Hunter X Hunter is an anime franchise based on a manga series created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The thing with this anime is that it’s quite an unconventional series regarding the structure. The franchise so far consists of one series released between 1999 and 2001, a reboot series consisting of 6 arcs and 148 episodes, 3 OVAs with 92 episodes, and two movies. As you can see, there is quite a lot of content to watch, so we decided to bring you a full and comprehensive Hunter X Hunter watch order.
Editor’s Note: This post was updated in October 2023 and represents the most up-to-date state of the franchise.
Hunter X Hunter series, arcs, OVAs & movies in release date order
The Hunter X Hunter anime franchise started back in 1999 and had a successful run that ended in 2000 with a total of 3 arcs and 62 episodes. Following that, 3 OVAs were released, adding 30 more episodes to the original anime until the series was ultimately rebooted in 2011. Here are all Hunter X Hunter anime arcs in release date order:
Hunter X Hunter 1999 series:
- Hunter X Hunter – Hunter Exam Arc Ep 1 – 36 (1999-2000)
- Hunter X Hunter – Heavens Arena Arc Ep 37-44 (2000)
- Hunter X Hunter – Phantom Troupe Arc Ep 45-62 (2000-2001)
- Hunter X Hunter: Original Video Animation Ep 63 – 70 (2002)
- Hunter X Hunter: Greed Island Ep 71 – 78 (2003)
- Hunter X Hunter: G.I. Final Ep 79 – 92 (2004)
Hunter X Hunter 2011 reboot:
- Hunter X Hunter Season 1 – Hunter Exam Arc (2011 – 2012)
- Hunter X Hunter Season 2 – Heavens Arena Arc (2012)
- Hunter X Hunter Season 3 – Phantom Troupe Arc (2012)
- Hunter X Hunter Season 4 – Greed Island Arc (2012 – 2013)
- Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge – Movie (2013)
- Hunter X Hunter: The Last Mission – Movie (2013)
- Hunter X Hunter Season 5 – Chimera Ant Arc (2013 – 2014)
- Hunter X Hunter Season 6 – Election Arc (2014)
Are all Hunter X Hunter series connected? What’s the best way to watch them?
Hunter X Hunter series are different iterations of the same story, but the 2011 reboot is not a direct continuation. The first anime adaptation aired in 1999 and covered some of the manga, but it was eventually put on hiatus and later ended. The second anime adaptation, which started airing in 2011, covers more of the manga and is often referred to as Hunter X Hunter (2011). This adaptation follows the manga more closely and has covered more story arcs.
While multiple anime adaptations exist, they are essentially different iterations of the same story rather than being separate or alternate continuities. The manga is the primary canon, and both anime adaptations aim to faithfully represent Togashi’s work in animated form.
The movies are non-canon and are set after the anime series.
Hunter X Hunter Arcs in chronological order – both the 1999 version and the 2011 reboot
Since both versions of the anime series are adapting the whole story from the beginning, we decided to summarize which arcs should be watched in which order instead of merely listing the episodes.
1. Hunter Exam Arc
The Hunter Exam arc marks the beginning of the series, spanning the first 38 manga chapters, the initial 31 episodes of the 1999 anime, and the first 21 episodes of the 2011 adaptation.
2. Heavens Arena Arc
The Heavens Arena story arc is the series’ third (technically second) story arc. The manga’s Chapters 44–63, the 1999 anime adaptation’s Episodes 37–44, and the 2011 anime adaptation’s Episodes 27–36 comprise the arc.
3. Phantom Troupe Arc
The Yorknew City arc (or “Phantom Troupe arc” in the Viz edition) is the series’ fourth (technically third) story arc. This arc covers episodes 45-62 of the original anime and episodes 39-58 of the 2011 reboot.
4. Greed Island Arc
Greed Island is the series’ fifth (technically fourth) narrative arc. It covers episodes 71 – 78 of the original anime and episodes 59 – 75 of the 2011 reboot.
5. Chimera Ant Arc
The Chimera Ant arc is the series’ sixth (technically fifth) narrative arc, dubbed “Chimera Ants Arc” by Viz. The manga’s storyline runs from Chapters 186 to 318. Due to the manga’s erratic publication schedule, it was not animated in the first anime adaptation (from the 1999 anime version). The arc begins with Episode 76 and concludes with Episode 136 in the 2011 anime adaption.
6. Election Arc
The election arc, dubbed “Hunter Elections Arc” by Viz, is the series’ seventh (technically sixth) plot arc, spanning chapters 319–339 of the manga. The arc was published following the 2011 anime adaptation’s premiere. It begins with episode 137 and concludes with episode 148 in the 2011 anime adaptation (the final episode of the 2011 anime adaptation).
7. Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge (2013)
Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge follows Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio as they face a dangerous man who was formerly a part of their biggest adversary, the criminal organization known as the Phantom Troupe.
8. Hunter X Hunter: The Last Mission (2013)
Hunter X Hunter: The Last Mission is the sequel to the Hunter X Hunter manga series. In North America, the film was distributed on home video.
Where to watch all Hunter X Hunter series & movies?
As far as the original Hunter X Hunter from 1999 goes, you can’t find it on any major streaming sites, although for some time, the episodes were available on YouTube. The new 2011 reboot can be found on Crunchyroll. Three seasons are available on Amazon Prime Video, 1 season on Apple TV, and two seasons are on Hulu.
Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge and Hunter X Hunter: The Last Mission are available for rent (or you can buy them) on Crunchyroll, Vudu, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, or Apple TV.
Will there be more seasons of Hunter X Hunter?
Hunter X Hunter anime has been on hiatus since 2014, and it doesn’t seem likely that it will continue. Maybe, if enough interest is generated in the future, in any case, we will update you with more information as soon as we have it.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
