After Rewatching Season Three Of TOH, I’ve Noticed An Interesting Detail. So, As We All Know, Hunter

After rewatching season three of TOH, I’ve noticed an interesting detail. So, as we all know, Hunter has a hair strand reminiscent of Caleb’s that he cuts off at the beginning of ‘Thanks to Them’ to stop being reminded of his abuser and heal properly. Yet, the very moment he’s possessed by Belos, the hair strand grows back.

Although it’s a subtle detail, it encapsulates Belos and Hunter's relationship perfectly: Belos is in complete control of Hunter’s actions, appearance, and future, while Hunter is a vessel to be moulded at the former’s whim. Additionally, it may symbolise Hunter’s struggle to leave his traumatic memories behind and heal. Given that he’s lived his entire life in Belos’ company, his trauma and conditioning simply cannot vanish the moment he gains physical freedom from his abuser. Healing takes a long time, and his abuser’s return isn’t helping at all.

If we compare Hunter’s hair strand from season two and ‘Thanks to Them’, we’ll notice that they’re not identical.

As you can see, it descends into the middle of Hunter’s forehead instead of being positioned to the side like it used to. Guess who else has a hair strand in this exact area. Belos.

The bastard grew it out the very moment he gained control over Hunter’s body, just to mark his ownership over the boy and flaunt it to his friends. Also, remember how Hunter cut his hair short in the intro because his hair length reminded him of his traumatic past? Belos also grew out the rest of the boy’s hair (maybe not as long, but still), possibly to let him know that he’ll never be free, and most importantly, himself.

After breaking free from Belos’ control, Hunter’s hair strand returns to its original side position, which symbolises that he accepted his grimwalker roots, but made sure to remember that he’s his own person, not the tool or property Belos reduced him to. Considering how much happier Timeskip Hunter looks, it’s quite possible that he eventually started associating that part of his hair with something much more positive, rather than with pain and shame.