Manga
‘Hunter x Hunter’ ending revealed in case the author dies without finishing the manga
Yoshihiro Togashi shares a provisional ending for ‘Hunter x Hunter’ so that “we can forgive him” in case he is unable to finish the story.
Someone pinch us because we are still in a state of shock. Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of ‘Hunter x Hunter,’ has just revealed the ending of the manga in a live interview in Japan. The mangaka had resumed his work at the end of 2022 after more than four years of hiatus, and after that, he had once again plunged Gon into the most painful, profound, and silence of silences. Because he doesn’t know how long the hiatus will last this time and fearing for his health, which prevents him from publishing normally, Togashi has decided to share the ending just in case.
The author has hinted that it is a provisional ending, and he will probably change it if he eventually has time to do so. However, he makes it clear that we can consider it valid if the worst-case scenario occurs (knock on wood). Who would have thought that 25 years and 400 chapters later, ‘Hunter x Hunter’ would close its cycle like this?
This is the ending of ‘Hunter x Hunter’
Here’s a summary of the provisional ending of ‘Hunter x Hunter’ proposed by Togashi in the interview:
“For the ending, I have prepared three scenarios A, B, and C. When considering the proportional reaction from readers, ranging from satisfaction to dissatisfaction, the ending A is deemed satisfactory by 50%, and unsatisfactory by 20%. This does not necessarily imply a high rating, but for me, reaching it will be secure in a way that doesn’t complicate matters with excessive criticism, in my belief.
As for ending B, opinions will be divided similarly between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. For ending C, I anticipate a satisfaction rate of 10% and dissatisfaction rate of 90%. Why do I keep it present, even with a high rate of dissatisfaction? That’s because it is my personal preference, but fundamentally, I want to think to the utmost extent about an ending to the point where I might not choose any of these three and create what I find most enjoyable, which is my ideal and goal.
To give you a clearer picture, I will share scenario D, which fell out of the candidate scenarios for the ending. If fate takes me before finishing the manga, consider it the manga’s ending. I would be happy if you forgive me for that.
The ending (D): Next to the lake, a girl named Jin, holding a fishing rod, stands motionless. Suddenly, the rod shakes violently, and Jin, startled, exclaims, ‘I got him! I got the lake lord!’ she skillfully lifts the lake lord onto her shoulders and stands before a woman, saying, ‘as I promised, I caught the lake lord! mom!’ Jin approaches the woman and passionately declares, ‘you must not tell me again. you must become a hunter.’
The woman, with no tricks left, nods her head. Jin, still carrying the lake lord on her shoulder, walks away. The mother comments to her husband that Jin’s dream is to never leave the island and inherit their place. The father agrees, laughing, and the mother expresses her dissatisfaction, saying, ‘perhaps her desires will change later. But I want to know, you and Jin, why are you like this? surely it’s because of the blood of grandma Mito and grandma Noko.’
The woman seems unaware that grandma Mito and grandma Noko are not related by blood, and the father smiles knowingly. The woman, expressing her unwillingness as a mother, adds, ‘but grandpa Gon was a famous hunter... and this girl will one day leave the island.’
Jin insists, ‘I will never leave!’ although she is no longer visible in the heart of the forest, she hears her parents’ conversation and responds defiantly. The father, amused, says, ‘you have a sharp eye.’
The scene changes to the shop continuing its work from Mito’s days. The lake lord has been cleanly cut, and its internal parts sorted. Jin thinks to herself while working, ‘Mom never understands. when grandpa speaks joyfully about his memories of being a hunter, grandma Noko quietly moves away from her seat. Every time grandpa Gon affirms, her belief is heard from someone. She strikes the cutting board forcefully with a knife: “I’m tired of this!! To wait for someone’s return after months and years of sadness crushes my heart... I make someone wait for me!’. Then the door opens, and a warm voice echoes. A chubby little child enters, holding a plant.
The child exclaims, ‘I caught the lake lord for real! Well, let’s honor the whole island with it!’ Jin replies, ‘I always... always wanted to be with the person I want to be with. together, always!’ The child agrees, ‘yes!’ both of them, with broad smiles on their faces, cook the food. a bird flies away from the island, over a town and its people. The son of one of them, the daughter of another, and the grandchild of another live in different places, exchanging smiles. They might be the children of that character and the grandchildren of that character. The bird flies away into the distance. In the background, a figure watches the scene. THE END.
The reason behind the hiatus of ‘Hunter x Hunter’
’Hunter x Hunter’ was until recently the manga with the longest hiatus in history. It was the only series to which the Shueisha publishing house and Weekly Shonen Jump magazine allowed such a hiatus (three years and ten months). An exception out of respect for its success and Yoshihiro Togashi, who had to stop due to serious health problems resulting from stress and pressure.
Togashi has explained his situation, tied to an extreme case of back pain that prevented him from getting out of bed. The mangaka admitted that there were days when, for him, “happiness simply consists of being able to go to the bathroom or sit in a chair.”
Given his age (58 years) and tragic cases like that of Kentaro Miura and ‘Berserk,’ many no longer expected him to resume the work. However, he always remained intent on doing so despite the difficulties. “I know that there has come a point where either the story ends, or I leave this world before it happens. I intend it to be the former.”
Let’s hope that Togashi can complete ‘Hunter x Hunter’ with the ending he wants, although it is a beautiful gesture on his part to share this provisional ending out of fear of disappointing his fans. Spoiler: he could never do that.
