"What's the point of holding back all the time? My dream is to ride my bike around the world. It's a sin not to enjoy life." — Basho to Melody in "September 3rd: Part 10" |
Basho (バショウ, Bashō) is a Hunter from Jappon[1] and a bodyguard for the Nostrade Family.[5] He is currently working as a bodyguard for Prince Luzurus Hui Guo Rou.[6]
Appearance[]
Normally wearing a small vest, pants, and tall boots, Basho is very muscular with prominent abdominal muscles and a hairy chest. He has thick eyebrows and a cleft chin, also sporting a pompadour, mustache, and sideburns. As a Royal Bodyguard, he dresses in a black suit and tie.[7]
Personality[]
Basho has a casual attitude and is rather outgoing and talkative. He also has some sense of humor, laughing off Kurapika's brutal request to never speak to him again.[8] Although he is confident in himself, he can understand when he has no way of winning a confrontation.[9] He believes that life should be lived to the fullest; however, he does not criticize Kurapika's willingness to forfeit his life for his cause, even if he does not agree with it.[10] He has a habit of whistling when he is impressed.
Background[]
Basho claims to have tried all manner of drugs, although his own recipe, Clean Leaf, is what he always goes back to. According to him, all his heavy-smoking friends who tried it became addicted to it, which caused them to become healthy.[11]
Plot[]
Yorknew City arc[]
Basho caught off guard by Kurapika's response
Along with five other applicants for the Nostrade Family bodyguard position, Basho waits in a room at the Nostrade's Mansion. The butler plays a video introducing the supposed boss who details the requirements for the position. The applicants are given a data card with specific items listed on it and are instructed to retrieve one of them. Basho notices Kurapika becoming pale after looking at the list, so he tries to initiate a conversation with him, going as far as to detail one of his previous employer's sickest requests, but Kurapika stops him and orders that he not talk to him. Basho then tries to open the door to leave, but finds that it's locked. The boss appears again on the screen and informs the applicants that the minimum requirement for the job is to be strong enough to make it out alive. Eleven hooded assailants wielding guns and swords suddenly charge through the door and start attacking the applicants.[8]
Basho retaliating against the assailants
Basho and Squala are astounded by how Kurapika manages to stop the hail of bullets shot at him with his chain. Amid the fighting, Basho is confronted by two sword-wielding assailants. He punches one of them directly in the face and realizes what they really are. After Kurapika scopes out the room from a chandelier, he leaps down and restrains the applicant Tocino, holding a knife to his throat and ordering him to stop the assailants. Tocino complies with Kurapika's demand, and the assailants suddenly fall empty to the floor. Basho says that he figured out the assailants were made of Nen after hitting them, but never guessed that they were under Tocino's control. After being told how Kurapika figured it out, Tocino introduces himself and hints at another infiltrator in the room. Kurapika then uses his Dowsing Chain to discover who the other infiltrator is and it leads to the applicant Squala. Squala defensively denies the accusation, but the applicant Melody confirms that he is lying by the sound of his heart.[1]
Basho and the other new bodyguards being given their first mission
Basho states that since two of the five applicants say that Squala is an infiltrator, he believes it has to be true. Squala continues to deny the accusation, so Basho showcases his Great Haiku ability. He uses it to interrogate everyone, and Squala finally admits the truth. However, before Squala divulges any more crucial information, the final applicant Baise uses her ability on Squala and forces him to reveal everything, making Kurapika and Basho fearful of her ability.[1] Basho, Melody, Baise, and Kurapika each return to the mansion with a body part from the given list. Basho chose to retrieve the Mummified Right Arm from an Egypersian Tomb and delivers it to Dalzollene, who officially hires the four as bodyguards. Dalzollene then tells the group that their first mission will involve escorting their boss to the Hotel Beitacle located in Yorknew City. After instructing the group, Dalzollene takes them to meet the boss, Neon Nostrade.[5]
Basho listening to the details for the next mission
On August 31st, Neon is picked up from Lingon Airport and is driven in a car by Basho to the city with Kurapika beside him and with Neon and superior Dalzollene in the backseats. While driving, Basho and Kurapika talk about how Neon's father used her ability to rise to power within the Mafia, and that they were hired to be her bodyguards because her father is paranoid of losing her to jealous enemies he has made.[12] On the night of the Underground Auction, Dalzollene congratulates the bodyguards for a job well done and details their next mission to them, including what their respective jobs are and what items need to be won at the auction. Basho is assigned to guard the back of the auction house with Linssen.[13] After the auction attendees and items suddenly go missing and the Phantom Troupe is suspected,[14] the Nostrade Family locate and arrive at the Gordeau Desert where the Troupe members are surrounded by a large number of Mafia members, but Uvogin begins to massacre them all.[9]
