AN ANALYSIS OF B’S PERSONALITY THROUGH MURDER DESIGN

These are my notes on writing B in Heathens, which was equal parts frustrating (I had to reread Another Note) and fun (I got to piece together B's personality). This was very important and helpful in writing a chapter of Heathens I haven't posted yet. That said:

This is in no way a professional analysis. This is simply an attempt at putting together a cohesive image of B’s character through what the book shows us, and through how his murders are presented. 

PART ONE: SERIAL KILLERS

First, let’s tackle something we know B to be: a serial killer. The term was coined in the mid-1970s by Robert Ressler. 

Serial killers are defined as those who murder three or more victims with cooling periods between each kill, meaning the victims are killed on separate occasions. They usually select their victims and plan their crimes. 

Mass murderers kill four or more people at the same time in the same place, or simply at one place during a continuous period of time, ranging from a few minutes to a period of days. Usually, the murders are committed at one place. 

Spree killers murder in multiple locations within a short period of time. The term spree is used because there is no cooling off period between the murders. 

There are two ways of classifying serial killers: through motive (this method is called the Holmes typology) and organizational and social patterns. There is a typology for female serial killers called the Kehler typology. 

HOLMES TYPOLOGY

According to the Holmes typology, serial killers can be act-focused or process-focused. 

Act Focused

• These serial killers kill quickly. To them, killing is simply about the act itself. This category is further split into two, which makes up half of the four subtypes of serial killers according to Holmes. These subtypes are:

The Visionary 

These are serial killers who commit murder because they hear voices or see visions ordering them to kill. 

The Missionary

These are serial killers who target a specific group because they believe they are unworthy to live, or simply that they believe they are meant to get rid of a certain group of people.

Process Focused

• These are the serial killers who get enjoyment from the torture and death of their kills. The subtypes that fall under this are:

The Hedonistic Killer

These killers, as with their name, kill for the kick that it gives them. There are three types of hedonistic killers: those who kill for lust, thrill, and gain. Killers who kill for lust get sexual pleasure out of their murders. Those who kill for thrill get a rush out of it it. Gain killers murder because they believe they profit from the act. 

The Power-Oriented

Power-oriented killers exert control over their victim. They may be obsessed with capturing and controlling their victims and forcing them to obey, or simply wish to play god and choose who lives and who dies. 

ORGANIZATIONAL AND SOCIAL TYPOLOGY

Serial killers can be classified as organized and disorganized, as well as nonsocial and asocial. The FBI’s Crime Classification Manual places serial killers into three categories: organized, disorganized, and mixed. There are killers who descend from organized to disorganized as their killings continue, and those who ascend from disorganized to organized, as killers may either have started out overconfident, or started out disorganized and identified an aspect in their killing that gave them gratification, thus developing a modus operandi.

Organized

Organized serial killers often have the following traits:

• IQ above average, 105-120 range
• socially adequate
• lives with partner or dates frequently
• stable father figure
• family physical abuse, harsh
• geographically/occupationally mobile
• follows the news media
• may be college educated
• good hygiene/housekeeping skills
• does not usually keep a hiding place
• diurnal (daytime) habits
• drives a flashy car
• needs to return to crime scene to see what police have done
• usually contacts police to play games
• a police groupie or wannabee
• doesn’t experiment with self-help
• kills at one site, disposes at another
• may dismember body
• attacks using seduction into restraints
• keeps personal, holds a conversation
• leaves a controlled crime scene
• leaves little physical evidence
• responds best to direct interview

Disorganized

• Disorganized serial killers often have the following traits:
• IQ below average, 80-95 range
• socially inadequate
• lives alone, usually does not date
• absent or unstable father
• family emotional abuse, inconsistent
• lives and/or works near crime scene
• minimal interest in news media
• usually a high school dropout
• poor hygiene/housekeeping skills
• keeps a secret hiding place in the home
• nocturnal (nighttime) habits
• drives a clunky car or pickup truck
• needs to return to crime scene for reliving memories
• may contact victim’s family to play games
• no interest in police work
• experiments with self-help programs
• kills at one site, considers mission over
• usually leaves body intact
• attacks in a “blitz” pattern
• depersonalizes victim to a thing or it
• leaves a chaotic crime scene
• leaves physical evidence
• responds best to counseling interview

