Как пишется ягами лайт на японском

Очень трудолюбивый, спокойный, расчётливый и с повышенным чувством справедливости молодой человек. Однажды к нему попадает «Тетрадь смерти» — тетрадь, с помощью которой можно безнаказанно убить человека, лишь записав его имя и представив его лицо. Возомнив себя богом нового мира, Ягами становится довольно высокомерным и заносчивым. С помощью «Тетради смерти» Лайт решает создать новый мир без преступников и начинает карать всех, кто совершал преступления. Но позже, когда детектив L зажимает его в угол, Лайт начинает постепенно избавляться ото всех, кто искал его или стоял у него на пути.

В этой статье не хватает ссылок на источники информации. Информация должна быть проверяема, иначе она может быть поставлена под сомнение и удалена. Вы можете отредактировать эту статью, добавив ссылки на авторитетные источники. Эта отметка установлена 13 мая 2011.

Лайт Ягами
夜神月
Лайт Ягами изображённый в манге (Том 1: Скука)
Произведение	Тетрадь смерти
Появление	1 глава манги 1 эпизод аниме
Исчезновение	108 глава манги 37 эпизод аниме
Причина	смерть от сердечного приступа[1]
Создатель	Цугуми Оба (писатель) Такэси Обата(художник)
Сэйю	Мамору Мияно
Информация
Прозвище	Кира Второй L L-Кира
Национальность	японец
Пол	мужской
Группа крови	А (II)
Возраст	17 (в начале повествования) 23 (на момент смерти)
Рост	179 см
Вес	54 кг
Дата рождения	По манге: 28 февраля 1986 года По фильмам:28 февраля 1988 года По аниме: 28 февраля 1989 года
Дата смерти	В манге: 28 января 2010 года В фильме: 28 января 2012 года В аниме: 28 января 2013 года
Род занятий	Школьник Студент Полицейский Детектив Серийный и массовый убийца
Звание	Лучший школьник Японии Следователь полиции
Предметы	Тетрадь смерти
Формирование	Японская полиция
Родственники	Отец: Соитиро Мать: Сатико Сестра: Саю
Число серий	1 — 37 эпизоды аниме сериала + 2 полнометражных аниме-фильма — «Тетрадь Смерти Перепись: Глазами Бога» и «Тетрадь Смерти Перепись 2: Наследники L»
Число глав	1-108 главы манги
Есть в манге	Да
Есть в аниме	Да

Лайт Ягами (яп. 夜神月 Ягами Райто^?), также известный как Ки́ра (яп. キラ^?) — главный персонаж манги, аниме-сериала и фильмов «Тетрадь смерти».

Лайт показан, как очень трудолюбивый, спокойный, расчетливый, с повышенным чувством справедливости молодой человек. По сюжету к нему попадает Тетрадь смерти — тетрадь, с помощью которой можно безнаказанно убить человека, лишь записав его имя и представив лицо этого человека. Тогда, возомнив себя богом нового мира, стал довольно высокомерным и заносчивым персонажем. С помощью Тетради смерти Ягами Лайт решил создать новый мир без преступников и стал карать всех, кто совершал преступления. Но позже, когда детектив L зажал его в угол, стал постепенно избавляться от всех, кто его искал или стоял у него на пути.

Между прочим, Лайт является студентом Токийского университета, но название немного изменено. Его фамилия пишется иероглифами «бог» и «ночь», а имя «Луна».

Концепция и развитие персонажа

Лайт в фильмах

Вымышленная биография

Начало пути

В начале манги и сериала — лучший ученик Японии, в начале фильма — студент. Сын Соитиро Ягами, второго человека в японской полиции. В его руки попала Тетрадь смерти, и Лайт осмелился воспользоваться ею для преобразования мира путём убийства преступников. После этого Лайт встречает Синигами по имени Рюк, который специально от скуки обронил тетрадь в мир людей из мира Богов Смерти. Говоря с Рюком, Лайт рассказывает про свои намерения очистить этот мир от преступников и стать новым богом нового мира. Очень скоро люди начинают улавливать закономерность в том, что все преступники умирают одинаково. Тогда же Интерпол решает обратиться за помощью к самому лучшему в мире детективу, известному под именем L.

Начало охоты на Киру

Уловки L с самого начала ограничили круг подозреваемых, он транслировал свой голос по японскому телевидению и бросил вызов Лайту, который к тому времени был больше известен как Кира. С момента, когда Лайт понял, что находится в числе подозреваемых, он начал убивать не только преступников, но и тех, кто охотился за ним. При этом Лайт старался действовать не только незаметно, но и отчасти красиво (как, например, в эпизоде, когда перед убийством всех следивших за ним агентов, Лайт показал своё истинное лицо последнему из них, прежде чем тот умер). В день, когда Лайт поступил в институт, рядом с ним сел странный парень в мятой одежде, с растрёпанными волосами и синяками под глазами. Он сказал Лайту, что он и есть L, и он хочет, чтобы Лайт помог ему поймать Киру. Это привело Лайта в отряд, ищущий его самого. Тогда же стали происходить новые убийства, к которым Лайт был не причастен, и некто объявил по телевизору, что он Кира. L заподозрил, что этот Кира на самом деле Кира-2, и это оказалось правдой. Лайт договорился о встрече со вторым Кирой, так как понял, что Второй Кира обменялся глазами с Богом Смерти и теперь ему нужно было знать только лицо жертвы, чтобы прочитать его имя, и с удивлением обнаружил, что это девушка — модель Аманэ Миса. Она рассказывает ему, что Кира покарал убийц её родителей и что теперь она любит его всей душой и хочет ему помогать. Лайт решает, что её можно использовать и соглашается. Но Миса очень быстро попадает под подозрение и Эл задерживает её, чтобы выпытать, является ли она Кирой номер два.

Погоня за фальшивым Кирой. Начало конца

Лайт все это время пытается доказать, что он не Кира, но L все больше убеждается, что Лайт — тот самый убийца. Тогда Лайт приходит к L и говорит, что сам начал подозревать, что он Кира. Он просит Эль заключить его в камеру. «Это из-за своей глупой гордыни я попал сюда. Я отказываюсь от неё» — произносит Лайт в камере после того, как прошло уже несколько недель и забывает обо всем, что связывало его с тетрадью, потому что эти слова были формулой отказа от прав владения тетрадью и входили в план Лайта. Смерти же не прекратились, так как Рэм передала тетрадь Лайта очень влиятельному человеку из корпорации «Ёцуба». Когда Лайт забывает про тетрадь, он снова становится обычным студентом, и Эль замечает эту перемену. К тому же такие же изменения произошли и с Мисой, ведь она ещё раньше отказалась от Тетради. L проводит испытание, чтобы проверить является ли Лайт и Миса Кирой. Соитиро Ягами изображает, что Лайта признали виновным, и ООН решила казнить его, а Соитиро вызвался сам привести приговор в исполнение. Но ни Лайт, ни Миса не показывают, что кто-то из них Кира. Лайта снова допускают расследованию, но L приковывает его к себе цепью, чтобы круглосуточно следить за Лайтом. Лайт показывает свои незаурядные способности детектива, находит, что многие смерти выгодны корпорации «Ёцуба». L даже назначает Лайта своим преемником. Но после того, как Киру из «Ёцуба» ловят, тетрадь снова попадает в руки Лайта, он вспоминает о своём плане и ведет дальше игру с L. Тогда же Эль обнаруживает, что в Тетради записано правило 13-ти дней, где говорится, что если человек ничего не записывает в тетрадь в течение 13-ти дней, то он умирает. Это правило полностью оправдывало Лайта и Мису. Но Эль усомнился в нем и предложил проверять тетрадь на тех, кому до казни осталось больше 13-ти дней. Рэм поняла, что это угрожает Мисе и записала имена L и его приближенного Ватари в свою Тетрадь Смерти. Эль умирает, угроза в виде Синигами Рэм устраняется, а Лайт начинает играть в штабе его роль и ловить самого себя.

Мир без L

После смерти L ничего не мешает Лайту создавать мир по своему желанию. Он постепенно убирает со своего пути людей, знающих о Тетради смерти. Он убивает помощников L (Уеди и Айбера), устраняет членов корпорации «Ёцуба», знающих о деле. За следующие пять лет большинство стран мира признало власть Киры, лишь США и Япония продолжают расследования его дела. Лайт заканчивает Университет и становится полицейским. Вскоре, благодаря выдающимся способностям, он становится начальником отдела Информационных расследований. Но затем с ним связывается некто N, называющий себя наследником L и считающий, что новый L — фальшивка, а вскоре похищают директора японской полиции, при этом в качестве выкупа требуют Тетрадь смерти.

Наследники L

N рассказывает японскому штабу расследования дела Киры, что он выходец из Дома Вамми. Команда Лайта выясняет, что в приюте Ватари было двое основных претендентов на место L, но нет ни их фотографий, ни настоящих имён, только рисунки, изображающие их лица пять лет назад и прозвища — Ниа и Мэлло. Но Тетрадь Смерти требует знать для эффекта настоящее имя и знания внешности. Лайт делает единственно, что может — убивает похищенного директора полиции с помощью Тетради, чтобы он не рассказал что знает, но похитители делают ответный ход — похищают дочь заместителя директора, Саю Ягами. Лайт и Ниа сотрудничают в операции по передачи Тетради. Но вскоре всё выходит из-под контроля — преступники получают тетрадь, а Ниа намекает, что операцию похищения организовал его знакомый. Лайт приходит к выводу, что это Мэлло, второй преемник L. Лайт оказывается между двух врагов, которые к тому же соперничают друг с другом. Ниа управляет организацией СПК (Союз против Киры), а Мелло помогает мощная преступная организация. Вскоре Мэлло уничтожает с помощью Тетради почти весь состав СПК. Ниа остаётся лишь с тремя агентами, у которых были фальшивые имена. Лайт под именем Киры организовывает возвращение Тетради с помощью японской полиции. Кира присылает свою тетрадь с записанными именами членов банды Мэлло, которые записала Миса используя свои Глаза Бога Смерти, и датами когда они умрут, в этот момент японские детективы должны обезвредить остальных членов мафии и захватить тетрадь. Но Мэлло помогает Бог Смерти Сидо, настоящий владелец Тетради. Во время операции Соитиро Ягами колеблется перед убийством Мелло и тот устраивает взрыв, смертельно ранящий Соитиро и дающий Мэлло шанс сбежать, но и уродующий его лицо ожогом. После смерти Соитиро в больнице японские детективы во главе с Лайтом передают тетрадь настоящему владельцу — Сидо, и он возвращается в Мир Богов Смерти.

Конец

Ниа всё больше подозревает, что второй L — это Кира. Лайту приходится вести себя осторожнее, он заставляет Аманэ Мису отказаться от прав на владение Тетради и пересылает её своему стороннику — прокурору Миками Теру. Вскоре новым глашатаем Киры становится известная телеведущая и бывшая девушка Лайта. Ягами под предлогом расследования встречается с ней, но не может сказать ей, что он Кира, за ними следят остальные члены группы по расследованию дела Киры. Такаде звонит Кира, Лайт берёт телефон и начинает говорить вещи о которых может знать только настоящий Кира. Миками понимает, что с ним говорит его бог. Лайт начинает передавать указания Миками через Такаду во время их регулярных встреч. Вскоре Ниа догадывается, что существует новый Кира, он называет его X-Кира. Ниа считает, что это Миками Теру. Он начинает за ним следить. Также он нащупывает связь между Такадой и Кирой. Когда Ниа приезжает в Японию для более детального расследования, Лайт приказывает Миками передавать Такаде листы из Тетради Смерти, чтобы она карала преступников за него, подозревая слежку за Миками. Но неожиданно для всех в игру возвращается Мэлло и похищает Такаду со своим помощником Мэттом, разрушая планы Лайта и Ниа. Мэтта убивают охранники Такады, а сама Такада убивает Мэлло своим листком из Тетради Смерти, а Лайт, в свою очередь, убивает Такаду, уничтожая ненужную помощницу. Ниа назначает новому L встречу на заброшенном складе, чтобы разобраться во всем. Соперники разрабатывают планы уничтожения друг друга. По плану Лайта, Миками Теру должен был убить всех присутствующих кроме него. Ниа же на встрече обещает, что никто не умрёт. Вскоре он говорит, что Кира прячется за дверью склада и просит его войти, ведь он уже успел записать все имена. Миками Теру входит, Лайт спрашивает сколько времени осталось до смерти присутствующих. Когда остаётся несколько секунд Лайт Ягами говорит — «Я победил тебя, Ниа!».

Разоблачение

Но ничего не происходит. Лайт не может поверить своим глазам. Ниа объясняет, что он заменил тетрадь Миками фальшивой, но благодаря Мэлло и похищению Такады, он понимает, что Лайт предвидел фальсификацию Тетради, и заменил тетрадь своей подделкой. Миками не зная, что Лайт уже записал имя Такады, тоже пишет его в настоящей Тетради, спрятанной в банковской ячейке, а в копии Лайта имени Такады не было. Ниа же говорит, что это было всё частью плана, и если подделанную Лайтом тетрадь он заменил полностью, то в настоящей лишь листок за необходимый день, ведь Миками был очень педантичен и заполнял ровно по одной странице в день. Агенты Ниа арестовывают Миками Теру и отдают его Тетрадь Ниа, тот показывает, что имена всех присутствующих записаны, но нет имени Лайта Ягами. Лайт срывается, начинает кричать, что его подставили, но все понимают, что Кира раскрыт. Потом Лайт успокаивается, но вдруг, начинает дико хохотать, и говорит, что да, всё верно он — Кира, затем пытается убедить Ниа и всех присутствующих, что Кира — справедливость и бог нового мира. Ниа же отвечает, что Кира не бог, а сумасшедший массовый убийца. Лайт пытается незаметно написать имя Ниа на листке из Тетради смерти спрятанном в наручных часах, но Мацуда прежде поражённый признанием Лайта, вдруг выхватывает пистолет и простреливает Лайту руку.

В манге Лайт пытается перетащить Мацуду на сторону Киры, убеждая убить Ниа, СПК и остальных. Мацуда говорит, что Лайт привел своего отца к смерти. Лайт опять уговаривает Мацуду, а затем пытается дописать имя Ниа кровью, но Мацуда выпускает в него ещё несколько пуль и целится в голову, но его останавливают. Лайт просит Миками убить всех, но тот говорит, что не может писать в такой ситуации, поскольку Тетрадь оказалась фальшивой, и добавляет «И ты не бог!». Моги, Айдзава и Иде собираются арестовать Лайта, тот от них уползает, крича «Остановитесь! Не подходите ко мне!», затем по очереди в панике просит помощи у Мисы и Такады, на что Ниа отвечает, что Миса сейчас в отеле «Тейто», а Такада мертва. Лайт начинает крутиться на полу и орать «Кто нибудь, убейте этих ребят!».

В аниме Лайт не останавливается, пытается писать кровью, но Мацуда выпускает в него ещё несколько пуль и пытается выстрелить и в голову, но его останавливают. Лайт хрипит — «Миками, помоги!», и тот пронзает свое сердце авторучкой, отвлекая внимания. Лайт сбегает.

Смерть

В манге Лайт просит написать имена теперь уже у Рюка. Ниа говорит, что все в порядке, так как Рюк не поможет Лайту таким способом. Рюк говорит «Ну ладно. Возможно, я напишу…», полицейские стреляют в него, но бога смерти не убить земным оружием. Лайт ликует, говорит, что они все сейчас умрут, но Рюк говорит, что единственный, кто сейчас умрет — Лайт, и пишет его имя в Тетрадь. Лайт срывается (уже в который раз) и кричит, что не хочет умирать, и просит Рюка сделать что-нибудь. Тот отвечает, что если имя человека однажды было записано в Тетрадь, его смерть неизбежна. Лайт вспоминает разговор с Рюком по поводу того, куда попадают после смерти обладатели Тетради, опять орет, что не собирается умирать, но в конце концов умирает от сердечного приступа.

В аниме Лайт бежит со склада, обливаясь кровью. Рюк сидит на высокой трубе и рассуждает, что он, конечно, мог бы подождать, пока Лайт будет сидеть в заключении, но это будет так скучно… И согласно негласному договору между человеком, поднявшим Тетрадь, и Богом Смерти, предыдущим владельцем тетради, Рюк записывает имя Лайта Ягами в свою Тетрадь и возвращается в свой мир Смерти. Лайт падает, испытав сердечный приступ. В последние мгновения, ему кажется, что над ним стоит образ L, подобно тому, как сам Лайт стоял над умирающим L.

Мир без Киры

В манге в 108 главе показываются события через год после смерти Лайта. Ниа становится новым L, а Роджер его Ватари. Новый L продолжает сотрудничать с японской полицией. А обычные люди, которые не узнали о судьбе своего «бога» продолжают поклоняться ему.

Новый Кира

В специальном выпуске манги «Post Series — One Shot», события которого происходят спустя три года после событий основной манги, показан мир без Киры. Ниа играет роль L, раскрывая самые запутанные и сложные преступления. Но Ниа решил не раскрывать миру личность Киры, и даже больше, вообще не сообщать об итоге этого дела. Оставшиеся Тетради смерти он сжёг. По словам детектива из-за действий Лайта преступность снизилась на 70 %, а войны полностью прекратились.

Вдруг смерти от сердечных приступов снова возобновились, но умирали лишь старые, больные люди. Общество заговорило о возвращении Киры. Но Ниа выступил по телевидению как L и объявил, что новый убийца — подделка, и он даже не хочет его называть Кирой из-за уважения к такому умному и опасному врагу как настоящий Кира. Он будет называть его лишь «C-Kira» (англ. Cheap Kira — дешёвый Кира) и не будет заниматься расследованием этого дела, потому что ему не интересно ловить убийцу-подражателя.

Позже показана телепередача, где ведут спор сторонники и противники Киры. Те, кто поддерживают Киру, считает, что убийства стариков, помогают стране, освобождая от такого социального бремени. Вскоре они начинают кричать, что и им молодым, тоже незачем жить без цели и смысла. Они ломают защитные экраны, закрывавшие их от камер и просят Киру убить их, и один за одним умирают от сердечных приступов. Но после этого «дешёвый» Кира пропал.

Далее в манге показан Мир Богов Смерти, где к Рюку пришла синигами Миадра. Она рассказывает, что выменяла себе за тринадцать яблок у Короля смерти ещё одну Тетрадь смерти и отдала её человеку, желая сотворить нового Киру и избавиться от скуки Царства смерти. Но этот человек был лишь месяц в роли Киры, а потом покончил с собой, записав своё имя в Тетрадь.

Рюк рассказывает, что ему говорил человек, который поднял его Тетрадь: — «что лишь человек с сильной душой и крепкой волей может использовать Тетрадь смерти и изменить мир».

Судьба после смерти

По словам Рюка, что бы ты ни сделал в своей жизни (даже если ты использовал Тетрадь), после смерти ты попадешь туда же, куда и все — в небытие. Рая и ада же вообще не существует. Тем не менее он также говорит, что он будет рад лично поприветствовать Лайта после его смерти.

В полнометражном специальном выпуске аниме «Тетрадь смерти — Переписывание: Глазами Бога», спустя какое-то время в мире Богов смерти к Рюку приходит неназванный по имени Бог смерти, просящий рассказать историю про человека, изменившего мир людей. Рюк, в обмен на яблоко, пересказывает события сериала, а после разговора, когда неназванный Бог смерти уходит, Рюк произносит ему вслед «Лайт». Эти слова и схожесть безымянного бога с Лайтом заставляет фанатов верить, что Лайт стал одним из синигами.

Лайт в 13 томе манги

В 13 томе манги даны официальные данные персонажа. Кроме роста, веса и группы крови даны и характеристики героя — интеллект: 9, активность: 8, мотивация: 10, креативность: 10, социальность: 10, актёрские навыки: 10.

Персонаж в игровых фильмах

Основная статья: Тетрадь смерти (серия фильмов)

Лайта Ягами в игровых фильмах сыграл японский актёр Тацуя Фудзивара (яп. 藤原竜也 Фудзивара Тацуя^?)

Критика и отзывы

Лайт Ягами занимает 18 место в списке 25 лучших персонажей аниме и манги за всю историю по версии IGN^[2]. Терон Мартин из Anime News Network нашёл противостояние L и Лайта привлекательным для зрителей, поскольку они одновременно пытаются выяснить личность друг друга и скрыть собственную^[3]. Сотрудники журнала Hyper и Mania Entertainent согласились с этой точкой зрения, отметив, что соперничество L и Лайта — один из лучших моментов в манге, делающий её оригинальной^[4][5]

	Ягами Лайт в Викицитатнике?

