The Dark Tournament (暗黒武術会, Ankoku Bujutsukai, translated as Dark Martial Arts Association), consisting of sixteen teams made up of five fighters each, is a dark martial arts competition held on Hanging Neck Island and is the setting for the second saga of Yū Yū Hakushō.
In the Filipino dub of the anime, this is known as the Toguro Tournament.
Overview
The Dark Tournament is a vile martial arts competition organized by greedy human crime lords, and draws the attention of some of the most wretched demons of Spirit World. According to Younger Toguro, wealthy human gamblers and businesses owners come to the tournament for betting and entertainment from the fights, while the demons enter for sake of blood and chance to wish for anything they want.
As indicated by Kurama, the idea of mercy has never been a part of the tournament, meaning any tactic to defeat the opponent goes. According to Hiei the only law of the competition is the strongest combatant prevails.
Teams
The following teams compete in the final holding of the Dark Tournament:
- Spirit Warriors
Battles
Urameshi vs. Rokuyukai
Rules: One on One matches with the overall victory determined by getting the most points
Matches:
- Rinku vs. Kuwabara - Winner: Rinku
- Roto vs. Kurama - Winner: Kurama
- Zeru vs. Hiei - Winner: Hiei
- Chu vs. Yusuke - Winner: Yusuke
Handicaps: Yusuke asleep until after the third match
Win: Team Urameshi
Urameshi vs. Dr. Ichigaki
Rules: Three on Three battle royale. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the Masked Fighter must give up their bodies should they lose. (Yusuke only in the English anime version.)
Matches:
Handicaps: Both teams missing two fighters, Yusuke unable to use his Spirit Gun, Kuwabara distracted by a premonition he had regarding the background of M1, M2, and M3
Win: Team Urameshi
Urameshi vs. Masho
Rules: One on One elimination matches until all of the opposing teams' available members are unable to compete
Handicaps: The match started right after the battle against Team Dr. Ichigaki, Kuwabara was badly injured, and Hiei and the Masked Fighter were ruled unable to fight
Matches:
- Kurama vs. Gama- Winner: Kurama
- Kurama vs. Toya- Winner: Kurama
- Kurama vs. Bakken - Winner: Bakken
- Yusuke vs. Bakken - Winner: Yusuke
- Yusuke vs. Jin - Winner: Double Loss
- Kuwabara vs. Risho: - Winner: Kuwabara
Win: Team Urameshi
Urameshi vs. Uraotogi
Rules: One on One matches, which are determined by the roll of a six-piece dice. Each face represents a team member, plus a free space.
Matches:
- Hiei vs. Makintaro - Winner: Hiei
- Hiei vs. Kuro Momotaro - Winner: Hiei
- Kurama vs. Ura Urashima - Winner: Kurama
- Kuwabara vs. Shishiwakamaru - Winner: Shishiwakamaru
- Genkai vs. Shishiwakamaru - Winner: Genkai
- Kuwabara vs. Onji/Suzuki - Winner: Suzuki
- Genkai vs. Suzuki - Winner: Genkai
Handicaps: Yusuke and Masked Fighter were absent for the beginning matches. The Masked Fighter was drained of all her strength.
Win: Team Urameshi
Urameshi vs. Toguro
Rules: One on One matches with the overall victory determined by getting the most points, the Team Captain match however, would be granted two points instead of One point due to the presence of four team members instead of five for both teams.
Matches:
- Kurama vs. Karasu - Winner: Karasu (won posthumously; was killed in the fight but as Kurama was down for more than 10 counts first, the match went to Team Toguro)
- Hiei vs. Bui - Winner: Hiei
- Kuwabara vs. Elder Toguro - Winner: Kuwabara (NOTE: it is revealed by Elder Toguro in this match that Genkai was killed by his younger brother two days prior to the tournament's finals)
- Yusuke vs. Younger Toguro - Winner: Yusuke
- Koenma vs. Sakyo - Winner: Koenma (Since both Sakyo and Koenma were only there to fill up space for their Teams to compete rather than fight, Sakyo bet his life and match on Yusuke and Toguro's, essentially making their fight worth 2 points.)
Handicaps: Team owner will die if their team loses
Win: Team Urameshi
Staff
Committee
The tournament is headed by a committee, who, consisting of several wealthy humans, creates the event's rules and oversees each individual match to determine its legitimacy. Possessing limitless power in all event circumstances, the committee has the final word on every major tournament decision, including the outcome of all fights. In addition, it is the committee's job to award the tournament's champions with a granting of one wish, which is considered the grand prize of the event. Like all affiliates of the dark tournament, the committee is extremely corrupt, often abusing its authority to overturn legitimate decisions by the referees, including multiple instances at the expense of Team Urameshi. (Though this stopped by the semi-finals, as Hiei threatened to kill them for their constant interference during round two.) Despite their corruption and greed, even they were disgusted by Sakyo's plan to open the gate to the demon world, and swore to stop him, though were killed by Toguro.
Every year, special guests are invited to fight in the tournament. Althought it may seem to be an honor, it is quite the contrary. These guests have no choice in the decision of fighting, and if they are absent in the tournament, they are written on a kill list and will be murdered by an assassin. (In short the committee expects special guests to die in the tournament.)
Referees
The first referee, Koto, watched the matches and started the ten count should a fighter fall. During the finals and the semi-finals, she acted as an announcer.
The second, Juri, took over for Koto when she was "promoted" during the finals.
Prize
The prize for winning the tournament was one wish for each person on the winning team.
The Toguro Brothers wished to be converted into demons of the highest class (though they were technically B class; though they were technically the strongest class permitted in the Human World), while Genkai wished to never be a part of such a tournament again. The wishes of the other two members are not revealed; though its possible they died in the final round.
Team Urameshi collectively wished for the resurrection of Genkai, which Koenma granted. In a sense of irony, Toguro granted Hiei's wish when he secretly murdered the committee for Sakyo. Kuwabara wanted fame, so his reputation would scare off any would-be attacker from Yukina; simply winning the Tournament got him fame.
Destruction
Sakyo had bet his life on Team Toguro's victory, while Koenma bet his upon Team Urameshi. When Yusuke and his team won the finals, Sakyo was true to his word. He activated a self-destruct protocol on the arena, which collapsed and killed him in the process.
Video Games
The tournament was later adapted into a video game, called Yu Yu Hakusho Dark Tournament. This stage appeared in the Jump crossover fighting game J-Stars Victory Vs
Trivia
- After the first round of fights, the tournament lineup was obviously skewed in favor of Team Toguro. Team Urameshi was one of only two teams that had to fight four rounds while Team Toguro only had to fight in the semi-final and final rounds.
- With the Black Black Club dead, the tournament is permanently canceled.