about to clash with him, Chrollo falls into Hisoka's trap and suggests that the "Chain Dude" is forcing him to cooperate. His manipulation is successful and Chrollo decides to remain in the city.[51] He is partnered up with Franklin and Bonolenov and left at the hideout while half the other members set out to kill the "Chain Dude".[52]

When he learns Chrollo has been captured by Kurapika, he hires Illumi to disguise as himself and act as his double in the Troupe's hideout so that he can leave and fight Chrollo alone.[53] The two switch places while Kalluto distracts Franklin and Bonolenov.[54] He tails Pakunoda to Lingon Airport, threatening to kill Gon and Killua if Kurapika does not allow him to get on the blimp. When the hostage exchange terminates,[55] he reveals to Chrollo his fake membership status and challenges him to a duel, but to his great disappointment, Chrollo can no longer use Nen. Hisoka spares his life and leaves, telling Pakunoda that he has never been attracted to broken toys and that the present already differs from the contents of his fortune. He walks away without returning to the hideout.[50]

Greed Island arc

Hisoka heads to Greed Island in search of an Exorcist for Chrollo. He uses Chrollo's name to enter the game to send a signal to any Spiders who would enter the game.[56] He hangs around the spell card shop in Masadora, reckoning that is where he will be able to meet the greatest number of players.[57] Gon comes close enough to him that he shows up in his contact list,[58] and the same occurs with Shizuku, Franklin, Shalnark, and Phinks.[59] He approaches them to reveal his identity and offer to take the Exorcist to Chrollo once they find one.[56] While Gon, Killua, Biscuit, and Goreinu look to beat Razor and his pirates, Gon insists on finding out who the "Chrollo" in his binder is. The fly to him as he bathes in a lake. Sensing the two boys have improved, he determines Biscuit to be their teacher. He tells them he came to the island to find Chrollo, as he fears they would try to stop him if he revealed he is looking for an Exorcist. At Biscuit's request, he accepts to play against Razor's group.[60]

Hisoka pretends not to know what spells are and takes the group to the nearby Aiai, where he spends his free time, to find other players. However, the romantic clichés prove to be too distracting. Killua begins to suspect that Hisoka has met other members of the Phantom Troupe on the island and is hiding it from everyone. When Gon asks him to check his contacts to know if he has met Tsezguerra, Hisoka conceals the names of the Spiders with Texture Surprise. He contacts the Single-Star Hunter for the group.[57] They form an alliance and Hisoka volunteers to play soccer juggling on account of his Bungee Gum. After one week, they head to Soufrabi.[59] The group wins three games, after which Razor challenges the remaining players to a dodgeball match. When Razor kills a rebellious Bopobo, Hisoka reveals to his team the game is taking place in real life.[61] Shortly after the start of the game, Gon gives Hisoka the ball, so he can throw it and retrieve it with Bungee Gum.[62] He eliminates one of Razor's Devils, but Razor combines two of them to prevent him from getting the ball back.[63] He narrowly escapes a shoot ball thrown by Razor, which is then intercepted by one of his Demons. Hisoka catches its throw with the aid of Bungee Gum, at the cost of breaking two fingers.[64]

Hisoka admires Gon's Rock ecstatically. When Razor manages to deflect his throw, Hisoka snatches the ball with Bungee Gum, forcing him to use up his freebie.[65] To retrieve the ball from Razor, Gon, Hisoka, and Killua create a three-person formation[66] where Hisoka is in charge of preventing the ball from bouncing off after Gon catches it. They succeed and Gon shoots the ball with his last, most powerful Rock.[67] Razor bumps it back at him, but Gon passes out from exhaustion, so the ball misses him. Hisoka catches and throws it back with Bungee Gum, sticking it to Razor's hands so he cannot deflect it again, at the cost of 10 broken fingers. Razor is pushed out of bounds, resulting in the team's victory.[68] Hisoka leaves them, and his parting words cause Killua to realize he was indeed lying.[69]

