History Main / GreatDetective

* The three Brilliant Detectives: Sakaido, Anaido and Hijiriido of ''Anime/IDInvaded''. The first two are [[DigitalAvatar piloted]] by serial killer prisoners as it is required to that they killed and having a killing intent to become a Brilliant Detective that can dive into ID Wells.

** ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney: Adventures'' and its sequel also brings the one and only Sherlock Holmes (or, borrowing a page from the ''Literature/ArseneLupin'' stories, [[CaptainErsatz "Herlock Sholmes"]] in the localization) himself into the series, with a unique take on the trope. While he's just as good with deduction and observation as expected, and brings forth a number of inventions that help him make forensic investigations, he's also highly eccentric, and his deductions can be hilariously off the mark. As such, he works best when he has a partner like Ryunosuke who can help point out where the flaws in his logic lie, and get his deductions on the proper track, which forms the premise of the "Joint Reasoning" mechanic.

* Shin'ichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa, of ''Manga/DetectiveConan''. Also, Heiji Hattori who is on par 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.

** ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney: Adventures'' and its sequel also brings the one and only Sherlock Holmes himself into the series, with a unique take on the trope. While he's just as good with deduction as expected, and brings forth a number of inventions that help him make forensic investigations, he's also highly eccentric, and his deductions can be hilariously off the mark. As such, he works best when he has a partner like Ryunosuke who can help point out where the flaws in his logic lie, and get his deductions on the proper track, which forms the premise of the "Joint Reasoning" mechanic.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

->''I never guess. It is a shocking habit--destructive to the logical faculty.''

** ''VisualNovel/DaiGyakutenSaibanNaruhodouRyuunosukeNoBouken'' also brings the one and only Sherlock Holmes himself into the series, with a unique take on the trope. While he's just as good with deduction as expected, and brings forth a number of inventions that help him make forensic investigations, he's also highly eccentric, and his deductions can be hilariously off the mark. As such, he works best when he has a partner like Ryunosuke who can help point out where the flaws in his logic lie, and get his deductions on the proper track, which forms the premise of the "Joint Reasoning" mechanic.

** Alfendi Layton from the Spin-off ''VideoGame/LaytonBrothersMysteryRoom''.

* ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'', the title character is a very skilled paranormal investigator of the B.P.R.D. who has solved many supernatural cases.

** ''VideoGame/Persona4'' has Naoto Shirogane, the Detective Prince. Despite being looked down on by the police [[NotNowKiddo for being a teenager]] and [[SamusIsAGirl a girl]], she's clever enough that her investigation occasionally outpaces the [[TrueCompanions Investigation Team]]'s, despite having no clue about the supernatural forces involved in the kidnappings and serial murders. When she joins the Investigation Team proper, the plot quickly moves from saving the victims to figuring out the true culprit.

[[quoteright:330:[[Franchise/SherlockHolmes https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/basil_7127.jpg]]]]

* Lieutenant Series/{{Columbo}}, the famously [[ObfuscatingStupidity inelegant and eccentric]] [[BunnyEarsLawyer but very sharp-minded]] homicide police detective. Popularized the "reverse whodunit", also known as "howcatchem".

* Literature/SherlockHolmes, the TropeCodifier as far as modern audiences are concerned.

* Lieutenant Series/{{Columbo}}, the famously [[ObfuscatingStupidity inelegant and eccentric]] [[BunnyEarsLawyer but very sharp-minded]] homicide police. Popularized the "reverse whodunit", also known as "howcatchem".

* Literature/SherlockHolmes, the TropeCodifier as far as modern audiences are concerned.

* Literature/HerculePoirot, Creator/AgathaChristie's fussy Belgian refugee with his immaculate moustache and incisive "little grey cells", has a pretty good claim to being the second most famous of literary Great Detectives just behind Sherlock Holmes. Which, given Poirot's legendary vanity, has to rankle just a little bit.

The Great Detective tradition originates with Eugène François Vidocq, a RealLife criminal-turned-detective and founder of the [[UsefulNotes/LesCopsSportif French Sûreté]]. Vidocq pioneered many of the scientific methods of detective work which would later become common in fictional detective stories.

** Introduced in the ''Comicbook/BatmanRebirth'' storyline "His Dark Designs", Cassander Wycliffe Baker was once the world's greatest detective -- until his Moriarty counterpart pushed himself to advance through ten years of experiecne in a single year, and left Wycliffe humiliated and broken.

** There's a reason the Miles Edgeworth game is called ''Ace Attorney Investigations'' when he's technically a prosecutor; all he does is detective about. He even has a [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic/eureka special power]] that's making logical deductions by connecting known facts.

** Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate/Super Highschool-Level Detective. She comes from [[BornDetective a clan of detectives considered the greatest in history]], and this makes her vital in solving the mysteries of the school. By the end of the game, after solving multiple mysteries and acting much like [[Franchise/SherlockHolmes her Watson]] of sorts, [[TheHero Naegi]] probably also counts.
** There is also the other Ultimate/Super Highschool-Level Detective in the series, Shuichi Saihara, in ''[[VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3 Danganronpa V3]]''.

** While his role is not Ultimate Detective, [[UltimateLifeForm Ultimate Affluent Progency, Byakua Togami]], constantly solves the case before the other students or asks the right questions and uncovers the right facts for him to undoubtedly count.
** The prequel novels ''LightNovel/DanganRonpaKirigiri'' reveals the existence of a system called the Detective Shelf Collection, which ranks every registered detective based on two levels of specialization and aptitude in those fields, with 9 being the lowest. While Kyouko specializes in solving murders, a rank of three zeros implies a mastery of every possible field of crime solving, so much that only four detectives have ever reached this level. Her grandfather Fuhito Kirigiri (who taught her everything she knows) is thought to qualify for this ranking if not for his being opposed to the DSC system at its founding.

* ''[[Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona Persona]]'':

* In ''LightNovel/RyuugajouNananaNoMaizoukin'' Tensai gives herself the title Master Detective. While people laugh at her for it, she does actually live up to her claims, being able to figure out just about any mystery.

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

* The three Brilliant Detectives: Sakaido, Anaido and Hijiriido of ''Anime/IDInvaded''. The first two are [[DigitalAvatar piloted by serial killer prisoners]] as it is required to become a murderer and having a killing intent to become a Brilliant Detective that can dive into an ID Wells.