Born Nate River, Near was raised at Wammy's House, a Winchester orphanage for gifted children founded by L's mentor, Watari. Selected as one of L's two potential successors alongside Mello due to his exceptional intellect, L died before finalizing his choice. Near reacted to the news of L's death with characteristic calm, disassembling and reassembling a puzzle while remarking, "If you can't win the game, if you can't solve the puzzle, you are just a loser." Mello later conceded the successor role to Near, believing Near's emotional detachment made him the better fit, and departed the orphanage. Slender and fair-skinned, Near has short, shaggy platinum blonde hair and gray eyes. He typically wears white pajamas (light blue in the anime) and habitually plays with his hair or manipulates toys like dice, puzzles, or finger puppets during investigations. His posture often mirrors L's, hunched over rather than sitting conventionally. Three years after the Kira case, Near experienced a growth spurt, his hair grew slightly longer, and his eye bags became more pronounced. Near combines high intelligence with social detachment. He exhibits intense focus on complex problems, viewing investigations as puzzles, and demonstrates exceptional observational skills, such as monitoring multiple screens simultaneously. Despite his analytical prowess, he relies heavily on his team, the Special Provision for Kira (SPK), acknowledging he cannot display his full deductive abilities without their support. This codependency extends to practical matters, requiring SPK member Rester to accompany him on flights due to inexperience with solo travel. Typically calm and pragmatic—prioritizing results over methods, even employing tactics "barely within the law"—he displays subtle emotions, smirking when correct and showing visible distress over SPK members' deaths in the manga. He maintains a dry sense of humor, occasionally making pointed remarks like noting Light Yagami's popularity with women. Following L's death, Near spent four years independently gathering evidence on Kira from scratch after L's data was deleted. He later formed the SPK under U.S. authority, revealing himself as L's true successor to the American president. His investigation focused on proving Light (posing as L) was Kira, utilizing strategic deception like taunting Light about L's death during communications. He orchestrated the replacement of Mikami Teru's Death Note with a fake, leading to Light's exposure and defeat at the Yellow Box Warehouse. Near attributed this success to his indirect collaboration with Mello, stating neither could have surpassed L alone. After Kira's downfall, Near assumed the title of L, operating from the United States. In the one-shot special set three years later, he confronted "C-Kira," a new Death Note user killing elderly individuals. Declining direct action initially, he ultimately provoked C-Kira's suicide by globally denouncing him as a "worthless murderer" during an L broadcast. A decade later, during the "a-Kira" incident involving Minoru Tanaka's Death Note auction, Near deduced Minoru's identity but was outmaneuvered by Tanaka's avoidance of engagement. Adaptations present variations: In the film *L: Change the WorLd*, L names a Thai boy "Near" as his successor shortly before dying. The TV drama merges Near and Mello into a single character, depicting Near as L's direct protégé with an optimistic demeanor and positioning him to witness L's death and inherit his mantle directly. A persistent ambiguity exists regarding Near's methods, as Matsuda theorized he used the Death Note to control Mikami during Light's capture, though this remains unconfirmed. Near's interests reflect his character: he builds elaborate structures from Tarot cards or dice, reacting negatively if disturbed. Unlike his peer Matt, he avoids electronic games, favoring tactile toys like remote-controlled ducks or trains. His philosophy is pragmatic; he opposes Kira but avoids confronting the U.S. government over its Death Note possession, recognizing the strategic implications of public knowledge. Creator Tsugumi Ohba noted Near's "cheeky" behavior was intended to emphasize his childishness but risked making him appear unlikeable or a "cheat."