Hiei (YuYu Hakusho)

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Hiei in Yu Yu Hakusho

Hiei (飛影) is one of the four main characters in the anime and manga series YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. Nobuyuki Hiyama is Hiei's seiyū in the original Japanese anime. His English voice actors are Chuck Huber in the FUNimation Dubs, Kirk Thornton, in the dub of Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie, and James Stanley in the second movie, Yu Yu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report.

In the English-language manga Hiei is called Hiei of the Evil Eye. In the Japanese versions Hiei is often called Hiei Jaganshi (邪眼師); which is a title rather than an actual family name. It is given only to those who have mastered the "Jagan". So far, Hiei has been the only one to claim it.

Hiei's powers and personality

Hiei is a hybrid fire and ice yōkai. He has some pyrokinetic and cryokinetic powers, which grant him amazing resistance to extreme temperatures of heat and cold, as well as limited immunity against fire and ice based attacks.

He possesses an implanted third eye in the middle of his forehead, called a Jagan (邪眼, literally Evil Eye; which is the term used in the English-language manga when referring to it). Said implant amplifies all his natural powers, and enables him to summon both the hellacious fires of his homeland, Makai (魔界 Demon Realm) and the tamer, but still dangerous, fires of Ningenkai (Human Realm). At the same time, grants him several near psychic abilities, such as: Hypnosis, Telepathy, and Remote Viewing powers.

Yet, despite all this, Hiei must hide it behind a special sutra enscribed strip of cloth he uses as a bandana, because despite it being apart of him, the Jagan is a sentient being, of sorts. Meaning, that like the Black Dragon tattooed on his right arm, they both have a mind of their own and need to be kept in check by such items. Though both can overcome their "leashes", for their own reasons. The Eye does so only if it is in any way insulted; like it did during Hiei's early fight in the Dark Tournament, against another fire demon. The Dragon overcomes its "sleep" if it feels its being misled, as it was when Hiei was being manipulated during the YYH Poltergeist Report film. Either way, the sutra enscribed items lessen both sentient creatures' drain on Hiei's reserves of yōki; but both are ready to be revealed when needed, whether he wants them to or not.

Hiei typically squabbles with Kazuma Kuwabara, but seems to hold a certain amount of respect for all his teammates. He prefers to work on his own agenda, and has a notorious reputation in the Demon Realm. Yet, despite this, he is very honorable and always keeps his word. He does not tend to show his emotions, and doesn't always let his teammates know that he does actually care about them, and that they are his friends. Hiei can be kind and compassionate, but really doesn't know how to show such things because of where he grew up and the atmosphere there. There, he learned to care for himself, and only himself, but didn't completely close off his emotions as he is still able to care for others.

Other than being a master swordsman from the skills that he learned from Shigure, Hiei is also lightning fast, able to move at speeds faster than the human eye, and sometimes even faster than most demon's eyes. He is a master of the Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryu, the black dragons which he tamed and summons from the Demon Realm for his use through the mystical tattoo on his right arm.

Early life

Hiei is known as the Forbidden One, because he is a male fire demon born to an ice maiden (kōrime), an all born female race. He was born male because his mother "interacted" with a male demon outside her isolationist Kōrime community, which led to him being cast out as an infant. After surviving his fall down, he was found and raised by a gang of bandits, but it didn't last long. As he grew older, he killed mostly for fun, causing those that survived to greatly fear and reject him.

Hiei's Jagan originated from Shigure, the demon surgeon, who implanted it within him, under Hiei's orders. Though it only happened after Hiei succeeded in paying the doctor's asked price: telling him an interesting story. Which Hiei did, he told Shigure the story of his life up to that point in time, and was warned before hand the physical cost of having the Jagan implanted in him. Despite the warnings that the surgery would drain Hiei of all his (former) strength and that it would be incredibly painful, he went through with it anyway. Afterwards, he chose to accept Shigure's lessons in the art of swordsmanship (kenjutsu) in order to survive. He did so due to the fact that his original level of power, that of an A-Class demon, was reduced to that of a lower D-Class.

