SPOILER WARNING: There is an error in the spoiler disclaimer for this video. It says just the anime, but there is one honourable mention and a couple of minor details that involve post-anime material. So please keep that in mind.
I think the most thematic part of Killua's ability that wasn't touched on here is the fact that it allows him to react purely on instinct faster than he could even think, which is in direct opposition to the needle that was once within him that manipulated him and subdued those battle instincts. It's a direct defiance to his family and show of confidence in himself
I love you focusing on the brittleness of Gon's Jajanken. It was never meant to be the best power in the world because its foundation is based on a flawed and volatile mindset. Bad for powerscaling, amazing for storytelling.
but even as a combat ability, it is super underrated and quite powerful. you might say it's one dimensional. And to that, I say, well, it's actually three dimensional, but i see your point. However, that's actually fine. you don't necessarily need a bunch of tricks and traps to keep your opponent on their toes. 3 tricks is fine so long as preparing for one of the three leaves you vulnerable to the other two, which is exactly the case with rock-paper-scissors. Because gon's stance is exactly the same when he's charging it, no matter which one he's using, you can't know until he actually uses it. and they cover each other's weaknesses quite well. The only real issue is that gon's emission and transmutation aren't nearly as good as his enhancement, which means he's way more proficient with rock than with paper or scissor.
That arc is my favorite in the show, and his ability is just the crystalization of what nen can do. Nen is all about willpower, and kurapika took his ultra justified desire for revenge and set his life on the line to max out his power, but only against a handful of individuals. (He wanted to "chain them to hell" and his ability was exactly that, and unbeatable by its intended victims)
Melody is a character I found myself appreciating much, much more on rewatch. She's a calming presence who keeps the characters down to earth, and her ability is so gentle and grounding, I love her so much and I hope we can see more of her soon
She shined really well in some of the most recent chapters, with the sister's failed escape and the banquet. Hope to see more of her but she's been great lately too.
I was so stressed out and worried for Kurapika when first watching Yorknew, especially before the gang met up. Melody is the needed emotional support for him and trustworthy ally in a really chaotic situation. Leorio is the main character who is most therapeutic and supportive of Kurapika, but it helps that Melody worked the same gig in Yorknew when they were apart. ... one thing, though. I haven't caught up on all the most recent manga chapters, but how did Melody make the cut to be a bodyguard back in Yorknew? Her abilities are interesting and helpful, but I have no idea how with her limited strength she passed the little manor test.
I think I'd put Morel's Deep Purple somewhere in the top 5 because his nen represents HxH more than anything, flexible in its approach and malleable in its circumstances, what it means to be a Hunter, and what's important in a battle: Power vs Intellect and Experience vs Talent. Morel also falls into the category of don't judge a book by its cover from his design to how he utilises his nen affinities. He is a great character, and I believe Togashi successfully achieved Morel's characterisation as good as it could ever be within the time frame. Additionally, my fav nen ability in the series is Knov's Hide and Seek.
Definitely an underrated side character in the series as a whole, a highlight from the protagonist's side next to Knuckles imo (if we're just talking Chimera Ant ofc).
Morel is thoughtful, flexible, and refuses to be constrained, and his ability reflects that personality. While he isn't the most physically powerful, his ability gives him the leverage to fight far above his weight level.
Deep Purple is also cool because its versatile enough to have a variety of non combat uses. Now, HxH, as a battle shounen, was always going to put its focus on characters with more combat centered abilities, but realistically, if you could develop your own superpowers, outside of a world thats actively at war, most people would probably want an ability that has at least some kind of day to day use, whether thatd be mobility, work or just for common household chores, even if most hunters would probably still want theirs to function in combat as well. And at least assuming Deep Purple also works with smoke blown from something like a normal sized pipe or a simple cigarette, I can see it being applicable for those things too, whereas something like Gon's Janken would probably not be quite as practical for anything outside of combat.
I know Kurapika chose chains because in his words "there are some people who need to be chained to hell", but they could also be seen as chaining himself down. Knowing Kurapika's story and how he ends up by Yorknew, it is very surreal going back to the first 2 arcs and seeing him look genuinely happy with Gon and Leorio. And he avoids that happiness in the name of duty. He threatens his own life constantly in the name of that duty. It is his chain just as much as it is the spiders'. The absolute worst part is that I struggle to say I wouldn't make the exact same choice in his position.
I think its a statement about revenge, in order to chain his enemies to hell, he literally chained himself to them. (He has 1 chain around his heart and 1 around theirs when active) Its a beautiful show of resolve and demonstration of the true power of nen. Nen is all about willpower, and can be boosted with contracts, and the stricter the conditions the greater the boost. Kurapika made the strictest contract possible in order to get the boost needed to win, it isn't sustainable but its highly effective. And this is why he love his ability, it showcases everything their is to know about nen including how absolute power isn't everything. (Several of the spiders Kurapika delt with were basically walking nukes)
Chrollo's Skill Hunter is number one to me for its thematic value. *"To dive deep into the darkness within the heart of an ability's previous owner, all while making it completely my own... That is the true thrill of 'Skill Hunter'."* I hope Togashi will focus more on Chrollo's amazing character in the upcoming chapters.
Better than no, Togashi apparently has planned to get rid of Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe since 2013, and after the match with Hisoka, he stated that Hisoka is going to take some cards from Chrollo (abilities) showing his new way of approaching combats, definitely better if we don't see much of him, cause he is my favorite character
Already love this new style of video Top tens for media but the picks are judged by their complexity dont come often, on top of your own your spin being put on it is also great
Don’t let the fact that Hisoka’s Bungee Gum only getting placed #10 distract you from the fact that Bungee Gum Possesses the properties of both rubber and gum.
I love the story behind knuckle's ability. It's obviously influenced by that time he punched a cop and ran away, it also enhances his self proclaimed greatest skill "running away"
Peak video! Togashi really does put so much thought into every aspect of the story. Aside from all the abilities mentioned in the video, I love Pouf and Pitou's abilities enough to have them in my top 3. While most nen abilities feel reflective of the character they belong to, I feel like Pouf and Pitou's do the opposite. Pouf's spiritual message allows him to understand how those he uses it on feel, which is quite ironic since he was unable to have a complete understanding of Meruem's feelings for Komugi until the very end. Whereas Pitou's Puppeteering is just a way to control lifeless corpses, without any feelings or emotion, similar to Illumi with the difference that the bodies were alive with his case. Despite that, Pitou was, in my opinion, the most understanding of the royal guards, able to understand and be completely sincere with Meruem and even Gon.
I love how simple Hisoka’s ability is. It really shows that an ability doesn’t have to be super overpowered. It ultimately comes down to the person who uses it.
You’re thinking of it the wrong way. Being simple doesn’t make an ability weak. Jajanken is even more simple than bungee gum, but it’s quite strong, too. Uvogin’s arsenal is simple, but incredibly OP. And being complicated doesn’t make a power strong.
The fact that Chrollo and the other spider members want a sense of identity in this world and the fact that Chrollo's nen ability is a manifestation of the fact that he doesn't have an identity of his own and so has a tendency to steal from others for him to better understand himself was so well pointed out. Amazing video as always senpai 😁.
