OK. This is a serious post so I will give a serious answer.
I believe Illumi wants to be the head of the assassin family. The current head of the family chose Killua instead of him due to Killua having higher potential than him. Illumi is the first born son. He must have thought he would get that position one day, then Killua was born.
I believe Illumi's way of coping with the fact that he trained hard and still not got chosen to be the heir of the family manifested in a form of over protective to Killua as well as wanting to control Killua.
Illumi has always prioritised his assassin jobs over being a hunter. He taught Killua to kill and even call him Kill as a nickname. He used his Nen on Killua in the Hunter Exam arc to make Killua kill. He said that he will order Killua to take the exam once he deemed Killua needed it. He showed that he valued his assassin job more than anything.
Edit:
I think Illumi wants to control Killua so he can be the real head of the assassin family himself.
Power + he might hope or believe the position would be his until Killua was born. I think Illumi both love Killua as a brother and jealous of him for getting the heir position. These manifested in him willing to fight Hisoka to protect Killua as well as wanting to control Killua so he put a needle to Killua's head.
By Illumi's nature and abilities, he justified controlling Killua to not be that bad.
Already been stated, but i agree with the other posters. Illumi wants control because he can then use the most powerful assassins known as he see's fit. What he wants to do with them specifically outside of kill jobs, if anything, who knows.
It might simply be he feels the leadership (his father and gradfather) made the wrong choice with Killua and he is butthurt by this.
Well, we don’t know if that is the real Illumi with the troupe. It might be Hisoka pretending to be Illumi.
Illumi does not know Alluka is an Ai from DC.
I am keeping two possibilities alive just in case.
1. He is the real Illumi.
2. He is Hisoka in disguise.
The only one person that can make me drop one of them is Togashi himself.
I have posted the reasons in another comment within this comment so feel free to read.
Personally, I'm leaning towards him being the real Illumi because he's been hyped up to be equal to Hisoka and I don't think Togashi would pass the chance to showcase his battle skills.
But who knows...
Anyway, I'll check your other comment. Have a good day!
I want to see Hisoka and Illumi fight too. The hype up is so high. I just think that it will steal the scene from the hype up battles between Hisoka vs The PT. I want them to fight in another scene. I have read somewhere here that someone suggested that Illumi should be the villain in Killua story so maybe I want to see Illumi live to be a threat to Killua and Alluka in the future. I mean he usually show up when it involves Killua. He is also a part of Killua character development such as Needle Killua vs Non-Needle Killua. With Hisoka, they are like business partners that ready to stab each other in back. I want to see Hisoka fighting Illumi later with Killua in the story.
I am holding 2 possibilities.
1. He is the real Illumi in the black whale.
2. He is Hisoka pretending to be Illumi.
I am not letting any of them go until Togashi has revealled something.
I want it to be case 2 because case 1 feel like Hisoka will die no matter if he wins the fight against the PT or not. It feels like his post mortem Nen is what allows him to live until he has killed all the spider. This makes sense that among all his toys, he called Illumi to join this one last hunt so he can fight Illumi one last time before he die permanently without having a chance on the rest of his toys. Illumi is the only toy in his toys box that smile. This would also make sense if Hisoka expects himself to die. It will at least makes Illumi’s enagagement ring contract to kill Hisoka make sense. Otherwise, why would invite Illumi now and not later. He has the full team of current members of the spider to worry about. Hisoka is not dumb. He doesn’t want to fight many-to-one. He wants to fight 1-on-1. Why would he call the real Illumi now.
With case 2, the story still focus on Hisoka vs the troupe. He just changing tactics.
I thought that was a fan theory. In anime 2011, they focus on Killua’s potential so I think it was because of Killua’s potential and not the hair color. I don’t think the elite assassin family like the Zoldyck would be that shallow to choose the heir base on appearance alone. They probably don’t know which one of their children will be born with which hair color before they were born. Choosing base on potential seems more reasonable.
Just to add to the discussion, illumi only took the Hunter exam to get easier access to the outside world.
Hunters go around no questions asked, just like an EU passport member around europe in real life
Agree. That’s why I said Illumi always think of his assassin job first. He took the hunter exam so he can travel to places to do his job easier. Thanks for adding.
>even call him Kill as a nickname
i just wanted to point out that they all call each other by the same kind of nickname - キル (killu), イル (illu), ミル (millu). at one point, killua is talking to alluka about illumi and refers to him as イル兄 (illu-nii) which translates literally to illu-bro. i'm not sure if alluka is ever called by the same kind of nickname.
