List of Death Note characters
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This article is a detailed profile of the characters of the manga/anime/movie series Death Note.
Japanese names are in the Western order, with the given name before the family name.
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[edit] Main characters
[edit] Light Yagami
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano
Light Yagami (夜神 月 Yagami Raito?) is the main character of Death Note. He is an extremely intelligent young man who possesses the Death Note which was given to him by the Shinigami Ryuk. Light constantly tries to evade the suspicion of the enigmatic detective "L" while both maintaining his identity as Kira (Japanese pronunciation of the word "Killer" which also holds the meaning of "light"), and cleansing the world of criminality. The fact that he is a genius also adds to his notion that he is fit to judge humanity and steer it on a proper moral course. Light is seen as somewhat heartless and sociopathic, as he can willingly kill his victims without batting an eye or do things which would seem evil to most, but he believes that he is doing good and bringing justice for most of the series.
When L is finally able to corner him, Light puts his master plan in practice. He temporarily gives up his Death Note to Ryuk, erasing his memories about his time as Kira from his mind. Rem, as per Light's instructions, gives it to another person: Kyosuke Higuchi of the Yotsuba Corporation. Now unaware of the fact that he was the original Kira, Light accepts L's offer to join the investigation team to hunt down Higuchi, known as the third Kira. When Higuchi is finally arrested, Light touches Higuchi's Death Note, thereby regaining his memory of when he was the original Kira. He then proceeds with his plan, masterfully disposing of Higuchi by using the Death Note paper he put in his watch before he lost his memories, and manipulating Rem to kill both Watari and L.
Light Yagami is later nominated by L's investigation team (who are unaware that he is Kira) to act as L, due to the fact that they can't reveal the death of the real L to the world. He also takes over the role of L's assistant, Watari. Now able to act as both Kira and L, Light can continue killing criminals while leading the investigation team in circles. However, his secret identity as L is soon discovered by the SPK (Special Provision for Kira), the United States' president, and the gang Mello is a part of. Light joins the Intelligence Department of the Japanese Police Force in April 2009, believing that no one can stop his plans. Near and Mello eventually appear before him, trying to accomplish what L could not: to expose Kira's true identity, and bring him to justice.
In the end, however, the combined efforts of Mello and Near prove to be more than Light can handle, and he is forced to reveal himself as Kira. In the final clash between Near and Light at a warehouse, Light loses the battle of wits and begs Ryuk to help him. Ryuk reminds Light that he is on neither side, and fulfills his earlier promise to write Light's name in his Death Note, thus ending Light's life.
- According to Death Note: How To Read 13, his date of birth is February 28, 1986, which makes him younger than Misa. His date of death is January 28, 2010, one month short of his coming birthday. Height and weight are 179cm and 54kg, respectively, which puts him at the same height as L (if L stands up in a proper position). His blood type is A. His likes are listed as justice, and his dislikes as evil.
[edit] Light in the movie
A few changes were made to Light in the movie. At the film's beginning, Light is a first-year university student studying Law (instead of still being a high school genius, as in the manga). He has a girlfriend, Shiori Akino (秋野 詩織 Akino Shiori?), whom he kills at the end of the first movie to gain sympathy from L. After the Shinigami Rem "kills" L and Watari, Light writes his father's name in an attempt to kill him, an attempt that ultimately fails. The endings of both the second movie and the manga are similar, with Ryuk writing Light's name in the Death Note. However, in the movie, Light dies in Soichiro's arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira in order to put justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice.
[edit] L Lawliet
Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi
L Lawliet (エル・ローライト Eru Rōraito?), commonly referred to as just "L", is rated the world's greatest detective and takes on the Kira investigation in the first arc. He suspects Light initially, and decides to join Light's university under the pseudonym "Hideki Ryuga" (流河 旱樹 Ryūga Hideki?) for investigative purposes. He requests that the task force refer to him as "Ryuzaki" (竜崎 Ryūzaki?) for discretion. His dishevelled and languid appearance masks his great powers of deduction and insight. He has a number of quirks, such as preferring to crouch rather than sit, eating only sweet things like desserts and fruits, and holding items very delicately. L stayed in England for five years before he moved to Japan, and during that time he was the champion in tennis for the England Junior Cup. L also secretly assumed the identities of the world's 2nd and 3rd (Erald Coil and Danuve respectively) best detectives, something only he and the Kira Investigation Team members knew.
