Nobunaga Hazama is a problem. Not for the protagonists of Hunter x Hunter, necessarily, but for the fans who try to power-scale him into a neat little box. He’s the first member of the Phantom Troupe we really got to know on a personal level during the Yorknew City arc, yet he remains one of the biggest enigmas in Yoshihiro Togashi’s masterpiece. While everyone else is busy conjuring massive vacuum cleaners or transforming into literal suns, Nobunaga just stands there with a sword. He's simple. Maybe too simple?
Actually, no.
The discourse around Nobunaga Hunter x Hunter fans engage in usually revolves around why he hasn't had a "big fight" yet. We’ve seen Uvogin level a wasteland. We’ve seen Feitan drop a miniature star on a Chimera Ant. But Nobunaga? He mostly just threatens people within a four-meter radius. If you think that makes him weak, you're missing the point of how Nen actually works in high-level combat.
The Enigma of the 4-Meter Circle
Let’s talk about his En. In the world of Hunter x Hunter, En is the ability to extend one's aura to sense anything within a certain perimeter. Most top-tier hunters aim for dozens, even hundreds of meters. Killua’s grandfather, Zeno Zoldyck, can push his to 300 meters. Nobunaga’s limit is exactly four meters. Just four.
It sounds pathetic until you realize it’s a choice.
Nobunaga is an Enhancer. His entire combat philosophy is built on the "lai" style—the art of drawing a sword and striking in one fluid motion. By limiting his En to the exact reach of his katana, he creates a literal "zone of death." Inside that circle, his reaction time is effectively zero. He isn’t scanning the horizon; he is mastering the immediate space around his body. It’s a specialized constraint. In Nen, constraints equal power. While others are generalists, Nobunaga is a specialist of the singular moment.
Honestly, it’s kind of terrifying. You can be the fastest guy in the room, but if you step into that four-meter bubble, you’re playing a game where Nobunaga has already won. He’s not a brawler like Uvogin. He’s a counter-striker. This is likely why he was Uvogin’s preferred partner. Uvo provided the chaotic, destructive force, while Nobunaga acted as the surgical defense. They were the shield and the scalp.
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Loyalty, Grief, and the Yorknew Meltdown
We have to address the elephant in the room: Nobunaga is the emotional heart of the Spiders. That sounds weird for a group of mass murderers, right? But look at his reaction to Uvogin’s death. He didn’t just want revenge; he was genuinely, deeply grieving. He’s the only one who cried. He's the one who wanted to recruit Gon and Killua simply because Gon reminded him of his fallen friend.
This highlights a massive contradiction in his character. He’s a cold-blooded killer who participated in the Kurta Clan massacre, yet he possesses a fierce, almost naive sense of loyalty. He’s a traditionalist. He follows the rules of the Spider, but he’s the first to challenge Chrollo’s logic when it feels too detached.
Remember the standoff in the hideout? Nobunaga was ready to fight Feitan and Phinks to the death over the "rules" of the Troupe versus the survival of the leader. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which is a dangerous thing for a villain. It makes him unpredictable. Most villains are driven by greed or a desire for power. Nobunaga is driven by brotherhood. That makes him much harder to manipulate than someone like Hisoka.
Is He Actually Top-Tier?
There’s a lot of debate about where Nobunaga sits in the Troupe hierarchy. In the arm-wrestling rankings (a classic Togashi data point), he ranked 9th out of 13. Not great. But arm wrestling is pure physical strength. Nobunaga is a swordsman. His lethality isn't in his biceps; it's in his speed and Nen precision.
In the current Succession Contest arc on the Black Whale, we’re finally seeing him in his element. He’s navigating the cramped, claustrophobic corridors of a giant ship. This is exactly where a four-meter En becomes an absolute nightmare for opponents. He doesn't need to destroy a building. He just needs to clear a hallway.
- Weaponry: A standard-looking katana that is almost certainly infused with massive amounts of Shu.
- Nen Category: Enhancer (confirmed in the Togashi memory exhibits).
- Role: Vanguard and scout.
- Philosophy: Survival of the group over the individual, yet fiercely protective of his "pair."