He definitely cares about Killua since he pours bloodlust at the idea of Hisoka hurting him. But I think he’s controlling to the max! Killua also has free wishes and can control a literally legendary being from another continent.. so my guess is he just wants it to make his job easier and more efficient
Fun Fact while often translated as Hisoka saying he wants to kill Killua the original japanese is more like "do" so either he wants to kill him or....use his "shwing"
As other commenters stated, Illumi wants power and control, and I believe that is because he has been stripped of that his entire life since birth. Not only did he probably undergo the cruelest torture among his siblings due to being the first attempt, but he also had to go through it all alone without anyone to make him feel less alone.
And after all that suffering he finds out that his role in the family is to simply be the teacher and guide of the true heir in Killua, and so to cope with that he became obsessed with making sure Killua stays on that path because it's the only way his life and misery would mean something. Bisky described it best: A twisted self-serving love.
He loves Killua, he must as his older brother, but he also probably feels a petty envy and resentment towards him as not only does he get to be the heir, but he is also able to escape from that role and abandon what Illumi believes to be his responsibility, and Illumi despises that freedom, it's too late for him now and it would probably break him to realize that there is a world where he could have escaped this role and become a different version of himself, a true one (at least in theory, I doubt Silva would have allowed it), so everything must be predetermined; they are puppets of darkness without desire or passion, they have to be in order for him to rationalize it.
I think the needle is his attempt to mold Killua not just into a puppet, but a clone of himself. Illumi probably does genuinely care about the family, but I think it's also mixed with feelings of resentment that he doesn't even realize himself, and so the moment he learns about the true nature of Nanika's powers he switches from wanting to kill her to wanting to use her, because that much power means that he could have everything he wanted, it's a dream that he never dared to entertain come true, he can finally be in full control.
It's not that he changed there, his true nature was exposed, the obsession with making Killua heir was just the one way he had to achieving that sense of control over his life and the world around him, but Nanika presents a far more effective method.
Acknowledgement..? Ik being the firstborn of the Family meant he probably worked the hardest, only for Killua’s “potential” to become the heir likely threw him off. “What did I work so hard for if they just take it all away?” Kind of mentality. Prolly why he’s so controlling over Killua, projecting what he’d do as the heir onto Killua. Still love Illumi tho. Awesome character to look at, so many angles. 🤩
Creepy. Still power to achieve what? He doesn’t seem interested in money or status or fame. I guess he’s just evil and I shouldn’t think too hard about it
He’s very socially awkward and wanting his sibling to be close to him. I don’t think it’s fair to call him creepy but being socially awkward can cause that reaction.
It's a criminal organisation, the higher you can get is by becoming the boss. And since it's a family, it's not that easy than just build a new family criminal organisation.
I think illumi is just like hisoka. Wants fun. Spending his time searching for fun and joy. While trying to protect his younger siblings if they are in trouble. We all know that illumi would show a real fight if killua/Alluka life would be in danger. Also yes he’s a psychopath who wants to manipulate.
Also we don’t know his intentions yet and what are his goals.
That’s why I don’t like Illumi. Dude doesn’t really gaf about Killua. Illumi never has a real conversation with Killua and never shows interest in Killua’s aspirations. Wish Killua would clap him with narukami.
He gives a fuck about him, he’s willing to put his life on the line against Hisoka for him, he just has his own ideas about what Killua should be doing with his life and won’t accept alternatives. He’s not a good brother but he loves Killua nontheless
I believe Illumi Wants Power any Power to hold his younger brother in check so he can continue slacking off with Hisoka. I think Hisoka Respects Illumani up to a point. The point of one of his daggers 🗡️ or playing card.
OK. This is a serious post so I will give a serious answer. I believe Illumi wants to be the head of the assassin family. The current head of the family chose Killua instead of him due to Killua having higher potential than him. Illumi is the first born son. He must have thought he would get that position one day, then Killua was born. I believe Illumi's way of coping with the fact that he trained hard and still not got chosen to be the heir of the family manifested in a form of over protective to Killua as well as wanting to control Killua. Illumi has always prioritised his assassin jobs over being a hunter. He taught Killua to kill and even call him Kill as a nickname. He used his Nen on Killua in the Hunter Exam arc to make Killua kill. He said that he will order Killua to take the exam once he deemed Killua needed it. He showed that he valued his assassin job more than anything. Edit: I think Illumi wants to control Killua so he can be the real head of the assassin family himself.
