List of Death Note characters

This article is a detailed profile of the characters in the Death Note series.

Japanese names are in the Western order, with the given name before the family name.

Main characters

Light Yagami

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano

Light Yagami (夜神 月, Yagami Raito) is the primary protagonist of Death Note. He is an extremely intelligent, but bored, young man who found Ryuk's Death Note by sheer chance. Light constantly tries to evade the suspicion of L while both maintaining his identity as Kira (Japanese pronunciation of Killer), and cleansing the world of crime. The fact that he is a genius also adds to his notion that only he is fit to judge humanity and steer it on a proper moral course. Light is seen as somewhat heartless and sociopathic by those who are aware of what he is doing, 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.

Light Yagami as he appears in the anime

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 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 he is finally captured, Light touches his Death Note, thereby regaining his memory of when he was the original Kira. He then proceeds with his plan, masterfully killing Higuchi by using the Death Note paper he put in his watch before he lost his memories; and manipulating Rem, who also dies in the process, to kill both Watari and L.

Light 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 Special Provisions for Kira, President Hoope, and Mello's gang. Light joins the Japanese Police Force's Intelligence Department 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.

In the anime version, this scene does not take place. Instead, Light manages to flee the warehouse after Mikami commits suicide. Near instructs the team that there is no reason to pursue Light given that there should be no more hidden Death Notes, and Light's wounds would prevent him from getting far. Despite this, Aizawa, Mogi,Ide, and Matsuda follow Light but are unable to find him before he dies on the staircase of a nearby warehouse, presumably due to cardiac arrest from Ryuk writing his name in his Death Note. As Light slowly closes his eyes, an apparition of L appears before Light, mirroring Light standing over L in episode 25 at L's death.

According to the manga, 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. Ironically, during the time that lost his memory and was unaware that he was Kira, he doubted he could kill so many people, even for the sake of justice.

Light in the movie

A few changes were made to Light in the movie, and he is portrayed somewhat less sympathetically than in the manga, being more willing to kill those close to him to further his goals as Kira. 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 beginning of 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 Rem "kills" L and kills 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 after he is exposed. In the movie, Light dies in his father's arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice.

L Lawliet

Template:DeathNoteCharacter 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 To-Oh University, the university that Light attends, 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 disheveled and languid appearance masks his great powers of deduction and insight. He has some 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, 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 best detectives, (Erald Coil and Danuve respectively) something only he and the Kira Investigation Team members knew.

File:Llikespanda.PNG

L Lawliet as he appears in the anime.

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. Because of this and his sometimes harsh tactics, L can perhaps be seen as the series' primary antagonist. L cannot prove Light's guilt. 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 L confirms to himself that Light is the first Kira.

Although L cannot shake the conclusion that Light was the first Kira, Light is 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 has been wrong, he hopes that he would be. Despite Kira being L's opponent, at the core, Light and L share many traits, including extraordinary intelligence and strong opinions of what constitutes true justice. Furthermore, L can easily present his conclusions publicly at any time, and with his reputation, have taken seriously. L tends to second-guess everything he was presented with, and is extremely meticulous and analytical.

After L introduces himself as Ryuga, Light believes that if he writes down Ryuga's name, he may have the pop star of the same name in his mind instead of L. This would cause the pop star to die, while L would still live since Ryuga is an alias. The death of the pop star would cause L to suspect Light. This is why Light decides to not write Ryuga's name.

File:Death Note L Death.png

L at his deathbed, the only time he is seen closing his eyes in the Anime.

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 25 when he dies on November 5, 2004. His height and weight are 179cm/50kg (5'10.5"/110lbs.), which would have meant he was severely underweight. 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 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 he is most likely an orphan.

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. He also says that if he sits normally, his reasoning ability would drop 40%.

At the anime's finale, an apparition of L appears before the dying Light, who closes his eyes in the same fashion L did in the 25th episode.

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 earlier. It is his self-sacrifice that allows himself stay alive for a longer duration (as he supposed Kira would kill him on that day), and allows 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, L dies peacefully while eating a chocolate bar, a picture of Watari lying right beside him.

Misa Amane

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Aya Hirano

Misa Amane (弥 海砂, Amane Misa) is a girl who has an immense crush on Light. She is a famous model, singer and actress. She usually refers to herself in the third person by calling herself Misa-Misa and tends to be hyperactive. She poses as the second Kira to attract the attention of the first Kira. She decides to devote her life to him because he punished the criminal that killed her parents when she was younger. The Shinigami who follows her is Rem. Misa also performs two eye trades, cutting her lifespan in half twice; the first was with Rem, and the second with Ryuk (For more information, see Shinigami Eyes#Misa Amane's lifespan).

Misa and Light move into the same household together after L's death. In actuality, Light befriends Misa for the eyes, having her pass judgement on criminals around the world with Ryuk as her personal Shinigami. She also provides assistance to Light when he aids 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 Mikami. When Misa figures Light starts to build a close relationship with Takada, she fears that Light would leave her for Takada. To prevent this, Misa plans to make a public announcement that she was engaged to Light. However, before she could announce it, Near orders her to be kidnapped and put under surveillance. Even after he realizes that nothing would come from interrogating her, he keeps her captive for a while, if only to prevent her from contacting Light while Near prepared his plan to expose Light as Kira once and for all. According to Death Note: How to Read 13, Misa falls into despair after learning of Light's death through Matsuda. In the manga, Misa commits suicide one year later on February 14, 2011, Valentine's Day. Her date of birth is December 25, 1984. It is also revealed that the cloaked woman who appears at the end of the manga is not Misa, and she is simply a follower of Kira.

At the anime's finale, Misa's suicide is neither mentioned nor seen, and she is seen alive, well, and upset at the final credits. Her fate is likely to be explained in the upcoming Death Note Special.

Misa in the movie

In the movie version, Misa does not commit suicide, as her memory from the incident and the Death Note is erased. She still harbors her obsession for Light and bids him a happy birthday from her mini shrine of Light. 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 and anime, it is brown in the movie.

Teru Mikami

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze

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 also performed an eye trade with Ryuk, earning him the Shinigami Eyes. 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.

File:TeruMikamiDeathNote.JPG

Teru Mikami as he appears in the manga.

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.

Mikami's devotion to Kira leads his and Light's deaths. When Takada is kidnapped by Mello, Mikami rushes to get his Death Note to write her name down in it to prevent her from being captured by the investigation team and forced to speak what she knows. In the anime version, it was Light who made Takada commit suicide. This action leads 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 are finally cornered by Near, in the manga, an enraged Mikami starts to blame Light for putting them into their situation and claiming that Kira is no god, contrary to what he so fervently believed before. Ten days after he was arrested and detained, he dies after going insane. Mikami's death leads Matsuda to believe that Near used the Death Note to control Mikami's actions, allowing Near to convict Light.

In the anime version of Death Note, Mikami commits suicide with the fountain pen he used to write on the notebook, allowing Light to flee the warehouse (though it cannot be asserted whether he did so on purpose or out of desperation).

Kiyomi Takada

Voiced by: Masumi Okamura (first arc)/Maaya Sakamoto (second arc)

First appearing in Chapter 31 as Light's classmate and girlfriend, Kiyomi Takada (高田 清美, Takada Kiyomi) is a popular girl also known as Miss Todai (short for To-Oh University in the storyline and also for the real-life University of Tokyo) 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 NHK) chosen to be Kira's spokesperson to the world. This was not a decision made by Light, but by Mikami, 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 Misa. Light believed that she was more intelligent and prouder than Misa, but Near, after doing a background research on the NHN announcer, believed that she was merely studious and not intelligent, as Light's judgment that she was intelligent was based solely on her grades. 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. In Chapter 99, Light writes her name into the Death Note as a suicide by fire, after she tells him that she has killed Mello.

Takada in the movie

In the movie, her role is combined with that of Higuchi as the third Kira, and she kills those who stand in her way of a promotion. Also, she never sees Light because she was blindfolded. Otherwise, her fate is more or less the same, with Light killing her after her declaration of devotion although the declaration is to Kira and not Light since she never knows Light was Kira. In addition, despite having short hair in the Death Note manga and anime, Takada's hair is fairly long in the movie.

