A Complete Cast and Character Guide for Yu Yu Hakusho (2024)

Yu Yu Hakusho is a relatively short series compared to most other famous battle shonen, but series author Yoshihiro Togashi still packed in tons of unforgettable characters. Characters like Yusuke and Hiei are among the most famous anime heroes, while the likes of Younger Toguro and Shinobu Sensui rank among the most notorious villains.

The voice actors who brought the cast of Yu Yu Hakusho to life are equally iconic as the characters themselves. Legendary talents such as Christopher Sabat and Laura Bailey did some of their earliest work on YYH's English dub.

Team Urameshi Became Shonen Icons

Yusuke Urameshi is Yu Yu Hakusho's main protagonist. After unexpectedly dying by sacrificing his life for a small child, the crass, 14-year-old delinquent is given a second chance at life by Spirit World. Upon proving he's a good person, Yusuke returns to life and begins working for Spirit World as a demon-hunting Spirit Detective.

Through his early cases, Yusuke assembles Team Urameshi, which includes himself, his longtime rival Kuwabara, the powerful demons Kurama and Hiei, and his mentor, Genkai. After defeating Toguro and winning the Dark Tournament, Yusuke faces Sensui, a former Spirit Detective, who kills him. Yusuke returns to life once again, discovering himself to be half-demon and the son of Raizen, one of the three kings of Demon World. Following his father's death and a shift in the power structure of Demon World, Yusuke acts as Human World's representative.

Kazuma Kuwabara is Yu Yu Hakusho's deuteragonist. Initially a teenage delinquent with his own gang who regularly got into fights with Yusuke, Kuwabara was soft and kind on the inside and devastated by Yusuke's death. After discovering his spiritual potential during Genkai's tournament, Kuwabara becomes Yusuke's most constant ally.

Despite being completely outclassed, Kuwabara fights alongside the rest of Team Urameshi in the Dark Tournament and against Sensui. During the conflict with Sensui, Kuwabara reaches the height of his potential, unlocking the ability to use his Spirit Sword to cut through dimensions. After Sensui's defeat, Kuwabara retires from fighting to focus on his studies but remains close with his friends.

Kurama, formerly known as Yoko Kurama, is the brains of Team Urameshi. In his past life, Kurama was among the most powerful and feared demons. After being killed by Spirit World's special agents, Kurama was reborn as a human. Lacking his demonic nature and raw power, Kurama became kind, gentle and a calculated fighter. After partnering with Hiei to steal the Artifacts of Darkness and befriending Yusuke, Kurama began working for Spirit World to make up for his crime.

Kurama acted as an essential member of Team Urameshi, aiding in the storming of Maze Castle, clinching many victories in the Dark Tournament, unlocking his Yoko Kurama form in the process, and defeating several of Sensui's underlings. After Raizen's death, Yomi, one of the three kings of Demon World and an old friend of Kurama's, forced Kurama to work for him, but Kurama betrayed him and remained loyal to his beliefs.

Hiei was initially a major antagonist in the Spirit Detective Saga before joining Team Urameshi. Hiei was once among the most powerful demons, but after having the Jagan eye implanted in himself to aid in finding his lost sister, he lost most of his strength. Hiei partnered with Kurama to steal the Artifacts of Darkness but was defeated in battle by Yusuke and forced into doing work for Spirit World.

Hiei slowly became friends with Yusuke, Kurama and even Kuwabara as they fought in the Dark Tournament. By the time of Sensui's defeat, Hiei had regained most of his lost power. In the Demon World Tournament, he allied with Mukuro. Hiei and Mukuro fought in the tournament, with Mukuro defeating him, but through their battle, they formed a powerful bond.

Genkai is the world's greatest martial arts master and Yusuke and Kuwabara's mentor. Once the partner and lover of Toguro, the two separated when she chose to remain human and age rather than become a demon. While holding a tournament to find her apprentice, Genkai discovered Yusuke and Kuwabara. Genkai is a grouchy taskmaster, but she loves her students deeply.

Genkai joined Team Urameshi during the Dark Tournament to defeat her ex, Toguro. Genkai sacrificed her life to transfer her power to Yusuke, but she was soon reborn. She then spearheaded the effort to defeat Sensui before retiring and leaving her home to her boys.

Yu Yu Hakusho's Villains Were Both Evil and Complex

Rando is a C-Class demon who acts as a major antagonist in the Spirit Detective Saga. Known for stealing the techniques of those he killed, Rando planned to become Genkai's student, learn from her, and then kill her. Rando disguised himself as a human martial artist named Shorin to infiltrate Genkai's tournament, but after defeating Kuwabara and making it to the finals, Yusuke exposed and defeated Rando.

Suzaku is an Upper C-Class demon who acts as the main antagonist of the Spirit Detective Saga. Suzaku led the Four Saint Beasts and ruled over Demon City from Maze Castle. Prideful and dramatic, Suzaku stole the Makai Whistle, aiming to use it to spread chaos on Earth. His plans were stopped when Yusuke defeated him.

Elder Toguro is a B-Class demon who joins his younger brother and their other teammates on Team Toguro as the main villains of the Dark Tournament Saga. Elder Toguro was once an honorable martial artist, but his soul was twisted and corrupted when he became a demon, turning him into a cruel monster. He lived to spread pain and did so with great joy.

In the Dark Tournament, Elder Toguro dominated his competition and made it to the finals with the rest of Team Toguro, where Kuwabara defeated him. While he was seemingly killed, Elder Toguro's immortality allowed him to survive and join forces with Sensui. Since he could not be killed, Kurama trapped him in the Sinning Tree for eternity.

