I think Togashi does an incredible job building his characters, especially in how they interact with one another. To me one of the most fascinating dynamics is between Chrollo and Kurapika. Not just because of their conflict, but because of how similar their circumstances are.
Both lost someone dear to them, and that loss became the breaking point that set them on their respective paths of revenge. In dedicating themselves entirely to that pursuit, revenge became their purpose, their reason for moving forward. But once their target was gone, they were left with a void. What happens when the thing that has defined your existence is no longer there? This might explain why Chrollo rarely speaks of his own motives, because even he doesn’t fully understand them.
This same question applies to the Phantom Troupe as a whole. I believe their og purpose was to avenge Sarasa, to eliminate the threat that had taken her from them which helped Meteor City as a whole. But once that was accomplished they had no more purpose, they simply continued doing what they knew—stealing, taking what they wanted. Over time, each member found their own path, only regrouping for major missions. But without revenge driving them forward, their existence seems more of a cycle than a journey.
This lack of direction may have affected Chrollo more than he lets on. Throughout the Yorknew arc, there's a stark contrast between how he acts with the Troupe and how he behaves when he's on his own. Would he have turned out differently if his friends hadn’t chosen him as their leader? If they hadn’t pushed him toward the darkness that was revenge, could he have been more like Kurapika, someone with grief, but also with a tether to something beyond it?
This contrast isn’t just reflected in his actions but in his very appearance. With the Troupe, his hair is slicked back. stiff, controlled, a perfect reflection of his persona. He presents himself as calculated, enigmatic, and systematic, his expressions so subtle they reveal almost nothing. But when he’s alone (+ when he was with Neon) his hair is down, and it seems so is his guard. He smiles freely, openly discusses his friends, and even cries when mourning Uvo’s death. But when the moment calls for it, he is able to act without hesitation, as seen when he knocks Neon out and calls for an ambulance, slipping effortlessly into the role required of him.
So then, was the emotion he displayed genuine? Did he truly feel those emotions, or was it simply another layer of his performance? does he even know so himself?
This ambiguity ties into how Chrollo sees himself. He rarely identifies as part of the human experience, instead positioning himself as an observer—like a scientist studying the people around him as subjects.Growing up in Meteor City, where worth had to be self-defined, he may have decided early on that rather than accept the world’s view of him as “less than human,” he would remove himself from that category entirely. But rather than seeing himself as "less than," he sees himself as beyond it.
But despite this belief we can still see his emotions slip through. Whether he acknowledges it or not, he isn’t as detached as he wants to be.
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