Shalnark

Shalnark (シャルナーク, Sharunāku) was a member #6 or #9 (the other one was Pakunoda) of the Phantom Troupe, an infamous gang of thieves with class A bounties. His physical strength ranked tenth in the group. He was also a licensed Hunter.

Appearance
Shalnark had blond hair, bright green eyes, and wore a lavender outfit. In Nippon Animation's adaptation, Shalnark had brown hair, and his outfit was dark red. Shalnark's spider tattoo has yet to be revealed.

Personality
Shalnark was highly intelligent and thinks quickly on his feet. He was fond of electronics, and considered those he controlled with his phone to be toys. He expressed a dislike for his Autopilot mode, not just because he cannot remember his actions in that mode, but also he cannot feel satisfaction for what he did while in autopilot.

In the 1999 adaptation, of all of the Phantom Troupe, he seemed the most well-adjusted. In the manga, however, he was almost never shown not smiling, with notable exceptions of pouting when one of his "toys" (controlled victims) gets "broken" (dies), scowling when people handle electronics carelessly, and looked highly unsettled when walking in on Feitan reading a book by Trevor Brown next to a bloody corpse.



While Shalnark got along with everyone in the group, he did not seem to become close to anyone, possible exceptions being Uvogin, Chrollo, and Pakunoda, and even then only to an extent. After Chrollo was captured, Shalnark sided with Feitan and Phinks in wanting to go after Pakunoda in order to kill the chain user, even at the risk of Chrollo's life. After Pakunoda's death, he and the other members could be seen in mourning, Shalnark seemed more interested in the game console that Feitan and Phinks brought to the base, and then spent the next few days researching everything about Greed Island.

He did not seem to put too much value on his own life either, as shown by his totally nonchalant reaction when Shizuku's fortune foretold that he might be one of the Troupe's dead members during the Yorknew City arc. Despite looking like the most innocent and cheerful member, it was possible that Shalnark was one of the more cold-hearted and less empathetic of the group, seeing his controlled victims as nothing more than "toys" who get "broken" when they are killed. He also appeared to be one of the only ones to smile while killing, along with Hisoka and Uvogin. The above traits may explain, why he seemed to be in harmony with the other brutal members of the group, such as Feitan and Phinks, despite their marked difference in personalities.

Nonetheless, Shalnark proved to be a very loyal member of the Troupe, using all in his power and resources to help the group's missions and agenda. He seemed to value Shizuku and Pakunoda's lives over his own, as he saw their abilities as rare assets that the Troupe cannot afford to lose. He was polite and level-headed, often attempting to be a voice of reason to settle down the other members during tense situations. Later on, it was shown that he can be shocked from his usual calmness when Hisoka threw Kortopi's head at Shalnark, allowing the magician to land a fatal blow on him.

Background


Not much is known about Shalnark's past except that he was already a member of the Phantom Troupe, of which he might have been one of the founding members, prior to the massacre of the Kurta Clan. At one point in his life, he took the Hunter Exam and became a licensed Hunter.

Yorknew City arc


Shalnark first appears when the Phantom Troupe gathers in Yorknew City on August 31st, where Chrollo reveals he plans to steal all the loot of the underground auction. They slaughter the Mafia members present, but the items are nowhere to be found. They escape by hot-air balloon, which Shalnark operates. Following Chrollo's orders to draw out the Shadow Beasts, he lands on a rocky cliff in the Gordeau Desert, where he comments excitedly on the angry mobsters waiting for them below. Uvogin tells the others that he will fight on his own. As he begins to massacre the Mafia members, Shalnark pulls out a deck of cards to play with Machi and Shizuku.

He looks in delighted awe at Uvogin's Big Bang Impact, and then praises Porcupine and Rabid Dog's Nen proficiency for managing to break his skin. He asks Uvogin if he wants help, but Uvogin tells him to stay out of it. When Rabid Dog's poison paralyzes him, Machi notes the fight would have been over if it had been a lethal poison, causing Shalnark to speculate he is a torture addict. He covers his ears in time to avoid being deafened by Uvogin's shout. After his victory, he tells him about the leeches inside of him, and that he should drink a lot of beer to urinate often. Moments later, a chain appears around Uvogin and he is snatched by the "Chain Guy". Through Machi's thread, the Spiders track down the guards of Neon Nostrade, with Shalnark driving a stolen car. He jumps out of it just in time to avoid being captured by Owl's Fun Fun Cloth.



