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"From birth, I've been subject to a strict training program, in order to master the skills called ninjutsu. I've never once, in my eighteen years since, broken training."

— Hanzo to Gon Freecss in "The First Candidate Accepted!?"

Hanzo (ハンゾー, Hanzō) is a Cloud-Hidden style jonin[note 1][note 2] from Jappon.[1] During the 287th Hunter Exam, he was applicant #294 and decided to become a Hunter in order to find the elusive Hermit's Scroll.[4] He is currently one of the bodyguards of Prince Marayam Hui Guo Rou.[5]

Appearance[]

Hanzo 2011 Design IMG1

Hanzo's 2011 anime adaptation design

Hanzo 1999 Design

Hanzo's 1999 anime adaptation design

Chap 34 - Hanzo full body

Hanzo's manga appearance

Hanzo is a bald young man with feather eyebrows. His early training as a ninja made him very fit. He wears a black shirt with thick shoulder pads and grey pants and shoes. He wears a red bandana around his neck and white bandages around his wrists and ankles.[4] As a bodyguard for the Kakin princes, he wears a black suit and a tie.[5]

Personality[]

One of Hanzo's most noticeable traits is his loquacity, which, together with the good spirits he often shows and the occasional gullibility or anger outburst, conflict with his upbringing as a ninja. His confidence in his own skills can turn into overconfidence and again lead to him revealing too much. Nonetheless, he can be focused and cold-hearted: as part of his training, he had already killed before the age of 10, and he had no qualms about torturing Gon. This, however, does not mean he does not feel pity, as he decided to throw the match since he realized that despite the pain he was inflicting on him, Gon did not hate him, which Hanzo felt was fair when he was torturing someone. He also blamed himself for Momoze's death, despite not having been able to prevent it due to her mother's orders, and vowed to avenge her,[6] which he later did by tricking her murderer into confessing and then killing him.[7]

Background[]

Hanzo was born in Jappon[1] and was trained since birth in ninjutsu, never breaking training in 18 years. By the time he was 11, he had already killed.[2] He decided to attend the 287th Hunter Exam to find the Hermit's Scroll, which, according to the rumors, is located in a country barred to commoners.[4]

Plot[]

Hunter Exam arc[]

HxH2011 EP3 Hanzo IMG2

Hanzo during the First Phase

A flashback of Tonpa reveals that Hanzo confesses he's a ninja and that he is on a journey for a scroll and needs a Hunter License to complete his quest. When asked if he wants a drink by Tonpa, he refuses as ninjas don't accept presents.[4] After the First Phase of the Hunter Exam, which is a marathon, Hanzo is easily able to converse while running—most of the others are breathless and struggling.[8] In the Second Phase, featuring cooking, he defeats a Great Stamp with ease,[9] but like all the others is rejected by Menchi, and in the second cooking challenge he is the only one to know what sushi is but once again he's rejected by Menchi like all the others.[10] Menchi mentions Hanzo when asked what examinee she favors.[11] He then participates at the Third Phase led by Lippo[12] and is the third candidate to clear the deadly traps and puzzles of the Trick Tower and is able to proceed to the Fourth Phase.[13]

During the Fourth Phase on Zevil Island his designated target was the leader of the Amori Brothers, Amori. Because Umori was always with his target, Hanzo chose to follow from a safe distance while waiting for a good chance to take Amori's badge. After the two brothers take the badges from both their targets, Shishito and Kenmi, they meet up with their third brother, Imori. Imori engages Killua, who proceeds to defeat and take the original badges from all three Amori Brothers. Killua throws Amori's and Imori's badges in different directions, prompting Hanzo to pursue the badge he thought was Amori's. Hanzo was however tricked into chasing Imori's, causing him to put his hands on the ground in a state of defeat.[14] He eventually manages to reach six points and pass to the next phase regardless by claiming the two badges the Amori Brothers had taken from Shishito and Kenmi.[15]

HxH2011 EP19 Hanzo strikes Gon

Hanzo versus Gon

When Netero interviews Hanzo before the final test, he claims that Hisoka is both the candidate he is keeping an eye on, as he considers him the most challenging, and the candidate he least wants to fight, because he considers him the most dangerous.[16] In the final test's first round, Hanzo is set to battle Gon. Hanzo confirms with the referee, Masta, that he can only win by forcing his opponent to concede. He also reveals that he knew Masta was following him during the Fourth Phase, and thanks him for what he assumes were the high evaluation marks that granted him so many opportunities in the tournament. Once the match begins it is made apparent that his speed, strength, and battle experience easily exceeds that of Gon. However, the only way to pass the final test to is to force your opponent to admit defeat—Gon refuses to do so even after being severely beaten. Hanzo breaks Gon's arm to force him to admit defeat, but Gon still refuses.[17] Noting the lack of hate in Gon's eyes after this act, Hanzo realizes he actually has come to like Gon.[18] He willingly bows out of the battle, giving Gon the victory needed for him to pass the final test.[2]

