Killua VS Misaka

Killua VS Misaka is the 174th episode of Death Battle, featuring Killua Zoldyck from the Hunter × Hunter series and Misaka Mikoto from the A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun series in a battle between electrifying anime teens. Killua was voiced by Giselle Fernandez and Misaka was voiced by Finty Kelly.
==Interlude==
Wiz: Killua Zoldyck, Hunter × Hunter's prodigious lightning assassin.
Boomstick: Misaka Mikoto, Academy City's ace electric princess.
Wiz: Question: what is more terrifying than the all-powerful crackling might of lightning?
Boomstick: Lightning in the hands of cocky, hyper-talented... teenagers. Augh, the worst combination!
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
==Killua Zoldyck==
Wiz: The Zoldycks, a vicious family of assassins known the world over. So infamous for their killing techniques, a single photo of any member sells for millions.
Boomstick: You don't want to be the target of their next family outing. But like all families, there's bound to be a rebel.
Wiz: As was the case of the middle child, Killua.
Boomstick: They seriously named him "Kill"? Hardcore.
Wiz: Well, it might be a pun on the term "kilowatt", but "kill" is apt, given he's been trained in... "past-tensing" people since he was three.
Boomstick: I'll say! At age 14, he was strong enough to open a 64-ton door. Geez, what kind of workout did his family put him through? Somehow, it gave him sick skater skills, extendable claws, and Rhythm Echo, a technique that lets him fool people's senses with just his feet.
Wiz: More accurately, by manipulating the cadence of his footsteps, Killua can create an auditory illusion, capable of tricking even extrasensory abilities.
Boomstick: Killua was a heck of a prodigy. But, despite being able to effortlessly rip out hearts, his family still thought he wasn't cold-blooded enough.
Wiz: Fed up, he ran away. Not to the circus, but to the Hunter Association, an association of people who... hunt stuff. There, he tested himself in the Hunter's Exam and inevitably had gone head over heels for his new friend, Gon. Get it?
Boomstick: Oh god, Wiz, are you still takin' those waste of time improv classes?
Wiz: Yes, and... I think it's going pretty well!
Boomstick: Mhm! Killua's family didn't like him, uh, makin' friends. So, they sat him down and then calmly and politely tortured him mercilessly as punishment! It was only thanks to Gon that Killua finally convinced his old man to let him go out on adventures with his buddies.
Wiz: But this change of heart was no act of compassion. Killua's father saw his freedom as just another step in molding him into a better killer. And in some ways, he was right. Through his adventures, Killua learned Nen, an invisible life force that—
Boomstick: Yeah, yeah, it's ki. It's always ki.
Wiz: Actually, this one's a bit more complicated.
We cut to Wiz holding a wooden pointer.
Wiz: You see, Nen is utilized through four main principles. Ten, for containing your aura while defending from physical and mental attacks, Zetsu, for relieving fatigue and masking your presence, Ren, for bolstering strength and influencing emotions...
Boomstick: Eh, it's pretty standard so far.
Wiz suddenly tosses the pointer away in Boomstick's direction.
Wiz: And Hatsu, the unique way in which one's Nen is expressed. 
We cut back to the analysis.
Wiz: This comes in many forms, but all fall into one of six types, which represent how proficient a Nen user is at certain techniques.
Boomstick: Soooo, it's an RPG class system?
Wiz: More like a hybrid class system, because most users actually fall somewhere between two categories, giving them differing degrees of proficiency. Techniques from these Nen categories can even be further enhanced by adding rules to their use. Oh, then there are the advanced principles which—
We cut back to an info-overloaded Boomstick.
Boomstick: Oh God, okay, I get it.
Wiz: (excitedly) But we haven't even talked about Killua's Hatsu yet! Killua is a transmuter-enhancer, i.e., he specializes in transmuting his aura into different forms and enhancing the power of himself and others. He uses his Aura to—
Boomstick: (angrily) HE MAKES LIGHTNING!
Wiz looks distraught over Boomstick interrupting the enthusiastic lesson he was teaching. We then cut back to the analysis.
