Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #401 of Hunter X Hunter

Hunter X Hunter has some of the best antagonists and villains in manga, with characters like Pariston, Meruem, and Chrollo being hailed for excellence. However, a relatively new character has the potential to sur them all and the series has given them the perfect way to do so.

With Hunter X Hunter back after 2 years of hiatus, chapter #401 kicked off with a bang that shatters expectations and has massive implications for the lore and future of the arc. In a conversation between Kurapika and Loghi, a guard of fifth Prince Tubeppa. While the discussion was quite extensive and detailed, the biggest revelation is that Loghi is the child of Beyond Netero and that there are other children of his who are bodyguards of other Princes. Furthermore, Netero has placed a Nen curse on each of his children so that they will curse the Princes and kill them.

Beyond Netero's 30-Year Plan Has Come To Fruition

A Huge Conspiracy Is At Play Behind The Shadows

Although this plot twist was extremely shocking, it wasn't even the biggest in the chapter. Longhi theorized that one of the Princes must be the child of Beyond Netero, which is huge if true. Beyond Netero is the mastermind of the entire journey to the Dark Continent and the New World, but after he was imprisoned by the Zodiacs and kept under constant surveillance, it was assumed he would be back in action much later in the process, but it seems he was always under control, for more than 30 years.

The reason Beyond went to such an extent lies in his true goal: conquering the Dark Continent. This needs an incredible amount of resources and money, and what better way than to not only have the backing of a thriving Empire but also manipulate it behind the scenes? To do this, he is backing his child to win by secretly killing off all the Princes. This ensures that the Prince will become the new King of Kakin, and he can freely manipulate his child to do his bidding.

Who this child is, though, is unknown. Furthermore, according to Longhi, there are at least ten "strong sacrifices" who are due to curse their Princes, and since two Princes are already dead, and Prince Woble doesn't have any guards besides Kurapika and Bill, this leaves Beyond's child who doesn't have any cursed guards, and ten other Princes. The numbers match up perfectly and Longhi's hypothesis is correct.

Kurapika Has Caught A Break For The First Time In A While

The Young Protagonist's Position Is Much Better Now

While this revelation means that the Succession War has become even more chaotic and unpredictable, it surprisingly plays out in Kurapika's favor in two ways, both of which could drastically increase his and Woble's chances of survival. Firstly, he now has an alliance with Prince Tubeppa, and in the contract for the partnership, he will receive Longhi's ability that can force someone into a state of Zetsu (suppressed Nen) for a week. This would be a major advantage since the Succession War heavily depends on Nen.

Secondly, one of the rules of the Succession War was that lower-ranked Queens would have less access to guards than the one above, and since Oito was the lowest-ranked one, she was the most disadvantaged one. However, now that it has been revealed that Beyond planted cursed guards in each of the Prince's factions, Oito and Woble are very safe and this unfair rule has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. However, there is one major caveat.

Longhi's real objective is to kill the child of Beyond Netero among the Princes, and if it turns out to be Woble, then Kurapika will be in danger. Given the fact that Woble is one of the most disadvantaged Princes in the war, and he also doesn't have a guard, there is a very real possibility that she could be the mastermind's child.

The Succession War's Antagonist Cast Is Stacked

However, Beyond Netero Is The Most Dangerous One

From Chrollo and the Phantom Troupe, to Hisoka, Tserriednich, Benjamin, Morena, Halkenburg, and more, the Succession War arc is filled with incredible antagonists hunting each other and making their own plans. However, Beyond Netero has just solidified himself as the most dangerous one, and he did that while in a cell. His cunning, long-term planning, and patience give him the upper edge, and since he is the son of Isaac Netero and afflicted his children with the strongest curse ever, there is no doubt he is one of the most powerful Nen s in the world.

Hunter X Hunter fans who waited patiently for two years for the series to return have not been disappointed as Yoshihiro Togashi's manga has just become much more interesting, with Beyond Netero being positioned as the new main antagonist in the story.