Yukina is the kind, thoughtful, and somewhat naive twin sister of Hiei. Her name literally translates to 'Ice Sprout.' Born as an ice apparition, or Kourime, which means 'Ice Woman,' Yukina shares the same abilities as her clan—manipulating snow and ice, and possessing light healing powers. Additionally, when she cries, her tears transform into precious gems, highly valued in the human world. However, Yukina was also born with a twin brother, Hiei, who was considered a forbidden child and was supposedly killed by being thrown off a cliff, despite his mother's desperate pleas.
At the start of the series, Yukina is unaware of Hiei's existence and that she has a brother. Hiei, for reasons largely unknown to Yukina, frequently appears to protect her when others are absent or unable to help. In the manga, Yukina eventually discovers that Hiei is her brother. (In the English dub, Hiei often tells her that her brother is likely dead.) Yukina is also the love interest of Kazuma Kuwabara, though she remains oblivious to this. The first time Kuwabara saw Yukina on video, he immediately declared his love and rushed to rescue her, without realizing she was Hiei's sister. Whenever possible, Kuwabara will go to great lengths to protect Yukina. Upon seeing Yukina, Kuwabara's strength dramatically increases beyond its usual limits, as demonstrated during his battle with Risho. After witnessing how Tarukane treated Yukina, Kuwabara reassured her that he wanted her not to hate humans, to which she responded that she did not dislike humans and liked Kuwabara.
