If only if only the woodpecker sighs the bark on the tree was as soft as the sky why the wolf waits below hungry and lonely he cries to the moon if only if only
remember that humans are never monsters. The worst of evils are always done by people who laugh and joke at the dinner table, and do not think much of the people they’ve killed
So a quick summary of Nen. Nen is from the universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi in Hunter x Hunter. It directly translates to "Sense" and is the ability to be able to use your aura that can manifest in para-psychological or supernatural-like powers. It's mainly used by Hunters in this fictional universe but can also be used by non-Hunters. In the real life equivalent, it can be seen as a person finding something they're good at and heavily training in that one thing. You can say it's willpower, strength of mind, physical strength, agility, etc.
So Nen has 6 basic types: I've taken this image from https://www.reddit.com/r/HunterXHunter/comments/jwo9qm/type_of_nen_extended_description/ to try and exhibit it as best as I can. (Click the link for a more in-depth description)
The 6 main types are Enhancers, Transmuters, Conjurers, Emitters, Manipulators, and Specialists upon completing my research, I learned that there is some overlap where you can drift towards 4 "subtypes". Along with the image, you can also see that each type has a few descriptive words that fit personalities that are commonly shared by the respective Nen user.
So in this post, I'll be writing about the Signs as Nen Types and focusing on the 6 main types and using this post to reference as I go on through my series of "Idols as Nen Types/What kind of Nen I think they would have in Hunter x Hunter". When I go into this series, I may discuss whether I think someone would be an Influencer, Shapeshifter, Perceiver, or Reality Warper.
Personality wise, I will be going off the descriptions of each nen type written by Togashi through dialogue from Hisoka Morrow through the manga so this is considered canon in some ways. Though it could be argued that it may be biased due to the voice of Hisoka. The keywords of each type are also indicated on the chart above.
Without further ado...
The Signs as Nen Types...
Aries - Emitters
Aries just wants to get to the point of the matter and doesn't like when others draw out a conversation too long. It’s not so much they’re impatient but they feel like things should be straight to the point and don’t tend to care for the minor details between A and B. They are very goal oriented which can lead them to being impulsive and reactive. What makes them not Enhancers is their ability to get over things relatively quickly hence, this idea that they must detach their auras from themselves in order to execute something. I think they are Emitters over Enhancers because they are more cerebral than you may think. I think Aries prefers to intimidate with aura over action.
Taurus - Enhancers
Taurus are often known to have quite black and white thinking. They don’t really see in between as they are very sure of what they like and stick to it. They don’t seem to have a filter sometimes and will be straight-to-the-point with you and tell you how they see it. They are reactive like Emitters but are driven more so by their feelings over the actions of others so if they ever feel slighted, they may hold on to it and will be slow to forget. Unlike Aries, Taurus are more action-oriented and would rather take matters into their own hands than other means.
Gemini - Transmuters
Gemini are very smart so it’s hard to believe that they may be prone to deceit. The way I see it is that they are also very adaptable to their surroundings on top of being quite opportunistic and indecisive so when it comes to someone that might be looking to take advantage of that, the trickster can be tricked. But you can never really know what a Gemini is up to and it’s truly up to them to decide who they want to reveal their intentions to. As a mutable sign, Geminis are very adaptable so that makes them good Transmuters who will match their auras to their surroundings.
Cancer - Manipulators
More than anything, I think the priority of Manipulators is to protect those around them. They mold themselves into situations in order to get the job done and often by any means possible. Especially with Cancers who can be protective almost to an extreme in these cases where their survival instincts may be triggered so they would feel the need to use whatever they have to get out of the situation. I think Cancers like to enact change by influencing those around them. As a Cardinal sign, they like to influence rather than act so they will be good at Manipulating whatever is around them to act.
Leo - Enhancers
What makes Leos Enhancers and not Emitters despite their occasional hot tempers, is that their tempers don’t flare up unless they feel slighted. Leos can go on the defensive when their feelings are hurt which causes them to recede and maybe even lash out. It’s very hard for Leos to hide their feelings and you can find that they will be very straightforward with you regarding their thoughts and feelings. This can make them seem rather simple-minded and sometimes rude but they just don’t like holding things in. Leos as Enhancers prefer to empower themselves to act or make whatever is around them part of themselves to push on.
Virgo - Conjurers
The stereotype for Virgos is that they are picky perfectionists who verge on being control freaks. That’s on the negative side. Virgos are analytical and extremely logical in their approach to life. They like most things around them to serve a purpose. Despite their practical nature, they are extremely creative because of their meticulous nature and the mindset that everything could be done better. Hence, as Conjurers, they would love to be able to create items with their nen.
Libra - Manipulators
Libras are very aware of the people around them. They are represented by scales because they tend to like seeing multiple sides to every situation and appealing to all sides as well. This can be seen as very diplomatic and conversely, quite manipulative. It’s not to say that manipulators are manipulative people but they are very logical and do take in information to be able to evaluate how they can get ahead in their own goals. Manipulators tend to use what they have available around them and support those items as weapons or to serve a different purpose. Similar to how Libras use information around them to go forward.
Scorpio - Specialists
Even the brightest of Scorpio have a mysterious side to them. They do not open up easily and prefer to observe then react. They are not cold people but it may seem like you never truly know a Scorpio in depth but they naturally draw others in. All of that being said, Scorpios are very charismatic and goal-driven and yet adaptable to whatever is presented to them. I think in a fictional world, they would be the ones with a power beyond the usual meta due to this adaptability and tendency to keep things within themselves.
Sagittarius - Emitters
Sagittarius has this natural internal light about them. I’d say they’re more of the Sun of a room than a Leo who is ruled by the Sun. Sagittarius can be quite quick to react but can also just as quickly forget and be back to their normal bouncy selves. They are very enthusiastic and can be seen as quite compulsive, lacking the ability to think before acting. But going back to my first line, Sagittarius just has an aura that cannot be contained where being an Emitter is just natural as their auras are just an extension of their physical bodies.
Capricorn - Conjurers
So unlike Virgos, I wouldn’t call Capricorns perfectionists as much as they just have high standards. They have high expectations of not only themselves but the people around them as well as what goes on around them. I call them the type to set their eyes on something and get it fairly quickly. Like Virgos though, they are very grounded in practicality so they like things around them to be the same so it would make sense for them to be Conjurers who would enjoy being able to literally make the things they see in their heads a reality.
Aquarius - Specialists
I mean this in the best way when I say Aquarius are the weird ones of the Zodiac. They are the “I’m not like other girls” but they’re actually not because they are all just on a different plane of existence from us most of the time. They’re highly intelligent types who are also highly creative so I believe they would have to be Specialists as they would simply refuse to follow the meta of the “other” nen types.
Pisces - Transmuters
Pisces are the dreamers of the Zodiac. They’re what I imagine star people are - people literally made of stars and space matter. They are extremely imaginative and empathetic. There are times where they might not even know who’s emotions they are feeling so that can be why they can be prone to deceit, it’s easy for them to be absorbed into whatever is going on around them. I think this makes them Transmuters because they can easily change their auras to match whoever they are around to be able to properly respond.
I hit the image limit so not every sign has a gif...
Also just note that not all of the the characters depicted have Suns under that sign, I just chose gifs based on the character's ability. I do have another theory about why certain characters in the series may have one type of nen but their Sun in a sign that doesn't fit my headcanon...
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