The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types Through Hunter X Hunter
Hunter X Hunter has a wealth of characters to dig into and analyze. Unfortunately, not all warrant an individual analysis. The show could only focus on so many characters, so certain ones end up with limited screen time. Of course, this doesn’t always mean those characters are impossible to identify; there just isn’t enough evidence to fill an individual article. However, for such a lengthy series, we hate to just skip over a bunch of characters, so we’re writing this article, The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types Through Hunter X Hunter, to account for the rest.
Our goal was to get an example of each of the 16 Myers-Briggs types (colloquially known as MBTI), while only focusing on prominent characters. Unfortunately, some characters that made the list weren’t extremely prominent, but that’s how this tends to go. If you notice any characters absent from the list, we were either unable to identify them or we just overlooked the character. You’re welcome to ask in the comments. In addition, if you would like to see an individual analysis for any of these characters, feel free to ask. We can’t make any guarantees, but we’ll check over our notes and see if it’s possible. (Assuming we haven’t written one already. You’ll see links in the article below. )
The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types Through Hunter X Hunter
ISTP – Ging Freecss
“I’m always going after everything I want in the moment, no matter what. I’m so focused that I will completely stop caring about the object of my desire.”
Ging believes in pursuing whatever he desires, and enjoying every little detour along the way. He views external qualifications as hassle to obtain, and may forgo them as a result. Ging can be extremely strategic when necessary, predicting people’s actions well in advance. He prefers to remain emotionally detached from others. Ging makes himself extremely difficult to tie down, and turns his son’s search for him into a game.
Other Examples: Killua Zoldyck
ESTP – Hisoka Morow
“My techniques are so adaptable that they don’t lose their effectiveness if my opponent knows about them.”
Hisoka is constantly seeking a challenge or a thrill, often in the form of a worthy opponent. He is highly adaptable, willing to shift gears the moment something (or someone) more interesting comes along. He often places himself in risky situations, and may use his ability to manipulate others as a means to escape. Hisoka frequently appears cynical or apathetic, lacking any obvious principles or values.
Read an in-depth analysis of this character here.
Other Examples: Morel Mackernasey, Isaac Netero
INTP – Chrollo Lucilfer
“Perhaps because they’ve nothing to do with us. No, on second thought, it’s not that simple. My motives are unimportant now. I don’t like speaking of them, but surprisingly enough, or as I expected, the reason’s the key to understanding myself.”
Chrollo is inquisitive and speculative. He questions everything around him, and often shares his reasoning with his team. While Chrollo possesses a strong loyalty to his Phantom Troupe, he approaches it in an emotionally detached way. He is loyal to the logical structure (the spider), not to any one individual. Chrollo puts rules in place to ensure its overall survival, but fails to account for any emotionally-driven reactions or decisions
Read an in-depth analysis of this character here.
Other Examples: Meleoron
ENTP – Neferpitou
“That was so fun! It felt like a dream. I wish I could do it again with you…”
Neferpitou, or Pitou, is enthusiastic and curious. Her curious nature can make her prone to distraction. She enjoys experimenting and trying new things, regardless of the potential risk. Pitou is extremely loyal to the Chimera Ant King, as all members of the royal guard are. However, she’s unbothered when the King’s deviates from his original course, and remains supportive of his interests. She readily prioritizes his priorities, and sacrifices herself in the process.
Other Examples: Pariston Hill
ISFP – Menthuthuyoupi
“I suppose I felt like I couldn’t lose to the enemy in any way. I thought breaking a promise, even a promise I made to one of my enemies, would be like conceding defeat.”
Menthuthuyoupi, or Youpi, is reserved, loyal, and focused on King Meruem’s goal. He typically presents as a stoic, but during battle, he will allow rage to fuel and strengthen him. Youpi possesses a sense of honor which confuses his opponents at one point. It even turns into a weakness in regard to achieving their primary objective. Meruem later chides him for his actions, referring to it as Youpi’s “emotional instability”.
ESFP – Leorio Paradinight
“This may not be my fight, but I can’t sit back and pretend nothing happened. That’s not my style. See the thing is… I can’t run away!”
Leorio is impatient, opportunistic, and present-oriented. From the start of the show, he proves himself to be impulsive and hasty, prone to acting (or speaking) before thinking. At his best, he can be very compassionate, caring and loyal, while at his worst, he is unabashedly selfish. Leorio struggles with being overly aggressive when he feels disrespected. He tends to distrust authorities, and occasionally falls prey to bouts of paranoia.
