Honestly, if you ask any long-time fan why they're still obsessed with Yoshihiro Togashi’s masterpiece after all these years, they won’t just say "the fights." They'll point directly at the Hunter X Hunter spider members. That's the heart of it. They aren't just a group of villains; they’re a family of thieves from a literal garbage dump called Meteor City. They’ve got this weird, conflicting moral code where they’ll massacre a whole clan for some pretty eyes but then weep like babies when one of their own dies. It’s messed up. It’s compelling. And frankly, it’s why the Yorknew City arc is still widely considered one of the best stretches of television ever made.
The Phantom Troupe—or the Spiders—consists of 13 members. That number is static, even if the people filling the slots aren't. Chrollo Lucilfer is the head, the brain that guides the legs. Without the head, the legs shouldn't move, but the Spiders are more complicated than that.
Who are the Hunter X Hunter spider members anyway?
Defining them is tricky because their roster is a revolving door of tragedy and betrayal. You've got the original crew from Meteor City—the "founding members"—and then you've got the ones who joined later, sometimes by killing a previous member.
Take Chrollo Lucilfer. He’s the undisputed leader. He’s not just strong; he’s a specialist who can literally steal your Nen ability and tuck it away in a book called "Skill Hunter." But what’s weirdly human about Chrollo is his nihilism. He doesn't seem to care about his own life, yet he values the "Spider" as an abstract entity above everything. He’s the guy who orchestrated the Kurta Clan massacre, yet he reads poetry and cries for Uvogin.
Then there’s the muscle. Uvogin was the absolute unit of the group, a standard Enhancer who just wanted to punch things really hard. He was the first real casualty we saw, and his death at the hands of Kurapika changed the stakes of the series forever. It showed that the Hunter X Hunter spider members weren't invincible. They could bleed.
Feitan Portor is the one everyone remembers because of that edgy, high-collar look and his terrifying "Rising Sun" ability. He speaks in broken sentences when he's pissed off, and honestly, his torture scenes are some of the darkest moments Togashi has ever put to paper. He’s the interrogator. If you’re captured by the Troupe, you’re praying it’s not Feitan who walks into the room.
The Support System and the Replacements
You can't talk about the Spiders without mentioning Pakunoda. She’s arguably the most tragic member. Her ability to read memories just by touching someone made her the Troupe’s greatest intelligence asset. But in the end, she sacrificed her life to pass on her feelings and memories to the other founding members, defying Chrollo’s own rule that the Spider comes before the individual. It was a moment of pure, raw humanity in a show about superpowered killers.
Machi Komacine is another fan favorite. She uses Nen threads for everything—from stitching limbs back on to tracking enemies. She’s cold, sure, but she has this strange sense of intuition that even Chrollo trusts implicitly.
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And then we have the "new" additions.
- Hisoka Morrow: He was never really a Spider. He faked his membership (literally used "Texture Surprise" to fake his tattoo) just to get a shot at fighting Chrollo. His betrayal during the Yorknew arc was the catalyst for half the drama.
- Shizuku Murasaki: The girl with the vacuum cleaner (Blinky). She’s ditzy, forgets things instantly, and is low-key one of the most efficient cleaners the Troupe has.
- Kalluto Zoldyck: Joining after the Yorknew mess, Killua's younger brother brought a whole new dynamic. He thought he’d be the top dog but quickly realized he was way out of his league compared to the monsters in the Troupe.
- Illumi Zoldyck: This was a shocker. Joining during the Succession Contest arc at Hisoka’s request (to kill Hisoka, no less), Illumi brings a creepy, needle-focused energy to the group that fits perfectly with their chaotic vibe.
The Meteor City Connection: Why They Do What They Do
Most people get this part wrong. They think the Spiders are just greedy. They aren't.
Meteor City is a place that officially doesn't exist. The world dumps its trash there—and its people. The Hunter X Hunter spider members grew up in a place where they were legally non-persons. When you have nothing, and the world tells you that you are nothing, you bond with the people in the dirt with you. That’s why their loyalty to each other is so fierce.
They steal because the world never gave them anything. They kill because life was always cheap in the junkyards. Togashi paints them in shades of grey. You want to hate them for what they did to Kurapika's family—and you should—but then you see them defending Meteor City from the Chimera Ants, and you start to get confused. They’re the heroes of their own miserable story.
The Hierarchy and the Rules
The Troupe operates on a set of strict rules to prevent internal collapse.
- The Head and the Legs: The Spider's life is more important than the leader's life. Chrollo says the head should be replaced if necessary.
- Coin Tossing: If two members have a serious disagreement, they don't fight. They flip a coin. It’s a simple, brutal way to keep the peace.
- Membership: You join by killing a member, or by being scouted if there’s an opening.
