Gon Freecss is the main protagonist of Hunter x Hunter, a legendary franchise amongst the anime community. He possesses every great quality of a hero: he's kind, compassionate, and forgiving of everyone, even if they've wronged him. He's also really bad at math and thinking rationally in tricky situations.
As the heroic protagonist he is, Gon has done many admirable things for his friends and those around him. More so, he's the most determined character of the series and never gave up on searching for his father, despite how many dangerous and emotionally traumatic obstacles he was made to go through.
10 The Time He Punched Hisoka In The Face
During the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam, the participants were assigned with taking the badges of their fellow applicants. Gon was tasked with taking Hisoka's badge, someone who terrified him from the very start of the Exam. At the time, Gon didn't feel he earned Hisoka's badge and tried to give it back, but Hisoka punched him in the face and said that once Gon can punch him like that, he'll take his badge back. Luckily for Gon, he successfully punched Hisoka during the Heavens Arena Arc, so Hisoka honored his promise and took his badge back.
9 The Time He Refused To Accept His Hunter License
During the Final Phase of the Hunter Exam, Gon refused to submit to Hanzo despite being at a disadvantage in combat. Hanzo eventually forfeited the battle, making Gon the first applicant to pass the Hunter Exam. However, Gon refused to accept his win, resulting in an angered Hanzo knocking him out.
Gon didn't wake up until the end of the exam, and Satotz informed him that he'd passed the Hunter Exam. Although some may say that Gon acted like a brat when he didn't want to accept his Hunter License, he just wanted to feel that he'd truly earned it, rather than passing by default.
8 The Time He Beat Sedokan In The Trick Tower
Gon faced Sedokan during the Third Phase of the Hunter Exam, but instead of a battle, Sedokan suggested they each hold a candle, and whoever's candle went out first would lose. Sedokan had prepared four candles which would all burn quicker than his own, but Gon was oblivious to this fact and picked the longer candle.
After Gon realized his candle was rigged, Sedokan was confident he had the upper hand. However, he underestimated Gon's unpredictability. Before Gon's candle could go out, he ran over to Sedokan, blew his out, and won the match.
7 The Time He Refused To Accept Anyone Other Than Mito As His Mother
Mito Freecss is Gon's cousin and foster mother. When Gon and Killua listened to a tape recording left by his father, Ging Freecss, Ging included a message about Gon's birth mother.
Ging instructed Gon to stop the tape if he didn't want to know who his birth mother was, and he did exactly that. He told Killua that Mito is the person who brought him up, and the only person he will consider his real mother.
6 The Time He Beat Genthru In Greed Island
The battle between Gon and Genthru was so extreme that Gon ended up losing his hand. Despite being advised by Bisky and Killua to stick to the plan they had devised before entering the battle, Gon decided to trust his gut in order to take down his opponent.
He may have lost a hand, but in the end, he managed to beat Genthru by creating a trap then using his famous Jajanken to land a final blow. Thankfully, Gon was able to use the Greed Island card 'Angel's Breath' to fully heal his injuries.
5 The Time He Thought Of A Plan That Helped His Entire Team Pass The Third Phase Of The Hunter Exam
When Gon and his fellow teammates reached the end of Trick Tower, they were left with two choices: they could choose a pathway where all 5 could exit the tower, but it was long and difficult, or they could choose the short and easy option, but only 3 could exit the tower. Leorio had already cut the time they had to escape the tower after he lost his battle against Leroute, so there was no way the entire team could leave in time to pass the Third Phase if they were to take the longer route.
However, Gon came up with a plan to choose the longer path, but break the wall between the long and short route. This meant everyone could exit through the short route, thus passing the Third Phase of the Hunter Exam.
4 The Time He Beat Neferpitou
Although beating Pitou saw Gon almost sacrifice his life, his determination to avenge Kite meant he was able to defeat one of humanity's greatest enemies.
Gon made a temporary contract with his Nen after learning of Kite's death, which allowed him a fast track to his future and strongest self. Because he compressed this incredible amount of power into a matter of minutes, he was able to defeat Pitou. He destroyed his body as a result, but luckily, Killua made it his mission to heal Gon's severe injuries and succeeded.
3 The Times He Persisted In Finding His Father
One of the main premises of the Hunter x Hunter series was following Gon's attempts to track down his father, and fans saw him endure trauma and unimaginable situations as a result. Despite this, he never gave up on his search, and his determination certainly paid off in the end.
When Gon finally and unintentionally tracked down his father, fans expected an emotional reunion, but it was actually rather hilarious instead, with Ging being an awkward dad and Gon crying about everything that had happened recently.
2 The Time He Saved Killua
Killua didn't pass the Hunter Exam because he was manipulated by his older brother Illumi into killing another participant, so he returned to the Zoldyck household. Gon couldn't accept what had happened and made it his mission, alongside Kurapika and Leorio, to bring Killua back.
The trio went through a hellish journey, but they never gave up. After Killua realized that his friends were essentially risking their lives to save him, he decided to run away from home and his responsibilities as the heir of the Zoldyck family, thus joining Gon on his quest to find his father. Because of Gon, Killua really changed his outlook on life and became more caring and loving towards others.
1 Every Time He Was Bad At Math
It's no secret that Gon is absolutely terrible at math, and every time his comrades explained anything through a math equation - or anything too convoluted at all - he would usually end up with smoke coming out of his ears.
Gon certainly excels when it comes to strength, and there's no doubt he's devised some great strategies, but complicated problems and theories will probably never be his strong point.