How powerful is Canary in Hunter x Hunter? Abilities, explored

One of the most popular anime of all time, Hunter X Hunter, features a variety of characters. Among the many characters from the anime, one such interesting one is Canary. She was introduced in episode 23 of the anime adaptation from 2011 and episode 33 of the original 1999 series.

Canary is revealed as the apprentice butler for the Zoldyck Family and is very strict about following orders. She is powerful enough to defeat 100 men by herself and shows more instances of strength throughout the anime. Here's an exploration of her powers and abilities throughout the Hunter X Hunter anime and manga.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime.

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Canary's strength and abilities from the Hunter X Hunter series

A 10-year-old Canary facing off against the Hunters in Hunter X Hunter (Image via Madhouse)

As shown in the anime, being born in Meteor City, Canary's existence was not recorded in any database. It makes obtaining information about her that much more difficult. This creates a sense of mystery for her character while providing an advantage in combat. Her weapon of choice is her iconic rod she always carries with her.

In the 2011 adaptation of the Hunter X Hunter anime, she used assassination techniques like Shadow Step. However, she was completely unaware of the name. She is a very skilled learner, as she perfectly replicated Killua's Rhythm Echo technique, upon observing it once. She used it during an attack by Seaquant and his 100 Henchmen.

There were also multiple instances from the 2011 Hunter X Hunter adaptation that give an idea about her many strengths and abilities. In the adaptation, seen in episode 24, Canary sensed intruders as well as Kikyo from far away, displaying her sense of perception and awareness.

As shown in chapter 41 of the manga, Canary defeated 100 thugs who tried to storm the mansion when she was just 10 years old. As a butler to the Zoldyck family, she can also open the Testing gates, as it was a bare minimum requirement revealed by Zebro.

Canary also has speed and reflexes adding to her strengths, as seen during her reaction time during the car crash in chapter 326 of the manga. She can also effortlessly keep up with Killua, Amane, and Gotoh in terms of speed. She is also a master of hand-to-hand combat as mentioned earlier when defeating 100 thugs by herself.

During the 2011 adaptation, Canary was also seen using Rhythm Echo, an advanced art of assassination. The technique allows the user to create several after-images of his body using a rhythmic sequence of steps, in total silence. According to Netero, Rhythm Echo is an advanced version of the Silent Gaits technique.

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Canary's first appearance in the Hunter X Hunter 2011 anime adaptation

Canary's first appearance in the 2011 adaptation of Hunter X Hunter anime (Image via Madhouse)

Canary featured during the Hunter Exam arc of the Hunter X Hunter anime. As Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio approached the gate towards the Zoldyck residence, they were met with Canary. Canary immediately asked them to leave as they were trespassing. Despite every reason from Gon about them being Killua's friends, Canary stood firmly at the gate.

Gon upon instructing Leorio and Kurapika to not interfere with them, kept persuing Canary to let them through and was struck every time he approached the gate. This continues throughout the day until Canary, trying to hold back her emotions, asks Gon to go away. Seeing that Gon could care less for her words, Canary turned to Kurapika and Leorio, asking them to stop him, but they just observed silently.

Gon finally gets to her saying she is different from the guard dog Mike, that even though she tries to suppress her emotions, she has a soul. Finally moved by Gon's words, Canary asks him to help Killua. Despite being immediately struck by Killua's mother and falling unconscious, she later wakes up and takes Gon and the others to the servant's quarters.

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Final thoughts

Canary is one of the characters from Hunter X Hunter who played an active role throughout the anime. However, her character was less explored due to the vastness of the series and storylines of several characters.

Despite her occasional appearances in the anime, her storyline and character bring a unique flavor to the anime that many fans have appreciated. Hunter X Hunter, being one of the most known and loved series of all time, has more characters like Canary who are yet to be explored deeply.

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