Hunter x Hunter Filler List: Every Episode to Skip (and the Ones Worth Watching)

The manga clawed its way back into Weekly Shonen Jump on June 28, 2026, with Chapter 411 landing after nearly two years of silence. Volume 39 dropped five days later, and Togashi has manuscripts ready through Chapter 421. If you're rewatching the anime before catching up on the Succession Contest Arc, you're going to want a Hunter x Hunter filler list.

You're going to want a very short one.

The 2011 anime has two filler episodes out of 148. A 1% filler rate. The 1999 version has five out of 92, sitting at roughly 5%. No filler arcs in either version. No anime-original sagas dragging on while the manga catches up. Just a handful of recaps scattered across two adaptations that stayed remarkably faithful to Togashi's source material. But even with a count this small, trackers still disagree on Episode 12, mixed episodes inflate the 1999 numbers, and one "filler" episode might actually deserve a spot in your watchlist.

Hunter x Hunter Filler at a Glance

The No-Filler Cut

Here's every episode on the Hunter x Hunter filler list in one clean block, every episode you can skip without losing a single plot thread:

• 1999: Episodes 2, 7, 18, 19, 20
• 2011: Episodes 13, 26

Seven episodes across both anime. Before you skip all of them, three quick notes.

Episode 12 (2011) gets tagged as filler or mixed depending on which tracker you check, but it adapts real manga material for Gon's Hunter Exam finale. Skipping it leaves a gap you'll notice. Watch it.

Episode 13 (2011) is technically a recap, but the framing through Aunt Mito's perspective gives it more emotional weight than any recap episode has a right to. Calling it filler feels reductive once you know where Gon's story goes (more on that below).

The 1999 version has 11 additional episodes with anime-original scenes mixed into canon stories, which is why some trackers report a higher filler count than five. Those mixed episodes should be watched. The canon material in them matters.

Every Episode on the Hunter x Hunter Filler List

The Filler Worth Watching

Episode 13 (2011): "Letter x From x Gon"

Every tracker labels this filler, and technically, they're right. But the whole episode is Aunt Mito reading a letter Gon sent home, and it turns a standard recap into the last quiet, grounded moment the series gives you. After this, it's Heavens Arena, Yorknew, Greed Island, and then the Chimera Ant arc, where Gon stops being the bright-eyed kid who left Whale Island and becomes something harder to watch.

On a first viewing, it's a nice breather between arcs. On a rewatch, knowing what Gon becomes during his confrontation with Neferpitou, this episode reads less like a recap and more like a goodbye to the version of Gon who still wrote letters home. The fan community keeps circling back to it as a hidden emotional beat, and honestly, they're right.

Episodes 18-20 (1999): The Sea Voyage

The 1999 adaptation took its time, and these three episodes are the most obvious example. Anime-original shipboard adventures, added crew interactions, a slower rhythm that lets the Hunter Exam breathe. If you're watching the 2011 version exclusively, these don't exist and you won't miss them. But if you're doing a 1999 run for the darker atmosphere and deeper character work that version is known for, these episodes are part of that identity. The Hunter Exam feels more like an actual journey in the 1999 version, and these episodes are a big reason why.

The Fake Skip: Episode 12 (2011)

The one trackers keep getting wrong. AnimeFillerList tags it mixed. Some guides skip it entirely. Others pretend it doesn't exist. The reality: it adapts manga material covering Gon's final Hunter Exam confrontation with anime-original padding wrapped around it. Skip this and you'll have a visible gap in how the arc resolves. It belongs in your watchlist, full stop.

Hot Take: The 2011 Anime's 1% Filler Rate Came at a Cost

A 1% filler rate sounds like a pure win until you look at what Madhouse left on the table. The 2011 version cut so aggressively that its first episode skips character-building scenes the 1999 version spent full episodes developing. Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio feel more like real people in the 1999 adaptation because that version gave them room to exist between plot beats. The ship episodes, the expanded exam interactions, the quieter moments where the core four actually bond before being thrown into life-or-death situations.

Fans on MAL and community forums have argued for years that the 1999 Hunter Exam is the better version because of those added scenes, not despite them. The darker atmosphere, the slower pacing, the sense that the exam is a genuine journey and not a highlight reel.

Hunter x Hunter's filler reputation is that it has none. The more interesting truth is that its best "filler" was never filler at all.

Are the Hunter x Hunter Movies Canon?

Neither Phantom Rouge (2013) nor The Last Mission (2014) is canon. Both are original stories that don't align with the manga or anime timeline. Phantom Rouge includes a canonical flashback to Kurapika's childhood from special manga chapters, worth watching if his backstory interests you. Otherwise, both films are safe to skip.

The Cleanest Binge in Anime

That's the complete Hunter x Hunter filler list: seven episodes across two adaptations and over 240 combined episodes. A filler rate that barely registers. And at least one "skip" episode that earns a genuine case for staying in your rotation.

With the manga back in serialization as of June 2026, there's never been a better time to run through the anime and catch up before the Succession Contest Arc moves forward. For weekly anime takes and guides, the Kaminari newsletter drops at joinkaminari.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many filler episodes are in Hunter x Hunter?

Two in the 2011 version (Episodes 13 and 26, both recaps) and five in the 1999 version (Episodes 2, 7, 18, 19, 20). The 2011 anime has a 1% filler rate. The 1999 version sits at about 5%. Neither has filler arcs.

Is Episode 12 of Hunter x Hunter (2011) filler?

Not really. It mixes manga-canon material with anime-original scenes, which is why trackers label it differently. The canon content covers Gon's Hunter Exam conclusion and should be watched.

Should I watch Hunter x Hunter 1999 or 2011?

2011 for completeness (it covers through the 13th Chairman Election arc with almost no detours). 1999 for atmosphere and deeper early character work. Both are faithful to the manga. Most fans start with 2011.

Are the Hunter x Hunter movies canon?

No. Both Phantom Rouge and The Last Mission are original stories. Phantom Rouge has a canonical Kurapika flashback from special manga chapters, but the movie itself is non-canon.

Does Hunter x Hunter have any filler arcs?

No, unlike Naruto and Bleach, which padded their runtimes with entire anime-original story arcs, neither HxH adaptation ever produced one. All HxH filler episodes are standalone recaps or one-offs.