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progg · 2 years

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A Wheel-turning King

While it’s almost impossible to predict who will win the Succession War, I think there is a very strong argument to be made for Zhang Lei. He will likely be the prince most equipped to end the Succession Contest, breaking the conditions of the Seed Urn and allowing for multiple survivors. In this scenario, he would be the eldest survivor and would inherit the throne.

In addition, the design of his Spirit Beast is related to the Buddhist idea of a chakravarti or “wheel-turning king”. To become such a king, one must enact extraordinary change, which Zhang Lei can accomplish by breaking the Succession Cycle and ending the Hui Guo Rou dynasty.

This write-up will operate under the assumption that Zhang Lei is not the son of Nasubi but rather Onior Longbao. If this is the first you’re hearing of this, I recommend reading my post entitled Longbao Conspiracy. In it, I explain how Onior Longbao might have hatched a long-term plan to place his son on the Kakin throne.

THE LONG GAME

First, let’s investigate why Zhang Lei may be in the most ideal position to win the succession war.

Matching Nasubi’s Description

Nasubi (notably a past victor) believes the prince most equipped to win the Succession War must…

Take indirect political and military actions.

From the get-go, Zhang Lei offers his guard, Sakata, to Kurapika, and it seems his mission is largely motivated by information collection. Mind you, Kurapika is a person of extreme interest (and value!) to almost all parties. In the same exchange, he rids himself of Duazul’s spy, Slakka. Zhang Lei’s indirectness is contrasted with the approaches of Benjamin, Camilla, Tserriednich, and Halkenburg. All of these characters are capable of taking indirect action, but they are inclined to direct action.

See the long path to victory.

Have a talent for long-term vision and deep design.

In both cases, Zhang Lei is perhaps the best fit. He is the only prince who considers what will happen after becoming king. His thoughts do not come from a place of overconfidence—rather, he is inclined to think about the future. He plans ahead, seeing value in an alliance with the younger princes (more about his long-term planning later).

Have a spirit beast skilled in logistical support.

We don’t necessarily know what Zhang Lei’s Spirit Beast does, but we do know it can grant powers to his subordinates. In general, the idea of distributing coins amongst your followers is very in line with the term “logistical support”. Other Spirit Beasts might fall under this umbrella, but Zhang Lei’s certainly does. His ability can provide hierarchical benefits to his organization, and based on his personality, it seems likely his Spirit Beast will be beneficial in long-term plots.

The framing in this panel is very interesting. If you look closely, you can see Zhang Lei is smiling in the bottom left panel, while frowning in the bottom right. However, the three frames form a single image.

It may also be worth noting that the prince who appears immediately after Nasubi’s monologue is none other than Zhang Lei.

Following in Nasubi’s Footsteps

In his meeting with Onior, Zhang Lei is told that Nasubi won his Succession War by waiting patiently. Thus far, Zhang Lei has been doing the exact same thing: letting the numbers dwindle around him as he plans ahead.

There are, of course, others who are waiting patiently (such as Tubeppa), but Zhang Lei is the only prince who is explicitly following in Nasubi’s footsteps. And what better way to win the Succession War than to copy the man who won it last?

Looking into the Previous Succession War

As I will explain later, Zhang Lei’s interest in the previous Succession War also makes him the most equipped to break the conditions of the Seed Urn’s Nen, allowing for multiple survivors. It seems likely that Onior’s findings will shed some light on the mechanics of the Seed Urn and the fourteen coffins. Zhang Lei is the only person looking into these events.

Playing the Long Game

The idea of waiting patiently and being rewarded is something that has been emphasized ever since the Dark Continent Expedition arc, initially by Beyond Netero.

Impatience, on the other hand, has been negatively portrayed and will likely lead to failure.

UNEXPECTEDLY FORMIDABLE

Scaling Power Spirit Beast

I know many people believe Zhang Lei’s inner monologue in Chapter #390 points to him becoming king. I agree, but just because he thinks about what will happen after his victory doesn’t mean he will actually win. In fact, he’s probably wrong about the mechanics of his Spirit Beast’s ability.

Very frequently in the Succession Arc suspicions are incorrect, reasoning is flawed, and plans go completely wrong. A perfect example of this is Sale-Sale and “the speech that will change the world”, or more recently, Basho’s suspicions about Shikaku.

Well, at least he’s confident.

Zhang Lei is wrong: his Spirit Beast will have a tangible effect during the Succession War, and that effect seems like it will only get stronger as time goes on (suggested by the increasing numbers on the coins and the daily drop rate).

Hardly Targeted

Zhang Lei is being targeted by Benjamin’s guard, Coventoba, but he is nowhere near figuring out his the third prince’s ability. It also seems like his mission is destined to fail.

Coventoba’s discovery about the increasing numbers on the coins also immediately follows Sarahell and Fukataki’s discussion about failure having drastic consequences…

Zhang Lei is also being targeted by one of Camilla’s guards, but they don’t seem to be an immediate threat. Overall, he is being largely overlooked by the other princes.

This makes him incredibly dangerous. The longer he is left alone, the more difficult it will be to eliminate him. He is constantly gaining information and will soon learn about the details of Nen from Onior. His Spirit Beast will only grow in power.

Allied with Kurapika

As the Succession War has drawn on, increasing emphasis has been placed on Kurapika’s importance. However, only Zhang Lei has created a true alliance with Kurapika. Yes, there is a tentative alliance between Kurapika, Halkenburg, and the younger princes, but this alliance has been made through either subordinates or Hunter Association members, not through a queen or prince.

A WHEEL-TURNING KING

The Same Question

I think it’s very possible Zhang Lei asked the opposite of Camilla: for Nasubi to accept drop-outs that were not biological death. This exchange occurs almost immediately after Zhang Lei expresses surprise at Woble being targeted early…

…and shortly before Shimano suggests he will not target the younger princes.

Let’s assume Zhang Lei and Kurapika break the conditions of the Succession War, ending it prematurely. Who becomes king in this scenario, assuming Nasubi is dead? By equal primogeniture, it would be the eldest child. If Benjamin and Camilla are dead (this seems likely), that would be Zhang Lei.

A Wheel-turning King

In Longbao Conspiracy, I wrote about Zhang Lei’s association with Buddhist iconography, specifically that of the dharmachakra. The dharmachakra is a wheel-like symbol that serves as the inspiration for Zhang Lei’s Spirit Beast. It represents wisdom, knowledge, and insight. It is also known as the “wheel of dharma”. Rulers who brought about major change or reform were known as wheel-turning kings, or chakravarti.

With this symbolism in mind, it seems likely Zhang Lei will win the Succession War. Armed with the knowledge of the Succession War’s mechanics (and empowered by an alliance with the younger princes and Kurapika), Zhang Lei will be capable of ending the Succession War and ensuring multiple survivors. In doing so, he can qualify as a “wheel-turning king”.

Zhang Lei can also bring about another major change: the end of the Hui Guo Rou dynasty. While this may not seem like a big deal, the importance of family has been emphasized throughout the Succession arc, beginning with the Seed Urn’s test of inheritance. Not to mention, the Kakin practice of scarring illegitimate children shows the royalty are very possessive of their line.

The child of a “second-liner” becoming a king, establishing a new dynasty (Longbao), would be another “wheel-turning” change.

Themes of Cycle-breaking

An important theme in Hunter x Hunter is that of violent, unfulfilling cycles. I wrote extensively about this idea in my analysis of Chapter #337, “Repentance”. If we view the Succession War as part of an ongoing cycle (one Succession Contest after another), it makes sense that this cycle must be broken. I have another write-up in the works explaining this idea, but for now I suggest reading the one linked above (as well as Kurapika’s Fate or Shadow and Light).

Ruling the New Continent

We shouldn’t discount the possibility that one prince rules over the New Continent, while another assumes the traditional Kakin Throne. If this happens, I’m almost positive the former will be Zhang Lei.

To further understand this idea, let’s look into the term chakravarti again. There are three types of chakravarti, each defined by their rulership over the continents. Specifically, the dvipa chakravarti rules over one continent. It’s impossible to know if Togashi is familiar with these distinctions, but the fact of the matter remains that the dharmachakra, upon which Zhang Lei’s Spirit Beast is based, is heavily tied to the idea of continental kingship.

The symbolism seems a bit on the nose considering this entire arc is dedicated to the colonization of one continent and the exploration of another.

CONCLUSION

I hope I’ve adequately presented the argument for Zhang Lei. To be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely sure Zhang Lei will win. My main reason for doubting is that Zhang Lei becoming king almost seems too obvious. Not only that, he has also presented himself in many ways to be the most viable candidate for competent kingship. With all the signs pointing to him winning the Succession War, it seems likely some if not all are red herrings.