Wiz: Er... yes. In Killua's hand, lightning becomes a deadly weapon that he can fire down as a bolt, channel through his arms, or send through metal objects.
Boomstick: Like his super-alloy yo-yos. These bad boys weigh up to 50 Killua-grams! See, that's how you make a pun, Wiz. Packing enough force to shatter trees like I just shattered Wiz's confidence.
Wiz: Add in Killua's lightning and he can electrify anyone who touches them.
Boomstick: And this isn't some magicky-shmagicky lightning. His bolts have been identified as the real deal more than once.
Wiz: Meaning Killua is certainly as fast as actual lightning, especially when he uses it on himself to bust out Godspeed, a form that greatly amplifies his agility and power, letting him bypass his synapses to reflexively react to threats.
Boomstick: For regular folk, that much voltage would be too much, but thanks to Killua's training, he can shrug off over a million volts of electricity.
Wiz: He's also exceptionally crafty. In a Nen fight, every move matters, and strategy almost always triumphs, even against greater strength.
Boomstick: Killua used these powers to battle world-renowned thieves, bomber mercenaries, and... ants.
Wiz: That may not sound like much, but these Chimera Ants were brutal, murdering and eating people by the hundreds of thousands, then threatening billions. Reminds me of an old experiment... gone horribly wrong...
Boomstick: Killua understandably wanted to bail, but Gon pulled him back in, much to his frustration.
Wiz: Killua wanted to be there for Gon emotionally, but could not comprehend why he was risking so much against the Chimera Ants, going as far as becoming a monster.
Boomstick: In other words, Killua was crushin' really hard, but didn't know what to do about Gon's simple-minded impulsiveness. ...Iiiit didn't end well for anyone.
Wiz: It wasn't all doom and gloom though. Killua held his own against some of the Chimera Ants' best, surviving this forest-consuming blast from one of their captains.
Boomstick: Which, judging by its size, was worth several Killua-tons!
Wiz: And he later injured a top-ranking royal guard, Youpi.
Boomstick: Sure, he ran for the hills the moment Godspeed wore off, and isn't as strong as the weird... horse man, but even just damaging someone who can make a crater like this is nothin' to sniff at.
Wiz: But amidst all the fighting, Killua still could not get his family out of his mind. Literally.
Boomstick: As in, his brother, Illumi, put a needle in his head, forcing him to be controlled by self-preservation, ensuring he'd always run when victory isn't guaranteed. Wiz, you think you can call CPS for that?
Wiz: Thankfully, after some much needed self-surgery and self-reflection, Killua removed it, overcoming his mental barrier and ready to risk his life for those he cherishes.
Boomstick: Which he did when he finally got himself and his dear sister Alluka away from their demented family. He even brought Gon back from the brink of his creepy Nen coma.
Wiz: But despite how valuable Gon was as a friend, Killua realized his unhealthy dependence on him.
Boomstick: So he decided to travel with and protect Alluka, finally realizing what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Oh god... the tearful bro-mantic parting...
Wiz: Still, if Gon or Alluka ever need help, Killua is sure to come running.
Boomstick: Ready to Killua anyone dumb enough to mess with him or those he cares about.
==Misaka Mikoto==
Wiz: Academy City, a sprawling metropolis filled with schools where espers train to master their supernatural abilities.
Boomstick: Most of these youngins' dream of rivaling the best espers, but only a few are hard-workin' and smart enough to do it.
Wiz: Among them being Tokiwadai Middle School's Level 5 electromaster, Misaka Mikoto.
Boomstick: Level 5? So she's a Pokémon, but an anime girl.
Wiz: Each esper's power and utility is ranked, with Level 5 being the highest they can normally achieve.
Boomstick: And after workin' up to that level, Misaka became unstoppable. She can magnetize herself to metal, electrically enhance her physique, sense her surroundings through an electromagnetic radar, and generate billions of volts.
Wiz: In addition, she can make iron sand from disparate particles in the air to form tornadoes, body decoys, or a sword that vibrates at rapid speeds for enhanced cutting power.
