Meruem is the one and only antagonist I have ever cried for after his death. Even after everything he did to seem evil, his death was somehow still tragic. And that's beautiful.

In the end Meruem became a human and Gon became a monster they even exchanged sitting poses.

"Togashi crafted around Meruem a story of emotional and metaphoric value, being the tale of an all-powerful monster as he ascends through carefully timed development to a level of humanity; and how in perfect contrast it reflects Gon, a flawed human that descends through rational pacing to become an all-powerful monster." - Nux Taku (2018)

I didn’t mind the narrator tbh and I actually liked him

I guess you could say he is a good ANTagonist!

Dragon Ball Z: 5 minutes takes 10 episodes. Hunter X Hunter: Hold my beer.

He was my favorite antagonist of all time. I love that he wasn’t “I’m gonna destroy the world just because”, instead He actually questioned his actions. Such a well done arc and I can’t see how hunter x hunter will be able to top this.

hiatus still overpowers everything

What's cool about Meruem is that Hunter x Hunter Introduced the continent that the original Chimera Ants came from. The creatures here are given threat levels, with the Chimera Ants being a B Rank and the many other monsters being an A Rank. At first this seems like power creeping. But Togashi released charts explaining how these threat levels were determined. As it turns out, they have little to do with how powerful they are at all. The five calamties and the Dark Continent are dangerous because of how parasitic and dangerous some of their abilities are. The Arc thus far, as well as many other characters references, point to this being the case. Which means that Hunter x Hunter may have introduced it's most powerful characters in the middle of the series. Which eliminates a need for power creep because, besides Gon who nearly died because of his power up, none of the top tier hunters were capable of taking down the RG or King in a nen/physical battle. Instead Togashi has villains like Hisoka and Illumi, who still present just as big of a threat as they did in the beginning of the series without them having to be more powerful than Meruem. Speaking in terms of narrative, it actually made perfect sense why the RG and King were so OP, as well as Gon's transformation. It was to show us the power ceiling of the series to get us to realize that going forward, strategy and skill are what makes or breaks a fight. Meruem was the most OP character in the series, yet him and his Guards were poisoned by a cheaply made bomb. You can have all the power and intelligence in the world, but being able to best anyone in physical combat doesn't make you invincible. There are diseases, weapons, terrifying curses and abilities that bypass the power barrier completely and kill you regardless of who you are or your accomplishments. To summarize, Togashi isn't expanding up, he's expanding out. He's using this as an opportunity to become more complex in his narrative. As well as far more diverse and strange when it comes to the monsters and villains. A genius writing tactic.

i like how they never made Meruem exert himself in any way. Thats what the tail with a sharp blade was for. So he would never have to appear to physically assault something, because that would seem inappropriate for a king. That tail was an extension of him but in such a way that it disconnected the character from it. He maintained his composure throughout, until he almost knelt in front of Palm.

I cried like a baby at the end of this arc. Meruem development along with his connection to Komugi was beautifully written. Meruem wasn't innately evil like some other anime villains. He was incomplete and undeveloped. He was born prematurely and was told from birth that he was meant to lead his species and eradicate humanity. Due to his immense power, no one could deny him and those closest to him only encouraged his instincts. With that upbringing and no other influences, I'd have been more surprised if he hadn't become a monster. Even Meruem's attempt to talk with Netero, when he could have easily defeated him, was a sign of how much he'd developed during his short life. I kept wishing that a compromise was possible and for Meruem to have just a bit more time. I was shocked, hurt and ashamed by Netero's use of the nuke. It felt like a dishonorable end to such a remarkable character. The end of this arc was just non-stop punches to the feels

Fun fact: Both Saitama and Meruem are both voiced by Max Mittelman in the English dub. Seems like that guy has a track record of voicing well written overpowered characters and giving them good performances that help make them more enduring.

this human have won the right to live in my kingdom

Chancellor of the Hunters and Professional Japanese Old-Man Extraordinaire Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Netero

He was born a ant, but he died like human. When you cried on villian dead, then you know it is good charackter

That scene in 9:22 is one of the most tension-filled moments ever displayed on a screen.

