A list of the sources used for this video (also available in the description): www.reddit.com/r/HunterXHunter/comments/1ic64x/interview_with_togashi_included_in_hxh_no_0/ www.reddit.com/r/HunterXHunter/comments/6quw2y/chrollo_lucilfer_themes_influences_and_context/ www.reddit.com/r/HunterXHunter/comments/5ft67n/chrollos_identity_crisis/ www.reddit.com/r/HunterXHunter/comments/5b5ksd/possible_meaning_behind_kurapikas/ EDIT: I want to add a couple of points that I didn't say in the video but that make this interpretation even stronger. Firstly - my claim that Chrollo believes in fatalism is reinforced by a tradition that the Spider use for settling disputes: flipping a coin. An act totally based in chance/luck - or if you believe in what Chrollo does, fate. Secondly, something that a commenter put forth that is actually a great point to add to this - "Chrollo stopped viewing Hisoka as a Spider when Hisoka took off the fake-tattoo to fight Chrollo (since Chrollo could reveal his situation to Hisoka). And then accepted his fight when it is forbidden for spiders to fight among themselves. So while Chrollo may have been fascinated with Hisoka he doesn't consider Hisoka part of himself anymore." Cheers to Psycho3418 for bringing this idea up. ALSO - I referred to Chrollo as deterministic, and while that may be true, the more appropriate term would be fatalistic. There is a distinction between those two terms and while one can argue for both, Chrollo falls more under the latter. I used the both terms here but probably should have leaned on "fatalistic." Just a small note there.

coolest character of all time

I knew Chrollo was cool af when gon asked him “why do you kill people who have nothing to do with you?” ...and chrollo didn’t have a response. He was trying to even try to find the answer to that

Chrollo is a shonen protagonist gone wrong He fights for his friends and puts them ahead of himself, he enjoys finding new abilities and lives for adventure. The phantom troupe is basically a chaotic evil adventuring party, and like a player character, he doesn't see other people as people, he sees them as "NPCs"

He realized Kurapika's true intent, before Kurapika could realize it himself

Only Togashi can characterize a character with about 30 minutes of screen time which you can analyse for 40.

I think that Kurapika and chrollo are in many ways the opposite of each other. Kurapika loses "his" identity through revenge and rage. Chrollo tries to find his identity by creating terror and despair. The whole thing is a circle.

This video just increased my crush on Chrollo to an unhealthy level.

What makes Chrollo such an intresting character? Those earrings. I can't stop lookin at 'em.

23:25- Uvogin: There's a traitor in our group. Chrollo: There are no traitors.Besides, Judas wasn't a traitor- Uvogin: Its Hisoka isn't it? Chrollo: Its probably him.

They always ask who is chrollo lucifer Not how is chrollo lucifer😔

Teacher: For the midterm paper I would like a 5 page analysis on something you like Alec: Hold my beer

The phantom troupe needs it's own anime tbh...

Man this makes his nen ability make a lot more sense. He doesn't have an identity internalized and is in search of one, that's why he steals other's nen which is always an extension of their identity. He has no identity so when his nen (an extension of one's true nature) manifests, it steals what is around and accumulates them inside but it's never enough because he can't fill an identity externally.

Chrollo, Is an overall slept on character in the anime community, one of the most interesting characters in my opinion.

He doesn’t know himself that’s why his ability is stealing other people’s ability because he understands others more than himeself

“The more you think about Chrollo, the more interesting he is.” i couldn’t agree more

I would love to watch a spinoff series of Chrollo in his younger days with him learning how to use Nen and recruiting the Troupe members

Anyone calling themselves "Lucifer" obviously has an identity crisis

I always understood Chrollo’s assessment of Judas and the traitor as such: Hisoka and Judas aren’t traitors because they don’t betray their own inner goals and sense of self. At heart, Hisoka was never loyal to Troupe; he joined out of his own self-interest and hedonistic desire to challenge Chrollo. Similar to Judas, who of the twelve disciples harbored a greater selfishness, Hisoka’s actions stay true to his loyalty to his own ambition and greed, never failing to betray his loyalty to his own identity, which Chrollo (as you outlined in your video) likely respects and values highly.

I think Chrollo is the most handsome anime villain of all time.

Careful old man, he can steal your techniques.

Great Video I need a Illumi x Hisoka x Chrollo spin-off series as them as roommates lol

One of the sexiest anime character of all time

The Kid really gave a full-on psychology research paper on an anime character with what seems to be 6-8 pages worth plus presentation with complete comprehension and well articulation of the matter. Give this man a degree!

It's come to the point where watching your videos on HxH is as mandatory as the episodes of the show

"These questions will be answered in the future" All we have to do is wait for like 50 years

HunterxHunter is so meaty I love it, there's always room for new things to uncover and understand the more you sink you teeth into it, whether it is the characters,the themes or the world. This is why it will always be my favorite piece of literature. Great job breaking it down.

