Hunter x Hunter's Gon sets out on his adventure to become a Hunter and find his father, Ging. Setting out from Whale Island at the age of 11, Gon aims to pass the Hunter Exam and meets a lot of people along the way, which is what makes the series so incredible to watch.
As expected of a genius such as Gon, he quickly passed the Hunter exam and got progressively stronger with each passing arc. But he's hardly the strongest character in the series.
Updated on Jan. 24, 2022 by Ajay Aravind: Gon Freecss is terrifyingly overpowered, so much so that he demolishes a Chimera Ant Royal Guard with ease. On the other hand, he isn't that strong all the time, suggesting that he could just as easily be defeated by opponents with more experience (and patience) than him. Gon may be the main character of Hunter x Hunter, but he's far from the strongest.
15 Stronger Than Gon: Chrollo Lucilfer Cannot Be Defeated By Ordinary Means
The leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo is their strongest member by far. Chrollo hails from Meteor City, and his powers are just as mysterious as he is. Using his Nen ability as a specialist, he can steal the abilities of other people and hence use every Nen ability as if it were his own.
In a fight against Zeno and Silva Zoldyck, Chrollo held his own without much trouble. Right now, he's one of the strongest people in the entire series, and undoubtedly much stronger than Gon – who could barely fight against Knuckle during the Chimera Ant arc.
14 Weaker Than Gon: Leorio Lags Behind His Friends By A Mile
Leorio is an aspiring doctor and a rookie Hunter who is now one of the 12 Zodiacs of the Hunter Association. After passing the Hunter exam, it took Leorio quite a lot of time to learn Nen properly, and it took him until the 13th Chairman arc before could he use Emission techniques. Although both his Remote Punch and Ultrasound are incredibly powerful techniques, Leorio still lags behind Gon by quite some distance.
13 Stronger Than Gon: Ging Freecss Is Among The Strongest Nen Users Alive
A Two-Star Hunter and Gon's very own father, Ging Freecss is certainly one of the most impressive Hunters out there. According to Isaac Netero, Ging is an impeccable Nen user and among the five most proficient users of this ability.
Using his skill, he can copy any ability that he's hit with, and this makes him an incredible threat to anyone in the series. While Gon is no less impressive when compared to Ging, he's still a rookie and needs years of experience to surpass his father.
12 Weaker Than Gon: Kalluto Zoldyck Is Not Experienced Enough
Kalluto is the youngest child of the Zoldyck family and later went on to join the Phantom Troupe, taking over the Number #4 mark from Hisoka. As a Manipulator, Kalluto is exceptionally powerful, able to manipulate paper and confetti to his will.
His skills in Zetsu and Shu are extraordinarily impressive as well. However, Kalluto is a couple of years younger than Gon and lacks experience. Gon's skills as an Enhancer surpass those of Kalluto by far and it isn't hard to see that the young Zoldyck assassin isn't anywhere close.
11 Stronger Than Gon: Illumi Zoldyck Is As Cautious As He Is Overpowered
Illumi's assassin training helps him reach the final stage of the Hunter Exam with barely any effort, proving that he's capable of a lot more than he lets on. In fact, Hisoka believes his friend to be stronger than most of the Phantom Troupe, which basically means that Gon would be helpless before Illumi. Killua's terrifying big brother is as cautious as he is overpowered, in stark contrast with Gon's unlimited recklessness.
10 Weaker Than Gon: Genthru's Nen Is Feeble Before Gon's Current Jajanken
Genthru, also known as The Bomber, is someone who Gon has already traded blows with. As the main antagonist of the Greed Island arc, Genthru was defeated by Gon in an intense fight. Being a Conjurer, he possessed the ability to make his explosive aura into small, yet deadly bombs. While his skills in Nen suggested that he was superior to Gon in every way, he was still defeated by a combination of Gon's sharp mind and his unyielding determination.
9 Stronger Than Gon: Hisoka Wants To Fight Gon On Equal Footing
Hisoka, also known as The Magician, is one of the most powerful Hunters in the series. Highly skilled in the usage of Nen, Hisoka's aura possesses the qualities of both gum and rubber, hence the name Bungee Gum. Using his aura in conjunction with his skills in Nen, Hisoka becomes strong enough to defeat even the most seasoned Hunters.
