Kaito Kuroba

**Kaito Kuroba** (黒羽快斗, *Kuroba Kaito*?) and also known as his alter Kaito Kid, is the main protagonist of the series and a recurring character in the manga and anime franchise Detective Conan.

## Biography

Kaito Kuroba is the second and the current Kaito Kid. The first and original Kaito Kid is his father Toichi Kuroba who was killed by an organization for refusing to steal the Pandora Gem for them. Kaito is a second-year student at Ekoda High School Class 2-B with Aoko Nakamori (his childhood friend), Akako Koizumi (a witch) and Saguru Hakuba (a transfer student and also a detective).

## Appearance

Kaito has dark brown hair with fringe that ends just above his eye. He has dark blue eyes and a pointy nose just like the other characters.

## Personality and Skills

According to Hakuba's analysis during his search for Kaitou Kid's identity, Kaito is 174 cm (5'8.5") tall, weighs 58 kg (128 lbs), has an IQ of 400, and is blood type 'B'.
Kaito as his normal self seems to be rather popular in school although he tends to get in trouble with the ladies, particularly Aoko, for flipping up their skirts or peeking on them in the locker room. He is a compulsive trickster who loves to demonstrate his magic tricks and share them with others and hates to see people upset. Kaito seems to be quite good at many things, including skiing ,but (much to Aoko's amusement) cannot ice skate or play billiards.
Although he hasn't demonstrated it while in full costume, Kaito has an extreme fear of fish (ichthyophobia) to the point where he freaks out upon seeing Aoko wear fish-print underwear one da .In OVA 10, while in the process of escaping Trap Island, a fish flops into his escape rowboat and he panics.
In some episodes and chapters, it is shown that Kaito is ambidextrous. He is sometimes shown using his left hand, but his right hand is dominant for tricks that require one hand only.

## Plot

### (Knowing his father as Kaito Kid)

In episode 1 Kaito Kuroba didn't know that his father is Kaito Kid. He was watching television when he noticed that the time his dad died and rumors of the death of Kaito Kid were the same eight years ago. Suddenly he went to his father's portrait and remembering his memories with his dad, he heard a weird sound and noticed that the portrait was moving. Due to his consciousness, he pushed it and accidentally fell from his room. He was so curious what are the kinds of stuff in the room and why his dad made it. When suddenly the record player plays he noticed that it was his dad's voice advising him some tips about magic. Then a large box appears, and when it opened he saw that it's Kaito Kid's suit. He thought that he well knew the answer to his dad's death when he meets Kaito Kid. So he decided to come to the Ono Bank where was Kid is about to steal the Eye of the Moon. Then in the evening, Kaito Kid appeared and stole the Eye of the Moon and went to the rooftop. Kaito Kuroba who was dressed as Kaito Kid was waiting there. Kaito Kid was shocked when he saw another Kid. And asked Kaito Kuroba about a magic trick if he was the real Kaito Kid. When Kaito found out the trick, the other Kid removed his masked and started calling him "Toichi-sama" whose his dad. And introduced to him as his assistant whose name is Konosuke Jii and started to narrate what happened eight years ago and he thought that he was dead. Kaito Kuroba started asking who killed his dad and Jii found out that he was not Toichi but his "young master Kaito". Then Kaito found out his dad is a thief and suddenly the cops went to the rooftop where they are, then Kaito distracted them to make Jii escape from that place. Jii is worried about Kaito and ask him what he will do. Kaito answered that he will be fine because he is not his "young master Kaito" anymore because he is now Kaito Kid.

### Magic Kaito

The day after the Kaitou Kid makes his return after an eight-year hiatus, Kaito stumbles through a trap door in his room and discovers that his father, Toichi Kuroba, was the original Kaitou Kid. Kaito dons his father's costume to discover the identity of the new Kaitou Kid, revealed to be his father's old assistant Konosuke Jii. Jii tells Kaito that Toichi had been murdered eight years ago and that he had dressed as the Kid and staged the heist in order to lure Toichi's killers.
So Kaito adopts the mantle of the Kid, having proven that he is more skilled than the aging and serious Jii. As the Kaitou Kid, Kaito stages several high-profile jewel heists with the intention of smoking out his father's killers (although he seems to be enjoying himself in the process). It isn't until the Blue Birthday heist that the murderers appear and reveals that they are searching for the doublet red-colored gem Pandora, said to shed tears of immortality during the passing of a particular comet. Upon realizing the organization's aim and that his father was killed for his refusal to aid them in retrieving Pandora, Kaito vows as Kaitou Kid to find the Pandora gem first and destroy it.

