How much sooner would Detective Kuko have uncovered the truth if he had been less arrogant, trusted his colleague's intuition earlier, or hadn't spilled that cup of coffee? Would the outcome have been different?

Ah, this question hits the nail on the head! The reason The Usual Suspects is considered a masterpiece largely boils down to the psychological duel between Agent Kujan and "Verbal" Kint. Let's talk about this classic "what if".

What If... How Much Sooner Could He Have Figured It Out?

It depends on which "what if" we're talking about. Let's break it down:

1. What if he hadn't knocked over that coffee cup?

Conclusion: Probably only minutes later, maybe even no difference.

Many think the coffee cup is the key, but it's really just a "dramatic" trigger. Think about it: even if he hadn't knocked it over, that fax from the hospital with the sketch of Keyser Söze would have reached him eventually.

Knocking over the cup made him look down and see the "Kobayashi" ceramic mark on the bottom. This only made him connect the dots in his office (the locations and names on the bulletin board) with Verbal's story a few minutes earlier. Without that coincidence, he likely would have had the same epiphany after receiving the fax, staring at the face, then looking back at the bulletin board.

So, the coffee cup just accelerated his moment of realization; it didn't actually let him catch Verbal any sooner. Verbal's exit from the police station was on a fixed timeline.

2. What if he had trusted his colleague's instincts sooner?

Conclusion: Possibly hours earlier, maybe even catching him right then and there.

This is interesting. Remember FBI Agent Jack Baer? He was skeptical of Verbal's story from the very beginning. He focused on hard evidence and the survivor's description. He knew the surviving Hungarian described Keyser Söze as a terrifying devil, completely unlike the limping, cowardly "Verbal" in front of them.

If Agent Kujan had swallowed his pride and listened to Baer, they might have:

Changed interrogation tactics: Instead of Kujan dominating, they could have used Baer's skepticism to repeatedly challenge the holes in Verbal's story.
Verified information concurrently: While interrogating, they could have had someone verify the names and places Verbal mentioned. They might have realized mid-interrogation: "Wait, there's no smuggler named 'Redfoot' in our database!"
Bought more time: Their suspicion would have given them grounds to detain Verbal longer, waiting for that crucial fax to arrive.

In this scenario, Verbal's story would likely have unraveled while he was still spinning it. His plan to escape within a few hours would have been nearly impossible.

3. What if he simply wasn't so egotistical?

Conclusion: The game couldn't even be played; Verbal might have been exposed within the first hour.

This is the fundamental point. The essence of the whole movie is that "Verbal" Kint told a story that Agent Kujan wanted to hear.

Where was Kujan's ego? He was utterly convinced that the mastermind behind everything was Dean Keaton, the man he'd been chasing for years. So when Verbal's story wove all the clues to point at Keaton, painting him as a tragic anti-hero coerced by Keyser Söze who died a dramatic death, Kujan bought it completely. It perfectly confirmed his theory and satisfied his vanity – "I knew Keaton was the key all along."

What would a less egotistical, more objective agent have done? He would have found Verbal's story too smooth, too theatrical, with too many coincidences. He would have been suspicious from the start: "How does a nobody like you know the inner thoughts of these crime bosses so intimately?" He wouldn't have let Verbal lead him by the nose; he would have controlled the interrogation, asking questions Verbal hadn't prepared for.

Verbal's entire con was like a key cut for a specific lock. That lock was Agent Kujan's ego. If the lock had been different, the key wouldn't have fit.

Would the Ending Change?

Yes, and it would be a complete reversal.

The power of the movie's ending lies in Verbal Kint transforming from a crippled coward into the legendary demon Keyser Söze right under everyone's noses, then vanishing into the crowd.

If any of these "what ifs" had happened, Keyser Söze would have been caught on the spot.

He would have been handcuffed, the face on the fax sketch matching his perfectly. His carefully constructed myth would have shattered instantly. The so-called "greatest devil" would have been revealed as just another criminal caught in a police office.

The movie's iconic final line – "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist" – would lose all its power. Because in this scenario, we wouldn't just know the Devil exists; we'd have seen him captured.

So, Agent Kujan's ego isn't just a character flaw; it's the cornerstone of the entire story. Precisely because he had to win, had to prove himself right, he gave Keyser Söze the opening for a comeback, making this great film possible.