Gon Freecss

Gon Freecss (ゴン=フリークス, Gon Furīkusu) is a Rookie Hunter and the son of Ging Freecss. Finding his father is Gon's motivation in becoming a Hunter.

Appearance
Gon is a young boy with long spiky black green tipped hair and large, hazel brown eyes. His usual outfit is composed of a green jacket with reddish edges covering a black or white tank top underneath, green short shorts, and green, laced boots. In some arcs such as the Greed Island and Chimera Ant arcs he takes off the jacket and wears only the tank top. In the Greed Island arc and at the beginning of the Chimera Ant arc he wears the Paladin's Necklace, a Greed Island card with the ability to purge any external effects to a card the wearer is holding.

Personality


Gon is an athletic, rustic, and friendly boy who is searching for adventure. Also, he is not very good at math. However, having spent a lot of time in the woods as a child, he is very good with animals. Gon is an Enhancer, who are known for being simple-minded and determined. This determination and talent leads to both potential allies and potential enemies trusting in him and taking his side. He has inhuman senses; Gon has a heightened sense of smell almost like a dog's, he also has very good vision, as well as having very keen taste. Gon wants to become a Hunter because he wishes to find out the depths of an occupation that would cause a father to choose the profession over being with his own son.

Simultaneously, his flaws lie in his temper and impulsive nature. Gon sometimes fails to think things through and such actions lead to him suffering. Though possessing talent far beyond the norm for his age, anytime his abilities are challenged, he feels as if he has to prove his antagonist wrong.

He continually strives to obtain greater power, often becoming exceptionally stronger in his anger. But Gon's anger also leads to some extremely reckless tendencies. When his emotions are ignited, Gon becomes irrational and completely oblivious to anything else. While his will is stronger than most and he can be very level-headed, this clear mind can also make him very cold at times. When Gon is cool-headed, it is shown that he can think very creatively and thoughtful to solve a problem. The prime example is in the third stage of the Hunter Exam in which he can think clearly enough under heavy stress to find the way to get through the lock door to the finish line with all his companions by breaking the wall to lead to the finish line in time, which is the feat not even level-headed people like Kurapika or Killua can think of.

Often it is difficult for others to understand or relate Gon's actions or thoughts to what people would consider "normal" thinking, with some believing him to be a little insane. Zepile remarked on how Gon "doesn't care about the good or the bad" when he is curious or amazed. His morality is complex, almost juridical: Gon values life and ethics, but he can dissociate his personal feelings from them. He thanked Binolt, a serial killer, after he helped him get stronger, and, in spite of being aware of how dangerous he is, Gon admires Hisoka for his might. Despite wanting to put a stop to the actions of the Phantom Troupe, Gon never hated them until he discovered they were capable of feeling emotion and empathy. He never judged Killua for his past as an assassin, but he snapped at Illumi when he started to suspect that, rather than Killua killing because he was not taught to value life, his family was forcing him to do so regardless of how he felt about it. Notably, however, he did not even think about warning Agon when the latter was about to cross paths with Hisoka, despite knowing fully well that the encounter would inevitably result in the man's death, all for the sake of obtaining the magician's tag.

When Kite died facing Neferpitou, Gon blamed himself for being too weak and entered a destructive and self-destructive spiral. At the apex of his mental breakdown he was willing to kill Komugi if Neferpitou did not accept his request, and ultimately accepted to give up his own life to kill the Ant.

Gon is extremely confident in his abilities. Sometimes, he does not realize when the opponent is far stronger or even after he knows the opponent is stronger than him; regardless, he will continue to fight. He refuses to accept himself as inferior to any opponent that he disagrees with, including those clearly stronger than him. Togashi initially portrays this as naïveté. Aside from becoming a Hunter and finding his father, Gon desires strength above all else. Gon's greatest insecurity lies in his own weakness and not being able to protect those who are closest to him.

A running gag in the series is that he often has problem with math and numbers. The prime example is he miscalculates the weight of the challenge doors at Zoldyck's estate until Kurapika has to correct him or he misreads the price tag as five hundred, eighty million and Killua has to correct him as five billion, eight hundred million. It is also shown that if someone explains math and calculation too much to him, his head will release steam and eventually explodes like when Knuckle manages to knock him down while explaining about aura calculation.

Background


At the age of twenty, Ging Freecss returned home to Whale Island for the first time in eight years carrying his infant son, Gon. When questioned about the child's mother, Ging simply mentions that the pair had separated. While Ging tries to leave Gon in his grandmother's care for a little while, Ging's cousin Mito is infuriated at Ging's parenting and gets custody through the courts. Ging leaves Whale Island, never to return.



Since his early youth, due to his father's absence and Mito's dislike of Ging, Gon had been told that his parents died in an accident when he was a baby. But at the age of nine, Gon is rescued from an angry mother foxbear by a man named Kite—a professional Hunter and a student of Gon's long lost father. After hitting Gon in the face, Kite attempts to kill the foxbear's cub but Gon protects it. Kite is looking for Ging as a final test before his master will consider him to be a true Hunter. Kite's admiration of Ging awakens in Gon a lifetime goal of meeting his father. In order to find and meet Ging, Gon is driven from that moment to obtain a Hunter License. He cites a desire to know what would cause Ging to choose his profession as a Hunter over being a parent as his motivation for becoming a Hunter.

Growing up, Gon was homeschooled and the only friend his age he had was Noko. The rustic life endowed him with keener senses and higher physical abilities than most. As he told Kite, he managed to bond with the foxbear cub. On the occasions where all-female ships landed on Whale Island, Gon would take them to town and they would teach him "a lot of stuff".

Hunter Exam arc


Gon is first seen fishing on a Whale Island bog for The Master of the Swamp—a fish so enormous that five grown fishermen pulling together could not land it, but Gon succeeds in catching it after a week of work. He made a wager with his aunt Mito Freecss that if he could catch the fish, she would allow him to take part in the Hunter Exam. After getting Mito's consent on his application to the Hunter Exam, Gon proceeds to say a bittersweet farewell to Kon; a Foxbear cub raised by the boy following his first encounter with Kite. Gon tells Kon that he is going to become a Hunter and that he will do things that the animals of the forest will not like. Since Kon is the king of the forest, he can not talk to Gon anymore. Kon walks away from Gon to a gathering of other animals. Gon returns home and speaks to Mito. She asks if Gon always knew his father's trade, and also tells him his father left Gon with her when he was still a baby; Gon replies that being a Hunter must be an important job if family comes second, and that it is time for him to meet his father.



He is then seen preparing to board a ship heading for the Hunter Exam. Everyone in the town comes to say goodbye and wish him luck. Aunt Mito comes and tells him that his father did not abandon him; she made him give up Gon through the courts. Gon says he knew because she never looks at him when she is lying. He gets on the boat and yells back to her that he will return as a great Hunter.

Preliminary Phase
The first night on the boat, there is a huge storm that tosses around most of the would-be Hunters. After the storm, the ship's drunkard of a captain walks around to see only three candidates still able to move (one of them, Gon, is running back and forth trying to take care of the sea-sick). Later on, Gon is standing on the front of the boat where he predicts they will be hit by another storm, but this time it will be three times the size of the previous night. The Captain knows he is correct and not guessing; he sees Ging in Gon. He asks who Gon's father is, which confirms his first impression. The Captain shows Gon how to steer the boat and announces that the next storm is coming and that anyone who wants off should leave.



All but Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio leave. The Captain enquires why they want to be Hunters. Gon answers immediately while the other two do not. Leorio asks why they should tell him when he just steers the ship. The Captain replies that he screens applicants and that it is up to him whether or not they pass. The remaining two tell him. While explaining, Kurapika annoys Leorio to the point where they go out into the storm to fight. When Katzo falls overboard, Gon jumps after him, catching him and narrowly escaping falling into the ocean thanks to Kurapika and Leorio grabbing his ankles in time to pull them both back on board.



When they reach land, the Captain gives them a hint to head to a lone cedar tree outside of the city to find their navigators. Gon decides to go, and Kurapika tags along. Leoriosplits off to take the bus to Zaban City, but rejoins them when he overhears that it is trick to weed out the weak. Later they reach a village that seems to be deserted, but Gon and Kurapika hear sounds of people. Then the whole population of the village comes out to start The Mind-Boggling Two Choice Quiz. The leader of the village asks two questions and all they can say is 1 or 2. A man who had been tailing them walks in and says he will go first. She asks him, "Men have taken your mother and your true love captive. Who do you save?" He chooses 1, the mother, and is allowed to pass. Leorio starts yelling because of the preposterous question. Kurapika tells him to be quiet; he and Gon have figured out the riddle. She asks another impossible question and after the time limit is up, with none of them having said an answer, Leorio tries to attack her. Kurapika blocks it stating they passed since silence was the real answer. He adds that he heard the other man scream, meaning he was attacked. In the meanwhile, Gon keeps agonizing over the riddle until he declares he cannot find an answer. To Kurapika and Leorio, whoare content with passing the test, he replies that the day may come when he really has to choose.



After a few hours, the trio reaches a house and finds the navigator couple being attacked by a Kiriko, a Magical Beast called a Kiriko. When the beast takes off with the lady, Gon and Kurapika launch themselves in pursuit while Leorio stays behind to take care of the man. Gon is amazed to find out that the Kiriko can talk. He pulls ahead of Kurapika, closes in on the Kiriko, and bashes him in the head. The Kiriko drops the wife, who is caught by Kurapika. Gon continues to pursue it, until it confronts him into a clearing. Gon merely greets it and asks where the one he hit went to. It is revealed that the two Kiriko and the couple are a family and the Navigators, and Gon was the first human in years capable of telling the wife apart from the husband. The Kiriko fly the three to the Hunter Exam site.



The next day, they arrive in Zaban City. They initially assume a majestic building is the exam hall, but a disguised Kiriko takes them to a small restaurant. The disguised Magical Beast orders a specific meal, then the cook sits them in a room and delivers the meal. The room is actually an elevator that starts to drop. As they make their way down, Kurapika and Leorio try to find out whether Gon is taking the test for gain or for justice, but he is unable to answer before the doors of the elevator open. They are immediately greeted by Tonpa, who introduces himself as a friend trying to help Gon. Then he introduces some of the other regulars, such as Bourbon the Snake Charmer, Todo the Wrestler, the Amori Brothers, Cherry, and Geretta the Huntsman. While doing the introductions they hear a bloodcurdling scream, and they look to see a man missing his arms courtesy of Hisoka the Magician who maimed him only because he bumped into him. Tonpa then offers Gon and the other two some juice. Gon, being the first to taste it, spits it out out saying it tastes funny, leading Kurapika and Leorio to dump theirs on the ground. Afterwards, Tonpa makes a hasty apology.

First Phase


Satotz, the examiner of the First Phase, begins the 287th Hunter Exam with a multi-marathon run through the underground tunnel. A boy on a skateboard notices Gon and introduces himself as Killua; the pair spends the majority of the First Phase getting to know each other. Gon notices Leorio faltering around the 60km mark. He stops and silently waits until Leorio gets his second wind, the man dropping his briefcase in the process. Gon uses his fishing pole to grab Leorio's attaché and carries it. After running for 80km they come to a set of stairs and start climbing, while Satotz starts to pick up the pace. Gon discusses his reasons for wanting to become a professional Hunter with Killua until the pair reach the exit of the tunnel in first place.

The First Phase continues outside, with the examinees being required to follow Satotz through the mysterious Numere Wetlands in a thick fog. Gon is warned by Killua to stay close to Satotz, as he can sense that Hisoka will use the cover of the mist to satiate his bloodlust. The boys continue ahead but Gon turns around after hearing Leorio scream. Gon then saves Leorio from Hisoka, who had been murdering applicants in an attempt to "play proctor". Gon pursues Hisoka to no avail, silently attacking until he has caught and choked. However, Hisoka takes an interest in Gon and spares the lives of him and his friends.



While Hisoka carries Leorio to the destination of the Second Phase, Gon and Kurapika follow behind him at a distance. Gon mentions that he was afraid of Hisoka and wanted to run away, but he could not, and simultaneously excited at the same time. Having the experience of mortal fear for the first time in his entire life, Gon cannot control his growing curiosity.

Second Phase


The Second Phase of the Hunter Exam takes place in the Visca Forest Reserve, where the examinees meet Gourmet Hunters (and proctors) Menchi and Buhara—who have split the Phase into two tests. Buhara's test is to find the world's most dangerous pig and to roast it. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio comb through the forest reserve and find a drift of Great Stamp. Amidst his battle with one of the boar, Gon again takes notice of how situations that threaten his life also give him a rush. However, he also realizes that he needs bigger thrills. Gon and his friends complete the task easily along with seventy other applicants.

Menchi's test ends up baffling nearly all of the applicants after she tells them to make sushi for her test. Due to being a traditional dish of Jappon (a slight alteration of the name Japan for those who don't know the origin of sushi), only Hanzo ends up knowing what it is (yet Menchi still fails him). Gon is clueless to a solution until it is revealed to all of the examinees, but to no avail. Menchi overreacts to the applicants' dismissive comments about Gourmet Hunters and fails the entire group as a result—forcing Netero, chairman over the Hunter Association, to intervene. The test is taken to Split Mountain, where examinees hunt for Spider Eagle eggs. Forty-two applicants pass the Second Phase.

A Game at Midnight


The forty-two remaining examinees board the Selection Committee's airship at the end of the day, where Beans explains that the next phase of the exam will begin at 8:00 A.M in the morning. As everyone rests up for tomorrow, Gon and Killua spend their time getting to know each other. Killua tells Gon about how he has run away from home in order to escape his overbearing family of assassins until being interrupted by Netero, who offers to immediately issue the boys Hunter Licenses if they can grab a ball from him. The two give it their best efforts individually with no progress made until they attack Netero together; though they come seemingly close to succeeding, Netero shatters their hopes by proving the game impossible to win after revealing that he has not used two of his limbs at all. Killua gets frustrated, quits, and then murders two applicants after the game out of frustration. Gon, however, continues to play until he forces Netero to use his right hand through a near-suicide tactic. When he succeeds in doing so, Gon passes out in exhaustion.

Third Phase
The next morning, the Hunter Association's airship arrives at the top of Trick Tower, a prison filled with traps in order to prevent its inmates from escaping. Beans inform the 40 remaining applicants that the objective of the Third Phase is to reach the bottom of the tower alive within 72 hours. Gon and Killua survey the area and discover there to be trapdoors embedded within the floor. They report their findings to Kurapika and Leorio and each goes through a trapdoor, coincidentally all landing in the same room. The four learn that they have inadvertently selected The Path of Majority Rules; Lippo, one of three proctors over the Third Phase, explains that the group is required to proceed through the tower based upon the decision belonging to the majority. However, the group is forced to team up with Tonpa after he slips through the ceiling.



