I fully believe that Gosho never originally intended for Kaito and Shinichi to be related, and that he only planned to feature KID in Detective Conan as a homage to his older work, Magic Kaito. But as time went on, demand for a Magic Kaito continuation started to rise, so Gosho probably tried to kill two birds with one stone by making KID a recurring character.
At some point during development, KID became more and more integrated into the main plot. Originally, he was just fanservice — a part of the series that wasn’t supposed to affect the story much. But ever since Kaito helped Conan save Haibara, the rest of his heists have involved him interacting more and more with the Detective Conan cast and learning more about them. Even the Gathering of Detectives case was later retconned into a major part of the series.
This turns Magic Kaito into a Detective Conan’s spin-off. I'll elaborate about this further on how this could be a good thing in the conclusion.
The next post will be about the development of Kaitou KID in Detective Conan.
The Miraculous Midair Walk was released around 2003, and it marked the return of Kaitou KID after 2000. This was also the first time KID revealed his motive.
Unlike pre2000, Kaito's targets are more aligned with Magic Kaito main plot, the other targets are either a pearl (which is too small for something MK would after) and a golden mansion (which we don't know if he's really there for the treasure or answers and how did he even know about the gathering).
I've always assumed that with the Sunset Manor case there was probably an off-screen moment where Hakuba was pointedly looking at his invite at school, trying to make sure that Kaito knew that someone else was using Kid's name for something. Like, without actually saying it trying to say 'Well Kaito? You're not going to just ignore this right? You won't let them get away with it? I've done my part by telling you, the ball is in your court now."
Alternatively, considering the culprit mainly wanted to find the treasure just to prove their father hadn't died for nothing, and didn't necessarily want to keep it..... They may have invited Kid themself. Sure they wouldn't have an address, but they could have done the classic trick of putting a coded message in the newspaper and just hoping. After all, if Kid did show up and replaced one of the invited detectives then obviously he deserves that detective's spot anyway, but also allowing for Kid could have been why Ran was allowed to come along....
of course, both of these possibilities are speculation with absolutely no evidence that just comes from me giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming that there even is a reason aside from 'make Kid spooky! Speak his name and he shall appear!'
Personally I’m more inclined to the first option for the sunset manor. Because KID always goes after imposters. There is always a chance that the imposters could be his organisation which he CAN’T ignore.
Using KID as a scapegoat or bait (or to sell boat leg merch) has consequences! He’s spiteful like that and is the lesson he learned from his mother with Phantom Lady. If some jerk is using your name? Show up to the party! I like to think he gets a reputation in the criminal underworld because of that. But because of that it’s the best way to summon him.
I mean that’s exactly what happened for the Vault case!
That's the thing, I've speculate that before 2000, there wasn't a need to explain why KID was there since he's like a cryptic creature at the time, a seldom crossover feature.
But after Gosho have rewriting his character in DC, most people expect explanation.
Either Gosho is working on it or is trying to ignore it. Because for a detective like Conan, he never once asked why or how was KID there, the basic questions for clues.
Renya Karasuma owns the mansion and he's the BO's boss, other than the invitors and the invitees, KID is the odd one out.
Kaito seemed to be unmoved by Haibara's words. Is it because he can tell that she isn't an ordinary girl and was being sarcastic? This is the first and only face to face interaction they have until now. As far as I know, there hasn't been a confirmation that he knows about Haibara's identity.
On that note, I've made a categorization of KID development throughout DC. In it I've said that there was an era of Kaitou KID was just a homage to MK. That, along with other cases, up until KID saved Haibara was still just a fun fanservice. So the fact that he knows something about Haibara wasn't an issue because it wouldn't affect the canon anyway, just like how it is imply that he know Conan is Shinichi. However, after the train situation, there has been a shift in KID's character, he’s no longer potray as omniscient as he was. Kaito is now on the same ground as the others, he can't know anything unless the info was given to him. There hasn't been a scene or dialog imply that he know about Haibara and her past.
Depending on the translation version you read, the title of File 478 was “Immortal.” It was also the first time Kaitou KID referenced Pandora, although it wasn’t connected to the Pandora gem from his own story yet.
The Miraculous Midair Walk was released around 2003, and it marked the return of Kaitou KID after 2000. This was also the first time KID revealed his motive.
Unlike pre2000, Kaito's targets are more aligned with Magic Kaito main plot, the other targets are either a pearl (which is too small for something MK would after) and a golden mansion (which we don't know if he's really there for the treasure or answers and how did he even know about the gathering).
Yukiko not knowing about her husband’s twin brother and that he was her teacher is so disappointing.
It's disappointing to me because not only does it makes Yukiko look silly for not knowing basic things about her husband but also it just reiterate that Gosho can't write women well. They're just tools to asked and said the right things when the plot needed. But then again this could also applied to some of his male characters, but the women are still the most prominent.
Everytime I'm rewatching this movie, I'd cringed at anytime the movie mentioned about the Kurobas and kudos relation. But nothing annoyed me more than Yukiko's reaction to her married for 20 years husband suddenly review that he has a twin brother. And she have met him before.
I guess she married him for the mystery and excitement...
But boy the unrealistic and ooc reaction is both funny and frustrated.
I wonder if these could be foreshadowing to what might happen if Conan is confront with the idea that Kaito is related to him. Because it is extremely out of character for him to consider anything to be a coincidence and for him to rarely agree with Kaito. Hattori seemed to be getting the hint.
In chapter 1018, Kazuha was referencing a scene from movie 3, this is the first time (that I know of) where a movie was confirmed to be semi-cannon. Gosho must wanted to draw our attention to it. Movie 3 was Kaitou KID's first appearanced in movie form, movie 27 was Kaitou Corbeau's. Both are at Osaka.
What I mean is, would they try to keep their family connection a secret?
In Movie 3, both Conan and Kaito agree to keep the identity of a missing royal family a secret. In Movie 27, Conan keeps insisting that he and Kaito are not related. Does that mean the Kurobas and the Kudos would never want the world to know that they are connected? Or something along those lines.
I wonder if these could be foreshadowing to what might happen if Conan is confront with the idea that Kaito is related to him. Because it is extremely out of character for him to consider anything to be a coincidence and for him to rarely agree with Kaito. Hattori seemed to be getting the hint.
In chapter 1018, Kazuha was referencing a scene from movie 3, this is the first time (that I know of) where a movie was confirmed to be semi-cannon. Gosho must wanted to draw our attention to it. Movie 3 was Kaitou KID's first appearanced in movie form, movie 27 was Kaitou Corbeau's. Both are at Osaka.
I want the future plot of Kaitou KID in Detective Conan to involve him being pursued by the authorities (such as the FBI or CIA) because they suspect he has a connection with the BO.
Reasons:
1. He is sometimes around the same places as Snake is (assuming he's part of BO).
2. He's pushing 40, yet somehow still manages to look young.
3. He has connections with Kaitou Corbeau. Corbeau means "raven" or "crow," and karasu in Karasuma Renya means "crow."
4. He's a prime suspect for the death of an Interpol's officer.
Meanwhile the BO is also pursuing him because he's still alive and looks younger than before
I missed Magic Kaito so much i made my own episode
There is something wrong with them. None of them are alright in the head.
Local Clip Studio Paint Illustrator remembers CSP has comic capabilities (I usually do comics traditionally digitally feels so hard and dif so it's a process to figuring it out ok)
Sorry for the sudden drop in quality half way through I got a horrible migraine :( (SO I HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR BAD SPELLING OK!!)
Also a lot of things like lighting and those curtains are more metaphorical lmao ik gymnastics don't have them
This case debuted in 2000. At the time, “The Gathering of the Detectives” was nothing more than a special event featuring both Kaitou KID and Hakuba. There weren’t any major lore implications yet that the mansion had connections to the Black Organization.
