Hunter x Hunter is one of the most popular and influential anime series of all time. Created by legendary manga artist Yoshihiro Togashi, Hunter x Hunter first began as a manga series in 1998 before being adapted into an acclaimed anime series in 1999. While Hunter x Hunter has clearly forged its own unique identity and style, Togashi drew inspiration from a variety of sources when originally creating the series. Here’s an in-depth look at some of the key inspirations behind Hunter x Hunter.
Dragon Quest
One of the most direct inspirations for Hunter x Hunter was the hugely popular Dragon Quest video game series. Togashi has frequently cited Dragon Quest as his favorite video game franchise, and has admitted that the RPG series was a major reference point when first developing Hunter x Hunter.
In particular, the Hunter Exam arc of Hunter x Hunter bears a strong resemblance to the quests and trials players must overcome in a typical Dragon Quest game. Just like a Dragon Quest hero must pass various tests of skill to advance, Hunter x Hunter’s applicants must succeed in difficult challenges to become certified Hunters. The exam’s stages even feel inspired by specific Dragon Quest obstacles, like navigating dangerous environments, battling monsters, and completing tricky puzzles.
Beyond just the Hunter Exam, Hunter x Hunter often embraces the spirit of adventure and fantasy embodied by classic RPGs like Dragon Quest. The wide variety of lands and creatures encountered by the main characters evoke the sense of an epic quest across an imaginary world. Togashi’s love for the groundbreaking Dragon Quest games clearly shaped his approach to crafting Hunter x Hunter’s setting.
YuYu Hakusho
As one of Yoshihiro Togashi’s earliest hit manga series, YuYu Hakusho also provided a major influence when later creating Hunter x Hunter. Togashi built upon some of the themes and concepts he first explored in YuYu Hakusho as he developed his vision for Hunter x Hunter.
Most notably, Hunter x Hunter and YuYu Hakusho share the central premise of an adolescent boy discovering their supernatural abilities and embarking on adventures in a mystical realm. Just as YuYu Hakusho’s Yusuke becomes an Underworld Detective, Hunter x Hunter’s Gon Freecss learns to harness his aura and becomes a licensed Hunter. The core journey from ordinary teenager to otherworldly warrior remains at the heart of both series.
In addition, Hunter x Hunter’s Nen power system has clear parallels to YuYu Hakusho’s concept of characters wielding Spirit Energy in unique ways. Each ability reflects the user’s soul and willpower. Togashi expanded upon this magic system he first pioneered in YuYu Hakusho as he crafted the complex Nen techniques used by Hunters.
YuYu Hakusho laid the groundwork for many of the themes and concepts that Togashi would master in his later work on Hunter x Hunter.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
The iconic manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, created by Hirohiko Araki in 1987, also provided some inspiration for Hunter x Hunter. Togashi has mentioned in interviews that series like JoJo’s informed his approach to crafting battles and special techniques in Hunter x Hunter.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure pioneered the concept of Stands, supernatural abilities that manifest as physical constructs based on a user’s spirit. This played a clear role in influencing Hunter x Hunter’s Nen abilities. In particular, the way Stand abilities reflect their user’s psyche mirrors how someone’s Nen reflects their inner self.
In addition, the clever battles in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, where opponents try to outwit each other using innovative applications of their powers, inspired the strategic fights between Nen users in Hunter x Hunter. Togashi crafted a magic system with the same potential for ingenuity and strategy as displayed in Araki’s manga.
The striking color art and flamboyant style of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure also seem to have informed the look and feel of Hunter x Hunter’s world and characters to some degree. Both series share a sense of exaggerated drama and action.
So while Hunter x Hunter explores very different themes than JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Araki’s manga was clearly an influence on Togashi as he imagined the Nen powers and combat encounters featured in Hunter x Hunter.
Journey to the West
The classic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West also provided inspiration for Hunter x Hunter. Journey to the West tells the story of the Monkey King Sun Wukong accompanying the monk Xuanzang on a perilous pilgrimage to obtain sacred Buddhist texts. Their fantastic journey visits many wondrous locations filled with demons, monsters, and magic.
