7 Hunter x Hunter Characters Ranked by Moral Complexity

Hunter x Hunter doesn’t deal in absolutes. There are no perfect heroes or irredeemable villains. Everyone is shaped by their goals, pain, loyalty, or desperation, and that makes for characters who feel painfully human. That’s part of what makes the show so compelling. You’re not just watching fights or power-ups; you’re watching choices, many of which don’t come with easy answers.

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Gon and Killua seem easy to root for when the lines are clear, but what happens when they blur? When Gon’s obsession leads him down a dangerous path? When a supposed villain acts with unexpected kindness?

Hunter x Hunter forces us to wrestle with morality, reminding us that decisions are rarely black and white, and that’s what makes this anime worth watching, over and over again.

7

Gon Freecss

The Hero Who Walked a Dark Path

HunterXHunter: Gon Freecss slight smile, eyebrows raised

Yes, Gon. The cheerful, determined protagonist with a heart of gold. He’s the emotional anchor of the show early on, and you’d think he’d rank higher on this list for being morally gray. But here’s the thing: Gon isn’t complex because he’s secretly dark. He’s complex because his morality shifts depending on his emotions.

When Kite dies, we see a version of Gon we didn’t know existed. He’s cruel to Pitou, merciless in his vengeance, and utterly detached from anyone who tries to stop him. It’s not just a “rage moment” either. It’s a collapse of everything he thought he understood about fairness and justice. That version of Gon is terrifying. And it’s a brutal reminder that even the kindest people have limits, and they’re not always heroic when they reach them.

6

Killua Zoldyck

A Killer Trying to Learn Kindness

Killua from Hunter x Hunter anime protecting Gon

Killua is a walking contradiction. He wants to be kind, but he’s been trained to kill. He values friendship, but he has a switch in his brain that flips the second things go wrong. One moment, he’s giving Gon candy and cracking jokes. The next, he’s ripping someone’s heart out like it’s no big deal.

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What makes Killua’s moral complexity interesting is that he’s aware of it. He hates that part of himself. He wants to be better, but he doesn’t always know how. His journey isn’t about redemption in the dramatic sense, it’s about unlearning how to survive through violence and learning how to live through connection. He doesn’t get everything right, but he tries. And in a world like Hunter x Hunter’s, that says a lot.

5

Kurapika

Embodiment of Justice Turned to Obsession

Kurapika’s sense of justice is absolute, until it isn’t. He starts off noble, focused on avenging the Kurta Clan by retrieving their stolen eyes. It’s a goal driven by pain, but it’s understandable. You want him to succeed. You want him to find peace.

But as the story progresses, Kurapika changes. He becomes colder, more obsessed. He lies to his friends, manipulates situations, and embraces Nen abilities that shorten his life just to gain power. At some point, his vengeance stops being about justice and becomes about control. It’s not that he’s evil, he’s far from it. But his tunnel vision leads him to make decisions that chip away at the idealistic boy he used to be.

Kurapika’s arc asks a tough question: How far is too far when it comes to righting a wrong? And can you come back once you’ve crossed that line?

4

Chrollo Lucilfer

A Poet With Blood on His Hands

On the surface, Chrollo is easy to write off as a villain. He’s the leader of the Phantom Troupe, a group responsible for massacres, theft, and chaos. But spend a little more time with him and it gets harder to pin him down.

Chrollo isn’t driven by sadism. He’s soft-spoken, thoughtful, and even philosophical at times. He doesn’t seem to take joy in violence, but he commits it anyway, often without hesitation. That contradiction is jarring. He’s like a poet with a gun, reading quietly from a book while blood stains the pages.

And then there’s the way he talks about the Troupe. They’re not just teammates, they’re family. His decisions are calculated, but they’re rarely cold. That’s what makes him unsettling. He feels… real. Like someone who genuinely believes he’s doing what’s necessary, even if others see it as monstrous.

3

Meruem

A Monster Who Discovered Humanity

Meruem might be the single most complex character in the entire series. He starts as a literal killing machine, born to dominate, raised to rule, and perfectly okay with obliterating humans. He’s terrifying at first. Unapologetically cruel. A monster.

But then comes Komugi.

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Their relationship doesn’t “fix” him. It doesn’t make him suddenly heroic. But it cracks something open. He starts to ask questions. He wonders about worth, power, and what it means to live. He begins to see beauty in things beyond control. By the end, Meruem isn’t unrecognizable, he’s clearer. Still dangerous, still flawed, but far more human than anyone could have predicted.

His death isn’t triumphant or tragic. It’s peaceful. And it leaves you wondering how much of him was “evil” to begin with, or if he was just a product of the world that created him.

2

Hisoka Morow

The Wild Card With No Morality

If Meruem is the character who evolves, Hisoka is the one who refuses to.

Let’s be real, Hisoka is unsettling. He’s chaotic, sadistic, and completely driven by self-interest. He doesn’t care about morality, alliances, or outcomes unless they benefit his own amusement. He treats battles like games, and people like puzzle pieces. And yet, somehow, you can’t look away.

Hisoka’s moral complexity doesn’t come from hidden nobility. It comes from consistency. He’s terrifying because he never lies about who he is. He doesn’t pretend to be good or evil. He’s just… Hisoka. That kind of brutal self-awareness, paired with unpredictable behavior, makes him a wild card in every arc. You’re never sure what he’ll do next, but you know he’ll do it with a smile.

1

Isaac Netero

Sacrifice, Power, and the Cost of Victory

Isaac Netero Hunter X Hunter gesturing with the thumb and forefinger of each hand

Netero is often remembered as the old guy who gave Meruem a run for his money. But beneath the friendly grandpa routine is one of the most morally ambiguous characters in the series.

He trained for decades to become the strongest. He founded the Hunter Association. He fought for balance. But he also made choices that blurred the line between righteousness and fanaticism.

His fight with Meruem is a great example. He recognizes the King’s humanity. He sees that this “enemy” might be capable of peace. And yet, he still chooses to detonate a bomb to ensure victory. That’s not a decision made out of fear. It’s made out of certainty. He believes humanity can’t risk coexisting with something stronger.

In doing so, Netero embodies the show’s central tension: how do you measure value? Who gets to decide what’s good or bad? His final act is one of sacrifice, but it’s also one of control. And the fallout isn’t simple.