Detective Columbo switches with L/Near/Mello

[Cody]

Inspired by this:



Scenario 1: How would Columbo fair if he was the one called into the case, not L?

Scenario 2: How would he fair if he came in later, after Ls death?

[The Drunkard Kid]

Inspired by this:



Scenario 1: How would Columbo fair if he was the one called into the case, not L?

Scenario 2: How would he fair if he came in later, after Ls death?

I don't think that he would stand a chance, mostly because he simply didn't have anything even remotely resembling the type of international resources that L and company brought to the table, and even then they had to do some pretty unethical things to eventually get Light to fail, after 2/3rds of them died in the process.

[Tami]

Usually you would need to know a person's name to write them in the Death Note, correct? Is it enough to only know a person's last name?

[Cody]

Usually you would need to know a person's name to write them in the Death Note, correct? Is it enough to only know a person's last name?

Nope you need the full name.

[Tami]

Nope you need the full name.

Throughout the series, I don't think Columbo's first name was ever spoken or known.

[BitVyper]

It all kind of hinges on if Columbo can actually get to the point of suspecting Light, which is a pretty decent sized leap. If he can get that far, I have no doubt he can talk Light into a corner. L spent a lot of time tipping his hand to goad Light. Columbo's old man routine is pretty different and likely to yield different kinds of results, so it's hard to think of what will happen. Light will be less stupid in general probably, but also less guarded and maybe more cocky about transitioning into the godking thing he wants to do.

If Columbo ever actually knows what the Death Note is, I think that will pretty much be game. He's pretty sneaky about rigging traps he knows about

[The Drunkard Kid]

Usually you would need to know a person's name to write them in the Death Note, correct? Is it enough to only know a person's last name?

I believe his full name is Frank Columbo, going by what's written on his ID.

[BitVyper]

I believe his full name is Frank Columbo, going by what's written on his ID.

According to the writers, you're not supposed to be able to read that; it was just meant to be something illegible written there that you only see for a second on your forty year old CRT. I'd say you could argue that doesn't matter since it still happens, but then he has had other first names mentioned before, with none ever really being verified, and he himself always obfuscates the matter. So the name written on the badge would be questionable in-universe anyway.

Because he's Odin.

Edit: I just wanna point out that Columbo is good enough at manipulating conversation/just plain predicting the future, to do things like set up an elaborate game of pool well in advance in a different room from where he confronts a killer so that every shot of his in appropriate bits of the conversation will end up in pockets where he's placed particular bits of evidence while also having had time to secretly recondition a guy's dogs.

[The Drunkard Kid]

According to the writers, you're not supposed to be able to read that; it was just meant to be something illegible written there that you only see for a second on your forty year old CRT. I'd say you could argue that doesn't matter since it still happens, but then he has had other first names mentioned before, with none ever really being verified, and he himself always obfuscates the matter. So the name written on the badge would be questionable in-universe anyway.

Because he's Odin.

Edit: I just wanna point out that Columbo is good enough at manipulating conversation/just plain predicting the future, to do things like set up an elaborate game of pool well in advance in a different room from where he confronts a killer so that every shot of his in appropriate bits of the conversation will end up in pockets where he's placed particular bits of evidence while also having had time to secretly recondition a guy's dogs.

In any case, Columbo's real name should probably be in a bunch of public databases in universe, especially after all the high profile murders he's solved as a member of an official police force.

[Cody]

I don't think that he would stand a chance, mostly because he simply didn't have anything even remotely resembling the type of international resources that L and company brought to the table, and even then they had to do some pretty unethical things to eventually get Light to fail, after 2/3rds of them died in the process.

Well since Columbo is being brought in, that means he would have access to the same resources L and such had.

[The Drunkard Kid]

A lot of that stuff was L's own personal resources and connections, to say nothing of Mello's criminal ties.