Yoshihiro Togashi's manga series YuYu Hakusho contains a widely diverse cast of fictional characters. At the forefront is Yusuke Urameshi, a typical school punk with not-so-typical pastimes. After dying and being reborn Yusuke becomes the detective of paranormal events in the human world. The other predominant characters consist of Yusuke's family, schoolmates, friends, allies in his detective work as well as the higher ups in spirit world who give Yusuke his cases. Yusuke begins his work in the human world, but ends up traveling to the Underworld and then eventually to the demon plane. In each case he undertakes, Yusuke meets several new enemies and allies.
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Yusuke Urameshi (浦飯 幽助 Urameshi Yūsuke) is a student who attends the fictional Sarayashiki Junior High School. His poor attendance, constant fighting, and bad habits have earned him the label of a delinquent among most of his teachers and classmates. This all changes rather abruptly as Yusuke is struck by a car and dies while trying to save a small child who had wandered into the road. Such an altruistic deed catches the underworld by surprise. As they don't have a place for him yet in heaven or hell, he is permitted to return to his body and resume his life. However, while doing so it is revealed that Yusuke has a particularly strong aura, or spirit energy, and Koenma, the son of Enma, lord of the underworld, recruits him as Underworld/Spirit Detective and Yusuke is charged with investigating supernatural phenomena in the human world and capturing criminals dealing in underworld crime. Yusuke bears a bit of affection for his childhood friend Keiko Yukimura, who initially takes a role as Yusuke's conscience, making sure he comes to class and behaves, and later becomes his romantic interest. Yusuke's mother, Atsuko, who is shown constantly drinking throughout the story, raised him as a single teenage mother (she conceived Yusuke with her then-boyfriend when she was 14 herself). In the end of the manga, she is shown being reunited with a former lover, who is implied to in fact be Yusuke's biological father.
Yusuke's most common attack is the Reigun (霊丸 Reigan, means "Spirit Gun," pronounced as "Ray Gun"[1]), or Spirit Gun. Aura/Spirit energy is concentrated into his right index finger and released as a projectile as though his hand were a gun and his finger the barrel. At first he is only able to muster a single shot per day, but as he trains with Genkai he is able to fire multiple shots per day, as well as developing minor variations on the technique. Yusuke is also the direct descendant of the demon king Raizen (though it is never specified on whether it's either on his mother's side, his father's side, or even both) and, ever since his resurrection during the Chapter Black arc, retains his demon side and demon energy more than his human side. At the end of the manga, Yusuke opens up a ramen shop, and also spends time helping humans and demons learn to cooperate.
His character name was "Eugene" when the series was aired in the Philippines.[2]
In the anime television series, Yusuke is voiced by Nozomu Sasaki in Japanese and Justin Cook in English.[3] According to Togashi, the name Yusuke Urameshi is derived from a pun.[4] Justin Kovalsky of Animerica said "Ever hear the folk song "Bad Leroy Brown," by Jim Croce? Well, Yusuke is like old Leroy, but 14 and Japanese."[1] In the Japanese magazine Animage Anime Grand Prix popularity poll, Yusuke was ranked as the thirteenth most popular anime character in 1993, the tenth in 1994, and the eighth in 1995.[5][6][7] In March 2010, Yusuke was ranked sixteenth best male anime character of the 1990's by the Japanese magazine Newtype.[8]
Kazuma Kuwabara (桑原 和真 Kuwabara Kazuma) is a student who attends the fictional Sarayashiki Junior High School. He is noted as the "second toughest punk at Sarayashiki", despite his unusual affinity for kittens. He is constantly picking fights with Yusuke to prove himself tougher, but never succeeding. Eventually Kuwabara's feelings of anger toward Yusuke become feelings of respect. Kuwabara has a very advanced sixth sense, though not as acute as his older sister Shizuru's. Yusuke uses this to his advantage in his attempt to return to life. Kuwabara ends up assisting in most of Yusuke's cases, gaining power over his own aura which he wields as a sword called the Spirit Sword (霊剣 Rei Ken), though compared to Hiei, Kuwabara's swordsmanship is clumsy and more predictable due to the lack of swordsman training. He learns to develop this power rather quickly as well, later being able to wield two at once and creating an extremely powerful sword using the Trial Sword. Kuwabara also obtains the Jigan To during the Chapter Black arc, a sleeker and cleaner spirit sword that possesses the ability to slice and cut through and between dimensions.
