The Phantom Troupe are a band of feared and hated criminals in the Hunter X Hunter universe. They are responsible for many atrocities, including a massacre in Yorknew and butchering Kurapika's people.
Because they are such integral antagonists to the overall story (arguably second only to Meruem, King of Ants), it is important that they should be compelling villains. However, this is not always the case; there are facts and instances surrounding the group of criminals which may make them less respectable than their legacy entails. To assess their worth, we measure five positive qualities of the group with five negative ones.
10 Bad - "Disguises"
As wanted criminals with a high price on their heads, many hunters and authority figures are inclined to search for the Phantom Troupe and bring them down. Despite this, none of its members seem concerned with disguising their identities in public.
Even Chrollo would only take half measures when he was going explicitly undercover to get close to Neon Nostrade, the daughter of a successful man and Kurapika's employer. No one recognized his facial features or iconic ear piercings.
9 Good - Strength
The Phantom Troupe's raw power was unlike anything Gon and his friends had seen so far, to the extent even Hisoka coveted getting close to Chrollo so that they might have a satisfying battle. When the Yorknew mafia's auction had been sabotaged, they sent their finest assassins, the Shadow Beasts, to dispatch the Troupe for good.
Confident in his abilities, the other members allowed Uvogin to take them out by himself, a task he accomplished with fairly minimal difficulty. This is regardless of the fact that their abilities directly countered his, including damage absorbing hair and body infiltrating leeches.
8 Bad - Failure To Capture Gon & Killua
When Gon and Killua's pursuit of the Troupe had been noticed and they were kidnapped, Nobunaga was intrigued by them, insisting that they consider becoming members of the group rather than being killed outright. This may have been a prudent decision in Killua's case (as having a Zoldyck on the team is always useful), but their failure to contain them rendered the Phantoms a joke.
Killua and Gon split in different directions, making it impossible for Nobunaga to retain both of them. Ultimately, he would recapture neither. As a hardened criminal, being outsmarted by two children is ill-advised for one's reputation.
7 Good - Defending Their Home
When the Chimera Ants were unleashed on the world, they did not exclusively attack the NGL or Gorteau. Some unfortunate ants happened to stumble upon Meteor City, home of the lawless and unofficial territory of the Phantom Troupe.
Despite their villainy, they courageously protected themselves against the invasion, the ants' aggression forming a rare common goal between the Phantoms and the Hunter Association. Because of this, we gleaned the Troupe in action for the common good ~ but more importantly to them, their own.
6 Bad - Losing An Arm Wrestle
If going out in public without disguises wasn't egregious enough, Shizuku accepted Gon's challenge to an arm wrestle in front of a cheering audience. She put up a surprising show of force considering his other competitors, though ultimately the young hunter was victorious, humiliating the Troupe in front of a large audience.
Nobunaga would later compensate for this by demanding Gon arm wrestle him in their hideout, taking an odd and inappropriate satisfaction in crushing Gon's strength repeatedly. It is an especially anemic display considering it did not have the same audience as before.
5 Good - Sending A Message
The black market auction was one of the most venerated traditions among global crime communities. It was so mutually respected that the syndicates themselves did not even come armed as a show of faith to one another.
This would make Franklin's massacre all the more humiliating, forcing evildoers across the entire world to acknowledge the Troupe for their tactical planning and ruthlessness. It would be a satisfying display of power that demonstrated Chrollo's complete disregard toward the skills of his opponents and the faith in his allies.
4 Bad - Hisoka's Infiltration
Hisoka did not infiltrate the Troupe in the interest of claiming their bounty or even his own prestige. He acknowledged Lucifer's strength and wanted a challenging fight from him, one which he anticipated would culminate with the latter's death.
None of the Troupe were aware of his intentions, and if Kurapika had not effectively made him powerless by the time he actually isolated Chrollo, he would have fulfilled his wish. Though he may have not taken Lucifer's life, this was out of boredom and disgust at his current state, not of mercy.
3 Good - The Code
Initially, Kurapika had assumed he could hunt down the members of the Phantom Troupe and exterminate them like rats. However, the philosophy around the organization established by Chrollo Lucifer entailed that this is not - and could never be - the case.
The Troupe has a fixed number. When any given member dies (as one cannot simply decide to leave it), a replacement is immediately sought after. Some postulate that the only way to circumvent this is by killing Lucifer directly, but he has disputed this would not lead to the permanent dissolution of the organization.
2 Bad - Capturing Chrollo
For all his bluster, Chrollo was eventually caught by Kurapika, who had originally planned to execute him. However, he would instead use him to blackmail the rest of the gang, bending them to his demands.
It reduced the Troupe's capabilities and left Chrollo himself completely bereft of his powers. This would compel them to search for someone to reverse Kurapika's Nen on Greed Island, only to be thwarted and expelled by Game Master Razor. With this string of defeats, the Phantoms' legitimacy was severely challenged.
1 Good - Uvogin's Last Stand
To test his abilities, Kurapika challenged Uvogin to a duel to the death. The latter agreed happily, eager for the chance to paint the canyon with his opponent's blood. However, Emperor Time was an ability that he could not have possibly anticipated, slowly blundering into his opponent's hands from the start.
Despite being gradually tortured to death and with his heart constricted in Nen chains, Uvogin would not sell out his comrades. He died spitting in the face of his enemy, demonstrating an honor among thieves that remains integral to the Troupe's identity.