10 Best Yu Yu Hakusho Fights

There is something supremely satisfying about watching a carefully planned battle play out in an anime. When it comes to Yoshihiro Togashi’s Yu Yu Hakusho, there are dozens of memorable and noteworthy fights worth discussing. Yu Yu is a legendary even among tournament fight anime, and that’s saying something. It does not pull punches (literally or figuratively), giving fans unforgettably tense moments and dangerous foes. Yu Yu Hakusho is a classic anime from the ‘90s, so it has admittedly taken on a stronger nostalgic tint in recent years, but we love it all the same. More importantly, we still haven’t forgotten about these fights.

Yu Yu Hakusho begins with Yusuke Urameshi, a delinquent turned hero. He gave his life to save another and was given a second chance in return. Together, he and his unique group of friends have been tasked with fighting demons and protecting the world, resulting in some pretty dramatic clashes. Unsurprisingly, some of the most unforgettable battles hail directly from the Dark Tournament arc, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself craving another watch through after finishing this list.

10) Kuwabara vs Risho

Arc: Dark Tournament

The battle between Kuwabara and Risho may happen later during the Dark Tournament, but it’s a solid starting point for this list. This battle begins during Round Three of the Dark Tournament. The whole round has a few twists in store, including an unexpected draw. More importantly, it creates at least one battle that is surprisingly tense yet comical.

Even the lead-up to this fight is tense, as there were a few moments where it looked like Team Urameshi would be forced to forfeit, having no ready combatants. Then Kuwabara dragged himself into the arena, ready (relatively speaking) to fight. Unfortunately, this doesn’t magically turn the tide, as Kuwabara’s fight with Risho doesn’t go great at first. Risho happily plays with Kuwabara, torturing him as he sees fit. Little does Risho know that by wasting time, he gave up his potential to win. When Yukina arrives, Kuwabara rises up once again, this time fueled by his love for Yukina. (Yeah, that really happened.) It’s what makes this fight a bit comical. On the bright side, it also gave Team Urameshi the win.

9) Genkai vs The Beautiful Suzuki

Arc: Dark Tournament

Realistically, nobody was rooting for Suzuki to win this fight. Sorry, “the beautiful Suzuki,” (as he demands to be announced as). Suzuki may talk the big talk, but his battle against Genkai makes it pretty clear where this fighter actually stands in the ring.

In a way, this battle has one of the most brutal beatdowns around, starting with Genkai stealing part of Suzuki’s mask (his red ball nose). She goes on to say that she won’t be using spirit energy in the fight because she doesn’t need it. Ouch. Don’t worry, Genkai puts her money where her mouth is, delivering on that promise in humiliating (for Suzuki) fashion.

8) Yusuke vs Jin

Arc: Dark Tournament

One of the best parts about Yu Yu Hakusho is that it isn’t afraid to have fun. After all, these fights are meant to be entertaining for viewers. Even during the Dark Tournament, which has some incredibly high stakes, the series still finds time to create lighter moments.

That brings us to the battle between Jin and Yusuke, which fans love watching and rewatching because the contestants were, put, having a good time. Both fighters clearly enjoy battling, and that shines through here. The fight looks great and is full of memorable banter between the two characters. The fact that Yusuke wins is the icing on the cake.

7) Kurama vs Karasu

Arc: Dark Tournament

From the moment the Dark Tournament began, fans were waiting with anticipation for the battles between Team Urameshi and Team Toguro. We all knew that those were going to be the fights with the highest stakes. The first fight between these teams was Kurama versus Karasu.

Adding to the tension is the fact that Kurama drank something special that was meant to bring out his Yoko form. The drink seemingly failed, putting Kurama in a battle he couldn’t win. The scale is fully on Karasu’s side, and things look bad. That is, until the juice finally kicks in and Kurama gets his boost. Yoko Kurama helps to even the odds, but this form doesn’t get to stick around too long. Ultimately, it’s Kurama’s utilization of his vampire tree that lets him win the day, but just barely.

6) Yusuke vs The Doctor

Arc: Chapter Black Saga

You might have noticed that this is the first fight on the list not stemming from the Dark Tournament! The Black Chapter Saga pits the main characters against a bunch of psychic-powered humans. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is a notable change from the usual demon lineup. This even causes a problem for Yusuke, who doesn’t want to kill humans (quite understandably).

