Most shonen series feature some type of power system, but very few systems are as detailed and varied as Nen. Not everyone in Hunter x Hunter is capable of using Nen, and those that can are able to manipulate their own life energy. Nen users are capable of using parapsychological abilities, but Nen itself is considered dangerous, which is why the public doesn’t know of its existence.
Whether they are a Manipulator, Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Emitter, or Specialist, each Nen user can develop a useful ability. Some of these abilities can be very helpful in battle, especially if the user has enhanced physical capabilities. It is true that many of the strongest Nen users are men, but there are plenty of powerful women who can use it as well.
10 Melody
Melody may not be the strongest HxH character, but she is still capable of serving as a bodyguard for the Nostrade Family and Prince Kacho Hui Guo Rou. She is a Music Hunter by trade, and after listening to the Sonata of Darkness, she gained superhuman hearing.
Thanks to this ability, Melody can track targets easily. By listening to their heartbeats, she can tell someone’s emotional state and whether they are lying or being manipulated. She is an Emitter, and when she plays her flute, she can alleviate the listener’s fatigue, or cause them to hallucinate.
9 Baise
Baise did not have much screen time, and she was killed very quickly when the Phantom Troupe attacked the underground auction in Yorknew City, but she still possessed enough skill to become a bodyguard for the Nostrade Family. She preferred to fight with her legs, and she could deliver some strong kicks.
Baise was a Manipulator, and she developed an ability called Instant Lover. Whenever she kissed someone, they became so infatuated with her that they would obey her commands, and this effect could last more than two hours.
8 Kikyo Zoldyck
Kikyo is the current matriarch of the Zoldyck family, and she is the mother of Killua and all of his siblings. She was born and raised in Meteor City, which means that there is no record of her existence in any database, but she has awakened her Nen since she is capable of seeing the aura of others.
Kikyo is a Manipulator, but she has not revealed her Nen ability yet. That being said, she is still a deadly assassin just like the rest of her family. Other than her advanced assassination techniques, she also possesses extreme speed.
7 Palm Siberia
Palm was introduced during the Chimera Ant Arc, and she started off as a human, but after getting captured, she was transformed into a Chimera Ant soldier. She is Knov’s apprentice, which means that she is a capable Nen user. When she was human, she was not a fighter, but that changed when she transformed.
In her new form, Palm utilizes her Enhancer capabilities to increase her strength, but she has also displayed some skill with Transmutation. Thanks to her Black Widow ability, she can wrap her entire body in hair, which offers her a great deal of protection. The hair reacts to her emotions, so she can attack with it as well.
6 Pakunoda
In terms of physical strength, Pakunoda was one of the weakest members of the Phantom Troupe, but she was a very effective Nen user. Like other Nen practitioners, most of her physical attributes are enhanced, and she has a keen intellect. She is also an expert marksman who primarily uses a revolver.
Pakunoda’s ability is called Psychometry, and it allows her to read the memories of anyone with whom she comes into physical contact. In order to get this information, however, she needs to ask specific questions, and it is impossible to trick her. She can also implant memories into others. This makes her one of the best Specialists in HxH.
5 Shizuku Murasaki
Like other members of the Phantom Troupe, Shizuku Murasaki was born in Meteor City, so her abilities and identity are a total secret. She is a Conjurer, and the organization values her ability because it erases all traces of the Troupe’s activities.
Shizuku can materialize a vacuum cleaner named Blinky, which has sharp teeth and a long tongue in its nozzle. It can suck up any non-living thing—including dead bodies—but it cannot suck in objects made of Nen. It can be used to clean up crime scenes, and in combat, Shizuku can kill her opponent by having Blinky suck out all of their blood through any open wound.
4 Zazan
One of the best fights in HxH came when the Phantom Troupe fought the Chimera Ants who set up a colony in Meteor City. Zazan was a scorpion-like Chimera Ant who asserted herself as the Queen of the new colony, and she forced Feitan to use his overwhelming Nen power.
Zazan is a Manipulator, and with her Queen Shot ability, she would sting people and transform them into hideous human-animal hybrids that were completely loyal to her. When she pulls out her stinger, she assumes a monstrous crocodile-like form, which significantly increases her durability. This would mean she can also use Enhancement.
3 Biscuit Krueger
Thanks to Biscuit’s training, Gon and Killua became more powerful and developed their Nen abilities. She looks like a very young and slender girl, but that appearance is a byproduct of an unknown ability. In reality, she is a very tall and muscular woman.
Biscuit is a Double-Star Stone Hunter, and she is a Transmuter who can also use Emission, Enhancement, and Manipulation. By combining several Nen types, she can summon a masseuse who uses Nen-transmuted lotion. This masseuse can relieve fatigue and restore a person’s vitality, and it can restore a person’s aura.
2 Machi Komacine
It is true that Machi has one of the best hairstyles in HxH, but she also happens to be one of the Phantom Troupe’s most talented members. She possesses enhanced physical attributes and muscle control, and she has impressive stealth skills.
Machi is a Transmuter, and her skills are great for fixing severe injuries. Thanks to her Nen Stitches, she can sew up wounds to such a degree that she can fully reattach severed limbs, and the stitches themselves have regenerative properties. With her Nen Threads, she can literally control others as if they were puppets.
1 Cheadle Yorkshire
Cheadle is a member of the Zodiacs, and following Issac Netero’s death, she became the 14th Chairwoman of the Hunter Association. She is a Triple-Star Disease Hunter, which is significant because there are less than a dozen Triple-Star Hunters in the world.
Cheadle is a highly proficient Nen user, but she has not revealed her ability yet, nor what type of Nen she uses. That being said, she was Netero’s personal sparring partner. Despite his age, Netero was arguably the Strongest Hunter alive—and Cheadle’s strength and Nen could keep up with his.