Mello
Mello, whose real name is Mihael Keehl, is a major character in the second half of the manga series Death Note. Raised at Wammy's House—an orphanage in Winchester, England, dedicated to training L's successors—he stood as the primary candidate alongside Near. Possessing an exceptional intellect combined with reckless initiative, he operates independently after L's demise to defeat Kira and prove his superiority over Near.
Overview
Mello, whose real name is Mihael Keehl, is a major character in the second half of the manga series Death Note. Raised at Wammy's House—an orphanage in Winchester, England, dedicated to training L's successors—he stood as the primary candidate alongside Near. Possessing an exceptional intellect combined with reckless initiative, he operates independently after L's demise to defeat Kira and prove his superiority over Near.
Appearance
Mello has a blonde bob hair style and sharp, distinctive sanpaku eyes. He wears a stylish outfit composed of black enamel or firm material, including long sleeves, a black jacket with fur trim and zippers, pants, black gloves, and a cross necklace. Following an explosive incident later in the story, he acquires a visible burn scar across his face.
Personality
Mello is active, aggressive, and fiercely competitive, harboring a deep complex toward Near and a strong hatred of anyone superior to himself. Though impulsive and willing to resort to extreme or criminal measures to achieve his ends, he retains a sense of honor, keeping his word during exchanges and showing genuine remorse when allies are lost. He has a constant habit of eating bars of chocolate.
Abilities
Mello possesses brilliant intellect and sharp deductive reasoning, paired with decisive action that surpasses even L. He demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic skill by taking over a powerful American mafia syndicate, executing complex operations involving hostaging, hijacking, and demanding high-level concessions to successfully secure the Death Note and corner both the authorities and Kira.
Background
Raised at Wammy's House as the second-ranked successor, Mello refused to team up with Near after L's death and left the orphanage. He later allied with a major mafia group, taking control to obtain the Death Note through hostage operations. Though his criminal faction was eventually wiped out by Kira, he continued his pursuit alongside his associate Matt and SPK member Halle Lidner. His final, desperate act of kidnapping Kiyomi Takada led to his death, but inadvertently exposed the real Death Note, securing Near's ultimate victory.
Relationships
Mello shared a fierce rivalry with Near, viewing him as the ultimate obstacle to overcome. He was closely allied with Matt, a fellow Wammy's House alumnus who assisted his covert operations, and maintained secret contact with SPK agent Halle Lidner. He stood in direct opposition to Light Yagami, acting as a unpredictable threat to Kira's plans.
Trivia
During early character design, Mello and Near had their intended visual concepts accidentally swapped by the creators, which permanently fixed their final designs. Mello also serves as the in-universe narrator for the spin-off novel Death Note: Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases.
