The Most Powerful HXH Characters

Hunter X Hunter has one of the most unique power systems in anime and manga. Referred to as Nen, this power system consists of controlling one’s life energy in a multitude of offensive, defensive, and unique ways. This is why Nen is so renowned in the genre, as it leads to a wide variety of creative abilities and strong characters, especially if said character chooses to add a condition to their signature ability.

There are six categories of Nen: Enhancement, Emission, Manipulation, Specialization, Conjuration, and Transmutation. Every user of Nen will fall into at least one of these categories, and some even have dual categories. The characters on this list will vary in type, and show how each type can make a character very powerful. These are the strongest characters in Hunter x Hunter.

Updated on April 12, 2025 by Ryan Hay: The world of Hunter x Hunter has some of the best power scaling when it comes to anime, what with Nen powers adapting to the needs of each character and with a relatively fair way of handling those powers. Within the Hunter universe, there are plenty of exceptionally strong characters, and with the addition of Killua, Kurapika, and Ging, the list of powerful Hunters grows.

This list will cover all of the 2011 anime adaptation, so spoilers ahead for those who have not finished the show. However, it will not be covering the manga or anything past the anime.

13

Killua

Assassin Trained From Birth

Killua started off incredibly strong in Hunter x Hunter, seeming stronger than Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio combined during the 287th Hunter Exam. That’s all thanks to his training as a member of the Zoldyck assassination family and his parent’s decision to train him to be the perfect killing machine.

Though Gon and Kurapika quickly catch up, and at times exceed his powers, there are few characters who can match his brutal cunning, stunning speed, and understanding that some battles need to be fought to the death. Killua has one of the higher confirmed kill counts in the show, and while he does not revel in it like some of his family members, it does make him a powerhouse on the battlefield.

12

Kite

An Inconvient But Effective, Power

A member of the Hunter’s Association and former apprentice of Ging Freecs, Kite showcases impressive speed, stamina, and the ability to wield his weapons with deadly force. However, his main strength comes in the form of his signature ability, Crazy Slots.

Kite is introduced properly in the Chimera Ant arc, although he has an earlier introduction in both the manga and the 1999 anime adaptation.

Crazy Slots allows Kite to spin a roulette that conjures one of nine different weapons. By restricting his ability to choose a weapon and leaving it up to the randomness of the slots, this greatly enhances the potency of the weapons, and Kite makes great use of a scythe, mace, and carbine rifle.

Even though Kite’s life was short-lived in the series, the brief glimpse at his prowess as a hunter shows he was very strong, able to dispatch the new, unknown threats with ease, and even doing so with one hand near the end.

11

Biscuit ‘Bisky’ Krueger

Don’t Mess With Her

An iconic character in the fandom due to her cute demeanor and surprising bulky side, Bisky is a character introduced in the Greed Island Arc, and mentors Gon and Killua further in the ways of Nen.

Not only does she have considerable Nen ability, but is a master in the ways of Shingen-Ryu Kung Fu, which gives her an advantage in close-quarters combat. She is also much older than she appears, so she has lots of experience, which throws most opponents off, as she is adept at concealing her true power.

Even though she is a Transmutation type, as a Nen trainer, Bisky has Nen capabilities across many of the other specializations as well. Her immense strength is also showcased throughout the arc, dispatching tough opponents in single hits, and coming out of Razor’s dodgeball match unscathed. We don’t know the true limit of her strength, which makes her easily one of the strongest characters in the series.

10

Hisoka Morow

Nothing Up His Sleeves

One of the main antagonists of the series, Hisoka is a fan-favorite due to his unique design, personality, and presence. His main strength in combat is his ability to deceive and misdirect, often like a magician, using tricks to get the upper hand in battle. He also has a pack of playing cards, which he uses both to perform tricks of misdirection, as well as offensive tools enhanced with Nen.

His signature ability, Bungee Gum, allows Hisoka to make his life energy (or aura) sticky and flexible, which, when combined with his extreme reflexes and battle intellect, allows him to use his aura in a variety of offensive and defensive ways. His thirst for battle and unpredictability make Hisoka an extremely deadly combatant, all the way from the beginning to the end of the show.

9

Chrollo Lucifer

A Natural Born Leader

The leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo showcases adept fighting skills with his signature dagger, able to fend off professional assassins like Zeno and Silva simultaneously. But where he really shines is in his signature Nen ability, Skill Hunter.

This ability allows Chrollo to, under specific conditions, steal another person’s Nen ability, gaining it for himself whilst depriving the person of their ability. This makes him not only a dangerous adversary, as you have to make sure your ability is not stolen, but an unpredictable opponent, as he could pull out any number of differing abilities and powers.

8

Feitan Portor

The Phantom Toupe’s Shield

Not much is known about Feitan, as his history is a mystery, having been born in the underworld town of Meteor City. What we do see of him, however, is an incredible fighter with extremely powerful signature abilities, namely Pain Packer and Rising Sun.