Read an in-depth analysis of this character here.
Other Examples: Knuckle Bine
INFP – Palm Siberia
“But isn’t it important to be able to respect someone you love? Oh, of course I haven’t told him any of this, and I don’t plan to… Though you never know, right? Love is something that just happens, don’t you think?”
Palm is an erratic individual, who often seems fixated on romance. In conversations, she frequently veers off-topic, and rambles. She’s emotionally volatile, prone to lashing out suddenly. As a result, those around her tend to be on their guard. At a certain point, she fixates on Gon, and develops a deep loyalty to him. Palm takes her missions very seriously, and ultimately plays a vital role in stopping the Chimera Ants.
ENFP – Welfin
“I should’ve just run for it!! All because Youpi keeled over in front of me like a dead bug!! I fooled myself into thinking I could take on the King too!! I got carried away!! I felt invincible!! Like a dumb little kid!! How stupid!! In all the chaos, I got caught up in delusions of heroism and nostalgia for Gyro!!”
Welfin didn’t get a lot of screen time, but I believe ENFP fits him. Welfin is shown considering several possibilities and running scenarios when approaching problems. He’s inquisitive and prone to guesswork, which he usually seems comfortable acting on. However, he’s also prone to paranoia. Beyond that, Welfin has an idealistic streak. He believes in his former leader, Gyro, holding him in high esteem. After Meruem’s death, Welfin resolves to seek Gyro out and help him rebuild their nation.
ISTJ – Kite
“During these fights, I can’t keep looking out for you. If you can’t beat him, you’d better go back. Or you’d be just a hindrance.”
Kite is rigid and stern. He tends to be blunt and even harsh with those around him, even to the point of punching an 8-year-old Gon for a mistake. While Kite allows Gon and Killua to join him in combat for a while, he possesses a sense of caution, which later provokes him to send them back because he sensed the upcoming fight would be too dangerous. While Kite is a skilled fighter, the random nature of his ability is a constant source of frustration, because it never gives him exactly what he wants.
Other Examples: Cheadle Yorkshire, Colt
ESTJ – Biscuit Krueger
“They’re just wasting their potential! They’re rough gemstones that will shine with just a little polishing, but at this rate they’ll run into stronger players or monsters, and it’ll be game over!”
Biscuit, or Bisky, is a bossy and intense individual, who enjoys being in charge and teaching others. However, she demands complete obedience and struggles deeply when watching others do things badly. She emphasizes not rushing one’s training, so mistakes can be avoided or at least never repeated. Bisky avoids emotional attachment, and is shown downplaying morals as a means to resolve crisis.
INTJ – Kurapika
“Honestly, have some foresight.”
Kurapika focuses on analysis and reading between the lines. He’s greatly frustrated by reckless behavior, and tends to think things out well in advance of action. He is naturally blunt with others, and believes in maintaining order. Kurapika doesn’t struggle to take charge and give out orders, if he feels it is more efficient. He spends the entire series fixated on a single goal, and working tirelessly to reach it.
Read an in-depth analysis of this character here.
Other Examples: Knov
ENTJ – Meruem
“That defies all logic. In the hands of an incompetent, power brings nothing but ruin. This must be the work of imbeciles.”
Meruem values competence and demands obedience. Just after birth, Mereum immediately kills anyone who questions his authority or decisions, including his own mother. The concept of being passive is foreign to him. His decisive nature makes him quick to act, and quick to pursue whatever he desires. Over time, he accidently forms an attachment to Komugi, which ultimately leads him to question his entire purpose and grow as an individual.
Read an in-depth analysis of this character here.
ISFJ – Shoot McMahon
“But I can’t help but wonder, why is it that now, and then he seems so sad? No… I can’t worry about others right now. Out of everyone here, I’m the one suffering from the most anxiety.”
Shoot values consistency and caution. He is deliberate and thorough when taking down his opponents, but also prone to avoiding direct confrontation if possible. He struggles with anxiety and avoids opportunities as a result. In spite of his career choice, Shoot dislikes hurting others. In addition, he’s shown analyzing people’s emotional states, and speculating about the reason behind them, even when he should be more focused on himself.
ESFJ – Gon Freecss
“Let’s work together and figure it out!”
Gon is group-oriented, compassionate, earnest, and helpful. He possesses a team spirit, and shares credit wherever possible. He usually seeks to find ways for mutual gain, even amongst opponents. Gon runs simulations in his mind, and considers possible future scenarios as a way to be prepared when the time comes. He values gaining experience, practicing tirelessly, and sticking to what he knows will work.
