Togashi Reveals His Inspiration Behind Killua In Hunter X Hunter
The author mentions three sources that served as the basis for Killua’s appearance and psyche.
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Q&A on “Iwakura and Yoshizumi’s Show” with the former Sakurazaka46 member, Yumiko Seki, revealed a lot of major things, from admitting the reason why he writes huge wall of texts to straight up revealing the ending of Hunter X Hunter.
This time, he reveals an important piece of information that is relevant for Killua fans!
Togashi explains that, for Killua’s appearance, mindset and what number child of the assassin family he would be, he thought of Kuroyume’s “Shounen”, Atsushi Kamijō, Multiple Personality Detective Psycho, and so on.
Although the mangaka did not clarify any further, we’re here to put the pieces together and decipher what he meant!
- Kuroyume is a Japanese rock band formed in Nagoya in May 1991, initially with vocalist Kiyoharu, bassist Hitoki and guitarist Shin. Additionally, the aforementioned vocalist performed the song “Shounen” while dressed in a Killua-like outfit.
- Atsushi Kamijo is a manga artist who is known for his stylish designs. He made his debut with Mob Hunter. Pushed through 1985 with the punk rock manga ‘To-y’ but he’s best known for ‘Sex’, a romantic manga about two runaway adolescents. And from the looks of it, Togashi took the main character Yuki’s eyes and smile and gave them to Killua.
(Sex manga main character and Killua)
- Multiple Personality Detective Psycho is a manga written by Eiji Ōtsuka and illustrated by Shou Tajima. Its main character, Kazuhiko Amamiya, has a similar drip to Killua. But what’s more interesting is the fact that the manga’s MC suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder, leading to an exceptionally complex and involved sci-fi conspiracy story. Similarly, Killua suffers from two personalities (his assassin side and the side that befriended Gon) and during the Chimera Ant arc, he undergoes an identity crisis, questioning whether he was even Gon’s friend all this time or merely an acquaintance.
(Multiple Personality Detective Psycho’s Tetora NISHIZONO & Killua from HxH)
Togashi also mentions that Killua’s full-body illustration when he first appeared in chapter 8 was a reference to the works of Kamijō and Tajima (Final Fantasy Light Novels). How so? Well, take a look at the image below:
Do you notice the gap in Killua’s left shoulder in the circled area? It’s not an incomplete drawing because Togashi illustrated the outline being disrupted by light, and it appears that these FF Novel authors do the same.
The amount of attention Togashi gives to these minute details is INSANE.
About Hunter X Hunter:
Hunter × Hunter is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s shōnen manga magazine “Weekly Shōnen Jump” since March 1998, although the manga has frequently gone on extended hiatuses since 2006. Its chapters have been collected in 37 tankōbon volumes as of November 2022.
It was first adapted in anime format in 62 episodes by Nippon Animation, which ran on Fuji Television from October 1999 to March 2001 but stopped until the York New City arc. A reboot by Madhouse aired from October 2011 to September 2014, totaling 148 episodes, with two animated theatrical films released in 2013. This reboot covered everything from the 1st arc to the Zodiac Election arc.
My Anime List describes the overall plot of Hunter X Hunter manga as follows:
“Secret treasure hoards, undiscovered wealth… mystical places, unexplored frontiers… ‘The mysterious unknown.’ There’s magic in such words for those captivated by its spell. They are called ‘Hunters’!”
Gon Freecss wants to become a Hunter so he can find his father, a man who abandoned him to pursue a life of adventure. But it’s not that simple: only one in one hundred thousand can pass the Hunter Exam, and that is just the first obstacle on his journey.
During the Hunter Exam, Gon befriends many other potential Hunters, such as the mysterious Killua; the revenge-driven Kurapika; and Leorio, who aims to become a doctor. There’s a world of adventure and peril awaiting, and those who embrace it with open arms can become the greatest Hunters of them all!
Source: Hunter X Hunter Fandom
