Welfin

Welfin (ウェルフィン, Werufin) is a wolf-like Chimera Ant Squadron Leader. His human name was Zaiqahal (ザイカハル, Zaiqaharu). After the death of the Chimera Ant King, Welfin travels to Meteor City in search for Gyro.

Appearance


Welfin appears to be an humanoid wolf with long blonde hair and is seen only wearing a blue shirt and a thong. After a near-death experience with Meruem, his face is shown to have aged dramatically.

Personality
Welfin is very close to the bottom of the Chimera Ants hierarchy. He is secretly aiming to reach the top of the kingdom by trying to gain favor with the King, something that comes natural to him from his poverty-stricken life as a human. He strives to be the "Shadow King". He is extremely paranoid, shown by his Hatsu, and is constantly suspecting everyone around him. Welfin is also shown to be quite a coward, even trying to improvise his own death in front of Ikalgo. He however does have a lighter side to him: he longs to see his lost friend Gyro. Since revealing his past to Ikalgo, he became convinced that his true enemies are the Chimera Ants and the King.

Background


Before becoming an Ant, Zaiqahal was raised by an abusive father. The man attempted to strangle him while a woman watched from behind without intervening, but Zaiqahal's stepbrother saved him. At some point in his life, Zaiqahal met Gyro. Feeling empty inside, and thus having nothing to hide, the two quickly became friends and would often argue about who between them had the worst luck. Zaiqahal was seemingly involved in the dark side of NGL. He was also comrades with a human Ikalgo. When the Chimera Ants invaded, he attempted to fight them off inside the drug factory, but was ultimately taken to and eaten by the Chimera Ant Queen, thus allowing him to be reborn as Squadron Leader Welfin.

Chimera Ant arc
Welfin is first seen when the Chimera Ant Queen summons the Squadron Leaders in the nest, after which he chooses a name for himself, and later appears at Neferpitou's "conferment ceremony", where Rammot hits all the Squadron Leaders and Officers to allow them access to their aura. He is one of the high-ranking Chimera Ants who survive Netero, Morel and Knov's purge. After the Queen is gravely injured while giving birth to the King, Welfin decides to leave the nest and is followed by at least three of his peons: Taragetter, Maenole and Inzagi. A few days before the Selection, Welfin makes for the Royal Palace of East Gorteau to swear loyalty to the King in return for power. Shaiapouf bestows a Hatsu ability upon him and teaches him how to use it.



When Morel and Knov surround Peijin, Neferpitou sends Leol to deal with them. Cheetu teleports away with Morel. Reckoning he cannot deal with Knov by himself, Leol asks the Royal Guard to send reinforcements. Welfin and Bloster are chosen. As they leave the building, the two cross the garden where 5,000 Chimera hybrids waiting to hatch are kept as food. Upon learning their number and that the King has been skipping meals to play Gungi, Bloster considers eating a few cocoons, but Welfin recommends he does not cross the King and the Royal Guards. He mocks Leol for his delusions of grandeur and remarks he hates being called by his former name. They reach Leol, but Flutter, on whom they relied to keep track of the enemy, goes missing. Welfin suggests changing tactics, but, before he and Bloster turn back, Leol resolves to look for him and the target with his ability. Activating Rental Pod, he explains it is an ability with a search function and declares Flutter is still alive. Welfin and Bloster are tasked with keeping the soldiers in white away from him while he fights Knov. Welfin asks him if he can handle it by himself, to which Leol responds he does not want them to run any risks. Welfin then points the direction to Bloster, but before the three can split up, Leol locates Morel and Knov.

The two Hunters separate, and Leol makes Morel their primary target instead of Knov. Welfin offers Leol his assistance, but the leonine Ant refuses in order to hog the credit before the Royal Guards. Before returning to the palace, Welfin comes across some soldiers in white and discovers they are Nen constructs, which he relays to Neferpitou. Six days later, Welfin overhears a worried Bizeff on his cell phone as he gives dispositions to some soldiers to find one of his women who ran away. He admonishes him to stop using it inside the palace, since the radio frequencies give him a headache. Bizeff replies he has an urgent matter on his hands, but Welfin reveals he is aware of the escapee and offers to find her for him, claiming he only needs a piece of her clothing. As Bizeff rushes to get it, Welfin gloats that he is making steps towards his objective of ruling from the shadows by controlling the Secretary of State. A peon sends him a crude telepathic message, which causes his ears to ring. Inzagi and Maenole show him a pair of shows covered in mud and blood, which he recognizes as Taragetter's. From the mud he determines the intruder must have infiltrated the palace the previous week, which would make the time frame of Taragetter's disappearance. He wonders if the intruder killed or abducted him, but cannot figure out his motive. He briefly ponders requesting Shaiapouf's advice before resolving to find and interrogate the intruder himself.

