Exploring the 14 Kakin Princes in Hunter x Hunter and Their Unique Roles

Hunter x Hunter fans know the Kakin Princes as a fascinating group of characters introduced during the Succession War arc. Each prince has a distinct personality, background, and role in the intense battle for the throne of Kakin. This post explores who these 14 princes are, their unique traits, and how they influence the story.

Get Hunter x Hunter Vol 1, pick up the latest Manga Volume, or watch the Anime here.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Background of the Kakin Princes

The Kakin Empire is a powerful and secretive kingdom in the world of Hunter x Hunter. The empire’s current king has 14 children, with the term 'Prince' being non-gendered in the context of Hunter x Hunter. Each prince is currently competing to become the next ruler. The Succession War arc centers on this deadly competition, where the princes use political maneuvering, alliances, and Nen abilities to eliminate rivals.

The princes are not just heirs; they represent different factions, ambitions, and strategies. Their rivalry drives much of the arc’s tension and reveals complex character dynamics.

Add this adorable Alluka Funko Pop! to your merch collection!

Overview of the 14 Princes

The princes vary widely in age, temperament, and skills. Here is a brief introduction to each:

• 1st Prince Benjamin: The hotheaded and analytical military deputy adviser of the royal army, who was one of the few princes already possessing Nen prior to the war.

• 2nd Prince Camilla: A highly arrogant and narcissistic prince who possesses an incredibly lethal post-mortem Nen ability called "The Cat Who Lived a Million Times" as well as an organized group of soldiers formed using the 'Have-Nots' of the Kakin society.

• 3rd Prince Zhang Lei: A diplomat and the benefactor of the Xi-Yu mafia family who prioritizes long-term politics, whose Nen beast produces mysterious, economy-altering coins.

• 4th Prince Tserriednich: A highly intelligent, sadistic, and psychopathic prince who learns Nen at an unprecedented, genius-level rate and possesses a horrifyingly powerful precognitive ability.

• 5th Prince Tubeppa: A rational, masculinized female scientist who prefers to strategically analyze her opponents and seeks alliances to secure the throne.

• 6th Prince Tyson: A flamboyant and idealistic prince who authored their own "Book of Tyson" promoting world peace and universal love.

• 7th Prince Luzurus: A laid-back, weed-smoking prince who holds ties to the Cha-R mafia family and possesses a trap-based Nen beast.

• 8th Prince Salé-salé (Deceased): A hedonistic playboy who is mostly consumed with women and partying, using a manipulation-based Nen beast that spreads via smoke. He was the second prince to die during the Succession Contest.

• 9th Prince Halkenburg: A highly educated public intellectual who initially opposed the royal family and the succession war, but has evolved into one of the most powerful and active contenders. His body has recently died, but he remains alive inside of one of Prince Benjamin's soldiers.

• 10th Prince Kacho (Deceased): An outwardly abrasive but deeply caring prince who secretly coordinated with her twin sister to try and escape the ship. During the escape, Prince Kacho died, but her Guardian Spirit Beast has taken on her form in order to support her twin sister, Prince Fugetsu.

• 11th Prince Fugetsu: Kacho’s quiet, gentle twin sister who possesses a supportive, magical portal-based Nen ability.

• 12th Prince Momoze (Deceased): A calm and happy prince who became the first target in the war due to her lack of active military defense.

• 13th Prince Marayam: A young boy fiercely protected by his mother and guards, whose Nen beast can warp reality to isolate his room in a pocket dimension.

• 14th Prince Woble: A helpless infant prince who is actively protected by a series protagonist, Kurapika. Recently, Kurapika announced that Woble was not eligible to participate in the Succession Contest.

Decorate your home with this Poster of Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio dressed their best.

The Princes’ Philosophies of Rule

The fundamental philosophy underlying the entire contest, orchestrated by King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou, is extreme social Darwinism and survival of the fittest. It is believed that a king who rules with the blood of their siblings on their hands will inherently possess the immense power and resolve needed to lead Kakin to prosperity.

