Hunter x Hunter Manga Won’t Return Until 2026

Few Shonen Jump creators have as adoring a fanbase as veteran mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi. The creator of Yu Yu Hakusho scored a generational hit with his subsequent series, Hunter x Hunter, but Togashi does not have the stamina he once had due to a varying number of health issues. But Togashi’s latest chapter #420 update still carries disappointing implications.

for Togashi’s latest post on Xit appears backgrounds and storyboards for chapter #420 are complete, and dialogue is next to come. With Togashi’s exceptional writing, this portion should come easily, but with the end of the year coming up, there’s a strong chance Hunter x Hunter fans won’t see the new batch until 2026.

Hunter x Hunter Fans May Need to Wait Until 2026 for the Return

Hunter x Hunter has had an established pattern of batch releases of 10 chapters, released weekly, once each of them is complete. Following the latest wave of chapters from 2024, #401-410, Togashi resumed with a flurry of storyboard and background updates for chapters #411-420. Despite fans waiting almost a month between #419 and #420’s updates, the next batch seems imminent.

However, Togashi’s posts show storyboard and background steps, and fans will know by now that the manga’s drafts are not complete. Backgrounds must be implemented, followed by inking, effects, lettering, and finishing touches for the story to eventually reach readers. With it now being October, the chances of a 2025 Hunter x Hunter returns are slim.

Still, there’s plenty of indication that this latest hiatus between batches is far from the most severe. Fans waited from 2018 to 2022 for the next batch from #391-400 to drop. Even the most recent wave got its first chapter’s completion update on March 9, 2023, a year and a half before its eventual release.

Any Yoshihiro Togashi Manga Update Is a Celebrated One

Upon inspection of virtually any Togashi update on Hunter x Hunter, it’s clear that the fans will be endlessly patient between releases. Replies to Togashi tweets are wholesome, supportive, and indicate that his posts are the highlight of any day on which they land. While readers are inevitably disappointed by a lack of regularity, they understand.

Togashi is possibly the most infamous case of Shonen Jump manga creators who risk their long-term health for their craft. The Hunter x Hunter creator’s debilitating back pain has consistently hampered his output. Seeing every update, Togashi will always have the fandom’s goodwill; he never needed to earn it, but he deserves all the support and love for his dedication.

However, this is not meant to be a defense of the industry’s practices. Yoshihiro Togashi’s health problems are largely the result of the enormous pressures of being a prized Shonen Jump talent. It’s stories like this that will hopefully push for change in the future; whether it does, is anyone’s guess, but the status quo is unsustainable.

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Yoshihiro Togashi

First Film

Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge