Light Yagami / Kira
Main article: Light Yagami
The main protagonist in 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 intentionally dropped in the human world by the shinigami Ryuk, he decides to use it to kill criminals. He earns the title Kira, the Japanese pronunciation of the English word killer. His ultimate goal is to cleanse the world of evil and create a world without criminals. He intends to reign over this new world as its "god" and goes mad with power. He is finally killed when Ryuk writes his name into the Death Note after Near proved to everyone that Light himself is Kira.L "
Main article: L (Death Note)
The main antagonist in Death Note, L is the world's top-rated detective who takes on the task of tracking down and arresting Kira. He often uses drastic strategies to confuse and force the hand of his opponents, and his disheveled appearance disguises his brilliance and genius. He enjoys sugar, and in nearly every scene including him, he is found eating cake or confectionery and drinking 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 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. L always suspected Light was Kira, but his suspicions were not confirmed until his dying moment in the hands of Light.Misa Amane
Main article: Misa Amane
A girl with an immense crush on Kira, Misa is a popular Japanese model. 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. She is even willing to make the Shinigami eye trade for him. In the manga version, she kills herself after Light's death, which is implied in the anime's finale which shows her standing past the safety rail on a building. What happens to her after the film version is uncertain the only remaining characters whose fates are revealed are L and the Yagami family. Also, In the Death Note: The Last Name Movie Misa finds a second Death Note notebook and uses it to become Light's deadly disciple. Misa makes the shinigami eye deal again with Ryuk after regaining her memory in the second half of the show.Near
Main article: Near (Death Note)
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
Main article: Mello (Death Note)
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. Mello was also killed by minor character Takada Kiyomi. The light novel "Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases" is written out of his view. His real name is Mihael Keehl.Shinigami
Main article: Shinigami (Death Note)
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, and using the Death Note more than once in a while is considered something workaholics do, they only write down names in their notebooks to increase their lifespans but when they don't need to increase lifespans they gamble but they don't slack off entirely. 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).[edit] Supporting characters
[edit] Kira Investigation Team
[edit] Soichiro Yagami
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.
[edit] Touta Matsuda
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]
[edit] 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.[edit] 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.
[edit] 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]
[edit 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". He did not know that Ukita was to die, so he was surprised after learning about it. [14] His birthday is November 9, 1977.
[edit] Watari
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. Watari was always counted as a father and is often seen giving L snacks.
[edit] Kiyomi Takada
Takada was created as a character that would go well with a reporter, which is why she was given her spokesperson identity.[11] Ohba felt that because of her "normal name" her unplanned death added unpredictability to the series. Her birthday is July 12, 1985.[20]
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.[21]
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.
[edit] 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.[22][23] 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."[24] 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 marksmanship 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.[25] 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.[26]
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." [27]
[edit] Teru Mikami
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.[33] 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.[30] 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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Death_Note_characters#L
