Many shonen protagonists set out on adventures to achieve their main goals. The story of Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi follows Gon Freecss, a boy who dreams of meeting his father, Ging Freecss. Gon leaves his home, Whale Island, in order to enter the Hunter Exam and receive his Hunter’s license. With the license, Gon hopes that he'll have the chance to find Ging, who is also a licensed Hunter.
During the Hunter Exam, Gon makes some great friends: Leorio Paladiknight, a 19-year-old who wants a Hunter’s license to be a doctor; Kurapika, the sole survivor of the Kurta Clan; and Killua Zoldyck, a boy the same age as Gon who comes from a family of assassins. Because of these friendships, Gon gets sidetracked from his original mission quite often.
Strength, Friends, And So Much More
At the end of the anime’s first season, Gon passes the Hunter Exam along with his friends Leorio and Kurapika. Sadly, Killua doesn't pass, and Gon is told that his new buddy left to return home. Although the two boys have only known each other for a short amount of time, Gon knows that the Killua he met wouldn’t give up and return home so easily. The three friends seek out Killua’s home immediately and fight through every obstacle to rescue him. If it weren’t for Gon’s determination to save Killua, it's likely that Killua would have never had the strength to leave the family business. It doesn't take long for a strong bond to form between the two boys, as well as with Leorio and Kurapika. This is just one of many instances where viewers see what Gon's true motivation is.
Albeit short, the 12-episode season that follows covers Gon and Killua moving up the ranks in Heaven’s Arena, a tower where people enter competitions to fight for money. Eventually, if the competitor wins enough battles, they will win lodging inside the tower. The only way to keep the free shelter is to continue winning fights against strong competitors. The whole reason the two boys arrive at the arena is to help Gon get stronger so that he can gain the strength to punch Hisoka Morow, the main antagonist. With Killua’s encouragement and Gon’s willpower to get stronger, Gon succeeds and lands a punch to Hisoka’s face.
Gon’s Goals Can Wait
After a brief visit to Whale Island, Gon and Killua meet up with Leorio and Kurapika in York New City. A large auction is taking place, and they all have a reason to be there. For Gon and Killua, the two want to try and purchase a copy of Greed Island, a game that Ging Freecss helped develop. Kurapika heard a rumor from Hisoka that the Phantom Troupe, the group that killed his clan, would be in the city. Leorio joins in for support and assistance to the others. While in the city, the group is met with interference from the Phantom Troupe. Even though Gon is on the hunt to find Greed Island, he is more than happy to take a break from his search to assist his friends on their personal missions.
It is only after Gon guarantees that his friends aren’t in need of his aid that he continues on with obtaining Greed Island. Gon and Killua are unable to win a copy of the game but earn the chance to play it for one of the winning bidders. Players are transferred to an island that is believed to be virtual reality, but viewers later learn it is in the real world. While on the island, the two boys work on developing their Nen abilities and strength. Wherever one boy is, the other is likely to follow. After Gon becomes the first player to complete Greed Island, he is given the chance to remove three items from the game to take with him.
One item lets him gain the ability to fast-travel to someone who has been on Greed Island before. Since Gon’s father was one of the creators, Gon chooses to use this opportunity to find him. Gon shares that what he wants to do after meeting Ging is introduce Killua to him. Not only does Gon want to finally meet Ging, but he also wants to reveal all that he’s accomplished. Gon wants to show his strength and share the most important person in his life with the man that helped him develop his goals.
What Is Gon’s True Motivation?
Throughout the series, Gon is working toward his goal of meeting Ging. He tries whatever it takes until he finally meets him by mistake during the "Election" arc. While his father is what got him started on his journey, there are a lot more things that come into play that develop Gon’s true motivation. What becomes the most important to Gon throughout the series is the relationships he develops along his journey. If it means giving up on finding his father for the safety of his friends, he will leave his goal behind in a heartbeat. Gon makes a huge decision similar to this during the "Chimera Ant" arc.
What sets the tone for this arc is the disappearance of Kite, Gon’s friend and mentor. Kite gets in a battle with a powerful chimera ant and makes Gon and Killua leave the scene so they don’t get injured. Gon spends the majority of the time trying to get Kite back. It is when he discovers that Kite is dead that Gon gives up on everything -- even his own life. Here is where viewers see how Gon has developed through the series. At one point, he was just a boy who would do anything for his father’s approval. After he is faced with the fact that he can't save a friend, Gon can't care less about finding Ging anymore. Revenge for Kite is all he needs.
Near the end of the anime series, Gon is close to death. Thankfully Killua, Leorio and all the others who Gon built a relationship with appear and give him some assistance. With the help of Killua’s sister, Alluka, Gon fully heals and is able to achieve the goal that started it all. Gon and Ging meet at the top of the World Tree where they discuss their adventures. It is here that Gon discovers what his life has been about this whole time. What has pushed him through everything has been the sense of adventure and the relationships that he makes along the way.