With an overall IMDb rating of 8.4, Yu Yu Hakusho has definitely solidified its status as one of the greatest anime of all time. Despite being produced over 20 years ago, it's gone on to influence every other major shonen-style show that came after it. From the first episode, we were hooked, and you can best believe that the story was filled with plot twist after plot twist that kept us waiting every week for a new episode during its original stint on television.

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While every Yu Yu Hakusho fan has their own favorite episode, there are some that just universally good, containing the right balance of storytelling, action, and drama. Luckily for you, we've assembled the top ten rated episodes (according to their scores on IMDb) so you can start your trip down memory lane with no excuses for not knowing where you should start!

10 "The Three Eyes of Hiei" (7.8)

It's pretty easy for fans to forget that Hiei, the anti-hero of the group, used to be a bonafide bad guy. "The Three Eyes of Hiei" marks the first time he and Yusuke met in combat after the demon kidnaps Yusuke's love interest, Keiko. During their fight, Hiei debuts a transformation that we're glad we've never seen him use again since it felt like a pretty useless powerup.

Despite being only the eighth episode of the show, the well-paced fight between Yusuke and Hiei highlighted that unique combination of wits and luck that allowed Yusuke to live through a lot of his earlier battles. After remembering a time where the boys didn't see eye to eye, it makes us better appreciate the Yu Yu Hakusho bromance that took so many episodes to develop.

9 "Surprised to be Dead" (7.8)

It was the first episode of this series that initially captivated every anime fan in the first place so, of course, it would be on this list at some point!

After saving a young boy from getting hit by a car, the infamous delinquent Yusuke Urameshi dies after getting hit himself. Yusuke's wake is a scene that often gets forgotten next to the heart-stopping battles of future episodes. It's a touching scene that sets Yusuke up as an unlikely hero on a quest for moral redemption.

8 "Sleep, Doctor, Sleep" (7.8)

The Chapter Black Saga was so popular due to the fact that the main antagonists weren't demons. In fact, they were psychic humans! One that often gets overlooked is Minoru Kamiya, otherwise known as "The Doctor". Though Yusuke and The Doctor didn't do as much fighting as they did in the previous episode, Yusuke also found himself fighting against time after Keiko had been infected by The Doctor's lethal virus.

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The two engaged in a brief philosophical discussion that shed more light on why others chose to follow Sensui in the first place, and Yusuke's own morals were put to the test as he wrestled with potentially having to kill a human for the first time.

7 "The Secret of the Jagan" (7.9)

We'd always known Hiei's Jagan Eye was artificial, but we never knew how he got it. Serving as a deep dive into Hiei's past, "The Secret of the Jagan" answered this question. We got to see for ourselves just how sadistic he was as a young boy, watching him struggle to find the place of his birth while fending off the demons that sought the valuable Tear Stone made from his mother's frozen teardrop.

Back in the present, we get to see a battle between Hiei and the man who gave him his Jagan Eye, the demon surgeon Shigure, as the two slice off entire sections of their bodies in what was supposed to be a light sparring match. After this episode, fans can understand why Hiei is who he is, but at this point, he'd already earned our trust long ago.

6 "Out With a Bang" (7.9)

This episode takes place right after Yusuke defeats Toguro with a powerful Spirit Gun. Sakyo, the lucrative businessman who organized the Dark Tournament, activated a timed detonation to destroy the stadium, burying himself and his future ambitions for good. Yusuke and his friends, however, raced to escape certain death.

Not only did we feel somewhat sorry for Sakyo, but fans were relieved to know that Kuwabara hadn't died after Toguro's assault. Despite this episode's grave stakes, somehow it was one of the Dark Tournament Saga's more lighthearted episodes. It's a shame Shizuru and Sakyo never even got to go on a single date though...

5 "Wielder of the Dragon" (8.0)

Yu Yu Hakusho's Dark Tournament Saga set the precedent for what an anime tournament should look like due to the heavy stakes and outside forces working against Team Urameshi. In this episode, Hiei brought out the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to defeat the formidable Bui, and despite already witnessing his uncontrollable strength, the last thing we expected him to do was completely redirect the Dragon towards Hiei.

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Just when we thought Hiei had been consumed by his own attack, he appeared out of thin air, having absorbed the Dragon into his own body. Fans will never forget the fear-motivated beating that Bui attempted to give Hiei, tossing him all over the stadium to no avail. Hiei truly made us proud with this one.

4 "Suzuka's Challenge" (8.1)

By the time this episode starts, Yusuke's fully absorbs the Spirit Wave Orb but is left unconscious after the near-fatal experience. He and Keiko are quickly saved by our favorite members of Team Rokuyukai and Team Masho, giving us more respect for some of the most honorable demons in the series.

Meanwhile, Genkai steps up in Kuwabara's place to face the master of disguises, Suzuki. This episode solidified her status as one of the strongest characters in the series as she gave Suzuki the beating of a lifetime without even using much of her Spirit Energy. Though his face will never look the same again, at least his toosh is, according to the announcer Juri, still "remarkably firm".

3 "The Doctor's Disease" (8.5)

Despite being the predecessor to the episode "Sleep, Doctor, Sleep", "The Doctor's Disease" is by far the better episode. After heading to the hospital, Yusuke, Genkai, and a few other friendly psychics are caught in The Doctor's territory, where he seeks to poison every human around. His ability to use his arms as bone-severing scalpels also made him a formidable foe in close combat.

Yusuke and The Doctor engage in a fluidly animated duel that's choreographed down to every move, but before their battle can even really begin, Yusuke pummels the doctor in a flurry of punches that gave even us a headache! If anything, this episode taught us not to piss Yusuke off if we hadn't learned by now.

2 "Kurama's Stand" (8.6)

Unlike the direct fighting styles of his teammates, Kurama quickly demonstrated himself as the strategist of the group. With Genkai and Hiei trapped by an evil nurse and Kurama prevented from using his Spirit Energy, the episode kicked off to a bad start as Kurama met the ice-wielding ninja Toya in the ring.

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A few times, we thought Kurama wouldn't make it out of this one alive. Thankfully at the last second, he was able to pull off a clever victory that was immediately spoiled by the beating he was forced to endure by the dishonorable (and most likely hospitalized after fighting Yusuke) Bakken.

1 "Master of Disguise" (8.7)

Coincidentally, the most highly-rated episode of Yu Yu Hakusho happens to be the one directly before "Kurama's Stand", in which we're first introduced to the Shinobi of the Spirit World, otherwise known as Team Masho. An evil "nurse" traps Hiei and Genkai before this round can begin, leaving Team Urameshi at a 2 to 5 disadvantage.

Even Gama was a formidable foe, able to seal one's movements with his paint, and we had no idea Kurama's rose whip controlled by his hair would enable him to secure a victory at the last minute. Even after mortally wounding his opponent, Kurama maintained an aura of diplomacy, but it was this very naive diplomacy that led to his Spirit Energy being sealed during his next fight.

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