Hunter x Hunter: Breaking Down the Manga's Potential Ending
Yoshihiro Togashi recently released the ending of Hunter x Hunter, so here's a breakdown of the grand finale.
The creator of Hunter x Hunter, Yoshihiro Togashi, hasn't been shy when it comes to discussing his health issues. While the mangaka was able to return to the series to continue the Succession Contest Arc, Togashi needed to take a hiatus from a weekly release schedule. In a recent turn of events, Yoshihiro took the opportunity to reveal a potential ending for the series that fans could look toward should he not be able to finish the story of Gon and his fellow hunters.
In a recent interview, the creator of the popular shonen franchise revealed that he had created four different endings for Hunter x Hunter. The ending he revealed as but one of four, as "Endings A, B, and C" did not live up to Togashi's "high satisfaction standards". In this new ending, we are introduced to a young girl named "Jin", who is the granddaughter of Gon. Painting a scene that is quite similar to Gon's introduction in Hunter x Hunter's first chapter, though Jin is adamant about never leaving the island or becoming a hunter, which is quite different from her grandfather's journey.
Hunter x Hunter's Finale In Detail
Hunter x Hunter's revealed ending works well at giving manga readers an idea of how the shonen franchise will end, while still having plenty of unanswered questions for the potential final chapters. Anime fans aren't given an idea of what happened to the likes of Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, along with the members of the villainous Phantom Troupe. Hopefully, Hunter x Hunter fans will one day see an official ending hit the pages of the manga.
If you haven't had the opportunity to check out the ending, it reads as such, "Next to the lake, a girl named Jin, holding a fishing rod, stands motionless. Suddenly, the rod shakes violently, and Jin, startled, exclaims, "I got him! I got the Lake Lord!" She skillfully lifts the Lake Lord onto her shoulders and stands before a woman, saying, "As I promised, I caught the Lake Lord! Mom!" Jin approaches the woman and passionately declares, "You must not tell me again. You must become a hunter."
The woman, with no tricks left, nods her head. Jin, still carrying the Lake Lord on her shoulder, walks away. The mother comments to her husband that Jin's dream is to never leave the island and inherit their place. The father agrees, laughing, and the mother expresses her dissatisfaction, saying, "Perhaps her desires will change later. But I want to know, you and Jin, why are you like this? Surely it's because of the blood of Grandma Mito and Grandma Noko."
The woman seems unaware that Grandma Mito and Grandma Noko are not related by blood, and the father smiles knowingly. The woman, expressing her unwillingness as a mother, adds, "But Grandpa Gon was a famous hunter... and this girl will one day leave the island."
Jin insists, "I will never leave!" Although she is no longer visible in the heart of the forest, she hears her parents' conversation and responds defiantly. The father, amused, says, "You have a sharp eye."
The scene changes to the shop continuing its work from Mito's days. The Lake Lord has been cleanly cut, and its internal parts sorted. Jin thinks to herself while working, "Mom never understands. When Grandpa speaks joyfully about his memories of being a hunter, Grandma Noko quietly moves away from her seat. Every time Grandpa Gon affirms, her belief is heard from someone. She strikes the cutting board forcefully with a knife (I'm tired of this!!) To wait for someone's return after months and years of sadness crushes my heart... I make someone wait for me! I. Then the door opens, and a warm voice echoes. A chubby little child enters, holding a plant.
The child exclaims, "I caught the Lake Lord for real! Well, let's honor the whole island with it!" Jin replies, "I always... always wanted to be with the person I want to be with. Together, always!" The child agrees, "Yes!" Both of them, with broad smiles on their faces, cook the food. A bird flies away from the island, over a town and its people. The son of one of them, the daughter of another, and the grandchild of another live in different places, exchanging smiles. They might be the children of that character and the grandchildren of that character. The bird flies away into the distance.
In the background, a figure watches the scene.
The End."