Hunter x Hunter is a powerhouse of shōnen anime. Created by famed mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi, Hunter x Hunter tells Gon Freecs's story as he goes from a starry-eyed boy to a mature young man. He starts the series as a simple boy living in a small town away from the rest of the world. He has dreams of not only exploring the world around him, but finding his father, the mysterious and enigmatic Ging Freecss. He eventually leaves his island and goes on an adventure of a lifetime.

During his travels, Gon is forced to grow up quickly. Luckily, he was surrounded by a group of reliable friends who had his best interests in mind. No matter what the young boy went through, he was able to keep a good head on his shoulders and try his hardest to find the right solution for everyone, except for Pitou. Gon ends the series having matured more than most, seeing his father for who he really is and setting his own goal for the future.

Gon Began Hunter x Hunter as a Naive, Starry-Eyed Boy

Gon's Journey Is One of Hunter x Hunter's Main Story Drives

Like most shōnen protagonists, Gon started Hunter x Hunter as a naive young boy who didn't know much about the world around him. He lived his whole life on Whale Island, a tiny fishing village not connected to anything substantial. He doesn't know anything of the world outside his village but he possesses an unusual curiosity and desire to explore. Gon's early life on Whale Island is adorable. He's a small-town boy and everyone in his village loves him. He spends most of his time running around, fishing, and hanging out with local animals.

When he first meets a mysterious man named Kite while protecting a Foxbear cub, Gon learns the truth about his father. He learns that his father, Ging, who is certainly not among the best fathers in anime, is not around because he would rather be a Hunter than his dad, which makes Gon think that being a Hunter must be very important. He resolves himself to leave his small island to take the Hunter Exam. After making a deal with his caretaker/mom Mito, he sets out to take the test.

Gon Went Through a Lot With His Friends in Hunter x Hunter

The Hunter Exam Created a Strong Group of Friends

After leaving Whale Island, Gon is immediately thrown into a whole new world. He gets on a ship where he meets his future friends Leorio and Kurapika, who are also on their way to take the Hunter Exam. Within a day of leaving the island, he's faced with a host of problems that he does his best to solve. At the Hunter Exam, Gon meets a wide variety of interesting characters. He meets people who try to poison him, people who try to trick him, and eventually, his best friend in the world, Killua.

The pair get along shockingly well, as they're both two of the most insane kids in anime. When Killua stabs a man through the chest, ripping his heart out in the blink of an eye, Gon isn't even shocked. Maybe he's already adjusted to the outside world, or maybe he's always been deranged, but either way, Gon is getting used to his new environment much quicker than most. This highlights Gon's unique sets of morals that lets him stand out against a plethora of similar shonen protagonists.

Gon Finally Found His Dark Side Because of Kite and Pitou

A Turning Point For the Hero

Gon shows an all-new, incredibly dark side to his personality in a fight against the Chimera Ant Royal Guard, Neferpitou. Gon's mentor and his father's student, Kite, was a positive influence on Gon's life, even though he was only in it for a little bit. Kite met Gon when he was a small child and was the first to reveal that Ging was actually alive. Kite was very important to Gon, and his death at the hands of Neferpitou rocked the young boy to his core. In a fight against Neferpitiou, Gon and Killua ran away, while Kite stayed behind and sacrificed himself for the two children.

When Gon finds out Kite is dead, he resolves to either revive his former master or kill Pitou in revenge. It's a decision that's completely out of character for Gon, as he usually lets his enemies live without killing them. When he found Pitou, he even threatened to kill the innocent Komugi if Pitou didn't do what he wanted. It's the darkest side of Gon's character that technically makes sense within the confines of the series. Gon has never been afraid of death and isn't too phased when people around him die, but he couldn't help but hate Pitou to her core.

When Pitou tells Gon that she can't heal Kite, Gon loses it. He decides to sacrifice his entire future, burning through his Nen, if it means killing Pitou. He grows in size, his hair becomes longer than his entire body, and his muscles burst out from his clothes. Essentially, Gon reached his future potential in the present, by sacrificing his future. The look in his eyes is murderous, and even the Royal Guard Neferpitou can't help but feel fear. They have one of the Hunter x Hunter, and it's barely a fight at all. Gon proceeds to beat Pitou down to her bones, punching her around the forest without a thought in his mind. He's so much stronger than Pitou that she's genuinely grateful that Gon's taking his anger out on her and not the King of the Chimera Ants, Meruem.

Gon Left Hunter x Hunter as a Mature Young Man

Gon's Status in the Series Is Still Unclear

After Gon kills Pitou, he becomes bedridden and is kept alive by life . As Nen is the life energy of a person, burning it has essentially consumed Gon's life. This was the cost he had to pay for his revenge. However, Killua does not give up so easily on his friend, and he rescues his sister Alluka, who is kept prisoner by their family due to her incredibly powerful but dangerous wish-fulfilling powers. Unknown to the Zoldyks, Killua can use Alluka's powers without facing the consequences, and he does that to save Gon.

After that, Gon, Killua, and Alluka go on one final trip to the World Tree, where Gon knows he will find Ging. Gon has still lost his Nen, and he will have to train from the start to acquire it again. Killua decides to go on a trip to show Alluka the world, while protecting her from their family, so the two friends have an emotional farewell before Gon climbs to the top of the tree, where he finds Ging waiting.

When Gon finally finds his father, he sees Ging for who he really is. He later reveals that he never put much stock in Ging, and instead of wanting to meet him, he simply wanted to find him, thus showing the true adventurous spirit of a Hunter. The two have a good conversation where Ging reveals that he's an adventurer at heart and encourages Gon to do what he likes. It's a great moment for Gon because not only does he finally get to meet his father, but he gets to realize his goal and move on with the rest of his life.

While the ending of the anime, or the following chapters of the manga that have still not been adapted, doesn't reveal much about Gon's future intentions, it does show that he has achieved his previous goal. After finally meeting his father, exploring the world, and gaining some of the best friends he could ask for, Gon fulfilled a great character arc. While the series moved on with Kurapika as the protagonist of the Succession Contest arc, Hunter x Hunter owes much of its success to Gon's incredible character arc.