Hump Day Husbandos: Uvogin (Hunter x Hunter)

We have hit the midpoint of the week already and I’m feeling rather disrespectful for today’s Hump Day Husbando piece. (Uh-oh – Ed.) So I want to talk about Uvogin. I woke up and chose violence today, what can I say?

As such, I will be showcasing the other extreme of my taste in husbandos this time with yet another questionable trashbando of mine, because there is nothing quite like having to defend one of your favourite characters from those who think how distractingly attractive they are is never a substantial enough reason to love them. Here’s to Hunter x Hunter’s Uvogin, the literal polar opposite of my other favourite male from the series.

Warning: Spoilers mentioned.

Who is Uvogin?

Uvogin is the 11th member of the Phantom Troupe, one of the first major antagonistic organisations to appear in the series. First seen properly in the Yorknew City arc as the key players causing absolute manic fear, chaos and carnage, this is where Uvogin’s particularly terrifying character quirks can be enjoyed to the fullest. The deal with Uvogin is that he’s a barbaric, boisterous, hot-headed, monstrously strong tower-scraper of a man with off the scale Enchancer-type Nen abilities.

It goes without saying that my affinity for fictional guys who would absolutely threaten to rough me up but who hide a soft spot for a select few in their lives or, dare I say it, actually be a good guy underneath the rough exterior is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Most of that is not exactly all that accurate to say in relevance to Uvogin however – the lengthy list of all the crimes he has actively partaken in is obviously not a great look – but with rose tinted glasses directed his way, it sure does enough to validate what little respect I have for myself. (I’m saying nothing – Ed.)

Why we love him

When killing people is your hobby and you get the biggest kick out of any fight by annihilating those on a quest for revenge, being stupid strong and thus able to come out of countless violent encounters alive is bound to be a necessity. Luckily, Uvogin has no issues there.

While he most certainly is a monster in terms of brute strength, he is absolutely not the brains of the group — or so it seems, anyway. He goes into fights headfirst, without even giving any thought to potential tactics or power moves by planning ahead of any given battle. He is quite simply that confident and sure of himself, and his outward appearance and boisterous personality actually helps him hide a few cards up his sleeve. That’s because for both the audience and characters alike, they will quickly learn that Uvogin is anything but a knucklehead really.

His actions never stop being surprising, because it turns out he is not actually representative of the “no brains, all brawn” archetype. For example, at the very same time he completely crushes three of the Shadow Beasts, a collective of the ten strongest Nen users within the Mafia Community all on his own, he comes up with creative ways of downing them despite the tables being completely turned against him. This single scene makes for one of the most memorable battles of the entire show for how one lone human defeats such a hyped up group of fighters. It was a well and truly a heart racing spectacle.

Why you will love him

It goes without saying just how impressive he is as a fighter for this one scene alone. But outside of battle, the surprises of his character keep on coming. Uvogin holds some genuinely, unexpectedly considerate values, and get this, plenty of indications in actually bearing a moral compass of his own. It’s one thing that he is not materialistic in the slightest as he instead fights to prove his loyalty to the Phantom Troupe at all times. He’s not in it for any purpose other than for upholding the genuine connections he has as a member of this group — one he sees as his own family.

This is further indicated by how he fights more successfully when battling alongside a fellow Phantom Troupe member, due to feeling the need to protect his comrade. His relationships with the members of the Phantom Troupe are highlights in themselves, too. For example, his brotherly rivalry with Nobunaga and very obvious care towards and appreciation for Shalnark shows some delightful on-screen chemistry.

It makes Uvogin’s final stand all the more impactful as he retains such unwavering loyal to the Phantom Troupe, choosing to not provide any information to Kurapika before he is killed. It quite simply solidifies just how much of a good guy he was to his found family.

For what little we get of him in the end, Uvogin was such an entertaining character to watch. He is so rough around the edges in every meaning of the phrase. He is a powerhouse of an Enhancer user, yet his sheer strength is what makes him weak, since he has not honed any particular skills and prefers just throwing punches.

Even his own downfall is ironic, since he actively seeks revenge for his own wounded ego after getting captured. He brings about his own untimely death by pursuing it, and for that alone makes for a surprisingly hard hitting gut-punch when a character as charismatic and exciting as he was exits the stage for the last time.

Do yourself a favour and start watching the anime on Crunchyroll if you have yet to do so. Do it for Uvogin’s scenes alone, and as the only reason needed to watch the anime in Dub because Patrick Seitz is an icon.

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