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Welcome again for another chapter of this series about the broad and exciting subject that nen is !
Here is how the thread works for now: We (or I) break down the concepts of nen into chapters, and we cover each chapter per week.
For example if the first chapter would be about the four major principles, I would post my own summary first. If people approve of it and like its contents, then I would ask the mods to pin the post and we move on to the next chapter.
Otherwise, if people are not satisfied, then they would suggest modifications, like adding stuff I forgot or removing bits they deem unnecessary (but of courses justifications are needed !), within a period of one week.
Here is where all the refined chapters are contained all together:
https://mangahelpers.com/forum/threads/everything-about-nen-aura.3010078/
In order to get the best grasp of the contents of this chapter, it is recommended to pay extra attention to the definition of some sensitive terms that are going to be introduced, which will be bolded and violet colored.
I. Hatsu, Nen skills and Nen abilities:
Hatsu is the process of exploiting the properties of aura (see chapter 3) in order to use them to produce specific supernatural effects, which we'll call nen skills. Examples of such skills include: reinforcing an object's resilience, shooting out aura from the hand, making shapes with aura, controlling objects/beings remotely, etc...
Anybody, with enough training, can learn nen skills, although there are certain limitations which we'll explore a bit later on.
To use Hatsu, one needs to activate Ren. Beginners need to train and practice a lot in order to improve the strength and quality of the nen skills they produce.
In particular, through Hatsu, nen users can use one or combine several nen skills in order to create their own original special techniques, referred to as Nen abilities. These techniques are a nen user's ultimate weapon, and thus require a lot of thought behind them, time to master and great amounts of concentration to execute.
Nen abilities are immensly influenced by their user's personal disposition and talents. In fact, the more compatible an ability is with one's preferrences (and Hatsu category, see below), the better and powerful it gets. This is why nen abilities are considered highly personal.
Nen users need to often experiment with their nen ability in order to fully grasp every aspect of its functions. One can also modify and tweak his nen ability later on.
Q: Can I create the same ability as somebody else ?
A: It's possible, but it is not guaranteed you'll get the same effectiveness, simply because of the difference in personal dispositions and compatibilities.
Q: Can I create several nen abilities?
A: Yes and no. This is due to the limited human memory. Mastering and remembering a nen ability takes "space" in the human memory. Basically, complex abilities take up more "space", and incompatible abilities are even more demanding on memory. This is why compatible abilities are highly recommended. If one runs out of memory "space", then he'll start forgetting other concepts.
To sum it all up, applying/using the properties of aura to produce nen skills is called Hatsu. Nen skills are the building blocs for nen abilities.
II. Hatsu categories:
We've seen that the properties of aura are numerous and different, so it makes sense that these differences would be reflected in their applications as well. Indeed, Hatsu is split into six distinct categories:
Enhancement, Transmutation, Conjuration, Manipulation, Emission, Specialization, which fit in the following compatibility diagram:
Notice that each category is the result of one specific aura property. This also means that each nen skill belongs to / falls under one of the six categories.
Every individual is born with an innate affinity with one of the Hatsu categories. Such a category will be called the "personal/own category" (also, if for example Enhancement is A's personal category, then A will be called an Enhancer).
It is determined using a method called "water divination". A nen user is most confortable and compatible with skills from his own category, followed by categories neighboring his own. Whereas he has the least compatibility with categories further from his own. For instance for an Enhancer, he's compatible the most with Enhancement, Transmutation and Emission, while for a Manipulator; he's more compatible with Emission and Conjuration.
The Specialization category is an exception, in the sense that one needs to be born a specilist in order to learn Specialization skills. in general, non specialists have zero compatibility with this exceptional category; However, Manipulators and Conjurers have a slight chance to turn into Specialists.
III. Learning and using Nen skills:
When it comes to learning nen skills of any category, nen users can naturally only begin with the simplest and easiest skills, then make their way up the complexity ladder by increasing their mastery level of each category.
