Jodie Starling

Jodie Starling
Profile
Age:	28-29
Gender:	Female
Aliases:	Jodie Santemillion
Statistics
First appearance:	Manga: Chapter 270 Anime: Episode 226
Appearances:	Chapters: 86 Chapters: 1 Episodes: 54 Movies: 5 OVAs: 0 Specials: 0 Openings: 22 Closings: 2
Keyhole number:	Volume 42
Actors
Japanese voice:	Miyuki Ichijo

Jodie Starling (ジョディ・スターリング ,Jodi Sutaaringu), referred to in earlier episodes as Jodie Santemillion (ジョディ・サンテミリオン ,Jodi Santemirion), is a character in the manga and anime franchise Detective Conan.

Background

Some twenty years ago, when Jodie was still just a little girl, Vermouth killed her parents, who had been working on the Black Organization for the FBI. Vermouth was surprised to find her in her house, and after Jodie had asked what was going on, Vermouth told her to wait by her father until he woke up, and that "a secret makes a woman woman". She then set the house ablaze, thus destroying any evidence that she had been there, along with the corpses of Jodie's parents and any records about the Black Organization. Fortunately, Jodie had decided to run down the street to the store to buy her father some orange juice, and had thus survived. She was put under protection by the FBI, although she declined the Witness Protection Program, and eventually became an FBI agent herself under the tutelage and patronage of James Black. The only remaining memento from her past is the set of glasses she wears, which had originally belonged to her father.

Plot overview

Jodie appears around the same time as Vermouth as Ran's new English teacher at Teitan High under the name of "Jodie Saintemillion". She comes off as somewhat strange, and refers to Conan as "Cool Kid", which caused fans to believe that she knew his secret. (In fact, she now knows he's an incredible detective, but it is unclear if she knows his true identity). She is noted for often using the phrase of her enemy, Vermouth ('A secret makes a woman woman'). In episode 226-227 Jodie, after watching Conan suspiciously, informs someone over the phone that she has found their target, whom she refers to as "Rotten Apple".

First indications of Jodie's FBI training are shown during the confrontation with the bus hijackers. She stealthily turns on the safety to one of the hijacker's guns, while knocking him down thus he cannot shoot it when he attempts to fire at her. She appears later in 271-272 and gives Conan information that allows him to solve the case. In episodes 277-278, she is investigated by Conan and Heiji, both believing her to be Vermouth in disguise, as she appears to know they are both detectives despite being foreign to Japan, and even helps them solve a case in the same episode.

It is not until her personal confrontation with Vermouth that Jodie's past and true identity as an FBI agent is revealed, as well as the real reason she's in Japan and the person she's looking for. She is tracking down Vermouth, and after a brief confrontation with her, Jodie is rescued by Conan and her colleague Shuichi Akai. Following this, she offers Ai a place in the Witness Protection Program, but Ai declines. She does not appear again until when she helps Conan prevent an assassination plot of a politician orchestrated by the Black Organization and the subsequent capture and hospitalization of the BO member Kir.

Jodie has been heavily involved in the BO arc episodes 492-504, which has involved the BO and the FBI. The death of her partner, Akai, takes a very emotional toll on her. As it later turns out, they used to be lovers before Akai infiltrated the Black Organization by dating Akemi Miyano, with whom he eventually became more intensely involved. Still, despite their breakup Jodie does maintain strong feelings for him.. When a man who looks like Shuichi Akai appears, Jodie is convinced that the stranger is her partner who has lost his memory, but he is gone before she can affirm her suspicion.

Personality

Jodie usually is a very serious person, but also has demonstrated a very playful and carefree side (as it is seen when she is Ran's English teacher). She often says "just like in the movies", to imply that she is in fact American and watches a lot of movies. Jodie considers Conan her "favorite detective," knowing that he is no ordinary boy. She always takes him seriously, and lets him help her in figuring out plans.

Name origin

Jodie Starling was named after both Clarice Starling, one of the main protagonists in Silence of the Lambs, and actress Jodie Foster who performed Starling's role in the movie adaptation of the same name.