Shinigami

Shinigami, or Death Gods, are demon-like characters who live in the Shinigami Realm. To increase their life-span, they write the names of humans in their Death Notes. However, because the realm is incredibly dull, this act is usually laughed at and is done in privacy. Shinigami can not 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.

Ryuk

Template:DeathNoteCharacter 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. He 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 go through a type of withdrawal if he goes for too long without eating them. 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 is Mikami's personal Shinigami.

In the anime, manga, and second film, it is Ryuk who finally kills Light. This demonstrates that Ryuk feels no real allegiance or friendship for Light, despite being his Shinigami for so long. Ryuk merely sees Light as just a way of killing boredom.

Rem

Voiced by: Kimiko Saitō

Rem (レム, Remu) is the Shinigami who first gives Misa her Death Note and eyes. Similar to Ryuk, Rem possesses two Death Notes; however, she purposely gives a Death Note to Misa. Rem inherited her second Death Note from Jealous, another Shinigami who died when he saved Misa's life, and thought it only right to pass it on to Misa. Rem inherits Jealous' love for Misa as well and is prompt to defend Misa even at the cost of her life. She shows this when she openly shows her lack of trust for Light stating that if Misa dies before her time, Rem will kill Light. Rem dies after she is tricked by Light into killing L and Watari to protect Misa. In the second movie, she declares her love for Misa and her spite for Light moments before her death. While she dies, she burns her note in a blue flame entrusting that it will never belong to Light.

In the manga and anime, Rem tells Misa that she is actually a female Shinigami, but in the second live-action film, this is not mentioned.

Jealous

File:JealousShinigami.JPG

Jealous as he appears in the manga

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 Misa in the human world. Surprised by his concern, Rem eventually looked over his shoulder and witnesses what should have been Misa's last moments on Earth. Apparently infatuated with Misa, Jealous used his Death Note to kill her destined murderer. Moments later, Jealous himself turned to a pile of sand and rust as punishment for extending a human life. Rem took his Death Note and gave it to Misa.

Jealous' name is commonly misspelled "Gelus," which is what his name was romanized to until Death Note: How to Read 13 revealed the official spelling as Jealous.

Ken'ichi Matsuyama, who portrayed L in the live action films, voiced Jealous in the anime version.

Shidoh

Voiced by: Kazuki Yao Template:DeathNoteCharacter Shidoh (シドウ, Shidō) is a Shinigami whose Death Note was stolen by Ryuk. In fact, Ryuk took his Note and gave it to Light, which became Higuchi's note and was finally passed on to Mello's gang (more specifically, Mello's subordinate, Kal Snyder (also known as Jack Neylon). Shidoh has a great liking for chocolate. 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, he finds Snyder in the human world. To regain his Note, Shidoh agrees to help Mello's gang against the SPK and 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. Although in the manga these events occurred over the course of about one volume, in the anime Shidoh was only in two episodes (episode 28 where he was merely introduced in the last few minutes of the episode, and episode 29, which relays most events of Shidoh's regaining of his Death Note).

Shidoh's name is written in English as "Shidoh" in Death Note: How to Read 13, but written "Sidoh" in both the Tankōbon character introductions page and within the translated English manga.

Armonia Jastin Beyondllemason

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Hideyuki Umezu

Though only appearing for a brief segment in Volume 8, Armonia Jastin Beyondllemason 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 Ryuk. Shidoh uses Jastin's information to guide his interactions with Mello in the human world. His nickname is apparently "Jastin the Jeweled Skeleton" as stated in the English manga. This is most likely due to his being covered in colorful jewels and his obsession with them; even his eyes are jewels.

Investigation Team

Soichiro Yagami

Template:DeathNoteCharacter 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. He is responsible for successfully retrieving tape recordings of the Second Kira from Demegawa.

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 sends Soichiro her Death Note and instructs him and his team how to make the raid. He then makes the eye trade with Ryuk, earning him the Shinigami Eyes. When Soichiro finds Mello during the raid, he tells Light that Mello's real name is Mihael Keehl. However, before he gets the opportunity to write the name on the Death Note, Jose, one of Mello's presumed dead gang members, shoots him. He is fatally wounded and dies at the hospital, believing that his son is not Kira. Although it is repeatedly stated a person with a power like the Death Note would ultimately be unhappy, Ryuk suggests he might have been happy at the end of his life reassured that his son is not Kira.

