Who Is Rum From Detective Conan? His Identity Finally Revealed!

Rum, who appears in Detective Conan, is the No.2 of the Black Organization. he is a mysterious figure regarded as unique within the organization. He serves as an aide to the boss, whose identity remains unknown. Although Rum’s true identity remained a mystery for many years, his identity was finally revealed in volume 100 of the manga!

In this article, we will summarize Rum’s identity, which was finally revealed, along with the foreshadowing and previously released information. What kind of person is Rum that emerges from these details?

Please note that this article contains spoilers.

Information that is known so far about Rum

According to Heiji Hattori, a former member of the organization and Conan’s ally, there have been reports of sightings of Rum as a strong, burly man, a woman-like man, and an older adult. However, these reports are just rumours, and some even say that all of them are just decoys.

Rum certainly has an eye injury from an accident, and one of their eyes is a prosthetic. However, before their true identity was revealed, Gin mentioned that Rum was “changing their face and using a silly name.”

Rum is impatient, as evidenced by their email to Bourbon, saying, “Time is money.” Given their extended membership in the organization, it can be assumed that they are pretty old, but their eagerness suggests a more active image rather than a steady one.

Rum’s true identity is finally revealed!

In chapter 1066 of the original manga, Rum’s true identity is finally revealed. The enigmatic figure, number two of the Black Organization, is Kanenori Wakita, who had appeared several times before.

Kanenori Wakita is a self-proclaimed “flowing sushi chef” who travels around various places. He works as a sushi chef at “Mekka Iroha Sushi” near the Mouri Detective Agency.

He is a middle-aged man with protruding front teeth and a small goatee, and he always wears an eye patch over his left eye. He speaks in a friendly Edo dialect and uses the first-person pronoun “asshi,” but he is a big fan of detective works. He has been an apprentice of Kogoro Mouri, along with Bourbon.

His appearance as a sushi chef and his playful attitude is all a façade. His true nature is that of an influential figure resembling a mafia boss, dressed in a dark suit and with a shaven head. In addition, he speaks in formal language, which only adds to his intimidating aura.

When was Rum’s identity confirmed?

The chapter in which Rum’s true identity is revealed is “RUM,” included in volume 100 of the manga. It depicts the disguised appearance of Rum as a specific person. It has also finally been released in the anime! You can read a preview of the chapter in which Rum’s identity is revealed.

There were two other candidates for Rum’s identity besides Rum

Information on Rum before the confirmation of their identity

Before the identity of Rum was confirmed, there were three candidates for the identity of Rum, including Rumi Wakasa, Hyoue Kuroda, and Kanenori Wakita.

They were suspected because the only clue about Rum was that they had “one eye.” In volume 86 of the manga, after Rum’s incomplete information was revealed by Haibara, the next person to appear was Kuroda, who had a distinctive artificial eye.

Later, when Wakasa appeared as Conan’s assistant homeroom teacher at school, her right eye was suspected of being blind. Then, when Wakita, a chef with an eyepatch on his left eye, appeared, he was also considered a candidate for being Rum.

In the Super Digest Book (SDB), when asked if Rum was one of the three candidates (Kuroda, Wakasa, and Wakita), the author, Gosho Aoyama, answered affirmatively.

In the next section, let’s look at the individuals suspected of being Rum, other than Wakita Kanenori.

Candidate ①: Rumi Wakasa

Among the numerous characters suspected to be Rum, a new candidate emerged in volume 91: Rumi Wakasa, the vice homeroom teacher of class 1-B.

Although initially portrayed as a clumsy and ditzy teacher, her true nature gradually appeared. One scene in particular where she asks the culprit if they’re prepared in a threatening tone hints at her darker side. Additionally, she’s shown elbowing a culprit and telling them to stab her instead of another character in a creepy manner.

Furthermore, when her name is written in Roman letters, it reads “Wakasa Rumi,” but when rearranged, it becomes “Asaka Rum.” While this may be a red herring by the author, it suggests that she’s more than just a regular teacher.

