Hunter Exam Arc
25 eps
25 canon 📷 1
Whale Island native Gon Freecss catches the legendary Master of the Swamp to secure his aunt Mito's permission to take the Hunter Exam. He leaves his home to discover why his absentee father Ging chose the dangerous profession over raising his own son. Gon boards the ship to the testing site equipped with an untamed connection to nature and a terrifying lack of fear.
Gon meets Kurapika and Leorio aboard the ship as a massive storm violently tests the resolve of the applicants. Kurapika seeks a Hunter license to avenge his slaughtered Kurta clan while Leorio loudly claims to only want massive wealth. The trio is forced to abandon their bickering and work together to save a crew member from washing overboard during the tempest.
The ship arrives at Zaban City where the true location of the Hunter Exam is kept strictly confidential. Gon Kurapika and Leorio must navigate a treacherous labyrinth of riddles shape shifting beasts and deceptive navigators just to reach the starting line. The underground tunnel fills with thousands of hardened criminals and elite fighters desperate to earn the legendary license.
Phase One examiner Satotz leads the applicants on a grueling marathon through a subterranean tunnel that slowly drives the weaker participants to physical and psychological collapse. A silver haired boy named Killua Zoldyck effortlessly glides through the crowd on a skateboard and strikes up a fast friendship with Gon. The dark reality of the exam sets in as bodies begin to drop.
The marathon emerges into the treacherous Numere Wetlands where dense fog and deceptive predators scatter the applicants. The deadly magician Hisoka Morow uses the confusion to slaughter a group of participants purely to entertain himself. Kurapika and Leorio narrowly escape his bloodlust while Gon steps directly into the line of fire to land a desperate strike against the clown.
The surviving applicants arrive at the Phase Two testing site where Gourmet Hunters Menchi and Buhara demand an impossible culinary challenge. Buhara tasks the group with roasting the deadliest pigs in the forest while Menchi completely snaps and fails every single remaining participant over a ruined sushi dish. The strict standards of the Hunter Association are put on full display.
Chairman Netero descends from the sky in a massive airship to overrule Menchi and salvage the exam with a high altitude egg hunt. The applicants board the Chairman's blimp to travel to the next phase where Gon and Killua challenge Netero to a seemingly innocent game of keep away. The ancient martial artist effortlessly defends the ball and reveals a terrifying glimpse of his true power.
Phase Three begins at the top of Trick Tower where applicants must descend to the bottom within seventy two hours. Gon Killua Kurapika and Leorio are forced to team up with Tonpa a notorious veteran who exclusively takes the exam to sabotage rookies. The five man squad enters a trapdoor and is immediately subjected to a gauntlet of brutal majority rule decisions.
The tension inside Trick Tower escalates as Tonpa deliberately votes against the group to create internal panic. The squad is forced to navigate deadly pitfalls and psychological traps that test their patience and unity. Gon relies on his pure innocent intuition to bypass the complex logic puzzles while Kurapika begins to realize they are trapped in a room with a dedicated saboteur.
The group enters a massive arena suspended over a bottomless pit and must win three out of five matches against violent prison inmates. Kurapika completely loses control of his suppressed rage when his opponent reveals a fake spider tattoo mocking the Phantom Troupe. The last surviving Kurta manifests his terrifying scarlet eyes and effortlessly obliterates the imposter.
Killua steps up to face a notorious serial killer who specializes in tearing his victims apart with his bare hands. The young Zoldyck prodigy calmly bypasses the man's defenses and rips out his living heart in the blink of an eye. The sheer casual brutality of the assassination leaves the inmates paralyzed with fear and perfectly solidifies Killua's elite pedigree.
Gon faces off against a trickster named Sedokan in a high stakes candle burning duel. The young boy intentionally chooses a sabotaged candle that burns at an accelerated rate and refuses to panic. He simply places his candle on the floor and allows it to completely burn out before launching a physical counterattack that leaves his opponent completely defenseless.
