Togashi Drops Major Hint About Chrollo’s Death 

This article contains spoilers for the Hunter x Hunter manga.

Key Takeaways

• Togashi hints at possible death of Chrollo in Hunter x Hunter’s Current Arc
• Possible demise of Chrollo due to battle with Hisoka and his post-mortem ability
• Chrollo’s pursuit of power might lead to his death, impacting the Phantom Troupe’s future

Chrollo Lucilfer has always been one of the most popular antagonists in Hunter x Hunter, and also one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, in general. He and the Phantom Troupe have been getting the much-needed focus during the current arc, the Succession Contest arc, after being away from the screen for quite a long. The last major arc involving the Phantom Troupe was Yorknew City.

The Succession Contest arc could very well mark the end of Chrollo, as Togashi has been dropping hints about it recently. This could mean not only his death, but the full destruction of the Phantom Troupe.

Who is Chrollo Lucilfer?

• The Head of the Phantom Troupe
• The User of Skill Hunter

Chrollo Lucilfer has been one of the most interesting antagonists in the Hunter x Hunter manga and anime. He was first mentioned during the Heaven’s Arena arc, but got his full debut during the Yorknew City arc, the first major arc for the Phantom Troupe. As fans know, Chrollo is the leader of the Phantom Troupe, also referred to as the Spider.

Chrollo and the founding members of the Troupe, which included Franklin, Uvogin, Pakunoda, Machi, Feitan, Nobunaga, and Shalnark, created it following events that happened during their childhood in Meteor City. Sarsa’s kidnapping and death had a major impact on Chrollo and the others, and the want for revenge is what started all of it. The Phantom Troupe were involved in many events, including the massacre of the Kurta Clan, tying them to Kurapika and his own want for revenge against them for what they did to his clan. In fact, the Troupe has already lost 2 of its members at his hands, with possibly more coming in the future.

Chrollo is a powerful Nen user, and perhaps one of the best ever seen in the Hunter x Hunter series. As a Specialist, he has a very interesting and overpowered ability that makes him as versatile and powerful as he is. Chrollo’s Nen ability, Skill Hunter, is one of the best seen in the series. Skill Hunter is a Specialization type Nen ability, and it allows Chrollo to steal other characters’ Nen abilities if the conditions are met. Chrollo has to witness the Nen ability in action, and he must ask the user questions about their Nen ability. He must also have the victim put their hand on the handprint on his book, and most importantly, all of this must be completed in one hour or less. Fans have seen many of Chrollo’s interesting abilities, with him having much more in stock to showcase in the future. Some of his stolen abilities include Nen abilities like Indoor Fish, Fun Fun Clothes, and The Sun and Moon, among others.

Chrollo and Hisoka’s Relationship

• Chrollo Killed Hisoka Once
• Hisoka Killed Two Phantom Troupe Members

In the Heaven’s Arena arc, Hisoka was revealed to be a part of the Phantom Troupe, specifically, the number 4 of the Spider. However, despite being a member, Hisoka only joined for ulterior motives, as he had no real interest in the Troupe but rather just wanted to fight its leader, Chrollo. At the end of the Yorknew City arc, Chrollo lost access to his Nen because of Kurapika, meaning Hisoka could not fight him. This meant their fight had to wait a good while until Chrollo was able to get this restriction on his Nen removed by an exorcist, which happened sometime after what happened in Greed Island.

Hisoka and Chrollo would finally come face to face in the current arc. The two went on to fight to the death in Heaven’s Arena. With Chrollo having prepared for this fight very meticulously, and having even borrowed abilities from his fellow Troupe members Shalnark and Kortopi, this fight was bound to end in his victory, despite Hisoka’s extreme skillfulness. This fight ended with Hisoka’s death. However, the latter ended up being revived by Bungee Gum’s post-mortem Nen ability. The first thing Hisoka did after being revived was eliminate Shalnark and Kortopi, so as to ensure Chrollo can never use their abilities again. Hisoka had a newfound bloodlust for the Phantom Troupe.

Even if I should die… it’s the very idea that will instill fear of the spider that I designed..!! — Chrollo Lucilfer

This put the Troupe on the hunt for Hisoka to avenge their fallen members, and both the Troupe and Hisoka ended up on the Black Whale, with a possible confrontation brewing.

Chrollo’s Death in Hunter x Hunter Could Be On The Way

Chrollo Will Die To Kill Hisoka

Chrollo did not take the death of his fellow Phantom Troupe members, Shalnark and Kortopi, well at all. This is especially true because their death happened not too long after the death of Uvogin and Pakunoda during the Yorknew City arc. This has sent Chrollo into a more determined state to finish off Hisoka for good.

In theory, Hisoka is currently unkillable. It’s unknown if there’s a limit on how many times Hisoka can revive himself with Bungee Gum. This could mean that he can’t be killed in conventional ways. If Chrollo wants to fight Hisoka again, he must find an ability that can counter this post-mortem Nen ability.

Chrollo, currently on the Black Whale, is planning to hunt the Kakin treasures. These include the Seed Urn, the Zen Buddha, and the Blade of Divine Favor. If Chrollo manages to steal a national treasure, then his Nen ability, Skill Hunter, will evolve. It will allow him to store a very rare and powerful ability in his book. Whatever that ability is, Chrollo is ready to sacrifice his life for it to take down Hisoka. This ability that Chrollo is searching for could kill him, or will at least impact him greatly.

If I happen to die, one of you can replace me. And there may come a time when a leg has more importance than the head. Make the right call. My orders are top priority. However, I am not your top priority. Our goal is not to keep an individual alive, but the spider. — Chrollo

Chrollo could also possibly run into Hisoka before he can fetch this rare ability, meaning a more than likely death for him, as Hisoka is far stronger right now. Either way, it seems Togashi is setting up the death of Chrollo in this arc, with a possibility that the Phantom Troupe will remain without a leader. It is possible that another Phantom Troupe member could also replace him as the new leader who drives forward the Spider.

It’s also possible that the entirety of the Phantom Troupe will be wiped out, as it is the current goal of both Hisoka and Kurapika, and as it’s unknown what use the Phantom Troupe would have going forward in the story following the death of Chrollo Lucilfer and the eventual arrival of the characters into the Dark Continent.

Chrollo has also talked about how the priority is the Spider as a whole, and not the head or individual members, possibly foreshadowing his own demise in the future.

Hunter x Hunter is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of Hunter x Hunter, Hunter x Hunter chapter 406, is set to be November 10th, 2024.