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Every Story Needs A Leorio/Leorio - The Spirit of Optimism. .. Humble Simplicity.. (No idea what the title will be)

“Melody says his heartbeat is nice and warm and gentle.”

Everyone likes Leorio. If you were to ask any random Hunter x Hunter fan what they thought of the man, the chances are extremely good that they would speak very highly of him, and it really isn’t too hard to understand why. He’s expressive, he’s funny, he’s admirable as hell and he’s the type of friend that anyone would be honoured to have. But this fact in itself is given extra weight and dimensions because of the type of story that Hunter x Hunter is, and the simple design of his character is ingeniously integrated with the rest of the story. Leorio is so important primarily because his characterization operates in concrete contrast to a ton of elements in the narrative. In a world full of selfish people with pragmatic methods and self-interested intentions, Leorio is one of the only in this setting who just wants to help others. And that is absolutely vital in multiple ways.

As I’ve described in the past, Togashi has always been one to incorporate narrative, tonal and thematic balance, and this is true with regards to his cast of characters as well. This story is chock full of nuanced, subtle individuals with profound progression and characterization, but what is important is that it is equally contrasted by a beautiful simplicity to allow both sides of the coin to stand out as much as possible (Spider coin toss). And as a result, such a breadth of ideas and concepts are able to be explored. For every societal critique, there’s an MMORPG simulator. For every complicated and beautifully realized nihilist, there is a horny clown man. The complexity in the cast is indeed notable, but it is only as impactful as it is because it’s gorgeously balanced out with the simplicity of characters like Bisky, Knuckle, Hisoka.. and arguably most simple of all, a certain bespectacled pervert.

In all seriousness, Leorio is probably one of the closest things to a hero in this story. Togashi uses perspectivism and avoids moralizing to ensure that no one character really has an archetypal label in his stories, at least from a moral standpoint, but in a world full of extraordinary people doing tons of good and bad and gray things, Leorio finds himself to be an unorthodox role model of sorts, one that grounds the story in kindness and compassion. 

He brings this unique element of optimistic spirit, and I’ve always thought that a lot of Togashi’s understanding of the human psyche is evident through Leorio’s role. For what he means in-universe, and for the audience. The way in which he’s such a blunt personification of relative inferiority in comparison to his peers, and his golden personality make him one of the most relatable characters in the series.

“Jerking off.”

But he’s far more than your classic audience surrogate, and this, combined with the aforementioned spirit and simplicity, make Leorio deceptively important and profound for what he represents throughout the story.

The few episodes and chapters that illustrate the introduction of Leorio encapsulate what can only be described as a subversion of expectations with regards to him. Having described his one prevailing motive for becoming a Hunter as money, he seems to be purely greedy, selfish and materialistic. He’s not portrayed as a bad guy at all, and his actions early on show him to be pretty decent, but there’s not much to his character apart from that. Yet when it comes to the first phase of the hunter exam, Kurapika is able to break through the hard outer shells and discover who this man really is. In the past, Leorio’s friend was struck with a life-threatening disease. This disease was totally operable and his friend could have been cured, but the procedure was simply too expensive for them to afford and his friend ended up dying as a result. And this is what formed Leorio’s philosophy. He wants to become a Hunter to be able to get the money to pay for an education to become a doctor, and when he is a doctor, he wants to heal as many people as he can, regardless of whether or not they can afford it - partly as a tribute to his friend’s memory, partly because he doesn’t want others to suffer as he did, and partly because it’s just what he believes is right. It isn’t complex or layered or overly convoluted - it tells you everything you need to know about this character and this information alone provides context and justifications for so many of the things he does throughout the series. He simply wants to help people, and in order to do that, he needs to traverse the avenues that this corrupt world operates in.

“NOTHING IN THIS WORLD DOESNT HAVE A PRICE. Human hearts.. everything’s for sale.”

It is uncomfortable to think about, but this is reality. In an element that hints at the bold critiques of the structure and state of the setting that will become more relevant in Chimera Ant and Election, Leorio more or less encapsulates one of Togashi’s big bones to pick with society. He sees the backwards, amoral way that the world operates. He is very blunt in communicating that, and he has learned that this is the way things are. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to accept it passively. He knows how things work, and so he realizes that he needs to game that system to strive to change things in his own way. And he wants to do this to make little positive changes and help people, so that they won’t succumb the same way his friend did. In this regard, he’s like a more intelligent, pragmatic and kind version of Suzaku from Code Geass. He knows he can’t overthrow the way the world works on his own, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to give up. His goal is simple: Find a way to adhere to the system, use it to your advantage, and make changes. The key with Leorio is that he isn’t naively idealistic and empowering in the way Gon can be: he’s optimistic and empathetic, and this sets him apart.

