Beyond L And Near: 7 Fictional Detectives Who Could Have Solved The Kira Case Faster
The Kira case remains one of the most compelling intellectual battles in anime history, a high-stakes chess match between the brilliant mass murderer, Light Yagami, and the world’s greatest detective, L Lawliet. As of December 21, 2025, the debate over who truly had the skills, luck, or sheer audacity to end Kira’s reign continues to fuel fan discussions across the internet, particularly focusing on candidates beyond the established successors, Near and Mello.
The core challenge of solving the Kira case lies not just in identifying a suspect, but in comprehending the supernatural mechanism of the Death Note itself. While L came agonizingly close, and Near ultimately succeeded, the global community of mystery solvers constantly speculates about who else—from within the Death Note universe or from other fictional realms—possessed the unique combination of deductive reasoning and unorthodox methods required to unmask the self-proclaimed 'God of the New World.'
The Death Note Universe’s Unsung Heroes and Successors
While the spotlight shines on the iconic rivalry between L and Light, the Death Note narrative is populated with other highly intelligent individuals who either came close to the truth or demonstrated the potential to solve the case under different circumstances. These internal candidates offer a glimpse into alternative pathways to Kira's downfall.
Naomi Misora: The Closest Near-Success
Naomi Misora, a former FBI agent and L's fiancée in the prequel novel Death Note: Another Note, is arguably the most tragic example of a detective who could have solved the Kira case early on. Her intelligence was highly regarded by L, who considered her a formidable investigator.
- Key Insight: Misora quickly deduced that Kira needed a name and a face to kill, based on the deaths of the FBI agents.
- Downfall: She made the fatal mistake of revealing her investigative findings to Light Yagami, who was able to manipulate her into revealing her name before she could share her evidence with the Task Force.
- Potential: Had she contacted L or Watari directly instead of confronting Light, the case could have been solved within the first few weeks, long before the 'Second Kira' arc complicated matters.
Mello (Mihael Keehl): The Catalyst for Victory
Mello, the older of L's two successors from Wammy's House, is often overshadowed by Near's final victory, but his role was indispensable. While Near focused on logic and deduction, Mello employed a risky, aggressive, and highly emotional approach, leveraging his connections with the mafia.
Mello's actions, though reckless, were the crucial catalyst that Near needed. He was the one who physically obtained the Death Note and exposed the existence of the notebook's rules to the Task Force. Without Mello's dramatic intervention and willingness to make sacrifices, Near's purely deductive plan would have failed. Mello's high-risk strategy ultimately forced Light's hand and set the stage for the final confrontation.
Minoru Tanaka: The New Generation’s Genius
The protagonist of the 2020 Death Note: Special One-Shot, Minoru Tanaka, represents a new kind of genius who could have easily outmaneuvered Light Yagami. Unlike Light, who became obsessed with using the Death Note, Tanaka's goal was to sell it for financial gain, demonstrating a detached, pragmatic, and non-ideological approach to the supernatural power.
Tanaka's strategy was flawless: he used an anonymous proxy, never touched the notebook, and communicated his intent via a public broadcast, forcing the world's governments to bid on the item. His plan was so effective that it caused the King of Death, the Shinigami King, to intervene with a new rule to prevent future sales, proving his intellect could bypass even Light's level of planning.
7 Fictional Detectives Who Could Have Unmasked Kira
The most fascinating discussions revolve around hypothetical crossovers, pitting Light Yagami’s god complex against the unique skills of other legendary fictional detectives. These candidates possess specific abilities, mindsets, or even supernatural ties that could bypass the Death Note's inherent advantage.
1. Columbo: The Master of the 'Just One More Thing'
Lieutenant Columbo, the seemingly bumbling but brilliant LAPD detective, is a popular choice among fans. His power lies in his ability to disarm suspects with his unassuming demeanor and relentless, subtle questioning.
Columbo’s entire method is based on catching the suspect in a minor contradiction, a psychological pressure cooker that would be devastating to Light Yagami’s carefully constructed facade. Light's arrogance and need to prove his superiority would be his undoing against Columbo's "just one more thing" technique, forcing a slip-up that L never managed to extract.