During an early case he meets the ice apparition Yukina and instantly falls in love. Yukina is very appreciative to Kuwabara for saving her from captivity, but is oblivious to his affection. As the story progresses Kuwabara becomes more engrossed in his studies, choosing to cram for his high school exams rather than follow Yusuke and the others into the Demon plane, although he still chooses to do so out of curiosity and being felt as if he were left behind. At the end of the manga series it is shown that Yukina is living with his family as a homestay. In the anime television series, Kuwabara is voiced by Shigeru Chiba in Japanese and Christopher Sabat in English.[3] Togashi came up with the character's name by combining the names of two professional baseball players.[4] Mari Kitayama, a lead character designer for the anime adaptation, has stated that she considers Kuwabara to be the most difficult character to design.[9]
His character name was "Alfred" when the series was aired in the Philippines.[2]
Kurama (蔵馬) is a demon thief who, after being fatally wounded, fuses his soul with the unborn child of Shiori Minamino, effectively taking over. He is born as Shuichi Minamino (南野 秀一 Minamino Shūichi), a human with red hair and green eyes, though he retains his demon powers at a much lower level. Kurama had originally planned to return to his demon form after regenerating his powers, but he changed his mind when he came to love his human mother. They have a bond which Kurama cannot bear to break, and so he remains as Shuichi in the human world. He attends the fictional Meioh Private Academy (私立盟王学園 Shiritsu Meiō Gakkō) where his grades are the highest in his year.
He meets Yusuke Urameshi in the first season as a part of a trio of demons who steal three dangerous artifacts from Spirit World. However, he uses the "Forlorn Hope" (known as the "Ankoku-Kyō" (暗黒鏡 lit. Dark Mirror) in the Japanese version), a mirror capable of granting the user's desire at the cost of the user's life, to cure his mother of a deadly illness. Yusuke saves Kurama's life by offering up his own life to the mirror, and thereby canceling the sacrifice out of his kindness (though in the English manga[10] and Japanese versions they both sacrifice half of their own lifeforce to fulfill the wish without either of them dying). This act bonds Yusuke and Kurama as friends and allies.
During the Dark Tournament, Kurama is temporarily reverted back to his original form, referred to in the English anime as "Yoko (Yoko or Youko meaning "Demon Fox") Kurama", and in the English manga as "Demon Fox Kurama," a tall, silver-haired character with sharp nails, silver fox ears, and a tail. Kurama uses his demonic powers to control plants, including his signature weapon, a rose he turns into a whip of thorns capable of cutting through steel. He also possesses a talent for analytical thinking, which allows him to gauge his opponents' strengths and weaknesses and formulate effective strategies.
As Yoko Kurama, his powers are far greater and he is capable of creating demonic plants which possess various attributes and highly formidable powers. At the end of the manga, he is shown working at his stepfather's company.
Kurama is voiced by Megumi Ogata (Shūichi) and Shigeru Nakahara (Demon Fox) in Japanese and John Burgmeier in English.[3] As with Hiei, Kurama's name simply "popped into [Togashi's] head" when developing the characters.[4] Kitayama finds Kurama to be the easiest of the main characters to design due to his well-proportioned features.[9] Kurama is a popular character among fans of the series. In the Animage Anime Grand Prix, he was ranked as the third most popular male anime character of 1993 and the most popular male character in both 1994 and 1995. His alternate Demon Fox Kurama form was ranked sixteenth in 1994.[5][6][7] Yoko Kurama additionally won About.com's "Best Supporting Character" in its 2005 Anime Award Show.[11] Kurama was also ranked the third best male anime character of the 1990s by Newtype.[8]
His character name was "Dennis" when the series was aired in the Philippines.[2]
Hiei (飛影) is a male fire demon born to a race of female Ice Maidens. The Ice Maidens reproduce every 100 years asexually, always giving birth to a female. A male child is born only if the Maiden has had sexual conact with a male, which is forbidden in their society. Hiei was born as one of the twin children of the Ice Maiden Hina. As her children were born, Hina wept two tears which crystallized and were given to the babies. Hiei was thrown from the floating Ice Domain by Hina's closest friend Rie, to his supposed doom. He managed to survive, though, and grew up in the wilderness where he developed a thirst for killing. The only times he found peace were while looking at the tear-gem from his mother. He later decided to find the ice domain in order to take revenge on the women who cast him out. He loses his tear-gem during a battle and, realizing he must now find the stone as well as the Ice Domain, went to the Osteopath Shigure and has the Evil Eye (Jagan in Japanese, referred to as the Jagan Eye in the English anime dub) implanted in his forehead which gives him many powers, including hypnosis, telepathy, and clairvoyance or remote viewing. Even with the Jagan Hiei cannot find his tear stone, though he easily finds the Ice Maidens' glacier home. When he gets there he finds his mother's grave and his lust for revenge fades. He is told his twin sister has run away and decides to search for her as well. Hiei is an expert with a Katana due to the environment in which he grew up. He also has superhuman speed and can produce and control fire. During the Dark Tournament he taps into the unruly fires of hell, known as the Dark Flame of the Overlord, or in the English dub, "Dragon of the Darkness Flame", which he eventually masters. At the end of the manga, he is assigned as one of the guardians of the portals between the human and demons realms.
