Kurama's Past

Before Kurama became Shuiichi Minamino, he lived in the Makai as the infamous thief, Youko Kurama. He's seen as a tall half-man, half fox with long, silver hair and gold eyes with ears and a tail and he can also shift into the form of a normal fox. No one knows exactly how old he really is, many have said it could be anywhere from four hundred to over a thousand years old. Needless to say, he's lived for centruries. A youko is simply translated as a spirit fox or kitsune and their special abilities pertain to shape shifting and casting illusions. Youko's specialty however, is his power over plants from normal to demonic. His trademark weapon is the rosewhip, an ultra destructive whip made from a rose stem.

He is a thief by trade and a good one at that. Over time he had become bored with his life and took to mastering how to unlock codes and safes. He took to this naturally being as smart as he is and soon became known as the greatest thief in all of Makai. There are many rumors said about Youko, one being that he is cold-hearted, and cruel. This is true when it comes to his enemies though this isn't to say he's incapable of love. He is anything but cold to those who are his friends. A great example of this is Kuronue, who was caught in a trap and begged Kurama to leave him to save his own life. The look on the youko's face at seeing his friend bleed to death shows us how much Kurama really did care for his friend and the memory haunts him even in his next life. So there is more to Youko's seemingly cold exterior. One just has to reach down past the surface.

If there is one thing Kurama is though, he's a powerful, highly skilled fighter! Kitsune can measure how powerful they are by the amount of tails they have. The most powerful have nine and in the beginning of the series, Kurama has five. It wasn't until he reached the level of S-class that he has nine. Along with his immense amount of reiki he has the immense ability to control plants, specifically of the demon variety though it is the rosewhip we see him wield most often. Youko is an opponent you do not want to go up against. Many demons who have nearly killed Kurama in his human form do not last more than a few minutes when battling Youko. His attacks are precise and calculated, and we see this reflected in the way Kurama fights as Shuiichi. It wasn't until the tournament that Kurama could fully tap into his power as Youko and even then he can only change into Youko under times of great stress.

We are not certain how the timeline of Kurama's excursions as Youko follow. The first flashback we see of him as Youko is stealing by himself, then later we see him with his band of thieves and in the movie it is just he and Kuronue. So what came first? Was Kuronue part of the band? Did Kurama leave the band and teamed up with Kuronue only to go on his own after Kuronue's death? So many questions... However, we know how his life as the great bandit ended. One day Youko grew careless in what should have been an easy heist. A hunter pursued after him and shot him down, mortally wounding him. In desperate attempt to save his life, he fled to Ningenkai where he found a suitable body to inhabit until his ki would be restored. His wish was to return to Makai in fifteen years but this never happened. There is also a rumor around the fandom that many believe if Kurama's human body were to die, the Youko form will take over again.