Kaitou Kid
| Kaitou Kid | |
| Japanese name: | 怪盗キッド (Kaitou Kiddo) |
|---|---|
| English name: | Phantom Thief Kid |
| Age: | 17 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Date of birth: | June 21 |
| Relatives: | Toichi Kuroba (father, deceased) Chikage Kuroba (mother) |
| Nicknames: | The Magician Under the Moonlight The Heisei Lupin |
| Aliases: | Kaitou 1412 Phantom Thief Kid 1412 |
| First appearance: | Magic Kaito Chapter 1 Manga: File 156 Anime: Episode 76 |
| Appearances: | Chapters: 39 Episodes: 24 Chapters: 1 Chapters: 2 Chapters: 78 Chapters: 34 Episodes: 44 Movies: 8 OVAs: 4 Specials: 16 Openings: 22 Closings: 6 |
| Keyhole number: | Volume 16 |
| Japanese voice: | Kappei Yamaguchi |
| English voice: | Jerry Jewell |
Kaitou Kid (怪盗キッド Kaitou Kiddo, lit. Phantom Thief Kid) is the main character in the manga franchise Magic Kaito, and a recurring character in the manga and anime franchise Detective Conan.
Contents
Background
Toichi Kuroba
Toichi Kuroba (黒羽 盗一 Kuroba Touichi) was the original Kaitou Kid. Toichi as Kid was the greatest jewel thief in Japan as well as the best stage magician in Japan until he was murdered in a fake magic accident. Sometime prior to his death Toichi had his attendant and friend Konosuke Jii promise him that he would never tell Kaito about his thieving.[1] It seems that Kaito's mother was aware of her husband's double life and is aware that Kaito discovered Toichi's secret room within their household.[2]
Konosuke Jii
Konosuke Jii (寺井 黄之助 Jii Kōnosuke) temporarily portrayed Kaitou Kid eight years following Toichi's death during a fake magic accident in an effort to lure out Toichi's murderers. Jii ceases being Kid and becomes Kaito's assistant upon seeing Kaito rightfully take Toichi's place as the Kaitou Kid.
Kaito Kuroba
Kaito Kuroba (黒羽 快斗 Kuroba Kaito) is the current Kaitou Kid. Kaito is a second-year student at Ekoda High School Class 2-B alongside his childhood friend Aoko Nakamori, the witch Akako Koizumi, and transfer student detective Saguru Hakuba. Kaito discovers his father's identity as the original Kaitou Kid after eight years following his death thanks to a secret room inside his house as well as talking with his father's attendant and friend, Konosuke Jii. Wanting to pick up where Jii left off, Kaito continues to be Kaitou Kid in an effort to lure out his father's murderers by making Kid a world-famous thief once again. It isn't until the Blue Birthday heist that the murderers appear and reveal that they are searching for the doublet red-coloured gem Pandora, said to shed tears of immortality during the passing of a particular comet. Upon realizing the organization's aim and that his father was killed for his refusal to aid them in retrieving Pandora, Kaito vows as Kaitou Kid to find the Pandora gem first and shatter it into pieces.[3]
Personality
Toichi as Kid
Not much is given about Toichi as Kaitou Kid. However, we do know that at some point in time, a dark organization forced him to steal gems to find Pandora. His refusal led to his death in a "magic accident."
Jii as Kid
After the death of Toichi, Jii lived by himself. Over the course of eight years, he grew angrier and angrier until he donned the costume of Kaitou Kid in order to lure out the organization that killed Toichi. He was only dressed as Kid twice before Kaito took over.
Kaito as Kid
In both civilian and costumed life, Kaitou Kid is a compulsive trickster who is drawn to any challenge just for the sheer thrill of overcoming all hazards in the end. Kid is infamous for having a rather overconfident (close to the point of arrogance) attitude, always preferring to create as big a bang as possible. He loves nothing more then leading the police in wild goose chases, letting them get within a hair of catching him before exiting one way or another. Seemingly having a soft-spot for his fans, there has been more then one occasion when Kid has refused to show when the police tried to bar the general public from witnessing his act. Generally, when these instances occur, one of Kid's tricks rely, one way or another, on his ability to blend in with a crowd.
Kaitou Kid is also quite a charmer, seeming to always know just what to say to the ladies to leave them speechless. Kid hates to see others get hurt, and he never hesitates in leaping to rescue someone, whether physically or mentally. Despite his low reputation in some quarters, Kid does have a sense of honor, inasmuch that he decides to leave the loot behind if it has no further purpose other than having challenged his trickster skills, doesn't contain Pandora, or when a more humane background stands behind their existence. These qualities are some of the reasons why he and Conan occasionally end up as allies in a common cause.
