Is Gon powerless now in Hunter x Hunter? Explained

New Hunter X Hunter fans might ask the question, "Is Gon powerless now?" because of the way that his character was handled in the aftermath of the Chimera Ant arc. The character lost his Nen and has been sidelined by author Yoshihiro Togashi for the most part in the manga, as of this writing, hence the question.

Gon made a Nen contract when fighting Neferpitou in the Chimera Ant arc and chose to sacrifice his life and the power he would ever have, to be strong enough to kill this foe because of Kite's death. It is widely regarded as one of the finest Hunter X Hunter moments and is something that has impacted the protagonist's role in the story to this day in the manga.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime.

The repercussions of exacting his revenge, explained

Gon using all of his Nen against Pitou (Image via Madhouse)

After their exploits in Greed Island, Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck end up meeting Kite, a senior Hunter whom the protagonist already knew when he was a kid.

A friend of his father, Ging, Kite was the one who introduced him to the idea of Hunters and inspired him to become one, hence why he is depicted as close to him, even though the Madhouse anime adaptation skipped the manga prologue where they met.

However, as the Chimera Ant arc progresses, they are attacked by a member of that hybrid race, Neferpitou, and Kite quickly orders them to run away, with Killua having to knock down Gon so they can escape. Kite doesn't fare that well and ends up in a critical state after the ramifications of this battle, with the protagonist eventually dragging Pitou to heal him, only to discover that he died.

In a fit of trauma and rage, Gon makes a Nen contract to access all the power he would ever have, trading his Nen and life in the process. He easily dispatches Pitou with overwhelming strength in what is his adult form, but ends up in a critical state and nearing death, with his life being saved by the special abilities of Killua's sister, Alluka.

Could Gon eventually use Nen again in Hunter x Hunter?

Gon at the end of his mental rope in the Chimera Ant arc (Image via Madhouse)

As a confirmation to the question "Is Gon powerless now?" he is indeed without his Nen abilities as of this writing in the Hunter X Hunter manga. He still has his superhuman strength, which author Yoshihiro Togashi has displayed since the beginning of the story, but hasn't been shown to have any Nen powers as of yet.

In that regard, there isn't anything that could stop Gon from training once again and recovering his Nen, although he hasn't participated in the story after healing thanks to Alluka, and it remains to be seen what Togashi wants to do with his character and Killua. Therefore, the option is on the table for the author to have his protagonist recover his powers, but, he is currently without them.

Final thoughts

"Is Gon powerless now?" is a question that anyone who has seen the Madhouse adaptation of Hunter X Hunter might have, and he is indeed without his powers as of yet in the manga, but that could change at any given time.

As mentioned earlier, Togashi has that option at his disposal whenever he wants his protagonist to come back to the story.

About the author

Kevin is an expert anime writer at Sportskeeda who endeavors to keep readers apprised with the latest news and trends in the genre via his content. The groundbreaking Dragon Ball series captured a young Kevin's imagination, introducing him to the entrancing world of Japanese animation. Since then, he has been a staunch follower of the works of many artists, including Berserk's creator, Kentaro Miura, who he admires greatly for his unparalleled work quality.

With a BA in Public Accounting, Kevin’s dip into the world of content began 7 years ago when he took up writing. Since then, he has written for numerous websites, including Nerdgenic, Stretty News, MusikHolics, and BookNerdection.

He maintains very high ethical standards in his content by placing a strong emphasis on transparency, and obtaining comprehensive information off the web to fully capture nuances.

Kevin has has had the privilege of interviewing several musicians, including metal band Stryper’s Michael Sweet, Bobby Blitz of Overkill, and Saxon’s Biff Byford.

When not immersed in the anime world, Kevin writes comic book scripts and books for his own projects. He also enjoys reading and watching football.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay