The best characters in Death Note

Nearly two decades after its release in 2006, Death Note has maintained its cult-like status in the minds of anime enthusiasts. It's an epic battle of wits and cunning that maintains the tension and high stakes in the story from start to finish.

Spanning 37 episodes, the anime has produced some of the most iconic and memorable characters ever 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 building and a deep look into the ancient concept of 'good vs evil' through its lens. characters.

10 Naomi Misora

Although Naomi Misora's screentime was short, she really shined in her quest to get justice for her fiance. A former FBI agent herself, Naomi showed how sharp and quick her mind was in being able to connect the dots surrounding her fiance's death.

She was reasonably cautious and wise enough to use an alias during her investigation, but was ultimately hid in the end. During an intense conversation with Light that spans almost the entire episode, she defends herself 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 who held so much unrealized potential.

9 Soichiro Yagami

Light Yagami's father, Soichiro Yagami, is a skilled police officer and leader of the task force responsible for eliminating Kira. A determined man, Soichiro cares about his family and the lives of the men who serve under him.

Despite having a strong moral compass and an analytical eye, Soichiro's busy work life blinded him to what was happening right under his nose. He was in deep denial that his son was Kira, and believing in his heart that the light was innocent, Soichiro was betrayed to the end.

8 Misa Amane

An idol and an avid follower of Kira, Misa Amane is introduced during the two Kira arcs. She becomes obsessed with Kira, posing as the second Kira to help Kira after he kills her parents' killer. She has her own shinigami, Rem, who cares deeply for Misa.

Because of how crazy and in love with Light she is, Misa willingly allows herself to be used as a tool in his plans. Having traded half her life for the Shinigami Eyes, she becomes instrumental in Light's plot to kill L and continues to help Light until his downfall.

7 Touta Matsuda

A police officer and member of the task force initially led by Soichiro Yagami, Touta Matsuda strikes you as optimistic, eager and dutiful. He is younger than his other friends and as such, feels inadequate and needs to prove himself to the other Titans on the field.

Matsuda becomes more skilled as time goes on, engaging in infiltration missions during his defeat with the 'Third Kira'. While his ultimate loyalty to Soichiro Yagami and his legacy demonstrates his sharpshooter skills by quickly disarming Light, Light's betrayal during the finale takes a serious toll on him.

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 doesn't care about 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 into killing El to his end. Light manipulated the situation and deliberately put Misa in danger, where Rem had no choice but to break the key. The Shinigami rule by saving and extending Misa's life, thus ending his own.

5 Melo

An orphan raised to be El's heir, Mello – real name Michael Kiehl – is undoubtedly talented but grates in constant comparison with his fellow protégé, Closer. He returned to the Mafia and soon rose through the ranks, determined to deal with the worm himself. Mello doesn't hold back at whatever it takes to achieve his goals, including kidnapping Sayu, Light's sister.

At first, it seemed that Mello was not only fighting with Kira but also in a bitter feud over Kira researching the nearby. Although he was killed in the end, his death allowed Near to obtain physical evidence and reveal the light as Kira.

4 nearby

Nate River, otherwise known by his nickname Nier, was raised to become a world-class detective on par with Mello and the other orphans. At the point of his introduction, Light has assumed L's position on the task force. Nair led the American task force, SPK, created to stop Kira and was at odds with Mello over who would be El's true successor.

Gradually, Nier begins to convince members of the Japanese task force that Light is Kira, prompting them to work closely on his investigation. It was thanks to Mello's death, Light's arrogance, and SPK's cooperation with the Japanese task force that led to Kira's revelation and death.

3 Ryuk

One of the most iconic characters in anime, the events of Death Note can be said to stem from the shinigami Ryuk. It was his boredom and need for entertainment that led him to leave 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 is over.

Ryuk is obsessed with apples and likes to play video games, and sometimes, Light uses that to his advantage to get more information out of him. Ultimately, Ryuk sees the human world as a large playground, where humans serve as fun entertainment for him.

2 Light yagami

One of the cleverest villains depicted in anime, Light Yagami accidentally receives Ryuk's death note. At first, he had good intentions, writing down the names of the worst offenders in a notebook. Nicknamed Kira by the public, Light is soon corrupted by the power of the Death Note and considers himself a god.

His reckless activities attracted the attention of the world's top spy mastermind, El Lawlit. For the rest of the show and leading up to L's death, Light makes plans to outsmart L's attention regarding Kira's identity. The moment of L's death, however, Light begins to slip and becomes overconfident, relying heavily on others like Mikami – something he never did before.

1 L Lawliet

L Lawliet, the world's top spy and Light's rival, makes himself known by seducing Light on live television. L made a quick deduction about Kira, her personality, occupation and geographical location. Believing the light to be Yagami Kira, he also nailed it on the head.

He had monitored Light in his own home and despite Light's plans to cover his tracks, L never stopped believing that Light was who he was. There was no doubt that L would have outsmarted Light at his own game if it weren't for the supernatural elements working against him. But his legacy continued to bring down Kira for good with the combined efforts of Nair and Melo.