L had deduced that Light was Kira upon their first encounter, but could not accuse him without any concrete evidence. Even when all evidence apparently proved his theory to be incorrect, and even when Light could not remember his deeds as Kira when he renounced his Death Note's ownership and willingly dedicated himself to collaborate on the investigations, L still suspected him. However L could not prove his guilt, and in Chapter 58, Light tricks Rem into killing L for his own personal gain, making her believe that she must kill him for the sake of Misa's life. L's last sight before death is Light triumphantly smiling over his defeated rival, and in his last moment he confirms to himself that he had been right all along.
Although L could not shake the conclusion that Light was Kira, Light was the only person L had ever identified or connected with, and he openly stated on one occasion that even though it would hurt his pride to admit that he had been wrong, he hoped that he would be. Ironically, despite Kira being L's opponent, at the core, Light and L shared many things in common. Calling Light his first and only friend, it can be speculated that this attachment may have hindered L in his investigation. Furthermore, L could have presented his conclusions publicly at any time, and with his reputation, had them taken seriously. However, L tended to second-guess everything he was presented with, and was extremely meticulous and analytical. It could be said that L was, in some ways, too intelligent.
- Death Note: How To Read 13 revealed many facts about L. His true birth name is L Lawliet. His date of birth is Halloween of 1979, making him notably older than he appeared to have been, and his date of death is November 5, 2004. His height and weight are 179cm/50kg (5'10.5"/110lbs.), which would have meant he was severely underweight. This is rather peculiar, since he is almost always seen eating sweets. His likes and dislikes are listed as sweet-tasting things and socks, respectively.
- It is implied that L was a former resident of Wammy's House, one of Quillsh Wammy/Watari's orphanages, as well as a safe haven and educational facility specifically for intellectually-gifted children. Therefore, similar to Near and Mello, L's abilities were discovered whilst living there, and that he is most likely an orphan.
- As some people might have suspected, L cannot be 100% Japanese. Tsugumi Ohba, the author of the manga, holds the opinion that L is either part Japanese, British, Russian, perhaps French or Italian.[citation needed]
- In chapter 38 of the manga, L suggests that even though he eats only sweet foods, he remains underweight because the brain uses the most calories of any organ in the body.
[edit] L in the movie
As there is no time delay between the first and second movies, the second movie begins soon before L supposedly dies. His original "death", caused by Rem writing his name in her Death Note, does not take effect, as L had written his own name in Misa's Death Note beforehand. It was his self-sacrifice that could let himself stay alive for a longer duration (as he supposed Kira would kill him on that day), and allowed the investigation team to apprehend Light. Twenty-three days after writing his name in the Death Note, and after burning all the remaining Death Notes and having a conversation with Soichiro Yagami, L dies peacefully while eating a chocolate bar, a picture of Watari lying right beside him.
[edit] Misa Amane
Voiced by: Aya Hirano
Misa Amane (弥海 砂 Amane Misa?) is a girl who has an immense crush on Kira, AKA Light. She is a famous model, singer and actress. She usually refers to herself in the third person, calling herself "Misa-Misa", and tends to be hyperactive. She posed as the "second Kira" to attract the attention of the first Kira. She decided to devote her life to him because he punished the criminal that killed her parents when she was younger. The Death God who follows her around is Rem. She has also performed two "eye trades," cutting her lifespan in half twice; the first was with Rem, and the second with Ryuk (See Shinigami eyes).
Misa and Light moved in together after L's death. In actuality, Light was only with Misa for the Shinigami eyes, having her pass judgement on criminals around the world with Ryuk as her personal Shinigami. She also provided assistance to Light when he was aiding the investigation team in their hunt for Mello. After Near's suspicion of Light being Kira becomes apparent, Light instructs Misa to give up her ownership of the Death Note and pass it on to Teru Mikami, the new Kira chosen by him. When she figured Light started to build a close relationship with Kiyomi Takada, a previous girlfriend of his, she feared that Light would leave her for Takada. To prevent this, Misa made a public announcement that she was engaged to Light. Shortly thereafter, Near ordered her to be kidnapped and put under surveillance. Even after he realized that nothing would come from interrogating her, he kept her captive for a while, if only to prevent her from contacting Light while he (Near) prepared his plan to expose Light as Kira once and for all. According to Death Note: How to Read 13, Misa fell into despair after learning of Light's death through Matsuda and committed suicide a year later, on 14 February 2011. We also learn that the cloaked woman who appears at the end of the manga is not Misa, but that she is simply a follower of Kira.
