*Sorry for the audio shift around 1:41. It sounds a bit strange for a few seconds but luckily it corrects itself pretty quickly. Thank you for watching, and please consider pledging to my Patreon if you want this channel to continue running. I don’t usually shill my Patreon but ad revenue hasn’t been great lately and if I want to continue making videos, I need to be making a bit more income than now. Anyways, thanks again!
@@Gumukumful Thank you very much! Please share these videos around, like, comment, and share my Patreon as well if you want me to continue making videos. As I said, the channel may not continue if I don't start making a bit more money from it.
I have a minor complaint about HxH's nen powers when it comes to the specialist category. Why are most of the specialists in the series have powers centered around taking, borrowing, or giving nen powers to themselves? I know a series can't be perfect but it kinda defeats the purpose of being special in a specialist category.
genuinely though, thank you for always coming through with thoughtful and well-organized content!!!!! us illumi lovers in particular thank u for having the only illumi analysis vid that exists but all of your vids are a pleasure to watch. thank you!
Haha you’re very welcome! He’s a great character and no one really discusses him as much as he deserves, so I was glad to give him some spotlight. I’m super glad that you enjoy the videos :)
I'm pretty sure that Illumi being a "perfect" Zoldyck is precisely the reason he isn't the heir to the family business. Maha, Zeno and Silva all seem to be much more like Killua than Illumi. When Silva allowed Killua to leave he had a strong belief that he would return and his reasoning was "because he is my son." He probably sees something in Killua that reminds him of himself. I think it's likely that the leaders of the family were all people who struggled against the indoctrination but ultimately came back out of their own will (maybe due to a certain realization). I think Killua will either do the same or at least be tempted to do so - otherwise Silvas statement would have been pointless. Illumi is a perfect soldier but not cut out to be a family head.
I've always thought this: Illumi is Killua, but alone. If Illumi had at least one sane person who'd show him love and care, he could have been redemable (heck the butlers could have; they love Kill and Alluka but didn't bother with Illumi)
I always wonder what Illumi had to go through by pulling the card of being the firstborn. Parents tend to be harder on the first kid and may not even ease into a parenting style completely until another kid, due to expectations, worries, and trial & error. Thanks for another great video.
i believe illumi's extreme difference in "messed up-ness" to his siblings is because as he grew up, the more younger siblings he got, the more he got pushed into the background. which i believe would lead to him adapting the ideal extreme zoldyck "lifestyle/personality" to be acknowledged by his family and getting stuck with it as he grew into the person he is today.
Push back? Nope. More like his parents delegated the obligation to Illumi. Notice not one of Killua parents or grandpa goes down from their home mountain to look after killua?
I don't think he was pushed to the side but since he's lived longer he's gone through more of their bullshit, and is more damaged. I think because he's the oldest he thinks he has a responsibility to be the best role model for his siblings.
I really do feel horrible for Illumi and the other Zoldyck kids, and I would hug them all if I wasn't 100% certain that each and every one of them would kill me in a more brutal and interesting manner than the last T.T
@@reapermaster1233 I am not entirely sure on that O.O if I hug Alluka will Killua mistake my movement as me attempting to harm her?? If so I am dead before I get within 5 feet of her. Same with Killua what if he feels threatened that boy acts on instinct and reflexes. That's scary!!!!!!
Same like it kind of really makes me sad to see that those “kids” are being abused or were abused both mentally and physically. I would love to give them a hug ✨💖😪
I’m so sad Trans-Children like Alluka now have in Real-Life a real hard time. H-ck, Trans-Youth even has the highest Sui-ide-Rate by all targettted Minority-Groups; mainly thx to the GOP. They had this much of a hard time even befre the Right-Wing literally started a giant misinformation-Campaign in 2022.
The perfect way to sum up Illumi's character: "He is the nearly perfect Zoldyck assassin." That opened my eyes to a new perspective of Illumi, a character I had never considered to be tragic before. Thank you.
Do it. Find out everything there is to find out about HxH just by consuming the content again and again. (Atleast that's what I do , and I recently realized that the arm and leg that Meruem took off of Netero are the same arm and leg that Netero had refused to use in the ball brawl against Gon and Killua)
"now being a fully grown adult with a set psychology, he is way too far gone to even entertain any of these ideas" that broke my heart. he's such a tragic character. it's why he's my favourite in all of hunter x hunter. he's awful, but he's also brilliant.
As much as that makes sense, I still want to hope he can have development (cause I love his character and he's just sad tbh), but I can't imagine him becoming good and growing up old. Idk why but I feel like if he DOES change his mindset and learn that he was bad all along, he'd have a moment of existential crisis and commit...yeah...while he gives all his money and assets to his siblings
Illumi is scary as hell .Hisoka can really funny sometimes but illumi will be nothing but scary as his emotions have always been unknown and pretty strange .He scares me.
@@contemptman3646 zeno is not normal, he would've been pretty screwed up to screw up his son to the point that his son will screw up his children as well. its a domestic cycle of violence, manipulation and abuse.
@@contemptman3646 even the statement that he is the "most normal" isn't true, obviously zeno is as screwed up as silva or possibly even more screwed if he raised a son as sociopathic and manipulative as silva, it is like father like son.
Finally, Illumi getting some love! Illumi is probably my favorite character in hxh, so it's always great when someone makes a quality analysis on him. Great video!
Hooray, a video on my very favorite character! Loved your points about how, under the surface, Illumi is really not the calm, collected, cool persona he acts like he is. He's a hot mess of desperation managed by bad coping mechanisms. Something else worth noting: Milluki notes that Illumi’s planting of the needle in Killua's head was something Silva had Illumi do. Not that I think Illumi minded at all (he honestly would've done it anyways probably), but I think it indicates Illumi’s puppet imagery for Killua and Alluka, with himself as the puppet master, is also projection-because he is a puppet of Silva.
Illumi really reminds me of Itachi in a way. They are very different characters, but their brotherly love are comparable. They both did/are doing terrible things due to love for their brothers
Sasuke is already known to be based on Kurapika, so it only makes sense to find other similarities in characters from those stories. HxH is clearly a key inspiration for Naruto.
@@clutchmaster0039 Illumi using nen needle was his way of protecting Killua, i'm not saying its a right way, but thats his messed up way of showing love
I think that Killua’s leaving for a journey of self discovery was ALLOWED by the family because they realized that the way they raised Illumi backfired, resulting in a twisted & unsuitable personality. So they decided to try another method with Killua, hoping to avoid ruining him the way they did Illumi. The destruction of Illumi’s innocence (and sanity) was the price of Killua’s freedom. It never would have happened had the family not realized they messed up by being too harsh on the firstborn son. It’s really tragic and unfair, and I can totally see Illumi possessing a secret core of jealousy toward Killua. In spite of him doing & becoming everything the family wished, Illumi was still judged as lacking.
would very much explain the age gap between illumi, milluki and killua. It seemed they went to hard with illumi, too soft with milluki and to them killua was just right
Something that you brought up and didn't return to, but makes so much sense thematically, is his nen ability. His power to manipulate both himself and others is absolutely at the very least a subconscious manifestation by Illumi of what he believes the Zoldyck bloodline to be: a thing that controls those directly influenced by it. Since all of the members of the Zoldyck family operate as a big overall business and don't know any other way of life, Illumi could be extremely frustrated by being in the family, and could be jealous of Killua's ability to just run off and leave them. He can't understand how Kil is able to escape from the strings that should be puppeteering his entire life, like they did with him. His needles give him a sense of control; he's able to make himself look however he wants, and he can make other people act the way that he wants. It's his little way of escaping from the control he feels flowing through his veins by passing that misery on to others.
