List of Death Note characters

The manga series Death Note features an extensive cast of fictional characters designed by Takeshi Obata with their storylines created by Tsugumi Ohba. The story follows the character named Light Yagami, who chances upon a supernatural notebook which grants him the ability to cause the death of anyone he writes in it. Light uses the notebook he finds in order to cleanse the world of humans he has deemed unfit for society. A team of professional investigators set out to find out the mysterious killer and arrest him, and thus many other characters are introduced until Light is eventually caught.

In the fictional stories featured in the Death Note universe, Tsugumi Ohba, the story writer, created characters that lived in a world featuring a notebook in which names written on it would lead to the ones named to die, typically the cause of death being a heart attack when otherwise not specified. Ohba chose names for his characters in a way that, as he described, "seemed real but could not exist in the real world", due to the fact that most of the characters were criminals or victims. Some character details differ between the manga and its anime, live-action film and drama adaptations.

Light Yagami (夜神 月, Yagami Raito) is the main protagonist of the series. After discovering the Death Note and its ability to kill after writing a person's name with their face in mind, he decides to use it to rid the world of criminals. Though starting with noble intentions, his ego and hubris elevates to the point where he believes he has been chosen to serve as the "God of the New World" and is the only one fit to rule society. His killings are noticed by the public at large, and they begin to call him "Kira"; this subsequently draws the attention of enigmatic detective L, who dedicates his life to bringing Kira to justice.

After Light defeats L, he takes on L's title and intensifies his killings, whilst increasing his public approval to the point where cults worldwide have risen to worship Kira. However, the combined efforts of L's successors, Mello and Near, lead to Light's eventual capture, his subsequent death, and the end of his rule.

L Lawliet (L・ローライト, Eru Rōraito), known solely as L, is the world's greatest detective. He takes on the task of tracking down and arresting Kira. His most noticeable characteristic is the fact that he rarely wears shoes. His disheveled appearance and lack of social etiquette causes people to doubt his position as L. He lives in solitude, and only his manager Watari is able to contact him directly. L suspects that Light is Kira almost from the beginning, but is unable to confirm his suspicions to others after his death.

Ryuk (リューク, Ryūku) is a bored Shinigami that drops a Death Note, the notebook that allows the one in its possession to kill anyone simply by knowing their name and face, into the human world in order to have fun. It is picked up by Light Yagami, a young genius who uses it in an attempt to create and rule a world "cleansed of evil" as "God". He has an affinity for apples.

Misa Amane (弥 海砂, Amane Misa), also known as "Misa-Misa", is a popular Japanese idol, who is known for her Gothic-style of dress, hyperactive personality and devotion to Light, falling in love with him after he kills Misa's parents' murderer. As a Death Note owner and the second Kira, she has the eyes of a Shinigami, which allow her to see nearly everyone's name and lifespan. However, she cannot see the lifespans of Death Note owners. As part of her career as an idol, she performs numerous jobs such as acting, singing and modeling.

Near (ニア, Nia), whose real name is Nate River, is the young detective who succeeds L after his death, He is the head of an organization created to catch Kira, the SPK (Special Provision for Kira). A placid, pragmatic character with a sharp tongue, he has white hair and wears pale clothes. He constantly plays with toys, building towers of dice and playing cards, and illustrating his exposition with small finger puppets. He is seen completing blank puzzles, which emphasizes his problem-solving skills. He was the person who succeeded in identifying and capturing Light as Kira.