Примечания

Ссылки

«Тетрадь смерти»
Тетрадь · Главы манги · Серии аниме · Саундтреки
Создатели	Цугуми Оба · Такэси Обата
Персонажи	Лайт Ягами · L · Миса Аманэ · Мэлло · Ниа · Боги смерти · Рюк · Кира
Фильмы	Тетрадь смерти · Тетрадь смерти: Последнее имя · L: Change the World
Книги	Blanc et noir  · Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases  · Death Note A Animation Official Analysis Guide  · L: Change the WorLd  · L FILE No. 15
Игры	Death Note: Kira’s Game  · Death Note: Successor to L  · L the Prologue to Death Note: Spiraling Trap

«Raito» redirects here. For the Italian village on the Amalfi Coast, see Raito (village).

Light Yagami
Death Note character
Light Yagami, drawn by Takeshi Obata
First Episode Appearance	Chapter 1: «Boredom» (退屈, Taikutsu)
Created by	Tsugumi Ohba Takeshi Obata
In-universe information
Alias	Kira Light Asahi (朝日月 Asashi Raito)[1] L (from chapter 60 onward)[2]
Relatives	Soichiro Yagami (father) Sachiko Yagami (mother) Sayu Yagami (sister) Misa Amane (fiancée)

Light Yagami (Japanese: 夜神月 (ライト), Hepburn: Yagami Raito) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. He is a bored young genius who finds a supernatural notebook called a Death Note which was dropped by the Shinigami Ryuk. Using the notebook, which allows its owner to kill anyone simply by knowing their name and face, Light becomes a serial-murderer known as
Kira (キラ) in an attempt to create and rule a utopia cleansed of criminals, with him at the helm as its «God».

In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in Japanese and by Brad Swaile in the English version. In the live-action film series, he is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara with Swaile reprising his role as his English dub voice; he is portrayed by both Kenji Urai and Hayato Kakizawa in the musical; in the TV drama, he is portrayed by Masataka Kubota; and his counterpart in the American film is portrayed by Nat Wolff.

Creation and conception

Tsugumi Ohba, the story writer of Death Note, said that his editor suggested the family name «Yagami» for Light. Ohba said that he did not feel «too concerned» about the meaning of the name (the Kanji for «Yagami» are «night» and «god»); he said that after he created the final scene in the manga he «liked» that the final scene created «deeper significance» in the name, of Kira worshippers worshipping him at night under the light of the moon – his given name Raito/Light is written with the character for «moon».^[3]

Takeshi Obata, the artist of Death Note, said that he had «no trouble» designing Light as the character description presented to him, «A brilliant honors student who’s a little out there,» was «clear and detailed». As the weekly serialization continued, Obata simplified the design by subconsciously removing «unnecessary» lines and felt that he became «better» at drawing Light. When Chapter 35 appeared and the editor informed Obata that Light loses his memories, Obata had to draw Light in a similar manner as he appeared in Chapter 1; Obata said «It was like I had to forget everything I had learned.» Obata said that he used «a lot of effort» to design Light’s wardrobe. According to Obata, he encountered difficulty imagining the clothing of «a brilliant person,» so he looked through fashion magazines. Obata envisioned Light as a «smart and formal guy» who wears formal shirts. Most of Light’s clothing in Death Note is «fitted» and Obata avoided jeans.^[4]

When designing color book covers Obata assigned colors to characters to «get the atmosphere right». Obata assigned clear or «lack of a color» to Light.^[5]

Films

Shusuke Kaneko, director of the film, intended for Light to appear sympathetic at the beginning of the film; when Light first gains the Death Note, Kaneko «was careful» to have Light react in a manner «as you and I would». Kaneko changed the story involving Light gaining his first notebook as he felt that the audience «would have a hard time sympathizing» with Light if the scene remained the same as it was in the manga. Kaneko added that as he portrayed Light as «being enthralled» as he «becomes more cruel» to make the audience members feel that they could «do the terrible things he does» even if the members do not sympathize with Light.^[6]

Tatsuya Fujiwara said that he felt difficulty portraying Light in the film series because of the lack of «action» and because Light has no signature mannerisms and therefore has his feelings displayed by his face; Fujiwara added that he struggled conveying Light’s «incredible amount of intelligence» and that the performance would appear «very empty or simplistic» if Light received an improper portrayal. Fujiwara explained that he wanted Light to cry in a particular scene even though Kaneko told Fujiwara «Light doesn’t cry» since Fujiwara believed that the scene would feel «more honest»; Kaneko used the take.^[7]

Kaneko designed Light’s room to reflect the character’s personality by making it clean and neat and filling it with legal, criminal history, foreign, and academic books. The original version of Light’s room included a stereo; Kaneko replaced it with a vacuum cleaner to reflect Light’s «clean-freak self».^[8]

Kenichi Matsuyama, the actor who portrayed L, said that he and Fujiwara became «so immersed» in their character portrayals that they did not talk to one another while on the set; when filming ceased they conversed and «went out for a drink or two».^[7] Matsuyama also said that Light and L are «extremely» alike in that they have «a very strong sense of justice».^[9]

Appearances

In Death Note

Light Yagami was born on February 28, 1986.^[10] He is an acknowledged genius, placing first in national exam tables and university entrance exams.^[11] He is also athletic and attractive, but seems haunted, with a face that can easily become twisted.^[12] At the beginning of the story Light is a student in his last year of high school; he later attends
To-Oh University (東応大学 Tōō Daigaku). His father, Soichiro, is the leader of the National Police Agency task force hunting for «Kira», the name the public has given the perpetrator of the murders. His mother, Sachiko, is a housewife. His younger sister, Sayu, acts as a cheerful, less academic foil.

When Light discovers the Death Note, which was dropped into the Human World by the Shinigami Ryuk, who becomes Light’s companion, he begins a crusade against evil, planning to kill criminals and other ne’er-do-wells until only those he approves of are left. While his task originates with good intentions,^[13] he is corrupted by power within a week, plotting to rule his utopia as «the god of the new world». His ethics are utilitarian, justifying the most extreme acts in service of his cause. He is also driven by a need for victory, which motivates most of his cruelest acts. Combined with the power of the Death Note, his hubris and genius-level intellect convince him that only he can save the world.

Eventually a small task force of Japanese police officers, including Light’s father, under the direction of the eccentric genius detective L begin to close in on Light. Although he suspects Light is Kira, L allows him to collaborate with the police on the case. This begins a cat and mouse game between the two, with Light trying to learn L’s real name so he can kill him, and L trying to get Light to make a mistake giving him the proof he needs to arrest him. Eventually, via an elaborate plan that sees Light relinquish ownership of his Death Note, thus temporarily losing all memory of it, and the forced help of his second Death Note possessing fiancée Misa Amane’s Shinigami Rem, L dies. Light then assumes the «L» persona and continues his charade of searching for Kira with the task force while carrying out the killings himself with help from Misa.

Over four years later, Light is able to garner most of the world’s support, reaching the point where his followers have begun to worship Kira as a literal deity. But two young men, Mello and Near, both raised as potential successors to L begin to separately investigate the case that took the life of their predecessor. Near heads the SPK (Special Provision for Kira), an American investigation team composed of CIA and FBI agents, while Mello teams up with the Mafia. Although Mello dies working separate from Near, his actions lead Teru Mikami, a man selected by Light to kill criminals using another Death Note, to make a mistake that results in Light’s capture by Near, the SPK and Japanese police. Seeing that Light has finally lost, he is killed when Ryuk writes his name in his own Death Note, just as the Shinigami had warned when they first met.^[14]

In film

In the film series, Light is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, known for his role as Shuya Nanahara in Battle Royale. In the film, a few changes were made to the character. At the film’s beginning, Light is a first-year law student at a university, instead of still being in high school as in the beginning of the manga and anime. Light’s motives differ; in this version, he uses the Death Note out of frustration from the perceived failures of the Japanese justice system. Light, prior to his discovery of the Death Note, hacks into the government database and finds that the government secretly acknowledges that it is unable to prosecute many criminals. Light discovers the Death Note in an alley during a rainy night after encountering Takuo Shibuimaru in a club. Light meets Ryuk after killing Shibuimaru. At the end of the first movie Light kills his girlfriend, Shiori Akino, and frames her death as a murder in order to join the Kira investigation team as a result of their sympathy.

Light relinquishes ownership of the Death Note to Kiyomi Takada. After Takada is caught, Light kills her to recover the Death Note, but it is taken by the investigation team. L states that he will test the 13-Day Rule, a fake Death Note rule designed to prove Light and Misa’s innocence. Rem, knowing that L’s actions will reveal Misa’s identity as the 2nd Kira, writes both L’s and Watari’s names in the Death Note. Light then proceeds to write his father’s name in the book, manipulating his father to return the confiscated Death Note. Light confronts his father, but Soichiro does not die. The investigation team members, including L, reveal themselves. Having already written his own name in the Death Note, thus negating Rem’s actions, L tells Light that he had just written in a fake note. Light tries to write on a hidden piece of Death Note, but is shot by Matsuda, an investigation team member. Light tells Ryuk to write the team’s names, promising to show him many interesting things, and begins to laugh. He stops, however, when Ryuk shows him that he had written just one name: Light’s. Light tries to stop Ryuk, but merely passes right through him. As Light begins to succumb to the effects of the Death Note, Ryuk takes this opportunity to reveal to him that humans that have used the Death Note are barred from entering either Heaven or Hell, instead spending eternity in nothingness. Light dies in his father’s arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put the justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice. The film concludes one year later, on Light’s birthday. Sayu fetches Soichiro and says that Kira helped reduce crime rates, however, she says that she does not support Kira as Light was killed by Kira (which is what Soichiro told her).

In Death Note: Light Up the New World, a video will left by Light is discovered. Yuki Shien, a cyberterrorist and Kira worshipper, who aspires to become the Neo-Kira (New Kira) releases the entire video online and it is shown on every television and smartphone around the world. Shien later uses a voice-filter to change his voice to that of Light’s, so as to get Misa to open a box containing a Death Note, to return her memories to her. Misa later looks at a photo of Light through her Shinigami eyes, to dispel any rumors of Light being alive. The trick with Light’s voice is later applied against the Department of Death Note Prevention, lead by Tsukuru Mishima, to get them into a trap, which kills Matsuda. Later, the department learns that Light has furthered his DNA by procreating, and fathering a child, who was to be raised as the successor to Kira. However, the child and his guardian, Teru Mikami, both went insane from the Death Note given to them by Ryuk and Mikami wrote the child’s name in the Death Note. The Death Note is picked up by Mishima, who is forced to kill Mikami. Mishima becomes attracted towards the Death Note, and secretly becomes Kira, under the nose of his fellow policemen. Mishima finds a video message from Light, meant for his son, alongside the Death Note, which he edits to make Kira’s will, which is then sent to Shien. The video will demands that the 6 Death Notes which have fallen to Earth, be handed over to Kira. After the end credits, a previously unseen portion of Light’s video is shown, in which he says, «Just as I planned», and smiles ironically.

Nat Wolff portrays the character’s counterpart, «Light Turner», in the American film version.^[15][16] As in the manga version, Light is an intelligent high school student who finds the death note due to Ryuk. Unlike the manga version, Light has no sister and has recently lost his mother, who had been killed by a man who managed to elude capture. After killing a bully who had previously attacked him, Light takes revenge on the man who killed his mother. Light then reveals the death note to his classmate and love interest Mia Sutton, who became interested in his plans to make the world a better place by killing all the evil people in the world.

This version of Light is different to his manga counterpart in the fact that he never loses sight of his goal to make the world better for the innocent. Unlike Light Yagami, Light Turner never kills any police officers and never truly lets the power of the Death Note overtake him. Instead, his ruthless qualities are transferred to Mia, who uses the notebook in secret to kill police and innocents that are trying to find Light and, by association, herself. In the end, she writes Light’s name in the notebook to make him transfer ownership of the notebook to her, showing her true nature and calling the death note her notebook. However, Light creates a plan that will result in his survival and her death if she attempts to take the notebook, which she does despite how much he tries to convince her to let it go and be with him instead, having truly fallen in love with Mia by writing her name in it as well. In the end, through using two criminals that he controlled using the Death Note, Light manages to trick the police into believing that he wasn’t Kira with the exception of his father, who worked out the truth after finding newspaper articles about his mother’s murder. The film ends with his father asking Light, in response to what he said, if he was truly the lesser of two evils when compared to Mia while L finds a page of the death note, and wonders whether to write Light’s name.

In other media

In the 2015 drama, Masataka Kubota plays the role of Light Yagami.^[17] A number of significant changes are made to this version of the character, though his quiet, calm demeanor and physical appearance remains the same. He is a fan of Misa Amane, loves to go to Misa’s concerts with his friends, is a college student, has lost his mother in a killing some years ago, plans to become a civil-worker after graduating, is less competent and intelligent than his other counterparts, is more sympathetic and hesitant to become a serial-killer, and is uninterested in becoming a police officer like his father, but becomes more intelligent, cerebral, manipulative and ruthless like his manga counterpart, as the series progresses. His battle of wits with L ends, when L forces Light to confess that he is Kira with a fake death note in a warehouse, but Light manages to outwit him, and L is later killed by Light’s associate: Teru Mikami, before he reveals Light’s alter-ego to the task-force. After L dies, he is met by L’s successor and close friend: Near, who also suspects that Light is Kira. Light also faces Near’s alter ego: the more aggressive and ambitious Mello. Light then attempts to kill Mello with the Death Note, but Mello manages to survive. Then in order to defeat Near, Light fools and takes the Japanese police’s help, but inadvertently confesses that he is Kira thanks to a trick set by Near and is detained in a warehouse. While Light is inside the warehouse, Mikami sets fire to the warehouse, unintentionally trapping Light in a circle of fire. Light, meanwhile, burns to death trying to reclaim the death note.

In the musical adaptation, Light is portrayed by Kenji Urai and Hayato in the Japanese productions and Hong Kwang-ho and Han Ji-sang in the Korean productions.^[18]

Reception

Analysis

Ohba described Light as a victim of the Death Note, with Light’s life being «ruined» once he obtained it. According to Ohba, Light was «a young man who could understand the pain of others» when he first encountered the Death Note. Ohba said that if Ryuk never developed an interest in the human world, Light would have become «one of the greatest police leaders in the world» who, with L, worked against criminals.^[19] He added that he believed that debating whether Light’s actions were good or evil is not «very important». Ohba said that he personally sees Light as a «diabolical» character.^[20] Obata said that Light was his second favorite human character and that he was not sure whether that was because he «liked» Light or because he drew «such a diabolical character» in a magazine for children.^[21]

According to Ohba, Light sees Misa Amane, who he uses as an accomplice, as a «bad person» who killed people, so he acts emotionally cold towards her and manipulates her, although he pretends to love her, and even says he will marry her. He is only stopped from killing her by the shinigami Rem, who threatens to kill him if she dies early or if he tries to kill her, despite her knowledge that doing so will cause her own death.^[22]

Light’s personality dramatically changes after he has a Death Note compared to when he does not. This can be seen when Light puts himself in L’s captivity because he ‘might be Kira’. Light tells Ryuk to relinquish his ownership of the Death Note after saying ‘get rid of it’. Afterwards, Light loses all memory of the Death Note and he reverts to his normal personality. Without the Death Note, he has cares for the people around him and is reluctant to manipulate them. He even refuses to ‘use’ Misa Amane to get information out of her when L asks him to; however, later in the story, when Light regains his memories, he seems to have no problem ‘using’ Kiyomi Takada and manipulating her feelings in order to get what he wants. Despite serving Light faithfully, he repays her devotion with a painful death the moment she is no longer of use to him, expressing no emotion other than elation at the fact that her death has moved him closer to his goal.

Although Light originally had good intentions, he was «very conceited», with a «warped … desire to be godlike», bearing love for his family, and intending to transform the world into «a better place».^[22] Ohba also states that Light, «uncompromising» when achieving his ideals, «sullied» himself by using the Death Note and that his actions «may have been the result of the purity within him» prior to obtaining the Death Note.^[23] Nevertheless, Ohba states that Light never lost his love for his family since he viewed them as righteous people.^[24]

Douglas Wolk of Salon describes Light as «coldly manipulative», «egomaniacal», and «an unrepentant serial killer, a butcher on an enormous scale» who is not «a Freddy Krueger, a monster who represents pure evil, or a Patrick Bateman, a demonic symbol of his age». Wolk describes Light as «the good guy, more or less» who genuinely believes that he holds «the moral high ground».^[25] When asked about which character was most similar to himself, Ohba indicated Near and «maybe Light.» Regarding Light, Ohba cited «because I did well in school.»^[26]

Travis Fickett of IGN describes Light as a «sociopath».^[27] Tom S. Pepirium of IGN describes Light as «brilliant, but disturbed».^[28] Wolk describes Light’s ideal world, a «totalitarian» place «ruled by a propagandistic TV channel and an arbitrary secret executioner». Wolk said that Ohba sometimes suggests that this world is «in some ways a better, happier world than ours».^[25] Jolyon Baraka Thomas describes Light’s vision of justice as «impure»: «[His] supercilious attempt to save society from itself is both self-aggrandizing and cruel».^[12] Toshiki Inoue, the series organizer for the Death Note anime, describes Light as a «child whose wish happens to come true».^[29]

Critical reception

File:BradSwaile.jpg

Tom S. Pepirium of IGN said that he felt surprised when he learned that some viewers, while watching the series, wanted Light to emerge as the victor of the storyline; Pepirium added that his wife said that she was «kinda rooting for Light». Pepirium compared wanting Light to win to «cheering for Kevin Spacey at the end of Seven«.^[30] Pepirium added that Brad Swaile, Light’s English-language voice actor, «nails» the «difficult» task of making Light «both likable and hated».^[31] Jason Charpentier of The Anchor stated that Light’s attributes and his role as a main character form «part of what makes Death Note interesting».^[32] Light was also listed 18th in IGN’s 2009 best anime character of all-time list with writer Chris Mackenzie praising how Light is «mesmerizing».^[33] In 2014, he was placed seventh on IGN’s list of greatest anime characters of all-time, with the cite stating that «Light Yagami was the force that drove Death Note and made it a phenomenon».^[34] He is frequently cited as being an anti-hero and sometimes a villain protagonist.^[35][36]

Tetsuro Araki, the director of the anime, said that he felt an urge to support and cheer for Light. Araki added that Light would have used and killed him if he was one of Light’s friends, but the director still believed that Light is «that interesting» and therefore he would have felt an attraction towards Light.^[29]

Pauline Wong of OtakuZone had her opinions of the film portrayal of Light Yagami published in The Star, a Malaysian newspaper. In it, Wong says that the «very bishie-status-worthy» Fujiwara portrayed Light with «aplomb and near-perfection, right down to the evil little smile». Kitty Sensei, quoted in the same Malaysian article, says that the portrayal of Light in the film is «very faithful to the manga’s».^[37]

Tatsuya Fujiwara, the actor who portrayed Light in the films, said that he «could understand» Light’s intentions to create a new world even though «murder is a horrible thing».^[7] Matsuyama describes L and Light as having «such unique characters that they’re impossible to understand».^[7] Erika Toda, the actress who portrayed Misa Amane in the films, described Light’s and Misa’s actions as «criminal».^[38]

See also

• List of Death Note characters

References

Template:Death Note

«Raito» redirects here. For the Italian village on the Amalfi Coast, see Raito (village).

Light Yagami
Death Note character
Light Yagami, drawn by Takeshi Obata
First Episode Appearance	Chapter 1: «Boredom» (退屈, Taikutsu)
Created by	Tsugumi Ohba Takeshi Obata
In-universe information
Alias	Kira Light Asahi (朝日月 Asashi Raito)[1] L (from chapter 60 onward)[2]
Relatives	Soichiro Yagami (father) Sachiko Yagami (mother) Sayu Yagami (sister) Misa Amane (fiancée)

Light Yagami (Japanese: 夜神月 (ライト), Hepburn: Yagami Raito) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. He is a bored young genius who finds a supernatural notebook called a Death Note which was dropped by the Shinigami Ryuk. Using the notebook, which allows its owner to kill anyone simply by knowing their name and face, Light becomes a serial-murderer known as
Kira (キラ) in an attempt to create and rule a utopia cleansed of criminals, with him at the helm as its «God».

In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in Japanese and by Brad Swaile in the English version. In the live-action film series, he is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara with Swaile reprising his role as his English dub voice; he is portrayed by both Kenji Urai and Hayato Kakizawa in the musical; in the TV drama, he is portrayed by Masataka Kubota; and his counterpart in the American film is portrayed by Nat Wolff.