Candidate ②: Hyoue Kuroda

Kuroda is a detective who serves as a managing officer in the First Investigative Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. Due to his large stature and artificial eye, he shared many similarities with Rum, which led Conan to suspect him.

Additionally, he mentioned “Bourbon” when speaking to Tooru Amuro over the phone, which further fueled suspicions that he might be Rum. However, it was eventually revealed that Rum’s true identity was Wakita Kanenori and Kuroda’s involvement in the case was related to his work as a member of Public Security.

A step-by-step explanation from Rum’s first appearance to confirmation of identity!

① First appearance

After leaving the Junior Detective League in the living room, Akai moved to the kitchen and reported to Jodie and Camel. He told them that while undercover, he received an email from Mizunashi(CIA) containing the three alphabets “RUM.”

Akai explained that “RUM” is the code name of the boss’s close aide, which could imply a significant organizational movement. The first appearance of “RUM” was a tense scene that hinted at the beginning of an important event.

② Rum is believed to have one eye

In volume 86 of the original manga, new information about Rum is revealed by Haibara.

According to Haibara, Rum is the No. 2 of the organization, and everyone has a different impression of their appearance. For example, some describe Rum as a “burly man,” a “man-like woman,” or an “elderly person,” while others believe that all of these descriptions are actually of Rum’s body doubles.

However, one common feature everyone mentions is that Rum has a prosthetic eye, either on the left or the right side.

③ The dying message of the Haneda Incident 17 years ago

Conan and Subaru Okiya solved a case using the Kemo Mechanical effect. They found a connection between that case and the murder of Hiroshi Hata. By using the same trick, they were able to decipher a message.

From the remaining letters of “PUT ON MASCARA,” which were “P, T, O, N,” they were left with eight letters: “U, M, A, S, C, A, R, A.” Conan noticed that the name of Amanda’s bodyguard, “ASACA,” was hidden among these eight letters.

Removing “ASACA” from the remaining letters left them with the three notes “RUM.” This led Conan to believe that Rumi Wakasa was indeed Rum.

Kudo Yusaku’s reasoning

The murder case of Hiroshi Hata, which Conan and Subaru solved, had a different theory proposed by Conan’s father, Yusaku Kudo. From the dying message left by Hata, Yusaku concluded that it was a message indicating another person than the “Asaka=Rum” theory proposed by Conan and Subaru.

As a result, it was revealed that this theory was correct, as Rum’s true identity turned out to be Kanenori Wakita. This scene showcases Yusaku’s superior deductive skills, surpassing Conan and Subaru’s.

④Kanenori Wakita’s first appearance

In the episode “Next Door to Edogawa – The Miyoshi Triangle Tour Murder Case,” Kanenori Wakita, revealed to be Rum, makes his first appearance. Kogoro picks up a winning betting ticket and eats at “Yonehara Iroha Sushi” beside his office.

Kogoro is greeted by Wakita, who has just joined as a sushi chef. Wakita impresses Kogoro with his excellent deduction skills, and they both get excited talking about past cases.

Reaction to Rumi Wakasa’s article

Rumi Wakasa’s name caught the attention of Wakita, who reacted by saying, “He’s listening to us, isn’t he?” Simply put, “Rumi Wakasa” may refer to “APTX 4869,” which preserves youth and beauty. In other words, her name could be a message to Rum that “she has not forgotten about the Higashida Kosuke’s murder case that used APTX4869.” There is a high possibility that Rum interpreted this message as a challenge from Wakasa.

⑤ Reaction to Shinichi Kudo

Upon hearing the report that “Shinichi Kudo solved the case,” all three of the candidates for Rum showed some reaction. Kuroda and Wakita showed an attitude of “Who is that?” while Wakasa smiled meaningfully as she looked at the list of people who have used APTX4869 (where Shinichi Kudo is listed as deceased).

If we take these reactions at face value, it is hard not to think that Wakasa, who seems well-informed, might be Rum. However, as we know, Rum’s true identity was Wakita and not Wakasa.

