Kurapika

Kurapika is a anime and manga character who features in Hunter x Hunter.

Biography

Kurapika (Japanese: クラピカ, Hepburn: Kurapika) was a member of the Kuruta clan that were a reticent group of people that chose to live in obscurity in the Lukso Province. As a child, they almost fell from a cliff but were saved by their best friend Pairo though he instead injured both his legs and eyes. Over time, Pairo's condition began to worsen each day with Kurapika feeling responsible for the incident. They then resolved to venture out of the forest and search the outside world for a doctor to help treat Pairo. This saw them approaching the Kurta Clan's elder several times where they requested to go out into the world. However, each time, their request was refused which ultimately sparked a long-lasting debate between the two. Kurapika came to perceive the elders fear of the outside world to be both unreasonable and backwards. After one such argument, Kurapika spoke to Pairo about the matter and it was only then that they learnt that people outside the Kurta Clan lacked their scarlet eyes which led to their kinsmen beng persecuted as a result.

At some point, Kurapika and Pairo saved a female outsider called Sheila. As thanks, she gave them a book about the adventures of the D Hunter in the outside world which they read together, their desire to visit the outside world becoming stronger. After Sheila left, Kurapika realized that the Kurta Clan's elder had stolen the book and confronted him about it. Having an argument again, the clan elder finally allowed Kurapika to take the test to go to the outside world. Studying hard and passing all the tests successfully, the elder gave him his last test: to go shopping in the outside world with a partner without revealing their Scarlet Eyes. Kurapika chose Pairo as his partner. The elder had them put drops in their eyes which would cause their eyes to remain red for days if they change color during the test. During the journey, Kurapika vowed to himself to find a way to cure Pairo so that they would be able to explore the outside world together.

He was onboard a ship that goes from Whale Island to a testing site of the 287th Hunter Exam. He, Gon, and Leorio are the only 3 candidates unaffected by a storm the night before. When the Captain announces an even fiercer one is approaching, the three are the only candidates not to leave the boat. He initially refuses to answer the Captain's question about his motives, but when he reveals that he is an examiner Kurapika replies that he is the last of the Kurta and wants to capture the Phantom Troupe. When Leorio objects he does not need to become a Hunter to do so, Kurapika condescendingly explains a license facilitates the acquisition of information. When Leorio answers the Captain that he is attracted by the material possessions provided by being a Hunter, Kurapika remarks that money cannot buy class. The two quarrel over their different opinions and decide to end it with a fight out on the deck while another storm is raging. When they are about to start, a crew member is knocked off the deck by a piece of wood broken off from a yard. Leorio immediately rushes to help him, followed shortly by Kurapika, but they fail to catch him. Gon jumps overboard and grabs him, while the two catch him by his legs. They both reprimand Gon for his recklessness, then apologize to and makeup with each other. Seeing that, the captain laughs and decides to take the trio to the port nearest the exam hall, Zaban City's. Once they dock, the Captain tells Gon to head for a lone tree up a hill, and Gon decides to follow his advice instead of taking the bus to Zaban City. Kurapika decides to follow him, interested in what he may do. Leorio later rejoins them after learning the bus did not head to Zaban City. In what seems an abandoned town, Kurapika and Gon hear people around them. An old lady, also an examiner, told them they have to answer a riddle that they have only 5 seconds time limit. While Kurapika and Leorio scuffle over the prospect of one causing the other to fail, another applicant takes the test in their place. Upon hearing the riddle, a deeply stunned Kurapika thinks of it's subjectivity, making it absolutely impossible to give a correct answer. While Leorio protests the impossibility of the riddle, Kurapika hears the applicant the lay let pass scream and understands how to pass the test, but the screener silences him and, after Kurapika agrees to it, poses them her question. Getting annoyed, Leorio picks up a wooden stick and attacks her but is blocked by Kurapika, who explains to him that they have passed because keeping silent is the correct answer to this question. The old lady then tells them to go to a house in the forest to find a couple, who will be their navigators if they consider the trio qualified. Kurapika and Leorio laugh at Gon when he states he cannot find an answer to the question, but become pensive when he suggests they might one day be faced with a similar choice. The three then take the path opened by the screener.