He follows Knov's scent deeper inside the palace, reaching the central staircase to the second floor and then turning towards the inner courtyard, where the rain washed away the trail. Unable to reconstruct his actions, Welfin speculates he used an ability. Menthuthuyoupi comes down the staircase, telling him the King will kill anyone who goes upstairs and to spread the voice. Upon seeing his wings, he starts to believe the shoes were a decoy and that the intruder flew upstairs. He calls out the Royal Guard's name, but then realizes Neferpitou would have detected the intruder with their En, so he does not finish his question. However, this leads him to ask Menthuthuyoupi if Neferpitou ever turned off their En on a rainy day the previous week, thinking that otherwise sneaking in would have been impossible. The Royal Guard responds that the King tore off his own arm and that Neferpitou healed him, while Shaiapouf took over En duty. Contrary to Menthuthuyoupi's statement, Welfin believes Shaiapouf's En to extend no farther than the stairs, and that seeing it is what led the intruder to leave without climbing the stairs. However, he cannot puzzle out what was his aim, or if he is still in the palace.

Welfin contemplates informing the Royal Guards, immediately discarding Menthuthuyoupi since he would most likely forget to mention him, and reporting that an intruder came but was scared off would also result in little credit. He also estimates that the intruder getting caught would expose a lie about his motives, whereas a false alarm would destroy his credibility. The signal from Bizeff's phone interrupts his musings. Welfin decides to trick him. He tells the Secretary of State that the woman and the intruder are in cahoots, that they teleported away, and that they planted a bomb somewhere in the palace. To support his story, he shows Bizeff an alleged piece of wiring. He insists on not reporting the incident until after they have found the bomb, which he persuades Bizeff will not be set off until the whole population has gathered in front of the palace. He tells Bizeff to contact the bomb squad while he looks for the device. His real plan is to have the bomb squad hide a real explosive and then take credit for its discovery.

Welfin survives Zeno's Dragon Dive unscathed. A few seconds after midnight of the day of the Selection, he sees an intruder swiftly kill Inzagi and Maenole, then "Flutter" run down that same corridor mere instants later. He concludes "Flutter" must have passed the intruder, and that he was spared because the two are on the same side. He hides while the Officer from Leol's squad talks to Cheetu and Bloster, wondering if Leol is involved too. He then notices "Flutter" call Leol by his despised former name, "Hagya". He spies "Flutter" and Bloster as they take the elevator to the basement one after the other. The lingering smell of putrefaction left by "Flutter"'s rotting body makes him nauseous. He begins to fear that Bloster is on "Flutter"'s side and that he preceeded him downstairs in order to shoot him as soon as the doors of the elevator open. He agonizes over the decision, as blaming Flutter for the bomb would solidify his value to Bizeff. This train of thought leads him to realize that his plan is worthless if Bizeff has died, so he goes looking for him.

He cuts through the inner courtyard, where he pauses to find a trail. Suddenly, he detects a presence behind a corner, which vanishes a moment afterwards. His cautious nature prompts him to activate Missileman. He orders whoever is hiding behind the wall to come out lest he open fire. He counts down from three and then shoots, but his missiles do not find any target. The smell of an unscented deodorant convinces him he was not mistaken and that someone on their side other than Flutter has betrayed them. He begins to question his own safety and his choice of faction, then hears Menthuthuyoupi's frustrated scream and comes to doubt whether finding Bizeff should really be his priority.



A few minutes later, he spots Hina and Shidore carrying Bizeff to the underground shelter and tails them. He sneaks into the monitor room, from which he sees Ikalgo fail to shoot an unconscious Bloster. As the octopus returns to the room, he opens two bulkheads to let Hina, Shidore and Bizeff through. Figuring that Ikalgo, who was incapable of killing Bloster, would not be a threat to him, he hides into the room. The octopus bursts in tears in front of the screens. When he recollects himself, Welfin reveals his presence, Missileman already activated, and commands him not to move and to answer his questions. Much to his shock, Ikalgo turns around and shoots him in his right shoulder.