Boomstick: Just what an anime girl needs: a chainsaw!... man. If she gets serious, Misaka can even make a friggin' six million ton kaiju out of it!
Wiz: With such tremendous power, Misaka put an end to many crimes, earning fear among criminals, admiration among her peers, and lots of personal pride in her abilities. There was nothing she couldn't overcome.
Boomstick: Nothing except the bane of all tsunderes: a frizzy-haired dumbass anime protagonist!
As Boomstick finishes his sentence, the music progressively fades in and out like a loop.
Wiz: Enter Kamijou Touma, a Level 0 nobody who Misaka could not harm, no matter how many times she tried.
Boomstick: (mockingly) "Augh, I hate you, but I secretly love you, and it'll work out in the end—" (normally) Shut up! But she'd have more than a dork like Touma to worry about. As amazing as Academy City is, it's more corrupt than New York real estate. Years ago, Misaka gave some shady scientists a sample of her DNA, being promised it'd help cure tons of fatal diseases.
Wiz: Instead, they made tens of thousands of clones of her, sending them all to be slaughtered one by one.
Boomstick: Specifically against another Level 5, an A-tier edgelord named Accelerator. By farmin' all these clones, they hoped he would finally get enough EXP to become a mythic Level 6. Is that seriously all it takes? How does this esper stuff work?
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick, the latter appearing annoyed again and pinching the bridge of his nose in response to Wiz's incoming explanation.
Wiz: Glad you asked! Espers represent the scientific side of the world, a side I'm oh-so-familiar with. All espers possess an involuntary movement, or AIM, Diffusion Field that manifests their power, letting them consciously alter reality.
Boomstick: Changing reality with your mind... Isn't that just magic?
Wiz: Au contraire, Boomstick, it's quite scientific. Look at Misaka's signature move: the Railgun. Many real-life railguns use a set of parallel conductors to generate Lorentz force. By envisioning imaginary rails between herself and her target, Misaka can create a similar yet greater effect, accelerating the speed and kinetic force of a projectile, usually a coin, into a concussive bullet. It's beautiful. It's science.
A brief moment of silence follows as Boomstick takes all the info in.
Boomstick: How long are you gonna be nerding out over this?
Wiz: (sadly) Come on, this is like my one thing...
We cut back to the analysis.
Wiz: Uhhh, where was I? Oh yeah! Thousands of dead clones. Traumatized by the endless slaughter, Misaka felt enormous guilt. You see it all the time with horrific experiments.
Boomstick: Sure, buddy.
Wiz: She worked for days to end the clone project, but concluded it would have to end... with her sacrifice.
Boomstick: But Touma butted in, giving Misaka the support she needed in her darkest hour, while also punching out albino Magneto with his esper-proof fist!
Wiz: Misaka had shouldered her burden for so long that she forgot how to rely on others. This wake-up call from her newfound crush was exactly what she needed.
Boomstick: But even with Accelerator decelerated, Misaka kept fighting Academy City's underbelly, all to protect her friends and free her sister clone she befriended. She dealt with a lot of trouble on the way, but had the power to do it.
Wiz: In her battle with a killer cyborg lady, Misaka conjured a city-spanning storm, which, by measuring the size of the cloud relative to the city, would require over 58 kilotons of energy to make.
Boomstick: (quickly) Killua-tons. (normally) She's also fought other Level 5s, not just Accelerator. She got into a middle school beef with a snobby telepath, fought this explosive weirdo, and dodged particle beams from an unhinged Karen.
Wiz: The electrons of which can accelerate to high relativistic speeds.
Boomstick: It's no shock, ah-ha..., Misaka's reactions are that fast, given her lightning has been stated to be lightspeed on five different occasions.
Wiz: More than just her powers though, Misaka's greatest asset is her intellect.
Boomstick: It might not look it, but high level espers constantly perform tons of nerd math just to make their powers work.
Wiz: And understanding other powers has been just as vital to Misaka's survival. Take her bout with a magic Valkyrie, Brunhild.
Boomstick: Remember when Wiz said espers were the science side of the world? Well, these weirdos are packin' the magic. A single mistake from Misaka could have meant death, but she still stalemated Brunhild.
