Hunter x Hunter: What are Chimera Ants?

The Chimera Ants are one of the most terrifying and fascinating creatures in Hunter x Hunter. Their evolution and subsequent rise in power was a major threat to the world and all its inhabitants. The Chimera Ant Arc, one of the longest arcs in the series, is based around them and their quest for evolution and world dominance.

Unlike any monsters they encountered beforehand, the Chimera Ants challenged Gon, Killua, and their fellow hunters in ways that set the tone for the rest of the series. To fully understand what a Chimera Ant is, fans must understand what exactly makes them a formidable threat, how they came to be, and just how powerful they can become.

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The Origins Of The Chimera Ants

The Basis Behind Their Biology

Although there are different types of Chimera Ants, the gigantic species native to the Dark Continent are the major objects of interest. Regular Chimera Ants queens are usually restricted to ten centimeters in length, but the gigantic queens can grow beyond 2 meters, well beyond the height of the average human. These Chimera Ants are known for their insatiable hunger, and as such, they are also called Gourmet Ants because they eat any and everything multiple times a day and can consume up to several times their body weight each day.

As such, it should not be surprising that the Chimera Ant Queens reproduce through Phagogenesis—or procreation through consumption.

After consuming other species, the Queen can transfer the characteristics of the devoured species into her offspring, and this also applies if she consumes multiple species, as her offspring will retain all of their properties, hence the name Chimera Ants. To ensure the Chimera Ants gain the best of each species, they often devour their fodder species into extinction, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for evolution. Due to the variety of species the Queen consumes, each Chimera Ant is always different from the last. Those born from the genes of humans tend to be more intelligent, strong, and resourceful than those born from wild animals, and sometimes they can even use Nen.

The Structure Of The Chimera Ant Colony

An Insight Into Their Hierarchy And Sociology

At the heart of every Chimera Ant colony is the Queen, whose sole mission is to give birth to a king who can lead the powerful empire and procreate with other species until another Queen is born. The Queen hunts until she has birthed enough soldiers to hunt in her place. Most of her orders are issued to them telepathically and sometimes with accompanying sounds. These soldiers are usually stronger than the Queen and can hunt down stronger species to make the next generation of offspring even stronger. Her offspring soon display various animal and human traits, making them increasingly unpredictable, complex, intelligent, and powerful.

The soldiers are often classified into three main groups, Squadron Leaders, Officers, and Drudges, based on strength in descending order. Once construction ants have built a suitable nest, the Queen prepares for the birth of the King by first birthing the Royal Guards—in this case, Neferpitou, Shaiapouf, and Menthuthuyoupi— to protect the Queen and the colony until the King is born. Once the King is born, they disregard their loyalty to the Queen, leaving the Squadron Leaders in charge of the Queen’s service again. These Royal Guards were shown to be some of the most formidable antagonists in the series, possessing immense Nen abilities, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty to the King.

The King and the Royal Guards are then expected to leave the nest to mate with other species and ensure the survival of the Chimera Ants by birthing the next generation of Queens. The Queen then repeats this cycle by birthing more Royal Guards and Kings until her death, after which the Squadron Leaders take on the mantle of Pseudo-Kings and spread out to procreate and establish their own territory.

The Chimera Ant Birthed Of Humans Are A Cut Above The Rest

The Most Advanced Animals Are The Perfect Source For Genetic Material

The giant Chimera Ant Queen, around which most of the arc’s narrative was born, initially sustained herself with bats and fishes. However, in an incident that saw her devour two humans, she developed a taste for them, as they created more powerful offspring than the ones she had beforehand. This moment essentially created the Chimera Ant arc, and she made her soldiers prioritize hunting humans in large quantities to satisfy the enormous appetite synonymous with Chimera Ants. Soon, the soldiers born of human genes started to exhibit traits that none of the earlier soldiers could. Some of them could understand complex concepts that none of the previous soldiers could, and they also developed the ability to communicate verbally while retaining their telepathy.

Some of them also developed the ability to use Nen, putting them head and shoulders above the rest. While the Royal Guards and Kings lack the telepathic communication the Queen possesses, they are still able to communicate verbally. These special Chimera Ants born of human genes sometimes retain bits of the memories during their past lives as humans. This can be so extreme in some cases where the Chimera Ants eventually fully realize their identity as humans and consider themselves as simply reborn or reincarnated. For some Chimera Ants, it is rather subconscious, which explains why the majority of the Chimera Ants born of the Queen are vicious and enjoy killing humans because she mainly fed on human criminals to birth most of them.

Hunter x Hunter is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

In Hunter x Hunter, young Gon Freecss discovers his long-lost father is a legendary Hunter, an elite class of adventurer with the license to go anywhere or do almost anything. Determined to find him, Gon sets out to pass the Hunter Examination, a life-threatening challenge that draws hundreds of hopefuls seeking fortune, fame, and adventure. Along the way, Gon becomes friends with other candidates, including the vengeful Kurapika, the ambitious Leorio, and the enigmatic Killua. Together, they face a world filled with bizarre creatures, sinister criminals, and unpredictable adventures.

Studio

Madhouse

Creator

Yoshihiro Togashi

Number of Episodes

148