The squad reaches the final stage of Trick Tower with barely any time left on the clock. They are forced to choose between a long safe path that only allows three people to pass or a short dangerous path that allows all five. Gon devises a brilliant lateral solution by selecting the long path and literally smashing through the brick walls to access the short path with his entire team.
Phase Four transports the remaining applicants to Zevil Island for a brutal game of predator and prey. Each participant must steal the numbered ID badge of an assigned target to secure enough points to advance. The island devolves into a paranoid survival horror scenario as alliances crumble and the applicants begin hunting each other through the dense tropical jungle.
Kurapika coldly stalks his assigned target through the wilderness with the methodical precision of a veteran hunter. He suppresses his emotional reactions and relies entirely on raw situational awareness to execute the ambush. He secures his required badge without a single wasted movement and solidifies his reputation as a brilliant tactician.
Leorio struggles to survive the treacherous island environment and finds himself targeted by a highly skilled veteran. He lacks the physical speed of Killua and the sensory advantages of Gon but refuses to surrender his badge. His sheer stubborn aggression and absolute refusal to fail keep him in the game against impossible odds.
Gon spends days perfecting his fishing rod technique to execute a flawless blindspot strike against his assigned target Hisoka. He successfully steals the badge during the exact moment Hisoka attacks another applicant but is immediately paralyzed by a poisoned dart from an unseen third party. Hisoka kills the sniper returns Gon's badge and refuses to take it back until Gon can punch him in the face.
Phase Four concludes and the battered survivors gather on the beach for the final tally. The brutal reality of the island leaves several promising applicants dead or broken. Chairman Netero interviews the remaining participants to determine the bracket for the final phase which will consist of a series of one on one combat matches where victory equals immediate graduation.
The final tournament bracket is revealed with a twisted set of rules where winning a single match earns a Hunter license but losing simply drops the applicant to the next bracket. The only way to fail is to surrender or be killed. The setup guarantees maximum psychological pressure as the applicants realize they are fighting for their dreams against people they have come to respect.
Killua enters his first match expecting a genuine challenge but quickly realizes his opponent is completely outclassed. He moves with blinding speed and executes his family's assassination techniques with terrifying efficiency. The veteran applicants watch in silence as the twelve year old boy demonstrates a level of lethal capability that completely defies his age.
Gon faces the highly trained ninja Hanzo in a brutal one sided beatdown. Hanzo breaks Gon's arm and tortures him for hours but the young boy absolutely refuses to surrender. Gon's unblinking psychopathic stubbornness eventually breaks Hanzo's resolve forcing the elite ninja to concede the match rather than commit murder. Gon officially becomes a licensed Hunter.
Killua faces his older brother Illumi who has been secretly manipulating the exam under a disguised identity. Illumi uses terrifying psychological conditioning to paralyze Killua with fear and convinces him he is nothing more than a mindless killing machine who does not deserve friends. The mental torture forces Killua to snap and murder another applicant resulting in his immediate disqualification.
The Hunter Exam officially concludes and the successful applicants receive their licenses. Gon awakens in the infirmary and flies into a blinding rage upon learning how Illumi manipulated Killua into failing. He confronts the Zoldyck assassin directly and breaks his arm before declaring he will travel to Kukuroo Mountain to rescue his best friend.
Gon receives a mysterious cassette tape from his father Ging before leaving the testing facility. The recording contains no apologies and simply challenges Gon to find him in a world filled with impossible dangers. The tape automatically deletes itself after playing leaving Gon with a renewed sense of purpose and a massive head start on his lifelong quest.
Gon Kurapika and Leorio research the immense privileges and access granted by the Hunter license. They quickly realize the card is worth billions of Jenny and grants entry to restricted nations across the globe. Kurapika and Leorio put their personal goals on hold to travel with Gon to the Republic of Padokea to extract Killua from his family's compound.