Wiz: Now, Brunhild was still stronger and faster, but it is impressive Misaka was able to harm a Saint, who are normally only deployed against foes capable of leveling mountains. One such foe, Hel, froze 100 kilometers of ocean.
Boomstick: You'd think this means Misaka can take on all sorts of magical baddies. But alas, the power creep says otherwise.
Wiz: He's actually serious. When you're dealing with crazy magicians and magic gods, even a Level 5 esper struggles to keep up. Misaka valued her abilities so highly that she struggled to maintain her self-esteem when they weren't enough.
Boomstick: A shame Misaka cares so much about getting stronger when Touma appreciates her as a person first and foremost.
Wiz: While certainly a flaw, that ever persistent hard-headedness will also keep Misaka around, no matter the stakes.
Boomstick: So watch out, 'cause this pint-sized 14-year-old is quite literally a walking railgun!
==Prelude==
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. We've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!
==Death Battle==
On a calm moonlight night in the streets just outside Heavens Arena, Killua Zoldyck is taking a stroll through. He stops in his tracks to find a Gekota badge on the ground that belongs to Misaka Mikoto, who calls out to him from behind when he picks it up.
Misaka: Hey, that's mine! I've been looking for it all day. Give it here.
Killua's rebellious antics kick in, however, and he teasingly holds it out to her.
Killua: You want it? Heh. Come n' get it.
Growing impatient, the stubborn Misaka flips an arcade coin with her hand before catching it and imbuing it with electricity. With a flick, she sends it rocketing like a railgun full force in Killua's direction, who calmly and unflinchingly stays in place as it approaches. Though the projectile pushes him back, he casually catches the coin and inspects it briefly.
Killua: Coins, huh? I had a butler who used these.
He then dashes towards his foe, leaving the coin to fall to the ground. Misaka braces herself in defense ready to block a possible punch, but Killua instead grabs and zaps her. Misaka retaliates by shooting electricity from her head at him, but he quickly avoids it.
Misaka then finds herself circled and surrounded by visual mirages from Killua's Rhythm Echo, the real one of which immediately takes advantage of her off-guard state by striking her in the cheek from behind, drawing blood and causing her to spin briefly. She recovers and takes note of the noise she hears around her.
Misaka: (thinking) Focus! It's a trick of sound, not sight.
Misaka forms and tosses iron sand below some of Killua's mirages, until one's footsteps move the sand around.
Misaka: Gotcha!
She knocks the real deal away with an iron sand whip far into the sky before shooting a precise bolt of electricity at him, which strikes Killua mid-air and onto a rooftop. As he recovers, he sees Misaka leaping onto a rooftop opposite to him. They eye each other warily, silently debating their best plan of approach.
Misaka: (thinking) He's good at hand-to-hand. Better keep my distance...
Killua: (thinking) She has stronger lightning. Gotta get in close...
Killua and Misaka: (thinking) No problem.
Killua begins running before pulling out his skateboard to skate on the rooftops, while Misaka uses electromagnetism to pull a chunk of rubble off the building that she uses as a hoverboard. She shoots one bolt of electricity at Killua, which misses as the two speed on towards Heavens Arena.
Misaka halts herself on a rooftop to see Killua coming to a stop next to her. He looks up with surprise to see that she led him into a trap of an iron sand tornado. A yo-yo comes from the tornado and tangles around some architecture, which Killua uses to pull himself out of the tornado on his skateboard.
He then tosses his second yo-yo around a chimney that trajects itself towards Misaka. As she sees Killua's escape, she turns only to see his yo-yo headed right for her face, surprising her.
Misaka: (thinking) Uah! No time to brake!
In her panic, Misaka launches herself into the air with her electromagnetism just in time to dodge, and her rush of speed sends her to the side of Heavens Arena, where she attaches herself to the building with enough force to crater where she lands.
Meanwhile, Killua ends up getting entangled in his own yo-yo thanks to Misaka's electromagnetic control over them. She then uses her ability to throw Killua off the building with his skateboard.
Misaka: Now's my chance.
