Is Sheila heading to the Dark Continent right now? (A Reintroduction Theory)
[Manga Spoilers ahead. Read at your own discretion]
It's hard to speculate about Sheila at all because not only do we know too little about her, but we don't even know whether she's dead or alive to begin with. There is no concrete evidence to build a strong theory either way, so a lot of the discussion ends up being speculation built on top of other theories and headcanons. I don't strongly support any specific theory, and I'm not particularly attached to any of them, including this one. Ultimately, I'm open to whatever explanation Togashi chooses to reveal.
Still, I'll try to chew on it a little bit.
First, we know Sheila was an avid reader and always carried her D. Hunter book with her. This book is often speculated to be a fictionalized and simplified version of Journey to the New World, the book written by Don detailing his discoveries in the Dark Continent. In this hypothetical commercialized version of the original book, Dino would serve as a stand-in for Don.
Sheila admitted that she was heavily inspired by this book, to the point that her dream of becoming a hunter was largely shaped by it. Because of that, it's not far-fetched to think that, after becoming a hunter, she would try to follow in Don/Dino Hunter's footsteps. This also further contrasts the paths that Chrollo and Sheila chose after Sarasa's death; instead of succumbing to darkness, Sheila decided to pursue her dream (and actually achieve it).
The people Beyond assembled for the expedition were hunters who had been preparing for the journey to the Dark Continent long before Beyond and Nasubi made the official announcement. Whether they are currently aboard the Black Whale or traveling on a separate vessel remains unknown, but they are heading to the Dark Continent nonetheless. Out of the nine members of this temp hunter crew, only three remain unnamed: the chef, the boy hoping to pay for his sister's medical treatment, and this lady.
If we examine this character, while she isn't a 1:1 match with Sheila, her design has a few striking similarities. Most notably, both characters share completely black eyes, entirely lacking the typical highlights that Togashi usually gives to most characters. She also wears a Yotsuba-like hairstyle with four buns, the upper two being larger and tilted upward, which could subtly evoke Sheila’s old animal-ear headband. On top of that, assuming Sheila is still alive, she’d be roughly 27 or so by now, an age that more or less lines up with this lady's appearance.
Another detail that rarely gets brought up is the lower part of her outfit. While it's most likely just part of her dress, it has a bandaged appearance that brings leg wraps to mind. Sheila is portrayed as being quite clumsy, often injuring her leg as a result. As a child, she had a small bandage on one leg, and by her teenage or young adult years, that bandage had become noticeably larger. It's not impossible that her clumsiness continued into adulthood, leading to injuries in both legs and, consequently, the need to cover both.
As for this lady's personality and mannerisms, compared to Sheila, her demeanor appears somewhat more composed and elegant, while Sheila came across as more whimsical and scatterbrained. Of course, this could easily be explained by the passage of time, as well as the experience and maturity she may have gained through her profession.
Even so, there still seems to be a subtle resemblance in the way they carry themselves. Both have a playful side and an affectionate nature, yet can also be quietly assertive when interacting with others. It's a subtle similarity, but one that makes the comparison feel a little less far-fetched.
One final observation when it comes to similarities is that this lady and Sheila are introduced in remarkably similar ways. When Ging offers money to Beyond's hired staff, not everyone is willing to accept it. Ging then mentions that he will extend the offer to the remaining members who are not present. At that point, this lady interrupts and remarks that, as long as everyone is aware of the offer, she might accept the money. This is her first spoken line in the manga.
Likewise, when Sheila is introduced in the Phantom Troupe flashback, she says that she will take part in the voice acting only if Sarasa agrees to do it as well. In both cases, their first actions involve withholding a decision until everyone else is on the same page.
Now, let's look at a few points that make this theory somewhat flimsy:
Outfit: This lady wears an Asian-inspired outfit, whereas Sheila typically wears fantasy-style dresses.
Eyelids: Togashi usually draws this character without visible eyelids, except in a few specific panels where they suddenly appear (most likely art inconsistency?).
Face: Her face isn't a 1:1 match to Sheila's. However, it's worth noting that this lady is drawn inconsistently across the panels she appears in. Sometimes she looks almost identical to Sheila, other times she just looks vaguely similar.
***Possible explanation: If Togashi intended to subtly reintroduce Sheila, making this lady an obvious copy of her might have given away the connection too easily. In that case, it would be understandable for him to make the two characters similar enough to invite speculation without making the answer immediately obvious.
Hunter profession: This lady is a temp hunter. While temp hunters are still fully licensed hunters, the role is often looked down upon by other hunters.
***Note: "temp hunter" does not mean a temporary or unofficial hunter. It is simply an dismissive label for hunters who work government jobs instead of operating independently. But temp hunters are still pro hunters. The reason I bring this up is that it's unclear whether someone like Sheila would choose that kind of career path.
With that in mind, let's dive into how this character could be officially reintroduced into the manga, assuming this theory holds water.
As mentioned earlier, Beyond assembled this team specifically to help him once he reached the Dark Continent. However, Beyond is currently being held by the Zodiacs under orders from the V6, whose objective is to prevent him from escaping and carrying out his plans.
In Chapter 361, Kurapika asks Bill (who was secretly working under Beyond) whether there is any alternative way to leave the ship. Bill replies that there are only two possibilities: one involving Beyond and the other involving Pariston. In practice, both options would lead to the same result, since Beyond and Pariston are ultimately working toward the same goal.
It is also known that Pariston remains Beyond's closest ally, even if he is no longer the second-in-command in name. That position now belongs to Ging, who coincidentally supports Beyond's objective as well. Whether Beyond escapes by his own means or receives assistance from Pariston or Ging, the most likely outcome is that he eventually reunites with the crew assembled for the expedition.
Kurapika is already tied to this side of the conflict through several individuals connected to Beyond, including Bill, Kurton, Sayird, Pariston himself—whose former position as the Zodiac Rat Kurapika now occupies—and even Longhi, Beyond's daughter, who formed an alliance with him. At the same time, his duties as a Zodiac would require him to oppose any attempt by Beyond to see his plans through.
Because of this, a clash between the two factions feels less like a possibility and more like an eventuality. On one side are the Zodiacs; on the other are Beyond and the people he gathered for the expedition. Among them is this unnamed lady, a character whose role and name remain unclear but who was nevertheless selected for the mission to the Dark Continent.
If she truly is Sheila, then such a confrontation could naturally bring her and Kurapika’s storylines together. Given how many threads already link Kurapika to Beyond’s organization, their paths wouldn’t need much setup before crossing once the conflict between both sides unfolds. From there, things would likely fall into place on their own, and it would simply be a matter of how it plays out.
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That’s pretty much the extent of the theory. I came across it on Reddit years ago while browsing for theories about Sheila, and at first it felt pretty sketchy and very vague, as the user who came up with it only pointed to the similarity in her eyes and hair buns, with little else to support it. Still, after rereading the manga, I thought it would be fun to try connecting a few more dots and see if there was anything else that might support it.
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