Inspector Lestrade
Hapless but competent Inspector of Scotland Yard
Inspector at Scotland Yard who interacts with Holmes. Often seeks Holmes' assistance when cases are beyond his capabilities.
Quotes
- 'A lean, ferret-like man, furtive and sly-looking' - Watson
- 'A sallow-faced, rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow' - Watson
- 'With three such murders in a year as you have had, you must surely need unofficial help' - Holmes
- 'His handling of the Mawson case was beyond his usual' - Holmes' evaluation
- 'If you keep doing that, you'll run into serious trouble someday' - Lestrade's warning
Trivia
- Lestrade's first name is unknown, but a signature 'G. Lestrade' exists.
- Appears as an inspector for about 40 years in the stories without promotion.
- Theory suggests two Lestrades exist, possibly father and son.
- Featured as a protagonist in many pastiche works.
- Watson's descriptions of his appearance vary greatly by period.
Alternate names
Lestrade
Inspector Lestrade
G. Lestrade
Profile
- Species
- Human
- Gender
- Male
Appearance
- Overall appearance
- Lean build with black eyes and a rat-like face, somewhat pale complexion giving a sly impression. Appearance varies by era, sometimes described as resembling a skinny weasel.
- Eye color
- Black
- Hair color
- Black
- Distinguishing features
-
- Lean build
- Rat-like face
- Poor complexion
- Iconic items
-
- Police uniform
- Hat
- Badge
- Forensic tools
Personality and abilities
- Core personality
- Loyal
- Detailed personality
- Initially viewed Holmes with some contempt and doubted his methods, but gradually came to show respect. Diligent and patient in investigations, a faithful officer devoted to his duties. Often engages in sarcastic banter, combining familiarity with a competitive spirit.
- Keywords
-
- Loyal
- Capable
- Somewhat hapless
- Patient
- Duty-bound
- Approachable
- Sarcastic
- Talents
-
- Police investigation experience
- Organizational investigation skills
- On-site command abilities
- Skills
-
- Crime scene investigation
- Information gathering
- Suspect interrogation
- Evidence identification
- Motivation
- Solving crimes in London and protecting citizens' safety. Building a relationship of trust with Holmes.
- Habits
- While mixing in sarcasm, he holds Holmes in high regard. Serious about his work but tends to get downhearted when he fails.
- Favorite foods
- Unknown
- Hobbies
- Investigation, Evidence analysis
- Favorite places
- London streets, Baker Street 221B
- Favorite colors
- Unknown
- Disliked situations
- Unsolvable cases, Situations where he must rely on Holmes
History
- Backstory
- Primarily active as a London Metropolitan Police officer with over 20 years of extensive investigation experience. Frequently seeks Holmes' cooperation when cases exceed his abilities, appearing in the Holmes series for many years. Praised in newspapers within the stories and treated as a capable inspector. However, due to in-story descriptions and timeline inconsistencies, it has been suggested that there may be two Lestrades.
- Debut date
- July 1, 1887
- Work title
- A Study in Scarlet
- Media type
- Manga
First appearance and cooperation with Holmes
- Significant event
- First appearance and cooperation with Holmes
- Description
- First appears in 'A Study in Scarlet,' requesting Holmes' assistance and contributing to the case resolution.
Cardboard Box case arrest
- Significant event
- Cardboard Box case arrest
- Description
- Successfully arrests the culprit in the 'Cardboard Box' case and receives newspaper acclaim.
Six Napoleons case
- Significant event
- Six Napoleons case
- Description
- Demonstrates capability by using police organization to identify the victim swiftly.
Empty House adventure cooperation
- Significant event
- Empty House adventure cooperation
- Description
- Expresses joy at reuniting with Holmes after a long time and flexibly responds to Holmes' request, leaving a good impression.
Relationships
Sherlock Holmes
Partner
Built a cooperative relationship through numerous cases, showing mutual respect.
John H. Watson
Ally
Close relationship as Holmes' assistant, supporting Lestrade's investigations.
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard: detective
Media appearances
Sherlock Holmes series
Manga / Supporting
Sherlock Holmes
Anime / Supporting
Various Sherlock Holmes movie versions
Movie / Supporting
Sherlock Holmes related games
Game / Supporting
Voice cast and creators
Arthur Conan Doyle
- Creator name
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- Role
- Original author
Related goods
Lestrade figure
- Item name
- Lestrade figure
- Category
- Figure
- Availability
- Regular
Sherlock Holmes related stationery set
- Item name
- Sherlock Holmes related stationery set
- Category
- Stationery
- Availability
- Regular