Hunter x Hunter to this day stands as one of the most beloved manga and anime of all time. People who enjoy the joyful friendship of Pokemon or the crazy action of Dragon Ball Z tend to dig the similarities found in Hunter x Hunter. The reason it's built and sustained such a strong and dedicated fandom is due to the immersive and interesting world Yoshihiro Togashi created. A lot of Hunter x Hunter revolves around groups of individuals, ranging from the main group of three protagonists to villainous or morally gray units like the Phantom Troupe or Shadow Beasts.
Though the Shadow Beasts played a small role in the grand scheme of Hunter x Hunter, their appearance, powers, and fate left a mark on audiences. Of the ten members of the Shadow Beasts, employed by the men known as the Ten Dons, which of these animalistic mercenaries for hire stood above the rest?
10 Mule
The sad reality of the Shadow Beasts is that outside of the Owl and the four that fight Uvogin of the Phantom Troupe, little is known about the rest of them. Mule isn't this character's real name, but rather one given by the fandom in an attempt to identify all Shadow Beast members based on their animalistic appearance.
Their names and physical form often hint at their power, so for Mule, the safest bet is to assume he has powerful kicks of some sort. That's the likeliest assumption for someone who has the name Mule, an animal known for being able to kill a human with a single kick.
9 Frog
As with Mule, little to nothing is known about the Shadow Beast member referred to as Frog. When thinking about the type of Nen-infused power someone with their appearance might be capable of, the first thing that comes to mind is something having to do with jumping.
Viewers never actually hear Frog talk, so there is a possibility that their power has something to do with their tongue, in the way that frogs are capable of snatching prey right out of the air. Until this character is fleshed out more, they simply can't be considered a strong fighter with a name like Frog.
8 Bat
What's cool about Bat is that despite there being little information on them, they happen to be one of the only Shadow Beasts that are capable of flight. Audiences witness this feat as the Shadow Beasts descend on the Phantom Troupe in hopes of eliminating them.
Sadly, none of the actual fight is displayed and all that's left is the Bat's lifeless corpse sitting on the ground. With Leech being a part of the team it's unlikely that Bat's power also deals with blood, but they could have had a sonar or sonic wave ability that played on that aspect of bat-related biology.
7 Hedgehog
A Hedgehog being on the same team as a Porcupine seems a bit redundant at first, but when thinking about it more the differences between the two are rather substantial. Porcupine, who will be discussed later, can completely control his hair and extend it out. Hedgehogs have spikes but are more known for rolling into a ball.
So maybe the Shadow Beast's Hedgehog had a power where he would roll into a ball and attack foes in a way in which they couldn't harm him. Sure that became irrelevant when the Shadow Beasts were tasked with taking down the Phantom Troupe, but all lesser opponents may have become frustrated with his approach to battle.
6 Fish
Fish isn't a name that suggests power, but in the brief time, audiences had with the "other" five Shadow Beast members Fish presented himself as the natural leader of the bunch. At the very least he was the most confident and assertive.
That's why he lands as the highest ranked Shadow Beast, among the ones that weren't officially named or had the pleasure of showcasing their power. A fish-related ability could mean a myriad of things so his power is hard to assume. It could have been water-related, or maybe he was slippery and hard to get a hold of like a fish is when it's out of the water.
5 Worm
Worm is rather haunting to look at, and any anime fan who grew up watching Dragon Ball Z might liken his appearance to that of Buu. He had incredible strength and endurance that was unmatched, but the core of his fighting was done through the use of sneak attacks.
Now some might argue that these tactics are a sign of a fighter who is often the underdog in combat, but using the ground as an added weapon allowed Worm to drag people into his domain. There's a case to be made that he should be much higher on this list simply because he survived Uvogin's tremendous Big Bang Impact, but either way he wins the award for the creepiest Shadow Beast.
4 Owl
Despite not taking on Phantom Troupe member Uvogin with his other Shadow Beast members, Owl happens to be pivotal in the entire operation of the Ten Dons and the mafia in general. He could shrink things down and could return them to normal when he wanted. This was quite useful in heists and combat and was devastating to the uninitiated.
The problem with Owl's power though is that it is neither offensive nor defensive, as its power lies in it being unknown and secretive. Sadly, he also no longer has this power as it was stolen by Chrollo.
3 Rabid Dog
Poison is a rather controversial weapon in both combat and warfare as it's seen to not be as honorable as other methods of killing. It's often seen as a stealth option, which makes sense considering the Shadow Beast known as Rabid Dog relies on others to create his openings. It isn't until the other Shadow Beasts engage with Uvogin that Rabbid Dog leaps in and bites the nape of the Phantom Troupe member's neck.
The neurotoxin in his bite paralyzes the target's body, well all points below the infected area. For a character regarded as having enhanced reflexes and speed, it's a shame he died because Uvogin spits a piece of skull bone through the middle of Rabid Dog's eyes, killing him instantaneously.
2 Porcupine
Porcupine at first presents himself as what many audiences would call a knockoff version of Krillin from Dragon Ball Z. He's a small-statured unassuming bald man, and it's unclear why a hairless individual would be nicknamed Porcupine. It turns out it's merely a disguise as Porcupine can manipulate the hair on his body, allowing him to grow and move it at will.
During his confrontation with Uvogin, he's able to embed his hair into the Phantom Troupe member's body, creating a stalemate of sorts between the two. Uvogin presented himself as a mindless brute, a foe Porcupine could counter with his hair, but little did he know that Uvogin could outsmart others and his scream showcased that power isn't always derived from the muscles on one's body.
1 Leech
The most frightening enemies are those that can defeat their opponent, even in death. Leech was a Manipulator and had a go-to move in which he would unleash leeches into his enemy's body and when they would hatch the pain alone would often kill people. It turns out that he had leeches of varying species, some being able to even cure diseases.
Mixing the power's versatility and effectiveness makes it a rather powerful combination. Leech's one mistake was treating Uvogin like any other opponent when in reality the muscle of the Phantom Troupe had an answer for almost every life-threatening situation standing in front of him.