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The Ultimate Death Note Characters List
If a Death Note ever enters our human world, who'd you align yourself with? Just in case one (or more) appears, we put together a Death Note characters list divided into various "groups" to help you figure out whose side you'd choose.
Death Note Characters

Our Death Note list separates certain characters into various "teams," "factions," "groups," etc. Where do you affiliate yourself?
Disclaimer: This isn't a complete list of characters, just all the main and important secondary ones that have a sustained, recurring role in the anime.
Death Note Characters List
Light "kira, god of the new world" yagami.

Date of Birth: February 28, 1986 (1989 in the anime) | Age: 17-18 | Zodiac sign: Pisces | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 179 cm (5'10") | Weight: 64.1 kg (141 lbs) | Blood type: A |
Light's name is no coincidence. One of the many translations of "Lucifer" -- you know, the Devil, Satan, God's nemesis etc. -- is "light-bringing." In Light's case, the "light" he's bringing is his own form of vigilante justice -- all with the help of the Death Note.
After Light obtains this book and discovers its powers, Light reinvents his whole life, adopting the role of Judge, Jury and Executioner in an effort to cleanse the world of evil. From the ashes of the old world, Light plans to rise as the new "god," a rather impressive endeavor that gets him dubbed as "Kira." He's good at what he does too, because he's kiiiiiiind of a genius.

Date of Birth: Unknown | Age: Unknown | Zodiac sign: Unknown | Birthplace: : Unknown | Height: (estimated) 198 cm (6'6") | Weight: Unknown | Blood type: N/A | Shinigami Rank: C
Ryuk is the reason why there's even an anime/manga (or a Death Note characters list, for that matter). He's the Shinigami who "dropped" his Death Note into the human world because he was bored.
Once Light obtains the Death Note, Ryuk wastes no time and introduces himself to its new owner, providing certain details about the book so Light would start using it (read: to begin the "entertainment"). From there, Ryuk adopts the role of "innocent" bystander, refusing to help, offering limited tidbits of information only when it best serves him.
Oh, and Ryuk loves apples.
Misa "Misa-Misa, 2nd Kira" Amane

Date of Birth: December 25, 1984 (1987 in the anime) | Age: 19 | Zodiac: Capricorn | Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan | Height: 152 cm (4' 11") | Weight: 36 kilograms (79 pounds) | B-W-H: 76 cm - 51 cm - 75 cm | Blood Type: AB
Misa suffers from "I'm obsessed with Light and want to be with him forever" syndrome. This girl -- a famous model, singer and actress -- just so happens to get her hands on another death note. It's rather appropriate that she just so happens to have a thing for Kira, too.

Date of Birth: Unknown | Age: Unknown | Zodiac: Unknown | Birthplace: Unknown | Height: Unknown | Weight: Unknown | Blood Type: N/A | Shinigami Rank: 4
Rem, a Shinigami, is one of the many Death Note characters who gets caught up in Kira's "revolution." She, unlike Ryuk, gives a death note to someone (as well as a special gift) for an honorable reason. Plus, Rem, also unlike Ryuk, cares deeply for the human she travels with.
Teru "X-Kira" Mikami

Date of Birth: June 7, 1982 (1985 in anime) | Age: 27 | Zodiac: Gemini | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 175 cm (5' 9") | Weight: 56 kg (123 lbs.) | Blood Type: A
Teru Mikami was essentially born to one day become Kira's pawn. Having a strong sense of justice ever since he was a kid (later becoming a prosecuting agent so he could "punish" criminals), it was only a matter of time.
There are few Death Note characters who worship Kira like Teru does. He even calls Kira "Kami," meaning God.
Kyousuke Higuchi

Date of Birth: June 6, 1972 (1975 in anime) | Age: 32 | Zodiac: Gemini | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 165 cm (5' 5") | Weight: 59 kg (130 lbs) | Blood Type: AB
By day, Kyousuke Higuchi is the head of Technology Development at the Yotsuba Corporation. By night, he's one of the eight members of the Yotsuba Group.
Kyousuke gets involved in all of the craziness because Kira needed someone "greedy," "forceful" and "selfish" who yearns a higher status in society.
Kiyomi "Taki, Miss To-Oh, Miss Todai" Takada

Date of Birth: July 12, 1985 (1988 in anime) | Age: 18-19 | Zodiac: Cancer | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 166 cm (5'5") | Weight: 44 kg (97 lbs) | Blood Type: AB
Kiyomi Takada is essentially the "calmer" version of Misa, seeing as she was Light's former college girlfriend. In fact, a rivalry inevitably forms between these two Death Note characters.
But she's not just "the girl who was Light's girlfriend." Light later convinces Kiyomi to become Kira's spokeswoman on the NHN TV station. Light didn't need to do much convincing, though. Takada loves being the center of attention, believes in Kira's mission and still has a thing for Light. Win-win-win.
Japanese Task Force
L "ryuga hideki, ryuzaki, eraldo coil, deneuve" lawliet.

Date of Birth: October 31, 1979 (1982 in anime) | Age: 24-25 | Zodiac sign: Scorpio | Birthplace: England? | Height: 179 cm (5'10") | Weight: 50 kg (110 lbs) | Blood Type: Unknown
Someone who takes on Kira has to be cunning. And L is definitely cunning (and more). In fact, two of L's other aliases are regarded as the second and third best detectives in the world.
L is a highly secretive dude. In fact, he's only showed himself to a few Death Note characters in the Japanese Task Force. Before joining, L only communicated through his assistant Watari (via a computer that showed a capital "L" in Cloister Black font over a white background).
L may have some strange quirks (he crouches rather than sits, only holds things delicately and loves eating sweets) but he's highly deductive, insightful, meticulous, and analytical. Did we say he loves sweets?
Quillsh "Watari, W" Wammy

Date of Birth: May 1, 1933 (1936 in the anime) | Age: 70-71 | Zodiac: Taurus | Birthplace: England? | Height: 175 cm (5' 9") | Weight: 51 kg (112 lbs.) | Blood Type: B
Watari is to L like how Alfred is to Batman. Watari is both a fatherly figure to L and is his assistant ( pfft! we'll call him L's butler). The difference is that Watari is hella more badass than Alfred, being well trained in espionage and marksmanship.
Watari also communicates like L does via computers - except, for obvious reasons, with an Old English "W." Before joining the Japanese Task Force, Watari was the only person who'd ever seen or communicated directly with L.
Souichirou Yagami

Date of Birth: July 12, 1955 (1958 the anime) | Age: 48-49 | Zodiac: Cancer | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 181 cm (5' 9") | Weight: 68 kg (150 lbs) | Blood Type: A
One of the first big "Oh, man!" moments is finding out that Light (who's essentially a criminal) is the son of Souichirou Yagami, Chief of the NPA. Conflict!
What's so devastating about Souichirou is that he adores his family and is known for his high moral standing, gaining him the respect of many Death Note characters. What's even more devastating is that Souichirou fiercely believes Light is innocent and has even gone to some ridiculous lengths just to prove it.
Shuuichi Aizawa

Date of Birth: May 11, 1969 (1972 in anime) | Age: 34-35 | Zodiac: Taurus | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 183 cm (6' 0") (with hair) | Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs) | Blood Type: B
Shuuichi Aizawa has always regarded L begrudgingly, preferring to work within the law (which he'll always stay within ... no joke). As a family man, Shuuichi's not one for crude humor or immaturity, which is why he's never really been a fan of Misa.
Touta "Taro Matsui" Matsuda

Date of Birth: December 14, 1978 (1981 in the anime) | Age: 25-26 | Zodiac: Sagittarius | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 174 cm (5'9".5) | Weight: 59 kg (130 lbs) | Blood Type: B
It's safe to say that Touta is the loudmouth of all Death Note characters. He's easily excitable and oftentimes adorably naïve. Touta is also somewhat lacking in the skills department, which sometimes impedes investigations.
Despite these idiosyncrasies (failures?), Touta is more philosophically inclined than his colleagues. While everyone views Kira as an outright criminal, Touta's opinion lies in a "grayer area"; he sometimes wonders whether Kira's actions are good for mankind and feels sympathetic, even somewhat supportive, towards Kira's followers.
Hirokazu Ukita

Date of Birth: November 9, 1977 (1980 in anime) | Age: 25 | Zodiac: Scorpio | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 161 cm (5'3") | Weight: 51 Kg (112 lbs) | Blood Type: Unknown
If Touta is the most outspoken of all Death Note characters, then Hirokazu Ukita is the emotional guy. And that's not emotional as in "emo," but emotional as in he acts on instinct. Mix that in with Hirokazu's unwavering determination and bravery, and you've got someone who will jump into the unknown headfirst. And he does.
Kanzou "Mochi" Mogi

Date of Birth: September 13, 1973 (1976 in anime) | Age: 30-31 | Zodiac: Virgo | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 188 cm (6'2") | Weight: 81 kg (179 lbs) | Blood Type: O
Kanzo Mogi is one quiet, reserved SOAB. In an amusing comedic twist, he's actually a very enthusiastic and convincing actor. The difference between his subdued behavior as Misa's manager, and occasions where Kanzo uses ' acting! ' to immediately become enthusiastic is hilarious. You couldn't get this guy to talk even if you tried. Unless he's your manager.

Date of Birth: September 29, 1969 (1972 in anime) | Age: 35-36 | Zodiac: Libra | Birthplace: Japan | Height: 170 cm (5'7") | Weight: 62 kg (137 lbs) | Blood Type: B
Hideki Ide left the Japanese Task Force almost immediately after L joined the fray. But he does return later. Hideki has deep bonds with various Death Note characters, including Aizawa, and trusts Light more than anyone else on the Japanese Task Force ... except, of course, for Light's father.
Special Provision For Kira
Nate "near, n" river.

Date of Birth: August 24, 1991 (1994 in anime) | Age: 13 | Zodiac: Virgo | Birthplace: England? | Height: 155 cm (5'1") | Weight: 40 kg (88 lbs) | Blood Type: B
There's something about L and his two successors having intense obsessions with certain things. While L has an affinity for sweets, Near has a rather amusing interest in toys, which he uses to come up with strategies. And Near needs all the help he can get; he's the head of SPK (Special Provision for Kira).
Near has adopted some of L's rather strange behavioral ticks, too. Neither enjoy sitting. However, while L crouches, Near hunches over. Near also likes to play with his hair nonchalantly.
Heck, Near is quite near to L in many ways. Near greatly respects L, employs many of his methods and even presents himself via computers with the letter "N" in Wedding Text.
Anthony "Anthony Lester" Carter

Date of Birth: January 6, 1968 (1971 in anime) | Age: 42 | Zodiac: Capricorn | Birthplace: England? | Height: 190 cm (6' 3") | Weight: 84 kg (185 lbs) | Blood Type: O
Anthony Rester is Near's go-to guy: he's SPK's second in command and leader of operations. The two also have a strong relationship. Anthony seems to care deeply for Near, and Near appears to greatly trust Anthony, seeing as there are many things Near only tells Anthony.
Halle "Halle Lidner" Bullook

Date of Birth: February 18, 1980 (1983 in the anime) | Age: 29-30 | Zodiac: Aquarius | Birthplace: England? | Height: 180 cm (5' 9") | Weight: 52 kg (115 lbs) | Blood Type: B
Halle Lidner is a badass. She's a former Secret Service and CIA agent, and she only joined the SPK to avenge a close acquaintance who was killed by one of the Kiras.
Halle is also kind of a double-dealing backstabber. But it's to satisfy her vengeance, so it's okay, right? While she works for Near, she also leaks information to L's other successor, Mello .
But it's more complicated than that. Halle sometimes shares data with Mello that could potentially hurt him ... and she cares for Mello! She's definitely one of the most conflicted Death Note characters.
Stephen "Stephen Gevanni" Loud

Date of Birth: September 1, 1982 (1985 in the anime) | Age: 27 | Zodiac: Virgo | Birthplace: England? | Height: 178 cm (5' 10") | Weight: 61 kg (134 lbs) | Blood Type: A
Stephen Gevanni is one of Near's greatest assets: Stephen can pick locks, follow suspects, investigate thoroughly and forge writing. Plus, he's immensely loyal to Near and trusts him deeply.
Mihael "Mello" Keehl

Date of Birth: December 13, 1989 (1992 in anime) | Age: 14 | Zodiac: Sagittarius | Birthplace: Possibly England | Height: 171 cm (5'7") | Weight: 52 kg (115 lbs) | Blood Type: A
Mello is the older of L's two successors and hates those who are better than him. Heck, he turned against Near when it was decided that Mello should work with him.
Despite being Near's senior, Mello is quite brash (unlike Near), normally acting on impulse. Oh, and Mello is a lot like L in that he adores sweets. Except, in Mello's case, he prefers a certain type: chocolate bars.
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List of Death Note characters
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This is a list of fictional characters in the anime and manga series Death Note . The character names are listed in Western order, with the given name before the family name .
The writer, Tsugumi Ohba , developed the basic character traits while Takeshi Obata , the artist, created the visual character designs. [1]
In his stories, Ohba chose character names that "seemed real but could not exist in the real world" because most of the characters were criminals and victims. [1]
- 1.1 Light Yagami (夜神月)
- 1.3 Misa Amane (弥海砂)
- 1.6 Shinigami
- 2.1.1 Soichiro Yagami
- 2.1.2 Touta Matsuda
- 2.1.3 Shuichi Aizawa
- 2.1.4 Kanzo Mogi
- 2.1.5 Hideki Ide
- 2.1.6 Hirokazu Ukita
- 2.3 Kiyomi Takada
- 2.4 Kyosuke Higuchi
- 2.5 Teru Mikami
- 3.3 Criminals and initial victims
- 3.4.1 Raye Penber
- 3.4.2.1 Conception and development of Naomi
- 3.4.3 Steve Mason
- 3.5 Hitoshi Demegawa
- 3.6 Yotsuba Group
- 3.7 Yitzak Ghazanin
- 3.8 Koreyoshi Kitamura
- 3.9.1 Rod Ross
- 3.9.2 Jack Neylon
- 3.9.3 Other mafia members
- 3.11 Roger Ruvie
- 3.12.1 Stephen Gevanni
- 3.12.2 Halle Lidner
- 3.12.3 Anthony Rester
- 3.12.4 Other SPK members
- 3.13 Ryotaro Sakajo
- 3.14 Sachiko Yagami
- 3.15 Sayu Yagami
- 3.16 Sanami
- 3.17 Shiori Akino
- 3.18.1 David Hoope
- 3.18.2 George Sairas
- 3.19 Beyond Birthday
- 3.20 Taro Kagami
- 4 References
Main characters [ ]
Light yagami (夜神月) [ ].
The main character of Death Note , Light is an extremely intelligent, yet bored 17-year old student who is not satisfied with the current justice system. When he finds the Death Note, dropped in the human world by the shinigami Ryuk,(on purpose) he decides to use it to kill all criminals and earns the title Kira , taken with the pronounciation of Killer. His ultimate goal is to cleanse the world of evil to create a world without criminals and then reign over this new world as its "god."
L is the world's top-rated detective and tasked with tracking down and arresting Kira. He often takes drastic strategies to confuse and force the hand of his opponents, and his disheveled appearance disguises his brilliance. He enjoys sugar, and in nearly every scene including him, he is found eating cake or confectionery and drinking highly sweetened coffee. L often misleads people with his behavior as well as his appearance. He sits in an unusual position, and he always wears the same articles of clothing. He believes if he did not sit in his usual manner he would lose 40% of his investigative abilities. He has a habit of chewing on his thumb and holds things delicately. Watari is the only one who is able to contact him. He has a few aliases, two being detectives Eraldo Coil and Denueve. Eraldo Coil is considered the second best detective in the world, Denueve being third. L has many aliases, though he acquired the ones Eraldo Coil and Deneuve in a battle between the real detectives. The two were defeated, and so L claimed their aliases. The alias L means nothing to him out of the myriad of others he possesses, as they are only there to keep him safe. However, the alias L is the most famous one. His real name is L.Lawliet, 'L' meaning "Last One", as no one was able to surpass him while he was alive, or "Lost One" which he was given at Wammy's House. L always suspected Light was Kira, but his suspicions weren't confirmed until his dying moment.
Misa Amane (弥海砂) [ ]
A girl with an immense crush on Kira, Misa is a popular Japanese idol . She is immature and tends to refer to herself in the third person in an attempt to be cute. She is completely devoted to Light, saying that she loved him at first sight, although the feeling is hardly mutual- since Light merely views her as a rather annoying asset and uses her. In the manga version, she kills herself after Light's death, which is implied in the anime's finale. What happens to her after the film version is uncertain- the only remaining characters whose fates are revealed are L and the Yagami family.
A calm and stoic character that appears in the second half of the series. He subtly represents an albino-like figure with his white hair, and plain white clothes. In the anime and manga versions, Near is a primary candidate to become L's successor and calls himself N during the course of his investigations. He shares a number of similarities with L. Much like how L plays with things such as sugar cubes and forks, Near is frequently shown playing with toys or his hair, and he is constantly shown sitting in an unusual manner. Also, like L, Near likes to stack objects such as dice, while L likes to stack sugar cubes. If you compare the two, you can see they bear some resemblance in appearance as well. After L's death, he was asked to join forces with Mello, who refused (it is explained that Near lacks the emotional insight to beat L, while Mello is too emotional and impulsive). In the manga, Near accepts the fact neither Mello or himself can surpass L, saying that perhaps he lacked dynamics while Mello lacked composure. Near then gained the support of the Government of the United States and formed the Special Provision for Kira (SPK). In the 'extra' manga story, set after the end of the series, Near states that, while he respects Light's drive for justice, he can never find his 'Kira' actions excusable. His real name is Nate River. In the film L: Change the World L gives the name "Near" to a Thai boy who is a mathematical genius; L intends for Near to succeed him. [2]
Mello, a character present in the anime and manga versions, was an orphan who grew up with Near and Matt in Wammy's House, Watari's shelter for "gifted" children. Like Near and Matt, Mello was one of the candidates to become L's successor. Similar to L's fondness for sweets, he is often seen eating bars of chocolate. Although Mello is quite intelligent, he often lets his emotions get the better of him. His goal in life is to surpass L and Near. His real name is Mihael Keehl. Mello does not appear in the films.
Shinigami [ ]
Shinigami , or Gods Of Death, are demon-like beings who live in the Shinigami realm. Shinigami are functionally immortal, able to extend their lives indefinitely by writing the names of humans in their Death Notes. By writing the name of a human whose fated time of death has not yet come, Shinigami have their lifespan increased by the amount that human would have lived (e.g. a forty-year-old who would have lived to the age of sixty would yield twenty years). As Ryuk describes it, life in the Shinigami realm is incredibly dull; Shinigami do little more than gamble constantly with their remaining years, and using the Death Note is considered something workaholics do. The main Shinigami featured in the series are Ryuk , Rem and Sidoh . The only way to kill a Shinigami is through love for a human (e.g. if a human was fated to die from a murder and a Shinigami kills the murderer, the Shinigami will then turn to dust and evaporate, as Gelus did to prolong Misa's life).
Supporting characters [ ]
Kira investigation team [ ], soichiro yagami [ ].
Soichiro Yagami, designed by Takeshi Obata to look like a "stereotypical detective."
Soichiro Yagami ( 夜神 総一郎 Yagami Sōichirō ? ) is Light's father and a police officer that initially leads the Kira investigation team that later joins with L. He is voiced by Naoya Uchida in the Japanese anime and Chris Britton in the English dub. When L begins to suspect Light of being Kira, Soichiro is unwilling to believe his son would be capable of such a thing. After L's death, he is sent to retrieve the Death Note stolen by Mello by obtaining Shinigami Eyes and infiltrate Mello's hideout, though Light had planned for Matsuda to fill the role. [3] He retrieves the note and learns Mello's real name, but is unable to kill him, and is instead fatally wounded. Because Light has given up his Death Note, making his lifespan visible above his head, Soichiro dies believing that Light is not Kira. In the film, Soichiro, portrayed by Takeshi Kaga , survives- discovering that Light is Kira and holding him as he dies- but chooses to hide the knowledge from his family.
Soichiro was envisioned as an "honest police officer with a strong sense of justice" that the reader "would have to feel sorry for everything he has to go through." Though Ohba did not want Soichiro to die, the writer felt that he had to because the character's continued existence would have interfered with too many of the already set up plot points. He did not want Light to kill him, so he wrote Soichiro's death as an accident. [3] Obata designed Soichiro to look like a "stereotypical detective", retaining the mustache and glasses found in Ohba's concepts. Over the course of the series, he changes visibly by losing weight and aging poorly- particularly during his and Light's confinement. [4] Both Ohba and Obata found Soichiro to be the most pure character, and Ohba personally found him to be the third strongest character in the series "besides Light." [5] [6] [7] His birthday is July 12, 1955.
Touta Matsuda [ ]
Takeshi Obata said that Touta Matsuda, pictured here, was "hard to predict and thus hard to draw."
Touta Matsuda ( 松田 桃太 Matsuda Tōta ? ) is the youngest member of the Kira investigation team. His alias is Taro Matsui ( 松井 太郎 Matsui Tarō ? ) .
Matsuda has the drive to match the other members of the team, but his lack of experience sometimes hinders the investigation. He is described as a "typical young man" who is "easy to get along with" and feels "very excited about trends and gossip;" often listening in on Light's intimate conversations with Misa and later Takada for the sake of gossip rather than the investigation. He becomes quite fond of Light, as noted by Hideki Ide at the series' conclusion. As for Misa, Matsuda often shows that he is a massive fan of hers, becoming quite upset when his death is faked and he can no longer work as her 'manager'. It is hinted that Matsuda has an inferiority complex regarding his detective ability, and many of his coworkers feel annoyed by his behavior. [8] Matsuda's "risky moves" sometimes place him in danger, and his "quick thinking" sometimes aids the investigation, such as his actions in the Yotsuba case that lead to Higuchi's detainment. Matsuda likes Light and believes that he is not Kira, but at the end of the series, during the final showdown between Light and the SPK, Matsuda, enraged and grief-stricken over Light's apathy in regards to his father's death, critically wounds Light by shooting him repeatedly. [8] Matsuda is voiced by Ryō Naitō in the Japanese anime and Vincent Tong in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Sota Aoyama . Matsuda stars in a Death Note film version special, aired on Japanese television, that takes place after Light's death; in it Matsuda has to come to terms with L's eventual death. [9]
Ohba describes Matsuda as a "very simple guy" easily used in the story. [10] Matsuda is very useful as a character because he acts only on his emotions, which according to Ohba is "probably" why he survives. [11] Despite working to capture Kira, Matsuda admits that he is not entirely sure whether or not the death of criminals is such a bad thing, though he does not let it get in the way of his work; even in the epilogue of the manga he still struggles with determining whether or not he did the right thing in siding with Near. This trait was given to him because Ohba felt that any group would have at least one individual who supports Kira to help balance it. [10] Obata described Matsuda as "hard to predict and thus hard to draw." Obata felt that Matsuda's character concept consisted of an "average young detective", and that because Matsuda's character was not unique and his actions were not consistent, something Obata sees in himself, he did not like the character or how it pointed out his "own inconsistency." [4] [12] Obata described Matsuda as the sole character who "looks younger" during the Near and Mello arc. [4] His birthday is December 14, 1978. [8]
Shuichi Aizawa [ ]
Shuichi Aizawa ( 相沢 周市 Aizawa Shūichi ? ) is a member of the Kira investigation team that leaves the team under the guise of needing to support his family because the Japanese police cut their funding (it is only after he leaves that it is revealed that L would have supported them had he stayed). Aizawa uses the alias Aihara ( 相原 ? ) to protect his identity. Aizawa returns after L's death, where he is one of the first to suspect Light of being Kira (although he continues to act compassionately towards Light until he is cornered, and goes mad), and helps contribute to his eventual defeat. He becomes the leader of the investigation team afterwards. Ohba decided to make Aizawa the chief of the NPA because he did not want to create a new character in the final chapter, and because he felt that Aizawa is the best candidate because of his connections to the police and Near. [13] His birthday is May 11, 1969. He is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara in the Japanese anime and Trevor Devall in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Tatsuhito Okuda .
Kanzo Mogi [ ]
Kanzo Mogi ( 模木 完造 Mogi Kanzō ? ) is one of the most dedicated members of the Kira investigation team, but also one of the most reserved. Mogi rarely speaks, even when someone presents an opinion he agrees with. Despite this, perhaps even because of this, he is a particularly good detective. He is shown to be an excellent actor, becoming an excited and cheery manager for Misa on demand and in seeming contradiction to his usual demeanor. He appears to be fond of Misa, as is seen when he worries that Misa's comments about Takada could get her killed. The feeling is probably mutual, since Misa is happy to have him stay with her, and nicknames him 'Motchi'. Mogi uses the alias Kanichi Moji ( 模地 幹一 Moji Kan'ichi ? ) to protect his identity. He is voiced by Kazuya Nakai in the Japanese anime and John Murphy in the English dub. In the second film (in which he is played by Shin Shimizu ), he is killed by Misa in her first Sakura TV broadcast (in the manga and anime, it is Ukita who is killed at this point).
Mogi was originally introduced to "fill the cast", though Ohba later planned to use Mogi for "something really amazing" and "surprising" since Mogi is a "silent type." [10] Obata also did not think of Mogi as important, so Mogi's design was not very clear. [14] While trying to decide who would become the new NPA chief at the end of the series, Ohba felt that Mogi would be too close to Near, so Ohba chose Aizawa to be the new NPA chief. [13] His birthday is September 13, 1973.
Hideki Ide [ ]
Hideki Ide ( 伊出 英基 Ide Hideki ? ) , appearing in the anime and manga, is one of the few police officers who remains with Soichiro during the Kira Investigation. He initially leaves when he disagrees with L's methods. Ide later returns and plays a relatively minor role in the Kira investigative team. He helps coordinate their efforts, and performs actions such as organizing a blockade of police cars to trap Higuchi. Later, after L's death, he rejoins the investigation, though he states that he only did so to be with Aizawa. Ide trusts Light more than any of the other Task Force members, except for Light's father. He is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese anime and Brian Dobson in the English dub.
Ohba said that Ide reappeared since Ohba wanted to use Ide during the Higuchi arrest; according to Ohba having Ide reappear would create "a nice solidarity scene" and that using more characters would make the arrest "better." [10] Obata said that he liked Ide because he could understand the mental process of Ide leaving and rejoining the team. Obata said that he finds it easier to draw characters that reveal their motivations for their actions. [14]
Hirokazu Ukita [ ]
Hirokazu Ukita ( 宇生田 広数 Ukita Hirokazu ? ) is a member of the Kira investigation team that is led by L . He is characterized as being "young" and "brave" and he smokes a lot of cigarettes . [15] When Misa has Sakura TV ( さくらTV ? ) broadcast a message from her as Kira, Ukita rushes to the station to stop the broadcast without any prompting by the rest of the team. Since Misa has the Shinigami Eyes, she kills Ukita as soon as he approaches the door. He is voiced by Hidenobu Kiuchi in the Japanese anime and Jeremy From in the English dub. In the film, where he is portrayed by Ikuji Nakamura , he survives with Mogi replacing him as Misa's victim.
Ohba killed Ukita because he happened to have Ukita appear at Sakura TV. Ohba said that he did not choose Matsuda as Matsuda was "useful" and that he planned to use Mogi for "something big", so he chose between Aizawa and Ukita. [16] Obata found Ukita easy to draw because Ukita is an "emotional and easy-to-understand". [14] He did not know that Ukita was to die, so he was surprised after learning about it. His birthday is November 9, 1977.
Watari ( ワタリ ? ) is L's assistant, providing logistics to the investigation team. Before the team is formed, he is the only person who has seen L, and the only one capable of contacting L directly. Like L, he represents himself with an Old English "W" on computer screens. He is also a fatherly figure to L. On the surface he is Quillsh Wammy ( キルシュ・ワイミー Kirushu Waimī ? ) , a famous inventor and founder of Wammy's House, an orphanage for gifted children in Winchester , England. Watari is well trained in espionage and marksmanship . Rem kills Watari, along with L, in order to protect Misa. At the end of the manga, Roger Ruvie , the manager of Wammy House, becomes the new Watari for the third L, Near. He is voiced by Kiyoshi Kobayashi in the Japanese anime and French Tickner in the English dub (except for the film, in which Ron Halder takes over). In the film, he is played by Shunji Fujimura , who felt that Watari's presence would "come alive" if he projected "the mood of this mysterious old gentleman without the air of livelihood." [17]
Watari's name was originally going to be "Shadow" in reference to being L's shadow, but the editor disapproved, which lead to the name "Watari", which references his role as a handler. [18] The design team decided on Watari's design during the second chapter. Obata did not put much thought into Watari's disguise because his face did not appear, but afterwards, the rough drafts had Watari as an elderly man with a single strip of hair. Obata decided to keep him as an old man because older characters were more fun to draw than younger ones because of the "weird angles" that could be created with their wrinkles, while younger characters may be designed as "attractive, normal, or ugly." Obata likes leather coats, so he had Watari wear one. [19] Watari is Obata's third favorite human character because he likes older characters and that because Watari "seemed to be hiding a lot of ability" and "had depth." [7] His birthday is May 1, 1933.
Kiyomi Takada [ ]
Kiyomi Takada
Kiyomi Takada ( 高田 清美 Takada Kiyomi ? ) first appears for a short period as Light's classmate and girlfriend; Light appeared with Takada in public to disguise the fact that he also conversed with Misa. [11] Takada is a popular girl also known as "Miss To-Oh", short for To-Oh University, or "'Refined' Takada". She returns later in the story as an announcer of NHN chosen by Mikami to be Kira's spokesperson to the world. Light eventually romances her in order to covertly deliver messages to Mikami, and have her use pages of the Death Note to judge criminals as part of Light's plan. Takada dislikes Misa and suggests to Light that he should kill Misa on several occasions. [20] She is eventually kidnapped by Mello, whom she kills, before Light kills her. As a university student, she is voiced by Masumi Okamura in the Japanese version and Heather Doerksen in the English dub. The older version of the character is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto , although the voice actress for the English dub did not change.
