The Best Hunter X Hunter Theory You'll Ever See (Probably...)

[@sonnysahatoo5027]

I think the real Hisoka is the friends we made along the way

[@sarahmedouni8844]

Lmaoooooo

[@dslylsd]

Facts

[@tffbwd1]

Lmaooooo

[@Big-D-B]

Incorrect the real Hisoka is the properties of both rubber and gum we made along the way

[@maciejposiada1097]

@@Big-D-B Was waiting for it

[@ThatBoldStatement]

There's one thing this video left out. There actually was a one shot of Hisoka done by the author of Tokyo Ghoul. This isn't technically canon but Togashi was interviewed about the one shot and commented on it. He seemed to like it but there was one question that was very interesting in the way he answered. I'll quote it here: "Togashi-sensei, what impression do you have after reading Ishida-sensei’s storyboard? Togashi: At the end, Hisoka uses Dokkiri Texture to transmute a handkerchief and hide the villain’s face, but I had actually thought of using this technique later on in the main story. So I thought Ishida-san had a good sense for using Nen. It’s really interesting when different people have the same thought." This would imply that Togashi was actually considering Hisoka manipulating a face later in the story. So after hearing this interview this theory makes a lot of sense.

[@chappypacheco4474]

Why isnt more attention brought to one of the biggest pieces of edvidence?

[@j-star1]

Nailed it!

[@jdinsomniac7504]

IM HYPEDDD THIS MIGHT BE IT

[@ashadowintime7305]

ok now this gets quite solid. also when you think of it how else Hisoka was gonna fight them if not that way? going frontal against 8 experienced nen users is suicide. it all makes sense to go after them undercover one after the other.

[@loopseeker]

i already believed the theory but this cements it for me, thanks

[@Kabansky27]

This character possesses the properties of both Hisoka and Illumi!

[@eduardjc37]

NANIIIII!!!??

[@MikoYae]

wait a second...

[@Ploooooo44]

Choto matte!

[@aarav_sharma]

Good one

[@Footballazz]

This actually made me Laugh out loud

[@tifanysegovia4318]

this has been my theory for so long!! What gave it away for me was when illumi is chatting kalluto at the deck and he goes 'have you tried bungee gum?' while chewing it. Uhm... Illumi eating bungee gum?!! Then him being all chatty and playful when we all kno illumi is serious af. And finally, something I just noticed, have you guys seen how big illumis booty is??!! Like that's Hisoka's derrière y'all!! I could recognize that butt anywhere 😂

[@NewWorldReview]

Good point. This video really lacked a thorough butt analysis!

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@NewWorldReview JUST the Pro's and Con's for 'Gatekeeping Aura' are enough Content for an entire Video, so it really makes me wonder when the next Nen-Video is coming out. It's been so long.

[@Whodjathink]

you ain't wrong about that cake because GOD DAAAAAAMN, but I don't see them talking aobut the gum at all

[@OnibiTeru]

Hey it's never too late for a brotherly bond :D ! xD But yeah, Illumi doesn't talk to people to ''pass time''.

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@NewWorldReview NWR?

[@amygoesrawr122]

pls the thought of hisoka going around bragging that he's engaged to illumi while illumi has no idea is so funny 💀💀

[@adatiel3962]

LMFAOOO

[@mwrkhyuck]

FR LOL

[@megumiseyelashes6706]

Imagine the real illumi talking to a phantom troupe member 😭 Illumi: yes hisoka and i do have connections with each other PT member: i remember, you two are engaged right ? Illumi: what ?

[@ItsMe-qm3fm]

NO WAIT BC IM GONNA CRY. Not only is it super funny but it makes so much sense. I always thought it was interesting Illumi use “engagement ring” and “prenuptial agreement” rather than contract. Like we’ve seen him refer to everything else as a job or someone being his employer but suddenly he uses wedding terms?? Hisoka romanticizes so much that it fits his character waaaay more

[@Chiara-ep5er]

@@megumiseyelashes6706 lmao I wonder if it was a translation error but the possibility that it wasn’t seems like something Hisoka would do Edit: 7:01 WAIT ITS NOT A TRANSLATION ERROR the text deadass says engagement ring Lmaoo

[@Rodiacreed]

Can't believe a theory this grounded took this long for us to notice. It would also explain why Machi was looking so suspiciously at Illumi, she does have good instincts.

[@jdinsomniac7504]

oh yeah her “hunches”

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@jdinsomniac7504 JUST thePro's and Con's for 'Gatekeeping Aura' are enough Content for an entire Video, so it really makes me wonder when the next Nen-Video is coming out. It's been so long.

[@detentiondeskdenim]

and she and hisoka have a “relationship “

[@memetutu4663]

This didn't age well

[@V_for_Victory_for_V]

As much as I want to believe it this. I find it absurd that only Machi had the suspicion that something is off about Illumi. I mean, Hisoka and Illumi had already infiltrated the troupe many times before [York New Arc] I refuse to accept that a group whose members possess very high critical thinking capabilities would get fooled once more by the same people. Like, yeah, whatever togashi, Poor writing it is.

[@hmongsage00]

Illumi was also there to disguise himself as Hisoka in the York New arc

[@majascha3414]

Yeah, it would be kind of a nice motive that Illumi takes Hisoka's place in the troupe for one of Hisoka's plans to fight Chrollo in Yorknew (which didn't work) and then Hisoka takes Illumi's place in the troupe for his plan to fight Chrollo again on the Black Whale (which might work?), really interesting parallels!

[@rbr1170]

And also how he just had a "change of heart" after dying. He now has a different perspective about how he kills.

[@nenmaster5218]

@@rbr1170 Hi. Wannna talk about Nen?

[@rainyliquid5644]

@@nenmaster5218 no.

[@OnibiTeru]

Why did I just imagine Illumi pretending to be Hisoka, sitting in some random crate on the ship, and just waiting things out xD !!!!!

[@unsightedjorge458]

A heavy point in favor that you didn't mention is about the way the engagement ring is written, because that's the way Togashi writes the names of Nen abilities, giving them a main name and then a subname or description in this case it would be: Prenuptial Agreement: Engagement Ring And I don't know about you but that definitely sounds oddly like a name Hisoka would come up with, after all his main ability is: Bungee Gum: Elastic Love

[@Chiara-ep5er]

ooo true, interesting thought

[@Horou]

It makes a lot of sense! I think is possible that this "Engagement Ring" is an ability that allows Hisoka not only to mimic the aspect but the voice too; the major problem of his mimic ability. And to allow that, it needs some kind of pact between the two parties. But this leaves a possibility too, "Engagement Ring" seems like a name too important for a permit. What if, using I don't know how many restrictions, Hisoka did not only copy his aspect and voice but his nen ability too? would it be possible?