Pokkle 2

Hanzo defeats Pokkle

After his match with Gon, he fights Pokkle and is able to quickly make him surrender which meant that he has passed the Hunter exam.[18] When Illumi Zoldyck wants to go murder Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Hanzo, and some examiners block his way.[19] After the end of the exam he gives some of his business cards to Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio and offers to guide them if they go to his country. He then departs,[1] following his goal to become a successful Hunter and find the Hermit's Scroll.[4]

Heavens Arena arc[]

Hanzo's Nen

Hanzo after learning Nen

During Gon and Killua's training in the Heavens Arena, it is revealed by Wing that Hanzo learned Nen after the Hunter Exam.[20]

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc[]

Hanzo later appears in the manga to pay respect to the previous chairman, Netero, and vote for a new Hunter Association Chairman.[21] He is seen outside Gon's ward trying to incite him, along with Gon's other friends.[22]

Hunters visit to Gon

Hanzo visiting Gon at the hospital

Being near to Gon, Hanzo along the others assists from the outside at the building.[23] Gon recovers thanks to Alluka's powers feeling a strange and powerful aura.[24] He then accompanies Gon when he goes to meet Leorio in the room where all the Hunters were voting for the new chairman of the Hunter Association. While the crowd was applauding for Gon everybody in the room starts wondering who the baldy was near to Gon making him blush.[25]

Succession Contest arc[]

Chap 368 - Hanzo blame

Hanzo blames Prince Momoze's death by being absent from her side

Hanzo is recruited by Kurapika to act as a bodyguard for any Kakin Empire Prince in order to get information on Prince Tserriednich. Hanzo doubts that Tserriednich would have gone on public media to request a bodyguard. He is hired as Prince Momoze's bodyguard.[26] At the request of Queen Sevanti Hui Guo Rou, Hanzo and most of the other bodyguards are ordered to protect Momoze's younger brother Marayam.[5] Later, Hanzo and Biscuit notice that Marayam's Guardian Spirit Beast has gotten larger.[27]

After Prince Momoze's sudden death by one of her bodyguards, a furious Hanzo blames himself for not being there to save her. He believes the murderer might strike again and deduces that he is one of the two bodyguards taking a break. He swears to Biscuit that he would make the murderer pay for killing Momoze.[6]

Chap 372 - Hanzo and Nen beast

Hanzo finds the Guardian Spirit Beast smaller but more menacing

Hanzo and Biscuit later notice that Momoze's death has taken a toll on Marayam, as his Guardian Spirit Beast keeps growing and looks increasingly ferocious. After being relieved of duty, he lies in bed and asks Biscuit to watch over his body while he uses his Hanzo Skill 4, with which he creates an astral projection of himself. His double heads to the cells where Tuffdy and Nagmum are held, knocking out the security guard. He randomly chooses the former's cell and wakes him up, telling him he has been scouted by Prince Benjamin for the murder of his sister. Tuffdy confesses and explains the detail of his Nen ability, after which Hanzo kills him. When he heads back to Room 1013, however, he finds it empty, his body nowhere in sight: the only presence is a smaller, fiercer-looking version of Marayam's Nen beast, which poses to attack when he attempts to step closer.[7]

Hanzo tries to use the phone in the room, but it does not work. Surmising from the presence of the Guardian Spirit Beast that the Thirteenth Prince is still alive, he leaves and hopes to use the phone in Momoze's room to contact Marayam's other bodyguards, but he learns from the guards that access to the rooms of princes who have died during the succession contest is closed off and telephone lines cut off. He thus heads to Kurapika, informing him of his plight. Lacking the clearance to contact a higher-ranked prince, Kurapika states he will be able to ask Prince Halkenburg's guards the following day, but Hanzo reckons he will be back in his body by then. Shimano tells Kurapika the Captain of the Guards of Prince Marayam, which prompts Hanzo to rush off to Room 1013; however, he finds it empty again.[28]