For some as yet unexplained reason, Kaito suffers from a severe case of ichthyophobia (fear of fish).
Plot overview
Relationships analysis
Family & Friends
Aoko Nakamori
- Kaito and Aoko Nakamori have been best friends since they were little and first met at the clock tower.[4] They are portrayed as a similar pairing to Shinichi Kudo and Ran Mouri (including how the characters are drawn), except much sillier. Kaito often teases Aoko by flipping her skirt. However, it has been seen that Kaito is quite protective of Aoko and doesn't appear to want her to go on a date with Saguru Hakuba. Aoko was somewhat suspicious that Kaito was actually Kaitou Kid, and in order to prove his innocence, she brought him along to a movie when a heist had been scheduled. She handcuffed him to the seat, but Kaito managed to escape and pull off the heist, thus veering Aoko's suspicions away from him. The two appear to have feelings for each other, but neither has admitted it as of yet.
Akako Koizumi
- Since Akako's first appearance in Volume 1, she's attempted to get Kaito to fall head over heels for her using whatever means necessary, including using a voodoo doll and hurting him in the process. Akako's obsession with Kaito comes from Kaitou Kid, whom she realizes is Kaito, being the only man on Earth able to resist her. Despite Akako injuring Kaito during their first confrontation, Kaito as Kid behaves like a complete gentleman and encourages Akako to be herself in order to get someone to like her instead of forcing them through witchcraft.[5] Akako grows to have great concern for Kaito as evidenced by her warning Kaito[6] against going to a heist and later assisting Kaitou Kid to escape safely from the heist that she had foreseen him being captured at.[7] In Volume 2, Akako openly states she likes Kaito in front of Aoko.[8]
Saguru Hakuba
- The relationship between Hakuba and Kaito is a rather tense one; since Hakuba convinced himself early on that Kaito was instead Kid, and during the first few volumes he's constantly throwing out offhand comments that show his suspicion. However, later on in the manga, we have a small scene where Hakuba calls Kaito from Paris in order to give him some information on 'Chat Noir', a dangerous, fellow gem thief trying to outshine Kid.[9] Though Kaito continues to vehemently deny being Kid, Hakuba gives him the information anyways, ending the conversation with, "Do your best at least. I don't want to see you lose to anyone before I capture you myself". Whether or not that was his actual motive, or if he was merely concerned for Kaito's well being, is unknown.
Others
Conan Edogawa
- The relationship between Kid and Conan is very much a rivalry in terms. Kid seems to find Conan a threat to his plans. Conan does not seem to like Kid, saying once "He's only a thief that uses magic" [10]. However, if necessary, the two can put their rivalry aside (for a little while) and work together [11].
In the movies, Kid becomes aware that Conan is Shinichi after he once overheard Conan talking to Professor Agasa and displaying too much criminal knowledge for a 7-year-old.[12] As a result, he ends up using Shinichi's identity to either further his own goals and challenge Conan at the same time, or to pay back a favor Conan has done him. Since movies cannot be considered canon, it's unclear whether Kid knows Conan is Shinichi in the official manga. There is also some speculations on Conan figuring out that Kid isn't just stealing randomly. At the end of the OVA 4: Conan and Kid and Crystal Mother, Conan had turned with a serious face when he remembered a phrase that Kid had said, "Next time, I'll help myself to the Jewel of Destiny."
People who know Kaitou Kid's real identity
Character popularity
eBookJapan held a character popularity poll from April 12, 2011 to May 12, 2011 in which readers of Detective Conan (international included) could vote for their favorite character. Kid placed 1st in the poll with 1,460 votes out of the 5,883 that were cast.[13]
Kid placed 2nd in the results of a poll ranking the top 3 "ikemen" ("good-looking men") of the series aired during the promotional special for The Lost Ship in the Sky.[14]
In honor of the release of the 15th movie, Quarter of Silence, the official Conan movie website held a popularity poll for the top 10 Detective Conan characters. Kaito Kuroba/Kaitou Kid placed 2nd out of 10 with 18.99% of the votes cast.[15]
Fan Theories
- The organization that killed Toichi and searching for Pandora is the Black Organization in Detective Conan
It has been suggested that the organization in question may actually be the Black Organization in Detective Conan, but this theory has yet to be proven. The member of the organization that claimed responsibility for killing Toichi eight years ago is referred to as "Snake"[16], a nickname that doesn't fit in with the codenames of the Black Organization, suggesting they are two separate groups. This though may not be the case if Snake refers to Snake Wine, but because Kaitou Kid's origins have yet to be reexplained within the Detective Conan story, this is only speculation.
