The Chimera Ant Queen (キメラ゠アントの女王, Kimera Anto Joō) was a mutant Chimera Ant responsible for the creation of an entire colony of Ants that possessed human genetic traits. She was the mother of the Chimera Ant arc's main antagonist, the Chimera Ant King Meruem.
Appearance[]
The Chimera Ant Queen was the first Chimera Ant to be seen in the series.[2] Though Chimera Ant growth is generally about 10 centimeters (3.93″), a mutation had caused the Queen to reach about 2 meters (6′6.7″).[1] The Queen, unlike former queen Ants, also had the ability to walk upright on two legs and with only four insectoid limbs instead of six. The Queen also had a set of human-like teeth in addition to two sets of ant mandibles. Her left antenna and forearm are missing, the latter falling off as she washed ashore. It is unknown how the queen came into being, however, it has been implied during the Chimera Ant arc that the Queen bore human genetic material as her anatomy resembled that of a woman.
Personality[]
The Chimera Ant Queen was completely dedicated to her goal of giving birth to a King, such that she focused on it solely, and desired for him to stand at the top of all life. Even as she was dying because of him, her only concerns were whether he was born healthy.[3] By her own admission, her interest in the growing individualism of her soldiers made her unusual compared to other members of her species, which she attributed to human ancestry. She was so fascinated with the concept of names that she chose those of the Royal Guards[4] and the King himself.[3]
Background[]
Since Chimera Ant queens usually measure up to 10 centimeters in size, the Queen is believed to have undergone a mutation that caused her to increase in size.[1] However, the revelation that she did not originate in the "Known World"[5] could provide an alternative, more accurate explanation to her size. She speculated that she bore human genetic material,[4] yet whether this is true or not and how this would have come to be is unknown. How the Chimera Ant Queen ended up drifting in the oceans of the archipelago inhabited by humans and how she was injured is unknown.
Plot[]
Chimera Ant arc[]
The Chimera Ant Queen washes up injured on the shores of the Neo-Green Life Autonomous Region, a small insular nation located on an island known as the Mitene Union.[6] Her severed arm is carried by the currents far north. Driven by her reproductive instincts, the Queen immediately begins to feed on small mammals and aquatic life[2] in order to heal and give birth to soldier Ants, which she uses to gather larger prey in greater amounts. By chance, one of the soldier ants gathers two human children and feeds them to the Queen; she finds this food more delicious and nutritious than prior prey and subsequently orders her soldiers to concentrate on gathering humans.[1]
Due to NGL being a neo-Luddite nation forbidding the use of modern technology within its borders, news of the giant Chimera Ant infestation is slow to reach the outside world. She births more and more powerful soldiers led by Colt while also spawning construction ants to build her a nest. Soon after birthing a large amount of Squadron Leaders she summons them to her chambers and informs them that she will focus her time getting ready for the birth of the King. One of the Squadron Leaders suggests they increase their security around the nest and inquires if they can all have names, to which she agrees. Thinking they are a strange bunch, the Queen pays no mind to it, figuring it is due to them having human blood within then and thinks she may have some in her as well for finding it intriguing. Their request gives her the idea of naming the gestating Royal Guards herself.[4]
By the time Hagya's Squad ambushes Kite, Gon, and Killua, the first one is born and she names them Neferpitou. Her appetite becomes so ravenous that she consumes 250 human meatballs a day, while her abdomen becomes enormously round and she feels the unborn King kick.[7] The following day she names Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi.[8] As most of the Squadron Leaders are taken out by unknown forces Peggy ponders on whether they should inform the Queen of the situation, this is ruled out by Colt as he fears hearing such news would make her anxious.[9] The Queen is seen again with her abdomen area has increasingly expanded, while the unborn King develops a more humanesque shape. Chuckling, she remarks that he wants to come out.[10]
One week later, the Queen screams in agony as the King forcefully tries to be born, against the Queen's wishes, but he does not heed them.[11] The King immediately ruptures the wound and is prematurely born, leaving his mother critically injured and exposing many of her organs. Seeing no other alternative, the Squadron Leader Colt seeks help from Knov and Morel Mackernasey to receive help from the Hunter Association.[12] Meanwhile back in the nest, because the Queen is now incapable of reproduction, the Squadron Leader Hagya announces that all interested Ants should go independent and become their own kings. A numerous number of ants agree to this proposal,[13] however, a select handful who still have fealty towards the Queen stay. With Hunter Association Chairman Netero's help, a specialist Dr. Lee arrives in the nest to try and save the queen but due to the complexity of the Queen's organs, she can do nothing to save her. Before dying, she demands to know about her son. Colt lies to her, telling her that he went to look for herbs to cure her, but the Queen demands that he be sent on his way to fulfill his biological project and stand atop all life. She asks about him again, and, after learning that he is healthy despite being premature, she requests that Colt divulge to him his name: Meruem. Although dead, one last Chimera Ant is found among her organs; a tiny baby that Colt takes under his wing.[3]
Former Squadron Leader Zazan mentions the Queen twice while in her own personal palace. Zazan proclaims that her egg-laying process was her greatest failure, on the other hand, her greatest success was giving birth to her.[14] The second time was when Zazan claimed that the Chimera Ant Queen only misfortune was that she never experienced the thrill of battle.[15]
The Queen appears in a flashback of her son Meruem after he reveals his name to Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi.[16]
Abilities & Powers[]
The Queen is a fearsome predator. Her intelligence seems to be human-like, and she can create traps for other animals.[2] Her most distinctive ability is the capacity to absorb the genes of creatures she eats and then transmit them to her spawn.[1] She can breed a very large number of Ants in a short period of time, which she can use to glean more food and increase the quality and quantity of soldiers, giving birth to a full-fledged army on her own.
