Hunter x Hunter: Halkenburg's Nen ability, explained

This article contains spoilers for the Hunter x Hunter manga.

Key Takeaways

• Halkenburg's Nen ability, Grimmel The Dissonance, is extremely powerful and has an unknown Nen type.
• Halkenburg used his ability to possess Might's body to influence the War of Succession.
• The future use of Grimmel The Dissonance in HxH is uncertain, and there are questions about ritual and strategy.

Hunter × Hunter The latest chapter in the War of Succession is heating up, and quite a few interesting characters, like Halkenburg, are now taking center stage.

Halkenburg is one of the princes of the Kakin Empire and is definitely a character fans should keep an eye on. He has shown off his abilities before. heightxheightHowever, fans finally learned what this ability was called after episode 403 of the series. This ability is extremely overpowering and will have major consequences in the next chapter.

Who is Prince Halkenburg in Hunter

• 9th prince of the Kakin Empire
• Son of Nasubi and Queen Unma

Halkenburg is part of the 14 princes of Kakin and is definitely one of the most interesting. He is a very ambitious man who wants to change Kakin's political system from a monarchy to a democracy.

When the succession contest begins heightxheightHe was more of a pacifist. However, as the story progressed and he became more accustomed to murder, this slowly changed.

War changes the enemy's institutions through force. Battle destroys the enemy's will through force. To wield such power is to be willing to face death! — Halkenburg

Until recently in the story, Halkenburg was believed to be the son of King Nasubi and his second wife, the second Queen Duazul. Then Camilla, Tubeppa and Luzurus would have been his pureblood brothers. However, as seen in the recent HxH 403, Halkenburg had secrets when it came to her matriarchy. In reality, Halkenburg turns out to be not the son of the second Queen Duazul, but the son of the first Queen Unma. This made him instead a full-blooded brother of the First Prince Benjamin and the Fourth Prince Tserriednich.

In a letter sent by Kaiser and Fugetsu to Benjamin, who claimed to be Kacho, it was revealed to him that Halkenburg was Unma's son and that the Second Queen had him taken away to avoid a possible assassination attempt by the other two brothers. But Benjamin doesn't seem to actually believe it, thinking it's all just rumors.

However, Halkenburg knows who his real mother is and seems to have a good relationship with her, unlike his adoptive mother Duazul.

Boy Shooting Arrows: Grimmel Dissonance

• Halkenburg's Nen Abilities
• Nen Type: Unknown

Halkenburg is a character that should not be underestimated. His Nen ability, which goes by the double name of Arrow-shooting Boy: Grimmel Discord, is a currently unknown Nen-type power and is one of the most powerful abilities seen in the Succession War Contest arc. heightxheight.

His Nen ability allows him to shoot arrows, as the name suggests. You can turn Nen into arrows and a bow and fire these arrows that can pierce almost any defense, including walls and Nen abilities. When the arrow hits its target, Halkenburg can transfer his consciousness, or the consciousness of one of his supporters, into the target that was just hit. The body of the person whose consciousness has been transferred falls into a coma-like sleep, and cannot wake up until the subject's body dies. This ability also creates armor around him, protecting him.

However, to use this ability, Halkenburg must gather supporters. To achieve this, Halkenburg relies on guardian beasts that possess an enhanced symbiotic-type ability that causes pinions to appear on the backs of people's hands. If the people shown are loyal to Halkenburg, this pinion will remain in place. Otherwise, it will disappear after 10 minutes. This allows Halkenburg to utilize the aura when using Arrow Shooting Boy: Grimmel The Dissonance.

The Nen type of this ability is unknown, but since it is a fairly complex skill, it is likely to be a combination of multiple Nen types. May include Nen types such as emission, transformation, and manipulation.

To shoot at a 26 degree angle… You must move forward 60cm. Grimmel, the discordant boy who shoots arrows! fire!! — Halkenburg

The official English translation of this ability uses the term “Grimmel The Dissonance”, but the katakana name for this ability is Grimal Les Dissonances. This is a reference to French orchestras operating without a conductor. This reflects Halkenburg’s abilities well. This is because Halkenburg needs to have supporters around him to use this Nen ability and he wants a way to democratize Kakin.

However, some facts about this ability are still unknown. Hopefully Togashi will eventually be able to shed some light on it. One of these questions concerns the fate of the object consciousness and whether it remains in its original body but simply lacks control, or something else entirely. Another question that may soon become relevant is whether Halkenburg can use this Nen ability while his consciousness is in another body. Halkenburg is currently in Might's body, so it remains to be seen whether he will be able to use this Nen ability.

Future use of Dissonant Grimmel in HxH

Halkenburg possessed a body of power

recently heightxheightHalkenburg used his abilities against Balsamilco Might, one of Prince Benjamin's bodyguards. Halkenburg recruited several individuals and with their support he was able to fire an arrow into the Balsamilco Might. During his trial with the silent killer TSK-17, he may have come with a plan to assassinate him.

Now that Halkenburg has sent his consciousness into the body of Balsamilco Might, it remains to be seen what he will do next. His body appears to be asleep, surrounded by supporters.

What he does next will depend on whether Halkenburg is able to use Grimmel the Dissonance on Might's body. If possible, he might plan to switch bodies again, perhaps with his older brother Benjamin, the first prince of the Kakin Empire. In Benjamin's body, Halkenburg gains access to much more power, which will certainly be a game changer in this War of Succession.

Alternatively, Halkenburg may decide to stay in Might's body until he can eliminate his brother Benjamin. In reality, Halkenburg was able to infiltrate Benjamin's ranks by pretending to be Might. He could then use the very weapon Benjamin had planned to kill him with.

This allows Halkenburg to eliminate Benjamin and possibly some of his men as well. This mission could also cause Might's body to die, allowing him to return to his original body without any evidence linking Benjamin's death back to him.

Hunter x Hunter is available to read via Viz Media. The series is officially available for fans to read for free through Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of Hunter x Hunter, Hunter x Hunter Episode 404, has been set for October 27, 2024.