What I like about this arc is that Kaito chose to disguise himself as Mori before going to a party full of detectives, so no one would find it strange that he couldn’t deduce anything. This happens again later when he disguises himself as Takagi for the same reason.
That eventually leads to him hitting a wall when he disguises himself as Shinichi — a famous detective — and has to prove himself in front of Hakuba, another detective. And interestingly, all three of those cases involve him trying to clear his name of murder accusations.
I have a headcanon that Hakuba called him about the party because he knew it wasn’t KID’s doing, and basically said something like, “It looks suspicious. I might die (─ ‿ ─).” And Kaito was just like, “I don’t care.” Then he showed up anyway out of curiosity or trying to see who's using his name of course. And then Hakuba was like “Awww, you do care.”
How would Yusaku and Toichi reunion will be? Because imagine something like
Yusaku: “It’s nice to finally meet again after all these years, brother. So, what have you been up to?”
Toichi: “Well… I joined a circus in my late teens, met the love of my life — who was a wanted criminal — in Paris, became an internationally wanted phantom thief, faked my death, abandoned my son, and then returned to being a phantom thief again. How about you?”
I like the idea that the reason Kaito can’t do detective work is because he’s too emotional and biased. He lets his initial opinions of people prevent him from considering that they could be doing — or could have done — something wrong. My father can't be bad, he's my hero.
These chapters debuted in 1998, and Kaito was making a reference to them meeting again before the year 2000. However, in 1999, Magic Kaito got an update with the Clock Tower Heist, where KID and Shinichi met for the first time. So this could possibly the author teasing for that update.
I think this scene can now be retconned into Kaito hinting, “We’ve met before. I know you’re Shinichi.” Or it could be seen as a tease "We'll be facing each other for a hundred years"
I have categories four eras of Kaitou KID in Detective Conan based on Manga release date
Era 1: The Early Kaitou KID Era (1997-2000)
From Files 156-159; Files 192-196; Files 299-302
In this era, Kaitou KID was portrayed as mysterious and almost otherworldly, yet not omnipotent. He could do things no normal human could such as disguising and voice changing, but he couldn’t function as a detective like Conan. He was a criminal, yet still someone the audience could trust. I think, at the time, he was supposed to be a homage to Magic Kaito so Kaito, Nakamori and Hakuba was painted in a very positive light. This era ended with “The Gathering of the Detectives,” a case that introduced Hakuba, another major character from Magic Kaito.
Era 2: The Return of Kaitou KID Era (2004-2006)
From Files 453-456; Files 475-478; Files 544-547; Files 570-573
This era established a new status quo with the introduction of Jirokichi, who deliberately made himself KID’s rival and turned KID into a recurring character. During this period, while still mysterious, KID was portrayed as more ambiguously evil. Such as in, The Miraculous Midair Walk, he would laugh maniacally to himself when he won and was even suspected of murder twice (Files 475-478 and 544-547). Unlike the pre2000, modern Kaito has flaws, his arrogance and pervert side was more obvious than before. These quirks would have been treated as cute in MK but were different here. What ended this era was the reintroduction of Kuroba Toichi in Files 570–573, another major Magic Kaito character.
Era 3: The Redemption of Kaitou KID Era (2007-2010)
From Files 631-634; Files 674-676; Files 712-715; Files 731-733
Here, KID’s status as an ambiguously evil figure slowly faded, and he became more of an antihero. In “Teleportation Magic” (Files 631–634), while still trying to play the villain, Kaitou KID was revealed to have an assistant and showed that he wasn’t cruel enough to abandon them. Then he saved Jirokichi’s dog (Files 674–676). But the series briefly circled back to his unhinged side when he tased Conan in “The Azure Dragon” case (Files 712–715), before redeeming him again through returning stolen items and exposing frauds. This era also ended with the introduction of Phantom Lady (Files 731-733) — aka Kuroba Chikage — another major Magic Kaito character.
