Yu Yu Hakusho will always be regarded as one of the greatest anime series out there. It laid the foundation for many other Shonen series that would follow, featuring a high-stakes tournament arc, an inventive plot, and characters that would stick with fans for so long that a 2018 OVA was released to celebrate the anime's 25th anniversary.
There were countless moments in the show that left viewers at a loss for words as the narrative began to contort in directions that no one could've seen coming. Here are some of those moments that left fans staring at their screens and at a loss for words.
10 Kuwabara's First Spirit Sword
When Yusuke and Kuwabara entered a tournament held by Yusuke's future teacher, Genkai, it was evident that they were both severely outmatched by some of the other participants. During his fight against the swordsman Musashi, Kuwabara managed to save himself at the last second by channeling his Spirit Energy around a broken piece of wood, generating his own bright orange sword in the process.
This technique made Kuwabara more than just a "sidekick", giving him his own unique and fearsome ability. Coupled with his enhanced Spiritual Awareness, he became a skilled swordsman in his own right months later.
9 Hiei Debuts the Dragon of Darkness
During his first match of the Dark Tournament, Hiei debuted his "Dragon of the Darkness Flame" technique, summoning an uncontrollable dragon from the Demon World's darkest depths. Zeru, his fire-wielding foe, took the attack head-on, and when the smoke cleared, the only thing left of Zeru was a charred outline.
At the time, this move felt like a complete overkill, especially since Hiei hadn't even engaged Zeru in extensive combat before resorting to the technique. It came out of nowhere, and viewers couldn't believe that one of the main characters could summon such a terrifying monster.
8 Yusuke Awakens His Full Power after Kuwabara's "Death"
After Yusuke shattered his Spirit Cuffs during his battle with Toguro, it was clear that he had the necessary power needed to win the battle. The problem was that the emotional trigger had yet to be pulled, and without an added sense of urgency, Yusuke's full potential would remain untapped. Toguro, eager to see Yusuke's full power, swiftly killed Kuwabara, spurring one of Yu Yu Hakusho's most legendary scenes.
Yusuke, now grieving over the loss of his comrade, moves so fast that Toguro couldn't even track his movements. His Spirit Energy fills the arena, changing the atmosphere, and he follows up with a hook that realigns Toguro's neck and a Spirit Gun that blows him out of the arena. Although Yusuke did manage to win, viewers were given another shock with the revelation that Kuwabara hadn't actually been killed.
7 Raizen Tries to Eat Yusuke
When viewers learned that one of Yusuke's ancestors happened to be Raizen, one of the Three Kings of the Demon World, they were excited to see just how the two would interact once they met face to face. Raizen, proving to be just as noble as Yusuke, had remained true to his vow to abstain from eating humans and had grown weak as a result of starving himself for centuries.
During his final moments, he snapped, nearly killing Yusuke as his hunger took over his senses. When he managed to get a grip, he died peacefully with Yusuke as the only witness. Raizen's death was so sudden, giving both viewers and Yusuke no time to cope with the loss of such an admirable man.
6 Toguro Kills Genkai
Despite being so old, Genkai was bursting with more energy than many of the youngsters she found herself surrounded by. Her mastery of Spirit Energy allowed her to get herself out of some truly harrowing situations. After she had given most of her powers to Yusuke, Toguro sought to claim her life. If Yu Yu Hakusho followed traditional anime conventions, Yusuke would've saved her at the last second, but neither Genkai nor Yusuke could match Toguro's strength at the time.
Like Yusuke, viewers were forced to accept the fact that they'd lost such a pivotal character. Sure, she would be revived after Toguro was defeated, but that scene of Yusuke firing off a Spirit Gun to honor her will forever go down as one of anime's most emotional scenes.
5 Kurama Kills a Kid
Throughout the series, Kurama was always one of the most compassionate, sensible characters. He was also known to throw all of that compassion out the window to achieve his goals. Fans saw this first hand during the "Chapter Black Arc" when Kurama competed against the young Amanuma in a game of Tetris. The problem was, Amanuma's psychic powers generated a realistic simulation of the game "Goblin City", and beating Amanuma would also mean killing him. Kurama not only realized this but told Amanuma, before claiming the victory.
The guilt of killing Amanuma didn't stay with him for long, as he explicitly told Yusuke that he regretted nothing. Knowing that Kurama had changed his ways since his dark past, viewers expected him to try and find a way around killing an ignorant child to advance, but nevertheless, everyone learned to never stand in the Fox Demon's way.
4 Second Time's the Charm, Yusuke Lives Again
While there are countless examples of anime characters who've died once before only to have come back to life, viewers found it hard to believe that Yusuke not only died twice but came back to life twice as well. Everyone knew that Sensui wouldn't be a pushover, but nobody actually thought that he'd kill Yusuke. After his second death, it was revealed that Yusuke was a descendant of an extremely powerful demon tribe known as the Mazokou, and because he had possessed enough strength, the ancestral demon blood that resided in him brought him back to life, making him stronger than before.
This news seemed to come out of nowhere, having not been hinted at anywhere else in the series before this point. What added to the shock was that Yusuke's Spirit Beast, Pu, also underwent a transformation, turning him into a gigantic phoenix-like creature that pretty much alleviated any need for Yusuke to get a drivers license.
3 Yusuke and Hiei Round 2
Despite a rough beginning, it didn't take long for Hiei to become a trusted member of Yusuke's team. When Sensui began to open a porthole to the Demon World, Yusuke lost the will to keep going. Without warning. Hiei challenged him to a fight, and the two engaged in a brief bout of high-speed punches that showed just how far they'd come.
Although no one truly expected Hiei to kill Yusuke, nobody really expected him to seriously throw down with Yusuke the way he did. It's a shame they never got the chance to face off during the Demon World Tournament. Yusuke could've easily handled the Dragon of the Darkness Flame.
2 Yusuke Loses after Creating His Own Energy
During his final battle against the Demon King Yomi, Yusuke applied everything he'd learned up until that point to defeat his strongest foe yet. When pushed to his limit, he created unique energy that, though similar to Sensui's Sacred Energy, was something much more. As the fight neared its conclusion, both fighters exchanged enhanced blows.
When Yusuke managed to catch his breath, viewers were stunned to realize that he had actually been knocked out for a whole week. Instead of giving Yusuke the victory, especially after he'd unlocked a new level of power, Togashi went a different route, deciding to humble our otherwise cocky protagonist just a bit more.
1 Yusuke Returns from the Demon Realm
At the end of Yu Yu Hakusho (at least in the anime), the gang decided to spend a day on the beach. When Yusuke didn't show up, Keiko, his fiance, claimed that she was done waiting for him, since he never really gave Keiko the attention she deserved throughout most of the series anyway.
When he appeared at the end of her proclamation, viewers were given a heartfelt conclusion to the series. They got to see a version of Yusuke who was finally ready to compromise and balance his own desires with Keiko's needs. Our Yusuke had finally grown up, and it only took him 112 episodes to do it.