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 his son by agreeing to L's plan and following the instructions on the fake Death Note, which he wrote in to kill him, stating that he was a nuisance. After reporting the consequences of these events and the coinciding police reports to L, he salutes the mastermind with gratitude, proud to have known and worked with him. He was the last one to see L alive before the Death Note took effect. One year after the incident on Light's birthday, he visits Light's grave site with the rest of the family and prays that Sayu would keep believing that his son died in his fight against Kira, instead of being Kira himself. He is portrayed by Takeshi Kaga, best known as Chairman Kaga of Iron Chef.

Tota Matsuda

Voiced by: Ryō Naitō

Tota Matsuda (松田 桃太, Matsuda Tōta) is known as the most outspoken member in the investigation team. He plays a crucial role in the investigation of the Yotsuba group after sneaking into the company's building without the knowledge of the team. By following L's instructions, Matsuda gains the trust of the company's board members, fabricates 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 manages to stay alive through quite a few dangerous times.

While it is clear that most of the team views Kira as a an evil criminal, Matsuda often wonders 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's public announcement to Kira on Sakura TV, he is scared of Mikami's intense loyalty, but somewhat supportive and sympathetic towards Kira's followers nonetheless.

When Light reveals himself as Kira at the warehouse, Matsuda is the most shocked of the team. He has always liked Light and is outraged to learn that he had been fooled; he is particularly upset that Light's actions had led to Soichiro's death, who had been a mentor to him. Matsuda succeeds in saving Near's life by shooting Light's hand, causing him to drop the pen that he was writing Near's name with. Matsuda shoots him several more times to stop Light from writing Near's name in his own blood.

As shown in the final chapter, Matsuda suspects that, to help with Light's capture, Near had used the Death Note to control Mikami's actions before killing him, but Ide says that he has no proof and it may be a "wish" on his part, perhaps related to his thinking of Light as a friend.

Kanzo Mogi

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai

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 is marked when he refuses to answer Near's questions about the Japanese Investigative Team, even when he is 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 faked death.

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.

Mogi in the movie

In the second movie, Mogi is killed by Misa during the Sakura TV incident. He replaces Ukita, who dies in the manga, in this respect.

Shuichi Aizawa

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara

Shuichi Aizawa (相沢 周市, Aizawa Shūichi) leaves the investigation team and remains in the police force after L gives 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 returns to the investigation team to work under Light. Upon hearing that the 13 days rule (refer to written rules of the Death Note) is false, 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), and Near briefly holds him at the SPK headquarters. However Near agrees to release Aizawa and Mogi afterwards. In the finale, he becomes the leader of the investigation team.

Hirokazu Ukita

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Hidenobu Kiuchi

Hirokazu Ukita (宇生田 広数, Ukita Hirokazu) is the first member of the investigation team to depart from the investigation after the team's first direct contact with L. He is killed by Misa after rushing to the doorstep of the Sakura television studio during the broadcast of alleged Kira tape recordings (in the first Sakura TV incident).

Hideki Ide

Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa

Hideki Ide (伊出 英基, Ide Hideki) is one of the investigators who remains, even though he is likely to be killed by Kira, after Soichiro gives permission for anybody to leave if they were not comfortable in continuing to work on the Kira investigation. Ide does 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 helps the task force to corner Higuchi on the highway by pursuing him with many police cars. Upon L's death, Ide joins the investigation team to work under Light.

Watari/Quillsh Wammy

Voiced by: Kiyoshi Kobayashi Template:DeathNoteCharacter Watari (ワタリ) is L's assistant who provided logistics to the investigation team. His real name, Quillsh Wammy, as well as his original profession as an inventor and founder of an orphanage of gifted children in the United Kingdom, were not revealed to readers until after his death. Watari was also a trained marksman, as demonstrated just before Higuchi's capture. 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 anime and manga he deletes all the data following the Kira case before he collapses; alternately in the second movie, he dies in the elevator next to Misa, moments from escorting her to L and reassessing her guilt of being the Second Kira.