[@gigacat1703]

😲

[@therealLayLay]

@@Horou 🤯 what you said.

[@devoncarr3653]

@@Horou This sounds accurate because as far as we know copying is difficult. illumi without needles had to focus the entire time and he was still struggling and didnt speak much if at all. So I could see the texture surprise working to mask his looks but how would he change his voice. So engagement ring could be similar to chrollos bookmark where it isnt really a separate power but allows him different functions with a set of restrictions one of them being he has to mention the ability. this is all so interesting.

[@kindle4368]

The biggest clue is when Illumi was speaking to Chrollo his hand made the same shape as Japanese character ヒ which is pronounced "Hi". Also when the troops scatter, Machi is looking suspiciouly at Illlumi.

[@Cipher_Paul]

It would be even better if it was his left hand as, if I recall correctly, it's Hisoka's missing hand so it would be a subtle way of taunting Chrollo without him knowing it as if Hisoka said something like : "Hi. See? As good as new, you might as well have done nothing to me."

[@Nearry3]

That's Keyakizaka46 reference. But who knows

[@weskerpawnch]

@@Cipher_Paul Yes, but to clarify in case you thought it was a greeting, 匕 as "hi" is pronounced "hee", as in "Hisoka."

[@Red-Hood]

@@weskerpawnch wow

[@batiuhuru]

and remember, machi's hunches are usually correct.

[@anthony-ix8in]

imagine illumi on land getting a text from hisoka like: hisoka: yo send me ur measurements illumi: y? hisoka: doesn't matter, it's for a joke

[@mrreyes5004]

The fact that I can seriously imagine Illumi agreeing to this after being told that it's for a joke is what cracks me up XD.

[@sansem264]

Honestly I see this happening💀

[@joaofelipesiqueira21]

I'm really glad that you included Illumi requesting a cell with a shower, because to me that REALLY sells that is Hisoka. A metrosexual clown needing a shower makes way more sense than a trained and objective oriented assassin that was kept hours of his life inside a cage in his home.

[@laurocoman]

Or for a guy who sleeps in a hole.

[@joelo1]

He’s not a clown he’s a magician 🤡

[@airsoftgod211]

And add the fact that his bathing habits were also connected to important events. Finding out who Chrollo actually was , him removing the spider and no longer playing nice. It’s also awesome because it’s showing how smart Hisoka is. In a 8v1 he loses but if he hires his bestest friend to hunt him, who by the way, has a working relationship with the people he wants to kill. It’s perfect cover to discreetly slice off more legs. I just hope the fights are badass and my fav troupe members don’t die

[@Pandemia616]

@@joelo1 he's a magician and a clown 🤡

[@Pandemia616]

@@joelo1 and a pervert

[@bigjen8238]

Illumi joining the phantom troupe felt really out of place, and Togashi won't bring a character into an arc just for the sake of it, but I never gave it much thought. This theory is outstanding stuff and is totally the kind of shit that Hisoka would pull

[@slevinchannel7589]

JUST the Pro's and Con's for 'Gatekeeping Aura' are enough Content for an entire Video, so it really makes me wonder when the next Nen-Video is coming out. It's been so long.

[@neekk040]

Theory: HxH is not actually on hiatus but already ended. Togashi just left it all encrypted in the released volumes for us to figure out.

[@adatiel3962]

💔

[@skyreapery2n164]

I actually think he has around 50+ chapters on the ready

[@Pandemia616]

@@skyreapery2n164 it would kinda make sense if he dropped the whole next arc in one go so he can finally just retire

[@RegisteredAlien]

@@skyreapery2n164 don't remember where I read this but in a interview, he had mentioned that he pretty much has 10 chapters completed before he went on his latest hiatus.

[@danzeljohnson3341]

@@skyreapery2n164 it all depends on if he hiatuses are so he can work on the chapter or so he can get break from working like oda

[@LoganWH8]

Also, “Illumi” lists Killua and Kalluto as his brothers, *only* Killua and Kalluto. That seems odd to me. The troupe are aware of Killua, but they don’t really care about him. They probably haven’t even thought about him since Yorknew City. If he were speaking for the troupe’s benefit, he would’ve simply said he was Kalluto’s brother. If he were speaking for himself, Illumi would’ve listed Milluki and Alluka as well. You know who *does* care about Killua? Hisoka.

[@AndrewManook]

I think this is the best argument for this theory as of yet.

[@dend1]

Oo that feeling when you get closer to cracking the code

[@broadwaydream93]

I mean I see your point, but from what I recall, the Zoldyck kids aren't very forthcoming about having siblings or who they are. Illumi would see this entire introduction as unnecessary, he'd keep it short and to the point. Mentioning anyone besides Kalluto, who was present, would have been unnecessary information and in terms of Killua would have instantly blown his and Hisoka's cover. To our knowledge the Troupe has no idea that Illumi knew they kidnapped his brother.

[@LoganWH8]

@@broadwaydream93 either way, it’s an odd choice to list two of the four brothers rather than all four or only the one who was relevant. I mean, it doesn’t even make sense as being for the benefit of the reader. Most readers would know Killua was his brother, and a hypothetical reader jumping into the series with that arc wouldn’t need that information because Killua isn’t present in this arc.

[@broadwaydream93]

@@LoganWH8 Yeah exactly, I do believe this still adding more fuel to the fire in terms of the validity of this theory. It's clear Illumi was meant to come across as out of character, whether it be deliberate or an slip up we may not know.

[@AirshipFury]

I'd be more surprised if we got a chapter in the next 6mos.

[@ricardomendez7293]

More like 6 years

[@abbudi20111]

More like 6 decades

[@babulsingh7521]

More like 6 century

[@calvinutne4118]

More like 6 millennia

[@monakasan7486]

More like 6 megaannum

[@killuel6578]

The way you refer to yourself in Japanese is really important, and carries a lot of meaning, and author often use it for characterization, because it's something noticeable for a Japanese audience. But, these pronouns vary a lot depending on the situation, and in the case of Illumi, he used "BOKU" at least in one other ocassion, that being when talking to Hisoka in chapter 323 page 11, at the bottom right. Though, even with that, I think the theory still holds up, and it's one that would be cool if proved right. @NewWorldReview

[@Big_Biba]

You're knowledgeable!

[@YukiXK]

That happened in the anime scene as well, and is the one scene where I'm unsure if it's just Togashi making a mistake, as literally seconds earlier in the previous sentence before that he used "ore" to refer to himself.

[@davidkiller61]

I think that might be a smoking gun in this situation. Maybe hisoka's only heard Illumi say Boku when he's around him (cuz they're friends).

