Hunter x Hunter

Gon, a 12-year-old boy, fulfills his promise to Mito-san, the woman who raised him, in order to receive permission to set out on a journey to take the Hunter exam and become a Hunter like his father was. While sailing to the examination site, Gon meets Leorio and Kurapika, who are also trying to become Hunters. But the three of them get off to a rocky start...

Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika have arrived at the city where the exam will be held. They follow the captain's advice and head for a shortcut to the exam site. On the way, they pass through a slum where a group of old ladies are waiting for them. The ladies tell them that they must pass their quiz or be disqualified from the Hunter exam.

The Kiriko have brought our three heroes to the exam site. Many applicants have already arrived. There's the veteran Tonpa, the creepy-looking Hisoka, the talkative ninja Hanzo, and the boy with the skateboard Killua. The first phase of the exam is finally about to begin.

The first phase of the exam is to follow the examiner Satotz to the second phase of the exam. A number of applicants have dropped out from the tedious trek that has no end in sight. Leorio is running with Kurapika and starting to lose steam, but then his desire to become a Hunter kicks in again. After running 80 kilometers, they reach a flight of stairs. Satotz picks up the pace again...

The applicants made it through the long underground tunnel to find themselves in a foggy wetland. The applicants can barely see a thing as they are targeted by many monsters. Gon and Killua are running near the front of the group, while Leorio and Kurapika are in the back, which is when they spot a group of applicants surrounding Hisoka.

After a scuffle with Hisoka, Gon and his friends are able to safely make it to the site for the second phase of the exam. The examiners for the second phase are Menchi and Buhara. Their task is a cooking test. The applicants struggle to create a dish that satisfies the Gourmet Hunter Menchi. Will anyone be able to make something that satisfies Menchi...?

After Gon and his friends successfully passed the second phase of the exam, they boarded the airship which would take them to the third phase. Gon and Killua are exploring the airship when they run into Netero, who proposes a very simple game. All they have to do is take a ball away from Netero and they can become hunters.

The airship arrives at the top of Trick Tower, the site for the third phase of the exam. The applicants must reach the bottom within 72 hours to pass. Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio finally discover a way into the tower. However, they need five members before they can progress any further. Who will be the fifth person...?

Gon and his friends must win three out of the next four rounds. The second round is a game to see whose candle is extinguished first. However, Gon's candle was tampered with. Next, Kurapika finds himself in a deathmatch against the serial killer Majitani. However, Majitani soon reveals a spider tattoo on his back, the symbol of the Phantom Troupe...

Gon and Kurapika have won their matches, giving the group a 2-1 lead, but their opponents claim that Majitani is only unconscious, so Kurapika's match hasn't been settled. Leorio grows impatient with Kurapika, who refuses to finish the job. The five members begin to bicker as time ticks away...

Leorio is in a gambling showdown with their remaining time limit on the line. Soon enough, Leorio only has 10 hours remaining. With no room for error, Leorio turns to a bet involving rock, paper, scissors. Leorio was confident going in, but he falls to his opponent's mind games. Two wins, two losses. The group is in a tight spot and their fate rests upon Killua.

The five group members take different approaches to their fifty hour penalty. Once they're allowed to return to the test, they must overcome many more obstacles. Eventually, they arrive before two doors with one hour left. One door leads to a long and difficult path that allows five people to pass. The other door leads to a short and easy path that only allows three people to pass...

Gon writes a letter to Mito-san and Grandma detailing his journey from home to the latest challenge at Trick Tower.

The applicants head to Zevil Island for the fourth phase of the exam. Each person draws a number which corresponds to the ID number of their target. The ID tag of their target is worth 3 points, their own ID tag is worth 3 points, and all other ID tags are worth 1 point. Each applicants must collect 6 points in order to pass this phase of the exam. Gon's target turns out to be...

Gon is relying on Bloodcrazy Butterflies to find his target, Hisoka, before waiting for the perfect time to use his skill with the fishing rod to snatch Hisoka's tag. Meanwhile, Leorio is tricked by Tonpa and loses his own tag, but Kurapika helps him recover it. Now that Kurapika and Leorio know that neither is the other's target, they decided to form an alliance.

Kurapika and Leorio are being stalked by Hisoka, but they managed to negotiate their way out of a fight. However, the encounter leaves Hisoka aroused, so he leaves in search of a new target. Gon is able to use his fishing rod to snatch Hisoka's tag right when Hisoka attacks his target. However, as Gon tries to escape, he is attacked by another applicant and loses his tag...

Killua grows tired of having Imori shadowing him so he challenges Imori to a fight and quickly dispatches him. Meanwhile, Gon has joined up with Leorio and Kurapika. The three of them devise a plan for taking Ponzu's tag and track her down to a suspicious-looking cave. That is when Leorio insists on heading in alone.

Gon and his friends have been trapped inside a cave by poisonous snakes. Bourbon, the person responsible for the trap, is already dead, and nobody knows how to disarm the trap. Meanwhile, Leorio, who was bitten by the snakes, is growing weak. Gon manages to get them out of the sticky situation and through to the final phase of the exam.

Gon and his friends have advanced to the final phase of the Hunter Exam. The final phase is a tournament where the winners are out and the losers advance. The rule is that if you kill your opponent, you'll be disqualified. The first mach is Gon versus Hanzo. Gon can't do anything against Hanzo, but he refuses to give up. Hanzo is losing his patience and threatens to break Gon's arm.

After breaking his arm in the fight against Hanzo, Gon wakes up in a bed and is immediately congratulated by Satotz for passing the Hunter Exam. He then informs Gon that Killua has failed. Gon is incredulous as Satotz tells him what happened when Killua faced off against his brother Illumi.

Gon is upset that Killua was forced to kill. Gon is mad at Illumi and proclaims that he will go to Kukuroo Mountain to rescue Killua. As Gon and his friends depart, Satotz mentions that the Hunter Exam isn't over yet...

After arriving in the Republic of Podokea, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika board a tour bus to Kukuroo Mountain, where Killua lives. However, they're blocked by a massive gate. Anyone who attempts to enter through the side door is eaten by the watchdog. Gon tells the guard that they are friends of Killua and asks to be let in.

Gon and his friends have decided to pass through the Trial Gate to see Killua. First, they must train in the servants' residence until they can open the gate. Meanwhile, Killua has learned that Gon and the others are here to see him. Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika are able to open the gate after completing their training, but the apprentice butler Canary stands in their way.

With help from Canary, who is concerned about Killua, Gon and his friends are getting closer to the mansion. However, Kikyo tells them that Killua cannot see them as he is in solitary confinement. Meanwhile, Killua has been summoned by Silva and asked if he wants to see his friend? Killua answers truthfully, and he is allowed to go see his friends...

Canary guides Gon and his friends to the butler office. There, they meet the butler Goto, who challenges them to a coin game so he can determine if they are worthy of being Killua's friends. After winning the game and reuniting with Killua, Gon now looks ahead to his next objective...