How Gon Freecss Became Free (Hunter x Hunter) 

Thank you. Too many people talk about him as a psychopath of darkness without bothering to understanding the severe insecurities and hangups he has, in large part due to Ging.

Gon and Killua share a lack of self-actualization and identity. They're both kids entering adolescence where kids really seek out their identity. While Killua is escaping his family's shadow, Gon is chasing Ging's shadow. And it is a sad story that happens to a lot of kids and even adults, losing themselves seeking approval and closeness.

You've singlehandedly deepened my understanding of a character I thought I understood in such a clear and effective way. Appreciate your content mate

I kept saying it for years, but Gon and Killua are two sides of the same coin. They share the same path towards finding their self worth away from their families expressed in different ways. Killua in his thoughts and introspection, while Gon in his words and actions. Thank you for bringing to light this side of his character

I never actually noticed this about Gons character but it puts a lot of his reckless actions into perspective. Awesome work.

Ging's free spirit and love for the vastness of the world led to his abandonment of Gon. Ironically, this caused his son to develop a misplaced sense of burden and fixation that trapped him and guided his life choices throughout most of the series. It's fitting, then, that Gon's realization that his tunnel-vision approach and focus on strength was misguided in his meeting of Ging. Not only does the fact that he was able to meet Ging by coincidence tell him that he was putting all that pressure on himself for no reason, but in talking with Ging and learning his character and sense of adventure, Gon is able to realize the free spirit with which Ging led his life, and that putting that kind of pressure on himself wasn't just unnecessary, but actually the antithesis of Ging's ideals all along.

I adore that you talked about how both Gon and Killua have deep insecurities about their self-worth, but express that in different ways. Gon externally, Killua internally. And both of them are freed in the end :')

Gon has the perfect balance of competence and incompetence On one hand, everyone acknowledges his supreme potential and quick thinking. Conversely, he's short tempered, impatient and cuts corners And due to that he makes mistakes along the way that piece by piece leads to worse and worse disasters To know you're capable of solving tremendous problems and still messes up each time you encounter one. What that would do to a grown man's psyche let alone a 12 year old child That's what makes his character arc fascinating

It’s crazy how you have done so many video on HxH over a long period of time and still manage to find topics and themes to cover. This just proves how good the writing is in HxH. Your videos are always top tier because of their quality and are entertaining. i really do appreciate your videos.

Gon , one of the most dangerous innocent characters ever, hunter x hunter is such a neat series

Finally someone who understands gon's character and doesn't see him as just a killing machine that is filled with darkness

Thank you for this perspective on Gon's character arc, we've always known his tunnel view led him to self-destruction, but I honestly never considered how deep his insecurities regarding his strength go, because I myself was whipped by his mentality of getting stronger at all costs, since you, as a spectator, want him to succeed. But I'm glad he broke out of it in the end and is now able to live his life one step at a time without the desperation to constantly get more powerful. I hope we get to see both him and Killua finding peace and reuniting with a more mature mindset, so they can have more adventures together (though it's an unrealistic expectation I know)

When I watch this anime, I always find myself identifying more with Gon than Killua, even though I like the latter more as a character. I’ve pushed myself to furthering my education, finding a better occupation, moving to a new city, meeting new people. All in the interest of feeling like I “need” to in order to “earn” the love of others. If something is “earned” it’s not love, since true love is unconditional. Yet paradoxically the need to prove myself to feel worthy is something I can’t shake, because this love creates a psychological obligation to honor somebody feeling that way about me, when in reality I’ve already done enough. It’s hard to know you’re enough when we live in a world where everything seems to boil down to a transaction, it can distort compassion into an investment instead of a gift. This would disqualify it as a genuine act of kindness, but when there’s literally a dollar value that people can use to objectify your worth, you unconsciously set obstacles in your life to overcome to receive “y” amount of affection based off of “x” goals being achieved. In reality, there’s nothing to really overcome other than a belief in my own inadequacy, which is buried underneath the day to day struggle of getting the bills paid, something that I’m not particularly great at and exacerbates these underlying issues. Gon, my lack of self-worth hasn’t led me to do the same things as you, but I feel for you, buddy ❤️

YES I love how you mention that he has a subtle but clear self-contained arc here even if his story isn't done. Because it's true, he's learned in many ways that others don't acknowledge.