In the anime television series, Hiei is voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama in Japanese and Chuck Huber in English.[3] Togashi was not certain as whether or not he wanted to make Hiei a main character when beginning the manga.[4] Kitayama considers Hiei to be her favorite to design.[9] Hiei is a popular character among fans of the series. He was ranked as the first, then second, then third most popular male anime character in the Animage Anime Grand Prix for the consecutive years of 1993, 1994, and 1995.[5][6][7] The Japanese publication Newtype ranked him as the fifth best male anime character of the 1990s.[8]
His character name was "Vincent" when the series was aired in the Philippines.[2]
Genkai (幻海) is an elderly martial arts expert who lives alone in a very large temple. She first appears during Yusuke's second case as he infiltrates a tournament she is holding to find a successor to her techniques in search of the demon Rando. Genkai is a legendary reiki master, known both in the human and demon realms. Yusuke ends up winning the tournament, defeating Rando in the process, and is taken on as a student by Genkai. When she was 50 years younger, Genkai and the younger Toguro brother were lovers and teammates in an earlier Dark Tournament. After winning, Toguro decides to become a demon, while Genkai returns to the human world, creating a split in their relationship. She enters the next Dark Tournament with Yusuke, disguising herself as the "Masked Fighter" in order to once again face Toguro. Genkai was killed during the tournament after a powerful blow from Toguro the day before the finals, and was subsequently brought back after the competition ended. Her signature technique is the Spirit Wave, an outpouring of spirit energy from the whole body which can be directed through several different variations. This makes her technique effective in healing and purification, in addition to combat. A side effect of using this power is a shifting of the body's cells which leads to a temporary reversion to the form in which the wielder was at their most powerful in life. In Genkai's case, it allowed her to briefly regain her youth. At the end of the manga, Genkai dies, leaving her vast land to Yusuke and his friends. In the anime television series, Genkai is voiced by Hisako Kyōda (Older) and Megumi Hayashibara (Younger) in Japanese and Linda Young in English.[3] In a 2007 poll by Oricon, Genkai was tied with two other characters as the fifth best anime "master" with a 6% vote.[12]
Rando (乱童 Randō) is a demon who participates in Genkai's tournament and the main antagonist in Yusuke's second case. He has killed 99 masters and copied their techniques. He disguises himself as Shaolin (少林 Shōrin, English manga: Shaolin, English anime: Shorin), a monk, during Genkai's tournament so as not to draw attention to himself. He had planned to win the tournament and make Genkai's Spirit Wave the 100th technique in his arsenal. In the anime television series, Rando is voiced by Yō Inoue in Japanese and Eric Vale in English.
The Four Beasts (四聖獣 Shiseijū) are four demons who rule a part of the Underworld called Demon City and the antagonists for Yusuke's third case. The beasts share their names with the four symbols of Chinese astrology. In the anime adaptation they are known as the Saint Beasts.
The first team that team Urameshi fights in the Dark Tournament. It consists of high powered demons from the streets of demon world who have little to no acclaim. Two of the team members were decapitated by Chu as they fled the ring in fear of Hiei. The team's human sponsor is Sukezo Gondawara (権田原助造 Gondawara Sukezo) of the Black Book Club. In the English anime dub they are known as Team Rokuyukai (六遊怪チーム, literally meaning "Six Demons").
Rinku (鈴駒) is a young demon who uses yo-yos to attack. Rinku is childish and playful, and often annoys those around him. He controls his yo-yos by channeling his aura through the strings. During the fight for control of the Makai, Rinku is one of the demons that Kurama trains to fight for Yomi, though they eventually all disband to fight individually in the Makai tournament. At the end of the manga, he becomes stricken with Sasuga, a female demon who defeated him in the Makai Tournament, and it is hinted that they are in a relationship together. In Volume 18 of the English manga his name is translated as Link.In the anime television series, Rinku is voiced by Yoshiko Kondo in Japanese and Kimberly Grant in English.
Chu (酎 Chū) is the strongest fighter and leader of team Jolly Devil Six, but ends up as the team alternate after losing at Jan-ken-pon. Chu specializes in the "Drunken Fist", which fuses the alcohol he drinks with his aura. During the fight for control of the Makai, Chu is one of the demons that Kurama trains to fight for Yomi, though they eventually all disband to fight individually in the Makai tournament. At the end of the manga, he begins training with, and falls for, Natsume, the female demon who defeated him in the Makai tournament. In the anime television series, Chu is voiced by Norio Wakamoto in Japanese and Kent Williams in English.[3]
The second team that team Urameshi faces in the Dark Tournament led by Dr. Ichigaki. Kurama and Hiei end up trapped in the wilderness fighting 2 lesser members of the team as well as Ichigaki's robot Gatasval (ガタスバル). This leaves Yusuke, Kuwabara and the Masked fighter to fight the 3 remaining team members, En (円), Ryu (魁) and Kai (梁), known as M1, M2, and M3.
Dr. Ichigaki (Dr.イチガキ) is an evil demon scientist from the spirit world intent on creating the ultimate fighting weapon. He dupes 3 martial artists into volunteering for an experiment, in exchange for curing their master of a deadly disease. He then implants his creation, the Blood-Slaver Node, on their backs which gives him control of their minds and boosts their fighting abilities. It is revealed that Ichigaki is the one who originally infected their master in order to manipulate them. He is voiced by Ryuuji Saikachi in the Japanese version and James Fields in the English dub.
