Death Note/Characters/Novel Pilot and Movies

Novel & Pilot

Beyond Birthday

The villain in the Prequel novel Death Note: Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Case.

• Alliterative Name
• Always Second Best
• Axe Crazy
• Badass Bookworm
• Batman Gambit: He's counting on L reacting in a certain way.
• Because Destiny Says So: He kills people he sees are at the end of their lifespans.
  • A bit of Fridge Logic here. If you consider that only people with the Death Note are supposed to be able to change a person's destiny based on seeing their lifespan, those people would probably have died from Beyond himself, not from something else like he said to justify his actions. To be fair though, he couldn't have known that. Even more Fridge Logic when you think about the fact that if he hadn't had the Shinigami Eyes, he wouldn've have seen their lifespans, and wouldn't have decided to kill them, and their lifespans would have lasted longer. Their lifespans were shorter simply because he could see them.
• Beta Test Baddie
• Big Bad: Of Another Note.
• Bloodier and Gorier
• Calling Card: The wara ningyo.
• Canon Foreigner
• Can't Catch Up: As hard as he worked to be the next L, L never saw him as an an equal, just a Backup.
• Carry a Big Stick: clubbed to death, knifed to death, beaten to death- he's not too picky as long as he carries out his objective of making his target dead.
• Cast of Snowflakes: Played straight in the book. BB is only supposed to bear a vague resemblance to L.
  • Averted in most fan-art, where he looks almost exactly like L.
• The Chessmaster
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Cold-Blooded Torture
• Crazy Prepared
• Create Your Own Villain
• Creepy Monotone
• Criminal Mind Games: Among other games and codes BB sends a Crossword Puzzle indicating who he's going to kill next to the police.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: For his victims if the state of the corpses is anything to go by.
• Cute and Psycho: Well he's a psycho and he looks like L. ^{[dead link]}
• Dark and Troubled Past
• Dark Is Not Evil: Subverted. He comes off as very creepy from his first appearance but due to Mistaken Identity the audience is made to think he's a good guy.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Death Seeker: B had planned it so he would be the final victim.
• Deceptive Disciple: No student at Wammy's House ever put so much effort into BEING L...
• Defiant to the End: "I have never once been submissive even to a traffic light."
• Detective Mole: Naomi Misora is very impressed by Ryuuzaki's uncanny ability to decipher BB's codes.
• The Determinator / Determined Defeatist: Because of his Eyes B knows that everything dies, everything falls apart but he presses on anyway. He also already knows that his death alone won't be enough to make L notice but creating a puzzle he can't solve will.
• Does Not Like Shoes
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
• Embarrassing Nickname: Backup
• Evil Counterpart: To L. Indeed B goes out of his way to be this. Also to Mello (L shares B's story with Mello perhaps because he is afraid that that Mello would turn out like his predecessor) and Light (though Kira kills far more people; B is more sadistic and his brand of villainy is more immediately terrifying and has a much more personal touch.)
• Evil Eye
• Evil Is Petty
