Why The Hunter X Hunter Association Is Actually Force For Good

The word "Hunter" in the title of anime and manga franchise "Hunter x Hunter" refers to a sort of licensed adventurer within the series' fiction. Upon the opening of "Hunter x Hunter," a young boy named Gon leaves his island home in order to participate in an annual Hunter Exam. Those who pass receive their Hunter License, granting them privileges unique to licensed Hunters.

In short, becoming a Hunter means being legally allowed to partake in endeavors too dangerous for an average citizen. Accordingly, then, the Hunter Exam is a grueling ordeal, ensuring that only those powerful enough to shoulder the demands of a licensed Hunter are able to pass.

Hunters are a necessity in the world of "Hunter x Hunter" because of the existence of monsters and magic. Whereas some of its inhabitants are mere humans, their everyday lives are markedly different due to the fact that an immensely powerful being or force of nature could theoretically enter into it at any moment. A Hunter license, then, legally stands between daily life and the great powers on its fringes.

The Hunter Association is essentially a regulatory body, with legal purview over any and all Hunter activities. On its surface, the Hunter Association seemingly operates in a gray area, granting, for example, Hunter Licenses to dangerous figures such as the Joker-like Hisoka and the assassin Illumi. That said, the occasional acceptance of villains into its ranks is a necessary byproduct of the overall social good provided by the Hunter Association.

Not only does the Hunter Association accept legitimately dangerous members like Hisoka and Illumi, but at one point, during the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc, it also appears that its new leader will be the malevolent Pariston Hill. His notoriety in the Hunter Association is a direct result of his own willpower and his appointment to Vice Chairman by the Association's leader, Isaac Netero.

All of that said, relatively innocuous evil like Pariston and genuine evil like Illumi alike can be contained by merit of their presence within it, further positioning the Hunter Association as a force for good.

At its best, the Hunter Association can function as a uniquely powerful bringer of justice. For example, the Hunter Association's intervention in the propagation of dangerous Chimera Ant monsters across a country called the NGL ultimately prevents a much larger, worldwide catastrophe. By licensing dangerous forces like Illumi and even employing potentially dangerous people like Pariston, however, what might otherwise be forces of unbridled evil are instead under the purview of those who purely wish to do good within the confines of the Hunter Association. Thus, the Association can battle external threats and regulate its internal powers alike. 

While inevitably imperfect, the Hunter Association nevertheless provides an essential social good by its very design.