Awesome video. I do agree with most of your picks, especially Chrollo and Kurapika. I got to say, Togashi really nailed it with Nen. He creates abilities which can tell us a story about a Character and make us sympathatic without having to see a back story. It's genius writing.
i absolutely love jajanken. just the idea that this kid crouches down, gets in his stance, and yells “show me rock!” it just. fills me with joy. He’s so earnest, and I love how dedicated he is to making his frankly silly ability work.
Knov's ability was so OP he had to be written out of the palace invasion. Basho's ability that makes haikus come to life but only if they're good haikus is really interesting and I hope we get to see what constitutes a good haiku in the future. I wish we got to see what Pokkle's other arrows did all the phantom troupe has really cool abilities, especially Feitan
Love the inclusion of powers like Kalluto's, Melody's and Morena's - all powers that people may forget due to them being less significant characters, but all of them with just as much thought put into them as there is for the most important characters like Gon and Killua. Really shows Togashi's skill and how he prioritizes quality even in the lesser characters.
My favorite thing about Nen is that it doesn't matter how powerful your ability is, if your opponent knows how to use their ability that much better than you, you'll be taken down.
Every time I think of Melody I picture someone so tramatized by her past that she developed a means to both detect others current mood/mindset and the ability to change it. A parent type that would make her practice music lessons days on end with no rest or food until she mastered said piece and made them "feel" the music. Always wondered if she were to wish someone harm what offensive abilities the same skill set would offer, would be able to drive someone "crazy" by mood change as well or by playing the resonance frequencies of the human body(with every body/body part being different) could she snap bones at long distance. Lots of potential to expand her power.
Another aspect of illumi's ability is that he considers the path of assassin a lonely path, his ability allows him to do the work of many people without the need of allies, it also shows how he disregards human life and that he views people as either an obstacle or a tool, even himself as he uses his needles on his body. Also his hypnosis on killua fleshes out his possessive and overprotective love for his brother.
I also love Genthru's ability! The activation and deactivation conditions further demonstrate how Genthru is all about deception and leverage. If someone trusts him, it's extremely easy to activate the ability, but once he betrays them, it's extremely difficult to deactivate the ability. I've always enjoyed stories that establish/escalate tension using deception and leverage (e.g. Death Note). There are also some interesting similarities and differences between Genthru's ability and Knuckle's. Both are activated through physical contact, and both could be removed with Nen exorcism. The difference is obviously in the essence of the ability and its user. Knuckle uses his to reduce violence like you described, whereas Genthru's is incredibly violent and violating. APR is comedically adorable, but Genthru's bombs are a terrifying threat. One final difference that I find interesting is that Knuckle's starts violently but is ultimately non-violent, whereas Genthru's starts innocuously but leads to deadly destruction.
Fantastic video AJ!! Personally I'm a big fan of Machi's nen threads. I'm always drawn to abilities that are very flexible. Offense, defense, support; it's all possible! Plus it gives a good glimpse into her character with how the troupe members call her kind and we as audience hardly get to see.
Komugi's ability would be on the list for me, I just love how she develops nen to essentially have her life continue to have meaning, so she can keep playing gungi.
In my opinion, people vastly underestimate Jajanken because it's a technique in development with subtle (but powerful) tactical advantages. It covers close range, mid-range, and long range. It's a devastating finishing blow and a way to set up future moves. You can use it for misdirection and surprise attacks, even if the opponent knows about it. It forces the opponent to guess what comes next and play mind games, with potentially deadly consequences if they get it wrong. So I don't consider it a limited or rigid ability, though it obviously has a lot of room to grow. In fact, much of what I said about Jajanken also applies to Bungee Gum, so that's something interesting to think about with regards to Gon and Hisoka's characterization.
I haven't finished the video but I'll guess that Kurapika, Chrollo, Netero, and Hisoka's habilities are in there. Hisoka vs Chrollo in the manga illustrates why these are two of my favorite habilities, Kurapika's habilty is simply tragically beautiful, and Netero's hability shows the limits of nen unilke any other character in the series. Although my favorite nen hability is Komugi's hability that allows her to never lose at Gungi, having a power system that has purposes beyond combat is one of the elements that make nen so fascinating.
Togashi, if you watch this, listen to him when he talks about Kurapika. That sense of danger. You couldn't kill Gon, but damn if Kurapika died a right way, that would be next level. No more expectations than that, just use that if, and only if, you are not feeling inspired.
Great picks in this video!!! Komugi's nen is one of my favorite narratively- the fact that, although it is only proficient in one aspect, she has almost limitless potential in that field just because of how strong her will was, and it resulted in convincing Meruem of the value of humanity's strength in different aspects (and arguably, we should thank her for inadvertantly saving the human race lol!) Plus, the fact that the whole time she is completely unaware of her nen's existence, and how it was based on the fact that she thought so little of herself that gungi was the only reason she should be kept alive.....my girl didn't know her own worth ;v;
Fully agree, her ability was probably the best (only) pure non-combat ability we seen, because its something she isn't aware of yet its shows that she has truly become a master of her craft. And it's existance implies that countless others could have theoretically created nen abilities to do the same, to help them master their life's craft. (Could be fishing, buisness/investing, woodworking, or anything else) Basically her ability shows that nen is good for more than just shonnen battles. In a way she is the opposite of Netero who mastered nen and martial arts but had to "win" by using a salted nuke and deliver the incredible line "You have no comprehension for the depths of malice in the human heart" (probably misquoted). In contrast she is litterally harmless and yet she was the only one able to defeat Meruem, and she did it out of combat. (Although he did die because Netero poisoned him) Ironically i consider the Chimera Ant arc to be my least favorite of the show. (Kurapika vs the Spiders was my favorite). Its hard to exactly say why though and i would need to do another rewatch to have the details to anyway.
Bankruptcy Chapter 7 + IRS is my single favorite, most creative superpower in all of fiction. It is just so brilliant and original and useful and powerful AND BASED ON THE INEVITABILITY OF TAXES
He basically says, i will win with math because nothing is scarier than compound interest. The one downside is it provides a numerical value to nen which is kinda like when midichlorians were added to the force it removes a level of mystic about how much capacity a given user has, and how much their abilities drain them. (It also raises question about the efficiency of a user's attacks and how that interacts with Knuckle's ability) I don't consider this a major problem, just a minor narative con to the existence of his ability.
@@jasonreed7522 nah I disagree, people have a specific amount of energy as shown in the series, all the power does is give that amount a number value but it is only relative to his system and his power, it isn't an all around system for measuring nen just his own numerical counting system for the canonical and in reality also real fact that human bodies only have a limited amount of energy within them. It isn't some power scaling thing and the internal math used for APR is never explained either so as to create a situation like you're describing. I think it works super well
5:54😂😅 It gonna take alot of time to think of so i think i like kite's crazy slot his ability comes into my mind whenever i think of hunting i like how ging explained that it always gave him the best choice depends on the situations but kite dont like the choices he got sometimes and his weapon can has the ability to talk is hilarious and cool. Great video as always 👌
i love how you mentioned morena. i have my eyes on her in the manga bc her ability to have nen abilities of her own all the while being able to give others abilities is quite scary when you think about it
Not an honorable mention, but I want to note that from what we know so far, all of Zeno’s nen abilities seem to be based off a dragon. He threw his aura in the form of a dragon at Chrollo, he summoned and created dragons multiple times at the beginning of the palace invasion, and I think the attack with the multiple spear like lights he released on the palace was called Dragon Dive
Cool. My favourite is Chrollo's due to his own search for his identity and meaning through the spider when he uses shalnark's ability, similar to how he uses the spider to give him his meaning and identity.
