Near’s full appearance.

Near is a young, slender man with a petite build, fair skin, and short, shaggy platinum blonde hair that he frequently plays with out of habit. He has gray eyes and is typically seen wearing a plain white, long-sleeved pajama top paired with white pajama pants. In the anime adaptation, his pants are depicted as light blue.

In the Death Note One-Shot Special, which occurs three years after the conclusion of the Kira case, Near’s appearance undergoes some changes. He is shown to have slightly longer hair, sharper bags under his eyes, and a noticeable growth spurt. He also mimics L’s iconic sitting posture, often adopting an expressionless demeanor.

Near is introduced as a young child living at Wammy’s House, a special orphanage for gifted children founded by Watari. He is first seen sitting alone in a room, focused on piecing together a white puzzle that contains only a black letter “L” in one corner. Despite other children running past and a girl named Linda inviting him to join in their play, Near calmly declines, choosing to stay with his puzzle.

Near solving a puzzle in Roger’s office.

Soon after, Roger Ruvie, the caretaker of Wammy’s House, enters the room with another child named Mello and brings the two boys to his office. There, Roger informs them that L, the world’s greatest detective, has died. This news evokes a strong reaction from Mello, who becomes angry and questions how L could have failed to catch Kira, given his legendary status. However, Near remains composed and silent, continuing to work on his puzzle. As Mello expresses his frustration, Near picks up his completed puzzle, flips it upside down, and lets the pieces scatter to the floor. He calmly states, “If you can’t win the game, if you can’t solve the puzzle, you are just a loser,” before beginning to piece the puzzle back together.

Mello asks Roger whether L had chosen a successor between the two of them. Roger responds that L had not yet made his decision, leaving the position of successor undecided. Roger suggests that Near and Mello could work together to succeed L, but while Near agrees with a simple “alright,” Mello refuses, insisting that they don’t get along. Mello believes that Near should take over as L due to his calm, emotionless approach and his ability to think logically, but he also makes it clear that he won’t be part of it. Following this exchange, Mello leaves the orphanage, pursuing his own path, while Near stays behind, continuing his work.

In the time between L’s death and the creation of the Special Provision for Kira (SPK), Near begins gathering evidence related to the Kira case. Since all of the data collected by L was deleted after his death, Near has to start the investigation from scratch, relying on his intellect and deductive abilities to pick up where L left off.

Several years after L’s death, Near, now a young detective, steps in to continue the Kira investigation. On March 5, 2009 (2012 in the anime), Near, along with FBI Director Steve Mason, meets with the President of the United States. They inform him that the current ‘L’ is an imposter, set up by the Japanese Police to maintain order. Near confirms that the murders attributed to Kira are indeed carried out using a supernatural tool called the Death Note, capable of killing anyone whose name is written in it. By retracing L’s steps and his pursuit of Higuchi, Near explains how the Death Note was likely taken by the Japanese Police after the incident. The President, intrigued by Near’s deductions, learns from Director Mason that Near is the true heir to L’s legacy.

Soon after, on March 12, 2009, the U.S. government establishes the Special Provision for Kira (SPK), an elite task force led by Near, which is dedicated to hunting down Kira. From the outset, Near is skeptical of the Japanese Task Force, suspecting that they may be hiding key information. When Deputy Director Takimura is kidnapped, Near offers his group’s assistance to solve the case and reclaim the Death Note. However, Takimura’s mysterious suicide raises alarm bells, leading Near to suspect Kira’s involvement.

The stakes escalate when Sayu Yagami, the daughter of Task Force leader Soichiro Yagami, is also abducted. The kidnappers demand the Death Note in exchange for Sayu’s life, forcing the Task Force to turn to Near for help. Near agrees to oversee the exchange, though the kidnappers manage to evade his satellite surveillance by conducting the trade underground. Despite this, Near gathers crucial information, identifying Mello, another former Wammy’s House prodigy, as the mastermind behind the kidnapping.

As Near continues his investigation, he grows increasingly suspicious of the second ‘L’—Light Yagami—and begins to believe that Light is, in fact, Kira. Near’s strategy involves toying with Light, subtly hinting at his suspicions while gathering more evidence. Despite Mello’s antagonism, Near realizes that Mello’s actions are inadvertently helping to expose Light’s true identity.