In addition, the contest serves as an incredibly complex Nen vow that ensures the success of the nation during the reign of the new King. However, each prince represents a distinct ideological faction, virtue, or vice, manifesting unique philosophies on how the Kakin Empire should be governed.

• 1st Prince Benjamin: Militarism and Divine Right: The state is a giant tree, and the ruler must prune the diseased branches. As the Deputy Military Adviser of the Royal Army, Benjamin believes in absolute, unyielding militaristic strength. He views himself as the only rightful heir due to his birthright and vows to preserve traditional Kakin values through sheer force and military obedience.

• 2nd Prince Camilla: Imperial Narcissism and Absolutism: The universe revolves entirely around the ruler, and all citizens are born to serve them. Camilla demands absolute subservience, believing that her wishes are paramount and that even her siblings should die simply because her survival pleases her. She rules through a toxic combination of divine right, extreme narcissism, and unmitigated privilege.

• 3rd Prince Zhang Lei: Pragmatism and Political Economy: A true king rules through mastery over both the light and dark sides of society. Zhang Lei adopts a grounded, highly transactional approach to governance. He maintains close ties to Kakin’s criminal underworld (the Xi-Yu mafia family) and believes a successful empire relies on economic stability, strategic alliances, and understanding the social dynamics of both the elite and the lower classes.

• 4th Prince Tserriednich: Radical Meritocracy and Psychopathy: The world must be divided into "useful trash" and "useless trash." A highly intelligent but deeply sadistic psychopath, Tserriednich loathes ignorance, lies, and vanity. He believes an empire should be a hyper-curated playground for geniuses, philosophers, and artists, while the vast majority of the population are merely disposable commodities.

• 5th Prince Tubeppa: Technocracy and Scientific Progress: Governance must be dictated by empirical data, science, and intellect. Tubeppa values intellect over brute strength. She believes the current feudal system of Kakin is archaic and seeks to restructure the empire into a highly advanced technocracy. She is willing to temporarily ally with aggressively minded princes if it secures a future rooted in scientific and political reform.

• 6th Prince Tyson: Theocratic Pacifism and Universal Love: True obedience is fostered through absolute happiness and devotion, guided by divine scriptures. Tyson believes that the empire can be unified through universal love and joy, as detailed in their personal "Book of Tyson." They operates like a cult leader, using a philosophy of peace to win over subordinates, though they enforces a strict taboo against anyone who breaks their peaceful doctrine.

• 7th Prince Luzurus: Hedonistic Populism: A ruler should align with the desires and vices of the common people. Luzurus is deeply tied to the Cha-R mafia family and generally behaves like a laid-back, street-smart populist. He prefers a hands-off approach to governance, leaning into the raw desires of his subjects (which manifests in his Nen beast materializing what people desire as a trap).

• 8th Prince Salé-salé: Hedonistic Indulgence: A ruler’s primary function is to enjoy the spoils of power and charm the masses into complacency. Salé-salé has no interest in true statecraft, military might, or institutional reform. His philosophy revolves entirely around personal pleasure, attempting to use charisma and manipulative cloud-like aura to build a literal and figurative harem out of the empire.

• 9th Prince Halkenburg: Radical Democratic Reform: The monarchical system is inherently corrupt and must be dismantled from within. Initially, Halkenburg is a staunch pacifist who despises the Succession War. He believes Kakin can only become a true superpower by abolishing the royal caste system and converting the empire into a representative democracy. Later, he realizes he must win the throne by force in order to enact this peaceful revolution.

• 10th Prince Kacho and 11th Prince Fugetsu: Isolationist Survival: The preservation of family and the innocent is more important than the crown. These twin sisters have no grand political ambitions or governing philosophies. Forced into the war, their active strategy is purely defensive. Kacho acts abrasive on the outside to shield her sister, proving that their approach to "ruling" would likely be a tight-knit, deeply loyal partnership aimed at keeping those they care about safe.