Without going into spoilers for those who have not read the manga, but Illumi's potential to be a major player in future arcs is one of the many things I look forward too once Togashi (Eventually) returns from Hiatus...
@@quadeevans6484 I'm sure he'll be back soon (Give or take another couple months) His current model for producing the series is through a yearly release of manga volumes rather than continuous chapter releases so I'm sure everything will be fine...
@@rubywolf5296 yea its selfish of me but i wish he would give scripts and notes to another artist so he could speed up development because his health is obviously declining and even if he releases yearly he still might not finish it
I bet that in fact, Hisoka has paid him to get on the ship so he can take his place. So from now on, if we see Irumi, I think that’s Hisoka in disguise.
Your videos are truly a work of art. You bring up concepts and ideas I never thought of or overlooked. And your analysis are spot on delving deeper into the characters psychology that I can't help but appreciate the characters more, their development, stories theme and in the in hxh case togashi genius. Keep up the good work. You effort is appreciated.
great video! i was so confused by illumi and killua's relationship during the show, right up to that scene where illumi is explaining the rules of alluka's power to hisoka and makes a mention of killua getting the person he loves most killed. when hisoka was like "oh, so gon" and illumi was like "huh?" because he assumed it would've been him... it clicked into place for me. he really can't comprehend what love looks like outside of his own obsessive and possessive nature. though the scene itself was funny, like you said here, it's just a part of the tragedy of illumi.
You mentioned in another video that one of the possible roots for Illumi's feelings for Killua was his ultimate desire to benefit his family in whatever way necessary and, since Killua was considered the one with the most potential, he devoted himself to shaping Killua as the perfect zoldyck heir. Watching the anime, that is how I always perceived it, but the Election arc moved both closer and further away from that interpretation, seeing as Illumi would sacrifice himself for his family but is still so ambitious he might stray from the assassin's path. Another point I find very interesting when it comes to Illumi's character is how, being the eldest son, he lived for some time as a single child (thus being the only heir) and as most oldest siblings do, he was probably in charge of partially raising the youngest kids. That info is inferred, but I think it has a major role on the building of his personality. He probably was held to a very different standard by his parents. He was the first kid they raised, he probably got a lot of attention then lost it, he probably had the obligation to be an example to his siblings. At least in my household, the first child was held to high standards, lived under much stricter rules, had to babysit and was blamed for most things that went "wrong" with the youngest. I'm 24 yo and to this day my oldest sister (33) still makes plans for my future based on what she thinks is on my best interest. ALSO it was pretty huge when Illumi was confused after Hisoka implied Gon was Killua's most important person, for he thought it was obviously himself. What we see now is an absolutely strained relationship between him and Killua, but how many moments might they have spent together in the past? I hope Togashi will give us more insight on this brilliantly disfunctional family. I want to know it all.
I was never interested in Illumi too much, but I do find sense in what you're saying, and I, too, have thought along the way that Illumi's obsession for Killua's success as an assassin is a testament that perhaps, there is some deep seated jealousy in the past and he wanted to be that heir, but he could not. And so, as a business assassin, he wanted to guide Killua to live and think in the way a perfect assassin should think that will take up the mantle. I'd be okay if this never came to light though, maybe there's a certain charm to it being left to interpretation. Kinda like a Dark Souls story. We are not meant to know, and if it became known or canon I feel it ruins the narrative by taking away the mystery.
Man, you really could talk about this series forever and not run out of great aspects to analyse. This video gave me an even deeper appreciation for Illumi than I already had. The amount of nuance and potential depth this character was given from the first arc is crazy. Especially when he could have easily gotten away with being the typical evil and sinister brother, but at this point it's abundantly clear that that's not how Togashi does things. I love it. Fantastic work as always Alec! I have a bit of a backlog of your vids to watch that I didn't have much time to get to, I'll check them out soon. Keep up the awesome work!
Gonna keep this brief since it’s only a minor observation, but I assume that white haired Zoldycks are probably born with character traits that make them more steady individuals than their dark haired counter parts. Sliva, Zeno and Killua come off as very level headed, while Illumi, Milluki, and Kikyo have something about them that is just...off. Chances are the hair may not actully play a part in who runs the family, but they definitely need to show qualities that you can find in a great leader, so that who ever is chosen doesn’t run the business into the ground. I guess this wasn’t as brief as I thought.
I wonder where Kalluto fits in here? S(he) seems like the dark horse of the series, in that everyone forgets she exists, and is a member of the Zoldyck family. She's also bound to get stronger hanging around the spiders.
Mrnevertalks Perhaps it’s cuz Kalluto has been framed as a follower or as someone much more subservient and uncertain. They always seem to looking to please as a follower, though it’s hard to tell at this point.
The white haired ones are transmuters and the black haired ones are manipulators. Your personality is connected to your nen type so that’s probably it.
@@Mrnevertalks Kalluto is a very interesting case in the Zoldyck Family, he is quite similar to Illumi with some major differences being that he's younger than Killua & clearly looks up to him but furthermore, where as Illumi was starved of love & proper human connection as a child. Kalluto's involvement with the Phantom Troupe might lead to him forming some proper human connections outside the family in the same way Killua did during the Hunter Exam. On the whole, Kalluto unlike Illumi doesn't look like a lost cause & if he is able to form some human connections either within the Phantom Troupe or outside of it, maybe he'll come to understand why Killua left the Zoldyck lifestyle behind in the first place. Being on the Black Whale gives him alot of potential for character interaction & development especially with characters such as Kurapika & Hisoka...
Never heard anyone had a character analysis on Illumi. I'm so thrilled when I got the notification. Zoldyck family members always amazed me, and I thank you for giving us ( HxH fans ) the best POV's about the characters... more "nen" to you...💪 and to your channel...
Illumi is actually, with Meruem my favorite villains in hunter X, so im blessed with this video, and i have the same ideas, but you put them perfectly, thanks my bro
I wonder if one way to look at Illumi is to consider the Zoldyck family a dynamic environment. Namely, as the eldest sibling, he would have grown in an environment without any models other than the previous generation. With each successive sibling, the environment in which they grow has changed because of the presence of their elder siblings, and thus, someone like Killua is able to confront the Zoldyck ideology in part because he has Illumi as a model of what going down that path will be like and so, he can make the informed decision not to take that path. But again, as the oldest, Illumi was never afforded a view of that option.
9:00 I think a big part is that it's unclear to Illumi as well. The most frustrating things for us are the things that we don't understand and seem to make no sense. The reason he's so obsessed with it is because he wants to understand just why Kilua is considered the heir instead of him. I don't think he necessarily envies Kilua. Because if that was the case he likely would have just killed his brother. He just wants to understand it. Also because he couldn't be the heir he sees Kiloa as sort of his proxy. Illumi can't be the heir so he needs to help the actual heir be the best he can be.
Honestly, Illumi seems to believe what he tells Killua, what he teaches him. And he has a very weird way of drilling things into people. Him believing things himself, makes me wonder if he had similar experiences from the people who “raised” him. He appears to get his possessive nature from his mother. And we don’t know much about Silva to conclude anything.
I think Illumi simply didnt get the same opportunities as killua. He is also the oldest sibling, so probably the one that went through the most. Feels bad, man
I literally said _this_ in one of the comments of HxH reactions on BlindWave channel , and now you've uploaded a video that articulates everything so much better. [Illumi is , unironically , my favourite in HxH -and dare I say, in all of anime, although I've watched too few- ]
HxH has an unusual optics on family. It shades abandonment and absence as positive through Gon, and strong familial bonds as negative through Killua. The two also contrast in their goals: Gon wants to seek and follow in his father's footsteps, while Killua wants to leave and distance from his.
