Gon knew nothing about Nen when he set out on his adventures. It was a skill he acquired along the way once he realized it was necessary for competitions at the Heavens Arena. Gon had advanced quickly in the tournament, but soon realized he wouldn’t be able to enter the 200th floor to fight on a higher level without learning Nen. He mastered Nen very fast and needed it to survive the rest of his journey.
Before this, Gon made it through the Hunter Exam and faced off against opponents who were considerably stronger than him, some of whom were Nen users themselves. Gon's natural talent and physical abilities allowed him to overcome many obstacles and accomplish his goals before he even knew Nen existed.
10 He's A Skilled Fisherman
Gon is rarely seen without his fishing rod in early arcs of Hunter X Hunter. Not only is it his weapon of choice, he’s also an excellent fisherman. When Gon was able to catch the Master of the Swamp, a whale-sized fish that five fishermen couldn’t reel in together, it illustrated Gon’s strength as well as his mastery of the fishing rod. He also uses his fishing rod in creative ways during the Hunter Exam, such as grabbing the number tag from one of the other applicants.
9 Gon's Sense Of Smell Rivals That Of An Animal
Many of Gon's talents are ones he's born with, one of which being his keen sense of smell. He's able to differentiate separate scents and recognize them from several miles away. This ability comes in handy more than once. When en route to the Hunter Exam, he was able to determine that there would be a storm by smelling it in the air, and it was there that he was one of the first to figure out that the exam had already started. He was also able to track Leorio by sniffing out his cologne.
8 Gon's Determination And Physical Durability Grant Him Staying Power
Gon's eagerness and thirst for adventure gives him a lot of stamina. He's able to run long distances, as shown in the first phase of the Hunter Exam. While other applicants found it difficult to run continuously without knowing when they could stop, Gon turned the long distance run into a race with his new friend Killua.
As the exam continued, Gon's natural superhuman capabilities continued to come in handy. Gon seemingly needs very little sleep, though he typically passes out once he's accomplished something as a result of using all of his energy.
7 He Can Hold His Breath For A Surprisingly Long Time
Towards the end of the Hunter Exam, Gon and his friends found themselves in an impossible situation. They were trapped in a cave with poisonous snakes. If they made any attempt to leave or take the antidote from the deceased snake handler, they would be killed.
They came up with a plan to use sleeping gas to put the snakes to sleep, but it would render them unconscious as well and cause them to fail the exam. Gon then revealed that he was able to hold his breath for 9 minutes and was able to carry three of his unconscious friends out to safety.
6 Gon Rises To Dangerous Challenges
Gon is fearless. When he has his mind made up, there isn't anything that can stop him. His best friend Killua has even seen him shake with excitement when getting ready to engage in dangerous battles.
During the final phase of the Hunter Exam, Gon was placed in a one-on-one match against Hanzo. Hanzo is a specially-trained shinobi who used his skills to torture Gon throughout their match. Even though Gon had been beaten for three hours and had his arm broken, he refused to surrender. This is one of many instances where Gon's will was stronger than the frightening situation at hand.
5 Gon Has A Surprising Amount Of Strength
At twelve years old, Gon has a considerable amount of strength for someone his age. He has a natural amount of brawn and durability that gives him an advantage in almost all of the life-threatening positions he's been in. After the Hunter Exam, Gon learns that Killua's older brother Illumi forced him to return home. In a moment of anger, Gon broke Illumi's arm by squeezing it with his bare hand.
Later, Gon registered to compete at the Heavens Arena. As a result of opening the Testing Gate to rescue Killua, he was able to win 200 matches simply by pushing his opponents with one hand.
4 He Can Heal Faster Than The Average Person
Gon established his resilience early on in the series. With keen senses, agility, and strength, Gon continued to surprise everyone around him. He didn't waste much time between each venture; after all, Gon was determined to find his father, the established Hunter Ging Freecss, as soon as possible.
His ability to quickly move on to his next project was due to his body's ability to heal at an extremely fast rate. Gon's body has gone through a lot of stress; his arm was broken on two separate occasions. In both instances, his arm not only healed in half the time it would for anyone else, he resumed training using one hand until he was able to use his injured one.
3 Gon's Speed, Agility, & Strength Make Him A Natural Fighter
With the innate capabilities Gon possesses, he's able to fight really well. He showcased some of his abilities throughout the Hunter Exam, especially in his fight against Hanzo. Another instance is in a lighter setting, when playing a game with Netero, the 12th Chairman of the Hunter Association. Netero was incredibly strong and didn't take playing with Gon seriously, only using one hand against him. Gon stayed up the entire night using all of his fighting abilities to make Netero use his right hand, and he was successful.
2 Gon Is A Fast Learner & Can Understand New Concepts Very Quickly
Gon left home eager for adventure, without any knowledge of how difficult his future challenges would be. Still, he never hesitated and learned new skills along the way. During the Hunter Exam, Gon was tasked with taking a number tag from Hisoka, one of the strongest and creepiest applicants he had encountered thus far. Gon spent a day studying how animals catch their prey and then used their strategies to claim the tag.
The most impressive new skill Gon learned was Nen. Running out of time to register to compete at the Heavens Arena, Gon was able to master this technique within a few hours and maintained this ability throughout the series.
1 He Can Pass The Hunter Exam
Following in his father's footsteps, Gon ventured off to become a Hunter, meaning he had to take the Hunter Exam. Applicants must endure several rounds of challenging tests in order to pass. It's an extremely difficult feat; only 1 out of 10,000 people make it to the main exam, while first time applicants pass at a rate of 1 every 3 years. The Hunter Exam is also notoriously dangerous and many applicants have died while attempting to pass.
Gon was able to withstand a 50 mile run, confusing tests, man-eating plants and animals, dangerous prisoners, and a tournament that left him beaten with a broken arm. Gon successfully completed every phase of the exam and received his well-deserved Hunter License at the end, all before he even knew Nen existed.