Gon Freecss

"I can't stand being on the losing end forever!"

- Gon Freecss

Gon Freecss is the main protagonist of the anime/manga series Hunter × Hunter. He is the son of the famous Hunter, Ging Freecss and is on a quest to find his father.

He is voiced by Junko Takeuchi in the Japanese version of the 1999 anime and Elinor Holt in the English version, while in the 2011 anime he is voiced by Megumi Han in the Japanese version and Erica Mendez in the English version.

Appearance
Gon is a young boy with long spiky black green tipped hair and large, hazel brown eyes. His usual outfit is composed of a green jacket with reddish edges covering a black or white tank top underneath, green short shorts, and green, laced boots. In some arcs such as the Greed Island and Chimera Ant arcs he takes off the jacket and wears only the tank top. In the Greed Island arc and at the beginning of the Chimera Ant arc he wears the Paladin's Necklace, a Greed Island card with the ability to purge any external effects to a card the wearer is holding.

Personality
Gon is an athletic, rustic, and friendly boy with a thirst for adventure. He is very kind and forgiving, as shown when he chooses to heal a psychopath who had just attempted to kill him. Because of this trait, he can make friends very easily. Having spent a lot of time in the woods as a child, he is very good with animals. Gon is an Enhancer, who are known for being simple-minded and determined. This determination and talent leads to both potential allies and potential enemies trusting in him and taking his side. Despite his kind nature, he can also be quite self-serving at times and has a very strange sense of morality.

Gon has a heightened sense of smell and sight, as well as very keen taste. Initially, Gon wants to become a Hunter because he wishes to find out the depths of an occupation that would cause a father to choose the profession over being with his own son, though soon this goal switches to finding his father. Gon is also shown to love his aunt Mito a great deal; due to the fact that she raised him since he was an infant, he considers her his mother, to the point that he didn't want to learn about his real mother.

Gon is extremely confident in his abilities. Sometimes, he does not realize when the opponent is far stronger or even after he knows the opponent is stronger than him; regardless, he will continue to fight. He refuses to accept himself as inferior to any opponent that he disagrees with, including those clearly stronger than him. Togashi initially portrays this as naïveté. Aside from becoming a Hunter and finding his father, Gon desires strength above all else. Gon's greatest insecurity lies in his own weakness and not being able to protect those close to him.

His central flaws lie in his temper and impulsive nature. Gon sometimes fails to think things through and such actions lead to him suffering. Though possessing talent far beyond the norm for his age, anytime his abilities are challenged, he feels as if he has to prove his antagonist wrong. He continually strives to obtain greater power, often becoming exceptionally stronger in his anger. But Gon's anger also leads to extremely reckless tendencies. When his emotions are ignited, Gon becomes irrational and completely oblivious to anything else. While his will is stronger than most and he can be very level-headed, but this clear mind can also make him very cold at times. Even more worrying is the extent to which his simple mindedness colors his perception of those around him. Often it's difficult for others to understand or relate Gon's actions or thoughts to what people would consider "normal" thinking. On more than one occasion the people around Gon have remarked on how he "doesn't care about the good or the bad" with some believing Gon to be a little insane.

Even more worrying is the extent to which his simple mindedness colors his perception of those around him. Often it is difficult for others to understand or relate Gon's actions or thoughts to what people would consider "normal" thinking. However, on more than one occasion the people around Gon have remarked on how he "doesn't care about the good or the bad" with some believing Gon to be a little insane. His morality is extremely subjective, almost twisted: while he values life in general, he expressed no resentment towards killers like Killua and Hisoka. He did not even think about warning Agon when the latter was about to cross paths with Hisoka, despite knowing fully well that the encounter would have inevitably resulted in the man's death, all for the sake of obtaining the magician's tag. On the other hand, he has expressed hatred towards the Phantom Troupe, due to them caring for their comrades but not extending their pity to the ones they killed, and the Bomb Devils.

Though possessing talent far beyond the norm for his age, anytime his abilities are challenged, he feels as if he has to prove his antagonist wrong. He continually strives to obtain greater power, often becoming exceptionally stronger in his anger. But Gon's anger also leads to extremely reckless tendencies. When his emotions are ignited, Gon becomes irrational and completely oblivious to anything else.