I also think that how cold ilumi is could be due to the lack of fatherly love he received. He barely talks to his father throughout the series whereas killua talks to his father even at his age. The favouritism for killua could be due to the fact he is the heir but I think it is also due to the fact the father emphasises more with him than he did for illumi who he considers just a tool for violence rather than a son.
I think they say in the anime that the older bothers were always in charge of the torture of the younger ones. But Ilumi is the first son, wich means that probably who was in charge of his torture was his dad. Illumi is the perfect Zoldyck, while all his bothers have somethings missing, or at least have some emotions, while Illumi has almost none. So what if he didn't wanted that the same things thaat happen with him heppen with his bothers and did something difenrest of what his dad did with him. Illumi seems really diferent than his youger bothers. Maybe he really cares about all his bothers and even if he can't get way, they can.
theory ig part of me feels like illumi was the guinea pig, being the first born and all. he seemed to be raised, to raise his siblings. his parents probably tested stuff on him, before the other kids, because he was the first born and after a while that just how it was. killua was probably the luckiest of all the children. he was chosen as the heir, even though that’s the only thing illumi ever worked for. and killua had a chance to leave. the others didn’t. i pity them all.
I swear like 90% of my love for Illumi just comes from his design. I wish I could make character designs like that. Even better his design not only looks awesome, but mixes with his personality perfectly, along with his facial expressions and common clothes. Many other HxH characters are like that but I have to say Illumi’s design is definitely my favorite.
I think Killua is a source of frustration for Illumi. I agree, I think he loves Killua and loves the family, and probably sees Killua's disregard for family traditions as a huge betrayal. I think every instance between the two is Illumi trying to steer Kil straight, and Election was Illumi at his most desperate to do so.
I opened RUclips and saw this video and I was like asdfghjkl, Illumi’s my favorite and I’ve been waiting for you to make a video on him for a while, because you’re always amazing at being insightful about characters/themes and putting something into eloquent words. I really love this video!!
He still is a psycho. Not all antisocial people are born that way, is the point. Nature VS nurture and all that. He's clearly fucked up from what his childhood was like. But he still totally qualifies.
That was amazing, but I'm even more impressed by the script. This is the A grade material that teachers expect when writing a persuasive essay. Great video!
I think that illumi loves his siblings. I am also pretty sure that he just wants to please his parents on their behalf.But i am also quite sure that his desires can’t be tamed by something so simple as love.After all he’s an assassin.Yes he can love people.But the point of his existence was stated pretty clearly.To be a person that lives within the shadows.He’s a part of the play but he’ll never be the main attraction.He would never hurt killua himself.But he would hunt down then execute anyone that he loves.But not out of spite.He would do it out if pure jealousy.Because from his point of view that’s what an act of love looks like
This kind of makes me think that’s why Alluka is one of the less violent Zoldycks as well despite having Nanika. Perhaps it’s because she spends very little / rare amount of time with them, so she’s never properly exposed to their torturing or twisted upbringing. She spent her life in confinement, with only the affection and adoration of Killua. I’m curious about what you’d think of Kalluto, given that he’s just as obsessed with Killua for the same reasons as Illumni - he craves the attention Killua gives to Alluka (it’s never mentioned why, because Kalluto isn’t missing validation considering he’s seen with his mother 90% of the time) but it seems as though Kalluto understands Killua is the golden child and he wants Killua to ‘see’ him too. Milluki is the other Zoldyck that it’d be interesting to see your take on considering his way of assassination isn’t even facing majority of his victims, he never leaves the house and you see what he’s turned out like. (I mean the fact he’s spoiled rotten and very much so a mama’s boy)
i’ve never really known why illumi is one of my top 3 characters but i always found him extremely complex and interesting. he’s also just insanely pretty
Dont forget, as eldest, Ilumi is kind of "test subject" for his parents and granparents. As "the 1st bach" he received trial and error, the best and the worst of his parents education and all. And often afterwards, given the obligations to raised his siblings. Often enough, the most 2-faced and twisted members of the family are the eldest one.😂😂😂
I personally don't think Illumi is jealous of Killua in terms of being head of the Zoldyck family, but he has no qualms in manipulating the other members toward his goals. Like you mentioned - he serves the family like a worker ant, and his loyalty comes above almost anything else, so he likely sees himself as instrumental in preserving the family (even if his means conflict with their ideals). Thanks for sharing another great video!
Knowing Hisoka as a person, he loves to fight strong opponents for pleasure. So what's the pure reason behind as to why he didn't fight Illumi; way back when Illumi oozed his bloodlust towards him? Not to mention that Hisoka only rated Illumi at 95, and assuming he's at 100? The reason is that he miscalculated Illumi. The 95 there was based on Gittarackur which allows Illumi to hid his true aura/real strength. Remember that Illumi is a manipulator. He probably manipulates his aura on his own accord. Illumi is a different type of manipulator compared to the likes of Shalnark. As you can tell that Shalnark's aura is lighter. Illumi's aura is more sinister because the malice in there is massive. Illumi is such a mysterious and weird guy, weird enough to not show his real powers even with the Zoldycks. "You see what I let you see, and think what I let you think"/"To envelope all things in light" --Hence, the name Illumi. Just like Meruem's name "Light that illuminates all light". Way back in Hunter Exam Arc, Hisoka threatens Illumi to not touch Gon; because Gon was Hisoka's prey. Illumi obeys, of course, he wasn't paid to assassinate Gon. And not to mention that Gon broke Illumi's arm and his reaction was "yep, it's broken" nonchalantly -- such a weird guy and 'dead' inside & outside. In YorkNew Arc, Hisoka needs help from Illumi just to sneak-out Ryodan's hideout and fight Lucilfer. Illumi will just lend a hand, if Hisoka has to pay him. Hisoka, of course, paid Illumi just to fullfill his ultimate dream with Lucilfer. Then here's the 13th Chairman Election Arc, where Hisoka has no idea what the Chimera Ants are and Illumi suspected it(meaning, information-wise, Illumi owns it). He told Hisoka about Gon's condition(Illumi knows well what weaknesses Hisoka has in) and wanted to get 'rid' of Alluka. Hisoka helps Illumi on his mission without any form of payment because you know, Hisoka is Hisoka; a transmuter who trolls, a whimsical liar, and just wanted to have some fun. In that case, Illumi low-key manipulates Hisoka because he really knows what weaknesses Hisoka has in, and that is to enjoy; because Hisoka was bored at the moment. And during the mission, Hisoka is just 'toying' with Illumi (Hisoka wanted to send the map on Illumi) and failed. But unfortunately, Illumi just wanted Hisoka to see what Illumi wanted to see for him (when Illumi sees Nanika's power, he wanted to control that power; exact opposite on what he's telling to Hisoka, which is to 'rid' Nanika). In science, animals instinctively knows ahead if there are tragedies to happen (e.g. earthquakes, hurricane, and the like). Black Vultures are scavengers, and Black Crows are bad omen--associated with death. The fact that these creatures were triggered by Illumi's bloodlust (which is about to kill the target/prey), means that 'that' target is about to die. Hisoka, of course, one of the smartest characters in HxH, refused to die by the hands of a professional assassin; because he wants first to 'taste' the wrath of Lucilfer. Sooner rather than later, we'll get to see a battle between Pennywise and Pinhead/Sadako.
I really like the analysis. One thing however is that Illumi only decided to kill Nanika because he believed that healing Gon would cost the lives of all the Zoldycks and possibly more people. After Killua explains that healing wishes don't have costs, and after deducing that Killua can command Nanika to grant wishes without costs, Illumi changed gears and saw the potential in controlling them both.
