Hunter X Hunter is perhaps one of the most well-regarded series in the entirety of Shonen anime and manga history.
The series made a significant splash when it debuted in 1998, thanks mostly to its author Yoshihiro Togashi, who had gained significant acclaim from his previous immensely successful series Yu Yu Hakusho!Hunter X Hunter quickly earned its place as a mainstay in its publication: Weekly Shonen Jump and the series is still ongoing to this day because of its immense popularity.
The series has received numerous adaptations and spin-offs that cover the realms of video games, feature films, and spin-off manga. The most important of these adaptations, however, are its two anime adaptations.
Both versions of the show are worth watching for how they adapt the material in different ways, and for bringing the vibrant action from the pages of the manga into full motion color!
But how many of these anime adaptations are worth watching? And are there any dreaded ‘Filler’ episodes in either version? If you want to get into this highly acclaimed series, then this is a question you will want to be answered.
Join us below as we explore the filler of Hunter X Hunter!
At this point, you might be wondering what filler is, and why it is such an infamous word amongst anime circles. Filler, as a concept, exists because of the nature of the manga business.
Many popular manga run either weekly or monthly in specific magazines. Each issue of this magazine will release one new chapter of a given series, to push the plot further.
When a manga series becomes popular, it will most often receive an anime adaptation for television broadcast.
The average episode of an anime series is able to cover more material than an average manga chapter, and thus, if the anime runs weekly, it will quite quickly catch up with its source material.
When a series does catch up with its source material, the producers of the anime must decide how to move forward. Most of the time, anime studios choose to create anime-specific storylines that sit outside of the regular canon, to allow the manga time to move ahead and create new material.
The non-canon nature of filler material is why it is so often maligned and worth skipping entirely.
How Much Filler Is There In Hunter X Hunter?
Hunter X Hunter has received two very different anime adaptations over the years, both of which have devoted fanbases. First is a version that was created in 1999, and aired for 2 years, before ending in 2001.
The 1999 version of the series has five entirely filler episodes amongst its 62 episode run. As well as this, there are a number of episodes that, while being majority canon, do include filler elements.
For example, the very first episode of the 1999 version includes extra moments and pieces of information that are not present in the original manga.
These include such things as how Gon came to own his father Ging’s fishing rod, or moments in which Gon and long-time hunter Kite discuss what it means to be a hunter.
Many fans would consider this information, while questionable on its canonicity, worthwhile, and would not recommend skipping it.
Certain episodes, such as episode 2 of the 1999 version, are entirely non-canon. Episode 2 has Gon meet fan-favorite character Leorio long before he does in the manga. Within the manga, Gon meets Leorio on the ship, en route to the hunter exam.
In the 1999 anime, Gon meets Leorio before boarding the ship, and the two bond.
As a whole, the 1999 version of Hunter X Hunter actually has very little filler content, with only about 8% of it actually being non-canon.
How Much Filler Is There In The 2011 Version Of Hunter X Hunter?
In 2011 Hunter X Hunter received a fully rebooted adaptation of the original source material, which adapted further into the story than the 1999 version did.
Because of its significantly longer episode count, you might assume that the 2011 version of Hunter X Hunter has a higher percentage of filler episodes and content, but it actually has less!
The 2011 version of the anime adaptation has garnered widespread acclaim amongst fans for being the most faithful version of the series to date. This version deviates very little from the original path of the manga.
The 2011 version only has two episodes that can be considered entirely filler, and these are episodes 13 and 26. These two episodes are entirely skippable, as they simply function as recap episodes featuring reused animations as Gon retells his adventure up until that point.
It is unclear why these two episodes were made, and why so early on in the series.
Aside from those two episodes, there is only one existing episode that is a mixture of canon and non-canon material. This is episode 12, which focuses on one of the rounds of the hunter exam.
This episode is well acclaimed amongst fans, who view the filler additions as useful and necessary, consisting of character-building moments that improve the quality of the story!
With such a small amount of filler content amongst 148 episodes, this leaves the 2011 version of Hunter X Hunter with a filler percentage of only 2%! This is truly the version to watch if you want a faithful adaptation of the source material.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Chapters Does HXH Have?
The original manga version of Hunter X Hunter is still ongoing to this day. Currently, the series stands at around 390 chapters. Unfortunately, the latest chapter was originally released in 2018, with the series showing no signs of making a return since then.
The reasoning for this long hiatus period is often related to author Yoshihiro Togashi’s physical health problems. Turns out making manga takes quite a toll on the human body!
Is The Hunter X Hunter Anime Over?
Currently, yes, production on the anime version of Hunter X Hunter has long since concluded. This is largely due to the anime version now being quite close to catching up with the manga.
If the anime were to return it would catch up in a matter of episodes, and would then need to create filler content, which fans definitely do not want!