After allowing Conan to learn one thing about him, the next arc moving forward was KID learning more about the Detective Conan cast. After KID saved Haibara (Files 818–824), a new status quo was introduced: Kaitou KID now had to deal with other major characters besides Conan. Sera, Makoto, Amuro (three separate times), Akai, and Hattori all became involved in his heists. From this point onward, his appearances showed more of his clumsy and spontaneous side. He stopped being portrayed as evil and instead became more playful and silly.
I think this shift happened because the 2010 and 2014 Magic Kaito anime adaptations increased demand for a more lighthearted and playful version of Kaito. Gosho’s writing doesn’t always follow a coherent long-term narrative; it often feels influenced by the rules of supply and demand. Much like how characters can suddenly become smarter or dumber depending on the situation, Kaitou KID’s vibe and behavior also change based on what audiences seem to enjoy seeing from him at the time.
And interestingly, the most recent Kaitou KID-centric manga case, “Azure Throne,” brought Hakuba back again. This could potentially mark the end of Era 4. Previously, whenever a major Magic Kaito character (other than Nakamori) featuring alongside Kaitou KID, his next appearances tended to shift the existing status quo or overall vibe of his character.
My prediction is that the next time we see KID, we could see a new status quo — possibly one that focuses more on Kaito’s vulnerable side. After all, Movies 23 and 27 featured some of the most emotionally vulnerable moments he’s ever had in Detective Conan. Those movies will — or already have — influenced the supply and demand for Kaitou KID’s angst. Or at the very least, have Hakuba showing up to KID heist more often from now on. And to end that era, another major Magic Kaito will either be introduced (like Aoko) or reintroduced (Toichi). Kaito will find out that Shinichi is his family and is dealing with an evil organization, Kaito would do anything to protect his family.
In conclusion: I don’t know if this is going to be a hot take or a cold one, but I think it might be better to let go of the Magic Kaito plot. I know that sounds bad, but hear me out. MK rarely gets updates, and even when it does, Kaito never seems to get anywhere near his goal. Lately, it feels more like a spin-off of Detective Conan.
Meanwhile, if you look at Kaito only through DC’s writing, he feels like part of a slow-burn enemy-to-friend storyline. We learn more about him very gradually. In fact, we’ve probably seen more of Toichi as a character in DC than in MK itself. Whatever Gosho Aoyama is cooking up (if he really is) is probably some kind of fusion between Magic Kaito and Detective Conan, but some elements of MK will likely be sacrificed in order to fit into DC.
If we want MK to eventually have a conclusion, maybe it’s best for Kaito to become a supporting character. (I know I don’t like this idea either) Akako could still exist (even though it's unlikely); she’d just be portrayed as a friend who likes fortune-telling and paganism. DC has already played with supernatural or superstitious elements before, like with Hattori’s lucky charm.
Also, Conan being called the “KID Killer” could even foreshadow the moment when Conan finally ends Kaitou KID’s career.
Also, also, Akako did prophesied Shinichi would bring KID to ruin
I think this could still be relevant.
Conan is the only person I can realistically see saving Kaitou KID at this point (other than Aoko). Hakuba probably isn’t going to get that kind of spotlight. But then how would that make Kaito’s original goal still make sense?
In “Blue Birthday,” Kaito already gave the villains a fake stone with only a card inside it.
Maybe “Pandora” could work similarly to that: not as an actual magical gem, but as a hidden message or code engraved inside the jewel itself. (It still doesn’t completely make sense, but it’s the best explanation I can think of.) Maybe it contains the cure to APTX-4869. Maybe Kaito’s monocle is actually a special tool that lets him see it.
Or maybe Gosho Aoyama will pull one final deus ex machina and have Pandora turn out to be real in order to save Conan’s life at the end. Like a scene where Shinichi is dying, and Kaito refuses to lose another member of his family because he values family so deeply, so instead of destroying the gem, he will revive Shinichi using Pandora’s tears (this basically becomes Tangled fanfiction). But it could also end with Kaitou KID finally earning his wizard status for real.
