12 Death Note Characters Anime That You Should Watching Update 07/2024

Death Note Characters Anime

However, how do Death Note’s characters stack up against each other in terms of story arc quality?

Death Note is widely regarded as one of the most popular anime series of all time. Known for their meticulous attention to detail, Madhouse has always been in the forefront of bringing true life to the anime medium with their larger-than-life animations that elevate the mundane to the extraordinary.

Of course, it’s impossible to deny that Death Note’s ensemble of well-developed characters is one of the show’s most appealing aspects, since each of them adds their own unique flavor to the mix. Although some arcs are stronger than others, these character arcs play a significant role in their development over the course of the series.

Kristy Ambrose added an update on July 3rd, 2021: There’s a Death Note movie, a Death Note TV series, and even a Death Note video game for fans to enjoy. Light, the protagonist of the 2006 anime series, is commonly referred to as the “face” of Death Note. If you’re looking for the best villains in all of anime, you’ll always find him on the list. Death Note’s characters and storylines are what keep the show interesting on multiple viewings.

1. Mello

Mello

Despite the fact that the first half of Death Note is a fantastic watch, the second half suffers from a notable decrease in quality. As Death Note’s protagonists become less engaging, so does the story.

With Mello being an absolute lowlight, the two characters who replace L following his unfortunate demise are a fantastic example of this trend. This character journey is made all the more tedious by the fact that he finally gives into his inner demons and becomes a criminal in order to find and arrest Kira.

2. Near

In spite of the fact that Near’s demeanor is essentially a carbon copy of Mello’s, he’s still a far better Death Note character than Mello was. In certain locations, the audience sees a sliver of progress, however insignificant that may be.

Due to the fact that he has nothing distinctive about his identity, Near’s quality as a character suffers. To make matters worse, his ridiculous habits of twirling his hair and staring suspiciously at everything only serve to irritate me further.

3. Naomi Misora

Naomi Misora

When just appearing in one episode, a character who became one of the best and most engaging Death Note characters is a testament to this show’s brilliant writing.

Light Yagami confronts Naomi Misora after her husband’s death, despite her best efforts to contact the head of the Kira Investigation Team. One of the pleasures of the series is the cat-and-mouse game between Naomi and Kira, which is made possible by Naomi’s quick-thinking, right up until the very end when she reveals her real name to her.

4. Kiyomi Takada

Although Takada makes her first appearance early in the series, she is purposefully kept in the background in order to conceal her true nature from everyone, including the audience. When she was a TV news anchor, she was one of the few people who knew Light’s true identity and openly supported Kira during his university years. As Kira’s intentions begin to fall apart, Light’s character arc is cut short and she is replaced by a new character.

Many of the flashbacks and memories that arise as Takada appears more frequently in subsequent episodes show that she has been quietly helping Kira for many years. For the first time in the series, fans don’t fully get the magnitude of this Death Note character arc until the end.

5. Teru Mikami

Teru Mikami

Having a second Kira in Death Note is an excellent idea that was implemented with skill.

This particular viewpoint in the story can be demonstrated by Teru Mikami, who is an excellent case study. He’s not one of the most memorable Death Note characters, but he’s an intriguing one nonetheless.

With his skewed sense of justice born of a difficult childhood, Mikami was an obvious choice to take over as Kira’s sidekick. The character’s famous use of the word “delete” is still lovingly remembered by fans to this day.

6. Soichiro Yagami

The lead investigator of the Kira Investigation Team didn’t even aware that the offender he was hunting for was none other than his own son. His sad story is one of the best among the Death Note main characters because of Soichiro’s optimistic outlook.

It doesn’t matter how you feel about what happened, you can’t deny that Soichiro was a brilliant and intellectual man whose death was a shock. After believing his son wasn’t Kira, he died with some measure of peace.

7. Misa Amane

Misa Amane from Death Note

Misa Amane’s transformation from an obsessive Kira admirer to a remarkable character in her own right is a testament to how far she’s come since she first appeared in the series.

This series’ focus on her friendship with Rem and Light has helped to shape her into an engaging character who has always had a distinct sense of weirdness about her in the scenes she appeared in.

8. Ryuk

Ryuk, a Shinigami who became one of the show’s most interesting characters, has to be mentioned in any discussion of the top characters in Death Note.

No matter how many times you read the book, his signature trait of finding people fascinating remains interesting enough to make him one of the best Death Note characters even if his storyline isn’t all that crucial.

9. Rem

Rem

As a Death Note character, Rem is one of the best examples of how a God of Death may fall in love with a human and manipulate them into following their will. Her words are always succinct, to the point, and always honest.

Rem’s love for Misa wind up being the impetus for her own demise, despite the fact that he initially appears to be just another stoic Shinigami. In the end, she kills L and saves Misa by giving her own life for the sake of the other.

10. Touta Matsuda

Matsuda, a member of the Kira Investigation Team, is introduced in the Death Note as little more than comic relief. He’s depicted as the clumsy, inept one of the gang, but he’s actually a good shooter and adept at espionage. Soichiro sharply reprimands him for expressing some sympathy for Kira at one point in the story.

Most of the time he’s happy and admits to being a weakling. As a result of all of this, Kira doesn’t see him as a threat enough to commit suicide. Because Matsuda was so close to Light’s father Soichiro, it’s plausible that Light spared Matsuda on his father’s behalf.

 11. L

L (Death Note)

An examination of Detective L’s unusual attitude and mannerisms reveals why he is one of the greatest anime characters of all time. As a counterpoint to the popular and gorgeous Light, he has a background as an orphan and an anti-social mentality.

The analytical side of L isn’t the only side of him. In the end, he develops a genuine friendship with Light and even regards him as his only true friend, which makes his final moments all the more heartbreaking.

12. Light Yagami

With Light Yagami’s transition into a serial killer with a god-complex who goes by the name Kira, the protagonist of the series is also the most captivating Death Note character by a long shot.

As a result of this, it is fascinating to see how Light manipulates everyone and everything around him. In spite of the fact that his lies are eventually exposed, the story is nevertheless gripping in every way possible.