Creation and conception

Tsugumi Ohba, the story writer of Death Note, said that his editor suggested the family name «Yagami» for Light. Ohba said that he did not feel «too concerned» about the meaning of the name (the Kanji for «Yagami» are «night» and «god»); he said that after he created the final scene in the manga he «liked» that the final scene created «deeper significance» in the name, of Kira worshippers worshipping him at night under the light of the moon – his given name Raito/Light is written with the character for «moon».^[3]

Takeshi Obata, the artist of Death Note, said that he had «no trouble» designing Light as the character description presented to him, «A brilliant honors student who’s a little out there,» was «clear and detailed». As the weekly serialization continued, Obata simplified the design by subconsciously removing «unnecessary» lines and felt that he became «better» at drawing Light. When Chapter 35 appeared and the editor informed Obata that Light loses his memories, Obata had to draw Light in a similar manner as he appeared in Chapter 1; Obata said «It was like I had to forget everything I had learned.» Obata said that he used «a lot of effort» to design Light’s wardrobe. According to Obata, he encountered difficulty imagining the clothing of «a brilliant person,» so he looked through fashion magazines. Obata envisioned Light as a «smart and formal guy» who wears formal shirts. Most of Light’s clothing in Death Note is «fitted» and Obata avoided jeans.^[4]

When designing color book covers Obata assigned colors to characters to «get the atmosphere right». Obata assigned clear or «lack of a color» to Light.^[5]

Films

Shusuke Kaneko, director of the film, intended for Light to appear sympathetic at the beginning of the film; when Light first gains the Death Note, Kaneko «was careful» to have Light react in a manner «as you and I would». Kaneko changed the story involving Light gaining his first notebook as he felt that the audience «would have a hard time sympathizing» with Light if the scene remained the same as it was in the manga. Kaneko added that as he portrayed Light as «being enthralled» as he «becomes more cruel» to make the audience members feel that they could «do the terrible things he does» even if the members do not sympathize with Light.^[6]

Tatsuya Fujiwara said that he felt difficulty portraying Light in the film series because of the lack of «action» and because Light has no signature mannerisms and therefore has his feelings displayed by his face; Fujiwara added that he struggled conveying Light’s «incredible amount of intelligence» and that the performance would appear «very empty or simplistic» if Light received an improper portrayal. Fujiwara explained that he wanted Light to cry in a particular scene even though Kaneko told Fujiwara «Light doesn’t cry» since Fujiwara believed that the scene would feel «more honest»; Kaneko used the take.^[7]

Kaneko designed Light’s room to reflect the character’s personality by making it clean and neat and filling it with legal, criminal history, foreign, and academic books. The original version of Light’s room included a stereo; Kaneko replaced it with a vacuum cleaner to reflect Light’s «clean-freak self».^[8]

Kenichi Matsuyama, the actor who portrayed L, said that he and Fujiwara became «so immersed» in their character portrayals that they did not talk to one another while on the set; when filming ceased they conversed and «went out for a drink or two».^[7] Matsuyama also said that Light and L are «extremely» alike in that they have «a very strong sense of justice».^[9]

Appearances

In Death Note

Light Yagami was born on February 28, 1986.^[10] He is an acknowledged genius, placing first in national exam tables and university entrance exams.^[11] He is also athletic and attractive, but seems haunted, with a face that can easily become twisted.^[12] At the beginning of the story Light is a student in his last year of high school; he later attends
To-Oh University (東応大学 Tōō Daigaku). His father, Soichiro, is the leader of the National Police Agency task force hunting for «Kira», the name the public has given the perpetrator of the murders. His mother, Sachiko, is a housewife. His younger sister, Sayu, acts as a cheerful, less academic foil.

When Light discovers the Death Note, which was dropped into the Human World by the Shinigami Ryuk, who becomes Light’s companion, he begins a crusade against evil, planning to kill criminals and other ne’er-do-wells until only those he approves of are left. While his task originates with good intentions,^[13] he is corrupted by power within a week, plotting to rule his utopia as «the god of the new world». His ethics are utilitarian, justifying the most extreme acts in service of his cause. He is also driven by a need for victory, which motivates most of his cruelest acts. Combined with the power of the Death Note, his hubris and genius-level intellect convince him that only he can save the world.

Eventually a small task force of Japanese police officers, including Light’s father, under the direction of the eccentric genius detective L begin to close in on Light. Although he suspects Light is Kira, L allows him to collaborate with the police on the case. This begins a cat and mouse game between the two, with Light trying to learn L’s real name so he can kill him, and L trying to get Light to make a mistake giving him the proof he needs to arrest him. Eventually, via an elaborate plan that sees Light relinquish ownership of his Death Note, thus temporarily losing all memory of it, and the forced help of his second Death Note possessing fiancée Misa Amane’s Shinigami Rem, L dies. Light then assumes the «L» persona and continues his charade of searching for Kira with the task force while carrying out the killings himself with help from Misa.

Over four years later, Light is able to garner most of the world’s support, reaching the point where his followers have begun to worship Kira as a literal deity. But two young men, Mello and Near, both raised as potential successors to L begin to separately investigate the case that took the life of their predecessor. Near heads the SPK (Special Provision for Kira), an American investigation team composed of CIA and FBI agents, while Mello teams up with the Mafia. Although Mello dies working separate from Near, his actions lead Teru Mikami, a man selected by Light to kill criminals using another Death Note, to make a mistake that results in Light’s capture by Near, the SPK and Japanese police. Seeing that Light has finally lost, he is killed when Ryuk writes his name in his own Death Note, just as the Shinigami had warned when they first met.^[14]

In film

In the film series, Light is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, known for his role as Shuya Nanahara in Battle Royale. In the film, a few changes were made to the character. At the film’s beginning, Light is a first-year law student at a university, instead of still being in high school as in the beginning of the manga and anime. Light’s motives differ; in this version, he uses the Death Note out of frustration from the perceived failures of the Japanese justice system. Light, prior to his discovery of the Death Note, hacks into the government database and finds that the government secretly acknowledges that it is unable to prosecute many criminals. Light discovers the Death Note in an alley during a rainy night after encountering Takuo Shibuimaru in a club. Light meets Ryuk after killing Shibuimaru. At the end of the first movie Light kills his girlfriend, Shiori Akino, and frames her death as a murder in order to join the Kira investigation team as a result of their sympathy.

Light relinquishes ownership of the Death Note to Kiyomi Takada. After Takada is caught, Light kills her to recover the Death Note, but it is taken by the investigation team. L states that he will test the 13-Day Rule, a fake Death Note rule designed to prove Light and Misa’s innocence. Rem, knowing that L’s actions will reveal Misa’s identity as the 2nd Kira, writes both L’s and Watari’s names in the Death Note. Light then proceeds to write his father’s name in the book, manipulating his father to return the confiscated Death Note. Light confronts his father, but Soichiro does not die. The investigation team members, including L, reveal themselves. Having already written his own name in the Death Note, thus negating Rem’s actions, L tells Light that he had just written in a fake note. Light tries to write on a hidden piece of Death Note, but is shot by Matsuda, an investigation team member. Light tells Ryuk to write the team’s names, promising to show him many interesting things, and begins to laugh. He stops, however, when Ryuk shows him that he had written just one name: Light’s. Light tries to stop Ryuk, but merely passes right through him. As Light begins to succumb to the effects of the Death Note, Ryuk takes this opportunity to reveal to him that humans that have used the Death Note are barred from entering either Heaven or Hell, instead spending eternity in nothingness. Light dies in his father’s arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put the justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice. The film concludes one year later, on Light’s birthday. Sayu fetches Soichiro and says that Kira helped reduce crime rates, however, she says that she does not support Kira as Light was killed by Kira (which is what Soichiro told her).

In Death Note: Light Up the New World, a video will left by Light is discovered. Yuki Shien, a cyberterrorist and Kira worshipper, who aspires to become the Neo-Kira (New Kira) releases the entire video online and it is shown on every television and smartphone around the world. Shien later uses a voice-filter to change his voice to that of Light’s, so as to get Misa to open a box containing a Death Note, to return her memories to her. Misa later looks at a photo of Light through her Shinigami eyes, to dispel any rumors of Light being alive. The trick with Light’s voice is later applied against the Department of Death Note Prevention, lead by Tsukuru Mishima, to get them into a trap, which kills Matsuda. Later, the department learns that Light has furthered his DNA by procreating, and fathering a child, who was to be raised as the successor to Kira. However, the child and his guardian, Teru Mikami, both went insane from the Death Note given to them by Ryuk and Mikami wrote the child’s name in the Death Note. The Death Note is picked up by Mishima, who is forced to kill Mikami. Mishima becomes attracted towards the Death Note, and secretly becomes Kira, under the nose of his fellow policemen. Mishima finds a video message from Light, meant for his son, alongside the Death Note, which he edits to make Kira’s will, which is then sent to Shien. The video will demands that the 6 Death Notes which have fallen to Earth, be handed over to Kira. After the end credits, a previously unseen portion of Light’s video is shown, in which he says, «Just as I planned», and smiles ironically.

Nat Wolff portrays the character’s counterpart, «Light Turner», in the American film version.^[15][16] As in the manga version, Light is an intelligent high school student who finds the death note due to Ryuk. Unlike the manga version, Light has no sister and has recently lost his mother, who had been killed by a man who managed to elude capture. After killing a bully who had previously attacked him, Light takes revenge on the man who killed his mother. Light then reveals the death note to his classmate and love interest Mia Sutton, who became interested in his plans to make the world a better place by killing all the evil people in the world.

This version of Light is different to his manga counterpart in the fact that he never loses sight of his goal to make the world better for the innocent. Unlike Light Yagami, Light Turner never kills any police officers and never truly lets the power of the Death Note overtake him. Instead, his ruthless qualities are transferred to Mia, who uses the notebook in secret to kill police and innocents that are trying to find Light and, by association, herself. In the end, she writes Light’s name in the notebook to make him transfer ownership of the notebook to her, showing her true nature and calling the death note her notebook. However, Light creates a plan that will result in his survival and her death if she attempts to take the notebook, which she does despite how much he tries to convince her to let it go and be with him instead, having truly fallen in love with Mia by writing her name in it as well. In the end, through using two criminals that he controlled using the Death Note, Light manages to trick the police into believing that he wasn’t Kira with the exception of his father, who worked out the truth after finding newspaper articles about his mother’s murder. The film ends with his father asking Light, in response to what he said, if he was truly the lesser of two evils when compared to Mia while L finds a page of the death note, and wonders whether to write Light’s name.

In other media

In the 2015 drama, Masataka Kubota plays the role of Light Yagami.^[17] A number of significant changes are made to this version of the character, though his quiet, calm demeanor and physical appearance remains the same. He is a fan of Misa Amane, loves to go to Misa’s concerts with his friends, is a college student, has lost his mother in a killing some years ago, plans to become a civil-worker after graduating, is less competent and intelligent than his other counterparts, is more sympathetic and hesitant to become a serial-killer, and is uninterested in becoming a police officer like his father, but becomes more intelligent, cerebral, manipulative and ruthless like his manga counterpart, as the series progresses. His battle of wits with L ends, when L forces Light to confess that he is Kira with a fake death note in a warehouse, but Light manages to outwit him, and L is later killed by Light’s associate: Teru Mikami, before he reveals Light’s alter-ego to the task-force. After L dies, he is met by L’s successor and close friend: Near, who also suspects that Light is Kira. Light also faces Near’s alter ego: the more aggressive and ambitious Mello. Light then attempts to kill Mello with the Death Note, but Mello manages to survive. Then in order to defeat Near, Light fools and takes the Japanese police’s help, but inadvertently confesses that he is Kira thanks to a trick set by Near and is detained in a warehouse. While Light is inside the warehouse, Mikami sets fire to the warehouse, unintentionally trapping Light in a circle of fire. Light, meanwhile, burns to death trying to reclaim the death note.

In the musical adaptation, Light is portrayed by Kenji Urai and Hayato in the Japanese productions and Hong Kwang-ho and Han Ji-sang in the Korean productions.^[18]

Reception

Analysis

Ohba described Light as a victim of the Death Note, with Light’s life being «ruined» once he obtained it. According to Ohba, Light was «a young man who could understand the pain of others» when he first encountered the Death Note. Ohba said that if Ryuk never developed an interest in the human world, Light would have become «one of the greatest police leaders in the world» who, with L, worked against criminals.^[19] He added that he believed that debating whether Light’s actions were good or evil is not «very important». Ohba said that he personally sees Light as a «diabolical» character.^[20] Obata said that Light was his second favorite human character and that he was not sure whether that was because he «liked» Light or because he drew «such a diabolical character» in a magazine for children.^[21]

According to Ohba, Light sees Misa Amane, who he uses as an accomplice, as a «bad person» who killed people, so he acts emotionally cold towards her and manipulates her, although he pretends to love her, and even says he will marry her. He is only stopped from killing her by the shinigami Rem, who threatens to kill him if she dies early or if he tries to kill her, despite her knowledge that doing so will cause her own death.^[22]

Light’s personality dramatically changes after he has a Death Note compared to when he does not. This can be seen when Light puts himself in L’s captivity because he ‘might be Kira’. Light tells Ryuk to relinquish his ownership of the Death Note after saying ‘get rid of it’. Afterwards, Light loses all memory of the Death Note and he reverts to his normal personality. Without the Death Note, he has cares for the people around him and is reluctant to manipulate them. He even refuses to ‘use’ Misa Amane to get information out of her when L asks him to; however, later in the story, when Light regains his memories, he seems to have no problem ‘using’ Kiyomi Takada and manipulating her feelings in order to get what he wants. Despite serving Light faithfully, he repays her devotion with a painful death the moment she is no longer of use to him, expressing no emotion other than elation at the fact that her death has moved him closer to his goal.

Although Light originally had good intentions, he was «very conceited», with a «warped … desire to be godlike», bearing love for his family, and intending to transform the world into «a better place».^[22] Ohba also states that Light, «uncompromising» when achieving his ideals, «sullied» himself by using the Death Note and that his actions «may have been the result of the purity within him» prior to obtaining the Death Note.^[23] Nevertheless, Ohba states that Light never lost his love for his family since he viewed them as righteous people.^[24]

Douglas Wolk of Salon describes Light as «coldly manipulative», «egomaniacal», and «an unrepentant serial killer, a butcher on an enormous scale» who is not «a Freddy Krueger, a monster who represents pure evil, or a Patrick Bateman, a demonic symbol of his age». Wolk describes Light as «the good guy, more or less» who genuinely believes that he holds «the moral high ground».^[25] When asked about which character was most similar to himself, Ohba indicated Near and «maybe Light.» Regarding Light, Ohba cited «because I did well in school.»^[26]

Travis Fickett of IGN describes Light as a «sociopath».^[27] Tom S. Pepirium of IGN describes Light as «brilliant, but disturbed».^[28] Wolk describes Light’s ideal world, a «totalitarian» place «ruled by a propagandistic TV channel and an arbitrary secret executioner». Wolk said that Ohba sometimes suggests that this world is «in some ways a better, happier world than ours».^[25] Jolyon Baraka Thomas describes Light’s vision of justice as «impure»: «[His] supercilious attempt to save society from itself is both self-aggrandizing and cruel».^[12] Toshiki Inoue, the series organizer for the Death Note anime, describes Light as a «child whose wish happens to come true».^[29]

Critical reception

File:BradSwaile.jpg

Tom S. Pepirium of IGN said that he felt surprised when he learned that some viewers, while watching the series, wanted Light to emerge as the victor of the storyline; Pepirium added that his wife said that she was «kinda rooting for Light». Pepirium compared wanting Light to win to «cheering for Kevin Spacey at the end of Seven«.^[30] Pepirium added that Brad Swaile, Light’s English-language voice actor, «nails» the «difficult» task of making Light «both likable and hated».^[31] Jason Charpentier of The Anchor stated that Light’s attributes and his role as a main character form «part of what makes Death Note interesting».^[32] Light was also listed 18th in IGN’s 2009 best anime character of all-time list with writer Chris Mackenzie praising how Light is «mesmerizing».^[33] In 2014, he was placed seventh on IGN’s list of greatest anime characters of all-time, with the cite stating that «Light Yagami was the force that drove Death Note and made it a phenomenon».^[34] He is frequently cited as being an anti-hero and sometimes a villain protagonist.^[35][36]

Tetsuro Araki, the director of the anime, said that he felt an urge to support and cheer for Light. Araki added that Light would have used and killed him if he was one of Light’s friends, but the director still believed that Light is «that interesting» and therefore he would have felt an attraction towards Light.^[29]

Pauline Wong of OtakuZone had her opinions of the film portrayal of Light Yagami published in The Star, a Malaysian newspaper. In it, Wong says that the «very bishie-status-worthy» Fujiwara portrayed Light with «aplomb and near-perfection, right down to the evil little smile». Kitty Sensei, quoted in the same Malaysian article, says that the portrayal of Light in the film is «very faithful to the manga’s».^[37]

Tatsuya Fujiwara, the actor who portrayed Light in the films, said that he «could understand» Light’s intentions to create a new world even though «murder is a horrible thing».^[7] Matsuyama describes L and Light as having «such unique characters that they’re impossible to understand».^[7] Erika Toda, the actress who portrayed Misa Amane in the films, described Light’s and Misa’s actions as «criminal».^[38]

See also

• List of Death Note characters

References

Template:Death Note

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Light Yagami (夜神月, Yagami Raito) is the main protagonist of the Death Note series. After discovering the Death Note, he decides to use it to rid the world of criminals. His killings are eventually labelled by the people living in Japan as the work of «Kira.»

Appearance

Light is a young man, standing at above average height with light-brown hair and brown eyes. During Part I, when not wearing his school uniform, which consists of a tan suit and red tie, he dresses fairly casually, sometimes sporting a dress shirt underneath a jacket or a V-neck sweater with a collared t-shirt underneath. During Part II, if not wearing a similar style of clothes, he is seen wearing a suit.

He is considered to be quite handsome, a trait noted by Misa Amane and Kiyomi Takada, among others.

Character

Light is characterized as hardworking, talented, and a natural genius. Highly perceptive and good with problem solving skills, Light is a skilled planner and good at mapping out scenarios. Furthermore, Light is very popular among peers and adored by his family members. However, his high intelligence and constant praise from adults laid the foundation for an intense level of hubris which quickly took effect once he obtained the notebook.

Similar to his father Soichiro, Light has a strong sense of justice but this quickly becomes warped after he becomes tainted by the notebook’s power. Believing the world to be «rotten,» he uses his Death Note as a means by which he can enact his will to rid the world of evil people. Light’s main goal is to create a new world that is free of injustice and populated only with people whom he deems honest and kind, thus becoming the «God of the new world». Light is decisive and driven to achieve his ambitions, without faltering one bit in his beliefs. Despite knowing the criminality of murder, Light would consider his actions the ultimate “sacrifice” to help the world.

Through use of the Death Note, Light quickly begins to develop a cold and ruthless nature. As a utilitarian, he will take any means in order to achieve his goals. However, though his actions do put his family in harm’s way, he continues to show love and genuine concern for them. This is demonstrated when his sister Sayu is kidnapped and held for ransom; Light prevents Soichiro from taking drastic action in order to keep Sayu safe in spite of knowingly increasing Mello’s chances of obtaining the Death Note.

Additionally, the series shows that Light was not born remorseless. After relinquishing the notebook and losing his memories to temporarily avoid suspicion, Light demonstrates compassion, a reluctance to manipulate others and an intense unwillingness to kill. Once his memories return, however, he reverts back to his ruthless Kira persona and remains that way until his death.

The degree of Light’s hubris and ruthlessness varies by adaption. In the manga, Japanese films, musical and anime (at least before the final episode), Light is steadfast in his decisions as Kira and rarely expresses any doubt in his actions. An example of this is shown early on in the series when he resolves, quickly and without hesitation, to kill FBI agent Raye Penber for tailing him in spite of Raye not being a criminal. However, in the final episode of the anime, Light, defeated by Near and in critical condition as he tries to evade capture, imagines sorrowfully what his life could have been if he did not pick up the Death Note.

Light’s hubris and ruthlessness is especially downplayed in the drama and Netflix film adaptions. In these continuities, he presents as less confident, demonstrates hesitation with killing the FBI agents investigating him and even considers abandoning his mission when feeling cornered. Nevertheless, across adaptions, Light has consistently been portrayed as an idealist and as an individual who is willing to go to extreme measures in order to defend his idea of justice.

History

Light grew up in Japan with his family, which consists of his father, Soichiro Yagami, who is a member of the Japanese Task Force (an investigation team opposing Kira), his mother, Sachiko Yagami, and his younger sister, Sayu Yagami.

At the start of the series, Light is a third-year high school student (12th Grade) at Daikoku Private Academy and also attends supplemental classes at Gamou Prep Academy in the beginning of the story. He later attends college at To-Oh University (東応大学, Tōō Daigaku).

Plot

Part I

Finding the Death Note

In the year 2003 (2006 in the anime), Light Yagami discovers a mysterious notebook on the ground at his school. Written on the cover are the words «Death Note». The Death Note’s instructions state that if a human’s name is written within it, that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the notebook’s authenticity, but after experimenting with it, Light realizes that the Death Note is real.

After putting much thought into whether or not he should continue using the notebook, he ascertains that no one else will be able to bear the burden of improving the world. Light then meets the previous owner of the Death Note, a Shinigami named Ryuk. He explains his reasons for dropping the Death Note in the Human World, and when it is Light’s time to die, he will be the one to write Light’s name in his notebook. Light then tells him of his goal of getting rid of all the evil people in the world, and ruling over it as God.