Younger Toguro is an Upper B-Class demon, Genkai's former lover, and the central antagonist of the Dark Tournament Saga. While he was human, Toguro had a relationship with Genkai, and the two fought together on the side of good. Fearing the loss of his strength that would come with age, Toguro sold his soul and became a demon.

Decades after becoming a demon, Toguro sought his own death as punishment for all the evil he had done, but he would only allow himself to die in combat. Toguro orchestrated a complex scheme to force Yusuke into the Dark Tournament and make him strong enough to kill him. As part of this plan, Toguro killed Genkai. Yusuke did just as Toguro wanted in their final battle and defeated him.

Sakyo is a rich, powerful and mysterious human who sought to use Team Toguro to open a pathway from the Demon World to the Human World during the Dark Tournament Saga. Sakyo comes from a normal human family and admits to simply being naturally evil.

Sakyo became the leader of the Black Black Club, a group of demon smugglers, and aimed to unleash demons openly upon the human world to cause as much pain as possible. A thrill-seeker, Sakyo bet his life against Koenma in the Dark Tournament finals. When Team Urameshi defeated Team Toguro, Sakyo honored his agreement and took his own life.

Shinobu Sensui is a former Spirit Detective who turned rogue and the main villain of the Chapter Black Saga. As a teenager, Sensui was a Spirit Detective prodigy with immense power. While on a case, Sensui watched the Chapter Black tape, which revealed all of humanity's worst atrocities to him. To cope with what he'd seen, Sensui turned on Demon World and split his consciousness into multiple personalities.

Sensui formed a group of psychics known as the Sensui Seven to help him finish what Sakyo had started — dig a tunnel between Demon World and Human World. Sensui killed Yusuke when he attempted to stop him, but the combined strength of Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama wasn't enough to stop him, either. His end came swiftly and shockingly when the Demon King Raizen took over Yusuke's body and used it to kill Sensui.

Yomi is one of the three kings of Demon World. In the Three Kings Saga, he acts as Yusuke's final opponent in Yu Yu Hakusho. Yomi is blind and calm and Kurama's former ally. Following Raizen's death, Yomi forced Kurama to aid him in his quest to become the sole king of Demon World.

Yusuke and his allies aimed to stop Yomi, as he wished for demons to be able to feast on however many humans they wanted. In the Demon World Tournament, Yomi defeated Yusuke, but Enki stopped him from becoming king.

The Supporting Cast of Yu Yu Hakusho Come From All Three Realms

Botan is a grim reaper and Yusuke's most constant ally throughout his adventures. Heroic and friendly, Botan pushed Yusuke to be the good person she could see him to be, guided him through his earliest cases, and trained him to be a Spirit Detective. She continues to support Yusuke and his team through the Dark Tournament, the conflict with Sensui, and the Demon World Tournament.

Koenma is the prince of Spirit World, responsible for assigning Yusuke his missions as a Spirit Detective. Koenma is at least 700 years old despite presenting himself as a baby. Koenma is bratty and abusive to his subordinates, but he cares about protecting humanity and about Team Urameshi.

Koenma briefly joins Team Urameshi as an unofficial member during the Dark Tournament following Genkai's death. Despite his father's wishes, Koenma continued to support Yusuke even after discovering his true parentage.

Keiko Yukimura is Yusuke's only friend at the start of Yu Yu Hakusho and his eventual fiancée. Keiko is intelligent and responsible and always tried her best to get Yusuke to behave. Keiko loved Yusuke for years and was devastated by his death, with Yusuke loving her back. Following Yusuke's adventures, the two finally confess their feelings for one another and get engaged.

Shizuru Kuwabara is Kazuma Kuwabara's mature and tough-as-nails older sister. Shizuru is easygoing and cynical but protective of her little brother. While she supported Kazuma through his adventures in the Dark Tournament and in the conflict with Sensui, she eventually cracked down on him and convinced him to focus on his studies.

Jin is a friendly wind demon whom Yusuke fights during the Dark Tournament. He becomes his ally during the Three Kings Saga. Jin fought for Team Masho in the Dark Tournament, and he and Yusuke bonded over the course of their fight through their mutual love of combat. During the Demon World Tournament, Jin joins Yusuke's faction to prevent Yomi from taking power.

Mukuro is one of the three kings of Demon World and a major player in the series' final story arc. Mukuro was abused as a child by her adopted father, eventually pouring acid on herself to remove his malicious desires for her. She replaced her body parts with robotic ones and sought to amass as much power as she could so she would never end up a victim again.

As a king of Demon World, Mukuro was a traditionalist, liking things just as they were. As she was less extreme than Yomi, Yusuke allied with her. Mukuro loses in the Demon World Tournament against Enki, but not before defeating Hiei and forming a comforting bond with him.

Yu Yu Hakusho

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

After a teenage delinquent is killed while saving a child's life from an approaching car, the rulers of the underworld send him back to become an "Underworld Detective" investigating demons apparitions in the human world.

Release Date

October 10, 1992

Cast

Nozomu Sasaki , Shigeru Chiba , Megumi Ogata , Nobuyuki Hiyama , Yuri Amano , Hisako Kyôda , Mayumi Tanaka , Ai Orikasa , Sanae Miyuki

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

Studio

Pierrot

Creator

Yoshihiro Togashi

Number of Episodes

112