Warning! Contains spoilers for Chapter 397 of Hunter x Hunter!
While Hunter x Hunter's Kurapika may hate the Phantom Troupe for killing his clan, he's actually more like them than he'd care to it. In the most recent chapters of Hunter x Hunter, series creator Yoshihiro Togashi has delved into the backstory and motivation of the Troupe, giving fans information that they have wanted for years. This information has also revealed truths that Kurapika wouldn't be happy to learn.
The Phantom Troupe is a group of extremely powerful thieves who were introduced in the Yorknew City arc. Before the series started, the Troupe murdered the entirety of Kurapika's clan for their valuable scarlet eyes. This serves as Kurapika's central motivation to become a hunter, as he wants to acquire the skills he'll need to get revenge on his clan's killers. He was finally able to put his skills into action in Yorknew City. There he kills Hunter x Hunter's brutish Uvogin and seals the powers of Troupe leader Chrollo Lucifer. But Kurapika's actions against the Troupe just continue the violence done upon them long ago, which is revealed in the latest chapter.
In chapter 397, one of the Phantom Troupe's Sarasa is brutally murdered by a band of kidnappers plaguing Meteor city where Chrollo and his friends live. Up until this point, the Troupe has been an acting group trying to bring joy to the other children of Meteor City. But this act of violence against them galvanizes Chrollo to use them in order to get revenge on the culprits who did this, acquiring the skills they'll need to defeat their foes and carefully preparing a trap for them using the new technology of the internet. This is strikingly similar to the reason why Kurapika attempted to become a Hunter and acquire Nen. This makes sense as both the Troupe and Kurapika are motivated by revenge.
Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe's Parallels Deepen Their Conflict
Beyond their basic motivation, the Troupe and Kurapika also share similar methods. Knowing that the internet will provide a place for people to revel in the atrocities they have committed, both use the Dark Web to track their foes, Kurapika watching for people posting videos or pictures of his clan's scarlet eyes and Chrollo watching for the video of Sarasa's murder. In addition, both intend to kill their targets, not merely to imprison them. However, this has locked them into a cycle of revenge, as Kurapika's murder of Uvogin has now made him a mortal enemy of the Troupe, second only to Hisoka who killed two .
It is fascinating to see Togashi establish these parallels between Kurapika and the Troupe, especially since they are arguably the most important viewpoint characters in Hunter x Hunter's current Succession Contest arc. If they ever come into conflict again, which is all but guaranteed, their deep similarities will make their battle even more compelling. Thus, by delving into the past to reveal how similar Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe are, Hunter x Hunter is setting the stage for a great confrontation in the future.
Hunter x Hunter Chapter 397 is available to read from Viz Media.
