Hunter x Hunter Filler Guide

Hunter x Hunter is an anime that started airing in 2011. The story follows a young boy named Go, raised by his aunt and uncle, both hunters. Gon desires to become a hunter himself to find his father, who disappeared when he was very young. To become a hunter, Gon passes the problematic entrance exam to get into the hunter school in the capital of the country called Leorio and Kurapika.

Hunter x Hunter Plot

The story begins with Gon, a young boy whose aunt and uncle are raising. He wants to become a hunter so he can find his father. He passes the entrance exam to get into the hunter school in the capital of the country. While there, he meets two other applicants, Kurapika and Leorio. Together they experience many adventures on their quest to become hunter-class warriors known as “examiners.”

Gon is a young boy who his aunt and uncle are raising in Whale Island. He has never met his father, but when he was young, he was told that his father was a great hunter who would someday return home for him. His father left him a scar on his left arm that looks like a star, but Gon doesn’t know what it means or what it stands for.

While walking through town, Gon sees an older man trying to get into a building called NERV (Neo Educational Reform Vision). The old man tells him that NERV is an organization that sends hunters out to find rare treasures called “treasures” (tres). When God asks if he can be one of those hunters someday too, the old man says that he is too young to be one. However, he gives him a card with the name of a place called “Hunter Exam Hall” on it and says that if he can get there, he will be able to register and become one.

Gon then sets off on his journey to become a hunter. He travels from Whale Island to the capital city in search of Hunter Exam Hall. Still, along the way,, he meets friends like Leorio and Kurapika,, and together,, they travel through many different countries to get there.

How Much Filler is in Hunter x Hunter?

The series is based on a manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi. The manga ran from 1998 to 2005, spanning a total of 148 volumes. It was later adapted into an anime series in 1999. There are a total of 1% filler episodes in the entire anime volume.

Quick Filler & Canon Lists

Complete Filler List

Our Favorite Hunter x Hunter episodes worth watching

Episode 2: Test × Of × Tests

In this episode, the three protagonists are split up and each are given a riddle that they must solve. The riddles are all possible answers to the questions posed in the previous episode, where a young girl asked Gon and Killua what they would do if they were unable to save everyone from danger.

The main purpose of this filler episode is to show us how each of the main characters think and act, as well as how they meet some of their friends later on in the series. We will learn that Leorio is extremely competitive and will use any tactic to win a game. Also, we see Kurapika’s fascination with insects which will lead him to being friends with the ant-expert named Yukino. And finally, we see Gon’s confidence in himself which leads him to solving his riddle first.

This is a filler episode because it serves no purpose whatsoever. The riddle posed by the old woman is never answered. The masked people are never seen again. All of the action in this episode is meaningless filler material that was created only to waste time in an effort to make the audience wait longer before the next real episode of Hunter x Hunter starts.

Also, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio move through a town and then are stopped by some masked people for no real reason at all other than filler material to make the audience wait longer.

This is an episode made for comedic purposes and as a way to introduce the audience to the concept of riddles. It is not part of the canon storyline, and has no bearing on the main plot.

Episode 7: Showdown × On The × Airship

Leorio and Kurapika are sitting on a bench, with the latter complaining about the size of his luggage. Leorio, on the other hand, is relieved that he is not carrying anything heavy. Gon and Killua suddenly appear in front of them, saying that they just saw Chairman Netero. Leorio and Kurapika are surprised by this and wonder why he would be here in the first place. As Gon explains it to them, he reveals that Chairman Netero challenged them to a game involving a ball; if they succeed at getting it from him, they will become Hunters. The boys then run off to play with him.

A few minutes later, the boys return from their “game” with Chairman Netero; Killua has some scratches on his face but doesn’t seem too bothered by it. As Leorio comments on how old Netero looks (he is actually around 70 years old), Chairman Netero again appears behind them; however, this time he is wearing sunglasses and a cloak. He speaks in his normal voice instead of whispering as before; but says nothing else aside from thanking them for playing with him and saying goodbye to Gon. The boys are confused by this reaction; Kurapika is even more surprised when he sees the Chairman’s face.

It’s really hard to explain why this is a filler episode. The filler episodes in Hunter x Hunter are usually about Gon and his friends being playful and having fun outside of the exam, like in the last episode for example. This episode is similar to that one but with Chairman Netero instead and with a different plot.

There’s nothing wrong with this episode being filler. It’s a great episode and the humor is very good. The fact that it is a filler doesn’t really harm the overall quality of the episode and it is enjoyable to watch, but it does add to the repetitive nature of Hunter x Hunter filler episodes.

