Hiei is the shortest of the four main characters at only 4' 10during the Dark Tournament (excluding his hair) as stated by Juri. At the end of the series, an artbook puts him at 5'3. His height is never mentioned in the anime or manga, aside from the DT reference. Despite his short size, he has a lean, muscular build to him. He wears a white headband that conceals his Jagan Eye, which is placed on his forehead and has a purple iris. His eyes are crimson (blood red), with an angular and slightly slanted shape, giving him a very sinister look in the beginning of the series. He has spiky black hair (reminiscent of Vegeta from the Dragon Ball franchise) with blue outlining and white streaks. His skin complexion is regular peach-tan and slightly darker than Yusuke in the 2018 OVA adaptation and recent videogames. Despite the similarity to Vegeta in appearance and personality, Hiei was actually based on the character Scunky from Patarillo!.