While the Hunter Association in the world of Hunter X Hunter may provide its Hunters with unlimited opportunities, some Nen users still turn to crime, like the Phantom Troupe. And, they’re no joke, considering their members — called Spiders — have Class-A Bounties on their heads. As a result, their activities aren’t just infamous across the world, but they have a fearsome reputation as well.
In fact, the Phantom Troupe remains a fan favorite amongst Hunter x Hunter fans primarily because its members are so well designed and well-written. Well, that and the fact that Kurapika, a main cast member, made it their life goal to hunt the Phantom Troupe down. Which, thinking back, makes it extra odd that Gon hangs out with (and so often forgives) the current Troupe member Hisoka. However, some members of the Phantom Troupe just dominate the others in terms of power level.
Updated November 13, 2021, by Jacob Buchalter: The list of Shonen anime/manga villains is always growing, with new larger-than-life ner do wells being added to the mix all the time. Whether it’s the League of Villains from My Hero Academia, the Special-Grade Curses from Jujutsu Kaisen, or even the Demons in Demon Slayer, the villains must be memorable.
Yet, out of all of these groups, Hunter x Hunter’s Phantom Troupe is still one of the all-time best. So, let’s go through each and every member, talk about their abilities, and see how they stack up compared to each other.
15 Kortopi: A Prodigy-Level Conjurer
Starting things off with one of the more mysterious Phantom Troupe members, Kortopi was the twelfth person, or “Spider”, to join the group. He is not at all shy about admitting he’s the weakest member in terms of physical strength. But, this is Hunter X Hunter where raw physical power doesn’t mean anything in the face of a truly powerful Nen technique.
Sadly, Kortopi’s Hatsu technique is also not very suited for combat, as it basically boils down to him being able to create perfect copies of non-living objects with his Conjuration-type Nen energy. But, it should be noted that his mastery of Conjuration is almost unparalleled and he also had an unreal amount of Nen Energy at his disposal. With this energy, Kortopi is able to create “perfect” replicas of just about anything, including entire buildings.
14 Pakunoda: The Memory-Altering Specialist
Like Kortopi, Pakunoda is a very useful member of the Phantom Troupe, but her Nen techniques aren’t exactly suited for combat. All of her abilities are of the “Specialist” category, and they’re all centered around the concept of memories. As fans can see in one of the best episodes of the series, using her Nen, Pakunoda could read a person’s memories, overwrite them, and even transmit memories to others as if it were data using “Memory Bomb”, a technique in which she conjures “bullets” made of Nen that hold the memories in question.
All of these powers are obscenely useful for an organization so centralized on secrecy like the Phantom Troupe, but they aren’t exactly “combat-type” powers. Obviously, because she could use Nen, Pakunoda had already long surpassed the normal realm of strength, speed, and durability compared to other humans. But, compared to the other Troupe members, she’s a bit weak.
13 Franklin Bordeau: What If Frankenstein’s Monster Had Guns For Fingers?
People are right to associate the hulking Franklin Bordeau with the concept of sheer power. In terms of physical strength, Franklin ranks fourth amongst the Troupe’s membership. However, he prefers to pair his immense strength with a penchant for long-ranged combat to cover all bases.
Franklin himself possesses already remarkable strength and stamina, paired with speed and reflexes. As an Emitter, Franklin can utilize his aura to release it in various forms. He prefers to release Nen-bullets through barrels in his fingers, which he could’ve done without cutting his fingertips off, but because of how Hatsu techniques work, doing this extra commitment actually makes his Hatsu stronger.
12 Kalluto Zoldyck: The Manipulating Zoldyck Paper-Boy
Being one of the esteemed children of the Zoldyck family (where Killua, Gon’s best friend, comes from) means that Kalluto is already superhuman in many ways, even before using Nen. However, Kalluto himself admits that he’s the weakest member of the Troupe, at least to the group of members currently around him. Interestingly, this doesn’t mean Kalluto underestimates his strength.
As an assassin, Kalluto already possesses advanced speed, agility, various elemental resistances, and weapons specialization. Kalluto can create afterimages of himself with Rhythm Echo, an advanced assassination technique. In terms of Nen, Kalluto is a Manipulator, which is great for an assassin, and seems to theme all of his abilities around paper dolls. His Surveillance Paper Dolls allow him to “bug” people with a paper doll in their likeness that lets him hear everything near that person. And, surprisingly, these paper techniques are actually quite useful in combat, so much so that Kalluto plays around with the Chimera Ant (leftovers from the absurdly long Chimera Ant arc that had just recently ended) that comes after him for a time before finally deciding to end things.
11 Nobunaga Hazama: The Iaido Master With A Knack For Enhancer Techniques
Having the appearance of a traditional samurai, Nobunaga Hazama and his trusty katana already imply some degree of battle finesse. In terms of sheer strength, he ranks ninth among the group. However, his skill lies in speed rather than raw power, and his Nen technique with his sword is almost unparalleled in the right situation.