Advanced nen skills need a higher mastery level to be acquired. The mastery level, for each category, goes up by going through appropriate series of training, as well as mastering affordable nen skills.
For example within the Emission category, skills such as detaching aura from the body and projecting it are quite basic and will be learned first, while transporting space is quite a complex skill and would require the user to be at a higher mastery level in order to acquire it.
Nen users can learn all nen skills falling into their own category, and with relative ease. They can also learn skills from other Hatsu categories than their own (with the exception of specialization skills), however there are certain limitations involved. These limitations affect:
Let's explain each point with an explicit example. Let's take a generic Conjurer then (everything applies the same to any other category):
1/ A conjurer would find Conjuration skills the easiest to learn, followed by transmutation skills. Enhancement and Manipulation skills would be slightly difficult to learn, and he'll struggle to acquire Emission skills.
2/ A Conjurer can pretty much learn all Conjuration nen skills (just by maximizing his conjuration mastery level). However, the amount of skills he can acquire from other categories is limited by his conjuration mastery level:
Suppose our Conjurer is at a certain mastery level in his own category, say Level X. Then his mastery level overall would look like this:
This implies that the more mastery one achieves in his own category, the more he can learn from other categories (but never reaching completion!). For instance even if our conjurer manages to maximize his conjuration level (implying that he acquired all the skills in his category), then his Enhancement level would stop at a lower point allowing him to learn only a bit more than half of all Enhancement skills.
(The rates in the diagram are always 100% for the personal category, 80% for adjacent categories, then 60%, and finally 40% for the category in the opposite edge. For non, specialists the rate is always 0%).
3/ The rate of potency and effectiveness of acquired skills (i.e. how powerful they are), in a Conjurer's case (let's call him Kurapika), is as such:
(N. P. E.=Normal Potency and Effectiveness, which is the potency achieved when the skill's category matches one's personal category)
Remember that our conjurer (Kurapika) at level 10 conjuration mastery implies that his Emission mastery should only be at 40% of level 10, which is level 4 in this case. That's why an Emitter with only a level 4 mastery was needed in order to compare their skills.
During the process of making nen abilities, nen users can define one or several rules (acting as a limitation and restriction) for their nen abilities, on which they pledge to follow. The stricter the rule/limitation, the powerful the ability becomes. Basically it's "High risks for greater power".
Using this method the power of abilities will skyrocket, but it is quite the unstable power since breaking the imposed rules can result into losing one's nen.
There are two distinct types of rules one can set:
Here is how the thread works for now: We (or I) break down the concepts of nen into chapters, and we cover each chapter per week.
For example if the first chapter would be about the four major principles, I would post my own summary first. If people approve of it and like its contents, then I would ask the mods to pin the post and we move on to the next chapter.
Otherwise, if people are not satisfied, then they would suggest modifications, like adding stuff I forgot or removing bits they deem unnecessary (but of courses justifications are needed !), within a period of one week.
Here is where all the refined chapters are contained all together:
https://mangahelpers.com/forum/threads/everything-about-nen-aura.3010078/
Chapter five: Mechanisms of Hatsu
In order to get the best grasp of the contents of this chapter, it is recommended to pay extra attention to the definition of some sensitive terms that are going to be introduced, which will be bolded and violet colored.
I. Hatsu, Nen skills and Nen abilities:
Hatsu is the process of exploiting the properties of aura (see chapter 3) in order to use them to produce specific supernatural effects, which we'll call nen skills. Examples of such skills include: reinforcing an object's resilience, shooting out aura from the hand, making shapes with aura, controlling objects/beings remotely, etc...
Anybody, with enough training, can learn nen skills, although there are certain limitations which we'll explore a bit later on.
To use Hatsu, one needs to activate Ren. Beginners need to train and practice a lot in order to improve the strength and quality of the nen skills they produce.