Zoldyck Family Arc
6 eps
6 canon
The trio arrives at the base of Kukuroo Mountain and comes face to face with the legendary Testing Gate of the Zoldyck estate. The massive doors require four tons of physical force just to crack open and are guarded by a colossal monstrous hound named Mike. The sheer scale of the family's paranoia and power is laid bare as the boys realize they cannot simply walk inside.
Gon Kurapika and Leorio undergo brutal physical weight training under the guidance of the estate's groundskeeper just to open the first layer of the Testing Gate. They advance onto the grounds and encounter Canary a fiercely loyal child apprentice who uses a weighted cane to violently beat Gon. Gon refuses to fight back and simply walks forward until his unbreakable resolve moves her to tears.
Killua suffers through excruciating physical torture at the hands of his brother Milluki without flinching. He has been confined to the estate's underground cells as punishment for his rebellious behavior during the exam. The brutal Zoldyck family dynamic is fully exposed as Killua patiently endures the pain while quietly waiting for his friends to arrive.
Silva Zoldyck releases Killua from his chains and summons him for a rare father son conversation. The terrifying patriarch realizes he cannot break Killua's bond with Gon and decides to let him leave the mountain under a strict promise to never betray his friends. Silva secretly banks on Killua's assassin instincts eventually dragging him back to the family business.
Killua's mother Kikyo completely loses her mind over his impending departure and demands the butlers prevent Gon from reaching the mansion. The estate's head butler Gotoh subjects the trio to a deadly high stakes coin tossing game to test their worthiness. Gon uses his enhanced eyesight to perfectly track the coins and forces the loyal butler to concede.
Gon and Killua are finally reunited and immediately leave the dark Zoldyck estate behind them. Kurapika departs to seek employment as a bodyguard in Yorknew City while Leorio leaves to study for his medical exams. Gon and Killua promise to reunite with their friends in six months and set their sights on Heaven's Arena to earn money and train their combat skills.
Heaven's Arena Arc
11 eps
11 canon
Gon and Killua arrive at Heaven's Arena a colossal two hundred fifty story skyscraper where martial artists fight for cash and prestige. The boys effortlessly breeze through the lower floors by knocking out adult professionals with single casual strikes. Their terrifying natural talent attracts massive crowds and rapidly propels them toward the elite upper tiers of the tower.
The young duo reaches the heavily restricted two hundredth floor and immediately hits a terrifying invisible wall of pure aura. The elite fighters on this level utilize a supernatural energy that paralyzes normal humans with fear. Hisoka intercepts them in the hallway and uses his bloodlust to physically block their path until they can learn to defend themselves.
Wing a deceptively messy martial arts master approaches Gon and Killua to teach them the secret behind the invisible wall. He violently forces their aura nodes open and introduces them to the fundamental concepts of Nen. The boys must learn to contain their leaking life energy using the technique known as Ten before the arena registration deadline expires.
Gon and Killua master the basics of Ten in record time and successfully pass through Hisoka's aura barricade to register for the two hundredth floor. Wing explicitly forbids them from fighting until their training is complete but Gon completely ignores the warning. He steps into the ring against an experienced Nen user named Gido and immediately realizes he is completely outclassed.
Gido uses Nen enhanced spinning tops to brutally batter Gon across the arena floor. Gon refuses to surrender and uses the violent beating to adapt his sensory perception and dodge the erratic attacks. Wing furiously suspends Gon from Nen training for two months as punishment for his reckless behavior leaving Killua to advance his own skills in secret.
Gon obediently serves his suspension and spends his time recovering from his severe injuries. Killua quietly analyzes the advanced applications of Nen and begins to tailor his aura to match his assassin background. The boys patiently wait for the restriction to lift while the veteran fighters of the two hundredth floor plot to target the rookies for easy victories.
Killua steps into the ring against Riehlvelt a dangerous combatant who uses electric whips to cripple his opponents. Killua completely ignores the high voltage attacks and uses a terrifying Zoldyck assassination technique called Rhythm Echo to create an illusion of multiple bodies. He disarms Riehlvelt in seconds and threatens to snap his neck cementing his absolute dominance.