### Detective Conan

Since then, he has appeared in several Detective Conan cases.
If his target is a gem, he always holds it up to the moonlight, presumably to check if it's the Pandora gem, before returning it, even if Conan seemingly has him cornered.

In other instances, Kid has staged heists when people such as Jirokichi Suzuki have called him out, or when criminals have used the Kaitou Kid's name to deflect blame from themselves, as in the Sunset Mansion case or the Seiran case. He also appeared in the Ryoma case to expose several counterfeiters who were pretending to possess items that another thief called the Phantom Lady had stolen years ago. At that time, Kid implied that he may be a family relation of the 'Phantom Lady'.
A young Kaito also appeared in a flashback during which Conan recalled a riddle that he and Ran had tried to solve when they were in first grade. It turned out that the 'riddler' had been the original Kaitou Kid, Toichi Kuroba, who seemed to be a friend of Yusaku Kudo.

In chapter 824, Kid had played a significant role in the main Detective Conan plot by disguising as Sherry under Conan's request. Their plan successfully tricked the Black Organization into believing she is dead.
In The Lost Ship in the Sky, it's revealed that Kaito knew Conan's real identity of Shinichi Kudo. He helped Conan who was thrown out of the airship and they worked together to get back. Kaito has disguised himself as Shinichi three times, in The Last Wizard of the Century, in Magician of the Silver Sky, and in The Lost Ship in the Sky which led Sato and Takagi to suspect that Shinichi was Kaitou Kid. The two later share their suspicion with Heiji to which he responded with an 'Are you kidding me?' face.

## Relationships

* **Aoko Nakamori**

Aoko is his childhood friend and romantic interest.They seem to behave similarly to Heiji and Kazuha from Detective Conan. (Great friends who tend to argue with each other.)Kaito often teases Aoko by flipping her skirt. However, it has been seen that Kaito is quite protective of Aoko and doesn't appear to want her to go on a date with Saguru Hakuba. Aoko was somewhat suspicious that Kaito was actually Kaitou Kid, and in order to prove his innocence, she brought him along to a movie when a heist had been scheduled. She handcuffed him to the seat, but Kaito managed to escape and pull off the heist, thus veering Aoko's suspicions away from him. The two appear to have feelings for each other, but neither has admitted it as of yet.
* **Akako Koizumi**

Since Akako's first appearance in Volume 1, she's attempted to get Kaito to fall head over heels for her using whatever means necessary, including using a voodoo doll and hurting him in the process. Akako's obsession with Kaito comes from Kaitou Kid, whom she realizes is Kaito, being the only man on Earth able to resist her. Despite Akako injuring Kaito during their first confrontation, Kaito as Kid behaves like a complete gentleman and encourages Akako to be herself in order to get someone to like her instead of forcing them through witchcraft.Akako grows to have great concern for Kaito as evidenced by her warning Kaito[13] against going to a heist and later assisting Kaitou Kid to escape safely from the heist that she had foreseen him being captured at.[14] In Volume 2, Akako openly states she likes Kaito in front of Aoko.
* **Saguru Hakuba**

The relationship between Hakuba and Kaito is a rather tense one; since Hakuba convinced himself early on that Kaito was instead Kid, and during the first few volumes he's constantly throwing out offhand comments that show his suspicion. However, later on in the manga, we have a small scene where Hakuba calls Kaito from Paris in order to give him some information on 'Chat Noir', a dangerous, fellow gem thief trying to outshine Kid.[16] Though Kaito continues to vehemently deny being Kid, Hakuba gives him the information anyway, ending the conversation with, "Do your best at least. I don't want to see you lose to anyone before I capture you myself". Whether or not that was his actual motive, or if he was merely concerned for Kaito's well being, is unknown.
* **Toichi Kuroba**

