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In the case of the “Chimera Ant Arc,” Gon and his team now face the threat of Meruem and his Chimera Ant colony. However, aside from Meruem himself are powerful Chimera Ants that serve in his Royal Guards, Squadron Leaders, and even Officers. Interestingly, some Chimera Ants also have some of the most interesting skill sets in the franchise.
Updated on January 10, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: It’s during the Chimera Ant Arc that Hunter Association Chairman Isaac Netero dies at the hands of Chimera King Meruem. This death soon sets off a chain of events bound to change the entire landscape of the Hunter x Hunter universe. Before fans accompany Kurapika in the Succession Contest Arc, they might want to check out some of the more powerful Chimera Ants in Isaac Netero’s final appearance, as it’s a better understanding of their abilities may help fans better understand the concepts that appear in the future arcs. Included among some of the more powerful Chimera Ants include lieutenants who survived the attack from Isaac Netero’s squad, on top of a lieutenant that Gon and Killua themselves faced.
21 Mantis
While formally unnamed in both the anime and the manga, Mantis is given his name due to his appearance as an oversized Mantis. And while he’s only appeared in the story for a short time, he easily becomes one of the more notable Chimera Ants after having survived the attack from Hunter Association Chairman Isaac Netero’s Extermination Team. After Hagya declared their fellow surviving Chimera Ants as independent, Mantis has agreed and roamed away from the nest ever since.
In the manga, Mantis is assigned the rank of Squadron Leader, meaning he’s able to command around four (4) to five (5) Officers as well as dozens of Peons. He also possesses a rather durable body, as he’s able to withstand a Nen-empowered punch from Chimera Ant Officer Rammot. While his stint in the series is short, Mantis is one of the more concrete examples of a Chimera Ant in the series and was instrumental in establishing common Chimera Ant traits such as their anthropomorphic appearance and access to Nen.
20 Small Bear
Similar to Mantis, Small Bear is also among the ones to be left alive by the Extermination Team, and one of the testaments that Chimera Ants have a tougher-than-usual body due to their capability of withstanding Rammot’s punch, which was empowered by Nen. He’s also one of the Chimera Ants present when Hagya decreed all of them free of the Chimera Ant hierarchy, although Small Bear was considered a Squadron Leader and as such should’ve been able to command a sizable number of Chimera Ants.
What’s interesting about Small Bear is his possession of knowledge regarding the Chimera Ants and their various inner workings. This is astonishing, especially when it’s implied that Meruem’s highest-level lieutenants that can ordinarily explain the deeper aspects of Chimera Ant biology. It’s Small Bear that gave one of the earliest insights regarding the Chimera Ants to Hunters, wherein Chimera Ants regain their memories of the past even after their resurrection.
19 Alligator
Another of the earliest Chimera Ants introduced in the Hunter X Hunter series was Alligator. Like Mantis and Small Bear, he doesn’t necessarily have a real name and was simply considered “Alligator” in the series. Unlike other Chimera Ants, Alligator was one of the first to be considered “human-like,” which was an unprecedented development in the evolution of the species.
Contrary to his companions, Alligator is one of the noisier of the bunch, even giving himself the moniker of “Glutton King” and exhibiting evident competitiveness towards other Hunter x Hunter characters. Strength-wise, Alligator is similar to other Squadron Leaders in terms of physical power and leadership prowess. However, he’s keenly analytical, as he’s able to deduce the rate his fellow Leader Cheetu must have been running after only being aware of the location’s distance, which back then was the distance between the shore and the border of the Neo-Green Land.
18 Baital
Recognized for his purple skin and green hoodie, Baital was one of the first Chimera Ants to be introduced in the series. Although eventually captured and killed by the Extermination Team, his nature as a former Chimera Ant Squadron Leader quickly makes him one of the more elite Chimera Ants known in the Hunter X Hunter universe.
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After his introduction in the series, what little is known about Baital immediately establishes his prowess. While a bit cocky after learning to perceive aura through Nen, Baital is rather perceptive - especially when sensing something amiss in their nest before his capture. As a Squadron Leader, Baital proved to be an excellent leader quickly by being able to command multiple Chimera Ant squads at once, something his peers couldn’t do. His body is also relatively durable, as Rammot couldn’t damage him after a Nen-empowered punch.
17 Yunju
Yunju was a part of the Chimera Ant army and he held the position of Squadron Leader. He was so proud of his strength, that he decided to abandon his queen and took over the narcotics factor in the NGL.
