Yoko Kurama (妖狐蔵馬, lit. Yōko Kurama; in the English dub, Kurama the Yoko), also known as Shuichi Minamino (南野秀一, Minamino Shūichi translated as Southern Field and Excellence First, respectively), is a main protagonist in the anime/manga series of YuYu Hakusho. The word Yoko, despite being portrayed as a name in the dub, actually literally translates to "demon fox" in Japanese. He is voiced by Megumi Ogata (Shūichi) and Shigeru Nakahara (Yoko) in the original Japanese and John Burgmeier in the FUNimation English dub. He is called Dennis in the Filipino dub of the anime.
Yoko Kurama is the name of the original, silver-haired fox demon. After he was wounded by being chased, he put his spirit into the newly born human baby, Shuichi Minamino. It is at this point, and later through aging, that Kurama's psyche is in control. A theme throughout the series is his acceptance as a human being & his balancing of the two personalities. He can switch between both bodies almost at will after the Dark Tournament saga. Even though he is commonly seen in his human form (Minamino), he is referred to as Kurama.
In his human form, Kurama has bright green eyes, as well as long vibrant red hair, with two long forelocks on either shoulder and the rest on his back. While in this form, he is occasionally mistaken for a female because of his long hair and delicate features. He often wears his school uniform matching pink slacks and a jacket with gold trim. Towards the end of
Season One, he is seen wearing a white martial arts outfit with a purple trim and a sash tied around his waist. He stopped wearing it midway through the 2nd season (presumably because it was ruined in his fights against the first two members of Team Masho). For the remainder of the series, he often wears a light-colored Chinese-style battle outfit with yellow plane and blue trim.
While in his demon-fox form, he has slanted golden eyes, prominent silver fox-ears, as well as a silver tail and long flowing silver hair. He wears a white sleeveless yukata (that resembles a toga), along with matching martial arts pants and shoes.
Personality
Kurama is the most calculating, cunning and analytical member of the main characters and perhaps in the whole series. He is able to carefully look past his feelings and see the real situation at hand, which has been demonstrated on more than one occasion. He is extremely perceptive, able to quickly recognize the patterns and mistakes that his opponents make, which gives him an edge. In battle, while his preference is to concoct strategies based on deduction of his opponents' fighting abilities and style, his natural battle instincts are also highly tuned. He is capable of slashing another person's head off in just an instant, relying only on impulse. However, his care for his friends and family are the backbone of his fighting drive, as he would sacrifice just about anything to protect them. Kurama has a very kind heart, and several villains in the series will use this ploy against him in order to beat him.
In the face of adversity, Kurama has the uncommon ability to shun all emotions and shine a blank slate, thinking three to four steps ahead to clutch the pinch and seize control of the situation. Coupled with his vast intelligence, his detached emotional state is perhaps his greatest asset.
Despite his physical appearance, Kurama has very high durability, shown in almost all of his matches. Because of his analyzation lenience, he is always the most injured in his fights, but manages to pull a trick out of his hat to decide the match. This is well defined in his match with Karasu.
As Yoko Kurama, he is much more cruel, vindictive, and merciless, retaining all of his intellectual capabilities.
He enjoys toying with his enemies in a sadistic manner, as shown in the semi-final rounds of the Dark Tournament and against Karasu. The transformation into Yoko was attained inadvertently earlier in the tournament with the age regression technique of Ura Urashima (through Suzuka). Later on in the series after Yusuke's defeat at the hands of Sensui, Kurama seems to take on his demon form, though he states it is just a change in physical appearance due to his exposure to substantial amounts of demon energy (a product of the tunnel's completion).
In the anime, it is portrayed that he and his demon form have different personalities. This is due to the fact that while a demon, his ruthless demeanor along with the change in his voice, make Kurama seem like an entirely different person. However, this misconception is cleared as Kurama states that his demonic spirit , merged with the human spirit of Minamino Shuichi over time. So rather than being a demon inhabiting a human body, he "is both the demon Kurama as well as the human Minamino Shuuichi."
Kurama is on good terms with Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei. He is more closely related with Yusuke and Hiei, because the former spared his life and his human mother's by willing offering his own life to the Forlorn Hope (one of the Artifacts of Darkness), and the latter because they were once, and still are "partners in crime". He also has a tendency to plan for all possible futures, one that may or may not be, because he believes that nothing is ever certain and that you must be prepared.