Then isn't Komugi the strongest HxH character cuz she's the only one who got a W on Meruem? 🤔 If Meruem's #1, she's #0.

Another kinda OP antagonist that was done right was King Bradley in FMAB. His ability to always make the right decision to succeed at any given moment is pretty strong when you combine that with his sheer strenght and skills. In his final fight, he faced overwhelming odds and it took the sacrifice of the life and ideals of many character to even inflict some damage to him. He was finally defeated by an unpredictable stroke of luck making it look like the universe and God, which he previously taunted, decided it was time for him to be defeated. He then died knowing it was time for him to die and there was nothing more he could have done to win. He faced the destruction of his ideals of invincibility with a smile on his face without regrets. Can't think of many other well written OP antagonist in anime.

I think it’s less that he’s an overpowered character done right, and simply a very well written character. It’s not often that a Shōnen produces such thoughtful characterization. A lot of times characters are depicted in such a way that it just barely passes the direct characterization we were taught in elementary school.

bruh, i cried to him rather than gon's almost dying

I can't imagine how strong he would've been if he ate Netero, and the Troupe.

I absolutely completely 100% disagree Meruem is nothing more than a fanservice character I mean, how can I focus at all on the arc when I can't tear my eyes away from those *SWEET ABS* 0/10 worst villain ever Nah, I love Meruem Personally, my favorite villain from anything ever (Except maybe Goro Majima from the Yakuza series)

Togashi is just a narrarive genius. Hes been going this since the 80s. Nobidy pays attention to detail like this man does. Hxh is underrated

Please don't disrespect HxH by talking about fairytail in the same video please.

Perfection is an insult to meruem. He is beyond that

I love the Netero vs. Meruem fight. Probably my favourite fight in any anime. It just had so little to do with just fighting and more on character building, symbolism, and new theme building. And it's as you said, Meruem going from a monster to a 'human' is what drove his character. That fight had nothing to do with the want to fight Netero, but everything to do with wanting to find out his name. Though it wasn't my favourite scene in HxH, it's still up there and he's definitely one of my favourite villains of all time

Honestly from when they go to the NGL in the chimerea arc, I really thought that Kite, Gon, and Killua were gonna wreck the ants and it would over very fast. Boy.. I was wrong, That moment that Pitou ripped off kites arm and killed him was one of the biggest surprises. Then you really see that the power for the ant king is gonna be something like world ending. With the huge gap in power they were alluding too was paid off and then some. Killua ran the other direction as soon as he felt Pitous Aura.. At the end of the series Kite says that his mistake was underestimating the enemy, which I underestimated the ants too. At first I thought they would just kill Colt and the ant Queen and the arc would have been over. It seemed like Colt anf the Queen were just like other beasts in the show so I was a little iffy at the start of the Arc. This arc is my most favorite right now. 👍 Great video btw, keep up the work.

Yu Yu Hakusho... The amazing anime before the godly creation of Hunter x Hunter

If Meruem is so OP then why couldn't he beat Komugi hmmmmm? Looks like we know the real overpowered character.

My favorite character of all time 🙏 He died for our sins

I love anime but I'm super picky. Hunter x Hunter took me a few episodes to get in but something about Gon kept me watching. One of the best shows I've ever watched and highly recommend it to anybody.

Meruem is the fussion between Freza and Perfect Cell

"Shounen girls never accomplish anything major" I always wonder why that is the case

Thank you ! Meruem was my favourite antagonist, along with Pitou. The Chimera ant arc in general was beautiful; the music was incredible.

Bro I fucking bawled my eyes out at Meruems death. Such a great character.