Yunju was feared by his subordinates as he showed no mercy. However, he did not possess Nen and was easily dispatched by Kite.
16 Peggy
Peggy was a Squadron Leader, which meant that he had authority over the common Chimera Ant soldiers. He spent most of his time reading books and gaining knowledge about the world. With this knowledge, Peggy was able to help Chimera Ants to awaken Nen.
Peggy’s fighting capabilities remain unknown as he mainly spent his time researching and gathering intel.
15 Bihorn
Bihorn was well respected by his underlings. He possesses incredible physical strength and according to Pike, he is physically the strongest out of all the Squadron Leaders.
Not much is known about Bihorn’s abilities, but since he used to serve as a Squadron Leader, he must have been very powerful. Bihorn awakened Nen when he was struck by a punch from Rammot.
14 Bloster
Bloster is a Chimera Ant, who has the features of a lobster. He gained his Nen ability from Shaiapouf, and since he is an emitter, Bloster is capable of firing aura bullets at his targets.
These aura bullets are very powerful and can easily destroy a bulletproof door. Bloster’s physical strength allows him to tear apart humans with his claws very easily.
13 Rammot
Although only an officer within Squadron Leader Colt’s squad, Rammot is quite an obscure but skilled individual. Compared to other Chimera Ants, Rammot doesn’t possess just one animal sub-type but rather two (2) - the rabbit and the shrike. What perhaps makes Rammot remarkable is his possession of a sadistic streak, which gives him all the more incentive to maximize his newfound abilities as a Chimera Ant.
Due to his animal origins, Rammot enjoys advanced smell over traditional Chimera Ant qualities such as enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, and durability. Moreover, Rammot is rather a skilled martial artist as he’s able to fight both Killua and Gon even after activating their Nen-enhanced defenses.
12 Welfin
Welfin is a powerful Chimera Ant, who formerly served as a Squadron Leader. He is a clever individual and he’s able to sniff out enemies with his extraordinary sense of smell. Furthermore, Welfin also possesses high intelligence, which makes him a dangerous opponent.
Welfin is a conjuror and can use his Nen ability at a decent level. However, since he never gained enough experience in battles, there are a lot of things that Welfin still doesn’t know about his ability.
11 Kite
Despite not having a rank and being freshly revived, his status as one of the strongest is derived by virtue of potential. It’s likely that Kite not only inherited his original Nen abilities but also inherited them in an enhanced way.
Thanks to his training as a Hunter, Kite possesses enhanced strength, durability, speed, and stamina. As a Conjurer trained by Ging Freecs himself, Kite can manifest his Nen in numerous forms. His main ability, Crazy Slots, allows him to summon up to nine different weapons - with one that Kite only uses if he doesn’t want to die. Apparently, this Crazy Slots number was so powerful that Kite manifested as Meruem’s twin in his rebirth.
10 Meleoron
Albeit only as strong as the common Chimera Ant soldier, Meleoron isn’t a pushover as a Squadron Leader. His chameleon genes provide him with impeccable speed and charisma - plus the innate ability to turn invisible to the naked eye. Regardless, this does endow him with mastery over stealth.
In fact, his penchant for stealth extends to his Nen. As a Specialist, Meleoron can fine-tune Nen to keep his special abilities secret. His Perfect Plan allows Meleoron to maximize his invisible - becoming completely invisible even to Nen users. Likewise, God’s Accomplice allows him to camouflage anything else he touches. Why rely on strength if one can avoid becoming hit in the first place?
9 Colt
Condor-like Colt used his specialized flying skills in service of the Chimera Ant Queen. As a Squadron Leader, he possesses remarkable strength, speed, durability, and stamina. While he awakened his Nen, he can only see and sense aura - but not have honed it yet to awaken his own abilities.
However, Colt is no pushover. His main gift after his rebirth as a Chimera Ant is his keen intellect. He’s developed the capability of adjusting to combat situations quickly, up to a point of developing unique strategies to best unknown foes. Despite his lack of Nen abilities, Colt makes up for it with his strategic prowess.
8 Cheetu
Named after his connection with the cheetah, Cheetu is the fastest among the Chimera Ant’s Squadron Leaders. As a Chimera Ant, he already possesses remarkable hand-to-hand combat prowess and enhanced stamina - fit for his surprisingly ridiculous speed. He can react to - and dodge - bullets with ease as he’s capable of reaching at least 200km/h in just a second.