After a couple hours of walking, the group comes to an arena over a seemingly bottomless pit. Their first challenge is to win 3 out of 5 competitive matches, using any type of method, against convicts sentenced to life imprisonment. Tonpa purposefully fails the first match and proves to be untrustworthy. Gon faces the next prisoner, a serial bomber by the name of Sedokan, in a match to see whose candle can burn the longest. Sedokan presents Gon the choice of one of the candles, one short and one long, in a desperate choice. Gon selects the long candle, but it is later revealed that Sedokan had rigged the game for the boy to fail. Using his wits, Gon wins his match and is the first to attain victory on his team.



Kurapika manages to win his trial as well, facing off against a Phantom Troupe imposter in a death match. Leorio, pitted against a prisoner in a gambling match, loses both the round and fifty hours of their time as well. Although Killua is victorious in the fifth round, the team is forced to wait for fifty hours inside of a room due to Leorio's loss. With only nine hours remaining in the Trick Tower, the team works together until they reach a crossroad that happens to be their final test on the Path of Majority Rules. After some bickering, Gon comes up with a clever solution that allows all five to successfully pass the Third Phase of the Hunter Exam.

Fourth Phase


The fourth phase is a manhunt on Zevil Island, wherein the 25 remaining competitors being required to target and acquire their prey's number badge. Gon draws Hisoka and is thrilled by the hunt. Upon arrival, Gon struggles to come up with a way to acquire Hisoka's badge until he observes a hunt for the first time (as Pokkle does so in front of him). Thus, Gon spends an entire day and his next morning learning how to hunt through attempting to reel in live prey using his fishing rod. Gon realizes that hunting requires waiting to strike as your prey attacks his own target; he chooses this method to attempt to steal Hisoka's badge. With his training completed, Gon thereafter utilizes Hemotropic Butterflies (a type of butterfly attracted to the scent of blood) to stalk Hisoka. Gon finds the man, naturally silences his presence by slowing his heart rate and stopping his breathing, and lies in wait.

Gon waits until Goz, another applicant, accosts Hisoka for a fight in front of him. He sees it as his chance to put his new skills into practice, but Hisoka refuses to fight the suicidal warrior. Gittarackur suddenly intervenes and kills Goz, his target. Gon watches as Hisoka and Gittarackur have a conversation as if they were friends, the new party giving the magician a badge he took from another applicant.



Night falls and Hisoka resumes stalking for prey, eventually spotting Kurapika and Leorio from a distance; he chooses to pursue them. Gon follows behind Hisoka and realizes that his two new friends are being targeted. Conflicted, Gon initially decides to stick with his plan until he realizes that it would also mean sacrificing his friends, thereafter resolving to help them if the situation took a turn for the worst. The duo manages to negotiate their way out of any danger from Hisoka and Gon continues to watch him. Hisoka's bloodlust flares overnight and shoots a terrible fear through Gon. It is the first time he ever feels such an ominous aura.

The next day, Gon manages to get Hisoka's numbered plate and is temporarily paralyzed when shot by Geretta with a blow dart coated in a muscle relaxant. Hisoka then kills Geretta, but gives Gon back his plate and then his own. Gon manages to stand to his feet and refuses Hisoka's charity, insisting the magician takes back his plate. The former refuses, punching the latter and declaring that he will not take his badge back until he can retaliate. Gon spends the night quietly seething over the violation to his pride.



During the Fourth Phase's final day, Gon finds Leorio and Kurapika and chooses to help Leorio to acquire his target's badge from Ponzu. He is confronted by Kurapika after the phase ends. Gon confesses what happened to him and expresses the humiliation and frustration he feels from losing, shedding tears. Kurapika lifts his spirits as the two head towards the Hunter Exam's Final Phase.

Final Phase


The final phase was a tournament with each of the participants. After being selected by the judges as being the most exceptional applicants, Hanzo and Gon face off first. Gon is outmatched when it comes to combat, but his unwillingness to submit causes Hanzo to forfeit the battle—making Gon the first applicant to pass the 287th Hunter Exam. At first, Gon refuses to accept the win, insisting that the two of them (he and Hanzo) can figure out a way to have a proper match. Hanzo, annoyed, knocks Gon out and the boy does not awake until the Exam has ended. Satotz fills in the details and explains to Gon that only two people did not pass the exam—Bodoro and Killua. It is revealed that Gittarackur is actually an alias for Killua's older brother, Illumi. Killua was manipulated into murdering another contestant and subsequently failed the exam. Gon, enraged, confronts Illumi, breaking the assassin's wrist in the process, and gets Killua's address. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio all then depart to Killua's home on Kukuroo Mountain.

Zoldyck Family arc


Along with Kurapika and Leorio, Gon heads to Killua's house on Kukuroo Mountain in order to bring him back. After reaching the Zoldyck estate, the trio is blocked by the a gate requiring 4 tons of force to open. Gon attempts to reason with a Zoldyck butler named Gotoh but reaches an impasse, the latter adamantly opposed to his entry. Gon then tries to break into the estate on an impulse until he is calmed down by Zebro, the gatekeeper. Zebro introduces the trio to Mike—the trained Zoldyck attack dog—putting a great fear into Gon.

Zebro takes the trio back to his quarters near Kukuroo Mountain and allows them to weight train under him for two weeks, in order to gain the strength to open the Testing Gate themselves. They then proceed toward the mountain and are again blocked—this time, by a butler's apprentice named Canary. Ordered never to let anyone pass, she expels intruders through force. Gon spends the day walking toward her and, consequently, getting walloped by her. His tenacity touches Canary, who wavers and leads the trio to the butlers' quarters in order to meet with Killua.

While the trio waits for Killua to arrive, Gotoh, infuriated by the audacity of Gon to try and remove Killua from his family, threatens the lives of the trio and Canary under the guise of a game. Thanks to some quick thinking and sharp eyesight, Gon is victorious and earns Gotoh's approval. Killua arrives and the reunited four depart from the Republic of Padokea.



As the four head to the nearest airport, the four discuss their plans now that the Hunter Exam has ended. Gon, still angry about his humiliation in the Fourth Phase, wishes to find Hisoka, punch him in the face, and return the badge he was given. Kurapika plans to go to Yorknew City on September 1st for the Southernpiece Auction due to a tip he received from Hisoka regarding the Phantom Troupe. Leorio informs the group of his immediate plans to study for his medical school exams. The four vow to reunite in Yorknew City in September and the elder two depart.

Heaven's Arena arc


With Killua as his sole companion, Gon is at a loss as to how to accomplish his immediate goal. By drawing a line on the ground, Killua shows him the overwhelming power gap between him, Hisoka and Hanzo, later adding himself at Gon's request. He adds that Gon cannot beat Hisoka by training for a mere six months, which Gon agrees with. Killua suggests training their combat skills and earning money at the Heaven's Arena. They spend the last of their money to fly to the city where the building is. Following Killua's suggestion, Gon writes in his form that he has 10 years' worth of combat experience. Gon is awed by the various matches, and also by the revelation that Killua had already been there and it had taken him two years to reach the 200th floor. Gon is called for his match, and Killua tells him to just push the opponent. Although Gon has never really fought before, he finds that his strength has increased considerably after training at Kukuroo Mountain, and he effortlessly pushes his adversary out of bounds, earning the right to go to the 50th floor.



Gon and Killua meet a boy named Zushi, the young student of Shingen-ryū kung fu and the disciple of Wing. Gon and Zushi are baffled by the prizes awarded at higher floors, and also by Killua having managed to squander the money he won in the past in snacks. Killua and Zushi are called to compete against each other. Gon wins his own match without problems and waits for his friend. Killua explains his belatedness as Zushi being in the possession of a mysterious secret technique whose ominous vibrations reminded him of his brother. The technique, which his teacher called "Ren", made him more resilient against his attacks, which should have knocked him out. He then states he wants to go all the way to the top floor, which was Gon's intention from the start.



The two win four more matches and earn the right to a room, having reached the 100th floor. Killua warns Gon that the caliber of their opponents will increase, but Gon effortlessly makes it to the 150th floor. After cashing in his prize, Gon brings up Zushi and Ren, and suggests asking the former about the technique. His explanation, however, is unintelligible to them. When Wing shows up, Killua convinces him to explain it to them. The four relocate to his hotel room. He proceeds to illustrate the Nen of the Flame to them. He first calmly states he will kill Killua, then repeats his utterance after performing the four steps, which causes Killua to leap away and Gon to shiver with fear. The two leave, but Killua tells Gon that Wing lied to them, and that no mental technique could have allowed Zushi to survive a strike that should have been lethal.



When they reach the 200th floor, they find themselves unable to walk down the hallway to registration, as an intense bloodlust stops them in their tracks. Gon wonders if the responsible is the floor's clerk, until Hisoka reveals himself. He explains he tracked them through the internet and warns them they are not ready for the 200th floor. He waves his hand, and they are again struck with dread, unable to advance. Wing tells them that they cannot overcome his Nen through effort alone without dying and decides to train them. Gon asks the clerk what will happen if they are not back by midnight, which in his case would result in starting over on the first floor, whereas in Killua's in a permanent ban. Back in Wing's hotel room, he demonstrates a non-hostile Ren, which they manage to sense faintly. After he teaches them about the true Nen — a skill utilizing the technician's life energy for combat - they are shocked to see him crack a wall just by laying his hand on it.



Wing then proposes to forcefully open their Aura Nodes through an injection of Hatsu, specifying it is a dangerous method. Gon, however, is confident they can rely on him. He removes his jacket as instructed and can feel Wing's aura as a hot force pushing against him. When Wing jolts his and Killua's Aura Nodes open, they see their aura gushing out, which a shocked Gon likens to steam from a kettle. They follow Wing's instructions and quickly learn to contain their aura via Ten, causing Wing to recognize their immense talent. He tests them by sending a wave of his Ren, and, when they manage to walk against it, they return to the 200th floor registration. They make it across Hisoka's own Nen barrier. Gon confirms that he has come to the Heaven's Arena to train to defeat the magician, who states he is not ready to face him yet. He agrees to duel Gon if he can win a match on the 200th floor. As he leaves, Gon and Killua are greeted by Riehlvelt, Sadaso, and Gido.



After clerk excitedly explains them the rules of that floor and above, their lack of response to her enthusiasm irritating her, Gon decides to register for a match right away. Killua warns him that the three fighters from before are trying to find out when he wants to fight, and he lets them choose. The pair walk to their rooms, where they find out Gon will fight the following day, March 11th. Gon is thrilled at the prospect of fighting, and although he does not expect to win, he is ecstatic he can train his new power. The following afternoon, he faces off against Gido, who surrounds him with spinning tops enhanced with aura. They bonce off against one another and hit him in the back, which to the boy feels as though someone had struck him with a sledgehammer.



After taking several hits, Gon closes his eyes and tries to sense them by their aura, but this causes his Ten to fade. Another top strikes him and he bounces off the ring. From a top that spins harmlessly next to him and the referee's unwillingness to step on the ring, Gon deduces the tops are not targeting him specifically, but, like "sumo tops", simply ram into anything nearby. He rushes Gido, and attempts to kick him, but his opponent starts spinning and sends him crashing into a wall. One point short of losing, Gon goes over his options. He decides to deactivate Ten and focus his senses on the tops completely, ignoring Killua's protests. Without his awareness, he has entered a state of Zetsu, one of the Four Major Principles he naturally learned during the fourth phase of the Hunter Exam. with his eyes closed, he finally manages to avoid the tops. Gon keeps it up for over an hour, even when the ring is filled with 50 tops. At one point, however, he finds himself completely surrounded. A top hits him, breaking his arm and a few ribs. Even in those dire circumstances, he feels electrified from the risk.



Back in his room, he apologizes to Killua, who scolds him for his carelessness, and to Wing. The teacher slaps him, appalled by his actions but ultimately relieved he survived. Gon apologizes again, but Wing forbids him to study Nen or fight for two months, the supposed time of his convalescence (which Killua halved). Gon promises to respect his prohibition, and ties a string around his little finger. When Killua and Wing leaves the room, Gon performs the Ten of the Flame, meditating on Ging's abandonment and Kite's revelation that he is still alive. One month later, Gon has already made a full recovery, much to Killua's astonishment. Killua shows him the tickets for one of Hisoka's matches. He reveals to Gon that he never lost whenever he fought, that he only ever lost 4 points, and that he is considered to be on par with the Floor Masters. Gon proclaims he is worried, but his expression betrays his excitement. Just as he wonders if Wing will let him spectate the match, the teacher appears behind him, forbidding him to go. To himself, he notes that the Ten of the Flame has made Gon's and Killua's aura flows tranquil and smooth. Killua laments wasting his money on Gon's ticket, causing the boy to silently remark he is a millionaire. Back in his room, Gon, swallowing the temptation, turns off the TV.



At the end of the month, Wing allows Gon and Killua to train along with Zushi. Gon admits that it was hard to keep his promise, but looking at the string calmed him. He is taken aback by the teacher's joke that it was due to his Nen. Asked to use Ten, Gon worries that he may have forgotten how. His fear, however, is unfounded, as his flow is smoother and more powerful than before, which is due to his meditation exercises. Looking at the string, he notices it is broken and that there are markings on it. Wing authorizes Gon to watch the tape of Hisoka's match. The three students are unable to see the strands of aura attached to his arm. Wing instructs Gon and Killua to practice their Ren until they can see through Hisoka's In, and has Zushi demonstrate Gyo, whose power impresses Gon. Wing tells Gon and Killua to register for a fight on the last available day so they can practice Gyo. On their way to their rooms, the three disciples feel Gido's, Riehlvelt's and Sadaso's aura. The three insist on fighting them to score easy victories. When Sadaso demonstrates his Hatsu ability, Gon tells him he cannot fight before June 10th. When Sadaso objects that his own deadline is May 29th, Killua retorts they do not care and the three leave, but not before Sadaso ominously assures Gon the two of them will fight.



They train their Ren in Killua's room, with Gon commenting his and Killua's are not as powerful as Zushi's. Later that evening, Gido blackmails Gon into fighting them by telling him they have kidnapped Zushi, leaving one of the boy's shoes in front of his door as proof. Gon registers for the fights. The following day, he manages to see Hisoka's aura, but fails to figure out its properties. From Killua's request to fight on May 29th, Gon surmises he was blackmailed too. After the lecture, he states he does not mind losing on purpose, but is concerned the rookie crushers may threaten Zushi again. Killua tells him not to worry.