She flips a coin and tries her luck again with another pinpoint Railgun attack, but Killua taps into Godspeed to break free of his own yo-yos and dodge. He then jolts towards Heavens Arena, grabbing and bringing Misaka further up with him.
Killua: You don't know when to quit!
He slams Misaka before throwing her to a higher altitude. She forms an iron sand sword and the two engage in close combat, where it is clear Killua's speed is giving him the edge. As the two power up and charge at each other, a lightning explosion occurs, which switches to a slow-mo shot of Killua pounding Misaka's face in, sending her flying.
As Killua halts his descent with his claws on the side of the building, he notices the lights of all the nighttime buildings flickering before a large hand of iron sand makes its presence known: Misaka has formed an iron sand giant. She prepares another more powerful Railgun blast with the giant right at Killua's location.
Misaka: Catch this!
After the projectile launches, Killua leaps onto the electric blast just before it reaches him and uses it to leap skyward, leaving the blast to decimate the entire top half of Heavens Arena. Killua quickly notices a game-changing detail about Misaka's creation.
Killua: She's keeping this thing together with electromagnetism... meaning it can be disrupted!!
Channeling a large majority of Nen, enough so to briefly show the signature white snake of his Aura that covers the moon, Killua calls down a massive lightning bolt that disassembles the giant, leaving Misaka to fall in shock. Killua quickly bolts down towards her and rips out her heart with his claws. He smiles in contentment at his victory but immediately notices something is amiss with the heart.
Killua: Wait a minute...!
He looks back and sees that Misaka dissipates into iron sand: it was a body decoy. Suddenly, the "heart" that Killua is holding disperses into iron sand as well, surprising him. He tries to pry the iron sand off but is not fast enough and screams as the iron sand encases his whole body and compresses tightly, preventing him from moving as he continues to fall. Meanwhile, the real Misaka is flicking a coin down below on the street, calculating the trajectory of her next attack.
Misaka: Distance, 35 meters. Altitude, 45... 40... now.
She fires one last Railgun, which travels full speed towards her encased foe. It connects, causing the screaming Killua's torso to be obliterated and his body to explode into pieces. Misaka falls to the ground, exhausted as blood rains down on her. She then notices her prized Gekota badge fall into her open right hand, causing her to let out a relieved chuckle of joy as the screen cuts to black.
==Results==
Wiz: (amazed) The angle...! The electromagnetism...! The science...! It's... It's...! (breathes in)
Boomstick: Alright, take a breather there, champ!
Wiz: Phew. While Killua's assassin training made him a vicious threat, Misaka's abilities and know-how gave her the counters she needed in this mind-numbing battle of wits.
Boomstick: Killua could survive Killua-ton level blasts, and given some leeway, could scale to Youpi, whose crater feat was worth 18 megatons of TNT.
Wiz: Impressive, but the storm Misaka created beat anything Killua has done directly, and given similar scaling to Brunhild, who Misaka not only harmed but stalemated, her output could reach hundreds of megatons of TNT, meaning no matter which numbers are used, Misaka would always have the advantage in raw electrical power.
Boomstick: No surprise there. Killua may have shrugged off a million volts of electricity, but Misaka can dish out and survive billions.
Wiz: Still, both characters have contended with and harmed stronger opponents, and the two power systems they work under have allowed weaker opponents to defeat stronger ones in the past.
Boomstick: So might alone wouldn't net either a win. Plus, Killua was way better at hand-to-hand and physically stronger.
Wiz: Knowing his crafty assassin skills, things could have gone south for Misaka if she wasn't careful.
Boomstick: But, fortunately for the Railgun, she was. Her fight with Brunhild shows she knows how to deal with tough up-close threats while keepin' her distance.
Wiz: And being able to dodge particle beams meant Misaka was more than fast enough to react to even Killua's lightning-quick speed.
Boomstick: Add to that her bigger pool of powers and she had plenty of ways to counter Rhythm Echo, sense Killua's lightning, or just pin him in place long enough to pull off a Railgun finisher. Killua's strong, but he wasn't gonna out-muscle six million tons of iron sand.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Wiz: Killua was a prodigy in all things Nen, lightning, and... killing, but Misaka's varied electro powers, quick reflexes, and scientific brilliance let her cash in a win.
