Hunter x Hunter Arcs Ranked From Good to Perfect
Hunter x Hunter has no bad arcs, which makes ranking them a matter of degree rather than quality. Here is every arc from the 2011 anime and the manga beyond, ordered from merely great to the best thing shonen has produced.
7. Hunter Exam
A strong start with clever trials and Hisoka’s introduction, but it exists to set up everything else.
6. Zoldyck Family
Short and sharp. Killua’s home is one of the best pieces of worldbuilding in the series.
5. Greed Island
A card game inside a video game inside a manga. Togashi uses it to teach Nen properly and to introduce Biscuit, and it pays off later in ways few readers expect.
4. Heavens Arena
The Nen tutorial arc, and Hisoka versus Gon is one of the most tense fights in the series despite nothing being at stake.
3. 13th Chairman Election
A political thriller that resolves Chimera Ant’s fallout and gives Killua’s story with Alluka and Illumi its own arc. Underrated because it follows the peak.
2. Yorknew City
The Phantom Troupe, Kurapika’s revenge and the best heist arc in anime. Many fans put this at number one.
1. Chimera Ant
Sixty episodes that begin as a monster story and end as a meditation on humanity. Meruem and Komugi’s ending is the finest sequence Madhouse ever animated.
Beyond the anime
The Dark Continent Expedition and Succession Contest arcs remain manga only and unfinished, and they are Togashi’s most dense, dialogue heavy work yet.
My take: Chimera Ant is the correct number one, but Yorknew is the one I rewatch. Togashi peaked twice, which is one more time than most authors manage.
