"Spells that could cure any ills... restore youth... things I desperately needed. These miracles were possible by clearing the game. I sought all the information I could, and used my influence to hide the game's details from the rest of the world. But... it's over. It doesn't matter anymore." — Battera to Tsezguerra, Barry, Kess, and Rodriot, in "Three-Way Struggle: Part 5" |
Battera (バッテラ, Battera) is a multi-billionaire who spent a lot of his fortune to buy as many copies of the game Greed Island as he could afford.[1]
Appearance
Battera's 1999 anime adaptation design
Battera is an old man with grey hair and a pale skin. He is often seen wearing a suit with a bow tie and a rose on his left side.
Personality
Battera is a deeply committed person, who spent more than half of his fortune to ensure the woman he loved would wake from her coma, which lasted at least 13 years. Throughout that time, he managed to hide his feelings for his fiancée from the press and the public, simply declaring he wanted to obtain Greed Island out of love. He is an amenable man, who was willing to believe Gon and Killua were really Hunters even after they failed to show their license, and calmly explained to them his situation. When his fiancée died, he was distraught to the point of shutting himself off for a while and cancelling the reward he had offered.
Background
When he had already passed his prime, Battera and a young woman fell in love. Not wanting anyone to think she was after his money, she refused all expensive gifts, and instead accepted only a picture frame Battera clumsily crafted himself. Just when he was about to donate all his assets and marry her, she was involved in an accident and fell into a coma. Battera hired the best doctors, but all they could do was keep her on life support. He eventually heard of spells from Greed Island that could cure all ills and restore one's youth.[2] In 1988, one year after the game came out, he offered 17 billion 
for a Greed Island cartridge, and 50 billion to anyone who completed it, but no one stepped forward. The reward remained in effect as of September 1999.[1] After that, he used all his power and influence to hide the game's details from the rest of the world.[2] Between 1988 and 1999, he managed to secure 31 Greed Island game discs and hired more than 100 Hunters between pros and amateurs. Their inability to not only complete the game, but also to return to the real world prompted him to hire Tsezguerra—a Single-Star Jackpot Hunter—at some point before February 1999, who was also tasked with conducting player tryouts.[3]
Plot
Greed Island arc
Battera wins a copy of Greed Island
On September 6th, Battera attends the Southernpiece Auction in order to win a copy of the game Greed Island. Briefly interviewed by a news reporter, she inquires his reason for wanting to get the game, his response was that it's simply for love.[4] Battera's auction number was #16 and during the auction he has a heated auction-off with auctionee #17 Milluki Zoldyck, but he ultimately wins the copy of the game for 30.5 billion .[note 1] After the auction, Battera's partner Tsezguerra states his displeasure with the winning bid, but Battera assured him it was worth it. The two are then approached by Gon and Killua who express interest in playing the game. Although they claim to be Pro Hunters, but have no Hunter License to prove it, Battera believes they're not ordinary people for them being able to make it into the Auction House and is convinced they're worth a examining whether they're able to pass the test to play the game after mentioning they have a Ring and save file of the game. Tsezguerra then observes Ren and claims if they entered the game they'd certainly die.[5]
Gon and Killua showcase their Ren to Battera and Tsezguerra
Hearing that makes the boys distraught, but Battera explains he currently owns 32 copies of the game and why people have to have their abilities tested in order to play the game. He also mentions that he'll soon procure 7 more copies of the game and will be hiring more players to try and complete the game. The test will be held on September 10th taking place in the Auction House after the final auction is held. Adamant, the boys claim they'll retake the test and pass, while as they leave Battera asks again what he thinks of the boys. Tsezguerra still assures that his opinion on them hasn't changed, but claims a lot can change in four days.[3] From September 7th-10th Battera attends Southernpiece Auctions as attendee #33 & #51 and wins copies of Greed Island for 27.8 billion and 60.2 billion . Though Battera's won all 7 copies of Greed Island, it's said he's halved his entire fortune at the auction house.[6]
With the last Greed Island player is emancipated into the game, Battera asks Tsezguerra's opinion on the current batch of players sent in, he compliments the players.[7] A couple of months pass, since the boys and Tsezguerra entered Greed Island, a morose Battera sits on a sofa in his mansion in front of a large screen TV crying a stream of tears.[8] When Tsezguerra returns to the real world and learns from Sabazushi about what has occurred, he tries to confront a confined Battera who says his lawyers will compensate him for his time and wishes to be alone.[9]
Battera confesses his reasons for wanting people to play and beat the Greed Island game
A week passes and Tsezguerra with his comrades manage to get into the room Battera is held in. Battera for the most part remains silent, until Tsezguerra inquires about a picture of a young woman and what her relation to him is. Battera finally confesses that the woman in the picture is his lover, who has been hospitalized for a long time, until several days ago she died in her sleep. He goes onto explain what kind of person his lover was and how they wanted to start a new life together, but a strange twist of fate put her in a coma. Since no hospital could revive her, only keep her alive, he found out about a game called Greed Island where it had a panacea and something that could restore his youth, but due to her death it all didn't matter any longer.[2]
Trivia
- Battera's name is equal and probably comes from バッテラ (battera), a famous type of oshizushi ("pressed sushi") with mackerel cured with salt and vinegar. This food is alternatively called saba-zushi or sabazushi (saba, 鯖 or サバ being the Japanese name for mackerel fish)—like the name of Battera's employee, Sabazushi.
Translations around the World
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
 Arabic
|
باتيرا | |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 69
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 17, Chapter 174
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 122
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 120
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 121
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 124
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 14, Chapter 128
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 17, Chapter 172
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 17, Chapter 173
Notes
- ↑ In the Viz version of Chapter 121, the price at which Battera won the G.I. game is mistranslated as "3.05 billion" instead of "30.5 billion" (the correct translation of the Japanese text "３０５億").