15 Japanese Names of Characters From Yu Yu Hakusho

Love finding out the meaning of your favorite manga character names? Here is a list of teh Japanese names of characters from Yu Yu Hakusho along with the meaning. Check it out!

“Yu Yu Hakusho” captivates fans with its thrilling blend of martial arts and the supernatural. The Japanese names of its characters are not just identifiers but imbue the series with cultural depth and meaning, reflecting their unique powers and poignant backstories in the intricate tapestry of this beloved anime classic.

Japanese Names Of Characters From Yu Yu Hakusho

Yusuke Urameshi  – 浦飯 幽助 – Urameshi Yūsuke  

Yusuke is the primary protagonist of the series. He is a spirit detective whose main goal is to protect the human world from supernatural threats over the course of the series. 

To help him with this, he has his closest friends and greatest allies. Yusuke’s name is written as 浦飯 幽助 and means Ghost Helper.

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Kazuma Kuwabara – 桑原和真 – Kuwabara Kazuma

   

Kazuma is Yusuke’s classmate and the second-toughest kid at Sarayashiki Junior High School. Kazuma has a great sixth sense. He can sense when ghosts and the paranormal beings are around. 

He can also create a blade out of his own spirit energy. His name, Kazuma Kuwabara is written as 桑原和真 where Kazuma stands for Peace and Truth, while his family name Kuwabara, means “Mulberry Field.” 

Yoko Kurama – 妖狐蔵馬

Kurama is one of the wisest and calmest persons amongst the main characters in the series. He has the ability to manipulate plants and can wield a whip created from a rose vine, covered in thorns. 

Yoko Kurama’s name is written as 妖狐蔵馬.The name Yoko literally translates to “Demon Fox” in Japanese. From his second name, ‘Kura’ (蔵) means storage and ‘Ma’(馬) is a horse. 

With his human name, ‘Minami’ (南) means south, ‘No’(野) is a field, ‘Shu’ (秀) is smart, and ‘Ichi’ (一) means one.

Hiei – 飛(ひ)影(えい) 

Hiei is a male fire demon whose mother was forced to abandon him because koorime prohibits male children. Due to this, Hiei was taken in by a gang of thieves at a young age where he learnt several skills. 

He is seen to be wearing a white headband which conceals his Jagan Eye, which is placed on his forehead and has a purple iris. 

Hiei’s name is written as 飛(ひ)影(えい). In Japanese、 his name Hi’ (飛) means to fly and ‘Ei’ (影) stands for shadow、 which is Flying Shadow. 

He is also knows as Jaganshi Hiei, which translates to 邪(じゃ)眼(がん)師(し)飛(ひ)影(えい)Master of the Evil Eye: Flying Shadow.

 Botan – ぼたん 

Botan is the guide for the dead to the spirit world and a close friend to Yusuke. She is described as cheerful and sometimes sarcastic. 

Although her initial job was to help Yusuke cross over to the spirit world, she changed her plan by helping him return to his body. She is also the main reason why Yusuke became a spirit detective. 

Her name, Botan, means Peony and is written in Hiragana.

Genkai – 幻海 

Genkai is an elderly martial arts expert who coaches Yusuke in the Spirit Light Wave Fist (Reikou Hadou Ken). 

Even with her advanced age, Genkai still has the fighter gene within and is capable of using some Reiki. From her name, ‘Gen’ (幻) means illusion and ‘Kai’ (海) means ocean. Her name can be summarized as Sea of Apparitions.

King Enma Jr. – 閻魔ジュニア or Koenma – 閻魔 [コエンマ]

Koenma is the current ruler of the spirit world and the son of his father and co-ruler, Great King Enma. He was responsible for appointing Yusuke as a spirit detective. His primary job is to decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. 

In Japanese his name can be translated as ‘Ko’(コ) means little and ‘Enma’(エンマ) means the king of hell, so basically his name is Enma Jr.

Pu ぷう or Pusuke ぷう助

Pu is Yusuke’s spirit beast who is described as being a small, beady-eyed, bird-like creature with a blue body, yellow beak, and tiny arms and feet. Pu eventually evolves into an adult who is a gigantic phoenix-like bird. 

