Hunter X Hunter features a range of main characters with unique personalities. However, there is a difference between how they are portrayed in the manga versus the anime. Killua, one of the main characters, is no exception to this. Overall, he still maintained the same family background and a familiar haircut. He also became close friends with Gon during both the manga and anime.
However, there were many distinct differences between his portrayal in the manga and the anime. These differences cover almost every subject, from his fashion sense to how his friendship and bonds with other characters grew over time.
10 Killua's Fashion Sense Is Much Less Varied In The Manga
Throughout the anime, Killua has many chances to show off a wide variety of fashion, sporting numerous outfits throughout the entire anime. Some of these outfits include the shirt with shorts and boots that he's first introduced in. Later in the anime to wear different outfits or pieces of clothing like tank tops, patterned clothes, and so on.
Killua's fashion sense is much less varied in the manga, however. The vast majority of the manga involves Killua opting to wear a simple shirt with shorts and boots.
9 Killua and Gon's Initial Friendship Is Colder In The Manga
The anime featured numerous scenes in the Hunter Exam arc where Killua and Gon bonded as fellow examinees and friends. Both of them even parted on friendly terms at the end of the anime.
However, there are far fewer scenes involving their growing bond in the Hunter Exam arc, in the manga. Though Killua still maintains a mostly friendly bond with Gon, the manga establishes the two more as rivals and fellow examinees rather than as actual friends. This eventually changes after the Hunter Exam arc, but these differences were jarring for some manga fans when watching the anime.
8 In The Manga, There Aren't Brainwashing Implications During Killua and Illumi's Finals Match
In chapter 36 of the manga, Killua and Illumi's match results in Killua giving up after Illumi threatens to kill Gon on top of emotionally manipulating him throughout their finals fight. This same scene happens in the anime, but there is more emphasis on implying that Ilumi isn't just manipulating Killua with words.
In the anime, there are more psychedelic effects featured during that same scene, suggesting that Illumi is brainwashing Killua rather than just emotionally manipulating him. This gives Killua a different portrayal of how he is affected by his own family in the anime compared to the manga; he's not only emotionally mistreated but also mentally controlled to an extent.
7 The Manga Version Of Killua Taking The Prisoner's Heart Was Much Gorier
In the anime, while journeying with Gon, Kurapika, Tonpa, and Leorio to the base of the tower during one phase of the Hunter Exam, one scene involved Killua facing off against a prisoner. He easily kills the prisoner by instantly taking out his heart before the prisoner can even make a move. In the anime, said heart is carefully placed in a bag, so the organ itself is not shown to the audience.
However, the manga's version of this scene is significantly gorier. Not only does the reader witness all the blood gushing out of the opponent's chest as he dies, but Killua gleefully holds the heart in his hands in front of the prisoner's face while doing so. This was likely changed for the anime due to censor some of the series' explicitly gory scenes.
6 Killua's Love Of Sweets Is Non-Existent In The Manga
In the anime, Killua is shown to have a deep love of sweets with a good number of scenes showing this off. However, this love of sweets is near-non-existent in the manga, especially during the Hunter Exam arc.
Instead, the manga focuses on emphasizing Killua's assassin family background. This portrayal in the manga makes him out to be a more ruthless person than someone hoping to be a normal kid like Gon.
5 Killua Murdering Fellow Hunter Examinees Was Much Gorier In The Manga
During the series in both the anime and the manga, Killua ends up killing a few Hunter examinees after they give him a hard time on the airship. The sight is certainly gory in the manga, with Killua reflecting that he'd likely have murdered Netero, who he failed to catch a ball from along with Gon, to get the ball.
This same scene happens in the anime, but it's notably less gory compared to the manga. This scene was also censored a bit for the anime adaptation, just like the scene where Killua took out the heart of the prisoner from the tower trial.
4 The Killua Failing The Hunter Exam Scene Was Shorter In The Manga
Killua failed the Hunter Exam by murdering one of the final examinees, Bordoro, in both the anime and manga versions. However, his portrayal of murdering said final examinee differs slightly between the anime and manga versions. In the anime, Bordoro's death is drawn out. When his assigned fight with Leorio begins, the scene immediately cuts to showing Killua standing right behind Bordoro. The poor man notices this too late as Killua shoves his hand through the back of his chest, destroying his heart from the inside.
However, in the manga, this is one of the scenes that aren't as explicitly shown compared to the anime. In fact, Bordoro's death is only given a few panels in the manga compared to the anime's drawn-out scene. Also, like the rest of the manga, this scene is more explicit with its amount of blood and gore, compared to the more-censored anime.
3 Killua's Development From Ruthless To Compassionate Is Much Slower In The Manga
In both the manga and the anime, Killua was initially introduced as someone who wouldn't hesitate to ruthlessly kill anyone, especially during the Hunter Exam arc. However, in both versions, Killua grew a more normal sense of morality as well as a more compassionate side to his personality. The anime's added heartwarming scenes of Killua and Gon bonding as friends during the Hunter Exam arc also added to his growing compassionate side.
However, this pacing of developing Killua's compassionate side is much slower in the manga, especially during the Hunter Exam arc. This is attributed to there being fewer bonding moments between him and Gon during the Hunter Exam arc through its focus on them being rival examinees to an extent, instead.
2 Killua Taking A Stand Against Illumi (And What Happens Afterwards) Differs Between Versions
In both the anime and the manga, Killua ultimately takes a stand against his brother Illumi after Alluka and Nanika are threatened, during the Chairman Election arc. Killua stops Illumi from taking Alluka and Nanika by making Nanika teleport Illumi all the way back home. This plan succeeds in both the anime and the manga.
Illumi seems to leave Killua alone for now in the anime, after this incident. However, considering that the manga itself hasn't ended yet, it's still possible that Killua and Illumi might have future encounters with each other.
1 Killua's Ending Is Currently Unknown In The Manga
At the end of the anime, Killua parts with Gon on good terms. However, in the manga, what happens at the ending for Killua is unknown. This is due to the manga itself still being updated on an ongoing basis.
Due to the current lack of an ending in the manga series, there is no way of telling what will happen to Killua Will he still be on good terms with Gon? Will he even still be a surviving character by the end of the manga, considering the series' tendency to kill off various characters throughout? Only the future can tell.