[edit] Misa in the movie
In the movie version, Misa does not commit suicide, as her memory from the incident is erased. However, she still feels that a piece of her life is somehow missing. In addition, her appearance in the movie is slightly modified: while Misa has blonde hair in the manga, it is black in the movie.
[edit] Teru Mikami
Teru Mikami (魅上 照 Mikami Teru?) is chosen as the new Kira by Light. When Light feels it is dangerous for Misa to keep the Death Note any longer, he instructs her to pass the ownership of the Note to Mikami. Little is known about Mikami yet except that he appears to be a supporter of Kira, and that he is a prosecutor. He has performed an "eye trade" with the Shinigami Ryuk. When Mikami's decisions reveal that he can follow the thoughts and ideals of the first Kira, as L could, Light wonders if Mikami will become much-needed help, or a new threat.
As the story progresses it is revealed that Mikami has been bullied at school for his sense of righteousness and therefore wishes to punish those he considers to be evil. Because of this he chose to become a prosecutor and worships Kira as God. He is also extremely bright just like Light, but he seems content to remain a loyal follower in Kira's kingdom, taking the initiative to ask Kira for direction when he does not receive direction, but also making decisions with Kira's ideals on his own.
Compared to Light, Mikami also seems more psychologically unbalanced, muttering to himself, "delete, delete, delete...", with fanatical glee, and a gleam in his eyes as he writes down names in the Death Note. At other times, he seems merely intense and calm. Mikami goes beyond Light in his ambition, wishing to judge the unproductive and those who have committed crimes in their past, even if they have since reformed, which caused Light quite a bit of alarm. However, Light realizes how loyal he is to Kira when Mikami risks exposure by speaking on Sakura TV, publicly announcing that he will do anything Kira commands.
Interestingly, it was Mikami's devotion to Kira that led to his and Light's deaths. When Kiyomi Takada was kidnapped by Mello, Mikami rushed to get his Death Note to write her name down in it, in order to prevent her from being captured by the investigation team and forced to speak what she knew. This action led Near's team to his note's hiding place, foiling Light's plan to gather all of his antagonists in a same place (including Near) before Mikami for him to dispose of them. When they were finally cornered by Near, an enraged Mikami started to blame Light for putting into their situation and claiming that Kira is no god, contrary to what he so fervently believed before. Ten days after he was caught and thrown into jail, he dies after going insane. Matsuda believes that Near used the Death Note to control Mikami, thus making him kill himself in jail.
[edit] Shinigami (Death Gods)
Shinigami, or their formal name Death Gods, are demon-like characters who live in the Shinigami Realm. To increase their life-span, the Shinigami write the names of humans in their Death Notes. However, because the Shinigami realm is incredibly dull, this act is usually laughed at, and thus done in privacy. Shinigami cannot be killed by physical methods, such as stabbing or shooting, and must follow a strict set of rules if they want to live without punishment.
[edit] Ryuk
Voiced by: Shidō Nakamura
Ryuk (リューク Ryūku?) is the Shinigami who dropped a Death Note in the human realm, which was then discovered by Light. It was revealed that Ryuk did it out of boredom, as there was little to do in the Shinigami realm. Ryuk was also found to have tricked the Shinigami King into receiving a second Death Note that would be used by Light, as well as access to the human realm. Ryuk has a great fondness for apples, and will behave unusually if he goes for too long without eating one. He says apples are to Shinigami as cigarettes and liquor are to humans. He also states that he is shy around girls. For a time, he was Mikami's personal Shinigami.
At the end of the series, Light begs Ryuk to use the Death Note to save him. Ryuk, however, reminds Light that he will never help him, and that it will be Ryuk who will end Light's life. Ryuk then tells Light that users of the Death Note neither go to Hell, nor Heaven, when they die. He then proceeds to write Light's name in his Death Note, and returns to the Shinigami realm.
[edit] Rem
Voiced by: Kimiko Saitō
Rem (レム Remu?) was Misa's initial Shinigami. Rem cared deeply for Misa, and was willing to do anything to protect her from harm. Rem died after she was tricked by Light into killing L and Watari to protect Misa.
In the manga, Rem tells Misa that she is actually a female Shinigami, but in the anime and the movie this is not mentioned.
[edit] Jealous
Voiced by: Ken'ichi Matsuyama
Jealous (ジェラス Jerasu?) only appears in a flashback when Rem explains a method to kill a Shinigami. In the flashback, Rem recalls Jealous watching over a younger Misa Amane in the human world. Surprised by his concern, Rem eventually looked over Jealous's shoulder and witnesses what should have been Misa Amane's last moments on Earth. Apparently infatuated with Misa, Jealous used his Death Note to kill Misa's destined murderer. Moments later, Jealous himself turned to a pile of sand and rust as punishment for extending a human life. Rem took Jealous's Death Note and gave it to Misa.
Jealous' name is commonly misspelled "Gelus," which is what Jealous' name was romanized to until Death Note: How to Read 13 revealed the official spelling as Jealous.
[edit] Shidoh
Shidoh (シドウ Shidō?) is a Shinigami whose Death Note was stolen by Ryuk. In fact, Ryuk took Shidoh's Note and gave it to Light Yagami, which became Higuchi's note and was finally passed on to Mello's gang (more specifically, Mello's subordinate, Jack Neylon). Since Shidoh has neglected to kill people and extend his own lifetime, he probably did not notice that his Note was stolen. As the end of his lifetime approaches, Shidoh has found Ryuk and has learned that Mello is in possession of his Note. Later, Shidoh finds the owner of his Note, Jack Neylon, in the human world. In order to regain his Note, Shidoh agrees to help Mello's gang against the SPK and L (AKA Light). After Light regained the Death Note from Mello, he returned the note to Shidoh in order for him to stop interfering and return to the Shinigami world.
[edit] Armonia Jastin Beyondllemason (Jastin the Jewel Skeleton)
Though only appearing for a brief segment in Volume 8, Jastin provides Shidoh with several scrolls describing the various rules that Shinigami have for interacting with humans. He also informs Shidoh that his Death Note was indeed stolen by the Shinigami Ryuk. Shidoh uses the information to guide his interactions with Mello in the human world.
[edit] Investigation Team
[edit] Soichiro Yagami
Voiced by: Naoya Uchida
Soichiro Yagami (夜神 総一郎 Yagami Sōichirō?) is Light's father and the leader of the remains of his investigation team under L's command. Soichiro was responsible for successfully retrieving tape recordings of the Second Kira have retrieved from Kyosuke.
Some time after that, he and the other members of the police investigation make a raid on Mello's hideout to retrieve the Death Note. Misa, posing as Kira, sends Soichiro her Death Note and instructs him and his team how to make the raid. Soichiro then makes the eye trade with Ryuk, enabling him to see the names and life spans of humans. Thus, when he finds Mello during the raid, he tells Light that Mello's real name is Mihael Keehl. However, before Soichiro gets the opportunity to write the name on the Death Note, one of Mello's presumed dead gang members shoots Soichiro, who dies later at a hospital.
[edit] Soichiro in the Movie
As there was no time delay in the movies, Soichiro did have some slight changes. He did not undergo the Shinigami eye trade or die, and he apprehended Light by agreeing to L's plan and following the instructions on the fake Death Note, which Light wrote in to kill him, stating that he was a nuisance. One year after the incident he visited Light's grave with the rest of the family, praying that Sayu would keep believing that Light died in his fight against Kira, instead of being Kira himself.
[edit] Tota Matsuda
Voiced by: Ryo Naito
Tota Matsuda (松田 桃太 Matsuda Tōta?) is known as the most outspoken member in the investigation team. He played a crucial role in the investigation of the Yotsuba Group after sneaking into the company's building without the knowledge of the investigation team. By following L's instructions, Matsuda gained the trust of the company's board members, fabricated his death, and served as a temporary decoy to lure the suspect into the Sakura television studio (during the second Sakura TV incident). Despite his excitable, naive personality, Matsuda has managed to stay alive through quite a few dangerous times.
While it is clear most of the Investigation Team is dead set on Kira being the one in the wrong, the criminal to catch, Matsuda wavers on the fence, often speaking his mind without thinking - often asking if Kira is doing a good thing, especially since more and more people seem to be agreeing with what he does. When Matsuda hears Mikami Teru's public announcement to Kira on Sakura TV, he is scared of the intense loyalty, but somewhat supportive and sympathetic towards Kira's followers nonetheless.
During the final clash at the warehouse in which Light admitted to being Kira, Matsuda was the most shocked of the investigation team. He had always liked Light and was outraged to learn that he had been fooled; he was particularly upset that Light's actions had led to the death of Chief Yagami, who had been a mentor to him. Matsuda succeeded in saving Near's life by shooting Light's arm, causing him to drop the pen that he was writing Near's name with, and shooting him again to stop him from writing the name in his own blood.