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, illustrator Takeshi Obata re-designed him to be an old man.

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.

Near/Nate River

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka

Near (ニア, Nia) 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 have 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. He is fairly blunt, and often insults people who support Kira or otherwise stand in his way, although usually not to their faces.

Starting with no lead or clue, Near successfully identifies the events unfolding during the capture of Higuchi, and points out the existence of the Death Note to President Hoope on March 5, 2009. With authority from President Hoope, the SPK (Secret Provision for Kira) is established on March 12, 2009 to investigate Kira. The SPK consists of selected agents from the FBI and the CIA, as well as Near.

File:NearDeathNote.JPG

Near as he appears in the manga.

Just like L, Aiber (A), Wedy (w) and Watari (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. Near tends to judge on little evidence and pursues hypothetical hunches. Often using the terms 'winning' or 'losing', he seems to consider the investigation as one of his games. By chapter 91, Near successfully deduces that Mikami possesses the Death Note, and all he needed was evidence. Near's true name is Nate River (ネイト・リバー, Neito Ribā) as found out by Mikami when Near and Light meet in chapter 101.

Near is often seen playing with toys, solving puzzles, or stacking small objects such as dice or matches, as well as action figures. He also has a collection of finger puppets, one for each suspected Kira and other characters, that he uses to illustrate his theories about the case.

According to How To Read, Near's birthday is August 24, 1991.

Mello/Mihael Keehl

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki

Mello (メロ, Mero) is Near's rival and they both 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. The scar on the left side of his face was caused by the explosion he triggered when cornered by the Investigation Team, which Light ordered to attack Mello's gang. His real name is Mihael Keehl (ミハエル・ケール, Mihaeru Kēru).

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Mello as he appears in the anime

After Mello escapes from the attack led 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 spies on Misa while she was in the United States while Matt was spying on the Japanese Police team. During chapter 98, he kidnaps Takada (whom Lidner instructs to get on Mello's bike), rides off and handcuffs her to himself. However, in the next chapter, he dies when Takada writes his name on a piece of the Death Note, as per Light's instructions.

In the anime version's finale, Near states that "Mello knew this." It is highly possible that he meant Mello knew that Mikami would kill Takada as well as Light and therefore sacrificed his life to inform Near the possibility of a fake Death Note.

According to How To Read 13, Mello's birthday is December 13, 1989.

Matt/Mail Jeevas

Template:DeathNoteCharacterVoiced by: Tomohiro Nishimura

File:Mattis smoking.png

Matt as he appears in the anime

Matt (マット, Matto) is a cohort of Mello's, first appearing in Chapter 83. He does some espionage work for him and is an accomplice in Takada's kidnapping. He follows orders without question, usually smoking a cigarette as he does. Not much else is known about him, other than he is a former resident of Wammy's orphanage. In Chapter 98, he fires a smoke bomb at Takada's bodyguards as a distraction to allow Mello to kidnap Takada; in the next chapter he meets face to face with Takada's bodyguards. Inside the back of his shirt, he hid a gun which he tried to take out until he is finally killed by one of the bodyguards. Mello later sees the news of his death broadcast on TV and apologizes to Matt for his death (which is odd considering Mello's ruthless nature). In Death Note: How To Read 13, his real name is revealed to be Mail Jeevas (マイル・ジーヴァス, Mairu Jīvasu) (pronounced like "mile" rather than "male"); also mentioned in Volume 13 is that he likes video games, but dislikes going out, and that he was behind Mello and Near to succeed L. Height and weight were revealed as 168cm and 52kg, and his blood type O. Also, his birthday was revealed to be on February 1st, 1990, making him a few days away from being 20 when he died on January 26th, 2010.

Yotsuba Group

Template:DeathNoteCharacter The Yotsuba Group is a secret 8-member group in the Yotsuba Corporation. The group conducts weekly meetings to discuss the killing of key individuals from competing companies to maintain business dominance. It has been found that a third Kira was in the group, possessing a Death Note and the Shinigami Eyes, both of which he had been given by Rem.