Hunter x hunter > Dragonball super

Unpopular opinion: Neferpitou is underrated.. He/She is one of my favorite character in HxH

The gungi plot and the way it plays into the end of the King's life is truly one of the most masterful acts of characterization and plotting I've ever seen.

watched chimera ant arc & loved it, people shit on the narrator but i love it. he brought life & the perfect explanation for how the characters acted or felt. people just want fights but i want a whole story something that inspires me to the fullest & gives such great insight but i guess no one has the same mind as me, y’all just love fights.

I had to go through all 148 episodes of hunter during quarantine just to come back and finish this video. Still recovering from Meruems death and every single point made hit the nail in the coffin 😔 Personally the greatest anime I’ve watched imo

I actually shed some tears at the end with meruem and komugi it was so good

This is your best video yet. I think you're understanding your craft now. Well done! I totally see all of your points, and whether I agree or not, they are well backed up and researched, and your examples are their perfect highlights. Booyah.

The best part of Meruem, is that, it seems he gained some humanity while Gon, lost his during the fight against Pitou

The thing I love about Meruem is that he concludes at one point that there are many kinds of strength, but brute force is the only kind that matters. He then IMMEDIATELY is confronted with just how wrong he is. In Hunter x Hunter, brute force only wins if your opponent agrees to a force v. force fight. If your opponent does not want to fight you on those terms, you are bringing a knife to a gun fight.

Meruem is a ridiculously good villain.

if comedy was included i would go with saiki kusuo from saiki kusuo no psi nan

The fight with Netero, especially the end, where he went full Grim Reaper and made Meruem feel fear for the first time, was kind of chilling. The aftermath, where the toxin from Netero’s terrible final attack finally made him meet his end, nearly made me cry, honestly. His bonding with Komugi coming to a head, his asking her if she were still there as his death was nearly upon him, his incapability to beat her, even in his final breaths, Komugi calling him by his name one last time and holding his hand as he passed and she neared her expiration, as well. All while his En particles slowly faded. It was sad.

Just finished this arc, that ending was so great and Merurm's development as a character was cool to watch

Last time I was this early Netero was alive

6:10 the best way to describe netero 😂

Korosensei from assassination classroom next Btw every villian in hxh is s tier exept for the bomber but atleast there was razer

The anime remake left out a lot of Kite's story with Gon which destroyed the weight of his death. Especially for the new viewers who didn't get to read the manga.

I liked the video Nux, but I think there's an important thing that needs to be clarified: Meruem isn't a overpowered character that was done right or 'perfectly', he was a WELL-WRITTEN character that also 'happens' to be overpowered as a part of his character. That's kind of the one thing I feel most people don't get. Being well-written, any kind of character will shine, irregardless of anything else. The concept of 'Mary Sue' characters and the like are that way because they're shallow, one-dimensional beings with no real depth or interesting bits to them. But that label gets tossed around easily for any seemingly powerful or 'overpowered' character irregardless if it is true or not. In short...The two things, being well-written, and being powerful or overpowered are not mutually exclusive, you CAN have both.

Omg I love Meruem! And I sure miss him too 😭

Lmao, i've been subbed to you for a while, but i recently finished HxH and just watched this video and holy shit, I cannot agree with this video enough, god damn, what a powerful arc and such great character writing, i actually started tearing up thinking about Meruem's end and Gon v Pitou just while watching this video, i full on bawled when i saw both of those fights

I found the very first Nux video I ever saw. Banger video, still holds up well.

Another very good video to add to the like list

Glad to find someone else that loves Meruem as much as I do. Ps it would be really cool if you did a video on Meruem and Komugi's relationship and development.

I saw this video and rushed through the Chimera Ant arc to catch up because I love your analyses.

I appreciate the background music. One of the best I've heard, with context.

You became my favorite anime reviewing youtuber. I can't believe you only have that small of an audience, I hope you get to grow big!

Nux vs Meruem Nux wins with the power of sarcasm and awesomeness

Back to view this classic. Love old Nux. Love new Nux. Just keep the content coming.