I always return to that clip of Morel asking Gon to hit him as hard as he can or he's out of the mission. Partly because it was so cool but mostly because of how painful it was. It was at that moment that I thought "Ahh we lost him." and Killua had this uncomfortable feeling with it. Its the moment when you realize a person has gone to a place of no return, no salvation, no destination, and a path filled with emptiness.

Gon's journey of self worth is one of the most beautiful aspects of Hunter x Hunter

Oh I LOVE your inclusion of the Koala quote at the end because for a long time now I've been trying to put into words the comparison/parallel between his story and Gon's and why that whole part was placed in the same chapter as the conclusion of Gon's relationship with Kite.

He was already my favorite character, yet he still somehow moved up after watching this, great video!

weird how when ya think about it, Ging did the responsible thing of realizing he wasn't ready to be a father, and leaving his child somewhere he knew would be a good place for him to grow, and left a way to reach him when/if Gon ever wanted too. That just unfortunately had the side effect of EMOTIONAL DAMAGE

Couldn't finish it yesterday because I had to stop midway but yeah this is the best analysis of Gon I've ever seen/read and the most comprehensive view of his insecurities and implosion. Use of music and clips is top notch, great commentary, etc. I haven't watched them all because I've only been a sub for a year or so but this is one of your best videos.

"Hunter x Hunter can't be better than it already is." Aleczandxr: Hold my analysis

HxH is my favorite anime, And videos like this are exactly why, Togashi's characters are so intensely detailed in their presentation that each person has a different way of describing and explaining why a character feels or acts a certain way. First off props to the examples you presented of his genuine nightmarish torment he had over trying to be strong (Actual nightmare woke him up of him being powerless and falling away from his father) Some point to the scene where Gon watches his new friend Killua rip a human beings heart out and he's just... smiling in admiration. Some use Zepile's simple conclusion that Gon is a dangerous person due to his moral compass always pointing north so to speak. And by the time we get to Greed Island he's having portions of his limbs and skin blown off and for a moment he gives his opponent a determined smile despite it. This leads people to easily believe that Gon's wires are crossed and he just genuinely has a scary mental condition, I personally believe this is true BUT a lot of people use this point of view as their only basis on his character and don't mix in other people's findings and perspectives that they come up with based on all of the very same examples, And it's perfectly fine to do that...! But I personally believe that there are enough examples given to us by Togashi that it is perfectly within our capabilities to go super nerd all out and combine multiple perspectives and try to utilize everything Togashi has showcased. And the craziest thing about it all? At the end of the day... He's just a kid. (A shounen manga kid capable of insane things yes but in the world of HxH still most definitely a kid considering nearly everyone else he talks with and fights are 16+ besides Killua.) When you put EVERYTHING you can into perspective and put that cherry on top? It's mind blowing. It's like taking a blindfold off and re-realizing this child has been communicating and fighting with adults in a world where yes THAT DOES MATTER because you do NOT see many other kids like him and Killua. To paraphrase what I saw someone say a long time ago. Hunter X Hunter is a story about human beings with super powers that are shaped by their minds and emotions. AKA their powers come from their humanity (This is part of why the chimera ants and the concepts that follow from them are also so damn interesting.) AKA Nen in the hands of an underdeveloped mind will eventually show signs of that, And if all goes well it will naturally grow in its application and understanding... After all there's no rush at that age. But in Gon's case all did not go well and there was ALWAYS a rush, And in what ways and why is realistically up to you the viewer/reader to decide, I personally choose to cram as much as I can that Togashi lays out that makes sense because I love this series just that damn much. It's not just my favorite anime. It's my favorite piece of media PERIOD.

This is the best explanation/analysis of Gon's character that I have ever seen! I have become a HxH nerd so I love seeing these videos

Omg thank you for this. Finally, someone who understands that Gon isn't just a psychotic monster but a child with severe self worth issues who feels that he has to be strong enough and constantly prove himself worthy to be able to meet his own father. It's kinda sad to me that a lot of people don't really see this about him and only see his character at the surface level when it's much more complex than that.

Gon is my favorite Hunter x Hunter character ever since I got into the series through the 2011 anime and beyond and I absolutely loved it ever since I'm glad it's finally returning it means a lot to me personally as it's my favorite Shonen series of all time.

