Kaitou Corbeau
| Kaitou Corbeau | |
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| |
| Japanese name: | 怪盗コルボー (Kaitō Korubō) |
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| Age: | unknown |
| Gender: | unknown |
| Occupation: | Thief |
| Status: | Alive |
| First appearance: | Magic Kaito Manga: Chapter 31 Magic Kaito 1412: Episode 23 Detective Conan Anime: Movie 27 |
| Appearances: | Chapters: 0 Episodes: 0 Movies: 1 Specials: 0 Openings: 1 Episodes: 3 Chapters: 3 |
| Japanese voice: | Shuichi Ikeda |
Kaitou Corbeau (怪盗コルボー Kaitō Korubō) is a supporting character in Magic Kaito. An enigmatic phantom thief who recently emerged in Las Vegas, he dresses the same as Kaitou Kid, but in all-black, and bears a striking resemblance with Kaito's father Toichi, who is supposed to be dead.
Contents
Background
Kaitou Corbeau is a now famous phantom thief mainly operating in Las Vegas and the rest of the United States, who gained fame shortly prior to the timeline[1]. His modus operandi is similar to that of the Japanese Kaitou Kid, as he issues a notice written in formal speech before stealing a jewel using non-violent methods. He always leaves a trail of crow feathers after stealing his loot[2]. His rival is the magic debunker and now retired magician Harry Nezu, who will show up every time Corbeau issues a notice.
He pretends to have trained under Toichi Kuroba before his death 8 years prior to the timeline[3], but Chikage, Toichi's wife, had no memories of a younger disciple[3].
Appearance
Kaitou Corbeau is a tall and slender thief, though to be male from his voice, similar to that of Toichi Kuroba[N 1]. He wears completely black suit with a grey tie and a black cape, along with a black top hat and a dark monocle on his right eye, the only thing that shines from his outfit, the complete opposite of Kaitou Kid's outfit. His figure is completely dark, but it can be noticed that he has a thin mustache and dark eyes.
Personality
Kaitou Corbeau is a sly and cunning person, able to confront them mentally and deceiving others easily, must-have qualities for thieves. He speaks in a polite manner, similar to the deceased Toichi Kuroba.
Abilities
Kaitou Corbeau has the same outfit as Kaitou Kid, but an improved version, as he says himself[3]. His cape acts like a hang glider just like Kid's, but also acts like a bulletproof shield[1]. Kaitou Corbeau is also a master of disguise, able to blend in the dark due to his outfit and disguise himself as another person, like Harry Nezu (who was also disguised as Kaitou Corbeau escaping using the hang glider), and possibly Toichi Kuroba[1]. In movie 27, he also disguises as detective Yoshihisa Kawazoe[4].
He is also a strong marksman, being able to shoot the sprinklers with Kid's Card Gun from afar[1]. In movie 27, he is also the one who shot Brian D. Kadokura[4].
Appellations
Plot overview
Midnight Crow (Manga: 31-33, 1412: 23-24)
Following Kaitou Kid's failure at stealing the Midnight Crow in Tokyo, world's largest black diamond, due to Harry Nezu's instructions, Kid sends a second notice to get his revenge[2]. Meanwhile, Kaitou Corbeau is on the move, as he sends a notice to the Tokyo MPD announcing that he will target the jewel (too), which is what prompted Nezu to go to Japan, to track Corbeau[2]. The night before the heist, Corbeau finds Kid and taunts him, saying that Kid is copying him, and that since both of them pretend to be successors to Toichi Kuroba, then the one who manages to steal the diamond can continue to steal, while the one who did not has to stop[3]. Kid accepts the challenge[3].
Kid first pretends to bail out and sends a notice he will not be stealing the Midnight Crow[3]. Later that night, despite their security measures, Corbeau seemingly manages to steal the diamond, as all the remained in the case was a coin with Corbeau's trademark crow symbol, along with a trail of black feathers[3]. However, Nezu reveals he swapped the diamond just before the heist and so Corbeau was not able to steal the real diamond[3]. Kid, who assisted to the scene disguised as a riot policeman, seemed to have understood Corbeau's trick[3].
