L or his Sucessors? SPOILERS.

[Naomi Baine]

So recently, a friend and I got into an argument about who "really" solved the Kira case, L, or Mello and Near.

I said that Mello and Near found hard evidence, and forced a confession out of Light, something L didn't do.

L never had any solid evidence to back up his "Light is Kira" theory, well until he died anyway. And really, it wasn't officially solving the case, since even if he had lived, he wouldn't be able to prove anything.

My friend then proceeded to babbling on and on about how L was there first, and that he just "knew that Light was Kira" from the start. Not very good argument, so I just shrugged and left.

But I was curious to see what you guys thought, I mean, surely there are some people who think L really concluded the Kira case, and can give me a valid statement, eh?

So, what do you guys think? I gave my opinion, so who do you belive really ended the Kira case? Don't be shy, tell me. :]  

[Persistence_of_Memory]

Personally, I think it was Mello and Near. Whatever their motives were for cathing him, they were the ones who brought Kira down.
However, Mello and Near did end up with L's files and record of the case, along with who he suspected so we can't say L did help them. I was always under the impression that L started holding back after a while. He got bored and he ended up befriending Light.
Maybe none of them could have done it alone. If Mello and Near had started off with nothing maybe Light would have killed them both before they caught him. Maybe if L hadn't held back, he could have caught Light.
Maybe it wasn't him holding back, but just a lack of evidence?
Maybe it was a group effort, then?

Ugh....now I'm rambling.
The point was Mello and Near got Kira, so they "solved it" officially. L did give them a nice head start, though.  

[sanox_scribe]

I agree that, were L to not give Near and Mello a head-start, it might not have been solved, but Near and Mello WERE the ones who 'solved' it. Like it did any good for Mello...  

[X_Sweet_IntoXication_X]

It was without a doubt Mello and Near. L, however, made it easy for Mello and Near. L already found out that Kira had some sort of power (the Death Note) and could kill people by seeing a face and knowing a name. He then later on proved that you just need a face (after one makes the deal with the Shinigami).

But it was Mello and Near who found the concrete evidence that Light was Kira.

NEAR IS MY HERO!  

[TaoShaman]

NEAR DID'NT SOLVE ANYTHING!!!HE IS A MOOCHER AND A BIG FAT CHEATER!!!HE DID'NT DO ANYTHING!!!!HE JUST BECAME L BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DIED!!!HE SHOULD HAVE DIED TOO!!!BURN NEAR BURN!!!

Mello did'nt really do much either.Even though L died he sorta found the information first and just never got a chance to use it.

I think the one who really solved it was Matsuda he shot Light when he found out he was Kira. Near and Mello did'nt do anything. Matsuda was at least the one who avenged L along with Ryuk but Ryuk was'nt really on either side.  

[Strawberry_Angel_L]

Omfg L solved it + if he would have stayed alive we would have known the thirteen day rule was a lie proving that Light being in confinement didn't matter thus he could go on to prove Light was Kira!! Thus L solved the Kira case its just that they didn't believe him.  

[moonlight_thief_dark]

it was L who found out the truth. Mello and Near just caught Kira. They wouldnt have been able to do that without the headstart from L anyway.  

[Kameko sama]

L of course solved the Kira case! He made the case easier and he was on Light's trail of being Kira. So, Near and Mello just got lucky.  

[Naomi Baine]

TaoShaman

NEAR DID'NT SOLVE ANYTHING!!!HE IS A MOOCHER AND A BIG FAT CHEATER!!!HE DID'NT DO ANYTHING!!!!HE JUST BECAME L BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DIED!!!HE SHOULD HAVE DIED TOO!!!BURN NEAR BURN!!!

Mello did'nt really do much either.Even though L died he sorta found the information first and just never got a chance to use it.

I think the one who really solved it was Matsuda he shot Light when he found out he was Kira. Near and Mello did'nt do anything. Matsuda was at least the one who avenged L along with Ryuk but Ryuk was'nt really on either side.

Hey, hey. :< Near is just as good as L...Don't get so..Fantard-ish.  

[beautiful_dark_angel]

i have to say that i sorta hate Near ...and mello was creepy at first it was sorta hard to even tell fi mello was a guy or girllanways.....Nears quirks with his freaky little people and buildings plus L did know he figured it out he had proof all along because he fit all those things that L knew in the first place like where he lived and how he had to have connections and stuff likes that ...and even figured out that those rules could possibly be fake..but got killed first..stupid light...  

[HyperlyGenetic]

I think in order to catch Kira L, Near and Mello were all very needed characters- and in my honest opinion equally contributed to the case. Though obviously Near and Mello fully solved the case. I personally think if in the anime L lived- he would have solved the case. Near and Mello got their major lead because they disproved the 13 day rule and that is what L was hoping to do. The thing that more or less stood in his way- was his communication with Light because of course Light wouldn't have L disprove the only thing that made him innocent.  

[mystiqechat]

I trully think L solved it... He just died before he could convince people. But I agree that he might have held back a little, I think in a way he liked Light and wanted to keep playing their little 'game'...  

[Saint Hallow]

Near and mello!  

[zerojj1]

It was a group effort without L's files and all his hard work Near and Mello would be no where though L didn't officailly solve the case so it wasn't L alone who did it. In the episode didn't Near say that him alone and Mello alone were nothing compared to L?  

[Naomi Baine]

zerojj1

It was a group effort without L's files and all his hard work Near and Mello would be no where though L didn't officailly solve the case so it wasn't L alone who did it. In the episode didn't Near say that him alone and Mello alone were nothing compared to L?

I can agree with that. Alone, Near and Mello weren't like L, but as Near said "Together we can surpass L", and in the end, though it wasn't enitrely intentional, they worked together to overpower Light, and surpass L.