Do you remember the anime series Yu Yu Hakusho? If you were an anime fan during the turn of the millennium, you ought to.

If you don’t recall the details, or if you only started watching anime recently, that’s OK — you can still watch the series online.

Even better, a Netflix live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho will arrive in 2023. That makes now an excellent time to re-watch this classic series.

If you want to know where to watch Yu Yu Hakusho online, we can help. There are multiple legal, licensed, and non-pirate choices available, so it’s simply a matter of figuring out which one is right for you.

An Intro to the Yu Yu Hakusho AnimeYu Yu Hakusho, Yu Yu Hakusho - Yoshihiro Togashi, Pierrot/ Shueisha, seen at Crunchyroll

Yoshihiro Togashi started the Yu Yu Hakusho manga in 1990. In 1992, it was adapted into an anime series. It arrived in the United States in 2001. If you watched the Funimation/ Cartoon Network version, you may know it as Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files.

The series features teenage tough guy/ delinquent Yusuke Urameshi. At the beginning of the series, Yusuke dies when he tries to save a kid.

This sacrifice earns Yusuke a new life as a “Spirit Detective.” He is soon joined by others who make up his team — classmate Kazuma Kuwabara, fox demon Kurama, and demon Hiei.  He’s helped by spirit guide/ shinigami Botan, and his boss, Koenma. Classmate Keiko often tags along as Yusuke’s love interest.

Yusuke and his allies battle rogue demons, and fight in tournaments.

The TV series was followed by several OVAs and a couple of movies.

Where to Watch Yu Yu Hakusho Online

  1. Netflix via NordVPN
  2. Crunchyroll
  3. Tubi
  4. Apple TV
  5. Hulu

1. Netflix

Yu Yu Hakusho at Netflix

If all goes well, Netflix will have the live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho in 2023. In the meantime, you can watch the original anime series on Netflix — but if you’re in the United States, you’ll need a VPN (see below for details). That’s because the global streaming service has only unlocked the series in certain regions.

If you speak English or Japanese, Netflix Japan (with English) has Japanese and English dubbing and subtitles. If you speak German, Dutch, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Simplified Chinese, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, or Vietnamese, try the Germany-English (de-en) website. Other versions of Netflix may have it as well.

How to Watch Yu Yu Hakusho on Netflix from Anywhere in the World

Like all anime, sometimes Yu Yu Hakusho may be only available on Netflix in certain countries. If you log on and can’t find Yu Yu Hakusho in your Netflix library, don’t worry! You can get around that problem by using a VPN. We have confirmed that as of the writing of this article Yu Yu Hakusho is available on Netflix Japan (with English). All you have to do is use a VPN to fake a Japan IP address and you’ll be good to go.

The following method works on both desktop PCs and mobile phones or tablets:

  1. Purchase (or start a free trial) of a VPN. NordVPN works.
  2. In the settings, choose Japan as your location.
  3. Fire up the VPN and wait for it to do its magic.
  4. Once you’re connected, navigate to Netflix (browser or app).
  5. Search “Yu Yu Hakusho” in the Netflix search bar and you should see Yu Yu Hakusho pop up.

Enjoy! Please note that if your Netflix library doesn’t update to reflect the country you selected in your VPN, you may have to clear the Netflix cache and try again.

To do this on mobile, go to settings -> apps -> Netflix -> clear cache. To do this on PC, you have to clear the cache in your browser.

 

Pros

  • Germany-English Netflix has a United Nations of subtitles
  • Netflix will have a live-action version in 2023
  • Includes the 2018 OVA Two Shots/ All or Nothing; two stories which adapt chapters from the manga

Cons

  • Geo-locked in some regions (but that can be solved with a VPN)

Language options: Lots of choices, depending on your location.

Monthly price: $9.99 basic; $15.49 standard; $19.99 premium.

Watch Yu Yu Hakusho on Netflix.

 

2. Crunchyroll

Yu Yu Hakusho at Crunchyroll

If Netflix isn’t available, Crunchyroll would be the next best option. Crunchyroll specializes in anime, so it has a huge anime library.

Crunchyroll also has Eizou Hakusho, a multi-part Yu Yu Hakusho OVA that Netflix doesn’t offer. The six parts of Eizou Hakusho were released in Japan in the 1990s. Funimation brought them to the U.S. in 2011. The OVA includes series epilogue clips, fight scene montages, image song videos, and comedy bits.

Pros

  • Huge library of recent and classic anime hits
  • Includes the 6-part Eizou Hakusho OVA

Cons

  • Surprisingly limited language options, compared to other Crunchyroll offerings

Language options: Japanese with English subtitles; English dubbed

Monthly price: Free, limited viewing is possible. $7.99 for “fan” level; $9.99 for “mega fan”; and $14.99 for “ultimate fan.”

Watch Yu Yu Hakusho on Crunchyroll.

3. Tubi

Yu Yu Hakusho at Tubi

Tubi is a free, ad-supported streaming website. The service offers an interesting range of content, including a mixture of older and recent anime shows.

My ad blocker wasn’t able to block all of the ads. Tubi’s video quality is limited, but that shouldn’t matter with an older series such as Yu Yu Hakusho.

The service is available in North America, parts of Central America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Pros

  • Free to watch with no registration
  • Creating a free account unlocks some features
  • Interesting anime and non-anime choices

Cons

  • Only available in a few nations
  • Unavoidable ads
  • Limited video quality and language options

Language options: Japanese with English subtitles

Price: Free, with ads

4. Apple

Yu Yu Hakusho at Apple TV

You can buy individual episodes, or a whole season of Yu Yu Hakusho at Apple TV.  The season package is cheaper than buying every episode individually, and Apple will subtract episodes you’ve already bought from the season price.

Apple is international in scope. However, you may encounter geolocking of some shows in some areas.

Pros

  • You get a downloadable copy of the series

Cons

  • Buying is more expensive than subscribing to a streaming service

Language options: English dubbed, or Japanese with subtitles (sold separately)

Price: $2.99 an episode, $29.99 for a season

5. Hulu

Yu Yu Hakusho at Hulu

U.S.-based streaming service Hulu also has Yu Yu Hakusho. They have both dubbed and English-subtitled versions of the series.

The service is limited to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and overseas U.S. military bases. Hulu Japan is a separate, unrelated company.

Pros

  • A decent anime and non-anime library
  • Free trial available
  • Can bundle Hulu with Disney services

Cons

  • Only available in some areas

Language options: Japanese with English subtitles, and English dubbed

Price: Hulu plans include:

  • Hulu with ads (first month free): $6.99/ month – price increases to $7.99 on Oct. 10, 2022
  • Hulu, no ads (first month free): $12.99/ month – price increases to $14.99 on Oct. 10, 2022
  • Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ bundle: $13.99/ month
  • Hulu bundle, no ads: $19.99/ month
  • Hulu Live TV bundle, no ads: $75.99

Watch Yu Yu Hakusho on Hulu.

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