Hiei is one of the shortest characters, standing at only 4 feet 10 inches without his hair. He wears a white headband that hides his Jagan Eye, which is located on his forehead and has a purple iris. His eyes are reddish, large, and slightly slanted, giving him a sinister appearance early in the series. Typically, he dresses in a black cloak-like jacket and pants, paired with a black (or sometimes blue) undershirt. His hair is black with a blue tint, usually spiked with white highlights at the front. Hiei wields a sword, using it both for combat and to safely channel the dark flames from the underworld, though he rarely uses this power, finding it "barbaric." He possesses a well-muscled frame, high speed, accuracy, and precision.
Hiei is a male fire demon born to a race of female ice demons. His mother, Hina, was forced to abandon him because males are forbidden among the koorime. Hiei was taken in by a group of thieves and learned to kill at a very young age. Throughout his childhood, his sanity was anchored by a necklace made from his mother's hiruiseki (氷涙石, ice tear stone). He lost this necklace during a battle. To find the lost hirui, Hiei acquired the Jagan. Using it, he discovered the place of his birth and learned that his grief-stricken mother had committed suicide. He also found out about his twin sister, Yukina, who had disappeared from the village. Now, another goal is to search for Yukina. Hiei is aloof, elusive, and misanthropic, often belittling and mocking humans and their emotions.
Although relatively quiet, Hiei occasionally squabbles with and insults his teammates, especially Kuwabara, but deep down he holds a certain amount of respect for him and vice versa. In fact, Hiei respects all his teammates, but seems closest to Kurama and Yusuke. He prefers to work according to his own agenda and has a notorious reputation in the Demon World as a killer even when he was classified as a D Class demon. Despite this, deep down, he is a loner who desires true friendship and companionship. He is very honorable, always keeping his word.
