Most fans of any popular franchise know that while a hero is important to the story’s focus and journey, they’re made better by the presence of a well-thought-out villain to bolster their mission. Where there is good, there must be evil; this is true in all media, including anime, where iconic villains and anti-heroes have gained increasing notoriety over the past decade. Villains can make or break a series, giving credibility to the protagonist’s strength, intelligence, and even compassion, depending on the series’ message.
Hunter x Hunter is an anime series that has captivated fans since it was released: the first adaptation in 1999, and another in 2011, which is typically considered to be the more faithful adaptation. The show was praised for its complex world-building, strong character development, and powerful fight sequences. And while the main characters are easily memorable in their own right, Hunter x Hunter has one of the most well-known villain groups in shonen anime— the Phantom Troupe. It consists of thirteen members (though this number can fluctuate for various reasons), who are strong combatants with masterful use of Nen. This list will look at the top nine members of The Phantom Troupe and rank them in terms of strength and skill.
9) Nobunaga Hazama
Nobunaga Hazama is a member of the criminal organization, The Phantom Troupe, and is a founding member. He comes from Meteor City, and his life in the slums desensitized him to many hardships in life, even valuing his own life very little, a trait shared among his teammates. Despite this, Nobunaga is often portrayed as slightly friendlier than his counterparts and less quick to lash out at their enemies; that being said, he’s an extremely loyal member and will follow orders given no matter how brutal they might seem.
Nobunaga’s abilities place him in the middle range of the Troupe in terms of strength. His raw physical prowess was ranked at nine amongst his fellow Spiders. The weapon he tends to utilize in battle is a katana, and the blade acts as a huge part of his fighting style. Nobunaga’s Nen type places him as an Enhancer, specifically leaning towards Transmutation. The series has not yet revealed his specific Nen ability, which makes ranking his exact strength against the other Spiders more difficult to determine.
8) Franklin Bordeau
Franklin Bordeau is considered Member #7 of The Phantom Troupe. His general personality is considered to be violent and enthusiastic regarding combat, never hesitating before a kill or the chance to destroy his enemies. Regardless of his rash temperament, Franklin is both fanatically loyal to the Troupe and is shown to be moderately tactical when dealing with problems. Franklin was originally from Meteor City, similar to the other Spiders, and was a founding member of The Phantom Troupe.
In terms of strength, Franklin was ranked as the fourth strongest member among the Spiders, regarding only physical power. His Nen type is that of an Emitter, though he is noted to have a dual affinity for Enhancement. Franklin utilizes his Nen by expelling aura in the form of powerful bullets, supplying a near-endless stream that hints towards his overall stamina. This specific fighting style makes Franklin a strong opponent in offensive fighting, as well as an asset against multiple targets.
7) Tough butcine
Machi Komacine is placed at Member #3 of The Phantom Troupe, and is one of the only female members among its ranks. She is regarded as one of the founding members, having grown up in Meteor City, and with no official records of her existence due to this fact. Her personality is generally viewed as the coldest of the immediate members, with Machi rarely displaying much outward emotion. In spite of this fact, she harbors a secret kindness and is portrayed as being exceedingly loyal to both her fellow members and Chrollo himself.
Regarding her strength, Machi was ranked in sixth place concerning raw physical power. Her fighting style relies heavily on her Nen prowess; in addition to her Nen, Machi keeps sewing needles on her at all times, as they work in tandem with her abilities. Machi is labeled as a Transmuter who also has a dual affinity for Enhancement. She’s been seen using Hatsu, In, Ren, and Gyo in battle, and was said to sense aura as a child before her actual awakening occurred. Her Nen ability allows Machi to convert aura into numerous threats that can be made to track targets, close wounds, set traps, and deal damage.
6) Phinks Magcub
Phinks Magcub is considered one of the higher-ranking members of The Phantom Troupe in terms of power and is labeled as Member #5. He was a native of Meteor City, and although Phinks isn’t noted as being an actual founding member, other Spiders consider him as such due to early interactions with Chrollo and the other founding Spiders. Phinks is known for his incredibly short temper that can often be directed at his own teammates. His brashness is a key part of his personality, just as the easy way in which Phinks is able to commit atrocities for the sake of the cause.
Judging by strength, Phinks is viewed as the second strongest physically among the other Troupe members. Like many of the other Spiders, Phinks has enhanced senses, reflexes, strength, and speed. He is considered an Enhancer and can use several Nen techniques: Ren, Ko, Hatsu, Zetsu, and En, though his use of the latter is weak. Phinks can wind his arm clockwise, with each rotation increasing the aura accumulating. He’s been shown to be powerful enough to stop a Chimera Ant using this technique, and could likely push his ability further.
5) the fat
Feitan is a considerably strong member of The Phantom Troupe and ranks at Member #2 among the Spiders. His role in the Troupe is as the interrogator, utilizing his high skill in the art of torture against their enemies. Feitan is noted as speaking little unless angered, and is also extremely loyal to the Spider itself, as a whole, prioritizing the existence of the group. When Feitan was able to defeat Zazan in battle, he was appointed as the temporary leader of The Phantom Troupe until Chrollo’s subsequent return. Like many others, his origin started in Meteor City, and Feitan is viewed as an original founding member.
