Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho are some of the best shonen anime and manga out there. Both were written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi, and have often been compared to one another for a long time. While Hunter x Hunter is one of the best anime out there, it’s obvious that Yu Yu Hakusho had a heavy influence on it.
Fans of both works have long argued over which is better, but at the end of the day, there isn’t a right or wrong answer. Both series have their strengths and weaknesses but fans can agree that they’re amazing. Here are some ways in which Yu Yu Hakusho is a little bit stronger than Hunter x Hunter.
10 Catered More To An Older Audience
This isn’t to say that Hunter x Hunter doesn’t have its mature and dark moments (because it does), but visually Yu Yu Hakusho looks like it’s more targeted toward an older audience. Three of the four protagonists in Hunter x Hunter are young kids whereas Team Urameshi are older teens, the typical standard for shonen anime. Looking at both, one might think Hunter x Hunter is a kid's show and it doesn’t help that Gon is also a friendly and naive boy.
Yu Yu Hakusho’s protagonists are older and a little more mature, but “friendly” and “naive” aren’t the words first used to describe any of them. From Hiei’s ruthlessness to Kurama’s cunning mind to Yusuke flipping the bird and cursing at people, it’s obvious from the get-go that Yu Yu Hakusho is for older teens and above.
9 Strong Group Dynamic
Team Urameshi has one of the most well-balanced groups in the anime world, and not just because of their fighting abilities. While it’s obvious that Yusuke and Kuwabara or Hiei and Kurama work very well together in pairs, the four of them can work well in any pair. They pick up where one lacks; Kurama is analytical during his fights whereas Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara tend to be more impulsive.
Though they have rivalries with each other, all four of them know when to put it aside and work together. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and what they’re capable of. If one falls in battle, the other three are quick to pick up where they left off.
8 The Female Characters Had Time To Shine
Most supporting females in shonen anime tend to get lost in the shadows of the protagonists, often not shining bright. But Yu Yu Hakusho took some time to make sure their supporting ladies could shine. Keiko remained a constant presence in Yusuke’s life, even attending the Dark Tournament to support him. Botan was a great friend and occasional advisor to Team Urameshi along with being a comedic character. Yukina was a reason why Kuwabara became stronger in some of his fights.
The ladies may not have had much screen time compared to the men, but fans have fond memories of them. They made their moments count whether they were beating up Yusuke or Kuwabara, or providing some wisdom to Team Urameshi.
7 Siblings Having A Healthy Tough Love Relationship
Sibling relationships in the anime world can either be close and loving, one doesn’t care for the other, or they’re trying to kill each other. Very rarely are there sibling relationships that feel it’s a perfect balance of caring and tough love, but that’s exactly what makes Kuwabara and Shizuru’s relationship special. Shizuru was a typical older sister in thinking that her younger brother was annoying and an idiot, but she cared for his overall well-being.
She supported him and Team Urameshi during the Dark Tournament and even beat up a couple of low-level demons. Shizuru was critical but not cruel to Kuwabara whenever he failed something, and he would listen to her criticism. They may not get along all the time, but the two of them are always there for one another and aren’t toxic.
6 Yusuke Set The Bar For A Certain Archetype
Yusuke is a delinquent through and through, but he’s a delinquent with a heart of gold. Sure, he’s not afraid to curse at his enemies or anyone else that makes him mad, but he’s not a cruel person like most think he is. He doesn’t go picking fights with everyone and will help anyone in need. But he doesn’t do it just to help, he also likes a good fight and proving himself as a strong warrior.
Though Kuwabara is a delinquent as well, it was obvious that he is a better person than his friend as he has a moral code that he sticks to (like not fighting women). Yusuke doesn’t care about any person's age or gender. If they pick a fight with him, he’s going to treat them as a warrior and fight with all of his strength to win.
5 Genkai Is Different Than Most Female Teachers
Having a wise older teacher is usually standard in anime, and there is no shortage of female mentors out there to help. However, most of them tend to be a little obsessed with staying young or using their techniques to keep their appearance young-looking. Nothing wrong with it, but seeing Genkai accept her aging appearance and age overall was refreshing as most would see it as just a step closer to death and losing their beauty.
Genkai was more concerned about finding a successor and eventually found Yusuke to be the perfect one. She trained him to be strong enough so she could pass her Spirit Wave Orb technique to him so he could defeat Younger Toguro once and for all.
4 Charismatic Villains
While Hunter x Hunter has some amazing villains like Hisoka and Meruem, Yu Yu Hakusho’s villains are just a little more charismatic and frightening in a very different way. Younger Toguro was a human who became a demon so that he would never lose his strength from aging. He was a huge reason why Yusuke became a strong warrior, and remains a favorite among fans because of how strong he is and his strong code of honor.
Shinobu Sensui is one villain that made viewers feel torn because he made some good points. He pointed out that not all demons are evil and not all humans are good, having watched the Chapter Black video that showed the monstrosities humans are capable of. Fans couldn’t help but understand why Sensui turned out the way he did and why he was against humanity.
3 Romance Had Time To Bloom
Though the romance wasn’t lovey-dovey, Yu Yu Hakusho made sure to make the few moments count. Yusuke and Keiko had some of the best scenes together because their relationship was clear from the beginning. It was obvious to the viewers and the two of them that their bond is special and they treasured it. Keiko would worry greatly about Yusuke’s safety, but she wasn’t above smacking him around if he got out of line.
Even when Yusuke was going to leave for the Demon World Tournament and be gone for three years, he promised her he would come back and they’d get married. Keiko waited for him and the two of them would officially become a couple afterward.
2 The Comedy Moments Are Pure Gold
The show has plenty of hilarious moments that are just comedy gold. Kuwabara and Yusuke tend to be at the center of them, but even Hiei and Kurama have some funny moments. At the beginning of the series, Kuwabara lost his cool when someone kidnapped his cat which some fans might find relatable. Keiko slapping Yusuke never gets old, and Kuwabara fanboying over Yukina is a mix of hilarity and sweetness.
Kuwabara and Hiei tend to be antagonistic to each other, but these interactions are hilarious because Kuwabara takes the bait every time. Kurama isn’t afraid to poke fun at his teammates, which is often a surprise since he’s usually calm and collected. To this day, fans are still wondering exactly what kind of face he made that forced Kaito to laugh and lose his soul in the process.
1 The Dark Tournament Arc Reigns Supreme
When it comes to tournaments happening in the anime world, the Dark Tournament Arc in Yu Yu Hakusho is arguably the best out there. So many things happened that it left fans on the edge of their seats because of the high stakes. From Team Toguro killing their enemies mercilessly to Yusuke struggling to find the strength to defeat Younger Toguro, there was a lot happening during this time.
This arc set the standard for tournaments because of its amazing story and how the characters grew. Fans not only got to see Team Urameshi grow but also saw supporting characters go through some changes as well. Overall, the Dark Tournament Arc showed how a tournament arc should be done and has remained one of the best storylines to ever come out.