Kurama was once a master thief renowned as the "Legendary Bandit"and an A-class ranked fox-demon. At some point, he and his second-in-command, Yomi, decided to gain power through theft of very valuable items from secure facilities in Makai, even gaining a group of like-minded individuals. However, too many of his lieutenant's impulsive and rash decision of acting on his own, had cost Yoko several of his men, and had to save Yomi several times in the past. Eventually, Yoko sent a hitman to punish Yomi, using false information of a well guarded treasure as bait; the assailant would blind him and Yoko left him for dead. Sometime afterward, he met Kuronue, a fellow thief,who shared similar values to him, becoming good friends who would steal various important artifacts together. Eventually, after successfully obtaining some rare antiquity, they fell into a trap of shooting bamboos, that would mortally wound Kuronue. After hearing his friend's pleading to leave him behind, Yoko reluctantly left to once again be alone to thieve by himself.
About 15 years ago, he was mortally wounded by one of the Spirit World's Elite Soldiers (known as Hunters by demons) after a failed theft, and was forced to retreat to the human world. He implanted his soul into Shiori Minamino's unborn child. He only planned on staying in the human world long enough to regain his energy, but he hadn't planned on caring for his human mother. He stayed, so as not to hurt her, and because he truly and deeply cared for her.
As he grew up, his mother grew ill, forcing him to join forces with Hiei and another demon named Gouki, to steal from Spirit World to receive an artifact capable of saving his mother's life, the Forlorn Hope. His life was spared, in the process of sacrificing it, by Yusuke's willigness to sacrifice himself to save Kurama and his mother because he knew that if Kurama had died, Karama's mother would hurt from the loss of her own child. Afterward, he would be indebtted to Urameshi for the selfless deed.
After he, Gōki, and Hiei steal the three artifacts from spirit world, Kurama tells them he must leave their alliance. Hiei is initially furious, and chases after Kurama when he leaves at the sudden appearance of Yusuke. He later shows up when Yusuke defeats Gōki, asking Yusuke for a meeting. Despite Botan's warning, Yusuke agrees to go.[1]
Kurama takes Yusuke to a hospital, where they meet his mother. Yusuke is confused why a demon could have a human mother, and why he would care so much for his mother. Kurama explains his past, and his mother's sickness. He feels that he somehow caused it, by putting her through emotion pain. Suddenly, a nurse asks Kurama to come back inside, where his mother's doctor tells him she only has a few hours to live. Kurama activates the artifact, the Forlorn Hope, which would grant him one wish.[2]
However, this would come at the cost of his life. Yusuke urges him to stop, then asks the mirror to take his life instead. Luckily, the mirror grants the wish without sacrifice because of Yusuke's compassion (or in the English manga and Japanese version the mirror only took half of the life force from both Yusuke and Kurama to fulfill the wish) . Kurama wakes up and quickly leaves to go see if his mother is alright, which she is.[3]
Hiei battles Yusuke next, and in his Jagan form, nearly kills the Spirit Detective. However, Kurama steps in the path of Hiei's sword, then uses his blood to blind his original third eye, crippling his powers. He then uses his power to stop Keiko from becoming a demon. After a surprising spirit gun that bounces off the Forlorn Hope, Botan inquires how Yusuke knew to do that. He replies it was spur of the moment thinking, leading Kurama to laugh.
When the Saint Beasts infect Human World with Makai insects, Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke go to the Demon City to stop them. Kurama faces the beast, Genbu, and unleashes his rose whip technique for the first time. He defeats the beast, only for him to reconstitute his broken body. Kurama feels his energy's center and destroys it, then using the rose whiplash to disperse him.
While Yusuke is sent to rescue the ice apparition, Yukina, Kurama is working in spirit world for Koenma. They both worry for Hiei, because Yukina is his sister, and he would surely have killed her kidnapper, getting him arrested. Kurama leaves to find Hiei, and witnesses, for the first time, Hiei sparing his opponent. He then comments that he didnt need to come. In the manga, he is not seen at all during this mission.