Takada was created as a character that would go well with Light, which is why she was given her school idol identity. [11] Ohba felt that because of her "normal name" her unplanned death added unpredictability to the series. [1] Takada was originally going to be reintroduced at the same time as Mello and Near, but Ohba forgot about her until he prepared for a Shonen Jump interview. [21] He felt that he may have reintroduced Takada because he could not forget the "refined Takada." [21] Obata felt that he did not put much thought into Takada's university student design because he has difficulty designing female characters. He found the process of aging Takada difficult because he could not get the design to "look like her." In contrast to Misa's wardrobe, he gave Takada formal clothing to go with her job as a newscaster. Her birthday is July 12, 1985. [22]
In the film, she is played by Nana Katase , filling the "Higuchi" role in the film. When Rem gives her the Death Note, Takada kills a rival anchorwoman to become the lead anchor, although she does continue to kill criminals as instructed by Light via Rem. When she is arrested, Light kills her in order to regain ownership of the Note, although his action goes unnoticed by the other investigators. Shusuke Kaneko , director of the film, said that the film Takada bears importance in "reminding us the satanic power of the Death Note." Nana Katase, who read all of the Death Note volumes, describes her scenes, including those portrayed on video monitors, as "terrifying." Katase says that she and the film Takada have "a strong sense of justice", but that Katase personally would not kill anyone based on those ideals. [23]
In the Japanese Rewrite 2 special, Light's meeting with Takada and Mikami is moved to earlier than it occurred in the anime and manga, as the mafia plot is omitted. As such, it is instead Takada and Mikami who kill the SPK.
Kyosuke Higuchi [ ]
Kyosuke Higuchi ( 火口 卿介 Higuchi Kyōsuke ? ) is the third "Kira", receiving the Death Note from Rem, who was instructed to give it to a "greedy", "forceful", and "selfish" individual who would use the Death Note to attain a higher status that was out of his reach. [24] [25] He was the head of Technology Development at the Yotsuba Corporation, and is part of the Yotsuba Group , eight members of the Yotsuba Corporation that use the Death Note to kill individuals from competing companies to dominate the business industry.
When he receives the Death Note, he is instructed by Rem to carry out routine killings of criminals, then do whatever he pleases with the Note outside of the killings. He then meets weekly with the rest of the Yotsuba Group to discuss the killing of key individuals from competing companies to maintain dominance in the business industry. While they realize that one of them is Kira, they initially do not know it is Higuchi. During L's probe on the group, Higuchi kills Hatori after Hatori produced a "careless outburst." [26] Rem aids the capture of Higuchi by revealing his identity to Misa. Misa reveals her admiration of Kira and uses her status as the second Kira to get him to propose to her and admit to being Kira on tape.
He is then betrayed by his fellow Yotsuba Group members, which involves Matsuda appearing on Sakura TV to reveal that Higuchi is Kira. This leads to him acquiring the Shingami Eyes, and he uses them to evade the police for a short time on his way to Sakura TV. However, he is eventually thwarted by a masked police blockade set up by L's task force. He attempts to suicide so he won't get caught, but Watari uses his expert marksmenship to shoot the gun out of his hand. He then reveals to everyone the existence of Death Notes. Light touches the Death Note while inspecting it, thereby regaining his memories of being the real Kira. Light then uses a Death Note scrap hidden in his watch to kill Higuchi. [27] He is voiced by Issei Futamata in the Japanese version, and Andrew Kavadas in the English version.
Ohba selected Higuchi to be Kira for several reasons. Most of the other members of the Yotsuba group had already been used as "red herrings" and other roles that ruled them out in Ohba's mind. Higuchi was chosen through the process of elimination, using his greed as a criterion to fit the Yotsuba Kira's mold. [28]
Tom S. Pepirium, an editor of IGN website, describes Higuchi in a review of the Death Note episode "Performance" as having "more in common with Cobra Commander than anyone from Death Note , announcing his nefarious plans to no one in particular. Even throwing in a few evil chuckles for good measure." [29]
Teru Mikami [ ]
The character design of Teru Mikami was modeled on Taro Kagami from the pilot
Teru Mikami ( 魅上 照 Mikami Teru ? ) is a criminal prosecutor, fanatical supporter of Kira, and the fourth Kira. Mikami is selected as the new Kira by Light, purely based on his intuition, when he needs a new Kira proxy to hide his identity. [30] He has a sense of righteousness that stems from his childhood, though his perspective was warped over the years. [31] Mikami wishes to punish those he considers to be evil, (which, to Light's dismay, includes unproductive people and reformed criminals), and worships Kira as a God. Mikami mutters "sakujo" ( 削除 eliminate ? ) repeatedly to himself while writing in the Death Note, which Tsugumi Ohba felt made him more interesting. [21] In the end, Mikami is captured by Near's team at the Yellow Box warehouse. While Mikami attempts suicide and bleeds to death in the anime, he dies in prison in the manga. Matsuda believes that Near wrote in the Death Note to manipulate and restrict Mikami's actions. [32] Ohba stated that he leaves it up to the readers to decide if his theory is true. [33] In the anime, he is voiced by Masaya Matsukaze in the original Japanese version, and by Kirby Morrow in the English dub. In the second Death Note rewrite special, Mikami is the one to kill the SPK (after Light blackmails the US President to leak information about the SPK, which he in turn forwards to Takada and Mikami), rather than the mafia.
Mikami was introduced into the story to take Misa's role as Kira. After struggling to create Mikami, Ohba created Mikami's backstory in order to establish Mikami and Light as "equals" and that Mikami is "special in some way." Mikami is the only character to receive a chapter dedicated to his past, and Ohba was reluctant to create the flashback because he personally does not like creating them. [34] Though he usually did not add detail about "Kira worshippers", he decided to pay special attention to Mikami's first appearance. He wanted to have Mikami be both smart and dangerous, and have a hatred for societal evil, which he transferred into Mikami's role as a prosecutor. He wanted it to be clear that Mikami was evil, but, at the same time, he did not want to focus on the aspects of right and wrong. [21] Ohba's second favorite human character in the series was Mikami as Ohba believed that Mikami was the second "strongest" character in the series "besides Light." [7]
Ohba has no visual preferences and therefore let Obata create the visual aspects. [7] Obata based Mikami's design on Taro Kagami, the main character in the pilot chapter of the series. He was told that Mikami was supposed to be a "stoic character like Light" while not knowing that Mikami was a prosecutor and a follower of Kira. As the series progressed, Obata drew Mikami as an "insane fanatic." Obata said that he gave Mikami glasses since "glasses are in these days ." Obata added that "things were a little haphazard at this point..." His birthday is June 7, 1982. [22]
Minor characters [ ]
Aiber ( アイバー Aibā ? ) , whose real name is Thierry Morello ( Tierry Morrello ( ティエリ・モレロ Tieri Morero ? ) in the Japanese version), appearing in the anime and manga, is a professional con man in the employ of L. He plays the role of Eraldo Coil ( エラルド・コイル Erarudo Koiru ? ) , one of L's detective aliases, during the investigation of the Yotsuba Group. Aiber uses his initial "A", just like L, when communicating through computers. Aiber speaks many languages and uses many false identities. "Supposedly" he has a talent for using his "good looks" to convince women to pass information to him. Aiber enjoys "life on the edge" and his "biggest thrill" comes from conning people. [35] Since he is a professional criminal, he is known solely in the underworld. [36]
After L's death, in the manga Light kills him using the Death Note. Aiber dies from liver cancer at a hospital in Paris, France with his family at his bedside. [37] [38] In the anime, he dies of a heart attack in front of his wife and son. He is voiced by Takuya Kirimoto in the Japanese anime, and David Orth in the English version. He (like Wedy) is referenced to, but does not appear in, Death Note: Another Note . [ citation needed ]
Ohba said that he created Aiber and Wedy so he could use characters with "special abilities" to advance the storyline. He said that Aiber "did some things." [34]
According to Obata, his editor told him that Aiber was a "sarcastic, comic relief" character. Obata said that he wishes that he could have drawn Aiber to be "more comedic." Obata believes that if he drew Aiber and Wedy to look "a little bit more original", Ohba could have included the characters in a larger role in Death Note . [39]
Wedy ( ウエディ Uedi ? ) , real name Mary Kenwood ( Merrie Kenwood ( メリー・ケンウッド Merī Ken'uddo ? ) in the Japanese versions), is a professional burglar in the employ of L. She installs bugs in the Yotsuba Group's meeting room to secretly observe the group's weekly meetings. She does the same for Higuchi's car, allowing the team to watch his desperate attempts to kill Matsuda. Since she is a professional criminal, she is known solely in the underworld. [36]
Wedy uses her initial in computer communication; to avoid confusion with Watari ("W"), she deliberately uses the lowercase form, "w". After L's death, Light kills her using his Death Note; Mary Kenwood dies in a motorcycle accident [35] in Colorado . She is voiced by Miki Nagasawa in the Japanese version and Venus Terzo in the English version. She (like Aiber) is referenced to, but does not appear in, Death Note: Another Note . [ citation needed ]
Ohba said that he created Aiber and Wedy so he could use characters with "special abilities" to advance the storyline. He said that he wanted to use Wedy more than Aiber. As an example he explained a scenario involving Light controlling Wedy, making her place cameras in the headquarters so Misa could see L's face "... or something." [34]
According to Obata, he drew Wedy as a female model as he did not know what kind of character she would be. Obata added that Wedy has the "stereotypical female spy look." Obata believes that if he drew Aiber and Wedy to look "a little bit more original", Ohba could have included the characters in a larger role in Death Note . [39]
Criminals and initial victims [ ]
- An unemployed 42-year old man, Kurou Otoharada ( 音原田 九郎 Otoharada Kurō ? ) is the first criminal that Light kills in the anime and manga versions. Otoharada's name is announced on television as he holds eight hostages in a nursery school.
- In the first film Shibuimaru is a criminal who was never prosecuted for killing five children. Light finds his name in a police database after he hacks onto the NPA server. Light finds Shibuimaru in a lounge, bragging about the fact that he was not prosecuted. When a man asks Shibuimaru how he felt, Shibuimaru brags about his acquittal and laughed at the fact that parents of his victims screamed when they discovered the acquittal. Shibuimaru finds Light looking over his shoulder and threatens the law student with a knife. Shibuimaru backs away and laughs, taunting Light by stating that no-one can prosecute him. At a later point, Shibuimaru sees Light at a train crossing, gawking at the law student. Light, who had previously killed another criminal, writes Shibuimaru's name into the Death Note. As a train passes between Light and Shibuimaru, the criminal collapses of a heart attack.
- Lind L. Tailor ( リンド・L・テイラー Rindo Eru Teirā ? ) is a convicted criminal sentenced to die; this information was kept secret from the public. L places Tailor as his decoy on television. The television states that the broadcast is worldwide and that Tailor's statements are being translated into Japanese. After Tailor states that he is "L", he reads a declaration stating that Kira is evil. Light, in a rage, kills Tailor with a heart attack. The real L announces that Tailor was a decoy, a criminal on death row, and discovers that Kira cannot kill the real L and that Kira is in Kanto. Yukitoshi Tokumoto (Japanese) and John Murphy (English) voice Tailor in the anime. Matt Lagan portrays Tailor in the film.
- Kiichiro Osoreda ( 恐田 奇一郎 Osoreda Kiichirō ? ) is a drug addict and criminal used by Light to trick Raye into revealing his FBI badge to Light. Osoreda had failed in an attempt to rob a bank, shooting a teller and two customers as he escaped. Light writes Osoreda's name in the Death Note, dictating his actions. Osoreda boards a bus and holds a gun to the driver's head. Osoreda threatens Light as he unwittingly picks up a piece of the Death Note. Due to this, Ryuk appears solely to Osoreda, frightening the criminal. Osoreda empties his ammunition into Ryuk, who does not die. Osoreda forces the driver to stop the bus and then runs into the street, where an automobile hits Osoreda's head, killing him; the authorities mistakenly believe that Osoreda's vision of Ryuk was a drug-induced hallucination. [40] Katsuhisa Hōki (Japanese) and Brian Dobson (English) voice Osoreda in the anime. Osoreda also appears in the first film.
Federal Bureau of Investigation [ ]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation agrees to assist L since some people believed that Kira killed some American criminals. After Kira kills several agents the FBI withdraws its assistance. [41]
Raye Penber [ ]
Takeshi Obata said that he encountered difficulty making Raye Penber look non-Japanese
Raye Penber ( レイ・ペンバー Rei Penbā ? ) is an investigator from the FBI, sent to Japan with eleven other agents to aid in tracking down Kira early in the story. Described by How to Read It as a "talented" agent, [42] Raye is assigned to investigate the Yagami family for any suspicious behavior but he eventually put down his suspicions on Light after the bus-jacking incident. He has a fiancée, Misora, whom he tells not involve herself in the investigation for her own safety. Light manages to track him down and use him "as a pawn " [42] to kill the other eleven members of his team (he unknowingly used a page of Light's notebook to kill them). Light kills Raye soon after. Before Raye died, he saw Light, realizing that he was indeed Kira. Raye is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese anime and Michael Adamthwaite in the English dub. In the films, he is known as Raye Iwamatsu ( レイ・イワマツ Rei Iwamatsu ? ) and he is played by Shigeki Hosokawa . In the first film he is a counter-terrorism agent headquartered in Dallas , Texas .
Ohba said that at the beginning he thought of the idea of the FBI going after Light, and so he created Raye to fill the plot point. [3] .
Obata said that as Raye was of mixed American and Japanese descent, Obata "struggled over his design" and tried to make Penber look more non-Japanese. Obata said that he wishes that he could have "drawn him a bit better." [19] Hosokawa said that when he portrayed Raye he built Raye's "strength, tenderness and the feeling of mortification." [17]
Naomi Misora [ ]
Naomi Misora is "born from her clothes"
Naomi Misora ( 南空 ナオミ Misora Naomi ? ) is the fiancée of Raye Penber. Described by How to Read as formerly a "first rate" FBI agent [42] , Naomi left the Bureau in October 2003 [43] for the sake of starting a family in the United States. [44] After the sudden death of her fiancé which she blames Kira for, Naomi, described by How to Read as having a "remarkable investigative ability", [42] decides to take part in the Kira case herself, and theorizes that Kira has other methods of killing besides heart attack. In her attempts to contact the Kira investigation team she comes across Light Yagami . Cautious at first, she uses the false name Shoko Maki ( 間木 照子 Maki Shōko ? ) in order to protect herself until she can reach L. However, Light manages to manipulate her into revealing her real name to him resulting in her death by suicide. Her body is never found due to the specifications made by Light in the Death Note. Naomi is voiced by Naoko Matsui in the Japanese version of the anime and Tabitha St. Germain in the English dub.
In the live-action films her character, played by Asaka Seto and voiced by Nicole Oliver in the English dub, plays a larger role in the story. After witnessing her fiancé die at the hands of Kira, an enraged Naomi decides to investigate the case herself. Beginning with Light as her prime suspect she uses Shiori to get to him. Using the alias Shoko Maki to protect herself and with a strong belief that Light is Kira, she tries to make him confess that he is. However, her real name is uncovered by Light through the wedding documents held by the church where she and Raye had planned to marry. Light writes Naomi's name to have her commit suicide. Light engineers the suicide to make it appear that Naomi killed herself after a botched kidnapping to try to make Light confess to being Kira; as part of Light's Death Note instructions, Naomi shoots Shiori and then commits suicide in desperation. Naomi also makes a brief appearance in L: Change the WorLd .
For the production and filming of the movie, Seto stated that she "tried to project that awesome spirit" of Naomi, referring to the character's tenacity and drive while trying to defeat Kira. [17]
Naomi is one of the central characters in the spinoff novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases by author Nisio Isin . The story is set several years prior to the start of Death Note and focuses on a series of murder cases investigated by L with Naomi as his operative. The resulting capture of the murderer helped launch Naomi's reputation within the FBI.
Conception and development of Naomi [ ]
Naomi's character was originally intended to have a larger role in the storyline which included investigating possible suspects for the Kira Case and expanded interaction with her fiancé. However, once Raye's character was killed author Tsugumi Ohba believed that having Naomi search for Kira was a "natural and interesting development" in the story. Within the cast of characters at the time Sayu was the only notable female. In adding Naomi, Ohba could finally have the "cool" female character he had always wanted. He initially planned for Naomi to have a long involvement in the story but underestimated the character's deductive abilities. Because she was able to uncover crucial plot information "faster than... thought", Ohba decided to end her character early to avoid facing complications with the story development later on. He described the storyline issue of Naomi as the greatest difficulty that he created for himself since the beginning of the series. [3]
According to artist Takeshi Obata, after hearing about the storyline he looked forward to drawing her character since it would be his first time designing one like Naomi. Using the color black to convey her mourning over her fiancé he gave Naomi a leather jacket then designed her face and hair to match her clothes. Because of this ordering Obata states that Naomi was essentially "born from her clothes". [19]
Steve Mason [ ]
Steve Mason ( Steeve Maison ( スティーブ・メイスン Sutību Meisun ? ) in the Japanese version), appearing in the anime and manga, is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . He assists L in investigating the Japanese police and withdraws FBI involvement after the agents die. At a later point he helps Near create the SPK. Mason dies due to the Death Note.
Mitsuru Ogata voices him in Japanese, with John Novak providing his voice in English.

