Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #401 of Hunter X Hunter
One of the best aspects ofHunter X Hunteristhe complex power system calledNen, which breathes life into the series and makes it exponentially more interesting and engaging. And in the latest arc, it seems that one aspect of it, post-mortem Nen, could be a game-changer and decide the victors of the Succession War.
In chapter #401 ofHunter X Hunter, it was revealed thatBeyond Netero had planted guards with powerful curses in the factions of each Princeexcept one, which is his child. These guards are Netero’s secret children that he manipulated to get close to the Princes and take them out with a powerful Nen curse. For the curse to take effect, the host would have to die, and the post-mortem Nen will kill the target. Ever since the end of the Chimera Ant arc, post-mortem nen has become increasingly more relevant, and nowin the Succession War arc,it will decide who is left standing.
Post-Mortem Nen Is An Incredibly Powerful Property Of The Power System
The Succession War Arc Sees Post-Mortem Nen Becoming More Relevant
Post-mortem Nen is a characteristic of Nen where the user dies, but the abilities continue to exist, andthis Nen becomes much more powerful than before the user died. The ability usually continues to exist due to the person’s grudge or hatred against someone. They are very tricky to exorcise or remove, and there are very few exorcists in the world who can remove them. An example of post-mortem Nen is Pitou’s continuing to fight when Terpsichora manipulated her body to do so, even after she was killed. This was because of her strong emotions and desire to protect the King from Gon.
Post-mortem Nen requires any type of strong emotions, but the most common curses are through hatred.
Another example iswhen Kurapika forced Chrollo into a state of permanent Zetsuusing the Judgement Chain after making conditions. Kurapika revealed that even if he died, Chrollo still wouldn’t be able to use Nen and the ability would carry on unless it was exorcised, which it was. Misha Hao, a member of the Xi-Yu family, disposed of a body after she died for the sake of her faction, and once she got rid of the body, her ability vanished.
Chrollo’s Sun and Moon ability is also heavily reliant on post-mortem Nen, and it is why it didn’t disappear from his Book despite the death of the original owner. Hisoka managed to revive himself using post-mortem Nen after being killed by Chrollo, and he is now one of the major antagonists in the arc. Furthermore,Beyond Netero isn’t the only one using curses to attack other Princes. Second Prince Camilla is also using this same strategy, but from the conditions needed to activate the curse, it seems Beyond’s curses are way more powerful.
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Beyond Netero’s Curse Is Unstoppable
A Type Of Curse That Is Years In The Making
What really makes Beyond Netero’s post-mortem Nen frightening is howthere isn’t anyone on the ship who is confirmed to be able to exorcise curses. That means he is free to do as he pleases. Furthermore, the amount of time and conditions set to activate means that this Nen is very deadly, as this plan was in the works for decades. The fact that he still hasn’t activated it yet means he is working on it, and he most likely has a plan to fulfill the requirements.
This revelation has likely started the countdown for many deaths as the Princes will start dropping like flies to make room for the conclusion of this arc. While Kurapika and Woble are safe from Beyond’s schemes, for now, the protagonist has been incentivized to look for Beyond’s real child and help Prince Tubeppa in the process. How he deals with the turn of events will be interesting.Hunter X Hunter’s new increase in usage ofpost-mortem Nen and curses.
Hunter X Hunter
Hunter × Hunteris a Japanese manga and anime franchise created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story follows Gon Freecss, a boy who discovers his father is a legendary Hunter, and embarks on a journey to become one himself. Along the way, he encounters friends and foes in a world filled with martial arts, adventure, and paranormal elements. The franchise spans manga, multiple anime adaptations, films, OVAs, and video games.