Dark Tournament Saga
In the preliminaries, Kurama fought the member of Team Rokuyukai, Roto, who threatened to hurt his mother if he did not forfeit. However, Kurama turned the tables by planting the seed of the Death Plant beforehand, and stalling Roto enough to kill him before he could get the chance to press the button.
Later, against Team Masho, Kurama fought Gama, a demon obsessed with make-up. He manages to win, but Gama's curses laid on Kurama's body keeps him from moving, as well as sealing in his energy. This makes the next match against Toya difficult.
The first curse wears off and Kurama is able to move, but Toya has the upper hand because Kurama's energy is still sealed. In the last minute, Kurama sows the seed of the death plant into his own body, allowing it to take root in his imprisoned energy. At the last second before he is struck by Toya's Ice Blade, he sprouts a plant that impales Toya in the torso, nearly killing him.
The ordeal leaves him unconscious, but still standing, so he is faced against Bakken. He is nearly killed by the demon, but their leader, Risho, stops him from attacking so that Yusuke wouldn't kill him.
In a short fight against Ura Urashima, Ura unleashes a tool called th Idun Box that is supposed to regress his opponent's age to that of a baby. However, the effect differs for Kurama, and instead, returned to his Yoko form. After Suzuka's defeat, he gives Kurama a potion that would allow him to willingly transform him into Yoko Kurama.
During the finals, Kurama faces Karasu, whose ability manipulates the intangible world. Kurama had taken the potion a few minutes before the match, so he became Yoko and nearly killed Karasu using a plant that could track movement. However, Karasu survives and Kurama returns to normal. Only by making Karasu bleed and then unleashing a blood-thirsty plant is he able to kill Karasu.
Chapter Black Saga
After the tournament ended, Kurama resumed his normal life, going back to Meiou High School. When Yusuke is kidnapped, a letter tells Botan and Kuwabara to go to Kurama's school and find him with Hiei's help so that they may retrieve their friend. After finding Hiei as well, they go to the house where Yusuke was being held only to open the door and find Yu Kaito waiting for them. When Kuwabara, Hiei, and Botan souls are taken in by Kaito's power of taboo, Kurama is the last shred of hope to defeat Kaito at his game and gain back the souls of his friends.
Upon Kurama defeating Kaito by making him laugh, the souls were retrieved and they go up the flight of stairs to find Yusuke. Once it was revealed that Genkai was behind the ruse, it is shown that there is a new threat of a hole to demon world opening.
The next day, the group divided into two, with Kurama leading the group looking for the hole at Demon's Door Cave. Upon discovering the underground hole, Kurama then heads back to put the groups together and report it to Koenma. The following day, Kurama does not show up at Yusuke's house because he decides to pay Koenma a visit, believing that he may know more than he's telling their team. When it shows that Kurama's allegations are indeed true, it is then revealed that the leader is Shinobu Sensui, a former Spirit Detective. When Sensui arrives at Yusuke's house to kidnap Kuwabara in order to have Gourmet eat Kuwabara's Dimensional Sword, the group then meets up at Demon's Door Cave. When entering the cave, Amanuma's (Game Master's) power has been activated, making Goblin City true to life. After everyone has taken their turn competing against him, Kurama was the one who had to face Amanuma at the end of the game. It is here that Kurama had no choice but to reveal to Amanuma that Sensui was merely using him to stall for time and it is part of his plan that Amanuma will die. By doing so, Kurama distracted him from performing well in the final level and managed to allow the group to go on to face Sensui, despite the death of Amanuma in the process. Kurama was then riddled with guilt, however faced Gourmet upon reaching the cave.
It is then that Kurama uses his Rose Whip to reveal that Elder Toguro had not only survived the Dark Tournament but was eaten by Gourmet and then took over his body. Kurama then uses a smoke screen to not only hide the fact that he had planted the seed of the Sinning Tree on Gourmet (Elder Toguro), but also as a way of spurring the growth of this particular plant.
But after Itsuki traps Kurama, Hiei, Mitarai, and Kuwabara within the Uraotoko, a long discussion ensues as they watch Sensui and Yusuke clash. There, Kurama realizes not only the existence of Sensui's other personalities, but also what Yusuke intended to do upon realizing the power of Sensui's Sacred Energy.