He scares Sadaso into withdrawing, giving Gon and himself one win by default, and Gido and Riehlvelt into playing by the rules. Training resumes as normal until the day of the match, when Gon tells Wing he intends to use his fishing rod. He charges at Gido as soon as the match begins, but his opponent starts spinning right off the bat. He launches his tops at Gon with Shotgun Blues, who, to inflict greater psychological damage, obliterates them with Ren instead of swatting them down. He tries to hook Gido with the fishing rod, and, when this fails, flips over the floor tile he is spinning on. Gon is immediately on Gido and snaps his peg leg with a punch, admonishing his opponent that the next time he threatens Zushi he will hit him in the face. Gon is declared the victor of the match.



He later congratulates Killua on his victory against Riehlvelt, stating he came up with a plan to counter the electric whips. He faces off against Riehlvelt bare-handed, who pulls out his whips from the start. Gon hurls a floor tile at him, leaving him a way out so he can jump him right after he propels himself with Aura Boost. He breaks both of his wrists and ties the two whips around his opponent's neck, then pretends to turn them up to max and switch them on. Riehlvelt faints from fright. As Gon walks out of the arena, victorious, Hisoka tells him to choose the date and place of their duel. Wing introduces his three students to Hatsu. Through water divination, Gon is revealed to be an Enhancer. He phones Hisoka and they schedule their fight for July 10th at the Heaven's Arena. After one month of practicing Hatsu, Gon's improvement is such that Wing asserts he passed the secret Hunter Exam, which requires Hunter to know Nen. Gon enquires about the progress of the examinees who passed along with him, and Wing tells him.



On the day of the match, Gon fearlessly rushes at Hisoka, who however repels all his attacks without moving from his spot. He loses one point to Hisoka's feint, which prompts him to flip a floor tile in front of Hisoka and shatter it with a kick, sending the pieces flying at him. While Hisoka deflects them, Gon slips in his blind spot and punches him in the face, earning two points. The two contenders pause long enough for Gon to return Hisoka his badge. As they take their stances again, Hisoka asks Gon how much he learned about Nen. He deduces that Gon is an Enhancer and details his personality test, which Gon finds accurate. The magician dashes at him and pummels him one-sidedly, with Gon's eyes managing to keep track of him, but his body failing to react in time. He keeps his distance while trying to come up with a plan, until he uses Gyo and sees that Hisoka has attached his Bungee Gum to his cheek. The magician pulls him within range and lands a heavy punch on him.



The score being 6-2 for Hisoka, Gon stands up with some difficulty. Hisoka offers to let him get a free hit if he can tell him when he attached his Bungee Gum, giving him three options. Gon goes with the third, only to be feel cheated when Hisoka reveals it was a fourth one: during the explanation of the personality test. Gon regrets not using Gyo earlier, but Hisoka makes him understand he had no way of avoiding his ability. Since he cannot keep his distance, Gon runs towards Hisoka. His courage, determination and initiative cause Hisoka to unleash his lustful killing intent. Shivering but pushing through it, Gon strikes him repeatedly while Hisoka struggles to prevent himself from killing him, until he is yanked towards Hisoka's fist again. He manages to block the second punch, but the referee counts it as a critical hit. Gon complains, to no avail. Hisoka warns him he will attack from the right. As the boy turns, he contracts the Bungee Gum he attached to a piece of stone while Gon was complaining, hitting him on his left cheek. Hisoka wins by TKO and says that the next time the two fight, their match will be to the death. Acknowledging he is still much weaker than the magician, Gon resolves to become stronger. Having reached their goals, Gon and Killua leave the Heaven's Arena and head for Whale Island.

Yorknew City arc


Gon and Killua's arrival takes Mito by surprise, and she rapidly takes charge. As they eat, Gon tells her all about the exam and panics when she tries to break his Hunter license. He then takes Killua around the island, discovering that his Foxbear friend left him fish as a "welcome home" present. While they gaze at the stars, Gon tells Killua he was his first friend and invites him to travel together until he finds a goal. When Killua asks him about his mother, Gon replies his "real" mother is Mito. They go back to prepare for the night, and Mito gives Gon a box left by Ging. She tells him about her childhood with Ging, whom Gon decides to call by name. The next day, Gon and Killua try to open the box. Force does not work, but as soon as Gon, at Killua's suggestion, uses Nen, the box breaks open, revealing markings similar to those on the promise string Wing gave him. Inside is another box, which Gon opens with his license. They find a cassette, a ring with the same markings, and a memory card. They decide to listen to the cassette first, from which Ging's voice comes out, asking Gon if he wants to see him.



Ging, however, states he is ashamed to face Gon, having abandoned him for his own sake, and urges him to find him. Gon stops the cassette before Ging can tell him anything about his mother, believing it would give him no hints and reaffirming that his only mother is Mito. Despite his and Killua's best efforts, the message on the cassette is erased with Nen left by Ging. Killua speculates it is so they cannot use his voice to track him down. They examine the memory card, which Killua recognizes as belonging to a JoyStation game, Greed Island. Not having ever played video games before, Gon is dependent on Killua for assistance. The game turns out to be extremely rare, insanely expensive, and for Hunters only. They realize their combined funds are nowhere near enough to buy a copy, and they cannot trust online announcements. Killua asks his brother Milluki for help, whom Gon initially believes to be Illumi. In exchange for the memory card, they learn that clues can be found on the Hunter Website and that multiple copies of the games will be auctioned in Yorknew. Killua stops Gon before he can access the site from his home computer.



The two head to a bar, where they log in the Hunter Website. After paying a fee, they learn the game was made by Nen users for Nen users, who are transported elsewhere when they start playing, and that 14 copies of the game will be auctioned in Yorknew. The starting price is even higher than what they previously read, so Gon suggests attending the auction as sellers. They try to raise money to buy precious loot, but disagreements lead them to turn it into a competition. By August 31st, Gon has raised more money than Killua. They head to Yorknew, where, after wandering the markets for a while, Gon and Killua meet Leorio, who haggles to buy them phones. He enquires if they have already learned Nen, claiming he has. On September 1st, unable to even afford the entrance fee to the auction house, Gon and Leorio look online for answers. Leorio comes up with an idea: have people pay to challenge Gon in arm-wrestling so they can win a diamond as a prize. Gon easily defeats several of them until Shizuku competes. Albeit with extreme difficulty, he manages to win. Dumbfounded, Gon and Killua wonder about her identity. That night, Gon reveals Leorio can only use Ten.



The following day Gon defeats a few more challengers, but their number has already decreased as rumors spread, even though he is still far from acquiring the necessary sum. Impressed with the rumors, people from the underworld approach them. Due to Gon's arm being too short, Leorio competes in his place and defeats the opponent. They are sent to a conditional auction where money is offered in return for capturing members of a group of thieves, which Killua realizes to be the Phantom Troupe. Gon calls Kurapika, who is late to their meeting, but the latter does not pick up. Despite Killua warning him of the strength of the gang, Gon decides to hunt them. The three split up, but fail to spot any Spider. Killua believes Kurapika does not want their help. Gon asserts that he will help them when they really need it, and he will call them when he needs them. Gon comes up with the idea of offering a sizeable reward in return for information about the Spiders' hideout, stating that if they can capture even one of them, the others will follow. He pawns his license to raise the necessary amount.

On September 3rd, the three head to the Southernpiece Auction House to buy its catalog as well as an admission ticket. They post an ad online, offering 15,000,000 as a reward for information on the Spiders, taking care to avoid false and incorrect reports. On their way to the hotel, they walk through a silent auction where Gon spots a valuable knife with Gyo. Realizing other geniuses may have left their aura in their masterpieces, the two boys begin to look for any such items. They soon discover someone else is using a similar method to them. They manage to secure three items, losing one to him. They take them to the Southernpiece Auction House, but they are told the catalogs of all auction houses in the city are likely to be complete for the year. They are recommended to sell them in a dealer's market, so they try to find out the items' actual worth. The specialist they turn to is sincere in his appraisal of the lithograph and the handmade doll, but lies about the worth of the statue. Zepile prevents Gon and Killua from being swindled, claiming the statue is likely a vault for treasure.



In return for his help, they treat him to lunch They start to exchange information by asking one question each, with Gon and Killua explaining they only picked objects that had aura around them, and that Gon wants to get a copy of Greed Island because it might contain clues as to where he can find his father. Zepile reveals he made the vase they two boys were bidding on when he was working as a counterfeiter and, impressed with them and smitten with Gon complimenting his craftsmanship skills, offers them his services. He opens the wooden vault and the three take the treasure to an auction preview, where, in order to lower the price, some interested parties list ways in which the contents of the vault may have been forged. Despite Zepile's intervention, customers hesitate. Curious, Gon asks him what doctoring methods exists, and he explains cauterization, autopsy and ostomy. They are contacted by Leorio, who has received a real tip on the Spiders. Gon and Killua run off, leaving Zepile in charge of the auction.



They meet up with Leorio and the three head to the bar where Nobunaga and Machi were spotted. Killua determines they are too powerful for them to take on and realizes they want to lure someone out. The increase in tension between the Spiders causes Gon, Killua and Leorio to tense up. When the two prepare to leave, Gon insists on carrying on with the plan. Killua agrees to track them with Zetsu on the condition they fall back at the first sign of danger. He asks Gon if he has any shadowing experience, and he replies he followed Hisoka during the Hunter Exam, which earns him a punch from Killua. Although the two Spiders can sense them, they cannot determine their position. When the two stop in the middle of a courtyard, Gon and Killua hide in the adjoining abandoned building. When Nobunaga glances in Killua's direction, the two attempt to escape, but find two other Spiders blocking their way. Gon runs into Pakunoda before Machi jumps into the room through the window.



The two Spiders ask him if he knows the "Chain Dude", whom Gon does not recognize as Kurapika. When Pakunoda's phone rings, he tries to bolt away, but is promptly stopped by Machi. Pakunoda tells him that Killua surrendered, and the two are taken to the Spiders' hideout, where Gon spots Hisoka. Killua manages to pass off his surprised reaction as being aimed at Shizuku, who arm-wrestled him for the diamond. Impressed that Gon defeated her, Nobunaga challenges him at the same game. He effortlessly beats him several times, but when he begins to cry while talking about Uvogin, Gon snaps and activates his Nen, furious that the Spiders do not extend their feelings to the people they kill, and defeats him. Feitan restrains the defiant boy, but is prevented from torturing him by Nobunaga, who invites Gon to join the Phantom Troupe. The boy refuses. Although the other Spiders are favorable to letting them go, Nobunaga decides to keep them around until Chrollo's return to nominate Gon as Uvogin's replacement. Gon and Killua are locked in a room, with Nobunaga guarding the only entrance.



Gon stops Killua when his friend offers to lay down his life so Gon can escape. The two bicker until Gon remembers the third doctoring trick, ostomy. They prepare for combat, but, instead of engaging Nobunaga, they each kick a hole in a lateral wall. Gon keeps smashing them until he manages to trick Nobunaga and get out in the hallway, from where he calls out to Killua so the two of them together can defeat Nobunaga. Killua however convinces him to use Zetsu and escape, since they have no way of beating him. As they run away, Gon is relieved that Killua has gone back to his careful self. He is surprised to hear that the "Chain Dude" is probably Kurapika, and decides to contact him to refine his Nen and defeat the Spiders. Kurapika is initially reticent to help them, but when Gon relays his shock at seeing Nobunaga cry, he promises to call them back. Gon and Killua go back to their place, where they find Leorio and Zepile drinking. They tell them about their capture and Kurapika's actions. Not much later, Gon receives a call from Kurapika, who tells him the Spiders are dead.



The following day, Gon and Killua have an ice cream eating contest while waiting for Kurapika. When he arrives, Gon happily tells him he can finally focus on retrieving the eyes of his brethren, before being sucked into a fight with Killua. After selling the wooden vault, Leorio reaches them. Gon and Leorio question him about Nen, and Kurapika explains he used a Vow and a Limitation to restrict his target to the Phantom Troupe alone lest he die. Killua, fearing the surviving Spiders might learn about Kurapika's identity and restriction through Pakunoda, insists on going after them. Just as they agree to remove her, Hisoka texts Kurapika the Spiders' corpses were fake. Gon convinces Killua to keep hunting the Phantom Troupe even if the Mafia cancelled the reward, saying he has a plan for Greed Island. Gon's determination sways Kurapika, who accepts his friends' help. He plans to chain Pakunoda and take her away by car, for which he will need Gon to distract the Spiders for, ideally, one whole second. Thinking back about how Machi stopped him, he wonders if he can do it. He then asks Kurapika to use Judgment Chain on him. Kurapika explains his abilities to him out of appreciation for his dedication, but refuses to use Judgment Chain on any of them. Gon states the pressure of letting down a friend is worse than risking his life.



While Killua tails six of them, Gon is in a car with Kurapika and Leorio. He is told that Pakunoda is in the group, as well as Nobunaga. They wait for them at a station, but before Gon can divert their attention, the Spiders start running towards the Hotel Beitacle. Gon and Kurapika chase after them, but are sensed by Chrollo, who stops with Machi and Shizuku. The pursuers hide in time to avoid recognition. Seeing Killua behind Kurapika, Gon comes out to prevent them from fighting Kurapika, with Killua playing the part of the second pursuer, pretending not to know the Mafia had cancelled the reward. They are restrained by Machi and taken to the hotel, but not before Gon calmly asks Chrollo how he can kill people with no connection to him, only to receive an incomprehensible reply. Gon worries that although he has told Kurapika his planned distraction, he will be unable to go through with it, since he does not know when Gon will act and where he and Killua are being taken. While he tries to think of a way to communicate with him, he sees Leorio, who tells him the planned time through a coded message by passing himself off as someone yelling at his underling on the phone.



Three minutes before execution, Nobunaga, Pakunoda, and Kortopi arrive at the hotel. Following Killua's example, Gon closes his eyes and tries to stall Pakunoda. She manages to read their memories one instant before the lights go off. Gon kicks Pakunoda but fails to free himself, and is subsequently caught by Nobunaga. When the lights return, the Spiders find out that Chrollo is missing. Kurapika leaves them a message warning Pakunoda not to share what she discovered. Gon and Killua are taken to the Phantom Troupe's hideout and chained. When Phinks and Feitan nearly fight Machi, Kortopi, and Pakunoda, Gon declares they are following Kurapika's instructions only because they want Chrollo back. Phinks' accusation that he is lying to be saved enrages Gon, who breaks free from his restraints. He states Kurapika would not violate the terms he set out of anger. Pakunoda is allowed to take Gon and Killua to Lingon Airport. On the way there, Pakunoda asks them why they don't run away from her, since she is injured, but Gon replies that they do not want Kurapika to become a murderer. When they are about to board a blimp, Hisoka appears and threatens to kill Gon and Killua if he does not get to fight Chrollo. Kurapika allows him to get on board as well, and the hostage exchange is carried out. As they head back, Gon is saddened to hear that Kurapika's quest against the Phantom Troupe is not over yet.