Character Analysis: Chrollo: *Almost 40 min of complex identity analysis* Hisoka: ''Because... he's Hisoka..'' 30:10 it's funny because it's true xD

So if chrollo thinks of himself as the spider and the spider can't die since it's an idea... Then that would explain why he doesn't fear death

38 MINUTES ON ONE CHARACTER HOLY SHIT

the error that chrollo makes on the airship w/ kurapika is, while understanding his own love for the spider bc it represents him, he underestimates just how much some of the members love HIM as an individual. This is seen when machi, nobunaga and pakunoda all risk their lives and the spider as a whole to save him. Definitely the most touching scene in the arc

he is my boyfriend,he just doesnt know it yet

Idk if you say this or not im 20 minutes in but i think rather than a leg, hisoka is a parasyte within the spider, not representing chrollo but something that eats him apart, limb by limb, literally, the parasyte attempted to go straight for the head but failed, and so it must whither it down first, it relies on the spider to live, but the spider must die in order for its purpose to be fulfilled

17:00, I love Chrollo for this; a lot of leaders don't tell their followers what to do if/when they die and because of that everything they've built tends to fall apart.

A character of HxH that I believe to be worth of your undeniably detailed and analytical perspective is Leorio and his contribution to the series. I'd love to see your take on him. I ask those who agree to give this comment an upvote

We all know Chrollo is just a pawn in Rookie Crusher Tonpa's masterplan

Great analysis, especially the part at the end. I would add that chrollo's favouritism of hisoka comes down how (releativly) free Hisoka is.Where chrollo's is bound by fate seeking identity and purpose, no other character is so sure and fully aware of themselves and their actions as hisoka. I wouldn't be surprised if he looks on to him a bit enviously, and is disrespectful attitude is tied to the true freedom and purpose the spiders lack, chrollo's wishes to have and hisoka has in spades.

Been waiting for this to drop more than a fucking album

When Chrollo have flashbacks of his past we saw two kids running behind him. Who are they? Are they part of the Phantom Troupe? Are they just some random kids? Are they Chrollo's brothers if he have any? Find out next time on Hunter X Hunter

You’re one of the smartest and most brilliant analyzer. Yo break down things very well. Your HxH videos are simply phenomenal. Please keep it up!

Damn you must have been good at writing papers in school

You know... I'm starting to get the impression that you may be a HxH fan...

so chrollo is the human embodiment of "I'm 14 and this is deep" ("Who am i")

This is why chrollo is one of my favorite characters in all of anime

I'm genuinely curious as to how you made such a huge video out of a character that says so little. Excited.

I scream with joy every time Aleczandxr uploads an HxH video

God this video is a stroke of genius. Also that ending... 10/10

AUGH!! THAT BIBLICAL QOUTE ENDING WAS PURE BEAUTY!!

30:10 - Because he's Hisoka haha no other explanation needed.

This gon be good

He's like a gentle Ahab; forever chasing empty meanings & his indoor fish

If we ever get there I think it would be interesting if chrollo turned out to be the last surviving member of the spider and in a rematch against hisoka he develops a new and unique hatsu independent of bandits secret unlike bookmark, to show that in his potentially final moments he finally grasped something of an identity that is uniquely his and no one else's. Something that could reflect the pain hisoka brought upon him, which could even cause him to stray from the belief everything is predestined the fight could end either way but I think him losing and dying would be a better end to his character

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!

Bro I have a buttload of homework due tonight. Why you trying to keep me from graduating college?

That part about Chrollo's personality reflecting his Nen power is AMAZING! 11/10 analysis! FFVII Forgotten Capital theme. The chills... Amazing video!

Bruh the amount of work and perfection put in this video is incredible. Especially with the analogy of the bible at the end. Well done my friend...Chrollo is my favorite character in H X H !

This has made me love Chrollo even more

So...He literally identifies as the Phantom Troupe?

One other thing I thought was interesting but wasn't touched upon is like.. Why does chrollo hold onto antique books and like machi says, loves collecting them? My guess besides the art hoe aesthetic is that antique objects have a charm to them because they evoke a time long gone- it is an artifact of history. And history is about as telling of humanities fate, as knowing about its future... But obviously, history is more universal than it is personal, that's why he can't extract some sense of identity from them, but they definitely aid him in a greater goal of answering the existential questions he's still struggling with at the age of 26... He knows the past, or at least desires to know and be in touch with it, in the same way he desires to know the future, his fate. Only when we have looked into both, can we set our own lives in the context of time, and understand it

Possibly the most genius thematic analysis for one of the most poetically written character. Meruem and Chrollo were truly works of art ib my eyes, but the depth that chrollo adds with his ideals in contraste to Meruems ignorance is... Purely poetic. When watching the anime for the first time I looked at chrollo and even though you could tell he's strong, you can see just how intense he really is, and later on you can see how mellow he can get when it comes to the troupe. The way expresses himself throughout the Yorknew Art is both bizarre and poetic.