[@pugjuice8462]

@@YukiXK In the context of the sentence using Boku could've emphasized the meaning of it by using a different pronoun, such as using Ore to emphasize arrogance.

[@Shalakor]

My theory is that it really is Illumi, and he really was hired by Hisoka, but that part of his contract was to play the red herring for being Hisoka in disguise and gradually drop more and more hints to that effect for the Troupe's and possibly other's benefit while Hisoka is disguised as someone else in plain sight. Hisoka may even have a totally unrelated target he's after on this boat chalk full of the super strong and is thus why Illumi is running interference, or any other number of potential twists to what's going on.

[@kuyab9122]

This is actually a better theory.

[@MisakiZora]

The flower in Illumi’s hand might represent Hisoka, because he too was kinda a troupe member and literally died. Illumi picking the flower up could mean that Illumi is helping Hisoka and the missing mouth could just mean he knows something but won’t tell.

[@artist0154]

that will be weird remember that 4 spiders have died, yes in the picture are 4 flowers but none of the 4 members share a relationship with Illumi Also Hisoka is not death, in case you are right then where is Uvogin flower? it should be 5 flowers why Nobunaga doesn't have it? Kalluto is the one replacing Hisoka as number 4 he should be the one with Hisoka's flower and Illumi with another one

[@mangarecap8765]

nah the flower in illumis hand is for hisoka because if the flower closest to the troupe member is going to die then kalluto will surely die and it will surely anger illumi and he proabably the one who kills hisoka

[@MisakiZora]

@@artist0154 It’s actually Liam’s theory that the flowers represent the dead trope members whose death was caused by Hisoka (NOT all dead members), hence there are 3 standing flowers. And I kinda agree with that. Now, Liam has another interpretation on the 4th flower in Illumi’s hand, but I think it could simply represent Hisoka, another “dead troupe member whose death was caused by Hisoka”. Hisoka did die after his fight with Chrollo. His heart wasn’t beating. And he also kinda caused his own death by trying desperately to fight Chrollo and ultimately did so unprepared. The fact that the flower is no longer on the ground could simply mean he’s no longer dead, unlike the rest. If that’s true, Illumi holding the “Hisoka” flower could mean many things. It could mean Illumi is Hisoka in disguise. It could also mean Illumi is helping Hisoka in some way. (I edited this because I misinterpreted Liam’s theory slightly, sorry 😅)

[@artist0154]

@@MisakiZora Someone in other comments did a better theory than us, each flower represents each death member (Pakunoda, Kortopi and Shalnark) and Illumi is holding Uvogin's flower because he's taking his place as number 11 Also in japanese a flower put in somebody chair, desk or in this case place has the meaning that the person is dead

[@MisakiZora]

@@artist0154 Yeah, it could be as simple as that, but it’s fun to think about other possibilities though. 😂

[@Ploooooo44]

It would also feel very out of character for the real Illumi to drop his newest and greatest obsession of tracking down Killua and Alluka in favor of leaving on a trip that could span months.

[@junggosu509]

At 9:39 , another interpretation could in fact give even more support to your theory. If we stick with the understanding that those flowers represent the dead Phantom Troupe members, then Illumi holding the flower could mean that he is, in fact Hisoka who died (hence flowers) but came back. Thus, the metaphorical flowers are still in his hands and not in the ground since even though he died he isn't in the ground (like the flower).

[@AishaAli-nd5fq]

as in the flowers been uprooted but hasn’t wilted yet

[@Jiiro_Sano]

Technically, four Spiders have died at this point: Uvogin, Pakunoda, Shanark, and Kortopi. The three flowers on the ground could mean Paku, Shal, and Kortopi, while Illumi holding a flower means how he replaced the dead Uvogin as the new Spider.

[@Tenkichan]

@@Jiiro_Sano Thank you.

[@johnnyblunders]

Additionally, you could just take it as 4 flowers and say that his betrayal of the troupe in yorknew constitutes the other two flowers (paku and uvo) even though it wasnt directly him

[@jankelen]

This is super cool, but if you compare that cover with the one for volume twelve, you’ll see that the flowers replace the dead Troupe members on that cover, with Illumi in Uvogin’s spot because he’s the new number eleven. I don’t think there’s much more to it than that.

[@reynaudlucile6130]

So glad to see this video ! I had this theory for a long time and I learned so many new stuff. I believe that Illumi is playing along with Hisoka and also helped him change his body thanks to its pin. If you look Illumi's style, he has never had so many pins embeded in his outfit as it is now. The chest and the calves are totally covered with pins ! And we know from the hunter exam that Illumi's pins to change body shape can work on other people (remember the poor hunter jury in the final step).

[@aubreyace231]

Oh yea illumis needles change his voice too right !!!?

[@reynaudlucile6130]

@@aubreyace231 Yes !!! Even though I believe that a little bit of bungee gum on the vocal cords would do the trick

[@jdinsomniac7504]

So illumi could have used his pins on hisokas body while hisoka used his own nen on his face?

[@reynaudlucile6130]

@@jdinsomniac7504 yeah I believe both nens can work at the same time

[@ketchupinpasta1392]

Explains why I was put off by how chatty illumi was in the dark continent arc. He felt really weird but I could never think of this

[@mynameisherukalseyer3564]

The face w/o a mouth is simply a representation of a "mask". Most of the time, mask have no mouth opening. It symbolizes of a secret or hiding something. So we can simply say, that Illumi is not Illumi.

[@RyuMai]

new chapter is out and we see hisoka finally on the boat so probably debunked

[@Kolop315]

unless that's Illumi 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@faruquekhan3353]

Not really, we do not see both of them at the same time. Hisoka can show himself just for the fun but also to make the troupe members fight and go after him more. Hisoka knows Chlorro is smart so he can't just keep hiding and has to throw bait.

[@davidT.C]

This Video aged like Milk LOL

[@ilpoggetostudios]

For me the flowers in the cover don't represent the victims of Hisoka, just the three dead members of the troupe, and Illumi is holding the fourth since it represents Hisoka himself (who in fact died), signifying that he is indeed the stealth jester.

[@dexteraguirre2814]

Indeed much more possible .. but HxH is on hiatus so we just create theories to pass time LOL .. if it's indeed true it's awesome but i think it's stretching to think about it

[@icytheshifter4995]

But then that would mean a missing flower cuz its 4 flowers with hisoka being one while we know 5 died being uvogin, pakunoda, kortopi and shalnark + hisoka for being a temp member

[@carissa5977]

If this is Hisoka, does Illumi know about it? 9:19 Illumi has also disguised himself as Hisoka too at the end of Yorknew. 13:55 SOLITARY cell. Kalluto is with him so if he is Hisoka, he wouldn’t want Kalluto to know. The normal Illumi probably wouldn’t care. 14:40 What if Kalluto knows and is finding a chance to tell someone because he knows he is not strong enough to confront Hisoka directly and get out alive? Did Yuki make the Stephan the dog song from The Best Character video by Ohara.

