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"Stuff smaller than dust particles to our eyes can give out energy, for millions of years, to keep us alive. DNA is tiny and it contains an amazing amount of information in its double helix. It seems small things... infinitesimally small things... are needed to build the entire universe. The size of a thing has nothing to do with its power. The soul is probably small, but it has the energy to reincarnate itself."

— Koala in "Repentance"

Koala (コアラ, Koara) is a Chimera Ant and former Soldier in Meleoron's Squadron,[1] and is now a companion for Kite for the rest of his life as a penitence for his sins.[2]

Appearance[]

Koala looks like a small bipedal koala with pink fur, fluffy round ears, a big round nose, a fat chin and four black spots on his forehead that vaguely resemble an insect. He has small, round eyes with light brown sclera, irises, and pupils. He wears a black tuxedo over a white shirt, a dark tie and a pair of striped, clown-like shoes.

Personality[]

Koala is stoic, keeping a straight face at nearly all times, but he is actually capable of feeling deep emotions and deciphering them with only apparent detachment. By his own admission, he used to enjoy bossing others around. He has extraordinary strength of mind, which allowed him to retain the memories from his former existence. Before dying, Koala had a complete disregard for human life and made a living as an assassin. He was an atheist philosophically concerned with the microscopic world. In his confession to Kite, he admitted that he worked as a hitman because it was an easy job and that he always made the easiest choice, even as a Chimera Ant. Following his rebirth, he developed a belief in reincarnation, although in a lay, nearly scientific sense. This caused him to discover that every life has value. Apparently retaining a significant part of his memories, he chose to kill all the humans he met swiftly. Although his fellow squadron soldiers thought him ruthless, he actually did it to spare the victims the pain and tortures they would have suffered at the hands of the other Ants. However, out of fear for his own life, he never tried to defend a human, which has caused him to feel a strong sense of guilt towards Kite since he is the one that murdered a girl that greatly looks like him. He was ready to give up his life for it, but accepted to serve the reborn Hunter instead.[2]

Background[]

HxH2011 EP147 Koala Past Life

Koala when he was a human

Not much is known about Koala outside of the fact that during his previous life he was a hitman. This prompted him to continue his cycle of existence when he was reincarnated into a Chimera Ant, typically shooting people to death.[2]

Plot[]

Chimera Ant arc[]

Koala confronts a large man wielding a tree trunk and argues with him, who is a lesser creature. The large man thinks Koala is, but he begs a differ, which agitates the large man causing him to smash the tree trunk into Koala's head. Koala pays no mind to the injury he sustained in the attack and lectures the large man a bit and kills him with a water bullet. Hoping the large man is resurrected with a better attitude, Meleoron appears before Koala and scolds him for killing the large man. Koala, however, argues all he has to do is present meat to the Chimera Ant Queen to keep her satisfied.[1]

Meleoron perplexed by Koala's statement, argues that just yesterday he killed a crying red-haired little girl, who tried to flee from him. And goes onto say that he knows a way to capture the human prey more easily without any conflict, but if he enjoys killing so much he can have him transferred into the feeding squad and walks off. Koala unamused by Meleoron's lecture calls him hopeless.[1] Koala is shown to be one of the small handfuls of Chimera Ants to not leave the nest after the King was born.[3]

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc[]

Koala with Kite

Koala confesses his guilt to Kite

Sometime after the events of the Chimera Ant crisis, Koala finds Kite and tells them about a red-haired girl he killed who resembled him. He shot her in the back of the head as Chimera Ants chased after her, to spare her the torture she would suffer at their hands. Before becoming a Chimera Ant himself he used to be a hitman, and he found himself reliving the cycle of violence after his rebirth. Believing that her soul would be trapped in the same cycle if she died in pain, he shot her hoping to free her. He states that only a few of the hundreds of people eaten by the Chimera Ant Queen retained their memories, so most of their souls might have escaped without his help. Since Kite looks nearly identical to that girl, he believes that her soul might have been freed. He adds that no Chimera Ant claimed to have been killed by him, so the souls of all his victims probably broke free from the cycle.[2]

Koala and Kite

Koala talks more with Kite

Before his rebirth, he did not believe in the soul and viewed consciousness as a mere glitch of a complex brain that would disappear forever after death. However, having retained his memories and the same despised patterns as when he was human, Koala is forced to recognize that he is still himself even after dying. He likens the soul to DNA, as both are extremely small but carrying a tremendous amount of information, and to the infinitesimally small things that make up the whole universe. Acknowledging that the size of a thing does not affect its power, he reckons that the soul must possess a tremendous amount of it to be able to reincarnate. He wonders if he was brought back to repeat the cycle, even as he wishes to break out of it, because his actions did not match his real desire: he should have shot the grunts chasing the girl, not her, so as to protect himself. He admits to Kite that even his confession is yet another pitiful attempt to save his own soul. Koala prepares to leave but is stopped by Kite who orders him to stay by his side forever as penance. She also orders him to apologize to her every day and threatens to kill him if he loses his resolve that he displayed when talking with her.[2]