@@pugjuice8462 Thank you, I appreciate your kind response. But, I don't remember Killua explaining to the Zoldycks that Nanika's healing prowess won't cost any people. I only recall Killua utters "As I thought, they don't know any rule of Nanika's power" to himself. In addition, Killua said "If I told you all(the Zoldycks) about the secret rule, ya'll just gonna pin a needle to my head again" to himself, and not on Illumi. Remember the scene where Silva said that Killua and Nanika can't go out instead make the wish in that room? Killua only said that if they can't go through the Zoldyck estate within a minute or 2, Nanika will kill their mother.
I also feel like every family head had the willingness to leave and make friends while the rest of the family just took orders. The family heads also had friends outside of the family too, just look at Zeno and Netero
The music, especially the kh song, was a real good addition. It was subtle and I almost didn't notice it, but it helped to get me in the right mindset for the topic of the video. Well done and great video as always!
What a beautiful analysis. Majority of what you tackled here is what runs on my mind regarding Illumi so I can understand and I was happy that you expressed them one by one. 👍
I love how you dissect these seemingly straightfoward characters. Your video is so insighful. I really enjoyed watching, I love the one that you did with Chrollo too. 👏
Illumi is such an interesting character and you brought up great points as to possibly why he is so obsessed with his younger brother. I personally think, he is such an integral part of Killua's growth, be it negative. He seems to be the perfect role model of the Zoldyck family (as you mentioned) yet all eyes are on Killua. As you have stated, it could be hidden jealousy, as to why he tries to manipulate his brother. Illumi probably wants to live vicariously through Killua in some way, since he was not the prodigy or the heir (if he was successful with transforming him). But that's just my thoughts. Haha. Also love the dynamic of Illumi and Hisoka. It is a very weird relationship. But I feel that they both gain something from one another that is why there is seemingly a "friendship" going on between them. Love it if you could do an analysis on that too. Like the dynamics of Gon and Killua VS Hisoka and Illumi. Lol. Thanks for the great video! 🙌🏻❤
Awesome video again. Speaking of Illumi; I was rewatching the Election arc and wondered deeply about how complex and cynical it was, how effective in the messages it displayed. Will you make a video on that arc?
This same kind of blind, manipulative relationship happens everywhere in the real world. Relatives - usually the parents - who genuinely believe that they love their children, and that what's best for their children is to force them onto a predetermined, sanctioned path. Truly believing that the child is delusional for having their own wants, and that what will "truly" make them happy is to conform to a traditional standard. Because that traditional standard has conditioned these people to think that way. ...and that tradition ultimately comes from deeply held powerlust. They might think that they're caring for their child, but they really just want the benefit of keeping them "in" - serving the tradition just like everyone else. They think it's love, but in reality, they just want to contribute another soldier into their army. Power in numbers. These families will resort to any measure to control the next generation and perpetuate the tradition, all for the sake of holding on to that power.
It is confounding how 5 “brothers” could end up completely different from one another. 1: Loyal, independent and totally driven but obsessively twisted for power & control 2: Obedient & Intelligent (modern tech-savvy) but lazy, cowardly and morbidly out of shape 3: Independent, powerful and determined to be the completely opposite of his bloodline and upbringing 4: Kind, zero resentment with no killer instinct or desire, also clearly believes and wants to be a female 5: Gifted & Craves attention. Only acts female because of how he was raised and thinks Killua would acknowledge him (Still young though)
He s just kind of like an abusive/helicopter mum- And I think while he actually wants Killua to be the heir, he wants to be the secret string puller who actually controls the hair. He seems to want to continue manipulating Killua, even if he would get the hair, so Illumi could the secret mastermind who actually controlls everything
I’m so sad Trans-Children like Alluka now have in Real-Life a real hard time. H-ck, Trans-Youth even has the highest Sui-ide-Rate by all targettted Minority-Groups; mainly thx to the GOP. They had this much of a hard time even befre the Right-Wing literally started a giant misinformation-Campaign in 2022.
*Sorry for the audio shift around 1:41. It sounds a bit strange for a few seconds but luckily it corrects itself pretty quickly.
Thank you for watching, and please consider pledging to my Patreon if you want this channel to continue running. I don’t usually shill my Patreon but ad revenue hasn’t been great lately and if I want to continue making videos, I need to be making a bit more income than now. Anyways, thanks again!
Please check out claymore or the recent chapters of hxh
@@imreplyingtothiscomment2378 Why do you think that I haven't read the recent chapters of HxH..? Lol I'm completely up to date.
You have such incredible content, dude. The depth of consideration, the smoothness of tempo and transition. Triple Star RUclipsr right here.
@@Gumukumful Thank you very much! Please share these videos around, like, comment, and share my Patreon as well if you want me to continue making videos. As I said, the channel may not continue if I don't start making a bit more money from it.
I have a minor complaint about HxH's nen powers when it comes to the specialist category. Why are most of the specialists in the series have powers centered around taking, borrowing, or giving nen powers to themselves? I know a series can't be perfect but it kinda defeats the purpose of being special in a specialist category.
Work in customer service long enough and you will get Illumi's stare too
I can confirm
Yeah that seems right
Lmao facts
PLEASEEEEEEEEEE
😭😭😭
*slaps the roof of illumi* you can fit so much trauma and repression in this bad boy
genuinely though, thank you for always coming through with thoughtful and well-organized content!!!!! us illumi lovers in particular thank u for having the only illumi analysis vid that exists but all of your vids are a pleasure to watch. thank you!
Haha you’re very welcome! He’s a great character and no one really discusses him as much as he deserves, so I was glad to give him some spotlight. I’m super glad that you enjoy the videos :)
*suddenly sprouts about 10 needles* Illumi: don't touch me.
I WHEEZED-
Maybe Illumi being the first Son received the coldest upbringing of the brothers and it's a reason of why he's that way
I'm pretty sure that Illumi being a "perfect" Zoldyck is precisely the reason he isn't the heir to the family business. Maha, Zeno and Silva all seem to be much more like Killua than Illumi. When Silva allowed Killua to leave he had a strong belief that he would return and his reasoning was "because he is my son." He probably sees something in Killua that reminds him of himself.
I think it's likely that the leaders of the family were all people who struggled against the indoctrination but ultimately came back out of their own will (maybe due to a certain realization). I think Killua will either do the same or at least be tempted to do so - otherwise Silvas statement would have been pointless. Illumi is a perfect soldier but not cut out to be a family head.
I agree, I also wonder what the reason/cause for the promise he made to Silvas to "never betray your friends" is.
@@erikakesson280 mabye killua dad has friendship with ging? Cuz killua and gon are friends too lol
Killua is the heir because he has white hair
@@ballislife6643 I think you mean zeno and netro were frineds , netro said zeno was old frined .. we not know if silva have frined .
@@sakurakou2009 i said mabye
Illumi's best friends with sexual Ronald Mcdonald though.
More like a watch guard. "Keep your friends close, your enemy even closer".
It’s a give and take relationship rather than friendship. They seem ready to kill each other if need be.
You mean Hisoka? Nah, even Illumi stated that their relationship would end in bloodshed.
Lmao true
Being best friends with hisoka is probably more indicative of having mental problems than having no friends at all
Togashi just had to give Illumi his own crazy laugh scene.
He just did during the healing of gon using nanika's power
Brian Tepait no shit, that’s what I’m talking about.
@@benjamindonaldson7867 Cleary it seemed like you were referring to the part in the anime
Kakyoin Milfhunter i was
Ha lol
I know that is impossible but I want Illumi to be happy
Blue Summer same 😔
I know right treat my emo baby right!
i knooow ;-;
Same😔
same...i do hope togashi has more in store for him.
Basically he didn’t have a Gon.