Boomstick: But hey, at least she let Killua... keep the change. She Killua-d him!
Boomstick pulls out and tosses an arcade coin that he catches, leaving Wiz to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration at the puns used before we cut to the "Winner" card.
Wiz: The winner is Misaka Mikoto.
==Comparison==
===Killua===
:+ Physically stronger
:+ Better at close range...
:- ...but too slow to close the gap
:- Can't survive her full power
:- Straightforward arsenal
===Misaka===
:+ More powerful electricity
:+ Faster reaction & attack speed
:+ Better at long-range
:+ More versatile abilities & counters
:- Can't compete in hand-to-hand
==Original Track==
===Composition===
The track for this fight is "Change × of × Heart" by Therewolf Media. It begins with a small and calm guitar riff of "Tell Me", one of Killua's character themes, before transitioning into a high-octane rock n' roll track that combines electronic bits and melodies of "only my railgun" and "future gazer", both openings from the A Certain Scientific Railgun anime. The ending instrumentation and melody also resembles "Why Is Misaka Mikoto Here?" from A Certain Scientific Railgun T.
===Title===
The title refers to how both combatants had a personality change over the course of their series. It also refers to Misaka's arcade coins (since coins are often referred to as "change") and Killua's infamous act of ripping out Johness' heart. The ×'s in the title are a reference to the naming convention of Hunter × Hunter episodes, where ×'s are seen between the words of the title.
===Cover Art===
The cover art done by John Mitchell depicts the snake from Killua's aura surrounded with blue electricity about to bite one of Misaka's coins, which has ricocheted off the snake's tail, leaving a yellow electric trail.
==Trivia==
===Production===
*The core connections between Killua and Misaka are that they are both egotistical teenage anime heroes with electrokinetic abilities who are considered child prodigies and hail from reputable standings (Killua is the heir to the infamous Zoldyck Family, while Misaka is considered the ace at the prestigious Tokiwadai Middle School). Both are known for having high-level intellect with calculative fighting styles, with their signature weapons being mundane everyday objects that they augment with electricity (yo-yos and arcade coins, respectively), and their powers deriving from a special energy form unique to their universes (Nen and AIM Diffusion Fields, respectively). In addition:
**Both have a friendly rivalry with the central protagonist of their series (Gon Freecss and Kamijou Touma, respectively).
**Both are known for being extremely protective of their sisters (Alluka Zoldyck and the Sisters, respectively). 
*This is the only episode of Season 10 in which its YouTube version was uploaded directly to the site and not through an upcoming premiere.
*This is the second episode where pop-up boxes are not relegated to just the top right corner, after Skyrim VS Dark Souls, and with the next one being Stitch VS Rocket Raccoon.
*When Boomstick mentions the corruption of Academy City in Misaka's analysis, a small clip of kids around a table is briefly shown in one shot before cutting to a caution warning and then an empty lab. However, her analysis preview originally had subtitles over said lab shot, mentioning that "those kids died". This was removed in the episode's final release, likely to avoid giving out spoilers for Misaka's respective animes.
*Although Killua and Misaka's electricity colors are both depicted as aqua blue in their home series (as seen in the anime clips during their analyses and the post-analysis), Misaka's electricity is yellow in the fight animation. This was likely a creative decision made by the animation team in order to easily differentiate the use of the combatants' abilities throughout the fight.
*This episode makes a cameo appearance in Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor, as the climactic scene of Killua about to strike down Misaka's iron sand giant in their fight can be seen playing on one of the "Death Battle Arcade Battle" arcade cabinets in the Blips and Chitz that Rick Sanchez and the Doctor wound up in partway through their fight.