[@1uanonymous444]

good theory just not what happened, tldr they just found him randomly (at least to me its random)

[@pas-kal6823]

I really hope it is Hisoka!!!! ^_^ Only in a few manga including HunterX Hunter can characters be smart as hell and be fooled while never losing that aura of smartness!!! Just love It

[@brianna9448]

I love this series because it could go on a 10 year hiatus, and people like you would keep coming up with new content. 💕

[@nicolithepoet7777]

Literally! Im currently reading Toroki because togashi got a lot of inspiration from that series. The parallels are insane.

[@synfam]

My mind was blown after this like Hisoka after his battle with Chrollo

[@billbosconovitch752]

Hisoka brain didn't blow up.......

[@Thataugustnight]

@@billbosconovitch752 face was tho

[@stvn9728]

Unpopular opinion: illumi is stronger than hisoka. We’ve just never seen him go all out he’s the perfect embodiment of a Manipulator if anything I’d put him to absolute equal level as Chrollo. Both are extremely smart Nen users and have tapped into their hatsus crazy. I always thought if there’s someone to take down Chrollo other than Kurapika it can possibly be illumi

[@Iondaime100]

sick fight but illumi is the kind of professional/weirdo who take contract he's relativly sur to assure without a lot of risck. And the zoldick already took out one of the troops (silva), so it could trigger a war if they did it again unless he killed every member, and it's the perfect chance.

[@melfortune5855]

but bungee gum has the properties of both rubber and gum

[@dend1]

Illumi is weaker than his dad. Illumi's dad is probably relative to Chrollo in strength

[@somerandomguy3037]

All of this is just straight up headcannon we have never seen Ilumi fight seriously so you couldn’t make any case for him being stronger or weaker then Hisoka realistically the only thing we could possibly conclude is that he is portrayed as a pretty strong character and this is technically headcannon but it would be very safe to assume that he is at least around the level of the average phantom troupe member at minimum I do believe he is a bit weaker then Hisoka because Hisoka has never had any substantial interest in fighting Ilumi but they seem to be portrayed as partners kinda so they shouldn’t have a crazy gap but with Post morteum Nen he should have made the gap between them even bigger

[@PLAY-oe1nn]

Okay then. So here’s the current knowledge of the characters that I know of. Illumi is the standard for a great manipulator. Not explicitly said but everyone practically knows this. Zeno and Silva fought Chrollo. Chrollo asked if he actually tried, who would win. And Zeno said he’d win. But it would a different story if Chrollo was trying too. And in the manga, Hisoka and Chrollo fought. Chrollo prepared for months for Hisoka’s fight. And still, Hisoka put up a good fight. So think it up as you would. I’d say Hisoka against Chrollo without prep, Hisoka wins.

[@jorgehuertas3995]

All this questions that will be answered in a decade... Hopefully

[@coprahrappt6976]

Honesty, I really hope that is not the case. Illumi is one of the most interesting side characters imo. Him either fighting Hisoka or assisting Hisoka by killing one or more of the Spiders would be much more compelling imo. I thought about the possibility of Hisoka killing *Kalluto* for the sole reason of triggering Illumis rage again. He does have a soft spot for his family afterall. This on one hand would make Illumi more eager to kill him and might get him into conflict with other members of the troupe. Win-win for me personally ^^

[@Pandemia616]

Illumi has a soft spot for killua due to his potential. I get the impression that he doesn't care about the rest of his family too much.

[@coprahrappt6976]

@@Pandemia616 "If my death means survival of the family that's fine"~Illumi

[@Pandemia616]

@@coprahrappt6976 sure but I take that too mean the zoldycks as a guild of assassins rather than a family in the traditional sense. I can't see him caring about his individual siblings like miluki or kaluto, I mean he serves up goto to Hisoka with no hesitation and he must have known him his entire life and was probably looked after by him. Illumi is stone cold, just look at how he treats killua who he claims to love lol.

[@coprahrappt6976]

@@Pandemia616 Of course he is super cold, but he only gets pissed once a family member got threatened. Considering that plus being ready to die for the family, he probably has some sort of affection for his family which he barely shows.

[@Kenseiblades]

Spectacular theory with a fantastical breakdown of the supportive evidence.

[@lysander3262]

This all makes sense when you remember that Hisoka took a bite of Gum-Gum and became a Rubber Man.

[@wintermacca]

Lmao. Hisoka, The Pirate King.

[@IlluviumGaming]

Him holding the flower maybe is because he himself died instead of connecting him to the deaths.

[@bizw]

still hisoka doe

[@werdcela9170]

Yes, this

[@MrBlackmore_]

Nah it’s cause he’s the new 11 so he’s holding uvo

[@BH-ix7nq]

I think it's more on the lines of "he is the bringer of death"

[@IlluviumGaming]

@@BH-ix7nq I dunno, I think the idea that it's because he died lines up well with him not having a mouth.

[@AJ-qe5xj]

Also the fact that Illumi doesn’t often work with/depend on others. His “friendship”/partnership with Hisoka was like the biggest exception that Illumi made. When he needs help/others, he creates his needle people to carry out tasks for him. Becoming a part of a large group and cooperating vs controlling others is way out of range for typical Illumi behavior.

[@gabrielgamurot6996]

I'm also interested in the possibility that Hisoka might be a way to bring Killua back to the main story depending on how Killua will react if Kalluto is threatened or killed by Hisoka Edit: this also extends to kurapika and how killua will react if kurapika kills/threatens kalluto

[@VbrSoro]

Kalluto is preety much god and not a fight worthy opponent for hisoka

[@normansmith9009]

@@VbrSoro I think you’re talking about Alluka, not Kalluto

[@BH-ix7nq]

@@normansmith9009 🤣

[@Omniseed]

Would Kurapika feel compelled to kill Kalluto, as a more recent troupe member? I didn't think Kalluto participated in the Kurta massacre

[@Pandemia616]

@@Omniseed True but he might kill kaluto on principle though just for being a member. That's actually a good point.