I've always thought this: Illumi is Killua, but alone. If Illumi had at least one sane person who'd show him love and care, he could have been redemable (heck the butlers could have; they love Kill and Alluka but didn't bother with Illumi)
@@hugnboba damn illumi really had it baf
And the god damn butlers didn’t care
He was friends with hisoka since idk when but hes not alone kalluto is more friendly towards him @@hugnboba
Butlers couldn’t be friends with them. I’m pretty sure they will be killed, fired at the very least z
I always wonder what Illumi had to go through by pulling the card of being the firstborn. Parents tend to be harder on the first kid and may not even ease into a parenting style completely until another kid, due to expectations, worries, and trial & error.
Thanks for another great video.
You're welcome and many thanks for watching. Glad you liked it.
i believe illumi's extreme difference in "messed up-ness" to his siblings is because as he grew up, the more younger siblings he got, the more he got pushed into the background. which i believe would lead to him adapting the ideal extreme zoldyck "lifestyle/personality" to be acknowledged by his family and getting stuck with it as he grew into the person he is today.
I hope they do self-destruct
Push back? Nope. More like his parents delegated the obligation to Illumi. Notice not one of Killua parents or grandpa goes down from their home mountain to look after killua?
I don't think he was pushed to the side but since he's lived longer he's gone through more of their bullshit, and is more damaged. I think because he's the oldest he thinks he has a responsibility to be the best role model for his siblings.
I really do feel horrible for Illumi and the other Zoldyck kids, and I would hug them all if I wasn't 100% certain that each and every one of them would kill me in a more brutal and interesting manner than the last T.T
Killua and Alluka seem safe to hug
@@reapermaster1233 I am not entirely sure on that O.O if I hug Alluka will Killua mistake my movement as me attempting to harm her?? If so I am dead before I get within 5 feet of her. Same with Killua what if he feels threatened that boy acts on instinct and reflexes. That's scary!!!!!!
Same like it kind of really makes me sad to see that those “kids” are being abused or were abused both mentally and physically. I would love to give them a hug ✨💖😪
@@wildefice1 don't worry just go into zetsu first then give out the cuddles
I’m so sad Trans-Children like Alluka now have in Real-Life a real hard time.
H-ck, Trans-Youth even has the highest Sui-ide-Rate by all targettted Minority-Groups; mainly thx to the GOP. They had this much of a hard time even befre the Right-Wing literally started a giant misinformation-Campaign in 2022.
The perfect way to sum up Illumi's character: "He is the nearly perfect Zoldyck assassin." That opened my eyes to a new perspective of Illumi, a character I had never considered to be tragic before. Thank you.
These hxh vids make we want to rewatch hxh again 😭
Do it. Find out everything there is to find out about HxH just by consuming the content again and again.
(Atleast that's what I do , and I recently realized that the arm and leg that Meruem took off of Netero are the same arm and leg that Netero had refused to use in the ball brawl against Gon and Killua)
Almost done with my second watch, highly recommend rewatching
@@rewrose2838 wow thats crazy bruh 😲
wow, im rewatching it now... coincidence...
You can *go* again
"now being a fully grown adult with a set psychology, he is way too far gone to even entertain any of these ideas"
that broke my heart. he's such a tragic character. it's why he's my favourite in all of hunter x hunter. he's awful, but he's also brilliant.
As much as that makes sense, I still want to hope he can have development (cause I love his character and he's just sad tbh), but I can't imagine him becoming good and growing up old. Idk why but I feel like if he DOES change his mindset and learn that he was bad all along, he'd have a moment of existential crisis and commit...yeah...while he gives all his money and assets to his siblings
Hunter x Hunter Friday's will always be the best thing to happen
Aside from actual HunterxHunter chapter releases
@@rewrose2838 true
Illumi is scary as hell .Hisoka can really funny sometimes but illumi will be nothing but scary as his emotions have always been unknown and pretty strange .He scares me.
Just like Lucifer the calm attitude tends to scare people man.
The whole Zoldyck family is pretty twisted tbh. Even the "better" ones, no wonder Killua wants to kill his parents.
Killua and Zeno are the most normal.
@@contemptman3646 And this tells a lot about that family
@@contemptman3646 zeno is not normal, he would've been pretty screwed up to screw up his son to the point that his son will screw up his children as well. its a domestic cycle of violence, manipulation and abuse.
@@samaritan29 I literally said "most normal." Obviously he's not completely normal
@@contemptman3646 even the statement that he is the "most normal" isn't true, obviously zeno is as screwed up as silva or possibly even more screwed if he raised a son as sociopathic and manipulative as silva, it is like father like son.
Finally, Illumi getting some love! Illumi is probably my favorite character in hxh, so it's always great when someone makes a quality analysis on him. Great video!
Thanks!
Same he’s my favorite
Hooray, a video on my very favorite character! Loved your points about how, under the surface, Illumi is really not the calm, collected, cool persona he acts like he is. He's a hot mess of desperation managed by bad coping mechanisms. Something else worth noting: Milluki notes that Illumi’s planting of the needle in Killua's head was something Silva had Illumi do. Not that I think Illumi minded at all (he honestly would've done it anyways probably), but I think it indicates Illumi’s puppet imagery for Killua and Alluka, with himself as the puppet master, is also projection-because he is a puppet of Silva.
Aleczandxr and hunter x hunter = a like before I even watch the video!
I can't tell you how many times a week I listen to his videos on repeat xD
Same
Illumi really reminds me of Itachi in a way. They are very different characters, but their brotherly love are comparable. They both did/are doing terrible things due to love for their brothers
Illumi never did anything for killua
Sasuke is already known to be based on Kurapika, so it only makes sense to find other similarities in characters from those stories. HxH is clearly a key inspiration for Naruto.
@@clutchmaster0039 Illumi using nen needle was his way of protecting Killua, i'm not saying its a right way, but thats his messed up way of showing love
illumi is 100% selfish though, the only thing he wants to do is to control killua...
Itachi's plot twist was bad writing and made plot holes.
Change My Mind
I think that Killua’s leaving for a journey of self discovery was ALLOWED by the family because they realized that the way they raised Illumi backfired, resulting in a twisted & unsuitable personality. So they decided to try another method with Killua, hoping to avoid ruining him the way they did Illumi.
The destruction of Illumi’s innocence (and sanity) was the price of Killua’s freedom. It never would have happened had the family not realized they messed up by being too harsh on the firstborn son. It’s really tragic and unfair, and I can totally see Illumi possessing a secret core of jealousy toward Killua. In spite of him doing & becoming everything the family wished, Illumi was still judged as lacking.
would very much explain the age gap between illumi, milluki and killua. It seemed they went to hard with illumi, too soft with milluki and to them killua was just right
The Zoldyck family really is just a self-perpetuating tragedy.
Something that you brought up and didn't return to, but makes so much sense thematically, is his nen ability. His power to manipulate both himself and others is absolutely at the very least a subconscious manifestation by Illumi of what he believes the Zoldyck bloodline to be: a thing that controls those directly influenced by it. Since all of the members of the Zoldyck family operate as a big overall business and don't know any other way of life, Illumi could be extremely frustrated by being in the family, and could be jealous of Killua's ability to just run off and leave them. He can't understand how Kil is able to escape from the strings that should be puppeteering his entire life, like they did with him. His needles give him a sense of control; he's able to make himself look however he wants, and he can make other people act the way that he wants. It's his little way of escaping from the control he feels flowing through his veins by passing that misery on to others.
Without going into spoilers for those who have not read the manga, but Illumi's potential to be a major player in future arcs is one of the many things I look forward too once Togashi (Eventually) returns from Hiatus...