Even though Gon has come a long way and is far stronger than he once was, he's no match for Hisoka. As seen throughout the series, Hisoka believes that Gon is getting stronger, but he isn't at the level where he can stand on the same pedestal as Hisoka himself.
8 Weaker Than Gon: Zushi Won't Last Too Long In A Fight
One of the fellow students of Wing, Zushi is a Nen user, although not much is known about his abilities. As a practitioner of the famous Shigen-ryu style, Zushi's abilities are growing every day. He is said to be one of the weakest Nen users in the series, and isn't highly skilled in anything in particular. Nonetheless, he does possess a strong resolve which will make him stronger someday. In spite of that, Zushi won't last too long in a fight against Gon as the latter is miles ahead of him in terms of skill and experience.
7 Stronger Than Gon: Kurapika's Willpower And Specialist Nen Are Overwhelming
One of the members of the famous Kurta Clan, Kurapika is a formidable enemy for anyone in Hunter x Hunter. Being one of the 12 Zodiacs, he possesses great skill in Nen and its usage. While originally a Conjurer, Kurapika's Scarlet eyes let him become a Specialist and use all 6 Nen types to their maximum potential.
His Chain Jail is an awfully powerful weapon to use against anyone, and even Mizaistom acknowledged his skill. While Gon is strong, there are too many complications that he could run into a fight against Kurapika. Kurapika is slightly stronger than Gon, with the potential of getting even stronger over time.
6 Weaker Than Gon: Hanzo Is Eventually Surpassed By Gon
One of the examinees in the 287th Hunter Examination, Hanzo was promoted to the status of a Hunter thanks to his magnificent skills. Even when he didn't know how to use Nen, his aura was especially strong. Over time, he's improved his abilities drastically, just like Gon.
When the two fought against each other during the Hunter exam, Hanzo was clearly superior to Gon, but the latter who won due to his rock-solid conviction. Since then, Gon has trained his Nen extensively and gotten stronger.
5 Stronger Than Gon: Killua's Assassin Training Helps Him Surpass His Best Friend
Killua is an assassin from the Zoldyck family who has immense potential. It has been established that Killua is stronger than Gon, while the latter has a higher ceiling. Using his abilities as a Transmuter, Killua can create a lightning-based aura. With enough training, he developed a power known as Godspeed, which let him fight against one of Meruem's Royal Guards momentarily.
4 Weaker Than Gon: Leol's Limitations Are Painfully Evident
Leol the Chimera Ant exhibits an impressive array of Nen techniques, but the most useful one is his Rental Pod. He can "borrow" Nen abilities from others and use them to great effect, although his control over Rental Pod is nothing like Chrollo's far more dangerous Bandit's Secret. Gon might find Leol to be stronger than expected, but not so strong that the Chimera Ant would ever win in a fight between them.
3 Stronger Than Gon: Biscuit Krueger Can Defeat Gon And Killua Combined
Considering her age and level of martial experience, Biscuit Krueger is one of the most formidable combatants in the Hunter x Hunter universe. Her physical strength alone is capable of defeating Bara and Binolt, two fierce warriors in their own right.
Biscuit continuously proves the difference between her power and that of her students, Gon and Killua, hoping that they aspire to reach (and maybe one day surpass) her talents. Currently, the two boys combined can't hold a candle to Biscuit's skillset.
2 Weaker Than Gon: Pokkle Doesn't Develop His Strength After The Hunter Exam
Pokkle isn't very strong, and he certainly doesn't have Gon's unbreakable willpower, given that he gives in to Hanzo's "torture" during the Hunter Exam. He creates a unique Nen ability called Rainbow, which grants him access to multi-colored arrows, each with unique features. Unfortunately, Pokkle neglects to develop his physical strength beyond what he naturally possesses, so there's little to no hope of him winning a match against Gon.
1 Stronger Than Gon: Netero's Nen Aura Is Literally Divine
Gon has a habit of charging at opponents he knows to be far stronger than himself, and he would treat Netero with the same degree of audacity. That is, until he realizes the impassable gulf separating him from the wizened old man, a metaphorical valley of power guarded by the divine 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva. Gon may have crossed Netero's prime when he Vows himself into his adult self, but he has no hope of taking Netero down in his usual child form.