*At the beginning of the season, a teaser trailer was released which included multiple hints for this episode:
**Footage of a lightning strike in the "ALL YEAR ROUND" text, hinting toward how both combatants are electrokinetic.
**A Gravity Falls-inspired zodiac wheel with 16 symbols on it, each representing and hinting toward an episode in the season. After the release of the Season Finale, the Death Battle YouTube channel began revealing the answers to the zodiac wheel by posting the answers in pinned comments under the symbols' respective episodes. This episode was revealed to be represented by the dollar sign.💲💲💲MONEY💲💲💲 This is because of how money relates to both combatants; the Zoldyck family is extremely rich and Killua has been shown to have a gambling problem, while Misaka uses arcade coins as her main weapon. While subtle, the latter was also part of the fight track's name (Change × of × Heart) and Boomstick's pun at the end of the post-analysis ("But hey, at least she let Killua... keep the change."), which could've further hinted towards this.
**A cryptogram, which, when decrypted using the key "MELEE", read "X people out, but keep it silent". This hinted toward Killua's status as an assassin (thus crossing/X'ing people out on a hit list) and how the "×" in Hunter × Hunter is silent, as well as how the more shady parts of Academy City (namely Accelerator killing enough of the Sisters to become a Level 6 Esper) were kept under wraps, while the key of "MELEE" relates to Killua's physical fighting prowess.
===Easter Eggs===
*When Boomstick is talking about lightning-using teenagers in the interlude, the Miles Morales running from Miguel O'Hara meme from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is shown.
**Lightning from Total Drama is also shown as a play on his name, since he does not actually have lightning powers.
**Enel's memetic shocked face is also shown in the interlude before the camera cuts to the hosts.
*In Killua's analysis, the pop-up box that appears during his "Nen" slide mentions that Hisoka's Bungee Gum possesses the properties of both rubber and gum, a fact that Hisoka is known for frequently stating and has become a meme amongst Hunter × Hunter fans.
*In Killua's analysis, the footage of Killua shocking Sub with his yo-yos features one of Tom Cat's many famous screams from Tom and Jerry edited into the scene.
*Boomstick noting how Misaka's "a Pokémon, but an anime girl" in her analysis is accompanied by Pokkén Tournament gameplay footage featuring a Pikachu player with Misaka's head over Pikachu's face and the name "Jukem" (the username of one of the researchers for the show and the main researcher for Killuahttps://twitter.com/Jukem254/status/1665818451598798851) and an opponent with the name "OfxrEHTileUzm", which, when deciphered using an Atbash cipher decoder, translates to "LuciVSGrovFan", a reference to the fact that Jukem is a fan of Lucina from Fire Emblem VS Grovyle from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon as a matchup.
**This references Jukem's victory at an official Pokkén tournament and does not indicate any confirmation of the matchup.
**This is the first time this matchup has been referenced, with the next two being Guts VS Dimitri and Bowser VS Eggman.
**During the Tournament of Champions later that year, Lucina VS Grovyle would be one of the matchups available to vote on for Week 6, though it lost to X VS Optimus Primal.
*Misaka's "Background" slide mentioning that she dislikes vending machines is a reference to her habit of kicking one that has bad springs in order to get free soft drinks.
*Boomstick unsubtly name-drops the Chainsaw Man series in Misaka's analysis after Wiz brings up her ability to create a sharp rapidly-vibrating sword with iron sand.
**While this name-drop was likely a coincidence, Chainsaw Man would end up making its official debut on the show later in the second half of the season this episode took place in.
*Misaka's "" meme appears on the Death Battle Lab's monitor during her analysis cutaway when Boomstick questions the logic of AIM Diffusion Fields. The Ibai Llanos explaining things meme also plays on the monitor at the end of the cutaway.
*Boomstick calls Accelerator "albino Magneto" in Misaka's analysis. Not only is this a name-drop to reference the X-Men character, but it may also be a nod to how Magneto VS Accelerator is a popular matchup within the Death Battle community, even after Magneto's debut on the show the season prior.
**Brandon Yates had previously made a commissioned "What If?" track for this matchup called "Accelerated Magnetism" prior to the release of this episode.
*The substitute image for Hel in Misaka's analysis is actually a silhouette of Acerola from Pokémon Sun and Moon.