The Spiders then kill the remaining members of the Shadow Beasts, who have attacked them. They subsequently disguise themselves as Mafia members, gaining access to Uvogin and freeing him. The bodyguards hear Uvogin bellow and flee. When he insists on giving chase, Shalnark accompanies him. Logging into the Hunter website with his license, he provides Uvogin with information on the buildings owned by the Nostrade Family and the hotels their men are staying in. He recommends Uvogin gets his own Hunter license, and extols him as an exemplary bandit when the latter replies he steals everything he needs. When Uvogin gives him a kiss of gratitude, he protests and asks to be paid back instead. He announces he will take care of the bodies and warns him to be careful. Later that night, Shalnark asks Feitan if Uvogin has returned, and begins to feel concerned. When Chrollo estimates the "Chain Guy" to be either a Conjurer or a Manipulator, and states that Uvogin is at a disadvantage against those types, Shalnark regrets not going with him.

When Gon and Killua are captured and brought to the Phantom Troupe's hideout, Shalnark glowers at them. After Pakunoda declares them unrelated to the "Chain Dude", Shalnark agrees with her and states they can let them go, as their target would not need two kids to gather information, being able to rely on the Mafia network. He prints a list of Nostrade Family employees from the Hunter website and hands the photos to the other Spiders, telling them to memorize their faces. He adds that according to Uvogin the "Chain Guy" is not among them, so he suggests they work in pairs to find someone who knows him. He tells them to meet back at the hideout at 10 p.m..



As Chrollo gives orders to go berserk in the city, Shalnark uses one of the Mafia guards as a human shield and then controls another with Black Voice. When his puppet is killed, he pouts about having to find another. Following the assassination of the Ten Dons, Kortopi creates a copy of Shalnark's body to stage his death, while he uses Black Voice on the auctioneer and puts him on autopilot. He later celebrates the success of their plan with the other Spiders.



When Chrollo writes Nobunaga's fortune, Shalnark asks the latter to read it. Upon reading Shizuku's, he states there will be too many deaths in the Phantom Troupe if they go after the "Chain Guy", adding that his ability as well as Nobunaga's can be easily replaced, but not Shizuku's and Pakunoda's. He gives Chrollo the necessary details to have his own fortune written, which foretells his death and warns him the "Reaper" shall call him one in three times he answers his phone. He then reads Hisoka's and stands in Nobunaga's way to prevent him from attacking the magician. He enquires about the reason Hisoka cannot answer their questions. Nobunaga slips past him, but Chrollo manages to prevent the swordsman and Hisoka from fighting. When he suggests that the "Chain Guy" might have planted an attack device in the magician's body, Shalnark reviews what they know about him, and explains the differences between Conjuration and Manipulation, detailing the possible mechanics of the ability preventing Hisoka from speaking. He then asks Chrollo if they should stay or leave.

Since he received a death prediction, Chrollo places Shalnark in a team with Nobunaga and himself. At the leader's request, Shalnark repeats everything Uvogin told him about the "Chain Guy". He marvels that the list of Neon Nostrade's bodyguards on the Hunter website was already updated, and agrees to check again. When Chrollo begins to expound how he deduced the identity of the "Chain Guy", Shalnark understands he is from the Kurta Clan. However, he does not known if Kortopi made a copy of any Scarlet Eyes. The two switch teams as Chrollo prepares to go after the "Chain Guy", while Shalnark remains in the hideout.

After Chrollo is captured, Shalnark, Phinks, and Feitan arrive at the hotel where the others are. He begins to give instructions when Phinks' phone starts to ring. The "Chain Guy" tells Pakunoda where to go and Shalnark insists on following her, as complying with his orders might result in the prophecies becoming true. The "Chain Guy" calls him next and Shalnark hands the phone over to Phinks, yelling at him when he nearly breaks it. The Spiders then accept to return to the hideout. When the Troupe fights over what to do next, Franklin asks Shalnark what the worst case scenario would be. Shalnark replies, but Franklin objects he is wrong and that the worst case is all of them dying and the Phantom Troupe ending. Shalnark concedes the scenario he described is indeed far less troublesome. He then yells at Phinks and Gon when they throw his phone at each other.



When Pakunoda returns for the second time, she chooses Shalnark as one of the six who are to receive her memories, and Shalnark lets himself be shot with her Memory Bomb.

Greed Island arc


After Feitan and Phinks return to the hideout with a Greed Island console, he reads the item's description into the catalogue with great interest, surprised that their bodies disappeared. After an online research, he invites Kortopi and Shizuku to accompany him into the game to test a theory, as well as so Shizuku and he can be safer for the rest of the week. The three depart and begin to study the game's system. Due to the people of the island having limited response patterns, the cards copied by Kortopi not being able to turn into objects and Shizuku's Blinky failing to inhale special items in the game, Shalnark realizes the game functions with Nen. He explains his reasoning to his two companions, advancing the possibility that the island exists in the real world and not in a virtual reality. He thus plans to use "Toraemon" to collect all the special items in the game and leave the island by sea. He claims their priority is to get either one "Eye of God" or one "Analysis" and to meet up with Phinks and Feitan.