Greed Island arc


On September 6th, Gon hopes Kurapika's fever won't go down for a while, so he will not go after the remaining Spiders. Unlike Killua, he is convinced that revenge is no longer Kurapika's objective. He tells his friend his plan to be hired by Battera as players instead of trying to purchase the game, which Killua reckons to be likely to succeed. They head to the Southernpiece Auction House, where they meet Phinks and Feitan. Phinks cuts their retreat and announces they are not pursuing Kurapika, since his Nen may become stronger after his death and become too much for Chrollo to bear. Gon enquires about Pakunoda, learning, to his displeasure, she has died. Phinks tells him she was thankful to him and Killua. When the auction begins, Gon discovers the cartridges were sold not by Ging, but by a Hunter named Jeitsari. He accidentally doubles a bid on the game, but luckily Battera outbids him. Gon and Killua later approach him, claiming to be Hunters and offering to play the game for him. They are initially not believed, but Battera agrees to have Tsezguerra assess them informally when Gon reveals he owns a save file of the game and the ring. At Tsezguerra's request, the boys perform Ren; however, their prowess is deemed insufficient.



Gon lashes at Tsezguerra, and the two vow to pass his tryouts on September 10th. Instead of working on their Ten and Ren as usual, Killua suggests using the four days at their disposal to create a Hatsu ability. Gon, however, does not know where to begin. When Kurapika recovers, he tries to convince him to stay in Yorknew a while longer, to no avail. He asks him to be his teacher, but Kurapika declines and recommends Gon call his master. Wing insists that Gon not create a slapdash ability, but that he show Tsezguerra every technique he has learned at the same time. The apparent irreconcilability of Ren and Zetsu has him despair at first, until he remembers he can use Gyo to focus his aura in one spot and shut it off everywhere else. Gon practices a sequence of Ten, Gyo and Zetsu to concentrate all his aura in his fist before increasing it with Ren. While he trains, Zepile raises enough money for him to buy back his license. On the day of the interviews, Gon waits calmly in his seat until his turn. He passes after Killua, showing Tsezguerra his Ko and hitting the wall with it at his request. Both boys pass the selection and, after having Leorio look at the contract, ride a train to Battera's castle. The newly hired players have a rock-paper-scissors tournament to decide the order of entrance, and Gon goes first, accessing the game with the save file left by Ging.



He meets Eta, who plays a message left by Ging for him saying the game contains no clues and that he simply wanted to show it to him. She then explains the mechanics of the game to him. As soon as he walks out of the reception area, he feels eyes on himself. He anxiously waits for Killua while the other players recently hired by Battera arrive one by one. When Killua enters the game, they play rock-papers-scissors to decide which direction to go, and Gon wins. They begin to wander around in the prairie until they are approached by Latarza. He easily understands they are new players and casts "Trace" on Killua, before retreating upon feeling the boy's bloodlust. They head to the closest city, Antokiba, while wondering about the spell cast on Killua, which the latter determines to be magic from the game. They familiarize themselves with the monthly contests held in the city, the card conversion system, and the currency used in the game, the latter piece of knowledge being acquired at the cost of working in a restaurant for a few hours after eating a meal without knowing jennies are not an accepted method of payment. Hearing a commotion, they run towards it and find Jeet dead, his midsection having blown up from the inside. The two boys become fearful that the spell cast on Killua might have a similar effect, but Nickes assures them there are no such spells on the island and that the culprit is another player. He invites them to join his alliance, claiming to have a surefire, non-violent method to clear the game.



Gon and Killua are initially suspicious, but accept to follow him when he gives them information about spells and teaches them to summon their binders when another players targets them. Other recruits are present at the meeting, such as Biscuit, Abengane and Puhat. Genthru explains there are no spells that can harm players in the game, and that the ones cast on the recruits are meant to gather information. He claims Jeet was killed by a ruthless player knows as "The Bomber". Gon, Abengane, and Killua then guess the three different methods to gather cards. Nickes incites them to join him so they can end put an end to the violence of the game. Gon apologizes to Killua and refuses the offer, bothered by the way Nickes talks about Ging's creation. He confesses he is upset that players would go to such lengths to acquire cards. He resolves to follow his father's advice and enjoy the game, telling Killua how happy he is they are there together. Unbeknownst to them Biscuit is spying on them, keen on ruining their friendship. Gon then teaches Killua his trick to win at rock-paper-scissors, which was taught to him by a fisherman and consists in carefully looking at the opponent's fist right before the throw.



Both make it to the finals of the monthly tournament, the contest being rock-paper-scissors. Killua defeats Gon by switching hands at the last second and obtains their first specified slot card, "Sword of Truth". They come up with a few methods to defend their prize without spells. They notice they are being followed, but their tactics manage to thwart the attempts of the first two players who try to take their "Sword of Truth", with Gon taking the spell card from a third player's hand before he can cast it. In the end, however, they are surrounded by a group of competent players and lose the card. They decide to go to Masadora to get spells. They exchange their cards for money and buy a sketch map of the island. They are excited to learn that monsters and bandits lurk on the way to Masadora. Before they leave, Biscuit begs them to let her join them.



Despite their speed, Biscuit manages to keep up with them. At one point they seem to be ambushed by bandits, who however implore them to give them money to purchase medicine to fight off a deadly epidemy. Gon and Killua give them almost everything they have, but surprisingly get nothing in return. As soon as they leave the forest and head into the badlands, they are attacked by Cyclops. Gon's punch has no effect on them, but they manage to easily defeat the whole group when Kilua discovers their eye is their weakness. They are forced to flee when spotted by a Melanin Lizard. They waste ten minutes trying unsuccessfully to catch a Hyper Puffball and later a Bubble Horse. They repeatedly fail to beat different Greed Island monsters until they see a suit of armor walking towards them. Biscuit impatiently tells them to use Gyo, which allows them to find the Radio Rat controlling it and turn it into a card. Biscuit proclaims herself their new Nen instructor. After introducing herself, she reveals she used to be Wing's teacher and shows the two boys she has defeated the monsters they struggled against, claiming there is plenty of players who could kill them. She then senses Binolt's bloodlust and pretends to fight with them to make him target her when she goes off by herself. After taking a detour, Gon and Killua reach her in time to see her effortlessly defeat her opponent.



Gon asks her why she came to Greed Island, and after stating she wants to obtain a Blue Planet, she returns the question. Gon is surprised to discover she has heard of his father, whom Netero claims to be one of the best Nen users in the world. As their first training exercise, she has Gon and Killua fight Binolt for two weeks inside a rocky arena. They are unable to approach him until Gon, taking the cue from Killua, strikes the wall with Ko and uses a boulder as a shield. Half a day later, they have him surrounded with rocks, blocking his field of vision. Gon creates a diversion, allowing Killua to pin him to the ground, but Gon stops him and insists on training for the whole two weeks, until they can take him one on one. He allows Binolt to rest, awakening when he tries to use Zetsu. By the tenth day, both he and Killua become strong enough to defeat him. He acknowledges it, but Gon thanks him for his help. As he hoped, Binolt promises to leave the island and turn himself in.



Grinding the progress of their game to a screeching halt, Biscuit Krueger focuses on training the two boys physically and in Nen. She starts by having them run to Masadora in three hours and back in two and a half, both trips leaving Gon winded. Instead of buying spells, she acquires two shovels and a wheelbarrow, ordering her students to dig their way to Masadora. The training is exhausting, and, to top it off, Biscuit has them sleep while keeping a part of their brain vigilant, which severely cuts on Gon's sleep. After a couple of days, Gon comes up with the idea of enfolding the shovel with his aura, discovering Shu. This allows them to progress much more rapidly, but also to tire out more quickly. They steadily improve and finally make it to Masadora, only to return to the badlands once again. Biscuit has them face off against all the monsters in the region, with Gon falling two weeks behind Killua while trying to catch the Bubble Horse. Biscuit then introduces them to Ko, which Gon recognizes as his special attack. She tells them the best defense against it is Ken, a prolonged state of Ren. She nudges Gon with her Ko-covered fist, knocking him back and causing him to bleed, leading them to realize the power of the technique. She tries again, this time waiting for Gon to exhaust his aura, which occurs in about two minutes.



After one month of Shu and Ken training, Gon becomes capable of holding Ken for 30 minutes. Her next teaching is Ryu, the instantaneous redistribution of aura through Gyo for combat purposes, and has them hone it by sparring together. They start off slowly, but become capable of performing Ryu at combat speed in only two weeks. She thus introduces them to training by Nen type. After learning the origins of the game rock-paper-scissors, Gon bases his Hatsu ability on it. His Enhancement attack, Rock, is successful, but he is unable to emit his aura for Paper. He decides to make Scissors a Transmutation technique, and to chant while charging up his attacks. Discovering it is almost New Year's Eve, Gon reminds Killua of the approaching deadline for the Hunter Exam. They head to Masadora to learn how to leave the island, and, after defeating a Wolf Pack and the Harbormaster, Killua leaves the island. Gon recommends him to ask the Kiriko to take him to the exam site. While Killua is gone, Gon continues his training.

Shortly after the separation, he and Biscuit are approached by Abengane, who tells them that Genthru is the Bomber and about the fate of the alliance, asking them to avenge him and prevent Genthru from clearing the game. After he leaves, Gon asks Biscuit how long it will take him to master his Hatsu ability. She replies years will be necessary, but that he is not far from achieving what he envisions. He considers going to the alliance's hideout. Biscuit reflects it is unlikely they can help them, but thinks their hideout might contain useful clues if they were to meet the Bomber later on. They head to Masadora and buy spell cards, deducing from the new shipment that the alliance members are dead. They find the rare "Fortress" and agonize over what to do with it, with Gon wishing Killua were with them. Gon continues practicing Emission and Ryu, improving at an even pace. Gon and Biscuit welcome Killua back when he returns, having passed the Hunter Exam. They have him take charge of the card distribution. To get used to casting spells, he has Gon try "Contact". They are shocked to see the name "Chrollo Lucilfer" in his binder. They catch Biscuit up on their and Kurapika's history with the Phantom Troupe, and she tells them about Exorcism. Killua briefly leaves the game to phone Kurapika, and returns telling Gon their friend was not fazed by the news and that the player is not the real Chrollo. At Biscuit's invitation, Gon shows Killua the prototypes for Paper and Scissors. The two squabble over Gon's decision to chant while preparing the moves, which Biscuit approved of because to him it felt natural.



The three finally start playing the game for real, with Gon using Rock to obtain three King White Stag Beetles, which however they are unable to monopolize. They acquire one "Gold Dust Girl" each and one "Paladin's Necklace" from the monthly tournament in Antokiba, which they duplicate before converting it so Gon can wear it. On the way to Dorias, they collect "Witch's Love Potion", "Risky Dice", and "Memory Helmet". Kazsule, who took "Sword of Truth" from them, contacts them for a trade. They exchange one "Witch's Love Potion" for one "Book of V.I.P. Passes". Killua wins a "Rainbow Diamond" and a "Fledgling Gambler" with the help of the Risky Dice, until Biscuit is forced to knock him out to halt his budding gambling addiction. By facing all manners of trials, over the course of one month they gather 50 specified slot cards in total, among which are "Fledgling CEO", "Doyen's Growth Pills", and "Staff of Judgment". Gon is surprised they have managed to convert so many rare items into cards, which leads Killua to conclude there aren't many competitive teams. Gon's words inspire Killua into getting into the business of trading "Leave" cards to weak players in return for rare cards, raising their total number to 57 and later to 61 (51 without duplicates). They resolve to keep looking for cards on their own while also trading players they encounter for them and information.



Thanks to the Paladin's Necklace, Gon discovers a fake "Favor Cushion" and receives the real one. This leads him to wonder if he can cure the villagers they donated their belongings to. Their charity causes the villagers to trust them, and the necklace heals them. In return, the villagers give them a "Wild Luck Alexandrite". Kazsule contacts them again, offering to form an alliance since Genthru is close to completing the game. By giving the group information about Genthru's ability, they obtain two rare cards. Gon's willingness to cooperate also earns them a lot of crucial information. The alliance decides to monopolize one of the four cards Genthru's team lacks, and settle on No. 2, which no player has yet, which they discover to be in Soufrabi.



An NPC offers to point them to "Plot of Beach" if they drive Razor and his 14 Devils out of the town. The alliance heads to a bar where they find four pirates. When they ask them to leave, Bopobo challenges them to push him out of a flaming ring. Zeho goes first, but he is easily subdued. The pirate holds him over the fire, so Gon kicks him to force him to let go. Killua stops Gon before he can use Rock and takes on Bopobo himself. He wins the confrontation, so the alliance members are taken to the lighthouse-turned-gym where Razor and the other pirates each challenge an opponent to a sport. The first discipline is boxing, and the pirate in charge of it defeats Montreux with only Gon, Killua, and Biscuit comprehending how he did it. Realizing their allies are too weak to be of use, Gon's team throw their matches while gathering as much information on the contests as possible. The alliance eventually loses and disbands, surmising the Bombers will not be able to form the necessary group of 15 to win the card. Gon, Killua, Biscuit, and Goreinu however decide to try again after finding more powerful allies.



The four brainstorm to find potential teammates in their contacts, with Gon considering Binolt, who however is either dead or has left the game. He then proposes finding out who "Chrollo" is, since an alias would not make sense if it were simply a Spider seeking to clear the game, which they determine not to be the case. Despite Killua's objections, Gon insists on finding out who it is. They teleport to him and find out "Chrollo" is Hisoka, who tells them he is looking for Chrollo inside the game. Biscuit invites him to join their alliance to defeat Razor while discreetly informing the others he is lying. He takes them to Aiai, his constant leering disquieting Gon and Killua. After falling for one of the city's cliché romantic incidents, Gon proposes enlisting Tsezguerra's help even if he is close to completing the game. He asks Hisoka to check his binder to see if he has him among his contacts, which he does.



