Created to protect the 14 Princes of the Kakin Empire in Hunter x Hunter, the Guardian Spirit Beasts are parasitic-type Nen creatures created to keep their masters safe during the Succession Contest. While not visible to the person they were linked to at birth, these beasts possess an innate desire to keep them safe, utilizing their outstanding abilities to help their owner win the competition.
These spirits all have incredibly versatile and powerful abilities that have helped their users greatly during the deadly Succession Test. Yet, as is the case with the most powerful Nen abilities in the series, there is a clear hierarchy of power among them. Some Guardian Spirit Beasts are just naturally more useful and deadly than others, and this can be clearly seen in their unique skills.
10
Prince Fugetsu and Prince Kacho’s Beasts Worked Best When Cooperating
Unlike most other Princes solely seeking to eliminate the competition and claim the throne, Kacho and Fugetsu, two twin girls whose bond was almost codependent, wanted nothing but to keep each other safe. These desires were given form via their Guardian Spirit Beasts, which formed a door that could lead to any location Fugetsu desired and an amorphous being whose main ability was kept hidden for many chapters.
It was not until Kacho sacrificed herself that these skills’ true power was revealed, with her Guardian Spirit transforming into an indistinguishable copy of the user who would protect Fugetsu until her death. This new form also granted the surviving twin a boost in power, allowing her to use her ability more than once a day and granting her access to the Return Door ability. Still, there is no real combat application to these abilities, making them only useful when in need of escape.
9
Prince Momoze’s Beast Had a Powerful Ability With a Massive Drawback
Belonging to the 12th Prince of the Kakin Empire, the elegant and astute Momoze, this Guardian Spirit Beast took the form of a mouse-like entity. While not as intimidating as other creatures, this monster had a truly terrifying ability. This beast would approach a target and ask them if they were free. If the answer was positive, Momoze’s beast would take partial or complete control of their body and mind.
This would often end with them killing everyone around them, without the target being able to stop until the 12th Prince’s energy was depleted. Woefully, this ability came with a massive drawback, as the user would fall deeply asleep once their Nen reserves were emptied. This was the main reason why Momoze was quickly eliminated from the competition, being assassinated by one of her bodyguards while recovering.
8
Prince Tubeppa’s Beast Can Be Quite Handy Outside of Combat
Although most Spirit Guardian Beasts possess abilities that can indirectly help the user during battle, there are a handful that can work behind the scenes to guarantee the safety of their master. Such is the case of Prince Tubeppa’s loyal companion, a spiky and massive toad-like being whose main skill is producing drugs and chemicals with fantastical traits.
This skill becomes active once the Spirit Beast forms a verbal contract with a willing host, who will become the vessel in which the enhancement substances will be produced. These drugs can give regular humans the ability to produce Nen, or medicine that can be utilized to heal soldiers after combat. The main downside of this skill is the need for a host, who can be taken out easily by a skilled fighter or can betray the Prince at any given point.
7
Prince Tyson’s Beast Thrives on Fame and Attention
Best known for her literary skills, Prince Tyson is someone whose main source of power is the appreciation and love of her readers. Her Guardian Spirit Beast, which takes the form of a winged heart-shaped eye, steals the energy of anyone who has ever read or heard the writings of its user.
The creature accomplishes this by creating small, one-eyed monsters that attach themselves to the target, sending the energy they absorb back to Tyson. The amount of aura siphoned from the target is equivalent to the love or loyalty the reader feels towards the author. Still, besides empowering the users, this beast offers no defensive or offensive abilities, making it much less valuable than many others.
6
Prince Camilla’s Beast Still Hides Many Secrets
In a conflict with massive political implications such as Hunter x Hunter’s Succession Contest, loyalty and influence are key to the Princes’ survival. Camilla, a powerful Nen-user and one of the most important players in this conflict, seems to have a Guardian Beast Spirit that could prove vital for her victory, as implied by the brief descriptions of its abilities presented in the manga.