Light’s killings reach a monumental scale, attracting the attention of the master detective known as L. The first conflict between Light and L happens over the television, beginning with the broadcast of Lind L. Tailor. L places Tailor as a decoy on television in order to trick Light, with the network stating that the broadcast is worldwide.

Tailor provokes Kira by calling him «evil», and, in a rage, kills Tailor with a heart attack.

Light thinks the ordeal is over, but the broadcast of Tailor is suddenly cut, and L’s signature letter ‘L’ appears. Using a voice synthesizer, the real L announces that Lind L. Tailor was a decoy and a criminal on death row. He explains that Tailor’s information was never made available to the public, so there was no way Kira could have killed him until now. L boldly taunts Kira, asking him to try to kill him, as Light stares at the TV, angrily shocked that he’s been fooled. After several seconds, L learns that Kira needs the person’s real name and face to kill the victim, otherwise Kira would have already killed him. L announces that the video was aired only in the Kanto area of Japan as a ploy to determine the location of Kira. L says that he is now speaking directly to Kira and tells Kira that he will catch him, then the broadcast ends.

As Light ponders over this, he accepts L’s challenge to him. He also declares that he will find L and he will eliminate him. The two announce their intentions, and both declare that they are «justice», with Light needing to avoid suspicion and capture by L all while needing to kill him.

The FBI Agents

Soon after, now working with the Japanese police, L begins to lead a Task Force alongside Light’s own father, Soichiro, in order to expose and capture Kira.

Light hacks into his father’s computer without leaving a trace, and discovers that L and the Task Force speculate that Kira may well be a student. Light figures that considering one would be able to control the conditions of death using the Death Note, manipulating the time of death is possible as well. Light then begins killing criminals in one-hour increments in order to specifically contradict the «Kira is a student» theory, letting L know that Kira has access to police information, with Light’s main goal in mind being the spawning of distrust among the police and L, as L will be bound to investigate the police now.

When walking home from school, Light is informed of by Ryuk that someone is tailing him. In order to prevent him from being investigated, Light is determined to kill his stalker.

Ryuk tells Light the purpose of the Death Note. A Shinigami gets extra life from killing humans with a Death Note, which is why a Shinigami can live for many years and cannot be killed in any other way. Then, Ryuk explains to Light that the Shinigami have eyes that allow them to see any human’s real name and lifespan over their head. In addition, a Shinigami can make a deal with the owner of the Death Note to receive the «Shinigami Eyes» in exchange for half of that human’s remaining lifespan, with Ryuk offering to make the deal. Light refuses the deal, stating that he needs to live for a long time in order to rule over his utopian world.

Suddenly, Light has an idea about how to find out the FBI agent’s name. He decides to use his stock criminals in order to find out how specific the details of death need to be.

Light boards a bus with his date, Yuri, and Light’s follower takes a seat behind the couple.

Prior to the date, Light had written the name of Kiichiro Osoerda, having him hijack the bus, then leave the bus and die of an accident after seeing a phantom. Osoreda boards the bus. The man pulls out a gun and points it to the driver, taking the bus hostage.

Light prompts his follower to say something by passing Yuri a note which contains Light’s plans to apprehend the busjacker. Light asks Raye to show him proof that he is not the busjacker’s accomplice, forcing him to show Light his proof of being an FBI agent, along with his name, Raye Penber. Light drops a note, which prompts the busjacker to pick it up, only for the note to have been a snippet of the Death Note, meaning the busjacker can see Ryuk. In shock, the busjacker empties his gun and exits the bus, before dying in an accident.

Back at Light’s house, Ryuk asks him if he’s going to write Penber’s name down in the Death Note. Light tells him that it would look too suspicious if he does so immediately after they met. In addition, he wants Penber to show him the names and faces of every FBI agent sent to investigate the NPA.

On December 27, 2003, Light goes to an underground section of the Shinjuku Station. Light figured out that he can write the date and cause of death in the Death Note without a name, and the Death Note will work when the name is added later. While wearing a hood to obscure his identity, Light appears behind Penber (unaware that it is Light) and tells Penber that he is Kira. Light threatens Penber by stating that non-compliance would lead to his death, the death of his love, and the deaths of his family.

Light asks Penber if he’s carrying a laptop, and if he has a file containing the names of all of the FBI agents in Japan. Penber says that he doesn’t have a file like that, and Light hands him an envelope. He tells Penber to hold onto the envelope, take out the transmitter and put the earphones in. Over transmitter, Light leads Penber through a turnstile in the western entrance at 3:11 PM. Penber enters a train on the Yamanote Line at 3:13 and takes a seat. Light asks how many FBI agents there are, and Penber says that he thinks there are four groups, totaling twelve agents. Light says to call an agent that is ranked lower than him and ask for the names and faces of all agents sent to Japan. Penber uses his cell phone and calls an agent, and then asks him for the name and faces of the agents. Penber receives the FBI file at 3:21 PM, and Penber is the second FBI agent that receives it. Light tells Penber to take the contents out of the folder he gave him, and Penber takes out four envelopes with ten rectangular spaces cut out of the left side of each one. Light says to write down the names of the agents into the blocks on the folders. At 4:42 PM, when Raye exits the train, he dies of a heart attack while turning around and seeing Light.

Light takes the files home and takes the pages of the Death Note out of their envelopes, revealing the times and causes of death for each agent. Each agent will receive the file and die at a different time.

Naomi Misora

After the sudden death of Raye, Naomi Misora decides to take part in the Kira case herself. Having been told by Raye that he showed his FBI badge to someone during a bus-jacking, Naomi deduces that Kira must have been on the bus. In her attempts to contact the Japanese Task Force, she comes across Light Yagami. Light uses his father’s status to his advantage, telling Naomi that he is Chief Yagami’s son, which allows him to slowly win her trust. Cautious at first, she uses the false name Shoko Maki in order to protect herself until she can reach L.

After he realizes that this was an alias from the way Ryuk laughed, Light finally gets Naomi to reveal her name by saying that he is a member of the Task Force and is actually working with L. Taking advantage of Naomi’s emotional state, Light gives the possibility that she could join the Task Force and help catch her fiancé’s murderer. Light says that he will need to see a form of identification before she can join, and Naomi shows him her driver’s license. Using a piece of the Death Note, Light writes down Naomi’s name, resulting in her death by suicide. Her body is never found due to the specifications made by Light in the Death Note.

Surveillance Cameras

As Light arrives home, he finds the doorknob of his bedroom (which is usually lowered by a few millimeters) is strangely at the very top, plus the pencil lead placed on his door hinge is broken. Not only that, but his bluff, a piece of paper, was strangely put back in his door. This has Light believing that L has installed surveillance cameras and wiretaps within his room. Light then bribes Ryuk with apples, asking him to find where the surveillance cameras are.

Light reveals he has hidden scandalous magazines and proceeds to browse through them in order to give off the impression to L that he is a normal teenager, and that the magazines were what he was hiding all along. During dinner, L has a message appear on TV, stating that the ICPO has dispatched 1500 investigators to Japan to investigate Kira, but Light sees through this bluff.

When Light is about to study for his upcoming entrance exams, he has placed a snippet of the notebook and a mini-LCD TV within a potato chip bag (which contains a flavor which only he out of the rest of his family prefers). While studying, whenever Light places his hand in the potato chip bag, he actually checks for criminals’ names using the mini-TV then writes down their names. The main idea is that L would see that criminals have died which Light could not have possibly see, being busy in his room, studying. With this trick, Light manages to kill two petty criminals.

For the next few days, Light proceeds to kill more criminals, petty or not, in order to cover up the fact that petty criminals have died solely while he was studying.

Eventually, the surveillance cameras get removed and Light plans on finding L through his father.

Meeting L

Light performs his entrance exams, when he notices a student sitting strangely on his seat.

He passes the exams, scoring perfectly, and is able to become a student of To-Oh University. Alongside another student who scored perfectly, who was the student sitting oddly earlier, he gives a speech. Noticing the strange behavior of this student, who named himself after the famous pop idol, Hideki Ryuga, Light feels annoyed at his constant chattering that concerns Light’s character.

«Hideki Ryuga» then reveals himself to Light as L. Light is shocked by this and is attempting to stay calm around this supposed new friend he’s made. When Light arrives home, he throws a tantrum, and explains L’s strategy, that should Light write down L’s name using the alias even with the off-chance that it’s real, the real Hideki Ryuga will die (since Light will have subconsciously pictured Ryuga’s face), and suspicion will be pointed towards him. Not only that, but even if Light finds out L’s real name, this L could very well be a proxy and suspicion from the hypothetical real L will be pointed towards Light again, as the timing will still be too convenient. Light accepts this challenge from L, getting excited over this upcoming battle of wits.

L asks Light to play tennis with him, and they do so, nearly evenly matched. During the tennis game, both of them ponder strategies. Light comes to the conclusion that L asked him to play tennis in order to lay the groundwork for future meetings which will essentially be tests; Light also plans on confirming that Ryuga is L with confirmation from the Task Force.

After Light wins the intense tennis match, L reveals that he is suspicious of Light being Kira, with Light still being forced to put up the act and pretends to be shocked. Light comes to the conclusion that, with this act, L is attempting to prevent Light from meeting with the Task Force. They hang out together at a cafe afterward.

At the cafe, L tests Light multiple times, with Light managing to evade L’s psychological traps. L asks Light to help the Kira investigation; if Light is Kira, then L will be closer to him and there is more room for Light slipping up, and if he isn’t Kira, then his great intellectual ability will be of use to the investigation. Light takes advantage of this by demanding that he meet the Task Force members to confirm L’s identity in order for him to begin helping the investigation. Much to Light’s surprise, L accepts.

Soichiro collapses due to stress, and both Light and L visit him at the hospital. There, through Soichiro, Light manages to confirm that the L who appeared before him is, in fact, the real L.

The Second Kira

On April 22, 2004 (2007 in anime), in a broadcast on Sakura TV, «Kira» sends tapes stating that if criminal reports stop, Kira will kill police officers and reporters, and then demands that the life of someone in charge of the Kira investigation be handed over—the Director’s or L’s. «Kira» says to choose one and reveal them in four days and that, because Kira knows the Director’s face, there are no special requirements; however, if they should choose L, he must appear on Sakura TV and give a ten-minute speech. «Kira» says that they will decide if the person on the news is L, and if it is decided that he isn’t, Kira will take the lives of several police officers as compensation.

Light watches this broadcast, amused at the fact that someone else possesses a Death Note, likely with the Shinigami Eyes. Light figures this person is dangerous as they could tarnish Kira’s reputation and their capture would be detrimental for Light, so Light figures he needs to join the Task Force in order to keep an eye on L as well as this fake Kira.

A few days later, L asks Light to join the Task Force. Light arrives at the hotel and appears surprised at the small size of the Task Force, and L tells Light that there are a few outsiders who know what happens within the investigation and only one can contact L directly. Light thinks to himself that if everyone in the Task Force dies but one, the killer is revealed, so he must find out who the outsider with the information is. Light is told to look over the papers of the investigation and then watch the tape without taking notes or removing anything. After watching the tapes, Light says that there may be someone else with Kira’s abilities, citing the difference in criminals killed, as well as the fact that some were killed immediately after revealing their faces.

Light realizes that L would have told him his plan regardless of what he told L and that he set things up so that if Light didn’t say there was another Kira, he would look suspicious, and if he did, he would help strengthen L’s theory to the Task Force. L asks Light to help their case by pretending to be Kira and tells Light that only he is able to play this role, starting with writing a draft for the speech as Kira. Later, the tape is created and sent to various TV stations. The Second Kira responds with videos which contain indirect, and some rather direct, comments about Death Notes, Shinigami, and how they can meet. Light goes to Aoyama to find the Second Kira, but is unable to meet this Kira. However, due to having Shinigami Eyes, the Second Kira is able to identify Light as Kira because of her being unable to see Light’s lifespan.

After finding out his address, the Second Kira arrives at Light’s house, and Light invites Misa to his room and asks her to explain her actions. Misa says that she wanted to meet Kira because her parents were murdered in front of her, and Kira killed the man who did it. Misa asks to be his girlfriend, admitting that she wouldn’t even mind if he simply uses her. Light agrees, intending to kill her after she outlives her usefulness. However, Misa’s Shinigami, Rem, promises to kill him if he ever harms Misa. Light finds Rem to be a massive threat, as having limited control over Misa would result in her doing something reckless, not to mention Misa’s capture could result in Rem killing Light.

Light has to now keep a gaggle of girlfriends so that his newfound relationship with Misa won’t stand out, as L had already deduced that Kira and the second Kira have allied.

Misa goes directly against Light orders and, instead of meeting two weeks after their first meeting as Light requested, Misa meets up with Light only two days following their first meeting. Light uses this opportunity to convince Rem to help him kill L, promising her that it’s for Misa’s happiness. Rem agrees to do so, and Light said that she must follow his command only when he tells her to.

At campus, Light surprisingly meets up with L again, where L steals Misa’s phone after taking advantage of a crowd. Misa is then taken away, with L revealing that he found DNA evidence in Misa’s room pointing towards Misa being the second Kira. This is dangerous for Light, as Misa being the second Kira would point towards Light being the original Kira.

Imprisoned

Light, now cornered by L, puts his master plan into action. Rem had already relinquished ownership of Misa’s notebook to Light, wiping her memories and preventing her from confessing.

Light then swaps the notebooks with their respective Shinigami, with Ryuk being attached to the notebook originally owned by Misa and Rem attached to Light’s. Light places two fake rules in the notebook Rem is attached to, one being that when the notebook is destroyed, anyone who has touched the notebook will die, and, most importantly, whoever doesn’t write names within the notebook within 13 consecutive days dies.

Light instructs Rem to allow Kyosuke Higuchi to become the new owner of the Death Note she is attached to, then asks L to detain him. During his confinement, no criminals die, which strengthens the case for Light being Kira. Within seven days of confinement, Light gives up his ownership of his notebook, and consequently has all of his memories of being Kira wiped and altered. During his fifteenth day of confinement, criminals begin dropping dead again, and on his 50th day, the Task Force has L release Light and Misa.

Soichiro then fakes an execution by shooting Light and Misa with a blank gun, which convinces L to release Light and Misa from their confinement as Misa would have killed Soichiro in this situation.

Yotsuba

Light accepts L’s offer to join the investigation team to hunt down Higuchi, who has taken up the mantle of Kira. During the investigation of Yotsuba, Light works under the alias «Light Asahi».

L handcuffs him and Light together, displeasing Misa and Light. L suggests manipulating Misa in order to get information from her, but Light refuses, as he dares not to ever take advantage of someone’s feelings. While Misa is resting in her hotel room, L acts lethargic about how catching Kira will be difficult, prompting Light to fight him.

Months later, while L is sulking and not working on the case, Light finds a correlation between the killings and the growth of Yotsuba, having the investigation believe that Kira is either within Yotsuba or working behind Yotsuba, and also leads them to the conclusion that Kira can kill through means other than heart attacks. Keeping watch of the meetings held by the head of the Yotsuba members, Light objects to L letting the killings continue, and poses as L and decides to call Reiji Namikawa, who agreed to help L and postpone the killings.

Misa eventually finds evidence pointing towards Kyosuke Higuchi being Kira. While L and the investigation team enacts the plan to take down Higuchi, Light keeps watch of the situation and follows L, eventually to the point where he is riding on a helicopter with L, and witnesses Higuchi’s arrest.

While the Task Force discovers the Death Note, Light touches it, regaining his memories as Kira once again. In order to claim ownership of the Death Note he is currently holding, Light kills Higuchi using a snippet of the notebook within his watch.

L and the Task Force then find the 13-day rule, successfully clearing Light and Misa of being suspected, while L is still skeptical.

The End of L

Light instructs Misa to find her buried Death Note, which results in her regaining her memories. Light instructs Misa to kill L if she remembers his real name from when they were on campus, but Misa doesn’t remember and so makes the Shinigami Eye deal again, which is what Light wanted in case Misa forgot L’s name, as taking the Eye deal and halving her lifespan would pressure Rem. Light then instructs Misa to begin killing criminals again so that L would suspect Misa is behind the killings. This is in order to put Rem in a situation where she’d be forced to kill L in order to save Misa. Rem does indeed kill L and Watari, which results in her death, just as Light planned.

After winning the battle with L and taking his persona, Light gains control of the Kira investigation team. This puts him on the safest ground as his role as a second generation L, covering his identity as Kira.

For the next five years, by using L’s database of criminal records, Light’s judgments become more widespread than ever. As a result, the world falls into a dark age in which essentially everyone now lives under the law of Kira.

Part II

Mello’s Kidnappings

After five years of everything going swimmingly, Takimura, the head of the NPA, gets kidnapped in exchange for the Death Note. At the same time, an FBI agent, John McEnroe, confronts Soichiro, and asks for the Death Note. This FBI agent also seeks cooperation from the Task Force to rescue Takimura from the kidnappers.

Light feels obligated to get rid of the kidnappers as well as the American organization as soon as possible, as they are currently the only people besides the Task Force who know of the existence of the Death Note. Light kills Takimura so that they no longer have a bargaining chip to trade the Death Note for, and it wouldn’t look suspicious as one could easily assume the kidnappers killed him. However, the kidnappers then announce that they have kidnapped Sayu Yagami, which puts Light under pressure. In order to get help, he contacts the organization which John McEnroe offered to have them to talk to, and Light talks to Near for the first time, who introduces himself as N and is aware of the previous L’s death.

Light tells Near the current situation and Near surveils the site of the trade using satellites. The exchange goes through, with the kidnappers gaining the notebook.

Near decides that he should chase the kidnappers on his own, only for his plan to fail as Mello uses the Death Note to wipe out more than half his team. Light takes advantage of this incident to trade all that he knows about the notebook for information on the perpetrator of the kidnappings. Near tells Light that someone using the nickname Mello, who is using the Mafia, is behind the kidnappings, and Light has the Task Force investigate Wammy’s House, informing Light of Mello’s motives.

The president calls Light, and Light figures out that Mello had blackmailed him. So, Light takes advantage of this to have the president organize a raid led by Yitzak Ghazanin. Light learns the location of Mello and the Mafia by taking control of the current Death Note owner and having him mail him their location. However, the raid fails thanks to the intervention of Sidoh, a Shinigami working with the Mafia.

Light then has Misa send a message to the Task Force as Kira, that Kira relinquished ownership of his Death Note to one of the members of the Task Force in order to attack the Mafia and regain the notebook. Light had expected Matsuda to gain ownership and make the Shinigami Eye deal, but, unfortunately for Light, Soichiro does so instead. The raid commences and they regain the Death Note, and Light tells them to confront Mello. Soichiro threatens Mello rather than killing him, giving Jose the opportunity to shoot Soichiro severely.

Mello then blows up the base and escapes, but Soichiro manages to give out Mello’s real name to Light. Soichiro then dies in the hospital, after seeing that Light’s lifespan was not absent, proving to him that Light was not Kira.

The Battle with Near

Light selects Demegawa as the Kira spokesperson, intending to spread Kira’s word in order to gain more power to take down Near and Mello. Thanks in part to David Hoope’s death and the battle with the Mafia, the United States submits to Kira and dissolves the SPK, the organization Near is running. Near, deducing that the second L is Kira, calls Light and claims that he has interrogated Mello, and that he learned that there are fake rules. Near disproves the 13-day rule, and gives pieces of evidence to the Task Force pointing towards the second L being Kira, instilling some doubt within the Task Force in an effort to turn them against the second L.

Mello contacts Mogi and tells him to follow Mello to New York, which Mogi does so under the supervision of Light and the Task Force. However, Mello has Mogi go to the SPK’s headquarters, which puts Light under extreme pressure as Mello and Near are constantly pressuring Mogi into spilling information. On one hand, if Light lets Mogi live, he might spill information that would be detrimental for Light, but if Light kills him, it’d only incriminate him.

Luckily for Light, Mogi doesn’t give away any information. However, as he can’t guarantee that, and in order to kill off Near and Mogi, Light sends Demegawa and tons of other Kira followers to attack Near. However, Near uses L’s inheritance to distract the crowd and escape.

Near lies to the Task Force, claiming Mogi had died of a heart attack. This stirs suspicion against Light, which results in Aizawa giving Near lots of information, which has him believing that Light Yagami is the second L and Kira, while Mogi returns to the Task Force. Light now expects tighter surveillance now that Near turned the Task Force against him, so he has Misa relinquish ownership of her notebook to Teru Mikami, who kills Demegawa for running amok, testifying his worth. Mikami then selects Kiyomi Takada as the new Kira spokesperson, who coincidentally had a past relationship with Light.

Light takes advantage of this to use Takada to talk to Mikami. He does this while satisfying the Task Force, under the guise that he is investigating her. During their second meeting, Mikami calls them, and Light manages to confirm to Mikami that Light is Kira and Mikami confirm to Light that Mikami is the new Kira proxy via subtle communication. Light then says that all the Task Force’s surveillance cameras and most of the wiretaps must be removed as per Kira’s request. Light then privately reveals to Takada that he is Kira.

