'Hunter x Hunter' Creator Reveals Original Character Designs

For many, Hunter x Hunter is the series they fear may never be finished. The fan-favorite title [...]

By Megan Peters

For many, Hunter x Hunter is the series they fear may never be finished. The fan-favorite title debuted some time ago, but Yoshihiro Togashi has yet to finish the shonen series. So, in the absence of new chapters, fans are walking through the history of Hunter x Hunter to revisit their favorite parts.

So, if you want to know what Gon and the gang originally looked like, then you are in luck.

Over on Twitter, a set of character designs drawn by Togashi are starting to make the rounds. The sketch, which can be found below, was spotted at a recent Shonen Jump event in Japan. It shows a slew of original designs for Hunter x Hunter, and there is a new one fans have yet to see.

Starting from the left, fans can see Kurapika looking as broody as ever. The mysterious Hunter is seen with longer hair in this sketch, and his baggy outfit looks less formal than his usual gear.

As for Gon and Killua, the two characters look much the same as they do in the manga. Their hair changed very little from design to publication, and that consistency lent itself to Leorio as well. Togashi's first design for the character looks a bit more bookish, but fans can clearly tell who the Hunter is here.

To the far right, fans are shown two interesting designs which you should have trouble placing. In the top corner, fans can see a couple standing together, and the pair are none other than Ging Freecss and his girlfriend. Gon's father looks younger here than he does in the manga, and his hair is seen sans turban. His clean shaven look is a very different one, and he's apparently single in the manga still. Fans haven't heard anything about Ging being involved with anyone since Gon was born. There's no telling whether this lady was intended to be the lead's mother, but Hunter x Hunter still has time to explore the topic. Well, if the series comes back from its most recent hiatus, that is.

What do you make of these original designs? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

For those unfamiliar with Hunter x Hunter, the series was originally created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story follows a young boy named Gon Freecss, who discovers that his previously thought to be dead father is in fact alive. Not only is he alive, he is a famous Hunter, a professional traveler who specializes in finding rare treasures, exploring unidentified lands, and hunting down dangerous individuals. Gon then decides that in order to meet his father he has to become a licensed Hunter, but in that journey gets wrapped up in way more strangeness than he ever could have anticipated.

The series first ran in Shuiesha's Weekly Shonen Jump in March 1998. Unfortunately, the series has gone on a number of hiatuses ever since 2006 which were most likely incurred by bouts of illness Togashi experienced when publishing his last work, Yu Yu Hakusho. The series has run for 360 chapters, and been collected into 47 volumes as of 2017. It's one of Shueisha's most successful selling series with over 66 million copies sold in Japan.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of