Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's crime thriller anime Death Note didn't end when the super detective known as L lost his life to Kira. Light enjoyed his triumph for a time, but in part 2, new antagonists arose: the two genius boys Mello and Near, both determined to catch Kira no matter what.
But these boys are not like L, or even like each other. Near is a stoic and logical person who struggles to take the initiative, and Mello is headstrong and reckless, but a bit sloppy. Together, they could take down Kira with ease, but for the most part, they operated independently in a thrilling three-way battle with Kira. What are the top 10 questions about Mello in particular?
10 Does he envy Near?
He certainly does. In particular, Mello suffers from an inferiority complex, where constant exposure to Near's superiority led Mello to grudgingly accept his #2 status as part of his being. This is a very real psychological condition to experience, and it might drive a person to do all sorts of things, from being overly competitive to boasting to falling into a depression. But Mello doesn't take the time to wade in pity; he launches himself like a rocket at the Kira case, determined to solve it before Near can!
9 Could he really have become L?
This is going to be another "yes." Everyone at Wammy's House greatly looked up to the original L, and a tough selection process was in place to determine which bright boy or girl it might be. Near and Mello were the top two candidates, and upon the real L's death, Roger Ruvie summoned them to his office. He invited them to share the title of L as a two-man team, and Near easily accepted. The stage was set for Mello to jointly operate with Near as L, but his ultra-competitive side wouldn't have it. So, he ran off!
8 Is he big and scary?
Mentally, yes. Physically, no! Mello, according to official Death Note statistics, is the fourth smartest human character behind L, Light, and Near, and his ruthless streak is something to be feared. He also wields pistols and is willing to set off explosives. But you'd never guess it if you met him. He's 5'7", or 171 centimeters, and weighs in at just 115 pounds, or 52 kilograms. He's a little guy, and it's no wonder he asks his mafia thugs to do everything for him. Not just so he keeps his own hands clean, but he's not the biggest kid on the block. Some of those mafia thugs must weigh twice as much as he does.
7 Is he completely evil?
The answer may be surprising: no. Mello is certainly an aggressive fellow, and he would probably rank as chaotic evil in the Dungeons and Dragons alignment chart. Even Light is shocked at his extreme methods, such as blowing up his own headquarters to escape Soichiro's assault team. But Mello is capable of mercy, and when Soichiro cornered him, Mello thought to himself how he honestly didn't want to kill Soichiro if it could be helped. Later, when Matt died, Mello felt genuine guilt, and hoped that Matt's spirit would forgive him.
6 Just how ruthless is he?
Quite a bit. Mello isn't 100% as stone-cold as Kira/Light Yagami can be, but he comes close at times. For example, Mello does not have a sense of family with the mafia; they are all merely tools to him, Kira-style, and he killed quite a few people related to that oragnization to keep the Death Note secret. Don't forget how he held Sayu Yagami captive to get the Death Note, and he was ready to have his minion shoot and kill her if Soichiro kept refusing to hand over the notebook. Mello even coerced the dim-witted Sidoh into helping him in exchange for gifting the Shinigami a notebook later.
5 Is there any controversy about him?
Yes, if you count some minor censorship. Death Note has some religious themes, especially Christian ones, where Light sees himself as a gruesome messiah leading humanity to a better world through Kira's powers. He even considers L's defiance a "sin." Mello, meanwhile, has a prominent cross (complete with a Jesus figure) on the wall of his original HQ, and he has cross jewelry on his wrists. It's all clear in the manga, but the anime modified those crosses into mere sticks, all symbology erased.
4 Does he show Near any compassion at all?
Yes and no. After Mello survived the assault team attack on his HQ, Mello meets Near in person for the first time in four years. There, the boys clash, but not as harshly as one might expect. For one thing, Near soon releases Near's employee Hal Lidner willingly, and he only demands his photograph from Near. Once Mello gets it, he offers Near a gift: knowledge about the notebook that Near lacked. With his parting words, Mello made it clear that while his rivalry with Near was ongoing, he saw it more as a game than a bitter fight to the death. He'll help Near at least a little bit if it means taking down his real #1 enemy, Kira!
3 How far will he go to get what he wants?
Extremely far! This is demonstrated when Mello calls the American president and threatens him in order to get a deal. Mello demands use of satellites, federal resources, money, and more. Mello also promised to give the president a spare notebook later, should the federal government cooperate. But to top it off, Mello threatened to control the right federal employees to launch nuclear missles and start war! This was his idea of leverage. Unkown to Mello or the president, that threat was actually empty, since the Death Note cannot be used to indrectly kill people like that. But it shows how far Mello will go. Chilling!
2 Were he and Near always so different?
Not if you count concept art. When the creators were devising the second arc to follow the L arc, they toyed with the idea of making twins who would make a concerted effort against L/Kira. But that idea was scrapped, and Near and Mello wound up being very different people. They are like two halves of the same whole: Near is the logic, and Mello is the action. Apart, they are a threat to Kira, but together, they are a powerhouse! Arguably, Death Note's second arc wouldn't have been as interesting otherwise.
1 Where did Mello's Design come from?
What makes Mello the way he is? The creators used clothes catalogs and other references to design the outfits of each character, and Mello got his turn in the wardrobe department. Once his character wsa figured out, the creators put him in a shiny black leather ensemble, since they had a personal preference for those kinds of clothes! Not to mention how the creators liked scars and burns, so they made sure Mello ended up with a burn scar on his face at some point. At that point, Mello's hair became messier, which the artist enjoyed drawing.
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