The next night, the two thieves have a rematch, with crowds supporting both thieves outside the premises[1]. That night, after the police decided to check the air vents to make sure the crow feathers would not come out again, they still came out. It was because they were stuck beforehand with one side painted white and one side with the original black color on the ceilings, and when the temperature dropped, they fell by themselves. As the police panick, they check the diamond and it was replaced by a coin again[1]. However, Nezu shrugs it off, saying that he did the same trick twice and swapped the diamond before the heist, but what he pulls from his jacket is just a coal lump, which surprises him[1]. They then see Corbeau escaping outside with his hang-glider holding the diamond, and they feel like they lost the incident[1]. The police then run after Corbeau outside[1]. As only Nezu and a riot police officer remained in the room, that same police officer revealed himself to be Kaitou Kid, and exposed Nezu as being Corbeau's accomplice and revealing where the diamond really was[1]. Nezu then admits his defeat and escapes, telling that other people have been waiting over there, who are in fact Snake and his henchmen[1].
Kaitou Corbeau then arrives to help Kid fend off the Magic Kaito Organization and shows his real face to Kid, revealing himself to look exactly like Toichi Kuroba, which angers Kid[1]. He then shields Kid while the Organization shoots at them, and neutralizes them by shooting at the sprinklers and getting all wet and icy from the refrigerated room[1]. Both thieves then escape using their hang glider capes and their match seemed to have ended in a draw[1].
Non-Canon Plot overview
The Revived Phantom Thief (1412: 1)
As Kaitou Kid escapes from the heist location, Kid notices a black figure standing on top of a construction site watching him, before escaping in the dark[5].
The Million-dollar Pentagram (Movie: 27)
Kaitou Corbeau disguises as Hokkaido Police detective Yoshihisa Kawazoe to keep an eye on Kaitou Kid[4]. During the entire duration of the case, the real Kawazoe was away and Corbeau was the one disguised as Kawazoe[4]. He mentions the local legends of Hakodate as a hint to Conan. Near the end of the case, he saves Conan and Ryoe Fukushiro, who were about to be shot by Brian D. Kadokura[4].
At the end of the case, "Kawazoe" stands on a tower and removes his disguise, showing Kaitou Corbeau, and writes back to his twin brother (Toichi's), Yusaku Kudo, implying that Corbeau and Toichi are the same person[4].
Potential identities
Toichi Kuroba
Toichi Kuroba is hinted to be Kaitou Corbeau, as both have the same stature, looks and voice, but these can all be altered with modifications, like a voice changer and disguise. However, his protective attitude towards could be a hint to him being his father. In movie 27, there is a clear hint that Toichi is Corbeau, since he replies back to Yusaku's message after Yusaku told his wife that he was writing to his brother. This is however not confirmed in the manga yet.
Chikage Kuroba
Chikage, Kaito's mother, was another close contender for being Kaitou Corbeau, as she knew he was wearing heated pads to protect himself for the cold during the heist, which only Corbeau should have known. She is also currently living in Las Vegas, the same location as Corbeau.
Relationship analysis
Kaitou Kid
Kid and Corbeau have a rivalry as both are phantom thieves with similar outfits and names and both strive to be like Toichi Kuroba. Corbeau however has a protective attitude towards Kid and seems to have some affinity for him, which can be seen when he comes back to scene to protect him from Snake, and later in movie 27, when he disguises as Kawazoe to keep an eye on Kid. His condescending attitude towards Kid, calling him a mere copy of him, can be to help him build character, which Kid does not seem to realize.
Harry Nezu
Harry Nezu is a good partner of Corbeau's, and follows him around the world to help him prepare tricks. Nezu pretends to reveal magicians' tricks, but this is all a publicity stunt to help these magicians get more people to see them. He is to Kaitou Corbeau who Konosuke Jii is to Kaitou Kid and knows very well how Corbeau operates.
Name origin
Kaitou Corbeau's name is inspired from Kaitou Kid's name, as both contain the word "Kaitō" (怪盗), meaning "Phantom Thief". The second part of his name "corbeau" is the French word for crow[2], a recurring theme in the Detective Conan manga that represents darkness and the Black Organization. He is shown with crows (black), in opposition to Kaitou Kid, who is shown with doves (white).
Trivia
- The character was first designed by Gosho Aoyama with A1 Pictures for the release of the Magic Kaito 1412 anime, along with the entire "Midnight Crow" arc, which was supposed to be the climax of the series. This is how he was able to be shown in a cameo in episode 1, despite not appearing in the original chapter it adapted.
See also
Footnotes
Notes
- ^ His voice actor Shuichi Ikeda also voices Toichi Kuroba.
References
- Translated from the German version of October 16, 2024.