1.Rapid Evolving Gungi Playing Skills 2. Deep Purple 3. Beelzebub 4. Inamura 5. Magical Spa Services 6. Dragon Head 7. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy 8. Wink Blue 9. Body and Soul 10. Tag
He brought a shovel to a fight. I know that became a bit of a meme but god damn it tells his intentions and his resolve. If I showed up to fight someone and they brought a shovel I wouldn’t know whether to be scared or offended
My favorite is now and will probably always be Killua's abilities, which I'm sure says something about me and the types of characters that I enjoy. I still vividly remember the buildup to seeing him use Godspeed for the first time which actually happened at the very beginning of an episode and was followed by Killua laying the smacketh down all over Youpi until he ran out of juice. The best part is that Killua is still very young and nowhere NEAR his actual peak so as long as he continues to increase his Nen capacity then he'll just continue to grow more powerful and be able of even more bad-ass lightning abilities.
Love that you did this kind of video AJ. I agree utmostly on Kurapika and Chrollo being the top 2, they have the best nen abilities. I also never thought about Meruem's ability in that way that is so beautiful I learn something everytime you post. I'm kinda bothered you didn't mention Pitou's ability even just in honorable mention though and perhaps Pouf but in all fairness the HMs are just that awesome I suppose you love them too but not so much enough
Thinking of these abilities in the way described here, I like the contrast between Bandit's Secret and Emperor Time Chrollo's ability represents how easily he can take from others, whereas Kurapika's shows how carelessly he'll throw away parts of himself
@@Aleczandxr Thank you, this was a pleasant surprise! If i were to add 5 on top of your list. They'd be: 1 - Machi, Sewing Needles. It's interesting how a member of the phantom troupe has healing abilities, in opposition to almost all the other members. Which is pure fighting based (mostly). I'd imagine she'd have a similar past to Leorio, considering where she grew up. I feel out of all the phantom troupe members besides Chrollo, she's most likely to get a backstory, expanding on why she has her abilities. 2. Yuupi, Metamorphosis. Similar to what you said about Meruem. Yuupi seems like a brute with a one-track mind. But is able to change his views during battle, reflectic his different forms. Especially the knight form he gains later, showing he's developed a more chivalric type of approach to his opponents. 3. Cheetu, Crossbow, or pretty much all his abilities. I like how it shows a character who doesn't at all understand how nen works and somehow just developed random abilities that doesn't fit. It shows that each character needs to put more thought into what abilities they develop and what not to do. Even a strong character needs to also be somewhat intelligent, to develop useful nen powers. 4. Halkenburg. From what we know his nen beast gives all his subordinates a power boost. Reflecting his generous and selfless nature. Kinda similar to Morena, except the requirements and intention are the complete opposite. 5. Kacho. Her nen beast ability to replace her, in order to protect her sister. Her and Fugetsu remind me a lot of Ymir and Historia from AoT. If Ymir had a nen power, i'd imagine it'd be something like this. Even though she acts selfish, she is over protective and selfless towards her sister.
Very understandable list. I joked about how Nen is arguably the most neurodivergent-friendly power system because the abilities are shaped by the user and their specific needs and want as a person. I can't wait until November for the next manga volume. Personally, I love all of Shaipouf's powers because they show his character really well. The cocoons which develop the ants into what he thinks is best for them, the hypnotic scales which can make ppl do his bidding, and Beelzebub make him really tough to kill. A little ideological cockroach who wants ppl to his idea of their ideal self and its hard to get rid of him. Youpi's I like because I just like shapeshifting. As for succession arc powers, I am quite fond of Kurapika's pinkie ability because it makes him similar to chrollo and allows the two characters to contrast more. Tserriendnich's parallel future is scary to think about its possibilities. Speaking of other scary powers, Koacho's Without You, god when it is revealed to Fugetsu its going to be so depressing. Finally, Benjamin's power presents another version of "taking abilities" but this time it's used to illustrate how all those who serve him ultimately are loyal to him and not themselves while showing how Ben is defined by his status as a prince and ppl worshiping him. Compared to Halkenburg's abilities which is also loyalty based, but focus on the survival of his soldiers, it really shows the differences between these two characters. In fact, a lot of the princes have these area of effect powers or manipulative powers, pretty interesting tbh. For a shallow pick, I like Hinrigh's ability for being reminiscent of giorno yet also a bit more powerful in terms of the basic abilities. Last note, I do hope we get to see more of Hanzo's abilities, just to see how it matches with his ninja training.
I love Nen abilities with high-risk high-reward hatsus, or the ones that are ultra specialized to the point where the character is immensely bad at everything else.
Hinrigh (however you spell that dumb name 😂) has a really cool ability, in last week’s chapter him turning the pigeons into handcuffs was unexpectedly cool to me, it also helps that it reminds me of Giornos life giver with some pretty cool extras.
I'd like to add the simple observation that Kurapika's abilities are connected to chains. Although he says he needs them to chain down those that deserve it I like the idea that they represent himself being imprisoned by his revenge and (self imposed) duty.
And notably when active he has a chain around both his enemies heart and his own, he quite literally chains himself to his enemies who he is trying to "chain to hell". (His words) This means he is indirectly chaining himself to hell as well. His ability is the definition of peak nen, not in terms of in universe potential, but in terms of what nen can do naratively for the story as a power system. (But it also showcases everything important about nen, how its unique to the user, how contracts and willpower can power it up, and how absolute power isn't everything in a fight)
Nen and the abilities derived from it truly are a master stroke of storytelling and characterization! In the main characters sure, but even in one off and arc specific characters like Tsubone, the Shadow beasts, and Razor, their abilities inform about who they are and what sort of purpose they would be needed for.
Just going to shoutout the great background music choices this video. You always do a great job on that (yeah don't think I don't notice. I always do.) I am detecting a disproportionate amount of Undertale/Deltarune in this one. Which is great.
Loved the video brother i personally agree to the number 1 et number 2 but i'll probably put Knuckle ability as third because of how enjoyable it made to look at his fights. And i'll add Mizaistorm ability because it embodies his values rather beautifully too.
Me: I like Dragon Dive because big aura Dragon goes BOOM and turns into aura spears to stab people. Alecxandxr: "Jajanken represents all that Gon was.." Once again, your analyses were very thoughtful and just goes to show how much detail Togashi has put into even the most minor character's nen abilities.
Omg, through your vid i found out the reason to Meruem's Power, and it makes sense. Togashi your writing is so beautiful that it can make me cry for no reason.
