Albeit incredibly successful, Hunter x Hunter has quite the complicated past. Plagued with countless delays, the series has already been rebooted once since its original 1999 anime, and the ongoing manga is yet again in the midst of a frustrating hiatus. Regardless, the characters and the story hold a special place in the hearts of many fans, especially the artistically inclined.
The fan art for this series is next-level and we can't believe such impeccable talent actually exists. This is mainly due to the fact that the character designs lend themselves for some jaw-dropping interpretations. Here are 10 amazing works of Hunter x Hunter fan art that we can't help but love.
10 Illumi Zoldyck by Jacob Noble
Jacob Noble is a freelance artist and digital illustrator that specializes in a dark and ominous art style. His ArtStation profile provides an aesthetically pleasing look at his incredible portfolio. Though Jacob illustrates all types of characters, his approach works best for villains, and it helped him land two spots on this list.
Illumi Zoldyck is one of the most daunting antagonists in the Hunter x Hunter series, and this portrait captures the assassin's terrifying persona to a T. In the caption, Jacob mentions that he wants to draw all of the HxH characters at some point. We certainly hope he gets around to doing so!
9 Hisoka Morow by Jacob Noble
As promised, Jacob Noble makes a second appearance on this list courtesy of his mind-blowing portrayals of the bad guys. Hisoka's moral alignment is too ambiguous to outright call him a villain, his strength and insanity sometimes come in handy for the protagonists. At the end of the day, he's still a ruthless killer whose card tricks end up taking lives more often than not.
This portrait details Hisoka at his craziest with a glare of Joker-like madness on his face and a blood-soaked card that he might or might not have licked. The piece almost makes you forget that his most notable life goal involves killing a pre-teen boy.
8 Gon Freecss by Ily_Serraj
Ily_Serraj experiments with various forms of art, but his 3D work is truly unique. His social media handle has changed over the years, hence the differing artist signatures, but his current Instagram feed is loaded with praiseworthy content. The artist has several 3D artworks in his portfolio, but his Gon piece makes us want to rewatch Hunter x Hunter one or two more times.
This drawing is so intricate that it looks like a still from the anime itself. The colors are vivid and the details in the main character's shadow are expertly done. Gon looks like he's ten seconds away from ruining an opponent's streak at Heaven's Arena.
7 Chrollo Lucilfer by Melisa Wijaya
Indonesian artist Melisa Wijaya is another brilliant anime fan who makes two appearances on this list for her interpretations of antagonists. Her official website allows an organized peek at her stellar portfolio. While anime isn't Melisa's only source of inspiration, we're certainly glad that she dabbles in it because we get to experience phenomenal illustrations like the one shown above.
This Chrollo Lucilfer artwork is true to the character and embodies his mellow personality. It's delicate and beautiful, but also ominous, sort of like the villain himself. This rendition of Chrollo could almost be considered semi-realistic thanks to his soft, human-like portrayal.
6 Gon vs Hisoka by Michael Javaid
Michael Javaid is a London-based anime artist with an impressive eye for detail and a curious obsession with outer space. His work is both creative and accurate, but this drawing of one of Hunter x Hunter's best fights is a standout.
Gon and Hisoka's top-billing encounter at Heaven's Arena was a special one—it was the moment that the young protagonist landed a well-deserved punch on the jester's face and returned his number badge from the Hunter Exam. This mid-action rendition appears as if it was pulled straight from the show itself. The colors are sharp and the emotions depicted on the characters' faces are palpable.
5 Killua Zoldyck by Enmoire
Enmoire is a talented artist that gave us a semi-realistic Killua Zoldyck and we couldn't be more grateful. The young assassin is a fan-favorite side character in the series in the same vein as Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist.
This digital painting is gorgeous and interprets a child-like Killua in action during the Hunter Exam, hence the number 99 badge on his shirt. The red object on the bottom right corner is likely the heart he ripped out of Johness the Dissector during a challenge within the Trick Tower. It was one of the first scenes that allowed us a glimpse at Killua's true power.
4 Kurapika by Naz
Naz is an animation student who is available for commissions via direct messaging on Instagram. His art style is distinctive and lively, though this Kurapika set is one of his gloomier works. The mood might not be 100% evident in the first picture, but a glance at the second slide reveals exactly the kind of night that the Kurta Clan survivor has had.
The visionary look at Kurapika's weariness is made even more ingenious by the point of view. The fan art is presented through an open door, made to feel as if we're peeping into a very intimate moment.
3 Hunter x Hunter by BakedDeer
BakedDeer has no qualms about including multiple subjects in her pieces and this is arguably her best one yet. This "family photo" of sorts features Leorio, Killua, Kurapika, Gon, and Hisoka in the most mundane setting possible: a restaurant.
The attention to detail is spectacular where the artist even inserted Leorio's briefcase next to his chair, where it would presumably be found in this scenario. All of the personalities depicted are congruent with what we've seen in the manga/anime. However, the cherry on top is Killua's frustrated glare at Hisoka, who lurks creepily in the corner... kind of like he does throughout the majority of the series.
2 Hisoka Morow by Melisa Wijaya
As previously hinted, Melisa Wijaya makes her second arrival on this list courtesy of her astonishing semi-realistic Hisoka Morow rendition. This artwork showcases the magician in a rare form that most artists would have a difficult time executing. In this translation, Hisoka lets his hair down and trades his odd jester garb for a much more suitable turtleneck.
We've never seen the antagonist so lifelike, especially since his character models have always been relatively flamboyant and cartoony. Melisa's skilled hand has shown us how breathtaking Hisoka would appear as a "normal" human being, and we'll forever be grateful for it.
1 Killua and Gon by Tanne
Teenage self-taught artist Tanne has a stunning portfolio on their hands, but this Killua Zoldyck and Gon Freecss drawing is a special one. Though Hunter x Hunter tackles a handful of themes and instills many valuable life lessons, the core of the series is the friendship that develops between the two young Hunters.
While they used another artist's work as reference, Tanne's aesthetic dominates this charming piece. The coloring is beautiful and the illustration imparts an atmosphere of camaraderie and love. It's precisely what the boys shared in the series, which proceeded to generate endless heartfelt moments and a lot of quote-worthy dialogue.