The Task Force moves to Japan, with the same being done by the SPK.

For the rest of his meetings with Takada, Light and her communicate by writing notes as the Task Force placed a wire on Light. Light instructs Takada to tell Mikami to forge a fake notebook and use that fake to write down names in public, while he sends Takada the real names so she does the killings. Light’s incentive is that, for his final confrontation with Near, he expects Near to swap his notebook with a fake, which is why he’s already preparing a fake.

Near calls Light and informs him of their ongoing investigation of Takada.

Light also has Mikami say things in public suggesting Ryuk hasn’t been following him. This way, when Near touches the Death Note, he won’t think that there is no Shinigami because the notebook is a fake. Light’s plan goes perfectly, with Near having swapped the pages of Mikami’s fake notebook.

Near calls the Task Force and informs them of a meeting Near wants to arrange, taking place at Yellow Box Warehouse, which is just what Light had expected. However, not too many days before the planned meeting, Takada suddenly gets kidnapped by Mello. Takada successfully manages to kill Mello, while Light kills Takada using a fire to remove any evidence.

The meeting commences, and Mikami begins writing everyone’s name within the notebook, with the only one whose name isn’t written down is confirmed to be Kira. Having prepared a fake all along, Light had expected to win, as he had planned things out so that Mikami would bring the real one.

However, it is revealed to be a fake. Near reveals that Mikami had actually written down Takada’s name after her kidnapping, not knowing Light did the same. This allowed Near to seize the real notebook which Mikami had used to write down her name.

Light, being exposed as Kira, attempts to deny it, but with his declaration of victory as well as the evidence Near provided, everyone is convinced Light is Kira. Light laughs maniacally, and attempts to tell them the benefits of Kira’s world. However, Near responds by saying that everyone has a right to choose what they think is right or wrong, while Kira is killing people to selfishly force his own personal utopia onto everyone. When Light then tries to appeal to everyone else in the room their cold gaze confirms that they too harshly reject his vision of a utopia.

Light then decides to distract everyone in the room by presenting the possibility that the notebook brought from the task force could be fake. While mid-speech he swiftly tries to use the scrap of the note in his watch to kill Near. Matsuda responds by shooting Light, interrupting him then berates him for driving his own father to his death for his vision. Light then tries to continue to finish writing the name using his blood from the gunshot wound. Matsuda, enraged at Light, shoots at Light multiple times, leaving him severely injured. The task force then disarms Matsuda before he kills Light in his fit of rage and also takes the note scrap as well so it couldn’t continue to be used.

Fate

Manga

Light is left incapacitated both physically and mentally. Light yells for Mikami to write down the names of everyone present, but Mikami responds by asking how he is supposed to kill them with a fake notebook. This brings Mikami to the realization that Light is not «God». Light becomes increasingly distraught and begins asking for help from Misa, only to be told that she isn’t here. He then asks for Takada and is told that she is dead. In complete desperation, Light begs Ryuk to help him by killing everyone in the room, yet Ryuk reminds Light that he is on neither side. Ryuk fulfills his promise from the beginning: he writes «Light Yagami» in his Death Note, and Light futilely begs Ryuk to reverse the process. He begins to panic, repeating in his head «I don’t want to die,» before the Death Note finally takes effect, thus killing him.

Anime

Mikami commits suicide by stabbing himself with his pen and losing a lot of blood, creating a diversion for both the Task Force and the SPK. Although weakened, Light catches a second wind and manages to flee the warehouse. Near tells Aizawa, Mogi, Ide, and Matsuda that there is no reason to pursue Light, given that there should be no more hidden Death Note pieces and Light’s wounds would prevent him from getting far. Aizawa refuses to heed Near’s orders and has his team follow Light. Meanwhile, Ryuk writes Light’s name down when he finds another warehouse to hide in. As Light silently dies, an illusion of L appears before Light, mirroring a scene following L’s defeat at Light’s hands in episode 25.

At the end of Death Note Relight 2: L’s Successors, Aizawa and Matsuda are revealed to have found the warehouse Light has fled to; their expressions of shock imply that they have seen Light’s body.

In other media

Film series

Death Note

In the film, a few changes were made to Light. At the film’s beginning, Light is a first-year university student studying law instead of still being a high school genius like in the beginning of the manga and anime. Light’s motives differ; his boredom trait does not exist, and he instead uses the Death Note out of frustration from the perceived failures of the Japanese justice system. Light, prior to his discovery of the Death Note, hacks into the government database and finds that the government secretly acknowledges that many criminals can’t be prosecuted. Light discovers the Death Note in an alley during a rainy night after encountering Takuo Shibuimaru in a club and throwing a law book into the rain in a rage. Light meets Ryuk after killing Shibuimaru. Light has a girlfriend, Shiori Akino, who attends his university. Light kills Shiori at the end of the first movie to gain sympathy from L using Naomi Misora, whom he also kills.

Death Note: The Last Name

After 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. In the second film, after being exposed as Kira, Light asks Ryuk to write the names of the team members in the book during the climax. The police shoot but do not kill Ryuk as he writes in the Death Note. Light laughs until Ryuk shows Light the Death Note, revealing that Light’s name was written in the book. Light tries to stop Ryuk, passing through the Shinigami. Light dies in his father’s arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put justice into practice: justice, which Soichiro Yagami had taught Light since his childhood. The film concludes one year later on Light’s birthday. Sayu fetches Soichiro and says that Kira helped reduce crime rates. However, she says that she does not support Kira as Light was killed by Kira (which is what Soichiro told her). Light is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, known for his role as Shuya Nanahara of Battle Royale.

Conception of Light in the films

Shusuke Kaneko, director of the film, intended for Light to appear sympathetic at the beginning of the film; when Light first gains the Death Note, Kaneko «was careful» to have Light react in a manner «as you and I would.» Kaneko changed the story involving Light gaining his first notebook as he felt that the audience «would have a hard time sympathizing» with Light if the scene remained the same as it was in the manga. Kaneko added that as he portrayed Light as «being enthralled» as he «becomes more cruel» to make the audience members feel that they could «do the terrible things he does» even if the members do not sympathize with Light.

Kaneko designed Light’s room to reflect the character’s personality by making it clean and neat and filling it with legal, criminal history, foreign, and academic books. The original version of Light’s room included a stereo; Kaneko replaced it with a vacuum cleaner to reflect Light’s «clean-freak self.»

Tatsuya Fujiwara said that he felt difficulty portraying Light in the film series because of the lack of «action» and because Light has no signature mannerisms and therefore has his feelings displayed by his face; Fujiwara added that he struggled conveying Light’s «incredible amount of intelligence» and that the performance would appear «very empty or simplistic» if Light received an improper portrayal. Fujiwara explained that he wanted Light to cry in a particular scene even though Kaneko told Fujiwara «Light doesn’t cry» since Fujiwara believed that the scene would feel «more honest»; Kaneko used the take. Fujiwara said that he «could understand» Light’s intentions to create a new world even though «murder is a horrible thing.»

Television drama

Light receives major character changes in the Japanese drama, notably being less ambitious and intelligent than his manga counterpart. At the beginning of the series, Light is an average 20-year-old college student working part-time at a pub, hoping to become a civil servant and live a quiet life. He is far more prone to emotional outbursts, even crying when he feels cornered by L.

The Musical

Light is very similar to his canon self in the musical, and the story approximately follows canon up through Misa’s confinement. Light does not volunteer for confinement, and the final confrontation with L happens soon after instead. Believing that Light can no longer entertain him after he has eliminated L, Ryuk kills Light in the final scene.

Light is portrayed by various actors for the different musical productions. Kenji Urai (浦井健治) and Hayato Kakizawa (柿澤勇人) shared the role in the 2015 Japanese production, and they will both reprise the role for the 2017 Japanese production. Hong Kwang-Ho (홍광호) portrayed the character for the 2015 Korean production, and Han Ji-Sang (한지상) is taking over the role for the 2017 Korean production. Jeremy Jordan voiced Light for the English-language 2014 New York studio demo recordings.

Light performs the following songs in the Musical:

• «Where is the Justice» is sung by Light and his high-school classroom. Light also sings the first reprise after embracing his role as Kira.
• «Change the World» is the song he sings when he jokingly writes a criminal’s name in the Death Note for the first time.
• «Death Note,» aka «Hurricane,» is the song Light sings once he realizes he has killed someone with the Death Note.
• «Don’t Cross That Line» is a song Soichiro sings about his disapproval of L’s methods with Lind L. Tailor. Light joins in as well.
• Secrets and Lies
• «Stalemate,» aka «A Game of Death,» is a song between L and Light at the Todai University entrance ceremony. Misa also joins in for a verse.
• «Playing His Game,» aka «Into Him,» is a song between L and Light during their tennis match.
• «Last Moments» is a song between L and Light during their final confrontation.

2017 American film

In Netflix’s American Death Note film, Light’s name is changed to Light Turner and he is played by Nat Wolff.

Similar to the television drama, Light’s intelligence is significantly toned-down and he is portrayed as an average high school student with standard academic ability, albeit skilled enough to be able to complete other student’s homework assignments for pay. Unlike his manga counterpart, this Light is not as confident and is unwilling to kill law enforcement.

He also demonstrates a willingness to use the notebook for personal gain, shown when he murders a criminal live on the internet news in order to impress his love interest, Mia Sutton (based on Misa Amane). Nevertheless, Light still has a strong sense of justice in this adaption and, with encouragement from Ryuk and Mia, begins using the notebook to create a utopia. He adopts the name «Kira» as a way to throw off law enforcement into thinking he is Japanese.

Interestingly, Mia emulates the ruthless qualities that originated from Light’s manga counterpart such as a willingness to kill law enforcement to protect their identities as Kira. Light eventually kills Mia after she attempts to steal the notebook from his possession, but this lands Light in a coma and in the hospital. After he awakens from the coma, Light’s father (named James Turner in this adaption) confronts Light after deducing his identity as Kira. Light’s fate at the end of the film is unknown.

Video games

Light appears alongside Ryuk as a non-playable story character for the crossover video game Jump Force. When the real world begins merging with the fictional «Jump» worlds, his Death Note loses its power to kill people. He assists the J-Force, a team formed by heroes from other Jump worlds, with preventing the game’s antagonists from completely merging the worlds together. During the game’s ending, he acquires an Umbra Cube, a tool utilized by the game’s antagonists, and voices his plan to use it «to make the world a better place.»

Relationships

Conception

The following information is from Death Note 13: How to Read.

Tsugumi Ohba: Writer

Takeshi Obata: Artist

Overview

Ohba said that Light was «a young man who could understand the pain of others» when he first encountered the Death Note. Ohba said that if Ryuk never developed an interest in the human world, Light would have become «one of the greatest police leaders in the world» who, with L, worked against criminals. Ohba described Light’s life as «ruined» once he obtained the Death Note, and that Light became a victim of the Death Note «in many ways». Ohba described Light as bearing good faith intentions and having a «very conceited» nature. Ohba also describes Light as having a «warped» «desire to be godlike,» bearing love for his family, and intending to transform the world into «a better place». Ohba added that he believed that debating whether Light’s actions were good or evil is not «very important.» Ohba says that he personally sees Light as a «diabolical» character.

According to Ohba, Light sees Misa Amane, who he uses as an accomplice, as a «bad person» who killed people, so he acts emotionally cold towards her and manipulates her. Despite this, he keeps her alive even after her memories of being Kira have been removed for the second (and final) time.

Ohba said that his editor suggested the family name «Yagami» for Light. Ohba said that he did not feel «too concerned» about the meaning of the name (the kanji are «night» and «god»); he said that after he created the final scene in the manga he «liked» that the final scene created «deeper significance» in the name.

Design

Obata said that he had «no trouble» designing Light as the character description presented to him, «A brilliant honors student who’s a little out there,» was «clear and detailed.» As the weekly serialization continued, Obata simplified the design by unconsciously removing «unnecessary» lines and felt that he became «better» at drawing Light. When Chapter 35 appeared and the editor informed Obata that Light lost his memories, Obata felt that he had to «forget everything he learned» and draw Light in a similar manner as he appeared in Chapter 1.

Obata said that he used «a lot of effort» to design Light’s wardrobe. According to Obata, he encountered difficulty imagining the clothing of «a brilliant person,» so he looked through fashion magazines. Obata envisioned Light as a «smart and formal guy» who wears formal shirts. Most of Light’s clothing in Death Note is «fitted» and Obata avoided jeans.

When designing color book covers, Obata assigned colors to characters to «get the atmosphere right.» Obata assigned clear or «lack of a color» to Light.

When asked about which character was most similar to himself, Ohba indicated Near and «maybe Light.» Regarding Light, Ohba cited «because I did well in school.» Obata said that Light was his second favorite human character and that he was not sure whether that was because he «liked» Light or because he drew «such a diabolical character» in a magazine for children.

Trivia

• The name Yagami means «night god.»

• Light is portrayed in a crucified-like position on the twelfth and final manga cover. This position is mimicked by Light during the second ending sequence in the anime and again when he is portrayed as a secret Nendoroid figure for the Death Note Case File merchandise line. This position connects to Light’s desire to be a Messiah figure of the human race similar to the Christian Messiah, Jesus Christ.
• In the anime, certain characters take on stylized hair colors while the viewer hears their thoughts; Light’s color is red.
• In Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God, an unnamed Shinigami appears in the Shinigami Realm. This new Shinigami asks the others where the rogue Shinigami named Ryuk is. Some believe this unnamed Shinigami was created with the intention of having viewers connect him with Light as a sort of reincarnation, though this isn’t canonically possible due to the existence of Mu.

• Light is one of the Death Note characters that were made into Nendoroid figures. The Light Nendoroid comes with small Death Note and a pen which he holds and three faces: a laughing face, an angry face, and a normal face.

Quotes

• “I’m going to make the world know I’m here… that somebody is passing righteous judgement on them.” (Chapter 1)
• “I’m a hardworking honors student who’s considered to be one of Japan’s best and brightest. And I… I will become the God of this new world.” (Episode 1)
• “This is interesting, Ryuga. If it’s my friendship you want, I’ll gladly accept it. In time, I’ll earn your trust. And once you’ve told me what I want to know, there’ll be no point in keeping you alive, then I’ll kill you. With my hands if I have to.” (Episode 9)
• “You can’t ever win if you’re always on the defensive, to win, you have to attack.” (Chapter 20)
• (To Ryuk, regarding the Death Note) “I’ve never considered finding that notebook and gaining that power a misfortune.” (Chapter 22)
• “This… is the first time that I actually want to punch a girl.” (Chapter 31)
• “I’m going to get more intimate with Misa and make her fall helplessly in love with me.” (Chapter 32)
• “The thing I hate the most is to trample on other people’s good will.” (Chapter 37)
• “I’ve won… Exactly as planned!” (Chapter 53)
• “Under normal circumstances, humans should have continued to evolve as the greatest creatures upon this earth, but we were actually regressing. A rotten world. Politics, law, education… Was there anybody around who could correct this world? But someone had to do it.” (Chapter 105)
• “Follow the teachings of God and receive his blessings, and so it shall be that the seas again become bountiful.” (Episode 1)
• “This world is rotten, and those who are making it rot deserve to die. Someone has to do it, so why not me? Even if it means sacrificing my own mind and soul, it’s worth it. Because the world… can’t go on like this. I wonder… what if someone else had picked up this notebook? Is there anyone out there other than me who’d be willing to eliminate the vermin from the world? If I don’t do it, then who will? That’s just it: there’s no one. But I can do it. In fact, I’m the only one who can. I’ll do it. Using the Death Note, I’ll change the world.” (Episode 1)
• “I’ll solve equations with my right hand and write names with my left. I’ll take a potato chip… and eat it!” (Episode
• “Kira has become law in the world we now live. He’s the one who’s maintaining order. I have become justice. The only hope for mankind. Kill me? Is that really the right thing to do? Since Kira’s appearance six years ago, wars have stopped, and global crime rates have been reduced by over seventy percent. But it’s not enough, this world is still rotten, with too many rotten people. Somebody has to do this! And when I first got that notebook all those years ago, I knew I had to do it. No, I was the only one who could. I understood that killing people was a crime. There was no other way, the world had to be fixed! A purpose given to me! Only I could do it. Who else could have done it?! And come this far?! Would they have kept going?! The only one… who can create a new world… is me.” (Episode 37)

Gallery

Themes

References

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Light Yagami (夜神月, Yagami Raito) is the main protagonist of the Death Note series. After discovering the Death Note, he decides to use it to rid the world of criminals. His killings are eventually labelled by the people living in Japan as the work of «Kira.»

Appearance

Light is a young man, standing at above average height with light-brown hair and brown eyes. During Part I, when not wearing his school uniform, which consists of a tan suit and red tie, he dresses fairly casually, sometimes sporting a dress shirt underneath a jacket or a V-neck sweater with a collared t-shirt underneath. During Part II, if not wearing a similar style of clothes, he is seen wearing a suit.

He is considered to be quite handsome, a trait noted by Misa Amane and Kiyomi Takada, among others.

Character

Light is characterized as hardworking, talented, and a natural genius. Highly perceptive and good with problem solving skills, Light is a skilled planner and good at mapping out scenarios. Furthermore, Light is very popular among peers and adored by his family members. However, his high intelligence and constant praise from adults laid the foundation for an intense level of hubris which quickly took effect once he obtained the notebook.

Similar to his father Soichiro, Light has a strong sense of justice but this quickly becomes warped after he becomes tainted by the notebook’s power. Believing the world to be «rotten,» he uses his Death Note as a means by which he can enact his will to rid the world of evil people. Light’s main goal is to create a new world that is free of injustice and populated only with people whom he deems honest and kind, thus becoming the «God of the new world». Light is decisive and driven to achieve his ambitions, without faltering one bit in his beliefs. Despite knowing the criminality of murder, Light would consider his actions the ultimate “sacrifice” to help the world.

Through use of the Death Note, Light quickly begins to develop a cold and ruthless nature. As a utilitarian, he will take any means in order to achieve his goals. However, though his actions do put his family in harm’s way, he continues to show love and genuine concern for them. This is demonstrated when his sister Sayu is kidnapped and held for ransom; Light prevents Soichiro from taking drastic action in order to keep Sayu safe in spite of knowingly increasing Mello’s chances of obtaining the Death Note.

Additionally, the series shows that Light was not born remorseless. After relinquishing the notebook and losing his memories to temporarily avoid suspicion, Light demonstrates compassion, a reluctance to manipulate others and an intense unwillingness to kill. Once his memories return, however, he reverts back to his ruthless Kira persona and remains that way until his death.

The degree of Light’s hubris and ruthlessness varies by adaption. In the manga, Japanese films, musical and anime (at least before the final episode), Light is steadfast in his decisions as Kira and rarely expresses any doubt in his actions. An example of this is shown early on in the series when he resolves, quickly and without hesitation, to kill FBI agent Raye Penber for tailing him in spite of Raye not being a criminal. However, in the final episode of the anime, Light, defeated by Near and in critical condition as he tries to evade capture, imagines sorrowfully what his life could have been if he did not pick up the Death Note.

Light’s hubris and ruthlessness is especially downplayed in the drama and Netflix film adaptions. In these continuities, he presents as less confident, demonstrates hesitation with killing the FBI agents investigating him and even considers abandoning his mission when feeling cornered. Nevertheless, across adaptions, Light has consistently been portrayed as an idealist and as an individual who is willing to go to extreme measures in order to defend his idea of justice.

History

Light grew up in Japan with his family, which consists of his father, Soichiro Yagami, who is a member of the Japanese Task Force (an investigation team opposing Kira), his mother, Sachiko Yagami, and his younger sister, Sayu Yagami.

At the start of the series, Light is a third-year high school student (12th Grade) at Daikoku Private Academy and also attends supplemental classes at Gamou Prep Academy in the beginning of the story. He later attends college at To-Oh University (東応大学, Tōō Daigaku).

Plot

Part I

Finding the Death Note

In the year 2003 (2006 in the anime), Light Yagami discovers a mysterious notebook on the ground at his school. Written on the cover are the words «Death Note». The Death Note’s instructions state that if a human’s name is written within it, that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the notebook’s authenticity, but after experimenting with it, Light realizes that the Death Note is real.

After putting much thought into whether or not he should continue using the notebook, he ascertains that no one else will be able to bear the burden of improving the world. Light then meets the previous owner of the Death Note, a Shinigami named Ryuk. He explains his reasons for dropping the Death Note in the Human World, and when it is Light’s time to die, he will be the one to write Light’s name in his notebook. Light then tells him of his goal of getting rid of all the evil people in the world, and ruling over it as God.

Light’s killings reach a monumental scale, attracting the attention of the master detective known as L. The first conflict between Light and L happens over the television, beginning with the broadcast of Lind L. Tailor. L places Tailor as a decoy on television in order to trick Light, with the network stating that the broadcast is worldwide.

