Let’s be real for a second. Being a Hunter x Hunter fan is mostly just an exercise in extreme patience. We spend years waiting for Togashi to drop a single chapter, and when we finally get a movie like Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission, the community usually tears it to shreds. It’s the "stepchild" of the franchise. It’s messy. It feels like high-budget fan fiction. But if you actually sit down and watch it without your "manga purist" glasses on, there’s a weirdly charming, dark energy here that you just don't get in the main series.
The movie dropped back in 2013, produced by Madhouse, the same legendary studio that gave us the 2011 reboot. It arrived right as the Chimera Ant arc was reaching its fever pitch on TV. People expected a masterpiece. What they got was a story about "On"—the dark mirror to Nen—and a bunch of ghosts from Netero’s past coming back to haunt the Hunter Association.
Honestly, it's not perfect. It’s actually kind of chaotic. But in a world where Hunter x Hunter content is rarer than a 0.1% drop rate in Greed Island, this film deserves a second look.
Why Everyone Hates on The Last Mission (And Why They're Sorta Wrong)
The biggest gripe fans have with Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission is the power system. In the main series, Nen is the most logical, strictly defined magic system in anime history. It has rules. It has constraints. Then this movie walks in and introduces "On."
On is basically "Nen but fueled by hatred." The movie frames it as this forbidden power that allows users to bypass the usual limitations of Nen, provided they're willing to die or lose their soul or something equally dramatic. Purists hated this. They felt it cheapened the intricate work Togashi put into the power scaling of the series.
But look at it from a cinematic perspective.
A movie needs stakes. It needs a "big bad" that feels genuinely threatening in a 90-minute runtime. If the villains just used standard Nen, they’d feel like every other generic Heaven's Arena fighter. By introducing Jed and the Shadow Squad, the directors tried to give us a "what if" scenario. What if Netero wasn't the perfect, saintly grandpa everyone thought he was? What if the Hunter Association had some seriously skeletons in the closet?
The movie tackles the dark side of the Association long before the Election arc really dove into the politics of it all. It’s gritty. It’s a bit edgy. But seeing Gon and Killua pushed into a corner where their usual Nen just isn't enough creates a tension that's actually pretty fun to watch.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
The Netero Backstory We Never Asked For But Got Anyway
Isaac Netero is the GOAT. We know this. His fight with Meruem is arguably the greatest sequence in shonen history. Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission tries to add some texture to his past by introducing Jed, his former friend and the leader of "Shadow," a black-ops unit of the Hunter Association that was erased from history.
The plot kicks off at the Battle Olympia tournament at Heaven’s Arena. Our main duo, Gon and Killua, are there to cheer on Zushi (who is now a Floor Master, which is a nice touch of continuity). Suddenly, the stadium is taken over by Jed and his crew. They seal off the building, neutralize Netero using On, and demand that the Hunter Association "confess" their past sins.
It’s basically a hostage thriller with superpowers.
While the "secret dark history" trope is a bit cliché, seeing Netero vulnerable is a rare treat. We're so used to him being the ultimate power in the room. Here, we see the consequences of his younger, perhaps more ruthless days. It adds a layer of moral ambiguity to the Hunters that fits perfectly with the overall vibe of the series, even if it’s not strictly "canon."
Visuals, Vibes, and the Madhouse Magic
If there is one thing you can’t complain about, it’s the production value. Madhouse was at the top of their game in 2013. The animation in the final act of Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission is fluid, vibrant, and carries that specific weight that the 2011 series is known for.
The character designs for the villains—Jed, Gaki, and Shura—are strikingly different from Togashi’s usual aesthetic. They look like they wandered out of a mid-90s OVA. They’re lanky, gothic, and genuinely menacing.
- The Soundtrack: Yoshihisa Hirano returns, and he absolutely delivers. The orchestral swells during the big showdowns make the "On vs. Nen" battles feel much more epic than the script probably deserved.
- The Gore: It’s not as brutal as the Chimera Ant arc, but it’s definitely not a kids' movie. There’s a certain "crunch" to the fights that reminds you why this series stands apart from Naruto or One Piece.
- The Duo: The heart of the movie is, as always, Gon and Killua’s relationship. Seeing Killua’s internal struggle as he watches Gon get consumed by rage (a recurring theme that the movie handles surprisingly well) hits those emotional beats we love.