Hitoshi Demegawa [ ]
Hitoshi Demegawa ( 出目川 仁 Demegawa Hitoshi ? ) , named Yuji Demegawa ( 出目川 裕志 Demagawa Yūji ? ) in the films, is publicity hound and director of Sakura TV ( さくらTV ? ) . He initially appears when Misa Amane sends four videotapes to Sakura TV in order to gain attention from the real Kira, and approves of broadcasting the tapes on live TV. However, he is forced to hand the tapes over to Soichiro, who crashes a police wagon into the studio and threatens him at gunpoint. He later helps the investigation force to lure out Higuchi by running a television program.
- In the manga and anime, Demegawa reappears after L's death, serving as Kira's spokesman for a while and even creating new programs in "honor" of Kira. Demegawa also leads the raid on Near's headquarters with Kira's supporters, but like all the other rioters, is distracted by the money that Near throws down. Later, when he takes matters into his own hands and builds a chapel to greet Kira, asking for donations, which would give Kira a bad image, Mikami kills him for being greedy, and he is replaced by Takada. He is voiced by Chafūrin in the Japanese anime and Ward Perry in the English dub.
- In the films, he is played by Magy , with Louis Chirillo voicing him in the English dub. Demegawa does not die in the films.
Yotsuba Group [ ]
The Yotsuba Group is a group of eight characters present in the anime and manga versions of Death Note ; the characters are members of the Yotsuba Corporation. On Light's instruction, Rem delivers the Death Note to one of them. They meet weekly to discuss the killing of key individuals from competing companies to maintain dominance in the business industry. While they realize that one of them is Kira, they do not know which one. The group that holds the "Meetings of Death" consists of:
- Higuchi is the head Technological Development, and is secretly the Yotsuba Kira. Eventually, he is betrayed by the others, who are assisted by L's task force. This leads to his defeat, and death.
- Mido, the Vice President of Corporate Strategy and the Director of Financial Planning, feels reservations regarding the Yotsuba Kira and ponders leaving the other board members. Mido "seems" to have a "sense of appreciation" for Yotsuba. [45] Misa Amane acknowledges that Mido bears a resemblance to Light Yagami.
- Namikawa is the Vice President of Sales. He initially encourages the Yotsuba Kira. After receiving a telephone call from Light he ceases participation and observes the scenario. How to Read describes him as the "most talented" of the board members who has the potential to "make it to the top" without Kira. [24] He has a talent in shogi at the professional 4-dan level. [46] How to Read 13 states that he detests useless subordinates.
- Takahashi is the Vice President of Yotsuba Material Planning Division and Yotsuba Homes. How to Read 13 states that he "never had what it takes to be a true leader" and that he was selected to attend the meetings to "make Higuchi look good." The book adds that other members view Takahashi as "foolish" because he does not "seem to put much thought into his comments." [45]
- Shimura is the Head of Personnel. How to Read 13 describes him as "paranoid" and always "keep a close eye" on others. Shimura's ability to pay attention to small details allowed him to join the meetings; he noticed subtle changes in "poker-faced" Namikawa's face. How to Read states that he does not like his predicament. [26]
- The Vice President of Rights and Planning, Kida controls the finances of the committee and contacts "Eraldo Coil." How to Read 13 describes him as "calm and collected." However he is not able to "deal with surprises", leading him to panic when "Eraldo Coil" asks for more money. [26]
- Ooi is the Vice President of VT Enterprises. He is the eldest and "most influential" member and he "appears" to control the conferences. He individually contacts the members of the committee. How to Read 13 states that Ooi is "seemingly" a "tough guy who doesn't sweat the details." [45]
- The Vice President of Marketing, Hatori is the illegitimate son of the company president and uses this fact to benefit himself. How to Read 13 states that he "appears to be something of a lightweight" and that he cannot handle the pressures of the meetings. After Hatori makes a "careless outburst" the Yotsuba Kira kills him. [26]
Kyosuke Higuchi, the third "Kira", takes the Death Note. [25] During L's probe on the group, Higuchi kills Hatori after Hatori produced a "careless outburst." [26] Rem aids the capture of Higuchi by revealing her identity to Misa. Misa uses her status as the second Kira to get him to admit to being Kira on tape. Higuchi is captured in an elaborate setup concocted by Light and L, and once Light touches the Death Note, thereby regaining his memories of being the real Kira, he uses a Death Note scrap to kill Higuchi. [27] After L dies, Light writes the names of the remaining six, killing them by way of a heart attack. Rumors of Kira's responsibility in the deaths causes Yotsuba's share prices to drop sharply. In the director's cut of Death Note Mido dies by falling from a tall building, Shimura dies by being run over by a train, and Namikawa dies in a car accident.
Ohba created the characters as " stock villains intended to make the main characters look good." Ohba said that he had always planned for Light to regain his status as Kira, so the specifics of a certain member of the Yotsuba group being Kira would not matter to the plot; Ohba wanted the readers to guess which of the characters was Kira. After seeing Obata's designs Ohba selected Higuchi as Kira. Ohba said that he wanted for Mido to appear to be "the most suspicious" of the Yotsuba group. Ohba added that he created the profiles of the characters while eating dinner with the editor. He believes that he did not "put much thought" into the character profiles. He said that he included a lot of information to serve as red herrings . [47]
Obata said that he felt excited when he learned that he had to draw eight Kira characters. Obata said that he created the characters "in the mold of The Seven Samurai " by giving each Yotsuba board member his own individual appearance. Obata said that he remembers making Mido and Namikawa look attractive to make the readers believe that they may be Kira. [39]
Yitzak Ghazanin [ ]
Yitzak Ghazanin ( Isak Gathane ( イサク・ガザン Isaku Gazan ? ) in the Japanese version), real name Joe Morton ( ジョー・モルトン Jō Moruton ? ) and appearing in the manga, is the head of a special forces unit that is stationed in the Middle East. The captain's team raids Mello's hideout to recover the Death Note. The mafia, aided by Sidoh, kill him and his team. He does not make an appearance in the anime, as these events are not included.
Koreyoshi Kitamura [ ]
Koreyoshi Kitamura ( 北村 是良 Kitamura Koreyoshi ? ) , the NPA deputy director, is Soichiro's superior. He feels weighted by Yotsuba's pressure. Masaru Ikeda voices Kitamura. Howard Siegal provides his voice in English. How to Read 13 states that he "isn't a bad guy." [15]
The Mafia, allying with Mello, increases its influence and intends to possess the Death Note and gain power; How to Read states that the organization is "being used by Mello." [41] In the Death Note Rewrite 2 special, the mafia plot is omitted.
Rod Ross [ ]
Rod Ross ( Rodd Los ( ロッド・ロス Roddo Rosu ? ) in the Japanese version), real name Dwhite Gordon ( Dwhite Godon ( ドワイト・ゴードン Dowaito Gōdon ? ) in the Japanese version) is the head of the mafia . Ross follows Mello's orders. His name is easily known, so Light kills him.
Masaki Aizawa voiced Ross in the anime. Brian Dobson plays Rod Ross in the English Version. His name is also mentioned in L: Change the WorLd as the leader of an arms syndicate who deals with the mafia.
When asked by an interviewer who the most "evil" character in Death Note is, Ohba replied by saying that Ross is the most evil; Ohba added that Ross is "pretty darn evil" as he is the leader of the mafia. [48]
Jack Neylon [ ]
Jack Neylon ( ジャック・ネイロン Jakku Neiron ? ) , whose real is name Kal Snydar ( Kal Snyder ( カル・スナイダー Karu Sunaidā ? ) in the Japanese version), is a member of Mello's gang. He is the holder of Sidoh's Death Note after it is given to the gang by the Kira investigation team. Before Mello joined, he was involved in drug trafficking and illegal weapons sales; neither charge stuck due to lack of evidence, despite four separate arrests. After Sidoh tracks down his Death Note, Jack was forced by Mello and Ross to perform the eye trade with the Shinigami (in the manga only). Light uses the Death Note to have mail him the address of Mello's hideout. According to How to Read 13 , Jack dislikes Mello. In the anime, the eye trade and first raid attempt were cut. He is voiced by Takashi Matsuyama in the Japanese anime and Ted Cole in English.
Other mafia members [ ]
- The mafia uses Zakk Irius ( ザック・イリウス Zakku Iriusu ? ) (he uses his real name) to converse with the Japanese police at the airport. The organization kills Irius after he guides Soichiro to the correct aircraft. He dies by heart attack when the airplane lands; his gang wrote his name in the Death Note.
- Glen Humphreys ( Gurren Hangfreeze ( グレン・ハンフリーズ Guren Hanfurīzu ? ) in the Japanese version), real name Ralph Bay ( ラルフ・ベイ Rarufu Bei ? ) , is a veteran gang member. The Death Note kills him prior to the police raid.
- Rashual Bid ( Rushuall Bid ( ラシュアル・ビッド Rashuaru Biddo ? ) in the Japanese version), real name Al Meem ( アル・ミーム Aru Mīmu ? ) , is a veteran gang member. When Kira eliminates the gang he dies with most of the members.
- Andrew Miller (the family name is also spelled Millar ) is a member who was used as a test subject as to whether the Death Note was real during the exchange. He was killed because he was stealing drugs from the gang to sell for his own profit, and was described as an "incompetent guy".
- Jose is not affected by the Death Note instructions that kill the other members. He fakes his death and fatally shoots Soichiro, he later dies when the rest of the Japanese Police enter the room and shoot him.
- Roy and Skyer are not affected by the Death Note instructions that kill the other members. They attempt to retrieve the Death Note; the task force disarms and subdues the two, they later (presumably) die when Mello detonates the entire building.
Matt ( マット Matto ? ) , whose real name is Mail Jeevas ( マイル・ジーヴァス Mairu Jīvasu ? ) , is a cohort of Mello's . A character in the manga and anime versions, Matt was also a former resident of Wammy's orphanage; Ohba described him as the "third most talented member" of the house. [5] Matt is Mello's helper [5] as Matt performs espionage work and acts as an accomplice in Takada's kidnapping, which results in his death when he is shot by Takada's bodyguards. He is voiced by Tomohiro Nishimura in the Japanese anime and by Drew Nelson in English dub.
According to How to Read, Matt enjoys video games [5] and is not outgoing. He also seems to be a chain smoker. He uses his last breath to smoke his cigarette. He is also behind Near and Mello in succeeding L .
Ohba said that he created Matt because when Mello started to act alone Ohba believed that he would find difficulty in advancing the story unless Mello had a character to interact with. Ohba said that to a reader Matt may appear to play video games and have no other actions, but he said that Matt's existence was "important" in the story. [5] In response to a question inquiring about which characters the creators had the most difficulty creating, Ohba cited Matt and said "I didn't even know what kind of person he was!" [48]
Obata said that he did not receive advance notice regarding Matt, who had the character concept of "a young man who loves gaming and doesn't really care much about the world." Obata said that he remembered seeing the thumbnails and asking his editor "Who's this character?!" The thumbnails gave Matt a bowl haircut and goggles; Obata instead drew "what I liked." Obata added that he could "create Matt naturally" as he had a "he probably won't do much" mentality regarding characters introduced in the Near and Mello arc. His birthday is February 1, 1990. [49]
Roger Ruvie [ ]
Roger Ruvie ( ロジャー・ラヴィー Rojā Ravī ? ) , appearing in the manga and anime versions, acts as the manager of Wammy's House when Watari is not present; he is aware of the statuses of L and Watari. At the end of the manga he becomes the new Watari for Near. His birthday is April 29, 1939. He cannot stand children, preferring to be in the company of insects, according to Death Note: How To Read 13. He is voiced by Hiroshi Ōtake in Japanese and Ron Halder in English.
Special Provision for Kira [ ]
The characters in the Special Provision for Kira, usually abbreviated "SPK", appear solely in the anime and manga versions. The SPK is a group of "elite" anti-Kira Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation members headed by Near. Membership of the group remains small to preserve secrecy and the group decides to work separately from the Japanese task force. [50] Many of the SPK are later killed with the Death Note by the mafia due to leaked information, which is never directly mentioned in the anime (in the Rewrite 2 special aired on Japanese television on August 22, 2008, the mafia are omitted, with Light instead blackmailing the US President to leak out info about the SPK, which is transmitted to Takada and Mikami, whom he then has kill the SPK).
Ohba said that, in terms of visual character design, he wrote descriptions such as "Commander" and "Spy" in rough drafts. He let Obata create the rest of the details. [51] Ohba said that he considered having all of the Task Force members die "in a heroic way." [21]
