Shadow Beasts

The Shadow Beasts (陰(いん)獣(じゅう)()()()()()()()(), Injū) were a special group consisting of the ten most powerful Nen users within the Mafia Community.

Overview[]

Under the direct command of the Ten Dons, every beast had its own unique code name that was derived from the animal that inspired them to develop their Nen abilities. Each beast was chosen by their Don and assigned to the team to carry out the group's orders.^[1] The group ceased to exist after the Phantom Troupe killed them all out without mercy over the course of a single night,^[2] except for Owl who was taken to be interrogated and whose ability Chrollo stole.^[3]^[4]

Plot[]

Yorknew City arc[]

On the night of September 1st, several members of the Phantom Troupe murder the attendees of the Underground Auction in hopes of stealing the items to be auctioned. Having received a tip, Owl removed and transported the items before they could be stolen. The Troupe members decide to leave by hot air balloon and are pursued by the Mafia.^[1] The Ten Dons send the Shadow Beasts after them. Worm encounters Kurapika and the other Nostrade Family bodyguards while pursuing the Phantom Troupe and warns them to stay away from them. He is then joined by Rabid Dog, Porcupine, and Leech to confront Uvogin, who is unfazed by their presence and asks about the auction loot.^[5]

Worm suddenly punches Uvogin but breaks his hand in the process. Uvogin counterpunches Worm hard enough that his right eye pops out,^[5] but Worm grabs Uvogin by the other hand and tunnels into the ground, trying to restrain him. However, he is easily defeated when Uvogin uses his Big Bang Impact on the ground above him. The other three Shadow Beasts attack him simultaneously. Rabid Dog tears off some of Uvogin's flesh with his teeth. Uvogin tries to punch Porcupine, but his fist is blocked by Porcupine's hair. Rabid Dog then tears off more of Uvogin's flesh, and Leech injects parasitic leech eggs into Uvogin's body through the wound that Rabid Dog made. Uvogin seizes his chance and bites off part of Leech's head, killing him instantly. He spits a piece of Leech's skull at Rabid Dog, piercing the Shadow Beast's head and killing him. Porcupine prepares to deflect anything Uvogin throws at him, but Uvogin shouts loudly enough to kill him.^[6]

Uvogin is captured by Kurapika, who immediately drives off, but Machi manages to attach a needle to him so that she can track him. The Phantom Troupe follows Kurapika in another car, but Owl suddenly jumps onto the hood and tries to capture the car with his Fun Fun Cloth. Four of the five Phantom Troupe members manage to escape Owl's ability and prepare to fight the remaining five Shadow Beasts who have appeared.^[7] After killing them, the Troupe members return to the city and rescue Uvogin from the Nostrade Family.^[2]

Owl is captured by the Troupe and tortured by Feitan.^[3] Later, Light Nostrade tells the Nostrade bodyguards that all the Shadow Beasts are dead with the exception of Owl, who was in charge of transporting goods and most likely kidnapped by the Troupe. He guesses that the Troupe won't need to torture him too much if one of their members has the ability to extract information, adding that the Ten Dons have assumed that the Troupe is now in possession of the auction items.^[8] Owl also has his Fun Fun Cloth ability stolen by Chrollo, which he uses in his fight against Zeno and Silva Zoldyck.^[4]

Because the Phantom Troupe killed the Shadow Beasts, the Ten Dons placed bounties on the Spiders' heads^[9] and hired professional assassins to eliminate them.^[10]^[11] Illumi later kills the Ten Dons and controls their corpses to restart the Underground Auction^[12] and cancel the bounties on the Troupe.^[13]