Feitan’s strength is ranked in fifth place among the others when looking at raw physical power. Despite this, he’s more than proficient in combat; Feitan is a master swordsman and carries a thin blade concealed in an umbrella he keeps near him. While Feitan’s sword skills are worth noting, his Nen usage is what makes him a viable threat. Feitan is labeled a Transmuter and has mastered multiple difficult Nen techniques, such as Shu or Ko. His skill, Pain Packer, allows Feitan to conjure armor around himself that absorbs oncoming blows and strengthens his own aura. Additionally, he also has a technique called Rising Sun that manifests a burning ball of fire fueled by the damage Feitan has taken in combat.
4) Uvogin
Uvogin was placed at #11 of The Phantom Troupe, and was considered a founding member, having lived in Meteor City in his youth with many of the others. His general personality can be described as brash, impulsive, and headstrong. Often, Uvogin rushed into fights and battles, finding the rush of combat stimulating, especially when against a strong opponent. His desire to act before thinking did not stop Uvogin from showcasing tactical and analytical skill, viewed as extremely resourceful in a fight despite his personality suggesting otherwise.
He was considered to be the physically strongest of the Spiders, and is listed as an Enhancer type. His weapon of choice when fighting was shown to be a pair of wooden clubs, relying on his size and brute strength to overwhelm opponents. He utilized his Enhancement skills to boost his own strength and durability, making his aura near overpowering at his peak. Uvogin’s signature move was called Big Bang Impact, pushing all of his aura into his fist and launching a hit that was strong enough to break the ground or cause explosions in the aftermath.
3) Illumi Zoldyck
Illumi Zoldyck was raised in a family of elite assassins and is also a member of The Phantom Troupe, given the spot of Member #11 as Uvogin’s replacement. Unlike many of the founding members, Illumi was born in the Republic of Padokea and trained in the art of killing. His association with Hisoka is what drove Illumi to join the Troupe. In general, his personality is absent-minded, calm, and pleasant, which is at odds with the blank expression that Illumi sports. This pleasant facade hides the true nature of Illumi— that of a cold, ruthless, emotionless murderer.
In terms of his overall power, Illumi is noted to have incredible speed, reflexes, senses, strength, and assassination skills. Illumi carries a set of needles on him that are infused with Nen to perform different acts: they can change physical appearance, brainwash targets, and even control the dead. His skill as a Manipulator gives Illumi incredibly powerful use of his Nen. It’s stated that the aura of Illumi’s Ren is menacing and strong, with a radius of hundreds of meters. Most notably, Illumi can use his Nen to turn someone into a Needle Person; essentially, this will place an individual under Illumi’s control with no resistance, performing his orders unless or until they die trying.
2) Hisoka Morow
Hisoka was a temporary member of The Phantom Troupe and is noticeably aligned with Illumi in a strange partnership. He is considered a Pro Hunter and was also given the spot of Member #4 among the Spiders. Hisoka is known for his love of battle and prowess in combat; however, Hisoka shows a relative amount of respect towards opponents he finds to be incredibly strong, with good potential, often allowing them to walk away from their battles to grow even stronger and provide him with more challenge in the future. Much is unknown about Hisoka’s exact past or motives, but his personality leans towards selfishness and self-serving tendencies.
Regarding his overall power level, Hisoka is incredibly strong with his physical power, placing him in the third spot against other Troupe members. His signature weapon is a stack of playing cards he injects with Shu. Hisoka’s battle ability showcases his willingness to use dirty tactics and sleight-of-hand tricks, though he also boasts strong tactical thought when fighting an opponent. While Hisoka is primarily designated as a Transmuter, he shows sufficient comprehension in using Conjuration, Emission, and Enhancement. His primary technique, Bungee Gum, lets Hisoka shape his aura into a sticky, flexible mass that makes for an excellent offensive and defensive weapon, making him an extremely versatile fighter.
1) Chrollo Lucifer
Chrollo Lucifer is the founder and leader of The Phantom Troupe, and holds the spot of Member #0. His origins start in Meteor City with other founding members; the death of their childhood friend, Sarasa, is what leads Chrollo to form the Troupe and network with criminals. As the leader, Chrollo is shown to be charismatic with a natural penchant for taking charge of a situation and managing the “Legs” of the Spider, viewing himself as the “Head”. Another key part of Chrollo’s personality is his intelligence and ability to calmly plan and lay out strategies for the Troupe to gain the best advantage.
While Chrollo excels at directing others, he has no shortage of fighting skills, ranked as the seventh strongest in terms of physical power; despite this, most of the members view Chrollo as the strongest among them, overall. His speed and reflexes are wielded with deadly precision, allowing him to hold his own against opponents, such as Silva and Zeno Zoldyck, for some time. Chrollo is also considered a prodigy regarding Nen usage, with his designation being a Specialist. Chrollo can utilize multiple Nen techniques for offense and defense, and is able to sustain Ten for extremely long periods of time due to his skill. Most importantly, his ability, Skill Hunter, allows Chrollo to essentially steal the Nen technique of another and store it within a conjured book for later use.
Which member of The Phantom Troupe is your favorite? Tell us who you believe the strongest is in the comments below.