Witnessing Uvogin's brute strength, Basho believes that they have no chance of winning against him. At that moment, four Shadow Beasts appear before the group and confront Uvogin,[9] but the Spider kills all of them. Kurapika wants to confront Uvogin himself, causing the other bodyguards go into a panic as they try and stop him.[15] Melody then uses her ability to alleviate their anxiety, and although Kurapika regains his composure, he still insists and eventually manages to capture Uvogin with his Chain Jail. With Uvogin captured, Basho drives back to the city with Linssen, who notices another car following them.[16] However, Linssen loses sight of the car after the remaining Shadow Beasts confront it, and Basho continues to drive back to the city and participates in interrogating Uvogin about the location of the auction attendees and items, learning that the former was killed by the Troupe and the latter was stolen before they arrived.[17]
With Dalzollene presumed dead, after Uvogin is rescued by the other Troupe members, Basho and the other Nostrade bodyguards all agree that Kurapika should become the new head bodyguard so he can contact and inform their real boss of the current situation.[18] When Light arrives in Yorknew and is brought up to speed, he thanks the bodyguards for their work and after he plans to send Neon home, he divulges important information to the group about the Underground Auction, the Shadow Beasts, and how the Ten Dons plan to deal with the Phantom Troupe.[19] That evening, Basho and Melody accompany Neon with her attendants on a small shopping spree at Lingon Airport. As Neon goes to use the restroom, Melody and Basho talk about Kurapika and Basho's dream of riding his motorcycle around the world. After Basho notices that Neon has been in the restroom for a while and her attendant Eliza checks on her, they discover that Neon is missing.[10]
Melody then contacts Kurapika to inform him that she and Basho have lost sight of Neon.[20] When Kurapika checks the Hunter Website, he sees pictures and descriptions for Neon, Basho, and the other bodyguards (besides himself and Melody).[21] After the rescheduled auction is held and Neon wakes up in a local hospital happy to have a pair of Scarlet Eyes, Light thanks the bodyguards for all their hard work and asks Melody and Basho to take her shopping the next day as well, much to their dismay. However, both Basho and Melody appear worried for the well being of Kurapika as he leaves the group.[22] The next day, Basho sits next to Squala and watches Neon as she admires the rare eyes[23] Basho later goes on another shopping spree with Melody, Neon, and her attendants and is increasingly aggravated by it all.[24]
13th Hunter Chairman Election arc[]
Basho taking part in the election
After the death of Chairman Netero, Basho is seen at the Hunter Association's headquarters to vote in the first round of the 13th Hunter Chairman Election.[25]
Succession Contest arc[]
Basho among the colleagues recruited by Kurapika
Basho is recruited by Kurapika to be hired as a bodyguard by one of the Kakin Princes. He and Hanzo decide that Prince Tserriednich is not among the Princes hiring, as only naïve Princes would use money as a reward. He is eventually employed by Prince Luzurus.[6]
After Kurapika makes the emergency announcement, Basho and Scairt reveal to Luzurus what Nen and his Guardian Spirit Beast are, but the Prince has no interest in learning Nen since it takes too long to master.[7]
Four hours after the Black Whale's departure, Luzurus and Basho smoke the latter's Clean Leaf together. Luzurus is surprised that it's legal, and Basho replies that the recipe can be found on his home page, assuring the Prince that he has a license and adding that his heavy-smoking friends who tried it ended up becoming addicted to it and became healthy. Luzurus becomes pensive so Basho asks him what he's thinking about, and the Prince responds that he was wondering if Clean Leaf could be used to rehabilitate drug addicts, but points out that his brother Benjamin would never support it (since the military is in charge of drug control). He asks Basho how he would feel about publicizing the results of a clinical trial. Basho gives his permission, but asks if it would be quicker if Luzurus just became King, which prompts the Prince to reply that it isn't so easy.[11]
Basho in a rap battle against Ridge
