Fourth Phase × Forty-Four × Number of Death (第4次×44×死のナンバー, Daiyonji × Yonjūyon × Shi no Nambā) is the 21st episode of the original Hunter × Hunter anime. It first aired on March 18th, 2000.
Overview[]
The Fourth Phase is a manhunt on Zevil Island. Each examinee must collect 6 points; their badge is worth 3, their target's is worth 3, and any other badge is worth 1. Gon's target is Hisoka, so he practices catching birds with his fishing pole to prepare. He realizes he must attack Hisoka when Hisoka attacks a target. Gon learns this by watching birds catching fish from the water.
Synopsis[]
The contestants each draw a lottery in the order they finished the Trick Tower. Hisoka starts, then Gittarackur, Hanzo, and the other remaining examinees. The examiner Lippo elaborates the rules to the next phase of the Hunter Exam, as a hunt and be hunted challenge, the number on their lotteries will be the one they'll be hunting. The examinees start to hide their badges and try and see if they can catch a view of the other examinees' badges.
In this phase, each number badge worth a set number of points, the owner's number badge and their target's badge are worth three points. To pass this phase you must succeed in culminating six points and on the off chance you cannot get or lose your badge, the other examinees' badges are worth one point and the location of the next phase of the is Zevil Island and the duration of the phase will be one week.
Aboard a boat heading towards Zevil Island, Examiner Khara gives "Good News" to the examinees that even if they fail, they'll be exempt from the preliminaries of the next Hunter Exam. The reception to this announcement was tepid, much to Khara's chagrin. Most of the examinees separate after the explanation as they wait to reach the island. Leorio finds Kurapika and comments on the tense atmosphere among the applicants. Kurapika states that the fourth phase won't just be about stealing plates, but "human hunting" and that there may be fatalities. Tonpa overhears and points out several applicants to be wary of, notably Geretta who is an expert at hunting and Hisoka who is dangerous overall. Gon and Killua talk about their targets. Killua drew #199 as for who his target is, he has no clue, on the other hand, Gon got #44 Hisoka as his target. A most unfortunate target to have in Killua's perspective, but Gon doesn't mind, he seemed both excited and scared at the same time for his target.
Finally, they arrived at Zevil Island the contestants leave the boat in correlation to the time in which they finished the Trick Tower with a two-minute gap for each examinee. The moment Gon steps foot on the Island, he runs through the island seeking Hisoka. Unbeknownst to him, he was being pursued and targeted by Geretta. Cogitating a way to steal Hisoka's number badge seemed impossible for Gon, judging by his prior encounter with the magician. In his travel, Gon spots the examinee Kyu hiding in the grass and far behind him was another examinee, Pokkle was readying his bow for a furtive ambush. The attack, however, fails, because of the reversed wind direction, and Kyu only gets a minor cut to his right arm. Readying his sword to retaliate, Kyu faints due to becoming paralyzed, from the neurotoxins laced on the arrow Pokkle shot. Pokkle then takes Kyu's badge and leaves the scene. Witnessing this scene, Gon realizes what it's like to hunt and begins training with his fishing rod.
Leorio wandering around the island contemplating who is his target #246 is, finds Tonpa who was stalking him. Leorio's blood boiled and was about to beat up Tonpa, though the man claims that Leorio is not his target and proves it by showing him his number badge. Seeing this calms Leorio down and Tonpa proposes an alliance with him even going as far as offering information on his target, though Leorio refuses due to Tonpa's perfidious nature and walks away.
While training with his fishing rod, Gon realizes that his targets are stationary while his main target is not. To rectify this problem he creates moving targets to train with, but this proves to be inadequate as well, so Gon tries his hand at catching a flying bird for the rest of the day but his efforts are futile. Exhausted by his training, Gon laid on the ground and fell asleep. Seeing his target asleep, Geretta uses the chance to finish Gon off by sniping him with his blowgun. However, Gon abruptly wakes up after remembering his promise to his aunt Mito. This notion encourages him to retry targeting birds but again his efforts are futile. Gon then witnesses a bird catch a fish from a nearby river and has an epiphany about how he must hunt for his target while the target is hunting. Gon tries this and succeeds.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Lippo
- Umori
- Killua Zoldyck
- Amori
- Gon Freecss
- Goz
- Kurapika
- Shishito
- Leorio Paradinight
- Hisoka Morow
- Gittarackur
- Hanzo
- Sommy
- Pokkle
- Bodoro
- Imori
- Siper
- Ryu
- Geretta
- Kyu
- Ponzu
- Tonpa
- Kenmi
- Khara (Debut)
- Mito Freecss (Flashback)
- Mito's Mother (Flashback)
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