The Magic Kaito organization is seeking the Pandora Gem to gain immortality which is similar to one of the hypothetical goals of the Black Organization.
Name origin
- Originally referred to as Kaitou 1412, Yusaku Kudo saw a reporter's hastily scribbled "1412" on a piece of paper and purposely misread it as "KID". Thus, Yusaku named the Kaitou Kid. [17]
Quotes
| “ | Smiles and laughter are always good, but never forget your Poker Face. | „ |
| “ | A thief is a creative artist who takes his prey in style... But a detective is nothing more than a critic, who follows our footsteps... | „ |
In other languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
 Japanese |
怪盗キッド Kaitou Kid |
 English |
Phantom Thief Kid |
 French |
(L'Insaisissable Kid)/Kid Cat Burglar |
 Spanish |
Kaitou Kid / Kid el Ladrón (Kid the Thief) in the dubbed anime |
 German |
Kaito Kid |
 Galician |
Caco Kid |
| Flag of Gatalonia Català | Kid Kat, el lladre / Kaito Kid |
 Vietnamese |
Siêu trộm Kid / Siêu đạo chích Kid |
 Arabic |
اللص الطائر Al-Lis Al-Ta'er |
 Indonesia |
Kid si Pencuri |
| Flag of Taiwan Taiwan | 怪盜基德 |
 Thai |
จอมโจรคิด |
 Italian |
Kaito Kid (manga), Furto Kid/Ladro Kid (anime) |
Trivia
- Kuroba (Kaito and Toichi's family name) is also a way to pronounce "clover" in Japanese. This is most likely why a clover appears on Kaitou Kid's monocle.
- The Kaitou Kid was clearly modeled after the fictional gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, by French author Maurice Leblanc. In the French-speaking world, Lupin is as famous as Sherlock Holmes is in the English-speaking world. Interestingly, Holmes appeared in several Arsène Lupin stories; however, after Conan Doyle protested due to copyright laws, Leblanc changed the name to "Herlock Sholmes."
- Kid signs his heist notes with a drawing of his face in abstract. He re-draws this insignia for each note, so that police will know that it was truly him and not an imitator using a scanned copy of a former insignia.
- Akako Koizumi once dressed up as the Kaitou Kid to trick Saguru Hakuba into thinking Kaito was innocent. During her escape with the target jewel, she screamed in a revealingly girly manner, causing Aoko to deduce that the Kaitou Kid must be a homosexual.
- In both the Japanese and English dub, Kid/Kaito shares the same voice actor as that of Shinichi Kudo.
See also
- Characters
- Kaitou Kid Appearances
- Kaito Kuroba
- Toichi Kuroba
- Kuroba Family
- This fan-made Kaitou Kid reference page.
References
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1988-05-15). "The Resurrected Kaitou" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 1. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 35. ISBN 4-09-122081-9.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1988-05-15). "The Resurrected Kaitou" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 1. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 20. ISBN 4-09-122081-9.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1994-10-15). "Blue Birthday" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 3. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 144. ISBN 4-09-122093-5.
- ^ "Episode 219: The Gathering of the Detectives! Shinichi Kudo vs. Kaitou Kid"
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1988-05-15). "The Scarlet Temptress" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 1. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 180. ISBN 4-09-122081-9.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1994-10-15). "Akako's Delivery Service" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 3. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 93-95. ISBN 4-09-122083-5.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1994-10-15). "Akako's Delivery Service" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 3. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 100-103. ISBN 4-09-122083-5.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1988-11-15). "Let Go of Him" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 2. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 11. ISBN 4-09-122082-7.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1994-10-15). "Golden Eye Part 1" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 4. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 18. ISBN 4-09-122093-5.
- ^ Anime Episode 515: Kaitou Kid's Teleportation Magic
- ^ OVA 10: Kid in Trap Island
- ^ Movie 03: The Last Wizard of the Century
- ^ "『名探偵コナン』 人気投票結". eBookJapan. 2011-05-12. http://www.ebookjapan.jp/ebj/special/conan/vote_kekka2.asp. Retrieved on 2011-05-15.
- ^ The Lost Ship in the Sky Special Edition Blu-ray
- ^ "名探偵コナン「キャラクター人気投票」". www.conan-movie.jp. 2011. http://www.conan-movie.jp/camp_chara/camp15th_res.html. Retrieved on 2011-08-12.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1994-10-15). "Blue Birthday" (in Japanese). Magic Kaito. 3. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 140. ISBN 4-09-122093-5.
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1996-18-01). "File 3" (in Japanese). Detective Conan. 55. Tokyo: Shogakukan. p. 151. ISBN 4-09-120628-X.