Obata said that he drew the SPK "without thinking too much" when the group first appeared in Chapter 60. Obata heard that Mello sent a spy, so he tried to make a character look "suspicious looking." Obata said that he had to "work hard" on all of the characters since he did not know which ones would survive. Obata said that he believes that his drawing skills relating to "foreign characters" are poor; he says that he imagines the characters being "from so far away" and that he forgets how to draw them. [49]
Stephen Gevanni [ ]
Stephen Gevanni ( ステファン・ジェバンニ Sutefan Jebannī ? ) , whose real name is Stephen Loud ( ステファン・ラウド Sutefan Raudo ? ) , works for Near as part of his investigation team. Gevanni is assigned to follow Mikami for much of the case, and it is his meticulous analysis of Mikami's personal habits which allow him to find Mikami's Death Note and swap it with a fake.
Gevanni skillfully follows and monitors suspects and has abilities such as the skill of picking locks. [52]
He is voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in the Japanese anime with Sam Vincent providing the English voice.
Ohba described Gevanni as a "good-looking hotshot" who received an invitation to join Near's team because of his skills. His birthday is September 1, 1982. [5]
Halle Lidner [ ]
Halle Lidner ( ハル・リドナー Haru Ridonā ? ) , whose real name is Halle Bullook ( ハル・ブロック Haru Burokku ? ) , works for Near as part of his investigation team. Halle is a former CIA agent who leaks information to Mello in order to increase the chances of Kira being caught. She is voiced by Akeno Watanabe in the Japanese anime with Lisa Ann Beley providing the English voice.
Ohba said that Halle, who has a "strong core", wanted to capture Kira as the Yotsuba Kira killed an acquaintance "close to her." Her birthday is February 18, 1980. [51] [53]
Anthony Rester [ ]
Commander Anthony Rester ( アンソニー・レスター Ansonī Resutā ? ) , real name Anthony Carter ( アンソニー・カーター Ansonī Kātā ? ) , is the second-in-command and the lead crime scene investigator. Rester follows Near except in emergency situations. Near trusts Rester and sometimes reveals certain information solely to Rester. How to Read states that Rester's "quiet personality" and physical capabilities serve useful functions in the SPK. The book also states that Rester is "far below" Near in terms of intellectual prowess. [52]
Rester is voiced by Masaki Aizawa in Japanese with Michael Adamthwaite providing the English voice. In the last episode of the anime, his name is spelled wrong on the Death Note .
Ohba said that Rester was the captain of a special forces squad before joining Near's team. His birthday is January 6, 1968. [51]
Other SPK members [ ]
- Ill Ratt ( イル・ラット Iru Ratto ? ) , real name Shawn Dunleavy ( ショーン・ダンリービー Shōn Danrībī ? ) , is a member of the SPK who is also a spy for Mello. He dies due to the Death Note by shooting himself in the head. In the anime, he is not revealed to be a spy.
- John McEnroe ( John Matckenraw ( ジョン・マッケンロー Jōn Makkenrō ? ) in the Japanese version), real name Larry Conners ( ラリー・コナーズ Rarī Konāzu ? ) , is a SPK member and FBI officer. When his members were purged his death is assumed. He is voiced in English by Ted Cole [53]
- Ellickson Gardner ( Ellickson Guardner ( エリクソン・ガードナー Erikuson Gādonā ? ) in the Japanese version), real name Ellickson Thomas ( エリクソン・トーマス Erikuson Tōmasu ? ) , is a SPK member who dies from the Death Note after an SPK leak; he succumbs to a heart attack. [53]
- In addition, more dead members are shown in the Rewrite 2 special, with two named as Adolph Tucker and Kurt McBride.
Ryotaro Sakajo [ ]
Ryotaro Sakajo ( 坂城 良太郎 Sakajō Ryōtarō ? ) as a character is present only in the films. He is the assistant director during the filming of Misa Amane's "Misa-Misa's Happy Sweets" video. He is obsessed with Misa, collecting a used tissue of hers after she throws it in the trash. In a sequence bridged between the two films, Sakajo corners Misa and brandishes a knife, stating that he wishes to die with her. Gelus, a shinigami watching from the Shinigami realm, kills him to save Misa's life. In doing so, Gelus dies and Rem, who was watching, finds it only fitting to grant possession of his notebook to the human that he loved. Since Rem was the first Shinigami to touch the dead Gelus's noteook, she gained possession of that one.
Sachiko Yagami [ ]
Voiced by: Ai Satō (Japanese), Saffron Henderson (English)
Sachiko Yagami ( 夜神 幸子 Yagami Sachiko ? ) is wife of Soichiro Yagami and the mother of Light. Like her daughter Sayu, she is unaware of Light ever being Kira even after his death. She is portrayed by Michiko Godai in the live-action films.
Artist Takeshi Obata did not have any real concept behind the design of Sachiko stating his difficulty in drawing female characters who played minor roles. [14] Author Tsugumi Ohba considers both Sachiko and Sayu as the purest characters in the series stating that he could not "sense any evil or twistedness from these two at all." The Yagami family is thought to be the most "pitiful" characters in the book by both creators with Ohba later adding that he felt sympathy for mother and daughter. [6]
Sayu Yagami [ ]
Voiced by: Haruka Kudō (Japanese), Kelly Metzger (English) , and Kristie Marsden (English film).
Sayu Yagami ( 夜神 粧裕 Yagami Sayu ? ) is Light's kindhearted younger sister. Like her mother she never learns of Light's possession of the Death Note or his identity as Kira. In the manga and anime, Mello's gang kidnaps her in exchange for the Death Note possessed by the investigation team. Although being returned unharmed, Sayu falls into a state of shock, eventually becoming unresponsive to the presence of others. In the live-action films her character is portrayed by actress Hikari Mitsushima , and since the mafia does not play a role, she is not kidnapped.
Though not having any real concept behind Sayu's design, artist Takeshi Obata states that he often encounters difficulty in drawing female characters not central to the storyline. [14] Author Tsugumi Ohba considers Sayu and her mother as two of the purest characters in the series, stating that he could not "sense any evil or twistedness from these two at all." Both creators added that they considered the Yagami family to be the most pitiful characters in the book; Ohba later added that he felt sympathy for Sayu and her mother. [6] Her birthday is June 18, 1989.
Sanami ( 佐波 ? ) only appears in the film adaptation of Death Note , portrayed by Miyuki Komatsu . She is the only female team member of the Kira investigation team, as opposed to the all-male team in the manga and anime. In the second film, she tends to Misa during her captivity and is more critical of the methods used by the investigation team, often calling them cruel. Her dub voice actress is Janyse Jaud .
Shiori Akino [ ]
Shiori Akino ( 秋野 詩織 Akino Shiori ? ) is a film-exclusive character, portrayed by Yuu Kashii . She is Light's girlfriend, classmate at To-Oh University ( 東応大学 Tōō Daigaku ? ) [54] , and childhood friend. Shiori dreams of working in law enforcement and feels some envy stemming from Light's abilities. Shiori disagrees with Kira's methods, stating that she does not like the terror they incite; she believes that the law should judge criminals. Shiori argues with the "pro-Kira" Light, unaware of the fact that Light is Kira. Kashii describes Shiori as a "very innocent" and "ordinary" girl who "believes in justice." Kashii believed that Shiori's way of thinking is closest to that of audiences of the Death Note film. [55] Light writes Shiori's name and the name of Naomi Misora in the Death Note, arranging the scenario to make it look like Naomi killed Shiori in a botched kidnapping scenario trying to expose Kira.
Shusuke Kaneko , director of the film, said that he created Shiori after reading the original Death Note manga. [55] [56] In an interview printed in Weekly Shonen Jump , the creators of the film stated that Shiori was added to the story to highlight Light's negative aspects. [57] Kaneko said that he needed Shiori to "deliver Light's badness to the audience." [55]
In the production notes Kashii said that she felt excited to portray Shiori and wondered if the audience could accept her character. [55] Kitty Sensei of OtakuZone had her opinions of the film portrayal of Shiori published in The Star , a Malaysian newspaper. In it Kitty Sensei said that she felt concern about what the addition of Shiori "would affect our dear, megalomaniac Light. Will he be a softer version of the Light from the manga?" Kitty Sensei said that after watching the film she felt that Shiori "only strengthens the portrayal of Light" and that she "provides one of the gasp-worthy moments of the movie." [58]
Shiroi is dubbed by Ashleigh Ball for the English dub of Death Note.
United States Executive Branch [ ]
David hoope [ ].
David Hoope ( デイビット・ホープ Deibitto Hōpu ? ) is the President of the United States of America in the storyline. He assists in the formation of Near's SPK, and provides information and funding to Mello under threats of the Death Note. He turns to Light, believing that he is the real L, who manipulates him into providing assistance and attacking Mello's hideout. When the attack fails, President Hoope commits suicide to prevent Mello from writing his name and making him launch a nuclear strike. How to Read 13 states "It's believed that Kira disposed of him." [59] In the second Rewrite special, the mafia plot is omitted, with Light instead blackmailing him to leak information about the SPK. Light in turn forwards this information to Takada and Mikami, and they kill the SPK.
In the anime, he does not commit suicide as the character was merged with that of George Sairas. He is voiced by Aruno Tahara in the Japanese anime. Michael Dobson provides the English voice.
George Sairas [ ]
George Sairas ( George Psyeruth ( ジョージ・サイラス Jōji Sairasu ? ) in the Japanese version) is the Vice President of the United States in the manga version. When Hoope dies Sairas becomes the President. He capitulates to Kira and officially announces support for him. In addition, Sairas leaks secret information about the SPK. How to Read 13 describes Sairas as "weak-willed" and "clearly lacking as a leader." [59]
Beyond Birthday [ ]
Beyond Birthday ( ビヨンド・バースデイ Biyondo Bāsudei ? ) or BB , a character exclusive to the Death Note prequel novel, "Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases", is a crazed serial murderer bent on surpassing L - not by being the world's greatest detective, but by being the world's greatest criminal. The novel, a prequel to the manga series, takes place in August 2002, over a year before Light became Kira. The only thing known about his past before going to Wammy's House is that his father was beaten to death by a thug and his mother died in a train crash. Like L, Mello, Matt and Near, he lived in Wammy's House and was known as B, which stood for "Backup." A, the original successor to L, [ clarification needed ] had killed himself years earlier due to the pressure of living up to L. Birthday was born with Shinigami eyes , so he could see when humans would die, and their names. Using his shinigami eyes, he would intentionally kill people on their destined day of death.
To fool Naomi Misora, he acted and dressed like L during Naomi and L's investigation, calling himself Rue Ryuzaki ( 竜崎 ルエ Ryūzaki Rue ? ) , with "Rue" being the inverse of the Japanese pronunciation of L (エル Eru ), and Ryuzaki being a nickname L later adopts. He was always in heavy makeup when with Naomi, so his true appearance is unknown. He killed 3 victims, Backyard Bottomslash, Quarter Queen, and Believe Bridesmaid, while leaving clues at each murder scene for Naomi Misora to "solve." In reality, he himself led her to each conclusion she made.
He attempted to commit suicide at the end of the novel, by setting himself on fire, to look like the final victim. He felt that L would never be able to solve the case if he, the murderer, were "murdered", meaning he would have outwitted L. Naomi Misora, however, figured out his plan at the last moment, saving Beyond Birthday's life while at the same time putting him under arrest for his murders. At the very end of the novel, the narrator, Mello, states that Beyond Birthday died of a mysterious heart attack several years later in prison. According to Death Note How to Read 13 , he was killed by Kira and the Death Note.
Taro Kagami [ ]
Taro Kagami ( 鏡 太郎 Kagami Tarō ? ) was the protagonist of the original Death Note pilot story, which differs greatly from the final series. While walking home from school one day, 13-year-old Taro Kagami finds the Death Note on the ground, and thinking it to be an ordinary journal, he writes down the names of people who had been bullying him. The next day, these bullies are reported dead, and Ryuk appears to Taro that night. Soon, the police get involved, and Kagami uses an eraser to revive the dead bullies. As the police interrogate the bullies, the bullies and the two police officers die; as it turns out, Ryuk's other note fell into one of Kagami's friends' hands. The police officers and the bullies are brought back to life again, and Kagami keeps one Death Note while the other is burned. At the end of the chapter, a 20-year-old Kagami is seen with Ryuk following him.
This version of the story is significantly more horror-based, and Death Note 13: How to Read describes the pilot chapter Ryuk as "really lazy" and "incompetent". [60] Taro subsequently became the inspiration for the character of Teru Mikami; Mikami greatly resembles him, down to the flashbacks of him in his youth.
The Creator of 'Death Note' Is A Very Mysterious Man
Tsugumi Ohba made one of the most popular manga franchises in the world. No one knows his real name.