Tailor provokes Kira by calling him «evil», and, in a rage, kills Tailor with a heart attack.

Light thinks the ordeal is over, but the broadcast of Tailor is suddenly cut, and L’s signature letter ‘L’ appears. Using a voice synthesizer, the real L announces that Lind L. Tailor was a decoy and a criminal on death row. He explains that Tailor’s information was never made available to the public, so there was no way Kira could have killed him until now. L boldly taunts Kira, asking him to try to kill him, as Light stares at the TV, angrily shocked that he’s been fooled. After several seconds, L learns that Kira needs the person’s real name and face to kill the victim, otherwise Kira would have already killed him. L announces that the video was aired only in the Kanto area of Japan as a ploy to determine the location of Kira. L says that he is now speaking directly to Kira and tells Kira that he will catch him, then the broadcast ends.

As Light ponders over this, he accepts L’s challenge to him. He also declares that he will find L and he will eliminate him. The two announce their intentions, and both declare that they are «justice», with Light needing to avoid suspicion and capture by L all while needing to kill him.

The FBI Agents

Soon after, now working with the Japanese police, L begins to lead a Task Force alongside Light’s own father, Soichiro, in order to expose and capture Kira.

Light hacks into his father’s computer without leaving a trace, and discovers that L and the Task Force speculate that Kira may well be a student. Light figures that considering one would be able to control the conditions of death using the Death Note, manipulating the time of death is possible as well. Light then begins killing criminals in one-hour increments in order to specifically contradict the «Kira is a student» theory, letting L know that Kira has access to police information, with Light’s main goal in mind being the spawning of distrust among the police and L, as L will be bound to investigate the police now.

When walking home from school, Light is informed of by Ryuk that someone is tailing him. In order to prevent him from being investigated, Light is determined to kill his stalker.

Ryuk tells Light the purpose of the Death Note. A Shinigami gets extra life from killing humans with a Death Note, which is why a Shinigami can live for many years and cannot be killed in any other way. Then, Ryuk explains to Light that the Shinigami have eyes that allow them to see any human’s real name and lifespan over their head. In addition, a Shinigami can make a deal with the owner of the Death Note to receive the «Shinigami Eyes» in exchange for half of that human’s remaining lifespan, with Ryuk offering to make the deal. Light refuses the deal, stating that he needs to live for a long time in order to rule over his utopian world.

Suddenly, Light has an idea about how to find out the FBI agent’s name. He decides to use his stock criminals in order to find out how specific the details of death need to be.

Light boards a bus with his date, Yuri, and Light’s follower takes a seat behind the couple.

Prior to the date, Light had written the name of Kiichiro Osoerda, having him hijack the bus, then leave the bus and die of an accident after seeing a phantom. Osoreda boards the bus. The man pulls out a gun and points it to the driver, taking the bus hostage.

Light prompts his follower to say something by passing Yuri a note which contains Light’s plans to apprehend the busjacker. Light asks Raye to show him proof that he is not the busjacker’s accomplice, forcing him to show Light his proof of being an FBI agent, along with his name, Raye Penber. Light drops a note, which prompts the busjacker to pick it up, only for the note to have been a snippet of the Death Note, meaning the busjacker can see Ryuk. In shock, the busjacker empties his gun and exits the bus, before dying in an accident.

Back at Light’s house, Ryuk asks him if he’s going to write Penber’s name down in the Death Note. Light tells him that it would look too suspicious if he does so immediately after they met. In addition, he wants Penber to show him the names and faces of every FBI agent sent to investigate the NPA.

On December 27, 2003, Light goes to an underground section of the Shinjuku Station. Light figured out that he can write the date and cause of death in the Death Note without a name, and the Death Note will work when the name is added later. While wearing a hood to obscure his identity, Light appears behind Penber (unaware that it is Light) and tells Penber that he is Kira. Light threatens Penber by stating that non-compliance would lead to his death, the death of his love, and the deaths of his family.

Light asks Penber if he’s carrying a laptop, and if he has a file containing the names of all of the FBI agents in Japan. Penber says that he doesn’t have a file like that, and Light hands him an envelope. He tells Penber to hold onto the envelope, take out the transmitter and put the earphones in. Over transmitter, Light leads Penber through a turnstile in the western entrance at 3:11 PM. Penber enters a train on the Yamanote Line at 3:13 and takes a seat. Light asks how many FBI agents there are, and Penber says that he thinks there are four groups, totaling twelve agents. Light says to call an agent that is ranked lower than him and ask for the names and faces of all agents sent to Japan. Penber uses his cell phone and calls an agent, and then asks him for the name and faces of the agents. Penber receives the FBI file at 3:21 PM, and Penber is the second FBI agent that receives it. Light tells Penber to take the contents out of the folder he gave him, and Penber takes out four envelopes with ten rectangular spaces cut out of the left side of each one. Light says to write down the names of the agents into the blocks on the folders. At 4:42 PM, when Raye exits the train, he dies of a heart attack while turning around and seeing Light.

Light takes the files home and takes the pages of the Death Note out of their envelopes, revealing the times and causes of death for each agent. Each agent will receive the file and die at a different time.

Naomi Misora

After the sudden death of Raye, Naomi Misora decides to take part in the Kira case herself. Having been told by Raye that he showed his FBI badge to someone during a bus-jacking, Naomi deduces that Kira must have been on the bus. In her attempts to contact the Japanese Task Force, she comes across Light Yagami. Light uses his father’s status to his advantage, telling Naomi that he is Chief Yagami’s son, which allows him to slowly win her trust. Cautious at first, she uses the false name Shoko Maki in order to protect herself until she can reach L.

After he realizes that this was an alias from the way Ryuk laughed, Light finally gets Naomi to reveal her name by saying that he is a member of the Task Force and is actually working with L. Taking advantage of Naomi’s emotional state, Light gives the possibility that she could join the Task Force and help catch her fiancé’s murderer. Light says that he will need to see a form of identification before she can join, and Naomi shows him her driver’s license. Using a piece of the Death Note, Light writes down Naomi’s name, resulting in her death by suicide. Her body is never found due to the specifications made by Light in the Death Note.

Surveillance Cameras

As Light arrives home, he finds the doorknob of his bedroom (which is usually lowered by a few millimeters) is strangely at the very top, plus the pencil lead placed on his door hinge is broken. Not only that, but his bluff, a piece of paper, was strangely put back in his door. This has Light believing that L has installed surveillance cameras and wiretaps within his room. Light then bribes Ryuk with apples, asking him to find where the surveillance cameras are.

Light reveals he has hidden scandalous magazines and proceeds to browse through them in order to give off the impression to L that he is a normal teenager, and that the magazines were what he was hiding all along. During dinner, L has a message appear on TV, stating that the ICPO has dispatched 1500 investigators to Japan to investigate Kira, but Light sees through this bluff.

When Light is about to study for his upcoming entrance exams, he has placed a snippet of the notebook and a mini-LCD TV within a potato chip bag (which contains a flavor which only he out of the rest of his family prefers). While studying, whenever Light places his hand in the potato chip bag, he actually checks for criminals’ names using the mini-TV then writes down their names. The main idea is that L would see that criminals have died which Light could not have possibly see, being busy in his room, studying. With this trick, Light manages to kill two petty criminals.

For the next few days, Light proceeds to kill more criminals, petty or not, in order to cover up the fact that petty criminals have died solely while he was studying.

Eventually, the surveillance cameras get removed and Light plans on finding L through his father.

Meeting L

Light performs his entrance exams, when he notices a student sitting strangely on his seat.

He passes the exams, scoring perfectly, and is able to become a student of To-Oh University. Alongside another student who scored perfectly, who was the student sitting oddly earlier, he gives a speech. Noticing the strange behavior of this student, who named himself after the famous pop idol, Hideki Ryuga, Light feels annoyed at his constant chattering that concerns Light’s character.

«Hideki Ryuga» then reveals himself to Light as L. Light is shocked by this and is attempting to stay calm around this supposed new friend he’s made. When Light arrives home, he throws a tantrum, and explains L’s strategy, that should Light write down L’s name using the alias even with the off-chance that it’s real, the real Hideki Ryuga will die (since Light will have subconsciously pictured Ryuga’s face), and suspicion will be pointed towards him. Not only that, but even if Light finds out L’s real name, this L could very well be a proxy and suspicion from the hypothetical real L will be pointed towards Light again, as the timing will still be too convenient. Light accepts this challenge from L, getting excited over this upcoming battle of wits.

L asks Light to play tennis with him, and they do so, nearly evenly matched. During the tennis game, both of them ponder strategies. Light comes to the conclusion that L asked him to play tennis in order to lay the groundwork for future meetings which will essentially be tests; Light also plans on confirming that Ryuga is L with confirmation from the Task Force.

After Light wins the intense tennis match, L reveals that he is suspicious of Light being Kira, with Light still being forced to put up the act and pretends to be shocked. Light comes to the conclusion that, with this act, L is attempting to prevent Light from meeting with the Task Force. They hang out together at a cafe afterward.

At the cafe, L tests Light multiple times, with Light managing to evade L’s psychological traps. L asks Light to help the Kira investigation; if Light is Kira, then L will be closer to him and there is more room for Light slipping up, and if he isn’t Kira, then his great intellectual ability will be of use to the investigation. Light takes advantage of this by demanding that he meet the Task Force members to confirm L’s identity in order for him to begin helping the investigation. Much to Light’s surprise, L accepts.

Soichiro collapses due to stress, and both Light and L visit him at the hospital. There, through Soichiro, Light manages to confirm that the L who appeared before him is, in fact, the real L.

The Second Kira

On April 22, 2004 (2007 in anime), in a broadcast on Sakura TV, «Kira» sends tapes stating that if criminal reports stop, Kira will kill police officers and reporters, and then demands that the life of someone in charge of the Kira investigation be handed over—the Director’s or L’s. «Kira» says to choose one and reveal them in four days and that, because Kira knows the Director’s face, there are no special requirements; however, if they should choose L, he must appear on Sakura TV and give a ten-minute speech. «Kira» says that they will decide if the person on the news is L, and if it is decided that he isn’t, Kira will take the lives of several police officers as compensation.

Light watches this broadcast, amused at the fact that someone else possesses a Death Note, likely with the Shinigami Eyes. Light figures this person is dangerous as they could tarnish Kira’s reputation and their capture would be detrimental for Light, so Light figures he needs to join the Task Force in order to keep an eye on L as well as this fake Kira.

A few days later, L asks Light to join the Task Force. Light arrives at the hotel and appears surprised at the small size of the Task Force, and L tells Light that there are a few outsiders who know what happens within the investigation and only one can contact L directly. Light thinks to himself that if everyone in the Task Force dies but one, the killer is revealed, so he must find out who the outsider with the information is. Light is told to look over the papers of the investigation and then watch the tape without taking notes or removing anything. After watching the tapes, Light says that there may be someone else with Kira’s abilities, citing the difference in criminals killed, as well as the fact that some were killed immediately after revealing their faces.

Light realizes that L would have told him his plan regardless of what he told L and that he set things up so that if Light didn’t say there was another Kira, he would look suspicious, and if he did, he would help strengthen L’s theory to the Task Force. L asks Light to help their case by pretending to be Kira and tells Light that only he is able to play this role, starting with writing a draft for the speech as Kira. Later, the tape is created and sent to various TV stations. The Second Kira responds with videos which contain indirect, and some rather direct, comments about Death Notes, Shinigami, and how they can meet. Light goes to Aoyama to find the Second Kira, but is unable to meet this Kira. However, due to having Shinigami Eyes, the Second Kira is able to identify Light as Kira because of her being unable to see Light’s lifespan.

After finding out his address, the Second Kira arrives at Light’s house, and Light invites Misa to his room and asks her to explain her actions. Misa says that she wanted to meet Kira because her parents were murdered in front of her, and Kira killed the man who did it. Misa asks to be his girlfriend, admitting that she wouldn’t even mind if he simply uses her. Light agrees, intending to kill her after she outlives her usefulness. However, Misa’s Shinigami, Rem, promises to kill him if he ever harms Misa. Light finds Rem to be a massive threat, as having limited control over Misa would result in her doing something reckless, not to mention Misa’s capture could result in Rem killing Light.

Light has to now keep a gaggle of girlfriends so that his newfound relationship with Misa won’t stand out, as L had already deduced that Kira and the second Kira have allied.

Misa goes directly against Light orders and, instead of meeting two weeks after their first meeting as Light requested, Misa meets up with Light only two days following their first meeting. Light uses this opportunity to convince Rem to help him kill L, promising her that it’s for Misa’s happiness. Rem agrees to do so, and Light said that she must follow his command only when he tells her to.

At campus, Light surprisingly meets up with L again, where L steals Misa’s phone after taking advantage of a crowd. Misa is then taken away, with L revealing that he found DNA evidence in Misa’s room pointing towards Misa being the second Kira. This is dangerous for Light, as Misa being the second Kira would point towards Light being the original Kira.

Imprisoned

Light, now cornered by L, puts his master plan into action. Rem had already relinquished ownership of Misa’s notebook to Light, wiping her memories and preventing her from confessing.

Light then swaps the notebooks with their respective Shinigami, with Ryuk being attached to the notebook originally owned by Misa and Rem attached to Light’s. Light places two fake rules in the notebook Rem is attached to, one being that when the notebook is destroyed, anyone who has touched the notebook will die, and, most importantly, whoever doesn’t write names within the notebook within 13 consecutive days dies.

Light instructs Rem to allow Kyosuke Higuchi to become the new owner of the Death Note she is attached to, then asks L to detain him. During his confinement, no criminals die, which strengthens the case for Light being Kira. Within seven days of confinement, Light gives up his ownership of his notebook, and consequently has all of his memories of being Kira wiped and altered. During his fifteenth day of confinement, criminals begin dropping dead again, and on his 50th day, the Task Force has L release Light and Misa.

Soichiro then fakes an execution by shooting Light and Misa with a blank gun, which convinces L to release Light and Misa from their confinement as Misa would have killed Soichiro in this situation.

Yotsuba

Light accepts L’s offer to join the investigation team to hunt down Higuchi, who has taken up the mantle of Kira. During the investigation of Yotsuba, Light works under the alias «Light Asahi».

L handcuffs him and Light together, displeasing Misa and Light. L suggests manipulating Misa in order to get information from her, but Light refuses, as he dares not to ever take advantage of someone’s feelings. While Misa is resting in her hotel room, L acts lethargic about how catching Kira will be difficult, prompting Light to fight him.

Months later, while L is sulking and not working on the case, Light finds a correlation between the killings and the growth of Yotsuba, having the investigation believe that Kira is either within Yotsuba or working behind Yotsuba, and also leads them to the conclusion that Kira can kill through means other than heart attacks. Keeping watch of the meetings held by the head of the Yotsuba members, Light objects to L letting the killings continue, and poses as L and decides to call Reiji Namikawa, who agreed to help L and postpone the killings.

Misa eventually finds evidence pointing towards Kyosuke Higuchi being Kira. While L and the investigation team enacts the plan to take down Higuchi, Light keeps watch of the situation and follows L, eventually to the point where he is riding on a helicopter with L, and witnesses Higuchi’s arrest.

While the Task Force discovers the Death Note, Light touches it, regaining his memories as Kira once again. In order to claim ownership of the Death Note he is currently holding, Light kills Higuchi using a snippet of the notebook within his watch.

L and the Task Force then find the 13-day rule, successfully clearing Light and Misa of being suspected, while L is still skeptical.

The End of L

Light instructs Misa to find her buried Death Note, which results in her regaining her memories. Light instructs Misa to kill L if she remembers his real name from when they were on campus, but Misa doesn’t remember and so makes the Shinigami Eye deal again, which is what Light wanted in case Misa forgot L’s name, as taking the Eye deal and halving her lifespan would pressure Rem. Light then instructs Misa to begin killing criminals again so that L would suspect Misa is behind the killings. This is in order to put Rem in a situation where she’d be forced to kill L in order to save Misa. Rem does indeed kill L and Watari, which results in her death, just as Light planned.

After winning the battle with L and taking his persona, Light gains control of the Kira investigation team. This puts him on the safest ground as his role as a second generation L, covering his identity as Kira.

For the next five years, by using L’s database of criminal records, Light’s judgments become more widespread than ever. As a result, the world falls into a dark age in which essentially everyone now lives under the law of Kira.

Part II

Mello’s Kidnappings

After five years of everything going swimmingly, Takimura, the head of the NPA, gets kidnapped in exchange for the Death Note. At the same time, an FBI agent, John McEnroe, confronts Soichiro, and asks for the Death Note. This FBI agent also seeks cooperation from the Task Force to rescue Takimura from the kidnappers.

Light feels obligated to get rid of the kidnappers as well as the American organization as soon as possible, as they are currently the only people besides the Task Force who know of the existence of the Death Note. Light kills Takimura so that they no longer have a bargaining chip to trade the Death Note for, and it wouldn’t look suspicious as one could easily assume the kidnappers killed him. However, the kidnappers then announce that they have kidnapped Sayu Yagami, which puts Light under pressure. In order to get help, he contacts the organization which John McEnroe offered to have them to talk to, and Light talks to Near for the first time, who introduces himself as N and is aware of the previous L’s death.

Light tells Near the current situation and Near surveils the site of the trade using satellites. The exchange goes through, with the kidnappers gaining the notebook.

Near decides that he should chase the kidnappers on his own, only for his plan to fail as Mello uses the Death Note to wipe out more than half his team. Light takes advantage of this incident to trade all that he knows about the notebook for information on the perpetrator of the kidnappings. Near tells Light that someone using the nickname Mello, who is using the Mafia, is behind the kidnappings, and Light has the Task Force investigate Wammy’s House, informing Light of Mello’s motives.

The president calls Light, and Light figures out that Mello had blackmailed him. So, Light takes advantage of this to have the president organize a raid led by Yitzak Ghazanin. Light learns the location of Mello and the Mafia by taking control of the current Death Note owner and having him mail him their location. However, the raid fails thanks to the intervention of Sidoh, a Shinigami working with the Mafia.

Light then has Misa send a message to the Task Force as Kira, that Kira relinquished ownership of his Death Note to one of the members of the Task Force in order to attack the Mafia and regain the notebook. Light had expected Matsuda to gain ownership and make the Shinigami Eye deal, but, unfortunately for Light, Soichiro does so instead. The raid commences and they regain the Death Note, and Light tells them to confront Mello. Soichiro threatens Mello rather than killing him, giving Jose the opportunity to shoot Soichiro severely.

Mello then blows up the base and escapes, but Soichiro manages to give out Mello’s real name to Light. Soichiro then dies in the hospital, after seeing that Light’s lifespan was not absent, proving to him that Light was not Kira.

The Battle with Near

Light selects Demegawa as the Kira spokesperson, intending to spread Kira’s word in order to gain more power to take down Near and Mello. Thanks in part to David Hoope’s death and the battle with the Mafia, the United States submits to Kira and dissolves the SPK, the organization Near is running. Near, deducing that the second L is Kira, calls Light and claims that he has interrogated Mello, and that he learned that there are fake rules. Near disproves the 13-day rule, and gives pieces of evidence to the Task Force pointing towards the second L being Kira, instilling some doubt within the Task Force in an effort to turn them against the second L.

Mello contacts Mogi and tells him to follow Mello to New York, which Mogi does so under the supervision of Light and the Task Force. However, Mello has Mogi go to the SPK’s headquarters, which puts Light under extreme pressure as Mello and Near are constantly pressuring Mogi into spilling information. On one hand, if Light lets Mogi live, he might spill information that would be detrimental for Light, but if Light kills him, it’d only incriminate him.

Luckily for Light, Mogi doesn’t give away any information. However, as he can’t guarantee that, and in order to kill off Near and Mogi, Light sends Demegawa and tons of other Kira followers to attack Near. However, Near uses L’s inheritance to distract the crowd and escape.

Near lies to the Task Force, claiming Mogi had died of a heart attack. This stirs suspicion against Light, which results in Aizawa giving Near lots of information, which has him believing that Light Yagami is the second L and Kira, while Mogi returns to the Task Force. Light now expects tighter surveillance now that Near turned the Task Force against him, so he has Misa relinquish ownership of her notebook to Teru Mikami, who kills Demegawa for running amok, testifying his worth. Mikami then selects Kiyomi Takada as the new Kira spokesperson, who coincidentally had a past relationship with Light.

Light takes advantage of this to use Takada to talk to Mikami. He does this while satisfying the Task Force, under the guise that he is investigating her. During their second meeting, Mikami calls them, and Light manages to confirm to Mikami that Light is Kira and Mikami confirm to Light that Mikami is the new Kira proxy via subtle communication. Light then says that all the Task Force’s surveillance cameras and most of the wiretaps must be removed as per Kira’s request. Light then privately reveals to Takada that he is Kira.

The Task Force moves to Japan, with the same being done by the SPK.

