The Dark Tournament

41 episodes · 1993

Having rescued Yukina and defeated Toguro, Yusuke is spending some time with Keiko in the city. However, when a huge chunk of building is blown up, Yusuke sees Toguro, and they have a little chat. Turns out that Yusuke and Kuwabara really didn't defeat the Toguro brothers, as they were faking and working for Sakyo, and now Toguro wants Yusuke to enter a competition called the ""Dark Tournament"". Compiled of a group of greedy mafia warlords, Toguro convinces Yusuke, as Yusuke gathers Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara for his team, the gang sets out to compete in the tournament.

As Team Urameshi boards the ship, the preliminary round begins. The Masked Fighter is the one to fight, as she knocks out the demons with a Shotgun, causing a riot against Team Urameshi on the ship. The team then begins to fight, knocking out many demons, even killing a few, when they reach Hanging Neck Island. When they reach their hotel room, they are greeted by two mysterious characters, from Team Rikkuyukai, the team they are to face in the first round of the tournament.

Botan, Keiko, and Shizuru, Kuwabara's sister, arrive at the tournament site to watch Team Urameshi duke it out with their first opponents, Team Rikkuyukai. Koenma is there as well, and reveals an adult form, to impress everybody since he's tired of being called a toddler. Everyone takes their seats, and the kid with the colorful outfit, whom Team Urameshi met last night, Rinku, steps up to take the first match. Since Yusuke still seems to be asleep, Kuwabara takes the first match. The match begins, and Rinku demonstrates his incredible speed by running in flashes around Kuwabara. Kuwabara's training pays off, however, when he can easily detect Rinku's movements. He deals him a few crushing blows, and it looks like Rinku is down. He grins, though, standing back up and telling Kuwabara he was just playing around to begin. He reveals his true weapon, eight Yo-Yos, four for each hand. He launches them forward to Kuwabara. Kuwabara reveals his newly-improved weapon, double Spirit Swords.

Kurama takes on Roto after the end of Kuwabara and Rinku's fight. Roto earns Kurama's wrathful vengeance by taking his mother hostage.

Hiei takes on Rokuyukai’s leader, Zeru, whose explosive fire attacks ravage the stadium. Hiei must resort to an unbelievable technique, one that could take his life as well: he must summon the power of a dragon.

Yusuke jumps out of his slumber, ready for the final fight against a new fighter named Chu. He’s rude, he’s crude -and he claims to be Team Rokuyukai’s true leader.

Yusuke and Chu, both drained of their Spirit Energy, struggle to win the first round of the Dark Tournament for their team. They agree to settle it with a Knife Edge Death-Match, an intense and fatal arena of combat.

When he’s ambushed by a loose-cannon competitor, Yusuke learns that even quiet moments on Hanging-Neck Island are dangerous. Meanwhile, Hiei faces the consequences of his deadly dragon attack.

Round two of the tournament arrives and Team Urameshi must face Dr. Ichigaki’s fighters, a group with a habit of chopping off their opponent’s heads! Will Yusuke be the doctor’s next guinea pig?

During a three-on-three battle, a rip on the Masked Fighter’s headdress gives a surprising peek into the warrior’s true identity! But there’s little time to ponder the ramifications, as Kuwabara now refuses to fight!

The doctor’s human experiments are clearly fighting against their will! As Yusuke prepares to put them out of their misery, the Masked Fighter intervenes and suggests a peculiar plan.

After Yusuke and the others make it to the third round, Hiei and the masked fighter get tricked and trapped inside a force field.

Okay, brief recap to what happened last episode: Kurama has just had his arms and legs frozen, but used his spirit energy through his hair when he used the rose whip to slice Gama apart. And like in the last episode, Gama tries to hit Kurama through his wounds, splattering his blood all over him. Right before he dies, Gama tells Kurama that his blood has sealed his spirit energy. Uh-oh. To make matters worse, the next member, Touya is ready to fight and avenge his dead teammate. Touya attacks just as Gama's first spell wears off, allowing him to move, but with his energy still sealed, he's still in a bad situation. Kurama spends all of the time trying to keep himself from getting killed by Touya's attacks. Eventually, he forms a plan to defeat Touya, and gets himself cut on purpose to plant one of his death plant seeds inside his own body right so it can manifest as a weapon.