When Yusuke dies, and Kuwabara finally cuts the Uraotoko open with his newly-realized Dimension Sword, he, as well as Kurama (in demon form) and Hiei, chase Sensui to Demon World. The reason for the tranformation was because of the emoitonal distress Kurama suffered from seeing Yusuke die. There, at a confrontation upon the Plateau of the Beheaded near the Forest of Fools, the three of them are completely trounced by Sensui's Sacred Energy Armor.
After Yusuke's resurrection and arrival in Demon World, all Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Koenma, can do is watch as the two of them clash. After the battle against Sensui ended, Kurama and the rest of the group return
In the Saga of the Three Kings, Kurama is called on by Yomi, his former partner when he was still a thief in Makai. Kurama's internal struggles become more apparent in this saga because of the two different aspects of himself: the human that he is when he fights alongside Yusuke and his companions, and Yoko. At this point, wherein he relives most of his past, his old personality is somewhat predominant, as it seems that he is becoming more and more like his old self, before he came to human world. In moments of duress or battle, Kurama (who had yet to fully suppress his Yoko side) would transform into Yoko.
Kurama in Demon world
After meeting Yomi, he has apparently improved his strength greatly to lower S levels. However against the mid S-class Shachi, Kurama transforms into his Yoko self and easily overpowers Shachi. Kurama becomes Yomi's new right hand man. After the death of Raizen, Yusuke comes to Yomi's territory with a proposition: a new tournament which will determine the ruler of the whole of Makai. Yomi accepts and the tournament begins. Kurama's team (made up of the surviving members of Teams Masho, Uratogi, and Rokuyokai from the Dark Tournament) qualifies easily in the preliminary round, but after the team faces stronger opponents, each member is defeated one by one. Then, Kurama fights Shigure, "The Demon Surgeon." Though Kurama is in the lower S-class power level, he is no match for Shigure. During a fierce battle, he transforms into an upper S-class Yoko and easily uses super speed to avoid Shigure, but willfully transforms back into his human self, stating that he will not resort to using that power.
Despite being weaker than Shigure, he is able to cause the large dormant tree they are using as an arena to bloom, having merged it with a cherry tree seed before the fight began. This causes Shigure to lose the match as his weapon gets stripped from him, giving Kurama the win. However, Kurama is unable to continue with the tournament and withdraws due to severe injuries. After his fight with Shigure, he decides to not look to the past for answers, but to the future. With his loyalty to his human mother, and his friends, he leaves his Youko lifestyle behind, as he tells Yomi. He decides to return home to live out his human life.
Kurama rejecting his yoko nature, however, was an addition made exclusively on the animation. In the original story told by the manga, such resolve was not shown or hinted just like his fight against Shigure. In fact, the entire fight with Shigure was not shown in the manga at all, although Kurama did state that he didn't know how he beat Shigure and used up most of his youki in this battle, indicating Kurama had extreme difficulty with this battle. He then lost to Kujou, one of Raizen's Friends in the third round.
After the end of the Makai/Demon World Tournament, Kurama goes back to Ningenkai and gets a job at his stepfather's company. He lives like a normal human being from then on alongside Yusuke, Kuwabara, and his other friends - except for Hiei, who decides to continue living in Makai. In the manga, which deviates after the end of the Makai Tournament, he does not entirely give up the demon world or the detective lifestyle as Yusuke frequently calls on him for help in solving the cases for his Spirit Detective business. There is a severe change of story after the Three Kings Saga, mainly in that not only does the Kekkai Barrier come down, but demons pop up in human world frequently, often appearing on talk shows (Koto, Juri and Ruka from the Dark Tournament are seen being interviewed by a popular TV host). Considering he decided not to attend college and stay with his family instead, it could be an indication he intends to leave his human form behind once his family does not need him anymore since he is not trying to conform entirely to human ideals of "going to college and getting a high paying job". In a bonus OVA he is shown to enter the second Makai Tournament along side Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara.
