Hunter x Hunter: Does Gon have a love interest?

Hunter x Hunter, created by Yoshihiro Togashi, follows Gon Freecss, a young boy who aims to become a Hunter and chase after his father. On his journey through the expansive world, the excitable Gon creates several valuable connections and bonds that last a lifetime.

As a shonen protagonist, it is natural to assume that Gon would have some romantic connection, following the stereotype set by countless other stories. However, Hunter x Hunter has never been bound by such conventions and has consistently subverted shonen tropes. This begins right from the protagonist, as Gon Freecss does not have any love interest in Hunter x Hunter.

Gon is a young boy in his early teenage years with the main goal of tracking his estranged father, Ging. This ambition drives most of his actions until he forms wholesome friendships with characters like Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. These dynamics are centered on friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery, with no place for any sort of romance.

Killua, in particular, is a beloved friend to Gon. While a part of the fandom enjoys “shipping” the two young characters together, Hunter x Hunter is solely focused on the healthy friendship between the two.

Though they started at opposing ends, with Gon being an innocent and naive boy, and Killua being a ruthless killer, the boys go on to build unwavering loyalty and brotherly affection. Risking their lives constantly for each other, Gon and Killua’s bond may not have romance, but it is certainly the most impactful relationship in Hunter x Hunter.

Coming to actual feelings of love, the only time the series hints at any potential partner for Gon was during his divisive relationship with Palm Siberia. As a Hunter and apprentice of Knov, this erratic individual had been assigned to watch over Gon and Killua as they trained to head into NGL.

Though showing off her murderous tendencies, Palm was soon captivated by Gon’s brightness and kindness. She became infatuated with him, undergoing a drastic transformation and going on a date with him. Her moods became dependent on Gon’s behavior, which gave many the impression that the two were a couple.

However, this was not the case. Palm and Gon’s relationship was highly problematic since the former was 22 years of age, trying to woo Gon, who was a child. Looking past this, Palm’s feelings cannot be classified as traditional love, as she is a woman with deep psychological issues who craves the attention of others.

This was evident during her obsession with Knov, as she kept drifting into thoughts about her mentor. When Gon arrived and treated her with compassion, Palm was naturally drawn to him, though this was far from what one would classify as genuine romantic feelings.

As a testament to this, soon after Knov returned to her life, Palm gladly abandoned Gon to go back to her mentor. Gon, for his part, never saw Palm as a potential love interest. He simply cared about her as he did with any of his friends and did not look at her any differently, regardless of her appearance.

While the two cannot be classified as a couple, Palm does go on to have more supportive feelings towards Gon. After being turned into a Chimera Ant, she motivated Killua to help Gon during the protagonist’s descent into darkness.

Will Gon have a love interest in Hunter x Hunter?

Hunter x Hunter has never paid much attention to romance, and has always emphasized platonic relationships built on shared experiences. Nevertheless, since Gon is the protagonist, fans may expect him to eventually settle down with someone by the end of the story.

However, Gon having a love interest in the future will depend upon the development his character is set to face. At this point in the anime and manga, the protagonist has never shown that he has a proper understanding of what terms such as love and dating mean.

While Gon has spoken about the experience he has had with women back home, it is highly likely that this was still a friendly bond. Additionally, in the current manga arc, Gon has been removed from the story, having lost his ability to use Nen.

Hence, before even thinking about a potential love interest for Gon, several events would need to unfold. Provided that Togashi brings Hunter x Hunter back from hiatus, the Succession Contest Arc would need to progress significantly before any solution to Gon regaining his Nen would be addressed.

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Additionally, considering that Gon is too young to have a serious romantic relationship, the story would have to feature a timeskip or showcase him as an adult to bring any probable romance into his life.

The chances of this happening seem slim given the current state of the series and its creator, and fans should not have elevated expectations about Gon gaining a love interest in Hunter x Hunter.

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