Kurapika

Kurapika (クラピカ) is a fictional character from Yoshihiro Togashi's manga series Hunter × Hunter. Kurapika is the last remaining member of the Kurta Clan (クルタ族) who wishes to become a Hunter in order to avenge his clan and recover their scarlet-glowing eyes that were plucked from their corpses by a band of thieves known as the Phantom Troupe. In the series' first story arc, he befriends the protagonist and Hunter participant Gon Freecss after having a fight with Leorio Paradinight. After many trials together, Gon and his friends end up passing the exam. While preparing to find information about the Troupe, Kurapika learns of his Nen, a Qi-like life energy used by its practicers to manifest parapsychological abilities, which he specifically develops for his revenge quest. Kurapika has also appeared in the 2013 movie Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge which further expands his backstory and revenge mission. He is also a supporting character in the film Hunter × Hunter: The Last Mission.

Inspired by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind when creating Kurapika, Togashi has had troubles telling Kurapika's entire backstory, which lead to the production of an animated movie. The character is voiced by Noriko Hidaka in the 1998 animated film, Yuki Kaida in the 1999 series and Miyuki Sawashiro in the 2011 series in Japanese. For English adaptations, he is voiced by Cheryl McMaster in the 1999 series, and Erika Harlacher in the remake. Critical response to Kurapika's character has been positive due to his constant changes between his quest for revenge and friendship with the rest of the cast.

Creation
According to manga author Yoshihiro Togashi, Kurapika was inspired by the Ohmu in Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Kuroko's Basketball Manga author Tadatoshi Fujimaki said that Kurapika's facial expressions are distinctively written by Yoshihiro Togashi as curved in order to give both the character a cheerful and inexpressive look when the author wanted. Togashi replied this technique he does with Kurapika is "archaic smile" as he wanted to give the character a mysterious smile which he often makes him easier to illustrate. In dealing with the cast abilities, Togashi had the idea of having the cast's abilities connect with their personalities such as Kurapika's chains which are connected with his tragic backstory. Originally, the series' plot would involve the usage of trading cards as main weapons. However, similarities with Kazuki Takahashi's Yu-Gi-Oh led to this being scrapped.

The year's 34 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, released in July 2012, included the first image for Gekijō-ban Hunter × Hunter Phantom Rouge. It depicts Kurapika's "rouge" or scarlet eye with the number four reflecting in it and revealed that the "dramatic action" film would feature the Phantom Troupe. The film's plot is based on an unpublished story creator Yoshihiro Togashi wrote around 10 years earlier. During an interview, Togashi was asked about how they came up with the idea of Kurapika's Past Events which was during the Phantom Troupe arc of the manga. Around volume 10 of the manga, Togashi came up with new ideas to further expand Kurapika's character and how to connect it with the Troupe. However, the schedule with the next story arcs made it difficult to write it. He said he started the project without expecting it to be so tiring. He completed Kurapika's part quickly, but then he had to stop due to different events. This led to Togashi years later writing a one-shot about Kurapika's childhood to connect it with the 2013 movie Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge. Although Phantom Rouge does not end Kurapika's story arc, Togashi has suggested that the character might die alongside the Troupe in future events.

Erika Harlacher voices Kurapika in the second anime adaptation in English. In retrospect, she was pleased with her work's legacy, showing interest mainly in her character's fight with the Phantom Troupe.

In Hunter × Hunter
Kurapika is the sole survivor of the Kurta Clan, a race with treasured irises that turn scarlet in times of anger or emotional turmoil. Four years before the series, the entire Kurta clan was eradicated by a criminal group known as the Phantom Troupe, who desecrated the Kurta's bodies by stealing their scarlet eyes, thereafter selling them on the black market. He participates in the Hunter Exam alongside Gon, Leorio and Killua in order to become a Blacklist Hunter and gain the resources to take vengeance for his people and retrieve their eyes. Despite some initial hostilities, Kurapika befriends Leorio after they help Gon save a crew member on the ship taking them to the Hunter Exam. During the exam, Kurapika and the other main characters often clash with the murderer Hisoka. In the final tournament phase, after a short spar, Hisoka gives up the fight against Kurapika and tells him that he can provide clues that will lead him to the Troupe. Hisoka promises to meet Kurapika on September 1 in Yorknew City to give him information on the Phantom Troupe. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio resolve to go retrieve Killua, who left after killing Leorio's opponent in the tournament. Arriving at the Zoldyck estate, they spend 20 days strength training to open the estate gates and then contend with the butlers who are as skilled as licensed Hunters. In the end, Killua ultimately convinces his father Silva to allow him to choose his own path and he rejoins his friends.