Read an in-depth analysis of this character here.
INFJ – Illumi Zoldyck
“Now I can tell you, that you would not make a good Hunter. Your calling is as an assassin. There’s no fire in you, just darkness. It sustains you, drains you of any desire. Your only joy is in causing death, and even that is fleeting. That is how Dad and I molded you.”
Illumi is manipulative and controlling, especially in regards to Killua. He loves Killua in twisted sort of way, and works to mold him into the assassin that he should be. He is an extremely cautious individual, preferring to prepare well in advance or avoid direct confrontation by utilizing other tactics, such as psychological manipulation. For instance, Illumi breaks Killua’s spirit at the start of their match (during the Hunter’s exam) before any fighting even begins.
ENFJ – Shaiapouf
“Nevertheless, even if it means I am executed for my crime, I do this for the king, for the sake of our species. She is not necessary.”
Shaiapouf’s intense love and devotion to the Chimera Ant King leads to him be overprotective and manipulative. He often goes against the King’s wishes in an effort to do what he believes is best for him. Pouf spends the latter portion of his screen time lying to the King (or convoluting the truth) with the goal to force the best possible outcome for their species. He’s idealistic and holds himself to a high standard, which occasionally leads to self-criticism and doubt.
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Finally! I’ve been waiting for this! And it was great, I loved it.
I would like to know what personality types have Komugi, Senritsu and Alluka.
Alluka and Komugi don’t get enough development, so it’s hard to say, and I honestly didn’t pay much attention to Senritsu. Sorry :/
I’m not Mara or Ryan, but anyways…
Komugi (ISFJ). She is an obvious Fe user who prioritizes the welfare of others over her own to a sickening degree: Her reason for playing Gungi is to help support her family. She always feared offending Meruem, not because he was Meruem, but because she truly hates being rude. She even refuses to play him because of the arm issue because she doesn’t feel comfortable playing against someone who is injured (a high Fi user would probably have respected Meruem’s decision since Meruem did what he did on a self value basis and would feel unworthy to have his arm again until he wins). I think her Si is dominant because 1) she’s not as active as a Fe dom or any extrovert in general, 2) she takes the command about shutting her mouth very literally, 3) she says she needs time to think about her reward, as she would an introverted perceiver, because she had only thought about Gungi the rest of her life (low Ne or high Ni) and 4) there is a moment where she asks to be allowed to memorize moves that started to occur to them (in fact, she trusts too much memorize).
Senritsu (INFJ). She is also an obvious Auxiliary Fe user. I don’t think there is much to say, she is just like Kurapika seems to be determined in a singular mind and they express information and behaviors in a similar way as if they were two Ni dom.
Alluka (EXFJ). She does seem to be a Fe dom judging how loving and active she is to the point of complaining to Killua for hurting Nanika’s feelings. I don’t technically recall hints of their perceptive functions, but I’d bet on Si and Ne as Gon.
I actually waited for this. Btw can you give an explanation on why Meleoron is an Intp. Thanks!
Meleoron seemed more like a perceiver in the way he avoided taking charge, and let a lot of things slide. He also seemed to avoid responsibility.
He was trying to deceive Gon initially, yet simultaneously kept berating the boy for being too trusting and naive. That suggested Ti because someone with Te in their stack would likely just be happy that things were going according to plan.
Statements like this “You may be right, but I still want to eliminate as much risk as possible. I don’t want to do anything I might regret.” suggested that his introverted perceiving function was not inferior. (In other words, not an EXXP.) He also spends a lot of time watching and observing prior to interacting, which suggests introvert as well.
Great article! Though I was surprised by Illumi being typed as an infj (because everyone and their mamas types him as an istj) and I’d love to hear your reasoning behind the typing. 🙂
Thanks! Illumi’s focus on psychological and emotional manipulation isn’t typical for an ISTJ. Honestly, I’ve never understood why people typed him as an ISTJ, because I see no evidence for it.
I clearly see Gon as an ESTP because Se is the feature that was shown first, which is his talent and which is the solution to all his problems. Also I see a lot more Ti at Gon.
I clearly see Chrollo as INFJ, Welfin as ISFP, Bisky as ENTJ and Gon clearly as ESTP because his Ti is often overlooked by many, as most people often misinterpret ESTP as aggressive.