Phinks takes Hisoka where the other Spiders and the Exorcist are so he can negotiate with the latter. He enquires how the Troupe managed to find him, and when they refuse to answers, he wonders if it could be the work of the person hiding behind a tree nearby, and threatens to vent his arousal against them if they do not come out. Kalluto, Hisoka's replacement in the gang, walks out, and Hisoka expresses his approval of him. He then asks Machi who between him and Chrollo she'd rather survived, and what she will do if he kills Chrollo, to which Machi says she would hunt him down and kill him. He smiles and states he would like it.[70] A few weeks later, he leaves the island with Abengane after the latter has successfully deactivated Genthru's Countdown..[71]

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc

Hisoka is next seen during the first round of the 13th Hunter Chairman Election looking for Ging. He secretly rates the Hunters on the scene using a scale of his own and is apparently quite happy with the power of some members of the Zodiacs: Kanzai, Ginta, and Pyon. He then casts a blank vote after showing it to them, which annoys Kanzai. After that, he sits there scouting out the crowd. While sizing up the pro-Hunters present at the election site, Hisoka is disappointed by their power levels and thinks to himself that if they are this weak, he might consider fighting the Zodiacs next. Suddenly he feels the presence of someone strong, who turns out to be Illumi. Illumi then tells Hisoka about what happened during the Chimera Ant crisis, the death of Chairman Netero, Alluka—his younger sister, and the current situation with Gon and Killua.[72]

Hisoka and Illumi are next seen talking to each other in an airship bar. Illumi explains the rules related to Alluka's ability to him and tells him if Killua dies from Alluka's power while trying to heal Gon, a lot of people, including the Zoldycks, Gon, and even Hisoka, will die as well. Fearing that Killua will do it wrong, Illumi asks Hisoka to help him kill Alluka.[73] Later, as Killua, Alluka, and their butlers are on their way to Gon's hospital, Illumi manipulates some drivers and crashes their vehicles into Killua's car, causing it to fall into a forest below. Watching from a distance, Illumi tells Hisoka to eliminate the butlers but Hisoka asks if he can kill Killua. Illumi suddenly releases a murderous aura and warns him. Hisoka says he is just kidding. It is then revealed that he provoked Illumi on purpose to let Killua know his location because he too wants Gon to be saved.[74]

He then confronts Gotoh, Amane, and Canary, who are left behind after Killua uses his Godspeed ability to escape with Alluka. Gotoh tells the other butlers to go ahead and let him deal with Hisoka. At first, his Bungee Gum ability seems to be neutralized by Gotoh's ability to fire coins with power superior to bullets, but Hisoka manages to adapt quickly and uses his Bungee Gum to fire the coins back, forcing him to shoot more coins to deflect them, with that distraction Hisoka is able to drop in on him and slit his throat.[75]

Hisoka and Illumi arrive by Parasta Airport, where Killua used an airship as transportation and to escape them. Hisoka suggests that they should ambush Killua in the hospital, but Illumi claims the assassination will fail if they do so because Killua's friends are there. Illumi thinks of asking for help, prompting Hisoka to ask if he has any other acquaintances. Illumi instead reveals an ability to manipulate a person's actions through a nen-imbued needle. Illumi asks Hisoka if he could hunt the "misses" for him and Hisoka gladly accepts.[76]

Hisoka and Illumi talk over the phone after killing their attackers. Hisoka informs Illumi that he has found a map detailing the aircraft's paths and destinations. He offers to send Illumi a copy, albeit one that is altered by his Texture Surprise. Unfortunately, Illumi says that he also has a map from one of the attackers and that he already knows which aircraft Killua and Alluka are.[77]

Although he is shown to be Illumi's comrade his bloodlust seems to get the better of him, this is shown when Illumi finds Killua, Hisoka is seen hiding in the trees trying to decide who to kill if to kill Alluka and gain Killua's hatred or leave Alluka alive save Gon and make Illumi his enemy. He then questions himself by thinking that maybe he should kill Alluka which would make Killua hate him, or kill Killua and have Illumi hate him is the best plan of action. Hisoka is next seen exiting an elevator and going into the room where Teradein Neutral is staying, Hisoka then kills him.[78]

Succession Contest arc

Chrollo finally accepts to fight Hisoka in a death match at Heavens Arena. As soon as the fight begins, Chrollo activates Shalnark's ability and takes control of the referee, using him to attack Hisoka while, the latter reckons, preparing to stick the second antenna in him. However, the second antenna was a feint and Chrollo kicks down Hisoka, then proceeds to stomp on him. Hisoka frees himself by hurling the referee at him. Chrollo then commands the referee to attack Hisoka again but explodes before the two can make contact thanks to a new ability stolen by Chrollo, who is now also capable of using two abilities at the same time or one without needing to touch his book. Hisoka gets more and more excited as the fight progresses, but feels Chrollo is still holding back. The two then briefly discuss the latter's new abilities, with Hisoka rejoicing due to his opponent's power.[2]

Chrollo combines two abilities, Order Stamp and Kortopi's Gallery Fake, to attack Hisoka with a copy of the referee. However, thanks to Chrollo's explanation, Hisoka easily deactivates Order Stamp by beheading the puppet. Chrollo finally shows the last ability he has prepared, Convert Hands. Much to Hisoka's annoyance, before the two can trade blows again, Chrollo reveals that one of his abilities belongs to someone who is already dead. Hisoka instantly realizes it is because the user's Nen has become stronger after his death, and improves his guard. When he learns that, thanks to the creator's resolve, once affixed, the marks of The Sun and Moon will never disappear unless they explode, Hisoka smiles, thinking that could indeed prove problematic. Despite Chrollo claiming that his victory is certain, Hisoka is willing to keep fighting and attacks him. The two end up in the audience, which Chrollo manipulates with Black Voice to attack Hisoka while disguising himself with Convert Hands.[79]

Hisoka notices the antennae have disappeared and that Chrollo has already created copies with Gallery Fake. Then, around thirty copies controlled with Order Stamp start attacking him, forcing him to use Bungee Gum to retreat, but the puppets climb on top of each other and reach him. As he retaliates, Chrollo, having stolen someone else's clothes, maneuvers behind Hisoka, who prepares to counter, but is tricked by the opponent's feint and kicked in the nape. As he falls into the crowd of puppets, Hisoka is ecstatic. Struggling not to be overwhelmed, Hisoka begins dispatching the puppets, all the while taking damage from Chrollo's hit-and-run tactic. He manages to anticipate the latter's next move, flinging a severed head at him, but Chrollo dodges and kicks Hisoka, claiming he had seen him prepare the attack. However, Hisoka manages to hit him with a second projectile attached to his foot, replying he knows while coughing up blood.[80]

He lands one more hit with the other head, forcing Chrollo to retreat. Unable to give chase, Hisoka disables more puppets and tries to figure out Chrollo's next move basing on whether Order Stamp and Gallery Fake are deactivated. When the stamp disappears from the head of a puppet, Hisoka manages to track down Chrollo in the audience, immobilizing him with Bungee Gum. However, he notices something is off and swiftly attacks him with the head. It is revealed the one he killed was a spectator Chrollo had been controlling with Black Voice and to whom he had given his appearance with Convert Hands. However, as Gallery Fake is still active, Hisoka realizes that the copies on which The Sun and Moon has been affixed will not disappear even if Chrollo is using other abilities.[81] He moves back to the center of the arena, guessing Chrollo will have to launch an assault with all his puppets lest they are mistaken for injured spectators by the rescue personnel. In fact, Chrollo steals the announcer's microphone and orders to "break Hisoka", causing all the puppets with the stamp to rush at Hisoka, who proceeds to destroy them using the head as a projectile and by attaching Bungee Gum to multiple puppets and using them as a hammer. Suddenly, however, the head he was gripping explodes in his hand, heavily injuring it and obliterating four of his fingers.[82]