Powers and Abilities
Fighting Style
Vast Intellective Approach // Unparalleled Precision: Perhaps one of Kurama's most powerful abilities. On countless occasions it has been demonstrated upon the sheer depth of Kurama's intellectual capabilities. Coupled with his inate ability to conceal his emotions in the face of adversity, and his power to summon plants from the demon world, his mind makes Kurama one of the most powerful characters in the series. Along with his centuries of experience as a fighter, Kurama has molded himself into a master strategist, tactician, and analyst. He is frequently the first person to point out or find a weakness in his opponent's abilities or fighting style and exploit them to his advantage. The weakness of this is that in his attempt to understand and come up with a way to defeat his opponent, he tends to go easy on his opponent at first and is often the most injured of the four. Still his ability to think several steps before the enemy almost always ensures his victory.
Known Techniques/Moves
Kurama Rose Whip
Kurama's Rose Whip.
Rose Whip (薔薇棘鞭刃 [ローズ･ウイップ], Bara Kyoku Ben Jin [Rōzu Uippu], literally translated as Rose Thorn Whip-Blade): Kurama's signature technique, where he uses his demon energy to grow a rose from its seed state to its flowering state and then into a long thorny whip that's capable of cutting even through steel. With this he is able to conceal seeds of different plants with such stealth that the opponent doesn't realize it until it has already happened.
Rose Whiplash (華厳裂斬枝, Kagon Retsuzanshi, translated as Flower of Severely-Torn Limbs, Thorn Whiplash in the Viz translation): Kurama swiftly slashes the whip in multiple directions.
Chou Kagon Retsuzanshi (Super Rose Whip): A more devastating form of the rose whip. He uses this attack against defense armor Sensui.
Kurama's Rose Whip Thorn Wheel
Rose Whip Thorn Wheel (風華円舞陣, Fūka Enbu Jin, translated as Breezing Petals Waltz Formation): Kurama draws the Rose Whip and swings it around him in a circle, as rose petals scatter around and stun his opponents, while the wheel created from the whip unleashes cresent-shaped energy blades.
Petals and Thorns (Fuka Enbu-jin which translates to Wind Petal Waltz Configuration; translated as Petal Whirlwind in the English manga) is executed via a whirlwind of razor-sharp rose petals materializing in the palm of Kurama's hand and then swirling around him. If an opponent/attacker gets within a certain range, the petals attack and rip them to shreds. Kurama mainly uses this technique as a barrier or to take out large numbers of weaker demons.
Kurama's Seed of the Death Plant in full bloom
Seed of the Death Plant (死招き草, Shimaneki Sō, translated as Death-Inviting Grass): This is a small seed that Kurama plants in his opponent's body and can be manipulated using his demon energy. After it has had enough time to secure its roots within the victim's body, the death plant bursts forth from within, killing the opponent. Only used successfully on Roto during the Dark Tournament, unsuccessfully on Karasu, and as an impromptu blade when fighting Toya.
Kurama's Death Tree
Death Tree (食妖植物, Shoku Yō Shokubutsu, translated as Devourer Demon Plant): A Demon World plant, the Death Tree is a root-based plant that contains huge mouths at the end of each root. It is a carnivorous tree with an acidic saliva capable of melting flesh and bone easily. Instinctively it strikes anything that moves. In the series it appears just once, being used only to intimidate Ura urashima during the Dark Tournament.
Kurama's Ojigi Plant
Ojigi Plant (魔界の御辞儀草, Makai no Ojigi Sō, translated as Demon Realm Bow Grass): A plant indigenous to South America. When grown with demon energy, it mutates into a creature that responds to movements or heat by closing its leaves around its prey and crushing it to death. It is considered the demon world equivalent of the mimosa plant, but unlike its human world counterpart, which withdraws in response to a presence, this demonic plant actually pursues any heat it notices. Had to be summoned by incantation in the manga and Japanese-language anime; the anime's incantation was, according to official subtitles, "agron tentagram bicheon sabbat adonai", while the manga used nonsense-symbols. Only used to try and kill Karasu during the Final Round of the Dark Tournament.
Kurama's Bloodsucking Plant
Bloodsucking Plant (吸血植物, Kyūketsu Shokubutsu, translated as Blood-Drinking Weed): A special Demon World plant that can attach itself to its victim and drain them of their blood before blossoming into a beautiful, rose-like, flower once it has drained enough blood from its victim. Only used to kill Karasu during the Final Round of the Dark Tournament.