Bold of you to underestimate togashis infinite potential for hiatus
@@quadeevans6484 I'm sure he'll be back soon (Give or take another couple months) His current model for producing the series is through a yearly release of manga volumes rather than continuous chapter releases so I'm sure everything will be fine...
@@rubywolf5296 yea its selfish of me but i wish he would give scripts and notes to another artist so he could speed up development because his health is obviously declining and even if he releases yearly he still might not finish it
He'll come back for like 10-20 chapter's and then it's back to his basement to play DragonQuest. He and Miura probably share that basement.
I bet that in fact, Hisoka has paid him to get on the ship so he can take his place. So from now on, if we see Irumi, I think that’s Hisoka in disguise.
Your videos are truly a work of art. You bring up concepts and ideas I never thought of or overlooked. And your analysis are spot on delving deeper into the characters psychology that I can't help but appreciate the characters more, their development, stories theme and in the in hxh case togashi genius. Keep up the good work. You effort is appreciated.
"Togashi genius" sure he is
Thank you so much, that's so kind of you to say. Comments like this really help with the process, much appreciated :)
You always has the best analysis of characters. It's great to hear you thoughts on illumi. I think thanks to you I love illumi even more.
Thanks very much, and I'm delighted to hear it!
the addams family has a stable family relationship than the zoldyck and that's saying a lot
Hahahahhaha
tbh the addams family have one of the healthiest relationships ive seen
@@graceknowswhatyoudid3064 true
great video! i was so confused by illumi and killua's relationship during the show, right up to that scene where illumi is explaining the rules of alluka's power to hisoka and makes a mention of killua getting the person he loves most killed. when hisoka was like "oh, so gon" and illumi was like "huh?" because he assumed it would've been him... it clicked into place for me. he really can't comprehend what love looks like outside of his own obsessive and possessive nature.
though the scene itself was funny, like you said here, it's just a part of the tragedy of illumi.
Illumi is basically a yandere.
Pretty much
True
A full vid on Illumi??.. been waiting for this
You mentioned in another video that one of the possible roots for Illumi's feelings for Killua was his ultimate desire to benefit his family in whatever way necessary and, since Killua was considered the one with the most potential, he devoted himself to shaping Killua as the perfect zoldyck heir. Watching the anime, that is how I always perceived it, but the Election arc moved both closer and further away from that interpretation, seeing as Illumi would sacrifice himself for his family but is still so ambitious he might stray from the assassin's path. Another point I find very interesting when it comes to Illumi's character is how, being the eldest son, he lived for some time as a single child (thus being the only heir) and as most oldest siblings do, he was probably in charge of partially raising the youngest kids. That info is inferred, but I think it has a major role on the building of his personality. He probably was held to a very different standard by his parents. He was the first kid they raised, he probably got a lot of attention then lost it, he probably had the obligation to be an example to his siblings. At least in my household, the first child was held to high standards, lived under much stricter rules, had to babysit and was blamed for most things that went "wrong" with the youngest. I'm 24 yo and to this day my oldest sister (33) still makes plans for my future based on what she thinks is on my best interest. ALSO it was pretty huge when Illumi was confused after Hisoka implied Gon was Killua's most important person, for he thought it was obviously himself. What we see now is an absolutely strained relationship between him and Killua, but how many moments might they have spent together in the past? I hope Togashi will give us more insight on this brilliantly disfunctional family. I want to know it all.
Illumi is so underrated, he is honestly one of my very favorites
I was never interested in Illumi too much, but I do find sense in what you're saying, and I, too, have thought along the way that Illumi's obsession for Killua's success as an assassin is a testament that perhaps, there is some deep seated jealousy in the past and he wanted to be that heir, but he could not. And so, as a business assassin, he wanted to guide Killua to live and think in the way a perfect assassin should think that will take up the mantle.
I'd be okay if this never came to light though, maybe there's a certain charm to it being left to interpretation. Kinda like a Dark Souls story. We are not meant to know, and if it became known or canon I feel it ruins the narrative by taking away the mystery.
Yep, a video like this would never have been able to be made if Togashi decided to be blunt and explicit. Mystery is great sometimes.
dude, your content is one of the best in youtube regarding anime analysis, keep up the good work, you're amazing
Thanks so much!
Man, you really could talk about this series forever and not run out of great aspects to analyse. This video gave me an even deeper appreciation for Illumi than I already had. The amount of nuance and potential depth this character was given from the first arc is crazy. Especially when he could have easily gotten away with being the typical evil and sinister brother, but at this point it's abundantly clear that that's not how Togashi does things. I love it.
Fantastic work as always Alec! I have a bit of a backlog of your vids to watch that I didn't have much time to get to, I'll check them out soon. Keep up the awesome work!
Gonna keep this brief since it’s only a minor observation, but I assume that white haired Zoldycks are probably born with character traits that make them more steady individuals than their dark haired counter parts. Sliva, Zeno and Killua come off as very level headed, while Illumi, Milluki, and Kikyo have something about them that is just...off. Chances are the hair may not actully play a part in who runs the family, but they definitely need to show qualities that you can find in a great leader, so that who ever is chosen doesn’t run the business into the ground. I guess this wasn’t as brief as I thought.
I wonder where Kalluto fits in here? S(he) seems like the dark horse of the series, in that everyone forgets she exists, and is a member of the Zoldyck family. She's also bound to get stronger hanging around the spiders.
Mrnevertalks Perhaps it’s cuz Kalluto has been framed as a follower or as someone much more subservient and uncertain. They always seem to looking to please as a follower, though it’s hard to tell at this point.
The white haired ones are transmuters and the black haired ones are manipulators. Your personality is connected to your nen type so that’s probably it.
@@Mrnevertalks Kalluto is a very interesting case in the Zoldyck Family, he is quite similar to Illumi with some major differences being that he's younger than Killua & clearly looks up to him but furthermore, where as Illumi was starved of love & proper human connection as a child. Kalluto's involvement with the Phantom Troupe might lead to him forming some proper human connections outside the family in the same way Killua did during the Hunter Exam.
On the whole, Kalluto unlike Illumi doesn't look like a lost cause & if he is able to form some human connections either within the Phantom Troupe or outside of it, maybe he'll come to understand why Killua left the Zoldyck lifestyle behind in the first place. Being on the Black Whale gives him alot of potential for character interaction & development especially with characters such as Kurapika & Hisoka...
@@Mrnevertalks HEEEE kalluto is maleee
Never heard anyone had a character analysis on Illumi. I'm so thrilled when I got the notification. Zoldyck family members always amazed me, and I thank you for giving us ( HxH fans ) the best POV's about the characters... more "nen" to you...💪 and to your channel...
Thanks!
You are on a roll my friend!
Those tweets from a couple of months ago make sense now..
Once again a master of the craft steps up to bat, the greatest series analyzed by one of the best can never disappoint
Gratitude.
When I saw the notification for this I honestly exclaimed “oh boy” to myself in excitement like a 1950s children’s protagonist
Illumi is actually, with Meruem my favorite villains in hunter X, so im blessed with this video, and i have the same ideas, but you put them perfectly, thanks my bro
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
I wonder if one way to look at Illumi is to consider the Zoldyck family a dynamic environment. Namely, as the eldest sibling, he would have grown in an environment without any models other than the previous generation. With each successive sibling, the environment in which they grow has changed because of the presence of their elder siblings, and thus, someone like Killua is able to confront the Zoldyck ideology in part because he has Illumi as a model of what going down that path will be like and so, he can make the informed decision not to take that path. But again, as the oldest, Illumi was never afforded a view of that option.
