When watching Detective Conan, have you ever noticed that there are many characters whose names make you think, "Sounds like I've heard that somewhere before...?" In fact, there are many characters in Detective Conan who were created based on something. In this article, we'll introduce those characters who were modeled after something else and the people they were modeled after!
Edogawa Conan
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
As you may know, as he appears in the original work, Edogawa Conan's origins come from "Edogawa Ranpo" and "Arthur Conan Don-il." This name was something Conan came up with on the spot when confronted by Ran. The title of the work, "Conan," is also the name of the author of the Sherlock Holmes series.
Kudo Shinichi
Source: Detective Conan ©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
This is Conan's appearance before he became a child. This is also well-known, but the original source is Shunsaku Kudo of Detective Story. He's a detective who loves freedom and humor, perfectly fitting Shinichi's image. Incidentally, Yusaku Matsuda, who played Shunsaku Kudo in Detective Story, was the inspiration for Shinichi's father, Yusaku Kudo, by combining their names.
Ran Mouri
Source: Detective Conan ©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
The heroine of this work is Ran Mouri, also known as Big Sister Ran! The inspiration for Ran is Maurice Leblanc. When you say it aloud, you'll notice that his name is similar to Mouri Ran's. This Maurice Leblanc is the author of the Arsene Lupin series, and is the grandfather of Lupin III, with whom he also collaborated on the film.
Kogoro Mouri
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Ran's father, Kogoro, became famous thanks to Conan. His inspiration is Kogoro Akechi. Kogoro Akechi is a character who appears in the Edogawa Ranpo series, making him a natural match for Conan, who goes by the name Edogawa. Her appearance, reminiscent of a drunken Kogoro, is characterized by her carelessness in clothing and unkempt hair.
Kisaragi Eri
Source: Detective Conan ©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Ran's mother, with whom she is currently separated. She is based on the pen name Ellery Queen, an American author who wrote detective novels. The "Eri" part is simply removed and it becomes "Eri." The English translation of "hime" is "queen," and in the anime, she is referred to as "Queen" as a skilled lawyer.
Ai Haibara
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Haibara, who appears as an important character midway through the story, is modeled after "Irene Adler," a female con artist who appears in Conan Dong-il's works. He also outwits Holmes in the story, making him a perfect fit for the relationship between Haibara and Conan. Incidentally, Kudo Shunsaku, the model for Shinichi in Detective Story, liked to drink "sherry," which was also Haibara's code name before she became a child.
Shuichi Akai
Source: Detective Conan ©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
FBI agent Shuichi Akai, nicknamed the Silver Bullet and feared by the Black Organization, was inspired by voice actor Shuichi Ikeda, known for his deep voice. In fact, before the author decided on the name, the voice actor for the anime was decided, and "Akai Shuichi" was chosen because "it was Ikeda Shuichi, who played Char the Red Comet." This resulted in the name "Akai Shuichi," which combined "red" and "Shuichi."
Okiya Subaru
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Okiya Subaru is another face of Akai Shuichi. Like Akai Shuichi, his name also comes from Mobile Suit Gundam. The real name of "Char", played by Ikeda Shuichi in Mobile Suit Gundam, is "Casval Rem Deikun". It is said that the name is a play on the characters' real names, such as Casval → Cas Subal → Okiya Subaru → Okiya Subaru. It's a fitting reference for Subaru, who hides his true nature.
Yukiko Kudo
Source: Detective Conan ©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Shinichi's mother, Yukiko Kudo, a talented actress, was inspired by Fujiko Mine from Lupin the Third! In fact, her maiden name before marriage was "Fujimine", which alone is reminiscent of Fujiko Mine, but at the same time, the voice actress who played Fujiko Mine in Lupin the Third was "Yukiko Nikaido". Both her maiden name and voice actress name are names related to Fujiko Mine.
Dr. Agatha
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Dr. Agatha is based on the famous British mystery writer Agatha Christie. Even if you don't know what kind of mystery novels she wrote, many people have heard of her famous name.
Detective Conan Origins Summary
Source: Detective Conan ©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Many of the characters that inspired Detective Conan are closely related to mystery novel writers, detective stories, and even voice actors. It's likely that the new characters being introduced in the future also have some kind of origin, so it might be fun to enjoy the anime while searching for their origins!