The way he dealt with the Heil-Ly family members recently showed a veteran’s composure. He doesn't panic. Even when faced with bizarre, warp-based abilities, his first instinct is to analyze the "rules" of the enemy's Nen. He’s a thinker who acts like a hothead. That’s a lethal combination.
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The Misconception of the "Simple" Ability
People often complain that we don’t know Nobunaga’s "Hatsu" or secret technique. We see Chrollo’s book, Shizuku’s vacuum, and Bonolenov’s Jupiter. Compared to those, a sword feels boring.
But here’s the thing: Togashi loves subverting shonen tropes. Often, the most dangerous people in Hunter x Hunter are the ones with the simplest powers. Look at Netero. He just punches fast. That’s it. If Nobunaga’s "ability" is simply being the fastest swordsman alive within a four-meter radius, he doesn’t need a flashy gimmick. In a world of complex, multi-layered Nen traps, a guy who just cuts your head off before you can finish explaining your power is the ultimate counter-meta.
He represents the "old guard" of Nen users. No frills. No ego. Just efficiency.
The Succession Contest and the Future of the Spider
Right now, the Phantom Troupe is on a collision course with Hisoka on the Black Whale. Nobunaga is part of the group hunting the magician down. This is where he will likely meet his end or prove his status once and for all.
Hisoka thrives on chaos and complex psychological games. Nobunaga is the antithesis of that. He’s straightforward. If Hisoka tries to play mind games, Nobunaga is the type to just keep swinging. It’s a fascinating matchup because Hisoka’s Bungee Gum is versatile, but it requires him to attach it. If you can’t get within four meters of Nobunaga without losing a limb, how do you attach the gum?
There is a growing theory among the Japanese fanbase that Nobunaga’s true ability involves some form of "Iai" that ignores distance, or perhaps a conditional vow that triggers when his sword is sheathed. We haven't seen him go all out because he hasn't had to. Every time he’s been on screen, he’s been in control—except when he was dealing with the grief of Uvo's death.
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Why He Matters to the Narrative
Nobunaga serves as our window into the "human" side of the Troupe. Through him, we see that they aren't just monsters; they are a family from Meteor City. They have inside jokes. They have arguments. They have a history that goes back to childhood.
When Nobunaga argues with Phinks or Franklin, it’s not just a plot device to explain Nen rules. It’s world-building. It reminds us that the Spiders are a product of their environment. Nobunaga is the keeper of that history. He’s the one who remembers why they started this in the first place. He’s the soul of the Spider, while Chrollo is the brain.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you’re trying to understand Nobunaga’s role in the current meta of the manga, keep these points in mind:
- Don't trust the arm-wrestling rankings. Nen combat is about 10% physical strength and 90% strategy, aura flow, and resolve. Nobunaga’s resolve is arguably the highest in the Troupe.
- Watch the En. Whenever Togashi draws that circle around Nobunaga, pay attention to who enters it. That circle is the most honest space in the series. It’s where "it's just business" ends and "you’re dead" begins.
- The Katana is a red herring. It’s not about the sword; it’s about the speed of the Enhancer behind it. He could probably do the same thing with a butter knife if he had to.
To truly appreciate Nobunaga, you have to stop looking for the flashy "ultimate move." He isn't a video game character with a cooldown on his ultimate. He is a master of fundamentals in a world of people trying to cheat with complex abilities. That makes him one of the most dangerous men on the Black Whale.
If you're catching up on the manga, pay close attention to the chapters involving Tier 5 of the ship. Nobunaga’s interactions with Hinrigh Biganduffno show a side of him we rarely see: the veteran operative who can cooperate with outsiders when the mission demands it. He’s pragmatic, he’s lethal, and he’s still mourning his best friend. That’s a character with staying power.
The next time someone tells you Nobunaga is "mid-tier," just remind them: nobody has survived a serious exchange inside his four-meter circle yet. There's a reason for that.
For those tracking the Phantom Troupe's movements, focus on the alliance between the Troupe and the Xi-Yu family. Nobunaga is currently the primary liaison and muscle for this operation. His ability to navigate the ship’s politics while maintaining his lethal edge will be the deciding factor in whether the Spiders find Hisoka before Hisoka finds them. Watch his hands; if his thumb is on the guard of his sword, someone is about to have a very bad day.