Oh my god, so much wrong with this analysis! Ok first off....nah I'm just playin =P. It was excellent. I've always had a Sensui vibe from Chrollo but never considered Chrollo's "sense of self" being within each of the Spider in the way that Sensui has multiple personalities. There's little info on Chrollo so for you to discern so much so well is truly a testament to your love of the series and to your talent.

Man, you made me do a complete 180 on Chrollo. Good job.

Came here to learn who Chrollo was.....Left with a personal existential crisis wondering where my place is in life. 10/10 would nihilist again.

I couldn't have agreed any more. Literally the best character analysis I have ever seen, which made me realise how relatable Chrollo Lucifer is. Togashi keeps suprising me, as well as you.

Lucilfer isn't forgiving and lenient of Hisoka anymore ever since Hisoka started killing the troupe

*slowly stands up while slow clapping* Best 40 minutes of my life so far. Such a great peek into such a beautiful man.

Yoshihiro brings life into his characters with his exceptional understanding of the human psyche. This intrigues me to no end.

The best character evaluation of Chrollo on KZfaq!

Chrollo is such an interesting character

Damn it... do you know that feeling you have when you hear an analysis or a theory so excellent and consistent that you can't help but feel that it's the real truth? That's what I'm feeling right now. While I'm really happy about finally finding out who Chrollo is and what his role in the story is I can't help but feel a bit bitter about it. From now on I will never be able to come up with a theory or analysis of him ever again without taking this master stroke of a character analysis/theory into account. As Meruem would say: "An individual can reach his limit after much training. You are a rare example of one who has transcended that limit. Bravo. You have earned my praise."

Something struck me while watching this. Hisoka is obviously very self destructive in nature, and by welcoming him as a part of the spider, the spider took that on part of his character as well with the deaths of Shalnark and Cortopi at the hands of another member of the spider, Hisoka.

*Reviewing my Patreon Pledges* "Man, $5 to Aleczandxr? Is that really worth it?" *Aleczandxr releases a 40 fucking minute video on a single HxH character* "I mean, yeah, alright."

"Who is Chrollo Lucilfer?" My fucking baby daddy; fight me on it.

Chrollo: what is my purpose? Rick: you pass butter Chrollo: OM MY GOD! Rick: welcome to the club pal.

No ads in the middle of the video! YOU ARE THE MAN! Seriously though you should put one at the start and end. Your videos are awesome and really thought out you should get something.

Chrollo would be so turned on by Guts

so if there was a Judas in the HxH world ... there was a Jesus too right? Was Jesus a Nen user? Could explain a lot

Man after 397 I hope you do another character analysis on Chroll and the spider in general.

Do you still think Chorollo thinks of hisoka as a part of him even though he revealed that he wasn't a troupe member?

I will never get tired of these HxH videos

I'm going to enjoy this to the fullest. Thanks for your hard work.

Outstanding video. A work of art. Very long but every minute was worth it, with extremely few nitpicks. This is one of my favourite videos ever.

This is so good I’ve been meaning to watch it for a while, glad I did

Didnt watch a second of the video. Already liked the video. Because... Aleczandxr never disappoints.

Yet another Great Video. It’s one I’ve been looking forward to for a while, and I was not disappointed at all. Love the ending quotes. Really makes you wonder just how far ahead Togashi plans things and just how incredible his genius truly is.

Watching this again after reading chapter 396. Chrollo has more dimensions to his character now that the troupe's backstory is being revealed. After the whole backstory is finished, a part 2 of this would be great!

Chrollo's bizzare adventure

Well, I've gotta say. At the very least your analysis was very satisfying. It served to fill in the gaping hole and lack of understanding that I previously had of Chrollo and I'm truly satisfied. Despite the occasional disagreement I had with a few of your minor points it was clear A LOT of work and love was put into this video, you covered a lot and we're able to satiate my curiosity for the time being. Whilst I feel a little was still left out for instance, the light symbolisms that exist within Chrollo and the Troupe you acknowledged the larger themes that Togashi had laid out. Whilst not much of an analysis based around the linguistics and literary devices used but one based simply on the words and actions (which make up the majority of an analysis) It was very well done. The three points you made about Chrollo essentially made Chrollo make sense. I love the fact that you addressed his deterministic qualities/features and his longing for an identity which had made him become so profoundly attached to the Troupe like the Troupe is a part of himself. Not only did you concisely and eloquently put together your thoughts and explanations but the evidence you used (the very little evidence Togashi has so far provided) had justified your points very, very well. Bravo, I can't wait for Togashi to get back from his current Hiatus to shed some more light on this enigma. Looking forward to some more of your videos. Your hard work and determination are a source of motivation for me, and no doubt many others.