[@AzraelSoulHunter]

I was also thinking of a possibility of Hisoka being in actuality on top of the Whale and is actually one of the bodyguards. Belerainte to be exact. He is VERY tall person, easily the tallest among all the bodyguards, he is strangely friendly to Kurapika, we know he is a hunter and he seems to be VERY experienced as we see in the way he reacted to Silent Majority. I feel like in this case the biggest reason to believe that would be the fact that Belerainte is strangely friendly to Kurapika and the fact that he outed himself as being a Hunter which does feel like a Hisoka thing to do. It would fit considering that Hisoka in this case would employ different tactics compared to his previous endeavors. Basically flipping the script of what happened at Heaven's Arena on it's head. Making Chrollo chase him while he prepares a perfect battle ground on the top, revenge for what Chrollo did to him. And right now he is surrounded there by familiar faces that could help him. Bisky, Hanzo and Kurapika. AND Hisoka most likely knows that Troupe would eventually go to the top of the whale to get the treasures of Kakin so he knows that they will eventually get to him and once they do they will be worn down and weaker after going through so many nen users, making them easy targets. AND they would be the ones attacking so he would have all those familiar faces on his side. But it IS hard to deny some things shown here. The only thing I could say that is that Illumi here COULD possibly be Hisoka, but maybe Hisoka in actuality paid him to also act like him (Hisoka) if he was impersonating Illumi to make some of the troupe thrown off and think that Illumi is actually Hisoka. That could explain why Kalluto is not suspicious, he KNOWS it's his brother, he just impersonates someone else impersonating him (which I admit does sound VERY weird and convoluted). But it would be pretty interesting nonetheless. And about the cover with flowers. We know that Kalluto replaces Hisoka and Illumi replaces Uvogin. Other dead troupe members don't have a replacement and Hisoka is still very much alive so Kalluto doesn't hold a flower. All the while 3 other troupe members, Paku, Kortopi and Shalnark all are dead and have NO replacement, making them single flowers. And as for Illumi's lack of mouth, it may foreshadow his own death at the hands of Hisoka or someone else. Someone who may catch up onto him impersonating how Hisoka talks if my theory is correct.

[@AndrewManook]

I agree with you, the Belerainte theory is the most likely.

[@AzraelSoulHunter]

@@AndrewManook And would also explain his focus being on saving as many princes as possible. If he IS Hisoka that means he most likely is ready to use their nen beasts against the troupe AND right now he is in probably the safest place on the ship, in that pocket dimension. Also the way his hand has been drawn as he was getting into it reminded me of the way his hand was blown off by Chrollo. Could be a subtle foreshadowing. Also there is one more thing. That one is more of a stretch, but something tells me Hisoka MAY have revealed identity of Silent Majority user. That being Sakata who was twice the first one to be next to the victims AND being the one that shoots the snakes. The way Belerainte said "You are the one who killed him", with that heart at the end REALLY reminded me of Hisoka and also made me think if he also hinted that Sakata is the Silent Majority user.

[@jacoreece1618]

Yea the only issue I see is that Hisoka isn't the type to fight weakened opponents, by that I mean he loses interest in weakened opponents (hence why he didn't fight chrollo until he got his nen back). He probably wouldn't be interested in fighting any of the troupe members if they were all injured and exhausted from fighting other hunters because it takes away all the challenge and fun of fighting a strong opponent which seems to be his main ambition, It's also why he was waiting for Gon to develop more before really going after him because fighting someone who isn't at their best isn't usually his style as he just isn't interested (I say usually because he did kill shalnark when he didn't have his cell phone which does contradict my point). Anyway this is a minor thing and not the main point of your theory so all in all I can see this being a thing and it honestly seems more likely than him being Illumi to me.

[@AzraelSoulHunter]

@@jacoreece1618 Well after his death at the hands of Chrollo maybe he decided to change his stance on it.

[@Whodjathink]

@@jacoreece1618 AzraelSoulHunter makes a decent point. If we believed that then he wouldn't have killed Shalnark and Kortopi, both of whom lost their main Nen Abilities. But he did without hesitation so its safe to assume that he's now unhinged and wants to make Chrollo pay

[@m1g4s]

It could be that the flower isn't connecting hisoka to the dead people, but telling us that illumi is already dead. "dead men tell no tales" and the flower could be refering to illumi, not hisoka

[@lorenzoantonelli6467]

Y'know, I don't think Illumi is the type of guy who dies offscreen 😅...

[@temmiehoi688]

@@lorenzoantonelli6467 same

[@deshaunmeans81]

I was thinking this but I’m hoping it’s not true

[@MisakiZora]

@@lorenzoantonelli6467 True, but we could get to see him die in the flashback or sth too (likely killed by Hisoka 😩)

[@Yprion]

That would be somber, even for HxH

[@jorgeantoniocab49]

Good one. The actual thing going on, though, is that Illumi is acting and speaking like that following Hisoka's indications, because he wants the phantom troupe to think he is Hisoka in disguise, he and Hisoka are "buddies" and that's part of their plan to kill Chrollo. There's no way someone as smart as Hisoka would make those kind of mistakes while impersonating someone he actually knows very well.

[@slevinchannel7589]

JUST the Pro's and Con's for 'Gatekeeping Aura' are enough Content for an entire Video, so it really makes me wonder when the next Nen-Video is coming out. It's been so long.

[@averageharambelover3541]

This theory is smart and all but did you know that bungee gum has properties of both rubber and gum?!

[@thebluekeyleft]

i'm fan of the theory also i always found funny that chrollo looks down at illumi's legs before telling the mafia members in the black whale dinning room they are searching for hisoka and how kalluto and machi are looking at illumi when in that double spread when phantom troupe separates

[@blvck1635]

The three flowers are for Uvogin, Shalnark, and Kortopi, the deceased members. The fourth is for the “deceased” Hisoka, but he’s not actually dead anymore, and Illumi holds Hisoka’s flower, he’s picked up Hisoka’s flower.

[@theyoungknight.3119]

You could also look at it as the one he is holding and the one next to him are both Shalnark and Kortopi.

[@stevenperzia7071]

But what about paku. Where’s her flower?

[@sesamekitten5724]

@@stevenperzia7071 hisoka didn’t kill her

[@blvck1635]

@@stevenperzia7071 That’s a good point. We have a peculiar puzzle here.

[@blvck1635]

@@sesamekitten5724 To be fair Hisoka didn’t kill Uvogin either, but I do believe the flowers would represent deceased members of the of the troupe.

[@jplayer2761]

This theory is no more a thing

[@unorangoutan562]

I think that the flower in illumi’s Hand is referencing To the fact that Hisoka came back from the dead. So, it’s to represent the fact that he’s half dead imo.

[@Tupadre97]

wrong. the flower references illumi taking uvo's place as the knew number 11.

[@ashadowintime7305]

@@Tupadre97 stretch.

[@breadofsalt]

@@ashadowintime7305 Not quite. Look at volume 12's cover and the deceased members' and flowers' positions.