Naturally, The Doctor pushes Yusuke’s unwillingness to kill humans to the limit. As he can transform his chemical makeup at will, his physical attributes change rapidly, making him a terrifying threat to the team. Even knowing that things will probably work out, this whole battle is pretty tense. While we can give some credit to the hospital setting, most of it has to do with The Doctor’s threat.

5) Kuwabara vs Elder Toguro

Arc: Dark Tournament

As we already mentioned, fans were highly anticipating the battles against Team Toguro, and boy, did the stakes get high. During the Dark Tournament Finals, Kuwabara had to step up once again in order to keep Team Urameshi going. There’s just one problem here, as Kuwabara had already lost his fight (a technicality, but still), so things did not look good.

Kuwabara enters the match against Elder Toguro armed with the Trial Sword, granted by Suzuki. While the sword does enhance Kuwabara’s Spirit Sword, the battle is still weighed against him. Kuwabara is repeatedly stabbed by Elder Toguro’s attacks, forcing Kuwabara to change tactics. This is the first time we got to see Kuwabara’s Spirit Flyswatter, which is admittedly much more effective than any previous attack against Elder Toguro, granting Kuwabara the win.

4) Hiei vs Bui

Arc: Dark Tournament

The fight between Hiei and Bui keeps the tension alive between Team Urameshi and Team Toguro, to put it mildly. Hiei is one of the most powerful members on the team, and even he has to push himself in this battle. Bui is incredibly strong, which is a solid counter to Hiei’s speed and energy.

Notably, Bui successfully deflects Hiei’s Dragon of the Darkness Flame, redirecting it back to Hiei. That doesn’t work too well for Bui, as it gives Hiei an even bigger boost. Ultimately, the fight doesn’t end with Bui’s death, but only because Hiei knows it’s what Bui wants. Thus, he leaves his opponent alive yet defeated.

3) Yusuke vs Younger Toguro

Arc: Dark Tournament

Realistically, the battle between Yusuke and Younger Toguro is one of the best and most anticipated fights of the series. It’s the final battle of the Dark Tournament arc, so we all knew that it was going to hit hard. Toguro has been in Yusuke’s way for quite some time, forcing the hero to increase his powers and skills to get around this obstacle.

This fight isn’t about flashy moves to cheeky solutions. Instead, these two hit each other with everything they have. It’s brutal, unforgettable, and intense. Throughout the fight, Younger Torguro gets stronger and stronger as he nears that 100% form.

In addition to being simply brutal, this fight has emotional highs, culminating with the apparent death of Kuwabara. Yes, we all know (now) that he faked his death to motivate Yusuke, but it was still a terrifying moment all around. On the bright side, the trick works, motivating Yusuke to strike his Spirit Gun one final time, ensuring the win.

2) Yusuke vs Chu

Arc: Dark Tournament

The battle between Yusuke and Chu happens surprisingly early in the Dark Tournament arc, but it’s still an unforgettable feat. The very first round pits Team Urameshi against Team Rokuyakai, with Yusuke vs Chu being the last in the set. The score stands as 2 wins for Urameshi, 1 for Rokuyakai, so the stakes are high.

Chu is a master of the drunken fist fighting style, which is arguably one of the reasons why this fight stands out so much. That and the fact that both team leaders do sincerely love to fight, allowing them to give it their all and have a bit of fun in the process. In a tournament that is full of high stakes and bad blood, something is refreshing about a battle that ends in friendship.

1) Yusuke vs Sensui

Arc: The Chapter Black Saga

There are many battles that fans love to recall from Yu Yu Hakusho, but the battle that forces Yusuke and Spirit Detective Shinobu Sensui against one another is always at the top. Sensui is the primary antagonist of the Chapter Black arc, and more importantly, he’s an essential foil to highlight how far Yusuke has come.

This battle is physically and psychologically intense. Sensui may be a villain, but he has complex reasons for doing what he does, even if nobody else agrees with him. In other words, his motivations made him stronger and more determined, and that shines through in this fight.

Arguably, the stakes had never been higher, as Sensui strives to forcibly merge the living and demon worlds into one. He and Yusuke go to extreme lengths during the fight, revealing a lot about what has actually been happening behind the scenes. Ultimately, this is a flashy and stunning fight, and while not everyone will love how it resolves, it undoubtedly left a major mark on the series.

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33 Years Later, Shonen Fans Still Know the True Best Tournament Arc