• Evil Laugh: If Shinigami could breed you'd think he was related to Ryuk - he has his laugh.
• Evil Sounds Deep
• Eye Scream
• Fan Boy: he's an Otaku as well as being L's deranged fanboy.
• The Fatalist: It comes with knowing when everyone is going to die.
• Fingore
• Foe Yay: Mainly with L and Naomi Misora. Also frequently with Light who he's never met.
• Freudian Excuse: 1) B was born with the Shinigami eyes and apparently knows how to read the lifespan numbers so he has "seen" death all around him all his life. 2) B was never seen as an individual with his own merits-just L's Backup.
• Full-Body Disguise: Used when "testing" Naomi Misora.
• A Glass of Chianti: Or rather A Jar Of Strawberry Jam used to the same effect (is it jam or is it blood?) with the added bonus that some fans find it cute.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars
• Gorn
• The Hyena: He practices his Evil Laugh.
• I Just Want to Be You
• Interrupted Suicide
• Irritation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
• The Killer Becomes the Killed: Hmmm... he seems to have died in prison of a sudden heart attack.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: As Mello points out, "how humiliating for him"...
• Knife Nut
• Laughably Evil
• Looks Like Cesare
• Loony Fan
• Man On Fire
• Manipulative Bastard
• Master of Disguise: As part of his creepy obsession with L.
• Mysterious Past
• NameDar: He was born with the Shinigami eyes.
• Named Like My Name: "Ryuuzaki" copied the copycat when choosing an alias.
• Neat Freak: Justified, as he needs to meticulously clean his victims' houses to avoid leaving any trace evidence behind.
  • Amusingly in most Fan Art he's depicted as splattered in blood to show that it is Beyond and not L.
• Nietzsche Wannabe
• Nightmare Fetishist
• Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: L's evil doppelganger/Wammy's Kid/Serial Killer/born with Shinigami eyes. He's not a typical DN OC Mary Sue but a very scary Big Bad.
• No Sense of Personal Space
• No Social Skills
• Obfuscating Stupidity
• OC Stand-In: He is a very mysterious figure in canon, and like Matt, much of his characterization comes from Fanon.
• Oral Fixation Fixation
• Otaku: He leaves a clue in an Akazukin Chacha manga collection.
• Parental Abandonment
• Primal Stance
• A Protagonist Is Ryu
• Red Eyes, Take Warning
• The Resenter
• Returning to the Scene: More like Never Left The Scene... but it's all part of the plan.
• The Rival
• Running on All Fours: He frequently crawls around in a freaky way.
• Self-Immolation
• Seme: Self-described as "an aggressive top".
• Serial Killer
• The Sociopath
• Suspect Existence Failure: That was the plan, anyway.
• Stringy Haired Ghost Guy: He has this look.
• Suck Sessor
• Superpowerful Genetics: Somehow he was born with the Shinigami eyes.
• Sweet Tooth: B must surpass L at everything, even sugar consumption. "It's sweet dirt."
• Teen Genius
• Things That Go Bump in the Night: When he's introduced he comes crawling out from under a bed.
• Thirteen Is Unlucky
• Trademark Favorite Food: Strawberry jam.
• Tyke Bomb
• The Unfettered: He will do whatever it takes to get L's attention.
• Voodoo Doll: Or rather wara ningyo left at every crime scene.
• Villain Protagonist
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: He just wants L to notice him!
• Wild Hair
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Rather horribly averted.