With Pain Packer, after taking damage, Feitan will conjure a suit of protective armor, which then protects him from the subsequent Rising Sun, which uses his aura to conjure a Sun that burns the person who damaged him to ashes. The power of the ability is also enhanced depending on how much damage Feitan received. While Feitan’s offensive swordsmanship is nothing to scoff at, this defensive ability is one of the most dangerous seen in the series.

It is also implied that Rising Sun is only one possible variation of Pain Packer, which means there could be even more powerful abilities that Feitan is hiding.

7

Kurapika

A Specialist Of Death

Part of the original trio in Hunter x Hunter, Kurapika is the last of the Kurta clan, a group of people who can activate special powers with the use of their eyes. He has worked tirelessly to develop a nen ability based almost entirely on revenge, hunting down the Phantom Troupe, the group responsible for his clan’s annihilation and the removal of their eyes.

Much of Kurapika’s impressive strength comes from his incredible intellect and ability to plan for any situation, as well as his intense weapon training and almost supernatural reflexes. Kurapika gets a massive boost in power when he activates his Scarlet Eyes, enhancing all his natural abilities while also shifting his Nen focus to Specialization, letting him use his Nen powers in ways he can’t normally.

6

Menthuthuyoupi (Youpi)

Can Shift To Meet Any Challenge

Youpi is one of the three Royal Guards of Meruem, The Chimera Ant King, and as such they are all incredibly powerful. Youpi in particular is the tank of the trio, boasting indescribable strength and durability, further enhanced by his rage and Nen abilities.

With Metamorphosis, Youpi can freely control his body, adding extra limbs, transforming them, covering his blind spots with extra eyes, and eventually evolving into a new form altogether. During the Chimera Ant arc, he was attacked by many of the main cast, and was only able to be defeated by lingering poison from Netero’s Poor Man’s Rose.

5

Neferpitou (Pitou)

No Oath To Keep You Safe

Pitou is another one of the Royal Guard, and is the one who kills Kite at the beginning of the Chimera Ant arc, showcasing early the power discrepancy between them and our Hunter protagonists. Sporting the features of a cat, Pitou also possesses the same agility and perception one would expect from one, albeit at a superhuman level. They even have an intense, predatory aura that causes the characters that come in contact to tread cautiously.

Pitou is only able to be defeated once Gon sacrifices everything to reach the ceiling of his power, and even after they are defeated, their Terpischora ability, a marionette with deadly blades, persisted even after death due to Pitou’s strength and Nen control, and was able to slice off Gon’s arm postmortem. If Gon had not made the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill his wish of revenge, it is unlikely he would have been able to do any real damage to Pitou.

4

Gon Freecs

Willing To Sacrifice Everything

The lovable protagonist of the series, Gon showcases amazing battlefield adaptability and creativity, as is common with Shonen heroes. His signature ability, Jajanken, is also simple but very strong, allowing him to enhance his fist with Nen in order to achieve a huge power boost, even shaking veteran Hunter Morel.

What really pushes Gon towards the top, however, is what we see in the Chimera Ant arc. Having discovered Kite murdered by Pitou, he is able to make a Nen pact for revenge that allows him to sacrifice his life in exchange for reaching his maximum potential for a brief amount of time. He is able to dispatch the previously indominable Pitou with ease.

3

Ging Freecs

A Bit Of A Mystery

Absentee father to Gon and one of the strongest Hunters in the show, Ging Freeces has been quoted as being among the top five Nen users in the world, a testament to his power and recognition from other Hunters. While he might not be winning any Father of the Year awards, there’s no denying that he tops out as an incredibly powerful person.

Among Ging’s incredible achievements are reaching the rank of a Two Star Hunter, was once a member of the pretigious Zodiacs group, and created the real-life video game Greed Island with his extensive control over Nen. Perhaps most impressive is an apparent ability to replicate Nen abilities to some extent, though even this power has yet to be fully explored.

2

Isaac Netero

Might Makes Right

Netero lives up to his name as the leader of the Hunter Association. Showcasing his immense capabilities in his duel against Meruem, we see his signature ability, 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, which summons a massive statue of Guanyin behind him, boasting 100 hands that can attack at incredible speed with varying attack types.

Against any other opponent, this signature ability would end any battle instantly, but due to Meruem’s superhuman speed and durability, he was able to survive the attacks long enough to take off Netero’s limbs. As a last-ditch effort, Netero even embedded a nuclear, poison-filled bomb in his chest that detonated upon his death, which means even if he was defeated, he would take out any enemy against him.

1

Meruem

The Lord Of All

For those familiar with Hunter X Hunter, or have even just heard discussions about the famous Chimera Ant arc, Meruem being the strongest character comes as no surprise. The King of the Chimera Ants, Meruem is arguably the most powerful character in the series, boasting an incredible amount of Nen and Emitter type capabilities. Even outside of his Nen capabilities, such as Aura Synthesis, which allows him to increase his life energy upon consuming someone, he has immeasurable strength, durability, speed, and stamina,

After receiving a myriad of blows from Netero’s strongest ability, Meruem only feels a slight pain. Despite being directly in the blast zone of Netero’s trump card, Poor Man’s Rose, Meruem miraculously survives. This was just barely, though, as he needed to be healed by Youpi and Pouf.