Goreinu negotiates for them and Tsezguerra accepts. Killua wants to test him first. He and Gon are impressed with his jumping ability and copy it, shattering his record on the first try. Gon challenges Killua multiple times, but keeps losing. Their alliance now counting nine members, they each choose a sport that fits their abilities. Gon initially planned to do boxing, but, when Barry volunteers instead, is assigned to volleyball with Tsezguerra. After a week of training, they head to the lighthouse, having recruited six more players to reach the necessary number. Barry, Kess, and Rodriot best their opponents, after which Razor plans to enter the game himself. Bopobo incites a revolt, but is killed by Razor. He then challenges them to a game of dodgeball with the aid of his seven Nen beasts. This proves problematic for the alliance since the weaker players refuse to participate. Still believing him to be an NPC, Gon asks Razor what Bopobo did to deserve to die, and is shocked to learn that he was a death row convict and that Greed Island takes place in the real world. He thus enquires if Ging is on the island, which causes Razor to recognize Gon as his son and to go all out, as requested to him by his father. Goreinu uses his own ability so they have eight players and the match begins. The alliance takes out two of Razor's Nen beasts before he strikes back. Gon and Killua manage to follow his lightning-fast passages and warn Tsezguerra, who reacts to the throw in time to survive, although he is eliminated. Gon tells Hisoka to use Bungee Gum on the ball so they can keep throwing.



However, Razor's team eventually retrieves it. He aims a throw at Gon, who protects himself with Ko; however, since he neglected to reinforce his legs, he is thrown into a wall and eliminated. Eager to catch Razor's next throw, Gon declares he will be the one to call, "Back". Killua convinces him to wait until only two players on their team are left. When Biscuit is eliminated, Gon moves back on the court, brimming with such determination and anger that he manages to persuade Killua he must catch Razor's throw to really win. He has Killua hold the ball and begins to charge Rock. He manages to eliminate Razor's strongest Nen beast, but is still unsatisfied, as he would need more power to take out Razor. He builds up aura again before unleashing an even more powerful punch. However, Razor kills the momentum of the ball with a bump, awing Gon. Hisoka catches the ball with Bungee Gum, forcing Razor to use up his freebie. Tsezguerra requests a time-out and offers to hold the ball for Gon, knowing that Killua's hands were mangled by the previous throws. Gon, however, replies that he can needs Killua to give it his best. He comes up with a formation to recover the ball from Razor. With it, they manage to block his tremendously powerful spike. Gon then builds up even more aura than before in preparation for his last attack. Razor deflects the ball back at him, confident he will not dodge; however, having used up all his aura, Gon passes out, and the ball flies harmlessly over him. To honor his wish of a crushing victory, Hisoka uses Bungee Gum to send the ball back at Razor and stick it to his hands until he is pushed out of the court. Gon recovers moments after their victory, and Razor offers to tell him all he knows about Ging.



He tells the boy Ging is not on the island, and shares the story of how he inspired him. The NPC who told them about "Plot of Beach" leads them to the top of the lighthouse and, when the dawn rises, turns into the card while gazing out of the window. After Hisoka leaves, Goreinu and Tsezguerra content themselves with copies, believing Gon deserves the original. The two then suggest a partnership to defeat Genthru. Just then, Genthru contacts Tsezguerra and reveals he killed all the members of Kazsule's alliance. Furious, Gon challenges him to a fight, and Biscuit only barely manages to prevent him from revealing he has the original "Plot of Beach", which Genthru believes to be in Tsezguerra's possession. When the communication ends, Tsezguerra scolds Gon for his impulsiveness. He offers to buy them one week to heal their wounds and come up with a plan for free, and three in exchange for "Wild Luck Alexandrite". Biscuit trains Gon to react with Gyo to Genthru's Little Flower and attempts to hone his Emission skills enough to make them usable in combat. Ten days later, he has made no significant progress in the latter, and after five more days, Biscuit and Killua give him another strategy to rely on and make him work on his timing, until he can exactly tell when one minute has passed. Three weeks and five days after Tsezguerra began stalling the Bombers, his team is forced to retreat out of the game.



The Bombers teleport to Gon's team, who pretend to be taken by surprise. They refuse to hand over their cards and flee to make the Bombers use up their movement spells, until they manage to lead them in the desired location. The three split up, with Sub targeting Killua and Bara going after Biscuit, leaving Gon to face Genthru by himself. He counters his first offensive, which leads Genthru to realize he knows about his abilities. Before clashing again, he forces Genthru to agree that the winner will hand his cards over to the loser, declaring he would rather die than give his cards to a bandit. Gon is momentarily frightened by Genthru's superior aura output, and his attacks easily countered. However, Gon's pride as a warrior prohibits him from carrying out the plan until he manages to force Genthru to resort to Little Flower. Genthru lands some solid blows. Despite having the upper hand, Gon's stubbornness prompts him to use Little Flower to break his opponent's spirit. Gon however manages to counter it with Gyo, which prompts Genthru to feint the technique twice. The first hit sends Gon reeling, but he sees through the second one, remembering Biscuit's warning. Genthru thus activates the ability from both hands. Ignoring Biscuit and Killua's words of caution again, Gon resolves to try out a new tactic.



When Genthru grabs his wrists, Gon focuses only 30% of his aura in his right hand and 70% in his foot, and kicks an exposed Genthru on the chin at the same time that he sets off Little Flower. Gon loses his left hand, and even his right is gravely injured, but he manages to bear the pain well enough to charge Rock while Genthru is stunned. His enemy trips over a root, which allows him to dodge Gon's punch. Satisfied, the boy accepts to proceed with the plan. He pulls a card out of his binder, which the Paladin's Necklace reverts to its true form, and warns Genthru he might die if he converts it. Genthru admits defeat and draws Gon close with a request. He swiftly crushes the boy's windpipe so he cannot dispel the binder and tries to knock him out, but Gon manages to counter the second strike. Enraged, he converts the card, soaking Genthru in gasoline to prevent him from using Little Flower. While Genthru explains Countdown to him so he can activate it as soon as he touches Gon, the boy pull a second card out of the binder and strikes the ground with Rock, revealing a pitfall underneath. Both he and Genthru fall into it. Gon immediately jumps into a small side tunnel while the card reverts into a massive boulder that comes crashing down on Genthru.



The Bomber leaps into the tunnel, only to find himself trapped by the boulder and Gon charging Rock right in front of him. He tries to surrender, but Gon knocks him out. He contacts and meets up with Killua and Biscuit, and together they restrain the three Bombers and take their cards. Gon's injuries are healed with "Angel's Breath". The trio also uses it on Genthru's teammates before it maxes out. They contact Goreinu to receive more copies, who however is unwilling to waste the card on three murderers. Gon activates his last copy, which prompts Goreinu to hand them his own, as well as all his and Tsezguerra's team's cards. Gon, Killua, and Biscuit also receive 1 billion each as a result of Battera rescinding the contract. Gon places all 99 specified slot cards in his binder. An announcement goes off that alerts every player of a quiz test, the prize being the elusive "Ruler's Blessing". Multiple players teleport to the group's location, but only to offer them a deal. Gon gives the most exact responses and receives "Ruler's Invitation". Gashta and Zetsk Bellam attack him to get the card, but Gon's team easily defeat them.



Killua "drifts" to Limeiro so Gon and Biscuit can fly there too. Gon enters the castle, where he is greeted by List, who takes him to Dwun's dumpster of a room. The Game Master shares anecdotes of his past with Ging and gives Gon "Ruler's Blessing" as well as the container in which to transport three cards to the outside world. He then asks the boy if he wants the generic ending or the special one just for him, and Gon goes with the former, unaware that there is no alternate ending. After a majestic party, Gon, Killua, and Biscuit pick the three cards. The next morning Gon presents them to Elena: "Blue Planet", "Paladin's Necklace", and "Plot of Beach". When the trio leave the game, Gon converts "Paladin's Necklace" to revert "Plot of Beach" into "Accompany", which he had previously transformed with "Clone", after finding out that the first contact on his list was not Goreinu, the person to enter the game after him, but an anagram of "Ging". He proclaims the first thing he will do after meeting his father is introduce Killua as his best friend, to the latter's embarrassment, and moving Biscuit to tears. They greet her before casting "Accompany", which takes Gon and Killua to Kite in Kakin.

Chimera Ant arc


Kite explains to Gon he has been on Greed Island on Ging's request, and that Gon's use of "Accompany" instead of "Magnetic Force" caused him to meet Kite and not Ging, who wanted to make sure Gon and him would be alone if they were to meet. They enjoy eating dinner while Kite tells Gon that he was finally able to find Ging, but Gon does not want him to say where he is. He explains his mission to do a biological survey, and introduces them to his group. Alongside Kite's team, Gon and Killua work as biological researchers for one month, finding a great number of new species thanks to their affinity with nature. When they turn in the results to Wong, they are told about a giant insect limb. They fly to the Southernpiece Auction House to investigate. The field research is unsuccessful, but Podungo discovers the limb came from a man-sized Chimera Ant Queen — an insect that devours other animals, and then gives birth to progeny that inherit the characteristics of the different species it has eaten.



After researching the currents, Kite bets that the Chimera Ant Queen might was washed onto an anarcho-primitivist, autonomous nation called Neo-Green Life. Following his hunch, they head to NGL. Only Gon, Killua, Kite, Stick, and Podungo are able to cross the border due to the country's strict rules. They rent horses and plan to search along the coastline. After receiving an SOS message from Ponzu containing the location of the nest, Kite, Gon, and Killua rush to help. They cross a deserted village. Gon finds animal carcasses impaled by Rammot, who beats him and Killua back. Kite tests them by making them fight the Chimera Ant. Gon and Killua tag-team to beat him and, after Killua paralyzes him, Gon lands a near-fatal blow, but Rammot is saved by his Squadron Leader, Colt. Kite warns the two boys they will see carnage, but they are willing to continue nonetheless.



The trio discovers the hidden side of NGL: a narcotics factory once commandeered by the former kingpin of the country, Gyro. Inside they encounter Yunju and two of his lackeys. Despite Gon's protests, Yunju kills Spot and Rover before initiating hostilities. Gon faces off against his henchman Centipede. When his first punch is ineffective, he bisects the Chimera Ant with Scissors. Kite finishes him off, warning Gon that he must destroy the head. The trio discuss their Nen abilities and advance further in Chimera Ant territory. They find themselves surrounded by the Officers of Hagya's squad. The Ants insist on fighting one on one. Gon goes first, with Baro being his opponent. Although the Officer states their fight is to the death, Gon declares himself willing to spare him if he can stop eating humans. The boy manages to dodge the first attack of the Ant, but not the second, from which he still comes out mostly uninjured. Enraged by Baro's revelation that he kills humans for fun, Gon catches him as he rolls and crushes him to death. After Killua dispatches his opponent, Kite activates his Crazy Slots, summoning a scythe. Gon and Killua sense its power and jump up as he decimates the Officers with Silent Waltz. Asked by Kite, Gon states that he does not sympathize with individuals with no sense of camaraderie. That night, the trio spots Hirin, Flutter, and Hagya, who however withdraw without a fight.



When they are within sight of the nest, they are located by Neferpitou, who is upon them in an instant and cuts off Kite's arm. Withstanding the shock of their ominous aura, Gon immediately rages and prepares for battle but Killua knocks him unconscious to retreat whilst Kite holds the Royal Guard back by himself. Killua takes Gon back to the checkpoint where they crossed into the country. Reinforcements finally arrive in the form of Morel, Knov, and Hunter Association Chairman Netero. Hearing Gon tried to fight Neferpitou, Morel compliments him. Netero posits a challenge to the boys for re-entry into NGL. Gon comes to in a hotel and thanks Killua, confident that Kite is still alive. They resolve to become stronger to rescue him.



They encounter Knov's eerie student, Palm Siberia, who tells them they have one month to defeat Morel's two disciples Knuckle Bine and Shoot McMahon in battle. Each pair has two halves of a token and to pass the challenge, the pair must acquire the opponents' two halves. Killua scouts Knuckle as he proclaims he is ready to fight with a megaphone, determining he is strong. Gon disagrees that they should find out his abilities before fighting him, since they will have no such knowledge in NGL. When he claims they will win in one week, he is punched by Biscuit, whom Palm has called to their hotel to train them. She trains them to maintain a state of Ren for three hours, which will increase their stamina within battle. Less than one hour later, Gon collapses a few seconds before Killua, and they instantly fall asleep. Biscuit uses her ability to reduce their fatigue. Gon's confidence causes Palm to become infatuated with him.



After about ten days, Gon and Killua succeed in the task. Despite their exhaustion, Biscuit sends them to confront Knuckle without their tokens, so they will be able to fight him again if they lose. The Beast Hunter's superiority is clear to all three of them even before they clash. He orders them to punch him as much as they want and, if they fail to make him budge from his spot, they will have to leave their tokens behind. His offer incenses Gon, who however accepts that his opponent is indeed more powerful. He steps forward to accept the match and starts off immediately with Rock. Upon contact, Knuckle loses consciousness and is taken back into the inn by Gon and Killua. He comes to while Gon and Killua are honing their Ren, surprised to find his half of the token still in his possession. Gon tells him what they seek is the strength to beat him in an honest battle. At Gon's request, Knuckle reveals he wants to join the Extermination Team so he can see in person if the Chimera Ants really deserve to be eliminated. He states Gon is a good person, a compliment that Gon reciprocates by pointing to the stray dog who has never left Knuckle's bedside. The next morning, the three share breakfast and Knuckle allows Gon and Killua to challenge him as many times as they want in the remaining 20 days.



The boys spend the rest of the month training themselves by maintaining Ren for three hours and subsequently heading off to challenge Knuckle, but they cannot draw out so much as half of his might. Ten days before the deadline, Gon wonders why Knuckle is not allowed to go to NGL despite his power, with Killua speculating it is because of his personality. Palm realizes they are not progressing fast enough and recommends they run away so her anger will not be as terrible, but Gon promises they will win and manages to calm her down. Two nights before the deadline, Biscuit allows Gon and Killua to challenge Knuckle after resting. Gon takes Knuckle on by himself while Killua watches from the sidelines. The fight begins and Gon uses his speed against Knuckle, who however proves faster and stronger, forcing Gon to keep Ken up at all times. Gon's stuttering the first syllable causes him to mistake the name of his ability as "Jajanken", which Gon is fine with. The Beast Hunter proceeds to inform Gon that his technique has two major weaknesses: first, it takes too long to charge; second, the technique is too risky. The more aura concentrated on the fist, the less aura there is to protect the body. The two resume fighting with Gon's aura output increasing even further, but Knuckle easily bats him back by reading its flow. Gon realizes Knuckle is holding back and, after proving it by charging Rock, yells at Knuckle to go at it seriously. He charges Rock again, but uses it as a feint. Knuckle, however, manages to counter his next offensive. Although Knuckle retains the upper hand, Gon's defense becomes more effective. Nearly out of aura, he begins charging a Jajanken attack from a distance. Gon fires Paper at Knuckle and, through Round 2, he swiftly prepares Rock while moving behind him for a pincer attack. However, he exhausts his aura before being able to land a decisive blow.