In particular, through Hatsu, nen users can use one or combine several nen skills in order to create their own original special techniques, referred to as Nen abilities. These techniques are a nen user's ultimate weapon, and thus require a lot of thought behind them, time to master and great amounts of concentration to execute.
Nen abilities are immensly influenced by their user's personal disposition and talents. In fact, the more compatible an ability is with one's preferrences (and Hatsu category, see below), the better and powerful it gets. This is why nen abilities are considered highly personal.
Nen users need to often experiment with their nen ability in order to fully grasp every aspect of its functions. One can also modify and tweak his nen ability later on.
Q: Can I create the same ability as somebody else ?
A: It's possible, but it is not guaranteed you'll get the same effectiveness, simply because of the difference in personal dispositions and compatibilities.
Q: Can I create several nen abilities?
A: Yes and no. This is due to the limited human memory. Mastering and remembering a nen ability takes "space" in the human memory. Basically, complex abilities take up more "space", and incompatible abilities are even more demanding on memory. This is why compatible abilities are highly recommended. If one runs out of memory "space", then he'll start forgetting other concepts.
To sum it all up, applying/using the properties of aura to produce nen skills is called Hatsu. Nen skills are the building blocs for nen abilities.
II. Hatsu categories:
We've seen that the properties of aura are numerous and different, so it makes sense that these differences would be reflected in their applications as well. Indeed, Hatsu is split into six distinct categories:
Enhancement, Transmutation, Conjuration, Manipulation, Emission, Specialization, which fit in the following compatibility diagram:
Notice that each category is the result of one specific aura property. This also means that each nen skill belongs to / falls under one of the six categories.
Every individual is born with an innate affinity with one of the Hatsu categories. Such a category will be called the "personal/own category" (also, if for example Enhancement is A's personal category, then A will be called an Enhancer).
It is determined using a method called "water divination". A nen user is most confortable and compatible with skills from his own category, followed by categories neighboring his own. Whereas he has the least compatibility with categories further from his own. For instance for an Enhancer, he's compatible the most with Enhancement, Transmutation and Emission, while for a Manipulator; he's more compatible with Emission and Conjuration.
The Specialization category is an exception, in the sense that one needs to be born a specilist in order to learn Specialization skills. in general, non specialists have zero compatibility with this exceptional category; However, Manipulators and Conjurers have a slight chance to turn into Specialists.
III. Learning and using Nen skills:
When it comes to learning nen skills of any category, nen users can naturally only begin with the simplest and easiest skills, then make their way up the complexity ladder by increasing their mastery level of each category.
Advanced nen skills need a higher mastery level to be acquired. The mastery level, for each category, goes up by going through appropriate series of training, as well as mastering affordable nen skills.
For example within the Emission category, skills such as detaching aura from the body and projecting it are quite basic and will be learned first, while transporting space is quite a complex skill and would require the user to be at a higher mastery level in order to acquire it.
Nen users can learn all nen skills falling into their own category, and with relative ease. They can also learn skills from other Hatsu categories than their own (with the exception of specialization skills), however there are certain limitations involved. These limitations affect:
- The learning difficulty,
- the mastery level and thus the amount of acquirable skills,
- and the level of effectiveness and potency of an acquired skill.
Let's explain each point with an explicit example. Let's take a generic Conjurer then (everything applies the same to any other category):
1/ A conjurer would find Conjuration skills the easiest to learn, followed by transmutation skills. Enhancement and Manipulation skills would be slightly difficult to learn, and he'll struggle to acquire Emission skills.
2/ A Conjurer can pretty much learn all Conjuration nen skills (just by maximizing his conjuration mastery level). However, the amount of skills he can acquire from other categories is limited by his conjuration mastery level:
Suppose our Conjurer is at a certain mastery level in his own category, say Level X. Then his mastery level overall would look like this:
(The rates in the diagram are always 100% for the personal category, 80% for adjacent categories, then 60%, and finally 40% for the category in the opposite edge. For non, specialists the rate is always 0%).