Tsugumi Ohba isn’t a known comic book legend, like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, or Frank Miller, but his impact on pop culture over the past decade has been monumental. If only we knew anything about him.
Tsugumi Ohba, the man behind the juggernaut anime and manga series Death Note , is largely an unknown entity. He goes by a pseudonym, and has only given a few interviews. Friday’s release of Netflix’s feature film adaptation of Death Note means that audience members who want to learn more about the man behind the story will be looking for a ghost. His gender wasn’t even public until the inside cover profile of Ohba’s comedy-romance manga Bakuman in 2008, where Ohba was described with male pronouns.
What we know most about are Ohba’s personal convictions. In the special 13th volume of Death Note , which served as an encyclopedic guide to his supernatural thriller series, Ohba revealed that there was no main theme for Death Note , but that he did believe in making the most out of life. “Humans will all eventually die and never come back to life, so let’s give it our all while we’re alive,” he wrote. He also said that “no human has the right to pass judgment on another’s actions” and that “No one should play God.”

A collection of Tsugumi Ohba's 'Death Note' manga, in volume format.
In Death Note , a brilliant teenager named Light Yagami picks up a cursed notebook that allows him to kill anybody just by writing their names. It’s always been curious that Light, who slowly morphs from anti-hero to antagonist by the end, depended on knowing his victim’s real names, as Ohba has long avoided giving his away.
Blending supernatural horror with all the intrigue of a police procedural and a psychological thriller, Death Note is arguably Ohba’s most popular work to date. The manga was a hit when it was first published in 2003, and became a phenomenon after the anime adaptation premiered in 2006. Since then, some 30 million copies of all twelve volumes have been sold. The franchise has spawned several live-action films, video games, an avalanche of merchandise, a stage musical, and (somewhat redundant) a live-action TV drama in 2015. The American film adaptation is directed by Adam Wingard ( The Guest ).
But it’s important not to think too hard about Death Note , because Ohba himself did not do so. “I did not put much deep thought into subjects like ‘life and death’ or ‘justice and evil,’” he said. “I wrote the story hoping that it would be good entertainment.” Based on Ohba’s biggest influences, which he listed in a 2012 interview with manga publisher Viz , Ohba seems invested in just having fun. His biggest role models Fujio Fujiko ( Doraemon ), Fujio Akatsuka, and Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of Super Sentai , which was adapted into the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers .
Ohba worked on the original manga with illustrator Takeshi Obata, his favorite professional collaborator. In almost all of Ohba’s mangas, it’s Obata’s artwork that helps tell his stories. In that same Viz interview, Ohba spoke highly of his partner, saying:
“My impression of Obata Sensei is that he’s a very serious and sensitive person. I cannot express how lucky I was to have him do the art for my series. I cannot pretend to know so much that I can say he improved and in what way, but I do believe his ability to express himself through art continues to get better and better.”
Ohba also revealed a little bit about his own insecurities as a creator. He said he emphatically relates to Kazuya Hiramaru, one of his characters from Bakuman , a dramatically different story than the very dark Death Note . “I’m constantly thinking: ‘I can’t write anymore! I don’t want to! I want to run away!!’”
After Death Note , Ohba and Obata teamed up in 2008 for Bakuman , a comedy about a lovestruck manga creator who creates a successful series just so the object of his affection can live out her dream of becoming a voice actress. After Bakuman finished in 2012, Ohba took a small break — he did one one-shot manga with the popular artist Robico, titled Skip! Yamada-kun in 2014 — until he returned in 2015 with Platinum End , another supernatural fantasy about a suicidal teenager rescued by her guardian angel, which is distinctly less dark and cynical than the franchise that made him famous.
Death Note will begin streaming on Netflix on August 25.
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‘death note’: 5 things to know about the netflix adaptation and the original manga.
The reimagining of the cult-favorite Japanese franchise from the global streaming giant is the latest Hollywood stab at a manga adaptation, none of which has yet hit the mark.
By Gavin J Blair
Gavin J Blair
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The Adam Wingard-directed Death Note movie hits Netflix on Friday. The adaptation of the hit Japanese franchise based on a manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata that began its run in 2003 stars Nat Wolff, Margaret Qualley , Keith Stanfield and Willem Dafoe .
The story has been relocated from Japan to Seattle and the project faced the almost obligatory “whitewashing” criticism when the casting was announced.
Netflix though will likely be more concerned with whether Death Note is a hit with its subscribers or suffers the fate of other unsuccessful manga /anime adaptations such as Ghost in the Shell and Dragon Ball Z .
Early critical reaction has largely not been favorable.
Here are five things to know about the manga re-imagining:
1. What is a “Death Note”?
A Death Note is a notebook owned by a “ shinigami ” (Japanese death god) that causes anyone whose name is written in it — and a picture of their face to avoid mistaken identity — to die. The lifespan of the human victim is added to that of the death god, maintaining their immortality.
In the Netflix version, the book is found by Wolff’s character Light Turner and summons death god Ryuk , voiced by Willem Defoe. Light and his girlfriend, played by Qualley ( The Leftovers ), use the book to rid the world of baddies, with Stanfield’s mysterious L trying to uncover the source behind the mayhem. Although transported stateside, the main thrust of the story stays mostly faithful to the original.
2. A “whitewashing” controversy was all but guaranteed, though the original manga creators are cool with it
With the new version set in the U.S., a non-Japanese cast was all but inevitable, as was the accompanying online “whitewashing” outrage. While Ghost in the Shell could have more easily gone with a more diverse cast, a group of Japanese characters in a Seattle high school would have required some serious storyline gymnastics. As with Ghost in the Shell , fans in the U.S. seem far more concerned about the issue than those in Japan.
Both original manga writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Obata have given their blessing.
“Thanks to the beautiful imagery and the thrilling direction by Adam Wingard , the movie is a magnificent A-level thriller masterpiece. The characters are all faithful to satisfying their desires. I’ve always wanted to write a Death Note like this, as well,” said Ohba .
“There was a high level of quality, sophistication, and attention to every detail. This is what a Hollywood Death Note movie should be. Personally, I was engrossed with the ending. In a good way, it both followed and diverged from the original work so the film can be enjoyed, of course by not only the fans, but also by a much larger and wider audience,” added Obata .
The extra royalty checks from what has already been a very lucrative franchise for the two artists may have played a part in their satisfaction.
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3. The director wanted to cast Bowie and Prince as the death god
The project has been in the pipeline for years, after attracting attention from multiple studios. Wingard took the project from Warner Bros. to Netflix, and while he was thinking about casting, two of the stars he wanted for death god Ryuk died, a somewhat spooky occurrence given the nature of the storyline.
“Well, as a matter of fact, David Bowie was actually originally who I wanted [to be the voice of] Ryuk — but then David Bowie died. And then the second person on my list was Prince, weirdly enough — and then he died. And I was like, we got to stop, we’re literally killing them off. Which is really morbid, but it was true,” Wingard told Gizmodo .
4. The manga was banned in China and linked to “copycat” crimes
School authorities in Shenyang, China, banned the manga in 2005 after students were found with imitation Death Note books in which they had written the names of classmates, enemies and teachers. The ban was later widened to major cities including Beijing and Shanghai.
Bans were also attempted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Russia, though they ultimately failed. Students from South Carolina to Sydney, Australia, found themselves in hot water after being discovered with Death Note books containing the names of students and teachers.
In Belgium in 2007, notes referencing Death Note were found near the body of a slain man; four people were arrested for his murder in 2010.
5. It’s already a massive multimedia franchise, but will Netflix develop its own?
The stand-alone editions of the original manga sold more than 30 million copies in Japan. The franchise also spawned an acclaimed 37-episode anime series, illustrated novels, a live-action TV series, video games and even a musical that played in Japan and South Korea. A series of live-action films took more than $120 million at the Japanese box office.
Wingard’s film deals with the first part of the story, and the manga ran to more than 100 chapters, so there is more than enough material for further Netflix movies and/or a series. However, with Netflix seemingly more ready to can unpopular original shows recently, any further productions will probably be dependent on the success of the first movie.
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Death Note: The Last Name