Accelerated Growth: Kurama is able to speed up the rate of growth of plants, allowing him to create a forest in mere seconds as a means of hiding himself. He can also control the plants he grew to do certain tasks.
Lamp Weed (アカル雑草, Akaru Zassō, translated as Bright Weed): Plants that act as markers for Kurama to find his way back. Used during the Chapter Black saga, as the Spirit Detectives make their way down to where the tunnel to Demon World is being opened.
Kurama's Sinning Tree
Sinning Tree (邪念樹, Janen Ju, translated as Tree of Depravity): The tree responds to the memories of the victims, ensnaring the consciousness of the victim with hallucinations of wickedness, and forces them to replay their fears as it feeds off of its victims' life force, never stopping until its host is dead. If, for some reason, the victim continues to struggle, then the tree will generate extra tendrils in order to restrain its victim as it feeds. Only used once, to trap Elder Toguro for eternity, near where the tunnel to Demon World is being opened.
Floating Leaf (浮葉科の魔界植物, Fuyōka no Makai Shokubutsu, translated as Floating Leaves from Demon Realm Plant): This plant appears as "wings", similar to that of a butterfly, on Kurama's back that double as a glider. First used to break the descent of Kuwabara's, Hiei's, and his, falls while attempting to avenge Yusuke's death in Demon World. Is used later on to keep him in the air as Yusuke and Sensui clash in Demon World. Is unnamed in the English dub, but Kurama describes it as a leaf of a demon world plant.
The Binding Fist of the Demonic Vine (樹霊妖斬拳, Juryō Yōzan Ken, translated as Wood Spirit Demon Beheading Fist): Similar to the Rose Whip in that it is composed of a vine with thorns, but this time it grows around Kurama's arm and is wielded as a sword-like weapon. Used only as an attempt to attack Sensui when they were fighting in Demon World, although he did use a similar attack, Leaf Blade, in his earlier days. It is speculated that this attack is in fact created by what are essentially rose whips manipulated and entangled around Kurama's arm, creating a sharp piercing weapon.
Okunenju Roots (憶念樹, Okunen Ju, translated as Memory-Recall Tree): Kurama can control the roots of the Okunenju and use them to attack his opponent. The plant, however, takes millennia to grow and requires a large amount of energy to manipulate. Kurama's match against Shigure during the Makai Tournament took place on top of an Okunenju that Yoko Kurama had planted there thousands of years ago. Kurama was therefore able to take control of the entire arena and overwhelm Shigure.
Bamboo Forest: An unnamed technique that transforms the plant first into a spear, and then by striking the ground with said spear, a large number of bamboo pikes burst out of the ground and impales the opponent several times. Used by Kurama in the second movie in order to kill an unnamed Netherworld God that impersonated his former partner Kuronue.
Pseudo-Creature: Seen only in the manga set after the Demon World Tournament, this parasite merges with its host on the cellular level, instinctively repairing any damage done to the host body. Unless the host's brain is destroyed, the host will stay in a 'half-life' for a very-long time. Its appearance is similar to that of the Sinning Tree, which begs the question of whether or not the two plants are somehow related.
Hiei gave the slave trader Chikou, Mukuro's childhood abuser, one of these creatures (which Kurama had supplied him with). He then delivered Chikou's incapacitated body to Mukuro, for her to mutilate as she saw fit; a demonic version of therapy, so to speak.
Parrot Grass: Kurama uses this shrub in order to deceive a group of religious terrorists who had taken the Gates of Judgment hostage and used radio check-ins to make sure nothing was going wrong.
Leaf Blade: In the Two Shots chapter, Kurama's main weapon was a leaf transformed into a sword. Presumably this was before he was at the level of using his Rose Whip again. In the anime, this is replaced with the Rose Whip.
Astral Projection: In the manga, Kurama demonstrates the ability to naturally separate his physical body with his spirit in order to enter the Spirit World
Trivia
As with Hiei, Kurama's name simply "popped into [Togashi's] head" when developing the characters.
Kitayama finds Kurama to be the easiest of the main characters to design due to his well-proportioned features.
In the Hyper Police anime, Kurama made a cameo appearence in the episode 4 when Natsuki is in the house of Sakura.
Kurama's original manga color scheme was black hair and a blue uniform; the animators chose a red and pink version instead.