This structure is what makes them so dangerous. They aren't just a gang; they are a functional organism. When Uvogin died, they didn't scatter. They leveled a city block as a requiem for him. That's the level of commitment we're talking about here.
Comparing the Power Levels (The Prose Version)
It’s tempting to try and rank them, but Togashi doesn't work that way. Strength in Hunter X Hunter is about Nen matchups. Uvogin was the physically strongest, no contest. He could catch a rocket launcher shell with his bare hands. But in a Nen battle, Shalnark’s "Black Voice" could end the fight instantly if he managed to stick a needle in you.
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Shalnark was the "brain" along with Chrollo. He was upbeat, tech-savvy, and had a "Pilot Mode" that turned him into an automated killing machine. His death later in the manga (at the hands of a very salty Hisoka) was a massive blow to the group's tactical capabilities.
Then you have Phinks Magcub. He’s the guy in the tracksuit who winds up his arm to increase his punching power. The more he rotates his arm, the harder he hits. It’s simple, effective, and terrifyingly powerful. He often pairs up with Feitan, and their bickering is one of the few sources of "dark" comedy in the series.
Franklin Bordeau, the guy with the stitched-up face, is their long-range specialist. He literally cut off the tips of his fingers to increase the power of his Nen bullets. That’s the kind of dedication the Hunter X Hunter spider members have. They are willing to mutilate themselves just to become more effective weapons.
What Most People Miss About the Succession Contest Arc
If you’re only watching the anime, you’re missing the most intense version of the Spiders. Currently, in the manga, they are on a massive whale-shaped ship called the Black Whale, hunting Hisoka.
This is where the nuance of the Hunter X Hunter spider members really shines. They are navigating a complex political war between princes while simultaneously playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek with a psychopathic magician. We see them interacting with the various Mafia families of the Kakin Empire.
It’s here that we see more of Nobunaga Hazama. He’s the swordsman who was closest to Uvogin. Nobunaga is often the most emotional member, the one who pushes back against the cold logic of the others. Watching him navigate the ship, trying to find Hisoka while dealing with the Xi-Yu and Cha-R families, shows a more grounded, detective-like side to the Troupe.
Why the Phantom Troupe Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of "sympathetic villains," but the Spiders were doing it before it was cool. They don't have a grand plan to rule the world. They aren't trying to bring "peace" through some convoluted scheme. They just exist. They steal what they want, they protect their own, and they handle the consequences.
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The mystery of their origins in Meteor City—which Togashi has been slowly peeling back in recent chapters—adds layers to them that most shonen villains never get. We’re seeing flashbacks of them as kids, putting on plays and dubbing VHS tapes. They were just kids who wanted to have fun, and the world broke them.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Theorists
If you want to truly understand the current trajectory of the Spiders, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the parallels: The Troupe is currently being paralleled with the Kakin Princes. The "Succession" theme isn't just for the royals; it's about who will lead the Spiders if (or when) Chrollo falls.
- The Hisoka Factor: Hisoka is no longer playing games. He's killing them efficiently. The Spiders are vulnerable for the first time because they are separated on a giant boat.
- Meteor City's Role: The recent flashbacks suggest that the Troupe's "evil" acts might have started as a way to protect their home or avenge a specific tragedy involving a childhood friend, Sarasa. This recontextualizes their entire history.
To get the full picture, you really need to dive into chapters 395-400 of the manga. They provide the backbone of the Meteor City lore that the anime barely touched. The Hunter X Hunter spider members are evolving from cool-looking antagonists into a profound study on the cycle of violence and the bonds formed in the margins of society.
The story of the Spider isn't over yet. Whether they all die on that ship or manage to kill Hisoka and walk away, they've already secured their spot as the most complex group in anime history. They are a mess of contradictions, held together by a spider tattoo and a shared history of garbage and gold.
If you're looking to catch up, start by re-reading the Yorknew arc with an eye on Pakunoda's loyalty, then jump straight into the Post-Anime manga chapters starting around 340. The transition from the "glory days" of the Troupe to their current "survival mode" on the Black Whale is a masterclass in long-form storytelling.
Keep an eye on the number of "legs" remaining. As the count drops, the remaining members become more desperate, and a desperate Spider is the most dangerous thing in the Hunter X Hunter universe.
- Review Chapter 377: This is where the current roster is finalized for the boat trip.
- Analyze Chrollo's Mental State: Notice how he hasn't sat on his "throne" in a long time; he's grieving Shalnark and Kortopi.
- Track the Zoldycks: Illumi and Kalluto's presence suggests a secondary agenda that might clash with the Troupe’s survival.
The Spiders are more than the sum of their parts. They are a testament to Togashi's ability to make you care about the worst people on earth. They are the Phantom Troupe, and they aren't going anywhere until the last leg is broken.