[@amadddd0]

Yeah I was thinking exactly where is this man hiding. Especially with the various levels restricting movement in the Black Whale, AND that the Troupe has also enlisted like the Mafia/other onboard criminals to look for Hisoka. This is a surprisingly great theory as it just takes hiding in plain sight to another level

[@chriscatapang1404]

I think the real Hisoka is hiding in Belerainte(Marayam Private Guard) personality look at the way he is speak he has a Heart and diamond symbols.

[@paulc9915]

That is also the theory I found myself agreeing more with. But it's still interesting how there could be other candidates. I'm relieved it's not a one-sided thing and there's some well made mystery to it

[@dustingaethje1332]

My theory is that Hisoka is actually multiple people. He could be Belerainte and Illumi and somebody else too. It's not like we see these characters interact. He would also know of a way to infiltrate any area of the ship he wanted to, since: 1. He can be anyone he wants 2. Based on where Belerainte is, Hisoka should have had to get to that level somehow initially meaning he can probably go there and back down whenever he feels like it We also have no timeframe for any of these characters doing anything. We don't know when exactly Illumi was there for the conversation with the PT and we don't know when Belerainte was there to talk to Kurapika. It could easily be the case that he is both and the scene where we find out it's Hisoka could be him switching between them (like, say he enters the shower as Illumi, takes of his texture surprise creepy Illumi skin costume and reshapes it to look like Bele, then outs it on and smiles or sth).

[@spoon3073]

hisoka could just 'yo kalluto if u lemme pretend to be illumi to fight the troupe i wont kill feitan and help u reunite with him lolz' and kalluto would prob agree

[@JibanExE]

I believe in this theory As much as I agree that Hisoka would make a contract with Ilumi to kill him This would be the worst time for that So Ilumi contract can wait

[@aubreyace231]

But no ones talking about how if hisoka were to do this he would have to use a nen technic to mimic Illumis voice? Idk if he could do that or idk how he would

[@xx_yeet_xx2630]

@@aubreyace231 well if you Consider how vocal cords work hisoka coudle just be using some incredibly specific bungee gum vibrating at the same frequency as illumis voice would

[@aubreyace231]

@@xx_yeet_xx2630 someone said that Illumi could be in on it because “illumis” shirt has soo many needles. So maybe he helped morphed him and that would explain y his voice would be perfect because illumis voice was different when he was the werid needle man.

[@l.o.v.edrive3466]

This theory fell apart sadly lol

[@Nyxipuff_fangirl]

Why?

[@dend1]

Place your bets which will finish first? HxH or the Game of Thrones books

[@averageharambelover3541]

Obviously got

[@younggamer7218]

HxH

[@lukewatson3418]

I bet on the heat death of the universe

[@chaosdromanah8620]

TGOT

[@normansmith9009]

HxH since togashi is still in his mid 50’s. Martin is like in his 70’s and not great physical shape

[@Keviqeri]

You've convinced me. I've always been suspicious of this theory but Togashi's author comment cements it for me. Now either Hisoka told Illumi that he would impersonate him or Hisoka also killed Illumi which is why he is holding the flower on the cover ?

[@mergerberger2435]

Some people think that the flower that “Illumi” is holding represents Hisoka’s death. He effectively killed himself by challenging Chrollo, but he didn’t stay dead. On the other hand, Kortopi, Shalnark, and the unknown member were all killed by Hisoka and have stayed dead. Hence, why there are three flowers rooted in the ground, but one flower that has been unearthed/picked.

[@batiuhuru]

nah hisoka didn't kill Illumi

[@ashadowintime7305]

a character as big as illumi killed "offscreen"? cmon guys make it make sense

[@shinjanemba7916]

@@ashadowintime7305 if thats true the theory, it would probably be showed later

[@mr.al45walker64]

Did not aged well

[@jonathanfuchs6262]

i'm not saying this is the case, but a lot of the evidence you listed could lead to a different conclusion which is also interesting in my opinion. hisoka and illumi, in my humble opinion, have an interesting relationship. they spent a lot of time together during the story and in my opinion they are quite obviously romantically involved (i think that part is pretty obvious, engagement ring, pre-nup, and their general relationship imo).illumi speaking and dressing like hisoka could be symbolism to them getting closer, prehaps hisoka sort of "rubbing off on illumi". the flower illumi holding could be in fact symbolizing hisoka because hisoka as well has ded and was a phantom troup member. they could be working together against the phantom troup or illumi might be telling the truth and he is joining the troup to kill hisoka. my main point is that a lot of these signs could just be explained in my opinion by the deep connection hisoka and illumi share. his change in behaviour could also be a cause of him being more free with hisoka, perhaps spending more time with him and beiing less influenced by his family. this is kind of far fetched but i think it fits too. it also in my opinion fits with hisoka and illumi being gay, illumi growing in a strict family but finding love with hisoka, and changing to become more, well, queer. like hisoka.

[@MonAhgasInsomniAroELF]

while i find the theory that hisoka is pretending to be illumi pretty plausible (and if it's true i have no doubt illumi is in on it or at very least aware of it and cool with it), i agree with what you're saying more. people really do be doing backflips to avoid the possibility that hisoka and illumi are just flat out into each other lmao

[@theyoungknight.3119]

This theory is no longer just a “nice idea” to me.

[@yusukeelric]

remember Illumi and Hisoka are pretty well aquainted, they often make favors to each other. Illumi Until now only used his needles with others as weapons, to cause extreme pain mostly. However , that's possibly an extreme of his power, and with someone resistent enough, he can use them to morph someone strong enough , like Hisoka. Now Normally the way they conduct business is "i scratch your back if you scratch mine) kind of relationship. Illumi wouldn't give Hisoka a change of shape without getting something else instead. Illumi isn't very interested in money. He's got his own agenda. So i wonder what could Hisoka arrange with Illumi if this was the case? There is a possibility Isoka has information Illumi needs, Probably about Killua.

[@-RxW-]

In the York New City arc, Illumi helped Hisoka fool Chrollo, just for the sole reason that Illumi had "known Hisoka a little longer than he had known Chrollo", and as far as we know, he didn't receive any payment, if any kind, for it. This was also despite the fact that Chrollo had hired Illumi to kill the 10 dons for him. So they don't necessarily operate on a "You scratch my back, I scratch yours" basis.

[@manguy01]

Illumi could be holding a flower because Hisoka, himself, also died and was once a Phantom Troupe member.

[@cruelfish4824]

@Eray Yes

[@Pandemia616]

He technically wasn't a troupe member as his tattoo was fake. He was only really interested in fighting chrollo.

[@Tupadre97]

illumi is holding uvo's flower

[@Pandemia616]

@@Tupadre97 is that like a euphemism?

