Netflix’s ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ Ending Explained: This Is Just the Beginning

There’s no doubt that Netflix has doubled up on the live-action anime series, especially with the release of ‘Yu Yu Hakusho,’ which is a beloved manga and anime series from the 90s. This series has its own fair share of fans, and some of these fans may be older now. Still, this is one of the anime series that deserves a fun and somewhat faithful live-action version, and that is where Netflix enters with its own unique touch to the ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ storyline.

After five episodes of an action-packed season, we finally got to the conclusion, where we saw a showdown between Yusuke Urameshi and the musclebound Younger Toguro, whose only goal was to fight the strongest fighters and to become stronger. So, with that said, let’s look at how Netflix’s ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ ended.

How did Yu Yu Hakusho end?

As we all know, the group of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei went to Kubikukuri Island to rescue Keiko and Yukina from Sakyo’s clutches. Of course, both Kurama and Hiei went through hell in their own fights against powerful Yokai as rich men watched on to gamble on their duels while Sakyo aimed to use the money to build a massive machine that could open a wormhole between the human realm and the demon realm.

Back at the end of episode 4, Yusuke and Younger Toguro finally met while Kuwabara was running away from the seemingly unkillable Elder Toguro, who was chasing him, Keiko, and Yukina. The fifth episode opened up with Yusuke trying his best to match the powerful Toguro’s might, only for the strong Yokai to overpower the hero. Sakyo watches on as his machine successfully opens a wormhole that cuts through time and space to release Yokai into the world.

Koenma, however, was able to put up a barrier before the Yokai could scatter all over the human realm, prompting him to make a deal with Sakyo. The deal involved Sakyo shutting down the machine and killing himself if Yusuke and his allies beat Toguro. However, if Toguro wins, Koenma would have to remove the barrier.

The arrival of the exhausted Kurama and Hiei seemingly made the battle more interesting. However, Toguro was still far too strong for them to handle, as the trio of heroes was badly bruised and beaten when Kuwabara and Elder Toguro arrived.

Elder Toguro explained that Younger Toguro had killed Genkai. He also told them about the history between Genkai and Younger Toguro because they used to be friends decades ago. But as Genkai aged, Toguro gave himself up to the Yokai to become stronger while preserving his age so that he could obtain ultimate power. But because he found his older brother annoying, Younger Toguro seemingly killed Elder Toguro with a single punch that destroyed his body.

The battle resumed, and Yusuke was able to awaken the power of the Spirit Wave Orb that Genkai gave him after completing his training with her. This was enough to push Toguro to his limit. But the powerful Yokai awakened his full power, which was strong enough to turn air into bullets with a single flick of his finger. His new form overwhelmed the heroes as Kuwabara was the only one left standing.

To try to awaken Yusuke’s power, Toguro delivered a fatal blow that was supposed to be strong enough to kill Kuwabara, thereby causing immense sadness to dwell within Yusuke. With this newfound resolve, Yusuke was able to master the Spirit Wave technique and decided to finish the battle with a powerful Spirit Gun.

Toguro decided to take the full power of the Spirit Gun, knowing that this attack would determine whether or not Yusuke had become powerful enough to take on any challenge ahead of him. He seemingly tanked the attack but eventually realized that he had pushed his body well beyond its limits already. Toguro’s body crumbled into dust after taking the full power of Yusuke’s Spirit Gun.

With Yusuke winning the battle, Sakyo is now forced to shut down his machine. He shot himself in the head, thereby fulfilling his end of the bargain. Miraculously, Kuwabara survived Toguro’s fatal attack as he and his allies decided to leave the island together.

Just before boarding the ship, Hiei decided not to tell Yukina that he was her long-lost brother despite the fact that he went through hell to rescue his estranged sister. Yusuke and his friends leave Kubikukuri Island bruised and beaten but alive and victorious. 

In the afterlife, Toguro and Genkai encounter one another as Toguro tells her that he had asked to be sent to the worst corner of hell to atone for his deeds as a Yokai and for failing to protect his students from the very demon that killed them 50 years ago. Genkai, meanwhile, was headed to paradise to help the heroes.

Why is Younger Toguro in hell?

As mentioned, Toguro ended up in hell after his defeat at the hands of Yusuke. For some reason, his character arc was seemingly bigger and more interesting than any of the other character arcs this season, thereby prompting fans to wonder why he had chosen to be sentenced to an eternity of torment in the darkest corner of hell.

It was revealed earlier by Botan that the reason why Younger Toguro aimed to become stronger was the fact that he saw his students getting slaughtered and eaten by a powerful Yokai after this very same demon defeated him. Because of the weakness that he felt within him back then, he decided to turn into a Yokai again as he wanted to become the strongest being. 

Genkai and everyone else believed that he had become addicted to fighting and was now looking to become the strongest being after seeing himself crumbling to weakness 50 years ago. But the truth was that he became a powerful Yokai as a way to atone for his sins because he thought that it was his failure to protect his students that got them killed.

As such, he believed that becoming a powerful Yokai was his punishment for his failure to protect his students. He was basically cursed to live forever as a monster until someone strong enough could defeat him. Toguro finally found this person in the form of Yusuke, whom he forced to become stronger so that he could finally die and atone for his sins in the afterlife.

Does the ending set up a second season?

As previously mentioned, Toguro and Genkai found one another in the afterlife, where they exchanged a few words. The most interesting thing that Toguro told his old friend was that Yusuke was still just scratching the surface of his potential and was still growing stronger than ever.

Of course, this seems to indicate that there are still harder challenges along the way for Yusuke and his friends, as there’s a good chance that the demon realm will be much more involved in the next chapter of the storyline. We know for a fact that the ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ manga and anime storylines are long enough to cover multiple live-action seasons, even if Netflix were to compress the seasons.

So, in that sense, the ending of Netflix’s ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ adaptation left things open for a second season, especially after Toguro said that Yusuke was only going to become stronger after he finally awakened a portion of his innate potential. There are still two important sagas left, and it is likely that Sensui, another spirit detective, will enter the picture as the next antagonist in the storyline.

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