After being carried to the hotel by Killua and massaged by Biscuit, Gon wakes up full of energy and is surprised by the bruises on his friend's face. The two head off to fight Knuckle and Shoot, with Gon facing off against the former. Knuckle starts off at full power and Gon expands his aura to sense his movements, although he fails to dodge his punch, which leaves him unscathed, and indeed brimming with energy. A.P.R. appears next to him. Knuckle explains the mechanics of his Hakoware ability and calculates the extent of Gon's aura reserves. Gon infers that the Beast Hunter did not use his ability before so he could keep training. The two exchange blows, loaning aura to each other, until Gon "goes bankrupt" and is forced into a state of Zetsu for one month by I.R.S., spelling his defeat. The next day, Gon and Killua accompany the victorious duo to the NGL border, where Knuckle swears to Gon he will bring Kite back. After they leave, Gon weeps over his weakness.



On the drive back he finds his resolve again, vowing to become stronger not to disappoint Kite when Knuckle brings him back. Spinner tells him about her and Kite's past. Palm is furious with Killua and him, and demands that he go out with her to make it up. He accepts and manages to calm her down which, while training with Killua, is due to the experience with older women gleaned on Whale Island. Knuckle phones Gon and informs him Kite is still alive, although he is being manipulated by the enemy. Gon sets up a romantic date for Palm, but confesses he would prefer to keep training to fight Kite's controller. This does not sit well with Palm, who cuts the date short and has him write apologies as punishment. Killua, who has just killed Rammot, takes him away from her, who gives chase. While being dragged away, Gon is confident she means no harm to him. Knov's arrival pacifies Palm and effectively ends her relationship with Gon. He has Shoot spy on the duo to assess whether they are ready to see Kite. The Extermination Team members minus Netero gather and Shoot releases Kite from the cage of his Hotel Rafflesia. The sight of Kite's scarred body arises unbearable sense of guilt and anger in Gon, who lets the training puppet strike him over and over. When he finally dodges and hugs him, he triggers the second level, which requires aura to clear. He tells Kite to rest and hat he will take care of everything, asserting that he will deal with Neferpitou himself.



Under the guise of the former King of the Republic of East Gorteau, Meruem initiates the process of forcibly awakening Nen in the civilians of East Gorteau — resulting in the deaths of millions — in order to form his own personal army to conquer the world. A few weeks after discovering Kite's state, Gon appears to have lost his fury. The night I.R.S. leaves him and he becomes capable of using Nen again, Morel pretends to have doubts about him and orders him to punch him with all his power. Thinking about Neferpitou and Kite, Gon focuses such a vast amount of aura in his fist that the whole Extermination Team is astonished. Killua brings him back to his senses and he stops before attacking Morel, apologizing for nearly killing him. Morel declares his approval and the Extermination Team splits up in three pairs to lure the Royal Guard away from the King at midnight on the day of the "Selection", 10 days from then. As per their request, Gon and Killua are assigned to dealing with Neferpitou.



Due to East Gorteau's spy system, Gon and Killua are forced to infiltrate the country while keeping out of the sight of civilians. Upon crossing the border, they find out a massacre has taken place in an abandoned village near the border, which prompts Killua to deduce the "Selection" has already begin. Gon decides to attempt to stop it, even if it means being discovered. Killua tells him he will do it by himself and that Gon should save his strength for Neferpitou. He orders him to remain hidden no matter how many people he sees being murdered. Gon senses something is wrong with his friend, but agrees to split up. He is ambushed by Snake, whom he easily beats and leaves tied to a tree, and then by Hollow and Bat to test him. He struggles against their biological advantages in the darkness and teamwork. When he is about to beat Bat after luring her in, Hollow deflects his Paper. The two switch roles, with the owl attacking in his Gorilla Mode and the bat distracting Gon with her Secret Noise. The boy eventually manages to defeat them by using their coordinated attacks against them, sending Bat crashing into a rock wall and punching Hollow in the direction of NGL with Rock.



Sensing someone is still following him, Gon begins running through the woods until he reaches a massive desert. At that point, Meleoron reveals himself as his pursuer to stop him. After initially mistaking him for an enemy, Gon accepts to form an alliance with him. Meleoron is bothered by the ease with which Gon trusts him, but the boy simply replies that if he is lying, he will kill him without hesitation. When Gon points out he should not smoke, Meleoron demonstrates Perfect Plan and claims his goal is to slay the King. After a few antics, he states he wants to avenge Peggy's death. The two shake hands and Meleoron activates another ability, God's Accomplice, with which he makes Gon impossible to detect too. He then reveals the three Chimera Ants who attacked Gon were his underlings, whom he sent to test the boy. Gon thinks of pairing him up with someone else, but Meleoron replies that just because Gon trust that person, there is no guarantee he will too. Gon phones Knuckle, who informs him Morel and Knov have mobilized to stop the "Selection". They meet up in Mandai, where, at Gon's suggestion, Meleoron conceals his presence to observe Knuckle and Shoot and determine whether he can trust them. As he does, Gon states he cannot get through to Killua and notices the stray dogs who have followed Knuckle. Meleoron ends up trusting the other two Hunters. Three nights before the "Selection", Gon receives a phone call from Killua, who asks him to wire money to an account so he can leave a hospital. The only person he is unable to contact Palm, who has infiltrated the Royal Palace of East Gorteau. Morel tells him Knov has planted all the exits, but he is unable to continue.



Two days before the raid, Knuckle, Shoot, Gon, Killua, Meleoron, and Ikalgo come together to discuss and review the plan. Gon voices his concern about Palm, who has not contacted yet. Killua replies she is either dead or lying low, and understands Gon would like them to come up with a plan to save her, even making it their priority. The six then split up to confuse the Royal Guards. The following day, Killua goes over scenarios in which the Royal Guards are not behaving as expected. Gon phones Colt to understand why Neferpitou turned off their En. They determine the King must have injured himself, a theory they share with Morel. At 18:00 on the same day, the three enter Knov's dimension. Gon immediately enquires about Palm, from whom there have been no news. He swears once again to restore Kite and defeat Neferpitou. When, 10 minutes before the raid, the Extermination Team begins to move out, Gon is still thinking about Palm. Three minutes later, they enter the room connected to the exit deepest inside the palace, leading to the central stairway. Gon ignores Killua and Ikalgo as they argue over unpredictable events. He has no reaction when Morel and Knuckle imply that Palm might have been chosen by the King to mate. When Morel asks in what situation one would hurt oneself, Gon, thinking about Kite, suggests the inability to forgive oneself as a reason. Six minutes later, Morel has everyone gather in front of the exit. Ten seconds before midnight, Morel begins his countdown. Gon enters a focused, ruthless set of mind.



He is the fourth to storm the palace, appearing next to the stairway and Menthuthuyoupi. As he prepares to climb up, Zeno's Dragon Dive pierces through the palace. Gon avoids it while remaining completely focused on his opponent. Realizing the possibility exists that Knuckle and Meleoron, rendered undetectable by God's Accomplice, were killed by the aura shards, he charges at the Royal Guard. When the latter is pushed aside by an invisible force, Gon realizes his two companions are still alive. He freezes for an instant upon feeling Neferpitou's En, which Menthuthuyoupi exploits to bring down a colossal arm on the stairway, destroying it. Gon and Killua manage to dodge and change direction. Seeing Morel's Smoky Jail around the throne room, he realizes the King is not there. He goes looking for him, and notices Meruem, Zeno, and Netero walk out of the west tower. Netero spots him and points behind himself. Gon's fury surges.



After seeing Zeno take Netero and Meruem away, Gon leaps towards the west tower, followed by Killua. On their way there, they run into the old assassin, who tells them to judge for themselves what is going on inside. Gon sees Neferpitou crouching over Komugi, Doctor Blythe hovering above them. Unleashing his rage, he states his purpose and challenges Neferpitou, the image of the wounded girl overlapping with Kite's body in his mind. He tells Neferpitou to step away from her, and their gesture of non-resistance leaves him baffled. When the Royal Guard begs him to give them the time to save her, Gon snaps. He prepares to attack them, but Killua stops him. His willpower suffers another blow when Neferpitou breaks their own arm as a sign of good faith. Blinded with rage that they are helping someone after what they did to Kite, Gon begins to charge Jajanken, until Killua's words give him pause again. He accuses his friend of not caring and gives Neferpitou one hour to heal Komugi, after which they will accompany him to Peijin to restore Kite. He then sits down in front of the Royal Guard.



Gon senses Shaiapouf approaching him from behind and prepares to attack Komugi. Neferpitou tells the other Royal Guard to desist. When Shaiapouf demands an explanation, Gon commands him to be silent and to remain where he is so he cannot spread his hypnotic scales. He allows Neferpitou to give Shaiapouf an account of what happened. When Knuckle challenges the latter, he declares the body they see is just a shell, while his real self is going to the King's side; however, Gon casts doubt on his claim, demanding proof. Shaiapouf refuses to comply and splits himself up. After he leaves, Gon tells Knuckle he probably went south to look for the King. He deducts ten minutes from the time stipulated with Neferpitou. Shortly before the fifty minutes expire, Gon declares Neferpitou is done and threatens to kill Komugi if they speak out of turn. He declines Knuckle's offer to use Hakoware on the Royal Guard, leaving Komugi to him as a hostage instead. The two start running towards Peijin.



Once in front of Kite's body, Neferpitou, who has been tricked by Shaiapouf into believing Komugi had been rescued, reveals the man is dead and they cannot bring him back to life. Gon's sense of guilt makes him feel responsible for Kite's demise, and, when the Royal Guard heals themselves and poises to kill him, Gon unleashes all the anger and sorrow he was keeping within himself, demanding from his Nen all the power he will ever have without caring about the consequences. He turns into an older version of himself and, after kicking Neferpitou up in the air, punches them into a mountain with an immensely powerful Rock. Despite their passing out, he keeps hammering their skull until it cracks, remembering Kite's lesson. Just as he delivers the finishing blow, a horrified Killua arrives. As Gon acknowledges his presence, Pitou's corpse starts moving again thanks to Terpsichora. Killua pushes him out of the way, but Gon loses an arm in the attack. However, he claims to be fine and even happy, since he looks just like Kite did in his final moments. He proceeds to beat up and impale the headless body with his own severed arm. Before using one last Jajanken, he turns to Killua, who begs him to stop. Shedding one tear, Gon carries out the attack.



In the aftermath, he falls unconscious and Killua carries him to the rest of the Extermination Team. He is put into a hospital in a comatous state in extremely precarious conditions, and requires life support. The doctor thinks to himself saying he has never seen something this gruesome happen to a 12-year-old boy in a single night.

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc


Killua goes back home at Kukuroo Mountain to seek help from his younger sibling Alluka Zoldyck. He leaves with her, accompanied by some of the Zoldyck Family butlers. On route to the hospital, he faces his older brother Illumi who teams up with Hisoka to stop them. After overcoming this, Killua and Alluka finally arrive at Gon's room and the latter proceeds to heal Gon. As Alluka is healing Gon she emits a large energy wave, the wave is so powerful that everyone in the vicinity of the Hunter Association's building felt it; Cheadle states that she has never felt anything like it before.



As Pariston is giving his final speech to the public, Morel opens the back doors screaming at Leorio and Gon walks through fully healed. As everyone is happy to see that Gon is fine, he notices Dwun and List and in between Ging, he goes and walks towards Ging and they finally meet for the first time since Mito took custody of Gon. Gon then starts crying about what happened to Kite but Ging tells Gon it is not his fault. As Gon leaves with Leorio, Ging says he'll wait for him. Gon later meets with Kite and apologizes to her. They both agree that they need more training and promise to protect each other by fighting side by side. Kite tells Gon to go after Ging and should she need his help she'll contact him and Killua. Gon goes to meet Ging but is informed by Beans that he has already left and will wait for him at the top of the World Tree.



Gon, accompanied by Killua and Alluka, travel to the World Tree together. Killua tells Gon that Alluka is the one who healed him. When he asked why he wasn't told sooner, Killua explained about Alluka's powers and that they have "complicated family issues". Killua then tells Gon that he plans on traveling the world with Alluka and that he's resolved to spend the rest of his life protecting her no matter what. However, Alluka tells Gon that she will be "hugging" her older brother only for a while, but after that she wants Gon to play and hang out with Killua again. Gon and Killua say their goodbyes while promising to stay in touch and always be friends. Gon then climbs the World Tree and meets Ging. They talk about how Ging first started out as a Hunter and what he's looking for and why he is how he is. He tells Gon about the "outside world", and the fact that the Chimera Ants originated from said place. He explains to Gon that the world is a vast place with so many secrets and that he should take his time on his own journey.



After talking some more Gon returns Ging's Hunter License. When Gon returns to Kite and her exploration team he sees a flock of birds and takes a picture sending it to Knuckle, Shoot, Palm, Ikalgo, Meleoron, and the rest of his friends at the hospital, along with Killua, Alluka, and Leorio.

Dark Continent Expedition arc
Shortly after his conversation with Ging, Gon discovers he cannot use his aura. Gon has a brief discussion with Ging over the phone about not being able to use aura, after which Ging suggested that Gon probably just can't see it because he has reverted back to "normal". Ging stated that since Gon "threw it all away" as one of the conditions to increase his power enough to beat Pitou, then surviving that ordeal should be more than enough, and to expect or ask for more would be audacious and for which he has to pay a price. Ging then suggested that this is the best time for Gon to take some time to discover and decide what he would like to do from now on, implying that he could remain a "normal" person or re-awaken his abilities and continue being a Hunter with a new goal.



Arriving on Whale Island, he is greeted joyously by his aunt Mito and his great-grandma. Gon confesses while talking with Mito that he never really wanted to meet Ging, but simply wanted to "find" him. Inferring that Gon is now normal, Mito then takes out stacks of books and papers, telling Gon that he needs to complete four semesters' worth of schoolwork that he missed while he was gone adventuring as a Hunter to get a learning certificate from the schooling and welfare office. Furthermore, he also has to write 10,000 words of activities report of what he has done until now and 30 pages of the career record. This upsets Gon, but Mito reminds him that his status as a Hunter has granted him a number of exemptions involving his schoolwork and that the challenge of his make-up work pales in comparison to the many trials he's overcome.