During his stay and training with the demon surgeon, Hiei decides to use his implant for what he originally wanted it for. To find the special jewel that he had lost in a battle with another demon, the very same one created from his mother's tears when he was a baby. He set out on his journey and instead of finding his jewel, Hiei found his way back to the Glacial Village where he was originally born in. Once there, he decided to find his mother, Hina, but would find her friend, Rui, the woman who was forced to cast him off the village and into a river below. From her, he found out that his mother had died years ago, she had committed suicide due to the depression of losing her son and witnessing his "death".

It was also here, from Rui, that Hiei learns of the existence of his twin sister, Yukina, who left the village without explanation a few years before. However, she also told Hiei that it was assumed by herself, and her fellow villagers, that Yukina's reasons for leaving were more than likely due to discovering that she had a twin brother, and decided to seek him out. After she finished answering his questions, he simply turned to leave without another word. However, before he did, she quickly realized Hiei's identity as Hina's son, and asks (begs) him to kill her then and there for her part in his fate. After appearing to think it over, he refused and continued to walk away.

On his way back to Shigure, Hiei decides from then on to use his Jagan to watch over his sister, rather than finding his jewel. So it was, that upon his final departure from the demon surgeon, he decided to pay Shigure for his services as a kenjutsu sensei. As payment for his teachings, Shigure has Hiei swear an oath to never to tell Yukina that he is her brother. Hiei accepts the terms, and states that he never planned to tell Yukina.

In the human world

After that moment, Hiei traveled everywhere, intent on finding his sister, Yukina. His search eventually took him to the Human Realm, and it was during this time that he first met the human form of Yoko Kurama, Shuichi Minamino. This took him from his quest briefly in the form of planned robbery of the Spirit World's artifact vault. Together with another demon named Gouki, the three stole three dangerous weapons from the Reikai (霊界, lit. spirit world), and became the targets of Yusuke Urameshi's first case.

After being betrayed by Kurama and arrested by Yusuke, Hiei became a valuable ally in the spirit detective's third case, helping to fight against the Four Saint Beasts, defeating Seiryuu. During Urameshi's fourth mission - to rescue Yukina - he was given the task of giving Yusuke the tape with the mission briefing. Koenma gave him this task to keep Hiei from knowing the details, knowing that Hiei would certainly kill Tarukane, the man holding his sister. Hiei would be severely punished if he were to succeed in killing the evil human, since youkai are forbidden from killing any humans.

Hiei found out the details anyway, and almost succeeded in killing Tarukane, but Yukina stopped him, saying that she did not want any more violence and bloodshed, despite the cruelty that Tarukane had shown her. Hiei agreed to her plea, and stated that he didn't even think Tarukane was worth killing. Afterwards, she said that Hiei seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't place him. Hiei remained quiet and told her nothing, not only upholding his oath to Shigure, but also because he was afraid that she would be ashamed of his past.

Dark Tournament

During the Dark Tournament, Hiei was able to master the Dragon of the darkness flame, a Jaou Ensatsu technique, winning his match against Zeru in the first round in a short amount of time thanks to his Jagan. However, because it was his first time using this attack it crippled his arm. A feat on its own as anyone else attempting this would have had their arm blown off after using it. Because of this, he only got to fight in four matches during the entire tournament. During the tournaments third round he was tricked and captured in a force-field of an experienced demon force-field maker making him unable to participate in that round. However, this ambush worked against the demon ninjas, because the field had an unusual effect on Hiei's arm, as it healed it back to 100% health. Later, he masters the technique to and is able to use it against Bui of Team Toguro in the last round and beat him, wrecking half the stadium in the process.

Chapter Black

During the Chapter Black arc, Hiei did not want to join the group in their mission against Shinobu Sensui at first because he felt it did not involve him in any way. Later, after saving Yusuke from Sensui's follower Sniper (Kaname Hagiri), Hiei fought against Yusuke again in order to help calm him down, since Yusuke was in a rage over Sensui kidnapping Kuwabara. Afterwards, Yusuke bribed Hiei with the Chapter Black tape, a VHS tape said to contain on record all of the crimes mankind has ever done onto itself and others, in exchange for helping to defeat Sensui. Hiei managed to gain possession of the tape in the end, only to destroy it without ever watching it.