As shown in the final chapter, Matsuda suspects that, to help with Light's arrest, Near had used the Death Note to to control Teru Mikami's actions before killing him.
[edit] Kanzo Mogi
Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai
A mostly silent character, Kanzo Mogi (模木 完造 Mogi Kanzō?) is one of the most dedicated members of the investigation team. Little else is known of him. He remains mostly silent. This silence was marked when he refused to answer Near's questions about the Japanese Investigative Team, even when he was clearly affected by the theories that Near was presenting to him. Later on, he is one of the first members who begins to warm up to Near's theory that Light is Kira. He is also shown to be an excellent actor, showing an excitement and cheeriness completely opposite of his usual demeanor.
In the first arc, Mogi acts as Misa's manager after Matsuda's fake suicide.
In the second arc, Mello demands meeting Mogi in order to investigate about Kira, and tricks Mogi into meeting Near at the SPK headquarters. Mogi is then held hostage by Near until Aizawa arrives to rescue him.
[edit] Mogi in the Movie
In the second movie, Mogi is killed by the second Kira (Misa) during the Sakura TV incident. He replaces Ukita, who dies in the manga, in this respect.
[edit] Shuichi Aizawa
Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara
Shuichi Aizawa (相沢 周市 Aizawa Shūichi?) left the team and remained in the police force after L gave the team members the choice to quit, but continues to assist the investigation team when necessary as a member of the police. Upon L's death, Aizawa returned to the investigation team to work under Light. However upon hearing that the 13 days rule (refer to written rules of the Death Note) is fake, he begins to suspect that Light is actually Kira, and contacts Near. Aizawa passes certain information to Near that leads him to deduce Kira's real identity (i.e. Light). However Near agrees to release Aizawa and Mogi afterwards. In the finale, he becomes the leader of the investigation team.
[edit] Hirokazu Ukita
Voiced by: Hidenobu Kiuchi
Hirokazu Ukita (宇生田 広数 Ukita Hirokazu?) was the first member of the team to depart from the investigation after the team's first direct contact with L. He was killed by Misa, the Second Kira, after rushing to the doorstep of the Sakura television studio during the broadcast of alleged Kira tape recordings (in the first Sakura TV incident).
[edit] Hideki Ide
Hideki Ide (伊出 英基 Ide Hideki?) was one of the investigators who remained, even though he was likely to be killed by Kira, after Soichiro Yagami gave permission for anybody to leave if they were not comfortable in continuing to work on the Kira investigation. However, he did not want to work with L, as he did not trust him, and instead continued to work with the NPA. During the Yotsuba arc, he and Aizawa helped the task force to corner Higuchi on the highway by pursuing him with many police cars. Upon L's death, Ide joined the investigation team to work under Light.
[edit] Watari/Quillsh Wammy
Voiced by: Kiyoshi Kobayashi
Watari (ワタリ?) is L's assistant who provided logistics to the investigation team. His real name, as well as his original profession as an inventor and founder of an orphanage of gifted children in the United Kingdom, was not revealed to readers until after his death. Watari was also a trained marksman, as demonstrated just before Kyosuke Higuchi's arrest. He is killed when Rem writes his real name along with L's in the Death Note, due to trickery caused by Light.
In the beginning of the manga, Watari is shown as a man who simply arranges the meetings with L for his clients.
According to Death Note: How to Read 13, Watari was originally a man with only a single strip of hair. However, Takeshi Obata, the illustrator, re-designed him to be an old man.
[edit] Successors to L
Following L's death, two gifted children were assigned to carry on investigation of Kira. Both characters had previously resided in The Wammy's House, an orphanage founded by Watari in the United Kingdom. Each one's methods differ a lot, but their objective is the same, to prove themselves as the true successors to L, by doing what their predecessor couldn't, exposing and defeating Kira once and for all.
[edit] Near/Nate River
Near is the more withdrawn character of the duo, sharing a few behavioral similarities with L. He initially shows no emotions towards L's death, saying L is a loser in the game of tracking down Kira, but later reveals that he and Mello both had great respect for L, wanting to become his successor. It seems that the only thing Near is interested in is solving puzzles of all sorts, and he is usually seen doing so.