Kurama is unconscious, and getting beaten to death by Baken. The announcer Koto tries to give a 10-count to stop the fight, but Baken ignores her and kicks her out of the ring. Just as Baken is about to kill Kurama, the team captain, Risho, tells him to stop. As it turns out, Yusuke was about to fire his spirit gun right at Baken if he had tried to kill Kurama. Kurama then is tossed out of the ring. Baken is declared the winner. Yusuke then gets onto the ring to confront him. Baken uses a technique built from his sweat to cover the entire arena in mist, so Yusuke won't be able to see now. Baken delivers a few blows, but the barely harm Yusuke, and he then fires a spirit gun through the arena, causing the mist to vanish.

The episode starts with Jin in the air, admiring the island. He swoops down and flys by Yusuke. Yusuke turns around and takes a punch to the face. He tries to counter with a kick but misses. Jin pulls out his signature move, the Tornado Fist. It is literally a tornado on his wrist. The punch misses Yusuke but the force pushes him back. Yusuke goes the hand to hand combat. Jin blocks everything but one punch. He flees into the air and recovers. While he is recovering, Yusuke shoots a spirt gun. Jin makes a tornado around him and deflects it. On the sideline, Botan realizes the Yusuke can't fight close and far away. Koenma is concerned because Jin uses wind for offense and defense. Jin comes down with another Tornado Fist. Yusuke doesn't even move. When Jin is at pointblank, Yusuke fires spirit gun into the Tornado. There is a huge explosion. Yusuke is blown back to the medical tent. Hiei tells him that Jin blocked with the Tornado Fist, saving both of their lives.

This episode starts with Jin in the air with his Double Tornado Fist ready for the kill. All of a sudden Yusuke says, ""Time for something stupid."" His body becomes surrounded with spirit energy. Everyone is surprised-Botan, Kuwabara, Kayko, Koenma. Then Jin attacks with the first tornado fist. Yusuke somehow catches the fist. Jin exclaims, ""No one can catch a tornado!"" Yusuke throws the fist, rendering it useless. When Jin attacks with the second fist, Yusuke catches it with his foot. He also makes the Tornado Fist useless. He yells, ""SPIRIT WAVE"" and a punch full of blue energy nails Jin right in the stomach. Jin goes flying in the air. The Masked Fighter explains that the Spirit Wave is like Yusuke's shotgun attack and that he must have learned it from Genkai. In the stands, Kayko is shocked, but Shizuru says, ""Let's move."" All of a sudden, a sparkle is seen in the sky and Jin's body comes crashing down in the stands. Koto makes a ten count, and Yusuke is the winner.

This episode begins with the fight between Risho and Kuwabara underway. Risho is beating the crap out of Kuwabara, who can't even use his spirit sword. Outside Shizuru, Kayko, Botan and Yukina are trying to get back inside. The demon security guard won't let all four back in, so they show him some human butt kicking. They get chased by more security guards unless they see Toguro. Yukina has flashback to her kidnapping. Toguro, however, lets the four go by. He wants the Urameshi team to win because he wants a rematch with Yusuke, as Sakyo promised. Eventually Kuwabara get cocky and forces Risho to show his Shinobi strength. Risho is the Master of Earth. He holds up his finger and the ground shakes. Risho uses his Armor of Clay techinique to cover his body with earthen armor. He jumps up in the air and crashes into the ring like a giant meteor. Kuwabara refuses to go down. Eventually Kuwabara realizes he can't win. He decides to use his life energy like Yusuke did against the final Saint

After talking to Kayko, Yusuke is confronted by Botan. She tells him his Spirit Beast will hatch soon. Koenma startles the two and show Yusuke his big egg. Koenma reminds him that the egg will consume every part of him if he was evil. The egg hatches and no one sees where the beast is. They look at Yusuke and they see the beast. It is a small blue bird with big floppy ears. Everyone mocks him. The next day, the team trys to scope out the competition. Team Uraotogi takes care of Team Gokki 6 in two minutes. Only the badly injured Hiei and Kurama watch the fight. Kuwabara tells them to go to Yukina for healing, not knowing she is Hiei's sister. He mentions her quest and Yusuke and Kurama starts mocking Hiei. Then, Team Toguro shows up. Toguro and his younger brother are there, as well as a guy in black with mask (Karasu) and a guy clad in armor (Bui). The crowd gives them praise. Then Yusuke and the Masked Fight get into a fight. She says she would be a better leader than Yusuke.