The group then splits; Kurapika intends to use his Hunter status to earn money to attend the Yorknew City auction. While preparing for the auction, Kurapika meets another Hunter who teaches him the power of Nen. Kurapika's Nen type is Conjuration. However, when his eyes turn scarlet, he becomes a Specialist. He conjures a unique weapon — five chains, extending from each finger on his right hand. His ring finger, Dowsing Chain: The Guiding Ring Finger, has a ball on the end used for dowsing and normal defensive and offensive purposes. Kurapika enters into a Nen contract for the chain on his middle finger, Chain Jail: The Restraining Middle Finger; in order to have an unbreakable chain that will fully incapacitate members of the Phantom Troupe, he offers his life should he use it on anyone other than its members. His thumb chain, Holy Chain: Healing Thumb, heals any injury with the crucifix on the end. His index finger, Thieving Index Finger: Steal Chain, uses the syringe on the end to extract someone's aura and Nen ability. His specialist ability, Emperor Time: Absolute Mastery, allows him to utilize 100% of all types of Nen but shortens his lifespan by one hour every second he uses it.

Despite his morals, Kurapika is not above adjoining himself to society's underworld — he aligns himself with the Nostrade mafia family as soon as the opportunity presents itself, and soon becomes head of Nostrade's bodyguards. Normally intelligent, quick-thinking and level-headed, upon sight of a spider, the symbol of the Phantom Troupe, he becomes enraged. When the Troupe attacks the city, Kurapika tests his power by facing one of their strongest members, Uvogin. With his Chain having the power to surpass Uvogin's Nen, Kurapika captures and tortures him to learn more about the Troupe members, but ends up killing him. Kurapika is traumatized by his own actions but ends up finding comfort when rejoining Gon, Leorio and Killua. He tells them about his actions and, with their ally Melody, they agree to continue tracking the troupe, most notably Pakunoda, who can read people's memories. Kurapika's thirst for revenge causes the Troupe to find them, leading Gon and Killua to act like they are the ones chasing them. When Gon and Killua get the chance to fight the Troupe, Kurapika captures the leader Chrollo Lucilfer. His little finger, Judgement Chain: Arbiter Little Finger, stabs Chrollo's heart, allowing Kurapika to issue a command, which kills the enemy if not followed. In Chrollo's case, he can no longer use Nen. However, fearing his friends' deaths, Kurapika returns Chrollo to his teammate Pakunoda in exchange for Gon and Killua. Pakunoda's experience with Kurapika leads to her own death. Kurapika and Melody secretly leave Yorknew.

Kurapika is later invited to join the Zodiacs as the "Rat" based on Leorio's recommendation, and only accepts upon being told that Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou has the last batch of Kurta eyes that he needs to retrieve. This leads to his accompanying Woble Hui Guo Rou to the Dark Continent as her bodyguard. During this time he reveals that when he uses his index finger with Emperor Time activated, it turns into Stealth Dolphin: Index Finger in Emperor Time, a dolphin-like figure only he can see that allows him to use the stolen ability, informing him on its basic details, and grant the stolen ability to someone else (who then sees Stealth Dolphin as well) for a single use.