Picking up where the first one leaves off, Light joins the task force searching for Kira in an effort to avert suspicion from himself---and get rid of L. Picking up where the first one leaves off, Light joins the task force searching for Kira in an effort to avert suspicion from himself---and get rid of L. Picking up where the first one leaves off, Light joins the task force searching for Kira in an effort to avert suspicion from himself---and get rid of L.
- Shûsuke Kaneko
- Tsugumi Ôba
- Takeshi Obata
- Tetsuya Oishi
- Tatsuya Fujiwara
- Ken'ichi Matsuyama
- 54 User reviews
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- 1 win & 1 nomination
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- Light Yagami

- Kiyomi Takada
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- Saeko Nishiyama

- Sachiko Yagami

- Sayu Yagami

- (as Aoyama Sôta)

- Ayako Yoshino

- Kazuhiko Hibima

- Saeki Keisatsuchô chôkan
- Sakura TV jôshi B
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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- Trivia The film is dedicated: "In Memory of Hiroshi Takase ." Takase was the Director of Photography for the first Death Note movie, who died just after finishing it.
- Goofs All entries contain spoilers
Ryuuk : Who the hell told you you could lean on me?
- Connections Features Death Note (2006)
- Soundtracks Snow (Hey Oh) Performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
User reviews 54
- themovieclub
- Dec 26, 2006
- How long is Death Note: The Last Name? Powered by Alexa
- November 3, 2006 (Japan)
- United States
- Warner Bros. (Japan)
- Death Note 2
- Kitakyûshû City, Fukuoka, Japan
- Nikkatsu Studio
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- $47,919,757
Technical specs
- Runtime 2 hours 21 minutes
- Dolby Digital
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Death Note: The Last Name
- View history
Death Note: The Last Name is the second film in the Death Note live-action film series . It follows closely after the first film , telling the second arc of the story.
The Last Name deviates from the manga and anime , although the ultimate conclusion remains the same. There is no time skip between the first and second films, and Near and Mello are omitted from the story. Instead, the first two films keep the battle between Light Yagami and L .
The Last Name is followed by the spin-off film L: Change the WorLd and the sequel Death Note: Light Up the NEW World .
- 3 Release and reception
- 4 DVD and Blu-ray
- 5 Image gallery
- 6 References

L and Light
The Last Name picks up from the end of the previous film, beginning with Light attending his girlfriend 's funeral (whom he killed using the Death Note). Using these events to foster hatred for Kira , Light asks to join the investigation team when his father checked on him. While Soichiro Yagami is slightly reluctant, L immediately grants his wish.
Later Misa Amane , using her Shinigami Eyes , kills Kanzo Mogi and two policemen while at Sakura TV , attempting to attract attention from Kira. Sayu Yagami was also almost killed until her father Soichiro crashed into the festival wearing a motorcycle helmet. The ordeal was being broadcasted live on television, and Light and L view the events from the Task Force headquarters. Soon after viewing Sayu being taken to safety and away from the cameras, Light arrives at the station to check on Sayu and his father. At this point, Misa sees Light and realizes that he is Kira, due to him having no Lifespan beneath his name.
Misa looks up the name 'Light Yagami' on her computer and is able to find his address on the internet. Much like in the manga and anime, Misa arrives at Light's house with Rem and the Death Note, and offers to help Light, however, she can. After Light asks why she is willing to do so much for him, Rem explains to Light that Misa's family was murdered. The events leading to Misa's dedication to Kira are shown through a flashback, narrated by Rem. After coming home from school, Misa enters her house and finds the bodies of her parents and young brother on the floor, lying in pools of blood. Misa is horrified and then looks up to see the murderer exiting her house through a window. She gets a good look at his face, and the man is later taken to court. Misa's testimony, however, is not enough to convict the man, and the killer walks free. While reading a newspaper, Misa sees an article saying that her family's killer is dead, and the death is thought by some to be the work of Kira. Misa begins to consider Kira her savior for bringing the murderer of her family to justice.

Misa offers to let Light keep her Death Note.
After hearing Misa's story, Light states that he still isn't sure about letting her join him, as she could turn him into the police after learning too much information, lead to his capture through reckless tactics and mistakes, or kill him. In an attempt to win his trust, Misa offers Light her Death Note, saying that he can keep it and be sure that she won't hinder his goals. She explains that as long as she doesn't technically give up ownership of the book, it will still belong to her and she can keep her Shinigami Eyes. She further states that if he must, Light can even kill her.
Misa is unable hold back her feelings for Light and goes to meet him in college. Shortly after she is arrested by L and interrogated for days. Rem threatens Light into coming up with a plan to rescue Misa. Light surrenders himself to L and is placed into solitary confinement, where he gives up ownership of his notebook, which he buried in the forest.
Rem, under Light's orders, hands over Misa's notebook to TV host and Kira supporter, Kiyomi Takada . She begins killing criminals as the third Kira, but is tracked down and surrounded by police. All the investigators present examine her notebook, giving Light his memories back.
Light kills Takada to regain ownership of his Death Note and gets Misa to retrieve the buried notebook. After Misa resumes killing for a few days, L, suspicious of the 13 day rule, sends Soichiro and the task force to hand off the notebook to the FBI to be tested on death row inmates. When L brings Misa to the headquarters, Rem is forced to kill L and Watari . After they both die, Rem dies for intentionally killing someone to extend Misa's lifespan, but as his body crumbles to ash he sets his notebook on fire to make sure that Light wouldn't get his hands on it.
Light then uses Misa's notebook to manipulate his father into giving him the other notebook. However, Light is surrounded by the police. L shows up, having avoided death by writing his name in the Death Note to die 3 weeks in advance. He replaced Misa's notebook with a fake, and had the task force surveil Light from another location, witnessing him reveal himself as Kira. He admits that he didn't expect Rem to be on Light's side, and that letting Watari die was his "last defeat".
After Light's failed attempt to kill the task force with a Death Note scrap in his watch and much argument with L and Soichiro, Light pleads with Ryuk to kill the task force. Ryuk then agrees but writes Light's name in the Death Note, telling Light that anyone who uses the Death Note is banned from heaven and hell and will instead spend eternity in nothingness. Light dies in his father's arms begging him to believe he acted as Kira to carry out justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood. Soichiro goes home and lies to his wife and daughter, telling them that Light was killed by Kira. L orders the destruction of both notebooks, causing Misa to lose her memories yet again. She is never tried for her crimes and is let go.
23 days later, L has one last conversation with Soichiro, telling him that he was a great father and apologizing for not being able to save Light. Soichiro tells L that is was an honor to work for him and salutes him. L says that "it's time" and gets Soichiro to leave. L dies shortly after, looking at a picture of Watari.
A year later, Light's family is still mourning his death, as the world is slowly starting to suspect that Kira may truly be gone for good. An amnesiac Misa holds a vigil in her apartment over Light, as the camera moves to show Ryuk laughing and flying around Tokyo Tower.
- "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Snow (Hey Oh)" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (Closing)
- Sound of Death Note the Last Name - original soundtrack
Release and reception [ ]

The film's alternative English cover
Death Note: The Last Name premiered on November 3, 2006 and instantly topped the Japanese box office. It remained at number one for four straight weeks and grossed 5.5 billion yen in Japan by the end of the year, making it one of the year's highest grossing Japanese films.
It was released in Hong Kong on November 3, 2006, in Taiwan on November 24, 2006, in Singapore on December 28, 2006, and in Malaysia on January 25, 2007, with English and Chinese subtitles.
Christy Lee S.W. of The Star , in her review of the second film, stated that Kaneko "did a good job" in pacing the film, adding that the increased pacing towards the end made some of the content difficult to understand. She also said that screenwriter Tetsuya Oishi made sure the characters were "well fleshed out" and easily empathized with.
DVD and Blu-ray [ ]
On September 27, 2006, prior to the film's release, a special 15-minute DVD was made available by rental services titled, Profile Report from L . It contained stills from the series, along with music videos and advertisements.
The film was released on DVD in Japan on March 14, 2007. Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name were released together the same month in a complete set that also included a bonus DVD, bonus CD, and booklet in a special box. A limited number of complete boxes were "lucky sets" that had alternate art for the bonus DVD cover, using the cover of Misa Amane 's Death Note instead of the regular cover of Light's Death Note.
The two films were again re-released together in a Blu-ray box on November 23, 2011, to celebrate the film's fifth anniversary. The box included making-of footage, the menu video, and the film trailer on DVD, along with director's audio commentary and a message from actors Tatsuya Fujiwara and Erika Toda, who played Light Yagami and Misa Amane, respectively. The DVD was priced down and reissued in October 2016 to commemorate the release of Death Note: Light Up the NEW World .
The film was released on DVD in North America by Viz Media on September 16, 2008. The DVD included both the English subtitled and English dubbed versions. Viz Media later re-released the film on Blu-Ray.

The collector's edition of the DVD exclusive to France
The film was re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray in North America by Funimation on January 22, 2019. It was subtitled and bundled with Death Note , but unlike their previous North American release, these versions are not dubbed. They were released alongside Death Note: Light Up the NEW World . [2]
In France, a collector's edition of the DVD was sold. It came in a white box resembling a Death Note and "Who lives? Who dies?" was written on it in French.
Image gallery [ ]

References [ ]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Converted using December 2006 exchange rate of 0.0085.
- ↑ Funimation Licenses Japanese Live-Action Death Note Films , Anime News Network , 2018 September 21.
- 1 L (character)
- 2 Light Yagami
- 3 Misa Amane