Hisoka understands how Chrollo managed to make the head explode and quickly decapitates another puppet. Using Bungee Gum through his legs, he starts walking on the sides of a stand, destroying more puppets from that position before running away. However, he finds multiple explosive puppets waiting for him. Although he survives the explosion, he is blasted in the air towards another stand filled with Chrollo's explosive puppets. The loss of a leg prevents him from escaping to the ceiling, but before he can project Bungee Gum from his other leg, Chrollo throws two spectators at him, causing him to fall back into the ring. As the puppets prepare to attack him, Hisoka prepares for his death and is soon engulfed in an explosion.[83]

The next time Hisoka is seen he is, by all means, dead, presented before Kortopi, Shalnark, and Machi; his face is extremely disfigured by the explosion, with one of the three wondering why he did not suffer more damage. Shalnark explains that he used a large portion of the puppets as a "meat shield" so to speak, protecting his from the bulk of the explosion, but ultimately causing him to die from suffocation. Shalnark and Kortopi leave after Machi says that she'll stay to tend to his wounds. Closing his eyes before attempting to stitch up his neck, Machi is shocked to see his aura re-emerge from his body; she mistakenly believes this to be his Nen preserving after his death before it is revealed that he used Bungee Gum to restart his heart and lungs after his demise.[84]

Greeting her rather cheerfully after coming back to life, she confirms that he was indeed dead for some time, after which Hisoka admits that fighting someone of Chrollo's league and hundreds of Nen puppets at the same time was more than he could chew, referring to the experience as a "wake up call" as a result. He then proceeds to mend and hide his wounds, whilst simultaneously replacing his missing arm and leg using Bungee Gum and Texture Surprise. After saying that his next opponents won't have a choice in where and who they fight, he restrains Machi using Bungee Gum before he leaves, telling her that he shall kill all members of the Phantom Troupe. Struggling to get out, she shouts and swears at Hisoka, saying she'll kill him herself, before Hisoka makes his exit.[84]

The next time Hisoka is seen, Shalnark had just come off of the phone with Chrollo, discussing plans to board the Kakin Empire Royal Family's ship and steal their valuables. While Shalnark is wondering what's taking Kortopi so long in the bathroom, Hisoka walks out instead. Shocked, Shalnark runs towards him before Hisoka throws Kortopi's severed head at him. After catching it, Shalnark cries out in shock before Hisoka lands an extremely powerful attack to his head, killing him. Shalnark's mangled body is then seen tied to a swing with Kortopi's severed head in front of him and crows gathering around their corpses.[84]

By the time Machi reaches Chrollo in the market inside the Black Whale, she confirms that Hisoka had made his way into the Black Whale to kill the rest of the Troupe members. Chrollo orders the first come, first serve rule to make it fair for the rest of Troupe members to kill him.[85]

Heavens Arena Standing

The following are the results for Hisoka in Heavens Arena. Each KO resulted in the opponent's death. After his fight with Gon, Hisoka obtained the right to fight a Floor Master, whom he defeated to obtain the title.[5] Sometime later, he confronted Chrollo Lucilfer.[2] Although the normal regulations were suspended during the fight, Chrollo technically won by KO.

Opponent Result Kastro 10-3 Win ?? 10-1 Win ?? 10-0 KO Win ?? W.O. Loss ?? W.O. Loss ?? W.O. Loss ?? 10-0 KO Win ?? 10-0 KO Win ?? 10-0 KO Win ?? 10-0 KO Win ?? 10-0 KO Win Kastro 10-4 KO Win Gon 11-4 Win Unknown Floor Master ?-? Win Chrollo X-X KO Loss

Equipment

Playing Cards: Hisoka's weapon of choice is a set of ordinary French playing cards, which he uses in combat to lethal effects by wielding or throwing them in conjunction with his Shu.[29] The cards have white borders, with a checkered pattern composed by small, light and dark fuchsia squares.

