Mihael Keehl, (ミハエル・ケール) (1989-2010; in the manga) (1992-2013; in anime) was an English Undercover Detective, Mafia member, and one of the anti-protagonist of the Manga and Anime Series Death Note created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
Wiki/Biography
Mello also known as Mihael Keehl was born on Wednesday, December 13, 1989 (Sunday, December 13, 1992, in anime) and raised in Wammy’s House, Winchester, England. (age 14 years, pre-time skip; 19-20 years post-time skip). His Zodiac is Sagittarius and his blood type is A. Mello is introduced in the story as the older of two successors of L who will take place in solving the mystery behind Kira’s case. He joined the Mafia to accomplish his goal and ended up sacrificing himself in order to help Near (Nate River) solve the case.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7”
Weight (approx.): 52 kg
Hair Colour: Golden-Yellow
Eye Colour: Black
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Nature
Mello was an extremely genius and intelligent young boy but was always in competition with his supposed sibling Near, from he would feel an inferiority complex and would take any immoral step to get ahead of him. He was hot-headed, cunning, ruthless, and insensitive mostly but in the end, he showed selflessness and sacrificed himself for the greater good. His MBTI personality type is ESFJ, people with such personalities are outgoing, loyal, personalized, and tender-hearted.
Statistics
Knowledge: 7/10
Creativity: 7/10
Initiative: 10/10
Emotional Strength: 8/10
Social Skills: 9/10
Inferiority Complex: 8/10
Family
Parents & Siblings
The name of his father and mother is not known. Mello was raised in an orphanage for Gifted Students in England, where he was raised along with L Lawliet and Near (Nate River) (the supposed younger brother) by Quillsh Wammy (also known as Watari).
Watari, Mello’s caretaker
Near and Mello
Wife and Children
Mello was never shown to be married in the series or manga and didn’t have his own family and he died at the young age of 19 years.
Friends
Mello didn’t have many friends and was quite self-centered, but at Wammy’s Home, he made a friend named Matt who helped in the Kira case and died along with Mello.
Matt and Mello
Religion
Mello is supposedly Catholic and believed in Christianity. He used to wear accessories with Cross Symbol on them and also had a Cross engraved at his grave, thus clarifying his religion.
Career
After the events of Death Note Part 1 and the death of L, Mello is introduced along with Near who is going to follow the work of L and discover the mysterious person behind the killings. He was furious about L’s death and went his own way to the United States to make connections with the Mafia and find clues about the Kira case. His only goal was to prove himself and solve the case before Near. He was able to find the Death Note and use it to kill the members of SPK (Special Provision for Kira) just to stop Near and his progress. He was unable to catch Kira himself but proved to be of great help to Near in helping solve the case.
Anime
Mello appeared in 2012 in the anime, 4 years after the deadly events of L in episode 26 “Renewal” in part 2 of Death Note.
Mello’s First Appearance in Anime
Manga
Near was introduced in Chapter 59: Zero on September 5, 2006.
Mello’s first appearance in Manga
Films
Mello was never mentioned or portrayed in any Death Note movie.
Novels
Mello was featured in the novel, Death Note: Another Note The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases (August 2006).
Death Note: Another Note novel
Video Games
Mello was featured in two video games, namely, Death Note: Kira Game (February 2007) and Death Note: Successor to L (July 2007).
Mello in Death Note Kira Game
Mello in Death Note Successor to L
TV Shows
Mello appeared in the TV drama of Death Note (2015) and was portrayed by Mio Yuki.
Mio Yuki as Mello
Other Media
Nate River was featured in Jump Ultimate Stars released in November 2006, which also had multiple characters from various Anime Verse.
Jump Ultimate Stars
Portrayed and Voiced By
Japanese
Nozomu Sasaki (佐々木 望, Sasaki Nozomu), Mio Yuki (TV Series)
English
David Hurwitz
Mandarin
Zhiwei He (何志威, Hé Zhìwěi)
Cantonese
Rong-zhang Huang (黃榮璋, Wong4 Wing4 Zoeng1)
Korean
Il Kim (김일, Kim Il)
Tagalog
Anthony Steven San Juan
Spanish
Javier Olguín (Mexico), Manuel Gimeno (Spain)
Portuguese
Marcos Souza
Catalan
Manuel Gimeno
Italian
Fabrizio De Flaviis
French
Emmanuel Garijo
German
Nico Sablik
Hungarian
Tamás Markovics
Greek
Giorgos Mataragas (Γιώργος Ματαράγκας)
Russian
Andrey Lyovin (Андрей Лёвин)
Weapons and Power
Mello was a smart and talented young boy who was in competition with Near in order to find Kira. He used his brain power to make useful tactics and plans which could manipulate Kira and make him reveal himself. He was hot-headed and used this advantage to do whatever he felt like and gain the trust of Mafia members.