The "On" Problem: Breaking the Rules
Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the room. The power of On basically works like a cheat code. Jed can grant people powers just by touching them. It feels a little "filler-ish."
🔗 Read more: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
In the context of the film, though, it serves a purpose. It acts as a foil to Gon’s purity. Gon is a character who always finds a way to win through sheer willpower and logic. When he’s faced with a power that thrives on pure malice, it forces him to tap into his own darker impulses. If you’ve seen the end of the Chimera Ant arc, you know that Gon has a terrifying capacity for darkness. Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission flirts with that idea in a way that feels like a precursor to the "Adult Gon" transformation.
Is it a bit messy? Yeah. Does it make sense why Netero never mentioned Jed while fighting a world-ending ant threat? Not really. But that’s the deal you make with anime movies. They exist in a bubble.
Comparing The Last Mission to Phantom Rouge
If you’re a completionist, you’ve probably seen the other movie, Phantom Rouge. Most fans agree that The Last Mission is the superior film. While Phantom Rouge tried to retcon Kurapika’s backstory with some weird puppet stuff, The Last Mission focuses on a high-stakes, self-contained incident.
It feels more like an "event." The setting—the top floors of Heaven’s Arena—provides a verticality to the action that is visually stimulating. Plus, you get some brief cameos from the Phantom Troupe and Hisoka. Hisoka, in particular, does exactly what Hisoka does: stays on the sidelines, looks cool, and helps just enough to keep things interesting without actually becoming a "hero."
How to Actually Enjoy This Movie
If you go into this expecting the depth of the Yorknew City arc, you’re going to be disappointed. You’ll spend the whole time nitpicking the lore. "Why didn't they just use Gyo?" "That's not how Vows and Limitations work!"
Stop.
Watch it as a "What If?" story. Watch it for the beautiful animation of Gon’s Jajanken lighting up a dark room. Watch it for the rare opportunity to see Zushi actually fight as an adult-ish character. Watch it because you miss the 2011 voice cast and you want 90 minutes of new dialogue.
💡 You might also like: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
Key Takeaways for the Dedicated Hunter
- Timeline: It fits roughly between the Greed Island and Chimera Ant arcs, though it doesn't fit perfectly into the timeline due to certain characters being in certain places.
- Availability: You can usually find it on major streaming platforms or physical Blu-ray. The English dub features the original 2011 cast, and they do a fantastic job.
- The Villain: Jed is a tragic figure. If you pay attention to the subtext, his beef isn't just with Netero; it's with the institutional corruption of the Hunter Association. It’s a theme Togashi actually explores in the manga later on.
- Action: The fight choreography is top-notch. The way the characters use the environment of the arena is clever and keeps the pacing fast.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're planning to revisit Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission, or if you're a newcomer who just finished the anime and is craving more, here is how to handle it.
First, watch the 2011 series up through the Greed Island arc before hitting this movie. It’ll give you the necessary emotional attachment to Gon and Killua's bond. Second, treat the "On" power system as a temporary cinematic device rather than a permanent change to the world's physics.
Finally, pay attention to the themes of legacy. The movie is obsessed with the idea of what we leave behind and how our past mistakes can manifest in the next generation. It’s a surprisingly deep theme for an anime tie-in film.
It isn't the "Last Mission" for the franchise—thankfully, the manga is (slowly) moving forward—but it is a high-octane, visually stunning detour that every fan should experience at least once, flaws and all. Just don't let the "On" stuff ruin your day. It’s just a movie.
To get the most out of your viewing, try to find the highest bitrate version possible. The dark, neon-lit aesthetic of the Heaven's Arena takeover looks muddy on low-quality streams but absolutely pops in 1080p or 4K. Grab some snacks, turn off your "lore-correction" brain, and enjoy the ride.
The best way to experience the film is to view it as a standalone spectacle. While it borrows the characters we love, it operates on "movie logic." If you can accept that, the fight between the concepts of "Light" and "Darkness" becomes a compelling, if slightly melodramatic, addition to the Hunter mythos. There's plenty of heart in the relationship between the main four characters, and seeing Leorio and Kurapika get even a little bit of screen time during the height of the "Gon/Killua era" is always a win.