Let’s be real—Hunter x Hunter fans adore a good power tier list. Whether it is Nen combat, brain games, or plain old raw power, the series offers some of anime’s most dramatic and memorable match-ups. From master strategists to unrelenting beasts, the show has plenty of heavy hitters. So, who tops the power pyramid?
Here’s our assessment of the 10 strongest Hunter x Hunter characters according to skill, achievements, and the sort of aura that makes everyone else halt and say Uh-oh.
10. Ging Freecss
Ging is pretty much the mythological figure of the Hunter Association-famous, elusive, and way more powerful than he lets on. He may not have had many fight scenes himself, but his reputation says it all. Not even Netero considered him undesirable to become chairman, and that’s saying a lot. It’s the kind of guy you really cannot afford to underestimate-Gon addressed him as “dad,” but the world knows him as one of the greatest Hunters alive.
9. Hisoka Morow
Hisoka is equally a magician and a maniac. Equipped with his ridiculously elastic Nen power, Bungee Gum, he makes every fight a killing game of wits. He doesn’t fight for power or justice—he fights because it’s entertaining. And that unpredictability? Scary. From his fights against Chrollo to his fixation on Gon and Killua, Hisoka is perpetually stalking the next challenge, and you can bet he has the raw skill to deliver.
8. Silva Zoldyck
The patriarch of the Zoldycks isn’t feared solely because of his surname—Silva is a human cannonball. Bred as an assassin, toxin-proof, and capable of taking out members of the Phantom Troupe, Silva doesn’t play around. He doesn’t fight often, but when he doesit’s precise and merciless. As the leader of the most feared assassin clan, his strength is subtle—but lethal.
7. Chrollo Lucilfer
Charismatic, cold, and incredibly smart, Chrollo rules the Phantom Troupe with a cold detachment. His power to steal and utilize others’ Nen abilities using Skill Hunter makes him one of the most varied and unpredictable combatants in the series. He doesn’t merely defeat his foes—he outwits them, evolves, and then demolishes them.
6. Shaiapouf (Pouf)
Pouf may not be the strongest physically among the Royal Guards, but his Nen powers make him dangerous. He can divide himself into clones, play tricks with people’s emotions, and manipulate things behind the scenes. He’s a strategist before he’s a fighter—but don’t underplay the risk of a loyal servant who thinks and has a strong sense of devotion to his king.
5. Menthuthuyoupi (Youpi)
Youpi is raw, destructive power. He is hot-headed and impulsive at first, but as he grows up, he’s more concentrated, controlled—and even scarier. His body, which can change forms and his burst attacks using his pure power, make him a human weapon, and like all the Royal Guards, his power easily overwhelms the majority of Hunters.
4. Neferpitou (Pitou)
Pitou, or nightmare fuel with claws. Fast, agile, and unbelievably powerful, she is the most terrifying of the Royal Guards in combat. Her Nen capabilities are on a different level; Doctor Blythe can heal mortal wounds, and Puppet Master lets her control the dead. She is actually monstrous strength and strategic ability combined perfectly.
3. Isaac Netero
You don’t get to be the chairman of the Hunter Association without being a god-tier fighter. Netero’s 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva is a spiritual, devastating force of nature. Even in his old age, his speed and power are jaw-dropping. He faced Meruem—the Chimera Ant King—and didn’t go down without making a point. Respect the beard.
2. Meruem
Meruem isn’t only the strongest Chimera Ant—he’s evolution in the flesh. Born with horrifying intellect and unparalleled physical ability, he can learn and adapt quickly than anyone. From destroying Hunters to creating Nen abilities after just one fight, he’s an apocalypse on legs. Only his bond with Komugi, the human girl he came to love, showed him the heart inside the monster. But don’t think for a second—this king was almost invincible.
1. Gon Freecss (Adult Transformation)
When Gon lost Kite, he didn’t only snap emotionally—he snapped every limit he had. Giving up all for vengeance, Gon pushed himself forcibly to become an adult version of his maximum potential. In that instant, he was raw, unadulterated power. He killed Pitou in one of the most breathtakingly jaw-dropping moments in the series. It was a heartbreaking trade-off, but for that instant? Gon may’ve been the strongest being on Earth.
Honorable Mentions
Killua Zoldyck
Lightning-fast, assassin-trained, and getting stronger every second.
Kurapika
Nen chains and sheer fury make him the Phantom Troupe’s worst nightmare.
Alluka/Nanika
With reality warping abilities that fly in the face of Nen logic, she’s quite possibly the most deadly, if not the strongest.
These ten characters encapsulate the unrefined, anarchic energy that makes Hunter x Hunter so iconic. And because the manga is still ongoing, there’s every chance this list might shift once we get to finally see some of these characters let loose in their full glory. Until then, let the power-scaling wars continue.