How do the best stories hook you immediately?
I read A LOT of fiction, and it all comes down to the same thing.
Engaging stories hook you with one compelling character before introducing anything else that would be a distraction.
This rule applies to more than just writing.
Good observation. Any exceptions I can think of are of the "what the hell is even going on" variety. The first thing that came to mind for me as a "hook" was the opening 30 seconds of Attack on Titan.
Right and it is quick and chaotic then immediately drops you into a single character story.
I think of that as a "prologue" which is also an interesting thing to dig into how it fits into the world outside of media.