When we think of Shueisha’s biggest franchises, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and even Demon Slayer immediately come to mind. However, there was a time when another series stood at the top: Hunter x Hunter. In an effort to prioritize his manga, the artist behind the series is making a major change to the way he works.
Don’t get us wrong: Hunter x Hunter still has a loyal fanbase that is always eager to find out how the story of Gon Freecss and his friends unfolds. However, it is undeniable that the manga’s serialization has faced numerous obstacles over the years due to the health problems affecting Yoshihiro Togashi, its creator.
Yoshihiro Togashi’s top priority is the Hunter x Hunter manga
The original manga officially debuted in March 1998 in Shueisha’s Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. For nearly a decade, its creator managed to publish a new chapter every week. The release schedule changed significantly starting in 2006.
Yoshihiro Togashi has suffered from severe back pain since the late 1990s, and these problems eventually became so serious that the mangaka has struggled to sit and draw normally. His condition forced him to change the way he works and take numerous breaks that inevitably delayed the publication of new chapters.
In 2024, the artist and writer opened up to his fans and revealed that his health had improved in recent months, allowing him to work on Hunter x Hunter more regularly. Despite his recovery, he reaffirmed that [he would not return to a weekly publication schedule and that there would also be no fixed dates for future chapters].
Yoshihiro Togashi returned in 2026 after taking a break that lasted several months. However, he went on another hiatus in September following the publication of Chapter 420. It is unknown when he will resume working, but in a post on his personal X account, he revealed that he will be changing his priorities.
In addition to working on his manga, the Japanese mangaka also accepted other commissions, including illustrations for magazines, promotional artwork for official franchise products, and special drawings commemorating another creator’s birthday, among other projects. Fans will now have to say goodbye to that kind of work.
In his post, the artist explained that his top priority is now finishing the drafts for upcoming Hunter x Hunter chapters. As a result, he will reject any additional commission that comes his way with a deadline. He promised to announce on social media when he starts accepting other commissions again.
“Due to a combination of physical and mental health issues, I decided that once I finish the work I am currently committed to, I will decline all future requests with deadlines and prioritize working on my own drafts,” Yoshihiro Togashi wrote.
What comes next for Hunter x Hunter after the manga’s hiatus?
One of the manga’s most significant hiatuses began in early 2023 due to its author’s health problems. At the time, Shueisha said that after discussing the matter with Yoshihiro Togashi, it had decided to move away from the weekly release format going forward.
The artist underwent surgery in 2024, and shortly afterward announced that he had already completed the storyboards for new chapters. The Japanese publisher released Chapters 401 through 410 of the manga in Weekly Shonen Jump, from issue 45 of 2024 through issue 2 of 2025.
Hunter x Hunter [resumed serialization this year with 10 new chapters], only to enter another hiatus on September 7 with the release of Chapter 420. Although it is unknown when serialization will resume, Yoshihiro Togashi revealed on September 17 that he had already finished the drafts through Chapter 428.
It seems Yoshihiro Togashi takes two-year breaks between publication runs, so we could be waiting until 2028 at the earliest for the manga to return. The story is currently in the Succession War arc, where the 14 princes of the Kakin Empire are fighting in a massive battle.
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