And, as I’ve said, not everything goes according to plan…

#hunter x hunter #zhang lei #succession arc #theory #manga

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fearquestion · 4 years

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top ten baddest bitches in hunter x hunter’s succession contest arc

I hope you’re ready for six+ pages of meta

cw: suicide mention, spreadsheets, spoilers up to Chapter 390

NO. 10 : SHIMANO

If you don’t remember Shimano, she is Oito’s last surviving maid, and the one who straight up ignored Kurapika when he told her to answer Benjamin’s call first.

To not do what Kurapika tells you to do, especially when he’s like this takes an insane amount of guts. You have to remember that she just watched two people die, one of whom was her co-worker. Her head is so level you could build a house on it.

She had a better strategy, she was not afraid to go through with it, she didn’t bother wasting precious time to explain herself beforehand, and she was not afraid to let him know that he was incorrect.

She’s bad as hell!!!!!!

Shimano: lmao like hell

What makes her interesting is that her main motivation during this succession contest is to get out alive. While she later explains to Oito that she is staying out of duty for the royal family, I suspect that she isn’t exactly attached to the young queen, which is entirely reasonable given the situation that she’s in. I mean, she’s here to do a job.

Shimano did not know what she was signing up for, but she has not fumbled the ball once since getting on this murder cruise; something that has earned her Kurapika’s respect. I hope that cements her role as a larger player during this arc, and I really hope Togashi gives her more time to shine.

Fun Fact: she’s called Shimanu ONLY in Volume 36 of the Viz Translation.

Survival Rating: 4/5, she might pull a Bizeff and get out by the skin of her teeth, and there’s no one actively trying to kill her.

NO 09: MELODY

Oh sweet, sweet Melody, how I love you so. We haven’t seen too much action from her, but the reason she has placed on this list is her performance during the second banquet.

In order to give Kacho and Fugetsu a chance to escape, she pulled a Hisoka and revealed her ability to literally anyone who would listen, placing herself in serious danger

Little does she know how much trouble this is going to get her into, especially now that Tserriednich is interested, and it’s safe to say she won’t get back to bodyguard business anytime soon. Please, please keep yourself safe, Melody.

Survival Rating: 5/5 bc I just can’t accept even the thought of a reality where Melody isn’t alive

NO. 08: QUEEN OITO HUI GUO ROU

Listen, we’ve all entertained the fantasy of going from sugar baby to trophy wife, but few of us are unlucky enough to turn that dream into a reality. I bet you she was living her Hot Girl Summer until all of this happened, and honestly, good for her.

But by GOD was she ready to give it up to face the Succession Contest head on. She switched it up on us at the start by specifically targeting people who wanted to kill or control Prince Halkenburg, the current favorite to win. There was no hoping or wishing that things were different, she did the only thing that she could do in her situation: stack the odds in her favor as much as she possibly could. And I’m not gonna lie, she really lucked out. Kurapika is someone you want on your side if you’re trying not to die.

My favorite thing about Oito is how well she handles the pressure of her situation; she just picks it up and runs. Who can afford to feel pride when your daughter’s life is on the line? Need a cockroach? Start screaming! You’re the Queen and this is your house. You get what you want, Oito.

As someone on the bottom of the ladder, there simply is no time to entertain fantasies of grandeur. Oito never tries to check out of reality, like so many of the other Queens have done. She is not here to play around, she is here to play the game.

Unfortunately, her convictions lie in the fact that she thinks she and Woble can get off the boat alive, a theory disproven by Kacho and Fugetsu’s ill fated attempt in Chapter 383. Given the change of circumstances, how far will she let herself go to survive, and what will she have to give up?

If we’re being honest, the only way I can see this playing out well for her is if there’s a fire, or an iceberg, or i don’t know, a riot caused by a murder cult that somehow forces everyone on tier one to evacuate, and she just happens to be the last on to get a life boat, but I highly doubt that things are going to be that convenient for her.

Survival Rating: 2/5

NO. 07: KACHO AND FUGETSU HUI GUO ROU

These girls are willing to do anything, ANYTHING to get themselves off of this ship, including but not limited to, learning morse code, going into unknown territory unguarded, and risking their own lives in order to protect the other. And they’re like what, 14? 15?

Kacho said FUCK boomers

They worked, they planned, they gathered allies, and experimented, and they would have succeeded were it not for the curse that put their lives in danger in the first place.

It was so hard not to root for them. When we learned the truth about Kacho’s ability, I literally screamed. This is Gift of the Magi on steroids, and watching this animated, if it ever does get animated is going to be a tough ride for me, and I will start crying again.

These sisters have a heartbreaking devotion to each other’s safety, and I’m terrified to find out how Fugetsu will react once she learns the truth about her sister’s sacrifice. Will it break her? Will it make her stronger? My money is on the latter for now, but the way this arc is going, who the hell knows?

The beginning of her arc and even the passive nature of her symbiotic nen beast frames her as a co-dependent character. While Kacho 2.0 is still, technically, an active player in the form of a nen-beast, she is a nen-beast, something that I suspect will be picked up by either a bodyguard or someone from the Hunter’s association if Kacho’s original body is never recovered. Someone will have to break the news to Fugetsu eventually, setting her character up for some fantastic trajectory. She will either have to lean into her budding independence, or rely on Kacho for what might be the rest of her short life.

They have a lot to reconcile with once when we see them again. They’re in baby jail, Their most loyal bodyguard is dead, and Melody is temporarily out of the picture thanks to her stunt at the banquet. With mostly enemy bodyguards left in their employment, she has a lot of growing up to do. I hope this doesn’t make her an easy target. We’re rooting for you Fugetsu!!

Survival Rating: 3/5

NO 06: BISCUIT KRUEGER

I am so fucking glad that Biscuit Krueger is on this boat, I love her, she’s unstoppable, I don’t need to explain why she’s on this list. My only wish is that we get to see her beat the shit out of someone who really deserves it. Could she take on Benjamin? Probably. I hope she does. She’s got like twenty years on him.

Survival Rating: 5/5 because I just don’t think she’s capable of dying

NO 05: MACHI KOMACINE

Oh she’s on a mission, and honestly fuck Chrollo and Illumi because I would pay to see her rip that clown apart. Look at this face? How can you not get chills. I love this for her.

Revenge won’t fill the hole in your heart where Kortopi and Shalnark used to live, and honestly I don’t know if you can survive a second tussle with Hisoka, but you Go Get Him Queen.

Survival Rating: 1/5 Togashi said she ain’t gettin off the boat, and I’m inclined to believe him on this one. She’s had a good run. I just hope she pulls some wicked sick shit before she goes.

NO 04: MORENA PRUDE

Edgy, Nihilist, Boss Babe, Patient Zero, Bisexual Icon, Murder Messiah, the Joker wishes that he was Morena Prude so fucking bad. She is so more committed to burning this world to the ground. If you thought we needed more women in positions of leadership, here she is. She’s like the Herbalife of homicide. Let’s take a look at the math.

Assuming most people aren’t nen users and the Hunter x Hunter world population is about the same as ours, 7 billion, she runs out of people to kill/infect by round 13, making this a great way of causing the mass extinction of the human race, and a fantastic way to run a multi-level marketing scheme.

She looks like she’s handling being a boss pretty well, and her 22 picks for Contagion seem to be pretty good choices. They’re legit, they know what they’re doing, they’re loyal, and they’re really excited to straight up go Purge Night on this yacht.

While it’s safe to assume that Morena has already killed between 9 to 45 people, the only reason she’s not higher on this list is because we haven’t seen her do much except set off this gigantic domino chain of problems. Her influence on the arc looks like it’s going to be more passive, but she’s definitely here to make a splash. Her nihilism, and her connections to Tserriednich have me thinking that she might to be a crucial late-game player when things go completely fucking awol.

Ahaha, everyone in that boat is in terrible danger.

Survival Rating: 1/5 because bad girls live fast, die young

NO 03: SARAHELL

We do not know a lot about Sarahell, but her name has Hell in it and she’s willing to perform suicide in order to kill an infant and if that doesn’t make you Bad than I don’t know what the hell does.

Out of all the women on this list, she’s the only one that really scares me. Not only is she willing to risk her life, she wants to die for Camilla in the most efficient way possible. Woble is in her crosshairs, and if she’s as good as acting like a two-faced bitch as she says she is, we’re not in for a good time. I doubt that Kurapika would let her anywhere near the Prince, but I don’t know. They might fake an alliance, something that the Oito and Kurapika have been very open about. I can see her offering up information on Tserriednich in an attempt to wedge her way in. She might even help them out a bunch before she goes in for the kill.

yall are simping for the wrong woman i s2g

This is a legitimate assassination attempt, and one that’s a lot more sophisticated than Vincent’s. They’re in for a fight over in room 1014.

2/5 it would be interesting if she somehow managed to survive and had to live with the guilt of failure. Sarahell that she is prepared for that possibility, but I don’t think she knows how badly things can go for her yet.

