Year in, year out and Yu Yu Hakusho remains one of the favorite anime of otaku all over the world. The success of the work based on the manga by Yoshihiro Togashi is such that it recently received a live action adaptation on Netflix that delighted fans of all ages, bringing new people into the franchise's fandom.
But if you're just starting to get to know Yu Yu Hakusho and want to know a bit more about the characters who appear in the plot, don't worry! With this type of situation in mind, we've prepared this article listing the 11 main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho so you can find out a bit more about them! Shall we take a look together?
Yusuke Urameshi
Among the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho, Yusuke is the most prominent protagonist. The boy lives his life as a typical half-delinquent rebellious teenager, but ends up surprising everyone with a noble attitude, saving a child from being run over and dying in his place.
The problem is that not even the celestial beings expected him to do something like this, so they decided to give the boy a second chance. So he is revived, but with the mission of acting as a spiritual detective, solving cases involving humans as well as supernatural beings.
Although every one of Yusuke's fights in the anime is eye-popping, it's the Brazilian dubbing that has consecrated his most memorable moments in history. Phrases such as "Rapadura é doce, mas não é mole não" and "Tô na área, se derrubar é penaulti" (I'm in the zone, if you knock me down, it's penaulti), spoken in various scenes in the anime, will forever remain in the hearts of Brazilian fans.
Raizen
Raizen was once one of the three kings of Makai, the land of demons, and is also considered one of the strongest characters in Yu Yu Hakusho. As he was introduced in the anime very close to death, we didn't get to see much of the extent of his powers, but it is known that he is almost as strong as Yusuke's final form.
Raizen is also one of the protagonist's ancestors and was part of the "Mazoku" group, a kind of elite among the Makai demons. He achieves incredible feats such as flying, defeating Sensui and his Sacred Energy, among other things, which makes him one of the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho.
Hiei
Despite his cold and distant appearance, Hiei is one of the most loyal members of Yusuke's group. He was originally a thief who ran away from the Makai, but found support with Yusuke and his friends and stayed there. He is known for being strong and also for mocking human emotions and cynical comments.
He presents himself as one of the most skilled of the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho, but it is during the Three Kings Saga that he really draws attention to himself by mastering the Dark Dragon Flame technique. In addition, he is often mentioned as the favorite character of many anime fans.
Koenma
Koenma is the son of the former king of the Spirit World and its current ruler. He is one of the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho and plays an important role in Yusuke's appointment as a Spirit Detective. He begins the anime with a rather childish appearance, similar to that of a baby. But later on, his adult form is revealed, even though the pacifier characteristic of his character is still present in his mouth.
His personality is not the easiest to deal with, being bossy and willful. His attitudes can be considered rude and somewhat abusive, especially towards his servants.
Genkai
Among the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho, Genkai plays the role of Yusuke Urameshi's teacher. She shows herself to be a strict person during her pupil's training, making it clear that she sees him as lazy and, to resolve this, she puts him through hard training, with the heaviest tasks possible.
However, this doesn't last forever and, after helping him with the control of spiritual energy and realizing his true personality, Genkai develops a great affection for Yusuke. She is very strong and this strength is the result of complicated training to control the power of the "spiritual wave orb" ability.
Kazuma Kuwabara
Kuwabara begins the anime as an ordinary human, Yusuke's rival. However, this feeling of rivalry fades and the two become close friends after the death and return of the protagonist. Kuwabara eventually becomes one of the strongest of Yu Yu Hakusho's main characters, with surprising techniques.
He is able to sense spiritual presences, possesses great physical strength and has also mastered the technique of manifesting his spiritual energy in the form of a sword. This technique has several versions, but the ultimate one is even capable of separating dimensions.
Kujo
Kujo, Raizen's close friend and Natsume's twin brother, is known for being one of the strongest demons in the series and one of the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho. His name is known and feared throughout Makai due to his combat skills and potential power.
It is during his fight against the character Touya that the viewer sees the full extent of Kujo's powers and understands why he is so feared by other demons. However, Kujo's biggest dream isn't about world domination or anything like that, it's about defeating his friend Kokou and proving to be stronger than him.
Shinobu Sensui
Shinobu Sensui is one of the main antagonists in the anime and one of the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho. He acted as a spiritual detective before Yusuke Urameshi, possessing a very strong sense of justice and hating evil with all his might. He was considered by many to be sinless, and for this reason he was nicknamed the Black Angel.
The fight between Hiei and Shinobu that takes place later in the anime shows the viewer his full potential. He doesn't seem to have much trouble dealing with Hiei's dragon technique and some say that, without Raizen's interference, Shinobu could have won the fight and proved stronger than Yusuke himself.
Kurama
Kurama is considered one of Yu Yu Hakusho's most profound characters in terms of construction. He was a demon fox when he received a deep wound that caused him to be reincarnated in the body of a teenager called Shuichi Minamino in the Human World. With this, he manages to balance the empathy of humans with the cunning of a demon, which gives him unique abilities.
He can also manipulate plants during combat, using this to his advantage when in battle. But regardless of his strength, Kurama is part of Yusuke's closest group, along with Hiei and Kuwabara, and has one of the best senses of strategy among them. His analytical nature makes many think that he has the potential to be the strongest of all the characters in Yu Yu Hakusho.
Botan
Botan is not a spirit warrior, but she also plays an important role among the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho, acting as a guide between the Spirit World and the Human World. She is one of the many spirits reincarnated on Earth whose mission is to take the souls of the dead to the place where they need to go to be judged.
The girl has a sweet and energetic personality and stands out for having a good relationship with Yusuke, acting as his assistant in his spiritual investigations. She has a good character and manages to become one of the most reliable characters in the protagonist's circle of friends.
Keiko
Keiko Yukimura is a human who has been friends with Yusuke Urameshi since childhood. Among the main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho, she eventually becomes the protagonist's love interest and, later in the series, this is realized and they officially become a couple.
She is very loyal and has great strength of character. Even though she is not a spiritual warrior, she is not afraid of the challenges she faces, even if they have to do with supernatural forces, and is very intelligent when necessary.
Conclusion
Each of these characters has a unique charisma and a legion of fans around the world. Togashi has managed to develop them well and choosing just one as the best of them all is never an easy task. But what about you? Which is your favorite character from Yu Yu Hakusho? Share your opinion with us in the comments! Also check out our article on the nationality of One Piece characters!