Hunter x Hunter proves that you don't need a sad backstory to make a great villain

mereum - a character that was so scary from the start, with all the killings he've done, you were praying for his death...but you cry like a baby when he's death came..

Just got done bindging your overpowered videos and I can safely say that your entertainment abilities are in fact op, 10/10

kudos on your presentation and voice over... Worlds beyond anyone else.. please..keep this up

Excellent meta-commentary with an equally excellent sense of humor sprinkled in. Keep studying and putting in the effort and I'm sure this channel can reach untold heights.

First time i cried in an anime was for meruem i tear up for months 😢😢

what I like about him is that you don't need to beat the villain in combat/power level nor make your opponent aggre with you.... it's still clear human is weaker than chimera ant, and yes humanity are powerless to beat him via power level... and yes in the end they aren't really approving each other (naruto lecture nagato...) , meruem acknowledge humanity to certain point due to series of event and create exception for some human he finally acknowledge. also the series shows that the humanity is cocky, not entirely good race. in the end, netero still proud of his race despite he is far weaker than meruem. in the end, the series shows that ant is stronger than human, and human is so corrupted that they could destroy stronger being. bittersweet ending. no, we don't get spirit bomb ending, ichigo power up ending, or friendship power ending here

hey big dog you did this video perfectly man its great to see it again and know you havent sold out but keep doing what you know you wanna do your fans love you mango habanero wings

Solid video and insights, I don't have an issue with Kefla if only cos I like the characters making her up and Brolly was already a thing so if I have to accept him (Shrugs) but yeah, really great breakdown here, kudos!

Logan Paul > Meruem > Jake Paul

When I first watched the ant arc I didn't like it. Now it's pretty much my favorite.

great great video, all well said

Keep up the great work.

I dunno why but I really liked HxH s narrator lol

LOL @ Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Netero

This was a fantastic video! Great job!

I would (if it doesn't already exist) like to hear your complete breakdown on the greatest "villain" of all time, Meruem. I truly enjoy this series of yours. You're doing a fantastic job! Thank you

Meruem's last moments were the first time I ever cried for an anime. Like just 4-5 eps ago they were having epic fights and ep 135 just boom

upon his initial introduction meruem is the literal last character whose death i wouldve expected to end up absolutely BAWLING over no other antagonist will ever replace him ive always considered the best villains to be the ones with justified ideologies who leave the audience questioning their own moral compass and he is a prime example of that his overall characterization but especially his subtle progression into humanity was just brilliant

Watching this later for when I get passed his arc :D I’ll be excited because so far I’m loving him

Nux, its because of my subscription to you that I started watching. I just caught up yesterday. Thank you for putting me on

we have an ANTagonist and a protaGONist in hxh

“Than if Usopp would incur the wrath of One Punch Man”

Very nice video man

every time i hear the orchestral song that chrollo conducts during the yorknew city arc it gives me goose bumps

So in other words he was a great overpowered character because it made sense for him to be that strong and he killed the strongest human alive with negative difficulty.

Aside from already loving Meruem, this video is a damn good look into what makes him such a great antagonist. Subbed.

I'm subscribing now. I love anything you do that has Hunter X Hunter.

Beautifully stated and argued. Well done.

Jfc I understand you’re trying to keep it interesting but you’re spending more time trying to be funny then you’re are actually talking about the subject

Your voice definitely gets the point out there

Well done video

I love your channel dude! Just a thought for this type of vid tho, I would have enjoyed hearing more in this video about meruem's character development and philosophy that make him more than just another OP villain that is basically a brick wall for the hero to overcome, as weak as the power scaling factors. (PS - I really loved your philosophy break down of death note)

This Arcwas so epic and beautifully done. It's a shame that most manga/anime doesn't write like this anymore.

When I first saw him I thought that he was just gonna be another cell but as the series went on it proved me wrong

Great video! I would like to hear your opinion about Alucard.

I watched this video 3 years ago and now and WOW how much did nux change