Some of the combats featured in the series are more focused on the martial aspect of it, whereas others include more special abilities and CGI. Most Yu Yu Hakusho characters have some sort of special power, from Kuwabara’s Spirit Sword to Kurama’s demonic plant manipulation. The best Yu Yu Hakusho fights are the ones who did both the characters and the source material justice.

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11 Yusuke vs. Kuwabara

Winner: Yusuke

Yusuke vs. Kuwabara is a scene that does not take itself seriously, which does not mean it is not an entertaining one. Any fight between Urameshi and Kuwabara at this point of the story should indeed be played for laughs, yet the live-action still finds a way to include some solid fighting choreography. However, considering that most of the fight takes place offscreen and that there are no real stakes involved, Yusuke vs. Kuwabara at the alley cannot rank too high on the list of Yu Yu Hakusho’s best fights.

10 Yusuke vs. Hiei (Round 2)

No Winner

After Elder Toguro poses as Hiei to kidnap Keiko, Yu Yu Hakusho raises hopes for a rematch between Yusuke and the real Hiei. While they did fight again, the second combat was even shorter than the first one. Yusuke does not get to show the result of his training, whereas Hiei feels fast but nothing else. The setting in which the fight happens is also not too special – a warehouse with nothing for the characters to interact. Lastly, considering how iconic Yusuke defeating Hiei by using a mirror is in the source material, having their second fight end with no clear winner was disappointing.

9 Yusuke vs. Hiei (Round 1)

No Winner

A live-action fight between Yusuke and Hiei was among the most anticipated things about the Netflix anime adaptation. Unfortunately, neither of their encounters lived up to their original anime fights. Hiei is far more experienced than Yusuke at this point, yet Yusuke is more creative when it comes to finding unexpected ways to win a battle. Still, these aspects are not translated in their first fight, which is instead a quite generic hand-to-hand combat sequence that does not feel as impactful as Yusuke vs. Hiei should be, regardless of the anime. Additionally, the fight ends abruptly and with no clear winning.

8 Yusuke vs. Genkai

Winner: Genkai

A training match can also make for a great fight. While the goal of Yusuke’s training with Genkai was for him to learn how to properly use his spiritual energy, one of the lessons included hand-to-hand combat. Yusuke had just fought Hiei, and it was interesting how the choreography incorporated his wish to be as fast as the yokai. By defeating Yusuke, Genkai taught him that he could defeat Hiei even if he was never as fast as his opponent. The best fighting scenes are the ones that combine storytelling with action, and this is something Yusuke vs. Genkai did very well.

7 Kuwabara vs. Elder Toguro

No Winner

Kuwabara vs. Elder Toguro was one of many Yu Yu Hakusho fights that, according to the source material, should not have happened that early in the story. The live-action series skips the Dark Tournament but recreates some of the fights that happened during that arc, now within the context of Yukina’s rescue. Kuwabara has a brief fight against Elder Toguro, which ends without a clear winner but includes some cool moments. Seeing Kuwabara use his Spirit Sword in battle for the first time was fun, and the visual effects used to portray Elder Toguro’s shapeshifting powers looked solid. The stakes were high, and Kuwabara helped sell the emotion of the moment.

6 Yusuke vs. Younger Toguro

Winner: Yusuke

Yusuke vs. 100% Toguro is perhaps the most divisive sequence of Yu Yu Hakusho live-action, as this fight only happens at the very end of the Dark Tournament in the anime. There is no build-up for it in the Netflix series, and having Toguro go 100% against an inexperienced Yusuke completely breaks Yu Yu Hakusho’s power levels. It is arguably impossible to portray Toguro’s final form realistically, but the visual choices made for how the mostly CG character was going to look don’t quite work. There is no sense of weight, and Yusuke’s victory does not feel earned.

5 Yusuke, Kurama, & Hiei vs. Toguro

Winner: Toguro

Whereas Yusuke vs. 100% Toguro feels anticlimactic and rushed, the fight between Toguro and the trio formed by Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei makes for an intense moment that brings the show's separate storylines together. Yusuke only defeats Toguro for the first time in the anime through teamwork, and this is something the live-action captured, although in a different way. Kuwabara is not involved, and none of them gets to defeat Toguro before the villain goes 100%. Still, the scene combines four different fighting styles yet never becomes too convoluted. Ironically, this version of Toguro felt stronger than his final form.

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4 Hiei vs. Bui

Winner: Hiei

“What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object” summarizes the battle between Hiei vs. Bui, which happens in one of the final matches of the Dark Tournament in the anime but is recreated much earlier in the live-action series. After two disappointing fights against Yusuke, Hiei gets to show a bit more of his skills in the deadly match against Bui. The setting becomes part of the fight, and despite the weight of his armor, Bui’s moves feel natural. The blend of wire work and CG doubles is perfect, and Hiei removing his bandage feels as important as it should.

3 Kurama vs. Karasu

Winner: Kurama

Kurama vs. Karasu is also one of the Dark Tournament fights that happen during the Yukina rescue mission in Neftlix’s Yu Yu Hakusho. Kurama’s gracious moves, combined with his demonic plant manipulation, make for a unique fighting style that is not easy to replicate in live-action. Fortunately, both the visual effects and the choreography are solid, resulting in one of the best fights in the whole show. The camera work enhances the speed and the strength of both Kurama and Karasu. Additionally, despite all the fantastic elements involved, everything feels grounded.

2 Yusuke vs. Kirino

Winner: Yusuke

One of the best live-action Yu Yu Hakusho fights has no counterpart in the anime – Yusuke vs. Kirino. After being attacked by his bullies, Kirino was infected with one of the Demon World insects and began to turn into a yokai. Now a zombie-like infected with no control of his bother, Kirino began to fight erratically against everyone in front of him. Yusuke was the only one who could stop Kirino and save him from the insect, but not after an incredible fight that combined elaborated choreography, intense hand-to-hand combat, and subtle use of wire work. Very little CG is involved, and the fight goes on for several minutes.