Starting with no lead or clue, Near would successfully identify the events unfolding during the arrest of Kyosuke Higuchi, and points out the existence of the Death Note to the President of the United States on 5 March, 2009. With authority from the US President, the SPK (Secret Provision for Kira) is established on 12 March, 2009 to investigate Kira. The SPK consists of selected agents from the FBI and the CIA, as well as Near.
Just like L, Aiber (A) and Wedy (W), Near sometimes addresses himself by his initial, "N". Near comes into contact with Mello after he escapes from the attack conducted by Light and suspects that Light is Kira. From various information he gained from Mello and Aizawa, Near deduces that the new L (AKA Light), is Kira and finds out Kira's real identity (i.e. Light). In thanks to Mello's help, Near tells one of their mutual contacts to let Mello know exactly what Aizawa said.
Compared to L, Near is somewhat even more logical and decisive, claiming that Light is definitely Kira based on little information. However, one can also claim that Near judges on little evidence and pursues hypothetical hunches, which has lead many fans to prefer L over "N". Often using the terms 'winning' or 'losing', he seems to consider the investigation as one of his games. By chapter 91, Near successfully deduced that Mikami possesses the Death Note, and all he needed was evidence. Near's true name is "Nate River" as found out by Mikami when Near and Light met in chapter 101.
[edit] Mello/Mihael Keehl
Near's rival, he and Near split ways after L's death due to his problems with being second to Near. Mello decides to find Kira his own way by joining a gang (assumed to be located in Los Angeles, California) and using less conventional methods, including the kidnapping the Director of the Japanese Police, to find Kira before Near. Mello also relies on information leaked from an informant in the SPK. Mello likes chocolate bars, and usually can be seen eating one.
After Mello escapes from the attack conducted by Light, he meets Near and gives him information on the rules of the Death Note in exchange for his only photo left in the world, which was in Near's hands. Mello tricked Mogi into meeting Near in New York, so in thanks, Near found a round-about way of letting Mello know what Aizawa told Near. With the same information, Mello also comes to the conclusion that Light is Kira.
In one part of the story, Mello was spying on Misa Amane while she was in the US, whereas a friend of his identified as Matt (Mail Jeevas), was spying on the Japanese Police team. As of chapter 98, Mello kidnapped Kiyomi Takada (whom Hal Ridner instructed to get on Mello's bike), rode off and handcuffed her to himself. However, in chapter 99, Mello dies when Kiyomi Takada writes his name on a piece of the Death Note, as per Light's instructions.
[edit] Matt/Mail Jeevas
Matt is a cohort of Mello's, first appearing in Chapter 83. He does some espionage work for Mello and is an accomplice in Mello's kidnapping of Takada. He follows orders without question. Not much else is known about him, other than he, like Mello, Near, and L, is a former resident of Wammy's orphanage. He is shot down in Chapter 99 by Takada's bodyguards. One particularly interesting thing about this short-lived character is that Mello, knowing he was killed, apologizes to Matt before he dies himself (which is odd considering Mello's ruthless nature). In Death Note: How To Read 13, his real name is revealed to be Mail Jeevas; also mentioned in Volume 13 is that he likes video games, but dislikes going out, and that he was third in line to succeed L (ahead of him were Mello and Near).
[edit] More on the successors
Both Near and Mello wanted to match up and succeed L and have been locked in competition since their days in the orphanage. This competitiveness was carried into the Kira investigations. At the end of the story, Near admits to Light and the group that he and Mello could not match up to L separately (because one of them is too passive and rational while the other too easily excited and irrational; L is supposed to have balanced both traits), but could do so when combining their efforts and their strengths. In fact, he stated that not only could they match L, they could exceed him. This is proven by the fact that they managed to catch Kira/Light, with separate contributions and joined ones. Thus after the Kira affairs Near officially became the next "L".
Just as L is always seen eating and sometimes playing with various confectioneries, his successors tend to share similar traits: Near is almost always seen playing with toys, and Mello is almost always eating chocolate bars. After Near officially becomes "L", in his last appearance in the manga (beginning of chapter 108) he was shown to be giving orders as L, while playing with toys and eating a chocolate bar.
[edit] The Yotsuba Group
The Yotsuba Group was a secret 8-member group in the Yotsuba Corporation, conducting weekly meetings to discuss key individuals from competing companies to kill, in an effort to maintain business dominance. It was found that a third Kira was amongst the group, in possession of a Death Note that was given to him from Rem.