Team Shadow Channelers (魔性使いチーム Mashōtsukai Chīmu) The third team that faces team Urameshi in the Dark Tournament. They are a group of demon shinobi who are hoping to win the tournament so they can claim the hosting island as their home. The team's sponsor is Butajira (豚尻) In the English Anime dub they are known as Team Masho.
Toya (凍矢 Tōya, English manga: Toya, English anime: Touya) is the ice master of the shinobi of the Spirit World. During the fight for control of the Makai, Touya is one of the demons that Kurama trains to fight for Yomi, though they eventually all disband to fight individually in the Makai tournament. In the anime television series, Toya is voiced by Yasunori Matsumoto in Japanese and Daniel Katzuk in English.[3]
Jin (陣) is a demon with mastery over the wind. This grants him the power to fly at great speeds. His signature move is to spin his forearm at high speed, creating a tornado around it, making his punches more powerful, even causing damage when he misses. He enjoys his battles, especially when he has a worthy opponent. He states that when he gets excited about a fight his ears twitch. During the fight for control of the Makai, Jin is one of the demons that Kurama trains to fight for Yomi, though they disband to fight individually in the Makai tournament. He and Yusuke have a lot in common, and become good friends and rivals during the tournament. In the anime television series, Jin is voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi in Japanese and Jerry Jewell in English.[3]
The fourth team to fight Team Urameshi in the Dark Tournament. This team was composed of fighters gathered together by Suzuki, who furnished them with appropriate weapons so he could compete. Their names all derive from myths of Japanese folklore. In the English anime dub they are named Team Uraotogi (裏御伽チーム).
Shishiwakamaru (死々若丸, English manga: Shishiwakamaru, anime: Shishi Wakamaru) is a tiny imp demon who can transform into a full human appearance. He is a swordsman who seeks to make himself famous. Suzuki gives him the Sword of Trials, a sword hilt that changes into whatever weapon suits the wielder. For Shishi it becomes the Banshee Shriek, a sword which channels the souls of the dead and materializes them to devour his opponent. During the fight for control of the Makai, Shishi is one of the demons that Kurama trains to fight for Yomi, though they eventually all disband to fight individually in the Makai tournament. In the anime television series, Shishiwakamaru is voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in Japanese and Christopher Bevins in English.[3] (Shishiwakamaru's name is based after Ushiwakamaru 牛若丸)
Suzuka (鈴木) is a demon who excels at creating weapons for others, as well as controlling his Aura harmonics, enabling him to create varied and colorful attacks. In the past Suzuka fought the Younger Toguro but lost. He then vowed to become stronger and defeat Toguro in the Dark Tournament. He initially disguises himself as an elderly man known as Old Bloke (Onji in the English anime dub). When Genkai reveals him he states that he used the disguise to help him fight harder, dressed as what he hates the most. He states that anyone who calls him by name must call him the Beautiful Suzuka and he plans to die long before old age can rob him of his looks. After being defeated and humiliated in combat by Genkai, he gives the Sword of Trials to Kuwabara and the Fruit of the Previous Life to Kurama, to aid them against Toguro. During the fight for control of the Makai, Suzuka is one of the demons that Kurama trains to fight for Yomi, though they eventually all disband to fight individually in the Makai tournament. In the Japanese version he is called Suzuki. In the anime television series, Suzuki is voiced by Kazuyuki Sogabe in Japanese and Jeremy Inman in English.[3]
The fifth and final team to face Team Urameshi in the Dark Tournament. Younger Toguro fights most of the early tournament rounds alone, with the exception of the semi-final round in which he doesn't participate at all and his 3 teammates make their debuts.
Younger Toguro (戸愚呂弟 Toguro-otouto) is a human turned (absolute strength class or a Kairin-like demon) demon and the main antagonist during the Dark Tournament arc. Once a great martial arts master and Genkai's lover, Toguro is psychologically scarred when a demon named Kairin kills all of the students at his dojo. Toguro and Genkai participate in the Dark Tournament and defeat Kairin in the final round. Toguro decides he does not want to age and lose his power, so as his prize for winning he asks to be turned into a demon. 50 years later he returns to the Dark Tournament, challenging Yusuke, hoping he has finally found a fighter worthy of his full 100% power. In the anime television series, Younger Toguro is voiced by Tesshō Genda in Japanese and Dameon Clarke in English.[3] Togashi considers the Toguro brothers to be his favorite villains in the series because they are "fundamentally unrestrained".[4]
Elder Toguro (戸愚呂兄 Toguro-ani) is a human turned demon shapeshifter. He usually rides on his brother's shoulder, and often fights alongside him. Elder Toguro can alter the shape of his body to form weapons or to move his organs to escape harm, and also has powerful regenerative abilities, almost to the point of immortality. After being nearly destroyed by his brother, Elder Toguro is trapped in a regenerative state on the island where the Dark Tournament took place. There he is found by Sensui and devoured by Sensui's cohort Gourmet. This proves costly for Gourmet as Toguro easily takes control of his body. In the anime television series, Elder Toguro is voiced by Katsumi Suzuki in Japanese and Bill Townsley in English.[3]
Karasu (鴉) is a Quest class demon. He is able to use his aura to create bombs undetectable by lower level demons, as well as create bombs within his victims. He wears a mask over his mouth which restricts his unstable powers. He is also able to use his entire body as an explosive. In the anime television series, Karasu is voiced by Ryō Horikawa in Japanese and Kyle Hebert in English.