THE THUMBNAIL AND HOW IT REFLECTS THE EREN ONE

Gon's journey has so many subtle and underlying aspects to it that can be hard to keep ahold of. This was brilliant, my favourite video from you in a long time, thank you.

This video is an epitome of as to why I think Gon is one of the best written MC’s. This show is just a masterpiece.

This video is amazing. I never understood how sad and traumatic/mental Gon’s mentality was. Gon probably wasn’t/isn’t even aware of this. And I was certain that I understood Gon’s chaotic-ness and pure development better than anybody. It’s like saying he’s even less chaotic than I thought

Thank you for not making Gon seem like hes insane in some way (like everyone else thinks). You really summed up Gon's issues the best ive seen on youtube and its really nice to see what feels like a more genuine take on him. P.S. I wouldnt mind if u used dubbed anime clips more often cuz it makes it easier to listen to the video audio-only. thanks!

Gon is such an underrated protagonist. 10/10

I miss Gon’s fishing pole

Wonderfully said. Personally, I don't think I've ever noticed a sense of Gon feeling inadequate at any point in the anime, but now that you've talked about it, it suddenly makes a lot of sense why Gon acts the way he does (and not just out of pure shonen protagonist logic which really isn't Hunter x Hunter's style). Perhaps any sense of insecurities from Hunter x Hunter's characters was automatically linked to Killua, but Gon's insecurities aren't all that different, as you've said, but their coping mechanisms definitely are. Gon's thought process also ties in a lot with children in the real world who have had parents leave them for other things and I think Togashi handled it beautifully. Once again, many thanks for making this video. Side note: Your editing was insanely good in this video. Keep it up!

The point about how his sacrifice was ultimately meaningless and how that played into the whole theme of his character was a big W take. Never thought about it like that and always held that as one of the few bad writing moments of the show. But you helped make sense of it in a way I never thought of. Great video

That final montage on the world tree sapling now has another dimension to me. Man... you just make me want to re-watch the series with each video you post!

I've been following your channel for awhile, but this instantly become an all time favorite video of yours. It amazes me how after all this years you still manage to find unexplored aspects of the series, speaks volumes to how well constructed and complex Togashi's characters are. Thanks again for the content, AJ

Some of the clips you inserted were so beautiful they made me tear up. This poor boy.

The editing in this video is amazing! Maybe the best I have seen from you. I love your HxH videos, they are simply incredible.

Amazing video! Really love the exploration of the multiple layers of Gon

what a masterpiece, there was so much depth talked about here in such a mindblowing and interesting way that until now I have not realized. This video is absolutely awe-inspiring to the character's inner struggles along with themes connected with even my personal life. Thanks so much for making this video! liked

I'm never ready for your videos. They always makes me appreciate this show more than I did the previous day.

I was so excited when I saw you'd uploaded a video just 14 minutes ago!! This video taught me something I never understood about Gon before- thank you for your always well thought-out videos!!

Man I imagine that far in the story Kilkua goes back to Whale island to see Gon happy witha family, no nen stuff going on. A beautiful picture but one that could spark more adventure when Kilkua asks for help and Gon feels obliged. As a grown man he in a matter of seconds realises he is back to an unawakened state and just has to awake his nen once again. He by his sheer will does it in another minute and ultra boosts his progress basically to where he was before the accident but now with much more knowledge about the world. And he goes off for one last adventure with Killua.

Making me fall even more in love with my favourite story with every new video, love the content and this might be my favourite video toghter with the Chrollo one

ahh, i love this so much. i've seen some people being negative about his arc and him losing himself so i especially love the interpretation that he found his freedom after everything instead. gon is such an interesting character and your analysis is as fascinating as always

I know personally I see gon's final appearence in the manga as an epilogue of sorts for him, I know that if from this point on he was just someone that killua, Kuriapika and leorio just occasionally went and saw and that he was just living happy in content in some new passion he has found, i'd be so happy. Also I love Ging and gon's newly formed bond, the fact that Gon can call his dad and ask him for advice and that Ging proceeds to tell him genuinely wise words warmed my heart. a part of me would be very happy if Gon never had to deal with anything as hard as the chimera ant arc, but i know that if he ever has to get back out there (with or without nen) I think he'd have a better and more mature out look on how to handle things (looking at you Gyro)

Amazing analysis, essay and video. I hope this blows up for the community and that you continue to grow.

