Hunter x Hunter‘s Chimera Ant Arc is one of the best arcs to exist in the history of Shonen anime/manga. While anyone can create a powerful villain, very few authors can make readers cry for the antagonist, and Yoshihiro Togashi successfully achieved this with this arc.
But just because it was an extremely well-crafted, action-filled, yet emotional arc, doesn’t mean it is perfect. In fact, one plot hole in the finale of this arc is so huge that it’s almost glaring in the face.
The Poor Man’s Rose was a Hasty Deus Ex Machina by Yoshihiro Togashi
Meruem was the main villain of the Chimera Ant Arc in Hunter x Hunter. The character had proved himself to be a threat to humanity, prompting Netero to take matters into his own hands. However, by the end of the arc, Netero is overpowered, and he has to activate his last resort, Poor Man’s Rose, a chemo-explosive bomb that causes mass destruction.
The Poor Man’s Rose isn’t a new weapon that was created just to defeat Meruem (though that was definitely the case for Yoshihiro Togashi). In Hunter x Hunter‘s universe, Poor Man’s Rose existed as one of the most deadly weapons, equivalent to an atomic bomb in the real world. Before Netero’s usage, the bomb had bloomed 10 times over in 250 countries, taking away the lives of millions. Its production was forbidden in an international treaty, but countries never disposed of the pre-existing bombs.
Thus, the bomb could have been used at any point in time to eliminate the entire race of Chimera Ants rather than sending exterminators. Yes, the bomb is a weapon of mass destruction and could have only been used as a last resort, but an early usage of it could have prevented Netero’s death.
Netero Vs. Meruem was Legendary but Avoidable in Hunter x Hunter
So the question is, if the Poor Man’s Rose has always existed and can be detonated by anyone, why was Netero the one who was sent as a suicide bomber? The Hunters Association could have sent almost anyone to set off the bomb, but they sent the chairman for something that literally anyone else could do.
The Hunter Association has many shady members amongst its ranks, so clearly it wouldn’t care if a criminal was sent as the suicide bomber. Yet, Yoshihiro Togashi set up a fight between Netero and Meruem, only to end it with the usage of a mass weapon. At the end of the day, the Netero Vs. Meruem’s fight was legendary but rendered unnecessary by the Poor Man’s Rose.
Netero’s death could also have been avoided if someone else had been sent into the territory of the Chimera Ants. Someone who could hold a sensible discussion and also judge Meruem’s power and intentions before effectively setting off Poor Man’s Rose.
Hunter x Hunter manga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.
