7 Strongest Clans in the Hunter X Hunter Anime (2024)

Many of the strongest characters in Hunter X Hunter hail from clans where great power is to be expected. Some of these legendary clans are traditional families, like the Freecss' and Zoldycks, while others are born through other means, like The Phantom Troupe and the Chimera Ants.

The heroes of Hunter X Hunter come from some of the most powerful families in the world. Fighters like Meruem and Isaac Netero may be the strongest individuals in the series, but that doesn't automatically make their clans the strongest in the anime.

7 The Nostrades were a Powerful Mafia Family

The Current Status of the Nostrade Family is Difficult to Gauge

Numerous mafia families exist within the world of Hunter X Hunter and, among them, the most prominent is the Nostrade Family. Originally led by the rich and powerful Light Nostrade, the key to his success was his daughter, Neon, a Nen-user with the power to tell fortunes. So long as he spoiled her, she provided him every piece of information about the future he required in order to build his empire.

During the Yorknew City Arc, Neon's Hatsu is stolen by Chrollo Lucilfer, and hundreds of Light's men are slaughtered by The Phantom Troupe. Having become far too reliant on Neon's abilities, these set-backs were too much for Light to overcome, leaving him a shell of his former self. The Nostrade Family didn't cease its operations, however, as Kurapika Kurta assumed leadership of the organization. Along with being a tactical genius, Kurapika is among the strongest characters in Hunter X Hunter, and he employs other powerful Hunters like Basho and Melody, and has the wealth to hire fighters more powerful than himself, like Biscuit Krueger. With Kurapika's focus being on collecting the Kurta Clan's stolen eyes, it is unknown exactly how much influence the Nostrade Family currently holds.

6 The Kurta are Made Stronger by their Scarlet Eyes

Kurapika is the Last Survivor of his Clan

Kurapika Kurta is among the smartest and most capable Hunters in Hunter X Hunter, and he owes much of his strength to his Kurta bloodline. Although a peaceful people, prior to being massacred by The Phantom Troupe, the Kurta Clan possess scarlet eyes which increase their strength tenfold.

As the last surviving Kurta, Kurapika does his people proud in his quest to avenge their deaths. Combining his Nen mastery with his heritage, Kurapika's scarlet eyes not only make him stronger, but allow him to go from being a Conjurer to a Specialist, and use all six Nen categories to their full potential. Having tailored his Nen Chains specifically toward defeating The Phantom Troupe, Kurapika fought and killed one of the strongest members, Uvogin, and captured and nearly killed their leader, Chrollo.

5 The Neteros are Among the World's Greatest Fighters

Beyond Netero is Seemingly as Strong as his Father

Isaac Netero is the 12th Hunter Association Chairman, and the strongest human in the Hunter X Hunter anime. Having trained for 100 years to become a Nen master and a grandmaster of Shingen-ryu, Netero was too strong to be properly challenged, necessitating him to train students like Bisky, in the hopes they could eventually fight him, surround himself with less capable sparring partners, the Zodiacs, and make his right-hand man, Pariston Hill, someone he knew was plotting against him, just to keep things interesting.

Wielding his awe-inspiring 100 Type Guanyin Bodhisattva attack, Netero was seen as the only Hunter who stood against the Chimera Ant King, Meruem, although he himself managed to do little more than scrape the would-be conqueror. The Hunter X Hunter manga has revealed that Isaac had a son, Beyond Netero, and that he's similarly powerful to his father, with him having survived a trip to the Dark Continent. Little else is currently known about his abilities.

4 The Freecss' Have Greater Potential Than Anyone Else

Gon's Immense Strength Comes from his Bloodline

Hunter X Hunter's young protagonist, Gon, is a one in ten million prodigy. Growing up on Whale Island with no formal training, Gon became strong enough to pass the Hunter Exam by the time he was 12. This unbelievable talent is owed to his father, Ging, who also passed the Hunter Exam when he was 12, currently stands among the five greatest Nen masters in the world, and is a former member of the Zodiacs.

Gon grows increasingly powerful throughout the anime, learning Nen and developing his signature Jajanken technique. Upon making a Nen Contract to sacrifice his future potential in exchange for accessing all of it to kill Neferpitou, Gon's full strength is shown to be on par with that of Meruem's. Ging was not the first immensely powerful Freecss, as his ancestor, Don, is among the few to survive the Dark Continent.