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Baby Names inspired by Death Note
Naming a baby is often considered one of the most important decisions parents have to make. After all, it is the first gift you give your child, and one that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. While some parents opt for traditional names with deep meanings, others look for inspiration in pop culture. In recent years, Death Note has become a popular source of inspiration for new parents seeking unique and edgy names for their little ones.
Death Note is a manga series turned anime that has garnered a massive following around the world. It tells the story of Light Yagami, a genius high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook that possesses the power to kill anyone whose name is written on its pages. As Light embarks on his quest to cleanse the world of criminals, he encounters several interesting characters with equally unique names.
From Lawliet to Ryuk, Death Note boasts an array of distinctive and intriguing names that would make any baby stand out from the crowd. In this article, we have compiled a list of some of the best first names inspired by Death Note anime. Whether you're an avid fan or just looking for something out-of-the-box, we've got you covered! So take a look at our list and get ready to find the perfect name for your little bundle of joy!
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Rice paddy near a tree
- Kida is a name that appears briefly in the Death Note anime as the alias used by Light Yagami when he infiltrates L's team of investigators. As Kida, Light pretends to be a high school student from Los Angeles who has come to Japan to study criminal psychology. However, his real identity is soon discovered by L, and he is forced to abandon his disguise and return to his role as Kira. The name itself does not hold any significant meaning or symbolism within the context of the story.
- Meaning: Sacred and beautiful, Clean and Clear
- Namesakes: Kiyomi Tsujimoto (Japanese politician) , Kiyomi Kato (Olympic wrestler)
- This name belongs to the character Kiyomi Takada, a beautiful and intelligent graduate student in the Death Note anime series. She becomes one of Light Yagami's allies and helps him with his plan to create a new world.
- Origin: German, Hebrew and English
- Meaning: Grace, Ewe and Doe
- Raye Penber is one of several FBI agents sent to track down Kira before being killed by Light using Death Note when he realizes he's being followed.
- Origin: Irish, Persian, Russian and Greek
- Meaning: Light, Lady and Sun
- Namesakes: Kira Miró (Movie Actress) , Kira Kosarin (TV Actress)
- The main antagonist of the Death Note anime series, Kira is actually a pseudonym for Light Yagami, a high school student who finds a powerful notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes in it.
- Meaning: Color, Writings + child and Design
- Namesakes: Japanese actor, Ayako Wakao, professional golfer, Ayako Okamoto
- An accomplished dancer known for her gracefulness and poise,Ayako has won many competitions with her impeccable moves.She is also a kind-hearted person who volunteers for charities and helps those in need.
- Origin: Word name
- The protagonist of the anime, Light Yagami is a highly intelligent high school student who finds a mystical notebook called Death Note that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes in it. He uses this power to rid the world of criminals and create a utopia but attracts the attention of a famed detective named L.
- Meaning: Child of joy and Bliss
- Namesakes: Sachiko Kokubu (Japanese, Actress) , Japanese singer, Sachiko Kobayashi
- Sachiko Yagami is Light's mother, who initially has no idea about her son using Death Note until much later in the series when she discovers it hidden away under his bed.
- Meaning: Careful and Genuine
- Namesakes: Pop Singer, Shingo Katori, Shingo Murakami (Pop Singer)
- Shingo Mido is an FBI agent from the United States who appears in the Death Note anime series. He is sent to Japan to investigate the Kira case and assist L in capturing Light Yagami.
- Meaning: Precious, Bright tree and Excellence
- Namesakes: Hideki Okajima (Baseball Player) , Hideki Shirakawa (Chemist)
- Hideki Ryuga is an alias used by L, one of the main characters in the Death Note anime series. L is a genius detective who works tirelessly to catch Kira, even putting himself at risk.
- Meaning: Warrior, Military and Bamboo
- Namesakes: Takeshi Kitano (Director) , Takeshi Kaneshiro (Movie Actor)
- A naturally gifted artist with a unique perspective on the world around him, Takeshi creates breathtaking paintings that capture the essence of his subjects in vivid detail.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Namesakes: Matt Damon (Movie Actor) , Matt Smith (TV Actor)
- One of the members of the task force assigned to catch Kira (Light), Matt is quiet and reserved but skilled at hacking and technology.
- Soichiro Yagami was head investigator on Task Force which aimed at catching Kira alongside L Lawliet whose daughter - Sayu - got kidnapped as leverage against them while they were trying to test assumptions about their suspect without solid evidence.
- Meaning: Shine
- Namesakes: Teru Fukui (Japanese politician)
- Teru Mikami is one of Kira's most ardent followers in the last arc of the series, becoming the new owner of one of Death Note books. He was originally a prosecutor driven overboard by his devotion for justice.
- Meaning: Beautiful happiness and Sea and sand
- Namesakes: Japanese, Actress, Misa Uehara, Misa Shimizu (Japanese actor)
- A famous model and actress, Misa Amane becomes involved with Light after finding another Death Note. She falls in love with him and helps him carry out his plan to create a new world.
- Meaning: Wise one
- Namesakes: Voice Actor, Kenichi Suzumura, Movie Actor, Kenichi Matsuyama
- A gifted athlete who excels at martial arts, Kenichi has perfected his craft through years of training and dedication. He is agile, quick-witted, and fearless in combat situations.
- Origin: English and Hebrew
- Meaning: God has given, God's gift and Gentle
- Namesakes: Nate Ruess (Pop Singer) , Basketball Player, Nate Robinson
- In Death Note: Another Note (The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases), Nate Rivers is an alias used by Naomi Misora as she investigates serial killings occurring in Los Angeles.
- Meaning: Respectful and
- Namesakes: Voice actress, Yoshino Nanjō, Japanese actor, Yoshino Kimura
- In the Death Note anime, Yoshino is the name of a minor character who is a member of the Yotsuba Group. She is smart and ambitious, but also ruthless and willing to go to any lengths to achieve her goals. Despite her cold demeanor, she has a soft spot for one of her fellow members, which ultimately leads to her downfall.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Beauty and Abundance
- Namesakes: Pop Singer, Yumi Yoshimura, Movie Actress, Yumi Adachi
- An accomplished musician with a golden voice, Yumi enchants everyone who hears her sing. Her music speaks to the soul and lifts the spirits of all those who listen.
- Meaning: Excellent
- A brilliant scientist whose intellect defies comprehension, Suguru has made groundbreaking discoveries that have advanced our understanding of the universe we inhabit.
- Origin: Dutch and English
- Namesakes: Rem Koolhaas (Dutch architect)
- Rem was second Shinigami in Death Note who served the main death god, Ryuk. Rem developed an admiration towards Misa and was willing to help her out several times throughout the series.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Priceless, Flourishing and From Antium
- Namesakes: Anthony Hopkins (Movie Actor) , Movie Actor, Anthony Michael Hall
- Anthony Rester is another member of L's investigative team featured prominently throughout various episodes of Death Notes' first season when they're trying hard to catch light yagami otherwise known as "KIRA".
- Meaning: Generous
- Namesakes: Voice Actor, Hiroshi Kamiya, Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestler)
- A computer whiz with an eye for detail, Hiroshi can navigate complex systems with ease. He possesses an innate curiosity about how technology works and is always eager to learn more about it.
- Origin: Hebrew, German, English, French and Word name
- Meaning: Wise protection, Roe deer and My song
- Namesakes: Rapper, Ray J, Soul Singer, Ray Charles
- Raye Penber is an FBI agent sent to Japan to track down the identity of Kira. He becomes unwittingly involved with Light Yagami, which ultimately leads to his tragic demise.
- Origin: Latin and British
- Meaning: From Laurentium and Crowned with laurel
- Namesakes: Larry King (TV Show Host) , Larry Bird (Basketball Player)
- Larry Conners works for Interpol alongside Raye Penber, investigating suspected connections between multiple deaths around different parts of world due presence of Kira.
- Meaning: Pleasant, Pleasantness and Above all
- Namesakes: Model, Naomi Campbell, Naomi Watts (Movie Actress)
- Naomi Misora is an FBI agent who works with L during their investigation into Kira's identity early on in the series until she suffers an emotional breakdown after discovering her fiancé's death was caused by Kira.
- Origin: Korean and Chinese
- Meaning: Truthful, Handsome and Talented
- Namesakes: Jun Matsumoto (Movie Actor) , Japanese, Actor, Jun Fukuyama
- An intuitive soul with psychic abilities beyond measure, Jun can sense things beyond what others see or feel. She has an uncanny ability to connect with people on a spiritual level.
- Meaning: True
- Namesakes: TV Actress, Maki Horikita, Maki Ohguro (Pop Singer)
- A talented chef with an incredible palate, Maki creates dishes that are both delicious and innovative. Her meals are works of art on a plate, bringing together flavors from different cultures in creative ways.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Crown and Garland
- Namesakes: Stephen King (Novelist) , Stephen Amell (TV Actor)
- Stephen Loud is an FBI agent from Australia who appears briefly in the later episodes of the Death Note anime series as part of worldwide task force working on bringing down Kira.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Famous spearman and Quiet
- Namesakes: Roger Federer (Tennis Player) , Roger Taylor (Drummer)
- Roger Ruvie is one of L's assistants in the Death Note anime series. He provides support both technically and logistically as they work towards catching Kira.
- Meaning: Bookmark
- Namesakes: Shiori Kutsuna (Japanese actress) , Japanese singer, Shiori Tamai
- A beautiful and gentle florist, Shiori is a kind-hearted girl who loves nature and all its wonders. She often creates intricate floral arrangements that showcase her creativity and passion for flowers.
- Meaning: Child of Sayo
- Namesakes: Sayoko Hagiwara (Japanese actress) , Sayoko Kitabatake
- A brilliant and cunning journalist, Sayoko is skilled at uncovering secrets that others try to keep hidden. She has a sharp mind and a tenacious spirit, always seeking the truth no matter what obstacles stand in her way.
- Meaning: Youthful
- Ide is a member of task force investigating Kira alongside Light and L. He is skilled at collecting data from computers and helps track down suspects in the case.
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Ryuk ( Japanese: リューク, Hepburn: Ryūku) is a fictional character in the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. He is a Shinigami that drops a Death Note, a notebook that allows the user to kill anyone simply by knowing their name and face, into the human world to find relief from the boredom of his own realm.
Eru Rōraito, known solely as L, is the world's greatest detective and the main antagonist of the series. He takes on the task of tracking down and arresting Kira. His most noticeable characteristic is the fact that he rarely wears shoes. His disheveled appearance and lack of social etiquette causes people to doubt his position as L.
Death Note is a shounen series created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata. It began as a manga serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump in 2003, and it has been adapted into a live-action Japanese film series beginning in 2006, an anime series in 2006, a musical in 2015, a live-action television drama in 2015, an American film in 2017 ...
Death Note: The Musical will its first English-language concert in London on August 21-22, 2023! ... Death Note (2006 film) Death Note: The Last Name; L: Change the WorLd; Death Note: Genius of the Counterattack; Death Note: New Generation; Death Note: Light Up the NEW World; Film series timeline;
Plot In Tokyo, a disaffected high school student named Light Yagami finds the "Death Note", a mysterious black notebook that can end anyone's life as long as the writer knows both the target's true name and face.
L (エル, Eru) is a world-renowned detective who takes on the challenge of catching the mass murderer known as Kira. In his investigation, L becomes suspicious of Light Yagami and makes it his goal to prove that Light is Kira. L is a very slim, pale, tall young man with messy neck-length black hair and black eyes. One of his most noticeable features is the shadow below each of his eyes, a ...
The main characters of Death Note. From left to right: Misa Amane, Light Yagami, Ryuk, and L. In the fictional stories featured in the Death Note universe, Tsugumi Ohba, the story writer, created characters that lived in a world featuring a notebook in which names written on it would lead to the ones named to die, typically the cause of death ...
Premiered: Fall 2006 Broadcast: Wednesdays at 00:56 (JST) Producers: VAP, Nippon Television Network, Shueisha, D.N. Dream Partners Licensors: VIZ Media Studios: Madhouse Source: Manga Genres: Supernatural, Suspense Themes: Detective, Psychological Demographic: Shounen Duration: 23 min. per ep. Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity) Statistics
The first two films, Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name, were released in 2006 and are the main adaptation of the original series.It keeps the battle between Light and L and features an original ending. It was followed in 2008 by a spin-off film focusing on L, titled L: Change the WorLd.The film also had a novelization which had several notable changes from the film.
Death Note: With Mamoru Miyano, Brad Swaile, Vincent Tong, Ryô Naitô. An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.
Date of Birth: Unknown | Age: Unknown | Zodiac: Unknown | Birthplace: Unknown | Height: Unknown | Weight: Unknown | Blood Type: N/A | Shinigami Rank: 4 Rem, a Shinigami, is one of the many Death Note characters who gets caught up in Kira's "revolution." She, unlike Ryuk, gives a death note to someone (as well as a special gift) for an honorable reason.
5 9 comments Best adventurelamp • 6 yr. ago It is symbolic. It is supposed to symbolize L's triumph over Light, in death, through the work of his successors. As for it being L's ghost, the material states that all humans must go to MU (nothingness), so this does not seem likely. Onlyhereforthelaughs • 6 yr. ago
1 In the series 1.1 The unnamed Shinigami is Light Yagami 1.2 The Shinigami Realm is Purgatory 1.3 Shinigami Realm was once like Earth 1.4 Near killed Mikami with the Death Note 1.5 Misa was killed with a Death Note 1.6 Near killed Misa with the Death Note 1.7 L's spirit appears 1.8 A and B appear in Death Note Relight 2: L's Successors
This is a list of fictional characters in the anime and manga series Death Note. The character names are listed in Western order, with the given name before the family name . The writer, Tsugumi Ohba, developed the basic character traits while Takeshi Obata, the artist, created the visual character designs. [1]
Tsugumi Ohba isn't a known comic book legend, like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, or Frank Miller, but his impact on pop culture over the past decade has been monumental. If only we knew anything about ...
1. What is a "Death Note"? A Death Note is a notebook owned by a " shinigami " (Japanese death god) that causes anyone whose name is written in it — and a picture of their face to avoid...
Death Note is full of symbolism; from the Catholic Christian overtones (apples, and the Shinigami Realm) to literary masterpieces (Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Sherlock Holmes), Death Note has become one of the few anime to have deep roots in both Western and Japanese cultures. The most obvious symbols used in the series are apples and the conflicting ideals of justice between Kira and his ...
Death Note: The Last Name: Directed by Shûsuke Kaneko. With Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Erika Toda, Nana Katase. Picking up where the first one leaves off, Light joins the task force searching for Kira in an effort to avert suspicion from himself---and get rid of L.
Death Note: The Last Name is the second film in the Death Note live-action film series. It follows closely after the first film, telling the second arc of the story. The Last Name deviates from the manga and anime, although the ultimate conclusion remains the same. There is no time skip between the first and second films, and Near and Mello are omitted from the story. Instead, the first two ...
Death Note is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga series of the same name written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.It was directed by Tetsurō Araki at Madhouse and originally aired in Japan on Nippon TV every Wednesday (with the exception of December 20, 2006, and January 3, 2007) shortly past midnight, from October 4, 2006, to June 27, 2007.
on 26 July 2023 10 mins to read Death in many cultures is often personified and represented as a person or animal in some sort of way. Most often death is known by the name the Grim Reaper and is said to be the one who comes to collect the souls of the dead and those about to die.
Lyrical Lemonade Presents:Gnar - Death Note ft. Lil Skies & Craig Xen (Official Music Video)Audio:https://gnar.lnk.to/deathnoteDirected + Edited by Cole Benn...
In the Death Note anime, Yoshino is the name of a minor character who is a member of the Yotsuba Group. She is smart and ambitious, but also ruthless and willing to go to any lengths to achieve her goals. ... Baby names from Ghost in the Shell. Baby names inspired by Naruto. Baby names from Attack on Titan. Baby names from Bleach. Baby names ...