Origin
Not much is known about the mysterious thief (and mastermind) known as the “Fiend with Twenty Faces”, and any clues or hints tend to be contradictive or inconclusive. But what is known are his current intentions, to steal priceless items and other valuables. He does this more to prove his brilliance and cunning than any actual need for money.
His greatest adversary was the detective Kogoro Akechi, yet when he first made his grand debut in the 30’s, Akechi was busy elsewhere (overseas), so the first people to contend with this mastermind were Akechi’s young compatriots, the Boys Detective Club (his version of the Baker Street Irregulars), led by Akechi’s adopted son/sidekick Yoshio Kobayashi.
Despite their being on opposite sides of the law, Akechi and the Fiend (dubbed K-20) grew to have a mutual respect for each other.
Powers & Abilities
Fiend with Twenty Faces is mostly known for being able to hide in the shadows and multiple terrains, and is extremely intelligent. He is also an adept hand to hand combatant, and is very agile and can escape in dire situations.
Major Story Arcs
K-20 Appears in:
–K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces (2008): A live-action film set in an alternate universe (where World War 2 never happened), that has the Fiend terrorizing Japan. The only person standing in his way is Kogoro Akechi as well as an innocent acrobat whom the Fiend had framed for his crimes. But things are not always as they seem.
–Rampo (aka: Mystery of Rampo) (1994): This semi-biopic about Edogawa Rampo has some mentions of K-20, as well as some clips of an old movie serial that they had apparently made in the thirties.
–Daughter of Twenty Faces (2002-2007): A manga (and later anime series) that dealt with a young girl being “adopted” by K-20 and his band of thieves (saving her from her treacherous aunt and uncle). Kogoro Akechi makes some appearances too.