Leorio doesn’t have any sort of existential crisis. He isn’t internally conflicted between a self-directed revenge and what his heart pleads for in life. He isn’t naive and immature and working based on some sort of animalistic, instinctual morality to achieve his goals. I wouldn’t say that any of the main four characters are lacking in empathy for the most part, but in my opinion, Leorio is the one who is the most truly, wholly empathetic from the start and even when the chips are down and the stakes are high. He’s just a simple dude who wants to make the world a better place for him and those he loves. His experiences have truly molded his perspective and world view, and being someone that experienced true loss, he knows the value of people that he can be honored to call friends, never losing sight of how special these relationships are. And it is very notable that Hisoka, who only keeps people alive if he senses something special about them, sees potential in Leorio not due to his combat ability, but his conviction and heart.

He really isn’t great in battle, but when things are serious, there’s no one who you’d be more confident in that they’d have your back. 

“Quote about him supporting them.. maybe during Zoldyck fam?”

It’s no coincidence that Leorio has worked tooth and nail to try and save each of his three best friends on separate occasions, and he may yet prove to be key in helping Kurapika come back into the light. He may be the least important of the four in terms of plot significance, but this element of humble normalcy of his plays a key role in balancing and supporting the crew. 

It’s often been posited that Leorio hella lucked out in the Hunter Exam because he more or less rode the coattails of Gon, Killua and Kurapika until the end and then got lucky that Killua broke the rules, thereby allowing him to pass. And while that really can’t be denied, the part that no one seems to ever acknowledge is the following: how did he get there in the first place? What made those three happy to work with him? The simple fact is that Leorio exudes this aura of positivity, loyalty, and as we’ll explore in a minute, honesty. But all of this does not extrapolate into a detrimental sort of altruism due to his resolve. He is full of conviction to a fault, so I should stress that he is not kind to everyone if they get in his way and he can be reckless - after all, he did try to attack an old woman and he did say that he’d do literally anything it took to be one of the three advancing in trick tower, which could have lead to some unhappy consequences. But this is ironically a display of how caring he is, because he knows that at heart, his mission to help others is more important than literally anything. This commitment to his cause is endearing, and a tiny bit of time spent with Leorio makes it clear that he’s a terrific person. And this is shown through tons and tons of little interactions and behaviours that are integrated into his arc from the beginning up til now.

What’s notable and not entirely obvious about Leorio is that he spends a good deal of time showing concern and care for others. This isn’t a unique observation, but the way in which it is communicated is not always as bold as one would expect, as it tends to be after, prior to, or in between big moments which tends to cause them to leave less of an impression in the audience’s mind. For instance, when Killua resolves to fight against Johness, Leorio is the one most concerned for his well being given how notorious Johness’ reputation is. And in recounting the final phase of the exam to Gon, Satotz explains that Leorio requested that his match with Bodoro be postponed due to Bodoro’s injuries from fighting Hisoka, despite the fact that victory would mean that he would be given his license. And in a more impactful scene, he chastised Illumi for trying to stifle and control his brothers, and absolutely lays into Killua for not realizing that he’s already Gon’s friend. After all, who would know better than him?

Leorio’s most famous contribution to the Election arc is undeniably the punch he lands on Ging, but I think the most telling demonstrations of Leorio’s character are actually the elements surrounding that. 

“I didn’t support Gon.”

He is incredibly hard on himself for not being there to support Gon during his trials in the Chimera Ant arc. He feels guilty and sort of like he missed the forest for the trees. Because in being absent to try and become a doctor to help people, he wasn’t able to be there to help the ones who mattered most. He is very unfair on himself here, but that’s the type of guy he is. So when he finds himself as an unlikely candidate in the election, he continues doing what he had been doing all along: using the avenues from which the world operates to display his sincerity. In diametric contrast to Pariston, Leorio offers no plans and even says that he won’t do anything to benefit the association. He speaks the truth and does not try to play the crowd. He does not want the power. All he does is emphasize that his friend is in grave danger and needs help. It is an unconventional simplicity that cuts through the dishonesty and political maneuvering of the arc, and it is very refreshing and endearing.

