Hunter X Hunterbegan with four main characters: Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. For the last 12 years, however, the focus has been exclusively on Kurapika Kurta, with Gon and Killua, the faces of the franchise, not appearing at all. Now, at long last, Gon and Killua are finally returning, and are getting involved with the ongoing Succession Contest.
Since returning from his latest hiatus, Yoshihiro Togashi has completely shaken up the circumstances of the death game that will determine the next Emperor of Kakin, and put Kurapika in a position where he can no longer fight primarily alone. Thankfully, as seen in Hunter X Hunter Chapter 414, Kurapika still has friends he can call upon, and Gon and Killua are happy to answer his call.
Gon and Killua Finally Return to Help Kurapika in Hunter X Hunter Chapter 414
Hunter X Hunter Chapter 414, fittingly titled "Friends," is the latest installment in the Succession Contest Arc, which has been ongoing since the release of Chapter 340 in 2012. The arc has primarily followed Kurapika as his quest to retrieve all his people's scarlet eyes has led him directly into a deadly battle of wits which will determine which of Kakin's 14 princes will become the next emperor.
Despite featuring over 100 named, relevant characters, ranging from series regulars like Hisoka and Chrollo to new fan-favorites like Bill, Morena, and Prince Halkenburg, Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck have remained entirely absent from the conflict. Following the point where the Hunter X Hunter anime ended, Gon returned home to Whale Island, having lost access to Nen after his breakdown at the climax of the Chimera Ant Arc, while Killua dedicated himself entirely to protecting his younger sister, Alluka, from their cold-hearted family of assassins.
Since the Succession Contest Arc began, Kurapika has been charged with protecting an infant, 14th Prince Woble Hui Guo Rou, and her mother, Eighth Queen Oito Hui Guo Rou. However, in recent chapters, it's been revealed that the real Prince Woble isn't actually aboard the Black Whale, the massive ship where the Succession Contest is taking place, and which is currently sailing toward the Dark Continent, and that Kurapika has been protecting an impostor.
With every Prince of Kain being forced by tradition, and by their father, Emperor Nasubi Hui Guo Rou, to participate in this battle to the death, Queen Oito switched her infant daughter out for her cousin in an effort to keep her from being killed. While this puts Kurapika in a much stronger position in the game, one that's already seen three princes killed, for his next plans to work, he needs to ensure that the real Prince Woble is kept protected.
Kurapika did not come to the Black Whale fully alone, having recruited old allies like Melody, Hanzo, and Biscuit Krueger to aid him, and having been recruited into the Zodiacs himself by Leorio Paradinight, but the best people he could hope to trust with protecting Woble are still on land, and capable of reaching her.
For the first time in over a decade, Gon and Killua are both briefly seen at the end of Hunter X Hunter Chapter 414. Gon is seen looking over a vast landscape, heading towards his new adventure, and surprisingly accompanied by Noko, an extremely minor character, and the only other kid on Whale Island. Killua, meanwhile, is seen peacefully going about his day with Alluka, looking happier and more at ease than ever before.
The return of Gon and Killua is a massive deal for Hunter X Hunter fans everywhere, and fans can officially start anticipating both what they may individually do in this arc, and what their reunion will look like after all this time apart. Additionally, this twist raises the possibility that, when the Succession Content Arc ends, and the inevitable Dark Continent Arc begins, Gon will reclaim his long-lost place as the series' protagonist.