Heaven's Arena Standing
The following are the results of Gon in Heaven's Arena:

Equipment


Fishing Rod: Back in Whale Island, Gon used a telescopic fishing rod to practice his hobby of angling. During the Hunter Exam, he showed the ability to use it as a makeshift weapon, striking the opponent from afar with its heavy float and grabbing faraway objects with the hook. He carried it with him when he went to talk to Killua at the Zoldyck Mansion, but did not use it again until he fought Gido at Heaven's Arena. He then presumably left it at his house on Whale Island. Both the fishing rod and the wire are very durable, as they were used to lift and throw a 1-ton flagstone and did not snap. The float is heavy enough to leave a visible bruise on Hisoka's face when he was hit with it. The fishing rod is rather plain, being composed only of a handle and a rod, lacking any reel or guides. There are slight differences in its depiction in each media: in the manga, it is light brown in color, with white bandages wrapped around the handle; in the 1999 anime, the bandages are red-brown. The material it is made out of is unknown, but was shown to be very durable and flexible. In the in the 2011 anime, the fishing rod is made out of metal and is silver, with dark gray bandages. When extended, it is taller than Gon, but its length decreases considerably when retracted. In the manga and both anime, Gon uses it in conjunction with a three-pronged hook and a big, spherical, red float. In the 1999 anime, this fishing rod was revealed by Mito to belong to Ging, who used it to catch a Master of the Swamp when he was a kid.

Abilities & Powers
Gon has all the benefits granted by his status as a Hunter. At the beginning of the series, he had a fishing rod that he could swing with baffling accuracy, even managing to catch Hisoka's tag from afar while the latter was moving at high speed. The fishing rod can also be used as an offensive weapon if the situation asks for it. During the Hunter Exam, Gon was often praised for his powers of observation, agility, and stamina. In battle, he thinks quickly for any alternative solutions and strategies. His most remarkable quality, however, is the uncanny, bottomless potential he is gifted with. Many powerful characters such as Hisoka, Wing, Biscuit, and Razor were left astounded when they grasped the full extent of Gon's talent, which is often described as being limitless. This allows him to learn extremely quickly, and that is true especially in the field of Nen, with an aptitude like his being very rare. Even prior to learning it, he managed to use Zetsu on one occasion.

Together with his potential, it is his strength of mind that continuously leaves more experienced and skilled fighters dumbstruck, and is a crucial component of his overflowing charisma that causes even more powerful Hunters to gravitate towards him. His indomitable will allows him to continuously put his life on the line without being held back by fear, which in turn allows him to take chances others would never dare. As an Enhancer, he should be fairly balanced between offense and defense, but he prefers to go on the offensive, as his stubbornness tends to come out during combat. Because of it, he sometimes charges in recklessly, but at the same time doesn't give up until he can't move anymore. He is quite proficient in close combat after being trained in the basics of Shingen-ryū kung fu by Wing and Biscuit, as well as through natural experience. Although this quality often goes unnoticed, Gon can focus intensely even in the direst circumstances, noticing details even starred Hunters would miss.

Other abilities include sleeping with a larger part of his brain awake than normal, thanks to Biscuit's training, and holding his breath for some minutes even if fatigued. After leaving Greed Island, due to his prowess in Nen, Gon became able to blend with nature more easily, which allowed him to find multiple new species of animals at a rate that astounded Kite's companions.

Enhanced Vision: Gon's eyesight exceeds that of a normal human. He was able to spot several examinees in the woods from the top of a tree, a feat that Kurapika judged impossible by human standards. He can spot details so small he was able to tell two Kiriko apart, as well as their sex, which Kurapika and Leorio failed to do even after the reveal.

Enhanced Hearing: Gon's sense of hearing is even superior to his vision, and allows him to fight even in pitch-black darkness. He can hear the sound of a bat's wing cutting through the air and determine its position. He can also detect differences in pitch that most other humans would be unable to perceive. During the Hunter Exam, it allowed him to sense Geretta's presence. He managed to sense Latarza fly towards him and Killua long before his companion.

Enhanced Taste: Since taste is vital to surviving in the woods, Gon trained his tongue to the point he can detect substances that are considered tasteless.

Immense Smell: Gon's sense of smell is extremely advanced, causing him to be often compared to a dog. He was able to track down Leorio by the scent of his cologne from several miles away and Ponzu with the simple information she used chemical weapons.

Preternatural Perception: Through no rational process, Gon was able to determine Majtani was not a threat without having ever fought before, a sensation he described as a "chill". However, his inexperience prevented him from making more accurate estimations, which in fact were often rectified by Killua. His instincts became sharper after gaining more battle experience and improving his Nen abilities. Like other perceptive fighters, Gon is capable of detecting the gazes of others. He was able to sense Meleoron's presence despite the latter specializing in erasing it.

Enhanced Strength: Prior to the Hunter Exam, Gon was able to effortlessly transport a Master of the Swamp while running, a fish so heavy that five grown men could not land it by pulling together. After training for 20 days at the Zoldyck Family's estate, he became capable of pushing a gate weighing 4 tons open, as well as of shattering rock pillars with a punch and sending opponents several times his size than him crashing into a wall a few dozen meters awayby pushing with just one hand. Later on, at Heaven's Arena, he proved strong enough to lift and throw the ring's stone tiles without effort, snap a metal rod in two with a punch, and break a Nen user's wrists in a split second just by grabbing them. He was able to beat Shizuku, ranked 12th in the Phantom Troupe, in arm-wrestling, and once also Nobunaga, ranked ninth, while using Ren. It is unknown how much he can press after learning Nen, but the power of his Rock has shown to terrorize even experienced Nen users. With the same attack, he was allegedly able to blast a Chimera Ant to another country.



Enhanced Speed and Reflexes: During the Hunter Exam Gon regarded his speed as his primary asset in combat, earning Hanzo's praise despite being slower than him. His quickness enabled him to dodge some of Hisoka's attacks as well as surprise him for a moment. Despite Hisoka proving faster than him, Gon was nonetheless able to follow his movements with his eyes. On Greed Island, he was able to cover a distance of several meters and steal a card from a weak Nen user's hand before the latter could notice. Coupled with his superhuman eyesight, Gon's quick reflexes allow him to always win at rock-paper-scissors by looking at the opponent's fist right before the throw. He was able to see through the last stage of Gotoh's coin game, whereas Leorio and Kurapika were not able to follow his movements at all, as well as follow Razor's passes and throws, unlike Single-Star Hunter Tsezguerra. Through Biscuit's training, Gon ended up becoming Killua's equal in both running speed and reactions, despite initially being slower. His cruising speed is such that he can leave horses in the dust and keep up with Kite, and eventually to trade blows evenly with Knuckle, although his movement speed remained lower than the Beast Hunter's. Gon is also a fast climber, taking about 20 minutes to climb up the irregular surface of a tree 1784 meters high after the first 500 meters.

Enhanced Agility: Gon can run and jump from one tree to another with such agility he easily caught up with a Kiriko. He has a vertical leap of a few meters, which he can increase to over 16 meters by using Nen. In combat, he can use his agility to strike from unexpected angles and to find his balance quickly after taking a hit or dodging.

Enhanced Stamina: Gon was able to complete a long-distance run more than 80 kilometers long, and taking place on uneven terrains such as ascending stairs and a swamp, without exhibiting the slightest sign of fatigue. In his first match against Gido, he kept dodging 50 spinning tops for about one hour while in a state of Zetsu. He fought Binolt for 10 days straight while keeping his guard up even as he slept. He was also noted to recover from exhaustion very rapidly.



Enhanced Endurance: Gon has shown to be able to keep fighting even while in tremendous of pain. This is mostly due to his obstinacy and determination more than to a physical predisposition. He did not surrender after three hours of Hanzo hitting him with specialist knowledge or when the shinobi broke his arm. He could withstand having his right arm severely scorched and his left one blown off by Genthru after taking a beating from him and later having his windpipe crushed, and managed to charge Rock twice and win nonetheless.

Enhanced Adaptability: He talked and laughed on top of the World Tree for many hours without looking troubled by the low oxygen level or temperature.

Advanced Poison Resistance: When Geretta paralyzed him during the Hunter Exam, he claimed that Gon would be unable to move for 10 days, whereas Hisoka believed that four would suffice; however, Gon stood back up minutes after the poison had taken effect.

Healing Factor: Gon heals extremely quickly. This fact is not only thanks to his being an Enhancer since there have been instances of it happening even before he learned Nen, such as when his broken arm healed completely from a clean fracture in 10 days. After Wing opened his aura nodes, Gon made a full recovery from a broken radius and ulna, a cracked humerus, three rib fractures and 12 cracks in one month instead of the predicted four, all the while without using Nen. When Genthru blew off his left hand, the bleeding stopped instantaneously.

Keen Intellect: Gon has often astounded allies and opponents alike with his astounding ability to think outside the box, finding a new perspective with which to look at a problem to solve it. He demonstrated this ability twice during the third phase of the Hunter Exam, blowing out Sedokan's candle instead of looking after his own, and choosing the long path to the goal only to break down the wall separating it from the short one, sidestepping Lippo's forced choice. Instead of fighting Nobunaga, he applied his knowledge of ostomy to find an alternative way of escaping. He was also the one who suggested Killua and he auction off items to raise a profit before attending the auction themselves as buyers, and later that they seek to be hired by Battera instead of purchasing Greed Island. He also has a good memory, which allowed him to win the quiz to obtain Ruler's Blessing. He is also fairly intuitive and, when fully focused, has occasionally shown the ability to think faster than the likes of Killua and Morel through cutting out everything that is not relevant. He is, however, notoriously inept at math.

Proficient Strategist: Gon's exceptional capacity for lateral thinking extends to battle tactics, making him wholly unpredictable. He managed to surprise Netero three times during their ball game. He devised simple but effective strategies to defeat Gido and Riehlvelt using his surroundings, and resorted to a similar method to land a punch on Hisoka. He devised the plan that allowed Kurapika to abduct Chrollo. His willingness to take significant damage to land a critical hit would have allowed him to defeat Genthru without relying on Killua's plan had the latter not been saved by a fortuitous coincidence. Against Hollow and Bat he displayed decent analytical skills, identifying the mechanics behind their coordinated attacks and turning them against the duo.



Proficient Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Gon was schooled in Shingen-ryū kung fu combat techniques by Wing for about one month, and received further instructions from Killua before his match against Hisoka. Despite his limited training, he proved time and time again to be a competent, extremely crafty brawler. After 10 days of relentless fighting against Binolt, he was able to spar with Killua on equal ground while using Ryu both through the Flowing Dance, in which practitioners must share a similar level of similar skill, and at full speed. His prowess at close quarters surprised Genthru and Hisoka, although he was outmatched in both cases. After the Bomb Devil crushed his windpipe, Gon accurately predicted he would go for the back of his neck next and focused his aura there, showing the ability to anticipate his opponents without seeing them. Killua noted that he improves at a tremendous rate when in real combat situations. In just 20 days, Gon managed to significantly reduce the gap between himself and Knuckle, a veteran of over 5,000 battles who employs unarmed combat as his main means of offense. Gon's fighting style is punch-based, often including flurries of blows and his unpredictable tactics  as well as the occasional kick when the position makes it more convenient.

Proficient Weapon Specialist: Gon has shown to be adept at using his fishing rod both as a club and a whip-like weapon (striking the opponent with the float). He is so skilled that he can grab distant objects with the hook, his highest accomplishment being managing to steal Hisoka's tag despite the latter's speed and keen senses. At Heaven's Arena, Gon has used his fishing rod to lift a flagstone to stop Gido's spinning.

Stealth Expert: Gon managed to tail Hisoka for a whole day without being detected. His aptitude at concealing his presence is an entirely natural skill, which was not achieved through any form of training, but rather his continuous being in contact with the wilderness. Unbeknownst to him, this feat was rendered possible by his unwitting use of Zetsu as well as by his intents being drowned out by Hisoka's own bloodlust.
 * Expert in Tailing: He shadowed Nobunaga and Machi around Yorknew City with the two of them failing to spot him, although they clearly sensed his presence.

Skilled Fisherman: At the age of 10, Gon managed to catch the Swamp King, a fish that nobody had been able to hook for years.

Zoological Knowledge: Gon is very knowledgeable about several orders and species of animals and, to a lesser extent, plants, partly due to his living on Whale Island. This expertise proved particularly useful against the Chimera Ants. However, he appears to lack even basic knowledge concerning Magical Beasts.

Animal Empathy: Gon has managed to forge a bond with a Foxbear cub despite them usually not allowing humans to tame them, and the two even became friends in later years, with each comprehending what the other was trying to communicate. When he left to take the Hunter Exam, he told the Captain he knew a storm was coming partially because the seagulls had told him so. Being liked by animals is a characteristic that is often attributed to good Hunters, and indeed his proficiency in Nen made it easier for him to melt into nature and use his five senses to the fullest, which resulted in him discovering new animal species. However, he was unable to form a bond with Mike, as he himself immediately understood upon looking into his eyes.

Nen


Gon is an Enhancer and is thus endowed with great strength and recuperative abilities. Thanks to Biscuit's training he has trained in at least two other Nen types, Emission and Transmutation, which he later honed to a high enough level to create working Hatsu abilities. Originally, he exhibited greater skills in Emission than in Transmutation, but by the time he met Kite in NGL, he might have become more proficient in the latter category than in the former, as suggested by the combat potential of his Hatsu abilities. Gon has also mastered the four basic techniques and at least five of the advanced ones (the possible exceptions being In and En, although he can use Ren to sense attacks he would otherwise be unable to react to). Gon's talent can be found only in one out of ten million people. He performed Ten successfully with next to no instructions, a feat which Wing described as both "amazing" and "terrifying", and learned Ren and Gyo in only one night. In normal conditions, he was able to maintain Ren for three hours outside of combat without the slightest difficulty. With this technique he could pulverize objects strengthened with aura thrown at him by a fellow Enhancer even in the early stages of his training. When trying to develop a Hatsu ability, he discovered the advanced technique Ko on his own after Wing suggested he show Tsezguerra all he had learned at the same time, and he can deploy it swiftly and on multiple body parts simultaneously. Likewise, he learned to use Shu simply by imagining the technique, and he succeeded on the first try. This means that together with Zetsu, which he managed to utilize before even being introduced to the concept of Nen, Gon was able to discover three out of eleven techniques by himself. Although he was strictly a novice in that regard, he had some basic skills in reading the opponent's aura flow and estimating the amount deployed.