In terms of Nen, Cheetu is a Conjuration Specialist. Unfortunately, being a new Nen user, he still needs assistance to properly control his abilities. Having died earlier, Cheetu wasn’t able to unleash his true potential.
7 Leol
Don’t mind Leol’s swagger - his strength and charisma befit someone bestowed with lion genes. As a Chimera Ant, Leol possesses incredible strength, durability, and stamina. However, his own special genes gave Leol remarkable strength - and even accuracy, being able to not only throw a harpoon at sonic speed but also hit a whale in the deep sea.
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As a Specialist, Leol has the remarkable ability to “borrow” Nen’s abilities temporarily with his Rental Pod. Leol can obtain Nen’s abilities to augment his physical fighting style. Perhaps more remarkable is Leol’s knack for adaptability - as he’s capable of figuring out a borrowed ability’s strengths and taking advantage of them rather quickly.
6 Zazan
While a self-proclaimed Chimera Ant Queen, Zazan does have the strength and cunning to prove her worth as a Squadron Leader. Her nature as a Chimera Ant alone bestowed Zazan with tremendous strength, speed, durability, and reflexes. Moreover, her scorpion genes blessed her with a stinger capable of dismantling pro Hunters with an extremely potent neurotoxin.
As a Manipulator, Zazan can tinker with her Nen to give her two remarkable Nen abilities. Her Queen Shot allows her to transform stung humans into human-animal hybrids that follow her every command. Meanwhile, her Monster Queen Form bestows her with monstrous strength when she pulls out her stinger.
5 Neferpitou
Despite Neferpitou’s rather thin frame, they’re no pushover. Possibly coming from a feline Magical Beast, Pitou possesses unfathomable speed and reflexes. In fact, it’s said that Pitou can sense objects moving as fast as Mach 1. Armed with intense agility and vastly-improved senses, Pitou is already a nightmare in terms of speed.
In turn, Pitou’s nature as a Specialist adds to their frightening roster of abilities. With such fine-tuned control over Nen, Pitou has become a puppeteer. Their Nen allows her to create a healing puppet (Doctor Blythe), control the corpses of others alongside their Nen abilities, or improve a puppet’s performance by imbuing them with aura.
4 Shaiapouf
If Pitou possessed a deceptive frame, Shaiapouf possessed quite a deceptive demeanor. Possibly the calmest of the Royal Guards, Shaiapouf touts his knack for stratagems and combines it with his adaptable Nen abilities. Courtesy of his genes, Shaiapouf possesses incredible strength, stamina, and durability. With his butterfly wings, Shaiapouf can travel extremely long distances - and further travel faster with his aura.
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As a Manipulation user, Shaiapouf’s real power lies in the fine control of Nen. His Cocoon allows Shaiapouf to outright give Nen to others - which helped raise Meruem’s colony into an army of Nen users. His Spiritual Message can help him analyze the psychological states of others quickly. He can manipulate Nen so finely that he can split himself into various miniature clones (Beelzebub) or outright take on the appearance of others (Body Reconstruction).
3 Menthuthuyoupi
If it’s a battle of sheer strength, then Menthuthuyoupi outclasses other Royal Guards by a long shot. Possibly courtesy of his Magical Beast genes, Menthuthuyoupi possesses ridiculous strength that rivals or even exceeds that of Chairman Netero.
Given his sheer strength, it makes sense that Menthuthuyoupi is an Enhancer. His abilities manifest in metamorphosis - allowing him to shapeshift to augment his combat needs. These include sprouting wings for flight, massive tentacles for long-ranged incursions, and extra limbs for more punching power. In his rage, his body can swell up and detonate a massive explosion. When his fury becomes too powerful to control, his Rage Incarnate transforms him into a centaur with much faster speed.
2 Chimera Ant Queen
By virtue of her status as the colony’s progenitress, the Chimera Ant Queen possesses remarkable power. Being a Chimera Ant, the Queen herself is a natural predator. Possessing human-like intellect, the Queen can set traps for prey and perhaps even plot which ones to eat to maximize her abilities.
Thanks to phagogenesis, the Queen can impart the qualities of her prey to her offspring. In turn, her new Ants obtain the best characteristics of her ingested prey. The Queen can maximize phagogenesis when eating humans, as the offspring’s abilities not only come with improved intelligence but also sometimes unique abilities.
