What is Specialist Nen?
Simply put, Specialist Nen is a type of ability that doesn’t fit neatly into the other five Nen categories (Enhancement, Emission, Manipulation, Transmutation, and Conjuration). Specialists are different because their abilities are often personal and one-of-a-kind. They don’t follow common rules and often involve things that don’t make sense within the traditional Nen framework. Specialists are also the rarest type of Nen users.
The Water Divination Test for Specialists
To identify someone’s Nen category, they perform the Water Divination Test. For most Nen users, the water reacts in specific ways, depending on their type. For example, Enhancers make the water overflow, and Manipulators can make the leaf floating on the water move.
But for a Specialist, the water changes in an unexpected way. The result isn’t tied to any of the usual categories, it can vary wildly. The water might turn a different color, emit a strange light, or behave in ways that are unique to the user.
Taking the example of a specialist chimera ant, such as Neferpitou, the leaf withered and turned to pieces.
Notable Specialist Abilities
Kurapika’s Emperor Time
Let’s put Kurapika’s Emperor Time ability in simple terms. When his eyes turn scarlet, he shifts into a Specialist. This allows him to use every category of Nen at 100% power, which is something no other character can do.
Conditions: Kurapika’s scarlet eyes are only activated when he experiences an intense emotion, usually hatred. This fits Kurapika’s goals because that’s what he feels when he finds a member of the Phantom Troupe. So, every time he finds them, he’ll be able to use Emperor Time. Another major drawback is that for every second he spends in Emperor Time, he loses one hour of his lifespan.
Chrollo Lucilfer’s Skill Hunter
Chrollo, the leader of the Phantom Troupe, has an ability called Skill Hunter. He can steal the Nen abilities of others and use them as his own. Once stolen, the abilities are stored in a book, which he carries around.
Conditions:
Chrollo has to meet several strict conditions before he can steal someone’s ability:
- Chrollo must see the Nen ability demonstrated in person.
- He needs to ask the victim about their Nen ability and get answers.
- Handprint Verification: The victim must place their hand on the handprint on the cover of “Bandit’s Secret.”
- All these steps must be completed within one hour.
These conditions make Skill Hunter difficult to execute, but it becomes extremely powerful once accomplished. This ability suits Chrollo well, given his genius; with the right planning, he can easily meet these conditions.
Neon Nostrade’s Lovely Ghostwriter
Neon Nostrade has a unique Specialist ability called Lovely Ghostwriter. She predicts the future by writing prophecies as poems. While it’s not a combat ability, it holds immense value in political and criminal circles. Interestingly, the predictions can be avoided if someone who has access to them actively works to change the outcome.
- Conditions and limitations:
- Neon needs to write her prophecies by hand, using a pen and paper.
- The prediction only works if she is calm and focusing on the person she’s writing about.
- The descriptions in the poems can be very vague and require good interpretation to understand the prediction.
Leol’s Rental Pod
Leol, a Chimera Ant, has the Specialist ability called Rental Pod. He can “borrow” someone else’s Nen ability and use it for himself, but only for a limited time. I dare to say it’s the worst version of Chrollo’s Skill Hunter.
- Conditions:
- He needs to know exactly how the ability works, which means the person must explain it to him.
- The person have to feel indebted to him.
Meleoron’s God’s Accomplice
Meleoron, another Chimera Ant, has a Specialist ability called God’s Accomplice. It allows him to turn completely invisible, and he can even make anyone he touches invisible as well.
Conditions:
The main condition is that Meleoron must hold his breath while using the ability. If he breathes, the invisibility instantly disappears. This limits how long he can stay hidden, and also makes him vulnerable if he runs out of breath in a dangerous situation. Also he can still be detected by smell.
Alluka Zoldyck’s Wish Granting (Nanika)
Alluka Wish Granting ability, through her alternate personality Nanika, is one of the most dangerous powers in the series. Nanika can grant any wish, but it comes with dangerous conditions.
Conditions:
Nanika can grant a wish after someone fulfills three simple requests. These requests range from small things, like asking for money, to more extreme demands, like taking someone’s organs. The larger the wish, the harder the next set of requests becomes. If someone fails to complete the requests, people die, starting with those closest to the person who last made a wish. This makes Alluka’s power incredibly dangerous to use, as the consequences of failure can be devastating.
Why Specialist Abilities Are So Powerful
Specialists are strong because their abilities are tough to predict. Unlike Enhancers, whose powers are often straightforward and rely on raw strength, Specialists have abilities that don’t follow clear patterns. With Enhancers, you usually know what to expect, they hit harder, get tougher, or boost their physical abilities. But with Specialists, you never know what you’re up against.