⑥ Rum uses Bourbon to search for information on Shinichi Kudo

When she heard about Shinichi Kudo’s survival, Rum, an investigator for the organization, requested information from Bourbon. The email contained the phrase “Time is money,” which, when translated into Japanese, is “Toki wa Kane nari.”

If you rearrange the letters of “TOKIWAKANENARI” as an anagram, you get “WAKITAKANENORI.”

Is Rum impatient?

When Conan asks Bourbon if he knows who Rum is while looking at an email from Rum requesting information, Bourbon hesitates and says, “I’m not sure how to answer that,” before adding, “That person is impatient.” This exchange between Bourbon and Rum significantly reduces the likelihood of Rum being Kuroda Heiji. If Kuroda of Public Security were Rum, there would be no need to have Bourbon, an information gatherer, gather information about Kudo Shinichi.

⑦ Finally, Rum’s identity is revealed!

In the black car, a man sitting in the back seat was reminiscing about an incident two years ago.

Two years ago, Akai was undercover in the Black Organization. He had arranged a meeting with Gin to capture him finally. Camel and the others were waiting for the signal.

However, an old man appeared at the scene, and Camel inadvertently called out “dangerous.” As a result of Camel’s action, Akai’s spy activities were exposed, and the operation failed.

Reminiscing about that scene, the older man, who was actually Rum, grinned in the car’s back seat. He was wearing a wig, a fake mustache, two false teeth, and an eye patch, and he had arrived in front of a familiar store.

Then, as Rum assumed the identity of Kanenori Wakita, he said, “I’ll help with the preparations!” and entered the “Yonehara Iroha Sushi” restaurant. Thus, the true identity of Rum was confirmed to be Kanenori Wakita.

Haibara’s Sensor

In chapter 1072, Ai Haibara, who can sense the presence of members of the Black Organization, suddenly feels something with her Haibara Sensor. However, no suspicious person is nearby except for an acquaintance carrying delivered sushi and pizza. Conan thinks it’s just her imagination, but they spot Wakita, who had the sushi outside.

Rum has three goals!

Disposal of Edogawa Conan and Rye

I previously mentioned that the phrase “Time is money” used in the orders given by Rum can be rearranged into “Kanenori Wakita.” However, there is another possible reading of the phrase: “Teki wa Conan Rai,” which means “The enemy is Conan and Rai (Akai Shuichi).”

Rum, who is Wakita, is investigating the Mori Detective Agency and is suspicious of Conan, who frequently encounters the organization. Therefore, it is natural to assume that Akai Shuichi, a spy infiltrating the organization, would be a target for elimination.

Information on Shinichi Kudo

Rum instructed Bourbon to gather information on Shinichi Kudo. Shinichi Kudo was supposed to have died due to Apotoxin. However, the fact that he may be alive has prompted them to search for his whereabouts.

However, their interest in Shinichi Kudo may not be solely to eliminate him. Instead, there is a possibility that they are targeting him as a successful test subject for Apotoxin.

Elimination of Rumi Wakasa (Rachel Asaka)

Rum also intends to eliminate Rumi Wakasa (Rachel Asaka). She had given assassination orders to members of the organization, Chianti and Korn.

The reason for the attempted murder is speculated to be the possibility that Rumi may have found out about Rum’s involvement in the Hideo Higashikawa murder case. Rum does not seem convinced that Rumi is indeed Rachel Asaka but orders the assassination based on the principle of “punish those who are suspected.” This scene shows Rum’s cold and callous personality.

Rum’s Identity is Finally Revealed! The mystery of the Black Organization deepens further!

As the original work has surpassed 1000 chapters, the true identity of Rum has finally been revealed. It feels like it won’t be long before No. 2’s face is shown and the entire scope of the Black Organization is revealed.

However, Rum still has many mysteries, such as their goals and how much they know about Conan’s true identity. So let’s wait for the moment when all the mysteries are solved!