Ging Freecss

Ging Freecss (ジン=フリークス, Jin Furīkusu) is the father of the primary protagonist Gon Freecss. His departure becomes Gon's motivation for becoming a Hunter. He is a Double Star Hunter, and a former Zodiac.

Background
Ging is the only grandson of Gon's great-grandmother. He and Mito are cousins. Ging left Whale Island to take the 267th Hunter Examination not long before turning 12. Right after his departure, Mito's parents and his father died consecutively. He was the only participant to pass the 267th Hunter Exam.

Ging returned to Whale Island ten years afterward with a two-year-old Gon. He intended to leave Gon in the custody of his grandmother for a while, telling her that he and Gon's mother had separated. However, he lost the custody of his son in court to his cousin Mito.

After becoming a licensed Hunter, Ging devoted himself to the excavation of archaeological ruins. He used his own fortune to accomplish a perfect preservation and restoration of the ruins so that everyone can see them. His achievements in archaeology are now considered an exemplary model for working on ruins throughout the world.

Ging has become very rich and as powerful as a president of a country. He is currently a Double-Star Hunter and can qualify for a Triple-Star License but because of his shyness he has not applied for one. Ging, however, remains a mysterious figure and information about him is classified even in the official Hunters database. One of the few things known about him is that he is the main creator of the Nen-based game Greed Island. Chairman Netero once told Biscuit that Ging was one of the five best Nen users in the world.

After Netero's death, it is revealed that Ging is one of the twelve Hunters hand-picked by the former Chairman to be in charge of the election for a new Hunter chairman: the Zodiacs. They all were given code names based on the signs of the Chinese zodiac, with Ging being known as "the Boar".

Personality
Ging has a shy and stubborn personality, to the point that he only wants Gon to meet him alone and claims that it would be cowardly of Gon to bring a friend to meet him, causing one of his friends to wonder if he is afraid of crowds. Judging by his actions at the New Hunter Chairman Election to ensure Netero's will will be carried out, he seems to respect the late Chairman considerably.

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc
Netero leaves a video of his last will, stating that he's resigning as chairman, and the new chairman will be determined by election, so that all members of the association should cast their votes. If voter participation does not exceed 95% the election is void, and another will be held. Netero gives the date, the method of the election is up to the Zodiacs to decide. Ging, as one of the Zodiacs, and out of respect for Netero is called in to help decide the rules for the election of the new chairman. Saiyu jokes about how Ging actually showed up when he usually doesn't ever show up to these type of meetings and points "Rat" as a trash for being late. Vice-Chairman Pariston shows up late, which annoyed most of the Zodiacs except Ging. Pariston puts himself up as a candidate for the position, and suggests not to have an election anymore, which angered the Zodiacs. Ginta threatened to kill Pariston because of his brash attitude, while Ging keeps his cool and analyzes the situation. Ging then announces his candidacy and states that he will continue Netero's legacy. The rest of the Zodiac doubted the motive behind Ging's candidacy, stating that they want Pariston or Ging for the position. Pariston then brought Gon's near death condition in the discussion, stating he'll pay him a visit (and possibly a hint that he's going to harm Gon), which Ging counters by stating that Gon won't die easily and that he trusts that his son will survive the ordeal. Cheadle brings up the idea that the rules for the election should be decided through draw lots, and everyone agreed. Each Zodiac then proceeds to write down their own rules in a piece of paper and have Beans pick a draw. It turned out to be Ging's rules. It is later revealed that two days prior to the Zodiacs' meeting, Ging conspired with Beans by giving him a set of rules for the Chairman Election. Based on each Zodiac's personality, he was able to deduce the outcome of the meeting beforehand.

Having met all conditions said by Ging, Beans picked Ging's set of rules (unknown to other members of Zodiacs): At a conference, the Zodiacs were talking to the public about voting for the new chairman. When they open up to questions Leorio asks him why he hasn't gone to see Gon when everyone else has. They get into an argument that ends when Leorio punches the table he was standing at, breaking it causing a black portal to appear. Another black portal appears under Ging with a fist popping out that punches him in the face.
 * 1) Every single Hunter as a candidate and a voter.
 * 2) If the candidate with the most votes haven't achieve the majority of the votes, the candidates will be cut down to 16 participants, if the latter rule will not work the candidates for the position will be cut in half until there's a winner.
 * 3) If the voting rate is less than 95% the election should be re-processed.
 * 4) All voters must write their names on to their vote, all nameless votes will be considered null and void.
 * 5) Ging will be the chairman of the election committee. This rule is a bluff so the others will accept his first four rules. With voting rate only at 87.7% during the first election the conditions were not met, a re-election will occur.