Toichi is Kaito's father.
* **Chikage Kuroba**

Chikage is Kaito's mother.
* **Conan Edogawa**

In the manga, Kid and Conan are rivals. Ever since Kaito met Conan, Kaito always seems to be anticipating Conan's appearance at his heists. Conan makes the heists more interesting for Kaito, while Conan views Kaito's heists as entertainment. Before being shrunk, Shinichi had encountered Kaitou Kid once during the Clock Tower heist, though they did not meet face-to-face. In their next encounter, however, after Shinichi had become Conan, Kid disguised himself as Ran in order to steal the Suzuki Black Star pearl. When Conan cornered him on the Suzuki cruise ship, Kid suggested that he'd stolen all of Ran's clothes to impersonate her, and left her naked on the deck. While this ended up being a bluff, Conan was shocked and infuriated. In subsequent encounters between Kid and Conan, Conan displays a much more intense desire to capture Kid. Since then, Conan is usually a serious threat to Kid's plans and stops Kid often enough from escaping with the jewel that Conan has gained a reputation in the press as Kid's "natural enemy". In several instances Conan appears to be able to 'sense' Kid's presence; knowing Kid is close by often causes Conan to behave far more frenetically. Appropriately, Kid seems to find Conan dangerous enough to warrant specific measures to keep the boy distracted. Conan does not seem to like Kid, saying once "He's only a thief that uses magic".However, if necessary, the two can put their rivalry aside (for a little while) and work together. Conan has something of a gentleman's agreement with Kaitou Kid that he won't look for the thief outside of heists. In several instances, beginning with the "Big Adventure in the Eccentric Residence" case, when Kid does Conan/Shinichi a favor, such as saving Genta's life in the aforementioned case, Conan reciprocates by halting his investigation just shy of capturing Kid, thereby allowing him to escape mostly unhindered. This exchange of favors can sometimes become a bit unbalanced; Conan was perfectly willing to force Kaitou Kid against his will into facing a member of the Black Organization at gunpoint in a carriage filled with explosives. In the movies, Kid becomes aware that Conan is Shinichi after he once overheard Conan talking to Professor Agasa and displaying too much criminal knowledge for a 7-year-old.\As a result, he ends up using Shinichi's identity to either further his own goals and challenge Conan at the same time, or to pay back a favor Conan has done him. Since movies cannot be considered canon, it's unclear whether Kid knows Conan is Shinichi in the official manga. There is also some speculations on Conan figuring out that Kid isn't just stealing randomly. At the end of the OVA 4: Conan, Kid, and the Crystal Mother, Conan had turned with a serious face when he remembered a phrase that Kid had said, "Next time, I'll help myself to the Jewel of Destiny." In movie 14, Conan asked for Kid to disguise as him for a while.
* **Heiji Hattori**

Kaito and Heiji Hattori have never canonically met, although Heiji faced up against the Kid in Movie 3, and interacted with a disguised Kaito during Movie 10. They were also involved in the same cases in OVA 6 and Movie 14, but never directly interacted.
* **Lupin III**

In Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie, while they never directly meet face-to-face with each other, Kaitou Kid and Lupin III had made their first encounter in the beginning of the film. Kaito Kuroba, while being in his citizen guise, was among the many people present to see the heists of Lupin, who was masquerading as Kaitou Kid, with a valuable diamond. Fujiko Mine claimed if Lupin was unable to save her, by stealing the Cherry Sapphire, she can always ask Kaitou Kid for help. By the end of the film where Lupin was in Japan, in contrary to how Conan had thought he had left, Lupin had tried to steal another valuable jewel only to find it already to be stolen and replaced by a small note left by Kaitou Kid; the act was most likely to return the favor for Lupin’s temporary identity theft, for using Kid’s identity, with the diamond heist. As Lupin was being chased, by Inspector Zenigata who didn’t believe Lupin didn’t steal the jewel, he had declared his rivalry with Kaitou Kid.
## Etymology

Kaito (怪盗, ***Kaito***?) means "phantom thief" and Kuroba (黒羽, ***Kuroba***?) means "black feather".

## Trivia

* A prototype version of Kaito appears in Aoyama's Nonchalant Lupin (さりげなくルパン, *Sarigenaku Rupan*?) short story. In this version, Kaito is named Kaito Lupin (流犯快斗, *Rupan Kaito*?).
* The name 'Kuroba' is a transliteration of 'clover.' A four-leaf clover also appears on the tag of Kid's monocle.
* Gosho Aoyama gave Kaito the same height and weight measurements that he had in 1990, as well as his own blood type.
* Kaito and Gosho Aoyama also have the same birthday, June 21.
* Kaito, along with Shinichi Kudo,Heiji Hattori ,and Saguru Hakuba aissometimes referred to as 'The Four Geniuses' or 'The Gosho Boys' by fans.
* In both the Japanese and English dub, Kaito shares the same voice actor as that of Shinichi Kudo. Kaito and Shinichi already resemble each other so closely that in the Black Star case, Ran sees Kaito in the street and mistakes him for Shinichi. In Movie 8, Kaito disguises himself as Shinichi and without the use of a mask succeeds in completely fooling everyone except for Ran.
* In Spanish, he doesn't share his voice with Shinichi, but with Hattori. However, this isn't much of a problem since he can perfectly mimic voices.
* Although Kaito's and Shinichi's teenaged-selves share the same voice actor, Kappei Yamaguchi, two different voice actors portray them as children: young Kaito is still voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi, while Conan and young Shinichi are voiced by Minami Takayama.