Kuwabara has a defined muscular build with broad shoulders. He is the tallest member of the team, standing at about six feet —making him very tall by Japanese standards, as this is considered well above average. He has thick red orange hair that is greased back into a 1950s Elvis Pompadour/jelly roll hairstyle. He has an angular face with narrow gray eyes (revealed in The Cape of No Return), high cheekbones and a slender pointed nose.

Manga-exclusive outfit from the Genkai Tournament.

His overall appearance, as well as his dress sense, are likely a homage to the classic Japanese 'bad boy' mythology from the 1950s. While in school, he wears a light blue jumpsuit, in contrast with Yusuke's green one and the dark blue ones worn by rest of the male students in Sarayashiki Junior High.