[@Tupadre97]

@@Pandemia616 no he's literally holding his flower because he's the new number 11 and is standing in the same spot that uvo was in on the chapter 12 covr

[@ProudlyIdiotic]

Kalluto saying about getting his brother back could be becoming stronger fighting alongside the troupe, to bring "assassin" Killua back to the family, as appose to "hang around with gon" Killua running wild

[@robertakizuki9806]

I liked the theory that ging’s nen is actually time travel related, of how he is so confident that gon will be healed in the end of the election arc, of how’s gon when he met ging doesn’t feel that ging is his father yet. The most mind blowing event when the first time gon listened to ging voice recording the the camera zoomed out to the sky interlude to where an older ging is in the true world’s tree in the dark continent somewhat when ging and gon talked in the last episode admitting he never set foot in the dark continent yet.

[@mufarreh30]

Dude everytime you refer to togashi you show a picture of another guy who looks like him I can't take it anymore

[@kallutozoldyck2360]

Volume 12 cover , paku, uvo, kortopi and shalnark are standing where the flowers are on volume 36 , the colors of the flowers also matches their character colors

[@grifiste]

Yep. No mystery re the flowers or their positions. Illumi's mouth on the other hand...

[@houssammiara7076]

And some mumbers are angry and others sad

[@oifgatchyah]

to me, "Illumi" holding the flower on the manga cover feels like a reference to Hisoka having a hand in the matter of Uvo's death- since all the positions line up with where the troupe were on the first phantom troupe cover (12 I think?), it would seem a bit out of place if the flowers didn't at least reference the already dead members since Hisoka was aiding Kurapika when Kurapika ended up killing Uvo, it seems to support this theory.. and, in turn, support the theory of this "Illumi" actually being Hisoka

[@MonAhgasInsomniAroELF]

i think this is a fairly plausible theory though i must say, i don't think alleged illumi (possibly hisoka himself) saying they're engaged is a metaphor. i think it's entirely literal. they are engaged/married so that when and if illumi kills hisoka, he inherits his payment without issue.

[@cl2534]

Liam, what if the brother Kalluto was referring to was Illumi, and he has to cooperate with Hisoka for whatever reason to help Illumi?

[@blubbblobb9745]

The absolute power move would be that that really is Illumi but Hisoka and Illumi trick the phantom troup including Kalluto into suspecting this is a fake Illumi...and don't how they would go on from that but yeah....

[@edgarpanganiban9339]

I think its still Illumi, but conspiring with Hisoka to finally disposed the Spiders. Illumi and probably Kalluto to take care of the others while Hisoka to fight Chrollo alone.

[@tindiko8608]

You know 'Illumi' holding the flower might have another meaning. The flower he's holding is pointing at Feitan, so what if Feitan is meant to be killed next.......

[@curryinahurry1746]

This theory is great! Though I do think the situation is more simpler, personally I think the real purpose of Illumi and Hisoka's deal is for Illumi to help Hisoka take revenge on the phantom troupe by revealing the nen abilities of members Hisoka doesnt know about (it could explain why Illumi is acting odd, since he's entirely lying about the real purpose of their deal). My guess is Hisoka could be hiding in the top layer of the black whale as a body guard using texture surprise, but if hxh does eventually come out of hiatus and I'm proven wrong it would be kinda embarrassing

[@samlogg2708]

Now that chapter 392 is out, it's clear that illumi and hisoka are both on the ship, disguised as each other!

[@nearlymint6009]

I love the cover for Volume 36 so much because all of the different ideas behind it. Amazing cover and so interesting to hear everyone’s different interpretations of the cover. My theory on the cover is that the flowers represent all of the deceased members of the troupe. We tell this because volume 36 is a recreation of of Volume 12. If that is true the flowers represent Pakunoda, Uvogin, Shalnark, and Kortopi. Illumi could have been holding the flower because he was in the same place that Uvogin was in Volume 12. Also how Illumi took Uvogins number 11.

[@nenmaster5218]

PROTECT ALLUKAS SMILE! And dare i say: Protect Trans-Children's Smile? I mean, it IS the same thing and clearly intended to be a Trans-Statement by Togashi anyway, so i dont feel like being politics-pushy when i say: Allukas real-life-versions are a targeted group. I feel i should say clear and loud: Targeted since Forever by the Right-Wing and the Republicans, if we ignore Religions. I hope HxH-Fans know that Alluka is a Trans-Youth, which means targeted Group.

[@kvfk8917]

Well guys, in our language (Filipino) we have super good theories too. Here are some: Kurta clan are the gatekeeper of dark continent, Kurapikas clan was the ones who migrated. (Look at clan sign) Marayam private guard valiente is hisoka. (Speaks with card signs at end) Don freecs is ging freecc (dude has power to time travel) Killua is reincarnation of the zigg zoldyc (big explanation) Gyro will become another villain Lynch folbocco is new spidders member (same power with pakunoda) Tserridniech could be founder or leader of the spiders. (Phone scene can be seen with spider symbol) And others Now this is mine, it’s either Illumi and Hisoka are impersonating each other or the Illumi was the clone of hisokas bungee gum power. Or the illumi is just illumi just influenced by hisoka.

[@ChocolateRuko]

can u explain the killua and zigg one

[@Zelig_Shaine]

about the flowers in the cover, i've read/heard somewhere that the flowers represent past deaths: uvo, paku, shal, and kortopi. the reason why illumi is holding one is because he replaced a dead member.

[@drakobby6418]

I literally am hoping and praying hxh gets more content soon it’s literally figures that one of THE BEST anime’s Ive ever watched isn’t finished 😢

[@lorenzoantonelli6467]

I'm pretty proud to have thought the same thing before I found out it was actually an existing theory. I admit that initially my suspicions were based mainly on Illumi's pants and little else, though 🤣. After this video, I admit that everything makes even more sense.

[@vonderfaak6357]

I will be so pissed if Illumi got offscreened. if there's someone I really want to see fight it's Illumi

[@oSam9er]

I guess now we know who Hisoka really is

[@liveraid3125]

I'm just deceiving myself that hunter x hunter is ever going back.

[@kylonbell123]

I swear thank you for keeping HxH pumping I appreciate the dedication.🙏

[@StoriesHaveChapters]

@newworldreview and EVERYONE compare the positioning of volume 12 to volume 36. The flowers are in the same locations as the dead members from volume 12. Except for Uvogin who has been replaced with mouthless Illumi.

[@michaelcarelli1788]

Wow, great catch! I think this makes it clear as day the planted flowers represent dead members. With illumi in the middle maybe the flower he's holding has a double meaning. 1. It represents the death of Uvo 2. It represents Hisokas desire to kill the troupe, planting a flower for each member he kills.

[@StoriesHaveChapters]

@@michaelcarelli1788 If Illumi is Hisoka then the flower could signify Hisoka's death as a former member of the troope but he has resurrected and is after vengeance.