2. Detective Conan (Shinichi Kudo): The Prolific Case Solver
Shinichi Kudo (as Conan Edogawa) from Case Closed has solved over a thousand cases, demonstrating a prolific and hyper-observant intellect that rivals L’s.
Conan’s ability to connect seemingly unrelated details and his deep knowledge of forensic science and psychology would put him on Kira's trail quickly. Furthermore, his ability to operate discreetly as a child allows him to gather information without the high-profile media attention that plagued L and Light's initial standoff.
3. Harry Dresden: The Supernatural Edge
Harry Dresden, the wizard detective from The Dresden Files, has a unique advantage: he can see the Shinigami, Ryuk.
The greatest hurdle for L and the Task Force was the invisible, supernatural element of the Death Note. Dresden's world is already steeped in magic and spirits, making the concept of a death god and a magical notebook immediately plausible. His "Soul Gaze" ability, which reveals the essence of a person's soul, would instantly expose Light Yagami’s dark, megalomaniacal nature, solving the case before Light could even finish his first week of killings.
4. Special Agent Dale Cooper: The Intuitive Dreamer
Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks relies heavily on intuition, dreams, and a connection to other dimensions.
While Light's planning is logical and meticulous, Cooper’s methods are abstract and spiritual. He wouldn't rely solely on empirical evidence. His gut feeling and dream-based deductions, often proven correct, could bypass Light’s logical traps and lead him directly to the truth about the Death Note and Light's identity, a method completely foreign to Light's rational mind.
5. Ranpo Edogawa: The Instant Deduction
Ranpo Edogawa from Bungou Stray Dogs possesses a 'Super Deduction' ability that allows him to solve a case almost instantly upon seeing the evidence.
Ranpo's genius is so profound that he often doesn't need the elaborate, drawn-out process L and Near required. Confronted with the pattern of Kira's killings, Ranpo would likely deduce the location, the nature of the weapon (a name-based killing), and the identity of the killer (a police family connection) in a single sitting, ending the cat-and-mouse game prematurely.
6. Lex Luthor: The Strategic Anti-God
While not a traditional detective, Lex Luthor is a master strategist and one of the most intelligent minds in the DC Universe. His primary motivation is to defeat god-like figures (namely Superman).
Luthor would immediately recognize Kira as a threat to his own power and the existing world order. Unlike L, who was constrained by ethics and law, Luthor would employ vast financial resources, global surveillance, and ruthless, morally ambiguous tactics to expose the supernatural mechanism and the person behind it. His strategic mindset is perfectly suited to counter Light’s own megalomania.
7. Batman (Bruce Wayne): The Technological and Psychological Edge
Batman’s ability to catch Kira is a constant source of debate. While he lacks the supernatural vision of Dresden, his unparalleled technological resources, global network, and mastery of psychological profiling would be formidable.
Batman’s no-kill rule would prevent him from using the Death Note, but his detective skills are on par with L’s, and his resources far exceed the Task Force's. He would likely use his tech to trace the initial broadcast and his deep understanding of criminal psychology to quickly narrow the suspect list to someone with a strong sense of justice and a god complex—a perfect profile for Light Yagami.
The True Verdict: Why Kira’s Case Was So Difficult
Ultimately, the reason the Kira case was so difficult to solve, even for a genius like L, was the unprecedented nature of the weapon: the Death Note. It allowed Light to kill from a distance without physical evidence, and the existence of a 'Second Kira' (Misa Amane) with the Shinigami Eyes made the task almost impossible.
The internal candidates like Naomi Misora and Mello, along with the hypothetical crossover detectives, highlight a crucial point: success against Kira required either a supernatural awareness (Dresden), an overwhelming psychological advantage (Columbo), or a willingness to operate outside the law (Mello, Luthor). L Lawliet and Near (Nate River) were the only ones in the canon to achieve it, but the enduring popularity of this debate proves that the intellectual battle against Light Yagami remains open to endless, intriguing possibilities.
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