When you first watched this movie, at what moment did you start suspecting Verbal Kint? Or were you fooled until the very end, just like Detective Kujan?

To be honest, the first time I watched it, just like Detective Kujan, I was completely fooled until the very end.

The moment that coffee cup hit the floor and shattered, my jaw probably dropped right along with it. When the camera started zooming in on the bulletin board with all those names – "Redfoot," "Quartet in Guatemala," "Skokie" – and then cut to Verbal Kint's limp gradually straightening as he casually flicked his cigarette butt and got into "Kobayashi's" car, driving away... that's when it hit me. That mix of shock and the frustration of being utterly deceived was absolutely classic.

So, if you were fooled until the end too, don't feel bad. It just proves how masterfully crafted the film's narrative trickery is.

But looking back now, the clues were always there

After a second or third viewing, you realize the director and screenwriter practically laid the clues right in front of us. We were just all blinded by Verbal Kint's pitiful act. A few moments, in hindsight, were actually quite suspicious:

His Nickname "Verbal" The word literally means "spoken," "oral," or "relating to words." Isn't that blatantly hinting that his most powerful weapon is his mouth? His entire escape plan was executed through talking. It's practically the biggest spoiler in the whole film, but who notices it on the first watch?
Handing Over the Lighter There's a detail where Detective Kujan asks him for a light. He uses his supposedly "crippled" hand to smoothly and naturally hand over the lighter. The motion was fluid, completely unlike someone with a genuine hand disability. It might have been a fleeting moment at the time, but looking back, it's a glaring inconsistency hinting that his disability was an act.
The Storyteller We must realize that the entire movie, all the flashbacks we see, are actually the story he is telling the detective. What we see is what he wants us to see. He is the sole source and controller of the information. From this perspective, he held absolute control from the very beginning, and we, like the detective, were passive listeners.
The Description of Keyser Söze His classic monologue about Keyser Söze: "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." Listening to it now, you realize he's actually describing himself: a devil hiding in the shadows, terrifying, yet unseen. He delivers this legend while playing the most harmless role, which in itself is a masterful psychological tactic.

Why were we so easily fooled?

There are two main reasons:

Sympathy for the Weak: Kevin Spacey's performance was incredibly deceptive. His portrayal of Verbal Kint – limping, with a disabled hand, speaking meekly and timidly – made him seem like the most insignificant, useless little guy in a criminal gang. We instinctively sympathize with the underdog, subconsciously excluding him from the list of suspects for the "mastermind."
Adopting the Detective's Perspective: We see things through Detective Kujan's eyes. He's confident, even arrogant, believing he has everything under control, that Verbal Kint is just a pawn to crack the case. We, the audience, are drawn into his mindset, "interrogating" Verbal alongside him, and thus, we get fooled right along with him.

So, being fooled until the very end on your first viewing is nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it proves you were fully immersed, experiencing the core magic of this film: being conquered by a perfect story.