Nate River, better known as Near is the younger of L's two successors, and was raised in Watari's orphanage for gifted children (Wammy's House). Near is the more level-headed of the two, calmly assessing the situation, while the other, Mello, is more emotional and quick to act. Much like L, Near shows various odd behaviors during his normal life. He is usually seen hunched over rather than sitting, and he also constantly plays with various toys, which he uses in his theories. He shows a great respect for L, basing much of how he solves crime on L's methods, even to the point where he only takes cases that he has a personal interest in rather than trying to pursue justice.