Summary
Watari serves as L’s right-hand man, handling logistics for the investigation team. Prior to the team's formation, he was the sole individual to have seen L and the only one capable of direct contact. Like his employer, he uses an Old English "W" to represent himself on computer screens, and he acts as a fatherly figure to L. His public persona is Quillsh Wammy, a renowned inventor and founder of Wammy’s House, an orphanage for gifted children in Winchester, England. In reality, Watari is highly skilled in espionage and marksmanship. He is voiced by Kiyoshi Kobayashi in the Japanese anime and French Tickner in the English dub, with Ron Halder taking over for the film. Originally intended to be named "Shadow" to reflect his role as L’s shadow, the editor rejected it, leading to "Watari," which references his function as a handler. During the second chapter, the design team finalized his look. While Obata initially did not focus on Watari’s disguise since his face remained hidden, rough drafts depicted him as an elderly man with a single strip of hair. Obata kept this design because he found older characters more enjoyable to draw due to the "weird angles" created by wrinkles, whereas younger characters tended to be "attractive, normal, or ugly." Favoring leather coats, Obata dressed Watari in one. He is Obata’s third favorite human character, as he appreciates older figures and felt Watari possessed depth and seemed to be hiding significant ability. Born on May 1, 1933, Watari is regarded as a father figure and is frequently seen giving L snacks.