A

A student at Wammy's House in the Prequel novel Death Note: Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Case.

• Death by Origin Story
• Driven to Suicide
• Mad Mathematician
• Morality Pet: Possibly for B.
  • Morality Chain: Again possibly for B.
• OC Stand-In
• The Rival: Of B and L since they were are all competing for the title.
• Tyke Bomb
• We Hardly Knew Ye
• "Well Done, Son" Guy

Taro Kagami

The 13-year-old protagonist of the Death Note Pilot chapter (which takes place in a different continuity than that of the main series). Technically, this makes him the first of the Kiras.

Mikami's appearance, but not his personality, was based on Taro's.

• Action Survivor
• Alternate Continuity
• Back from the Dead
  • But not with his mind entirely intact, some believe. Ryuk asking him what he thought of the Land of the Dead brings out a rather shaky and suspicious smile.
• Bad Dreams: His victims haunt him in his dreams. Had he been the protagonist of the main series, it's doubtful that he could have gone as far as Light did.
• Being Evil Sucks
• Canon Foreigner
• Death Is Cheap: The Death Eraser.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Taro and the main antagonist part on good terms, with the antagonist thanking Taro for stopping him and then apologizing for almost killing him.
• Diary: Not knowing what it was, he intially used the death note as a diary. Unlike Light, Taro can't read English (he knew what "note" meant, but not "death").
• Face Death with Dignity: Kind of. He allows himself to be killed with the death note to prove that he's telling the truth to the police officers. He even jokes a little when giving instructions on what to write for cause of death. Of course, he's quickly revived with the Death Eraser
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Seemingly insignificant and unpopular kid who eventually has the entire student body scared out of their wits
• Halfway Plot Switch: At first, Taro is something of a Villain Protagonist who is trying to avoid being found out. Then, once he revives everyone he kills, he spends the rest of the pilot acting as a Kid Detective, trying to find the killer who has taken his place.
  • When you compare it to the main series, it feels like a condensed version of everything Light went through from the first chapter all the way to the end of the Yotsuba arc.
• Happy Ending: The ONLY kira who gets one of these, folks.
• I Wrote Our Story: Cue Epileptic Trees.
• It Got Worse: Even after he revives his victims with the Death Eraser.
• Kid Detective
• Kid Hero
• Kids Are Cruel: Taro is a favorite target for the school bullies.
• Lighter and Softer: When compared to Light. However, since he actually came first, you could say that Light is a Darker and Edgier replacement for him.
• My God, What Have I Done?
• Not So Different: It turns out that the pilot's real villain is basically another kid who, like Taro, was constantly picked on and initially killed people by accident.
• Person of Mass Destruction: Potentially, though he isn't shown using the notebook this way.
• Properly Paranoid
• Thirteen Is Unlucky: Our 13-year-old Woobie Protagonist.
• Where Are They Now? Epilogue
• Who's Laughing Now?

Characters only in movies

Shiori Akino

Light's girlfriend in the live action movie.

• Alternate Continuity
• Always Save the Girl: Subverted.
• The "B" Grade: She's annoyed that Light keeps effortlessly outdoing her in school.
• Canon Foreigner
• Composite Character: She's the smart girl on campus like Takada and also fulfiles the same role as Yuri, aka the Girl from the Bus.
• Damsel in Distress
• Foil: To Light, especially when he's in gloating Kira-mode.
• Hello, Attorney!: She's studying to become a prosecutor.
• Horrible Judge of Character
• I Let Gwen Stacy Die: With a really nasty twist.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: "One day Shiori is going to understand..." (that KIRA IS JUSTICE!!!) Sure, buddy. This is the same girl that gets ticked off at you for making bets on sporting events and you think she's going to be cool with mass homicide?
• The Ingenue
• Kill the Cutie
• Last Kiss
• Love Martyr
• Morality Pet
• Oblivious Guilt Slinging
• Only Sane Man
• Plucky Girl
• Satellite Character
• Selective Obliviousness: She seemingly refuses to see what (in the film) is blindingly obvious.

Light: IF I were Kira I'd probably do the exact same thing...
Shiori: No you wouldn't - that's not like you at all!

• Stuffed in The Fridge
• Token Romance
• What the Hell, Hero?: Even if she’s not aware of Light’s double-life, she’s the one to call him on it.
  • "Stop it, Anakin. THIS ISN'T YOUR JUSTICE!!!"

K

The Big Bad of L: Change the World also known as Dr. Kimiko Kujo.