Bui (武威) is a demon warrior who possesses an immense battle aura. When he was younger Bui fought Younger Toguro and lost. He swore he would train and one day defeat him so Toguro invites Bui to join his team as he trains, but Bui is unable to surpass him. He wears heavy armor to suppress his aura and wields an axe larger than his own body. In the anime television series, Bui is voiced by Tetsuo Kaneo in Japanese and Vic Mignogna in English.
Sakyo (左京 Sakyō) is the wealthy owner of Team Toguro. He is a sociopath, who grew up torturing and killing animals and people. He has an affinity and knack for gambling, occasionally putting his own life on the line just for the thrill of it. He accumulates a vast fortune which he plans to use to create a hole to the demon plane, for no other reason than to just see what happens. He forms a romantic bond with Shizuru, the older sister of Kazuma Kuwabara. In the anime television series, Sakyo is voiced by Nobuyuki Furuta in Japanese and Eric Vale in English.[3]
Shinobu Sensui (仙水 忍 Sensui Shinobu), also known as Black Angel, is a former Underworld Detective and the antagonist during the Sensui arc. Sensui was a prodigy aura user and demon hunter from an early age. He was recruited by Koenma as Underworld detective and worked tirelessly. His view of demons is changed when he met Itsuki, who plead for Sensui to spare him for one day so he could see the finale of his favorite television show. Itsuki ended up working as Sensui's partner, gradually widening his black and white views on justice. During a routine case Sensui came upon an early hideout of the Black Black Club, a room where humans were torturing demons, bathing in their blood, and committing other evil acts. Seeing the cruelty of those he was sworn to protect Sensui went mad and killed everyone there. He soon disappeared, taking with him the Black Chapter, a video tape kept in the vaults of the underworld containing footage of the most evil deeds of humanity. Sensui waited until a new Underworld detective was revealed before coming out of hiding, springing his plan to judge the human race. During his years in hiding, Sensui created seven alternate personalities to deal with the stresses on his mind. Only four of his alternate personalities are ever revealed and they are as follows:
Sensui is a master of Lightning Kickboxing (裂蹴拳 Resshūken, Fissure Kick Fist), an elegant fighting style that mixes fluid arm blocks with powerful kicks and is said to be only available to those who have already mastered all forms of martial arts. Sensui also wields Holy Aura (聖光気 Seikōki, Saint Light Energy), a special type of energy that is said to be the purest of all auras, mastered only after 40 years of training, though Sensui mastered it in just over six years with his seven different personalities. In the anime television series, Sensui is voiced by Rokurō Naya in Japanese and Robert McCollum in English.[3]
Itsuki (樹), also known as Gatekeeper (闇撫の樹), is a demon who can traverse dimensions and one of Sensui's comrades. Having been with Sensui the longest he has grown very fond of him, stating that he wishes for Sensui to be his lover. He notably anticipated Sensui's madness before it began, based on the quality of his innocence, and originally attached himself to Shinobu in order to be able to watch the perfect boy become twisted and corrupted from close at hand. Itsuki controls a being known as the Reverse Man, a shadow living between dimensions. Itsuki is voiced by Kōji Tsujitani in the Japanese version and by Jerome Fifty-Seven in the English dub.[3] Itsuki one of author Togashi's favorite characters; he stated after the series ended that he wishes he had been able to expand on the character's twisted psyche.[13] He also noted the portion of the plot where Itsuki speaks inside the Reverse Man to be his favorite of the series because it reflects how the manga artist was feeling at the time.[13]
Kaname Hagiri (刃霧要 Hagiri Kaname), also known as Sniper (狙撃手(スナイパー)), is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. Any object he throws within his expanded territory will always hit its mark with lethal force. He is thought to have been killed by Hiei, but it later revealed that Hiei only disabled him, being very precise not to kill him. He is later healed by Doctor and is last seen alongside his sister (who also has some sort of ability) and chases after a group of bullies who killed a stray kitten. He was said to have disappeared after high school. Hagiri is voiced by Yakkun Sakurazuka in the Japanese version and Travis Willingham in the English dub.
Minoru Kamiya (神谷 実 Kamiya Minoru), also known as Doctor (医者(ドクター)), is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. While within his territory Kamiya can create viruses, reattach limbs, alter his own body chemistry and wield a psychic scalpel which he uses with surgical accuracy. He is shown as a deranged man during the beginning of the arc. Kamiya knows that finishing the hole to the demon plane will mean the destruction of the human world but believes that the human race deserves this fate. As a doctor, he has seen many cruel ways to die and decided that being killed by a Yokai (Demon) would be a good way to die. Towards the end of the arc, he escapes from jail, resuscitates Sniper and reconstructs his face to evade police. He then created a business he called "Miracle Hands" where he uses his power to save countless lives. In the anime television series, Kamiya is voiced by Taro Arakawa in Japanese and Sonny Strait in English.