As Pu is a spirit beast, it is said to mimic the personality of its master. The name Pu itself has no specific Japanese meaning.

Keiko Yukimura 雪村 螢子

Keiko is Yusuke’s classmate and has always cared for him. She is described as being very brave and has shown a lot of understanding of what Yusuke does.

In Japanese, ‘Yuki’(雪) means snow, ‘Mura’(村) means village, ‘Kei’ (螢) means firefly, and ‘Ko’ (子) means child. In Japanese, ‘Yuki’(雪) means snow, ‘Mura’(村) means village, ‘Kei’ (螢) means firefly, and ‘Ko’ (子) means child.

Yukina 雪菜

Yukina is a member of Ice Apparitions which is an all-female race of demons. She is also the sister of Hiei and the love interest of Kazuma. 

As she is a member of a demonic family of winter spirits, she can produce beautiful jewels from her tears.

In Japanese, her name ‘Yuki’ 雪 means snow, combined with ‘na’ 菜 which means vegetables.

En 園

En was a human and student under the martial arts master Mitamura. He was also a former member of Team Ichigaki during the Dark Tournament Saga. 

He was shown to be an ally of Yusuke Urameshi during the Dark Tournament’s finals. In Japanese, the name ‘En’ 園 stands for garden.

Yatsude 八手 

Yatsude is a demon that appears as an antagonist. Initially, it seemed like his goal was to kill Shuichi Minamino, but his actual goal was to obtain strength through the consumption of powerful beings. 

Yatsude is described as wearing a dumbfound, artificial facial expression, and has buck teeth. The name ‘Yatsude’ 八手 in Japanese can be translated as eight hands.

Suzaku 朱雀

Also known as ‘Crimson Sparrow’, Suzaku is the leader of The Four Saint Beasts. He is also one of the primary antagonists of the Spirit Detective Saga’s Maze Castle arc. 

Suzaku’s character is described as being quite sadistic in combat as he is often seen ruthlessly torturing Yusuke with lightning strikes. He also carries hatred towards humans, even saying that they deserve genocide. 

In Japanese, his name can be described as ‘Su’ 朱 which means vermillion and ‘jaku’ which means sparrow.

Asato 朝人

Asato is a character in Yu Yu Hakusho who develops demon-like powers. In the beginning, he is shown to be very arrogant, but later on, it was revealed that he was a good person who was undergoing training from Genkai. 

He is described as being apologetic and immediately begs for forgiveness from Yusuke for hurting his friends. 

In Japanese, Asato’s name can be described as ‘asa’ 朝 meaning morning combined with ‘to’ 人 person.

Kiyoshi 清

Kiyoshi is a former member of the Sensui Seven and is now an ally of Yusuke Urameshi. After being indoctrinated by Sensui, Kiyoshi develops hatred towards humans and carries a desire to punish them for all their sins and immoralities. 

However, after he witnessed acts of kindness by Kuwabara and his friends, his outlook towards life changed. In Japanese, his name ‘kiyoshi’ 清 can be described as pure. 

Japanese Names of Characters From Yu Yu Hakusho: FAQs

Who helps Yusuke in the series?

To help him on his venture, Yuusuke partners up with ex-rival Kazuma Kuwabara, and two demons, Hiei and Kurama. Together, they train and fight against enemies who threaten humanity’s very existence. As he fights with the demons, he becomes stronger and eventually finds himself involved in fights between the human world and the underworld.

What does Yu Yu Hakusho mean?

The Japanese title for Yu Yu Hakusho is幽 遊 白書 which means ‘Ghost Files’. Now there are two ‘Yu’ in the title and both look and mean different things. The first Yu (幽) which is also used in the main character’s name means ghost, while the second Yu (遊) means to play. Hakusho (白書) translates to report.

So, there you have it. Your top 7 Japanese names of the characters from Yu Yu Hakusho. In closing, I find all the above mentioned characters intriguing in their own ways with each of them having their own unique role to play.

It is no wonder that Yu Yu Hakusho will always be remembered as one of the most classic anime shows of all time. What do you think? Do let us know in the comment section about your favorite character.We love to hear from you.