Hunter x Hunter chapter 398 is set to be released on Monday, December 12, 2022, at 12 am JST. The manga will be made available to read for free on the Shonen Jump app and Viz Media's official website.
The previous chapter saw the Troupe members stop their screening as Sarasa went missing. When they did find her body, it was in a terrible condition, which affected Chrollo. He vowed to become a villain as he sought to bring about a change in the Meteor City and the world. Thus, the other members elected Chrollo as their leader, years after which the Phantom Troupe was formed.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Hunter x Hunter manga.
Phantom Troupe's backstory could resume in Hunter x Hunter chapter 398
Release date and time, where to read
As mentioned earlier, Hunter x Hunter chapter 398 will be released on December 12, 2022, at 12 am JST. The release date and time of the chapter will vary between the different time zones, allowing most international fans to read the chapter on Sunday, December 11, 2022.
Hunter x Hunter chapter 398 will be released at the following times internationally:
- Pacific Standard Time: 7 am, Sunday, December 11
- Central Standard Time: 10 am, Sunday, December 11
- Eastern Standard Time: 10 am, Sunday, December 11
- British Standard Time: 3 pm, Sunday, December 11
- Central European Time: 4 am, Sunday, December 11
- Indian Standard Time: 8:30 am, Sunday, December 11
- Philippine Standard Time: 11 am, Sunday, December 11
- Australia Central Standard Time: 12:30 am, Monday, December 12
Hunter x Hunter fans can read the manga for free on Viz Media and MANGA Plus' official websites. The same will be available on the Shonen Jump app from Viz Media and the Manga Plus app from Shueisha.
The Shonen Jump app has the first and latest three chapters of any manga available for free, while the other chapters are available to read via subscription.
Meanwhile, the MANGA Plus app has all the chapters available for free. However, one can only read a chapter once.
What to expect from Hunter x Hunter chapter 398?
Hunter x Hunter chapter 398 could follow the Phantom Troupe as they are set to take down the kidnappers who killed Sarasa. Chrollo is yet to reveal what was written on the note, and we can expect the following chapter to reveal it. There is now a good chance that other Troupe members have also learned to read, so they might read the note themselves.
While all indications in the chapter point towards the resumption of the backstory in Hunter x Hunter chapter 398, there is a slight chance that the manga might re-focus on the events in real time, as the backstory that has been revealed so far has already shown fans the formation of the Phantom Troupe, which could be enough for what Nobunaga was trying to say a few chapters ago.
What happened last time?
Hunter x Hunter chapter 397, titled Founding: Part 3, saw the Troupe members worried after Sarasa was nowhere to be found. With all of their attempts unsuccessful in locating her, Chrollo had to cancel their screening, announcing Sarasa's incident as well. The audience offered to help find Sarasa, which moved Chrollo to tears.
Later, when everyone took part in the search, the Troupe members finally found Sarasa's corpse in a bag suspended from a tree. Her body was left in a gruesome state with a note that Chrollo refused to read out to the other members.
After Sarasa's funeral, Chrollo asked the other members to wait for three years before they take their revenge for Sarasa, as Chrollo was planning to become a villain and bring about a change in the Meteor City and the world.