Screaming in pain and cursing Ikalgo, Welfin retaliates by launching his missiles, which successfully implant live centipedes in Ikalgo's head. He bursts into a sadistic laugh and warns Ikalgo that if he disobeys or tries to harm him, the centipedes will grow until they burst, killing him. Unfazed, Ikalgo loads another bullet and opens fire amidst Welfin's protest, shooting him in both legs to ensure he will not be a threat to his allies. As Ikalgo prepares to fire another round, Welfin surrenders, which, unbeknownst to him, causes the centipedes to twist in agony. He laments that he knew he would find himself in a similar predicament at some point, and marvels at how dangerous someone who does not care about his own safety can be. Ikalgo demands that he remove the centipedes; believing it impossible, Welfin pretends to faint, but fails to trick Ikalgo. When he is caught peeking, he implores the octopus not to shoot, admitting that there is no way to cancel the ability. He adds that he attacks to kill, so he is not interested in what happens afterwards. His remark about Nen abilities reflecting the user's personality leads Ikalgo to ask him if he has any memories of his life as a human. Welfin lies, but Ikalgo sees through it.

Welfin thus confesses that as soon as he awoke, he was haunted by the memory of his father throttling him. After a while, it occurred to him that on that occasion he had been saved by his stepbrother, who in turn reminded him of Gyro. He narrates his past with the king of NGL, finally stating his wish is to see him again. His sincerity kills the centipedes, which vanish. Lying down on the table, Welfin urges Ikalgo to attend to other matters. The octopus asks him who he opened the bulkheads for, and he replies, adjoining that he thought Ikalgo would be a pushover since he could not kill Bloster. Questioned by the former Captain, Welfin states he knows of a woman who was captured and put into a cocoon. He tells Ikalgo where to find her and that she was named "Number 1". He chuckles, amazed that speaking the truth would be so easy.

While Ikalgo is away, one of Shaiapouf's segments comes upon Welfin, who is still in the monitor room. Under his orders, the former Squadron Leader phones Neferpitou and tells them that he and Bloster rescued Komugi. He pretends to put her on the phone, whereas the one who speaks is Shaiapouf himself, who has modified his body to mimic Komugi's voice. After hanging up, Welfin begs the Royal Guard to call him a doctor.

He is presumably bandaged by Ikalgo, who locks him in the back of a truck with the still unconscious Bloster. Ikalgo wants him to tell the King or a Royal Guard that Komugi is hidden in the warehouse and that they want to negotiate, after which he will be free to go. Welfin retorts that he will tell them it is a trap so as not to be suspected himself. Fearing serving as an ambassador would arouse the ire of the King, he plans to escape without fulfilling his mission, but replies he agrees to Ikalgo's terms. As he hobbles to the driver's seat, Ikalgo tells him to go find Gyro. Welfin becomes furious, only to remain speechless when the octopus calls him by his human name, which he had never revealed to anyone. Ikalgo states they used to be friends and fought against the Chimera Ants together. He tells him to take Bloster, who has forgotten about his past, with him. Welfin demands to know how Ikalgo can be so sure Gyro is still alive, to which the octopus responds that if they survived, Gyro simply could not have let himself be digested. In a conflicted state of mind, Welfin drives out of the warehouse, cursing.

He stops to let Bizeff's women, whom Palm and Ikalgo had previously tied, blindfolded and placed into the truck, instructing them to free themselves and to escape via the other trucks. Thankful to Ikalgo for reminding him that the Chimera Ants are the real enemy, he resolves to be his messenger. In the inner courtyard he meets Menthuthuyoupi, to whom he relays Ikalgo's proposal. After doing so, he asks the Royal Guard if he has any memories of his previous life, which he denies. When he is about to fly away, Welfin activates Missileman and orders him to answer his questions within five seconds. Menthuthuyoupi looks at him with anger as he begins to bleed from his nose. Welfin opens fire, but before the centipedes can hatch, Menthuthuyoupi coughs up blood and drops to the ground, dead.

The Royal Guard's death gives him the delusion he can take on even the King himself to avenge Gyro. As he limps through the rows of hypnotized humans, he is enveloped by the King's En, who appears before him. Terrorized, he rejects the accusation of having killed Menthuthuyoupi. He claims that he must have been attacked before the two met, and that he is looking for his killer among the humans. Shaiapouf arrives, adding to Welfin's disquiet due to his ability to read emotions. The King reveals he can sense Welfin's extraordinary hostility towards him, even though the dread is stronger. He enquires about the reason. Shaiapouf barges in, declaring that Welfin is deeply involved in his secret without being aware of it himself. Welfin desperately tries to figure out what is happening, while also cursing himself for his arrogance. He is overwhelmed by the King's Ren while he rages against the Royal Guard, and to save himself he intensifies his efforts to unveil Shaiapouf's secret. Suddenly, the King's turns off his aura. He announces he is hungry and glances at Welfin, who instantly understands what is about to transpire.



