Before we get started on Washu, you might have noticed "Hey! They didn't spell Wasyu right" Well, that's because there are many different ways of romanizing Kanji into English. That leaves many different spellings of her name. The most common are:

Washu
Wasyu
Washuu
Wasyuu

Purists would argue that the only correct way to spell Washu's name is in Kanji, not in English.
But let's not quibble over the spellings, okay?

As an interesting side note, the OAV Washu, considered by many fans to be the "True" Washu, wishes to be called "little Washu". So a lot of people, in speaking about her, always write Washu-chan. That fuffils her wish. As I said before, lets not argue about it, and just enjoy.

OAV Washu

Stats:
Name: Washu Hakubi
Actual Age: 20,000 years old
Physical Age: 12 years old
Blood Type: B(?) Height: 133 cm (4'4")

Ah, is there any way to do justice to this Goddess? And I mean that literally, for Washu was one of the three Chousin (Washu, Tokimi, and Tsunami). For reasons not yet clear, Washu descended to the mortal realm, sealing her power in the three gems she later gave to Ryoko. In addition to sealing her power, somehow Washu's memory was sealed away as well, and she has no idea of what the gems really are. Washu is 20,000 years old (as a mortal that is, she probably existed since the beggining of time as a Goddess).
Washu as a mortal entered the Royal Science Academy at the time when it changed to being the Galaxy Academy.It was at this time when she married a man and had a child. Unfortunatley, since the man was of a noble blood,both the baby and her husband were taken from her. It was then that Washu decided to stay as a child until she was ready to accept all of the problems of lineage and social status.

Tenchi Universe Washu

In this Tenchiverse, Washu is a Mad Scientist who was imprisoned as punishment for researching and developing technologies that could destroy the universe. She was held in a crystal-like capsule, and was cast into space. Somehow, the crystal, with Washu still in it, fell to Earth 700 years ago. The people of the time (and Yosho) recognized the "goblin" as something dangerous, and so the Masaki Shrine was created to keep the goblin contained. Ryoko and Ayeka woke her up and freed her when they fought in her chamber. Unfortunatley, Washu has no connection with either Ryoko or Ryo-ohki in this world, and is simply along to provide comic technological relief. This is why, as the Unofficial #WASHU# Page puts it, "...many Washuu fans choose to avoid the TV series like the plague". Washu does have some good points in the TV series, but many think it sad what was done to her.

Shin (Tenchi in Tokyo) Washu

In Shin Tenchi, Washu is a scientific geinus who joined Ryoko in order to study the Jurai lightstone, a stone that has an immense amount of the power of Jurai in a compact form. She stays at the Masaki home in order to study Tenchi's gems, and posssibly because she has a crush on him like the rest of the girls. Many fans of Washu feel that her hair is too "pink" in this incarnation, and that she is merley along as a walking, talking plot device that is there to present a technological gizmo when the Masakis need it most. For this reason, many Washu versions avoid this series as well.