Touta Matsuda

Tota is known as the most outspoken member in the investigation team. He plays a crucial role in the investigation of the Yotsuba Group after sneaking into the company’s building without the knowledge of the team. His designated investigation team alias is Taro Matsui.

By following L’s instructions, Matsuda gains the trust of the company’s board members, fabricates his death (he uses the alias Taro Matsui) so that Yotsuba members can not kill him), and serves as a temporary decoy to lure the suspect into the Sakura television studio during the second Sakura TV incident. Despite his excitable, naïve personality, Matsuda manages to stay alive through quite a few dangerous times. Matsuda sees Soichiro as his mentor.

While it is clear that most of the investigation team views Kira as a an evil criminal, Matsuda often wonders if Kira is performing good deeds, especially since more and more people seem to be agreeing with what he does. Matsuda is scared by Mikami’s intense loyalty to Kira when he hears Mikami’s public announcement on Sakura TV. Matsuda proves to be somewhat supportive and sympathetic towards Kira’s followers nonetheless.

As shown in the final chapter, Matsuda suspects that, to help with Light’s capture, Near has used the Death Note to control Mikami’s actions before killing him, but Ide says that he has no proof and it may be a “wish” on his part, perhaps related to his thinking of Light as a friend.