• A Pupil Of Mine Until She Turned To Evil: "Watari had such high hopes for you."
• Animal Wrongs Group
• Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad: She and her henchmen feel very complimented when one of their victims calls them "no better than Kira."
• Beta Test Baddie
• Big Bad: Of L: Change the World
• Bond Villain Stupidity
• Canon Foreigner
• Card-Carrying Villain: She and her gang go around kicking orphans and threatening to kill babies just to show the audience how evil they are.
• The Chessmaster: Well, she wants to be.
• Create Your Own Villain: Another graduate of Wammy's goes batshit. What a surprise.
• Eviler Than Thou: At least Light cares about the human race.
• Karma Houdini
  • It's made clearer in the light novel that she's arrested for her crimes, but she's made a Heel Face Turn by that point and faces her arrest with dignity.
• Kick the Dog
• Kill All Humans
• Knight Templar: Little Miss Captain Planet wants to Kill All Humans to save the earth.
• Misanthrope Supreme: Humans Are the Real Monsters that are destroying the planet so the Perfect Solution is to release The Plague Depopulation Bomb, killing them all!
• Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate
• Nietzsche Wannabe
• Power Hair
• Stepford Smiler
• Theme Naming: K is an associate of L's who wants to kill a bunch of people in order to build a new perfect utopia. Sound familiar? Well prepare to be disappointed because it's not K as in Kira.
• Tyke Bomb
• Utopia Justifies the Means
• The War On Straw: No, this is not the argument of the Green movement... Nor is this why anyone supported Kira. The Author Tract is taken Up to Eleven in the Novelization.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
• You Killed My Father: To Matoba in the light novel.

Daisuke Matoba

The Dragon to K in L: Change the World

• Canon Foreigner
• The Dragon: To K.
• Dragon-in-Chief
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Making Bond villains everywhere proud.
• Greed
• Jerkass
• Karmic Death
• Not in This For Your Revolution
• Obviously Evil
• Only in It For the Money
• Red Right Hand: See above about the scar.
• Take Over the World

Hideaki Suruga

The FBI Agent in L: Change The World.

• The Ace: "Hideaki Suruga F.B.I.! Here to protect you!"
• Becoming the Mask: He was sent to spy on L and obtain the Death Note but he stayed with him even after it became apparent L had already destroyed the Death Note because he genuinely wanted to help.
• But Not Too Foreign: Lampshaded when no one will believe he's an F.B.I. agent beacause he's Japanese.
• Butt Monkey: "Why do I always have to be the decoy?!"
• Canon Foreigner
• The Mole: He's here because his superiors want the Death Note.
• Plucky Comic Relief

Sanami

A token female member of the Kira Taskforce added in the Live Action movies.

• Affirmative Action Girl
• Canon Foreigner
• The Chick
• Commander Contrarian
• Gender Flip: She's basically the movie-verse's version of Ide.
• What the Hell, Hero?: She calls L out on the cruel and unusual treatment of the Kira suspects.

F

Another graduate of Wammy’s house that shows up in L: Change The World.

• Almost-Dead Guy
• Badass Driver
• Canon Foreigner
• Chase Scene
• Fail O'Suckyname: Seriously!
• Heroic Sacrifice
• I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin
• Papa Wolf
• Take Care of the Kids
• West Coast Team: One of L and Watari's agents working a case in a remote jungle village in Thailand when The Virus hits.

Dr. Nikaido

An immunologist and the father of Maki Nikaido in L: Change The World.

---

• Bat Deduction: The Da Vinci Code type clues he left require astounding leaps of "logic".
• Canon Foreigner
• Good Doc Bad Doc: The good doctor.
• Heroic Sacrifice
• My God, What Have I Done?: He created the virus that K intends to use to Kill All Humans.
• Posthumous Character
• Stupid Sacrifice
• Take Care of the Kids: In the novelization, just before his death, he sent an e-mail to L's computer which said to take care of his daughter.
• Too Dumb to Live: There's a part in the novelization when his security system detects an intruder, but instead of being alarmed he just brushes it off. This act of carelessness also leads to his demise.
• Unwitting Pawn

Maki Nikaido

Daughter of Dr. Nikakido. She's also one of the kids that L has to protect in L: Change The World.

---

• Canon Foreigner
• Cheerful Child
• Children Raise You
• Damsel in Distress
  • Or Damsel Scrappy since she's pretty much responsible for her own kidnapping.
• Ill Girl
• Indy Ploy
• Revenge Before Reason
• Security Blanket: Maki's teddy bear.
• Spanner in the Works
• Taking You with Me: She attempts to do this.
• Too Dumb to Live
• You Killed My Father