The Chimera Ant Arc Proves Gon Was Never The Hero We Thought

Pavas Gagneja
1 day ago
3 min read

The Chimera Ant arc, one of the most intense and emotional parts of Hunter x Hunter, completely changed the way fans look at Gon. At first, Gon seems like the typical anime hero — positive, determined, and full of kindness. But as the arc goes on, things get darker, and so does Gon. By the end, it becomes clear: Gon was never the perfect hero we believed him to be.

While many fans love Gon for his innocent and friendly personality, the Chimera Ant arc shows a different side of him. He becomes selfish, angry, and even scary. And honestly, it’s one of the reasons this arc is so powerful. It breaks the idea of a pure hero and shows us something much more real — flawed, human emotion.

ALSO READ: Are Hunter x Hunter Movies Canon To The Main Story?

Gon’s Kindness Had Limits

Throughout the earlier arcs of Hunter x Hunter, Gon is shown helping people, caring about his friends, and always trying to do the right thing. But once Kite is taken by Neferpitou, everything changes. Gon becomes obsessed with getting revenge. He doesn’t care about strategy or teamwork anymore — he just wants to kill the person who hurt someone he cared about.

This shows that Gon’s kindness had a limit. He was nice as long as the world didn’t cross a line. But once that line was crossed, he became someone else. And that someone wasn’t kind or heroic. Instead, he was angry, broken, and full of hate.

He Was Willing To Throw Everything Away

One of the most shocking moments in the arc is when Gon sacrifices almost everything just for the chance to defeat Neferpitou. He gives up his future, his life, and even his Nen in exchange for power. That moment was terrifying, not because of how strong he became, but because of what it cost.

Real heroes usually try to find another way. They fight for hope, not for revenge. But Gon didn’t care about the world anymore. He wasn’t trying to save anyone; he was just angry and wanted to destroy. That’s not what a true hero would do.

Killua Was The True Heart Of The Story

While Gon was falling deeper into rage and sadness, Killua was the one holding things together. He was protecting Gon, thinking ahead, and making hard decisions. Even though Killua came from a family of assassins, he acted more heroic than Gon during this arc.

This contrast made it clear that Gon wasn’t the moral center of the story anymore. Killua, with all his pain and struggles, was the one still trying to do the right thing. Gon became a symbol of how emotions like anger and grief can take over, even in someone who once seemed good.

Final Verdict: A Realistic But Flawed Hero

Gon gives up everything to kill Neferpitou

The Chimera Ant arc showed us that Gon was never the traditional anime hero. He was just a boy with strong emotions, and those emotions pushed him to dangerous places. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad character. In fact, it makes him a great one, because real people aren’t always good or bad; they’re complicated.

Gon’s fall isn’t a failure in storytelling, but actually one of Hunter x Hunter’s strongest points. It teaches us that even the most cheerful faces can hide deep pain, and even the hero can lose his way. And that’s what makes the story hit so hard.