Kurama made a cameo appearance in Yoshihiro Togashi's second, hit manga series Hunter x Hunter. In Volume 8, Chapter 69, as a action figure along side Yusuke and Hiei, inside the room of Miruki Zoldyck.
Kurapika Kuruta, one of the main characters in the manga series Hunter X Hunter, is largely based off of Kurama:
Kurapika is a cunning, master strategist who always planed his attacks in advance.
He is a boy prodigy who rapidly learned to control his superhuman abilities.
Highly intelligent with a wide knowledge of the world.
His androgynous appearance has lead readers to wonder if he was in fact a girl. In one chapter, he is mistaken as being a girl by his archenemy.
Chinese-style robes are his main form of clothing.
A calm, collective and friendly personality that belied his sinister, wrathful and hateful feelings towards those who had wronged or hurt him in the past.
He bared a profound feeling of respect and platonic love towards his friends and family, and would never sacrifice their lives in order to achieve his own, personal goals.
He's a master martial artist.
Just as Kurama could manipulate plants in order to immobilize, capture, attack and kill his enemies, Kurapika had the ability to conjure up a chain from his aura, which was used for the same purposes as Kurama's plants were.
In the same way that Kurama was ranked second place for most popular character in the Yu Yu Hakusho manga, Kurapika was also voted on second place in the Hunter X Hunter popularity contest.
Kurama is very similar to Kenshin, of the Rurouni Kenshin series, in both appearance and personality. Kurama even receives a cross-shaped wound, on the left side of his face from Roto during the Dark Tournament, much like Kenshin's trademark scar. Both Kurama and Kenshin have uttered the phrase "Suicide is not the answer" at one point.
Kurama is usually crippled in some way during his fights:
Genbu wounds him in the stomach and he could no longer fight for the duration of the mission.
Roto holds a button, threatening to send a signal to his demon brother to kill Kurama's mother if he fought back.
Gama anchors down Kurama's arms and legs with his paint-based sealing techniques.
Toya faces him while his power is sealed away by Gama's final technique.
Ura Urashima tricks him into being exposed to the Idun Box (which ultimately works to Kurama's advantage as it transforms him into Yoko Kurama).
Kurama is the only fighter on team Urameshi to (techincally) lose in the finals against team Toguro.
Kurama hides seeds in his hair.
He had a girl named Maya who became really attached to him when he was 14. (Manga)
Kurama also met Hiei when he was 14 years old.
He seems partial to taking wounds in the stomach.
He has an incredible sense of smell and can read lips.
Kurama planned to leave Human world to return to Demon world after regaining his strength, it would take an estimated 10 years. In the end he never left because of the love he has for his human mother.
It was noted by Yoshihiro Togashi, in an insert segment of Weekly Shōnen Jump, that his first draft of the series would've had Hiei and Kurama in a relationship. However, due to the setbacks that such content had caused in his previous works, he ultimately decided against making them a couple and ultimately had them be close friends.
Some sources (mainly fansites), points out his birthdate being on June 22. If this is confirmed to be official, he is the one of the few characters, besides the Sensui Seven to have his birthdate revealed (Sensui was born June 6, Hagiri was born December 3, Kamiya was born August 20, Mitarai was born February 10, and Amanuma was born July 7). The other one is Keiko (born January 31).
During the Three Kings Saga, Kurama's Yōki is stated to be 1,902 (In the Manga) and 8,902 (In the anime). When transforming into Yoko Kurama his Yōki is 152,000.
His seiyu, Megumi Ogata, also voiced Sailor Uranus from Sailor Moon. Coincidentally, Yu Yu Hakusho's mangaka, Yoshihiro Togashi, is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the mangaka for Sailor Moon.
In the Korean dub he is named "Cho-Hong" (초홍), which, unlike Hiei's Korean name, is not a hanja translation of his Japanese name. In the Korean sub, he is called "Gurama", but is still called Kurama in the manga translation.
It has been stated in latest releases that Kurama's Birthday falls on December 29.
The Filipino dub initially called him Denise, because the dubbers thought he was a woman. When they learned the truth, they changed his name to Dennis and explained that he was disguising himself as a woman named Denise.