9:00
I think a big part is that it's unclear to Illumi as well. The most frustrating things for us are the things that we don't understand and seem to make no sense. The reason he's so obsessed with it is because he wants to understand just why Kilua is considered the heir instead of him. I don't think he necessarily envies Kilua. Because if that was the case he likely would have just killed his brother. He just wants to understand it. Also because he couldn't be the heir he sees Kiloa as sort of his proxy. Illumi can't be the heir so he needs to help the actual heir be the best he can be.
Your videos never disappoint! And I always love your background music 😁
Glad to hear it!
Honestly, Illumi seems to believe what he tells Killua, what he teaches him. And he has a very weird way of drilling things into people. Him believing things himself, makes me wonder if he had similar experiences from the people who “raised” him. He appears to get his possessive nature from his mother. And we don’t know much about Silva to conclude anything.
Illumi is the original Yandere.
I think Illumi simply didnt get the same opportunities as killua. He is also the oldest sibling, so probably the one that went through the most. Feels bad, man
I literally said _this_ in one of the comments of HxH reactions on BlindWave channel , and now you've uploaded a video that articulates everything so much better.
[Illumi is , unironically , my favourite in HxH -and dare I say, in all of anime, although I've watched too few- ]
Ah, cool. Great minds!
HxH has an unusual optics on family. It shades abandonment and absence as positive through Gon, and strong familial bonds as negative through Killua. The two also contrast in their goals: Gon wants to seek and follow in his father's footsteps, while Killua wants to leave and distance from his.
I also think that how cold ilumi is could be due to the lack of fatherly love he received. He barely talks to his father throughout the series whereas killua talks to his father even at his age. The favouritism for killua could be due to the fact he is the heir but I think it is also due to the fact the father emphasises more with him than he did for illumi who he considers just a tool for violence rather than a son.
I think they say in the anime that the older bothers were always in charge of the torture of the younger ones. But Ilumi is the first son, wich means that probably who was in charge of his torture was his dad. Illumi is the perfect Zoldyck, while all his bothers have somethings missing, or at least have some emotions, while Illumi has almost none. So what if he didn't wanted that the same things thaat happen with him heppen with his bothers and did something difenrest of what his dad did with him. Illumi seems really diferent than his youger bothers. Maybe he really cares about all his bothers and even if he can't get way, they can.
Its like I have watched HxH but am understanding it now...You are my favourite anime youtuber. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, I’ll try.
theory ig
part of me feels like illumi was the guinea pig, being the first born and all. he seemed to be raised, to raise his siblings. his parents probably tested stuff on him, before the other kids, because he was the first born and after a while that just how it was.
killua was probably the luckiest of all the children. he was chosen as the heir, even though that’s the only thing illumi ever worked for. and killua had a chance to leave. the others didn’t. i pity them all.
Illumi one of my favorite characters
I swear like 90% of my love for Illumi just comes from his design. I wish I could make character designs like that. Even better his design not only looks awesome, but mixes with his personality perfectly, along with his facial expressions and common clothes. Many other HxH characters are like that but I have to say Illumi’s design is definitely my favorite.
I really like that idea of strong envy in Illumi. I can’t wait to see what he does in the dark continent arc!
I think Killua is a source of frustration for Illumi. I agree, I think he loves Killua and loves the family, and probably sees Killua's disregard for family traditions as a huge betrayal. I think every instance between the two is Illumi trying to steer Kil straight, and Election was Illumi at his most desperate to do so.
I opened RUclips and saw this video and I was like asdfghjkl, Illumi’s my favorite and I’ve been waiting for you to make a video on him for a while, because you’re always amazing at being insightful about characters/themes and putting something into eloquent words. I really love this video!!
Well thanks so much! I’m so glad you love it.
I thought he was just a psycho but damn did you change my mind lol
Just becouse there's a logical reason to it, doesn't make him less of a psycho.
Same lol
He still is a psycho.
Not all antisocial people are born that way, is the point. Nature VS nurture and all that.
He's clearly fucked up from what his childhood was like. But he still totally qualifies.
That was amazing, but I'm even more impressed by the script. This is the A grade material that teachers expect when writing a persuasive essay. Great video!
Thanks!
A video on my favorite Zoldyck other than Killua, Hell Yeah!
Poor Alluka.
Meh, I hate Illumi lol
I think that illumi loves his siblings.
I am also pretty sure that he just wants to please his parents on their behalf.But i am also quite sure that his desires can’t be tamed by something so simple as love.After all he’s an assassin.Yes he can love people.But the point of his existence was stated pretty clearly.To be a person that lives within the shadows.He’s a part of the play but he’ll never be the main attraction.He would never hurt killua himself.But he would hunt down then execute anyone that he loves.But not out of spite.He would do it out if pure jealousy.Because from his point of view that’s what an act of love looks like
i need aleczander to do a character analysis on my life so i can get my shit together
This kind of makes me think that’s why Alluka is one of the less violent Zoldycks as well despite having Nanika. Perhaps it’s because she spends very little / rare amount of time with them, so she’s never properly exposed to their torturing or twisted upbringing. She spent her life in confinement, with only the affection and adoration of Killua.
I’m curious about what you’d think of Kalluto, given that he’s just as obsessed with Killua for the same reasons as Illumni - he craves the attention Killua gives to Alluka (it’s never mentioned why, because Kalluto isn’t missing validation considering he’s seen with his mother 90% of the time) but it seems as though Kalluto understands Killua is the golden child and he wants Killua to ‘see’ him too.
Milluki is the other Zoldyck that it’d be interesting to see your take on considering his way of assassination isn’t even facing majority of his victims, he never leaves the house and you see what he’s turned out like. (I mean the fact he’s spoiled rotten and very much so a mama’s boy)
I see those thumbnails: "Ilumi: Protect and Care"
Fantastic analysis once again, you nailed every aspect and nuance of the character that’s pretty often overlooked imo
Thanks as always man, always appreciate the support.
i’ve never really known why illumi is one of my top 3 characters but i always found him extremely complex and interesting. he’s also just insanely pretty
Dont forget, as eldest, Ilumi is kind of "test subject" for his parents and granparents. As "the 1st bach" he received trial and error, the best and the worst of his parents education and all. And often afterwards, given the obligations to raised his siblings. Often enough, the most 2-faced and twisted members of the family are the eldest one.😂😂😂
I love that you put Kingdom Hearts music in there.
Your voice and just the tone of the video, gives my such warm good vibes🤗🤗
:)
Pretty depressing topic to get warm vibes from!
I personally don't think Illumi is jealous of Killua in terms of being head of the Zoldyck family, but he has no qualms in manipulating the other members toward his goals.
Like you mentioned - he serves the family like a worker ant, and his loyalty comes above almost anything else, so he likely sees himself as instrumental in preserving the family (even if his means conflict with their ideals).
Thanks for sharing another great video!
You’re welcome!
Knowing Hisoka as a person, he loves to fight strong opponents for pleasure. So what's the pure reason behind as to why he didn't fight Illumi; way back when Illumi oozed his bloodlust towards him? Not to mention that Hisoka only rated Illumi at 95, and assuming he's at 100? The reason is that he miscalculated Illumi. The 95 there was based on Gittarackur which allows Illumi to hid his true aura/real strength. Remember that Illumi is a manipulator. He probably manipulates his aura on his own accord. Illumi is a different type of manipulator compared to the likes of Shalnark. As you can tell that Shalnark's aura is lighter. Illumi's aura is more sinister because the malice in there is massive. Illumi is such a mysterious and weird guy, weird enough to not show his real powers even with the Zoldycks. "You see what I let you see, and think what I let you think"/"To envelope all things in light" --Hence, the name Illumi. Just like Meruem's name "Light that illuminates all light".