Her partner resembles a sea anemone, with round tentacles and a large trunk that holds the rest of the body. Little is known about this beast’s abilities, besides the fact that it can take full control of the body and mind of a target who fulfills an unknown condition. This control does not seem to deplete the energy of its user, although without any more information, assessing its threat level is nigh-impossible.
5
Prince Marayam’s Beast Can Create the Perfect Defense
Due to the massive age gap between the 14 Princes of the Kakin Empire, not all Guardian Spirit Beasts were created to win the event and claim the throne. Some, generally those granted to small children, have a purely defensive aspect, and Marayam’s partner is the perfect example of this fascinating phenomenon.
The 13th Prince’s Guardian Spirit Beast assimilates a large, dragon-like, spiky lizard that can alter its size depending on the emotions of the boy. Its power is directly tied to Marayam’s study room, as it can create a reality-warping field around it, so it becomes inaccessible for anyone on the outside. While not useful in combat by any means, this kind of defense is virtually impenetrable, as there have been no means introduced yet for the location to be breached.
4
Prince Sale Sale’s Was a Terrifying Weapon
One of the few Princes who met their end during the Succession Contest Arc, Sale Sale was a man whose true desire was not to emerge victorious, but to utilize his power and influence to satisfy his every whim. His arrogance and disregard for other people created his Guardian Spirit Beat, one of the most unsettling in the entire series, resembling a floating orb with mouths all over its surface.
From these orifices, the creature would expel an invisible smoke that would alter the minds of anyone inhaling it to become loyal followers of the Prince. Those who spent a significant time around this substance would manifest a miniature version of this beast on their heads, which would also create smoke around them. Despite this, Sale Sale was killed early on during the series, making it hard to accurately predict the offensive abilities of this creature.
3
Prince Luzurus’s Beast Takes Advantage of a Target’s Deepest Desires
Objectively, one of the most sinister abilities demonstrated by one of the Guardian Spirit Beasts, Prince Luzuru’s partner, is as dangerous as it is horrifying to look at. This creature adopted the appearance of a massive centipede, causing fear in anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path. Still, the real danger lies not in its looks but in its manipulative nature.
Luzuru’s beast can create vivid hallucinations of the target’s biggest desires, effectively trapping them in its web. While the person caught in its illusion indulges their cravings, this monster begins to manipulate their minds. Woefully, the real nature of this manipulation is yet to be revealed, which makes it hard for fans to compare it against other better-known Beasts.
2
Prince Tserriednich’s Beast Perfectly Fits His Deranged Nature
Out of all the Princes introduced during Hunter x Hunter‘s Succession Contest Arc, Tserriednich is by far one of the most unnerving, due to his cruel and sadistic personality. Besides being one of the strongest members of his family, the man is also known for being a serial killer who sees other humans as playthings for his amusement. These traits are perfectly exemplified in his Guardian Spirit Beast.
This monstrosity adapted the form of a long-necked horse with a woman’s face on the end, hiding a smaller second head inside the mouth. If anyone dares lie in the presence of Tserriednich, the bigger head of this horrifying monster opens up, so the second can permanently mark the individual with a painful, infected wound. The damage becomes greater, to the point of death, the more the individual lies, making this a truly terrifying power for such a man to have access to.
1
Prince Halkenburg Possesses the Most Offensively Effective Guardian Spirit Beast
Considered by most fans as the most likely and favorable winner of the Succession Contest, Prince Halkenburg is a pacifist whose biggest desire is to bring positive change to the world. Despite this, his Guardian Spirit Beast, which has taken the form of a demonic horned monster, possesses what can only be considered the ultimate weapon among the 14 Princes.
This creature can temporarily imprint a mark on those who swear loyalty to its user, with only those whose allegiance to Halkenburg is real retaining this seal. This mark grants the carrier a major boost in power and can even grant non-Nen users access to this powerful energy. More impressive of all is the ultimate technique of this creature, as it can merge the energy of all those carrying the mark, as long as their objective is the same, and use it to empower Halkenburg’s attacks to massive proportions.
- Release Date
-
2011 – 2014
- Directors
-
Hiroshi Kôjina
- Writers
-
Atsushi Maekawa, Tsutomu Kamishiro
