Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the best animes that came out during the 1990s. This one falls under the Shonen genre of anime/manga. Written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi, who is also the one responsible for Hunter X Hunter. It tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and killed by a car while saving a child’s life.

The series features 4 main characters

• Yusuke Urameshi is the main protagonist and Spirit Detective tasked with protecting the Human World from supernatural dangers. He is half-demon, his mother is human, his father was once the strongest demon in the Underworld, which he will later on find out under dire circumstances. Signature skill is Spirit Gun (Rei Gan in japanese).
• Kazuma Kuwabara, the best friend of Yusuke in the human world and is pure human but with very high spiritual ability. Also considered to be the most powerful human. He assisted Yusuke throughout his whole journey, except when they had to go to the Underworld, Kuwabara insisted to stay and not go with them. His weapon is the Spirit Sword, which evolves during the latter part of the series, into the Dimension Sword.
• Yoko Kurama is the original silver-haired fox demon. After being gravely wounded while fleeing pursuers, he transferred his spirit into a newborn human baby named Shuichi Minamino. From that point onward, and as he matured, Kurama’s human psyche became dominant. A recurring theme in the series is his journey toward embracing his human identity while balancing his dual nature. Following the Dark Tournament saga, he gains the ability to switch between his human and demon forms almost at will. His weapon is the Rose Whip, and also had command over plant life.
• Hiei, also known as Jaganshi Hiei. Master of the Evil Eye: Flying Shadow, is a main character in the anime. He is called “Hiei of the Evil Eye” in the Viz manga. Originally an antagonist during the Spirit Detective Saga, he almost kills Yusuke Urameshi but later becomes one of the four protagonists. His signature weapon is the bushido-style katana. Signature move is Dragon of the Darkness Flame, an intense black fiery dragon which consumes its target instantly.

Together with them are the best supporting characters there ever was. All of them had done something impactful for the story to progress. A summary of their names and roles:

• Genkai – Yusuke’s mentor
• Koenma – Son of King Enma, the ruler of Spirit World. Has a lot to do with Yusuke’s operations.
• Botan – A guide to the Spirit World, and yes, she’s a Grim Reaper.
• Keiko Yukimura – She is a loyal girlfriend who is often trying to get Yusuke to attend class and behave. She is also a pivotal character who keeps Yusuke’s humanity intact.
• Yukina – a member of an all-female race of demons known as Ice Apparitions, more commonly known as the younger fraternal twin sister of Hiei and the love interest of Kazuma Kuwabara.
• Puu – Yusuke’s Spirit Beast, who will appear near the latter of the series.

Unlike the newer animes, Yu Yu Hakusho is not divided by seasons but by arcs. Introducing new enemies that they have to face; new personal problems they have to endure; but those come with new people to ally themselves with. They did a very good division of arcs, each one starts with a brief intro of the main villain of the arc, and the story progresses smoothly that you won’t even feel that you’re already on the next arc. The storytelling will get you hooked, but the main thing is the animation and battle sequences.

The arcs are as follows, and I’ll try to give a brief summary to each of them without giving much away:

Spirit Detective Saga (eps: 1-25)

Yu Yu Hakusho starts with Yusuke Urameshi, a rebellious teenager, sacrifices his life to save a child and is given a chance to reclaim his life by the Spirit World. Becoming a Spirit Detective, Yusuke’s journey include:

• Tracking three demon thieves to recover the stolen Artifacts of Darkness.
• Entering the Genkai Tournament to stop the dangerous Rando from gaining psychic powers.
• Leading a team to Maze Castle to stop the Four Saint Beasts from using mind-controlling insects to invade the city.
• Rescuing Yukina, an ice apparition kidnapped by a crime boss seeking to profit from her tear-formed jewels.

Dark Tournament Saga (eps: 26-66)

The Dark Tournament Saga is the second and longest arc of Yu Yu Hakusho, spanning chapters 52-113 of the manga and episodes 26-66 of the anime. The saga centers around the Dark Tournament, a brutal competition held on Hanging Neck Island, organized by wealthy humans.

• Departure to Hanging Neck Island: Yusuke, reluctantly participating in the tournament, prepares with his friends, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara. They face off in a battle royale for the right to compete, with Team Urameshi emerging victorious.
• Round One: Team Urameshi battles Team Rokuyukai. Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei win their respective matches, and Yusuke defeats Chu in a death match, securing Team Urameshi’s victory.
• Round Two: Team Urameshi faces Dr. Ichigaki’s team. After some struggles, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the Masked Fighter (revealed to be Genkai) defeat the mind-controlled fighters, and Yusuke finishes Dr. Ichigaki.
• Quarter-Finals: Team Urameshi faces Team Masho. Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara overcome various challenges, with Yusuke ultimately defeating Jin in a draw. Kuwabara steps in to secure a win, and Yusuke passes a final test from Genkai, receiving her power.
• Semi-Finals: Team Urameshi faces Team Uraotogi. Hiei fights every match, with Kurama and Yusuke contributing. After passing through intense battles and overcoming Genkai’s painful test, Team Urameshi advances.
• Toguro vs. Genkai: Genkai sacrifices herself to defeat Younger Toguro, which pushes Yusuke to awaken his full potential. The team trains for the upcoming final battle.
• Finals: Team Urameshi faces Team Toguro. After intense battles, Yusuke defeats Toguro using a powerful Spirit Gun. Toguro’s defeat reveals that Kuwabara faked his death to push Yusuke to unleash his true power.
• Chapter Epilogue: Team Urameshi wins the tournament, but Sakyo, a tournament organizer, attempts to destroy the arena with a bomb. The group escapes just in time. After the tournament, Yusuke is emotionally affected by Genkai’s death but finds solace when she reappears, having been revived, signaling new adventures ahead.