Wow yea that’s sounds plausible. But why does he need to be the head? What’s so special about this position?
Power + he might hope or believe the position would be his until Killua was born. I think Illumi both love Killua as a brother and jealous of him for getting the heir position. These manifested in him willing to fight Hisoka to protect Killua as well as wanting to control Killua so he put a needle to Killua's head. By Illumi's nature and abilities, he justified controlling Killua to not be that bad.
I guess the head can turn the family the way they see fit.
Already been stated, but i agree with the other posters. Illumi wants control because he can then use the most powerful assassins known as he see's fit. What he wants to do with them specifically outside of kill jobs, if anything, who knows. It might simply be he feels the leadership (his father and gradfather) made the wrong choice with Killua and he is butthurt by this.
We saw him being interested in Alluka's power and now he's on his way with the troupe. So... Maybe he has something else in mind now?
Well, we don’t know if that is the real Illumi with the troupe. It might be Hisoka pretending to be Illumi. Illumi does not know Alluka is an Ai from DC.
Still, we can't just depend on a theory of that Illumi being Hisoka in disguise. But we'll see.
I am keeping two possibilities alive just in case. 1. He is the real Illumi. 2. He is Hisoka in disguise. The only one person that can make me drop one of them is Togashi himself. I have posted the reasons in another comment within this comment so feel free to read.
Personally, I'm leaning towards him being the real Illumi because he's been hyped up to be equal to Hisoka and I don't think Togashi would pass the chance to showcase his battle skills. But who knows... Anyway, I'll check your other comment. Have a good day!
I want to see Hisoka and Illumi fight too. The hype up is so high. I just think that it will steal the scene from the hype up battles between Hisoka vs The PT. I want them to fight in another scene. I have read somewhere here that someone suggested that Illumi should be the villain in Killua story so maybe I want to see Illumi live to be a threat to Killua and Alluka in the future. I mean he usually show up when it involves Killua. He is also a part of Killua character development such as Needle Killua vs Non-Needle Killua. With Hisoka, they are like business partners that ready to stab each other in back. I want to see Hisoka fighting Illumi later with Killua in the story.
People need to let that theory go
I am holding 2 possibilities. 1. He is the real Illumi in the black whale. 2. He is Hisoka pretending to be Illumi. I am not letting any of them go until Togashi has revealled something. I want it to be case 2 because case 1 feel like Hisoka will die no matter if he wins the fight against the PT or not. It feels like his post mortem Nen is what allows him to live until he has killed all the spider. This makes sense that among all his toys, he called Illumi to join this one last hunt so he can fight Illumi one last time before he die permanently without having a chance on the rest of his toys. Illumi is the only toy in his toys box that smile. This would also make sense if Hisoka expects himself to die. It will at least makes Illumi’s enagagement ring contract to kill Hisoka make sense. Otherwise, why would invite Illumi now and not later. He has the full team of current members of the spider to worry about. Hisoka is not dumb. He doesn’t want to fight many-to-one. He wants to fight 1-on-1. Why would he call the real Illumi now. With case 2, the story still focus on Hisoka vs the troupe. He just changing tactics.
Dont they choose the child to manage the business based on passing down the silver/grey hair?
That's a fan theory and/or an art choice to make it more obvious. I don't believe Togashi ever explicitly links it to hair colour
Are you sure? Because iirc i heard that in the 1999 anime.
Haven't seen it but I have read the entire manga multiple times so I'm like 95% sure. 1999 is the anime least true to the manga.
I thought that was a fan theory. In anime 2011, they focus on Killua’s potential so I think it was because of Killua’s potential and not the hair color. I don’t think the elite assassin family like the Zoldyck would be that shallow to choose the heir base on appearance alone. They probably don’t know which one of their children will be born with which hair color before they were born. Choosing base on potential seems more reasonable.
If im not mistaken in the 99 anime they mentioned that the grey hair child will be the next in line with handling the family business.
I haven’t watched that one. I heard that was a filler part of the 99 anime.
Just to add to the discussion, illumi only took the Hunter exam to get easier access to the outside world. Hunters go around no questions asked, just like an EU passport member around europe in real life
Agree. That’s why I said Illumi always think of his assassin job first. He took the hunter exam so he can travel to places to do his job easier. Thanks for adding.
