The Current State of Play
The Succession War takes place aboard the Black Whale, a massive ship carrying Kakin's royal family to the Dark Continent. Fourteen princes compete in a death match, each wielding a Nen beast they did not choose and cannot control. Simultaneously, the Phantom Troupe hunts Hisoka, and multiple mafia families wage their own wars.
Togashi has created the most narratively dense arc in manga history. Dozens of characters with independent goals operate simultaneously, creating a web of alliances and betrayals that rewards careful reading.
Prince Power Rankings
The strongest princes by Nen ability are not necessarily the most likely to survive. Prince Benjamin has the most combat power but the biggest target on his back. Prince Tserriednich has the most dangerous Nen ability but the least political experience. Prince Halkenburg's ability to possess others is the wildest card.
The arc rewards political intelligence over combat power, which is why lower-ranked princes with strategic allies may outlast stronger but isolated competitors.
The Phantom Troupe Endgame
The Troupe's hunt for Hisoka aboard the Black Whale sets up the final confrontation between the series' two most iconic groups. Chrollo's preparation and the Troupe's teamwork make them overwhelming favorites, but Hisoka's unpredictability and Togashi's love of subverted expectations keep the outcome uncertain.
Several Troupe members will likely die. Togashi has shown willingness to kill beloved characters, and the confined ship setting limits escape options.
The Dark Continent: What Awaits
The Dark Continent is HxH's final frontier, a vast unexplored landmass containing five known calamities, each more dangerous than anything in the known world. The Five Threats include Ai, a gaseous being that grants wishes at terrible cost, and Brion, a guardian who protects an herb that cures all diseases.
The Dark Continent represents Togashi's most ambitious world-building, suggesting that everything the series has shown so far exists in a tiny corner of a much larger world.
Will We Ever See the Conclusion?
The elephant in the room is Togashi's health. His chronic back pain has caused numerous extended hiatuses, and the Succession War's complexity suggests years of additional content. Whether Hunter x Hunter reaches its conclusion is genuinely uncertain.
Regardless of whether Togashi finishes the story, the Succession War already demonstrates the most sophisticated narrative architecture in manga. Even incomplete, Hunter x Hunter's ambition is unmatched.