KEHLER TYPOLOGY

• Black Widows - as the name suggests, Black Widows spouses, partners, family members and anyone they form a personal relationship with. 
• Angels of Death - usually work in hospitals, or anywhere where there is access to life-sustaining  or life-threatening equipment, and enjoy choosing who lives and who dies. 
• Sexual Predators 
• Revenge - often one-time killers who murder for revenge
• Profit or Crime - some are presumed to be organized contract killers
• Team Killers
• Question of Sanity
• Unexplained - killers who are motiveless. Neither them nor law enforcement are able to come up with explanations to their actions
• Unsolved - (Buzzfeed)

CHARACTERISTICS OF A SERIAL KILLER

Serial killers are often known to exhibit three behaviors in childhood, which is known as the MacDonald triad: bedwetting beyond the age of twelve, arson and cruelty to animals, however, this is a disproportionate number of serial killers. They often have a background of abused childhoods, and while they can be either outgoing or introverted, they often feel isolated; they may have been bullied or isolated as children or adolescents. They may have been abused by a family member. 

Some may have psychotic breaks that cause them to believe they are being told to murder, or that they are another person. 

Common traits found in serial killers are lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, the need for control, and predatory behavior. Some may be involved in fraud, theft vandalism or similar offenses. They may be more likely to engage in fetishism, partialism or necrophilia. 

Serial killers can be charming and smooth-talking, egocentric (Jack the Ripper, anyone), manipulative, have shallow emotions, might have a need for excitement, have a lack of responsibility, have early behavioral problems, and antisocial behaviors as adults. 

The need for approval which can be lacking during a child’s developmental stage might become a motive for a serial killer. Low self-esteem caused by troubled homes might have the child develop a fantasy world where they have all the control, and this desire for control may be present in homicidal behavior. Developmental problems in empathy stemming from troubled home life may also be responsible for a lack of empathy in most serial killers. 

Chromosomal make-up has also been looked into as a possible cause for people becoming serial killers. 

In Murder In Plain English, Michael Arntfield lists out the top 12 occupations that attract serial killers, which are: 

Skilled Occupations:

1. Aircraft machinist/assembler

2. Shoemaker/repair person

3. Automobile upholsterer.

Semi-Skilled Occupations:

1. Forestry worker/arborist

2. Truck driver

3. Warehouse manager

Unskilled Occupations

1. General laborer (such as a mover or landscaper)

2. Hotel porter

3. Gas station attendant

Professional and Government Occupations:

1. Police/security official

2. Military personnel

3. Religious official.

MOTIVES

In addition to the four subtypes of serial killers (The Visionary, Missionary, Power-Oriented, Hedonistic), some serial killers claim that certain media influenced them into committing murders. 

There is also the Fractured Identity Syndrome, which suggests that a certain event, or series of events, traumatizes someone that it fractures the personality of the serial killer. The fracture of the personality is not visible to the outside world and is only felt by the serial killer. 

There is the Social Process Theory which suggests that people may turn to crime due to pressure from people around them. 

There is also a theory, called the Military theory, which suggests that military personnel turn to serial killing from being praised and accommodated for killing. 

PART TWO: SIGNATURES AND MODUS OPERANDI

Serial killers’ crimes may have a signature, which is “defined as a ritual, something the subject does intentionally for emotional satisfaction - something that isn't necessary to perpetuate the crime”. 

These crimes also may have a modus operandi, for organized killers, which consists of what the killer had to do to fulfill the crime. This may change over time. 

Both of these are important for criminal profiling, as well as studies and information learned from past serial killers. 