I've been waiting for this and as always you deliver in exapnding my knowledge and understanding of a character. Great work yet again AJ!

What perfect timing i just watched your “Morality of Gon” video and was wondering when your next would be. Keep up the great work as always man!!

Your content really deepened/expanded my view of hxh as a whole (and other things) its amazing that one man can explain all of these things from authors. Big Ups to you

Another great analysis I see! ✨ This little boy moves me to tear..

This video.... This video... Just spoke to me.

I've been waiting for this, HxH streams on Twitch have been amazing

Love your uploads man

I really enjoyed the video. It's crazy how much of his development I missed. I was so enthralled by the main story I was blind to everything he was actually going through. Again great video keep up the good work👍

this channels such a blessing to make us appreciate and understand our favorite shows

Super well written video! Your analysis are always on point, loved watching this!

Oh my, what a lovely weekend surprise! I just love all your analisys, thanks for another great and in-depth dive in another character, love your videos!

Strong work!! Gon’s sense of abandonment and insecurity are often overlooked and I am glad you addressed them.

This video is beautiful, even more so that I can see a bit of myself in Gon. As a high school student, I always aimed to be the best at everything at all costs but my ambitions were roooted in my insecurities. I got to a point where I only did things for the sake of being the best and despite my progress, I had always considered myself weak. I pushed myself too hard, started having health issues and eventually burned out. But that burnout made me realize that I don´t have to be the best and that everyday life should be cherished. For everyone reading: appreciate life for what it brings, because great experiences come along. Don´t push yourself too hard. Thank you Alec!!

Im really glad you revisited this character Your video was one of the first to make people question his sanity It means the world you came back and took a deeper look into his character Thank you

This video has come at such a good time after I’ve just finished watching it

Wow your videos have really changed my perspective on hxh, amazing

Finally got round to actually watching instead of just looking at the thumbnail. Fantastic.

I really need this video in my life thank you and thank god.

I dont know how but you keep surprising us with amazing videos on charachters we thought we knew. HxH writing has so much depht its crazy, thank you for helping us appreciate peak fiction even more!

To me, Gon was and is still a kid. A very 1 in a million kid but a kid abandoned by his old man nonetheless. He chained himself in a different way than Kurapika but got weighed down by these links of iron at the end. I love this kid and he clearly has an impact on many lives as pertains the sheer number of people who came to see him after the chimera ants arc. Now the possibilities are endless for a kid like him and I can’t wait to see what Togashi does with him at the end of the day. So many thanks for this wonderful video my friend ! It was both heartbreaking and so soothing at the same time like a light who shines too bright for its own good hiding the darkness within.

Glad you finally made this. The community needed to know

Amazing analysis as always, however I can't help but notice how well your recent videos have been edited- the use of clips, dialogue and the occasional soundtrack really help elevate the experience.

Once again an amazing analysis. I still don't love the fact that Kite ends up being ok in the end because it feels to me like it justifies Gon's denial of the situation by making him have been kind of right all along.

Been looking forward to this!

forreal one of your best videos

THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN UR BEST WORK!!!LOVED THE VIDEO SO MUCH GOD BLESS!!!!!!!!!!!❤❤❤

bit late on this but this was an incredible video. even though you've talked about gon a lot in past videos and on stream i always felt like there was a big part of his character that was unexplored (to me) that i knew about but didnt quite know how to vocalize. this video feels like a record of everything i've been wanting to say about gon for the past few years :)

This was an amazing video 💜

Yet another great video to listen to. Glad i turned the bell on Edit: BTW did i ever tell you that you choose the background music so well

10:00 love the super smooth transition from aot music to hxh

Finally! I found a review Abt gon, that I can fully get behind. This is the best, review of gon character, Ive ever watched. Thanks!

THANK YOU SO MUCH IVE BEEN SAYING ALL THIS EVER SINCE I FINISHED HXH THE FIRST TIME

Beautiful... Beautiful work my boi!

with togashi posting sketches of the next hxh chapter on twitter, i cant wait to see how the future arc plays out. so much nuances to each of their motivations, no wonder the man had to take an indefinite hiatus. it's so nice to see fans like you who catch the attention to detail and explain it in a more easily understood manner so we can look back on his work and appreciate it more

Does anyone else feel like he’s gotten better at communicating his main points?