Morena’s Ability is without a doubt the best ability in all media for me personally. I can’t remember a power more destructive, evil and well thought out for a villain in any other story.
This is def a new & interestin type type of vid for u but I think that's cool. I feel part of wut makes nen so great is that even if u couldn't do a vid like this or simply explain in it plain conversation I feel most ppl have a subconscious understandin of y these abilities fit these characters so well. Also Gon possibly not usin Jajanken anymore kinda reminds me of Goku's journey more than it alr did lol
Solid list. I would probably swap out illumi's needles for Pitou's ablities. I think pitou's abilities are great for conveying both her immense cruelty and her compassion. Additionally, Pitou nen after death moment is my second favorite usage of nen in the series behind something that happens in the manga with Hisoka
I'd love to see you do a similar video for jujutsu kaisen, as cursed energy also lends itself for this sort of character analysis. Given that it is literally negative emotions, the way characters use it says a lot about how they deal with trauma and bad things in general. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
It probably makes sense to wait for a few more seasons of JJK before considering a character analysis videa, at the moment we realistically only have atmost 10 characts who we know enough about both the ability and character to even consider analysis. But cursed energy feels like a successor to nen in that its fundamentally an emotion based power system that is heavily affect by the user. Which means it has equal potential for silent characterization as nen does. (Lile how kurapika says he is chaining his enemies to hell, but he literally chains his heart to his enemies when he fights, so he is indirectly chaining himself to hell as well)
@@jasonreed7522 Yes, you're right in that it is too soon in the anime for such an analysis. But as a manga reader, I can tell you that it is totally a worthwhile analysis to embark on :D
@@nataliagarciahess3749 i can imagine, cursed energy as a power system is naratively very similar to nen. I say this because both are so fundamentally tied to the user that it will always reveal some "silent" characterization. (Im hijacking the term from silent world building) But for now im an anime only, i just never got into comics and that extends to manga. I just prefer my entertainment as either a full show or a traditional novel where 100% of the action is "theater of the mind". (The pros and cons of different story telling mediums is honestly a facinating thing to analyze in ots own right but I've never seen someone cover it. A basic example is how books like the hunger games are way more scary/disturbing than animated stuff like Invincible or JJK despite all of these being relatively tame. Even something like the boys isn't nearly as disturbing as the descriptions in books I've read that weren't even trying to be gorey and horrific. [Without Remorse by Tom Clancy clinically describes killing someone via the bends as a form of torture that they 100% deserved, way more gruesome than any episode of the boys so far]) Sorry for getting off topic. But i am looking forward to season 2 and seeing their powers developed further. (Megumi has a partial domain now, Itadori is clearly skilled but doesn't have unique techniques and is still haunted by Sukana, Sukana still hasn't been shown using is pact yet, and Nobara's hammer and nails ability is just so unique and fascinating)
Honestly I would've listed my favorite Nen abilities from the series but all of the ones I wanted covered showed up somewhere in this top ten, even the honorable mentions so I think I'm good on that front. I largely agree with most of your sentiments and as I result I don't think I have anything to add. The only thing I'd like to know is how the nen abilities that are less featured thus far play into the characterizations of other characters.
My personal favorite has got to be Netero's. It lives rent free in my head, popping into my mind randomly monthly or even weekly. His 1-handed prayer, since prayer comes from the heart, also lives rent free in my head.
My top 2 is the same as yours, although I would probably put Chrollo as my top 1 because I relate to his ability more. I love this type of content a lot, where you discuss what you personally like without losing your analytical lens. I miss Hunter x Hunter so much, and I hope Togashi-sensei doesn't overdo it and gets enough help from assistance to keep the manga alive longer.
calling it now, number 1 is either Killua or Hisoka. Probably Kurapika actually. update: i was wrong about Hisoka at least 💀 update 2: wrong about Killua as well :| update 3: I WAS RIGHT YAY
Can’t believe you did long included the Nen ability fast walk of Satotz. The way the examiner walked so effortlessly really highlighted his aloof nature yet the intensity that the Hunter exams would have. You must’ve forgotten!
SPOILER WARNING: There is an error in the spoiler disclaimer for this video. It says just the anime, but there is one honourable mention and a couple of minor details that involve post-anime material. So please keep that in mind.
I think the most thematic part of Killua's ability that wasn't touched on here is the fact that it allows him to react purely on instinct faster than he could even think, which is in direct opposition to the needle that was once within him that manipulated him and subdued those battle instincts. It's a direct defiance to his family and show of confidence in himself
instinct rreaction vs overthinking and manipulated catious. Beautiful parallel by Togashil
I love you focusing on the brittleness of Gon's Jajanken. It was never meant to be the best power in the world because its foundation is based on a flawed and volatile mindset. Bad for powerscaling, amazing for storytelling.
but even as a combat ability, it is super underrated and quite powerful. you might say it's one dimensional. And to that, I say, well, it's actually three dimensional, but i see your point. However, that's actually fine. you don't necessarily need a bunch of tricks and traps to keep your opponent on their toes. 3 tricks is fine so long as preparing for one of the three leaves you vulnerable to the other two, which is exactly the case with rock-paper-scissors. Because gon's stance is exactly the same when he's charging it, no matter which one he's using, you can't know until he actually uses it. and they cover each other's weaknesses quite well. The only real issue is that gon's emission and transmutation aren't nearly as good as his enhancement, which means he's way more proficient with rock than with paper or scissor.
@@rishabhanand4973 You speak facts! 💯
Kurapika's ability feel like it's the reason nen was invented in the first place. It defines the boundaries of the system so cleanly.
That arc is my favorite in the show, and his ability is just the crystalization of what nen can do.
Nen is all about willpower, and kurapika took his ultra justified desire for revenge and set his life on the line to max out his power, but only against a handful of individuals. (He wanted to "chain them to hell" and his ability was exactly that, and unbeatable by its intended victims)
Melody is a character I found myself appreciating much, much more on rewatch. She's a calming presence who keeps the characters down to earth, and her ability is so gentle and grounding, I love her so much and I hope we can see more of her soon
She shined really well in some of the most recent chapters, with the sister's failed escape and the banquet. Hope to see more of her but she's been great lately too.
I was so stressed out and worried for Kurapika when first watching Yorknew, especially before the gang met up. Melody is the needed emotional support for him and trustworthy ally in a really chaotic situation. Leorio is the main character who is most therapeutic and supportive of Kurapika, but it helps that Melody worked the same gig in Yorknew when they were apart.
... one thing, though. I haven't caught up on all the most recent manga chapters, but how did Melody make the cut to be a bodyguard back in Yorknew? Her abilities are interesting and helpful, but I have no idea how with her limited strength she passed the little manor test.
I think I'd put Morel's Deep Purple somewhere in the top 5 because his nen represents HxH more than anything, flexible in its approach and malleable in its circumstances, what it means to be a Hunter, and what's important in a battle: Power vs Intellect and Experience vs Talent. Morel also falls into the category of don't judge a book by its cover from his design to how he utilises his nen affinities. He is a great character, and I believe Togashi successfully achieved Morel's characterisation as good as it could ever be within the time frame.
Additionally, my fav nen ability in the series is Knov's Hide and Seek.