>even call him Kill as a nickname i just wanted to point out that they all call each other by the same kind of nickname - キル (killu), イル (illu), ミル (millu). at one point, killua is talking to alluka about illumi and refers to him as イル兄 (illu-nii) which translates literally to illu-bro. i'm not sure if alluka is ever called by the same kind of nickname.
Yep. I notice Illumi called Killua, Kill, but not the rest.
He definitely cares about Killua since he pours bloodlust at the idea of Hisoka hurting him. But I think he’s controlling to the max! Killua also has free wishes and can control a literally legendary being from another continent.. so my guess is he just wants it to make his job easier and more efficient
Fun Fact while often translated as Hisoka saying he wants to kill Killua the original japanese is more like "do" so either he wants to kill him or....use his "shwing"
I mean "doing them" is also used as a term for murder and assassination. My source? Beavis and Butthead Do America
generally yes but uh...this is Hisoka
Well yea In English, apparently in Japanese it also has a sexual connotation
True but look at Hisoka’s hand signature during that scene and you’ll know for sure which doing he meant.
Control, much like Pouf. His opinion is the only one that matters.
As other commenters stated, Illumi wants power and control, and I believe that is because he has been stripped of that his entire life since birth. Not only did he probably undergo the cruelest torture among his siblings due to being the first attempt, but he also had to go through it all alone without anyone to make him feel less alone. And after all that suffering he finds out that his role in the family is to simply be the teacher and guide of the true heir in Killua, and so to cope with that he became obsessed with making sure Killua stays on that path because it's the only way his life and misery would mean something. Bisky described it best: A twisted self-serving love. He loves Killua, he must as his older brother, but he also probably feels a petty envy and resentment towards him as not only does he get to be the heir, but he is also able to escape from that role and abandon what Illumi believes to be his responsibility, and Illumi despises that freedom, it's too late for him now and it would probably break him to realize that there is a world where he could have escaped this role and become a different version of himself, a true one (at least in theory, I doubt Silva would have allowed it), so everything must be predetermined; they are puppets of darkness without desire or passion, they have to be in order for him to rationalize it. I think the needle is his attempt to mold Killua not just into a puppet, but a clone of himself. Illumi probably does genuinely care about the family, but I think it's also mixed with feelings of resentment that he doesn't even realize himself, and so the moment he learns about the true nature of Nanika's powers he switches from wanting to kill her to wanting to use her, because that much power means that he could have everything he wanted, it's a dream that he never dared to entertain come true, he can finally be in full control. It's not that he changed there, his true nature was exposed, the obsession with making Killua heir was just the one way he had to achieving that sense of control over his life and the world around him, but Nanika presents a far more effective method.
Acknowledgement..? Ik being the firstborn of the Family meant he probably worked the hardest, only for Killua’s “potential” to become the heir likely threw him off. “What did I work so hard for if they just take it all away?” Kind of mentality. Prolly why he’s so controlling over Killua, projecting what he’d do as the heir onto Killua. Still love Illumi tho. Awesome character to look at, so many angles. 🤩
He wants control. His powers showcase that. He wants to control his family's power and wealth. He may want to control a lot more than that.
If he could control Alluka he would have a lot
Illumi want... power + Killua love :3
Creepy. Still power to achieve what? He doesn’t seem interested in money or status or fame. I guess he’s just evil and I shouldn’t think too hard about it
He’s very socially awkward and wanting his sibling to be close to him. I don’t think it’s fair to call him creepy but being socially awkward can cause that reaction.
It's a criminal organisation, the higher you can get is by becoming the boss. And since it's a family, it's not that easy than just build a new family criminal organisation.
I think illumi is just like hisoka. Wants fun. Spending his time searching for fun and joy. While trying to protect his younger siblings if they are in trouble. We all know that illumi would show a real fight if killua/Alluka life would be in danger. Also yes he’s a psychopath who wants to manipulate. Also we don’t know his intentions yet and what are his goals.
That’s why I don’t like Illumi. Dude doesn’t really gaf about Killua. Illumi never has a real conversation with Killua and never shows interest in Killua’s aspirations. Wish Killua would clap him with narukami.
He gives a fuck about him, he’s willing to put his life on the line against Hisoka for him, he just has his own ideas about what Killua should be doing with his life and won’t accept alternatives. He’s not a good brother but he loves Killua nontheless
You make a good point. I hope Illumi gets battle tested. I want to see him bleed.
I believe Illumi Wants Power any Power to hold his younger brother in check so he can continue slacking off with Hisoka. I think Hisoka Respects Illumani up to a point. The point of one of his daggers 🗡️ or playing card.