Thank you you made me look at Gin like I have never done before

I first watched HxH in 2017 and since then I've always found it easier to re-visit it than to start anything new and every time I seem to notice more and more things that go under the radar because of the bigger story. Also it's usually after one of your videos that I go rewatch an arc or the whole thing😂I think I've watched it at least 5 times now. Please keep making great content like this

The end of the video is dope!

This was very much NOT on purpose, but by making this video you basically helped me see everything that has been wrong with my life in the past year. I held a very similar mindset to Gon when approaching analysis in media, and you've been my ideal, my Ging, ever since discovering your content. This year I stagnated for the first time; I felt weakness for the first time in my life in making progress towards my goals and aspirations, and I constantly tried to compensate for that. By analyzing this very specific component from Hunter x Hunter I think you might have accidentally freed me from my psychological chains. Wow. I just don't even know what to say man. You've done so much for me. I've said this many times, but truly, thank you for creating videos and being who you are. I will do my best to do what you mentioned at the end; to just live, and hopefully one day, I will be able to do what you do in my own way. I want to feel growth in my life again, but I want to experience the little detours too... Thank you.

Man this is such a great video, i had hard time putting in words this same explanation so you have basically done it for me! Amazing. I have few friends who said the same thing that they didnt understand the point of the ending and i almost felt the same, because we are used to BA BAM endings where its not as open ended aka confusing unless you think back again. It was a road of crazy ups and downs and derailing from original idea of just finding the father, that you could forget it was the goal all along, but ofcourse Gon stuck to it, but yet completely misunderstood as children do. Man i love Togashi's writing even more, hope his back doesnt hurt as much and he can wrap up the story somehow. Dudes a still living legend.

Damn bro I’ve seen your breaking bad vids and had no idea you covered other stuff, this vid is fire, my favorite show of all time

I was JUST thinking of that RU-vidr, Aleczander-chan!! Fascinating, Yung Algorithmer! You may live yet another day within Jade Curtiss's Gunchly Apocalypse!

SPORILERS FOR HXH (anime at least) The main thing about Gon is how well his dark decent into inanity and a shell to what he was prior was portrayed only to devoid Gon of consequence when he meets Kite again. I understand your points on what made Gon’s struggle for self acceptance and journey to get stronger and frankly I applaud you for being able to shed light at Gon in a way I’ve never thought of, but honestly it’s hard to not feel that Gon’s dark behavior was to an extent for noting because of the non lasting Gon’s consequences. He gets revived and is ok, meets Ging and most of all sees Kite again, so even if Gon does learn that he doesn’t need to be this perfect image for Ging, it still to some extent feels as if Gon’s actions were rewarded. Only thing he lost is his nen but he’s not doing much at this point anyways.

You make the greatest videos about Hunterxhunter I swear

Ging made him do all this and he didn't even mean to😭

This was an amazing and insightful analysis. Helped me see the show in a completely different light

Was about to go to bed until I saw this. Can always count on aj to drop a banger

I said that many times to me you are the perfect one how explain how characters feelings good job and another amazing video many thanks 🌸

Whoa, this character analysis is breathtaking. I listen to hundreds of analysis videos on characters I believe to be well-fleshed out, among other things, but this really takes the cake. You've taken a masterpiece work and made the answer feel like Occam's razor, almost as if what I've watched twice now should've been screaming this narrative to be in the subtext. You didn't take the "curtains are blue" approach, you didn't needlessly get verbose and start trying to impress your audience by boiling things down to far-eastern psychology/sociology/esoteric foreign literary allusion. This made me feel like I could solve a Professor's Cube blindfolded, at the same time I felt like I was being kicked in the nuts for being so arrogant simultaneously!

Amazing video, showing Gon’s true mindset and being able to understand him better than misconceptions show

I didn't think of gon from this prospective iam really impressed , whenever you think you understand everything in hxh you learn and explore more when watched again. Great video as always 👏😁

Back at it again.

I find the dichotomy between Hisoka and Gon amazing.