Yu Yu Hakusho is a go-to staple of 1990s anime and remains beloved by many fans worldwide. One of the reasons it still captivates viewers is that it has some fascinating villains to go alongside its lovable crew of misfit heroes. Many put Sensui or Toguro on their lists of best Yu Yu Hakusho villains, and rightfully so.
However, one quartet of villains from Season 1's "Maze Castle" arc is usually overlooked. Although not the most dangerous of all, the Four Saint Beasts are no pushovers and give Yusuke and his crew a serious challenge. Also some of the most unique villains in Yu Yu Hakusho, here's a look at each of the Four Saint Beasts and their abilities.
Genbu, The Stone Beast
Also referred to as "The Black Tortoise" by many, Genbu may be the weakest and least bright of the Four Saint Beasts, but he cannot be underestimated. Taking a bizarre appearance with an amalgamation of different animals, Genbu has a very distinct trait: his body is made entirely of stone, making him a challenging opponent to defeat.
Since Genbu has a nearly-indestructible body, his tough hide can withstand many aside from his soft underbelly -- but his rock-like skin is not the only gift he possesses. He also can remove parts of his body and send them as deadly projectiles to his opponents. This technique is called "Exploding Bolder Bomb," but unlike his more adept demonic allies, Genbu is easy to predict and makes his weakness very apparent. Because of this, Kurama was able to defeat the stone beast.
Byakko, The White Tiger
The second of the Four Saint Beasts, Byakko is a tall and imposing tiger-like demon with a ferocious appetite and an arrogant personality. Calling himself the "great predator of the Four Saint Beasts," Byakko's great strength and mighty roar are enough to freeze any opponent dead in their tracks and he is insulted at Kuwabara, a human, stepping up to fight him.
Byakko has several extraordinary abilities such as his Tiger Scream attack, which allows him to spit out green waves of energy to obliterate his enemies. He can also absorb his opponents' energy attacks -- as shown when Kuwabara struck the great beast with his spirit sword -- while his formidable Tiger Claws can be thrown as deadly projectiles.
One of Byakko's other attacks, Beasts Unleashing, is when he takes strands of his hair from his head and turns them into vicious tiger-like beasts that hunt their prey. His lone weakness is that he can only absorb so much energy before his body is glutted and he becomes weak. Despite being a human, Kuwabara was able to defeat Byakko -- but not without a grueling fight.
Seiryu, The Blue Dragon
One of the scariest members of the Four Saint Beasts, Seiryu is the second in command. He is calm, collected and ruthless, and has no shred of compassion or mercy for those he considers weak. One could say his only saving grace is his fierce loyalty to his master, going so far as to do anything for his superior and taking great pride in his station.
Seiryu is a master of ice-based attacks and his special move, Ghostly Ice Fist, lets him control the surrounding temperature. When the area is at sub-zero levels, he can throw many sub-zero punches in seconds, which can freeze anyone in a solid block of ice. Hiei implies that if he hadn't been able to defeat Seiryu rather quickly, more of the Ice Dragon's powers would have been revealed -- and Yusuke and the others would've been in serious trouble.
Suzaku, Leader of the Four Saint Beasts
The leader and strongest of Yu Yu Hakusho's Four Saint Beasts, Suzaku takes the visage of a handsome young man -- but his personality is anything but pretty. Suzaku is ruthless, cunning and sadistic but has an explosive temper, which leads to his downfall since his emotions tend to get the better of him. He also cares little for his subordinates, whom he views as nothing but fodder for his goals.
Suzaku has the power to control lightning and enjoys using this power to torture enemies, as he did with poor Yusuke. His attack Lightning Fist is, as the name implies, a projectile punch of lightning that searches for the nearest opponent to shock with heavy voltage. The pain does not stop there because he also holds the power of the Prism of Seven, where he can create seven clones of himself to inflict damage seven times over.
Not only can these seven copies utilize the same lightning-based attacks, but when Suzaku is damaged in battle, he can sacrifice them and make the subsequent spirit energy heal him with his Prism of Seven Restoration ability. Yusuke and his friends had their work cut out for them fighting these unique foes, but their grit and determination ended up being too much for the nefarious Four Saint Beasts.
