Kazuma Kuwabara is Yusuke’s rival turned friend who is privy to Yusuke’s secrets. In Yu Yu Hakusho, Shuhei Uesugi plays Kazuma Kuwabara
Like Yusuke, Kazuma Kuwabara is a troublemaker. He keeps picking fights with Yusuke because he wants nothing more than to win against him.
Although Kuwabara considers himself Yusuke’s rival, he has yet to defeat him in a fight. Nevertheless, his continuous failure does not deter him.
Kuwabara keeps challenging Yusuke and is determined to keep growing with him. He hopes that one day, he will be strong enough to defeat his rival.
A boy with good intentions
When Yusuke dies and Botan makes him attend his wake, he finds out that Kuwabara is one of the people who are genuinely mourning his death.
Yusuke then realizes that Kuwabara picks fights with him, but he has never despised him. In fact, the two of them are quite similar.
Kuwabara and Yusuke both get into a lot of fights, but they never hurt anyone unprovoked. They also protect others from bullies.
Kuwabara does not hesitate to jump in and stop the boy who has been possessed by the roundworm monster from causing harm to other people.
At the end of the day, his only regret is that he could not protect his friends, who sustained injuries and had to be hospitalized. He sincerely apologizes to them.
Rivals to friends
Kuwabara questions Yusuke about defeating the possessed boy, and Yusuke gives him an honest answer; he tells him about the yokai and using his Spirit Energy.
Initially, Kuwabara does not believe him, but when he realizes that, apart from Yusuke, he is the only human who can see Botan, he starts believing him.
He then follows Yusuke and eavesdrops on his and Botan’s conversations. That is how he discovers everything about Yusuke’s new job.
When he suspects that Kurama is going to harm Yusuke, he goes after him to save him from the yokai, which results in Yusuke and Kuwabara becoming friends.
Yusuke’s source of motivation
Kuwabara wishes to grow alongside Yusuke and not let him get ahead, so he accompanies him to receive training from Master Genkai.
Kuwabara still carries the guilt of not being able to protect his friends from the roundworm monster. He wants to be strong not only to challenge Yusuke but also to protect his friends.
Master Genkai recognizes that Kuwabara, with his unwavering determination to learn and be stronger, might surpass Yusuke if he does not keep up with him.
Even though Yusuke and Kuwabara are friends now, they are still competitive. Kuwabara learning to use his Spirit Energy gives Yusuke the push that he needs to grow.
Kuwabara keeps motivating Yusuke to be better, as seen when he accompanies Yusuke to Kubikukuri Island to save Keiko.
When Kuwabara learns that Toguro killed Master Genkai, he attacks him, but as he is no match for Toguro, he is gravely injured.
The need to save Kuwabara gives Yusuke the strength that he needs to defeat Toguro. Fortunately, Yukina, the girl Kuwabara likes and risks his life for, heals him.
Over the course of the first season, Kuwabara and Yusuke’s relationship changes; it evolves into a friendship founded on mutual trust and respect.
Also Read: Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho character explained