Two of Chrollo's distinguishing features are his cross-shaped tattoo on his forehead and a pair of orb-shaped earrings. He is usually seen wearing a fur-collared leather and fur trench coat that is unbuttoned, revealing his muscular body, the coat is imprinted with the St. Peter's Cross on the back. Prior to the foundation of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo never wore his trademark coat, nor did he comb his hair backwards. When approaching Neon Nostrade in order to steal her Nen ability, he wears a blue blazer, with his hair hanging down naturally and the cross tattoo hidden behind a bandage wrapped around his forehead. His spider tattoo is located on his right arm in the 1999 anime series.
Chrollo Lucilfer is a calm and handsome young man and comes across as intelligent and charismatic. He seems to be a born leader, able to hold the Phantom Troupe together despite the volatile personalities that make it up, and is a very capable strategist. He always has at least two people with him, which is why Hisoka was unable to fight him. After he has admired the objects that he targeted and acquired, Chrollo sells everything. It is also stated that Chrollo likes antique books.
The only people Chrollo seems to care about are his fellow members in the Phantom Troupe. When Chrollo reads Neon's prophecy which contains Uvogin's death, he cries for him. Later on he orchestrates a massacre of Mafia members as a requiem to his fallen comrade. Besides that, he shows no fear of his own death, even anticipating it. Melody has stated that his heartbeat sounded as if he was happy living alongside death. To Chrollo, the Phantom Troupe is more important than his own life. He once stressed in a group meeting that the survival of the group comes before the well-being of the leader. To paraphrase him, the head of the spider is just another limb that can be sacrificed for the survival of the Spider.
Despite that, he is cold-blooded and not above inhuman mass murder, as he and all of his Troupe members (with possible exception of Bonolenov) casually and remorselessly commit those crimes, the best example being the massacre of the Kurta clan, were not only did he and the Troupe kill people regardless of age or gender, but only did so to acquire their eyes, and his usage of his Indoor Fish ability on a helpless assassin reflects his sadistic nature. There is also an implied hostility between Chrollo and Silva Zoldyck, most likely rooting from their previous encounter and Silva's killing of a Troupe member.
Very little is known about Chrollo's past except that he originated from Meteor City, a junkyard city inhabited by outcasts. People who live there do not exist in any official records and the existence of the city itself is known to a very few people. Sometime in the past, he formed the Phantom Troupe with six other Meteor City residents and left the city. Later, the group was joined by more members, in accordance with Chrollo's idea of a group comprising of exactly 13 members, including himself. It is unknown when and what the exact circumstances were but Chrollo has fought Silva Zoldyck once before their battle at the Yorknew Auction.