Background
At the age of twenty, Ging Freecss returned home to Whale Island for the first time in eight years carrying his infant son, Gon. When questioned about the child's mother, Ging simply mentions that the pair had separated. While Ging tries to leave Gon in his grandmother's care for a little while, Ging's cousin Mito is infuriated at Ging's parenting and gets custody through the courts. Ging leaves Whale Island, never to return.

Since his early youth, due to his father's absence and Mito's dislike of Ging, Gon had been told that his parents died in an accident when he was a baby. But at the age of nine, Gon is rescued from an angry mother foxbear by a man named Kite — a professional Hunter and a student of Gon's long lost father. After hitting Gon in the face, Kite attempts to kill the foxbear's cub but Gon protects it. Kite is looking for Ging as a final test before his master will consider him to be a true Hunter. Kite's admiration of Ging awakens in Gon a lifetime goal of meeting his father. In order to find and meet Ging, Gon is driven from that moment to obtain a Hunter's License. He sights a desire to know what would cause Ging to choose his profession as a Hunter over being a parent as his motivation for becoming a Hunter.

Powers & Abilities

 * Enhanced Senses: Gon possesses very acute senses especially smell and hearing. Gon has a very advanced sense of smell, which caused him to be compared to a dog. Another distinctive animal trait is his evolved instinct.At the start of the series he had a fishing rod that he could swing with baffling accuracy, even managing to catch Hisoka's tag from afar while the latter was moving at high speed. The fishing rod can also be used as an offensive weapon should the situation ask for it. During the Hunter Exam, Gon was often praised for his powers of observation and agility. In battle, he is quick to think of alternative solutions and strategies. As an enhancer, he should be fairly balanced between offense and defense, but he prefers to go on the offensive, as his stubbornness tends to come out during combat. Because of it, he sometimes charges in recklessly, but at the same time doesn't give up until he can't move anymore. He is quite proficient in close combat, although he doesn't fight resorting to any conventional martial art. Rage greatly bolsters his skills, particularly by boosting his already remarkable aura. His most remarkable feature, however, is the uncanny, bottomless potential he is gifted with. Many powerful characters such as Hisoka, Wing, Biscuit and Razor were left astounded when they grasped the full extent of Gon's talent, which is often described as being limitless. This allows him to learn extremely quickly, and that is true especially in the field of Nen, with an aptitude like his being very rare. Even before learning it he managed to use Zetsu on one occasion.
 * Enhanced Strength: Prior to the Hunter Exam, Gon was able to effortlessly transport a Master of the Swamp while running, a fish so heavy that five grown men could not land it by pulling together. After training for 20 days at the Zoldyck Family's estate, he became capable of pushing a gate weighing 4 tons open, as well as of shattering rock pillars with a punch and sending opponents several times his size than him crashing into a wall a few dozen meters away by pushing with just one hand. Later on, at Heaven's Arena, he proved strong enough to lift and throw the ring's stone tiles without effort, snap a metal rod in two with a punch, and break a Nen user's wrists in a split second just by grabbing them. He was able to beat Shizuku, ranked 12th in the Phantom Troupe, in arm-wrestling, and once also Nobunaga, ranked ninth, while using Ren. It is unknown how much he can press after learning Nen, but the power of his Rock has shown to terrorize even experienced Nen users. With the same attack, he was allegedly able to blast a Chimera Ant to another country.
 * Enhanced Speed and Reflexes: During the Hunter Exam Gon regarded his speed as his primary asset in combat, earning Hanzo's praise despite being slower than him. His quickness enabled him to dodge some of Hisoka's attacks as well as surprise him for a moment. Despite Hisoka proving faster than him, Gon was nonetheless able to follow his movements with his eyes. On Greed Island, he was able to cover a distance of several meters and steal a card from a weak Nen user's hand before the latter could notice. Coupled with his superhuman eyesight, Gon's quick reflexes allow him to always win at rock-paper-scissors by looking at the opponent's fist right before the throw. He was able to see through the last stage of Gotoh's coin game, whereas Leorio and Kurapika were not able to follow his movements at all. Through Biscuit's training, Gon ended up becoming Killua's equal in both running speed and reactions, despite initially being slower. He was also able to keep up with Kite and eventually to trade blows evenly with Knuckle, although his movement speed remained lower than the Beast Hunter's. Gon is also a fast climber, taking about 20 minutes to climb up the irregular surface of a tree 1784 meters high after the first 500 meters.
