Background
Yusuke Urameshi's life takes a rather dramatic turn when he is killed when trying to save a boy from being hit by a car. While floating around as a spirit, Yusuke realizes that people still need him. Eventually, Yusuke gets his life back and discovers a new power, he can see beings from the spirit world (yôkai). This is when the series really kicks off. He is enlisted as a spirit realm detective (Reikai Tantei), to help control the actions of spirits in the real world. His first assignment is to round up three demon prisoners (Gôki, Kurama, and Hiei) who escaped and stole three terribly powerful artifacts. His second is to participate in a contest for the training of a woman named Genkai, and to defeat a demon, Randô, who is posing as a contestant named Shaolin (Shorin) so he can use Genkai's powers to kill people. Yusuke's next assignment is to kill the four Saint Beasts, which are Genbu, Byakko, Seiryû, and Suzaku. In that mission, he is assisted by Kazuma Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. Then the following mission involves the Kôrime, Yukina, who has been kidnapped by the evil Tarukane.
Characters
Names are in Western order. The English name is to the right of the Japanese name if it applies
- Yusuke Urameshi (浦飯幽助 Urameshi Yûsuke) - Yusuke is the toughest kid in Sarayashiki Junior High School and has a typical tough guy approach to everything. He's also the main character of the show. He becomes a spirit detective after he had died and was revived by Keiko's kiss. Yusuke must face powerful demons and make rash decisions but it shouldn't be to tough with his friends by his side.
- Kazuma Kuwabara (桑原和真) - Kuwabara is the second toughest kid in the school and was always trying to get Yusuke's spot. He has a soft spot for kittens (including his own, Eikichi) and an iron code of honor. He also harbors an enormous crush on the ice apparition Yukina. As the show progress Yusuke and Kuwabara cease being rivals and become great friends.
- Keiko Yukimura (雪村螢子) / Kayko Yukimura - Although Yusuke vehemently denies it, Keiko is his girlfriend. Her personality is almost the exact opposite of his and she keeps up with her schoolwork much better than Yusuke.
- Koenma-Daioh (コエンマ) - Looks like an infant, but he is the ruler and general manager of spirit realm (Reikai). He hires Yusuke on as spirit detective after he helps him come back to life.
- Botan (ぼたん) - The ferrywoman of the Sanzu River (River Styx in Western Mythology). Originally assigned by Koenma to be Yusuke's spirit guide after the fatal car accident, she becomes his case manager when he becomes spirit detective, and she supplies him with equipment and information.
- Jaganshi Hiei (飛影) - Hiei is a fire/Kôrime demon (yôkai) who specializes in speed, swordsmanship and Black Dragon Technique (Jaou Ensatsu Kokoryuha). He is known as the forbidden one because he's a fire demon born to an Koorime (Ice demons) and Koorime are all females. He possesses a Jagan (Evil Eye), which amplifies his power and enables him to summon the fires of Makai (Demon Realm), he also got it because he wanted to watch Yukina. Originally, he was one of the three demons Yusuke fought on his first case, but he became a valuable ally afterwards. His twin sister is Yukina.
- Kurama (蔵馬), also known as Shuîchi Minamino - Kurama is a demon who wields the power to use plants as lethal weapons. He was one of the three demons Yuusuke faced on his first case, but he did not fight Yuusuke, for he was trying to use the artifact to save his mother. He was originally the kitsune, Yôko Kurama until he was trapped and only barely escaped into a human baby. He grew up as Shuîchi, and regrets the grief he has given his human mother.
- Genkai (幻海) - The aged psychic who held a tournament to decide who would be her successor. Yusuke wins and defeats the demon, Rando. She trains Yusuke in the Spirit Light Wave Fist (Reikô Hadô Ken) and coaches him to the extreme.
- Yukina - She is an ice yôkai (apparition) who was captured by mobsters, Tarukane, who wanted to use her tears to produce jewels. Yusuke, Botan and Kuwabara rescue her from the compound. She return later during the Ankoku Bûtsukai (Dark Tournament) looking for her brother (she wasn't aware that Hiei is her brother)
- Hinageshi - Hinageshi is the guide to the spirit world. She gets around by flying on an oar, just like Botan does. Hinageshi is an expert on information about the nether world.
- Atsuko Urameshi - Atsuko is Yusuke's alcoholic mother. She tries to raise him into a respectable citizen despite her addiction to alcohol.
- The teachers (Mr. Akashi, Mr. Iwamoto, Mr. Takenaka) - Yusuke doesn't get along too well with his teachers at school. Mr. Akashi and Mr. Iwamoto hate him and his friends. They try every trick in the book to expel them. Mr. Takenaka believes that Yusuke is a truly good person, and only scolds him when needed. During the Four Beasts saga, Mr. Iwamoto was infested with a roundworm monster/makai insect. Since Suzaku commanded all of the infested people to kill Keiko Yukimura, Iwamoto stalked Keiko around Sarayashiki Junior High School. The infested Iwamoto had stabbed her in the arm once with a pair of paper scissors before Yusuke destroyed the whistle, which caused the insect inside him to die; he returned to normal after the whistle was destroyed.