NO 02: CAMILLA HUI GUO ROU

Camilla, Camilla, Camilla literally what part of you is not bad to the bone.

I think she might have as many costume changes as Killua?

We are first properly introduced to Camilla when she asks her dear old dad if he could, quote, “not accept dropouts that are not biological death,” meaning that she fully intends for every single one of her brother and sisters to die, and she doesn’t give a fuck who knows.

The next time we meet her, she’s instructing her mother to buy a bunch of designer clothes, and in the SAME BREATH she goes “Oh yeah, you need to kill your son for me, okay? Thanks.”

And you have really got to feel for Duazul here. Like. She’s got four kids and the most to lose in this game. She’s doing her best to keep it together.

Anyways, back to Camilla: uh, her nen ability? Are you kidding me? Who taught her nen? Who told her she could do that? Was the first thing that popped into her head “giant cat-shaped nen curse that activates when I’m murdered?” What kind of things do you have to do to form this kind of ability?

And don’t even get me started on her fascist suicide death cult. She’s taken advantage of people from the lowest caste of society and turned their gratitude into fanaticism. You cannot buy this kind of loyalty, especially when you expect your personal guard to do this. Which is insane, considering I don’t think she’s planning on abolishing the caste system any time soon.

Where Benjamin takes a more traditional approach to this war, aka strongarm the competition until they forfeit, Camilla has taken the most extreme measures to ensure that she wins. She does not expect anyone to survive, including herself, and has based her entire plan around that. If Benjamin is a lion, then Camilla is a steam roller.

As someone who has had it her way her entire life, she’s convinced herself that there is no possibility that she can fail, a trait that makes her nen ability so powerful. However, this determination is quickly turning into tunnel vision, and when people don’t play into her games, she doesn’t leave herself with a way out.

Which leaves us with a very interesting problem: if she dies on the black whale in a way that she cannot be resuscitated, what is her personal guard going to do? It’s hard to believe that they won’t want anything but total retribution, especially when they have nothing else to lose.

Bar Tserriednich, and maybe Halkenburg, I truly believe that she’s one of the most dangerous players on the Level One.

1/5 she’s got mad azula vibes there’s absolutely no way she’s not going down

NO 01: THETA

Theta is the baddest bitch on the boat, and that’s a hill that I’m willing to die on.

Who else has the resolve, the guts, the conviction to take this crazy motherfucker out for the greater good? Even after getting caught red handed, she’s still making moves to make sure that Tserriednich gets his ass assassinated. Period

post-attempt

When she finds out what an insane risk his nen poses does she get scared? Does she try to run? Does she try to bargain with the situation? No! She puts her big girl pants on and understands what she has to do. Shoot him in the head point blank because he’s nasty.

Note: in the Viz Translation she thinks, “I have to do this. I’m the only one who can...!!”

What puts her at the number one spot is her willingness to accept the consequences of her actions. Unlike Sarahell, there is literally nothing in this for her. The fact that she alone put herself up for this sacrifice speaks miles about her character, and since nen and personality work hand in hand, I’m really looking forward to seeing her Hatsu. I bet it’s sick as hell.

Considering that Tserriednich is the big bad of Succession Arc, it’s safe to assume that Theta is going to take an important supporting role in his downfall. Listen, I am counting my blessings and praying every day that her and Kurapika find common ground and team up in the next batch of chapters. These two have too much in common not to do so, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

There is a lot to expect from what is one of my favorite characters in Succession Arc. She relies on herself, has her head on straight, and is willing to clock any bitch that needs dealt with.

You may not agree with me, and that’s fine, but on a list full of baddies, I dub her the baddest.

Survival Rating: Theta, I hope you live to see the end, but I’m going to give you a 2/5 on the survival scale because you are on thin ice, sister. Good luck and Godspeed.

Runner Ups: Lynch, Shizuku, and all the ladies from The Second Prince’s Personal Guard and the Hei-Ly Mafia Family. Would have loved to put Cheadle on this list but she keeps getting clowned by Pariston

Thanks for making it to the end! I just caught up last week and I have brain worms now haha please let me know if you’re posting hxh meta too!! I feel like we’re finally getting to the end of the first act, and the anticipation is KILLING me.

#hunter x hunter #hxh #meta #succession contest arc #morena prudo #morena prude #camilla hui guo rou #queen oito #theta #machi #kacho hui guo rou #kachou fuugetsu #fugetsu hui guo rou #sarahell #biscuit krueger #shimano #melody #i spent way too much time on this lol #i made a playlist too

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