This article contains spoilers for the Hunter x Hunter manga.
Key takeaways
- Hulkenberg's Nen ability involves a forced mind shift that can potentially affect others.
- Hulkenberg's death prompts a plan to retrieve his brother's body, 10 hours after his own death.
- Members of the Phantom Troop return, setting the stage for a potential conflict with the Mafia families.
Shikari x Hunter's The story has intensified in this current segment of the Succession War arc. This arc has been unfolding for several years now, the last few chapters have been very intense, with huge and shocking revelations.
related to
Hunter x Hunter: Another Prince to Die in the War of Succession, Explained
With the succession war heating up, the death of one of the Kakin princes is almost inevitable in HxH.
in HxH 404, Hulkenberg's unwavering determination is put under the spotlight, while fans also get to see the Mafia plotline heat up once again, making things more exciting than ever.
Zhang Lei's Nen Spirit Beast ability was revealed
Has pseudo-forced manipulation capabilities
in HxH 403, the third prince of the Kaqin Empire, Zhang Lei, had decided that he wanted to visit Kurapika in hopes of understanding the power of his spirit nen beast. Zhang Lei had his own theories about his animal droppings on the coin, but he believed that someone with nen experience like Kurapika would be able to figure out what they did.
HxH begins with Kurapika and Zhang Lei observing the coins of 404. Kurapika theorized that when a coin changes hands, something can change. The coins given by Zhang Lei and the coins he kept were each shown to have a different design on the reverse.
Zhang Lei proceeded to give Kurapika ten coins – if the effects of those coins were immediate, they could be dangerous. However, due to Zhang Lei's position, denying Kurapika would have been unacceptable, and would have jeopardized their alliance. Anyway, the ten coins replaced the second Kurapika.
This prompted Kurapika to speculate as to what this nen beast's power was. Kurapika describes this ability as cumulative conjuration. In 6 months time, the coin will be worth 10^64, and by then, the coin owner will be able to unlock it without any training.
The problem is how the role is cut! This balancing act for so long may seem weak, but is actually strong… – Kurapika
However, there is another thing about this ability that Kurapika does not make public. He realizes that this ability also has pseudo-coercive manipulation powers. Anyone who has it will be forced to be loyal to Zhang Lei in some way, though it's not yet clear how that works.
Kurpika learns that Coventoba, one of Benjamin's bodyguards, stole one of those coins some time ago. If this Nen Beast's pseudo-forced manipulation begins, Coventoba will be one of the first to feel the effects. And now that Kurapika has been given one of those coins, he too may be in danger, potentially falling under Zhang Lei's influence.
Beyond that, however, it's clear that Zhang Lei looks up to Kurapika, and will only be on their side as long as it benefits them. In the current situation, Kurapika has the option of keeping Prince Wobble in Zhang Lei's room, though Kurapika isn't sure if that's a good thing since Zhang Lei is a mafia benefactor – who believes Benjamin might come after him. Be able to use martial law. On the other hand, however, Room 1014 is not the safest, especially with the Silent Majority.
It's also important to note that Kakin's second-eldest prince, Prince Camilla, plans to send one of his bodyguards to Kurapika's next nen workshop, which could mean some trouble. Kurapika believes that she wants to hide or conceal some of her dirty secrets that she believes Kurapika owns.
Prince Benjamin's death is on the cards
Hulkenberg's body died, but his consciousness lived on in the mite
Fans after a long time HxH Was able to see a beloved main character who hadn't been seen in a while – Leorio. Although only for one panel, she was seen taking Prince Hulkenberg to the emergency room due to his deteriorating condition.
In this chapter of HxH, Hulkenberg's abilities are further explained, giving fans a better idea of how The Boy Who Hates the Arrow: Grimmel the Dissonance works.
In fact, while experimenting with Sumidori and Shikaku, Hulkenberg was able to get a good idea of how this ability works. It is revealed that this Nen ability is basically a forced mind swap, where only one mind can be awakened at a time. Specifically, when Hulkenberg shoots a target with his ability, a random person from his group, including himself, is chosen to swap bodies. It's also completely random, and the fact that Hulkenberg was able to switch with Might is pure luck.
Halkenberg explains that if the target body were to die, consciousness would return to its original body and coexist with other consciousnesses.
related to
Hunter x Hunter 405: What to expect from the chapter
The tension of the succession war will heat up in HxH 405. Halkenburg will be a central character.
Hulkenberg's body dies terribly in this chapter, his heart stopped. This puts his plan into action, where he will be able to control Balsamilco's body for about 10 hours. In those 10 hours, he must remove or retrieve the body of his older brother Benjamin.
The time I have until Balsamilco's mind is reawakened can only be fixed slowly, but I will be able to control this body for about ten hours after the death of my own body. I have to finish it within that time! – Hulkenberg
It is also important to note that Hulkenberg reveals that the succession war requires that both body and soul be dead for someone to count.
Regardless, Benjamin fully believes that Hulkenberg is dead and that Balsamilco's mission is complete. Hulkenberg's body will be moved from Tier 3 to the mortuary in Tier 1, and accompanied by Balsamil, who is actually Hulkenberg.
The Return of the Phantom Troop in Hunter X Hunter Chapter 404
Nobunaga, Phinks, and Feitan are back in the story
The Phantom Troupe is finally seen again after some time. Notably, in the final panel, Nobunaga, the Finks, and Phaeton finally returned to the story. Technically, they're only absent from the story for a few chapters, but that chapter came out 2 years ago.
The last panel is a throwback to their last appearance, showing that all the events up until now happened with Henry during or before the failed attack on the Hel-Lai hideout, where they hid the transmitter. By looking at it, Nobunaga could call the other members of the Phantom Troupe before attacking Hel-Lai. Some of these members of the Phantom Troupe may meet up with the other two mafia families, making things even more exciting for the future.
Hunter x Hunter is available to read through Viz Media. Series fans can officially read it for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of Hunter X Hunter, Hunter X Hunter Chapter 405 is set for November 3rd, 2024.