Members of the Yotsuba Group include:
- Kyosuke Higuchi (火口 卿介 Higuchi Kyōsuke?) Voiced by: Issei Futamata
- Shingo Mido (三堂 芯吾 Midō Shingo?)
- Reiji Namikawa (奈南川 零司 Namikawa Reiji?)
- Eiichi Takahashi (鷹橋 鋭一 Takahashi Ei'ichi?)
- Suguru Shimura (紙村 英 Shimura Suguru?)
- Masahiko Kida (樹多 正彦 Kida Masahiko?)
- Takeshi Ooi (尾々井 剛 Ōi Takeshi?)
- Arayoshi Hatori (葉鳥 新義 Hatori Arayoshi?)
During L's probe on the Yotsuba Group, Arayoshi was killed by Kira after voicing intentions to leave the group. It was also during this period that Rem would reveal the identity of the Yotsuba Kira, Kyosuke Higuchi, to Misa, which eventually led to Higuchi's arrest, and his death in the hands of Light, on 28 October, 2004. Most of the members of the Yotsuba Group, however, had deduced that Higuchi was their Kira before his capture.
The remaining six members died of heart attacks on 10 April, 2005. Rumors of Kira's responsibility in the deaths sent share prices of the Yotsuba Corporation dropping sharply.
[edit] Other characters
[edit] Sachiko Yagami
Voiced by: Ai Satō
Sachiko Yagami (夜神 幸子 Yagami Sachiko?) is Light's mother and Soichiro's wife. She plays a minor role in the storyline, oblivious to Light's ownership and use of the Death Note. When Light was allowed onto the investigation team to 'help' L catch Kira, Light told his mother that he had decided to run away to live with Misa.
[edit] Sayu Yagami
Voiced by: Haruka Kudo
Sayu Yagami (夜神 粧裕 Yagami Sayu?) is Light's younger sister. She also plays a minor role in the main storyline, remaining unaware of Light's possession of the Death Note. She was kidnapped by Mello's gang and taken to the United States, but was later returned to her father when he gave Mello's gang the Death Note. Because of these events, she fell into a state of shock and becomes unresponsive to even her own family.
In the movie, Sayu does not go into a state of shock, and remains ignorant of Light's role as Kira, instead believing that he died in the fight against Kira.
[edit] Raye Penber
Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa
Raye Penber (レイ・ペンバー Rei Penbā?) was an FBI investigator, sent to Japan to aid in tracking down Kira early in the story, by investigating certain suspects in the case. While investigating Light, he fell into a cleverly placed trap set by Light as Kira, once he found out he was being followed. Light tricked Raye into showing him his ID by setting up a busjacking, and then set up a trick where a sheet of the Death Note, with deaths already specified, was put under a blank sheet of paper with windows cut out for the names to be written in by Raye. Raye obtained the names of the other FBI investigators, and unknowingly wrote them on the Death Note page, securing their deaths and then his own. He died on 27 December, 2003 from a heart attack as he exited the train he had been riding on, and his last sight is that of Light's face.
[edit] Raye in the movie
The only change made to Raye in the movie was of his name; he is called "Raye Iwamatsu" (レイ・イワマツ Rei Iwamatsu?) in the movie. However, his date of death is also changed to December 27, 2006, as L's video recording in the first movie shows.
[edit] Naomi Misora
Voiced by: Naoko Matsui
Naomi Misora (南空 ナオミ Misora Naomi?) is a former FBI agent who was engaged to Raye Penber. After her fiancé's death, she decides to search for his killer. She suspects that Kira was the last suspect Raye had followed. Light fools Misora into revealing her name from her driver's license, and arranges to have her commit suicide on the first day of 2004 (to prevent her from informing L that Kira can kill in ways other than heart attacks). This information was not uncovered again until volume 5, and her remains are never found.
[edit] Naomi in the Movie
Naomi plays a much greater role in the first movie: she is seen tracking Raye when he takes the train by following Kira's instructions, and is a witness to his death. Nonetheless, she is unable to see Kira's face. During the first meeting with Light, she leaves after telling Light that the name on her driver's license was fake. Lastly, in the movie, Naomi kidnaps Light's girlfriend Shiori, using her as bait to get Light to the art gallery to prove that he is Kira. Light does go to the museum, but insists that he is not Kira. Naomi tells Light that unless he writes her name in the Death Note and kills her, thus proving that Light is Kira, she will kill Shiori. Soichiro, upon seeing this, sends in the police. Naomi is distracted, and Shiori breaks free from her. Panicking, Naomi fires her gun, killing Shiori. Distraught, she then kills herself with a shot to her head. It is later revealed that Light had already found out Naomi's name through his own investigation in the church, by checking the marital registration of Raye Iwamatsu. He had then written down both Shiori's and Naomi's names in the Death Note.
