hunter exam crew in Hunter x Hunter (2011)

What’s Next for ‘Hunter x Hunter’?

Hunter x Hunter is one of the best battle shonen anime of all time. As the show tragically ended before the manga’s completion, many fans are wondering about Hunter X Hunter‘s future, along with Dark Continent.

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***Spoilers for Hunter x Hunter ahead***

Here’s the bad news: Unfortunately, Hunter X Hunter has not been renewed for a season 7, and probably never will be. The anime ended on September 24, 2014 after 148 episodes. The show only covers up right to the point where Gon learns about Dark Continent, a dangerous land beyond the Known World, from Ging.

The good news that some fans of the anime might not know is that the story is still ongoing in manga form.

The series’ writer and illustrator Yoshihiro Togashi has long suffered from bad health problems. He experiences back pain almost daily, making it next to impossible for him to draw for extended periods of time. As we’ve brought up before, he’s gone back to work on the manga after a hiatus, with chapter 400 being the latest addition. Who knows how long he’ll be able to keep it up, however.

In a recent interview, Togashi discussed the ending—a number of possible endings, actually—of Hunter X Hunter, revealing his plans to fans in case of serious health complications or his death. This is disheartening for obvious reasons, as the mangaka believes he won’t be around long enough to finish his magnum opus.

In an emotional appearance on TV Asahi’s Iwakura and Yoshizumi Show, Togashi said that he’s not deadset on any singular ending, so he’s plotted out three of them, plus a sort of “fantasy ending” possibility. It sounds like the ideal scenario would be to develop a complex ending that does not have to rely solely on any of these pre-plotted formulas. He also mentioned a few unknown characters we haven’t met yet and said the final chapter will show Gon as fully grown and a powerful hunter.

It’s heartbreaking to know that Togashi has had to plan for his work’s future in this way. Here’s hoping he lives a long and content life.

(featured image: Madhouse and Viz Media)


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Michael Dawson
Michael Dawson (he/they) writes about media criticism, race studies, intersectional feminism, and left-wing politics. He has been working with digital media and writing about pop culture since 2014. He enjoys video games, movies, and TV, and often gets into playful arguments with friends over Shonen anime and RPGs. He has experience writing for The Mary Sue, Cracked.com, Bunny Ears, Static Media, and The Crimson White. His Twitter can be found here: https://twitter.com/8bitStereo