Want to know the Japanese names of characters from Death Note? We’ve listed the Japanese names of the Death Note Characters. Check it out!
Delve into the shadowy world of "Death Note" with our exploration of the Japanese names behind its enigmatic characters.
Each name is a clue to the personality and fate of the characters in this gripping tale of justice and morality. Unravel the significance and hidden stories that lie within these names.
Japanese Names Of Characters From Death Note
Light Yagami (夜神月, Yagami Raito)
Light Yagami is the main character of the series. He is somewhat of a genius and finds the Death Note, that he uses to get rid of criminals. The consequences of his actions are labelled as the work of “Kira” by the city’s people.
In the series, Light has an intense sense of justice and this is soon corrupted after he gets his hands on the Death Note.
When he finds out what the notebook is capable of, he aims to create a new world that is free from criminals and injustice, and populated with only people he sees as honest and good. This earned him the title of the “God of the new world”.
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L Lawliet (エル・ローライト, Eru Rōraito)
L Lawlietis one of the main antagonists of the series. His character is secretive and doesn’t show his face to the world. Instead, he is represented by the letter L. He is a well known detective and can be directly reached only by his manager, Watari.
L takes it upon himself to track and find Kira. L suspects Light Yagami and does everything he can to prove him to be Kira.
Ryuk (リューク, Ryūku)
Ryuk is a Shinigami or “god of death”. In the series, he is seen as getting bored of the Shinigami Realm and so he drops a Death Note in the Human Realm. When Light finds the Death Note, Ryuk finds amusement in Light’s attempt to cleanse the world of criminals.
In the series, Ryuk is very fond of apples and is almost addicted to them. He compares this addiction to the addiction to cigarettes and alcohol seen in humans. He even shows signs of withdrawal when he goes a long time without any apples.
Misa Amane (弥 海砂, Amane Misa)
Misa Amane is a popular idol in Japan. She eventually comes across a Death Note and becomes the second Kira. She makes a trade for the Shinigami Eyes and finds out that Light is Kira.
She grows fond of Light after seeking him out to thank him for killing the man who was responsible for murdering her family. She eventually falls in love with him and dedicates her life to helping Light and using her Shinigami Eyes to find the true identity of L.
Near (ニア, Nia)
Near is one of the successors of L. His real name is Nate River and he was raised in Watari’s orphanage for gifted children in England. After L’s death, Near takes up Kira’s case and goes about gathering any information he can lay his hands on. He soon becomes the head of the Special Provision for Kira. He eventually is able to figure out the true identity of Kira and is responsible for the capture of Light.
Mello (メロ, Mero)
Mello is the older of the two successors of L. Like Near, he was raised in whammy’s House as well. He is portrayed as impatient and with an inferiority complex. He is unwilling to work with Near after the death of L because he believes that they are both very different. He eventually joins the Mafia and tries to track down Kira.
Teru Mikami (魅上 照, Mikami Teru)
Teru Mikami is chosen by Light to be the Hand of Kira. He is the fourth Kira and performs the Shinigami Eye Deal with Ryuk. This grants him Shinigami Eyes. After Light comes under suspicion of being Kira, Teru takes the ownership of the Death Note.
Soichiro Yagami (夜神 総一郎, Yagami Sōichirō)
Soichiro Yagami is the father of Light Yagami and also the Chief of the NPA (national Police Agency). He is also the head police officer who initially lead the Japanese Task Force. He laters joins L in his search for Kira. When Light becomes a suspect, Soichiro refuses to believe that Light could be Kira.
Touta Matsuda (松田 桃太, Matsuda Tōta)
Touta Matsuda is a young member of the investigation team put together to find Kira. While he lacks experience he proves to be useful in the timeskip, when he helps take down the Mafia members who had the Death Note.
Watari (ワタリ, Watari)
Watari, whose real name is Quillsh Wammy, is L’s manager and handler. He is also the only one is in direct contact with L before the team is formed. He owns Wmmy’s House in England which is an orphanage for gifted children.
Matt (マット, Matto)
Matt is a close friend of Mello and was also raised at Wammy’s House. His real name is Mail Jeevas. He helps Mello with the Kira case.
Roger Ruvie (ロジャー・ラヴィー, Rojā Ravī)
Roger Ruvie acts as the manager of Wammy’s House in the absence of Watari. Even though he works so closely with children, he detests them. He eventually takes on the role of Watari for Near.
Aiber (アイバー, Aibā)
Aiber is a professional con man, whose real name is Thierry Morello. He helps L during his investigathion of the Yotsuba Group.
Kiyomi Takada (高田 清美, Takada Kiyomi)
Kiyomi Takada initially appears as the classmate and girlfriend of Light. She later returns as the spokeswomen on NHN, a television station.
She believes in Kira’s values and acts as his spokesperson for News6 on station NHN station. She doesn’t approve of Mis Amane and Light’s relationship, which cause much rivalry between the two ladies.
Rem (レム, Remu)
Rem is another Shinigami in the series. She has two Death Notes and gives Misa one of them in the series. Rem is moved by Gelus’s sacrifice for Misa and delivers his Death Note to Misa after his death.
Unlike Ryuk, Rem sees humans as the lesser evolved race. She inherits gelus’s love for Misa and goes to great extents to protect Misa.
Gelus (ジェラス, Jerasu)
Gelus is the Shinigami that falls in love with Misa and eventually sacrifices himself to protect her. Unlike most Shinigamis, he is fond of humans and cares deeply for them.
Sidoh (シドウ, Shidō)
Sidoh is the Shinigami whose Death Note is stolen by Ryuk. His Death Note lands up in the hands of the Mafia.
Sachiko Yagami (夜神 幸子, Yagami Sachiko)
Sachiko Yagami is the mother of Light Yagami and Sayu Yagami and the wife of Soichiro Yagami. She is portrayed as a kind and caring character, who is unaware of her son being Kira.
Sayu Yagami (夜神 粧裕, Yagami Sayu)
Sayu Yagami is the younger sister of Light Yagami. She, like her mother, is unaware of Light’s role as Kira. She is kidnapped by Mello’s gang and held in exchange for the Death Note that is in the possession of teh investigation team. Though she is unharmed, the trauma of being kidnapped leaves Sayu in a state of shock and she becomes unresponsive to others.
Kyosuke Higuchi (火口卿介, Higuchi Kyōsuke)
Kyosuke Higuchi is one of teh eight members of the Yotsuba Group. Following Light and Misa, he becomes the third Kira. He gets his Death Note from Rem, after she was instructed by Light to give it to someone who would use it to grow in status.
Raye Penber (レイ=ペンバー, Rei Penbā)
Raye Penber is an American officer in the FBI. He, along with eleven other agents, is sent to Japan to investigate the Kira case. Raye is supposed to investigate the Yagami family but soon decides to stop suspecting them after he sees Light being the victim of a bus jacking. However, this was only an act that Light put on to find out Raye’s name and later kill him.
Naomi Misora (南空ナオミ, Misora Naomi)
Naomi Misora is Raye Penber’s fiance. She is also a former FBI agent. Soon after Raye’s death, she begins her own investigation. She is eventually betrayed and killed by Light who writes about her death in the Death Note.
Japanese names of characters from Death Note: FAQs
What is the Japanese name of Death Note?
In Japanese, Death Note is called “デスノ一ト” (read, Desu Nōto).
What is Light Yagami’s name in Japanese?
Ligh Yagami is the main protagonist in Death Note. In Japanese, his name is 夜神月, Yagami Raito.
How are Shinigamis created?
In the Death Note series, when someone commits suicide, they have to collect souls as punishment. They become a full Shinigami when they collect their first soul.