At his core, Nobunaga is a swordsman, capable of using his enhanced physical traits, preternatural perception, and observation techniques to maintain control in combat. As an Iaido specialist, Nobunaga can quickly draw his blade, make a lethal strike, and place it back on its scabbard within a micro-second. Befitting his combat specialty is his Nen nature as an Enhancer, boasting a powerful aura he could potentially use to enhance his physical abilities. His real specialty comes from his En, an advanced Nen technique where he “projects” his aura in a sphere around him. And, if anyone enters Nobunaga’s sphere, they are cut down before they can blink, the only downside being that he’s basically standing still while he waits for them to enter his En.
10 Shizuku Murasaki: A Conjuration-Specialist With A Magic Vacuum
The Specialist category of Nen abilities always seems to involve the weirdest powers, so it’s obvious why so many people assumed that Shizuku was a Specialist with her running around using a magical vacuum cleaner (named “Blinky”), but she’s actually a Conjurer. That said, unlike Kortopi, Shizuku is adept at close-combat and her Conjuration-type Hatsu is versatile enough that it solves problems both in and out of combat.
She’s got a great battle sense, seems to have admirable speed compared to the other Phantom Troupe members, and her Hatsu allows her to tackle fights in a myriad of different ways. Plus, given that Blinky can literally pull all the blood out of a person’s body (this really isn’t a show for kids), it’s obvious that Ms. Murasaki deserves a decently high spot on the list.
9 Machi Komacine: The Troupe’s Healer & Transmuter Specialist
Machi Komacine has the appearance of a feudal Japan kunoichi, and this feudal style is what most of the Phantom Troupe seem to fit into as well. And, her appearance makes sense, given her absurd speed and dexterity. When combined with her enhanced strength and endurance, Machi is a terrifying combatant. She also possesses an incredible degree of muscle control, displaying resistance from otherwise fatal injuries. In terms of strength, she is ranked sixth among the Troupe’s members.
However, perhaps more interesting would be her Nen. As a Transmuter, she “transmutes” her Nen energy into threads, and she specializes in using these Nen threads to do a variety of things. With Nen Stitches, Machi demonstrated the ability to not just heal injuries but even reattach severed limbs with ease. But, she can also control people using them, restrain just about anyone, cut just about anything, and much more. Truly, Machi deserves a spot along the rest of the criminally shortlist of strong anime women.
8 Bonolenov Ndongo: An All-Rounder Musical Warrior
Despite his mummy boxer appearance, Bonolenov Ndongo ranks eighth among the ranks of the Troupe. Bonolenov is famous not just for his enhanced strength but also for his incredible speed and reflexes. Thanks to his agility, stamina, and showmanship, Bonolenov not only dashes into combat, he does so gracefully as well, which makes sense, given that he comes from the fictional tribute of Gyudondond, who are world-renowned for the dance-like combat style.
In terms of Nen, Bonolenov proved strong enough to use more than two Nen types. However, he does incorporate this in combat - often using the self-made holes in his body to create unique sounds via Battle Cantabile to conjure Nen weapons, armor, and more. With The Prologue tune, he can conjure various combat gear upon himself. Meanwhile, Jupiter summons a giant sphere with the appearance of the literal planet Jupiter to crush his opponents. Bonolenov is definitely one of the more “odd” fighters in the Troupe, but his strength should not be underestimated.
7 Shalnark: The Manipulation-Type Spider Who Won’t Get Off His Phone
Shalnark is a character that, at a glance, seems like he shouldn’t fit in with the rest of the Phantom Troupe. He’s cheerful, responsible, and just very peppy in general. But, as the show goes on, it becomes more and more clear that this jovial personality is just a facade for his darker tendencies, or as a way of downplaying them. At his core, Shalnark is a relatively emotionless murderer who thinks of the victims of his Manipulation-type Nen as puppets that are meant to be broken.
In terms of ability, Shalnark is a Manipulator-type Hatsu user and one that uses Nen needles implanted in his victim’s neck in order to control them like a video game character through his phone. It’s a fantastic technique for information gathering and espionage since he controls every aspect of the character. That might make people think that Shalnark, like Pakunoda or Kortopi, is skilled but bad in close combat, but he even has a trump card for one-on-one fights where he uses this needle on himself to set himself to “Autopilot Mode" and enhance all of his base abilities, in exchange for temporarily damaging his body and wiping his memory of the event.
6 Phinks Magcub: The Enhancer Who Can Just Keep Swinging Until It Works
Tracksuit-touting Phinks Magcub looks like the typical anime delinquent, and his sort of is one, but his power is nothing to scoff at. In fact, his physical strength is second only to Uvogin - meaning he’s currently the physically strongest in the Troupe after Uvogin’s demise. It doesn’t help that he possesses a ruthless personality, as it makes him that much deadlier in combat.