Way back in Hunter Exam Arc, Hisoka threatens Illumi to not touch Gon; because Gon was Hisoka's prey. Illumi obeys, of course, he wasn't paid to assassinate Gon. And not to mention that Gon broke Illumi's arm and his reaction was "yep, it's broken" nonchalantly -- such a weird guy and 'dead' inside & outside. In YorkNew Arc, Hisoka needs help from Illumi just to sneak-out Ryodan's hideout and fight Lucilfer. Illumi will just lend a hand, if Hisoka has to pay him. Hisoka, of course, paid Illumi just to fullfill his ultimate dream with Lucilfer. Then here's the 13th Chairman Election Arc, where Hisoka has no idea what the Chimera Ants are and Illumi suspected it(meaning, information-wise, Illumi owns it). He told Hisoka about Gon's condition(Illumi knows well what weaknesses Hisoka has in) and wanted to get 'rid' of Alluka. Hisoka helps Illumi on his mission without any form of payment because you know, Hisoka is Hisoka; a transmuter who trolls, a whimsical liar, and just wanted to have some fun. In that case, Illumi low-key manipulates Hisoka because he really knows what weaknesses Hisoka has in, and that is to enjoy; because Hisoka was bored at the moment. And during the mission, Hisoka is just 'toying' with Illumi (Hisoka wanted to send the map on Illumi) and failed. But unfortunately, Illumi just wanted Hisoka to see what Illumi wanted to see for him (when Illumi sees Nanika's power, he wanted to control that power; exact opposite on what he's telling to Hisoka, which is to 'rid' Nanika).
In science, animals instinctively knows ahead if there are tragedies to happen (e.g. earthquakes, hurricane, and the like). Black Vultures are scavengers, and Black Crows are bad omen--associated with death. The fact that these creatures were triggered by Illumi's bloodlust (which is about to kill the target/prey), means that 'that' target is about to die. Hisoka, of course, one of the smartest characters in HxH, refused to die by the hands of a professional assassin; because he wants first to 'taste' the wrath of Lucilfer.
Sooner rather than later, we'll get to see a battle between Pennywise and Pinhead/Sadako.
I really like the analysis. One thing however is that Illumi only decided to kill Nanika because he believed that healing Gon would cost the lives of all the Zoldycks and possibly more people. After Killua explains that healing wishes don't have costs, and after deducing that Killua can command Nanika to grant wishes without costs, Illumi changed gears and saw the potential in controlling them both.
@@pugjuice8462 Thank you, I appreciate your kind response. But, I don't remember Killua explaining to the Zoldycks that Nanika's healing prowess won't cost any people. I only recall Killua utters "As I thought, they don't know any rule of Nanika's power" to himself. In addition, Killua said "If I told you all(the Zoldycks) about the secret rule, ya'll just gonna pin a needle to my head again" to himself, and not on Illumi. Remember the scene where Silva said that Killua and Nanika can't go out instead make the wish in that room? Killua only said that if they can't go through the Zoldyck estate within a minute or 2, Nanika will kill their mother.
Always love the kh2 music in the background
Thank you for the effort you put in those videos. just incredible.
You're very welcome!
I also feel like every family head had the willingness to leave and make friends while the rest of the family just took orders. The family heads also had friends outside of the family too, just look at Zeno and Netero
The music, especially the kh song, was a real good addition. It was subtle and I almost didn't notice it, but it helped to get me in the right mindset for the topic of the video. Well done and great video as always!
Thanks!
What a beautiful analysis. Majority of what you tackled here is what runs on my mind regarding Illumi so I can understand and I was happy that you expressed them one by one. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love your in depth takes on my favorite anime. I don't care how long the wait between videos are, just keep spitting hot fire 👍👊
Well luckily the wait was very short, lol. I just released a video last week, and a HxH video very recently too. Glad you enjoy them though!
I feel so bad for Illumi😭😭
Aye more Hunter x Hunter lets go! A perfect way to relax while learning.
L
Wow, your Chrollo video has always been my favorite, but this one has veeeery very quickly become a contender for the n°1 spot
Damn, that's exciting! Cool.
Perfect timing. I just saw this in my sub box as soon as I finished watching the latest JoJo episode.
I love how you dissect these seemingly straightfoward characters. Your video is so insighful. I really enjoyed watching, I love the one that you did with Chrollo too. 👏
First gintama, now HxH?? Making my Saturdays fricken amazing
Illumi is such an interesting character and you brought up great points as to possibly why he is so obsessed with his younger brother. I personally think, he is such an integral part of Killua's growth, be it negative. He seems to be the perfect role model of the Zoldyck family (as you mentioned) yet all eyes are on Killua. As you have stated, it could be hidden jealousy, as to why he tries to manipulate his brother. Illumi probably wants to live vicariously through Killua in some way, since he was not the prodigy or the heir (if he was successful with transforming him). But that's just my thoughts. Haha.
Also love the dynamic of Illumi and Hisoka. It is a very weird relationship. But I feel that they both gain something from one another that is why there is seemingly a "friendship" going on between them. Love it if you could do an analysis on that too. Like the dynamics of Gon and Killua VS Hisoka and Illumi. Lol. Thanks for the great video! 🙌🏻❤
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
ILLUMI IS JUST A KILLUA WHO GREW UP WITHOUT GON ON HIS LIFE
Illumi would be the perfect Jehova‘s witness XD
Sees new Aleczandxr upload
Instantly clicks and has popcorn rdy
Funny how I got a shampoo ad in from this vid
you're really making me consider starting my 5th rewatch b4 summer ends :}
I sure am :)
Awesome video again. Speaking of Illumi; I was rewatching the Election arc and wondered deeply about how complex and cynical it was, how effective in the messages it displayed. Will you make a video on that arc?
I already talked about Election at great length in my videos on Pariston and Leorio.
This same kind of blind, manipulative relationship happens everywhere in the real world. Relatives - usually the parents - who genuinely believe that they love their children, and that what's best for their children is to force them onto a predetermined, sanctioned path. Truly believing that the child is delusional for having their own wants, and that what will "truly" make them happy is to conform to a traditional standard. Because that traditional standard has conditioned these people to think that way.
...and that tradition ultimately comes from deeply held powerlust. They might think that they're caring for their child, but they really just want the benefit of keeping them "in" - serving the tradition just like everyone else. They think it's love, but in reality, they just want to contribute another soldier into their army. Power in numbers.
These families will resort to any measure to control the next generation and perpetuate the tradition, all for the sake of holding on to that power.
Dude holy shit this series is Amazing and your analysis of it is just as phenomenal. CULTURE
Thanks!
It is confounding how 5 “brothers” could end up completely different from one another.
1: Loyal, independent and totally driven but obsessively twisted for power & control
2: Obedient & Intelligent (modern tech-savvy) but lazy, cowardly and morbidly out of shape
3: Independent, powerful and determined to be the completely opposite of his bloodline and upbringing
4: Kind, zero resentment with no killer instinct or desire, also clearly believes and wants to be a female
5: Gifted & Craves attention. Only acts female because of how he was raised and thinks Killua would acknowledge him (Still young though)
Illumi is a very complex character.
Love your voice and story telling style my guy.
I’m glad you enjoy it!
Illumi is one of the best characters if you really think about what he offers.
He s just kind of like an abusive/helicopter mum-
And I think while he actually wants Killua to be the heir, he wants to be the secret string puller who actually controls the hair. He seems to want to continue manipulating Killua, even if he would get the hair, so Illumi could the secret mastermind who actually controlls everything
I’m so sad Trans-Children like Alluka now have in Real-Life a real hard time.
H-ck, Trans-Youth even has the highest Sui-ide-Rate by all targettted Minority-Groups; mainly thx to the GOP. They had this much of a hard time even befre the Right-Wing literally started a giant misinformation-Campaign in 2022.