Three Kings

During the Three Kings arc, Hiei is invited by Mukuro to travel to her territory and become a part of her army. For six months Hiei was put to a survival test by Mukuro and then faced off against Shigure, the one who implanted him with his Jagan. Hiei was able to defeat Shigure, but lost most of his left arm which was cut off and also ended up being mortally wounded in the process (in the manga, he was literally cut in half at the waist). Afterwards, per Mukuro's wishes, his arm was restored and he was healed, and Hiei continued to train under her. When Raizen died, Hiei traveled to Yomi's territory to meet up with Yusuke.

It was here that Yusuke announced his decision to hold a tournament to determine the Demon Realm's new ruler, rather than to have individual territories. Hiei entered and was among one of the many competitors. Hiei was able to make it through the preliminaries and first round, but lost to Mukuro in his final round. As the two spend more and more time with each other, and their relationship progresses, Hiei begins to think of Mukuro as more than a mere ally. After being pitted against Mukuro during the tournament, Hiei's two main goals in this match are to defeat Mukuro in the ring and continue on to the next round and also release her from her chains, or if he cannot defeat Mukuro, he must at least unchain her. He unleashed a Black Dragon at Mukuro. The Dragon destroyed the indestructible metal cuffs that bound Mukuro to her past as a former slave, and to her own hate; thus saving her from herself.

In the manga, he frees her from her past by kidnapping the demon who once enslaved her and trapping him with a plant obtained from Kurama. The plant continually healed any injuries the man endured, and Hiei left him with a smiling Mukuro to slice up at her leisure, and kill when she was done with him.

In the final episode, Hiei chose to remain in the Demon Realm, and took up the task of escorting humans who have accidentally wandered into the Demon Realm back to the Human Realm.

Powers and abilities

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Hiei releases the Dragon of the Darkness Flame for the first time.

• Jaō Ensatsu Kokuryuha (邪王炎殺黒龍波 literally Evil-King's Blaze-Murdering Black-Dragon-Wave).

Black Dragon Hell Fire in the English manga.
Black Dragon Wave in the English dub done by U.S. Manga Corps.
Dragon of the Darkness Flame in the English dub done by Funimation.

This technique involves Hiei luring the dragons of the demon world using his demon energy yokai to him and then releasing them in the direction of his target/enemy. The dragon cannot be controlled directly once released, however eventually Hiei learns to absorb the dragon once it is stopped and thrown back at him. This puts him in a temporary super state with access to incredible power. As the series progresses, Hiei can use the dragon at will without seriously damaging his arm. Whereas it initially crippled his entire right arm the first time he used it, but thankfully was later accidentally healed by an enemies attack. This is one of the strongest attacks in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe.

• Jaō Ensatsu Rengoku Shou (邪王炎殺煉獄焦 Evil-King's Blaze-Murdering Purgatory Scorch)

Fist of the Mortal Flames in the English Dub.
Blazing Fist of the Overlord in the English Manga.

Hiei draws the lesser flame of the human world into, one or both, of his fists, and utilizes his lightning speed to create an incredible fire based close range multi-striking attack.

• Jaō Ensatsu Ken (邪王炎殺剣 Evil-King's Blaze-Murdering Sword)

Sword of the Darkness Flame in the English Dub.
Hiei lures the dragons of spirit world using his demon energy again, but channels them into his sword instead of fully releasing them, making it less dangerous for him and his body (In the Japanese version Hiei creates this attack by merging his yoki with the flames of Demon World and the Dragon is not mentioned at all). Hiei notes his distaste for this particular attack (since it is similar to Kuwabara's). He eventually learns to create the sword without a channeling point, as Kuwabara does.

Trivia

• Hiei's name means "flying shadow." This is probably due to his speed.
• In the Opening Ending Encyclopedia Hiei returns to Human World to return Yukina's ice gem saying that her brother has been dead for years, but Yukina tells him to keep the gem saying that if her brother were still alive she would have wanted him to be just like him.