 * Enhanced Agility: Gon is very agile, as he can attack from every position. His swiftness is mainly employed to dodge the enemy's attacks and react immediately after being hit.
 * Enhanced Stamina: Gon was able to complete a long-distance run more than 80 kilometers long, and taking place on uneven terrains such as ascending stairs and a swamp, without exhibiting the slightest sign of fatigue. In his first match against Gido, he kept dodging 50 spinning tops for about one hour while in a state of Zetsu. He fought Binolt for 10 days straight while keeping his guard up even as he slept. He was also noted to recover from exhaustion very rapidly.
 * Enhanced Endurance: Gon has shown to be able to keep fighting even while in tremendous of pain. This is mostly due to his obstinacy and determination more than to a physical predisposition. He did not surrender after three hours of Hanzo hitting him with specialist knowledge or when the shinobi broke his arm. He could withstand having his right arm severely scorched and his left one blown off by Genthru after taking a beating from him and later having his windpipe crushed, and managed to charge Rock twice and win nonetheless.
 * Enhanced Adaptability: He talked and laughed on top of the World Tree for many hours without looking troubled by the low oxygen level or temperature.
 * Advanced Poison Resistance: When Geretta paralyzed him during the Hunter Exam, he claimed that Gon would be unable to move for 10 days, whereas Hisoka believed that four would suffice; however, Gon stood back up minutes after the poison had taken effect.
 * Healing Factor: Gon heals extremely quickly. This fact is not only thanks to his being an Enhancer since there have been instances of it happening even before he learned Nen, such as when his broken arm healed completely from a clean fracture in 10 days. After Wing opened his aura nodes, Gon made a full recovery from a broken radius and ulna, a cracked humerus, three rib fractures and 12 cracks in one month instead of the predicted four, all the while without using Nen. When Genthru blew off his left hand, the bleeding stopped instantaneously.
 * High Pain Resistance: Gon has shown to be somewhat impervious to pain. This is mostly due to his obstinacy and determination more than to a physical predisposition. He could take having his arms being blown off by the Bomber and severed by Neferpitou, continuing to fight and winning nonetheless.
 * Excellent Strategist: Gon can often tell what an opponent is thinking and how he will react at his moves. He can plan whole battles beforehand and prepare strategies right after the get-go and create alternative solutions. Incredible instinct and phenomenal intuitions help him.
 * Keen Intellect: Gon has often astounded allies and opponents alike with his ability to think outside the box, finding a new perspective with which to look at a problem to solve it. He demonstrated this ability twice during the third phase of the Hunter Exam, blowing out Sedokan's candle instead of looking after his own, and choosing the long path to the goal only to break down the wall separating it from the short one, sidestepping Lippo's forced choice. Instead of fighting Nobunaga, he applied his knowledge of ostomy to find an alternative way of escaping. He was also the one who suggested Killua and he auction off items to raise a profit before attending the auction themselves as buyers, and later that they seek to be hired by Battera instead of purchasing Greed Island. He also has a good memory, which allowed him to win the quiz to obtain Ruler's Blessing. He is also fairly intuitive and, when fully focused, has occasionally shown the ability to think faster than the likes of Killua and Morel through cutting out everything that is not relevant. He is, however, notoriously inept at math.
 * Expert Tracker: He managed to follow Hisoka for several days without being detected. Furthermore, he chased Nobunaga and Machi around a town with the two of them failing to spot him (although they clearly sensed his presence).
 * Proficient Strategist: Gon's exceptional capacity for lateral thinking extends to battle tactics, making him wholly unpredictable. He managed to surprise Netero three times during their ball game. He devised simple but effective strategies to defeat Gido and Riehlvelt using his surroundings, and resorted to a similar method to land a punch on Hisoka. He devised the plan that allowed Kurapika to abduct Chrollo.His willingness to take significant damage to land a critical hit would have allowed him to defeat Genthru without relying on Killua's plan had the latter not been saved by a fortuitous coincidence. Against Hollow and Bat he displayed decent analytical skills, identifying the mechanics behind their coordinated attacks and turning them against the duo.
