Hunter x Hunter Volume 39 Confirmed: Togashi's Manga Returns After 22 Months

After nearly two years of silence, one of manga’s most beloved and frustratingly elusive series is finally making an official return. Shueisha has confirmed that Hunter x Hunter Volume 39 will arrive in Japan on July 3, 2026, marking the first new tankōbon release since Volume 38 landed in September 2024. For a fanbase that has weathered hiatus after hiatus for over two decades, the announcement is both a relief and a reason to get excited again.

⚡ TL;DR — Hunter x Hunter Volume 39 releases July 3, 2026 after a roughly 22-month gap. It collects chapters 401–410 of the Succession Contest Arc, and Togashi has confirmed that further chapters are already drawn and ready.

A 22-month wait finally ends

To understand why this is such a big deal, you have to appreciate just how long Hunter x Hunter fans have been waiting. Volume 38 was published in September 2024, and the manga’s last serialized chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump appeared in December 2024. Since then, the series has sat in one of its trademark hiatuses — the kind that have become almost as legendary as the story itself.

The new volume closes a gap of roughly 22 months between physical releases. That is an eternity in the fast-moving world of weekly shonen manga, where most major series publish three or four volumes a year. For Hunter x Hunter, a single volume in 2026 counts as a major event.

What Volume 39 collects

Volume 39 gathers chapters 401 through 410, picking up the densely layered Succession Contest Arc that unfolds aboard the colossal Black Whale ship en route to the Dark Continent. This stretch of the story is widely considered some of the most complex material Yoshihiro Togashi has ever produced, weaving together the royal succession war among Prince Tserriednich and his siblings, the Nen-beast guardian spirits, the Phantom Troupe’s movements, and Kurapika’s relentless pursuit of the Kurta clan’s stolen Scarlet Eyes.

If you have followed the Dark Continent saga from the start, these chapters represent the slow-burn payoff of years of careful setup. If you are returning after a break, be warned: this is not a casual jumping-on point. The arc rewards close reading and a good memory for its sprawling cast.

Is the hiatus really over?

This is the question every fan wants answered, and the honest reply is: not officially, but the outlook is the brightest it has been in years.

Togashi has been unusually transparent about his progress on X (formerly Twitter). He has stated that chapters 411 through 420 are already completed and publication-ready, and he announced that he finished the manuscript for chapter 421, with work on the 421–430 stretch underway. In other words, the material exists — what remains uncertain is exactly when and how Shueisha will schedule its serialization.

The author’s health has long been the limiting factor. Togashi has openly discussed chronic back pain and other complications that make the physically demanding work of drawing manga difficult to sustain. That context is worth keeping in mind: the steady trickle of completed chapters is genuinely encouraging, and it suggests the story is moving toward its endgame even if the pace remains gentle.

Why Hunter x Hunter still matters in 2026

In an era of algorithm-driven serialization and relentless output, Hunter x Hunter remains a fascinating outlier. Togashi has never bent his storytelling to a publishing schedule. The result is a manga that is uncompromisingly ambitious — full of dense Nen theorycrafting, morally tangled characters, and narrative swings that range from a children’s card game to a continent-spanning geopolitical thriller.

That refusal to compromise is exactly why the fanbase has stayed so devoted through every hiatus. A new Hunter x Hunter volume is not just another release; it is a rare dispatch from one of the medium’s most singular minds. For newcomers curious about what the fuss is about, our complete Hunter x Hunter guide breaks down the series, its arcs, and the best way to start reading.

What to watch for next

Volume 39 is the headline, but the real story is momentum. With chapters 411–420 ready and more on the way, the most optimistic reading is that Hunter x Hunter is gradually shifting from “indefinite hiatus” back toward “active series.” Nothing is guaranteed — this is Togashi, after all — but July 3 may well be remembered as the moment the manga officially came back to life.

For now, mark the date, dust off your knowledge of the Succession Contest, and enjoy the fact that, after 22 long months, there is finally new Hunter x Hunter on the way.