The Dark Tournament Arc is the second and longest saga of the Yu Yu Hakusho anime series. It spans from episodes 26 to 66, and it is widely considered to be the best he arc in anime. It is truly the most influential arc in anime, as it has been recreated and reimagined many times in different anime.

How Is The Dark Tournament Arc Influential?

There are many reasons why the Dark Tournament Arc is so influential. First, it has a great cast of characters. Yusuke Urameshi and his friends are involved in their life’s calling. They each have their own unique fighting style. The supporting characters are also very memorable and intense, including the powerful Team Toguro and the mysterious Genkai. Shows such as My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter and many more have the same themes of the tournament arc and you can see the similarities.

Dark Tournament Arc Fights

Second, the fights are incredibly well-animated and exciting. The animators did a great job of capturing the intensity of the battles, and they made each fight feel unique. The arc features a ton of great battles back to back to back which is a real treat for action fans. Yu Yu Hakusho was released in 1993 (2003 in US) and you can clearly see the similarities of characters from this arc with a lot of shounen that has released.

Yu Yu Hakusho Soundtrack

The Dark Tournament Arc has a great story. It is full of twists and turns, and it keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Yu Yu Hakusho also has one of the best soundtracks in anime (not limited to just dark tournament arc). Check out this playlist on YouTube with all the Yu Yu Hakusho OST (no affiliation with channel). Yu Yu Hakusho truly has one of the best soundtracks in all of anime and set the bar very high at the beginning of the era.