Death Note: 10 Anime Detectives Who Would Have Caught Light Before L

One of the main reasons Death Note has remained one of the most popular thriller anime ever is the intense and complex relationship between Kira and his nemesis, the detective L. Both characters are true geniuses whose mental games are on a level most humans cannot even comprehend. For most fans, the best arcs in Death Note are those that focus on the ideological battle between Light and L as it made them think hard about morality and truth.

Even though L is definitely an amazing detective who could have uncovered Light’s secrets if given enough time, it cannot be denied that there are many others in the anime industry who hold many advantages over the man. Whether it is superhuman analysis abilities or actually supernatural powers, these anime detectives would likely have fared better while pursuing Light for his crimes.

10 Futa de la Stella – Katekyo Hitman Reborn

At first glance, Futa might seem like a regular child whose love for books is a bit more extreme than usual, given that he is always seen carrying a massive tome. Still, behind his kind smile and innocent attitude, hides a power so unique and valuable that several mafia families have died trying to acquire it. Futa is among the best and strongest psychics ever, capable of ranking anything in existence.

His powers grant him knowledge on almost all topics, and the results of his predictions are terrifyingly accurate. As seen during the future arc of the Katekyo Hitman Reborn! anime, one of the best Shonen in history, Futa would often use this power to gather as much information on a target as possible. This implies that the boy would not need to risk his life going after Light, as he could uncover his identity by simply ranking the people most likely to be Kira.

9 Shinichi Kudo – Case Closed

Hiding in plain sight is often the perfect weapon for a detective, as this allows them to move without alerting the target. When paired with seemingly superhuman cognitive abilities, impeccable memory, and outstanding gadgets, an investigator becomes capable of solving even the most difficult cases. No one knows this better than Shinichi Kudo, also known as the celebrated Detective Conan, one of the best investigators in anime history.

Besides a prodigious mind, Conan was also gifted with a keen eye that could notice even the smallest discrepancies. His abilities have been shocking fans for decades, solving more than 1000 cases with nothing but his intellect and intuition. While the idea of magic would likely be a small hindrance for Shinichi at first, there is no denying that he would somehow find a way to link Light to Kira’s murders, as he has proved ever since his classic anime began back in the 90s.

8 Victorique de Blois – Gosick

Hailing from an ancient legacy of intellectuals, Victorique is a girl who grew up surrounded by mystery novels and encyclopedias. Her childhood was spent absorbing as much knowledge as she could, culminating in an intellectual level that can only be described as superhuman. When the time came for her to debut as a detective, she shocked the world by solving even the harshest of cases, all while being involved in one of the best historical romances in anime.

While Victorique does possess great intuitive skills, the true threat to Light and his plans would be her neigh-supernatural intellect. Her ability to bring evidence of a crime together as puzzle pieces makes her not only one of the best women detectives ever but a thorn in Kira’s side. She would be able to quickly figure out the nature of Light’s killings, as well as the means with which he carries them out.

7 Akise Aru – Future Diary

Although it can be argued that the hate Future Diary receives is not all deserved, there's no denying that it is lacking in many respects. Nonetheless, one of the aspects in which it does an amazing job is the brilliant detective Akise Aru, whose abilities seem to be enough to fool fate itself. Despite living in a world where terrorists and criminals often get access to knowledge of the future, Aru was constantly ready to foil their plans.

Most of his success can be attributed to his almost uncanny ability to predict the next move a target will make by simply looking at their previous actions and finding the pattern. Light's arrogant attitude and massive ego often pushed him to mock his opponents, which would make it easy for Akise to find him. As someone familiar with supernatural entities, he would not discard the Death Note as a possibility.

6 Ranpo Edogawa – Bungo Stray Dogs

Known by many for being the Armed Detective Agency’s most vital member, Ranpo is a man with deductive abilities so impressive, even he believed they were unnatural. Through most of his career, this charismatic man was able to solve cases that would have stumped the most experienced investigators. He achieved this feat by utilizing his ability, Super Deduction.

This skill supposedly gave him superhuman deductive powers, helping him reach conclusions with little to no evidence. However, later in life, Ranpo discovered that he never had any powers to begin with; he was just naturally the most intelligent man in his universe. Skills such as Ranpon’s would be enough to quickly catch Kira, as Light would have no time to even think about a counter strategy.

5 Saitou Yakumo – Psychic Detective Yakumo

For most pop culture detectives, solving a murder case tends to be the most difficult challenge, as the one who would know all the details of the crime has been preemptively silenced. Saitou Yakumo, a talented detective and one of the best ghost hunters in anime, does not struggle with this issue, as he was born with the perfect tool to quickly solve any murder mystery.

Thanks to his red eye, this man is able to not only see but also interact and speak with ghosts. He has proven to be an incredible detective even without supernatural powers, but there is no doubt that his ability would be a great tool against Kira. By talking to the spirits of characters who almost caught Light as Kira, he would be sure to bring the killer to justice.

4 Sherlock Holmes – Moriarty the Patriot

Arguably the most famous detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant man whose crime-solving skills might seem supernatural to many. The version included in Moriarty the Patriot, one of the best anime set during the Victorian Era, has all the abilities and charm needed to solve even the most bizarre of cases.

Holmes has an impressive ability to deduce everything he can from a person with a single glance, being able to infer their background, personality, and even their secrets in seconds. He is also not bound by law, preferring to break a few rules here and there if it means catching a criminal. As such, there is little Light could do against one of the smartest detectives anime has ever seen.

3 Oreki Houtarou – Hyouka

Even though a large majority of detectives prefer to never rely on luck, some often hope for a little help from fortune itself to make their job easier. Then there is Hotarou, an amazing genius whose own laziness and boredom make him think that all of his deductive skills come from pure coincidence.

Objectively, one of the smartest slice of life protagonists, Oreki, is capable of finding clues where most other investigators would never even look. He has an unusual ability to connect two pieces of evidence that might seem completely unrelated, which usually end up being the key to solving the case. As such, this encounter would end with Kira being defeated by one of the best kid detectives in anime.

2 Ron Kamonohashi – Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions

Once the most famous aspiring detective of the BLUE Academy, Ron is an outstandingly intelligent individual who seemingly inherited the skills of his late ancestor, Sherlock Holmes. His mind works in ways that no regular human can comprehend, capable of seeing patterns and clues even in the most unassuming of places. Lamentably, he is unable to perform his duties, as his license was revoked.

As such, he works via his friend and assistant, Totomaru, a hard-working but slightly unintelligent detective who uses Ron’s insights to solve cases. Most likely, Kamonohashi would be able to beat Kira quickly by using his exceedingly strong detective skills. Nevertheless, his true strength would come in the form of anonymity, as Light would never know that Totomaru is not the real threat to his plans.

1 Kyoko Kirigiri – Danganronpa: The Animation

Peak’s Hope Academy is a school where only the best of the best can enroll, at least before it became the setting for one of the best dystopian anime ever. As such, it is no surprise that the girl accepted into this prestigious institution for her detective skills is among the most talented of all time. Kyoko Kirigiri, also known as the Ultimate Detective, is a descendant of a long line of successful investigators.

Kyoko was trained since childhood to find clues in the most unusual of places, as well as find the missing link in any case by simply examining the scene. Her abilities are such that she can infer even the most unlikely solutions to an issue, making her an extremely dangerous threat to a character like Kira. Kyoko could, in an almost magical way, unveil the rules of the Death Note and use them in her favor to topple Kira’s reign of terror.