Touta Matsuda operates as the youngest and least experienced member of the Japanese Task Force hunting Kira. His initial portrayal highlights deficient policing skills, fueling impulsive actions that repeatedly obstruct investigations and prompt sharp criticism from colleagues like Shuichi Aizawa and L, who perceive him as naive and unserious. Simultaneously, he functions as an audience surrogate, embodying moral ambiguity through his conflicted perspective on Kira—recognizing the global crime reduction while condemning the murders. Recruited into the National Police Agency partly through nepotism, Matsuda develops profound loyalty to Task Force leader Soichiro Yagami, his professional and personal mentor. This bond manifests in Matsuda addressing Soichiro and his wife as "dad" and "mom," reflecting an almost familial connection. His dedication drives him to remain on the Task Force after most resign under Kira’s threats, repeatedly risking his life for the investigation despite deep self-doubt and low self-worth. Matsuda’s operational contributions evolve significantly. Early recklessness complicates missions, like his unauthorized infiltration of the Yotsuba Group, which results in capture and a faked death to escape. Yet he displays unexpected competence under pressure: as Misa Amane’s manager "Taro Matsui," he aids surveillance; during the Yotsuba Kira case, he volunteers as live television bait to lure Kyosuke Higuchi; and in a Mafia clash, he disarms a criminal by shooting the Death Note from his hand non-lethally. His marksmanship proves critical again during the warehouse confrontation with Light Yagami, where he shoots a pen and Death Note scrap from Light’s grasp, then incapacitates him with non-fatal shots to thwart Near’s murder. Emotionally, Matsuda’s arc pivots on betrayal and loss. He idolizes Light, defending him fiercely despite mounting evidence. This loyalty fractures after Light’s confession, particularly Light’s dismissal of Soichiro’s death. Enraged, Matsuda fires additional near-fatal shots at Light with lethal intent, an act halted only when colleagues wrest away his weapon. Post-Kira, he grapples with disillusionment, theorizing that Near manipulated Teru Mikami via the Death Note to frame Light—a claim peers dismiss as biased. Beyond the main series, Matsuda features in spin-offs and sequels. In the film continuity, he leads a new Task Force in *Death Note: New Generation*, administering polygraph tests to recruits. A short film explores his unresolved trauma over Light’s identity, depicting a failed attempt to seek closure from L. In the manga one-shot *Never Complete*, he disrupts a live broadcast to warn citizens against purchasing the Death Note during Minoru Tanaka’s auction, angering superiors and leading to his reassignment to desk duty. Throughout all media, Matsuda’s character captures the tension between idealism and harsh reality. His journey progresses from comic-relief ineptitude to decisive bravery, underpinned by persistent moral conflicts and a quest for validation within the justice system he serves.