“And when asked what he’d do with he power... ‘Save Gon!”

Screw politics, screw the election. Leorio just wears his heart on his sleeve, pours his soul out about how much he feels he’s screwed up, and talks about masturbating for a little bit. He just wants to do what’s right, and he doesn’t dress up a single thing he says. And despite the fact that Pariston played the public like a flute, Leorio begins garnering huge support as well. And while it seems to be a bit of a joke, it is actually quite profound that this happens. It is inevitable that people gravitate towards honesty. Humans really aren’t that complicated. We subconsciously yearn for truth - we just don’t know where to find it, so we find ourselves running into dead ends or playing into the hands of people like Pariston. So when someone like Leorio is in the spotlight, someone whose intentions are absolutely clear, who isn’t manipulative or canniving or anything, we can’t help but be enticed and drawn in. 

And in a way, Ging sensed this too and showed his sincere respect for Leorio by thanking him for being Gon’s friend, and allowing him to punch him. Because, let’s face it, there’s no way in hell that Ging couldn’t have dodged that. His intuition told him that Leorio was a good man, and not many can say that they’ve been shown wholehearted respect from Ging. Sure, the way the election played out made it clear that Togashi was saying that politics are a farce, but the crux of Leorio’s character helps to keep the arc from being totally bleak, and maintains a very shonen spirit. In the end, Pariston won, but only primarily because Gon was revived, which resulted in one of the best moments in the series and also meant that Leorio had no reason to continue. He nearly defeated the master troll, and turned down the chance of monumental power simply because he wanted to help people his way - a more intimate and personal way. This all says something about the man himself and how people can be drawn in by truth, and offers a counterweight and a small ray of light to balance and contrast the cynicism of the Election arc.

And as revealed in the currently Succession/Dark Continent arc, Leorio’s Nen power is likely not primarily for combat. His punch was just a cool bit of improvisation, but Ging hypothesizes that his true intent with that power is characteristically medical. In theory, through palpating a person, he can send his aura out in pulses in a way similar to ultrasound to try and identify harmful elements within the body. Tumors, blood clots, cysts and more can be identified without any expensive equipment and maybe even operated on for free and without the classic risks, if Leorio is able to perfect it. And through this, he is very much on the path to achieving his dream of overcoming the injustices of the world by simply living his life through helping others.

And since it’s been well established that Nen abilities reflect the personality of the user.. what exactly does this say about him? Well, the most succinct summary of the type of person Leorio is is given in the Yorknew arc, where Melody describes his heartbeat as gentle and warm - one of the most pleasant sounds she’s ever heard.

fade.

Leorio is the everyman, the one most like you or me in terms of talent, skill, and power. But that is why he is so important. Because in spite of that, he is arguably the best person in the story. Unremarkable, down on his luck, working against unjust systems to right the wrongs of the world - and he still finds a way to be a genuinely good guy. His heart and steely resolve is what makes him special, and helps him to stand apart in potential from so many others.

“Hisoka spares him… “he passed.” Episode 5, interlaced with footage of Leorio punching him.”

In a cynical world full of others who dwarf Leorio in terms of power and influence, he works as hard as anybody to do what he believes is right and positively impact the world. And doesn’t that mean that we can all do our part as well? 

Hunter x Hunter is far from a wholly light story. It ponders and criticizes mankind, it laments the human condition and critiques politics and society in an innumerable number of ways. But it always grounds itself in hope and optimism - and that spirit is encapsulated through Leorio. At the end of the day, there’s a reason that simple storytelling is so effective - because it’s gratifying to root for a man like Leorio, someone just trying to do his best to do the right thing in a world that encourages you to do the opposite. As much as this story stresses how horrible we can be and how much we can do better, it offers the flip side of that through this man to show how honesty and truth still have their place. And because of that, I believe that the conclusion of Leorio’s story will lend some insight about Togashi’s conclusive messages about humanity overall. He’s a character whose understated role is absolutely vital, the type of individual that any given story would love to have for how he helps enable all of the off-the-wall concepts and characters through his mundane normalcy. He provides an organic perspective, a humanized touch, and most importantly, a kind and optimistic spirit that is infectious as all hell. Many thanks for watching.