After a long wait for the manga Hunter X Hunter, Hisoka finally makes his first appearance in the Succession Contest arc. Hisoka is one of the most beloved characters in Hunter x Hunter, and many fans have speculated why he was absent during such an exciting arc like the Chimera Ant arc.
Now, the author Togashi has provided an explanation for this question in the latest chapter of the manga.
Chimera Ant Arc
Among the Hunter x Hunter fan community and anime fans in general, the Chimera Ant arc is undoubtedly one of the most praised and beloved arcs. This arc is particularly favored by many fans due to the development and introduction of various characters, as well as its compelling storytelling and excellent pacing.
The Chimera Ant arc is quite lengthy, starting from chapter 186 and extending to chapter 318, spanning over 100 chapters. In the anime, this arc was adapted into 60 episodes.
The most fascinating aspect of this arc is undoubtedly the Chimera Ant King. Born from the Royal Queen Ant, it devours various creatures, including humans, and even other Nen users. The Chimera Ants are incredibly powerful. This species can easily overpower a user of Nen, while higher-ranked Chimera Ants are almost unbeatable, with only the strongest Nen users having a chance to challenge them.
The strongest Chimera Ant is King Meruem, who is currently the most powerful being seen in the series (excluding Ai). Even one of the strongest Nen users in HxH, Isaac Netero, could not match Meruem’s raw strength.
Alongside King Meruem, his royal guards, Neferpitou, Shaiapouf, and Menthuthuyoupi, are also quite formidable in their own right. Each of these royal guards is among the most powerful Nen users to have ever existed.
Hisoka’s Absence in the Chimera Ant Arc and Beyond
A character that fans certainly noticed missing in the Chimera Ant arc is none other than Hisoka. Many fans speculated that Hisoka would be very enthusiastic about participating in a battle against such powerful beings as the Chimera Ants. However, he does not appear at all in this arc.
The mission to take down the Chimera Ants is a highly secretive mission, and only a few names were mentioned in this mission. However, it is clear that Isaac Netero did not select Hisoka. It is important to note that too many secretive missions can lead to complications, as if they were exposed, Meruem could easily consume them and gain even more immense power.
Nevertheless, despite the secrecy surrounding this mission, Hisoka would not necessarily have been unable to participate in a fight against a Chimera Ant. As seen, some members of the Phantom Troupe also battled some Chimera Ants in Meteor City. This means, in essence, that Hisoka could have been aware of these Chimera Ants and at least would have been interested in fighting one that piqued his interest.
What Hisoka did during this arc could very well be a pursuit of Chrollo. However, as many know, his fight with Chrollo will have to wait until a few arcs later.
After the Chimera Ant arc, Hisoka collaborated with Illumi in the 13th Chairman Election arc to pursue Killua and Alluka, while also getting closer to Gon.
Of course, after this arc, Hisoka finally managed to have a battle with Chrollo, aiming to take down the Phantom Troupe. The Phantom Troupe is currently hiding on the Black Whale, and Hisoka finally made his appearance in HxH chapter 405 after a long absence from the manga.
Why Hisoka Did Not Participate in the Chimera Ant War
With Hisoka’s return in the HxH manga, Togashi has finally revealed to fans the reason why Hisoka did not participate in the Chimera Ant war against the powerful Chimera Ants, especially when most believed that he would be very enthusiastic about fighting a strong opponent like the Royal Guards or even Meruem himself.
However, the truth about Hisoka is that he has his own preferences about what excites him and what does not. Battling against other creatures is not something that interests him. Hisoka is not excited about fighting Chimera Ants simply because they do not possess the essence of being human, even though some of them have a DNA component of human beings.
Togashi also clarified that Hisoka is not interested in fighting against groups, which is why he isn’t particularly excited about Halkenburg and his potential.
If Hisoka joined the Chimera arc, he would be more interested in fighting with Isaac Netero or Gon in their prime rather than with Meruem or Pitou, and this could lead to many complications.