He was Megumi Ogata's debut role.
In an interview, Megumi Ogata said that Kurama was one of her most memorable works, along with Sailor Uranus from 'Sailor Moon', Shinji Ikari from 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', and Melvina McGarren in the video game 'Melty Lancer'.
In the anime, Kurama's hairstyle bears a resemblance to Feldt Grace's hair from Gundam.
Kurama is a popular character among fans of the series.
In the Animage Anime Grand Prix, he was ranked as the third most popular male anime character of 1993 and the most popular male character in both 1994 and 1995.
His alternate Demon Fox Kurama form was ranked sixteenth in 1994.
Yoko Kurama additionally won About.com's "Best Supporting Character" in its 2005 Anime Award Show.
Kurama was also ranked the third best male anime character of the 1990s by Newtype.
Yoko Kurama bears little resemblance to Inuyasha.
Like Hiei, Kurama's name comes from the Kurama Mountain, in Kyoto, Japan. It is the location of a famous Buddhist temple. Mt. Hiei stands right beside it.
Kurama's human name translates in two parts: the given (Shuichi) means "excellence first", while the surname (Minamino) means "Southern Field" and is also the name of a famous Japanese warrior. To this day, the surname is only allowed to families of nobility or higher social standing.
Kurama is the name of a rural town in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, less than one hour from the city center. Kurama town is best known for its temple Kurama-dera and its hot spring, one of the most easily accessible hot springs from Kyoto.
The name of Kurama was later given to Kyuubi (aka Nine-Tailed Fox) in the manga series Naruto when chapter 568 revealed that the Kyuubi's real name is Kurama; its mangaka Masahi Kishimoto is said to have taken the name from the Yu Yu Hakusho series.
Quotes
(To Yusuke ) "Let me do what I must,Yusuke"
"I'm making perfect sense you're just not keeping up!"
"Logic is panic's prey." - Episode 68
(to Yusuke) "We thought you were a brilliant strategist. Really, you're just a lucky fool." - Episode 8
"What if I truly didn't care?" - Episode 29
"What irony. Such beauty sprung up from such an ugly soil." - Episode 29
(Everyone but Hiei playing cards in the hotel) "Come, join us Hiei. We're practically family over here."
"Nerd violence..." (he says this in response to students who wanted to force him to join them, only to be crushed by Kuwabara before the battle between Kido, Yana, and Kaito) - Episode 68
(Kuwabara arguing with Hiei) "And to think, one day they could be in-laws."
(to Yusuke) "Sorry, I don't have the time to be arrested."
(as Yoko)"You should know better than to corner an animal like a fox. We have a tendency to show our teeth."
(as Yoko) "You'd better find a smart way to kill it or else... 'Bang'."
(to Karasu) "How does it feel to be the one pursued?"
(to Yusuke) "Hiei is going through a tricky change. It appears he is beginning to like you."
"It most certainly isn't pleasant being called a 'traitor' by creatures you've never met."
"Yoko has returned, they cry"
(Talking to Juri) "You. Unless you want to be plant food, don't move."
(as Yoko) "There is no room for your fantasies of denial, little vermin. Be assured... I am alive."
"I'm flattered that you've heard of me, but as you can see, the stories were incorrect.”
"I'll take this one, Yusuke. Don't argue... I am not in the mood." - Episode 84
"Rely on impulse and not even your thoughts can betray you." - Episode 84
(to Elder Toguro, hiding in Gourmet's body.) "Did you think I wouldn't notice? I could smell your stench, ever since we enter the cave." - Episode 84
(to Elder Toguro) "That's enough! You've survived, for far too long... And now, it ends!" - Episode 84
(to Elder Toguro) "I'm sorry... was that supposed to hurt me?" - Episode 84
"Any prize worth having requires a risk."
"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."
"Suicide is not the answer. There is neither honor, nor redemption in that."
"I thought clowns made everyone else laugh."
"Yusuke, you need a 'Plan B'." - Episode 82
(commenting on Hiei's rude statements) "It's his way of saying, 'You're welcome.' You will learn."
"Kuwabara, I've been standing next to you for some time now. A bit nervous, are we?"
(as Yoko) "It looks like it's zeroed in on you. I guess all of your trembling must have caught its attention."
