Highlights
- Edogawa Ranpo's unmatched deductive skills and ability to think outside the box make him the backbone of the Armed Detective Agency in Bungo Stray Dogs .
- Ranpo's ability cannot be nullified as it is not a supernatural power, allowing him to carry out his deductions without interference.
- Ranpo's unwavering dedication to justice, excellent client relations skills, and ability to see through lies make him an invaluable member of the Detective Agency.
Among the various unique characters portrayed in the Bungo Stray Dogs anime series, Edogawa Ranpo stands out due to his importance to the story and the Armed Detective Agency, despite his lack of a supernatural ability.
While many may feel that Atshushi or Dazai may be the agency’s most vital member, Ranpo has proved again and again that, without him, the Armed Detective Agency would have crumbled, and with him, the agency would always find a way to rise back up despite the odds stacked against it. While Ranpo may not be the fastest or strongest of the Armed Detective Agency members in the Bungo Stray Dogs, his importance is not to be underestimated.
8 Unrivaled Deductive Skills
Edogawa Ranpo is well known for his amazing skills in deduction. With those skills, he has solved numerous cases at the drop of a hat and prevented various tragedies from happening. Moreover, even Dazai is unable to see all the facts of a case at a glance, as he specializes more in devising tactics and strategies.
In the Bungo Stray Dogs anime series, few can match Ranpo’s level of intellect, especially in problem-solving and being able to think outside the box. This is one of the many things that has allowed him to serve as the backbone of the Detective Agency.
7 Ranpo’s Ability Can Not Be Nullified
Apart from the fact that Ranpo can easily deduce anything at a moment's notice, one of the things that makes him so fearful is that his ability cannot be nullified. Ranpo’s ability cannot be canceled out, as it is not a form of supernatural power like Dazai’s No Longer Human or Atsushi’s Beast Beneath the Moonlight.
Ranpo’s amazing skills of deduction are derived purely from his exceptional observational abilities and intelligence. Although he initially seems oblivious that he is not an ability user, he eventually opens up and says that he is aware his ability is not supernatural. As Ranpo’s ability cannot be nullified by special anti-ability metals or Dazai’s ability, no one can stop him from carrying out his deductions.
6 Ranpo Has No Criminal Record
Unlike other members of the Detective Agency, like Dazai, Ranpo has no past criminal record. Not having a criminal record proved vital, as seen when the Hunting Dogs apprehended Dazai after the page was used to frame the Detective Agency. Despite being a key member of the Detective Agency, Dazai was quickly apprehended, even though it was eventually revealed to be part of his grand plan.
As someone with such wide renown and no criminal record, Ranpo’s legal standing and reputation allow him to have key cooperation with the authorities, which in turn permits him access to sensitive information when needed without much suspicion.
5 Ranpo Sees Through All Lies
In the currently airing season of the Bungo Stray Dogs anime series, the backstory of how the Detective Agency was formed was portrayed alongside Ranpo’s early days. During his days as a detective, the series showcases how he saw through all lies in an instant.
Just by being at the scene of the crime, Ranpo can tell when certain things do not add up. Moreover, by watching body language, mannerisms, and even dressing, Ranpo can deduce when someone is lying and expose the truth. This simple use of his ability has allowed him to see through various ability users and uncover the truth instantly.
4 Ranpo Has An Unwavering Dedication To Justice
While Dazai can be more criminally inclined, Ranpo has an unwavering sense of justice that allows him to push through in order to find the perpetrator of a certain crime. This is vital to the Detective Agency as a whole, as the agency is founded on the principle of using its unique abilities to solve crimes while following moral values.
Ranpo's unwavering dedication to justice fits well with the agency’s core values; it helps him give his all to solving crimes and exposing the perpetrators despite the risk it might pose to him and the Detective Agency as a whole.
3 Ranpo Can Be Shrewd When Necessary
While Ranpo does have an unwavering sense of justice, he sometimes employs shrewd tactics in order to achieve his goal, especially in times when the police force and other legal authorities have been compromised.
Moreover, this allows Ranpo to be more mentally resilient, as he noted during the Cannibalism event that, because Kunikida was the strongest (morally and ethically) of them all, Fyodor broke him first to reduce team morale. Despite Ranpo’s shrewd ways, it is important to note that he does things within the boundaries of morality, albeit at times in an unconventional manner.
2 Ranpo Does Not Get Things Wrong
Many detectives have had moments when they misread the evidence of a case, causing them to draw misconceptions that eventually lead to false conclusions, but not Edogawa Ranpo. Ranpo’s consistency in figuring out facts is so reliable that Atsushi, upon confronting Teruko Okura, a member of the Hunting Dogs, was able to deduce her true intentions by realizing that the situation did not match up with what Ranpo had deduced.
So far, as seen in the series, the only person who has managed to best Ranpo is Fyodor. And he did so by employing the supernatural ability to wipe off all evidence of a case. But even so, Ranpo deduced that an ability of that manner was in play.
1 Ranpo Has Excellent Client Relation Skills
Among the various members of the Detective Agency, Ranpo has been shown to have good relations with clients and the authorities due to his help in solving many cases, preventing disasters from happening, and saving the lives of countless people. His excellent client relations skills helped many from the City Police Force quickly realize that he was being framed despite the page (a page upon which anything written inside comes true) being in effect.
With the immense trust that Ranpo built with people over the years, Deputy Inspector Minoura and others were able to break out of the page’s control and believe in Ranpo even while the rest of humanity saw him as a terrorist.