Detective Conan File 1168: Guitar Clues, Spoilers & Review | Case Closed

2026-09-30

Spoilers ahead for Detective Conan File 1168! Here is a recap of the elevator mystery, followed by my thoughts on the guitar clues and Ran’s treasured flip phone.

Previously, File 1167 opened a new case centered on Ran Mouri. Trapped in an elevator, she turned to Shinichi Kudo’s voice on the phone for help.

The investigation moves forward in this chapter as Ran describes the unsettling traces around her. Her old phone makes that harder than it should be, leaving me even more curious about whether this case will bring a change for her.

Detective Conan File 1168, Sakui-teki na Konseki (tentative title), appeared in Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 44, released in Japan on September 30, 2026.

TOC

Detective Conan File 1168 Spoilers: Clues in the Elevator

Ran is still inside the elevator, reporting what she can see to Conan Edogawa, who is speaking to her as Shinichi. From her description of the amount and condition of the blood, he reasons that the stain on the floor is a dried pool of blood.

He suspects that someone was seriously injured, left inside, and taken away around the time they died. The elevator Ran entered may have been the scene of a murder.

Has Ran Found a Dying Message?

Using the light from her phone, Ran examines the bloodstain. She notices a trace resembling the outline of a comb, along with a shape that looks like a guitar pick.

Conan considers the possibility that the person who died may have left a dying message.

There are unusual marks on the wall, too: six horizontal lines and symbols made from straight strokes and circles that resemble musical notation. Ran describes their shapes and the number of lines over the phone, giving Shinichi what he needs to start considering their meaning.

The Detective Boys Hear News of a Singer’s Death

After watching soccer, the Detective Boys come across a news report on a smartphone. Futaba Kumoi, the singer of a soccer theme song, has died, and her funeral is being held.

Conan is nearby, still on the phone with Ran, and hears the news as well. At this point, the connection between Kumoi’s death and the traces in the elevator remains unclear.

A Guitar Clue and a Promise to Rescue Ran

Ran takes a photo with her flip phone and sends it, but the image is too grainy for Conan to make out the wall markings clearly. They have to keep working through the details in conversation.

Ran notices that there are six lines rather than the usual five on a musical staff, and wonders whether the markings could represent guitar chords.

She remembers Shinichi understanding guitar chords before. A flashback shows their classmate Kusano challenging him to identify a card that Ran had chosen. Shinichi used Kusano’s guitar as a clue and correctly named the card.

Ran brings up that memory to help him think about the symbols in front of her. As Conan considers the marks and recalls the news about Kumoi, something clicks.

Speaking as Shinichi, he promises to get Ran out of the elevator. File 1168 ends with that reassurance; the meaning of the traces and Ran’s rescue carry over into File 1169.

Detective Conan File 1168 Review and Theories

This chapter focuses on working out what the traces in the elevator mean. The dried blood makes the setting deeply unsettling, yet Shinichi and Ran’s shared memory gives the story a welcome touch of warmth.

The flashback connects their relationship to the investigation, while Ran’s flip phone once again complicates their exchange of clues.

Shinichi and Ran’s Sweet Card-Trick Flashback

My favorite moment was Ran’s embarrassed expression in the card-guessing scene. Kusano, a transfer student, challenges the aspiring detective to name the card she picked. Shinichi figures it out using the guitar, and Ran blushes afterward. It is a small exchange, but their dynamic is lovely to watch.

Ran remembering Shinichi’s knowledge of guitar chords gives the flashback a role in the present mystery.

An ordinary moment from their past becomes something she can draw on when she needs help. I like how naturally the romantic side of the chapter fits into the deduction.

Ran is alone in the elevator, but the voice on the other end belongs to someone who shares those memories with her. That sense of trust brings a little reassurance to an otherwise ominous scene.

Is Ran’s Flip Phone Setting Up a Change?

The phone’s limitations make me hope even more that Ran might finally get a smartphone. In File 1167, she could not check a map; here, the poor photo quality prevents her from clearly showing Shinichi the symbols. Her phone keeps affecting how the case unfolds.

Ran holds on to it because it is a precious gift from Shinichi. Any change would carry an emotional weight beyond simply getting a better camera.

If she does switch phones, I would love Shinichi to be part of that moment. Him giving her a new smartphone out of concern after the rescue could make for a warm ending to the case.

Still, a phone upgrade is not confirmed: the blurry photo may simply be a way to keep the pair exchanging clues through conversation.

With the flip phone receiving this much attention, though, it is hard not to hope for some kind of payoff. Ran could even keep the old one as a memento after getting a smartphone. I would enjoy a scene that lets her move forward while still treasuring the gift she has used for so long.