Light Yagami

Light Yagami
Death Note character
Light in Volume 1 of the Manga (Page 1 : Boredom)
First appearance	Page 1 : Boredom in 1st Manga, Boredom
Last appearance	Page 107 : Curtain in 12th Manga, Finis
Created by	Tsugumi Ohba Takeshi Obata
In-universe information
Alias	Kira, L-Kira, Second L, Light Asahi
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Occupation	High school student University student Detective
Relatives	Soichiro Yagami (father) Sachiko Yagami (mother) Sayu Yagami (younger sister)

Light as he appears in the anime

Light Yagami (夜神 月, Yagami Raito), also known as Kira and the second L, is the protagonist of the manga and anime series Death Note. He is an extremely intelligent, but bored, young man who finds Ryuk's Death Note by sheer chance. In the Japanese version of the anime he is voiced by Mamoru Miyano, and in the English version of the anime he is voiced by Brad Swaile.

Conception and development

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 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.

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 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.

Character

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." Death Note: How to Read 13 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. 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 genuinely believing that he has "the moral high ground."

Light constantly tries to evade the suspicion of L while both maintaining his identity as Kira (derivation of kirā (キラー), the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "killer"), and cleansing the world of crime. The fact that he is a genius also adds to his notion that only he is fit to judge humanity and steer it on a proper moral course. James Brusuelas of Animation World Magazine uses "altruistically" as an adjective to describe Light's quest to rid humanity of its criminals. Travis Fickett of IGN describes Light as a "sociopath." Tom S. Pepirium of IGN describes Light as "brilliant, but disturbed."

Light, born on February 28, 1986, is a third year high school student (12th Grade) at Daikoku Private Academy (大国学園, Daikoku Gakuen) who also attends supplemental classes at Gamou Prep Academy in the beginning of the story. Light has a father, Soichiro Yagami, who is a member of the investigation team opposing Kira. In addition, Light has a mother, Sachiko Yagami, and a younger sister, Sayu Yagami.

In Spring 2004 Light becomes a first-year student (freshman) at To-Oh University (東応大学, Tōō Daigaku), becoming one of two freshman representatives; L is the other freshman representative. During a tennis game with L at To-Oh, spectators reveal that Light was the junior high school tennis champion in 1999 and 2000; After his 2000 victory, Light quit tennis as he entered high school.

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.

When L is finally able to corner him, Light puts his master plan in practice. He temporarily gives up his Death Note to Ryuk, erasing his memories about his time as Kira from his mind. Rem, under instruction by Light to give it to someone who would use it selfishly, gives it to Kyosuke Higuchi of the Yotsuba Corporation. Now unaware of the fact that he was the original Kira, Light accepts L's offer to join the investigation team to hunt down Higuchi, known as the third Kira. Light requests the alias Light Asahi (朝日 月, Asahi Raito) to be used for him. When he is finally captured, Light touches his Death Note, thereby regaining his memory of when he was the original Kira. He then proceeds just as planned, masterfully killing Higuchi by using the Death Note paper he put in his watch before he lost his memories; and manipulating Rem, who also dies in the process, to kill both Watari and L.

Light is later nominated by L's investigation team (who are unaware that he is Kira) to act as L, due to the fact that they cannot reveal the death of the real L to the world. Light also takes over the role of L's assistant, Watari. Now able to act as both Kira and L, Light can continue killing criminals while leading the investigation team in circles. His secret identity as L is soon discovered by the Special Provisions for Kira, President David Hoope, and Mello's gang. Light joins the Japanese Police Force's Intelligence Department in April 2009, believing that no one can stop his plans. Near and Mello eventually appear before him, trying to accomplish what L could not: to expose Kira's true identity, and bring him to justice. At this point, according to How to Read 13, Light becomes "overtaken with evil" and possessing "arrogance that came with Kira's power"; Light loses sight of his former self.

File:Shinigamieyes.jpg

Ryuk is looking at Light with the Shinigami Eyes, revealing Light's real name and remaining lifespan (in Shinigami time).

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 the world is "in some ways a better, happier world than ours."

In the end, the combined efforts of Mello and Near, combined with a large miscalculation and miscommunication on the part of Mikami and Light, force Light to reveal himself as Kira. In the final clash between Near and Light at a warehouse, all is revealed and the Kira case comes to an end after six long years.

In the manga version, after completely losing his head and characteristic cool over the prospect of being arrested, and in complete desperation after his attempts to write Near's name down are thwarted by Touta Matsuda, Light begs Ryuk to help him. Ryuk reminds Light that he is on neither side, and fulfills his earlier promise to write Light's name in his Death Note, thus ending Light's life.

In the anime version, Light manages to flee the warehouse after Mikami commits suicide. Near instructs the team that there is no reason to pursue Light given that there should be no more hidden Death Notes, and Light's wounds would prevent him from getting far. Despite this, Shuichi Aizawa, Kanzo Mogi, Hideki Ide and Matsuda follow Light but are unable to find him before he dies on the staircase of a nearby warehouse due to cardiac arrest from Ryuk writing his name in his Death Note. As Light slowly closes his eyes, an apparition of L appears before Light, mirroring Light standing over L in episode 25 at L's death.

According to the manga, Light's date of death is January 28, 2010. His height and weight are 179 centimeters (5 feet and 10 inches) and 54 kilograms (119 pounds), respectively. His blood type is A (see Japanese blood type theory of personality).

In Death Note: How to Read 13 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 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 "very evil" character. 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 an evil character" in a magazine for children.

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."

Film version

Tatsuya Fujiwara as Light in the Death Note film series

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, as 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 are unable to 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.

Similarly to the manga, Light relinquishes ownership of the Death Note in order to prove his innocence. He gives the notebook to Kiyomi Takada. After Takada is caught, Light kills her to recover the Death Note. L states that he will test the 13-Day Rule. Rem, knowing that this 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.

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 wrote in a fake note. Light tries to write on a hidden piece of death Note, but Matsuda shoots him. Light tells Ryuk to write the team's names 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, passing through the shinigami. Light dies in his father's arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put 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). Light is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, known for his role as Shuya Nanahara of Battle Royale.

Ken'ichi Matsuyama, the actor who played L in the film series, said that Light and L are "extremely" alike in that they have "very strong sense of justice."

Yonkoma

Death Note: How to Read 13 describes Light in the Death Note yonkoma as "the chosen brainiac with a knack for funny comments." How to Read 13 adds that he is the "butt of jokes" due to his "serious demeanor."

Reception

Tom S. Pepirium of IGN said that he felt surprise 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."

Pepirium added that Brad Swaile, Light's English-language voice actor, "nails" the "difficult" task of making Light "both likable and hated."

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."

Reception to film version character

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."

Erika Toda, the actress who portrayed Misa Amane in the films, described Light's and Misa's actions as "criminal."

See also

• List of Death Note characters