3 The Phantom Troupe is Prepared for Any Situation

The Phantom Troupe are Family to One Another

None of The Phantom Troupe's members are related by blood, but this doesn't make them any less of a family. Nearly all of them originate from Meteor City, whose people don't legally exist, and are seen as trash by the rest of the world. The group's founders were largely orphans without any significant bloodlines, but they found comfort in each other and, when it became clear the world would never cease its cruelty toward their home and the people they loved, they gained the strength they needed to ensure no one would ever dare to harm Meteor City again.

The Phantom Troupe are the most feared and powerful band of thieves in the world. Led by Chrollo Lucilfer, a Nen master who fought evenly with Silva and Zeno Zoldyck at the same time, and defeated Hisoka the Magician in one-on-one combat, not every member of the group functions primarily as a fighter, with some, like Shizuku, Pakunoda, and Kortopi, acting as support with their unique abilities. Even as one of the weakest members of The Phantom Troupe, Shizuku still manages to defeat Pike, a Chimera Ant officer. Their stronger members, like Uvogin and Feitan, have meanwhile defeated opponents like the Shadow Beasts and Zazan, a Chimera Ant Squadron Leader.

2 The Zoldycks are the Greatest Assassins in the World

Every Generation of Zoldycks Possesses Monstrous Strength

The Zoldycks are one of the largest, and most prominent, clans in Hunter X Hunter, so it's no surprise they're also among the strongest. At least four generations of the greatest family of assassins in the world are present in the series, and nearly all of them wield impressive power. Zeno and Silva are both peers in strength to Isaac Netero, Zeno's grandfather, Maha, is potentially stronger than them both, and the mysterious Zigg Zoldyck is a survivor of the Dark Continent.

The eldest of Silva and Kikyo's children is Illumi who, with his Nen Needles, is an equal to Hisoka. As one of the series' main heroes, Killua spends much of Hunter X Hunter catching up to him, and while even his Godspeed technique doesn't let him accomplish this, it does enable him to defeat several powerful Chimera Ants, and even injure Menthuthuyoupi. The strongest Zoldyck of all is Killua's little sister, Alluka, who shares a body with a Nanika, a being from the Dark Continent, who has the power to grant any wish. Nanika's power is beyond any other character's but, with Alluka and Killua having cut ties with the rest of their family, it isn't a power the Zoldycks have access to.

1 The Chimera Ants Couldn't Be Stopped by Humanity's Greatest Hunters

The Power of the Chimera Ants Exceeds What Humanity Can Match

Led by Meruem and his Royal Guards, the Chimera Ants are the most powerful force in the Hunter X Hunter anime. They were deemed a threat to the entire world that necessitated extermination, with Isaac Netero, the world's strongest man, assigned to lead the Extermination Team. Despite the caliber of hunters sent to fight them, only Adult Gon managed to defeat one of the Chimera Ants' vanguards, Neferpitou, while Shiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi handily defeated Morel, Knuckle, Shoot, Killua, and Meleoron, while Netero could barely injure Meruem at all, and was forced to resort to the Poor Man's Rose to kill him.

Even outside their leaders, the Chimera Ants pose an incredible threat. A single Chimera Ant soldier is far stronger than an average human and, through Shiapouf's abilities, humans can be transformed into loyal soldiers in mass. Beyond mere soldiers are Chimera Ant Officers and Squadron Leaders who, while still paling in comparison to the Royal Guards, are still more powerful than most hunters. Defeating Leol required the talents of Morel, a future Single-Star Sea Hunter, while Zazan posed a significant challenge to Feitan, the second most powerful member of The Phantom Troupe. The Chimera Ants as a clan no longer exists, with their surviving members scattered to the winds, but Squadron Leaders like Bloster are as powerful as ever and, as Meruem's twin sister, Kite is potentially close to his level.

Hunter x Hunter

Gon Freecss aspires to become a Hunter, an exceptional being capable of greatness. With his friends and his potential, he seeks out his father, who left him when he was younger.

Genre

Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts

Language

English, Japanese

Number of Seasons

6

Debut Date

October 2, 2011

Studio

Madhouse, Shueisha