For the rest of his meetings with Takada, Light and her communicate by writing notes as the Task Force placed a wire on Light. Light instructs Takada to tell Mikami to forge a fake notebook and use that fake to write down names in public, while he sends Takada the real names so she does the killings. Light’s incentive is that, for his final confrontation with Near, he expects Near to swap his notebook with a fake, which is why he’s already preparing a fake.

Near calls Light and informs him of their ongoing investigation of Takada.

Light also has Mikami say things in public suggesting Ryuk hasn’t been following him. This way, when Near touches the Death Note, he won’t think that there is no Shinigami because the notebook is a fake. Light’s plan goes perfectly, with Near having swapped the pages of Mikami’s fake notebook.

Near calls the Task Force and informs them of a meeting Near wants to arrange, taking place at Yellow Box Warehouse, which is just what Light had expected. However, not too many days before the planned meeting, Takada suddenly gets kidnapped by Mello. Takada successfully manages to kill Mello, while Light kills Takada using a fire to remove any evidence.

The meeting commences, and Mikami begins writing everyone’s name within the notebook, with the only one whose name isn’t written down is confirmed to be Kira. Having prepared a fake all along, Light had expected to win, as he had planned things out so that Mikami would bring the real one.

However, it is revealed to be a fake. Near reveals that Mikami had actually written down Takada’s name after her kidnapping, not knowing Light did the same. This allowed Near to seize the real notebook which Mikami had used to write down her name.

Light, being exposed as Kira, attempts to deny it, but with his declaration of victory as well as the evidence Near provided, everyone is convinced Light is Kira. Light laughs maniacally, and attempts to tell them the benefits of Kira’s world. However, Near responds by saying that everyone has a right to choose what they think is right or wrong, while Kira is killing people to selfishly force his own personal utopia onto everyone. When Light then tries to appeal to everyone else in the room their cold gaze confirms that they too harshly reject his vision of a utopia.

Light then decides to distract everyone in the room by presenting the possibility that the notebook brought from the task force could be fake. While mid-speech he swiftly tries to use the scrap of the note in his watch to kill Near. Matsuda responds by shooting Light, interrupting him then berates him for driving his own father to his death for his vision. Light then tries to continue to finish writing the name using his blood from the gunshot wound. Matsuda, enraged at Light, shoots at Light multiple times, leaving him severely injured. The task force then disarms Matsuda before he kills Light in his fit of rage and also takes the note scrap as well so it couldn’t continue to be used.

Fate

Manga

Light is left incapacitated both physically and mentally. Light yells for Mikami to write down the names of everyone present, but Mikami responds by asking how he is supposed to kill them with a fake notebook. This brings Mikami to the realization that Light is not «God». Light becomes increasingly distraught and begins asking for help from Misa, only to be told that she isn’t here. He then asks for Takada and is told that she is dead. In complete desperation, Light begs Ryuk to help him by killing everyone in the room, yet Ryuk reminds Light that he is on neither side. Ryuk fulfills his promise from the beginning: he writes «Light Yagami» in his Death Note, and Light futilely begs Ryuk to reverse the process. He begins to panic, repeating in his head «I don’t want to die,» before the Death Note finally takes effect, thus killing him.

Anime

Mikami commits suicide by stabbing himself with his pen and losing a lot of blood, creating a diversion for both the Task Force and the SPK. Although weakened, Light catches a second wind and manages to flee the warehouse. Near tells Aizawa, Mogi, Ide, and Matsuda that there is no reason to pursue Light, given that there should be no more hidden Death Note pieces and Light’s wounds would prevent him from getting far. Aizawa refuses to heed Near’s orders and has his team follow Light. Meanwhile, Ryuk writes Light’s name down when he finds another warehouse to hide in. As Light silently dies, an illusion of L appears before Light, mirroring a scene following L’s defeat at Light’s hands in episode 25.

At the end of Death Note Relight 2: L’s Successors, Aizawa and Matsuda are revealed to have found the warehouse Light has fled to; their expressions of shock imply that they have seen Light’s body.

In other media

Film series

Death Note

In the film, a few changes were made to Light. At the film’s beginning, Light is a first-year university student studying law instead of still being a high school genius like in the beginning of the manga and anime. Light’s motives differ; his boredom trait does not exist, and he instead uses the Death Note out of frustration from the perceived failures of the Japanese justice system. Light, prior to his discovery of the Death Note, hacks into the government database and finds that the government secretly acknowledges that many criminals can’t be prosecuted. Light discovers the Death Note in an alley during a rainy night after encountering Takuo Shibuimaru in a club and throwing a law book into the rain in a rage. Light meets Ryuk after killing Shibuimaru. Light has a girlfriend, Shiori Akino, who attends his university. Light kills Shiori at the end of the first movie to gain sympathy from L using Naomi Misora, whom he also kills.

Death Note: The Last Name

After 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. In the second film, after being exposed as Kira, Light asks Ryuk to write the names of the team members in the book during the climax. The police shoot but do not kill Ryuk as he writes in the Death Note. Light laughs until Ryuk shows Light the Death Note, revealing that Light’s name was written in the book. Light tries to stop Ryuk, passing through the Shinigami. Light dies in his father’s arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put justice into practice: justice, which Soichiro Yagami had taught Light since his childhood. The film concludes one year later on Light’s birthday. Sayu fetches Soichiro and says that Kira helped reduce crime rates. However, she says that she does not support Kira as Light was killed by Kira (which is what Soichiro told her). Light is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, known for his role as Shuya Nanahara of Battle Royale.

Conception of Light in the films

Shusuke Kaneko, director of the film, intended for Light to appear sympathetic at the beginning of the film; when Light first gains the Death Note, Kaneko «was careful» to have Light react in a manner «as you and I would.» Kaneko changed the story involving Light gaining his first notebook as he felt that the audience «would have a hard time sympathizing» with Light if the scene remained the same as it was in the manga. Kaneko added that as he portrayed Light as «being enthralled» as he «becomes more cruel» to make the audience members feel that they could «do the terrible things he does» even if the members do not sympathize with Light.

Kaneko designed Light’s room to reflect the character’s personality by making it clean and neat and filling it with legal, criminal history, foreign, and academic books. The original version of Light’s room included a stereo; Kaneko replaced it with a vacuum cleaner to reflect Light’s «clean-freak self.»

Tatsuya Fujiwara said that he felt difficulty portraying Light in the film series because of the lack of «action» and because Light has no signature mannerisms and therefore has his feelings displayed by his face; Fujiwara added that he struggled conveying Light’s «incredible amount of intelligence» and that the performance would appear «very empty or simplistic» if Light received an improper portrayal. Fujiwara explained that he wanted Light to cry in a particular scene even though Kaneko told Fujiwara «Light doesn’t cry» since Fujiwara believed that the scene would feel «more honest»; Kaneko used the take. Fujiwara said that he «could understand» Light’s intentions to create a new world even though «murder is a horrible thing.»

Television drama

Light receives major character changes in the Japanese drama, notably being less ambitious and intelligent than his manga counterpart. At the beginning of the series, Light is an average 20-year-old college student working part-time at a pub, hoping to become a civil servant and live a quiet life. He is far more prone to emotional outbursts, even crying when he feels cornered by L.

The Musical

Light is very similar to his canon self in the musical, and the story approximately follows canon up through Misa’s confinement. Light does not volunteer for confinement, and the final confrontation with L happens soon after instead. Believing that Light can no longer entertain him after he has eliminated L, Ryuk kills Light in the final scene.

Light is portrayed by various actors for the different musical productions. Kenji Urai (浦井健治) and Hayato Kakizawa (柿澤勇人) shared the role in the 2015 Japanese production, and they will both reprise the role for the 2017 Japanese production. Hong Kwang-Ho (홍광호) portrayed the character for the 2015 Korean production, and Han Ji-Sang (한지상) is taking over the role for the 2017 Korean production. Jeremy Jordan voiced Light for the English-language 2014 New York studio demo recordings.

Light performs the following songs in the Musical:

• «Where is the Justice» is sung by Light and his high-school classroom. Light also sings the first reprise after embracing his role as Kira.
• «Change the World» is the song he sings when he jokingly writes a criminal’s name in the Death Note for the first time.
• «Death Note,» aka «Hurricane,» is the song Light sings once he realizes he has killed someone with the Death Note.
• «Don’t Cross That Line» is a song Soichiro sings about his disapproval of L’s methods with Lind L. Tailor. Light joins in as well.
• Secrets and Lies
• «Stalemate,» aka «A Game of Death,» is a song between L and Light at the Todai University entrance ceremony. Misa also joins in for a verse.
• «Playing His Game,» aka «Into Him,» is a song between L and Light during their tennis match.
• «Last Moments» is a song between L and Light during their final confrontation.

2017 American film

In Netflix’s American Death Note film, Light’s name is changed to Light Turner and he is played by Nat Wolff.

Similar to the television drama, Light’s intelligence is significantly toned-down and he is portrayed as an average high school student with standard academic ability, albeit skilled enough to be able to complete other student’s homework assignments for pay. Unlike his manga counterpart, this Light is not as confident and is unwilling to kill law enforcement.

He also demonstrates a willingness to use the notebook for personal gain, shown when he murders a criminal live on the internet news in order to impress his love interest, Mia Sutton (based on Misa Amane). Nevertheless, Light still has a strong sense of justice in this adaption and, with encouragement from Ryuk and Mia, begins using the notebook to create a utopia. He adopts the name «Kira» as a way to throw off law enforcement into thinking he is Japanese.

Interestingly, Mia emulates the ruthless qualities that originated from Light’s manga counterpart such as a willingness to kill law enforcement to protect their identities as Kira. Light eventually kills Mia after she attempts to steal the notebook from his possession, but this lands Light in a coma and in the hospital. After he awakens from the coma, Light’s father (named James Turner in this adaption) confronts Light after deducing his identity as Kira. Light’s fate at the end of the film is unknown.

Video games

Light appears alongside Ryuk as a non-playable story character for the crossover video game Jump Force. When the real world begins merging with the fictional «Jump» worlds, his Death Note loses its power to kill people. He assists the J-Force, a team formed by heroes from other Jump worlds, with preventing the game’s antagonists from completely merging the worlds together. During the game’s ending, he acquires an Umbra Cube, a tool utilized by the game’s antagonists, and voices his plan to use it «to make the world a better place.»

Relationships

Conception

The following information is from Death Note 13: How to Read.

Tsugumi Ohba: Writer

Takeshi Obata: Artist

Overview

Ohba said that Light was «a young man who could understand the pain of others» when he first encountered the Death Note. Ohba said that if Ryuk never developed an interest in the human world, Light would have become «one of the greatest police leaders in the world» who, with L, worked against criminals. Ohba described Light’s life as «ruined» once he obtained the Death Note, and that Light became a victim of the Death Note «in many ways». Ohba described Light as bearing good faith intentions and having a «very conceited» nature. Ohba also describes Light as having a «warped» «desire to be godlike,» bearing love for his family, and intending to transform the world into «a better place». Ohba added that he believed that debating whether Light’s actions were good or evil is not «very important.» Ohba says that he personally sees Light as a «diabolical» character.

According to Ohba, Light sees Misa Amane, who he uses as an accomplice, as a «bad person» who killed people, so he acts emotionally cold towards her and manipulates her. Despite this, he keeps her alive even after her memories of being Kira have been removed for the second (and final) time.

Ohba said that his editor suggested the family name «Yagami» for Light. Ohba said that he did not feel «too concerned» about the meaning of the name (the kanji are «night» and «god»); he said that after he created the final scene in the manga he «liked» that the final scene created «deeper significance» in the name.

Design

Obata said that he had «no trouble» designing Light as the character description presented to him, «A brilliant honors student who’s a little out there,» was «clear and detailed.» As the weekly serialization continued, Obata simplified the design by unconsciously removing «unnecessary» lines and felt that he became «better» at drawing Light. When Chapter 35 appeared and the editor informed Obata that Light lost his memories, Obata felt that he had to «forget everything he learned» and draw Light in a similar manner as he appeared in Chapter 1.

Obata said that he used «a lot of effort» to design Light’s wardrobe. According to Obata, he encountered difficulty imagining the clothing of «a brilliant person,» so he looked through fashion magazines. Obata envisioned Light as a «smart and formal guy» who wears formal shirts. Most of Light’s clothing in Death Note is «fitted» and Obata avoided jeans.

When designing color book covers, Obata assigned colors to characters to «get the atmosphere right.» Obata assigned clear or «lack of a color» to Light.

When asked about which character was most similar to himself, Ohba indicated Near and «maybe Light.» Regarding Light, Ohba cited «because I did well in school.» Obata said that Light was his second favorite human character and that he was not sure whether that was because he «liked» Light or because he drew «such a diabolical character» in a magazine for children.

Trivia

• The name Yagami means «night god.»

• Light is portrayed in a crucified-like position on the twelfth and final manga cover. This position is mimicked by Light during the second ending sequence in the anime and again when he is portrayed as a secret Nendoroid figure for the Death Note Case File merchandise line. This position connects to Light’s desire to be a Messiah figure of the human race similar to the Christian Messiah, Jesus Christ.
• In the anime, certain characters take on stylized hair colors while the viewer hears their thoughts; Light’s color is red.
• In Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God, an unnamed Shinigami appears in the Shinigami Realm. This new Shinigami asks the others where the rogue Shinigami named Ryuk is. Some believe this unnamed Shinigami was created with the intention of having viewers connect him with Light as a sort of reincarnation, though this isn’t canonically possible due to the existence of Mu.

• Light is one of the Death Note characters that were made into Nendoroid figures. The Light Nendoroid comes with small Death Note and a pen which he holds and three faces: a laughing face, an angry face, and a normal face.

Quotes

• “I’m going to make the world know I’m here… that somebody is passing righteous judgement on them.” (Chapter 1)
• “I’m a hardworking honors student who’s considered to be one of Japan’s best and brightest. And I… I will become the God of this new world.” (Episode 1)
• “This is interesting, Ryuga. If it’s my friendship you want, I’ll gladly accept it. In time, I’ll earn your trust. And once you’ve told me what I want to know, there’ll be no point in keeping you alive, then I’ll kill you. With my hands if I have to.” (Episode 9)
• “You can’t ever win if you’re always on the defensive, to win, you have to attack.” (Chapter 20)
• (To Ryuk, regarding the Death Note) “I’ve never considered finding that notebook and gaining that power a misfortune.” (Chapter 22)
• “This… is the first time that I actually want to punch a girl.” (Chapter 31)
• “I’m going to get more intimate with Misa and make her fall helplessly in love with me.” (Chapter 32)
• “The thing I hate the most is to trample on other people’s good will.” (Chapter 37)
• “I’ve won… Exactly as planned!” (Chapter 53)
• “Under normal circumstances, humans should have continued to evolve as the greatest creatures upon this earth, but we were actually regressing. A rotten world. Politics, law, education… Was there anybody around who could correct this world? But someone had to do it.” (Chapter 105)
• “Follow the teachings of God and receive his blessings, and so it shall be that the seas again become bountiful.” (Episode 1)
• “This world is rotten, and those who are making it rot deserve to die. Someone has to do it, so why not me? Even if it means sacrificing my own mind and soul, it’s worth it. Because the world… can’t go on like this. I wonder… what if someone else had picked up this notebook? Is there anyone out there other than me who’d be willing to eliminate the vermin from the world? If I don’t do it, then who will? That’s just it: there’s no one. But I can do it. In fact, I’m the only one who can. I’ll do it. Using the Death Note, I’ll change the world.” (Episode 1)
• “I’ll solve equations with my right hand and write names with my left. I’ll take a potato chip… and eat it!” (Episode
• “Kira has become law in the world we now live. He’s the one who’s maintaining order. I have become justice. The only hope for mankind. Kill me? Is that really the right thing to do? Since Kira’s appearance six years ago, wars have stopped, and global crime rates have been reduced by over seventy percent. But it’s not enough, this world is still rotten, with too many rotten people. Somebody has to do this! And when I first got that notebook all those years ago, I knew I had to do it. No, I was the only one who could. I understood that killing people was a crime. There was no other way, the world had to be fixed! A purpose given to me! Only I could do it. Who else could have done it?! And come this far?! Would they have kept going?! The only one… who can create a new world… is me.” (Episode 37)

Gallery

Themes

References

«Райто» перенаправляется сюда. Для итальянской деревни на побережье Амальфи см. Райто (деревня).

Лайт Ягами
Смертная записка характер
Лайт Ягами, нарисованный Такеши Обатой
Первое появление	Глава 1: «Скука» (退 屈, Тайкуцу)
Последнее появление	Глава 107: «Занавес» (幕, Маку)
Создан	Цугуми Охба Такеши Обата
Актер	Тацуя Фудзивара (Японские фильмы) Кенджи Урай (музыкальный) Хаято Какидзава (мюзикл) Масатака Кубота (Телевизионный сериал) Нат Вольф и Маргарет Куолли (Американский фильм )
озвучивает	Мамору Мияно (Японский) Брэд Суэйл (Английский)
Информация во вселенной
Псевдоним	Кира Лайт Асахи (朝 日月, Асахи Райто)[1] L (с главы 60 и далее)[2]
Родные	Соичиро Ягами (отец) Сатико Ягами (мама) Саю Ягами (сестра) Миса Аманэ (невеста)

Лайт Ягами (Японский: 夜 神月 (ラ イ ト), Хепберн: Ягами Райто) это главный главный герой из манга серии Смертная записка, создан Цугуми Охба и Такеши Обата. Его изображают блестящим, но скучающим гений кто находит тетрадь смерти, потусторонний сверхъестественное блокнот, который позволяет пользователю убить любого, зная его имя и лицо, после того, как он был сброшен Синигами Рюк. Разочарованный статус-кво в мире, который он считает гнилым, Лайт использует Тетрадь смерти, чтобы убивать тех, кого он считает морально недостойными жизни, организовывая всемирную резню в качестве линчеватель Кира (キ ラ). В ходе своих попыток стать богом мира, свободного от преступности, Лайта выслеживает специальная оперативная группа, возглавляемая загадочным детективом-консультантом, известным как L.

в аниме адаптации, его озвучивает Мамору Мияно на японском и Брэд Суэйл в английской версии. В серии игровых фильмов он изображен Тацуя Фудзивара с Swaile повторяется его роль как его английский дубляж голоса; его изображают оба Кенджи Урай и Хаято Какидзава в мюзикле; в телевизионной драме его играет Масатака Кубота; его коллеги из американского фильма изображены Нат Вольф и Маргарет Куолли.

Создание и зачатие

Цугуми Охба, писатель Смертная записка сказал, что его редактор предложил фамилия «Ягами» для Света. Охба сказал, что его не «слишком беспокоит» значение имени ( Кандзи для «Ягами» — «ночь» и «бог»); он сказал, что после того, как он создал заключительную сцену в манге, ему «понравилось», что последняя сцена создала «более глубокое значение» в имени поклонников Киры, поклоняющихся ему ночью при свете луны — его настоящее имя Свет написано с персонаж для «луны».^[3]

Такеши Обата, художник Смертная записка, сказал, что у него «не было проблем» с проектированием Лайта, поскольку описание персонажа, представленное ему: «Блестящий отличник, который немного отстранен», было «ясно и подробно». По мере продолжения еженедельной сериализации Обата упростил дизайн, подсознательно удалив «ненужные» линии и почувствовал, что он «стал лучше» рисовать Свет. Когда появилась глава 35 и редактор сообщил Обате, что Лайт теряет свои воспоминания, Обата должен был нарисовать Свет таким же образом, как он появился в главе 1; Обата сказал: «Это было похоже на то, что мне пришлось забыть все, что я узнал». Обата сказал, что он приложил «много усилий», чтобы спроектировать гардероб Лайта. По словам Обаты, ему было трудно представить себе одежду «гениального человека», поэтому он просмотрел журналы мод. Обата представлял Лайта «умным и формальным парнем», который носит строгие рубашки. Большая часть одежды Лайта в Смертная записка «подогнан», и Обата избегает джинсы.^[4]

При разработке обложек для книг Обата назначал цвета персонажам, чтобы «создать правильную атмосферу». Обата приписал Свету ясность или «отсутствие цвета».^[5]

Фильмы

Сюсукэ Канеко, режиссер фильма, предназначенного для того, чтобы Лайт в начале фильма сочувствовал; когда Лайт впервые получает Тетрадь смерти, Канеко «была осторожна», чтобы Лайт отреагировал «как мы с тобой». Канеко изменил историю, в которой Лайт получает свою первую записную книжку, поскольку он чувствовал, что публике «трудно будет сочувствовать» Лайту, если бы сцена оставалась такой же, как в манге. Канеко добавил, что, изображая Лайта «очарованным», он «становится более жестоким», чтобы зрители почувствовали, что они могут «делать ужасные вещи, которые он делает», даже если участники не сочувствуют Лайту.^[6]

Тацуя Фудзивара сказал, что ему было трудно изобразить Лайта в серии фильмов из-за отсутствия «действия» и из-за того, что у Лайта нет характерных манер, и поэтому его чувства выражены на лице; Фудзивара добавил, что он изо всех сил пытался передать «невероятный интеллект» Лайта, и что представление могло бы показаться «очень пустым или упрощенным», если бы Лайт получил неправильное изображение. Фудзивара объяснил, что он хотел, чтобы Лайт плакал в определенной сцене, хотя Канеко сказал Фудзиваре: «Свет не плачет», поскольку Фудзивара считал, что сцена будет «более честной»; Канеко воспользовалась дублем.^[7]

Канеко спроектировала комнату Лайт, чтобы отразить личность персонажа, сделав ее чистой и аккуратной и заполнив ее юридическими, криминальными, иностранными и академическими книгами. Первоначальная версия комнаты Лайта включала стереосистему; Канеко заменил его на вакуум очиститель, чтобы отразить «чистоплотное» я Лайта.^[8]

Кеничи Мацуяма, актер, сыгравший Л., сказал, что он и Фудзивара «настолько погрузились» в образы своих персонажей, что не разговаривали друг с другом на съемочной площадке; когда съемки прекратились, они поговорили и «вышли выпить-другую».^[7] Мацуяма также сказал, что Лайт и L «чрезвычайно» похожи в том, что у них «очень сильное чувство справедливости».^[9]

Появления

В Смертная записка

Лайт Ягами родился 28 февраля 1986 года.^[10] Он изображается как привлекательный подросток-гений и образцовый ученик с вежливым, сдержанным и джентльменским характером, который популярен среди своих сверстников и учителей и известен тем, что является лидером класса.^[11][12] В начале истории Лайт учится на последнем курсе. Средняя школа; позже он посещает университет То-О (東 応 大学, То Дайгаку). Его отец, Соичиро Ягами, является начальником Национальное полицейское агентство и руководитель оперативной группы по поиску «Киры», имя, которое общественность дала виновнику серии необъяснимых убийств по всему миру. Его мать, Сатико, является домохозяйкой. Его младшая сестра, Саю, действует как веселый, менее академичный фольга.

