matsuda touta

Birthday: December 14, 1978 (1981 in the anime)
Height: 5'8" (174 cm)
Weight: 130 lb (59 kg)
Blood type: B
Tota is recognized as the most vocal member of the investigation team. He plays a pivotal role by infiltrating the Yotsuba Group's building without informing the rest of the team. His alias within the investigation team is Taro Matsui.
Following L's directives, Matsuda gains the trust of the company's board members, fakes his death using the alias Taro Matsui to avoid being killed by Yotsuba members, and acts as a decoy during the second Sakura TV incident to lure the suspect into the studio. Despite his excitable and naive personality, he manages to survive several dangerous situations. Matsuda considers Soichiro his mentor.
While most of the investigation team views Kira as an evil criminal, Matsuda often questions whether Kira's actions might be justified, especially given the growing public support for Kira. Matsuda is disturbed by Mikami's intense loyalty to Kira when he hears Mikami's public announcement on Sakura TV. Nonetheless, he shows some sympathy towards Kira's followers.
When Light is exposed as Kira at Yellowbox Warehouse, Matsuda is the most shocked among the team. He has always admired Light and feels betrayed upon learning the truth; he is particularly upset because he believes Light's actions led to Soichiro's death. Matsuda saves Near's life by shooting Light's hand, causing him to drop the pen he was using to write Near's name. He fires several more shots to prevent Light from writing Near's name in his own blood. The enraged Matsuda nearly shoots Light in the head but is stopped by the rest of the Japanese investigation team.
In the final chapter, it is revealed that Matsuda suspects Near used the Death Note to control Mikami before killing him to help capture Light. However, Ide suggests there is no proof and that this might just be a wishful thought on Matsuda's part, possibly stemming from his friendship with Light.