Yoshihiro Togashi is considered by many to be one of the greatest mangakas of all time, with his work on Hunter x Hunter being the stuff of legends for all the right reasons. That being said, one has to admit that the brilliance of this particular manga could never have come to be had it not been for Togashi’s previous series, Yu Yu Hakusho.
The journey of the protagonist along with other similarly colorful characters is a truly entertaining one and goes to show how a cast of amazing characters can carry forward a plot that might not have aged well for many viewers. A big part of what makes these characters memorable is their personal story arcs, and this list will take a look at each of these character arcs in detail while ranking them on the basis of their overall quality.
Koenma
The last person whom one would expect to be the ruler of the Spirit World is a child-like entity who treats his subordinates like dirt, which is exactly what makes Koenma such a unique character.
However, he’s also a character who remains stagnant for a major chunk of the show, with his contribution to the fight against Sensui being the only notable thing he does for a major chunk of the show. Even showing him in an adult body isn’t enough to make this character compelling in the slightest.
Botan
The Spirit World guide who ends up helping Yusuke out and allowing him to return back to Earth as a spirit detective is an interesting character in her own right who definitely has her moments throughout the series.
However, one has to admit that Botan never really has any major character moments barring a few emotional scenes… and even those don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things either.
Keiko Yukimura
The problem with any character who’s meant to serve as the love interest of a shonen series’ protagonist is the fact that their individual motivations don’t really matter — it’s more about the dynamic they have with the main character and nothing else.
Keiko’s character suffers heavily from this problem, making her character completely stagnant when she’s not interacting with or affected by Yusuke.
Shinobu Sensui
Sensui was definitely quite an interesting character who made for a rather compelling antagonist after the events of the Dark Tournament, although one has to admit that he was still nowhere near as compelling as the villain of the previous arc.
While his backstory and the idea of having seven personalities was certainly an intriguing concept, the manner in which he was easily disposed of by a transformed Yusuke ultimately ended up harming his character quite a bit.
Genkai
The mentor of Yusuke is certainly an interesting character in the series, with her interactions being equally informative and amusing to the viewer.
It certainly helps that the dynamic she shares with Toguro makes her quite an excellent focal point during the Dark Tournament… although her character definitely falls off in terms of overall relevancy as the series progresses.
Hiei
The fact that a fire demon was born in a land of ice maidens makes it clear from the get-go that Hiei is nothing more than an outcast who only wishes to belong somewhere instead of meandering without any sense of identity or belongingness.
However, before this arc could be properly explored, Yu Yu Hakusho ended abruptly and left the future of Hiei’s character development up in the air.
Younger Toguro
The Dark Tournament arc is easily the best arc of Yu Yu Hakusho by a country mile, in no small part due to a brilliant antagonist who ends up being wildly compelling due to the highly personal nature of his inner conflict.
From the dynamic he shares with Genkai to the rivalry he forms with Yusuke — Toguro is easily a highlight of the Dark Tournament arc, with the final fight he has with Yusuke being the stuff of legends.
Kazuma Kuwabara
Kuwabara might be nothing more than an excuse for some comic relief throughout Yu Yu Hakusho, but there’s no denying the fact that the moments where he does get to shine end up being some of the most powerful and memorable highlights in the entire series.
His dynamic with a friend-cum-rival in the form of Yusuke, coupled with the latent power of his Spirit Sword makes him one of the best characters in the entire series, which is why it’s a shame that he doesn’t really have a role to play in the final arc of the series — an arc that is horribly rushed and provides a rather unsatisfactory conclusion to an otherwise excellent series.
Kurama
Kurama might seem like a rather stoic and collected individual, but the fact of the matter is that he definitely has huge personal stakes involved in every battle due to the dynamic he shares with his more powerful half, Yoko Kurama.
The manner in which he strives to strike a balance between his human and demon halves, only to retain his human self to justify the love he had for his mother is one of the few highlights in the last arc that is otherwise rushed without providing any definitive conclusions.
Yusuke Urameshi
It was only a given that the character with the best arc in Yu Yu Hakusho simply had to be the iconic protagonist of the series.
Yusuke’s personality is easily one of the most unique and likable aspects of his characters, and the personal stakes he has invested in pretty much every arc post his appointment as the Spirit Detective makes each and every scene featuring his character an absolute joy to behold. Regardless of how Yu Yu Hakusho may have ended, there’s no denying the fact that Yusuke was still an excellent part of the series nevertheless.