Given his status, it’s expected for Phinks to possess incredible strength, durability, and stamina. He pairs this with astonishing speed and hand-to-hand prowess, capable of breaking people’s necks in a flash. Moreover, his Nen nature as an Enhancer allows him to further augment his physical abilities. But, his real bread-and-butter comes from his Hatsu ability that’s hilariously simple, which means it’s also crazy strong. It’s called the Ripper Cyclotron, and what it means is that every time Phinks swings his arm in a clockwise direction, his aura in his fist increases, which means the next punch deals more damage. So far, fans have only seen him rotate it about 15 times to absolutely decimate the hardy body of a Chimera Ant, but it’s unknown what the upward limit of this Hatsu is, or if there even is one.
5 Feitan Portor: The Sadistic Speedster Transmuter
Enigmatic and black-clad Feitan Portor serves as Number 2 amongst the Troupe and served as their leader during Chrollo’s absence. However, being the Troupe’s de facto leader is a testament to his sheer combat prowess, as the group is constantly fighting to prove themselves capable of taking the leadership mantle. While he’s the fifth among the Troupe in terms of physical power, Feitan compensates for this with his lightning-fast speed. In fact, his speed, as seen so far, is one of the fastest of any character in the franchise, which makes Feitan all the more fearsome.
In terms of Nen, Feitan’s Hatsu might not be what people expect. The common-sense guess would be that it increases his speed, but that’s actually not it at all. Feitan is a Transmuter, capable of transforming Nen around him. When enraged, Feitan can hide in a Conjuration-type Nen suit of armor called the Pain Packer.
With its protection, Feitan can activate his Rising Sun, manifesting a ball of aura in the air with power depending on the injuries and pain inflicted towards Feitan during the battle. What this means is, if Feitan can’t instantly defeat his opponent, he’ll chip away at them, taking tons of hits, only to burn them alive at the end with a firey sun of pure Nen energy.
4 Uvogin: The Penultimate Enhancer
This grizzly and bulky fellow is the literal strongest member of the Troupe in terms of raw physical strength, boasting an impenetrable fighting spirit. While he doesn’t possess any prowess in martial arts, Uvogin pairs his immense strength with enhanced speed and agility to take down foes with swings and punches. Likewise, he possesses remarkable durability, stamina, and endurance to last in prolonged battles.
For the most part, Nen users all have a “specialty” that they’re all naturally talented at. So, they’ll develop techniques using this Nen specialty, or at worst ones that use relatively similar specialties. For example, a Conjuration specialist will typically use Manipulation or Transmutation-type techniques, but rarely any Emission ones. But, Uvogin was the ultimate Enhancer, which made all of his Enhancements techniques that much stronger. He could enhance his legs to jump long distances, enhance his body to tank sniper rounds, or even enhance his vocal cords to kill someone just by screaming in their ear. Think of him as something similar to the Hulk from the Marvel universe, but with a lot more conscious thought.
3 Illumi Zoldyck: A Truly Terrifying Manipulator
As a member of the Zoldyck Family, Illumi is trained in the art of assassination. Outside his Nen, Illumi not only boasts incredible physical strength and speed but he also has remarkable pain tolerance. Paired with his intelligence, Illumi can form strategies on the fly and even manipulate people to do his bidding. But, all this puts him on par or slightly ahead of his Zoldyck peers. What really sets Illumi apart is his absurdly sinister Ren, his calculatingly cold approach to everything, and his staggering intellect.
Illumi’s incredible control over Nen fits his Manipulation specialization. With his expertise in needles, he can infuse Nen into them for various tasks such as changing his appearance, brainwashing people, or outright controlling them. While not necessarily a combat specialist, Illumi is gifted enough that even Hisoka considers him a real threat.
2 Chrollo Lucilfer: The Skill-Stealing Specialist Leader
Phantom Troupe founder Chrollo Lucilfer is arguably the deadliest of all the Troupe’s members, with his remarkable skillset also earning the praise of Hisoka himself. While his sheer physical power measures only seventh in the group, Chrollo makes up for his lack of robust strength with remarkable combat skills, masterful adaptability, and enhanced speed, combined with a genius-level intellect and preternatural perception.
Befitting his intelligence is his Specialist status. With his Nen, he can conjure the Bandit’s Secret book to trigger his Skill Hunter. With this, Chrollo has to follow certain conditions to steal various abilities from other Nen users. It’s a highly-technical Hatsu skill, but thanks to Chrollo’s genius, it’s one of the most fearsome in the series.
1 Hisoka Marrow: The Transmuter Tyrant Clown
Ah, finally it’s Hisoka, one of the more polarizing characters in the franchise. He has some diehard fans out there, and people who absolutely despise him, but both groups will easily admit he’s one of anime’s most interesting (and strong) fighters. But, unlike Uvogin, Hisoka isn’t the strongest thanks to his raw physical strength (though it helps), it’s because he masterfully stacks a myriad of talents and utilizes them with perfect efficiency.
Whether it’s the hundreds of ways he uses his Bungee Gum Nen Aura, his Texture Surprise conjuration technique, his magician sleight-of-hand tricks, his brawn, his martial arts proficiency, or even just his lust for battle, Hisoka is a true monstrous villain that, oddly enough, almost always wins.