The core premise of a fateful journey into a mystical world by memorable characters like the Monkey King clearly influenced the development of Hunter x Hunter. Gon Freecss can be seen as a modern analogue to Sun Wukong, with both characters displaying extraordinary powers at a young age and accompanying someone on an important quest. Hunter x Hunter’s Dark Continent also seems inspired by the fantastical lands visited in Journey to the West.
Beyond the pilgrimage structure, Hunter x Hunter also embraces the rich Chinese mythology that permeates Journey to the West. Strange beasts, occult rituals, and legends of ancient magic help shape the mystical aspects of Hunter x Hunter’s universe. Togashi drew upon this ancient well of Chinese fantasy when populating his manga with otherworldly elements.
So while Hunter x Hunter has thoroughly modern sensibilities, the seminal classic novel Journey to the West helped provide a mythic foundation for the series’ world of magic and monsters.
MMO and Fantasy Genres
As a whole, Hunter x Hunter was strongly influenced by themes and elements drawn from classic fantasy and RPG genres. From the medieval-inspired settings to the focus on specialized combat and magical abilities, Hunter x Hunter contains clear parallels to works in the sword & sorcery tradition. The dangerous monster-filled landscapes and mysterious ancient ruins encountered are right at home in any fantasy adventure tale.
Additionally, the concept of professional Hunters evokes class or job systems found in many RPG-inspired works. The specialized Nen abilities and emphasis on collecting treasure from dangerous areas also reflects concepts common in fantasy games and fiction.
While containing distinctly modern twists, Hunter x Hunter channels the sense of daring journeys, unknown dangers, and wondrous discoveries that define works in the fantasy adventure genre. Togashi was clearly well-versed in these genres and drew upon some of their most resonant elements when crafting Hunter x Hunter’s world and characters. The series remains rooted in classic adventure fiction and role-playing experiences.
Bruce Lee and Martial Arts Films
Many of the hard-hitting martial arts action sequences in Hunter x Hunter also show the influence of classic kung fu movies. Bruce Lee’s iconic films in particular seem to have inspired some of the close-quarters combat displayed in the series.
Lee’s breakneck pacing and razor-sharp techniques are mirrored in the hand-to-hand fights between Nen users. His philosophy of innovative and adaptive combat also found its way into Hunter x Hunter in the form of the nuanced Nen abilities of fighters like the Phantom Troupe.
Additionally, the character of Wing bears a strong resemblance to Lee in appearance and demeanor. As Gon and Killua’s stern but caring mentor in Nen training, Wing channels the spirit of Lee as a master martial artist and teacher.
Beyond just Bruce Lee, Hunter x Hunter’s creative Nen techniques and hard-hitting choreography reflect a clear appreciation for classic martial arts and kung fu films. Togashi channeled the kinetic action and fighting philosophies found in these films into Hunter x Hunter’s battles.
Crime and Mafia Fiction
Hunter x Hunter also takes inspiration from genres focused on crime intrigue and the seedy underworld. Most prominently, the Phantom Troupe arc is structured similar to a gritty mafia story, with the protagonists infiltrating a ruthless crime syndicate.
The depiction of the Phantom Troupe as a tight-knit organization of killers and thieves with specialized skills mirrors crime families in classic mob films and novels. The intrigue as the heroes sneak into the Troupe’s ranks and attempt to unravel them from within also echoes popular crime fiction plots.
Additionally, Gon and Killua frequently take on detective-like roles throughout the series, having to track down clues and investigate dangerous situations. The shadowy corporate conspiracy elements in later arcs also resemble the shady dealings common in crime thrillers.
So while also containing plenty of shonen battle action, Hunter x Hunter channels the gritty themes of the crime genre in some of its most compelling storylines.
Horror and Psychological Thriller Influences
Despite its action/adventure focus, Hunter x Hunter contains unsettling elements of psychological horror and thriller fiction as well. Disturbing serial killers, twisted psychological experiments, and moments of true darkness emerge throughout the story.
In particular, the chilling sociopathic villains Hisoka and Illumi invoke the sinister killers and psychopaths found in psychological horror stories. Their bizarre mentalities and murderous violence introduce genuinely terrifying facets to Hunter x Hunter’s world.