Advanced Speed: The Queen is fairly fast for an animal of her size. Even when she was wounded, she could catch a bat mid-flight.[2]
Immense Endurance: The Queen has an impressive life force, as even after her womb was cut open and her inner organs damaged by Meruem, she managed to survive for a while.[3]
Special Natural Ability[]
The Chimera Ant Queen's Reproductive Strategy | ||
---|---|---|
Phagogenesis ( | ||
By eating other creatures, a Chimera Ant queen can impart the characteristics of ingested creatures onto the next generation of Chimera Ants it gives birth to, as the queen can self-reproduce through food sustenance.[1] Chimera Ant soldiers do not possess this ability, although they do have the potential for reproduction through mating with other species. Her abilities in producing soldiers apparently evolve after eating humans. In the first stage, she was able to give her offspring intelligence when they are born, then later she began producing clothing for each soldier as they are born, and then later her offspring, such as the Royal Guards, were born with Nen. |
Manga Appearances[]
186. The Queen | Appears |
187. The Beast Fodder | Appears |
188. NGL | Appears |
189. Infiltration | Mentioned |
190. The Hunt | Mentioned |
191. Pros | Absent |
192. Human Dog | Mentioned |
193. Scissors | Absent |
194. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 1 | Mentioned |
195. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 2 | Mentioned |
196. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 3 | Flashback |
197. vs. Hagya's Squad: Part 4 | Appears |
198. Sudden Attack | Mentioned |
199. Light and Shadow | Absent |
200. Stipulation | Absent |
201. Reunion | Absent |
202. Duel | Mentioned |
203. Gyro | Mentioned |
204. Gyro's Story | Mentioned |
205. Time Remaining | Appears |
206. A Real Fight | Appears |
207. Weakness: Part 1 | Absent |
208. Weakness: Part 2 | Absent |
209. ? | Absent |
210. Weakness: Part 3 | Absent |
211. Loan Shark | Absent |
212. Water Breaking | Appears |
213. Birth | Appears |
214. Results | Mentioned |
215. Last Words | Death |
216. Republic of East Gorteau | Absent |
217. Meat Orchard | Absent |
218. Confession | Absent |
219. Awakening | Absent |
220. Reunion: Part 1 | Absent |
221. Reunion: Part 2 | Absent |
222. Reunion: Part 3 | Absent |
223. 10: Part 1 | Absent |
224. 10: Part 2 | Mentioned |
225. 10: Part 3 | Mentioned |
226. 10: Part 4 | Absent |
227. 10: Part 5 | Absent |
228. 10: Part 6 | Absent |
229. 10: Part 7 | Mentioned |
230. 9: Part 1 | Absent |
231. 9: Part 2 | Absent |
232. 9: Part 3 | Absent |
233. 9: Part 4 | Absent |
234. 9: Part 5 | Absent |
235. 8: Part 1 | Absent |
236. 8: Part 2 | Absent |
237. 8: Part 3 | Absent |
238. 8: Part 4 | Absent |
239. 8: Part 5 | Absent |
240. 8: Part 6 | Absent |
241. 8: Part 7 | Mentioned |
242. 7: Part 1 | Absent |
243. 7: Part 2 | Absent |
244. 6: Part 1 | Absent |
245. 6: Part 2 | Absent |
246. 6: Part 3 | Absent |
247. 6: Part 4 | Absent |
248. 6: Part 5 | Absent |
249. 6: Part 6 | Absent |
250. 6: Part 7 | Absent |
251. 6: Part 8 | Absent |
252. 6: Part 9 | Absent |
253. 6: Part 10 | Absent |
254. 6: Part 11 | Absent |
255. 5: Part 1 to 2: Part 1 | Absent |
256. 2: Part 2 | Absent |
257. 1: Part 1 | Absent |
258. 1: Part 2 | Absent |
259. 1: Part 3 | Absent |
260. 1: Part 4 | Absent |
261. Charge: Part 1 | Mentioned |
262. Charge: Part 2 | Absent |
263. Charge: Part 3 | Absent |
264. Charge: Part 4 | Absent |
265. Charge: Part 5 | Absent |
266. "In the Unlikely Event Of..." | Absent |
267. Activation | Absent |
268. The King | Absent |
269. Adversity Is a Good Thing | Absent |
270. Indebted To | Absent |
271. Separation | Absent |
272. Error | Absent |
273. We Meet Again | Absent |
274. Solution | Absent |
275. Promise | Absent |
276. Missileman | Absent |
277. Insult | Absent |
278. Destruction | Absent |
279. Escape | Absent |
280. Direct Hit | Absent |
281. Godspeed | Absent |
282. Sealed Area | Absent |
283. Determination | Absent |
284. Fifteen Minutes | Absent |
285. Doubles | Absent |
286. Core | Absent |
287. Present State | Absent |
288. Accolade | Absent |
289. Terms | Absent |
290. Name | Mentioned |
291. Soliloquy | Absent |
292. Hidden Agenda | Absent |
293. Metamorphosis | Absent |
294. Breakdown | Absent |
295. Determination | Absent |
296. Admission | Mentioned |
297. The Last | Absent |
298. Rose | Absent |
299. Regeneration | Flashback |
300. Insurance | Absent |
301. Memory | Pictured |