On the day of the banquet, Basho participates in a freestyle rap battle against Ridge.[26] The following morning, he feels the rumbling aura from Prince Halkenburg's room surge again. He confirms it to Luzurus and claims that whatever ability it is, it's an extremely powerful one. When the doorbell rings, Basho tells Luzurus to stand back and asks Rice to see who it is. Upon learning that it's "Shikaku" and that Kanjidol has not been informed of his arrival, he demands to know what he wants, but the soldier kills himself in front of the door. Basho's confusion is only heightened when the rumbling stops shortly afterwards.[27] He later theorizes that Halkenburg enlisted Queen Duazul's help to have her guards currently protecting Luzurus kill him by taking action while Shikaku's suicide served as a diversion, but Luzurus dismisses the possibility on account of his mother's inactive stance concerning the Succession Contest.[28]
Basho thus begins to suspect that Shikaku had an ability that would activate after his death. When Kanjidol requests his help to figure out what happened, Basho states that he intended to change his shifts because he is wary of Odessa and Gadeau, who might covertly be skilled Nen users. Kanjidol reveals that he had reached the same conclusions. However, Basho then tells himself that he thinks the entire situation is a façade put up by Benjamin's men and returns to his theory that Shikaku's ability activates when he sacrifices his life. He adds that post-mortem Nen is extremely powerful and guesses that they had Shikaku kill himself in front of Luzurus' quarters to place blame on Halkenburg, guessing that they are actually going after the second, third, or fourth Princes. He comments on Kakin's hierarchy society and considers the possibility that many more plan to use post-mortem Nen, explaining that the most common kind is to use a curse that haunts the target after death. He wonders if it would work on someone who is already possessed by a Guardian Spirit Beast, telling himself that he needs to stay observant.[28]
Equipment[]
Writing Equipment: Basho carries a calligraphy brush and a stack of paper in his breast pocket. He uses them to write down the haiku for his ability.[1]
Abilities & Powers[]
Basho has all the benefits granted by his status as a Hunter. He has considerable prowess as proven by the fact that he successfully retrieved rare and even illegal items for his employers.[8][5] He can also handle himself well in a melee fight. However, he was convinced that even if all of Neon's bodyguards fought Uvogin together, they wouldn't be able to defeat him,[9] suggesting that he viewed himself as far weaker than the Spider. Basho also appears to have some degree of knowledge in pharmaceutical chemistry, coming up with the recipe for a legal drug that is more effective on heavy smokers and has no or negligible side effects.[11]
Advanced Strength: Basho is fairly strong and claims that he has no need to use Nen to defeat even armed men, as proven when he fought against Tocino's puppets.[1]
Advanced Speed and Reflexes: He is agile and endowed with quick reflexes as he dodged all of the attacks from Tocino's puppets.[8]
Nen[]
Basho is a Conjurer*[4] and has enough skill in Nen to have created an ability and to be able to recognize a Nen puppet upon hitting it.[1]
| Basho's Nen Type: Conjuration | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Conjuration | Great Haiku ( | ||||||||||
Basho's ability activates when he writes a haiku on a strip of paper. According to him, whatever is written on it becomes real. However, its effect depends on the quality of the poem. Both times he displayed his power, Basho's compositions allowed him to summon flames, using a punch as the trigger on the first occasion and the act of lying on the second.[1]
| |||||||||||
Manga Appearances[]
| 319. Lottery | Absent |
| 320. Voting | Appears |
| 321. Monster | Absent |
| 322. Siblings | Absent |
| 323. Job Offer | Absent |
| 324. Butler | Absent |
| 325. Joining the Fray | Absent |
| 326. Open Hostilities | Absent |
| 327. Riddle | Absent |
| 328. Arrangements | Absent |
| 329. Spy | Absent |
| 330. Confession | Absent |
| 331. Day of Reckoning | Absent |
| 332. Applause | Absent |
| 333. Rumble | Absent |
| 334. Total Defeat | Absent |
| 335. Decision | Absent |
| 336. Release | Absent |
| 337. Repentance | Absent |
| 338. Atop a Tree | Absent |
| 339. Stillness | Absent |
| 340. Special Mission | Absent |
| 341. Threats | Absent |
| 342. Challenge | Absent |
| 343. Invitation | Absent |
| 344. Author | Absent |
| 345. Signature | Absent |
| 346. Options | Absent |
| 347. Inauguration | Absent |
| 348. Resolve | Absent |
| 349. Worm Toxin | Absent |
| 350. Prince | Appears |
| 351. Battle to the Death | Absent |
| 352. Troublesome | Absent |
| 353. Cold-Blooded | Absent |
| 354. Heat | Absent |
| 355. Detonation | Absent |
| 356. Unfortunate: Part 1 | Absent |
| 357. Unfortunate: Part 2 | Absent |
| 358. Eve | Absent |
| 359. Departure | Absent |
| 360. Parasite | Absent |
| 361. Withdraw | Absent |
| 362. Resolve | Appears |
| 363. Nen Beast | Absent |
| 364. Speculation | Absent |
| 365. Choice | Absent |
| 366. To Each His Own | Appears |
| 367. Synchronization | Absent |
| 368. Foul Play | Absent |
| 369. Limits | Absent |
| 370. Observation | Absent |
| 371. Mission | Absent |
| 372. Disappearance | Absent |
| 373. Inheritance | Absent |
| 374. Ability | Absent |
| 375. Persuasion | Absent |
| 376. Determination | Absent |
| 377. Scheme | Absent |
