This list includes detectives who, for several reasons, do not fit conventional categorization:
| Detective | Creator | Debut |
|---|---|---|
| Batman | Bob Kane & Bill Finger | Detective Comics #27 |
| Anthony Blake | Larry Brody | The Magician (TV) (1973) |
| Jonathan Creek | David Renwick | Jonathan Creek (TV) (1997) |
| Hellboy | Mike Mignola | San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (1993) |
| Karel "Carl" Kolchak | Jeffrey Grant Rice | the Kolchak Papers |
| Takeshi Kovacs | Richard Morgan | Altered Carbon (2002) |
| Arsène Lupin | Maurice Leblanc | Arsene Lupin (1909) |
| Ben Matlock | Dean Hargrove | Matlock (TV) (1986) |
| Anthony Petrocelli | Harold Buchman & Sidney J. Furie | Petrocelli (TV) (1974) |
| Stephanie Plum | Janet Evanovich | One for the Money (1994) |
| Raguel | Neil Gaiman | Murder Mysteries |
| Subaru Sumeragi | CLAMP | Tokyo Babylon (1991) |
| Tarot | Trevor Preston | Ace of Wands (TV) (1970) |
| Dean Winchester | Eric Kripke | Supernatural (2005) |
| Sam Winchester | Eric Kripke | Supernatural (2005) |
| Lance Boyle | Costa Dillon | Killer Tomatoes Strike Back (1990) |