PART THREE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT BEYOND BIRTHDAY

• Does not find any thrill or amusement in murder. ‘As far as Beyond Birthday was concerned, the actual method of murder rated fairly low on the amusement scale, and it was never more than an interesting experiment.’
• Low empathy or guilt for murder. “Killing children or adults - equally horrible.”
• He introduced himself as Rue Ryuuzaki
• He is described as having ‘natural black hair’, and was ‘thin, apparently fairly tall’. 
• Has a habit of circumventing the topic in order to get away with something - shown in his response to the private detective question, answering with the presence and absence of ego instead.
• Managed to get hired by the victims’ parents and relatives, which points to convincing skill in acting.
• Had every plan to string Misora around, not one to beat around the bush to get things going when the pieces are there. “Have you? Then we can cooperate!” he said instantly.
• Doesn’t seem to care about the finer details of things as long as the big picture stays in motion. Shown in the fact that: a) His lies were very blatant and when Misora says he’s a detective and should have secrets, he immediately changes his answer, unruffled; b) This is the same person that managed to convince three distraught families to let him investigate their kin’s murder case. 
• This again is further proven when he offers to give Naomi information for nothing in return, because it gets the plan moving.
• I have nothing on the jam. We do know he’s in a persona. Whether or not he’s imitating L or somehow, L was imitating him (through production order, we can conclude that yes, he was impersonating L, given that Death Note was created prior to Another Note and L’s design was just Like That - however, this contradicts with Near’s statement that none of the successors ever met L; the generation gap isn’t that big, so it stands to reason that Wammy’s burned through their back up sets rather quickly and each set probably mixed and mingled with each other. If Near’s gen didn’t see L, why would the First Gen? Then again, there’s a lot of speculation here, and we need to focus on what we do have on hand), we know it is a persona. Just like how him getting hired was through a persona.
• L’s ‘was he cool’, though, points to B imitating L
• This, however, is undermined by “Perhaps B simply wanted to meet L. Then he could use the eyes of the shinigami  he’d been born with and see L’s name, see when L would die.” It is, however, entirely possible that someone else met L, B got information from them and tried to imitate him as his detective persona. 
• Further evidenced by this: “I have nothing to do with him,” L said. “To be completely accurate, I do not even know B. He is simply someone I am aware of.”
• He even exaggerates his reactions.
• Changes the rules to fit his game. Nonplussed while doing this. Confident. 
• Moves like a contortionist.
• Followed Naomi to keep tabs on her. He likes keeping control and note of the important variables.
• Gives her tips on ‘good camouflage’, possibly mocking.
• Underestimated Naomi Misora to the point where he was surprised when she took on a fighting stance.
• Considers people having a certain ‘worth’ in order to have the ‘right’ to oppose him.
• Has a cruel grin
• Incredibly snarky, on multiple occasions
• Good with physics “Impossible. The gap isn’t that big and the angle would kill the force applied.”
• Wakes up on 6 a.m.
• Has a lot of hidden lairs across the country and around the world
• Even fabricates his own laugh, like there’s a certain way he should do it.
• Wants to surpass L. This apparently, is the only thought that makes him laugh without having to force it. Safe to say the dude is suffering major depression. 
• He does a lot of reaches for his game pieces which...is exactly how I do things, so big same
• Ran away from Wammy’s in May. Wammy’s did not know his real name.
• Doesn’t like being stepped on jhgguyghjj. Pettily referenced it every few seconds. Confirmed drama queen
• B was the one who pointed out 061550, although Misora solved the clock theory

