Episode 21

Yusuke's Sacrifice
Kanji	幽助·命を賭けた反撃
Rōmaji	Yūsuke Inochi o Kaketa Hangeki (Yusuke's Life or Death Counterattack)
Japan Air Date	March 6, 1993
English Air Date	July 6, 2002
Episode	21
Manga	Chapters 43 (second half)-44
Saga	Spirit Detective Saga
Opening Song	Smile Bomb
Ending Song	Homework Never Ends
Previous Episode	←Seven Ways to Die
Next Episode	Lamenting Beauty→

Yusuke's Sacrifice is the twenty-first episode of season 1 of YuYu Hakusho. It aired on March 6, 1993 in Japan and July 6, 2002 in the United States.

Short Summary

Yusuke, confronted with an image of Keiko with her life threatened, finally defeats Suzaku by using the last of his life energy to destroy all of his clones, and barely survives with Kuwabara transferring some of his own energy to Yusuke.

Detailed Summary

Suzaku releases another lightning fist attack, but Yusuke was up to the task as he himself unleashes his full power and he blasts Suzaku with his devastating spirit shotgun. Suzaku goes down and Yusuke has finally beaten him. However, he has used up his own strength and he goes down too.

Keiko and Botan continue to run from the possessed people that are chasing them when suddenly Botan gets whacked hard from a sneak attack and she passes out. Keiko goes to her aid, but now they are trapped and have nowhere to go. Yusuke sees this from Suzaku's wide screen and decides to grab the flute and destroy it. He doesn't have much strength so he crawls towards the flute when suddenly Suzaku's bird (the one that flies with Suzaku all the time who taunts Yusuke) knocks the flute far away. Yusuke threatens the bird with a rei gun pose, scaring her, and he goes again to grab the flute when suddenly Suzaku steps on his hand.

Suzaku grabs the spirit of the other Suzaku clones he earlier formed and with this he gains back his full strength, leaving Yusuke in real trouble. Suzaku charges up for another lighting fist attack, and Yusuke absorbs the full impact of it. However, he doesn't go down. Somehow he has some strength left, but Suzaku realizes this and sees he doesn't have enough to take another attack. He charges up again for another lighting fist, but Yusuke sees Keiko and Botan about to be assaulted by the possessed people and suddenly his eyeballs disappear and a burst of energy (what Suzaku calls his life energy) suddenly erupts from Yusuke and he unleashes a mighty Spirit Shotgun just in time for Kuwabara and the others to see. They arrive as Yusuke nails Suzaku with the immense energy and the force blows up the whole chamber.

The possessed people fall down and the flute is destroyed. Now Keiko, Botan and the whole human world is finally safe as Koenma (who was watching this whole time) rejoices. However, Yusuke is totally drained. Kurama checks him out and notices his heart slowly beating to the point he believes it will stop. In danger of losing a friend, Kuwabara decides to share his energy with him in order for him to live, as a confused Hiei looks on.

Three days later, Yusuke wakes up somewhere and sees Kuwabara and Kurama. He realizes he is in Kuwabara's room and he has been sleeping for a number of days, seems like he did beat Suzaku after all. But then he remembers something and asks Kuwabara about Keiko and Botan. Kuwabara and Kurama get a depressed look making Yusuke think something went wrong with them, when suddenly the two girls burst out of the door and yell at Yusuke for breaking out of the bed. Kuwabara gets one hell of a laugh. Later, as Keiko leaves, Yusuke follows and apologizes for the things that just happened and it looks like Keiko will be replying with a deadly slap. But instead of a slap she points her finger at Yusuke telling him not to make her worry again, just to promise he will let her know when he has a case next time.

Anime Notes

• This is the last episode of the Four Saint Beasts Arc.
• The part where Murugu stalls Yusuke does not exist in the manga, as Suzaku recovers more quickly in that version.
• In the manga, Suzaku learns about his damaged tentacle after Yusuke's final attack just before his death. In the anime however, it takes place earlier just before Suzaku was prepared to finish Yusuke off.

Gallery

• Main article: Gallery