Genkai tells Yusuke his final test is to kill her. Yusuke has second thoughts. He meets Genkai in a cave and says he can't do it. She tells him that was the first part of the test. She would not give her power to someone who would kill her. She reveals her source of power is her Spirit Wave Orb. She takes out a bright ball of energy. Yusuke's test is to absorb it. He agrees to the terms, though the test could kill him. She puts it in him. He feels nothing at first, but then he collapses and pain. In a new ring, the semifinals begin. Team Urameshi enters, missing two of their members (Genkai and Yusuke). They are facing Team Uraotogi. Hiei and Shishiwakamaru agree to choose the fight by dice. The first fight is Hiei vs Makintaro. Hiei wips out his katana. Makintaro asks him to make a move. Hiei holds up Makintaro severed arm. Makintaro reveals his attack, the Axe-blade fist. Hiei is too quick for him and stabs his head. Meanwhile, Genkai watches Yusuke suffer through her test.

Yusuke is still in the midst of Genkai's Spirit Wave Orb absorbtion test. After a while, Genkai realizes that this is too much for Yusuke. She tries to take the orb back, but Yusuke takes it back. He wants to finish the test. Back in the ring, Shishiwakamuru rolls the dice. It lands on Kuro Momotaro and a free space for team Urameshi. Hiei volunteers to fight. Both fighters step in, and Kuro asks for Hiei's katana. Kuro licks the blade and cuts himself with it. The fight begins. Kuro pulls something called a steaming sphere out of his belt and squeezes it. Kuro inhales the fumes from the sphere and hair starts to grow from his body. This is the first beast armor, the Armor of the Ape. Hiei tries to attack with his sword, but it breaks in three pieces. Kuro gives him a few punchs and sends him into the wall. Kuro explains once his body is hit with an attack it memorizes the pain and steaming spheres are a catalyst to make his body immune to the attack.

Hiei continues his struggle against Kuro Momataro, who has just transformed to his second armor of beast, the Phoenix Armor. Kuro decides to show off by transforming into his third, and most powerful armor, the Wolf Armor. Kuro throws his last Steaming Sphere, and he turns into his hideous wolf form. Hiei draws his broken blade, and Kuro laughs, and tells him if his sword didn't work on the first armor, how could it work on the third. Hiei uses the power he stored for his Dragon of the Darkness Flame, and puts into his sword, creating the Sword of the Darkness Flame. Kuro jumps to bite him, and Hiei kills him in midair. Next, it's Ura Urashima vs. Kurama. Ura is a small boy who fights with a fishing pole. He starts swinging it in a circle, and Kurama does the same with his Rose Whip. T

With both Ura Urashima and the newly transformed Yoko Kurama trapped in the ring, the true battle begins. Yoko finally shows himself, and unleashes an attack known as the Death Tree. Yoko Kurama demands that Ura Urashima tell him the secret of the Idunn Box. Ura says he doesn't know, and that he only joined Team Uratogi because Shishiwakamaru promised him riches. Yoko knows he's lying, and threatens to kill him. Ura finally starts telling the truth. He says that he's not even Ura Urashima,and both Kuro Momotaro and Makintaro weren't who they seemed either. That they were together when Shishi and Onji showed up, and he's about to say something else when a sword flies into the ring, and hits Ura, changing into a wolf-like creature. As the smoke clears, we see that it was Shishi that threw the sword. Juri then declares Kurama the winner. Shortly after the smoke clears, Kurama turns back into his regular form.

Kuwabara starts his battle against Shishiwakamaru. It's a duel between a sword of energy and a sword of steel.shishi is obviously the more skillful of the two. They battle on and on until Shishi unleashes one of his two special items known as the Cape of No Return. Shishi throws the cape at Kuwabara and it surrounds him. He falls through a dimensional portal into the ring that was used before the semi-finals. He finds Botan, Kayko, Yukina, and his sister there; lost. He leads them to the new ring. Meanwhile, they roll the dice again to decide the fight. It comes up on a free space for Team Uratogi, and the Masked Fighter for Team Urameshi. Hiei is prepared to take her place when she magically shows up behind him and stops him. Shishi is curious about the identity, and cuts the mask. Shishi tries to get them disqualified by saying that they're using the mask to sneak in fighters. But Toguro steps in and the comittee finds nothing wrong. A new chapter in the semi-finals is set to begin.

The match between Shishiwakamaru and Genkai begins. Genkai is very weak because she has given Yusuke her Spirit Wave power through the Spirit Wave Orb. Genkai however, has a great deal more wit than Shishi, and really nails him a few times. Shishi then decides to use his second item: the Banshee Shriek. Shishi is really excited beacause he thinks by using his sword to defeat Genkai, he'll become famous. He then shows off his power of the Chorus of a Thousand Skulls on the audience, killing many. Genkai is able to dodge it. After one more chorus, Shishi uses another of his new sword's power, the Death Cage. Genkai and Shishi are surrounded by a barrier of energy. Shishi goes in for the kill with an attack in which he puts his spirit energy into his sword when Genkai catches it and fires the Spirit Reflection Blast, blasting Shishi right through the cage.