The group consists of:

• Kyosuke Higuchi (火口 卿介, Higuchi Kyōsuke) Voiced by: Issei Futamata
• Shingo Mido (三堂 芯吾, Midō Shingo) Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa
• Reiji Namikawa (奈南川 零司, Namikawa Reiji) Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima
• Eiichi Takahashi (鷹橋 鋭一, Takahashi Eiichi) Voiced by: Rintarō Nishi
• Suguru Shimura (紙村 英, Shimura Suguru) Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yokoo
• Masahiko Kida (樹多 正彦, Kida Masahiko) Voiced by: Masaki Aizawa
• Takeshi Ooi (尾々井 剛, Ooi Takeshi) Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada
• Arayoshi Hatori (葉鳥 新義, Hatori Arayoshi) Voiced by: Yukitoshi Tokumoto

During L's probe on the group, Hatori is killed by Kira after stating intentions to leave. It is also during this period that Rem reveals the identity of the Yotsuba Kira, Higuchi, to Misa, which eventually leads to his capture and fall at the hands of Light, on October 28, 2004. Most of the members, however, deduces that Higuchi was their Kira before his capture.

The remaining six members later die of heart attacks on April 10, 2005. Rumors of Kira's responsibility in the deaths causes Yotsuba's share prices to drop sharply.

Other characters

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 is allowed in the investigation team to help L catch Kira, he tells his mother that he had decided to run away to live with Misa.

Sachiko in the movie

In the second movie's conclusion, she is decorating a cake for her late son's birthday. Along with Sayu, she presumably believes that Light died in pursuit of Kira.

Sayu Yagami

Voiced by: Haruka Kudō

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, in the manga, she fell into a state of shock and becomes unresponsive to even her own family.

File:Sayu Yagami.jpg

Sayu Yagami as she appears in the anime as an adult

Sayu in the movie

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. Sayu once appears at the Sakura TV festival and caused a small incident when Mogi was killed and unknowingly temporarily shocked Misa. The incident resulted in having Soichiro and Light to pick her up leading to Misa chancing upon Light with her shinigami eyes. At the end of the second movie, she is sent by her mother to pick up Soichiro from the train station.

Raye Penber

Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa Template:DeathNoteCharacter Raye Penber (レイ・ペンバー, Rei Penbā) is an FBI investigator, sent to Japan to aid in tracking down Kira early in the story, by investigating certain suspects in the case- namely, Light and his family. While investigating Light, he falls into a cleverly-placed trap set by Light as Kira, once Light finds that Raye was following him. Light tricks Raye into showing him his ID by setting up a bus jacking by controlling the actions of a criminal named Kiichiro Osoreda, and then creates a trick where a sheet of the Death Note, with deaths already specified, is placed under a blank sheet of paper with windows cut out for the names to be written in by Raye. Raye obtains the names of the other FBI investigators (Haley Belle, Frigde Copen, Toors Denote, Ale Funderrem, Freddi Guntair, Nikola Nasberg, Bess Sekllet, Girela Sevenster, Knick Staek, Arire Weekwood, Lian Zapack), and unknowingly writes them on the Death Note page, securing their deaths and then his own. He dies on December 27, 2003 from a heart attack as he exits the train he had been riding on, and his last sight is that of Light's face. After Penber dies,

Raye in the movie

The only change made to Raye in the movie was of his name; he is known as 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.

Naomi Misora

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Naoko Matsui

Naomi Misora (南空 ナオミ, Misora Naomi) is a former FBI agent who was engaged to Raye. After Raye'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, by saying that he wanted identification for her to join the investigation team. He arranges to have her commit suicide on January 1, 2004 to prevent her from informing L that Kira can kill in ways other than heart attacks. Light's first attempt fails as Misora gives the alias Shoko Maki (間木 照子, Maki Shōko), rendering the Death Note instructions useless. Light tricks Misora into showing him her Tokyo driver's license by offering her a place in the anti-Kira task force. Light immediately repeats the instructions he previously wrote for "Shoko Maki" and succeeds in killing her. The information about Kira's methods of killing is not uncovered again until volume 5, and Misora's remains are never found.

