As you may have noticed, the Hakuba that appears in this blog may not be exactly what’s written on the tin. In fact, a few people have remarked that he seems like an entirely different character wearing a Hakuba mask, but the mun hopes that this is not the case.

Truthfully, very little is known about the supposedly infamous half-brit teen detective. When tasked with the duty of writing Hakuba in the “Epic Conan Fanfic” aka The Call of the Raven (currently unfinished/unreleased), the mun set to work to gather all of the information that she could. By piecing together the four manga appearances (two each from Detective Conan and Magic Kaitou respectively) and what subsequent anime scraps were available, she then turned to analyzing fan content – art, fiction, and the opinions of Hakuba fans and haters alike – to see what made a Hakuba.

With all available information compiled into lists and theories, a character profile began to emerge. Questions on his behavior needed answers, and history/background information was written to supply.

As with all fandom projects, the mun’s intention is to keep things as canonical as possible. Yes, things have been fabricated to fill in the gaps, but hopefully, if the mun has done her job right, each headcanon piece will enhance what has already been established in canon, not detract or change.

Canon is still King. As Hakuba’s character is further developed by Gosho (likely through the Magic Kaitou anime), this Hakuba will have to adapt to fit.

That said, here are a few key bits that are not necessarily in the original source material. All of this information is obtainable ICly if one were to spend enough time researching/observing Hakuba specifically, but none of it is really ‘common’ knowledge:

1. His full name is Saguru James Hakuba. A middle name was given to make his school years in London a little easier, as “Saguru” most likely resulted in ridicule and teasing from classmates.
2. This is why he prefers to go by ‘Hakuba’ in any setting, and takes the respect of this very seriously. Almost nothing makes him faster to anger than when he’s teased with his first name… particularly when Heiji calls him some variation of ‘Guru-chan.’
3. Why ‘James’? Hakuba’s mother (the British half of his heritage) is Catholic and wanted to give him a good, Christian name. Hakuba was baptized into the Catholic church, and while he is considered a “backslider” by devotees, he still identifies as a Christian. He works hard to not let it interfere with his work, and does everything that he can to hide his faith from his colleagues – particularly in Japan, where western religious beliefs are more an oddity.  The only outward evidence is the silver cross that he wears, which he keeps hidden under his clothing at all times.
4. Hakuba splits his time almost equally between London and Japan to be with each of his parents. Although they aren’t officially divorced, his parents have been separated for the past six years. Hakuba blames himself for the split. They get along well enough when they need to, but beside the incident that they always argue over, they’re each very loyal to their respective birth countries, anyway.
5. Hakuba himself enjoys dual citizenship of Japan and the United Kingdom. His native language is English, but Japanese is a close second (but not preferred). He is also fluent in French.
6. Unfortunately, his being a “Halfer” is the subject of ridicule in the rather nationalistic Japanese society. It’s one of the many reasons that has made Hakuba rather standoffish with his fellow students. He’s chosen to assume that issues between himself and others are simply because of his mixed heritage, based on a few bad experiences, rather than the cold front he puts up to protect himself.
7. Truthfully, Hakuba is a very insecure individual. He goes through an inordinate amount of effort to ensure that he keeps his grades, does well in his cases, and has reason to believe that he’s as perfect as he claims to be.
8. Speaking of perfection… he’s skilled in archery, has excellent marksmanship, falconry/hawking, hunting, and fencing – all of which are somewhat useless as he is also a firm pacifist. However, he’s also honed an assortment of more domestic skills such as baking, singing, and driving his bmw convertible very, very fast. (This is why Baaya drives most of the time.)
9. Conversely, as a very flawed individual… Hakuba behaves very well in professional settings and initial meetings, but is quick to go on the defensive.He flirts and compliments shamelessly, and happily offers his opinions on everything, wanted or not. This gets him far with some, but there’s a reason why he can count the number of friends he has on one hand. But no matter how careful someone might be, once he’s decides that the relationship has gone sour, it takes a lot of convincing (or time) to change his mind. Those who know him well (Baaya, his parents) are no longer surprised when he suddenly turns cold and terse.
10. Hakuba is also prone to addictive/self-destructive tendencies. Most notable of these are the frequent trips to the liquor cabinet, the cigarettes that he keeps on his person at all times (one of the reasons why he neglects to wear his school uniform unless forced), and empty one night stands with whomever he finds that meets his criteria (high class, likewise on the prowl, not a classmate or someone he has to associate with frequently). All of these are things that he desperately attempts to keep from his father, as these are things a general superintendent would not approve of.

Finally, regarding Hakuba vs Hattori… the number one reason (besides “lacking substance”) that Hakuba haters exist is because of his treatment of Heiji during the Detective Koushien. The explanation/justification for this interpretation of Hakuba is as follows:

Quite simply, Hakuba is very intimidated by physical force and reckless behavior. It’s his trigger, which he reacts to with verbal cruelty and domination in an attempt to put the threat in its place.

When they first meet, Hakuba immediately compliments Hattori and is amicable toward him, despite Heiji’s offhand comments about his arrogance. It’s only when Heiji breaks down the door (in an attempt to save someone’s life, granted), that things turn cold. And, as Heiji continues to bulldoze his way through the case, Hakuba grows more and more critical and almost malicious toward him. Heiji does something reckless and physical, Hakuba cuts him down with harsh criticism.

But why? Because Hattori terrifies him. The driving force behind Hakuba’s actions and character come down to an angsty, invented back story, written specifically to explain his behavior during the Koushien. Not that what he did was right or okay – Hakuba, for all intents and purposes – is still an antagonist. But there are reasons for why he felt his actions were justified.

In brief, Hakuba was the victim of abuse when he was younger. The attacker, who had a hot and violent temper, was the headmaster and priest of the private religious academy that he attended. Through the young detective’s efforts, the man was arrested and put behind bars… but the scars – both physical and emotional – remain.

He chooses to deal with these demons on his own, shutting himself off from everyone else – even those who would help him. As such, he’s very self-contained in his little, private world, and does all that he can to show a neutral face to the rest of the world. Sometimes he’s successful, sometimes he’s not.  Either way, he’s a very lonesome individual who can’t seem to bring himself to learn how to successfully make friends. But at least he’s a damn good detective.

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