Killua, a 12-year-old assassin from the Zoldyck clan, has an intense aura about him. He's a trained killer who is fighting against his natural instincts to submit to his family, with the help of his best friend Gon. In this anime article, we included some metal, rock, and a few sentimental songs that would fit on his playlist.
Metal music + Green Day
If you've watched the show, you know Killua is a an edgy kid, so we included some soft-core metal in this playlist. "Let It Burn" by Cold Kingdom would reflect his strong will to survive through hard times, and "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed matches his violent tendencies towards his enemies. He'd also relate to "Born and Raised" by Alexisonfire as he doesn't have a life direction after disobeying his family, finding purpose in helping Gon complete his journey.
During the Hunter Exam arc, Killua has a sickening enjoyment of killing. In the tower, he ripped out a prisoner's heart and lavished in the shock and horror of his attack. "Stab You In The Heart" by Green Day is a strangely upbeat song about murder, but that fits Killua perfectly. When he's around Gon, he's weirdly happy-go-lucky but when a threat arises, he immediately goes into murder mode.
His friendship with Gon
As the Hunter X Hunter series carries on, Killua is seen as less of a monster compared to the unassuming Gon. As their friendship grows, Gon becomes more of a demon, caring less and less about his humanity. Killua, the former hitman, becomes sentimental about Gon and worries for his wellbeing. Despite Gon's downfall, Killua still sticks by him until the very end.
"Count On Me" by Bruno Mars is a chill song that would reflect Killua's dedication to Gon as he faces this downfall. He is there to be a "friend in need" and he knows Gon's got his back too. He's really the first friend that Killua's made, so Gon "means a lot" to him.
Another metal song, "Eye of the Storm" by Killswitch Engage is quite fitting. He stands by Gon, "through pain and affliction" and "will never let [him] down." They face monumental odds throughout their adventures, but "No matter the trial, [they] will overcome." The next line of lyrics also stand true: "Together we stand, never fall." Gon will never be alone as long as Killua is around.
Personal demons
Killua was a very lonely soul before meeting Gon. He hated his family and could barely speak to his servant Canary. We picked a song from Simple Plan and Justin Emery because he feels like an outsider to the world that fears him from his family name. In addition, "Demons" by Imagine Dragons is included because of his dark past with the Zoldyck family – especially with his brother Illumi.
His Bad Guy Exterior
This seemed pretty obvious from the get-go as he likes to look tough to the outside world, but Killua's a runaway in the past from conflict to survive: "Bad Guy" by Billie Ellish. It's an overused song but he'd listen to it to embellish his outward persona. To get psyched up for a battle, he'd also listen to "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC. Andrew McMahon from Twinfinite recommended a song that relates to Killua's electric abilities, so this is it!
If you like this playlist, you can also check out the ones we made for Sora, Doom Slayer, and Tracer, among others!