• 12th Prince Momoze: Passive Fatalism: The worthy will naturally rise, and those unfit to rule are simply overcome by fear. Momoze treats the succession battle with an air of detached, tragic calm. She believes that the throne belongs to whoever possesses the inner strength to bear the crown, viewing her own mother and brother's panic as a sign of weakness.

• 13th Prince Marayam: Sheltered Feudalism: Power belongs to those who control the narrative of safety and isolation. As a young child, Marayam's philosophy is entirely shaped by his overprotective mother, Queen Sevanti. His strategy is completely isolationist, utilizing a Nen beast that constructs a literal separate dimension to hide from outside threats, showing a governing style based on walls, security, and paranoia.

• 14th Prince Woble: Unconditional Trust and Empathy: True power comes from cultivating unconditional loyalty through vulnerability. Only an infant, Woble cannot actively articulate a political stance. However, her presence inspires a powerful, protective instinct in others, most notably Kurapika. Her philosophy is entirely based on the rawest human connection: relying on the empathy, trust, and protective nature of her guardians to survive.

One of the most enduring fan-favorite antagonists, get this Chrollo Lucilfer Figure today.

Unique Nen Abilities and Fighting Styles

Each prince is granted a parasitic Guardian Spirit Beast via a generational post-mortem Nen ritual. These beasts feed off the prince's aura and act independently to protect them, but they cannot directly attack other princes or their beasts. Some princes also possess or develop their own unique, independent personal Nen abilities.

1st Prince Benjamin

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A muscle-bound, alien-like humanoid with a head shaped like a missile. Its exact abilities remain unknown but it is highly aggressive.

• Personal Nen Ability — Benjamin Baton: A specialization ability that lets Benjamin inherit the personal Nen abilities of his loyal subordinates after they die.

2nd Prince Camilla

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A massive tree-like entity featuring multiple breasts and a crown of leaves. It is a Manipulation type beast that controls anyone who meets a specific set of conditions, compelling them to protect Camilla.

• Personal Nen Ability — The Cat Who Lived a Million Times: A post-mortem Counter-type Nen ability. When Camilla is killed, a giant spectral cat materializes, crushes her killer to extract their life force, and uses it to fully resurrect Camilla.

3rd Prince Zhang Lei

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A giant, floating golden disc wrapped in flames, resembling a sun or a dynamic coin. Beast Ability: It deposits unique Nen coins from its mouth. When a person holds a coin and fulfills certain conditions, a unique utility power triggers. The coins increase in value and potential function as Zhang Lei gets closer to the throne.

• Personal Nen Ability: None (He is not a Nen user but is actively learning).

4th Prince Tserriednich

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A grotesque, skinless horse-centaur with a human-like face, spiked high-heels, and a secondary mouth inside its throat. Beast Ability: A strict Manipulation/Specialization tracker. If someone lies to Tserriednich, the beast wounds them slightly as a warning. If they lie a second time, it marks them. A third lie transforms the victim into something non-human.

• Personal Nen Ability — Parallel Future: A terrifying Specialization ability. By closing his eyes and entering Zetsu, Tserriednich can look exactly 10 seconds into the future while time stands completely still for him. He can then move freely within those 10 seconds, forcing opponents to interact with an illusion of what they thought he would do, while he changes his actual path.

5th Prince Tubeppa

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A massive, acidic frog with wheels instead of legs. Beast Ability: A Transmutation beast that can synthesize any chemical compound, drug, or lethal toxin inside its body. It requires a "collaborator" (a Nen user who binds their aura to it) to complete the distillation process.

• Personal Nen Ability: None (Not a Nen user).

6th Prince Tyson

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A massive, floating heart featuring a singular giant eyeball in the center. Beast Ability: It breeds small, fairy-like Nen insects called "Eye-catchers" that attach to people who read Tyson's Book of Ideals. The insects harvest aura from the victims to grant them a feeling of intense happiness. However, if anyone violates Tyson's strict rules of love, the beast doles out a severe penalty.