Fair shout, and cool perspective! Morel is awesome.
Definitely an underrated side character in the series as a whole, a highlight from the protagonist's side next to Knuckles imo (if we're just talking Chimera Ant ofc).
Amazing perspective
Morel is thoughtful, flexible, and refuses to be constrained, and his ability reflects that personality. While he isn't the most physically powerful, his ability gives him the leverage to fight far above his weight level.
Deep Purple is also cool because its versatile enough to have a variety of non combat uses.
Now, HxH, as a battle shounen, was always going to put its focus on characters with more combat centered abilities, but realistically, if you could develop your own superpowers, outside of a world thats actively at war, most people would probably want an ability that has at least some kind of day to day use, whether thatd be mobility, work or just for common household chores, even if most hunters would probably still want theirs to function in combat as well.
And at least assuming Deep Purple also works with smoke blown from something like a normal sized pipe or a simple cigarette, I can see it being applicable for those things too, whereas something like Gon's Janken would probably not be quite as practical for anything outside of combat.
I know Kurapika chose chains because in his words "there are some people who need to be chained to hell", but they could also be seen as chaining himself down. Knowing Kurapika's story and how he ends up by Yorknew, it is very surreal going back to the first 2 arcs and seeing him look genuinely happy with Gon and Leorio. And he avoids that happiness in the name of duty. He threatens his own life constantly in the name of that duty. It is his chain just as much as it is the spiders'. The absolute worst part is that I struggle to say I wouldn't make the exact same choice in his position.
I think its a statement about revenge, in order to chain his enemies to hell, he literally chained himself to them. (He has 1 chain around his heart and 1 around theirs when active)
Its a beautiful show of resolve and demonstration of the true power of nen. Nen is all about willpower, and can be boosted with contracts, and the stricter the conditions the greater the boost. Kurapika made the strictest contract possible in order to get the boost needed to win, it isn't sustainable but its highly effective. And this is why he love his ability, it showcases everything their is to know about nen including how absolute power isn't everything. (Several of the spiders Kurapika delt with were basically walking nukes)
Chrollo's Skill Hunter is number one to me for its thematic value.
*"To dive deep into the darkness within the heart of an ability's previous owner, all while making it completely my own... That is the true thrill of 'Skill Hunter'."*
I hope Togashi will focus more on Chrollo's amazing character in the upcoming chapters.
Same, this moment really marked Skill Hunter as one of the best manga powers ever, such depth
Better than no, Togashi apparently has planned to get rid of Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe since 2013, and after the match with Hisoka, he stated that Hisoka is going to take some cards from Chrollo (abilities) showing his new way of approaching combats, definitely better if we don't see much of him, cause he is my favorite character
I can’t believe we’ve reached the point where people can seriously say things like “in the upcoming chapters” when referring to hunter x hunter
Togashi REALLY is talking about Chrollo in these lastest chapters
Is that line from the manga? It sounds beautifully dark and tragic and I love it!
Already love this new style of video
Top tens for media but the picks are judged by their complexity dont come often, on top of your own your spin being put on it is also great
Glad you enjoyed, I may do more!
Don’t let the fact that Hisoka’s Bungee Gum only getting placed #10 distract you from the fact that Bungee Gum Possesses the properties of both rubber and gum.
I'll never
JUSTICE FOR THE BUNGEE GUM
I think number 10 is fair. It's a subjective list and a lot of the other ones have bigger emotional impact.
@A good point
Could it ever?
I love the story behind knuckle's ability. It's obviously influenced by that time he punched a cop and ran away, it also enhances his self proclaimed greatest skill "running away"
Hey! I know this is an old comment but I remember where you found this out, mind sharing?
@@ravvik1402 Chapter 277 or Episode 117 if you prefer watching to reading.
Peak video! Togashi really does put so much thought into every aspect of the story. Aside from all the abilities mentioned in the video, I love Pouf and Pitou's abilities enough to have them in my top 3. While most nen abilities feel reflective of the character they belong to, I feel like Pouf and Pitou's do the opposite. Pouf's spiritual message allows him to understand how those he uses it on feel, which is quite ironic since he was unable to have a complete understanding of Meruem's feelings for Komugi until the very end. Whereas Pitou's Puppeteering is just a way to control lifeless corpses, without any feelings or emotion, similar to Illumi with the difference that the bodies were alive with his case. Despite that, Pitou was, in my opinion, the most understanding of the royal guards, able to understand and be completely sincere with Meruem and even Gon.
I love how this video opens with the truest statement I've ever heard. Nen really is the best power system
yeah, others like sanderson's in some of his books are too complex. togashi's is the best because it is super balanced and based on its users
I love how simple Hisoka’s ability is. It really shows that an ability doesn’t have to be super overpowered. It ultimately comes down to the person who uses it.
You’re thinking of it the wrong way. Being simple doesn’t make an ability weak. Jajanken is even more simple than bungee gum, but it’s quite strong, too. Uvogin’s arsenal is simple, but incredibly OP. And being complicated doesn’t make a power strong.
@@SnailHatan agreed
The fact that Chrollo and the other spider members want a sense of identity in this world and the fact that Chrollo's nen ability is a manifestation of the fact that he doesn't have an identity of his own and so has a tendency to steal from others for him to better understand himself was so well pointed out.
Amazing video as always senpai 😁.
Illumi Zoldyck's needle manipulation is great and powerful. It can be used in all aspects of battle.
Terrifying to, if you don’t have the will to break out, and pull his control needle out, like killua.
He traumatizes others in the way he's been traumatized.
Awesome video. I do agree with most of your picks, especially Chrollo and Kurapika.
I got to say, Togashi really nailed it with Nen. He creates abilities which can tell us a story about a Character and make us sympathatic without having to see a back story. It's genius writing.
Thanks! And totally agree, there is nothing close to it that I’ve experienced in fiction just yet.
i absolutely love jajanken. just the idea that this kid crouches down, gets in his stance, and yells “show me rock!” it just. fills me with joy. He’s so earnest, and I love how dedicated he is to making his frankly silly ability work.
Knov's ability was so OP he had to be written out of the palace invasion.
Basho's ability that makes haikus come to life but only if they're good haikus is really interesting and I hope we get to see what constitutes a good haiku in the future.
I wish we got to see what Pokkle's other arrows did
all the phantom troupe has really cool abilities, especially Feitan
Too bad pokkle is dead😭
Love the inclusion of powers like Kalluto's, Melody's and Morena's - all powers that people may forget due to them being less significant characters, but all of them with just as much thought put into them as there is for the most important characters like Gon and Killua. Really shows Togashi's skill and how he prioritizes quality even in the lesser characters.
Morena is soon-to-be a much more major character (please Togashi)
My favorite thing about Nen is that it doesn't matter how powerful your ability is, if your opponent knows how to use their ability that much better than you, you'll be taken down.
Every time I think of Melody I picture someone so tramatized by her past that she developed a means to both detect others current mood/mindset and the ability to change it. A parent type that would make her practice music lessons days on end with no rest or food until she mastered said piece and made them "feel" the music. Always wondered if she were to wish someone harm what offensive abilities the same skill set would offer, would be able to drive someone "crazy" by mood change as well or by playing the resonance frequencies of the human body(with every body/body part being different) could she snap bones at long distance. Lots of potential to expand her power.
