"The Criminal"

From Detective Conan Wiki
No specific name

The Criminal Profile.jpg

Profile
Age: Variable
Gender: Variable
Date of birth: Variable
Relatives: Variable
Nicknames: Variable
Statistics
First appearance: Manga: File 020
Appearances: Chapters: 240
Episodes: 6
Movies: 1
Actors
Japanese voice: Always changes
English voice: Always changes

The Criminal (犯人 han'nin?) in Detective Conan is a substitute image for the culprits presented in and is usually depicted as a black or dark humanoid figure, looking like an evil demon. It is used whenever the reader or watcher is to be made aware of the culprit's actions while attempting to keep their identity secret for the time being. Though usually depicted as a criminal, the silhouettes are sometimes protagonists, but their identity has to be kept a secret from both the viewers/readers and/or Conan.

Character evolution

First appearances

Gosho Aoyama stated that the idea of drawing the silhouette of the culprit was directly ripped off Kindaichi Case Files. The first black figures were very shady and roughly drawn in, and had no real body formation. They usually didn't even have a clearly drawn in face, as was shown in Nazo, the third opening. Sometimes, the figures resembled enough of the actual criminal's body that it could give away the true identity of the culprit.

Later changes

The female criminal.

As the series went even further, the figure received a more human-like appearance with the gradual addition of eyes, noses, mouths, and finally muscles. However, the culprit still maintains a dark hue, lacking distinct clothing, body hair (including beards) and other physical anomalies, like overweightness. The figure remains very generic, looking more like a man or a genderless person (an exception in episodes 354-355 and 369, because an evidence confirms that the murderer is female and thus the criminal has feminine appearance with breasts), keeping the audience guessing about the true identity and physical characterstics of the culprit in question.

Trivia

  • In Japan, a hooded jacket is sold with the face of "The Criminal" on the hood. When this is pulled down over the wearer's face, it makes them look like it.