Ging is next seen talking with Cheadle explaining how to defeat Pariston and tells Cheadle that Pariston isn't interested in winning or losing and only wants to enjoy himself and that the election is only a game to him. He explains to her that Pariston knows both sides of her and that's why he's got her pinned. Cheadle asks Ging what will happen if things keep going as they are, Ging answers by saying that after the 8th election only she and Pariston will remain, but in the next one on one election they will both switch places she'll come in first and Pariston in second and that things will probably continue like that and that Pariston will come in to lower the voting percentage do to the fact that he has a vice grip on all of the temp hunters and he'll just get them to abstain from voting, Cheadle asks why to which Ging says that he'll just play around until X Day.

He states to Cheadle that out of the four remaining candidates left, the one who carries on Netero's will is Pariston. Cheadle gets mad and says she doesn't want to hear that from him and she only wants him to tell her when X Day will be. Ging starts by saying that the day Netero blew himself up, 100 large Hunter Organization Airships headed into East Gorteau and that this wasn't recorded by the books. Ging looks surprised that Cheadle didn't know this and tells her that the Airships picked up around 5000 hybrid cocoons that the Chimera Ants had left around and that every single one of them can use nen and that they've all probably hatched by now. He says that Pariston wants to play with them and he wants a big garden to play with them in, too. Ging tells Cheadle that X Day is the day of the New Hunter Exam, but says the situation could change depending on how one interprets The Hunter Commandments.

When the 8th Election is about to begin, Piyon asks the Hunters to stay until the 13th Chairman Election is decided and is shown as the Zodiacs have blocked all the entrances, Ging and Pariston make eye contact and Ging says to himself "This is Bad".

After Gon was healed, he and the other Hunters entered the election hall, resulting in Ging being finally found by Gon.

Gon apologizes, still feeling responsible for what happened to Kite. Ging tells him that it wasn't his fault and that Kite was still alive, because of his Crazy Slot ability, which Ging himself taught him. He suggested that Gon should go see Kite again, after being shouted at by the other Hunters. He picks a fight with the Hunters in the election hall, after promising Gon that they can talk later.

Later, Gon and Ging meet at the World Trees. There, Ging talks about why he wanted to be a Hunter. He reveals that there is much more to the world than most people don't know and that is the Dark Continent. He tells Gon that the Chimera Ants also originated from there and that even Ging isn't qualified to go there yet. Gon returns him his Double Hunter License and they talk about various other things.

Dark Continent Expedition arc
Cheadle announces to the Zodiacs that Ging and Pariston both resigned from the group. Ging is next seen near Beyond Netero's palace, appearing to be interested in his plans to visit the Dark Continent.

Abilities & Powers
His abilities are yet to be revealed but being part of the Zodiacs, a Double Star hunter who can qualify for Triple Star License, being able to beat and capture Razor who is also a powerful Nen user himself, he is bound to be extremely proficient in Nen. Former Chairman Netero supported this theory by saying that he is one of the five best Nen users in the world. Another example is when he fought most of the Hunter Association without so much as getting a scratch on himself. Furthermore, Hisoka is extremely interested in him. Aside from being famous his power, Ging is known for the number of difficult missions he has completed for the Hunter Association as well as for his ability to disappear without leaving traces, to the point that not even the Zodiacs can find him.

Genius-level intellect: Ging is arguably one of the most intelligent character of the series. He has foreseen most of Gon's choices and actions since leaving home, including the participation to the Hunter Exam, the permanence in Greed Island (which he created for the purpose of training him and any eventual comrade of his in Nen) and his meeting Kite. He also guessed correctly what the process to decide the rules of the election would be and ensured his own would win, outmaneuvering the rest of the Zodiacs. His predictions regarding the election for the new chairman of the Hunter Association were accurate and even Cheadle, despite disliking him and being extremely smart herself, asked him for advice. He manipulated Leorio, a person he knew nothing of, so that he could become a hindrance to Pariston's victory, which he actually did.

Quotes

 * "Hunters are a bunch of egomaniacs. We set aside everything else to get what we want.", to Gon
 * "Try and catch me. You're a Hunter now, aren't you?", to Gon
 * "He won't die.", to Pariston

Trivia

 * Ging resembles Yusuke Urameshi, the protagonist of Togashi's previous series Yu Yu Hakusho.