This Hunter x Hunter Fight Is One of the Best — and It’s All Because of the Narrator
This article explains why the fight between Isaac Netero and Meruem in the 2011 Hunter x Hunter Chimera Ant arc is widely regarded as exceptional — not because of flashy animation, but because of how voice-over narration and editing shape the scene.
- 1. What the fight is and where it appears
- 2. How the show uses narration and music
- 3. Key moments and quoted lines
- 4. Availability and sources
The fight in brief
The encounter between Hunter Association chairman Isaac Netero and the Chimera Ant King Meruem occurs in the Chimera Ant arc of the 2011 Hunter x Hunter anime. This arc is covered in season 6 of the 2011 TV series and centers on the emergence of the Chimera Ants and their strongest being, Meruem.
In the sequence, Netero uses a large Nen ability known as the Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. Composer Yoshihisa Hirano provides the score titled The Last Mission, which accompanies the fight and features choral elements. The episode reduces detailed frame-by-frame choreography, instead using montage, silhouettes, and narration to convey the pace and scale of the clash.
How narration and editing shape the scene
Hunter x Hunter introduces a third-party narrator in the Chimera Ant arc. The narrator provides exposition about stakes and strategy, and also frames the emotional and philosophical weight of the Netero–Meruem conflict.
For example, the narrator describes the Bodhisattva as doing “next to no damage” and adds that “the king has no cause for fear.” Soon after, the narration notes that “after hundreds and thousands of strikes, the King was beginning to feel the faintest hints of dull pain in his body, ” which precedes Meruem slicing off Netero’s leg. Rather than animating every single blow, the series conveys the flurry through montage and symbolic imagery: light, hands, a cosmic backdrop, and blooming flowers.
Zero Hand and the narrator’s role
The anime relies on narration to sell Netero’s ultimate move, referred to as Zero Hand. The narrator describes the attack with imagery: “a Buddha appear behind an enemy, gently enveloping the target” in its hands “with an indiscriminate love” before the blast of aura is released. The narration sets expectations about the attack’s scale and intent before the visuals complete the moment.
Key moments and quotes
After the Bodhisattva exchanges, Netero loses an arm and appears devastated. Meruem asks Netero to say his name, believing the wound renders him defenseless. Instead, Netero reveals a final plan.
Netero plunges a device into his own chest that detonates later; the anime shows a flashback to him on a surgical table where doctors tell him that if his heart stops, the device will activate. The sequence ends with a blast that kills both Netero and Meruem.
The article’s source contrasts the anime’s final line with the manga. In the original manga, Netero says: “Do not underestimate humanity’s infinite potential for malice.” The anime’s wording differs from that line in the manga.
The result and where to watch
In summary, the Netero vs Meruem sequence is noted for combining score, montage, and voice-over narration to communicate scale and theme rather than relying solely on detailed animation. The approach highlights stakes and philosophy while keeping the scene emotionally clear.
Hunter x Hunter (2011) and the Chimera Ant arc are available to stream on Crunchyroll.