The five leave the island with samples of rocks and Shalnark analyzes them. He eventually locates the general area of the island. The five of them plus Franklin sail towards the location marked by Shalnark, where they indeed find an island. However, they are promptly detected by Eeta. They swim ashore, with Shalnark commenting that Blinky could dry them. They soon encounter Razor who uses his special card "Eliminate" to send the off the island due to their illegal entry.



Shalnark, Shizuku, Franklin, and Phinks re-enter the game legally. They are astonished to find someone named "Chrollo" among their contacts, but Shalnark concludes Chrollo came to the island by sea and was teleported away, and then hired someone else to play the game with his name as a sign for the Spiders: Greed Island is in fact due east of Yorknew City, the direction Chrollo's prophecy recommended him to head towards. The four conclude there must be an Exorcist on the island. Hisoka reveals himself and confirms most of Shalnark's assumptions. After he leaves, Shalnark states it is only a matter of time until Chrollo gets his Nen back. Thanks to Kalluto, they find Abengane and have Hisoka arrange a deal with him.

Chimera Ant arc


After a stray Chimera Ant named Zazan takes over a palace in Meteor City, Shalnark returns with some other members of the Phantom Troupe in order to eradicate the threat to their hometown. Upon reaching the border of the city, he exclaims it has not changed at all. He asks the residents about the status of the conflict, and they take them to see the dead and reveal some of them have been turned into human-ant hybrids. The Spiders decide to attack the self-proclaimed queen, with Shalnark suggesting they raid the palace from the front door. They go separate ways and soon Shalnark finds himself fighting Pell. He wonders if he can pierce his shell with his antenna.



He attempts to get close, barely avoiding the ant's sharp limbs. He concludes his best shot is sticking the antenna in his joints as he twists. He calculates he has a 20% chance of succeeding unscathed. With his agility, he manages to embed the antenna in the back of Pell's neck, but is lightly injured. When the ant goes limp, he pulls out his phone. Suddenly, Pell restrains him. He wonders why Black Voice failed, at which point Boki emerges from the shadows. Both deduce the other is a Manipulator. Unable to free himself, Shalnark resigns himself to going into autopilot mode.



He enquires what will be of him and Boki replies he will be made into a slave, adjoining his life will not be much different. Laughing, Shalnark concedes it is true, but adds that he would prefer to die rather than serve someone he does not like. Boki retorts all he can move is his mouth, which prompts Shalnark to point out he can also move his fingers and left leg. When Boki prepares to control him, he explains he always carries two antennae for similar cases before sticking it into his own leg. Autopilot is thus activated. His aura output increases enormously and he dispatches the two ants in an instant. The mode then terminates, with Shalnark already beginning to suffer from the pains that will immobilize him in the following days. Walking away, he regrets not feeling any sense of accomplishment due to not remembering anything from when he was on autopilot.

He is the third to arrive at the location where Feitan is fighting against Zazan. He laughs at Shizuku's irritation when Phinks asks her if she lost, and then comments Feitan is not in top form, much to Kalluto's annoyance. He watches in surprise as Zazan tears off her sting and admits she is not the queen for nothing when she injures Feitan with admitted aura while he is in a state of Zetsu. When Feitan is about to activate Pain Packer, Shalnark and the other Spiders run away. Following his victory, they prepare to leave, but are confronted by the human-ant hybrids who, having returned to their senses, beg them to kill them. Phinks incites them to fight and Shalnark pulls out his antennae. After the battle, he receives a call from Nobunaga, who asks him for help. Phinks is frustrated that they have to wait for Chrollo, which causes Shalnark and Feitan to tease him for sounding like a girl with a crush. He begins chasing them, with Shalnark protesting they are injured. The Spiders decide to wait for Chrollo in Meteor City.

Succession Contest arc


Chrollo uses Black Voice in his fight against Hisoka, implying Shalnark has met him at some point after Zazan's defeat. Some time later after meeting with Machi and Kortopi, Shalnark confirms Hisoka's death at the Heaven's Arena. Unbeknownst to Shalnark or Kortopi, Hisoka revives himself and starts hunting the Phantom Troupe. Shalnark has a phone conversation with Chrollo, where they discuss about the prospect of going to the New Continent with the Kakin Empire, although their real intention is stealing the valuable items from the Royal Princes. Chrollo asks whether Shalnark needed his ability back, to which the latter replies that he currently does not need it. After hanging up the phone, Shalnark looks happy that the troupe will be gathered again after a long time. He then ponders what is taking Kortopi so long. He receives a phone call, but sees Hisoka walk out from the public toilet. Shocked at this, Shalnark drops the ringing phone and runs towards Hisoka, but the magician disappears from his sight and throws something at him, which Shalnark recognizes as Kortopi's head. While he is distracted, Hisoka delivers an extremely powerful strike to his head, killing Shalnark. Shalnark's heavily mangled body is later seen sitting on the park swing, both of his hands tangled on its rope, and Kortopi's head lying on the ground in front of him, with crows gathering around their corpses.

