Ryuuseigai

gave up on art months ago but decided it would be fun to color in old sketches

(+ a random screenshot)

I've seen countless people say Chrollo isn't actively chasing Kurapika down because he secretly understands or even forgives him on some level and I couldn't disagree more. During the course of yorknew, Chrollo never even considered Kurapika as an actual person to begin with, let alone recognised him as a mirror. The reason is simple, he just didn't care. Their interaction shows that Chrollo only viewed him as an annoying external anomaly, someone who had managed to disrupt the PT and not as some fated rival. A mutual pointed out to me that in the original JP text, Chrollo exclusively refers to Kurapika as "kusari yarou" (chain user/bastard), which totally depersonalises him. This is why I think that Kurapika is entirely insignificant in Chrollo's eyes.

During that car scene, Chrollo realises Kurapika is emotionally volatile so he deliberately weaponises his own indifference to toy with him, effectively denying Kurapika any real sense of closure regarding the massacre. Chrollo might not give a fuck about Kurapika's trauma but he is great at understanding emotions and in a way, his behaviour could be read as psychologically getting back at him. Even if he didn't show it outwardly to Kurapika, Chrollo was furious about Uvogin (his tears and the requiem prove that). His attitude in the car can be considered pure pettiness to hurt the guy who killed his friend. Which yes, is truly hypocritical considering that he and his group of friends genocided Kurapika's clan but Chrollo isn't the type to lose sleep over his crimes. He has never regretted the life he chose, so why would that change now?

While I believe that Chrollo has zero interest in Kurapika as a person, I also think he holds a massive grudge towards Kurapika for the deaths of Uvogin and Pakunoda who were his closest companions but Chrollo is a pragmatist. His philosophy dictates that the survival of the spider comes before any personal vendettas. He doesn't hunt Kurapika now for the same reason he doesn't hunt Silva, pursuing them would cause the spider more harm than good and neither of them are currently active threats to the group.

When Kurapika was an active threat though, Chrollo was way more angry and emotional. This panel is so unique because it's incredibly rare to see Chrollo look this visibly frustrated. It highlights his habit of internalising blame but it also shows the deep yet quiet resentment he carries. If an opportunity arises where he can eliminate him, Chrollo will absolutely kill him or steal his ability without a second thought.

Or at least, I haven’t seen fans talk about it much in discussions about him. Which is a bit of a shame imo, since it adds such nice nuance to his character and further disproves the "just an edgy aloof gothguy/he's so boring and emotionless" allegations. (Probably gonna tackle the "boring because he's emotionless" part further sometime. Because it's so blatantly untrue like what are you even on about with that?)

We see clear instances of Chrollo having a sense of mischief (albeit at times sadistic and cruel) throughout the manga.

His initial evident fondness for Hisoka is a good example of this, as well as the very first we get. Part of said fondness is probably due to Chrollo being fascinated with Hisoka's psyche, but he's also just plain amused by the clown's antics (until he isn't) and is content to let him run around and do his own thing (until he isn't)

Was procrastinating on finishing a fic and ended up doing this instead of writing, and it got longer than the actual fic

If it’s Chrollo, you’re possibly one of these:

- A FOSD (Fellowship of the Shadow Daddies) member: You love shadow daddies and likely tell yourself he’s one. Your world’s Chrollo would kidnap you and keep you close and kabedon you with a cocky smirk. And he also wears leather gloves for the drama, has a knife strapped to his thigh for reasons only you know, and he’s like 15cm taller than canon, probably. You believe you can fix him, and frankly, you could fix that version.

- ‘I’m not a fan, I’m their kin!’ Truther: You didn’t expect Chrollo to become a favorite. But you saw this weird guy who’d like to be disconnected from his emotions, even tho he feels them so fiercely, who speaks in awkward declarations as his first language, who can’t put into words who he is and what he wants in life and what are his dreams, and you were like « ahhh, the early mid-life crisis rep I’ve always needed. ». He’s snuck up in your list only by virtue of being lost and confused and relatable in a very macabre and lonely way.

- The Complaining Connoisseur: You like psychology, complex expressions of humanity, and so… you decided he’s fertile grounds for your yapping. Thematically rich and narratively full of symbolism. He has everything to be your favorite, and to be one of the greatest fictional characters ever written, but you’re likely unsatisfied with how little Togashi has given you. Worry less, Chrollo’s masks are falling.

- The Artist: His overall aesthetics and vibes tickled your creative senses way before you dived into the Phantom Troupe lore. You don’t necessarily see him as a CILF (Character I’d like to Fuck) or as someone you relate to. He’s something much more confusing and comforting… He’s your muse. Conventionally beautiful, but everything that’s wrong about him, and all that’s missing, and all that suffering ad melancholy fuels your art. His inner world is on fire, his eyes are bottomless, and that fascinates you.

- The Enthusiast : You think he’s a great antagonist. Cool chara design, cool powers, interesting backstory, smart and quirky. Your list of favorite antagonists in medias may include: Johan Liebert, Anton Chigurh, The Noah Family, Sephiroth, Hannibal Lecter, Griffith, Morgana Pendragon, Sensui Shinobu, Tywin Lannister, Front Man/Hwang In Ho, Sakurazuka Seishirou, Aizen Sousuke, Uzuki Kei etc. You probably have the same tattoo as him somewhere on your arm or back.

- Villain-Fucker: You just like antagonist leaders, to be honest. Anyone slightly evil is a hommie in your book. You see them fight and cheer each time someone’s getting skewered, or when the hero’s ass-kicking is about to reach the nakama speech stage. Maybe you just enjoy morally dark characters, and find them fascinating to read/watch. Maybe evilness gets you hot and bothered. All’s fair.

If it’s Feitan, you’re possibly:

- ‘Call to the Mothership’ Receiver: You relate to him on an existential level. You get called a cold, grouchy, unfeeling bitch but in reality you’re just nerdy, practical and choleric and done with everyone’s shit. And you likely have some evil in you, but that’s okay, you haven’t been given a dark cloak and a spot in a criminal organization yet to be a societal problem. You read the news about « local grandpa loads a water gun with fart-scented soap water and pursues a band of teens » and you’re like fuck yeah I get him!

- Cute Aggressioner: The type of person who gets swatted for no reason by your grouchy cat and you’ll still smother it with kisses and pets 2 min later. Your cat growls at you and you just stare at it with puppy eyes, and call it « my emotional support murder-mittens wielder » in a baby voice. You saw this short man going on 30 be an international menace and you couldn’t think or see past the fact he’s cute, has eyebags and bed hair and likely sleeps through his meals. If you could possess Phinks or Chrollo to handfeed him, you would.

- FOSD member: sure, shadow daddies are tall and dark and handsome. But he already ticks two cases here, and you absolutely adore short kings. The image of a 5 ft alpha male cooking enemies up and wielding a sword-umbrella is the hottest thing you’ve ever seen in your life.

- Comrade: You’re a short person who supports short people’s rage and wrongs.

- Brooding Seeker: You just think edgy hoes are cool. Your list of favorite characters include Sasuke Uchiha, Hiei, Bakugo Katsuki, Kujo Jotaro, Vegeta etc. Black and greys in the chara design is one must, and them looking like they could be thrown in a horror game and bite a demon’s face off is another.

Chrollo: I need to steal this national treasure and upgrade my ability to kill Hisoka… but I might need to sacrifice myself

“you’ve killed so many people, why couldn’t you feel empathy for THEM?” meanwhile his best friend is a Zoldyck assassin.

and it’s not even a case of Gon slowly being okay with Killua being an assassin, literally the MOMENT he’s told this he’s just ‘oh it’s okay :3”