Koala 2

Koala understands

Spin intervenes in Kite and Koala's conversation to inform Kite that she has a guest. As Gon enters the room, Koala leaves the two to discuss their own matters. Right after Gon leaves the mansion, Koala apologizes to Kite. His reason why was for trying to run away again and no matter how painful it is, he'll repent for his sins for as long as he lives so he'll have died with no regrets.[2]

Epis 148 (2011) - Observing Small-billed Swans -22

Observing the Small-billed Swans

Koala along with Kite, Gon, and the Amateur Hunters watch a flock of Small-billed Swans fly into the sky.[4]

Equipment[]

Gourd: Koala is always seen carrying a gourd apparently carved out of some tropical fruit. It contains water or some clear liquor that he can either drink or shoot with great force.

Abilities & Powers[]

As a Chimera Ant, Koala is stronger than normal humans, and probably even more powerful than average soldier Ants. He has an exceptionally strong will since he retained most of the memories from his former life if not all of them. This probably means he still has the experience and techniques he gathered as a hitman.[2] He also demonstrated a good sense of balance and a certain degree of strength in his legs, since he did not even stagger after the hit. He detected Meleoron when the latter was invisible, showing he is very perceptive.

Enhanced Durability: His exoskeleton is so durable that he only got scratched after being clubbed with a tree trunk, whereas the log broke in half. He also survived a punch from a Nen-using Rammot[5] who did not leave him with any permanent or visible injury.

Special Natural Abilities
Water Bullet*
Koala's Gourd
Koala's fighting style revolves around his ability to spit fluids in a bullet-like fashion. The fluid is very compressed, as proven by the fact that an abundant quantity of it pours out of the nose, mouth, and eyes of the target if they are hit in the head. He is very accurate, seemingly always hitting precisely where he intends to.[1] Koala uses a gourd in order to always have a supply of liquid on hand.

Nen[]

After being violently "initiated",[5] Koala learned Nen[6] presumably.

Manga Appearances[]

Chimera Ant arc
186. The Queen Absent
187. The Beast Fodder Absent
188. NGL Absent
189. Infiltration Debut
190. The Hunt Absent
191. Pros Absent
192. Human Dog Absent
193. Scissors Absent
194. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 1 Absent
195. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 2 Absent
196. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 3 Absent
197. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 4 Absent
198. Sudden Attack Absent
199. Light and Shadow Absent
200. Stipulation Absent
201. Reunion Absent
202. Duel Absent
203. Gyro Absent
204. Gyro's Story Absent
205. Time Remaining Absent
206. A Real Fight Absent
207. Weakness: Part 1 Absent
208. Weakness: Part 2 Absent
209. ? Absent
210. Weakness: Part 3 Absent
211. Loan Shark Absent
212. Water Breaking Absent
213. Birth Absent
214. Results Absent
215. Last Words Appears
216. Republic of East Gorteau Absent
217. Meat Orchard Absent
218. Confession Absent
219. Awakening Absent
220. Reunion: Part 1 Absent
221. Reunion: Part 2 Absent
222. Reunion: Part 3 Absent
223. 10: Part 1 Absent
224. 10: Part 2 Absent
225. 10: Part 3 Absent
226. 10: Part 4 Absent
227. 10: Part 5 Absent
228. 10: Part 6 Absent
229. 10: Part 7 Absent
230. 9: Part 1 Absent
231. 9: Part 2 Absent
232. 9: Part 3 Absent
233. 9: Part 4 Absent
234. 9: Part 5 Absent
235. 8: Part 1 Absent
236. 8: Part 2 Absent
237. 8: Part 3 Absent
238. 8: Part 4 Absent
239. 8: Part 5 Absent
240. 8: Part 6 Absent
241. 8: Part 7 Absent
242. 7: Part 1 Absent
243. 7: Part 2 Absent
244. 6: Part 1 Absent
245. 6: Part 2 Absent
246. 6: Part 3 Absent
247. 6: Part 4 Absent
248. 6: Part 5 Absent
249. 6: Part 6 Absent
250. 6: Part 7 Absent
251. 6: Part 8 Absent
252. 6: Part 9 Absent
253. 6: Part 10 Absent
254. 6: Part 11 Absent
255. 5: Part 1 to 2: Part 1 Absent
256. 2: Part 2 Absent
257. 1: Part 1 Absent
258. 1: Part 2 Absent
259. 1: Part 3 Absent
260. 1: Part 4 Absent
261. Charge: Part 1 Absent
262. Charge: Part 2 Absent
263. Charge: Part 3 Absent
264. Charge: Part 4 Absent
265. Charge: Part 5 Absent
266. "In the Unlikely Event Of..." Absent
267. Activation Absent
268. The King Absent
269. Adversity Is a Good Thing Absent
270. Indebted To Absent
271. Separation Absent
272. Error Absent
273. We Meet Again Absent
274. Solution Absent
275. Promise Absent
276. Missileman Absent
277. Insult Absent
278. Destruction Absent
279. Escape Absent
280. Direct Hit Absent
281. Godspeed Absent
282. Sealed Area Absent
283. Determination Absent
284. Fifteen Minutes Absent
285. Doubles Absent
286. Core Absent
287. Present State Absent
288. Accolade Absent
289. Terms Absent
290. Name Absent
291. Soliloquy Absent
292. Hidden Agenda Absent
293. Metamorphosis Absent
294. Breakdown Absent
295. Determination Absent
296. Admission Absent
297. The Last Absent
298. Rose Absent
299. Regeneration Absent
300. Insurance Absent
301. Memory Absent
302. Target Absent
303. Pain Absent
304. Magic Absent
305. Sorry Absent
306. Relief Absent
307. Loss Absent
308. Flash Absent
309. Game Absent
310. Action Absent
311. Deadline Absent
312. Resolve Absent
313. One Word Absent
314. Persuasion Absent
315. Home Absent
316. Real Name Absent
317. Answer Absent
318. Final Will Absent
13th Hunter Chairman Election arc
319. Lottery Absent
320. Voting Absent
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 Appears
338. Atop a Tree Absent
339. Stillness Appears