Another aspect of illumi's ability is that he considers the path of assassin a lonely path, his ability allows him to do the work of many people without the need of allies, it also shows how he disregards human life and that he views people as either an obstacle or a tool, even himself as he uses his needles on his body.
Also his hypnosis on killua fleshes out his possessive and overprotective love for his brother.
I also love Genthru's ability! The activation and deactivation conditions further demonstrate how Genthru is all about deception and leverage. If someone trusts him, it's extremely easy to activate the ability, but once he betrays them, it's extremely difficult to deactivate the ability. I've always enjoyed stories that establish/escalate tension using deception and leverage (e.g. Death Note).
There are also some interesting similarities and differences between Genthru's ability and Knuckle's. Both are activated through physical contact, and both could be removed with Nen exorcism. The difference is obviously in the essence of the ability and its user. Knuckle uses his to reduce violence like you described, whereas Genthru's is incredibly violent and violating. APR is comedically adorable, but Genthru's bombs are a terrifying threat. One final difference that I find interesting is that Knuckle's starts violently but is ultimately non-violent, whereas Genthru's starts innocuously but leads to deadly destruction.
Fantastic video AJ!!
Personally I'm a big fan of Machi's nen threads. I'm always drawn to abilities that are very flexible. Offense, defense, support; it's all possible! Plus it gives a good glimpse into her character with how the troupe members call her kind and we as audience hardly get to see.
Thanks! And any and all Machi love is beautiful, awesome take.
so you like Luffy's gum gum ability too then?
Komugi's ability would be on the list for me, I just love how she develops nen to essentially have her life continue to have meaning, so she can keep playing gungi.
In my opinion, people vastly underestimate Jajanken because it's a technique in development with subtle (but powerful) tactical advantages. It covers close range, mid-range, and long range. It's a devastating finishing blow and a way to set up future moves. You can use it for misdirection and surprise attacks, even if the opponent knows about it. It forces the opponent to guess what comes next and play mind games, with potentially deadly consequences if they get it wrong. So I don't consider it a limited or rigid ability, though it obviously has a lot of room to grow.
In fact, much of what I said about Jajanken also applies to Bungee Gum, so that's something interesting to think about with regards to Gon and Hisoka's characterization.
The Morena choice is so based too, she's such a cool character
Underrated af
I haven't finished the video but I'll guess that Kurapika, Chrollo, Netero, and Hisoka's habilities are in there. Hisoka vs Chrollo in the manga illustrates why these are two of my favorite habilities, Kurapika's habilty is simply tragically beautiful, and Netero's hability shows the limits of nen unilke any other character in the series. Although my favorite nen hability is Komugi's hability that allows her to never lose at Gungi, having a power system that has purposes beyond combat is one of the elements that make nen so fascinating.
Togashi, if you watch this, listen to him when he talks about Kurapika. That sense of danger. You couldn't kill Gon, but damn if Kurapika died a right way, that would be next level. No more expectations than that, just use that if, and only if, you are not feeling inspired.
Great picks in this video!!! Komugi's nen is one of my favorite narratively- the fact that, although it is only proficient in one aspect, she has almost limitless potential in that field just because of how strong her will was, and it resulted in convincing Meruem of the value of humanity's strength in different aspects (and arguably, we should thank her for inadvertantly saving the human race lol!) Plus, the fact that the whole time she is completely unaware of her nen's existence, and how it was based on the fact that she thought so little of herself that gungi was the only reason she should be kept alive.....my girl didn't know her own worth ;v;
Fully agree, her ability was probably the best (only) pure non-combat ability we seen, because its something she isn't aware of yet its shows that she has truly become a master of her craft. And it's existance implies that countless others could have theoretically created nen abilities to do the same, to help them master their life's craft. (Could be fishing, buisness/investing, woodworking, or anything else)
Basically her ability shows that nen is good for more than just shonnen battles.
In a way she is the opposite of Netero who mastered nen and martial arts but had to "win" by using a salted nuke and deliver the incredible line "You have no comprehension for the depths of malice in the human heart" (probably misquoted). In contrast she is litterally harmless and yet she was the only one able to defeat Meruem, and she did it out of combat. (Although he did die because Netero poisoned him)
Ironically i consider the Chimera Ant arc to be my least favorite of the show. (Kurapika vs the Spiders was my favorite). Its hard to exactly say why though and i would need to do another rewatch to have the details to anyway.
Bankruptcy Chapter 7 + IRS is my single favorite, most creative superpower in all of fiction. It is just so brilliant and original and useful and powerful AND BASED ON THE INEVITABILITY OF TAXES
He basically says, i will win with math because nothing is scarier than compound interest.
The one downside is it provides a numerical value to nen which is kinda like when midichlorians were added to the force it removes a level of mystic about how much capacity a given user has, and how much their abilities drain them. (It also raises question about the efficiency of a user's attacks and how that interacts with Knuckle's ability) I don't consider this a major problem, just a minor narative con to the existence of his ability.
@@jasonreed7522 nah I disagree, people have a specific amount of energy as shown in the series, all the power does is give that amount a number value but it is only relative to his system and his power, it isn't an all around system for measuring nen just his own numerical counting system for the canonical and in reality also real fact that human bodies only have a limited amount of energy within them. It isn't some power scaling thing and the internal math used for APR is never explained either so as to create a situation like you're describing.
I think it works super well
5:54😂😅
It gonna take alot of time to think of so i think i like kite's crazy slot his ability comes into my mind whenever i think of hunting i like how ging explained that it always gave him the best choice depends on the situations but kite dont like the choices he got sometimes and his weapon can has the ability to talk is hilarious and cool.
Great video as always 👌
Cheers! Crazy Slots is definitely super creative!
i love how you mentioned morena. i have my eyes on her in the manga bc her ability to have nen abilities of her own all the while being able to give others abilities is quite scary when you think about it
She’s going to be key to upcoming chapters I think!
I love how people bring up the properties of bunchee gum but the way you did it was hilarious.
2:13 Oi Josuke, i found the man who save you!
Not an honorable mention, but I want to note that from what we know so far, all of Zeno’s nen abilities seem to be based off a dragon. He threw his aura in the form of a dragon at Chrollo, he summoned and created dragons multiple times at the beginning of the palace invasion, and I think the attack with the multiple spear like lights he released on the palace was called Dragon Dive
Cool. My favourite is Chrollo's due to his own search for his identity and meaning through the spider when he uses shalnark's ability, similar to how he uses the spider to give him his meaning and identity.
Lists like this >>> powerscaling
My all time favorite Nen ability is Kite's Weapon roulette, it is just such a fun concept to me.
1.Rapid Evolving Gungi Playing Skills
2. Deep Purple
3. Beelzebub
4. Inamura
5. Magical Spa Services
6. Dragon Head
7. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
8. Wink Blue
9. Body and Soul
10. Tag
Why did I almost cry from just hearing you describe Kurapika's ability! I'm a wreck of a human being!