Sidhoh’s Death Note
After working with the Mafia, Mello was able to kidnap Sayu Yagami (Light’s Sister) and blackmail Soichiro Yagami in order to get the Death Note. He used fellow members of the Mafia to write the names of the other Mafia leaders and eliminate them. He further used it to threaten more but is later taken from him by the planning of Light and the US army along with the President’s help.
Owner: Sidoh
Humans Who Touched It: Light Yagami, Mello,
Used By: Light Yagami
Notable Humans Used On: Lind L. Tailor
Number of Deaths Caused: 1,000+
Sidhoh with Death Note
Mafia Control
He was working along with Mafia and had his influence over them. He used their powers to do outrageous things like multiple kidnappings, killings, and blackmailing. The Mafia would help him to go as far as to blackmail the President and Police Force to work for him.
Mello with Mafia
Controversies
Being the Bad Guy?
Mello was supposed to bring justice by catching Kira and stopping the killings, but he was shown as a bad guy who would resort to any measures possible in order to get what he wants. He would even go as far as to kill SPK members so that his rival could not find Kira first.
Dual Personality in TV Drama
In the 2015 Death Note TV show, rather than having Mella and Near as different in the story, Mello is shown as the second half of the personality in Nate River.
Banned in China
Death Note has been always considered for mature and older audiences, but it has a certain impact on various people that it had to be banned from various countries such as China in order to keep their school-going children safe.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
Hong Kong Film Awards (2007) as Best Asian Film
Winner of Readers’ Choice Award for Most Popular Film
Death
Mello dies when he attempts to capture Takada, a member of Light’s inner circle who possesses a Death Note. Takada is aware that Mello is coming for her, and she is able to use her Death Note to kill him before he can complete his mission. Takada writes Mello’s name in the Death Note, causing him to die of a heart attack and his body is burnt by the explosion from the shots being fired at the car and Matt. This event leads to Near realizing that Light is Kira, as he deduces that Takada must have been acting on Light’s orders. It also sets the stage for the final confrontation between Light and Near.
Mello death scene
Mello Death-Manga
Favorites
Food: Chocolates
Color: Yellow
Hobby: Fashion
Facts and Trivia
- Mello had been offered by Nate to join him in the search for Kira, but Mello refuses which was the only reason he ended up losing his life and was unable to solve the case.
- Apart from Mello and Mihael Keehl, he has other names such as Mihaeru Kēru, Michael Keehl (audio drama), or M (alias).
- In the early concepts, Mello was supposed to be the one to solve the case and catch Kira, but it was later changed by the directors of the show.
- One of the SPK members, Lidner was working for Mello and she faked her kidnapping in order to help Mello with the case.
Lidner and Mello
- Mello got his scar while using explosives in the Mafia hideout to get escape which depicts his death by fire later in the series, and the part of L he couldn’t turn into.
Mello’s Scar
- Mello is one of the aliases of Mihael Keehl, who is a former member of the Mafia in the Death Note universe.
- He is known for his love of chocolate, often seen eating it throughout the series. In fact, his love of chocolate is so strong that it becomes a major plot point in the story and links him to L Lawliet.
Mello eating chocolate
- Mello is the second successor of L Lawliet, the legendary detective who was trying to catch Kira. Near, who is the other successor, is the one who ultimately solves the case.
- Mello’s death is a turning point in the story, as it leads to Near uncovering Kira’s true identity and sets the stage for the final confrontation between Light and Near.
- Mello is often seen as a more impulsive and emotional character compared to Near, who is more analytical and logical.
- Mello is often seen wearing a leather jacket and goggles, giving him a distinctive appearance.
Mello cosplay
- Mello’s full name, Mihael Keehl, is a combination of the names of the series’ creators, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
- Mello’s character was partially inspired by the character of Al Pacino in the movie “The Godfather.”
- Beretta 92FS is the gun owned by Mello in the series.
Mello and his gun
- Mihael Keehl stated that during his meeting with L, he was told three stories: the first was of the L.A. BB murder case (which later became the subject of a book), the second was about the final fight between L and the real Eraldo Coil and Deneuve, and the third story recounts how L first met Watari when he was eight years old.
- Among other Death Note characters, Mello was made into Nendoroid figures; however, he was only made into a Nendoroid petite, and the rest of the characters had different versions.
Mello Nendoroid
