Look, if you’re a Hunter x Hunter fan, you probably have a complicated relationship with the movies. We all do. When Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge dropped, it was a huge deal because it promised to bridge the gap between Yorknew and Greed Island while giving us a peek into Kurapika’s tragic past. But when you look at the Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rouge cast, things get interesting—and a little weird.
You’ve got the heavy hitters from the 2011 Madhouse series returning, sure. But then you’ve got these "guest stars" and movie-original characters that honestly change the vibe of the whole story. Some people love the addition of the "Retz" character; others think it felt like a weird fan-fiction insert.
The Core Four: Who Stayed and Who Swapped?
The most important thing to realize about the Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rouge cast is that it features the absolute peak-performance era of the 2011 voice actors. This wasn't a case where they brought in a B-team for the movie.
In the Japanese version (the Seiyū cast), Megumi Han and Mariya Ise are back as Gon and Killua. Their chemistry is basically the glue holding this 97-minute adventure together. Megumi Han has this way of making Gon sound purely innocent even when he’s about to punch a hole through a puppet.
- Gon Freecss: Megumi Han (JP) / Erica Mendez (EN)
- Killua Zoldyck: Mariya Ise (JP) / Cristina Vee (EN)
- Kurapika: Miyuki Sawashiro (JP) / Erika Harlacher (EN)
- Leorio Paradinight: Keiji Fujiwara (JP) / Matthew Mercer (EN)
Matthew Mercer as Leorio is a fan favorite for a reason. He brings that "exhausted older brother" energy that Leorio needs, especially since the movie treats him as the comedic relief/emotional anchor while Kurapika is busy losing his eyes to a ghost from his past.
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The New Faces: Omokage and Retz
This is where the movie gets its unique flavor. You’ve got Omokage, the "former No. 4" of the Phantom Troupe. Honestly, he’s a bit of a controversial figure in the fandom. He was voiced by Naohito Fujiki in Japanese and Joe Zieja in the English dub.
Fujiki is actually a famous live-action actor in Japan, which is a classic move for anime movies—bringing in a "celebrity" voice to boost ticket sales. His performance is cold, almost detached, which fits a guy who makes "Soul Dolls" out of dead people.
Then there’s Retz (or Retsu). She’s voiced by Aya Hirano, who you might know as the legendary voice of Haruhi Suzumiya. Having someone of Hirano's caliber play a movie-only character was a massive flex by the production team. In the English version, Kayli Mills takes the reins, and she does a great job capturing that "I'm keeping a massive secret" energy that defines Retz for most of the film.
The Phantom Troupe (The "Puppet" Versions)
Since the plot revolves around Omokage creating puppets of the Spiders, we get to see the Troupe again. It’s a bit of a tease. You see Uvogin (Akio Ohtsuka/Patrick Seitz) and Pakunoda (Romi Park/Erica Lindbeck) back on screen, but they aren’t "really" them.
It's a weird experience. You’re hearing the original Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rouge cast members voicing these characters, but they’re playing them as hollow shells. It’s eerie. Nobunaga (Naoya Uchida/Joe J. Thomas) and Machi (Rena Maeda/Abby Trott) also show up, and their involvement is probably the most "canon-feeling" part of the movie, even if the timeline is a bit of a mess.
Why the Cast Matters More Than the Plot
Let’s be real: the plot of Phantom Rouge is... fine. It’s a bit of a "monster of the week" setup expanded into a film. But the reason it stays in the conversation is the voice work.
The emotional weight Kurapika carries is heavy. Miyuki Sawashiro’s performance as Kurapika when he encounters Pairo (Umika Kawashima in Japanese, Laura Stahl in English) is genuinely heartbreaking. Pairo is Kurapika’s childhood friend, and the way their relationship is handled—mostly through flashbacks and these "doll" encounters—is the only part of the movie that feels like it actually matters to the overall HxH lore.
Interestingly, the movie uses parts of "Kurapika’s Memories," a two-part manga prequel Yoshihiro Togashi actually wrote. Because of that, the cast is technically bringing some canon material to life for the first and only time.
Is It Actually Canon?
It's complicated. The Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rouge cast is performing a script that Togashi reportedly had some input on (based on his old notes for the Yorknew arc), but the movie itself doesn't fit into the timeline smoothly.
If you watch it right after the Yorknew City arc, it feels like a fever dream. Killua is suddenly way more insecure about his friendship with Gon than he was in the show, and Hisoka (Daisuke Namikawa/Keith Silverstein) is just... lurking in the background like a weirdo. Keith Silverstein’s Hisoka is always a treat, though. He has that "I know something you don't" purr that makes every scene better.
Making Sense of the Performance
If you're planning a rewatch or checking it out for the first time, pay attention to the subtle differences in how the cast plays their roles compared to the TV series. There’s a theatricality here. The stakes feel personal because of the voice acting, even when the CGI barracudas (yes, those are a thing) look a bit dated.
The Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rouge cast delivered exactly what was needed for a high-budget side story. They kept the characters grounded in their established personalities while navigating a plot that felt more like a "what if" scenario than a core chapter of the journey.
What to Do Next
If you’re diving back into the world of the Spiders and the Kurta Clan, here are a few things to keep you occupied:
- Read "Kurapika’s Memories": This is the two-chapter prequel Togashi wrote. It provides the actual context for the Pairo scenes in the movie. It's much darker and more nuanced than the film's adaptation.
- Compare the Dubs: If you’ve only seen the Japanese version, the English dub of the Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rouge cast is actually stellar. Matthew Mercer and Erica Mendez really hit their stride here.
- Check the Credits: Take a look at the production staff. This movie was directed by Yūzō Satō, who worked on Kaiji. You can see some of that tension and "psychological" framing in the way the puppets are presented.
The movie might not be the "Citizen Kane" of anime films, but for any fan of the Spiders, it's worth it just to hear the original cast one more time in a setting where Kurapika actually gets to be the protagonist. Just don't think too hard about the timeline. Seriously. It'll just give you a headache.
Instead, just enjoy the fact that we got to see the Spiders and our favorite four hunters on the big screen together, even if some of them were just puppets.