Сначала Лайт приходит в ужас от способностей Тетради смерти после того, как из любопытства проверяет записную книжку на двух преступниках, но в конце концов убеждает себя, что смерть преступника была оправдана. Вскоре Лайт начинает вести личный крестовый поход, чтобы избавить мир от преступности с помощью записной книжки. Хотя его повестка дня исходит из благих намерений,^[13] Лайт в конце концов обнаруживает, что убивает сотрудников правоохранительных органов и даже невиновных, чтобы избежать захвата. Его этика утилитарный, оправдывая самые крайние поступки ради своего дела. Им также движет потребность в победе, которая мотивирует большинство его самых жестоких поступков. В сочетании с силой Тетради смерти его высокомерие а интеллект гениального уровня убеждает его, что только он может спасти мир.

В итоге небольшая оперативная группа японских полицейских, включая отца Лайта, под руководством эксцентричного гениального детектива L начинают приближаться к Свету. Хотя он подозревает, что Лайт — это Кира, L позволяет ему сотрудничать с полицией по этому делу. Это начинает игру Кот и мышь между ними двумя: Лайт пытается узнать настоящее имя L, чтобы убить его, а L пытается заставить Лайта разоблачить себя, чтобы арестовать его. Потому что действия Миса Аманэ, страстный сторонник Киры и владелец Тетрадь смерти, почти вовлекает Лайта, он вынужден временно отказаться от владения своей записной книжкой и впоследствии теряет воспоминания об использовании Тетради смерти. Именно в это время Лайт возвращается к своей первоначальной персоне: заботливому, уравновешенному и чуткому человеку, не желающему манипулировать другими или совершать или оправдывать преступления, такие как убийство. После того, как Лайт восстанавливает владение своим блокнотом и своими воспоминаниями, он манипулирует синигами Мисы. Рем в убийстве Л. Лайт затем принимает образ «L» и продолжает свою шараду по поиску Киры с оперативной группой, выполняя убийства сам с помощью Мисы.

Более четырех лет спустя Лайт может получить большую часть мировой поддержки, достигнув точки, когда его последователи начали поклоняться Кире как буквальному божеству. Однако примерно в это же время двое протеже L, Мелло и Около, начинают расследование против Киры. Рядом возглавляет СПК (Особое положение для Киры), американская следственная группа, состоящая из ЦРУ и ФБР агентов, а Мелло работает с Мафия. Хотя Мелло умирает, работая отдельно от Ниа, его действия приводят к Теру Миками, человек, выбранный Лайтом для убийства преступников с помощью другой Тетради Смерти, чтобы совершить ошибку, которая приводит к захвату Лайта Ни, СПК и японской полицией. Видя, что Лайт наконец проиграл, его убивают, когда Рюк записывает свое имя в свою тетрадь смерти, как и предупреждали синигами при первой встрече.^[14]

В кино

Сериал японских фильмов

В японском сериале Ягами Лайт изображается Тацуя Фудзивара, известный своей ролью Шуя Нанахара в Королевская битва. В фильмах он изображен как выдающийся, популярный и интеллектуально одаренный студент колледжа, который игнорирует и разочаровывается неспособностью правоохранительной системы подавить безудержный рост преступной деятельности во всем мире, что побуждает его использовать Тетрадь смерти, чтобы превратить мир в утопическое общество без преступлений, под псевдонимом богоподобного линчевателя, известного как «Кира», очень похожего на его коллегу из манги. Однако в персонаж были внесены небольшие изменения и модификации. В начале фильма Лайт учится на первом курсе юридического факультета университета, вместо того, чтобы учиться в старшей школе, как в начале манги и аниме. Мотивы Света также немного различаются; в этой версии он использует Тетрадь смерти в основном из-за своего разочарования от предполагаемых неудач Японская система правосудия. Лайт, до открытия Тетрадь смерти, хаки в базу данных национальной полиции и обнаруживает, что правительство не может привлечь к ответственности многих преступников, среди прочего, либо из-за отсутствия доказательств, либо из-за технических лазеек. Кроме того, Лайт обнаруживает Тетрадь смерти в переулке дождливой ночью после встречи с оправданным преступником по имени Такуо Шибуимару в ночном клубе. Другое отличие состоит в том, что Лайт встречает Рюка сразу после убийства Шибуимару с помощью Тетради смерти. В конце первого фильма Лайт неохотно убивает свою девушку, Шиори Акино, и представляет ее смерть как убийство и повод для разжигания ненависти к «Кире», чтобы присоединиться к следственной группе Киры из-за их симпатии.

Лайт передает Тетрадь смерти Киёми Такада. После того, как Такада поймана, Лайт убивает ее, чтобы забрать Тетрадь смерти, но ее забирает следственная группа. L заявляет, что он проверит Правило 13 дней, фальшивое правило «Тетрадь смерти», призванное доказать невиновность Лайта и Мисы. Рем, зная, что действия L раскроют личность Мисы как второй Киры, записывает и L, и его куратора: имена Ватари в Тетрадь смерти. Затем Лайт записывает имя своего отца в книгу, манипулируя своим отцом, чтобы вернуть конфискованную тетрадь смерти. Лайт противостоит своему отцу, но Соитиро не умирает. Члены следственной группы, в том числе L, раскрываются. Уже написав свое имя в тетради смерти, таким образом отринув действия Рема, L говорит Лайту, что он только что написал фальшивую записку. Лайт пытается написать на скрытом фрагменте Тетради смерти, но его застрелил Мацуда, член следственной группы. Лайт говорит Рюку написать названия команды, пообещав показать ему много интересного, и начинает смеяться. Однако он останавливается, когда Рюк показывает ему, что написал только одно имя: Light’s. Лайт пытается остановить Рюка, но просто проходит сквозь него. Когда Лайт начинает поддаваться воздействию Тетради смерти, Рюк пользуется этой возможностью, чтобы показать ему, что людям, использовавшим Тетрадь смерти, запрещено входить в нее. Небеса или Ад вместо того, чтобы проводить вечность в ничто. Лайт умирает на руках отца, умоляя его поверить в то, что он действовал как Кира, чтобы претворить в жизнь справедливость, которой Соичиро учил его с детства.

Однако через несколько лет после смерти Лайта это раскрывается в продолжении фильма. Тетрадь смерти: озари новый мир тот Лайт тайно вырастил сына, Хикари Ягами (夜 神光 Ягами Хикари), чтобы унаследовать Тетрадь смерти и продолжить наследие Киры. Когда Хикари достигает совершеннолетия, мальчика убивает Теру Миками, назначенный им опекун, из-за контроля над записной книжкой. Затем Миками убивает полицейский Цукуру Мисима, который решает использовать записную книжку, чтобы продолжить работу Лайта по избавлению мира от преступности. В ходе фильма Мисима в конечном итоге пойман полицией, и он охотно сдает себя и записную книжку властям, по-видимому, таким образом заканчивая наследие Киры. А сцена в середине титров показывает видео, записанное Лайтом, в котором говорится о том, что события фильма произошли именно так, как он ожидал, дразня его возможное воскрешение.

Американский фильм

Эта секция возможно содержит оригинальные исследования. Пожалуйста Улучши это от проверка заявленные претензии и добавление встроенные цитаты. Заявления, содержащие только оригинальные исследования, следует удалить. (Октябрь 2019) (Узнайте, как и когда удалить этот шаблон сообщения)

Нат Вольф изображает двойника персонажа, «Light Turner»: ученица средней школы Сиэтла в американская экранизация, как умный, но тихий и социально интровертный подросток, который натыкается на мистическую тетрадь смерти и в конце концов решает использовать богоподобные способности записной книжки, чтобы совершить всемирную резню, чтобы превратить мир в утопическое общество без преступлений под властью псевдоним буквального человеческого божества: «Кира», когда за ней выслеживает элитная оперативная группа сотрудников правоохранительных органов в Сиэтл-Сити, возглавляемая загадочным международным детективом, известным как L, и его собственным отцом, ветераном полицейского детектива Сиэтла: Джеймсом Тернером .^[15][16] Маргарет Куолли изображает Миа Саттон (основанный на социопатических качествах Лайта Ягами^[17]), Подруга Лайта, которая помогает ему в его деятельности как «Кира». В этой адаптации Лайт сильно отличается от своего аналога из манги, ему не хватает социопатических, злобных и безжалостных качеств оригинального персонажа, он более наивен, сочувствителен и идеалистичен, у него нет сестры, и он потерял мать в результате хита и запустить инцидент, который частично служит его вдохновением на роль Киры. У него близкие, но несколько натянутые отношения со своим отцом, и хотя его сверстники и авторитеты считают академически одаренным, он не является популярным учеником, считается социальным аутсайдером и не имеет друзей. В отличие от своего коллеги из манги, он также гораздо менее харизматичен и уверен в себе, но более морально настроен и демонстрирует нежелание убивать невиновных и сотрудников правоохранительных органов, пытающихся его схватить, и в конечном итоге демонстрирует более темную, морально неоднозначную, хитрую и дотошную личность по отношению к финал фильма. Кроме того, вместо того, чтобы случайно получить записную книжку, Рюк намеренно передает Лайт тетрадь смерти, чтобы развлечь себя и увидеть, как равнодушный старшеклассник может использовать богоподобные способности тетради смерти.^{[нужна цитата ]}

Будучи соблазненным Рюком убить хулигана, Лайт убивает преступника, убившего его мать. Вместе с Мией Саттон, его одноклассницей и любовным увлечением, Лайт начинает крестовый поход, похожий на его коллегу из манги, чтобы избавить мир от преступности. Однако пара в конечном итоге приходит к разногласиям по поводу того, как им поступать с правоохранительными органами, преследующими их, в том числе с Джеймсом, отцом Л. После того, как Миа убивает Ватари, куратора L, она планирует украсть записную книжку у Лайта, но Лайт переигрывает ее, убивает ее и придумывает тщательно продуманный план через Тетрадь смерти, манипулируя несколькими преступниками, чтобы продолжить свою деятельность как «Кира» через Тетрадь смерти. Ноутбук, прежде чем все они покончили жизнь самоубийством и погрузили себя в медицинскую кому примерно на месяц, что, казалось бы, доказывает невиновность Лайта перед властями. В конце фильма Джеймс представляет Лайту доказательства того, что он убил убийцу своей матери, а Лайт признается, что он Кира, и рассказывает, как он очистился от подозрений. Между тем, L, опозоренный своим начальством из-за того, что не смог вовлечь Лайта и стремиться отомстить Ватари, думает об убийстве Лайта с помощью спрятанной части записной книжки, которую он находит в комнате Миа. Фильм заканчивается тем, что Рюк смеется прикованному к постели Лайту и комментирует, что «люди такие интересные».

В других СМИ

в 2015 драма, Масатака Кубота играет роль Лайт Ягами.^[18] Подобно адаптации Netflix, Лайт изображается менее харизматичным, небезопасным и изначально не решается убить правоохранительные органы. Его отношения с отцом Соичиро также натянуты из-за смерти его матери до начала сериала. Однако во второй половине серии он вырастает, демонстрируя тот же уровень безжалостности, интеллекта и высокомерия, что и его коллега из манги.

Как и в случае с адаптацией Netflix, Лайт не получает блокнот случайно, и его дает ему Рюк в ответ на столкновение с хулиганом. После того, как он напишет имя хулигана в тетради смерти и осознает, что оно настоящее, он настолько напуган тем, что сделал, что чуть не совершает самоубийство. После того, как Лайт снова использовал блокнот, чтобы спасти своего отца от заложника, он продолжает использовать блокнот, чтобы убивать преступников в роли Киры. В ответ на убийства детектив L возглавляет оперативную группу полиции вместе с отцом Лайта Соитиро, чтобы захватить Киру. Ближе к концу серии L и Соитиро видят обман Лайта и каждую попытку убедить его сдаться. Когда Лайт отказывается смягчиться, он вынужден признаться после того, как L и Соитиро оба пожертвовали своими жизнями. Информация, полученная после их смерти, передается в оперативную группу полиции, которая устраивает засаду на Лайта на складе в операция по укусу во главе с преемником L Near. В отчаянной попытке помочь ему избежать захвата, сообщник Лайта Теру Миками поджигает склад, но вместо этого Лайт оказывается в ловушке огня и горит заживо.

В музыкальная адаптация, Свет изображает Кенджи Урай и Хаято в японских постановках и Хонг Кван-хо и Хан Джи-сан в корейских постановках.^[19]

Лайт также появляется вместе с Рюком как неигровой сюжетный персонаж в кроссоверной видеоигре. Сила прыжка, с участием Мамору Мияно повторяя свою роль Света. Он вступает в союз с героями игры, пока не получит Куб Умбры, инструмент, используемый антагонистами игры, чтобы заменить силу Тетради смерти, которую он потерял до событий игры.^[20]

Прием

Анализ

Охба описал Лайта как жертву Тетради Смерти, при этом жизнь Лайта была «разрушена», как только он ее получил. По словам Охбы, Лайт был «молодым человеком, который мог понимать боль других», когда он впервые столкнулся с Тетрадью смерти. Охба сказал, что, если бы у Рюка никогда не возникло интереса к человеческому миру, Лайт стал бы «одним из величайших полицейских лидеров в мире», который вместе с L работал против преступников.^[21] Он добавил, что считает, что обсуждение того, были ли действия Лайта добрыми или злыми, не «очень важно». Охба сказал, что лично видит в Лайте «дьявольского» персонажа.^[22] Обата сказал, что Лайт был его вторым любимым человеческим персонажем, и что он не был уверен, было ли это потому, что ему «нравился» Лайт или потому, что он нарисовал «такого дьявольского персонажа» в журнале для детей.^[23]

Согласно Охба, Свет видит Миса Аманэ, которого он использует в качестве сообщника, как «плохого человека», который убивал людей, поэтому он действует эмоционально холодно по отношению к ней и манипулирует ею, хотя он делает вид, что любит ее, и даже говорит, что женится на ней. Он только остановил ее от убийства синигами Рем, которая угрожает убить его, если она умрет раньше или если он попытается убить ее, несмотря на то, что она знает, что это приведет к ее собственной смерти.^[24]

Хотя изначально у Лайта были добрые намерения, он был «очень тщеславным», с «извращенным … желанием быть богоподобным», неся любовь к своей семье и намеревался превратить мир в «лучшее место».^[24] Охба также заявляет, что Лайт, «бескомпромиссный» в достижении своих идеалов, «запятнал» себя, используя Тетрадь Смерти, и что его действия «могли быть результатом чистоты внутри него» до получения Тетради Смерти.^[25]

Эта чистота демонстрируется в изменении личности Лайта после того, как он временно отказывается от Тетради смерти, чтобы отвести подозрения. Теряя свои воспоминания о Кире вместе с записью, Лайт демонстрирует сострадание, нежелание манипулировать другими и сильное нежелание убивать. Однако как только его воспоминания возвращаются, он возвращается к своей безжалостной персоне Киры и остается таким до самой смерти. Тем не менее, Охба утверждает, что Лайт никогда не терял любви к своей семье, так как считал их праведными людьми.^[26]

Дуглас Волк из Салон описывает Лайта как «холодного манипулятора», «эгоистичного» и «нераскаявшегося человека». серийный убийца, мясник в огромных масштабах, «который не» Фрэдди Крюгер, монстр, олицетворяющий чистое зло, или Патрик Бейтман, а демонический символ своего возраста ». Волк описывает Лайта как« более или менее хорошего парня », который искренне верит, что он занимает« моральную позицию ».^[27] Когда его спросили, какой персонаж больше всего похож на него самого, Охба указал на Ниа и «может быть, Лайт». Что касается Лайта, Охба процитировал «потому что я хорошо учился в школе».^[28]

Трэвис Фикетт из IGN описывает Свет как «социопат «.^[29] Том С. Пепириум из IGN описывает Лайт как «блестящего, но взволнованного».^[30] Волк описывает идеальный мир Лайта, «тоталитарное» место, «управляемое пропагандистским телеканалом и произвольным тайным палачом». Волк сказал, что Охба иногда предполагает, что этот мир «в некотором смысле лучше и счастливее, чем наш».^[27] Джолион Барака Томас описывает видение Лайта справедливости как «нечистое»: «[Его] высокомерная попытка спасти общество от самого себя является одновременно самовозвеличивающим и жестоким».^[12] Тошики Иноуэ, организатор сериала Смертная записка аниме, описывает Лайта как «ребенка, чье желание сбывается».^[31]

Критический прием

Том С. Пепириум из IGN сказал, что был удивлен, когда узнал, что некоторые зрители, смотрящие сериал, хотели, чтобы Лайт стал победителем сюжетной линии; Пепириум добавил, что его жена сказала, что «как бы болеет за Лайт». Пепириум сравнил желание Света победить с «болеть за Кевин Спейси в конце Семь «.^[32] Пепириум добавил, что Брэд Суэйл Англоязычный актер озвучивания Лайта «прибивает» трудную задачу сделать Лайта «одновременно симпатичным и ненавидимым».^[33] Джейсон Шарпантье из Якорь заявил, что атрибуты Лайта и его роль в качестве главного героя составляют «часть того, что делает Смертная записка интересно».^[34] Лайт также занял 18-е место в рейтинге лучших аниме-персонажей всех времен по версии IGN за 2009 год, а писатель Крис Маккензи хвалил, насколько Лайт «завораживает».^[35] В 2014 году он занял седьмое место в списке величайших аниме-персонажей всех времен по версии IGN, со ссылкой на то, что «Свет Ягами был той силой, которая двигала Смертная записка и сделал это явлением «.^[36] Его часто называют анти герой а иногда злодей главный герой.^[37][38]

Тетсуро Араки, режиссер аниме, сказал, что он чувствовал желание поддержать и поболеть за Лайта. Араки добавил, что Лайт использовал бы и убил его, если бы он был одним из друзей Лайта, но режиссер по-прежнему считал, что Лайт «это интересно », и поэтому он почувствовал бы влечение к Свету.^[31]

Полин Вонг из OtakuZone опубликовала свое мнение об изображении Лайт Ягами в фильме Звезда, а Малазийский газета. В нем Вонг говорит, что «очень Bishie -status-достойный «Фудзивара изобразил Лайта с» апломбом и почти совершенством, вплоть до злой маленькой улыбки «. Китти Сэнсэй, цитируемая в той же малазийской статье, говорит, что изображение Лайта в фильме» очень точно соответствует действительности. манги «.^[39]

Тацуя Фудзивара, актер, сыгравший Лайта в фильмах, сказал, что он «мог понять» намерения Лайта создать новый мир, хотя »убийство это ужасная вещь ».^[7] Мацуяма описывает L и Лайт как «таких уникальных персонажей, что их невозможно понять».^[7] Эрика Тода Актриса, сыгравшая в фильмах Мису Аманэ, назвала действия Лайт и Мисы «преступными».^[40]

Смотрите также

• Список Смертная записка символы

использованная литература