So Killua's hesitance to fight anyone who might be stronger than him isn't a consequence of his upbringing. His family didn't raise him to be cautious, which makes perfect sense for an assassin. He's not a fighter. He's a killer. He's always gone for quick finishes and isn't interested in growing stronger like Gon until very recently. This all squared with what we knew about him as a person and set the stage for some interstin character development.
But let's throw all of that out and say his brother literally hacked his thoughts with a needle in his brain.
What a fucking copout
I haven't been this mad at a shounen series since Pain's mass revival in Naruto.
Not to mention Togashi's weird hangup for what feels like filler right in the middle of a potentially world-shaking Chimera Ant explosion now that the Queen isn't around to keep most of them in check. I don't care about Palm and Gon's date while the world is at stake. I don't see the point in Gon dropping Knuckle with his Rock attack during their first scuffle, only for Knuckle to wipe the floor with him in all of their subsequent fights. Am I suddenly supposed to take him seriously when the introduction to that character made him out to be a total jobber? And why are the Extermination Squad suddenly so cool with letting these Chimera Ants go when they are, by their nature, a species that preys upon humans? Just because Kolt got sentimental? They're literal monsters. These guys are flat out called the Extermination Squad.
What even is this arc?
This is maddening.