3/ The rate of potency and effectiveness of acquired skills (i.e. how powerful they are), in a Conjurer's case (let's call him Kurapika), is as such:
(N. P. E.=Normal Potency and Effectiveness, which is the potency achieved when the skill's category matches one's personal category)
Let's take 6 nen users from each category: An Enhancer, a Transmuter, a Conjurer, an Emitter, a Manipulator and a Specialist. Suppose all of them have the same aura prowess, and that they have mastered the following nen skills:
- Reinforcement of the toughness of the body (Enhancement).
- Shooting aura from the index finger, just like a bullet (Emission).
- Shrouding an object with aura and moving it around telekinethically (Manipulation).
- Shaping aura into something like a sword (Transmutation).
- Materializing on a surface a picture of a tiger (Conjuration).
Now let's see how limitation III will affect each of these users's skill potency (note that some of the following effects are backed up by facts from the manga, while others are speculations):
- Their enhanced toughness will be tested by shooting each one of them in the abdomen with the same 9mm gun. Here is how they take it:
- The enhancer, in a Ten state, gets only lightly scratched by the gunshot and the bullet bounces off his skin.
- The transmuter and emitter, in a Ten state, get a small wound from the gunshot, but the bullet still bounces off.
- The conjurer and manipulator, in a Ten state, get a moderate wound and the bullet shallowly pierces their flesh.
- The specialist, in a Ten state, gets significantly wounded by the bullet.
- We shall then test their emission strength, by having them shoot their nen bullet through a very thick wall of cement. We then measure the depth of the hole the shot had made:
- The emitter's shot made a 150cm long hole through the wall.
- The enhancer and manipulator's shot made a 120cm long hole.
- The transmuter and specialist's shot left a 90cm long hole.
- The conjurer's shot left just a 60cm long hole.
- For the manipulation test, we give them a rope, and we ask them to hold one of its ends and make complicated knots telekinetically:
- The manipulator's control over the rope was so precise that he could eventually make any kind of knot.
- The specialist and emitter's control was less precise, as they struggled a lot to make the most complicated knots.
- The enhancer and conjurer couldn't make the most complicated knots, but made it through the rest.
- The transmuter could only make simple knots with his sloppy control.
- This time we ask the nen users to cut through a pile of 7 bricks of steel with their transmuted aura sword:
- The transmuter's sword was so sharp it cut through 6 out of 7 bricks.
- The enhancer and the conjurer cut through 4 bricks and almost made it through the fifth.
- The specialist and emitter cut 3 bricks, and left a cutting mark on the fouth.
- The manipulator could only cut through two of the bricks, and left a shallow cutting mark on the third.
- Now we judge their conjuration skill effectiveness by the sharpness of the details of the picture they materialized:
- The conjurer's picture of the tiger was so clear and sharp you would think it was the mirror reflection of an actual tiger.
- The transmuter and specialist's pic was still of good quality.
- The manipulator and enhancer's picture had some blurry details.
- The emitter's picture was clearly of lower quality.
Summary:
- The further the category is from your own, the more you'll struggle to learn its skills.
- You can never acquire all the skills from categories other than your own.
- If a skill falls under a different category than your own, then you can never* use it to its full potential.
*: So far in the hxh-verse, only one nen user is known to bypass limitation (3), because of a special disposition of his bloodline.
During the process of making nen abilities, nen users can define one or several rules (acting as a limitation and restriction) for their nen abilities, on which they pledge to follow. The stricter the rule/limitation, the powerful the ability becomes. Basically it's "High risks for greater power".
Using this method the power of abilities will skyrocket, but it is quite the unstable power since breaking the imposed rules can result into losing one's nen.
There are two distinct types of rules one can set:
- Rules defining the conditions of activation of the nen ability. Basically they need to be fullfilled in order for the ability to start working.
- Rules affecting the way of use and/or the effects of the ability.
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