PART FOUR: THE DESIGN

• The third murder was an experiment. ‘When Beyond Birthday committed his third murder, he attempted an experiment.’ This experiment was to see if a human could die from internal hemorrhaging without rupturing any organs, however, he only beat the arm, which has the brachial artery - bleeding from this artery does not immediately kill the victim, however, as they can survive from five to sixty minutes even if blood loss is great. Sadly, we don’t know how long he was beating that arm, and he only beat one of them; muscle bleeds also usually cripple the limb. It’s possible he was being a fucking idiot and not realizing that no, you’re not going to immediately kill someone from beating their goddamn arm. 
• First murder happened on July 31, 2002. At Hollywood Insist Street, in the bedroom of Believe Bridesmaid. 
• Bridesmaid was drugged (not specified) and strangled (with what the English translation says ‘some sort of string’). No signs of struggle, due to the drugs. Victim was then completely unconscious when he was murdered. (But, I believe not out of pity, but to make sure the crime was executed perfectly.) He was 44.
• Second murder was on August 4, 2002, in an apartment in Third Avenue. The victim was a 13 girl named Quarter Queen. She was also drugged, and then her skull was caved in from the front ‘with something long and hard’. Weapon was not found at the scene.
• There were Wara Ningyos nailed to the walls, four on Insist Street and three in Third Avenue.  
• August 13th, 2002, the third murder was in a townhouse near Metrorail Glass Station, and the victim was Backyard Bottomslash. She was 26. She died from massive hemorrhaging. 
• All rooms were locked rooms. All had thumb turn locks. 
• The crime scene was clean of everything. 
• The light bulbs were unscrewed and he wiped the sockets. 
• Knife cuts on Believe’s body were not that deep, but ran in all directions. Post-mortem.
• On July 22, the LAPD received a letter with a crossword puzzle, and a forwarding system was used. The answer was the address to Hollywood Insist. (Invitation)
• B took off the t-shirt from Believe, mutilated him, and then put it back. 
• The marks are slightly recognizable enough to be letters (Misora POV). However, taking into account permutations the sequence cannot be solved without B. 

• B hid under the bed. For who knows how long. He couldn’t have known August 15 would be The Day, unless something happened on August 15 prior that would have been an indication that today was the day. 
• B had the crossword in his pockets. In addition to the roman numerals, this proves he had every plan to play the game from the start.
• Immediately directed her to Akazukin Chacha. Which was missing two volumes, which, again, in a normal investigation would not be something of note but only something that would be noticed had any of the police had access to the info that Bridesmaid had, in fact, collected all the volumes. The possibilities for the two volumes being missing are plenty. 
• B, however, steamrollers over Misora’s logic to push forth a piece of the design.
• And then, of course, proceeded to plant a suggestion in her mind by way of words. You that one episode of Hannibal where he says to make suggestions discreetly? Yeah, that. 
• You know, it’s probably because he was on a schedule
• He leads her around too.
• “I never would have thought of it,” he says, when he was the one who led her to the answers. He let her think that she was solving the case when in reality he was just pointing out the pieces to her and solving his own crime.
• He did follow Misora to attack her
• Planned it in advance, and very quickly too
• Deliberately crushed a little girl’s eyes to put glasses on her face. This, of course, draws attention to that particular area, since the damage is horrific there, but sadly the viewer would be more horrified at the crushed eyes rather than the presence of some glasses. 
• The glasses, clue, however, was admittedly weak although B probably had no need for it to be strong if he was going to string Misora around and the victim just had to be dead as buildup for the fourth victim
• TSK TSK LAZY
• Chopped off a right leg and a left arm; however tossed the leg into the bathtub (which was bloody, which means he chopped her up in the tub, left the leg there, and dragged her into the bedroom) but took the arm
• Wara Ningyo are misdirection

PART FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This is just going to be the cliffnotes version of everything that has been gathered in these notes. And what we have is this:

Beyond Birthday is a serial killer. He is arguably act-focused, however, he does not fall under visionary or missionary. B’s goal is not driven by his ability to see lifespans, he simply uses his ability as a tool. B’s goal, simply, is to make sure that the victims die. 

He is organized; it is to be noted, however, that the profile for the organized serial killer is not a complete list of traits that every organized killer has, thus, B also shares traits with disorganized serial killers. Without a doubt, however, he is very organized (getaway stolen cars, drugs, a set goal, etc.). He shares some common traits with serial killers: lack of remorse or guilt with killing, charming, ego-centric (arrogance), and manipulativeness, among others. 