| 378. Balance | Absent |
| 379. Collaboration | Absent |
| 380. Alarm | Absent |
| 381. Predation | Absent |
| 382. Awakening | Absent |
| 383. Escape | Appears |
| 384. War | Absent |
| 385. Warning | Absent |
| 386. Hypothesis | Appears |
| 387. Recreation | Absent |
| 388. Reflection | Absent |
| 389. Curse | Appears |
| 390. Clash: Part 1 | Absent |
| 391. Clash: Part 2 | Absent |
| 392. Information | Absent |
| 393. Plea | Absent |
| 394. Hypothesis | Absent |
| 395. Founding: Part 1 | Absent |
| 396. Founding: Part 2 | Absent |
| 397. Founding: Part 3 | Absent |
| 398. Search | Absent |
| 399. Expulsion | Absent |
| 400. Secrecy | Absent |
| 401. Moonlight | Absent |
Battles[]
| Battles |
|---|
Quotes[]
- (To Kurapika) "You look pale. Getting queasy? That's only the beginning. They're all legal to own. It'll get worse once we're officially hired. Think preserved corpses carrying the deadliest pathogen."[8]
- (Haiku) "My hand makes a punch / and whatever I hit will / burst in flames a bunch."[1]
- "It's not burning as well. That was a dud."[1]
- (Haiku) "If you are a liar / your painful death will be swift / in a trial by fire."[1]
Trivia[]
- Basho is likely named after Matsuo Bashō, the famous Japanese poet recognized as the greatest master of haiku.
- Basho is classified as a Conjurer in Hunter × Hunter Battle Collection and Battle All-Stars.
- Basho's ability could actually be to summon fire, as shown when he used his power to set fire to a chair and then suggested it as a threat of "trial by fire".[1]
- A hint might have been given when he accompanied Neon to a mall: on that occasion, he wore a jacket with flame symbols,[10] although this could just be Basho's personal preference or bias for the motif/theme.
Anime and Manga Differences[]
- In the 2011 anime adaptation, Basho's first appearance occurs earlier in a filler passage portraying him as a thief. He is seen standing on top of a building writing a haiku but is approached by police officers who order him to return the corpse samples that he stole. The policemen shoot him and Basho reacts, attacking and beating them. He then continues his haiku.[30]
- Despite being an extra addition, the scene ties in with what Basho says to Kurapika (in the manga) later about body part items,[8] implying that he has experience in "acquiring" such things.
- In the 2011 anime adaptation, Basho claims to be a Conjurer.[4]
Basho watching the election
- In the 2011 anime adaptation, during the eighth round of the 13th Hunter Chairman Election, Basho is seated next to Linssen in the auditorium and watches as the remaining candidates give their speeches and debate with one another.[31]
Miscellaneous[]
- Basho's 1999 Japanese voice actor Hidenobu Kiuchi also voices Majtani in the 1999 anime adaptation, as well as Franklin and Leech in the 2011 anime adaptation.
Translations around the World[]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
 Arabic
|
باشو (Bashu) | |
 Chinese
|
芭蕉 (Bājiāo) | |
 French
|
Bashô | |
 Russian
|
Бащо (Bashcho) | |
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 68
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter Battle Collection
- ↑ Battle All-Stars
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hunter × Hunter - Episode 40 (2011)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 70
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 33, Chapter 350
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 35, Chapter 362
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 67
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 9, Chapter 75
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 11, Chapter 94
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 35, Chapter 366
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 71
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 72
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 9, Chapter 74
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 9, Chapter 76
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 9, Chapter 77
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 9, Chapter 78
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 9, Chapter 79
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 10, Chapter 89
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 11, Chapter 95
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 11, Chapter 96
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 11, Chapter 101
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 12, Chapter 105
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 12, Chapter 109
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 30, Chapter 320
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 37, Chapter 383
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 37, Chapter 386
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 37, Chapter 389
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Episode 40 (2011)
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Episode 39 (2011)
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Episode 144 (2011)
Notes
[]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||