Kiyoshi Mitarai (御手洗 清志 Mitarai Kiyoshi), also known as Seaman (水兵(シーマン)), is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. He is able to mix his blood with water to create water golems. His territory is contained within these monsters. Mitarai is emotionally scarred after watching the Chapter Black videotape. He also is fueled by his hatred of bullies since he never seemed to have any friends. He believes that all humans are inherently evil and simply require the chance to show it. After being defeated by Kuwabara, Mitarai rethinks his stance on humans and decides to help in the fight against Sensui. After the fight with Sensui, he lives a normal life and gets into the best high school in the city. In the anime television series, Mitarai is voiced by Rika Matsumoto in Japanese and Justin Pate in English.
Tsukihito Amanuma (天沼 月人 Amanuma Tsukihito), also known as Gamemaster (遊熟者(ゲームマスター)), is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. He is rejected from kids his age because of his extreme love of video games since most kids play sports. Amanuma is able to bring video games to life, creating his territory within them. He along with Gourmet capture Kuwabara. He is killed by Kurama when it becomes clear that his territory can not be closed unless someone loses the game. Amanuma is pitied by Koenma and is brought back to life by Koenma's pacifer that is filled with strong spirit energy. He lives a normal life afterward and even makes new friends his age. In the anime television series, Amanuma is voiced by Monica Rial.
Sadao Makihara (巻原 定男 Makihara Sadao), also known as Gourmet (美食家(グルメ)), is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. He is able to eat other beings and gain their powers as his own. Sensui orders him to devour the regenerating head of Elder Toguro but the immortal demon ends up taking over Makihara's body.
Yomi (黄泉) is the newest of the Three Kings. He was second in command to Kurama's brigand prior to Kurama placing his soul into a mortal. Yomi, however, was reckless, losing countless men in unauthorized raids and direct confrontation, thinking it more exciting that way. Kurama, angered, sent an assassin to blind him as punishment. Yomi then grew extra ears and tuned his senses so acutely he could eventually hear all within his kingdom. He plans to take over both the demon and human planes, calling on Kurama to his side. He fights Yusuke in the tournament, barely winning after hearing his son Shura's shout, and loses the next round due to his injuries. Yomi then leaves to properly raise and train Shura, thanking Yusuke for helping him achieve a sense of peace he could not have attained on his own. In the anime television series, Yomi is voiced by Masashi Ebara in Japanese and Rick Robertson in English.[3]
Mukuro (軀) is one of the three kings of the Makai realm. Early in her childhood, she is sold into slavery to a humanoid demon named Chikou. Her master is continuously cruel to her and used Mukuro as a sex slave. He raped her every year on her birthday. To control her, he implanted a single memory of himself being kind to her mind, which she remembered each time she thought of killing him. When she turned seven years old, she poured acid on herself, hoping that her master would lose interest in her. It worked, and he disowned her. She eventually becomes one of the Three Kings. She discovered Hiei while preparing for war and, after testing his strength against Shigure, placed him as her second in command. Mukuro is quick to agree when Yusuke proposes the demon world tournament and ends up losing to Enki in the final round. In the anime adaptation Mukuro's backstory is changed to exclude the parts about her being a sex slave, and that she was simply an abandoned child found by Chikou and taken in for slavery. In the anime television series, Mukuro is voiced by Minami Takayama in Japanese and Wendy Powell in English.[3] Togashi has stated that Mukuro is one of his favorite characters. The author had desired to write more about her abuse before the series ended.[13] His inspiration for the character was Kushana of Torumekia from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.[13]
Raizen (雷禅) is one of the three kings of the Makai (in fact, he was considered the strongest of the three) and Yusuke's ancestor. 700 years before Yusuke is born, Raizen, then a young demon, comes to the human world looking for people to eat, and is massively injured in confrontations with human warriors. Finding a place to hide and recover from his injuries, he is discovered by the owner of the isolated house at which he is staying. Despite his demonic appearance and attitude, she has no fear of him whatsoever and even treats his injuries. When he attempts to eat her when he thinks she is asleep, he learns that she was only pretending to, as she knew he would try to do so the first chance he got. She then reveals herself to be a "cannibal shaman", a human who eats the flesh of the deceased to create antibodies to the disease within their blood, and taunts him that if he consumed her he would be killed. Raizen immediately falls in love with her, because she is the first (and only) woman he ever met who never feared him, and they become lovers. Though she is soon pregnant, he is forced to leave her when he gets better, as he is still being hunted by humans, and promises to never eat human flesh until he sees her again. However, she dies before he returns, as the Spirit World erects the barrier between Earth and the Demon World, and since he never saw her again, he stayed true to his word and never ate human flesh again. Raizen summons Yusuke to the Makai Realm as he is on the brink of death from starvation and requires someone to take his throne. In the anime television series, Raizen is voiced by Takayuki Sugō in Japanese and Christopher Sabat in English.[3]
Shigure (時雨) is a demon surgeon and Osteopath. As payment for his services, Shigure requires that his patient have an interesting life story. As well, he requires of them a part of that life, though in eccentric ways. While looking for his lost tear stone and the Ice Kingdom where he was born, Hiei approaches Shigure and hires him to implant the Evil Eye in his forehead. Shigure hears of his past and operates, but requires that even if Hiei were to find his lost twin sister, he could never reveal to her that he is her brother. He later joins Mukuro's forces. He is later killed by Hiei, when Mukuro orders the two of them to fight as Hiei's final test.