Battles[]

Battles
  • Chimera Ant arc:
    • Koala vs. NGL citizen[1]

Quotes[]

  • (Repeated line) "Hopeless."[1]
  • (To Kite) "She was a redhead, just like you. And I gunned her down."[2]
  • (To Kite) "Before all this, my job was to snuff people. I'd get my orders and pull the trigger. The rest of the time I'd yell a lot. It was a job anybody could do. Even when I was reborn, it was the same thing. A stupid cycle. I wanted to let her out of it."[2]
  • (To Kite) "Before this, I didn't believe in the soul. We're no better than fleas and flies. Life and death, that's all there is. The ego is a glitch, a side effect of a complex brain. You die and it's over. Dust to dust. Get scattered to the wind."[2]
  • (To Kite) "I shouldn't have shot the girl, but the killers chasing her!! I was the biggest scumbag of all. I avoided atoning for my sins because it seemed too painful. I 'prayed' for her? Bah. What a selfish jerk. I was just desperate not to get hurt."[2]
  • (To Kite) "I shot her to protect myself. And now I'm making my confession to you because you look like her, and trying to save my own dirty soul again."[2]
  • (To Kite) "I tried to run away. To take the easy way out. I'll live through the suffering. When I die, I want to feel like I did my best."[2]

Trivia[]

  • The character's name was never given in the manga and the 2011 anime adaptation just name him in the credits.
    • He is referred to as コアラ型[7] (Koara-gata,[8] literally "Koala type").
      • In the credits for the English dub: "Koala".[7]

Intertextuality and References[]

  • As a human, only his silhouette was seen in the manga. However, the black suit matched with an equally black fedora and the fact he is shown wielding one gun may imply his appearance was inspired by Reborn's true form from the Katekyō Hitman Reborn! franchise. The similarity is furthered by the fact that Koala was, in fact, "reborn". Moreover, much like the Arcobaleno, he went from an adult form to a much smaller one.

Miscellaneous[]

  • Koala shares his Japanese voice actor, Kenyu Horiuchi, with Ikalgo and Gotoh in the 2011 anime adaptation.

Translations around the World[]

Language Name
The Arab world Flag Arabic كوالا

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 19, Chapter 189
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 32, Chapter 337
  3. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 21, Chapter 215
  4. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 32, Chapter 339
  5. 5.0 5.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 19, Chapter 198
  6. Hunter × Hunter - Volume 20, Chapter 204
  7. 7.0 7.1 Hunter × Hunter - Episode 79 (2011)
  8. Nippon TV - HUNTER×HUNTER - Chimera Ant: characters page

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