Wing officially lifts Gon's suspension and introduces the boys to Water Divination to determine their specific Nen categories. Gon discovers he is a straightforward Enhancer while Killua reveals himself as a highly adaptable Transmuter. The boys begin training their specific affinities to develop personalized combat abilities that match their distinct personalities.
Gon demands a rematch against Gido and completely obliterates the veteran fighter using his newly refined Enhancer techniques. He shatters Gido's spinning tops with pure physical force and forces him to surrender. Gon then dismantles Riehlvelt with equal efficiency securing his required victories and setting the stage for his highly anticipated clash with Hisoka.
Gon finally steps into the ring against Hisoka in a packed arena. Hisoka unleashes his Bungee Gum aura and uses the sticky elastic properties to violently pull Gon across the ring. Gon completely ignores the damage and executes a brilliant tactical feint to land a devastating right hook directly on the clown's cheek. He proudly returns Hisoka's exam badge and clears his debt.
Hisoka uses the full terrifying versatility of his Bungee Gum to secure a decisive victory over Gon but praises the young boy for his incredible growth. Gon and Killua formally graduate from Wing's training program and leave Heaven's Arena behind. They purchase tickets to Yorknew City to attend the world's largest mafia auction and hunt down a copy of Greed Island.
Yorknew City Arc
20 eps
20 canon
Yorknew City is completely overrun by mafia syndicates black market dealers and wealthy collectors preparing for the Southernpiece Auction. Gon and Killua attempt to hustle money by appraising antiques while Kurapika arrives in the city as a newly hired bodyguard for the Nostrade mafia family. The entire criminal underworld converges on the neon lit metropolis.
The Phantom Troupe officially gathers in the ruins of Yorknew City under the command of Chrollo Lucilfer. The thirteen elite thieves receive orders to infiltrate the underground mafia auction and steal every single item in the vault. The Spiders effortlessly slaughter their way into the heavily guarded facility only to discover the vault has already been completely emptied.
Kurapika secures his position on the Nostrade bodyguard detail by mastering the use of his conjured chains. He has bound his Nen with a lethal restriction that will crush his own heart if he uses his full power on anyone outside the Phantom Troupe. He patrols the city with absolute cold precision while waiting for the Spiders to make their move.
Kurapika forms a quiet tactical alliance with a fellow bodyguard named Melody who uses a sound based Nen ability to hear heartbeats and detect lies. She listens to the dark agonizing rhythm of Kurapika's heart and realizes he is completely consumed by a suicidal desire for revenge. She pledges her support to help him navigate the impending bloodbath.
The mafia realizes the auction vault was emptied by an inside man and dispatches the Shadow Beasts to hunt down the Phantom Troupe. The Spiders attempt to escape in a hot air balloon but are intercepted by the mafia's elite enforcers in the rocky badlands outside the city. The Troupe's physically strongest member Uvogin steps forward to fight the entire squad alone.
Uvogin violently massacres the mafia grunts using pure Enhancer strength to shatter the canyon walls and block sniper fire with his bare skin. The Shadow Beasts arrive and utilize bizarre Nen abilities including toxic leeches and prehensile hair to paralyze the giant. Uvogin simply bites the face off one opponent and spits a piece of bone like a bullet to kill another.
Kurapika watches the wasteland massacre from a distance and realizes Uvogin is the perfect target. He uses his stealth chains to bind the massive Spider and kidnaps him right out from under the Troupe's noses. The remaining Spiders immediately hijack a car and launch a high speed pursuit to rescue their captured comrade before Kurapika can extract any information.
The Phantom Troupe effortlessly slaughters their way through the Nostrade bodyguards and successfully rescues Uvogin. Chrollo Lucilfer orchestrates the chaos from the shadows and uses his Skill Hunter ability to steal the Nen powers of the mafia's top assassins. The Troupe regroups and prepares to unleash absolute hell on Yorknew City to avenge their compromised pride.
