There is no question that Bleach has made a significant impact on the climate of anime appreciation. Its popularity has exceeded the borders of Japan, generating devoted fanbases around the world. The same can be said of Yu Yu Hakusho, an early 90s series, that all but solidified the shōnen template.
However, many fans have noticed striking similarities between the two, to the extent of bordering on mimicry. While Bleach does have a different concept, as well as a unique plot, the structure of both stories parallel each other in multiple ways. Here are five points that explain how Bleach is a copy of Yu Yu Hakusho, as well as five that validate the latter's originality.
10 Ripped Off: Yusuke And Ichigo Are Both Temps
Yusuke is offered the position of a Spirit Detective, to hunt down demons and bring them to justice. His role is meant to be a temporary one, as a means of repentance for his sins. Ichigo, on the same hand, becomes a Substitute Shinigami, being a human with Shinigami powers tasked with killing monsters known as Hollows.
Both jobs are given to them by Death Gods, in Bleach by the generic variety, and in Yu Yu Hakusho, by King Yama himself (who also influenced the name of the Shinigami leader, Yamamoto.)
9 Original: Bleach Has Zanpakutos
Bleach has a hierarchy in the afterlife, with a collective of Shinigami ferrying the souls of the dead to Soul Socety. These Soul Reapers have weapons known as zanpakutos, which are a manifestation of their own personalities.
This allows the story to take on several different perspectives when considering the innumerable varieties and histories of zanpakutos in Soul Society. The only character in Yu Yu Hakusho who has anything resembling a sword is Kuwabara, and his weapon is made of light.
8 Ripped Off: The First Arc Has An Unseen Opponent
In order to secure a position as Genkai's student, Yusuke has to pass an entrance test, beating all the other potentials. There is a demon named Rando also vying for the same position. However, he takes the form of a sweet little child, until the final test, in which he finally reveals his true form (and his true powers.)
Ichigo may not be running around Seiretei as part of an entrance exam, but the villain he faces at the end is also highly capable of controlling how people see him — Aizen.
7 Original: Bleach Has A Far More Detailed Storyline
Yu Yu Hakusho completes itself in four arcs, taking Yusuke and his friends through several ordeals (but all of them involving either demons or humans as the antagonists).
However, Bleach's narrative is much more complex, involving different types of creatures: Humans, Hollows, Arrancar, Espada, Quincy, Shinigami, Visored, and Fullbringers. The story becomes even more elaborate when plot-lines transcend time, like in the Turn Back The Pendulum arc.
6 Ripped Off: Identical Enemy Power-Ups In The Second Arc
During the Dark Tournament Final, Yusuke takes on the Younger Toguro, who is blessed with demon powers. Due to his immense strength, Toguro starts off the match at 80% of his power, but increases it to 100% soon enough, and, when Yusuke proves capable of handling even that, he ups the ante with a 100% of his 100% form.
Aizen evolves with the Hogyoku into a higher form during his fight with Isshin, Yoruichi and Urahara. His cocoon breaks at the end, and his second form is vastly more powerful (known to fans as Butterflaizen.) However, Dangai Ichigo shows that he can easily crush Aizen even in his superior form, so the latter takes on his ultimate composition: a terrifying Hollow-Shinigami blend. In both cases, the heroes beat the villains in their final form.
5 Original: Bleach Has Lots Of Amazing Side Characters
Yu Yu Hakusho usually follows only the story of Yusuke, with a few detours into Koenma's comic life, or the occasional flashback. Bleach, on the other hand, has so many characters that the most devout fan would be hard-pressed to identify (or even remember) all of them.
Furthermore, many characters in Bleach have their own arcs, completely independent of Ichigo's. For instance, the backstories of Kenpachi and Unohana, Aizen and The Visored, Matsumoto and Gin, to name a few.
4 Ripped Off: Ordinary Humans Have Special Powers In The Third Arc
The most dangerous enemy Yusuke encounters is no monster. Shinobu Sensui was a human man who obtains Sacred Energy, the highest possible level (according to Koenma.) His existence is discovered by Genkai when several Humans come to her, asking what to do about the new powers they suddenly possess.
In Bleach, Ichigo meets Kugo Ginjou, a human with a special power called Fullbring, who shows him that it is possible to have powers without being Shinigami. The most glaring similarity is that Sensui and Kugo are the respective predecessors of Yusuke and Ichigo, being the previous Spirit Detective and the previous Substitute Shinigami, respectively.
3 Original: Bleach Has Filler Arcs
While this does give Bleach a semblance of originality, it isn't exactly a positive trait. The several filler arcs in the show are well-designed and animated, but their stories often have no real sense of direction. More than that, some of the fillers blatantly negate previously established canon, for instance, the power levels of the Captains.
In the Gotei 13 Invading Army Arc, the antagonist, Inaba Kageroza, displays a level of skill that manages to strike down even the most powerful Shinigami, Yamamoto. An impossible feat, given that reiatsu trumps everything in Bleach, regardless of technique or experience.
2 Ripped Off: Yusuke And Ichigo Discover Their Ancestors Are The Most Powerful Characters In The Fourth Arc
In the final arcs of both anime, the protagonists come to realize their heritage is not exactly what it seems. Yusuke finds out that he has descended from the most powerful demon, Raizen, when he is reborn as a mazoku via demon energy. This makes him a demon-human hybrid, and as such, the most likely candidate to handle the power struggle in Makai.
Ichigo discovers his lineage extends through his mother to Yhwach, a Quincy who could strike down the likes of Yamamoto Genryusai in a single blow, making him a quincy-human-shinigami-hollow hybrid.
1 Original: Bleach Has Aizen Sosuke
Aizen Sosuke's deviousness has created a cult following, inspiring innumerable memes across the internet. He is so powerful, that he rarely even needs to use his zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, although doing so makes him plain unbeatable.
Aizen planned Ichigo's birth, claiming it was part of an experiment he was conducting. Many people have tried to kill him, but every single one of them has failed — because none of them went "according to plan".