Sorry LOL
He brought a shovel to a fight. I know that became a bit of a meme but god damn it tells his intentions and his resolve. If I showed up to fight someone and they brought a shovel I wouldn’t know whether to be scared or offended
been waiting for this vid i’m so happy rn
My favorite is now and will probably always be Killua's abilities, which I'm sure says something about me and the types of characters that I enjoy. I still vividly remember the buildup to seeing him use Godspeed for the first time which actually happened at the very beginning of an episode and was followed by Killua laying the smacketh down all over Youpi until he ran out of juice. The best part is that Killua is still very young and nowhere NEAR his actual peak so as long as he continues to increase his Nen capacity then he'll just continue to grow more powerful and be able of even more bad-ass lightning abilities.
Love that you did this kind of video AJ. I agree utmostly on Kurapika and Chrollo being the top 2, they have the best nen abilities. I also never thought about Meruem's ability in that way that is so beautiful I learn something everytime you post. I'm kinda bothered you didn't mention Pitou's ability even just in honorable mention though and perhaps Pouf but in all fairness the HMs are just that awesome I suppose you love them too but not so much enough
Thinking of these abilities in the way described here, I like the contrast between Bandit's Secret and Emperor Time
Chrollo's ability represents how easily he can take from others, whereas Kurapika's shows how carelessly he'll throw away parts of himself
Killua's is my favorite. I resonate with turning trauma and abuse into fuel to grow beyond the damage into a better person.
Can't believe Hakoware was only an honourable mention 😭 I think it's possibly the most creative use of nen in the series
This has been long in the making, great video :D
Thank you!
1. Chrollo
2. Kurapika
3. Netero
4. Killua
5. Morel
6. Hisoka
7. Gon
8. Komugi
9. Meruem
10. Cheetu's crossbow (I just think its funny)
This was a great video for my birthday. Thanks, very enjoyable! I especially like your take on Knuckle, Kalluto, Illumi and Gon!
Happy birthday mate!
@@Aleczandxr Thank you, this was a pleasant surprise!
If i were to add 5 on top of your list. They'd be: 1 - Machi, Sewing Needles. It's interesting how a member of the phantom troupe has healing abilities, in opposition to almost all the other members. Which is pure fighting based (mostly). I'd imagine she'd have a similar past to Leorio, considering where she grew up. I feel out of all the phantom troupe members besides Chrollo, she's most likely to get a backstory, expanding on why she has her abilities.
2. Yuupi, Metamorphosis. Similar to what you said about Meruem. Yuupi seems like a brute with a one-track mind. But is able to change his views during battle, reflectic his different forms. Especially the knight form he gains later, showing he's developed a more chivalric type of approach to his opponents.
3. Cheetu, Crossbow, or pretty much all his abilities. I like how it shows a character who doesn't at all understand how nen works and somehow just developed random abilities that doesn't fit. It shows that each character needs to put more thought into what abilities they develop and what not to do. Even a strong character needs to also be somewhat intelligent, to develop useful nen powers.
4. Halkenburg. From what we know his nen beast gives all his subordinates a power boost. Reflecting his generous and selfless nature. Kinda similar to Morena, except the requirements and intention are the complete opposite.
5. Kacho. Her nen beast ability to replace her, in order to protect her sister. Her and Fugetsu remind me a lot of Ymir and Historia from AoT. If Ymir had a nen power, i'd imagine it'd be something like this. Even though she acts selfish, she is over protective and selfless towards her sister.
Meruem is Cell if Cell was actually a masterfully written character instead of a typical DBZ villain.
Very understandable list. I joked about how Nen is arguably the most neurodivergent-friendly power system because the abilities are shaped by the user and their specific needs and want as a person. I can't wait until November for the next manga volume.
Personally, I love all of Shaipouf's powers because they show his character really well. The cocoons which develop the ants into what he thinks is best for them, the hypnotic scales which can make ppl do his bidding, and Beelzebub make him really tough to kill. A little ideological cockroach who wants ppl to his idea of their ideal self and its hard to get rid of him. Youpi's I like because I just like shapeshifting.
As for succession arc powers, I am quite fond of Kurapika's pinkie ability because it makes him similar to chrollo and allows the two characters to contrast more. Tserriendnich's parallel future is scary to think about its possibilities. Speaking of other scary powers, Koacho's Without You, god when it is revealed to Fugetsu its going to be so depressing. Finally, Benjamin's power presents another version of "taking abilities" but this time it's used to illustrate how all those who serve him ultimately are loyal to him and not themselves while showing how Ben is defined by his status as a prince and ppl worshiping him. Compared to Halkenburg's abilities which is also loyalty based, but focus on the survival of his soldiers, it really shows the differences between these two characters. In fact, a lot of the princes have these area of effect powers or manipulative powers, pretty interesting tbh. For a shallow pick, I like Hinrigh's ability for being reminiscent of giorno yet also a bit more powerful in terms of the basic abilities. Last note, I do hope we get to see more of Hanzo's abilities, just to see how it matches with his ninja training.
Where has it been confirmed that it's coming back in November?
@@kollmack869 shonen jump twitter confirmed. It's a new volume, not new chapters so that was my mistake.
My top 10: Leorio, Feitan, Netero, Gon, Kurapika, Killua, Pitou, Tserriednich, Chrollo, Hisoka. Looking forward to comparing.
Very close
I love Nen abilities with high-risk high-reward hatsus, or the ones that are ultra specialized to the point where the character is immensely bad at everything else.
Me tearing up during the Leorio explanation🧑🦯🙆♂️🙇
Hinrigh (however you spell that dumb name 😂) has a really cool ability, in last week’s chapter him turning the pigeons into handcuffs was unexpectedly cool to me, it also helps that it reminds me of Giornos life giver with some pretty cool extras.
I'd like to add the simple observation that Kurapika's abilities are connected to chains. Although he says he needs them to chain down those that deserve it I like the idea that they represent himself being imprisoned by his revenge and (self imposed) duty.
And notably when active he has a chain around both his enemies heart and his own, he quite literally chains himself to his enemies who he is trying to "chain to hell". (His words)
This means he is indirectly chaining himself to hell as well.
His ability is the definition of peak nen, not in terms of in universe potential, but in terms of what nen can do naratively for the story as a power system. (But it also showcases everything important about nen, how its unique to the user, how contracts and willpower can power it up, and how absolute power isn't everything in a fight)
Nen and the abilities derived from it truly are a master stroke of storytelling and characterization! In the main characters sure, but even in one off and arc specific characters like Tsubone, the Shadow beasts, and Razor, their abilities inform about who they are and what sort of purpose they would be needed for.
The 🐐 HxH channel !!
1) Jajanken
2) Killua's Lightning
3) Feitan's Power
4) Chrollo
5) Kurapika
Great video to build up more hype before the new chapters drop for me and Feitans has always been one of my favorites
Just going to shoutout the great background music choices this video. You always do a great job on that (yeah don't think I don't notice. I always do.) I am detecting a disproportionate amount of Undertale/Deltarune in this one. Which is great.