Episode 18: Big × Time × Interview

This episode is the second part of the first filler arc after the Hunter Exam ends. The examiners find out that the three examinees are missing, and they get a search party to look for them. It turns out they are in a cave where they encounter a man who can control snakes. He attacks them and Kurapika figures out how he died by looking at his wounds.

Ponzu, who was carrying her bee hive around with her, wants to pass the Hunter Exam but decides not to after she realizes that she doesn’t have enough money to pay for everything she needs for her bees, including their food and the maintenance of their hives in order to keep them alive.The three examinees need to find an antidote for Leorio, so Gon decides to sacrifice himself in order to search Bourbon’s body for it. While Gon is fighting against all of the snakes from Bourbon, Kurapika worries about him because he may die from all of the snake bites he sustained while fighting against them. Luckily, Gon succeeds in getting the antidote and manages to live through all of this danger.

Due to Gon’s heroism, Leorio, Kurapika, and Ponzu are free to move on without worry. They go back to the examiners and leave their underground cave. This is where the Hunter Exam ends for them. The Chairman, who is actually the father of Killua, tells the three that they have passed the Hunter Exam.

This is a filler arc that only takes place in the Hunter x Hunter anime and does not exist in the original manga series.

Episode 19: Can’t Win × And × Can’t Lose

The Chairman reveals all the details on why some applicants have more chances passing the exam than others based on their previous performances, and the rules about winning. He explains that only one person needs to win, and the losers move up to higher bracket until there is one person left. Because of this, it’s possible for someone who started in a lower bracket to win over someone who started in a higher bracket and vice versa.

Gon beats Hanzo in the match by disqualifying him because of breaking his arm, even though he had already won a match before this one. This means that Gon had already qualified before this fight even happened. If Gon hadn’t broken Hanzo’s arm, none of them would have passed.

The chairman reveals that Gon is the only applicant who will be moving up to the next round because he had already won a match. The remaining eight applicants will be put in a bracket, and they will fight until there is one winner and one loser. The rules state that if there are more than two winners, they leave, but if there are more than two losers, the winners stay. If there is one winner and one loser in the same bracket, regardless of which bracket it belongs to, that person passes. The chairman explains this to everyone after Gon’s match with Hanzo.

The final phase of the Hunter Exam is meant to test the courage of the applicants; however, in this episode, it is shown that the chairman’s decision to take away Hanzo’s badge goes against what was stated in the first half of the series. The purpose of this filler episode is to give viewers a chance to see how Gon and all the other applicants react to Hanzo’s disqualification.

While it does give us more insight into why Gon wanted to become a Hunter so badly in order for him to go against all odds and fight Hanzo without fear, it does not add anything new or interesting about him as a character. This filler arc also shows how Leorio and Kurapika react when they learn that Gon lost his arm because he was too stubborn with wanting to win. It shows them both feeling disappointed at how they were unable to help him, but also how they felt that he should have had more sense than going head-to-head with someone who was clearly stronger than him. While these feelings are understandable, it does not make for an entertaining filler episode.

Episode 20: Baffling × Turn Of × Events

The Hunter exam, which is a test to determine whether or not someone is worthy to be a hunter, ends up being a huge let down for Gon. When he was about to get his license, he was told that he had passed the exam without even taking it. His rival and best friend Killua fails the exam and Gon is asked by his examiner who the stronger between him and Killua is. This causes Gon to reflect on how Killua fought for him and how he will always be his friend no matter what.

This episode is a filler episode, because it does not relate to the main story and is not essential in the progression of the anime. It was created intentionally by the creators of the anime, because they wanted to create a special episode about Gon and Killua’s friendship.

The main cast of characters is present throughout most of this episode (including Killua), but they do not interact with each other, nor do they contribute to the plot; their purpose here is only background information about Killua, which allows Gon and Satotz to learn more about his past (they could have learned this information through flashbacks or dialogue, but it’s implied that Gon was too young or did not care enough about Killua at that point).

This filler episode has added some details here and there, and we actually get to see what happened in the match between Illumi (Gittarackur) and Killua from his point of view. Otherwise, the only new information revealed in this filler episode is that Illumi’s name is changed from Gittarackur to Illumi.

However, this change still leaves some confusion because it was never clarified why he was called Gittarackur in English dubs before for no apparent reason. In fact, this filler episode mostly contributes to the character development Gon receives, in that he becomes more mature and starts to trust his friends more.