Story Arcs

Hunters are what those who are captivated by "the mysterious unknown" and devoted to tracking down rare items are called. 11-year old Gon leaves his home to follow in his father's footsteps and take the Hunter Exam. He braves through storms on a ship strong enough to make grown men sick and encounters magical beasts called Kiriko - all on his way to the exam venue. There, he faces even stranger challenges, including running through a jungle full of deceptive wildlife, navigating through a tower full of traps, and even making the mysterious sushi dish. Gon navigates through the many phases of the Hunter Exam with his new friends Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio while avoiding the deadly jester, Hisoka. Killua goes home after getting disqualified during the Final Phase, and his new friends head to his home to find him after their Hunter Exam finishes. After the group reunite, they go their separate ways. Leorio leaves for medical school and Kurapika leaves to find work as a bounty hunter. Gon and Killua decide to go together to the Heavens Arena to train and prepare for Gon's eventual rematch with Hisoka.

Gon and Killua go to the Heavens Arena to train and earn money, where they unexpectedly find a mentor - the Shingen-ryu master Wing, who teaches them about the mysterious Nen. Gon and Killua are joined by a young child named Zushi, who is also Wing's student. Gon and Killua learn about Nen, discover their Nen types, and battle their way up the 251 floors of the Heavens Arena against powerful opponents with far more Nen experience than them. Unexpectedly, Hisoka is at the Heavens Arena as well, and agrees to fight Gon if he can prove himself a worthy opponent. Gon finds himself with a sudden opportunity to settle his score with Hisoka from the Hunter Exam.

The four main characters reunite for the world's largest auction in a sprawling metropolis named Yorknew City. Gon, Killua, and Leorio try different methods to make enough money to buy Greed Island, a JoyStation Console video game which could help Gon find his father. Meanwhile, Kurapika works as a bodyguard for Neon Nostrade, a flesh collector and daughter to the head of a Mafia family, in order for him to get closer to his clan's Scarlet Eyes which are set to be auctioned in the same city. The Phantom Troupe, a group of thieves, who had slaughtered Kurapika's clan, are also gathering at Yorknew City.

Gon, Killua, and Leorio return to help Kurapika’s recovery after the battle against the Phantom Troupe. Leorio and Kurapika leave again, returning the focus to Gon and Killua. Gon and Killua are able to join a team hired by the billionaire, Battera, to play the game. Gon and Killua are joined and later Nen-trained by Biscuit Krueger, a 57-year-old woman who looks like a 12-year-old girl, and is a master and experienced teacher of Nen. As the story progresses, a player nicknamed the Bomber is blowing other players up. Gon, Killua, and Biscuit team up with other players and take the Bomber out. The Phantom Troupe also travels to Greed Island, looking for a Nen-remover to remove the Nen blade on Chrollo Lucilfer, put by Kurapika to null his powers.

After leaving Greed Island, Gon and Killua meet up with Kite. They're all hired to investigate a strange insect leg that washed up on a beach. Genetic testing determines that the leg belongs to an abnormally large Chimera Ant Queen, which just happens to wash up on the shore of an island called the NGL (Neo-Green Life). The Chimera Ants proceed to wipe most of the population out and spawn hundreds of offspring for next generation before Gon, Killua, and Kite arrive to stop her.

Netero, the Hunter chairman has passed away after his confrontation with the Chimera Ant King, Meruem. A new Hunter chairman is needed, so the Zodiacs are gathered to establish a new election for their new Hunter chairman. Ging Freecss, one of the Zodiac members, is leading the establishment. Leorio returns and quickly rises to prominence as a top candidate in the election. These events act as a backdrop to the efforts of Killua and his servants, who wish to revive a hospitalized Gon using the Nen ability of Alluka Zoldyck. Illumi, aided by Hisoka, attempts to stop Killua due to the potential dangers attached to using Alluka's powers.

Under the patronage of the Kakin Empire, Isaac Netero's son Beyond launches an expedition to the forbidden Dark Continent. Pariston and Ging leave the Zodiacs to join Beyond's Dark Continent expedition team, and the new Chairman Cheadle invites Leorio and Kurapika to replace them. The V5 hire the Hunter Association to hunt Beyond, but change their request to be his chaperone on the Dark Continent after Kakin joins the V6. Kurapika gets himself hired as a bodyguard for the youngest prince of the Kakin Empire to get close to the owner of the remaining Scarlet Eyes - an older sibling of Kurapika's employer, Prince Tserriednich. The generational Succession Contest is taking place on the Black Whale, but Kurapika and the 14 participating Princes are not alone - among the 200,000 passengers on board the Black Whale are Kakin's three big Mafia Families, ~150 Provisional Hunters with unknown intents, Kakin's Military, the bodyguards of the royal family, and the Phantom Troupe. Kurapika must make his way close to Prince Tserriednich, while using his life-draining ability to navigate through mysterious Guardian Spirit Beasts with unknown abilities, assassins, Provisional Hunters with unknown intents, and the Phantom Troupe, and also survive the journey to be able to assist the Zodiacs with managing Beyond Netero on the Dark Continent.