"You should know better than to corner an animal like a fox, Karasu. We have a tendency to show our teeth."
Yoko Kurama (妖狐蔵馬 Yōko Kurama), also known as Shuichi Minamino (南野秀一 Minamino Shūichi) is one of the main protagonists in the anime/manga series of YuYu Hakusho. The word "Yoko", despite being portrayed as a formal name in the English dub, simply translates to "demon fox" in Japanese. Yoko Kurama is the typically confirmed the name of the original, silver-haired fox demon.
Kurama once made a powerful reputation for himself in his previous life, a centuries-old kitsune seizing power in the dark throes of Demon World. In his newfound passions of breaking puzzles and gaining riches, he became a master criminal and thief renowned as the "Legendary Bandit", gathering a crew of like-minded creatures and raiding several secure facilities among their land.
15 years before Canon, Kurama was mortally wounded in an escape from Spirit World hunters after a botched burglary; he fled to the human realm in desperation and sealed his spirit into a still developing fetus- a baby that would later be born as Shuichi Minamino. It is at this point, and later through aging, that the psychological combination of Shuichi and Yoko, referred to as simply Kurama, is in control.
His initial plans were to silently wait 10 years for his powers to regain in the new human form, and then escape from the realm without a trace. However, his Foster Mother, Shiori, practically flipped her son's world view upside down, raising him with warmth and kindness & selflessly saving him from falling onto broken glass at the cost of permanent scars- an event that suddenly sparked the first true feelings of humanity inside Kurama. A powerful wave of regret and remorse made him go back on his goals and stay by her side, now fueled with a deep chasm of guilt and desire for change. In this abrupt decision, Kurama would join our protagonists in their journey to save the world, and go on to learn how to accept his own humanity, recover & repent for his terrible past, and carefully balance the dark and light halves of himself for the better.
Kurama is easily the wisest and most analytical member of the main cast; remarkably perceptive, looking through others and his opponents very quickly... Equipped with finely tuned combat instincts... The uncanny ability to shun all of his emotions and render himself a blank slate, taking the upper hand with no a single thought of remorse on his mind... All of these qualities were carefully built projects of the distant past. Before the events of canon, the silver fox Kurama was cruel, vindictive- a cold and calculating beast with deadly wit, a sadistic streak, and the only desire to use his cunning front for an ill-willed outlook on the world. Newfound human biology arrived and mixed up the entire deadly concoction, and he gained his first experience with genuine empathy and what it means to be a transient essence of life. After an existence of survival and hellish adamance in a harsh, empty world, Kurama becomes truly transformed by sincerity, love and a brighter future to come. Over the years in his new body, Kurama's once frozen heart melted significantly and became one of selflessness & surprising gentleness. The deep care he developed and curated for his friends and family became the powerful backbone of his new fighting drive. Even with his former qualities retained, he would never betray his allies- even harboring a willingness to sacrifice himself for them if push comes to shove; as seen in a handful of instances in the series.