In the last match against Team Uraotogi, Genkai overwhelmed Suzuka, an old demon with many tricks and specialties, but little strength. Meanwhile, Yusuke recovers from the torturous absorption of Genkai's Spirit Wave Orb, which promises to give him unfathomable power. Yusuke's team has claimed their spot in the Dark Tournament's final round. Now Team Toguro must try to do the same.

The members of Team Toguro demonstrate their power in the semifinals by utterly defeating another team with minimal effort.

Fifty years ago, Genkai and Toguro were actually teammates who fought and won their own Dark Tournament, before becoming violently estranged. Yusuke Urameshi arrived just in time to see his teacher slain, and assaulted Toguro in a rage, only to be knocked away by one devastating blow. With the final round of the tournament soon to begin against Toguro, Yusuke must find a way to keep that from happening again.

Shortly before the final round of the Dark Tournament, Yusuke's mentor Genkai was killed, leaving him with all of the Spirit Power she possessed. Since then Yusuke and his crew have been rigorously training for the upcoming battle. Suzuka, a member of the recently beaten Team Uraotogi, has helped by offering two very powerful, yet unstable weapons, hoping that Team Toguro will finally taste defeat.

The tournament finals are set to begin. But the rules state that each team must have five members to compete. With each team having only four fighters, two competitors step up to join with each team no matter what the consequences. Who are the two new fighters and what could they possibly bring to the team?

The Dark Tournament finals have just begun and Kurama finds himself facing the strangely magnetic yet dangerous Karasu. Kurama, believing that it's his only chance to defeat his eerie opponent, transforms himself into the powerful and equally ruthless Yoko Kurama. Things seem to be looking up, but will Kurama's metamorphosis be enough to conquer Karasu?

With Karasu able to counter Yoko Kurama's attacks, the vicious member of Team Toguro is set to take the victory. Taking his own life into his hands, Kurama prepares to sacrifice his life energy in a final chance to defeat the demon. But with no life energy remaining, Kurama may stay down forever.

A disappointing verdict is handed down in the Kurama versus Karasu match, reversing Team urameshi's fortunes in the Finals of the Dark Tournament. Hiei seeks to recover from this setback in the ring with Bui, but will the power lurking beneath Bui's armor be too much for him?

Hiei unleashes his most powerful attack, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame! But Bui is able to turn the Dragon against his master. Will Hiei be swallowed and destroyed by his own power?

During his match with Toguro, Kuwabara is told of Genkai's death. With extreme rage Kuwabara strikes Toguro with the Trial Sword splitting the demon in half! The arena watches in horror as the evil Toguro rises from the arena floor unharmed.

Kuwabara's fight with the elder Toguro brother comes to a smashing conclusion, leading into Yusuke's grudge match with the younger Toguro. But before that bout can begin, intrigue at Team Toguro culminates in a shocking proposal from Sakyo and an even more shocking response from Koenma!

The ultimate showdown between Yusuke and Toguro finally begins, and everyone is on the edge of their seats -- at least everyone that hasn't been melted into their seats by Toguro's intense Spirit Energy. Yusuke reveals the power he inherited from Genkai with a colossal blast of his Spirit Gun, but is it enough to bring down Toguro once and for all?

Yusuke reveals to Toguro that he has not been fighting at full power and removes the Spirit Cuffs, which reduce his power. Finally, a fully powered Yusuke launches an attack at his nemesis. But Toguro too has powered up to his top level and stares down Yusuke's most powerful Spirit Blast.

As Yusuke lies beaten on the arena floor, Toguro taunts the Spirit Detective. Toguro begins to suck the souls of the spectators in order to enrage Yusuke to once again bring out his full power. But Toguro soon learns that the best way to provoke Yusuke is to kill one of his friends!

As one of his friends lies on the arena floor, Yusuke powers up to the same level as Toguro. To defend himself, Toguro must power up to 120% of his capacity. Can either fighter, each completely devoid of any remaining energy, survive to claim the prize?

With the Dark Tournament at an end, Yusuke must beign to cope with the loss of his best friend at the hands of Toguro. After Sakyo asks Koenma to take his life, the evil billionaire unveils his final evil plan to destroy the entire stadium with everyone still inside!

Team Urameshi prepares to depart Hanging Neck Island the victor of the sinister Dark Tournament to return to the world of the living leaving their fallen mentor and friend behind. But somewhere far away a chance encounter between two former allies seems to hint at what is to come as the most unlikely of people reveals a most shocking secret.