History YMMV / HunterXHunter

** In Netero's battle with Meruem, did Netero [[spoiler: kill himself and set off the Rose Bomb]] because he was trying to save humanity and this was [[spoiler: desperate last resort since it was clear he couldn't beat Meruem in a fair fight]] or [[spoiler: he was aware he couldn't defeat Meruem and was always intending to use the bomb but [[BloodKnight wanted one last battle]].]]

** The Succession War arc introduced ''lots'' and ''lots'' of bodyguards, who are also surprisingly fleshed-out which makes them feel like real individuals, some of them having their own motivations and backstories, and they have distinct designs, personalities and roles. Notable fan favorite bodyguards include Bill, Babimyna, Theta, Vergei, Furykov, Balsamico and more.

** [[spoiler: Gon's Nen-powered adult form]] seems to have become this in Japan as [[spoiler: Gon-san]], thanks to his [[spoiler: very odd hairdo and serious, stoic expression on such a cheerful character.]] [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_medium/11136/111367902/6709858-adult_gon_anime.jpg This pose]] is also so memorable that many fanartists and even some other anime shows draw other characters into doing this pose.

** Leorio is Best Dad [[labelnote:explanation]]Leorio already served as the TeamDad to the main four as early as the Hunter Exam Arc. This further escalated during the Elections Arc when [[spoiler: Leorio did everything in his power to get help from the public for the hospitalized Gon. This was in stark contrast to his real dad, Ging, who didn't even bother to visit him. Leorio punching him in the face definitely earned him the title from the fandom.]][[/labelnote]]

** [[spoiler: Gon's Nen-powered adult form.]] He is an adult wearing a kid's clothes. Also, his hair doesn't appear to have an ending.

** On one hand, [[spoiler: Meruem saving Komugi from being killed by an eagle is the first strong kick of his CharacterDevelopment, and a dramatic and heartfelt moment. On the other hand, Komugi was getting mauled ''by an eagle that flew into her room for seemingly no reason at all.'']]

** In Viz's translation of the manga and dub of the 1999 anime, the Phantom Troupe refer to Kurapika as "the chain dude".

** From the mid 2010s onwards, [[TeamDad Leorio]] has started to gain more recognition from the fandom for being a BadassNormal while also having a compassionate heart when it comes to his friends and loved ones. While he is a main character, he ended up being extremely OutOfFocus thus qualifying him to become this.

** [[spoiler: Hisoka's resurrection can be seen as this. He came back to life by using Bungee Gum to perform CPR on himself after Chrollo killed him. Nen after death was first introduced during the Yorknew city arc, but a post-mortem resurrection Nen ability came out of nowhere.]]

** The Phantom Troupe. Many people enjoy them for their CreepyAwesome personalities. However, some fans dislike them as they are built up to being dangerous villains, but disappear for long sequences of the story so that it is hard to take them seriously when they do appear. Then there are fans that think the group plays such a minor role in the story that they should just be killed off already. Not helping matters is Hisoka [[spoiler: effortlessly killing Shalnark and Kortopi]] before preparing to do the same to the rest of the Troupe.
** Gon has gotten a divisive reception after the Chimera Ant arc. Some fans hate him for threatening to murder an innocent girl in order to [[spoiler:heal Kite]], and especially hurting Killua's feelings within that arc. However, while fans don't exactly ''justify'' his actions, they can ''understand'' it especially with [[spoiler:Gon going through the DespairEventHorizon with Kite's death.]] Fans also point that he ended up actually apologizing to Killua for hurting his feelings though many of his detractors prefer if the apology was more sincere.

** During Gon's fight with Hisoka at Heaven's Arena a LongHairedPrettyBoy randomly appears next to the commentator, gives an ExpositionDump about referee's point awarding style and just as quickly disappears without a trace. This character is evidently a cameo from another of the author's other series, ''Manga/LevelE'', but no one other than the commentator acknowledges him and he's quickly forgotten as soon as he disappears.

** Knov was seen as mostly a bland character at first, but became a fan-favorite after a heartfelt performance was put on by his voice-actor for his infamous [[spoiler: mental breakdown]].

** [[spoiler: Gon's adult form is called Gon-san by Japanese readers.]]

** Kite [[spoiler: getting his arm cut off is pretty reminiscent of the time where [[Franchise/OnePiece Shanks gets his arm bitten off]]. The fact that his voice actor in the 2011 version is the same [[Creator/ShuichiIkeda guy]] who voices Shanks really drives this home.]]

** Netero [[spoiler: using the Rose Bomb]]. The narrative paints him as stooping to the Chimera Ants' level for even considering using it. However, it was a necessary evil to defeat Meruem since he has tanked everything else he threw at him, and there was no indication that he was setting it off in a place where innocent civilians could get caught in the crossfire. That being said, the narrative can also simply be saying that the bomb is a byproduct of immense malice which Meruem was not prepared for as he did not imagine humans are ''so'' dedicated to the cause of killing each other that they'd develop such a monstrously strong weapon in the process. In this case, Netero's usage of the bomb wasn't evil in its own context; rather, the bomb is symbolic of human evil in and of itself.

** Tonpa is jokingly treated as one of the most OP characters on the show where this is fanart of him killing some of the Chimera Ant Royal Family members.

** Tonpa is jokingly treated as one of the most OP characters on the show where this is fanart of him killing some of the Chimera Ant Royal Family members.

** The Succession Contest arc that takes place on a massive boat headed for the Dark Continent started in 2012 and is on-going as of ''2023'' due to Togashi's frequent long hiatuses. Even when he does come back from hiatus, he puts out only a few chapters (usually around 10 to fill up a single volume), which the arc remains no closer to being finished. The arc has now suffered the longest manga hiatus to date with an almost 4 year gap that lasted from November 26th, 2018 to October 24th, 2022.