Who Is Chrollo Lucilfer?

Chrollo Lucilfer is the founder and leader of the Phantom Troupe, an infamous group of thieves with a Class-A bounty in the anime and manga series Hunter x Hunter. Known as "No. 0" of the Phantom Troupe, he is one of the series' main antagonists and is speculated as being responsible for orchestrating the massacre of the Kurta Clan.

Appearance

Chrollo Lucilfer is a young, handsome man of average height with a slender, yet muscular, build. He has black, often slicked back hair, though it is sometimes worn down naturally. Chrollo has grey/black eyes and a prominent cross-shaped tattoo on his forehead. He iis most often seen wearing a distinctive dark purple or black fur-collared and fur-cuffed leather trench coat. The coat is unbuttoned, revealing his physique, and features a golden St. Peter's Cross design on the back. 

However, when Chrollo infiltrated the Nostrade family, he changed his look to appear more amiable. During this time, he wore a blue blazer, had his hair down naturally, and hid his forehead tattoo under a thick layer of bandages.

Personality

Chrollo's personality is a complex and enigmatic blend of calm intelligence, ruthless nihilism, and deep loyalty to the members of his group, the Phantom Troupe. He is a study in contradictions, presenting as both a cold-blooded mass murderer and a caring leader who values his comrades above his own life. 

Chrollo maintains a composed demeanor, even in high-tension situations or when facing powerful enemies like the Zoldyck assassins. Melody, a character with enhanced hearing, noted that his heartbeat was steady, as if he was "happy living alongside death". Despite the volatile nature of the Troupe members, Chrollo's natural charisma and leadership skills keep the group together. He commands deep loyalty and respect, and he listens to his comrades' input, fostering a unique, horizontal power structure.

Chrollo views the lives of people outside the Phantom Troupe as having little value, often comparing them to puppets. He is capable of ordering and participating in horrific acts of mass murder, such as the Kurta Clan massacre, without apparent remorse. Yet, the survival and well-being of the Phantom Troupe is Chrollo's highest priority, even more important than his own life. He shed tears when reading about Uvogin's death and orchestrated a brutal massacre of the Mafia as a requiem for his fallen comrade.

He often ponders the nature of human existence, fate, and morality. When asked about his motives by Gon, he admitted he didn't fully know the reason for his actions, suggesting an inner search for identity and purpose. Chrollo is a skilled actor, capable of adopting completely different personas to manipulate others. For example, he presented himself as an amiable and enthusiastic man to gain Neon Nostrade's trust and steal her Nen ability. 

Chrollo's complex personality in part stems from his harsh upbringing in Meteor City, a place where outcasts live outside society's rules. The traumatic murder of a childhood friend fundamentally shaped his worldview, leading him to create the Phantom Troupe as a means to protect his home and find purpose in a world he perceives as cruel and indifferent.

Background

Chrollo Lucilfer's background originates in Meteor City, a junkyard city populated by outcasts whose existence is not recorded in any official database. His early life was marked by poverty and crime, which shaped his and the other founding members' nihilistic worldview and strong bonds. 

As a child, Chrollo was intelligent, caring, and bright. He and his friends, who would become original members of the Phantom Troupe (Uvogin, Pakunoda, Nobunaga, Feitan, Machi, Franklin, and Shalnark), would find discarded VHS tapes and perform live voice-over dubs of a foreign-language show for other children in a local church.

A turning point in Chrollo's life was the disappearance and brutal murder of his friend, Sarasa, who was found in a body bag, mutilated, with a cryptic and traumatizing note left behind. This event deeply affected Chrollo and the others, hardening their resolve. Fueled by a desire for revenge and a need to protect Meteor City from external threats, Chrollo decided to create a powerful criminal organization. Around the age of fourteen, he formed the Phantom Troupe, a group of thieves and murderers who came to be known worldwide, boasting Class-A bounties.

The Phantom Troupe became notorious for various crimes, including the massacre of the Kurta Clan to steal their valuable Scarlet Eyes. This atrocity made Chrollo the archenemy of Kurapika, the sole survivor of the clan. Despite being a ruthless criminal, Chrollo retains a strong sense of loyalty to his fellow Troupe members and a desire to protect Meteor City. The money and items they steal are often sent back to aid their hometown. 

Essentially, the tragic events of his childhood in Meteor City and the loss of his friend Sarasa transformed a once-optimistic boy into the charismatic and cold-blooded leader of the Phantom Troupe, committed to a life of villainy to protect his home.

Powers and Abilities

Chrollo Lucilfer's primary ability is Skill Hunter, a Specialization Nen that allows him to steal other people's Nen abilities using a conjured book called Bandit's Secret. He also possesses superhuman physical attributes, genius-level intellect, masterful combat skills, and has a vast arsenal of other stolen abilities.

Physical and Combat Abilities

• Genius-Level Intellect: Chrollo is a master tactician and strategist, a key trait that allows him to lead the high-class bounty Phantom Troupe effectively. He can analyze complex situations, predict his opponents' moves, and adapt his plans on the fly. His intelligence was crucial in tricking the entire Yorknew City Mafia and in planning his complex, winning battle against Hisoka.

• Superhuman Physical Attributes: He naturally possesses physical abilities far exceeding those of a normal human:

• Strength: Chrollo can decapitate a person with a single hand chop and pierce a skull using an ordinary pen with sheer force.

• Speed and Reflexes: His speed allows him to move so fast that his movements are undetectable to the average person, catch thrown knives mid-flight, and fight two master assassins (Zeno and Silva Zoldyck) simultaneously, mostly on the defensive, without being overwhelmed.