At the end of the phone call, Kurapika shares his impressions of Vergei with Hanzo and warns him he might be looking for a mole in their midst, although the ninja doubts he is in the position to start a witch hunt. He then asks Kurapika if there is anything, in particular, he wants him to investigate. The Rat tells him to prioritize information to ensure Prince Marayam's safety, prompting Hanzo to think he is a good guy before leaving.[29]

At the start of their shift, Biscuit wakes him up and he updates her on their situation. They decide to teach Nen to everyone in the room to convince Vergei, who initially refuses but is shocked into acceptance by Biscuit's transformation, which they relied on instead of Hanzo's double ability to prevent him from being suspected of Momoze's murder.[30]

Equipment[]

Hanzo's hidden blade

Hanzo's hidden blade

Hidden Blades: During the Hunter Exam, Hanzo had two blades concealed under the bandages on his forearms, which he can pull out to fight with or to torture the opponent. He was confident he could dismember Gon with them.[2] It is unknown if he still wears them.

Abilities & Powers[]

Hanzo has all the benefits granted by his status as a Hunter. He is seen as a very fast and powerful fighter who easily bested Gon in speed and strength. His training as a shinobi was described as being extremely rigorous,[2] but thanks to it he successfully became a master of the Cloud-Hidden style (雲隠流, Kumogaku-ryū) of ninjutsu.[1] During the Hunter Exam Arc, Killua placed Hanzo above himself in terms of strength (with the exception of his "Assassin Mode") and slightly below Hisoka,[31] although this ranking is highly unreliable, given Killua´s ignorance of Nen. Hanzo claimed that at Gon's age, he had already killed.[2] He is a good martial artist, capable of stunning and paralyzing a person with a single blow to the back of the neck.[17] He is adept at concealing his presence, although Killua noticed that he was being followed by him,[32] and is also good at detecting other people, managing to recognize the Hunter that had been following him during the second to last part of the exam.[17] His weakness lies in the fact that he talks too much, leaving him open at many occasions.[4]

Advanced Strength: Hanzo has great physical strength and a remarkable sense of balance, bearing the full weight of his body on just one finger, and claiming to be able to hack off one of Gon's limbs using one of his hidden blades.[2] He also knocked out the boy and sent him flying with an uppercut.[2]

Enhanced Speed: Hanzo easily surpassed Gon in terms of speed[17] and was able to keep up with a tag thrown by Killua and catch it before it landed despite running on branches.[32]

Advanced Agility: Hanzo is capable of moving at high speed while leaping from one branch to another, as well as having enough balance to easily stand on one leg over another's own outstretched leg.[32]

Advanced Stamina: Hanzo was able to complete a long-distance run more than 80 kilometers long, and taking place on uneven terrains such as ascending stairs and a swamp,[8] although he was more winded than Killua.[9]

Master Torturer: Hanzo is literate in multiple forms of torture that require no special items.[17] He has the skill to break a person's arm cleanly. Although Gon never gave up in their match, Killua remarked that if Hanzo used some of his other torture methods Gon would have easily surrendered.[18]

Nen[]

Hanzo is a Transmuter with dual affinity toward Conjuration.[3] He was noted by Menchi to have a powerful aura before even starting to train in Nen,[11] which, according to Wing, he learned in less than six months.[20] Hanzo insinuates that his Nen abilities may be related to his ninjutsu background. He appears to be rather knowledgeable about abilities of the doppelganger type, detailing the differences between autonomous doubles and directly controlled ones.[6] Due to being able to summon one of his own, he can be assumed to be proficient in Conjuration,[30] Manipulation,[6] and possibly Emission. Since his only known Nen ability is numbered, it is possible he has at least 3 more.[7]

Hanzo's Nen Type: Transmuter
Type: Conjuration Hanzo Skill 4 (分身の術(ハンゾースキル4) Art of the Doppelganger)
Hanzo Skill -4
Hanzo can project a double of himself which can phase through matter and hover in the air. His consciousness leaves his body while he uses this ability, which is put in a state similar to sleep. Talking to his body or touching it will cause the astral projection to be dispelled.[7] Since the doppelganger requires his full focus, he can control it with extreme precision.[6] With it, he was able to knock out a security guard and strangle a Nen user to death. It appears that he cannot rescind the technique himself if not by returning to his body.[7] Although doubles are by definition conjured and manipulated,[6] and in fact Hanzo considered using his own doppelganger to prove the existence of Nen to Vergei,[30] Hanzo's double appears to flicker on occasion, which might suggest that it can transition between matter and aura; this, together with its ability to turn intangible,[7] might mean that Emission is also involved in its creation.