Equipment
Antennae: Shalnark always carries two antennae on his person. They are shaped after bats, with wide, cyclamen wings and a stylized bat head of the same color at the top. The tip is sharpened to allow him to stick the antenna into a target. They serve as the medium of both his Hatsu abilities and are connected to his cellphone.

Cellphone: Shalnark uses a special bat-shaped, purple cellphone to activate his ability. It has been in his possession for years.

Abilities & Powers
Due to Shalnark being born in Meteor City, his existence is not recorded in any database, which makes obtaining information about him nearly impossible. Shalnark ranks tenth in physical power among the Troupe, and is capable enough to defend himself combat, having survived a fight against multiple armed Mafia members and obtained a Hunter License through legal means. Razor also deemed him an impressive individual. Nonetheless, he was easily killed by Hisoka, although at the time he did not have his Hatsu ability. With his informatic skills, he is one of the Phantom troupe's information gatherers, and they often rely on his advice and research. His eclectic know-how, which ranges from how to get rid of spotted leeches to piloting a hot-air balloon, makes him a valuable asset to the group.

Enhanced Strength: Although not yet indicatively shown, Shalnark has superhuman-like strength, as hinted by his ranking in arm-wrestling. When on autopilot, this attribute increases exponentially.

Enhanced Agility: During his fight against Pell, Shalnark showcased amazing movements, dodging effectively many attacks of the creature.

Advanced Speed: Shalnark is quite fast, as he was able to avoid most of Pell's attacks and to stick his antenna within a very short gap of time. When on autopilot, this attribute increases exponentially.

Genius-Level Intellect: Shalnark is among the smartest members of the Troupe, as well as seemingly the most knowledgeable. He can calculate accurate odds in the midst of a fight and in mere seconds and his predictions are usually exact. He is adept at finding an enemy's weak spots and exploit them. From a handful of clues, he was able to deduce that Greed Island exists in the real world, as well as to pinpoint its location by analyzing its minerals and cross-referencing the data with nautical and geographical archives.

Nen
Shalnark is a Manipulator. The only Nen technique he has shown is Hatsu. By implanting an antenna into a target, he can control them completely. If he sticks the antenna into himself, he can enhance his own physical attributes greatly. His abilities can only be used through his bat-shaped phone. Shalnark gave his Hatsu abilities, phone, and antennae to Chrollo in preparation for the latter's match against Hisoka; as a consequence, he was unable to use any of them before his death at Hisoka's hands.

Quotes

 * (To Uvogin) "Gross!! Pay me back instead!"
 * (To Uvogin) "Uvo! Be careful."
 * (Referring to Uvogin) "Uvo! Be careful."
 * (Through a manipulated mobster, about the Spdiers) "They're too powerful!! We're helpless out there! You wanna know how powerful they are?! Like this!! this!! this!! this!!"
 * (Referring to a manipulated mobster) "Aw, he broke. Gotta look for another puppet."
 * (To Nobunaga) "There will be too many dead if we keep chasing the Chain Dude."
 * (To Kortopi and Shizuku) "This game isn't virtual reality. It's taking place somewhere in real life...!!"
 * "This is why I hate this mode, even though it's so powerful. The backlash is bad and I dont't remember a thing. I never feel a sense of accomplishment."

Trivia

 * In the official databook, his name is "Syarnorkl". The Volume 34 extras changed it to "Syarnorke" and revealed his surname, "Ryuseih".

Anime and Manga Differences

 * Shalnark was stated to be the member number 6 of the Phantom Troupe in Episode 54 of the 2011 anime series. In the manga, it was only said that his and Pakunoda's numbers are #6 and #9, but which number was specifically his was unknown.
 * When the Phantom Troupe was introduced in the 2011 anime, Shalnark seemed to know Pakunoda well.

Intertextuality and References

 * Shalnark's name could be a reference to Siarnaq, one of Saturn's moons and a character from Mega Man ZX Advent. Both names transliterate into Japanese very similarly "Sharunaaku" (シャルナーク) and "Sharunaku" (シャルナク).
 * Shalnark's golden aura and floating hair in his Autopilot mode may be a nod to the Super Saiyan transformation from the Dragon Ball franchise.

Miscellaneous

 * In the second character popularity poll for Hunter × Hunter, Shalnark took 17th place with 84 votes.
 * In the third character popularity poll for Hunter × Hunter, Shalnark took 15th place with 187 votes.
 * Shalnark's voice actress in the 2011 anime, Noriko Hidaka, voiced Kurapika in the Hunter × Hunter Pilot OVA.
 * Shalnark is played by Kuniyoshi Ichikawa in the Hunter × Hunter stage play Hunter × Hunter: Real Stage.

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