RINKU
RI
The smallest member of Team Rokuyukai is also the first Dark Tournament opponent to prove that appearances mean absolutely nothing in that arena. Rinku uses demon-energy yo-yos as flexible weapons, controlling their strings well enough to bind, throw and redirect opponents around the ring. His match with Kuwabara is playful by tournament standards, and Rinku quickly becomes more interested in the fun of competition than in hating Team Urameshi. After his team loses, he openly cheers for the people who beat them. Like Chu, Jin, Toya, Shishiwakamaru and Suzuki, Rinku later trains with Genkai and returns during the Demon World storyline at a completely different power level. His childish personality remains intact, which makes the enormous jump in strength particularly funny.
RINKU THROUGH THE ARCHIVE //
DARK TOURNAMENT WATCH GUIDE //
Open page →Rinku Beats Kuwabara by Ring-Out
Open →Kuwabara's opening match against Rinku is a good early warning about tournament logic. Kuwabara is physically tougher than the childlike demon expects and reveals that he can form two Spirit Swords, but Rinku's yo-yos are built around control rather than a straight exchange of power.
Both fighters leave the ring. Rinku stays connected to his weapons and uses the situation better, handing Kuwabara the loss by ring-out.
Both fighters leave the ring. Rinku stays connected to his weapons and uses the situation better, handing Kuwabara the loss by ring-out.
Why it matters
A tournament can punish the stronger fighter for losing track of the actual win condition. Yu Yu Hakusho keeps returning to that idea, especially when judges and committee members begin manipulating those conditions.