Battles[]

Battles
  • Hunter Exam arc:
    • Hanzo vs. Great Stamp[9]
    • Hanzo vs. Gon Freecss* (Final Phase)[17][2]
    • Hanzo vs. Pokkle (Final Phase)[18]

Quotes[]

  • (To Tonpa) "Don't tell anyone, but I'm actually a ninja. I want a license so I can hunt the elusive 'Hermit's Scroll'. Rumor is it's in a country barred to commoners."[4]
  • (To Gon) "Is your pride all you care about?! Even more than your life?! Is it some kind of weird rush to hold out in the face of impossible odds?!"[2]

Trivia[]

Anime and Manga Differences[]

  • In the 1999 anime adaptation, when all the examinees that pass the Third Phase are stranded in Lippo's "bonus stage", Hanzo takes the lead in getting them out of the trap.[33][34]
  • According to the 2011 anime adaptation, Hanzo's Hunter License number is 10982 482 3287,[35] whereas his license number is not given in the manga[36] or in the 1999 anime adaptation.[37]

Intertextuality and References[]

  • Hanzo's appearance is most likely based on the character Kazemaru, from YuYu Hakusho.
  • Hanzo's ninja style, "Cloud-Hidden style", is based on the real-life Kumogakure-ryū(雲隠れ流, "Hidden School"), a ninjutsu school founded in the mid 1500's by Iga Heinaizaemon No Jo Ienaga who had a son, Kami Hattori Heitaro Koreyuki, who was the ancestor of Hattori Hanzo, the famous ninja. Like Hanzo, Kumogakure-ryū ninja wore armored sleeves to protect themselves.[38]
  • The original Japanese subname or second nomination of Hanzo's Hanzo Skill 4 Nen ability, (分身の術, Bunshin no Jutsu—lit. "Art of Division"), comes from one of the legendary abilities sometimes associated with ninjas—the ability to "split" into multiple bodies—a common trope in the popular culture related to this type of character.

Miscellaneous[]

  • In the 1999 anime adaptation, his Japanese voice actor also voices Matthew and Phinks; in the English dubbed version of the same adaptation, the same voice actor dubs him and Phinks.
  • In the 2011 anime adaptation English dub, he is voiced by the same voice actor as Geretta, Squala, and the Bounty Hunter.

Translations around the World[]

Language Name
The Arab world Flag Arabic هانزو (Hanzu)
China Flag Chinese 半藏
France Flag French Hanzô
South Korea Flag Korean 한조 (Hanjo)
Russia Flag Russian Ханзо (Khanzo)

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 5, Chapter 38
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 34
  3. 3.0 3.1 Exhibition: Togashi Yoshihiro -Puzzle-
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 1, Chapter 6
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 35, Chapter 361
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 35, Chapter 368
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 36, Chapter 372
  8. 8.0 8.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 1, Chapter 7
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 2, Chapter 10
  10. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 2, Chapter 11
  11. 11.0 11.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 2, Chapter 13
  12. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 2, Chapter 15
  13. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 3, Chapter 22
  14. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 29
  15. Hunter x Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 32
  16. Hunter x Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 32
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 33
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 35
  19. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 5, Chapter 36
  20. 20.0 20.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 7, Chapter 60
  21. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 30, Chapter 320
  22. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 31, Chapter 324
  23. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 32, Chapter 331
  24. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 32, Chapter 333
  25. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 32, Chapter 334
  26. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 33, Chapter 350
  27. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 35, Chapter 366
  28. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 36, Chapter 373
  29. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 36, Chapter 374
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 36, Chapter 375
  31. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 5, Chapter 44
  32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 4, Chapter 29
  33. Hunter × Hunter - Episode 19 (1999)
  34. Hunter × Hunter - Episode 20 (1999)
  35. Hunter × Hunter - Episode 21 (2011)
  36. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 5, Chapter 37
  37. Hunter × Hunter - Episode 30 (1999)
  38. Kumogakure ryu, Hidden school Ninjutsu, by Yossi Sheriff. Akban-wiki.

Notes

  1. In the ninja's card translation, the Viz version erroneously implies that Hanzo is from the "Cloud-Hidden Village" but the word "village" has no equivalent in the original Japanese text; the most correct transliteration being "Cloud-Hidden Style".
  2. In the original Japanese text, 上忍 (jōnin—translatable as "upper man"); the highest ninja rank.

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