Glad you enjoyed them! I was in a bit of a Toby Fox mood for this one, haha
The one who threatens to exterminate what’s left of the Kurta is tragically Kurapika himself.
👏👏👏👏👏 great video as always
Thanks!
If this is about usefulness the Bisky's Magical Massage would always be #1. You can pretty much live twice as long while using it.
It's not about usefulness, he explains this in the introduction.
I’ll be happy to remind you of the two properties of bungee gum
Big Bang Impact supremacy!
Great list, personally I'm not big on Emperor Time because of how strong it makes Kurapika but I like the rest of his chain abilities.
Loved the video brother i personally agree to the number 1 et number 2 but i'll probably put Knuckle ability as third because of how enjoyable it made to look at his fights. And i'll add Mizaistorm ability because it embodies his values rather beautifully too.
Cheers Joshua!
such an amazing video!!!
Thanks!
Cont complain! Glad melody finally got some recognition.. and tbh komugi was the only nen user to have a 100% success rate so she is up there for me
Me: I like Dragon Dive because big aura Dragon goes BOOM and turns into aura spears to stab people.
Alecxandxr: "Jajanken represents all that Gon was.."
Once again, your analyses were very thoughtful and just goes to show how much detail Togashi has put into even the most minor character's nen abilities.
LOL thank you!
"Without You"
:'(
Chrollo will always be my favorite. The head of the spider is the strongest.
Omg, through your vid i found out the reason to Meruem's Power, and it makes sense. Togashi your writing is so beautiful that it can make me cry for no reason.
ITS RUBBER AND GUM!!! BUNGEE GUM POSSESSES PROPERTIES OF BOTH RUBBER AND GUM!!!!
Add Machi's to this now after the last chapter (397)
Morena’s Ability is without a doubt the best ability in all media for me personally. I can’t remember a power more destructive, evil and well thought out for a villain in any other story.
Really enjoy these videos and conversations rather than ppl just arguing who’s stronger and screaming over it
havent watch but im pretty sure Kurapikas chain will be on top
Yees I’ve been looking forward to this 😍🙏🏼
This is def a new & interestin type type of vid for u but I think that's cool. I feel part of wut makes nen so great is that even if u couldn't do a vid like this or simply explain in it plain conversation I feel most ppl have a subconscious understandin of y these abilities fit these characters so well. Also Gon possibly not usin Jajanken anymore kinda reminds me of Goku's journey more than it alr did lol
My top 10
10. Ikalgo's
9. Feitan's
8. Hisoka's
7. Shizuku's
6. Shalnark's
5. Shiapouf's
4. Killua's
3. Knov's
2. Convert Hands
1. Melody's
ew
knuckle my gentle king
Thank you for this.
Solid list. I would probably swap out illumi's needles for Pitou's ablities. I think pitou's abilities are great for conveying both her immense cruelty and her compassion. Additionally, Pitou nen after death moment is my second favorite usage of nen in the series behind something that happens in the manga with Hisoka
Yep, great shout! I love Pitou’s powers but mostly for how they wield them more so than how they integrate with the character, I think.
I'd love to see you do a similar video for jujutsu kaisen, as cursed energy also lends itself for this sort of character analysis. Given that it is literally negative emotions, the way characters use it says a lot about how they deal with trauma and bad things in general. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I wouldn’t make a video like this for JJK but I’m currently reading the series (Shibuya) and I do enjoy it a lot! Cursed energy is a very cool system.
@@Aleczandxr omg shibuya ahhhh can't even see the word without feeling pain to an absurd degree
It probably makes sense to wait for a few more seasons of JJK before considering a character analysis videa, at the moment we realistically only have atmost 10 characts who we know enough about both the ability and character to even consider analysis.
But cursed energy feels like a successor to nen in that its fundamentally an emotion based power system that is heavily affect by the user. Which means it has equal potential for silent characterization as nen does. (Lile how kurapika says he is chaining his enemies to hell, but he literally chains his heart to his enemies when he fights, so he is indirectly chaining himself to hell as well)
@@jasonreed7522 Yes, you're right in that it is too soon in the anime for such an analysis. But as a manga reader, I can tell you that it is totally a worthwhile analysis to embark on :D
@@nataliagarciahess3749 i can imagine, cursed energy as a power system is naratively very similar to nen. I say this because both are so fundamentally tied to the user that it will always reveal some "silent" characterization. (Im hijacking the term from silent world building)
But for now im an anime only, i just never got into comics and that extends to manga. I just prefer my entertainment as either a full show or a traditional novel where 100% of the action is "theater of the mind". (The pros and cons of different story telling mediums is honestly a facinating thing to analyze in ots own right but I've never seen someone cover it. A basic example is how books like the hunger games are way more scary/disturbing than animated stuff like Invincible or JJK despite all of these being relatively tame. Even something like the boys isn't nearly as disturbing as the descriptions in books I've read that weren't even trying to be gorey and horrific. [Without Remorse by Tom Clancy clinically describes killing someone via the bends as a form of torture that they 100% deserved, way more gruesome than any episode of the boys so far])
Sorry for getting off topic. But i am looking forward to season 2 and seeing their powers developed further. (Megumi has a partial domain now, Itadori is clearly skilled but doesn't have unique techniques and is still haunted by Sukana, Sukana still hasn't been shown using is pact yet, and Nobara's hammer and nails ability is just so unique and fascinating)
YES best choices for the top 3.
Kurapika defeated chorollo I see.🐢
Honestly I would've listed my favorite Nen abilities from the series but all of the ones I wanted covered showed up somewhere in this top ten, even the honorable mentions so I think I'm good on that front. I largely agree with most of your sentiments and as I result I don't think I have anything to add. The only thing I'd like to know is how the nen abilities that are less featured thus far play into the characterizations of other characters.
I hear that Diddy Kong music king, I c u
My personal favorite has got to be Netero's. It lives rent free in my head, popping into my mind randomly monthly or even weekly. His 1-handed prayer, since prayer comes from the heart, also lives rent free in my head.
U forgot to mention that hisokas bunge gum posses the properties of both RUBBER AND GUM
My top 2 is the same as yours, although I would probably put Chrollo as my top 1 because I relate to his ability more.
I love this type of content a lot, where you discuss what you personally like without losing your analytical lens.
I miss Hunter x Hunter so much, and I hope Togashi-sensei doesn't overdo it and gets enough help from assistance to keep the manga alive longer.
Glad you enjoyed this! I may do some similar stuff in the future.
Cool idea to rank by storytelling potential than strength
Far more interesting than cookie cutter powerscaling arguments
Thanks!
calling it now, number 1 is either Killua or Hisoka. Probably Kurapika actually.
update: i was wrong about Hisoka at least 💀
update 2: wrong about Killua as well :|
update 3: I WAS RIGHT YAY
my favorite one is Knuckle's Bankruptcy.. followed by Knov's
Kurapika number one?! I'm surprised but not disappointed.
Can’t believe you did long included the Nen ability fast walk of Satotz. The way the examiner walked so effortlessly really highlighted his aloof nature yet the intensity that the Hunter exams would have. You must’ve forgotten!
Satotz my king
@@soccerstuff8071 a.true gentleman and a scholar!