**If one looks closely at the bottom right corner of the text box containing the extract describing Hel freezing over 100 kilometers of ocean, the words "glacius could never" can be faintly seen. This is a reference to an old inside joke within the Death Battle community involving a supposed feat of Glacius freezing a lake in an arctic environment, even though said environment would mean the lake would already be frozen to begin with. A transparent sprite of Glacius can also be seen on the left-hand side of the screen during this moment.
*Killua catching Misaka's fired arcade coin from her first Railgun right before it connects with his head at the start of the fight is a reference to his fight with the Ortho Siblings.Ranking Every Death Battle Episode (Finale Part 1)
**Right after this, Killua mentions he had a butler who also weaponized coins, referring to Gotoh.
*Killua noting to himself how he needs to get in close to attack Misaka due to her stronger lightning is a nod to his character arc of choosing to fight instead of running away after removing Illumi's mind-controlling needle.
*Killua wrapping one of his yo-yos around a smokestack to try and hit Misaka with a surprise attack is a reference to this moment during his fight with Sub.
**Misaka jumping out of the way of this attack and crashing into the side of Heavens Arena as a result is a reference to her fight with Frenda Seivelun, where a similar situation occurs.
*The fight turning monochromatic after Killua rips out the heart of Misaka's iron sand decoy is a reference to the end of Kurapika's fight with Uvogin, albeit with the "blood" from the decoy not being red to clue viewers in on the impending reveal.
===Other===
*This is the 18th Anime-themed episode, after Zoro VS Erza, Natsu VS Ace, Lucario VS Renamon, Naruto VS Ichigo, Jotaro VS Kenshiro, Roshi VS Jiraiya, Sasuke VS Hiei, Mob VS Tatsumaki, All Might VS Might Guy, Gray VS Esdeath, Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, Sanji VS Rock Lee, DIO VS Alucard, Madara VS Aizen, Tanjiro VS Jonathan Joestar, Deku VS Asta, and Gogeta VS Vegito, and with the next three being Gojo VS Makima, Mahito VS Shigaraki, and Ash VS Yugi.
*This is the 24th Male VS Female-themed episode, after Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2010), Yoshi VS Riptor, Justin Bieber VS Rebecca Black, Starscream VS Rainbow Dash, Gaara VS Toph, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Dante VS Bayonetta, Meta VS Carolina, Tracer VS Scout, Zoro VS Erza, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Lara Croft VS Nathan Drake, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Carnage VS Lucy, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Mob VS Tatsumaki, Gray VS Esdeath, Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, The Seven Battle Royale, Red VS Blue, Shadow VS Ryuko, and Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly, and with the next one being Gojo VS Makima.
**This is the 15th time that the Female wins, after Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2010), Starscream VS Rainbow Dash, Gaara VS Toph, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Meta VS Carolina, Tracer VS Scout, Lara Croft VS Nathan Drake, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Carnage VS Lucy, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Mob VS Tatsumaki, Gray VS Esdeath, Red VS Blue, and Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly.
*This is the fourth Electricity-themed episode, after Thor VS Raiden, Pikachu VS Blanka, and Miles Morales VS Static.
*This is the seventh episode in which Wiz comments on the results of the fight before Boomstick, after Fox McCloud VS Bucky O'Hare, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Donkey Kong VS Knuckles, Flash VS Sonic, Excalibur VS Raiden and Ant-Man VS Atom, and with the next three being Scooby-Doo VS Courage the Cowardly Dog, Galactus VS Unicron, and Bowser VS Eggman.
*This episode .
==References==
Category:Death Battles
Category:'Protagonists' themed Death Battles
Category:'Heroes' themed Death Battles
Category:Season 10 Episodes
Category:'Anime' themed Death Battles
Category:'Male VS Female' themed Death Battles
Category:'Element' themed Death Battles
Category:'Hero VS Anti-Hero' themed Death Battles
Category:Trending Death Battles
Category:'90s VS 00s' themed Death Battles
Category:Animated Sprite battles
Category:Death Battles with comparisons
Category:Fights with voice actors
Category:Fights animated by Luis
Category:Fights animated by Zack
Category:Fights animated by Kiid