It is to be noted, however, that while he has no empathy for his murders, he also has finds no joy in it, tying into the fact that his goal, simply, is to have the victims dead. B does not kill to satisfy himself, or to find excitement; the victims had to die because they were tools and pieces in the game, nothing more and nothing less.

He falls under law enforcement / security officials when it comes to the professions that are likely to become a serial killer, as he was a detective in training (which, funnily enough, is a detail most fic writers seem to forget, somehow. Wild).

The LABB modus was: different methods of murder, and the wara ningyo nailing. 

It is possible that the majority of his personality shown in the book is part of his persona, but my argument for why most of it isn’t, is this: he was working to guide Misora and turn her away from certain areas that she shouldn’t be exploring, therefore keeping her on the path he had set for her, playing the part he wants her to play (thus controlling the variables). We can conclude that while it is possible, but not definitive, that his weird habits are part of the persona, his manipulative conversational skills are not.

Obviously, he has skills with acting.

He is very, very goal-oriented. He doesn’t beat around the bush and wants to keep the game going. However, a thing to note is that when he is confident enough, he does entertain side ‘quests’, like confirming whether or not Misora is ‘worthy’ although this might just be his ego talking.

He has a habit of wanting to control all the variables, which isn’t exactly too strange, given the nature of his game. He has a habit of misdirection (crushing a girl’s eyes in and then putting glasses on her, knowing full well that the attention would be on the crushed eyes rather than the glasses - unless he really thought this would work, in which case, he’s a massive fucking idiot, but he’s 2nd in line to succeed L, which is honestly the only reason I’m giving him the benefit of a doubt despite how many times I’ve yelled, “Hey, moron, this is fucking stupid.” while reading the book) possibly so that people who aren’t meant to find anything wouldn’t find anything. Which makes sense, because the game is between him and L, not B and the police. He does actively make sure to offer suggestions to Misora in order to point her in the right directions, so this was a private game. Los Angeles was just the stage, and everyone else, the audience.

Moves like a contortionist, according to Misora, so he might have a background in gymnastics, possibly at Wammy’s, or he simply dabbled in stretching on his own.

Arrogant.

Good with physics. I’ve seen headcanons that he’s good with math, observed from the roman numerals thing, but from what I’ve read, it’s possible he’s just memorized the numbers. Physics still uses math, though, so.

He wakes up on 6 a.m. 

Meticulously clean, but not for the whole crime scene. He cleans up only his fingerprints. I would say this points to his whole ‘bigger picture / only parts of the game are important’ mindset, but he also cleaned the light sockets. It’s possible, however, that he bugged the area and was removing cameras. Or, this may just be his tick. He cleans up everything save for the blood.

He’s travelled a lot, probably stole a lot since he left Wammy’s at May and committed the first LABB murder at the end of July, giving him around three months or less to set everything up.

Dead inside. Proof: Has to trigger his own laughter and have a certain way of doing it. He only laughs for real when he thinks about surpassing L.

He doesn’t appear to be a murder expert if he was experimenting with his murder methods. It is also worth noting that he left in May, and thus had three months or less, as we don’t know when in May he left, and then must have spent a lot of time setting the stage in L.A, and also his other lairs ‘all over the world’, as well have have jobs to support himself. I doubt Wammy’s would have let him murder people. If you argue ‘oh, the lab’, theory and practice are very, very different, trust me. He also had a tendency to drug his victims. This may, of course, point to him making sure. That said, that means there had been no struggle and he could do whatever he wanted. His murder methods, notably, are fairly simple with no flair for presentation, aside from their use as clues.

All in all, he’s a very result-oriented serial killer. While, unfortunately, lack of writing prowess (some sort of string, some sort of drug, what the fuck kind of investigative report is this, Keehl) makes it seem like he’s a moron a lot of times, we can be sure that he has a way with steering conversations, and that he doesn’t care much for presentation as long as what he’s done does the job. It’s all about efficiency in murder, but not in the way that the victim dies quickly, more that the victim fulfills the role he has for them in the whole game.