Four hours later, upon entering the house, they see a wounded man lying on the floor and a woman being held captive by a Kiriko. The monster flees as soon as it sees them. Telling Leorio to take care of the husband, Kurapika and Gon chase after it, and Kurapika is impressed by Gon's vision in the darkness, and shocked by his ignorance about Magical Beasts. Gon clubs the creature and forces it to let go of the wife. Kurapika catches her and notices the strange tattoos on her hands and face. Leorio then shows up and says that there is nothing to worry about the husband. Kurapika hits him in the face with his wooden sword. It turns out this Leorio is a Kiriko in disguise, but Kurapika claims he did not know, and that he hit him because he thought he left an injured. After the monster runs away, he asks the wife who she really is, ready for combat. After Gon is able to tell the two nearly identical Kiriko apart, they reveal to be the Navigators and that the couple they "saved" are their two children. The daughter states that Kurapika passed the test thanks to his vast knowledge and deduction skills, which allowed him to recognize the chastity symbols on her body and understand that she could not have a husband. Meanwhile, Gon is able to tell 2 identical-looking Kirikos apart, which greatly surprises them. The 2 Kirikos and the husband and wife, who are actually their son and daughter, then explain to the trio how they have qualified for the next test—Kurapika for his vast knowledge on ancient symbols, Leorio for his good medical skill and confidence, and Gon for his extraordinary movement and observation. The Kiriko fly all three of them to the exam hall. When they arrive in Zaban City one of the Kiriko takes them to the secret entrance of the exam hall. Kurapika and Leorio start a debate over why one would become a Hunter, with Kurapika stressing the nobility of securing order, and they both ask Gon what being a Hunter means to him. Before he can reply, they reach the site of the first test, a large tunnel, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon to see a lot of experts. Tonpa, nicknamed Rookie Crusher, offers each of them a can of his laxative-spiked drink but Kurapika pours it on the floor after Gon claims that it has a bad taste.

An examiner, Satotz, then appears and tells the candidates to follow him through the tunnel. He runs faster and faster but Kurapika has little problem keeping up with him. While running, he reveals to Leorio the story about the stolen Scarlet Eyes of his people and his determination to retrieve them and capture the Phantom Troupe. The marathon finally ends when they reach the Milsy Wetlands, also known as the Swindler's Swamp. Satotz warns them of the dangers and tells them to follow him through the swamp in another marathon. On the way, Kurapika, Leorio, and a number of other candidates are attacked by Hisoka, a man notorious for his bloodthirstiness. All of them are killed in a short time, except for him, Leorio, and Cherry, examinee #76. Knowing that they have no chance of winning against Hisoka, they split up in 3 different directions. After a while, Kurapika returns and sees Gon kneeling there with a shocked expression on his face. While running together to the site of the Second Phase, the Visca Forest Preserve, Gon told him about what happened to him and Leorio. At the site of the Second Phase, two Gourmet Hunters, Menchi and Buhara, appear. The Second Phase starts with Buhara asking them to cook roast pork. Even though the kind of pig that they need to catch, the Great Stamp, is the most dangerous pig in the world. Kurapika, his 3 friends, and many other contestants have little difficulties passing the test after they discover that these pigs have a spot of weakness on their foreheads. The next test has however proven to be a real problem as the other examiner Menchi asks them to make sushi. Despite having read some books about this dish and his careful analysis of the hints that Hanzo, a contestant from the country of sushi, and Menchi unintentionally gave away, Kurapika still failed like the rest. When the Second Phase is on the verge of having no qualifier, Chairman Netero of the Hunter Association arrives in an airship, criticizes Menchi for losing her temper as an examiner, and tells her to give them another test, which she herself also has to take. This time around Menchi asks them to cook boiled Spider Eagle eggs, which hang from strong strings connecting the two sides of deep ravines. Even though they have to jump into a ravine to find the egg, Kurapika and 41 other examinees pass the test and are subsequently taken to the site of the Third Phase in the Chairman's airship.

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Kurapika was slender, fair-skinned, and androgynous, often mistaken for female due to his delicate features. He had blond hair and gray-blue eyes, which turned a vivid crimson when triggered by intense emotion. His standard attire during much of the series was a blue tabard with yellow trim over white clothing, though he later shifted to suits and modern attire later on. Like all members of the Kurta Clan, their eyes glowed a beautiful shade of scarlet when experiencing intense emotion. After joining the Zodiacs, Kurapika came to go by the name of Rat (子ね, Ne).

Kurapika was shown to be an intelligent, analytical, and deeply serious individual. He often came across as aloof and judgmental, especially during his interactions with Leorio and Killua in the early arcs, but his harshness was driven by his uncompromising values. His loyalty to his fallen clan shaped his every decision, leading him to pursue vengeance against the Phantom Troupe. However, he also demonstrated compassion toward allies, as seen in his protective stance toward Prince Woble during the Succession War. Kurapika’s dual nature—both a loyal friend and a wrathful avenger—was a recurring theme, often making him one of the most complex members of Gon’s group.

