The Zodiac Twelve (十二支ん Jūnishin) are a group of twelve hunters that have been recognized by Chairman Netero. The chairman would entrust them with the Hunters Association in times of emergency, and would also spar with them in his free time. They each have a codename associated with one of the Chinese zodiac signs, which most of them chose to match in appearance out of adoration for Netero.
The entire world is shocked by the announcment of Hoicoro, the king of Kakin, that is going to finance a huge expedition in the Dark Continent located in the "outside" world that will be guided by the son of the previous chairman of the Hunters Association, Beyond Netero.
The Zodiacs are immediately shocked by the announcement not only because the exploration of the Dark Continent is forbidden by the 5 major countries because everytime that someone tries to eplore it something very bad happens, but also because the man that will lead the exploration claims to be the son of Isaac Netero and behaves just like him. So Beans tells them that Netero prepared a dvd that all the Zodiacs should see when someone appears claiming to be his son.
Meanwhile people of all the world are ready to follow Beyond Netero, that decides to ignore the prohibitions of the major 5 countries about exploring the Dark Continent and makes a speech with 10 important followers (with Pariston among them) saying that he is willingly to see a land that nobody has ever see. Cheadle decides that they don't need to wait Ging and Pariston for see the dvd saying that they are no more members of the Zodiacs and say also that the major 5 contries have already gave them a special assignment: Hunt Beyond Netero.
