Yu Yu Hakusho is a shonen anime lauded by fans for many reasons, including its battles of epic proportions. Specifically, one of the most well-known and applauded arcs of the series, the Dark Tournament, houses an abundance of visually stunning and emotionally gripping encounters. This iconic period in Yu Yu Hakusho is packed to the brim with thrilling moments that are still incredible to this day.
In a series that's rife with fighting, there are many showdowns that shonen fans in particular might enjoy. Many of the characters encounter strong resistance to their victories, but their struggles and the strengths that they've worked hard for, among many things, make these battles a must-watch. Yu Yu Hakusho is one '90s anime that absolutely holds up, and the Dark Tournament is arguably its crowning achievement.
10 Hiei vs. Zeru
Despite being one of the shorter fights of the Dark Tournament, Hiei's fight against Zeru is definitely worth paying attention to for many reasons. Among them is the first use of one of Hiei's most well-known techniques: The Dragon of the Darkness Flame or Immolating Black Dragon Wave. For an instant, this fight fools the audience into believing Hiei is easily defeated by Zeru's flame. However, the drama further enhances the impact of Hiei's counterattack. He harnesses the power of black Demon Realm flames, which consume Zeru in the form of a dragon and literally incinerate him from existence. This scene is one of many that demonstrates the feats of sheer strength that Hiei is capable of.
9 Yusuke vs. Chu
Rokuyukai's true leader, Chu, initially seems to be a bit of a mess, but he puts Yusuke through the paces in his first fight of the tournament. Chu's true strength seems to manifest in his Drunken Fist technique, which relies on irregular movement to befuddle his opponents. When the two seem to expend the majority of their power before the match is over, Chu suggests they settle the fight with pure fisticuffs in a knife-edge death match. While the battle ultimately ends with Yusuke's victory, the close-quarters brawl at the end serves to further solidify the respect and iration that Yusuke and Chu have for each other.
8 Yusuke, Kuwabara, Genkai vs. Team Ichigaki
This emotional encounter pits half of Team Urameshi against three of Team Ichigaki. Team Urameshi susses out that the team advisor Dr. Ichigaki is up to no good, which informs the way they approach this fight. Partway through the fight, Kuwabara even refuses to hurt their opponents because it's discovered they were emotionally manipulated, experimented on, and controlled against their will. In the end, they're fighting to save the life of their father figure and teacher, who Dr. Ichigaki promised to cure if they worked for him. This puts Team Urameshi in a complicated situation, where they show their honorable nature by helping Ichigaki's victims remove the implant controlling them and creating a cure for what ailed their mentor. This particular fight is as much about what happens around the fighting as it is about the fighting itself.
7 Yusuke vs. Jin
It's not uncommon for Yusuke to end up befriending his opponents, as seen in his battle with Chu. This is no different in the case of Jin, who immediately charms Yusuke from the beginning. Since Jin and Team Masho's reasons for entering the Dark Tournament are fairly respectable, the clash between him and Yusuke might even make the viewer feel a bit conflicted. However, fans of epic shonen fights will delight in the air vs. ground tactics employed as Yusuke struggles to beat an opponent who can technically almost never be out of bounds. As one might expect, Yusuke ends the fight triumphantly, but not without offering Jin sincere compliments on his capabilities and strength. By all appearances, theirs is another strong and respected friendship formed on the fields of battle.
6 Kurama vs. Ura Urashima
One very big reason to tune into this fight is that it serves as the audience's introduction to Kurama's true form, Yoko Kurama. After first trying to trick Kurama, Urashima employs the use of the Idunn box. He opens the mysterious box to release a flood of purple smoke that fills the arena, which was also caged off by the use of his fishing line. We learn that said box is meant to regress an individual to when they were much younger. Since Urashima had no knowledge of Kurama having lived a lifetime as an infamous and deadly fox demon prior to his time in the Human Realm, he is far from prepared for the appearance of the powerful Yoko Kurama. Needless to say, Kurama dominates the fight in his new form and gets to continue showing off his mastery of otherworldly plants.
5 Genkai vs. Toguro
This battle of the two powerhouses technically occurs outside the ring of the Dark Tournament. Genkai and Toguro have a lot of complicated history and much of it comes out in flashback form during this duel. Genkai, Yusuke's mentor and experienced fighter, is not able to beat the villainous Toguro before he manages to end her life as Yusuke and his friends arrive at the scene. Naturally, this death is an emotional blow to Yusuke, even though Genkai is revived later on, and his ensuing struggles combined with the complicated history surrounding the fight make it one to .
4 Kurama vs. Karasu
The inevitable confrontation between Team Urameshi and Team Toguro starts with Kurama and his opponent, Karasu. Kurama knows from the beginning the trial what he's in for, which is why he eventually relies on transforming into Yoko Kurama. He accomplishes this task with the help and aid of a drug given to him by Team Uraotogi's Suzuki. Even after the transformation and a series of impressive techniques, Kurama struggles to inflict substantial damage to the sinister Karasu and ends up back in his regular form. Determined to the end, Kurama is prepared to sacrifice every last ounce of energy he has to win and his nail-biting, come-from-behind victory finally arrives after the majority of the match is spent with viewers on the edge of their seat. Although unfortunately, his victory is ruled as a technicality and the win is given to Team Toguro.
3 Hiei vs. Bui
At the start, viewers can see that both combatants possess incredible power, until Hiei ultimately removes the bandages and the seal surrounding his right arm. At this point, Hiei claims to have mastered the perilous Dragon of the Darkness Flame technique and unleashes it with unparalleled energy at his opponent, Bui. This particular fight sees a drastic change in animation style, which only serves to heighten the drama when Bui is able to deflect Hiei's technique and the dragon appears to consume Hiei entirely. However, Hiei shows his true strength in his capacity to absorb the energy of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame and soar to even more unimaginable heights. This skirmish really shines with its visually distinct animation style and the outright production that ends with Hiei as the victor.
2 Kuwabara vs. Elder Toguro
Kuwabara's fights in Yu Yu Hakusho always seem to provide a bit of grounding for the series, since he is the only human on the team. Being human doesn't make him weak; on the contrary, Kuwabara's outright determination, his immense spiritual energy, and his ability to navigate otherworldly obstacles are testaments to his skill. In his fight against a powerful demon with the capability to shape-shift and essentially fashion his limbs back together, Kuwabara's endgame strategy is to hit Elder Toguro hard, all at once. The robustness and pure energy required to cause Elder Toguro's body to explode shows viewers just how far Kuwabara's come and that he is far from one to be trifled with.
1 Yusuke vs. Younger Toguro
This climactic fight between Yusuke and Younger Toguro spans the length of five episodes, which Yusuke spends combating Toguro's unbelievable power. When Toguro learns that the only way to witness Yusuke's true strength is by killing his friends, he starts by seemingly slaying Kuwabara. With Yusuke heartbroken that he couldn't save someone who means so much to him, the next phase of the fight sees him and Toguro battling it out until both of them can no longer stand. Yusuke's connection with his friends and the grief that he experiences in lieu of Kuwabara's 'death' makes the end of this match will likely make viewers feel conflicted. This poignant victory is (thankfully) made all the better when it is revealed that Kuwabara survived.
Fans of the ups and downs that shonen anime fights take you on will find themselves well-fed with the sequences that Yu Yu Hakusho has to offer. Both the victories and the losses are extremely impactful and affect the characters in their own distinct ways. The emotional storytelling weaved expertly into gripping action scenes filled with unique characters makes Yu Yu Hakusho's Dark Tournament Arc an ultimate must-watch for any shonen fan.