[@SRDood]

Extra layer involving Kalluto 'wanting to get his brother back'. What if that applies to Kalluto getting Illumi back and not Killua or the Feitan theory?

[@ChocolateRuko]

its just weird because killua claims that kalluto is jealous of alluka. would kalluto be jealous because alluka has killuas affection and kalluto doesnt? but yea kalluto probably wouldnt go on board the black whale if he was looking for killua

[@idirbouchdoug1567]

One thing is i don't see how hisoka would be able to change his voice .None of his abilities should be capable of that. His bungee gum is just fake rubber prosthetics and his texture surprise is only a superficial coat he can apply to a surface to make it look / feel different.

[@micahmcfadden8082]

Varente the bodygaurd is hisoka he smiles and says u killed him with a heart at the end of the sentence only hisoka has ever ended sentences in card suit to show the emotion behind what he says hearts usually mean his normal seductive whimsical voice and spades are usually his angry violent disposition

[@aylimasmusic6800]

My Theory: Hisoka is disguised as Shizuku, he found a way to compress his height since the phantom Troupe are looking for someone 190cm tall. shizuku is already dead in the dark like her prophecy suggested in York Shin City.

[@jdinsomniac7504]

no way is this gonna happen.

[@AgarioSplitrunner]

Spoiler: shizuku is transformed Hisoka. Hisoka is Illumi using needles But that is not all Hisoka was actually just a bungeegum using texture surprise The bungeegum was actually the magical beast from the first hunter exam but transformed The magical beast was Kortopies clone to infiltrate and evaluate new hunters applying for the exam Kortopi was actually Razor's nen puppet all along Ging foresaw everything he is like Aizen-sama planning Razor was actually never a human. Razor was a smoke of nen wished alive by Alluka So Hisoka was actually from a wish that a little kid dreamt up

[@leoncurtis5762]

As a man of culture, who ships Illumi and Hisoka. I hope he is wearing Illumi's clothes.

[@Carlos-ne3zf]

I mean we know as far back as the hunter exam how Hizoka thought of Illumi's ability to transform in someone else to be fascinating stating how he "never gets tired of seeing him do that"

[@jetcaspian2882]

Great theory! I just caught up on the Manga and when I read that scene with illumi and aluko on the ship I was thinking "what?? That dosnt seem like him at all.." tho I never thought it could he hisoka. It makes more sense than it seems like too, cause when he volunteered tue info on the troupe being there, his brother was like "bro chill, what the hell" and he giggled and said I won't say anymore. Very hisoka like. What's a little weird to me tho is in the more recent chapters we do see hisoka encounter some men users looking for him, and he dosnt look like illumi at all. He's back to being hisoka. But his hair is down. (I know this is a leap) but the only other times I think we have seen his hair down is when he's taken a shower..a shower that illumi just asked for. Lol it's fun thinking about it.

[@darealdovahkiin3652]

I wasn’t convinced until I realized, Hisoka’s ability “Bungee Gum” contains the properties of both rubber and gum!

[@ragnaricks]

Illumi probably was the one who killed Neon as instructed by Hisoka. And now without the ability to predict the future, Hisoka's almost shape-shifting buffed ability will terrifyingly flourish while toying with the troupe.

[@___-gs4ds]

What if Hisoka didn't kill Illumi but has him captive somewhere and he's the brother Kalluto is trying to get back.

[@___-gs4ds]

@kernway Oh yeah? Says who?

[@richardtust6355]

What if the creator guy only advances his manga after seeing other people’s theories and it’s been 3 years cause he hasn’t like anyone’s uet

[@cannonporium2424]

This video is good but did you know that bungee gum have the properties of bungee and gum

[@KyleJordanGaming]

-Bungee Gum has the properties of rubber and gum. -Luffy has the properties of rubber and the Gumu-Gumu no Mi. -‘Illumi’ sort of sounds like ‘Luffy’ + ‘Mi’. -Illumi is Hisoka is Luffy from the future after awakening his Devil Fruit. #ChangeMyMind

[@dend1]

Of course, but since when were you under the impression that Aizen wasn't using his Kyoka Suigetsu?

[@chaosdromanah8620]

@@dend1 You think this is an Illusion created by Aizen but no It Was I Dio all along...

[@johnliptak7764]

Well this didn’t age well

[@dend1]

If you think about it, Illumi and Hisoka were probably relative to one another in strength before Hisoka's power up. Now that Hisoka is clearly stronger, that bond may be broken. It's not out of character for a buffed Hisoka to want to end their former rivalry in a fight to the death as an ode to their time spent as rivals

[@romanw9039]

I think that would be extremely out of character for Hisoka. He fights for the challenge, if he's stronger he doesn't want to fight them.

[@wingsof5stack390]

@@romanw9039 after almost dying he clearly changed. He kills shalnark and kotopi without having an actual fight and they are both much weaker than him as well

[@theyoungknight.3119]

@thicc boi However Hisoka already explained that the reason he is killing them is so that they can’t interfere with his next fight with Chrollo like they did with the last one.

[@rbr1170]

@@romanw9039 Not entirely out of character after his death. He clearly had a significant change when it comes to killing. You can even think of Illumi as one of the "toys" he keeps around but now that he is no longer playing around, he could have simply let go of all his previous would-be playmates because he has a new obsession that wants not for the challenge but simply to kill them.

[@rbr1170]

@@theyoungknight.3119 That is precisely the significant change. He does not kill for "tactical consideration" and yet he did with those two. Hisoka kills for pleasure but now he kills because it makes sense. Since they were an off screen death we can assume he did not even play with them before he killed them. That is a huge change for his character. He is no longer out to entertain himself and provide a good show for the people around him (including often the very person he will kill). I'd take that as his new character after reawaking from post mortem nen. So if Illumi can be a distraction or he'll get in his way (since his brother is also part of the troupe now) then it would make sense (not out of pleasure) that he will also get rid of him.

[@davidlawrence4018]

Four flowers. Hisoka is associated with the number four.

[@aguywithalotofopinions412]

I hate how much sense this makes because I was really looking forward to Illumi vs Hisoka this arc

[@Themermaid305]

It has been shown during the yorknew arc that both illumi and hisoka have ways of communicating with each other by the use of non-nen methods being given cellphones the most banal method known. I personally think that the illumi we're seeing on the current arc is the actual illumi, but he has some kind of agreement with hisoka where illumi is imitating hisoka's behavior on hisoka's will as a way of making illumi suspicious on purpose so the spiders will center their attention on illumi , this will make the fact that illumi is acting suspiciously palpable while maintaining the hisoka being illumi's theory actually "true" in some points .

[@Kriogi]

What if... The brother that is being retrieved is actually illumi? And that is the reason hisoka is not outed.