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Browse our complete collection of characters guides — 12+ guides covering every characters in Death Note Wiki.
Browse our complete collection of characters guides — 12+ guides covering every characters in Death Note Wiki.
In-depth characters coverage
Complete characters roster
Light Yagami is a genius high school student who finds the Death Note, a shinigami's notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. Convinced he is god of a new world, he embarks on a crusade to eliminate all criminals. His battle of wits with L defines the series. Light transforms from idealistic prodigy to megalomaniacal tyrant in one of anime's greatest descent arcs.
Light Yagami DetailL (L Lawliet) is the eccentric, genius detective who hunts Kira. With his distinctive sitting posture, love of sweets, and barefoot stance, L is as strange as he is brilliant. He deduces Light is Kira early but cannot prove it, leading to a psychological battle spanning years. His death at Light's hands is one of the most shocking moments in anime history.
L Lawliet DetailRyuk is a bored shinigami who drops his Death Note into the human world for entertainment. Bound to Light until the notebook is destroyed or Light dies, Ryuk is neither ally nor enemy — he observes with amusement, eats apples, and claims total neutrality. His puckish, creepy demeanor and iconic laugh make him unforgettable.
Ryuk Detail
Misa Amane is a famous pop idol and model who becomes the Second Kira, obtaining a Death Note from Rem. She kills herself for Kira's cause, obtains the Shinigami Eyes, and becomes Light's willing tool and lover. Her obsessive devotion to Light is both her strength and her tragedy. Misa is a darker portrayal of blind faith in a charismatic figure.
Misa Amane Detail
Near (Nate River) is L's successor from Wammy's House, a prodigy detective with eccentric habits — he plays with toys while solving complex mysteries. Cold, patient, and methodical, he spends years gathering evidence against Light. His final confrontation with Light in the warehouse is the climax of the manga, ultimately bringing Kira to justice.
Near Detail
Mello (Mihael Keehl) is the other successor of L from Wammy's House, chosen through competition with Near. Impulsive, emotional, and willing to get his hands dirty, Mello partners with the Mafia to capture Kira through unconventional means. His ruthless methods and kidnapping of Sayu Yagami directly lead to key breakthroughs in the Kira investigation despite never matching Near's intellect.
Mello Detail
Soichiro Yagami is Light's father and the head of the Kira Task Force. Honorable, compassionate, and fiercely dedicated to justice, he never suspects his own son of being Kira. His unwavering integrity stands in stark contrast to Light's corruption. He dies in the line of duty, earning the Death Note's ownership and seeing 'Light' one last time with heartbreaking irony.
Soichiro Yagami Detail
Watari (Quillsh Wammy) is L's handler and the founder of Wammy's House orphanage. A brilliant inventor and financial backer, he provides all of L's equipment, logistics, and connections. Quiet and dignified, Watari's death alongside L is one of the series' most poignant moments. His legacy continues through Near and Mello.
Watari Detail
Rem is a shinigami who gives Misa Amane her Death Note. Unlike Ryuk, Rem is deeply protective, even loving, of the human wielding her notebook. She threatens Light with death if he harms Misa. Ultimately, she sacrifices herself by writing L's and Watari's names in the Death Note, extending Light's and Misa's lives at the cost of her own. Rem proves shinigami can feel more than boredom.
Rem Detail
Teru Mikami is a prosecutor chosen by Light Yagami as Kira's agent after the time skip. A fanatical believer in Kira's justice, he carries a Death Note and executes criminals he judges unworthy. His obsession with ritual and purity makes him both the perfect tool and Light's undoing, as his small error lets Near discover the fake notebook ruse.
Teru Mikami Detail
Kiyomi Takada is Light's college girlfriend turned television news anchor. She becomes Kira's public spokesperson in the second half of the series, relaying Kira's judgments on live TV. Ambitious and intelligent, she is manipulated by Light and ultimately killed by him in a desperate attempt to cover his tracks.
Kiyomi Takada Detail
Touta Matsuda is the youngest member of the Kira Task Force, often impulsive and emotional. Despite being mocked by colleagues, his instincts are occasionally right — he ultimately is the one who shoots Light Yagami in the final confrontation. Matsuda represents the ordinary man caught in extraordinary circumstances, and his unwavering pursuit of justice despite his flaws makes him quietly heroic.
Touta Matsuda Detail