• Personal Nen Ability: None (Not a Nen user).

7th Prince Luzurus

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A giant, multi-legged predatory centipede/insect beast with a human-like face. Beast Ability: A Conjuration trap ability. It materializes a physical trap based on whatever its target desires most. Once the target interacts with the object or desires it enough, the trap triggers an illusion that ensnares them.

• Personal Nen Ability: None (He understands the concept of Nen but has no unique hatsu).

8th Prince Sale Sale

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A giant, floating multi-faced ball with multiple trunk-like pipes protruding from it. Beast Ability: It continuously exhales a gaseous Manipulation aura. Anyone who inhales a certain volume of this gas becomes brainwashed into an intense devotee of Sale Sale, and they begin emitting the same gas to infect others. (Note: This beast was assassinated early in the war).

• Personal Nen Ability: None (Not a Nen user).

9th Prince Halkenburg

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A giant, multi-winged metallic cyclops. Beast Ability: An Enhancement/Emission collective ability. When Halkenburg and his loyal subordinates pool their resolve, the beast links their auras into a massive armor-piercing arrow. When fired, it cannot be blocked; instead of killing, the arrow forcefully overrides the target's soul, replacing it with the consciousness of one of Halkenburg's loyal guards.

• Personal Nen Ability: Halkenburg awakened to Nen via his beast and shares this collective link.

10th Prince Kacho

• Guardian Spirit Beast — Two-Person Saison (Without You): This beast originally lacked a visible form. Beast Ability: A post-mortem Conjuration/Specialization trigger. Since Kacho tragically died attempting to escape the ship, her beast instantly shifted forms to perfectly mimic her appearance, memory, and personality. It now lives on to protect and comfort her younger twin sister, Fugetsu.

• Personal Nen Ability: None.

11th Prince Fugetsu

• Guardian Spirit Beast — Magic Worm: A friendly, worm-like creature that manifests as a gateway. Beast Ability: It creates spatial teleportation tunnels. Fugetsu can manifest the entrance door ("Inbound") to escape danger or move between secure decks of the ship. However, the return door ("Outbound") was only able to be manipulated and opened from the inside by Kacho until Kacho died. Now Fugetsu can use both the entrance and return door.

• Personal Nen Ability: None (Unconsciously uses her beast's power).

12th Prince Momoze

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A large, stuffed mouse-like toy carrying a giant needle. Beast Ability: A parasitic Manipulation type. It sneaks into target's ears and repeatedly asks, "Are you free?" If the target responds with "I am free," the beast takes complete control of their physical body. (Note: Momoze was the first prince assassinated in the arc).

• Personal Nen Ability: None.

13th Prince Marayam

• Guardian Spirit Beast: A large, multi-faced guardian deity or dragon-like entity. Beast Ability: Spatial distortion and Conjuration. As Marayam's fear grew, his beast generated an entirely separate, identical pocket dimension around his residential quarters. Anyone entering his room is seamlessly transferred to this fake space, separating Marayam completely from the threats of the physical ship.

• Personal Nen Ability: None.

14th Prince Woble

• Guardian Spirit Beast: Form and name are completely unrevealed. Beast Ability: Because Woble is a literal infant, her beast remains invisible and dormant. However, Kurapika felt its presence early on, and it is heavily implied to be a highly adaptive entity that reacts purely to extreme danger and the emotional distress of Woble or her mother, Queen Oito.

• Personal Nen Ability: None.

Staying active in the fandom can make the series more enjoyable, so don't miss the chance to get this Chrollo Poster for your home.

Impact on the Hunter x Hunter Story

The 14 Kakin Princes add depth to the Succession War arc by introducing political drama and character diversity. Their interactions reveal different leadership styles, moral values, and survival tactics.

The arc also explores themes of power, ambition, and family loyalty through the princes’ struggles. Fans gain insight into the Kakin Empire’s culture and the high stakes of royal succession.

Pick up a Killua Funko Pop! or a Gon Funko Pop! if you are missing them from the current manga storyline!