See also

Main Characters
Protagonists Shinichi KudoConan EdogawaRan MouriKogoro Mouri
Detective Boys Ai HaibaraAyumi YoshidaMitsuhiko TsuburayaGenta Kojima
Family & Friends Hiroshi AgasaSonoko SuzukiEri KisakiYusaku KudoYukiko KudoHeiji HattoriKazuha ToyamaYoko OkinoSumiko KobayashiTomoaki AraideMakoto KyogokuShizuka HattoriJirokichi SuzukiEisuke HondouAzusa EnomotoSubaru OkiyaMasumi SeraShukichi HanedaSakurako YoneharaRumi WakasaMomiji OokaMuga Iori
Tokyo Metropolitan Police District Juzo MegureWataru TakagiMiwako SatoNinzaburo ShiratoriYumi MiyamotoKazunobu ChibaNaeko MiikeKiyonaga MatsumotoInspector YuminagaShintaro ChakiHyoue KurodaKenji HagiwaraJinpei MatsudaWataru Date
Osaka Police District Heizo HattoriGinshiro ToyamaGoro Otaki
Nagano Police District Kansuke YamatoYui UeharaTaka'aki Morofushi
Other police districts Sango YokomizoMisao YamamuraJugo YokomizoFumimaro Ayanokoji
NPA and Public Security Bureau Rei Furuya (Bourbon)Hiromitsu MorofushiYuya Kazami
FBI Shuichi AkaiJodie StarlingJames BlackAndre Camel
CIA Hidemi Hondou (Kir)Ethan Hondou
MI6 Mary SeraTsutomu Akai
Black Organization The BossRumGinVodkaVermouthChiantiKornShiho MiyanoAkemi MiyanoElena MiyanoAtsushi MiyanoTequilaPiscoCalvadosRikumichi KusudaKi'ichiro Numabuchi
Magic Kaito Kaito KurobaKaitou KidAoko NakamoriGinzo NakamoriToichi KurobaChikage KurobaKonosuke JiiKeiko MomoiAkako KoizumiSaguru HakubaSnakeRose (OVA only) • Saguru's HousekeeperSpider (TV special only)
Others "The Criminal"Hideo AkagiRyusuke HigoTakahiro SanadaScar AkaiKohji HanedaKamen YaibaAmanda Hughes
Black Organization
High ranking The BossRumGinVermouth
Other agents VodkaKir (undercover) • ChiantiKornBourbon (undercover)
Deceased agents Akemi MiyanoTequilaKenzo Masuyama/PiscoAtsushi MiyanoElena MiyanoCalvadosRikumichi KusudaEthan Hondou (undercover) • Hiromitsu Morofushi/Scotch (undercover)
Former agents Shiho Miyano/Sherry (Ai Haibara) • Shuichi Akai/Dai Moroboshi/Rye (undercover) • Ki'ichiro Numabuchi
Extended canon Yoshiaki Hara (movie only) • Irish (movie only) • Masaaki Okakura (movie only) • Arrack (special manga only) • Generic (special manga only) • Blackbeard (special manga only) • Kate Lauren (playstation only) • Curaçao (movie only) • Stout (movie only) • Aquavit (movie only) • Leona Bucholz/Riesling (movie only) • Man in bar (tv special only) • Pinga (movie only)
Related articles Black Organization timelineAPTX 4869Nanatsu no KoScar AkaiList of Black Organization related charactersVermouth timelineSuguru ItakuraKohji Haneda caseKarasuma Group"The Criminal"Night BaronCrow
Manga Roller Coaster Murder Case¥1,000,000,000 RobberyBullet-Train BombingGame Convention CaseMissing Older Brother CaseMurdered Professor CaseHotel Party Murder CaseBus Hijacking CaseKaitou Kid and the MurderEscalator Message CaseGolden Apple CaseFootsteps of DarknessMeeting with VodkaFour Porsches CaseBathroom Murder CaseHalloween Party CaseBlack Organization vs. FBIMysterious Job CaseKir Transport CaseForeign Suspect CaseDepartment Store Bomber CaseOnline ClientMystery TrainTennis MeetupA Shrine to RememberElementary Teacher AssaultScarlet ShowdownGirls Band Murder CaseSoul Detective Murder CaseA song named ASACAMissing Maria Higashio CaseSisters' Birthday Party Murder CaseYusaku Kudo's TV Show CaseFBI Serial Murder CaseAkemi Miyano's Time CapsuleChess Tournament Murder Case
Anime Roller Coaster Murder CaseGame Company Murder CaseThe Black Organization: One Billion Yen Robbery CaseThe Girl from the Black Organization and the University Professor Murder CaseReunion with the Black OrganizationThe Gathering of the Detectives! Shinichi Kudo vs. Kaitou KidThe Mysterious PassengerThe Secret Rushed OmissionShinichi Kudo's New York CaseOn the Trail of a Silent WitnessContact with the Black OrganizationThe Four PorschesHidden Bathroom SecretHead-to-Head Match with the Black Organization: A Dual Mystery on a Full Moon NightBlack Impact! The Moment the Black Organization Reaches OutThe Shadow of the Black OrganizationClash of Red and BlackThe Crisis Beckoned by the Red OmenDetectives' NocturneThe Jet-Black Mystery TrainConan in a Locked RoomJodie's Memories and the Cherry Blossom Viewing TrapThe Scarlet ReturnThe Shadow Approaching Amuro (TV original) • The Unfriendly Girls BandThe Spirit Detective's MurderThe Betrayal's StageSearch for Maria-chan!The Birthday Party of Divine PunishmentYusaku Kudo's Detective ShowThe Black Organization's SchemeAkemi Miyano's Time Capsule
Movies and Specials Countdown to HeavenTime Travel of the Silver SkyBlack HistoryThe Raven ChaserShinichi Kudo Returns! Confrontation with the Black OrganizationThe Darkest NightmareBlack Iron Submarine
Special Manga The Wish Put on the AirshipThe Black Organization...RevealedProtect the Luxury Liner from the Virus
Playstation Remembrance Treasure Case
Hanzawa the Criminal
Characters Hanzawa-sanConan EdogawaRan MouriKogoro MouriHiroshi AgasaAi HaibaraSaguru HakubaWatsonPometaroHarufumi MogiIkumi SodaShukujiro OgamiList of Hanzawa the Criminal Characters
Key People Mayuko KanbaGosho Aoyama
Manga Volume 123456789
Anime Season 1 (Staff Listing)
Related Articles Detective Conan (Manga, Anime) • Zero's Tea Time (Anime) • "The Criminal"Wild Police Story