Mello
From Death Note
Mello, real name Mihael Keehl, is the other successor raised at Wammy's House to follow L in Death Note, and Near's lifelong rival. Proud and emotional, he joins a mafia gang to hunt Kira his own way. He is voiced by Nozomu Sasaki in Japanese and David Hurwitz in English.
About Mello
Mello, born Mihael Keehl, is the other successor raised to follow L, and Near's lifelong rival. Where Near is patient, Mello is proud, emotional and willing to cross any line, joining a mafia gang to chase Kira his own way. His stolen Death Note and bold kidnappings shake the investigation open, and his rivalry with Near becomes a race neither can afford to lose.
Appearance
Mello is a lean young man with chin-length blond hair and sharp features, usually dressed head to toe in black leather with a rosary around his neck. He is almost never seen without a bar of chocolate, snapping off pieces as he thinks. Everything about his look, the leather, the guns, the gang at his back, is deliberately the opposite of the quiet orphanage boy he refuses to be seen as again.
Personality
Mello is brilliant, proud and ruled by his feelings in a way Near never is. Being ranked second at Wammy's House left a wound he has never accepted: whatever the cost, he intends to beat Near to Kira and prove he was the true successor. That drive makes him reckless and sometimes ruthless, he will kidnap, blackmail and ally with criminals, but he is not without conscience, and his loyalty to his friend Matt is genuine.
Background & Story
Mihael Keehl grew up at Wammy's House as the second-ranked candidate to succeed L, always a step behind the calm, puzzle-solving Near. Offered the chance to work with Near on the Kira case, Mello refused outright and walked out into the world alone. He carved his way into an American mafia syndicate, rose inside it by sheer nerve and intelligence, and used the underworld's reach to chase the one prize that could beat Near: a real Death Note, captured from the investigation itself. His bold moves shake the whole Kira case open.
Key Relationships
- Near: His rival since childhood at Wammy's House; Mello's need to outdo Near shapes every choice he makes, even when their work secretly helps each other.
- L Lawliet: The detective he was raised to succeed; Mello idolised L and took being passed over as a personal verdict to overturn.
- Watari: The founder of Wammy's House who raised Mello and designed the successor programme.
- Soichiro Yagami: The task force chief whose family Mello targets when he kidnaps the chief's daughter to trade for the notebook.
Quick Answers
What is Mello's real name?
Mihael Keehl. His single-letter alias is M, and 'Mello' is the codename he is known by throughout the Kira investigation.
Why does Mello hate Near?
Mello was always ranked second behind Near at Wammy's House. The official guidebook notes that his feelings about Near are the one flaw in an otherwise excellent mind.
Why does Mello always eat chocolate?
It is his signature habit, the counterpart to L's sweets and Near's toys, he snaps off pieces of a chocolate bar while he thinks and plans.
Who voices Mello in Death Note?
Mello is voiced by Nozomu Sasaki in Japanese and by David Hurwitz in the English dub.
