Picture this: you’re sitting in your favorite chair, finally settling in to watch what you think will be the conclusion of one of anime’s greatest stories. The credits roll after an emotionally satisfying finale, and you feel that rare sense of completion that only comes from a perfectly crafted ending. Then reality hits—this isn’t actually the end, and you’ll be waiting over a decade for the story to continue, with no guarantee it ever will.
This is exactly what happened to millions of Hunter x Hunter fans in 2011. The anime adaptation concluded at what many consider the series’ narrative peak, delivering an ending so emotionally resonant and thematically complete that it could have served as the perfect conclusion to Gon’s journey.
Yet here we are, 14 years later, still waiting for a proper Hunter x Hunter ending while watching one of manga’s greatest creators battle chronic pain that prevents him from continuing his masterpiece.
The Perfect Storm of Storytelling That We Almost Had
The 2011 Hunter x Hunter anime ended with the Chimera Ant arc, specifically focusing on Gon’s reunion with his father, Ging. This moment represents everything the series had been building toward since episode one. Gon’s entire motivation throughout the story was finding his father, and when that goal was finally achieved, it felt like the natural conclusion to his character arc.
“The ending we got in 2011 was narratively satisfying in a way that few shonen series manage to achieve,” explains anime industry analyst Kenji Matsumoto. “Gon found his father, learned about his past, and came to terms with who Ging really is as a person.”
The beauty of this potential Hunter x Hunter ending lies in its emotional completeness. Gon doesn’t just physically find Ging—he finally understands him. The conversation between father and son on the World Tree represents a moment of genuine closure that most long-running series never achieve.
What makes this ending even more powerful is how it subverts typical shonen expectations. Instead of a climactic battle or world-saving finale, the series concludes with a quiet, introspective conversation between two people who barely know each other but share an unbreakable bond.
Why This Ending Would Have Been Legendary
The proposed Hunter x Hunter ending at the Chimera Ant arc’s conclusion would have solved several narrative problems that continue to plague the series today. Here’s what made this potential conclusion so compelling:
- Character Growth Completion: Gon’s character arc reaches its natural conclusion
- Thematic Resolution: The series’ central themes of family, ambition, and understanding are fully explored
- Emotional Satisfaction: Viewers get closure on the most important relationship in the story
- Narrative Symmetry: The story comes full circle from Gon’s initial goal to its fulfillment
| Story Element | Status at Potential Ending | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Gon’s main goal | Completely resolved | Resolved but overshadowed |
| Father-son relationship | Emotionally complete | No further development |
| Series tone | Consistent and satisfying | Increasingly complex |
| Fan satisfaction | High closure | Endless waiting |
The conversation between Gon and Ging on the World Tree serves as a masterclass in character writing. Ging reveals himself to be neither the hero nor villain that Gon imagined, but simply a flawed human being following his own path. This revelation allows Gon to finally see his father as a real person rather than an idealized figure.
“Togashi created something beautiful in that final conversation,” notes manga critic Sarah Chen. “It’s not about forgiveness or reconciliation in the traditional sense—it’s about acceptance and understanding.”
The Cost of Continuing an Unfinishable Story
While the current state of Hunter x Hunter leaves fans in perpetual limbo, the impact goes beyond simple disappointment. The constant hiatuses have created a unique form of cultural frustration that affects how people engage with ongoing manga and anime.
New fans discovering the series today face an impossible choice: enjoy one of the greatest shonen stories ever told, knowing it will likely never receive a proper conclusion, or skip it entirely to avoid the emotional investment in an incomplete narrative.
The publishing industry has also felt the effects. Other manga creators now reference “pulling a Togashi” when discussing the risks of health issues affecting long-running series. This has led to more publishers implementing backup plans and assistant systems to prevent similar situations.
“The Hunter x Hunter situation has become a cautionary tale about the unsustainability of the modern manga industry,” observes publishing expert Dr. Hiroshi Tanaka. “It shows what happens when we prioritize continuous output over creator wellbeing.”
Beyond industry impacts, the endless wait has affected fan communities. Online forums dedicated to Hunter x Hunter have transformed from discussion spaces about new chapters into support groups for people dealing with perpetual narrative blue balls. The phrase “Togashi please” has become a meme representing the collective frustration of millions of fans.
The artistic integrity of the series also suffers from this extended hiatus pattern. Each time Togashi returns with new chapters, fans and critics scrutinize every panel, searching for signs that his health issues might be affecting the quality of his work. This creates an impossible standard that no creator should have to meet.
What We Lost When the Story Continued
By not ending at the natural conclusion point, Hunter x Hunter lost something precious: the ability to be remembered as a complete masterpiece. Instead, it exists in a perpetual state of “what could have been,” with each new chapter carrying the weight of years of anticipation and the fear that it might be the last.
The current Dark Continent arc, while showing flashes of Togashi’s genius, feels disconnected from the emotional core that made the early series so compelling. New characters and complex political machinations have replaced the simple, powerful relationship dynamics that drew readers in originally.
This shift represents a fundamental change in what Hunter x Hunter is about. The series began as Gon’s coming-of-age story and his quest to understand his father. Now it’s become something entirely different—a complex political thriller that may never reach a satisfying conclusion.
FAQs
When did the Hunter x Hunter anime end?
The 2011 anime adaptation ended in September 2014, concluding with Gon’s meeting with his father Ging.
Why hasn’t Hunter x Hunter been completed?
Creator Yoshihiro Togashi suffers from chronic back pain and other health issues that prevent him from drawing consistently.
Is the Hunter x Hunter ending we got actually satisfying?
Many fans consider the 2011 anime ending emotionally complete, as it resolves Gon’s main goal of finding his father.
Will Hunter x Hunter ever get a proper ending?
While Togashi continues to work on the manga sporadically, there’s no guarantee the series will ever reach a definitive conclusion.
What would have made the 2011 ending perfect?
The ending provided narrative closure for Gon’s character arc and thematic resolution for the series’ central relationships.
How long has Hunter x Hunter been on hiatus?
The manga has been on hiatus multiple times since 2006, with the longest break lasting nearly four years from 2012 to 2016.
About the Author