[edit] Aiber/Tierry Morello
A professional con-man, Aiber is hired by L for his skills. He was proven helpful in playing the role of Eraldo Coil in the Yotsuba Arc, and in coaching Misa for her interview with the Yotsuba group. He died from liver cancer on 7 April, 2005. Aiber is also known by his initial "A", just like "L" and other people who have great influence in the organization that hunts down Kira.
[edit] Wedy/Merrie Kenwood
Wedy is a professional burglar who was called in by L for her skills, installing bugs in the Yotsuba Group's meeting room to secretly observe the group's weekly meeting. She also provided surveillance on the Yotsuba Kira who was on his way to kill Matsuda during the second Sakura TV incident. She was presumably killed by Kira, dying in a road accident on 10 January, 2005. Wedy is also known by her initial "W", just like "L" and other people who have great influence in the organization who hunts down Kira.
[edit] David Hoope
President of the United States. Mello's organisation, with the Death Note threatened the president to aid him in various ways, such as funding, weapons, and even provide information of the SPK. He resorted to L (Light) for the information of the Death Note, only to let L discover that he's under the threat of Mello. Light manipulated him to provide the same assistance as the SPK so that Light is on the same competitive level as (or even on a slight advantage to) Near's SPK. Hoope committed suicide, presumably due to Kira in order to clear his tracks.
[edit] Jack Neylon/Kal Snydar
Jack is one of the gang members of Mello, and he was the holder of the Death Note (which belongs to Shidoh), when Mello's men got the note from Soichiro Yagami. He was involved in drug trafficking and illegal sales of weapons, and arrested 4 times, but was released due to lack of evidences. When Shidoh descended to the human world to retrieve his Note, Jack performed the 'eye trade' with him. Light was unaware of Shidoh's existence and the eye trade, thus resulting the failure of an attack on Mello's gang under his planning.
[edit] Kiyomi Takada
First appearing in Chapter 31 as Light's classmate and 'girlfriend', Kiyomi Takada (高田 清美 Takada Kiyomi?) is a popular beauty known as "Miss Todai" ("Todai" is short for Tōdō University) or "Seiso Takada" (something similar to "plays hard to get"). Light notes that she is not as shallow as her reputation advertises. She makes a brief appearance by Light's side in Chapter 32, not to reappear in the story until Chapter 85 as an announcer of NHN (parody of Japanese state-run broadcast station NHK) chosen to be Kira's spokesperson to the world. This was not a decision made by Light, but by Mikami Teru, who threatened her as Kira, and knew her as someone "educated, intellectual and civilized, and who [could] send out Kira's words accurately in a calm and straightforward manner."
Light had to figure out how an ex-girlfriend could become an ally, especially since he disappeared from everyone he knew in university, and at one point left his mother thinking he ran off to live with the famous model Misa. Light believed that she was more intelligent and prouder than Misa, but Near, after doing a background research on the NKN announcer, believed that she was merely studious and not intelligent. However, this could be because Takada was by then famous for being Kira's spokesperson, and Near clearly looked down on anyone who supported Kira. By Chapter 88, when Light reveals his identity to her as Kira, she states that Light is the only man she has ever respected. That he is Kira only enthralls her more, especially when he asks her to be his queen in the perfect world they only dreamed of when they were in school together. While they talk, Takada is shown slipping off her fur coat, suggesting that the two were intimate afterwards. In Chapter 99, Light chillingly writes her name into the Death Note as a suicide by fire, after she tells him that she has killed Mello.
[edit] Kiyomi in the Movie
In the movie, her role is combined with that of Kyosuke Higuchi as the third Kira, and she kills those who stand in her way of a promotion. Also, she is not Light's ex-girlfriend. Otherwise, her fate is more or less the same, with Light killing her off after her declaration of devotion. In addition, despite having short hair in the Death Note manga, Kiyomi's hair is fairly long in the movie.
[edit] References
| Main | Manga | DVD | Music | List of anime episodes | Characters | Plotline | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concepts | Rules of the Death Note | Shinigami Eyes | |||||||
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