Uvogin tracks Kurapika to a remote desert canyon and demands a fight to the death. Kurapika completely dominates the battle by using his Emperor Time ability to maximize his Nen efficiency. He wraps his Judgment Chain around Uvogin's heart and demands information about the slaughtered Kurta clan. Uvogin smiles and tells Kurapika to kill him resulting in his immediate execution.
Gon and Killua stumble across a massive multi million Jenny bounty placed on the heads of the Phantom Troupe. They decide to hunt the Spiders to secure the funds needed to purchase Greed Island. The boys completely underestimate the terrifying sensory capabilities of the Troupe and end up walking directly into a trap set by Machi and Nobunaga.
The Troupe begins actively hunting the mysterious Chain User who killed Uvogin. Pakunoda uses her psychometric Nen ability to extract memories directly from the minds of the mafia survivors. The Spiders systematically analyze the intelligence and slowly close the net around Kurapika while the Nostrade family completely panics over the escalating violence.
Hisoka manipulates the Troupe's intelligence gathering by using his Texture Surprise ability to forge a fake prophecy. He deliberately feeds Chrollo altered information to protect Kurapika and ensure his own chance to fight the Troupe leader remains intact. The Spiders begin to fracture under the paranoia of a potential traitor hidden within their own ranks.
Gon and Killua are captured by the Troupe and dragged to their dark abandoned warehouse headquarters. Nobunaga challenges Gon to an arm wrestling match and is deeply disturbed by the boy's raw unyielding fury regarding the Troupe's hypocrisy. Nobunaga violently decides to hold the boys hostage and force them to join the Spiders against their will.
The young Hunters are locked inside a dark room with Nobunaga guarding the only exit. Killua attempts to calculate a highly dangerous assassination strike but Gon completely rejects the plan. Gon relies on pure lateral thinking to smash through the brick walls of the building and execute a flawless chaotic escape that leaves the veteran Spider completely humiliated.
Chrollo Lucilfer unleashes the full might of the Phantom Troupe upon Yorknew City. He stands on the roof of a skyscraper and conducts a beautiful haunting symphony of absolute destruction as his members slaughter the mafia forces in the streets below. The chaotic massacre serves as a violent bloody requiem for the fallen Uvogin.
The elite Zoldyck assassins Silva and Zeno corner Chrollo in the basement of the auction building. The three master Nen users engage in a breathtaking high speed tactical battle that completely destroys the surrounding architecture. Chrollo miraculously survives the onslaught by dodging Zeno's massive aura dragons and blocking Silva's explosive energy blasts.
The Troupe successfully fakes their own deaths using meticulously crafted corpse duplicates to throw the mafia off their trail. Kurapika sees the news reports and completely breaks down under the belief that his vengeance has been stolen from him. The Spiders quietly celebrate their victory and secure the stolen auction items while preparing to leave the city.
Kurapika discovers the corpses are fake and completely loses his mind. He recklessly charges after Chrollo and manages to capture the Troupe leader by wrapping him in the Jail Chain. Kurapika forces the remaining Spiders into a tense psychological standoff and leverages Chrollo's life to demand the immediate release of Gon and Killua.
Pakunoda arrives at the hostage exchange site with Gon and Killua. Kurapika completely strips Chrollo of his Nen by driving the Judgment Chain into his heart and forbids him from ever contacting the Troupe again. The hostages are exchanged without violence but the absolute tension leaves everyone involved completely drained and psychologically scarred.
Pakunoda returns to the Troupe's hideout and uses her Memory Bomb ability to shoot her own memories directly into the minds of the founding members. The action violates the conditions set by Kurapika's chain and instantly crushes her heart. The original TV run concludes with Kurapika collapsing from a severe Nen fever while Gon and Killua finally secure a copy of Greed Island at the Southernpiece Auction.