• Agility: He has exceptional agility, capable of running on the sides of buildings and leaping between them with ease.

• Durability and Stamina: He can withstand powerful blows from expert Nen users like the Zoldycks, taking only minor damage that does not impede his combat ability.

• Mastery of Hand-to-Hand Combat: Chrollo is an expert in unarmed combat, using his skills to effectively block and dodge high-level attacks. His defensive skills are considered top-class.

• Proficient Weapon Specialism: He is skilled in using various weapons. Notably, he can use a simple pen to kill skilled assassins and has demonstrated proficiency with a Ben's knife, which he enhances with a potent paralyzing poison.

• Charisma and Manipulation: As a leader, Chrollo is highly charismatic, which earns him the fierce loyalty of the Phantom Troupe members. He is also a skilled actor and manipulator, capable of deception, as shown when he befriended Neon Nostrade to steal her ability.

• Multilingualism: He is proficient in at least three languages.

Nen Affinity and Abilities

Nen (念) is a fundamental power system that allows individuals to control their life energy, known as aura. By manipulating their aura, Nen users can create unique supernatural abilities called Hatsu, enhancing their physical capabilities or creating complex, personal powers. 

• Nen Affinity: Chrollo Lucilfer's Nen type is Specialization. This Nen type is for abilities that don't fit into the other five categories (Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Manipulator, and Emission). His ability, Skill Hunter, allows him to steal others' Nen abilities by meeting specific conditions, which he then uses through a conjured book called Bandit's Secret.

• Skill Hunter (Bandit's Secret): This is Chrollo's signature ability, which allows him to steal and use the Nen abilities of others under specific conditions:

  • He must witness the Nen ability in action.

  • He must ask about the ability, and the victim must answer.

  • The victim's palm must touch the handprint on the book's cover.

  • All conditions must be met within one hour.

  • The original owner can no longer use their ability once it is stolen.

  • To use a stolen ability, he must conjure the book and turn to the corresponding page. The book must remain open in his hand, allowing him to use only one ability at a time normally.

  • If the original owner dies, the ability is removed from the book, unless it is empowered by post-mortem Nen. 

• Stolen & Supplementary Abilities: Chrollo has possessed numerous stolen abilities, which he can combine for versatile combat strategies. Notable examples include: 

  • Double Face (Bookmark Theme): A bookmark that allows Chrollo to bypass the need to hold his book open to a specific page. He can place the bookmark on a page and the ability on that page remains active, freeing his hands for combat or allowing him to use a second Nen ability simultaneously.

  • The Sun and Moon (Paired Destruction): By touching a target with his left hand (sun mark, +) and his right hand (moon mark, -), he can affix two marks on them. If the marks touch each other, they trigger a powerful explosion.

  • Order Stamp (Proof of Humanity): Conjures a stamp that allows him to control inanimate objects with heads (puppets) by marking them. He used this in conjunction with Gallery Fake to control an audience during his fight with Hisoka.

  • Gallery Fake (Divine Left Hand, Demonic Right Hand) (formerly): Borrowed from Kortopi, this ability allows him to create up to 200 perfect copies of an object he touches with his left hand. The copies are inanimate, making them ideal for the Order Stamp ability. (This ability was lost when Kortopi died).

  • Black Voice (Mobile Fate Director) (formerly): Borrowed from Shalnark, this ability lets Chrollo manipulate a target's actions by sticking an antenna into them and directing them via a phone. (This ability was lost when Shalnark died).

  • Convert Hands (Transfer Student): Allows him to swap appearances with another person or force someone to take on his appearance by touching them with specific marks on his palms.

  • Indoor Fish (Fish Playing Behind Closed Doors): Summons ethereal fish that feed on human flesh in a sealed room. Victims feel no pain and do not bleed until the fish disappear, at which point the cumulative damage kills them.

  • Fun Fun Cloth (Wondrous Convenient Kerchief): A conjured cloth that can shrink anything it covers to a minute size.

  • Lovely Ghostwriter (Angelic Auto Writing) (formerly): An ability stolen from Neon Nostrade that provided accurate, poetic predictions of a person's future. (This ability was lost when Neon died).

Goals and Reputation

Chrollo Lucilfer's primary goal is the preservation and continued existence of the Phantom Troupe above all else. While he is a formidable thief and mass murderer, he is not interested in personal gain, fame, or power; he gives most of the money the Troupe earns to his hometown, Meteor City. 

Chrollo seems to have a nihilistic streak and has admitted that he doesn't know why he kills innocent people, wondering if finding the answer might be the key to understanding himself. The existence of the Troupe helps provide him with a purpose and identity. He believes the "head of the Spider is just another limb" that can be sacrificed for the survival of the whole organization. His devotion is to the group as an idea and as a family formed in Meteor City.

Chrollo's initial motivation for forming the Troupe was to create a place of safety and justice (by their own rules) for his childhood friends and to keep "small-time crooks" from harming the city. This motivation is seen in how deeply Chrollo cares for his fellow Troupe members as evidenced when he orchestrated a massacre of the Yorknew Mafia as a "requiem" for Uvogin, as well as his current pursuit of Hisoka to avenge the deaths of Shalnark and Kortopi.

While the Troupe regularly steals various items, often selling them for the benefit of Meteor City, Chrollo's Nen ability, Skill Hunter, also reflects his personal desire to "possess" the abilities of others, which he views as exploring the darkness within the original owner's soul. In the current storyline, his main focus is to find and kill Hisoka. In order to gain a powerful new ability needed for this fight, he is attempting to steal a national treasure from the Kakin Empire on the Black Whale ship.