Other appearances
In Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge, Kurapika is investigating a rumor about a survivor of Kurapika's Kurta Clan until they meet a young boy whom Kurapika recognized as his childhood friend Pairo, who attacks him and steals his eyes. Unconscious since then, Kurapika awakens beside the others and soon after he has visions through his stolen eyes of a man whose right palm is marked with a spider tattoo, the same used by the members of the Phantom Troupe. Soon they learn of Omokage, a former member of the Phantom Troupe who was defeated and replaced by Hisoka. Omokage sends the Pairo and Illumi dolls to attack the Hunters, but Gon and Kurapika defeat them with Leorio and Killua's help and retrieve their eyes. With Omokage defeated, Kurapika offers him a chance to be spared in exchange for having his powers sealed for life, but he refuses. Killua offers himself to kill Omokage in Kurapika's place but the puppeteer is then stabbed by Retsu, who claims that he had already caused enough suffering to her and her friends. The real Phantom Troupe arrives soon after, but they decide to let Kurapika and Hisoka leave, claiming that they will settle their scores with them in another day. Togashi wrote the two-part manga Kurapika Tsuioku-hen to act as a prequel to the film.

In Hunter × Hunter: The Last Mission, Kurapika, who was present at the tournament to escort his employer, Neon, confronts Shura. Amidst the chaos, Leorio rises from the sewers inside the building and is helped by Hisoka, who also was inside the building to reunite with Kurapika. Kurapika also defeats Shura with Leorio's help, but before dying, Shura infects Kurapika with Jed's blood, sealing his Nen and claiming that he will die unless he embraces On instead. Leorio stays behind to take care of Kurapika.

Kurapika is also a support character in Jump Super Stars and a playable character in the fighting game Jump Force.

Reception
Kurapika is a popular character with fans, coming in second place in the series' first two popularity polls. The character has also been the subject of cosplay within the anime fandom. Coolens Opticals also created glasses using Kurapika's image as well as his chains. On a MyNavi popularity poll involving androgynous characters, he placed second behind Kurama from YuYu Hakusho. EX.org felt much of Kurapika's design came from Kurama due to their similar androgynous designs and came to find him more appealing the more active he becomes in the plot of the manga. THEM Anime Reviews found Kurapika complex even if he comes across as an odd character.

In regards to Kurapika's role in the series, Comic Book Resources noted that while Kurapika is often given dark roles even in his introductions, in the end he goes on becoming a more likable when it comes to the need of helping others like with Gon when he abandons his duel with Leorio in the process. Furthermore, the beginning with his friendship with Leorio and multiple collaborations in the Hunter Exam also made this duo far more likable according to the website. Anime News Network praised Kurapika's dark characterization York New as he contemplates the idea of killing the members from the Spiders to the point he feels like the actual main character despite Gon and Killua still starring. Much of the praise involving this story includes how much more mature the narrative feels when Kurapika contemplates his revenge and his mental breakdown after killing for the first time. The design given to Kurapika's chains received similar praise as well as Cheryl McMaster's voice acting. When revisiting this story arc in Madhouse's remake of the anime, Anime News Network said that while the Kurapika's arc ends on an anticlimactic fashion with little action when compared with other series from the same genre, the way the narrative handles Kurapika's character arc as he is forced to choose between his friends and killing the Spiders' real was well executed thanks to his mix with the Spider impersonator Hisoka who had been secretly aiding him to face Chrollo as well as the bodyguard Melody who insists on helping Kurapika.

Website Polygon listed Kurapika as one of their "favorite boys" in anime based on his tragic backstory well as coming across as more "snarky" rather than "cool and deserved". This is mostly due to his corruption in the Spider arc when he starts hunting down the title villains in order to accomplish his revenge. Due to Kurapika not being present in the anime adaptations after the Spider arc, Comic Book Resources noted his popularity fell down as Madhouse's anime never adapted his later role as a bodyguard from the manga. IGN made an entire article dedicated to explaining Kurapika's Hatsu, regarding the powers he develops in the series strong enough to be one of the most powerful fighters in the series. In retrospect, Digital Fox Media said that while Kurapika's revenge and skills in battle makes him one of the most compelling characters from the anime, he is still overshadowed by Killua whom the site regarded as the best character from Hunter x Hunter. Kurapika's eventual return as a bodyguard in the manga was praised by The Fandom Post for how he handles information about Nen across several chapters and pays attention to every detail centered around him.

Hunter × Hunter manga
Entire series
 * Togashi, Yoshihiro. ハンター×ハンター [Hunter × Hunter] (in Japanese). 37 vols. Tokyo: Shueisha, 1998–present.
 * Togashi, Yoshihiro. Hunter × Hunter. 37 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media, 2005–present.

Individual volumes