"Spells that could cure any ills... restore youth... things I desperately needed. These miracles were possible by clearing the game. I sought all the information I could, and used my influence to hide the game's details from the rest of the world. But... it's over. It doesn't matter anymore." — Battera to Tsezguerra, Barry, Kess, and Rodriot, in "Three-Way Struggle: Part 5" |
Battera (バッテラ, Battera) is a multi-billionaire who spent a lot of his fortune to buy as many copies of the game Greed Island as he could afford.[1]
Appearance[]
Battera is an old man with grey hair and pale skin. He is often seen wearing a suit with a bow tie and a rose on his left side.
Personality[]
Battera is a deeply committed person, spending more than half of his fortune to ensure that the woman he loved would wake from her coma, which lasted at least 13 years. Throughout that time, he managed to hide his feelings for his fiancée from the press and the public, simply declaring that he wanted to obtain Greed Island out of love. He is an amenable man, who was willing to believe Gon and Killua were really Hunters even after they failed to show their license, and calmly explained his situation to them. When his fiancée died, he was distraught to the point of shutting himself away from others and canceling the reward he had offered.
Background[]
When he had already passed his prime, Battera and a young woman fell in love. Not wanting anyone to think that she was after his money, she refused all expensive gifts and instead accepted only a picture frame Battera clumsily crafted himself. Just when he was about to donate all his assets and marry her, she was involved in an accident and fell into a coma. Battera hired the best doctors, but all they could do was keep her on life support. He eventually heard of spells from Greed Island that could cure all ills and restore one's youth.[2] In 1988, one year after the game came out, he offered 
17 billion for a Greed Island cartridge, and 50 billion to anyone who completed it, but no one stepped forward. The reward remained in effect as of September 1999.[1] After that, he used all his power and influence to hide the game's details from the rest of the world.[2] Between 1988 and 1999, he managed to secure 31 Greed Island game discs and hired more than 100 Hunters, both professional and amateur. Their inability to not only complete the game but also to return to the real world prompted him to hire Tsezguerra—a Single-Star Jackpot Hunter—at some point before February 1999, who was also tasked with conducting player tryouts.[3]
Plot[]
Greed Island arc[]
Battera winning a copy of Greed Island
On September 6th, Battera attends the Southernpiece Auction in order to win a copy of the game Greed Island. Briefly interviewing him, a news reporter inquires his reason for wanting to get the game, and Battera replies that it's simply for love.[4] Battera's auction number was #16 and during the auction he has a heated auction-off with attendee #17, Milluki Zoldyck, but the multi-billionaire ultimately wins the copy of the game for 30.5 billion.[note 1] After the auction, Battera's partner, Tsezguerra, states his displeasure with the winning bid, but Battera assures him that it was worth it. The two are then approached by Gon and Killua, who express interest in playing the game. Although they claim to be professional Hunters, but have no license to prove it, Battera believes that they are not ordinary people since they were able to make it into the auction house. He is convinced that it's worth examining whether they are able to pass the test to play the game after they mention that they have a ring and save file of the game. Tsezguerra then observes their Ren and claims that if they entered the game, they would certainly die.[5]
Gon and Killua showcasing their Ren to Battera and Tsezguerra
Hearing Tsezguerra's response makes the boys distraught, but Battera explains that he currently owns 32 copies of the game and why people have to have their abilities tested in order to play. He also mentions that he will soon procure seven more copies and will be hiring more players to try and complete it. He tells them that the test will be held on September 10th and take place in the auction house after the final auction is held. Adamant, the boys claim that they will retake the test and pass. As the two boys leave, Battera asks Tsezguerra again what he thinks of the boys, and Tsezguerra replies that his opinion on them is the same, but he adds that a lot can change in four days.[3] From September 7th-10th, Battera attends the auctions as attendee #33 & #51 and wins copies of Greed Island for 27.8 billion and 60.2 billion. Although Battera won all seven copies of Greed Island, it's said that he halved his entire fortune at the auction house.[6]
With the last Greed Island player transported into the game, Battera asks Tsezguerra's opinion on the current batch of players, and Tsezguerra compliments them, saying that he will need to stay on his toes.[7] A couple of months pass since the boys and Tsezguerra entered the game, and a morose Battera sits on a sofa in his mansion in front of a large TV as he cries a stream of tears.[8] When Tsezguerra returns to the real world and learns from Sabazushi about what has occurred, he tries to confront Battera confined inside his room. Battera says that his lawyers will compensate him for his time and that he wishes to be alone.[9]
Battera confessing his reasons for wanting people to play and beat Greed Island
A week passes, and Tsezguerra with his comrades manage to get into Battera's room. Battera keeps a tacit demeanor until Tsezguerra asks about a picture of a young woman and what her relation to him is. Battera finally reveals that the woman in the picture is his lover, who has been hospitalized for a long time until several days ago when she died in her sleep. He goes on to explain what kind of person she was and how they wanted to start a new life together, but a strange twist of fate put her in a coma. Since no hospital could improve her condition, but only keep her alive, he found out about a game called Greed Island where it had a panacea and something that could restore his youth, but because of her death, he tearfully says that it all doesn't matter anymore.[2]
Manga Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Battera's name is the same as and probably comes from バッテラ (battera), a famous type of oshizushi ("pressed sushi") with mackerel cured with salt and vinegar. This food is alternatively called saba-zushi or sabazushi (saba, 鯖 or サバ being the Japanese name for mackerel fish)—like the name of Battera's employee, Sabazushi.
Translations around the World[]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
 Arabic
|
باتيرا | |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 8, Chapter 69
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 17, Chapter 174
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 122
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 120
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 121
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 13, Chapter 124
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 14, Chapter 128
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 17, Chapter 172
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 17, Chapter 173
Notes
- ↑ In the Viz version of Chapter 121, the price at which Battera won the G.I. game is mistranslated as "3.05 billion" instead of "30.5 billion" (the correct translation of the Japanese text "３０５億").