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Hunter x Hunter’s Benjamin: The King Who Rises Higher as Death Approaches
In the Succession Contest arc of Hunter x Hunter, the character Benjamin defies conventional narrative logic by growing more energized as death approaches—a stark contrast to the series’ previous king, Meruem. This paradoxical behavior has sparked intense debate among fans, revealing a deeper philosophical exploration of what it means to be a ruler consumed entirely by the pursuit of power.
What Happened
Benjamin, a central antagonist in Hunter x Hunter’s ongoing Succession Contest arc, exhibits an unprecedented psychological state: rather than accepting his mortality or showing fear as death draws near, he becomes increasingly exhilarated. This behavior stands in direct opposition to Meruem, the Chimera Ant arc’s king, who found his humanity in accepting death. Benjamin’s unwavering confidence and escalating enthusiasm in the face of annihilation have made him one of the series’ most compelling yet disturbing character studies.
Why It Matters
Benjamin’s characterization represents a fundamental shift in how mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi explores the nature of power and kingship. Where Meruem’s arc concluded with the message “even a king is human,” Benjamin’s trajectory poses the inverse question: “What happens when a human becomes entirely consumed by the role of king?” This philosophical inquiry elevates the Succession Contest arc beyond mere combat sequences into a meditation on absolute authority and its inevitable collapse. The character serves as a mirror to contemporary discussions about power, leadership, and the psychological cost of unchecked ambition.
Background
Hunter x Hunter has long been recognized for its complex character development and thematic depth. The Chimera Ant arc introduced Meruem, a being of absolute power who paradoxically discovered his humanity through connection with others, ultimately accepting death with grace. The Succession Contest arc, which follows, introduces multiple royal heirs competing for the throne, each embodying different approaches to authority. Benjamin, the eldest prince, represents the extreme end of the spectrum: a ruler who has never questioned his position and whose identity has become entirely fused with the concept of kingship itself.
Key Points
- Psychological Paradox: Benjamin’s escalating excitement as death approaches contradicts normal human survival instinct, suggesting his sense of self has been completely subsumed by his role as king.
- Meruem Contrast: While Meruem found peace in accepting death and recognizing his shared humanity, Benjamin rejects introspection entirely, doubling down on his royal authority.
- Philosophical Inquiry: Togashi uses Benjamin to explore whether absolute power can exist without destroying the humanity of its wielder.
- Fan Reception: Online responses range from fascination with Benjamin’s “aesthetic of madness” to criticism of his psychological implausibility, reflecting the character’s deliberate ambiguity.
- Narrative Function: Benjamin serves as a foil to protagonists Gon and Killua, emphasizing their humanity and growth through contrast with his rigid, power-obsessed worldview.
- Predicted Outcome: Unlike Meruem’s graceful acceptance, Benjamin’s absolute conviction suggests a catastrophic breakdown rather than peaceful resolution.
Comparative Analysis: Kings Across Media
Benjamin’s character gains clarity when examined alongside other authoritarian figures in anime and gaming. Meruem accepted his mortality and discovered empathy; Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII maintained absolute confidence in his superiority until defeat; Lelouch from Code Geass pursued power without questioning its cost until his system collapsed. Benjamin uniquely combines Sephiroth’s unshakeable self-belief with a psychological state where kingship has entirely replaced his sense of self. He does not merely believe he will win—he has internalized victory as his fundamental identity.
This distinction matters because it suggests Benjamin’s eventual defeat will not come through external force alone, but through the inherent contradiction of a consciousness entirely absorbed by a single role. When that role is threatened, there is no inner self to fall back upon, no humanity to preserve. His breakdown, when it comes, will be total.
Perspectives
Fan Interpretation: Online communities have largely recognized Benjamin as a deliberate inversion of Meruem’s arc. Twitter users describe him as “madness elevated to art,” while forum discussions emphasize his function as a philosophical statement about power’s corrupting nature. Many viewers note that his consistency—his unwavering belief in his own supremacy—makes him simultaneously comprehensible and alien.
Thematic Reading: Benjamin embodies the question Togashi posed in the Chimera Ant arc but from the opposite angle. If Meruem’s story asked “Can a king become human?”, Benjamin’s asks “What remains when humanity is sacrificed to kingship?” The answer appears to be: nothing but the role itself, a hollow echo of authority with no substance beneath.
Critical Perspective: Some viewers argue that Benjamin’s psychology strains credibility—that no real human could maintain such absolute conviction without any moment of doubt. However, this criticism may miss Togashi’s intent: Benjamin is not meant to be realistic but rather archetypal, a pure distillation of the corrupting nature of absolute power.
Insights
Benjamin represents a culmination of themes Togashi has explored throughout Hunter x Hunter: the relationship between power and humanity, the cost of ambition, and the question of what defines a person when they surrender entirely to a single role. His escalating excitement as death approaches is not madness in the clinical sense but rather the logical endpoint of a consciousness that has completely identified with kingship.
The character’s significance extends beyond Hunter x Hunter itself. In contemporary manga and anime, the question “What is power?” has become increasingly central. Works like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man similarly explore how the pursuit of authority corrupts those who wield it. Benjamin stands as perhaps the most extreme articulation of this theme: a being so consumed by the desire to rule that death itself becomes irrelevant compared to the maintenance of that identity.
Togashi’s portrayal suggests that absolute power does not merely corrupt absolutely—it annihilates the self entirely, replacing it with the role. Benjamin’s eventual defeat will likely not be a moment of tragic acceptance like Meruem’s, but rather a complete shattering, the collapse of a consciousness that has no foundation beyond the authority it claims. In this way, Togashi delivers a final message about power: that those who pursue it without restraint ultimately pursue their own obliteration.