Kuronue is a character who appears only in the Yu Yu Hakusho movie, Yu Yu Hakusho, The Movie: Poltergeist Report. He was the close friend and fellow thief of Kurama when he was Demon Fox Kurama. During a heist, Kuronue loses his valuable pendant as he and the demon fox attempt to escape and goes back for it. He is fatally wounded and uses his last breath telling his friend to run away. In the movie, one of the gods of the Netherworld uses a transforming power to take the guise of Kuronue while fighting Kurama. He twists Kurama's memories to convince Kurama that he himself orchestrated Kuronue's death. The spell is broken when the fake Kuronue throws away the pendant and attacks Kurama from behind, things that the real Kuronue would never do. Kurama, angry that his friend's memory had been tarnished, shows his first real moment of rage and loss of composure and violently destroys Kuronue's impersonator. Kuronue is a bat-like demon or chimera.
Keiko Yukimura (雪村 螢子 Yukimura Keiko, English manga: Keiko Yukimura, English anime: Kayko Yukimura) is Yusuke's childhood friend and classmate. She has known Yusuke for many years and acts as a parental figure, often trying to get him to attend his classes and behave, though usually to no avail. Yusuke attempts to keep his job as spirit detective a secret from Keiko though she finds out about it during his third case, as the Saint Beasts end up using her as bait to anger Yusuke. Keiko worries about Yusuke but knows that he is more happy fighting demons than having a normal school life. She is noticeably upset when Yusuke leaves for the demon plane in the final story arc but waits for him after he promises to return so they can get married. At the end of the manga, Keiko begins to go to college to be a teacher. In the anime television series, Keiko is voiced by Yuri Amano in Japanese and Laura Bailey in English.[3] Keiko is author Togashi's least favorite character in the series due to her being a "typical" manga character.[13]
King Enma Jr., usually addressed as Koenma (コエンマ, meaning "Enma, Jr."[1]) is the son of spirit realm ruler King Enma, and the one who takes responsibility of his father's work when he's away. Koenma usually appears as a toddler with a pacifier in his mouth, though he is said to be at least 700 years old. He can also transform into a young adult form, retaining his pacifier and the letters "Jr" on his forehead. Koenma acts as Yusuke's boss, assigning his cases. His pacifier is a receptacle, which Koenma constantly imbues with his spirit energy. It can create a powerful barrier which Koenma states is to fend off a dark evil sometime in the future. In the anime television series, Koenma is voiced by Mayumi Tanaka in Japanese and Sean Michael Teague in English.[3]
Botan (ぼたん) is the grim reaper, or guide to the underworld. She is charged with ferrying souls of the deceased to the underworld to face their final judgment. She also acts as Yusuke's assistant and trainer as he starts out his tenure as underworld detective. She teaches him how to use the various detective tools, communicates messages from Koenma and often guides him to different destinations pertaining to his cases. She will also join him in the field occasionally, ending up protecting Keiko from insect crazed humans, acting as team trainer in the Dark Tournament, and other various tasks. In the anime television series, Botan is voiced by Sanae Miyuki in Japanese and Cynthia Cranz in English.[3] Botan was ranked as the seventh most popular female anime character in 1993 Animage Anime Grand Prix, the eighth in 1994, and the eleventh in 1995.[5][6][7]
Shizuru is Kazuma Kuwabara's older sister who becomes aware of Yusuke and Kuwabara's association to the Spirit World after watching the assignment tape regarding Yukina's rescue mission. Considerably down to earth and deadpan in most scenes, her role as the tough mother-figure to Kuwabara is what caused him to develop the need to learn how to fight. Her role grows somewhat during the Dark Tournament; in the anime she has a brief romantic connection to Sakyo as he saves her numerous times from demon guards at the stadium, and is given his lighter to remember him by as he dies in the stadium's destruction. This relationship was not present in the manga. Like Kuwabara, she has great spiritual senses, though unlike Kuwabara, she's aware of the biological relation between Hiei and Yukina. In the manga, Shizuru was introduced earlier in the story and is revealed to be a beautician.[14] Author Yoshihiro Togashi named Shizuru his favorite female character of the series "because she keep her cool".[4]
Yukina (雪菜) is an ice maiden and sister to Hiei. Yukina is born to Hina, a twin to Hiei. When she finds out about her brother who was cast from the Ice Kingdom she escapes to the human world where she is captured by Gonzo Tarukane, a member of the Black Black Club. Tarukane keeps Yukina captive, torturing her to acquire the precious crystals created by her tears. Eventually she hardens her heart so as to prevent herself from crying even under extreme torture, prompting Tarukane to hire the Toguro brothers to aid him. Yusuke and Kuwabara, unknowingly shadowed by Hiei, succeed in rescuing Yukina from Tarukane, allowing her to continue her search for her lost brother. In the anime television series, Yukina is voiced by Yuri Shiratori in Japanese and Jessica Dismuke in English.
