Hunter x Hunter watch order
Young Gon Freecss sets out to become a Hunter and find the father who left to be one, making a best friend in the ex-assassin Killua along the way. Yoshihiro Togashi's manga has two anime versions: Nippon Animation's from 1999 and Madhouse's from 2011.
First time? Watch Hunter x Hunter (2011) from start to finish. The two 2013 films are optional extras. Curious about the older version? The 1999 series and its OVAs are worth a look after.
First-timer order
The 2011 series in one go, then the two films. It's the most complete version and the one most guides start with.
- Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The complete adaptation of the manga up to the Chairman Election: Hunter Exam, Zoldyck, Heavens Arena, Yorknew, Greed Island, Chimera Ant and the Election. Episodes 13 and 26 are recaps.
- Phantom Rouge (optional)
Gon and Killua take on Omokage, a former Phantom Troupe member who stole Kurapika's eyes. Built on an old unpublished Togashi story but not part of the manga. Set after Yorknew City. Optional.
- The Last Mission (optional)
An original story set at Heavens Arena, about a grudge from Chairman Netero's past. Not canon, and guides disagree on where it goes; it needs Netero alive, so it fits before the end of Chimera Ant, but many people just watch it after the series. Optional.
Story order
The 2011 series with the films placed where they happen: Phantom Rouge after Yorknew City and The Last Mission after Greed Island, while Netero is still around. The 1999 version retells the same story up to Greed Island; see the map.
- 2011 series, episodes 1–58
Hunter Exam (1–21), Zoldyck family (22–26), Heavens Arena (27–36), a short Whale Island interlude (37–38) and Yorknew City (39–58). Episodes 13 and 26 are recaps you can skip.
- Phantom Rouge (optional)
Gon and Killua take on Omokage, a former Phantom Troupe member who stole Kurapika's eyes. Built on an old unpublished Togashi story but not part of the manga. Set after Yorknew City. Optional.
- 2011 series, episodes 59–75
The Greed Island arc, ending as Gon and Killua head toward the Chimera Ant threat.
- The Last Mission (optional)
An original story set at Heavens Arena, about a grudge from Chairman Netero's past. Not canon, and guides disagree on where it goes; it needs Netero alive, so it fits before the end of Chimera Ant, but many people just watch it after the series. Optional.
- 2011 series, episodes 76–148
The long, dark Chimera Ant arc (76–136), often called the series' best, then the 13th Chairman Election (137–148), where the anime ends. Never adapted by the 1999 version.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out, both versions included.
- Pilot (1998) (optional)
A 25-minute pilot by Studio Pierrot, shown at a Jump event, covering Gon's first steps from Whale Island. A curiosity. Optional.
- Hunter x Hunter (1999)
The first full adaptation: Hunter Exam (1–31), Zoldyck family (32–36), Heavens Arena (37–44) and the first part of Yorknew City (45–62). Darker and slower than 2011. Filler: episodes 2, 7 and 18–20.
- Hunter x Hunter OVA (Yorknew City)
Finishes the Yorknew City arc that the 1999 TV series left unfinished. Watch right after it.
- Greed Island
The first part of the Greed Island arc, where Gon and Killua enter a deadly video game.
- Greed Island Final
The end of the Greed Island arc and of the 1999 version. It stops where 2011's episode 75 does.
- Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The complete adaptation of the manga up to the Chairman Election: Hunter Exam, Zoldyck, Heavens Arena, Yorknew, Greed Island, Chimera Ant and the Election. Episodes 13 and 26 are recaps.
- Phantom Rouge (optional)
Gon and Killua take on Omokage, a former Phantom Troupe member who stole Kurapika's eyes. Built on an old unpublished Togashi story but not part of the manga. Set after Yorknew City. Optional.
- The Last Mission (optional)
An original story set at Heavens Arena, about a grudge from Chairman Netero's past. Not canon, and guides disagree on where it goes; it needs Netero alive, so it fits before the end of Chimera Ant, but many people just watch it after the series. Optional.
Explained
1999 or 2011?
They adapt the same manga. The 2011 series is the default recommendation because it covers far more (through the Chimera Ant and Election arcs) and is easy to find. The 1999 version, finished by its OVAs, stops after Greed Island but has a moodier, darker feel, and many fans prefer its Yorknew City arc.
Can I start with 1999 and switch?
Yes. The 1999 series plus its three OVA sets ends at the same point as 2011's episode 75, so you can switch to the 2011 series at episode 76, the start of the Chimera Ant arc. Some fans watch 1999 up to the end of Yorknew City and switch at 2011's episode 59 instead.
What can I skip?
In the 2011 series, episodes 13 and 26 are recaps framed as letters from Gon. In the 1999 series, episodes 2, 7 and 18–20 are filler. Both films and the 1998 pilot are optional.
Are the movies canon?
No. Phantom Rouge builds on an old unpublished Togashi story, and moviegoers got a Togashi prequel chapter about Kurapika, but the film itself isn't part of the manga. The Last Mission is a fully original story. Both are fun extras that don't affect the series.
Will there be more anime?
No new anime has been announced as of autumn 2026. The anime ends at the Election arc, and everything after that in the manga (the Dark Continent expedition and Succession War) is unadapted. Togashi's manga resumed in mid-2026 with chapters 411–420 before going on another break.