Ruka

Ruka (瑠架) is a demon specialized in barrier abilities. She served as a nurse for the Dark Tournament committee and later became an idol with Koto and Juri, as the cult trio.

Quick Answers

What is the significance of Ruka's barrier abilities in Yu Yu Hakusho?

In Yu Yu Hakusho, Ruka's barrier abilities are significant due to their dual function. As a Barrier Practitioner, she can create barriers to imprison victims within a confined space. These barriers can also trap victims using their own energy, provided it's not stronger than hers. This technique was notably used against Hiei and the Masked Fighter. Additionally, Ruka's barriers have a healing property, demonstrated when she healed Hiei's paralyzed arm.

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How did Ruka's character evolve from a nurse to an idol in Yu Yu Hakusho?

In Yu Yu Hakusho, Ruka's character evolves from a nurse to an idol. Initially, she served on the Dark Tournament committee as a nurse, tasked with hindering Team Urameshi's success. Despite this, she remained the official nurse post this event. Later, Ruka transitioned from her nursing role to become an idol, joining forces with Koto and Juri to create a cult trio, marking a significant shift in her character.

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What role did Ruka play in the Dark Tournament committee in Yu Yu Hakusho?

In Yu Yu Hakusho, Ruka served on the Dark Tournament committee. Tasked by the corrupt organizers, she aimed to hinder Team Urameshi's victory against Team Mashoutsukai by trapping Hiei and the Masked Fighter in her barrier during the match. Nevertheless, she maintained her role as the official nurse of the Dark Tournament.

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How did Ruka manipulate Genkai and Hiei in Yu Yu Hakusho?

In Yu Yu Hakusho, Ruka deceives Genkai and Hiei, trapping them in a barrier during a team match. She employs a technique that uses their energy against them, imprisoning them unless their energy surpasses hers. This method was specifically used to sideline Hiei and the Masked Fighter in the battle against Team Mashoutsukai.

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What does the name 'Ruka' mean in the context of her character in Yu Yu Hakusho?

In Yu Yu Hakusho, 'Ruka' is a Japanese name signifying 'precious stone' and 'support', and can also denote a 'bright blue flower'. The name also carries a Spanish slang connotation of 'Gangster chick'. Ruka is a character known for her manipulative tactics and serves as a regular member of the Dark Tournament's medical staff.

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Personality

Ruka is initially portrayed as manipulative as she had tricked Genkai and Hiei into a barrier to keep them imprisoned while her employers fight their teammates, showing she is willing to do anything to win the match. Although she initially seemed arrogant and mocking towards her victims, telling them there was no way of escape, when it was revealed that Hiei would easily destroy her barrier along with her existence, she revealed her true cowardly nature and began to fear for her life as she could no longer contain them. In the manga epilogue and in the All or Nothing special, it appeared that she had reformed her ways and became a better person, enough to win a cult of supporters, along with Juri and Koto where she develops a crush on Jin, which is also shown in an ad during the events of Eizou Hakusho.

Ruka has little modesty, but draws the line at bikini/underwear level of exposure. She reacted with fear more from being rendered naked in front of the tournament crowd, rather than Hiei's growing anger and power; at the time his recovering power was beginning to break the tubes, which Ruka frantically held together.

History

Ruka is a member of the Dark Tournament committee. She acted under orders from the corrupt Dark Tournament organizers to keep Team Urameshi from winning their fight with Team Mashoutsukai, but continues acting as the official nurse of the Dark Tournament even afterward.

Dark Tournament

Her purpose was to keep Hiei and the Masked Fighter occupied inside her barrier during the fight between Team Urameshi and Team Mashoutsukai. In the anime, Koenma and Yusuke had a crush on her until they realized she was evil. Strangely, her barrier had a mysterious healing effect on Hiei's arm (in the manga it healed naturally). She remained confident that her powers would keep Hiei at bay, but when she saw that his powers were slowly returning, she became fearful for her life. After Yusuke's disqualification, Hiei was about to destroy her along with her barrier, but he stopped once he realized Kuwabara stepped in to fight (even though he could barely stand Kuwabara won against Risho when he saw Yukina). She was relieved that her life was spared.

In the English dub before the fight, Kuwabara admits that Ruka told him that though Hiei and the Masked Fighter were out of the fight, he was still fine.

In the manga, Ruka appears again briefly in Chapter 93, tending to Team Uraotogi in the medical ward.

Epilogue

Little is seen of her again in the anime, but she pops up in the manga epilogue as part of a trio of cult favorites including herself, Juri and Koto. In a Human World television interview, she admits to having a crush on Jin, causing the latter to sneeze in the Demon World.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

• Barrier Practitioner (結界師, Kekkaishi): She claims to be able to create a more powerful barrier than any demon (though Ura Urashima claims his is even stronger), but she has no attack power.

Known Techniques/Moves

• Enchanted Barrier (Peripheral Realm in the original Japanese): due to her being a Barrier Practitioner, she can make barriers that keep her victims imprisoned within a small area, but her powers only last for a while until she gets tired and weak. She must also revert to her usual garb, little more than small yellow tubes (apparently with spells written on them that enforce the barrier according to the manga) wrapped around her torso and upper thighs, in order to use this ability. She can also use the energy of the captives to be used against them and keep them imprisoned by their own energy, as long as they aren't stronger than hers. She uses this technique against Hiei and the Masked Fighter in order to prevent them from taking part in the battle against Team Mashoutsukai. However, the attack also has the ability to heal the wounded, and is instrumental in healing Hiei's paralyzed arm.

Relationships

• Jin: Ruka has a hidden crush on Jin, because of his bubbly personality. However, she describes him as the type to hang out with other men than pay attention to a woman.

Etymology

• The name Ruka means "precious stone" (瑠) (ru) and "rack, erect, frame, mount, support, shelf, construct" (架) (ka).
  • It can also mean "bright blue flower" in Japanese.
    • Ruka is a Spanish slang word for "Gangster chick ".

Trivia

• In the manga, it's confirmed that Ruka is a regular member of the Dark Tournament's medical staff and not an infiltrator.
• Ruka seems to be one of the very few female villains in the entire series, and even then she had a change of heart in the end.

• Ruka's "vine bikini" is the most revealing costume of any female character in the series to date.
• In the Filipino Dub, Ruka was called Nurse Joy, which is a reference to one of the characters in the Pokémon anime series.

References