Series like Death Note that explore the psyches of sociopathic antiheroes clearly influenced these antagonists. The uncomfortable moral implications of Gon’s descent into ruthlessness during the Chimera Ant arc also reflect the unsettling themes associated with psychological thrillers.
So while not overtly horror, Hunter x Hunter provides its share of unnerving situations and characters that channel tropes common in disturbing thriller fiction.
Team Dynamics in Shonen Manga
As a quintessential shonen manga, Hunter x Hunter also takes inspiration from other classic series in how it structures relationships between the protagonists. The central quartet of Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio follows the team dynamic formulas established in hit shonen manga before it.
Gon is the headstrong, innocent protagonist in the mold of Son Goku, Naruto Uzumaki or Ichigo Kurosaki. Killua acts as the more experienced, cynical foil and best friend, akin to Sasuke Uchiha or Vegeta. Kurapika and Leorio fill the roles of big brother/mentor types, much like Piccolo and Jiraiya in those previous flagship shonen series.
The bonds of friendship and support between these main four characters, despite their wildly contrasting personalities and goals, reflect the successful character dynamics pioneered in seminal battle manga like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and Bleach. Togashi clearly incorporated this proven formula when crafting the core cast of Hunter x Hunter.
So while the characters themselves are original, their team framework draws heavily from the shonen action manga that paved the way for later hits like Hunter x Hunter.
Subversions of Shonen Tropes
However, while embracing some classic shonen manga tropes, Hunter x Hunter also brilliantly subverts or deconstructs them in many ways. Gon may seem like a stereotypical plucky shonen protagonist at first glance, but his morality proves decidedly questionable and unheroic at times. Killua also displays frightfully sinister aspects behind his cool facade.
The series carries surprisingly mature themes for a shonen manga, exploring complex philosophies on morality and ethics. Nen’s involved rules also add more nuance and strategy compared to the power systems in typical action manga. Hunter x Hunter steadily unveils darker elements that set it apart from more conventional battle series.
So while Togashi clearly knew and respected the shonen manga tradition, he also aimed to constructively expand the genre’s limits with Hunter x Hunter. The series succeeds in questioning and deconstructing many of the tropes associated with mainstream battle manga.
Inspirations From Togashi’s Life Experiences
In addition to drawing upon literary and media inspirations, Yoshihiro Togashi also incorporated elements of his own life experiences when creating Hunter x Hunter. The author spent much of his youth camping and exploring wilderness mountains and forests in rural Japan. This instilled a deep love of nature in Togashi that is reflected in the forested and natural settings prominent throughout Hunter x Hunter. Locations like Whale Island and the NGL evoke the forests Togashi explored in his childhood.
References to biology and ecology frequently appear as well, another outgrowth of Togashi having cultivated an interest in the natural world from his time growing up around wildlife. So while also featuring plenty of imaginative fantasy locations, the real forests and mountains of Japan’s wilderness helped inspire Hunter x Hunter’s environments.
Togashi’s passion for tabletop RPGs and hobby gaming growing up is also evident in Hunter x Hunter’s intricate systems for quantifying abilities like Nen and detailed explanations of more obscure lore. The author clearly drew upon his enthusiasms for statistics and creative world-building when crafting the complex RPG-like foundations of Hunter x Hunter.
So Togashi’s own varied experiences, interests and memories left clear fingerprints on the themes and style of Hunter x Hunter, complementing his literary inspirations.
Conclusion
While a wholly original manga vision, Hunter x Hunter was clearly influenced by a broad range of sources, from RPGs and martial arts films to crime fiction and shonen classics. Togashi masterfully synthesized elements from his own passions and previous works with proven tropes from manga tradition to craft a unique adventure epic. Hunter x Hunter feels both familiar and novel, blending established building blocks with unconventional twists. This alchemical fusion helps explain the phenomenal cross-generational appeal of the series. Teenagers are drawn in by the heroic young protagonists and kinetic action, while adult readers appreciate the philosophical depth and nuanced characters. By skillfully bringing together a diverse set of influences, Yoshihiro Togashi produced one of the most engaging, unpredictable and thought-provoking shonen battle manga masterpieces of all time in Hunter x Hunter.