Outside of Hatsu abilities, Gon's proficiency in Enhancement manifested chiefly in his extraordinary durability. He took a severe beating from Genthru, surviving attacks to areas he barely guarded with aura, whereas Killua reckoned that a single direct attack from Sub, another Bomb Devil, would put him out of commission. Baro, whose rolling attack could fell a thick tree, failed to inflict significant damage despite Gon being caught off guard. Not even Hollow, a fellow Nen user, was able to inflict the lightest wound with his feathers or multiple blows despite being strong enough to casually knock down a tree with one punch and to redirect Gon's Paper by throwing a rock. Conversely, Gon's own attacks were strong enough to rattle Hisoka's and Genthru's arm when they blocked one of his kicks in spite of their superior expertise in Nen. Killua once struck him with Ryu or Ko from behind and without holding back while Gon was using Ken; Gon lost consciousness, but came to only a few hours later with no lasting damage or injury.



While Killua was generally regarded as the one with the best control of his aura out of the two, Gon was often praised by foes and allies alike for the great quantity of it he was able to release. According to Knuckle, the sheer size of Gon's aura during Ken was comparable to that of a mid-ranking pro (1800 aura, as per his system of measurement, while his total aura poll amounted to about 21,500). Combined with his skills in Enhancement, Gon's Hatsu technique, which boasted an even greater output (more than 2000 aura), exceeded Knuckle's defensive abilities, as the latter was knocked out by it. Such formidable output prompted Razor to call Gon a "monster". However, his lack of experience made his aura flow easy to read, and caused him to waste a lot of energy (10 aura per second instead of 6), particularly when he used Emission. Kite described Gon as a "slow starter", viewing this trait as a weakness. On the other hand, Gon's main strength consisted in his ability to increase his aura output during a fight. This process was largely unconscious and depended heavily on his mental state. Determination and anger, in particular, granted him incredible boosts. The increase in power used to be so great that an enraged Gon's Rock might have been able to kill Morel, a seasoned Hunter with nearly three times his total aura, whereas before the same attack caused Knuckle to faint, but no lasting injury. When he and Killua prepared to fight Neferpitou in the Royal Palace of East Gorteau, Killua stated that he had never seen his friend give off such a strong aura, leading him to believe that not even the Royal Guard could oppose him without using Nen.



His Hatsu ability was called Jajanken a play on the Japanese word for rock-paper-scissors "Janken", and the word "Jajan" (a Japanese interjection akin to the word "Ta-dah"). Gon first got the idea after learning the dangerous roots of the game within martial arts. Jajanken consisted of three parts. Gon's main attack was Rock, a simple but devastating punch concentrating all his aura into his fist through Ko. His long-ranged attack was Paper, an emitted attack that fires a ball of aura from his palm; this used to be his weakest attack, the ball being somewhat slow, not that powerful and easy to block or change course for someone using Ko. His mid-ranged attack was Scissors, a transmuted blade of aura attached to his index and middle fingers, capable of slicing through a Chimera Ant. Gon prefaced each attack with the chant "First comes rock! Rock, paper..." (, Saisho wa Gū! Jan!! Ken!!! [...]!!!!), which was followed by the name of the attack. Since all three attacks were charged the same way, Gon could decide to switch from one to another even after the preparations started, in order to adapt should the opponent come closer or back away. Later on, he became capable of charging Jajanken even while running.

The long charging time made Jajanken difficult to use in actual combat, although the risks it posed were at the core of its power. Nevertheless, through a technique called "Round 2" (あいこで Aiko de), Gon was capable of mustering twice the normal amount of aura so as to use two Jajanken attacks in quick succession, eliminating the need to perform the chant twice. The name of this technique was shouted after the first attack and immediately before the second. It is currently unclear whether Round 2 was a Hatsu ability proper or simply a loophole in Jajanken.

After the siege on the palace, through a Contract, Gon sacrificed all of his inborn talents in order to gain immense power, with which he managed to single-handedly defeat one of the Royal Guards. He used this ability without any prior training, the only knowledge on Vows he possessed at the time deriving from Kurapika's explanation of his Hatsu. However, as a result, his body started to decay soon after the fight, and even after being wished back to full health, Gon lost the capacity to use or perceive his aura. Ging cryptically stated Gon has only been turned back to "normal", and should consider himself lucky as he could have lost a lot more. Whether or not he can still potentially re-acquire his Nen is currently unknown.

Quotes

 * (To Mito) "Yeah, it's easy to say stuff... but meaning what you say, that's something else."
 * (To Mito) "Being a Hunter must be an important job. So important... that family comes scond."
 * (Quoting Mito) "If you want to know a person, find out what makes him angry."
 * (To Kurapika and Leorio) "But what if, one day, you really have to make a choice like that? What then? It won't be about which is 'correct' but about what's truly in your heart when the chips are down."
 * (To Kurapika) "The thing is, even facing certain death... well, it's weird, but it felt pretty exciting, too."
 * (To Hanzo) "That's a problem! Of course I don't want to lose my leg!! But I'm as determined not to give up!! We gotta find another way!"
 * (To Hanzo) "I want to see my dad. He's a Hunter... one of the best, I hear. We'll meet someday, I hope. But... if I call quits at this point... I feel the hope will vanish. You really give me no choice at all."
 * (To Illumi) "If Killua's a killer because you've made him one, Gittarackur, then I'll never forgive you."
 * (To Zebro) "I'm not here to be tested, I'm just here to see my friend. If that means being an intruder, fine."
 * "He's so far beyond me... but I can get there too, someday!! I'll learn more about Nen and find an ability that will rival Hisoka's!!"
 * (To Killua) "Whale Island is an outpost for fishermen far from their mainland homes. There are few permanent residents, and the only other kid was a little girl called 'Noko'. I've always been homeschooled. You were the first friend I've had who's around my age."
 * (To Killua) "Let's go out and see the world! It'll be a journey for me to find my dad, and for you to find what you want to do! It'll be fun!!"
 * (To Killua) "Well, my 'real' mom will always be Aunt Mito. There's nobody else. So I don't need to ask."
 * (To Nobunaga) "I'd thought you were cold-blooded, heartless people. But I see you can shed tears for your friends. Then why couldn't you... share just a little of that empathy... with all the people you've killed?!!"
 * (To Nobunaga) "I'd rather die than join you!"
 * (To Killua) "I'm the one who's reckless! You have to keep me in line. I'm relying on you."
 * (To Kurapika) "The pressure of letting down a friend is worse than risking my life."
 * (To Chrollo) "Can I ask you something? How can you kill people who have nothing to do with you?"
 * (To Phinks and Feitan) "You can't see why Pakunoda is trying to do this? And why Machi is trying to stop you? You think it's because they're being manipulated? They want to save your leader!! What else?! They want their friend back!! Is that so hard to understand?!"
 * "Ging... I think I'll finally get a little closer to you. A life or death game... I don't know what's inside... But this is the message you left me...! I'll trust you!"
 * (To Killua) "I'm glad I could be here with you... No, that's not all. I'm really glad I met you!"
 * (To Killua) "I'm really boiling inside. A cheap win won't be good enough! I have to crush him completely!!"
 * (To Tsezguerra) "I can't do this without Killua."
 * "I need more power. More!!!"
 * (To Genthru) "Without a wager, this is plain highway robbery. I'll never hand over my cards like that!! I won't open my binder again... even if it kills me!!"
 * "Killua, Biscuit, I'm sorry... I'm going to improvise here. It's a bit selfish of me. But I've got to follow my gut."
 * (To Genthru) "Enough self-indulgence. Now we get to the good part. Come on, Genthru!!"
 * (To Killua) "We've got to get stronger and go back as soon as we can!! To save Kite!"
 * "We're nowhere near as good as him... I can't even stand up to him yet!! No amount of willpower can overcome this reality...! I don't have any comebacks!! But I'm not just going to take it!!"
 * (To Knuckle) "We're fighting for real, aren't we? Do it like you're gonna kill me!! Knuckle!!"
 * (To Killua) "I'm so weak. You know... I never... I never thought being weak was this frustrating!!"
 * "Right next. And next. Then left. Add a feint... Ha ha... He really is like a machine. Kite is not this weak. Kite's fists hurt a lot more!!"
 * (To Kite) "I'm sorry, Kite. It's our fault this happened... You can rest now. Leave the rest to us."
 * (To Killua) "I swear... I'll take on that bastard myself."
 * (To Meleoron) "If it is a lie I won't have to feel bad. I won't show any mercy. I'd be able to kill you without reservations."
 * (To Neferpitou) "Do you remember me? My name is Gon Freecss!! I came to see you to restore Kite!!!"
 * (To Neferpitou) "It's not fair!!! It's not fair, dammit!!! Why just her?! After all you did to Kite?! Why?! Why?!"
 * (To Neferpitou) "The next time you speak out of line, I'll kill her."
 * "I did this. I killed him. I did this."
 * "Kill me? You won't heal Kite? You won't even try? After all that..."
 * "Enough. Let it end. I don't care what happens to me now. I need all the power I'll ever have."
 * "Kite. I made sure to finish him like you taught me. So..."
 * (To Killua) "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt. I'm not bluffing. It makes me a little happy. Finally I can be just like Kite. In the end... I feel a little better now."
 * (To Killua) "Wherever we go, we'll always be friends!"
 * (To Mito) "I guess it wasn't that I wanted to see him. I realized after I saw him... that my goal had been to find him."
 * (To Mito) "It was fun talking to him. I was glad to meet him, and it made me happy. But he's more like an awesome uncle I'd always heard about, not a dad."
 * (To Mito) "Like father, like son, I guess. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a son."
 * (To Mito) "It's weird. It didn't cross my mind that I should stay with him just because he's my dad. But if I had been able to use Nen and had felt how awesome and powerful he is, I would've wanted to go with him."

Trivia

 * Gon's surname is based on the English word "freak".
 * Gon's Hunter License number is 109824803287, the only complete license number revealed in the manga.




 * Gon finds solving mathematical and logical problems difficult. This is rendered by smoke coming out of his ears, and occasionally by his head exploding.
 * The unusual name of his Hatsu was created when Gon stuttered the word "janken" ("rock-scissors-paper") when informing the Hunter Knuckle Bine about the name of his ability.
 * Gon was seen with heavy or significant damage done to one of his arms in every arc of the series except for the Yorknew City arc and the Dark Continent Expedition arc, in which he has yet to play a major role: his left arm was broken by Hanzo in the final stage of the Hunter Exam and healed in the middle of his visit to the Zoldyck mansion; his right arm was broken by Gido in Heaven's Arena; his right arm was blown apart by Genthru in their battle, and his throat severely damaged; in his adult form, his right arm was ripped off by a decapitated Neferpitou; and Killua held his withered hand in the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc while asking Alluka to heal him.
 * It should however be noted that in the Yorknew City arc, the back of his right hand bled from being slammed onto the table by Nobunaga repeatedly in their arm wrestling matches, and that in the current arc he is unable to use Nen.




 * According to himself and Killua's observation, Gon is very good at handling women of any kind. He shows no fear towards Palm Siberia and her violent outbursts, and even manages to handle her unstable personality most of the time. Gon claims he learned his way with women during his childhood experience with a group of women who visited his hometown and taught him "a lot of things".
 * According to the "Hunter × Hunter Manual" section found in the Yu ☆ Yu ☆ Hakusho official character book (Shueisha Jump remix), Gon's stats are:

Anime and Manga Differences

 * Gon typically speaks in an informal manner about Ging, tending to call his father his "old man" (and then by his first name, "Ging") in the manga and 2011 series. The 1999 anime adaptation opts for a more formal approach, with Gon referring to Ging as his "father".

Intertextuality and References



 * Gon has some similarities with the main character of YuYu Hakusho's Yusuke Urameshi:
 * both ranked 3rd on their respective series in a Character Popularity Poll;
 * both transformed in their respective series. Gon transformed into an unknown form, while Yusuke transformed into a Mazoku, their hair growing long;
 * both were raised during their childhood by a woman, Gon's aunt and Yusuke's mother, and both of their fathers were missing during their childhood days (though Gon met his father as the series progressed). Yusuke met his ancestral demon father during the final arc;
 * both have killed for the sake of revenge. Yusuke killed Younger Toguro to get revenge for Genkai, while Gon killed Neferpitou to get revenge for Kite;
 * both have green outfits;
 * and both have a similar, blunt fighting style that requires much less strategizing than some of their comrades. They've used some similar techniques, such as hiding among falling rubble in order to surprise their opponent (Gon breaks a tile while fighting Hisoka, Yusuke uses the rubble created when the Younger Toguro demolishes the fighting ring).
 * Also, both use energy punches: Rock (Gon) and Spirit Punch (Yusuke).
 * Gon's Hatsu abilities are an explicit reference to the game of rock-paper-scissors. The technique "Round 2" is also named after this game, as the exclamation he uses - "aiko de" - is part of the exclamation "Aiko desho!" (あいこでしょ！), which is chanted in the event of a tie.
 * Gon's Jajanken: Scissors is similar to Kazuma Kuwabara's Spirit Sword, another character of YuYu Hakusho.
 * Gon is also similar to young Goku from the popular series Dragon Ball:
 * both have spiky dark hair and occasional animalistic tendencies;
 * both are rather naive and have problems with numbers;
 * both train to become stronger;
 * both have extendable staff-like weapons at the start of their respective series: Goku his nyoi-bō and Gon his fishing rod;
 * both were raised by someone who was not their parent;
 * both can transform to increase their power and aura, and in both cases the transformation affects their hair;
 * like Gon, Goku used janken based techniques when he was a child;
 * Gon attempting to take the ball off Netero was similar to Goku's training while trying to catch Korin.

Miscellaneous

 * Gon ranked 3rd in all three character popularity polls that have been conducted so far by Weekly Shonen Jump, below both Killua and Kurapika.
 * Junko Takeuchi also voices Naruto Uzumaki from the series Naruto. However, she does not reprise her role as Gon Freecss for the 2011 series of the anime.
 * In Malay, Gon Freecss is called Gon Si Pelik (The Weird Gon).
 * Gon's adult form has sparked a meme with his fans referring to him as "Gon-san", although his official name might be "Hunter Gon" according to the figure manufactured by Bandai. The reason they did this was apparently because, "It was impossible to refer to him without a honorific at the time".
 * Gon's birthday is on the same day as the Japanese celebration of Children's Day.
 * Gon shares his birthday with One Piece's main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy.
 * Additionally, the number of the month and day of his birthday are the same: Gon shares this characteristic with the other three protagonists and Hisoka.

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