With the Hunter x Hunter manga coming off hiatus, it’s the perfect time to do a post that has Every Hunter x Hunter Arc Ranked from best to worst.
If you want more Hunter x Hunter posts, we have a Hunter X Hunter Nen X Impact Playable Characters post covering the upcoming game!
Every Hunter x Hunter Arc Ranked
A word of warning, I will be going into the Dark Continent and Succession Arc, which are in the manga only. I’ll try to avoid talking about spoilers, but be aware!
1 – Yorknew City Arc
This arc is by far one of the best in the series. Not only does it keep a focus on the core four (Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio) but it introduces one of the best villain groups – The Phantom Troupe. The reveal of Chrollo’s face took a while, which only made seeing him even better.
Every member of the Phantom Troupe is extremely well written, with each having a distinct personality. The Troupe itself is interesting to delve into, considering why Chrollo made the Troupe in the first place. Despite being the ‘villains’ in the group, it’s hard to see them as such. It was also great seeing Kurapika use his Chain and new abilities.
The visuals, the characters, the soundtrack, and the fights all contribute to making Yorknew the best arc in Hunter x Hunter.
2 – The Chimera Ant Arc
Get your tissues ready, it’s the Chimera Ant arc! This arc delves into what makes a villain, character development, and even political issues. Although the arc is the longest in the series, it explores different themes, and we meet some great characters.
Meruem is the villain of this arc, but I had a hard time seeing him as one. His relationship with Komugi had me in tears, and every Chimera Ant had its motives, and memories of their past life – making them arguably more complex than the human characters.
We also learn more about Kite’s and Gon’s relationship, and… well… I should probably stop talking about Kite. I’ll start crying otherwise.
3 – Heavens Arena Arc
Gon and Killua start to learn Nen here, which is a big step for them. Although this isn’t Killua’s first time in Heaven’s Arena, it’s still just as impressive.
In my opinion, the most memorable point of this arc is the fight between Hisoka and Gon. In the fight, we see Hisoka’s Nen personality test, and he explains how he can tell someone’s Nen type through how a person behaves (this would make me a Conjurer!)
It was satisfying to see Gon’s progress as he finally hands Hisoka’s badge back to him, and also finally lands a punch.
4 – Hunter Exam Arc
The Hunter Exam Arc is the first we see in the series. It starts with Gon on Whale Island, and his journey to set off to become a Hunter.
The exam was fun to watch, especially Trick Tower and Zevil Island. I loved seeing Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tonpa stuck in the room together and having to pass the time. And of course the (somewhat wholesome) moment with Hisoka and Illumi playing cards together.
The buildup to Gon snatching Hisoka’s badge had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I enjoyed seeing Hisoka’s bloodlust in action.
5 – 13th Hunter Chairman Election Arc
I loved seeing more of Illumi and Hisoka’s relationship in this arc, as well as the Zoldyck family and how they work together – which the Zoldyck Family Arc lacked.
We finally got to meet Ging Freecs himself! The build-up was well worth the wait, and it was somewhat… nice… to see the moment Ging and Gon met again, despite the circumstances. That being said, it was great to see Kite again… sort of.
Leorio (Sorry… MISTER Leorio) is back too. He can use Nen now and is a lot stronger, and he demonstrates it by… well. Let’s just say he gave Ging what he deserved.
6 – Greed Island Arc
Gon and Killua enter a video game (Ahem… no spoilers here.), where they must collect different cards to beat the game. Gon joins in hopes of finally meeting his father, Ging.
I love this arc not only because Hisoka and The Phantom Troupe make an appearance, but also because of Bisky! She starts training Gon and Killua in Nen, and they get stronger than ever. This arc has great visuals, character development, and a fast-paced game of dodgeball!
7 – The Succession Contest Arc
This is the current arc in the manga, so it’s a little hard to rank as it’s not complete yet. However, it is a great arc so far! I’ll keep it short, to avoid major spoilers.
We finally get to see the fight between Hisoka and Chrollo, and it is an amazing fight. The Black Whale sets sail to the Dark Continent, with members of the Kakin Royal Family on board. I will admit that it took me a few reads to be familiar with all of the characters, as there are a lot. With all their motives and goals being different… it can be hard to remember who is who.
If you aren’t already aware, there will be a new release of the Hunter x Hunter Manga later this year.
8 – Dark Continent Arc
I see the importance of this arc, as it goes into detail on what the Dark Continent is and its importance. It begins to explore characters we meet later, who I won’t mention to avoid some spoilers. However, it is short and could have been in the same arc as the Succession Contest Arc.
9 – Zoldyck Family Arc
The Zoldyck Family are assassins trained from birth. The arc focuses on Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio making their way to the Zoldyck Estate to find Killua after the Hunter Exam. Despite the name of the arc… you don’t see many of the Zoldycks.
Although we learned a little more about the family history and their training methods, I just wanted… more. There was also no sign of Illumi… and I love Illumi.