Misora in the movie

Misora 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, Misora kidnaps Shiori and uses 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. Misora 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. Misora is distracted, and Shiori breaks free from her. Panicking, Misora shoots her gun, killing Shiori. Distraught, she then commits suicide by shooting herself in the head. It is later revealed that Light had already found out Misora's name through his own investigation in the church, by checking the marital registration for Raye. He had then written down both Shiori's and Misora's names in the Death Note.

Aiber/Tierry Morrello

Voiced by: Takuya Kirimoto

Aiber (アイバー, Aibā) is a professional con-man and is hired by L for his skills. He was proven helpful in playing the role of Eraldo Coil (エラルド・コイル, Erarudo Koiru) in the Yotsuba Arc, posing as Matsuda's corpse to help him escape, and in coaching Misa for her interview with the Yotsuba group. He died from liver cancer on April 7, 2005; an anime sequence shows Light writing his real name, Tierry Morrello, in the Death Note. 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. Although Aiber is armed with a gun during the capture of Higuchi, it is revealed that he is not fond of weapons, and is a relatively peaceful man. He has a wife and son who are briefly seen in the anime; the manga indicates additional relatives, but they are not mentioned by name or relation to him.

Wedy/Merrie Kenwood

Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa

Wedy (ウエディ, Uedi) 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 Higuchi 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 January 10, 2005. The anime version shows Light writing her real name, Merrie Kenwood, in the Death Note. Wedy is also known by her initial, "w", like "L" and other people who have great influence in the organization that hunts down Kira, though her initial is lowercase to keep her identity separate from Watari's.

David Hoope

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Aruno Tahara

David Hoope (デイビット・ホープ, Deibitto Hōpu) is the President of the United States of America in the storyline. Mello's gang uses the Death Note to threaten President Hoope into helping them in various ways, including funding, weapons, and providing information about the SPK. President Hoope turns to L (Light at that point) in hopes of getting information about the Death Note, only to reveal to L that he is subject to Mello's threats. Light manipulates him into providing the same assistance that he offered the SPK with regard to the Kira case, leaving Light on the same competitive level as, or possibly with an advantage over, Near's SPK. President Hoope then commits suicide, which is presumably Kira's work to cover his tracks.

Jack Neylon/Kal Snyder

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama

Kal Snyder, also known as Jack Neylon, is a member of Mello's gang, and was the holder of Shidoh's Death Note, when the gang got the note from Soichiro. 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, Snyder 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. Snyder is killed on November 10, 2009 at 11:59 PM, after sending Light the address to Mello's hideout.

Halle Lidner

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe

Halle Lidner (ハル・リドナー, Haru Ridonā) works for Near as part of his investigation team, along with Gevanni and Rester.

Mikami views her real name, Halle Bullook (ハル・ブロック, Haru Burokku), with his Shinigami eyes and proceeds to write her name as well as the other SPK members' names into his Death Note, but she remains alive due to the notebook being a fake.

Stephen Gevanni

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi

Stephen Gevanni works for Near as part of his investigation team, along with Lidner and Rester, and later plays an important role in stopping Kira. When suspicions arise towards Mikami, Near assigns Gevanni the task of following him, studying his methodic lifestyle, and finding his connections to the Death Note. Before the final showdown with Light at the warehouse, Near has Gevanni steal both the fake and real Death Notes from Mikami, and tampers with both of their pages. He creates another fake, that is later used as Light's ultimate downfall, and ends up being Near's key to proving Light's identity as Kira.

While looking for the SPK members' real names, Mikami views his real name as Stephen Loud through his Shinigami Eyes.

Anthony Rester

Template:DeathNoteCharacter Voiced by: Masaki Aizawa

Anthony Rester works for Near as part of his investigation team, along with Gevanni and Lidner.

Mikami views Rester's real name as Anthony Carter through his Shinigami Eyes while looking for the SPK members' real names.

Hideki Ryuga

Voiced by: Kensuke Nishi

Hideki Ryuga is a famous male pop idol. He is first shown on TV, with Sayu being impressed with him. Later L uses his name as a pseudonym. He is later seen as the male lead opposite Misa in a movie filmed near Yotsuba headquarters. Ryuga is also featured as the leader of the White Team in Kōhaku Uta Gassen, where Misa fails to show up to begin the show because Near has her kidnapped.