 * Proficient Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Gon was schooled in Shingen-ryū kung fu combat techniques by Wing for about one month, and received further instructions from Killua before his match against Hisoka. Despite his limited training, he proved time and time again to be a competent, extremely crafty brawler. After 10 days of relentless fighting against Binolt, he was able to spar with Killua on equal ground while using Ryu both through the Flowing Dance, in which practitioners must share a similar level of similar skill, and at full speed. His prowess at close quarters surprised Genthru and Hisoka, although he was outmatched in both cases. After the Bomb Devil crushed his windpipe, Gon accurately predicted he would go for the back of his neck next and focused his aura there, showing the ability to anticipate his opponents without seeing them. Killua noted that he improves at a tremendous rate when in real combat situations. In just 20 days, Gon managed to significantly reduce the gap between himself and Knuckle, a veteran of over 5,000 battles who employs unarmed combat as his main means of offense. Gon's fighting style is punch-based, often including flurries of blows and his unpredictable tactics as well as the occasional kick when the position makes it more convenient.
 * Proficient Weapon Specialist: Gon has shown to be adept at using his fishing rod both as a club and a whip-like weapon (striking the opponent with the float). He is so skilled that he can grab distant objects with the hook, his highest accomplishment being managing to steal Hisoka's tag despite the latter's speed and keen senses. At Heaven's Arena, Gon has used his fishing rod to lift a flagstone to stop Gido's spinning.
 * Stealth Expert: Gon managed to tail Hisoka for a whole day without being detected. His aptitude at concealing his presence is an entirely natural skill, which was not achieved through any form of training, but rather his continuous being in contact with the wilderness. Unbeknownst to him, this feat was rendered possible by his unwitting use of Zetsu as well as by his intents being drowned out by Hisoka's own bloodlust.
 * Expert in Tailing: He shadowed Nobunaga and Machi around Yorknew City with the two of them failing to spot him, although they clearly sensed his presence.
 * Skilled Fisherman: At the age of 10, Gon managed to catch the Swamp King, a fish that nobody had been able to hook for years.
 * Zoological Knowledge: Gon is very knowledgeable about several orders and species of animals and, to a lesser extent, plants, partly due to his living on Whale Island. This expertise proved particularly useful against the Chimera Ants. However, he appears to lack even basic knowledge concerning Magical Beasts.
 * Animal Empathy: Gon has managed to forge a bond with a Foxbear cub despite them usually not allowing humans to tame them, and the two even became friends in later years, with each comprehending what the other was trying to communicate. When he left to take the Hunter Exam, he told the Captain he knew a storm was coming partially because the seagulls had told him so. Being liked by animals is a characteristic that is often attributed to good Hunters, and indeed his proficiency in Nen made it easier for him to melt into nature and use his five senses to the fullest, which resulted in him discovering new animal species. However, he was unable to form a bond with Mike, as he himself immediately understood upon looking into his eyes.

Nen
Gon is an Enhancer, which gives him his great strength and recuperative abilities. His Hatsu is called Jajanken a play on the Japanese word for Rock-paper-scissors, "Janken," the word "Jajan" (a Japanese interjection akin to the word "Ta-dah"), and "Jaken (邪拳 Evil Fist)." Gon first gets the idea after learning the dangerous roots of the game within martial arts.

Jajanken consists of three parts. Gon's main attack is "Rock", a simple but devastating Enhanced attack concentrating all his aura into his fist using Ko. His long-ranged attack is "Paper," an emitted attack that fires a ball of aura from his palm; at the moment, this is his weakest attack, the ball being somewhat slow, not that powerful and easy to block or change course. His mid-ranged attack is "Scissors", a transmuted blade of aura attached to his index and middle fingers, capable of slicing through a Chimera Ant. Gon prefaces each attack with the chant '''"First comes Rock!" '''