Man. Just Incredible. That reference to apocalypse in the end left me speechless. This is surely one of your best videos. I never understood why I liked Chrollo as he appears so little in the story, but damn you done it. AND A FREAKING 30 MINUTE LONG AMAZING VIDEO. You're amazing aleczandxr.

Every video you make is a 10/10 for me, I really like the way you analyse these complexe characters, and i find every second of your videos worthy of being watched

Seems like a good time to rewatch this

I think Hisoka has started to attack the troupe because he's realized he'll never be able to have his 1 v. 1 battle against Chrollo while the troupe is alive. I think he's also upset that the troupe ruined his chance to fight Chrollo individually, so he wants to destroy the troupe by picking off each member before fighting Chrollo. Which makes sense because this would elevate the stakes of Hisoka's death match with Chrollo since Chrollo would (as stated in this video) be fighting for the only thing that really matters to him and be confronted with his only real fear: I.e., if Chrollo is the last member, then his final duel with Hisoka becomes more interesting for Hisoka because he'll have pushed Chrollo to the brink of fighting for the only thing he cares about--the troupe's existence. This is because if all other members are killed before Hisoka fights Chrollo, then the troupe dies if Chrollo dies. I'm sure Chrollo realizes this and will plan on gaining more recruits. I'm also interested to see how this intersects with Killua, Illumi, and the Zoldyck family at large--since Killua's sibling is a troupe member.

Phantom Troop > Akatsuki

Coming here after chapter 395..

Sigh what an amazing video I was reminiscing about HxH today and decided to search about my favourite gang of miscrits and came upon this. It has been years since I last paid attension to this series. Thank you for this insight on Chrollo!

I️ have never clicked so fast

This was my reddit post on the matter, it is eerily familiar to your video ""Why indeed...because they have nothing to do with us? No.. On second thought, it isn't that simple how to verbally express our motives. I'm not fond of it. But oddly enough, or perhaps it's not that odd. Is that the key to finding myself?" When Melody listened to Chrollo's heart, she heard his dance with death; a tune most ominous that few people would ever take upon themselves. However, when asked upon who him and his ilk were, he simply looked out the window with a smirk and responded calmly. "The Spider." At surface level, it would appear that Chrollo is hardcore enough to dance with death. However, I believe the reason he does is because it's quite easy for him. He grew up in a place where nobody cares about you. Quite honestly, his very name is suspect. I highly doubt that was his birth name and simply a name he identified with from one of the many books he has read when he was younger, but that's mere speculation on my end; but it makes sense when you take into account the evidence supporting the fact that Chrollo Lucilfer is a man with a bizarre identity crisis. He created the Spider, poured himself into the Spider, and even made it a point that the Spider lives on should Chrollo die. This seems very noble in the eyes of those in Troupe, but I think it's much more selfish than that. Chrollo isn't sure of his identity, and upon forming the Spider, he made it a priority that it survives no matter what. The Spider is so important to him because it's the closest thing to his identity that he ever had. Chrollo doesn't even seem to identify himself as an individual, but the Spider. Should he die, another is replaced, ensuring his identity lives on. For a man who doesn't fear death and has nerves of steel, he shed tears upon learning of Uvo's death. That is because not only did Uvo die, but a part of him died that night. This probably caused him great pain and as a means of appeasing that pain, he had a requiem and took his pain out on those he believed robbed him. Speaking of robbing, Chrollo certainly does cherish in stealing things that don't belong to him. Indeed, even his hatsu revolves around the concept of stealing another person's hatsu, which is in essence that persons Nen identity. Chrollo is aware of this and doesn't seem to talk about it much except for the one scene alone in Yorknew where he captured Gon and Killua a second time under the darkened rainy sky. Chrollo may seem to care about his own, but he uses the Spider as a way of self-identifying himself in the world and is almost entirely selfish.. but necessary. The members of the Troupe seem to not mind, after all. This is what I believe to be Chrollo's weakness. Not killing him, but his sense of identity. This is why Hisoka going after the Spider is one of the biggest threats to Chrollo, if not the biggest. He won't be losing his life, but parts of his identity. Pieces of his soul he projects unto the members of the Troupe. I really want to see Chrollo dealing with the loss of two of his members in the upcoming chapters to see if this theory holds true.

This is a very good character analysis. I agree on all points. One of the main antagonists in my novel (which I'm trying to finish for years now) is heavily influenced by Chrollo. The key to making villains (or antiheroes) effective is to enshroud them in mystery, just enough for the readers (or viewers) to keep guessing, and to slowly build on their motivation. A change in their motivation may also help make them more interesting, more riveting. And this, and more, Togashi has mastered.

This was phenomenal!! Omg I loved this!!