History Main / GreatDetective

* Dramatic Detective of ''{{LIS_DEAD}}'' claims to wear this mantle, and shows some deductive skill to back it up.

* Shin'ichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa, of ''DetectiveConan''. Also, Heiji Hattori who is on pair with him. Both are considered as the "Meitantei of East [Shin'ichi] and West [Heiji]", respectively. "The Sleeping Kogoro Mouri" is ''believed'' to be one, but it's actually Conan who solves the cases. However, the filler character Heihachiro Shiota was known as the "Legendary Great Detective" and was Kogoro's teacher.

* The ''Literature/BasilOfBakerStreet'' series by Eve Titus. TheFilmOfTheBook, ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'', is by [[DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney]].

* ''KarakurizoushiAyatsuriSakon'' (aka ''Doll Puppeteer Sakon''). Sakon is a student and a traditional ''bunraku'' performer (a style of traditional Japanese theatre employing very detailed life-sized puppets). In his spare time, though, he is an AmateurSleuth. And his partner in his investigations is his red-haired, loud-mouthed puppet, Ukon.
* ''SteamDetectives'', the story of Boy Detective Narutaki and his endless fight against the various mad scientists and masked villains that are trying to take over Steam City.
* Subverted by ''MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro'', which appears to be a typical Meitantei about a genius teenage-girl detective specialising in ParanormalInvestigation ... but in reality, she's merely the slightly dense puppet of Neuro, a creepy-but-brilliant demon from Hell who "eats mysteries".
* In ''RozenMaiden'', [[ShowWithinAShow there's a]] puppet FunnyAnimal one called Meitantei Kun Kun. Shinku is a fan.
* [[MiraiNikki Akise Aru]] is the best non-diary holder after all.

* ''LightNovel/KamiSamaNoMemoChou'' gives us Alice, the GreatDetective for the NEET detective team.

* In the Theatre/{{Mrs Hawking}} play series, the title character is in many ways a lady version of Sherlock Holmes, down to the Victorian setting, though it may not be the strongest weapon in her arsenal.

* And thirdly, there's this faceless [[{{The Question}} guy]]. He's straight up ace detective and lacks the gadgets and powers of the two above. He's also been referred to as the world's second greatest detective.
* The Spirit qualifies as both brainy investigator and two fisted gumshoe; his aide Ebony White has moments of brilliance as well.

Compare: HardboiledDetective and LittleOldLadyInvestigates. Contrast with GentlemanThief, Will often be accompanied by TheWatson.

* In ''{{Aria The Scarlet Ammo}}'', a VERY NON-CANONICAL descendant of Sherlock Holmes comes from the young {{tsundere}} Aria. She obviously takes up the mantle.
* ''LightNovel/KamisamaNoMemochou'' gives us Alice, the GreatDetective for the NEET detective team.

The first GreatDetective in fiction was Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's C. Auguste Dupin. Poe rejected the Vidocq model in favor of a more fantastic kind of detective. Later, the Dupin model was further codified by Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's SherlockHolmes, the most famous example to this day.

* ''[[SherlockHound Meitantei Holmes]]'', a FunnyAnimal adaptation of SherlockHolmes (called ''SherlockHound'' in the US), created by (of all people) Creator/HayaoMiyazaki.

* Peter Wickham, aka The Sleuth, in the {{Steampunk}} {{Superhero}} novel ''The Falling Machine'' by Andrew P. Mayer, is SherlockHolmes crossed with [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] without the bat symbolism.

* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'', being a modern update of SherlockHolmes.

* Madame Vastra in ''Series/DoctorWho'', who is the InUniverse inspiration for SherlockHolmes.

* Alanik Ray, [[{{Ravenloft}} Ravenloft's]] SherlockHolmes expy, is even called "the Great Detective" in-universe.

* Erika Furudo from ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' is a parody of the archetype: a Great Detective with ten times the brainpower of SherlockHolmes and one-tenth the social graces of SherlockHolmes. So convinced is she that crimes will happen wherever she goes, she actually begins her investigation into the murder before anybody has been murdered. In [=EP7=], however, Willard H. Wright is a truly great detective.

* SherlockHolmes, whenever he appears in a video game, is of course this.

-->-- '''Literature/SherlockHolmes''', ''The Sign of the Four''

->''I never guess. It is a shocking habit--destructive to the logical faculty.'' -- '''Literature/SherlockHolmes''', ''The Sign of the Four''

* John Constantine the ''{{Hellblazer}}'', although with the word [[OccultDetective "occult" right before "detective"]].

* Abraham Moth from the graphic novel ''The Woman in Red: Son of SherlockHolmes''.

* Houtarou Oreki of {{Hyouka}}, though [[HumbleHero he thinks otherwise.]]

* Erika Furudo from ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' is a parody of the archetype: a Great Detective with ten times the brainpower of SherlockHolmes and one-tenth the social graces of SherlockHolmes. So convinced is she that crimes will happen wherever she goes, that she actually begins her investigation into the murder before anybody has been murdered. In [=EP7=], however, Willard H. Wright is a truly great detective.

* SherlockHolmes, whenever he appears in a video game, is of course this.
* C. Auguste Dupin resumes this mantle in each installment of the ''VideoGame/DarkTales'' series.

* Ryney from TheMysterySphere certainly applies, though he is BrilliantButLazy.

* Alfendi Layton from Professor Layton Spin off, ''LaytonBrothersMysteryRoom''

* Alfendi Layton from Professor Layton Spin off, "LaytonBrothersMysteryRoom"

*** Alfendi Layton from "Layton Brothers Mystery Room"

* If this troper isn't mistaken, New York Police Chief George Walling (Chief of police during the death of Mary Cecilia Rogers) helped codify a number of detective skills, such as shadowing a suspect. So, he might qualify.
* For that matter, Edgar Allan Poe himself might qualify, he wrote 'The Mystery of Marie Roget' based on the facts of the case, collected from newspaper clippings and presented his solution as his detective, Dupin's own line of reasoning. (Unless you're one of the people who believe Poe had killed Mary and the story was essentially a confession.)

* NickCarter, a DimeNovel detective.

* There's this [[Franchise/{{Batman}} guy]]. Yes, he is a top martial artist. Yes, he is a great chemist. But first, he's the world's greatest detective.
* There's also this ductile [[{{Elongated Man}} guy]]. He's just as good as the guy mentioned above, if not better, but is often overlooked because he's not a gritty, mean, tragic origin guy, nor has he had several movies and TV shows about him.
* And thirdly, there's this faceless [[{{The Question}} guy]]. He's staight up ace detective and lacks the gadgets and powers of the two above. He's also been referred to as the world's second greatest detective.