Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter is one of the most popular manga series out there and arguably one of the very best ones as well. Hunter x Hunter features the story of Gon Freecss, a young boy who aims to become a great Hunter and find his father, Ging, who is also a Hunter.

The series has many aspects that make it an incredibly written story and villains are certainly one of them. When it comes to villains, Yoshihiro Togashi has written them to be very rich in character, with some being even more interesting than the protagonists.

Updated by Rei Penber on May 5, 2022:Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter series has been quite carefully crafted and has some of the most compelling characters, which include villains as well. With every arc, the story has managed to introduce some of the most incredible antagonists the aura of whom grips the fans and gets them even more invested. Although the original version of this list already showcased the ten best villains that Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter has delivered over the years, there are certainly other villains who deserve a mention as well.

13 Machi

Machi is one of the members of the Phantom Troupe, and just like the rest of them, plays a significant role in the series. She’s one of the very first members of the Troupe to debut in the series and did so in the Heaven’s Arena arc. When it comes to strength, Machi is physically the strongest woman out of all the members of the Troupe, and her Nen ability allows her to create Nen threads and use them in a variety of ways.

She can control others like puppets or combine her ability with her sewing needles and heal the injuries of other people. Above all, Machi is one of the most terrifying Hunter x Hunter villains with great importance to the plot, which is what makes her truly interesting.

12 Pakunoda

Pakunoda was yet another member of the Phantom Troupe, and she played an incredible role during the Yorknew City arc where she firmly established herself as one of Hunter x Hunter’s best villains. As a Specialist Nen user, Pakunoda could read minds, which made her terrifying to fight against.

Even her own group members were wary of her powers. Her abilities were mostly used for extortion and blackmail, as seen during the Yorknew City arc. Pakunoda’s great role as a villain ended during the same arc where she ended up giving her life up for the cause of the Troupe and immediately became one of the best villains in the story so far.

11 Genthru

Certainly one of the less popular antagonists in Hunter x Hunter, Genthru appeared in the Greed Island arc and made quite an impact. He was the man known as the Bomber and with his Nen, caused all sorts of trouble for Gon and his team.

Genthru appeared to be quite powerful but it was the fear that he induced into those around him that made him a good villain. Eventually, he was defeated by Gon Freecss.

10 Uvogin

One of the main antagonists of the Yorknew City arc, Uvogin appeared as an obstacle in Kurapika’s way. As a member of the Phantom Troupe, Uvogin was quite powerful and could even defeat all the Shadow Beasts without much trouble.

His Enhancement type Nen abilities were extremely scary for anyone and he proved to be a good challenge for Kurapika. His connection to the Phantom Troupe only made his fight against Kurapika all the more interesting.

9 Menthuthuyoupi

One of the three Royal Guards of King Meruem, Menthuthuyoupi was among the strongest characters during the Chimera Ant arc of Hunter x Hunter. Out of the three, he was known to be the most volatile, and his appearance, along with his angry demeanor made him a very interesting villain.

Menthuthuyoupi fought numerous people during the arc and managed to defeat almost all of them. As a villain, his presence was immense and even the likes of Knuckle and Morel couldn’t do much to match him.

8 Feitan

Feitan is a member of the Phantom Troupe, just like Uvogin once was and he remains to be one of the strongest members of the group. Although he often lays low, when he does step into action, Feitan proves himself to be a menacing villain every single time.

His mysterious personality, along with his skill as a fighter makes him an incredibly interesting villain. During the Chimera Ant arc, he was able to defeat one of the Squadron Leaders of the group, showing everyone why he is one to be feared.

7 Shaiapouf

Another member of the Royal Guards of Meruem, Shaiapouf was quite a skilled member of the Chimera Ant army and one who relied more on his intelligence than anything. Pouf was extremely cunning and used every possible opportunity to thwart any effort that Meruem made to get closer to Komugi.

He also created countless problems for Gon and his group, even stalling the likes of Morel. With tremendous strength and a great mind for a villain, Pouf certainly deserves his spot among the best.

6 Pariston Hill

Pariston Hill is one of the Zodiacs of the Hunter Association and, at one point, he played the role of the Vice Chairman of the association. After Netero’s death, Pariston became a lot more relevant to the story, and immediately established himself as an incredible antagonist during the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc.

With his clever ways and tactics, he ended up becoming the 13th chairman of the Hunter Association. In terms of strength, not much has been seen of Pariston; however, he’s certainly someone capable of going up against Ging, at least in a battle of wits. He is also a triple star Hunter, which just goes to show that moving forward, he’ll be even more important to the story. Without a doubt, Pariston is one of the best Hunter x Hunter villains.

5 Illumi Zoldyck

Killua’s elder brother, Illumi is one of the most powerful characters in the Hunter x Hunter series. He played the role of an antagonist during the Hunter Exams arc and following that, he became a thorn in Killua’s path on several occasions.

Illumi’s strength as an assassin is quite impressive and although fans haven’t seen much of him in the story so far, he plays a vital role as an adversary for Killua and a member of the Phantom Troupe as well.

4 Neferpitou

Out of all the Royal Guards of the Chimera Ant, it goes without saying that Neferpitou was certainly the most impressive one. Pitou was directly responsible for Kite’s death, making them a major enemy to the protagonist of the series, Gon.

Upon meeting Gon, Pitou was once again involved in a major fight that saw them die eventually. Their strength, along with their terrifying aura made them one of the best antagonists in the Chimera Ant arc.

3 Meruem

The King of the Chimera Ants, Meruem was an excellent villain who kept getting better with most exposition and time. Although he started off as a rather vile being who had no regard for even his own mother, with time, he began to evolve and question things.

Meruem’s bond with Komugi added a deeper layer to him and as his humanity grew, he became a very likable villain too, on top of being the absolute strongest.

2 Chrollo Lucilfer

The leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo is an incredibly powerful villain and ranks among the very strongest in the story so far. Chrollo played a major role in ending the Kurta Clan, making him one of the biggest enemies to Kurapika.

What’s more, Chrollo’s group keeps making steps towards becoming far bigger than they already are and keep gaining more importance in the story. With strength that few can match, incredible charisma and great importance to several plotlines, Chrollo is certainly an incredible villain.

1 Hisoka Morrow

Hisoka is, without a doubt, one of the very best antagonists of Hunter x Hunter. Introduced in the Hunter Exams arc, Hisoka is merely interested in fighting strong people and breaking them for his personal satisfaction.

He’s a character who Gon will eventually have to fight and this gives him great importance in the story. Hisoka has killed countless people and his terrifying mentality just makes him that much better in the story.