The Best Characters In Death Note

Nearing two decades since its release in 2006, Death Note has retained its cult-like status in the minds of anime enthusiasts. It is an epic battle of wits and cunning that maintains the tension and high stakes involved in the story from beginning to end.

Spanning 37 episodes, the anime has produced some of the most iconic and unforgettable characters written for the screen. From the sinister yet clever Light Yagami to his equally brilliant nemesis L, Death Note is a masterclass in storytelling, character build-up and an in-depth look into the age-old concept of ‘Good vs. Evil’ through the lens of its characters.

10 Naomi Misora

Although Naomi Misora’s screentime was brief, she truly shone in her attempt to obtain justice for her fiancée. A former FBI agent herself, Naomi showed how sharp and quick her mind was in being able to connect the dots surrounding her fiancée’s death.

She was justifiably cautious and was wise enough to use an alias during her investigations, but was ultimately hoodwinked in the end. Throughout the intense conversation with Light that spans nearly the entire episode, she lets her guard down in the face of Light’s charm and charisma and makes the mistake of showing him her ID. It spelled the end for Naomi, a character that held much unrealised potential.

9 Soichiro Yagami

The father of Light Yagami, Soichiro Yagami is a stalwart police officer and leader of the task force responsible for taking down Kira. A determined individual, Soichiro cares for the lives of his family and the men who serve under him.

Despite having a strong moral compass and an analytical eye, Soichiro’s busy work life made him blind to what was happening beneath his very nose. He was in deep denial that his son was Kira, and right to the end Soichiro was deceived, believing in his heart that Light was innocent.

8 Misa Amane

An idol and an avid follower of Kira, Misa Amane is introduced during the Two Kiras arc. She becomes obsessed with Kira after he kills her parents’ murderer, posing as the Second Kira to help him. She has her own Shinigami, Rem, who cares for Misa deeply.

With how obsessed and in love with Light she is, Misa willingly allows herself to be used as a tool in his schemes. Having traded half her life for the Shinigami Eyes, she becomes instrumental in Light’s plot to kill L and continues to help Light even up to his downfall.

7 Touta Matsuda

A police officer and member of the task force initially led by Soichiro Yagami, Touta Matsuda first strikes you as optimistic, eager, and dutiful. He is younger than the rest of his peers and as such, feels lacking and feels the need to prove himself to the other titans in the field.

Matsuda becomes more skilled as time passes, becoming involved in infiltration missions during the debacle with the ‘third Kira’. His ultimate loyalty to Soichiro Yagami and his legacy is what makes Light’s betrayal affect him severely during the finale, showcasing his sharpshooter skills by quickly disarming Light.

6 Rem

Rem is a Shinigami who grew to care for Misa after another Shinigami, Gelus, sacrificed his life to protect her from harm. Although she does not care for humans and their schemes, Rem helps and protects Misa throughout the story.

Rem’s affection for Misa is obvious, so much so that Light takes advantage of it, manipulating Rem for his end to kill L. Light manipulated the situation and deliberately placed Misa in danger, to the point where Rem had no choice but to break a key Shinigami rule by saving and extending Misa’s life, thus ending her own.

5 Mello

An orphan raised to be L’s successor, Mello – real name Mihael Keehl – is undoubtedly brilliant but grates at the constant comparison with his fellow protege, Near. He turned to the Mafia and quickly rose through the ranks, determined to deal with Kira himself. Mello does not shy away from doing whatever is needed to obtain his goals, including kidnapping Light’s sister, Sayu.

At first, it seemed as if Mello was not only battling Kira but was also in a bitter feud to outdo Near in the Kira investigation. Although he was killed in the end, his death was what allowed Near to gain physical evidence and reveal Light as Kira.

4 Near

Nate River, otherwise better known by his alias Near, was raised alongside Mello and other orphans to be world-class detectives on par with L. At the point of his introduction, Light has taken over L’s position in the task force. Near led the American task force, the SPK, created to stop Kira and was at loggerheads with Mello on who would be L’s true successor.

Gradually, Near begins to convince members of the Japanese task force that Light is Kira, prompting them to work with Near in his investigation. It was thanks to Mello’s death, Light’s ego, and the collaboration of the SPK with the Japanese task force that led to Kira’s revelation and death.

3 Ryuk

One of the most iconic characters in the anime, the events of Death Note could be said to stem from the Shinigami Ryuk. It was due to his boredom and need for amusement that led him to drop his Death Note where Light accidentally happened upon it. Ryuk doesn’t hide the fact that he’s only here as a spectator and will take Light’s life as soon as the fun ends.

Ryuk is obsessed with apples and loves playing video games, and at times, Light uses this to his advantage to gain more information from him. Ultimately, Ryuk sees the human world as a big playground, where its humans serve as delightful entertainment for him.

2 Light Yagami

One of the smartest villains depicted in anime, Light Yagami obtained Ryuk’s Death Note by chance. Initially, he had good intentions, writing the names of the worst criminals in the notebook. Nicknamed Kira by the public, Light is quickly corrupted by the power of the Death Note and considers himself a god.

His reckless activities drew the attention of the world’s top detective mind, L Lawliet. For the rest of the show and up to L’s death, Light cooks up schemes to outsmart and divert L’s attention regarding Kira’s identity. The moment L dies, however, Light begins to slip and grows overconfident, relying too much on others like Mikami – which he wouldn’t have done before.

1 L Lawliet

The world’s top detective and Light’s rival, L Lawliet made himself known when he baited Light on live television. L made quick deductions regarding Kira, his personality, occupation, and geographic location. He even hit the nail in the head in his belief that Light Yagami was Kira.

He had Light monitored in his own home and despite Light’s plots to cover his tracks, L never stopped believing who Light was. There was no doubt that L would have outsmarted Light in his own game were it not for the supernatural elements working against him. But his legacy lived on in the combined efforts of Near and Mello in taking down Kira for good.