Abilities & Powers

Hisoka has all the benefits granted by his status as a Hunter. Notorious for his graceful, cruel, and deceitful fighting ability, which has earned him the rank of Floor Master,[5] he has proven to be a deadly adversary. His tremendous physical abilities and combat skill make him extremely dangerous in a bout, and his expertise in Nen, tactical genius, and flexibility allow him to swiftly adapt to changes in circumstances. Among the opponents he has defeated are previous #4 member of the Phantom Troupe[7] and the Single-Star Blacklist Hunter Bushidora, killing the latter without suffering any injury himself.[77] He has expressed dissatisfaction with the power level of most Pro Hunters, which led him to consider fighting the Zodiacs to find a new challenge,[72] and in fact, he was able to effortlessly dispatch multiple Hunters in a short span of time.[77] Illumi Zoldyck, who was estimated by the magician to be even more formidable than some Zodiacs,[72] was wary of crossing Hisoka,[27] and even the leader of the infamous Phantom Troupe deemed it prudent to prepare a strategy and gather Nen abilities before facing him to ensure his victory, declaring Hisoka set a new record for the number of abilities he ever needed to kill someone.[2]

Hisoka is also a skilled magician and often uses Nen to perform his tricks. His skills in misdirection and amazing dexterity find applications in combat, their combination allowing him to triumph against Kastro.[6] The latter talent also enabled him to catch Togari's spinning knives on the first try, whereas their owner required six months to do so.[16] Furthermore, Hisoka has a certain degree of informatic proficiency, which he used to track Gon and Killua down after they bought blimp tickets online.[28] By forming a circle with his index finger and thumb and peeking through it, he can enhance his vision.[19] It is unknown if this technique is achieved with Nen, or if Hisoka can merely improve his eyesight by concentrating. Hisoka's zest for battle often causes him to suffer more damage than he would if he fought seriously from the start.[32][36][37] In fact, his willingness to let Chrollo pick the location and time of their showdown,[84] as well as to adapt to his pace in its early stages,[2][79] nearly led to his demise.[84]

Preternatural Perception: Hisoka has proven to be able to sense not only the presence, but also the position of people hidden with Zetsu, even Kalluto's, whose execution of the technique was described as "flawless". In response to Nobunaga's befuddlement, Hisoka attributed his feat to the lingering sensitivity from the competition against Razor.[70] His ability to gauge an individual talent and raw power is so refined that he has been able to create a point-based system to quantify them. Although he generally glances at someone to determine their strength, he ranked Illumi without even seeing or recognizing him beforehand.[72] Nonetheless, he was unable to notice that Gon was tailing him during the Hunter Exam even before lapsing into a murder frenzy, due to the boy being in a state of Zetsu and possibly because he was not particularly hostile towards him until the moment he made his move when Hisoka's own bloodlust masked his.[21]

Immense Strength: Hisoka boasts astounding brawn, ranking third in the Phantom Troupe in arm-wrestling.[86] When one of his kicks missed Gon, he sent a flagstone of the ring crashing explosively into the audience stands.[36] He can effortlessly lift five human puppets with one hand and swing them around with enough force to destroy them and all other bodies they come in contact with,[82] and instantly twist off a human head with a single hand.[83] In the dodgeball game Hisoka was able to throw the ball with such force that Razor's Nen puppets were forced to combine to block it,[63] despite them being capable of redirecting Razor's passes[62] which, after their power waned,[64] retained enough momentum to incapacitate Tsezguerra.[62] He was also able to withstand the force of the ball launched by Gon with Rock and returned by Razor while catching it with Bungee Gum.[67]