He said that he did not fear death and that he was actually afraid of his rage over the death of his clan fading away.

Powers and abilities

He was noted to possess a keener sense of hearing than average humans that allowed him to perceive revelatory sounds and overhear conversations others would miss.

He outsmarted minds of Chrollo's level with carefully planned strategies, and his predictions have rarely turned out to be wrong. He also has an immense deal of knowledge about many topics, ranging from psychology to other cultures, from history to forensic, a quality that surprised his brethren when he was only a child. Due to his longing for new notions, he is a fast learner with an impressive memory. Kurapika's analytical skills are so outstanding they have led to the spreading of the rumor, among Muherr's assassins, that he is able to read minds. When searching for Halkenburg on the Kakin bodyguard registration, he used the vaguest of clues to choose whom he felt to be Halkenburg, something praised by Oito.

Kurapika could formulate flawless plans even in combat to exploit his opponent's weaknesses to the fullest. His intuition is matched by his logical thinking and meticulous preparations. Although he can retain his cool in desperate situations, he can barely stick to his own plan when it concerns the Phantom Troupe, to the extent he might even snap and endanger not only himself, but his friends as well. On the Black Whale he exhibited greater composure than before and has performed his greatest strategic feat yet, becoming the lynchpin of a stalemate, or at least an impediment, of the succession contest with an endless series of ad hoc tactics, mixing truth and lies, secrets and deliberately disclosed information.

As a member of the Kurta Clan, Kurapika's eyes turned turned a vivid shade of red in moments when he was enraged. This triggered an amazing increase in his physical ability where even as a child he was able to gain the upper hand in terms of speed and strength against 3 adults with him easily overpowering them. However, he had noted that in such a state that he lost all restraint and rationality where his actions were more primal in nature. Overuse of his Scarlet Eyes could also have severe repercussions on his health as doing so had caused him to become incapacitated and feverish for more than one day. He was only able to maintain that state for 3 hours after which the pain and fatigue became too intense and he passed out as a result.

Such was their skill that they came to be one of the few people in the world to had killed a member of the infamous Phantom Troupe.

After the Hunter Exam, he was noted to had learnt the art of Nen (念ネン or ネン, Nen—lit. "Sense"; "Mind Force" in the Viz translation). Kurapika was both a Conjurer and a Specialist, a nen user that can materialize objects that act according to his imagination. The weapon that he conjures are five chains attached to rings on the fingers of his right hand. Because the chains are made completely of nen, Kurapika can conceal them using In and bind his opponent without him or her realizing it until it's too late.

Kurapika was a Nen user of exceptional talent. He specialized in Conjuration, manifested through his five unique chains, each with distinct abilities: Chain Jail to immobilize Phantom Troupe members, Holy Chain for healing, Dowsing Chain for defense and tracking, Judgment Chain to enforce absolute commands, and Emperor Chain. With Emperor Time active, Kurapika could master all categories of Nen equally, a feat nearly unheard of in the Hunter world. His Scarlet Eyes further amplified his abilities, making him one of the most formidable characters despite his relative inexperience compared to seasoned fighters.

Among the techniques known to him included:

• Dowsing Chain (導く薬指の鎖ダウジングチェーン Daujingu Chēn, lit. "The Guiding Ring Finger Chain") :
• Chain Jail (束縛する中指の鎖チェーンジェイル Chēn Jeiru, lit. "The Restraining Middle Finger Chain") :
• Emperor Time (絶対時間エンペラータイム Enperā Taimu, lit. "Absolute Time") :
• Holy Chain (癒す親指の鎖ホーリーチェーン Hōrī Chēn, lit. "The Healing Thumb Chain") :
• Judgment Chain (律する小指の鎖ジャッジメントチェーン Jajjimento Chēn, lit. "The Arbiter Little Finger Chain") :

After joining the Hunter Association, they came to be registered as a Blacklist Hunter (賞金首ブラックリストハンター, Burakkurisuto Hantā—base kanji lit. meaning "Bounty Hunter") who were dedicated in tracking down dangerous and wanted criminals. Upon joining the Zodiacs (十じゅう二に支しん, Jūnishin), Kurapika came to take the position of Rat (子ね, Ne) among the group. As one of the Zodiac, his authority was second only to the Chairman who stood above Kurapika.

Notes

• Kurapika was created by Yoshihiro Togashi and featured in the setting of the Hunter x Hunter universe.

Appearances

• Hunter x Hunter:

External Links

• Hunterpedia Entry

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