Realizing his impending fate is to be savagely devoured by the King, he is struck by such a powerful terror that he loses his hair and his features change as if he had aged in an instant. His mind works feverishly to connect the dots, and, spurred by the fear of death, he manages to utter a single word: "Komugi". This allows the King to remember her. He deduces Komugi is in the warehouse with Palm and Ikalgo, and that Welfin was meant to serve as their messenger, to the latter's astonishment. The King asks if his failure to relay the message is linked to his malice towards him, which his empathic powers confirm. He thanks Welfin for helping him remember and promises to let him go after he tells him where Komugi's captors are waiting. Welfin does so. While the King walks away, he shouts that his only king is Gyro and that the Chimera Ants are his enemy. Meruem calmly wishes him good luck and to be able to lead a human life.

Welfin prepares to leave East Gorteau on a truck. He picks up Hina, Shidore and Bizeff. When they reach the countryside, they drop Bloster off, who has no memories of Gyro but is certain NGL used to be his home. Welfin wonders if Shidore, like Bloster, remembers nothing about her former life, but Bloster is convinced she does have memories and that the reason she does not talk much is that she used to be a child. Urged by Hina, the two say their goodbyes. Welfin leavses Bloster with Gyro's favorite phrase, "Don't die until you are dead", and asks if it reminds Bloster of anything, which it doesn't. Welfin, Bizeff and Hina leave for Meteor City, where the former Squadron Leader expects to find Gyro. He insults Hina for turning her back on Leol that easily, then enquires if the harbor is safe. He is untouched by Bizeff's melancholy, cheerfully asserting that Gyro is still alive, that he may be already creating a new country, and that once they reach him, they will be elites. Drinking beer, he claims that after nearly dying twice, he has nothing left to fear. When Bizeff finds some semblance of optimism, Welfin encourage shim with Gyro's motto.

Abilities & Powers
As a Chimera Ant, Welfin is stronger than any average human. During his time as a Squadron Leader, he had authority over his underlings, although it is unclear how much influence he retained after the death of the Queen. He is not a fighter, but his skills in strategy are remarkable.

Enhanced Smell: He easily used his sense of smell to track Knov's movements throughout the palace. He was also able to catch a quick smell of Meleoron, before losing him due to the enemy's use of his Nen ability.

Enhanced Hearing: Welfin can hear conversations transmitted on the frequency of a normal mobile phone.

Advanced Endurance: Being shot in the legs multiple times by Ikalgo inflicted him pain and forced him to walk with crutches, but he managed to think clearly throughout the ordeal.

High Intelligence: As a former tactician, he is able to produce plans and attack patterns and easily think his way out of a situation. However, he has a tendency to over think and scares himself out of completing his goal.

Nen
Welfin is a Conjurer. Although not strictly battle-oriented, his Hatsu ability allows him to win a fight through simple coercion. On the other hand, since his enemies usually surrender and obey his terms, he lacks experience with it, which leads him to be in the dark about some of its characteristics, such as the the lethality of sincerity to the centipedes. Welfin's Hatsu ability reflects multiple facets of his personality.

Quotes

 * "I'll build my status... brick by brick...!!"
 * (To Ikalgo) "When I came to, my first thought was, 'I still remember. Damn it. I still remember.'"
 * (To Ikalgo) "We used to argue over who had the worse luck. With him I could laugh about the bad old days. We were both empty inside, so we didn't have anything to hide. Where is he now? I wish I could see him again."
 * (To Ikalgo) "That's all I want... To see him. I don't care about Ants... or people... or money."
 * (To Ikalgo) "It's so easy to tell the truth..."
 * "I should've just run for it!! All because Youpi keeled over in front of me like a dead bug!! I fooled myself into thinking I could take on the King too!! I got carried away!! I felt invincible!! Like a dumb little kid!! How stupid!! In all the chaos, I got caught up in delusions of heroism and nostalgia for Gyro!!"
 * (To Meruem) "My only king is Gyro!! You're nothing to me!! All of you!! You're our enemy!!"
 * (To Bloster) "Don't die until you're dead."

Trivia

 * In episode 136 of the anime, Welfin can be seen drinking from what appears to be a Heineken brand beer can.
 * Welfin is mistakenly considered a Manipulator in Hunter × Hunter: Battle All-Stars.
 * According to the "Hunter × Hunter Manual" section found in the Yu ☆ Yu ☆ Hakusho official character book (Shueisha Jump remix), Welfin's stats are: