Summary
Near, whose real name is Nate, is a human male who first appears at age thirteen. Born on August 24, 1991, though the anime depicts his birth year as 1994, he possesses a B blood type and enjoys toys and puzzles. He serves as the head of the Special Provision for Kira and is identified as the third and final successor to L, appearing in chapters 108 and the aftermath. Raised at Wammy's House, Watari’s orphanage for gifted children in Winchester, England, Near is the youngest of L’s two successors. He is characterized by his level-headedness and calm assessment of situations, contrasting sharply with the emotional and impulsive nature of the other successor, Mello. Like L, Near exhibits peculiar habits, often hunching over rather than sitting properly. He frequently plays with toys, incorporating them into his theories, and idly twiddles strands of his hair. He holds a deep respect for L, modeling his crime-solving methods on L’s approach, though he prioritizes cases that interest him over a general pursuit of justice. Near uses the Wedding Text font "N" and "L" to represent himself and the fake L, respectively, but later adopts the Old English font "L" in the aftermath, mirroring the original L. Author Tsugumi Ohba noted that Near becomes less likeable as the story progresses, attributing this to his plan to take the notebook later and the perceived difference in attitude that leads readers to view him as a cheat. Ohba added that Near’s cheeky behavior, intended to reinforce his childishness, was interpreted as annoying. In the final chapter, Near brings finger puppets to the Yellow Box Warehouse. Artist Takeshi Obata stated that Near initially bought and drew on a Kira puppet with a magic marker before creating the others. Obata believes Near dislikes L, depicting him as "ugly," while working hard on Mello’s puppet because he liked him. Obata considered Near his smartest character because he cheats, making him both a favorite and a least favorite. Ohba indicated that Near, and perhaps Light, are most similar to himself, noting that he rarely leaves his house.