Asato Kido (木戸 亜沙斗 Kido Asato) is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. His ability, "Shadow", allows him to step on someone's shadow and incapacitate them. Along with Yu Kaito and Yanagisawa he seeks the aid of Genkai when his powers appear. It is shown that he also has limited control over his own shadow, using it to spell out his attackers name after he is paralyzed by Dr. Kurame. In the manga, Kido is shown to have been stood up by his date in a cinema while the narration says he is far too forgiving.
Yu Kaito (海藤 優 Kaitō Yū) is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. He is a student at Meioh Private Academy where he constantly attempts to outdo Kurama for top grades. He is a master of the written word, having written several books and enjoys word puzzles. His ability is "Taboo" which allows him to create word games that those within his territory must adhere to or their soul will be extracted from their body. While testing the limits of his power, Kaito breaks his Taboo and has his own soul sucked from his body, prompting Kido and Yanagisawa to consult Genkai to help him and explain their new powers. In the manga, his last appearance shows him spending his day off mostly playing video games and writing. In the anime television series, Kaito is voiced by Issei Futamata in Japanese and Jakie Cabe in English.[3]
Mitsunari Yanagisawa (柳沢 光成 Yanagisawa Mitsunari) is a human who develops superhuman powers as a result of the demon plane hole opened by Sensui. His power is "Copy" which allows him to copy the appearance, memories, attributes, abilities, and spirit print of anyone he touches. In his last appearance in the manga, he is too shy to ask an attractive girl out, and it is revealed that ten years later, he marries the girl that tries to cheer him up. In the anime television series, Yanagisawa is voiced by Mitsuaki Madono in Japanese and Travis Willingham in English.[3]
Pu (ぷう Pū, English manga: Pu, English anime: Puu) or Pusuke (ぷう助 Pūsuke) is Yusuke's spirit beast. To return to life Koenma gave Yusuke a golden Spirit Beast egg. As Yusuke traveled with Botan as a ghost it would feed off of his aura and hatch in a creature whose form and demeanor would depend on how pure Yusuke's actions were. After using all the energy he had accumulated to save Keiko from a fire, Yusuke was returned to his body through an alternate method, while the egg was stored in the underworld by Koenma. During the Dark Tournament the egg hatched into Pu, a small blue animal with large floppy ears, a beak and hair resembling Yusuke's. Yusuke is embarrassed to get such a cute spirit beast but is endeared to Pu after it helps him during Genkai's final discipleship test. After Yusuke is killed by Sensui and revives as a demon, Pu changes into a large blue bird, resembling a phoenix. In the anime television series, Pu is voiced by Yuri Shiratori in Japanese and Justin Cook in English.
George Saotome (ジョルジュ 早乙女) is an ogre that is one of Koenma's underlings and only appears in the anime. Koenma often blames him for any problems that may occur, most often problems that Koenma causes himself. While Ogre attempts to act as the voice of reason most of the time, he rarely gets praised for it. Ogre takes particular pride whenever Koenma mentions him by his given name, Jorge Saotome, but this rarely happens, and generally ends up being done in sarcasm. In the second to last episode it is revealed that the anime was an underworld file on Yusuke Urameshi with Ogre as the narrator. He then goes back to hating his job as Koenma's aid. In the anime television series, Ogre is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in Japanese and Kent Williams in English.
The two hostesses of the Dark Tournament. Koto(小兎) resembles a cat (though is actually a fox demon), while Juri(樹里) resembles an amphibian. At the end of the manga, the two and Ruka, the nurse of the Dark Tournament, become the "Cult Trio" and become widely popular on human television. Koto and Juri are revealed to have a crush on Toya and Suzuka respectively. Koto is voiced by Ai Orikasa in the Japanese version and Amber Cotton in the English dub, while Juri is voiced by Katsuyo Endou in the Japanese version and Jamie Marchi in the English dub.
Ruka (瑠架) is the nurse of the Dark Tournament. She accepts bribes from teams to keep Hiei and Genkai from fighting. Her specialties including healing and creating barriers. At the end of the manga, Ruka forms the "Cult Trio" with Koto and Juri, the two hostesses of the Dark Tournament, and become widely popular on human television. She is revealed to have a crush on Jin. She is voiced by Chiharu Suzuka in the Japanese version and Laurie Steele in the English dub.
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