Halkenburg Hui Guo Rou

Halkenburg Hui Guo Rou (ハルケンブルグ＝ホイコーロ, Harukenburugu Hoikōro) is the Ninth Prince of the Kakin Empire and the son of his father's second wife, Duazul.

Appearance
Halkenburg has a set of sharp curly hair, shared with his brother Luzurus and his sisters Camilla and Tubeppa, and sideburns of the same color. He has a mashed-in nose. His first appearance sees him wearing a suit.

Personality
He has a poor relationship with his mother and two sisters, and finds the only person he likes to be his brother Tserriednich. He intends to change the politics of the royal family, openly opposing them. Kurapika speculated he suffers from angst and alienation, and that he is strict on himself and others, as later confirmed by Oito.



He is also a pacifist. Unlike his siblings, he has no intention on continuing with the succession battle, refusing to win his crown through bloodshed by committing fratricide and sororicide. Furthermore, he had his subordinates offer a silent prayer for Prince Momoze and is deeply saddened by her demise. He is determined to stop the Succession War and undeterred by the risk of imprisonment. He has a good relationship with his subordinates as well, as he is horrified to find his bodyguards unconscious on the floor under some mysterious circumstances. When he wakes up, the now conscious bodyguards give him a friendly greeting.

Background
While in grade school, he was admitted to boarding school. The isolation caused rumors of him being exiled and hiding from assassins arose. He posted on Facebox that Tserriednich is the only prince to whom he has amiable disposition. At age 15, he skipped grades to attend the world's most prestigious university, Miwall. He studied physics there and also won a gold medal in the world championships of archery he participated in. At some point, he proposed a change in the Kakin royal family's government which gave him supporters, but also enemies.

Succession Contest arc
Halkenburg is first introduced standing in front of a bookcase, engrossed reading a book. Kurapika researches him because he believes that he can get close to Tserriednich via Halkenburg. Halkenburg, however, did not send any request for bodyguards and it was really the eighth wife of King Nasubi, Queen Oito.



On August 8th, Halkenburg participates to the ceremony on the eve of the voyage and waves to the audience. He then takes part in a formal event, where he is talking to Tserriednich. Like the rest of his family, he will reside in the 1st deck of the Black Whale 1.



During the first dinner banquet, Halkenburg approaches his father for a private conversation. He informs his father that he's withdrawing from the Succession War, believing that he does not need to win his crown through bloodshed. He also explains that he only went through all the formalities to save his face for his father. As he speaks, his Guardian Spirit Beast perched idly on his shoulders and with a smile, King Nasubi accepts his withdrawal. Returning to his quarters, Halkenburg is left in shock and horror upon returning to his private quarters, seeing all fifteen of his bodyguards knocked out unconscious under some mysterious circumstances. Awakening from his rest, Halkenburg rushes into the next room and sees that all of his previously unconscious bodyguards are all alive and well. He contemplates if the whole situation was a dream, but also notices a pinion attached to his left wrist.

Halkenburg agrees to send his bodyguards to learn Nen under Kurapika. After inferring the pinions on the back of his and the bodyguards' hands are somehow connected to his Guardian Spirit Beast, he sends Yuhirai and Shedule and allows the two to divulge any information they have to offer.



The following morning, he gathers his bodyguards to have a moment of silent prayer for Prince Momoze. Unbeknownst to him, this causes the aura of all his bodyguards to spike. Afterwards, he resolves to speak with his father again to beg him to stop the Succession War. When a guard reminds him that audience with the King is forbidden until the next banquet, Halkenburg retorts he welcomes disqualification. The guard tries to dissuade him as he risks imprisonment. Shedding tears, the prince declares that doing nothing while his siblings are murdered is the same as letting them die. Five bodyguards plus Prince Benjamin's soldier accompany him.

The royal army however denies him entry. Halkenburg insists on leaving them a letter for his father, but his interlocutor states the best he can do is hand it to the Grand Chamberlain and that the Ninth Prince should simply give it directly to the king at the next banquet. Halkenburg objects it will be too late by then and promises to return the following day with another letter, and so on until he is granted audience.

Halkenburg's Employees
  Active/Alive  • Deceased •   Former/Arrested  •   Status Unknown 

 • •  •  •  •


 * (*) Information in Togashi's notes from Jump Ryu! Vol 21 interview.
 * (↻) Working in alternating shifts with other groups.
 * (?) Placeholder.

Abilities & Powers


As a prince of Kakin, Halkenburg holds significant political power and wealth, although not on the level of the elder Princes. The fact he was able to attend the most prestigious university in the world at the age of 15 speaks for an extreme degree of academic intelligence. Furthermore, his intellect is brilliant, causing Kurapika to state that even among his siblings, Halkenburg's achievements excel and stand out. His education should have provided him with impeccable knowledge in physics. Halkenburg is presumably one of the best archers in the world, having won a gold medal in the world championships of archery he participated in. He also has a good charisma since he has a lot of supporters.

Guardian Spirit Beast
Like the rest of his siblings, Halkenburg received an egg from which a Guardian Spirit Beast, a variety of Nen beast, hatched to protect him. As a parasitic-type ability, he has no control over it. The Guardian Spirit Beast is subjected to two rule-like instincts: it is unable to fight other Guardian Spirit Beasts as well as to directly attack the host of one.

Trivia

 * The University of Miwall that Halkenburg graduated from is presumably based on the University of Oxford, given the same architectural design that both universities share.
 * Interestingly, the University of Oxford is considered the most prestigious university in the world, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.