Enhanced Speed and Reflexes: During the Hunter Exam, Hisoka dispatched dozens of applicants in seconds, and disappeared from Leorio's and, more remarkably, Gon's sight at close quarters.[11] He offered further proof of his swiftness against multiple foes when he fended off the throng of puppets sent after him by Chrollo.[80] When he fought the boy at the Heavens Arena, he could move so quickly that Gon was unable to get his body to react in time.[36] He avoided all of Kastro's strikes while the latter was not using his double,[31] and even after he lost of both arms the clone was unable to land a single hit on him when it attacked by itself.[32] He has demonstrated to be as reactive to projectiles when he effortlessly grabbed a pair of spinning knives thrown at him by a Hunter,[16] caught Gotoh's bullet-fast coins with Bungee Gum,[75] dodged a shot ball thrown by Razor and succeeded in blocking it when it was redirected moments afterward.[64]

Enhanced Agility: Hisoka is fairly acrobatic, a skill which he uses to recover his balance and respond to attacks quickly.[31] He can defend even from disadvantageous positions[2] without losing his balance.[64]

Enhanced Stamina: Hisoka 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,[87] without breaking a sweat.[12] He did not show the slightest sign of physical or mental exhaustion after his fight against Kastro[32] or the dodgeball match against Razor,[67] or at any point during his taxing showdown against Chrollo.[88]

Immense Endurance: Hisoka appears to be impervious to pain. He was only momentarily stunned when Kastro and Chrollo landed critical blows on him.[8][31][80] He was unaffected by breaking ten fingers[67] and, more impressively, by having one hand and one foot blown off[83] or by the loss of two arms,[31] to the point he stuck his fingers in his open wound to retrieve a card.[32] However, his high threshold can backfire, as he failed to notice one of his legs was maimed in his fight against Chrollo.[83]

Genius-Level Intellect: Hisoka is an expert tactician and schemer with excellent analytical abilities. Though at great personal risk, he succeeded in manipulating the Spiders into staying in Yorknew so he could fight Chrollo, and to forge a fake prophecy, minutes if not seconds, after receiving the original, perfectly replicating its style.[51] While on Greed Island he managed to trick Killua, although both he and Biscuit remained suspicious of him.[60][57] His aptitude at reading others' character and at finding common traits allowed him to create a personality-based system to determine Nen types, and, although he admits it is unreliable, he has been correct every time he was seen resorting to it.[36][60]

Master Strategist: Hisoka is an exceptional strategist who can formulate winning plans at the very start of a confrontation. He frequently puts up an outlandish or even arrogant act to fool into his opponents into believing he is being careless, whereas, in reality, he is laying traps.[6][75] He excels not only at planning ahead, but also at picking apart enemy strategies, compiling all the available information, and coming up with multiple hypotheses in mere seconds and in the heat of battle, as well as to rapidly adapt to new developments.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Hisoka is a force to be reckoned with at close range, even without his cards or Bungee Gum. Cherry, whom Tonpa regarded as the most skilled unarmed combatant in the 287th Hunter Exam,[1] acknowledged the enormous gap in technique between the two of them,[11] and he easily dodged every attack from Goz.[19] He single-handedly outmatched Gon in close quarters combat and repelled all of his offensives without moving from his spot until the boy resorted to a diversion.[35] Even after the loss of both arms, he avoided every strike of Kastro's double while casually talking to the ability user and throwing glances in his direction,[32] and despite Kastro being a martial artist reputed to be on par with a Floor Master.[8] Hisoka has also proven time and time again to be capable of fighting back whole crowds.[11][80]

Master Weapon Specialist: With the aid of Shu, Hisoka can turn his cards into mortal edge weapons or projectiles. He employs them to instantly kill the opponent by targeting their vital spots, generally the throat,[11][21][2][80] but also to incapacitate them by severing their tendons.[79] While wielding one with only two fingers, he can sever an adult men's arms in one motion.[81] He can throw them with deadly accuracy and speed,[11] and also incorporate them in surprise attacks with Bungee Gum.[32] He also displayed proficiency with flail-like weapons by swinging an aura-coated human head connected to his hand via his elastic aura,[81] as well as with knives.[16]

Master of Stealth: Hisoka managed to spy on Killua undetected by him as well as, seemingly, Amane and Tsubone.[78] He assisted Illumi without being discovered by the Hunter Association[77] and seemingly killed Teradein while the latter was at his desk.[78]

Expert in Tailing: Hisoka followed Gon and Killua twice without them noticing,[28][55] eluding Pakunoda's detection the second time around as well.[55]

Nen

Hisoka is a Transmuter[36] endowed with a powerful, sinister aura that disquieted Wing[35] and Gon even after the latter learned Nen.[37] He manifests his high level of proficiency in his natural category primarily through his Nen ability, Bungee Gum, but he has also shown to be very proficient at controlling the shape of his aura,[29] which is a Transmutation skill.[89] This aptitude may be what allows him to extend strands of elastic aura over distances of several meters without flinging them, which makes its application more subtle.[6][37][80] He is also well-versed in Conjuration, the Nen type of his second ability, as well as Emission and, seemingly, Enhancement. He utilizes the former to maintain aura around projectiles[29] as well as in conjunction with Bungee Gum, to separate the ability from his body.[37][84]

His affinity for Enhancement manifests primarily as a remarkable level of durability. Hisoka survived multiple Nen-enhanced strikes from Kastro, an Enhancer, without using his aura to defend.[31] Although he was briefly stunned,[80] Hisoka took no visible damage from most of Chrollo's attacks,[2][79][80] one of which can allegedly behead a person with a knife-hand strike,[44] despite Hisoka having been unable to predict them and thus to guard properly. He seems to have resorted to Manipulation on one occasion, exploiting the boost enjoyed by Nen after death to impart an automatic command to his Bungee Gum.[84]

Aside from Hatsu, Hisoka is capable of using at least Ren,[28] Gyo,[32] and Ken, which allowed him to survive multiple explosions of The Sun and Moon set off in his proximity, although one of his legs was severely mangled.[83] Like many other high-level Nen users, he can maintain a state of Ten at all times.[7] It is also likely that he is proficient at Zetsu[28][55][77][78] and Ko.[64] The two techniques he employs with the greatest frequency are Shu and especially In. With Shu his poker cards can easily cut through bone[11] and concrete[37] even while he is not holding them. When he applied it to a severed human head, it carried so much force that it pulverized other heads it came in contact with,[82] incapacitated several puppets with a single throw and injured a Nen user of Chrollo Lucilfer's caliber[81] without being damaged in the least, whereas it would break immediately if not enveloped in aura.[82] If Hisoka favors Shu for direct attacks, In is at the core of his strategies, as he combines the technique with Bungee Gum to lay elaborate, deadly traps.[6][37][75][80]

Hisoka's Nen prowess if further supported by his knowledge of more abstract notions, such as Nen becoming stronger after death[79] and Exorcism.[60] He also came up with the concept of "Memory Overload"[32] and a system to divine an individual's Nen type from their personality, which, despite him calling it unreliable, has proven correct several times.[36][60]

Hisoka's Nen Type: Transmutation Type: Transmutation Bungee Gum ( 伸縮自在の愛 ( バンジーガム ) , Elastic Love) Hisoka's main ability allows him to make his aura sticky and elastic.[68][75] Its extreme durability, flexibility, and adhesive properties make it an exceptionally versatile ability with several offensive, defensive, and supplementary applications. He can activate it from his fingers,[82] hands,[6] and feet.[2][83] He can attach it both through physical contact and remotely, by extending it towards the target, which makes it very difficult to avoid.[37] He can give it the command to contract at will, and it snaps back with greater force the more it is stretched.[90] It is so resilient that it did not tear after absorbing the full force of a ball hurled by Gon with Rock,[68] or several of Gotoh's coins,[75] which makes it an effective way of returning projectiles to the sender. Offensively, Bungee Gum can be used to pull the opponent towards Hisoka[37] or to create flail-like weapons.[81] He can also separate it from his body, in which case it will tear after a maximum stretch of 10 meters.[90] He most commonly detaches it from his body to attach projectiles to his opponent, such as his Shu-enhanced cards, while concealing it with In.[6] The combination of the latter technique and Bungee Gum allows Hisoka to lay multi-layered traps that spring all at once, killing the unsuspecting opponent in a flash.[6][75] He has also emitted it to restrain individuals as powerful as Machi.[84] Bungee Gum also has a wide range of auxiliary applications. Hisoka can attach it to a solid surface to retreat at extreme speed when the need arises.[75][2][80] By using it on his feet, he can adhere to the ground[75] or run on walls.[83] It is also useful for sticking objects in place for traps[6][68] or to keep hold of them,[64][67] even after throwing them.[62][80] By covering a wound with it, he can instantly stop hemorrhages.[6] On one occasion, he enveloped his lungs and heart with it so it would resuscitate him. By creating non-adhesive aura, he can also replace missing limbs, which can coil like a spring to propel himself at tremendous velocity.[84] Type: Conjuration Texture Surprise ( 薄っぺらな嘘 ( ドッキリテクスチャー ) , Flimsy Lies) Hisoka can apply his aura to any smooth, flat surface, such as paper or cloth, and manifest imagery on it to change its appearance and texture[note 1] for deception. He can replicate over one thousand different textures. He has tricked Nen users of the Spiders' caliber with this ability, with none of them realizing he had used it, either by sight or by touch.[51] Against Kastro, he utilized Texture Surprise to hide his wounds and confuse him.[6] It can also be applied to pure aura, such as Hisoka's Bungee Gum, to alter his own appearance.[84] Since no aura is detectable once Texture Surprise is active, whether through eyesight, touch, or extrasensorial perception,[51][59] its effects are also visible to individuals unable to use Nen,[32] it is safe to assume Texture Surprise is a Conjuration ability, which is further supported by its requiring Hisoka's direct action to be dispelled[6][59] and by a verb used in its description.[6]

Appearances in Other Media

Hisoka's Past

Note: Sui Ishida, the mangaka of Tokyo Ghoul, wrote and illustrated a one-shot entitled "Hisoka's Past". The story is recognized by Yoshihiro Togashi, but may or may not be considered canon.

A teenage Hisoka is found beaten on the side of the road by circus ringmaster Moritonio in Glam Gas Land. Hisoka found himself to be a natural performer, showcasing highly competent feats of dexterity such as juggling batons. He quickly becomes respected and feared within the circus. One day, he notices a thin film around Moritonio, which Moritonio reveals to be his aura. Moritonio then begins training Hisoka in the art of Nen. Hisoka develops his Nen in a matter of days, while the norm would be a year. He begins more complex training in Nen, discovering that his Nen type is Transmutation.[91]

One day, a fellow performer, Abaki, is attacked by the serial killer John Doe, but Hisoka rescues her. He slices her assailant's eye, but believes that eye to have been fake. After this, he begins developing his Nen ability. Some days later, he performs in front of the Head of the Glam Clan, authority of Glam Gas Land. After the performance, he confronts Moritonio outside where he accuses him of being John Doe. Moritonio confesses, and the two begin a duel. Moritonio seem to have the advantage at first, but Hisoka, having developed Gyo, manages to figure out that Moritonio transmutes his aura into magnetic bars which crush the opponent. Hisoka uses his newly-created Nen ability, Bungee Gum, to send the poles flying back to Moritonio, killing him.[91]