302. Target | Absent |
303. Pain | Absent |
304. Magic | Absent |
305. Sorry | Absent |
306. Relief | Absent |
307. Loss | Absent |
308. Flash | Absent |
309. Game | Absent |
310. Action | Absent |
311. Deadline | Absent |
312. Resolve | Absent |
313. One Word | Absent |
314. Persuasion | Absent |
315. Home | Absent |
316. Real Name | Absent |
317. Answer | Absent |
318. Final Will | Absent |
319. Lottery | Absent |
320. Voting | Absent |
321. Monster | Absent |
322. Siblings | Absent |
323. Job Offer | Absent |
324. Butler | Absent |
325. Joining the Fray | Absent |
326. Open Hostilities | Absent |
327. Riddle | Absent |
328. Arrangements | Absent |
329. Spy | Absent |
330. Confession | Absent |
331. Day of Reckoning | Absent |
332. Applause | Absent |
333. Rumble | Absent |
334. Total Defeat | Absent |
335. Decision | Absent |
336. Release | Absent |
337. Repentance | Mentioned |
338. Atop a Tree | Absent |
339. Stillness | Absent |
Quotes[]
- "The injuries are too great. I must heal. I cannot die. I have a mission! I must give birth to the next King!!! I... ...am the Queen."[2]
- (While eating fish)"This is not enough... But I cannot move far. I must not be hasty. Recover first. I must heal my wounds... ...and then find bigger prey."[2]
- (After eating Kurt and Reina) "This... ...is delicious!! It is highly nutritious. The best fodder! I need... ...more of them!!"[1]
- "Curious creatures. They're assertive and desire to be distinct... They place a high value on individualism yet strive with one another for the good of the colony. I may be unusual for finding this fascinating... Perhaps I have human blood in me as well, however faint."[4]
- "Names... How amusing. I will personally name you three."[4]
- (To Colt) "I was worried since he was born prematurely. But now I know I've fulfilled my destiny...! That's enough for me..."[3]
- (To Colt) "I have... a last request. I thought... of a name for him... Meruem... It means "light that illuminates all"... Let him know...."[3]
Trivia[]
- Although the Queen speculated to possess some strands of human DNA, it should be noted that she had never seen or at least preyed on a human prior to consuming Kurt,[1] and that unlike her spawn born from humans, she cannot communicate verbally.[4]
- Despite giving birth to hundreds of Chimera Ants, Meruem seems to be the only one that the Queen considers her son.[4][3]
- Ging Freecss revealed that the Queen was not born in the "Known World".[5] It is currently unknown if she originated in the Dark Continent or if she drifted into Human Territorial Waters from one of the islands in Lake Mobius which have never been colonized by humans (such as the New Continent), which are not classified as being part of the Dark Continent.
- According to the "Hunter × Hunter Manual" section found in the Yu ☆ Yu ☆ Hakusho official character book (Shueisha Jump remix),* the Queen's stats are:
Story Arcs | Mind | Skill | Body | Nen | Ingenuity | Intelligence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chimera Ant arc: NGL | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 0/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
Translations around the World[]
Language | Name | |
---|---|---|
Arabic | ملكة نمل الكيميرا | |
Brazilian Portuguese | Rainha das Formigas Quimera | |
French | Reine Kimera Ant |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 18, Chapter 187
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 18, Chapter 186
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 21, Chapter 215
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 19, Chapter 188
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hunter × Hunter - Volume 32, Chapter 338
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 18, Chapter 185
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 19, Chapter 197
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 20, Chapter 202
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 20, Chapter 204
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 20, Chapter 205
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 20, Chapter 212
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 20, Chapter 213
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 21, Chapter 214
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 22, Chapter 224
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 22, Chapter 225
- ↑ Hunter × Hunter - Volume 28, Chapter 299
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