As Near prepares for his final move, he has Misa Amane and Teru Mikami, Light’s accomplice, taken into custody. Near’s ultimate plan revolves around swapping Mikami’s Death Note with a fake, hoping to catch Light in the act of using it. Although Mikami had already forged a duplicate Death Note under Light’s instructions, Near remains confident in his strategy.

The showdown between Near and Light takes place at the Yellow Box Warehouse, where Near finally springs his trap. When Mikami tries to write the names of everyone present, only Light’s name remains unwritten, providing undeniable proof that Light is Kira. Near triumphantly explains his plan and credits Mello for playing a key role in Kira’s downfall. In a final desperate act, Light attempts to defend Kira’s actions, claiming that his killings were for the greater good. Near, however, firmly rejects this, pointing out that Kira’s moral philosophy is deeply flawed. With the situation unraveling, Light is shot by Touta Matsuda, and Ryuk, true to his promise, writes Light’s name in his Death Note, ending the conflict.

Following Light’s death, Near assumes the role of the new L, taking on the title and responsibilities of the world’s greatest detective.

In the manga’s epilogue, Matsuda speculates that Near might have used the Death Note on Mikami to guarantee his victory, though this remains an open question for readers to interpret.

Later, in a special one-shot chapter, Near continues his work as L. A new Kira, known as “C-Kira,” emerges, killing elderly people to supposedly end their suffering. Near dismisses this Kira as insignificant and makes a public statement that he has no interest in pursuing the case. This leads C-Kira to end their own life.

InThe a-Kira Story, Near, now older and with longer hair, faces a new challenge. When Minoru Tanaka attempts to auction off a Death Note, Near investigates but ultimately admits defeat, realizing he cannot capture A-Kira due to the involvement of the U.S. government. For the first time in his career, Near concedes that he has been outwitted.

Death Note Film Series
In the L: Change the WorLd movie, Near is introduced as a young, talented boy from Thailand who demonstrates a remarkable ability with calculations. After a deadly virus wipes out his village, he becomes the sole survivor. L names him “Near,” intending for the boy to succeed him as the next “L,” as he knows his own time is limited due to the Death Note’s rules. Near remains mostly quiet throughout the film, communicating only in numbers and letters, and speaks solely in English. Interestingly, in the live-action adaptation, Near’s hair is black instead of white, differing from his anime and manga appearance. Near is portrayed by Narushi Fukuda in the film and voiced by Michael Strusievici in the English dub. Although L gives him the name “Near,” he is listed as “BOY/ニア” in the film credits for reasons unknown.

Near also makes an appearance in the Death Note: New Generation miniseries, specifically in the second episode titledDying Wish. In this episode, Near calls L’s successor, Ryuzaki, to inquire about a case. During this conversation, Near switches to Japanese to test Ryuzaki’s language skills as a preparation for him joining the Kira investigation. Near has a minor role inDeath Note: Genius of the Counterattackas well, where he has a conversation with Ryuzaki at the end.

Although Near doesn’t physically appear in the film Death Note: Light Up the NEW World, he is mentioned in the novelization of the film, where he continues to maintain contact with Ryuzaki remotely.

L: Change the WorLd (Novel)
In the novel adaptation of L: Change the WorLd, Near is described more in line with the originalDeath Noteseries. In this version, there is no necessity for an immediate successor since the plot where Kira kills L is absent. However, Near still plays a role by assisting L behind the scenes in capturing the Blue Ship organization. Unlike the film, Near is not portrayed as a Thai boy in the novel.

The novel also reveals that Near was L’s preferred successor, should the need arise. Interestingly, the novel omits any mention of Mello, and L remarks that Near might prove to be even more challenging to handle than himself.

TV Drama
In the Death Note television drama, Near has a larger and more direct role in the storyline. From the beginning of the series, Near maintains regular contact with L, and the two detectives spend time together. Unlike the original series, Near uses the alias “B” and starts assisting with the investigation as early as the Yotsuba arc.

In this adaptation, Near and Mello are portrayed as two personalities within a single character, rather than two separate individuals. Mello first appears as a puppet that Near carries around, and eventually, Mello’s personality manifests more fully, embodying a split within Near himself.

Near is portrayed by actress Mio Yūki in the drama, and the character’s gender is intentionally left ambiguous, adding a unique element to the portrayal.