12 'Death Note' Fan Theories That Change The Entire Scope Of The Series
Vote up the Death Note theories that make the most sense.
- 12,432 VOTES
Light Gets Reincarnated As A Shinigami
Photo: Death Note: Relight / MadhouseIn Death Note: Relight, an unnamed Shinigami appears. Many fans believe this Death God is Light reincarnated. Plenty of evidence exists to support this theory. For one thing, the Shinigami wears a blood-stained coat resembling the one Light dies in.
Additionally, his mouth and voice appear similar to Light's. He knows about Ryuk's unusual affinity for apples, even throwing one to Ryuk the way Light did in the past. There are continuity issues between the original Death Note and Relight, so it's possible this Shinigami is meant to be Light, even though the original series states nothing happens after death.
- 21,581 VOTES
The Main Characters Suffer From A Variety Of Medical Issues
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseOver the years, the Death Note fandom has diagnosed various characters with certain medical and mental ailments. These are the most popular ones:
L Has Marfan Syndrome: Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder with a variety of symptoms, including spidery hands and scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. It also causes threatening issues in the lungs, heart, and nervous system. Though he never suffers debilitating health issues in life (as far as we know), L does have a curved spine and long, spider-like fingers.
Light Has Antisocial Personality Disorder: Antisocial Personality Disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a "mental condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others." Light exhibits many of the symptoms of APD, though he was generally well-behaved and showed some empathy until power dramatically warped his personality.Near And L Are Autistic: According to the Autism Self Advocacy Network, "Autism is a neurological variation that occurs in about one percent of the population and is classified as a developmental disability." It makes typical modes of social interaction difficult for patients. Autistic people may exhibit atypical and repetitive movements, a deep focus on a narrow range of special interests and non-standard ways of solving problems. Some people believe that L and Near approach their interpersonal relationships and their detective work in ways consistent with the autism spectrum.
Near Has Albinism: Near sports white hair, a trait that wouldn't be remarkable if he existed in a different anime. But Death Note has a fairly realistic art style. Some fans hypothesize Near's hair is the result of albinism, a group of disorders in which the body produces little-to-no melanin.
- 31,107 VOTES
The Shinigami Realm Used To Resemble Earth
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseThe Shinigami Realm, a terrifying boneyard where Ryuk and the other Death Gods spend most of their time, may have once resembled Earth. For one thing, skeletons litter the ground, and bones suggest both animals and humans. These skeletons certainly can't belong to deceased Shinigami, since they disintegrate into dust when they die. How did this lively place get turned into a hangout for Death Gods? No one knows.
- 41,187 VOTES
L Lies To The Orphans About His Motivations For Solving Crimes
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseL starts working as a detective at the tender age of eight. The start of his career remains unclear; all we know is that he was an orphan and that this job likely wasn't his choice, but Watari's. As he gains experience, he learns the importance of approaching cases with little-to-no emotional involvement - in matters of life and death, getting too involved often results in self destruction.
This, according to Redditor u/Azmek, is why L lies to the orphans at Wammy's House about his motivation for solving cases. In the Death Note one-shot special, L tells his potential replacements he works for the thrill of solving puzzles, not out of a particular desire to help anyone. But L, likely to his own chagrin, never fully disengages from his emotions. He develops a genuine friendship with Light over the course of the Kira case, changes his unethical investigation methods when his team objects, and feels genuine sorrow when Ukita, one of the task force members, is killed.
L knows his feelings hinder his progress on the job. What he tells his orphan admirers is, at most, a half-truth. He knows detachment will lead to victory, but L cannot convey to them that he's incapable of it himself. Near's lack of emotional attachment is partly of why he catches Kira, while L failed.
- 51,313 VOTES
Near Uses The Death Note
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseAccording to DuoReview, Near actually uses the Death Note to kill Teru Mikami. Mikami's sudden suicide could easily be explained by the fact that his god, Light Yagami, breaks down before his eyes. Mikami is also facing at least life in prison, possibly the death penalty. Yet the sudden and dramatic way he ends himself is not only jarring, it goes against Mikami's uptight nature. So, was he manipulated into suicide by a Death Note?
In the final episode, Near reveals he held the notebook on his person for quite some time, so he certainly had the means. Mikami's death makes wrapping up the case easier, and, as DuoReview argues, Near's apathy would likely allow him to do such a thing.
- 61,246 VOTES
L's Spirit Visits Light As He Dies
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseIn the final episode of Death Note, L's spirit appears to Light as he dies, which shouldn't be possible. According to Death Note lore, humans go to Mu, or nothingness, meaning spirits shouldn't exist.
Some fans interpret L's appearance as a deathbed hallucination on Light's part, but others see it as confirmation that the manga and anime are different. Perhaps an afterlife does exist in the world of Death Note.
- 7865 VOTES
The Shinigami Realm Is Purgatory
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseWhat exactly is the Shinigami realm? According to Death Note lore, it basically just acts as a place for Death Gods to hang out. It exists above the human realm and resembles a haunted graveyard. Death Gods easily travel back and forth, but most stay in the Shinigami realm, as they have little interest in humans besides siphoning their lifespans.
Some fans think the realm serves as more than just a crash pad for Shinigami, however. According to this theory, the Shinigami realm is actually purgatory, a dark place for human souls to await divine judgment. In this scenario, Shinigami are actually former humans. While this opens up some fascinating possibilities about Ryuk and Rem's pasts, it contradicts the canon statement that there is no life after death. However, the continuity errors between the different iterations of the series could negate this contradiction.
- 81,116 VOTES
An Alternate Manga Ending Exists
Photo: Death Note / VIZOne of the most tantalizing theories about the Death Note universe posits that an alternate ending exists in the manga. In this version, Light Yagami survives, and continues killing criminals long into old age. When he finally dies, he must pay an atonement: He has to experience every single death he caused using the Death Note.
After dying several hundred times, Light pulls himself together and tells Ryuk if he stops the painful process, he'll help the Shinigami King rebuild the Shinigami Realm. Ryuk delights in this, and immediately takes Light to meet the king.
Unfortunately, there is no proof this alternate ending is actually real, and it may very well be a fan creation. Still, it's a fascinating opening for a potential spinoff series. Tsugumi Ohba, take note.
- 91,193 VOTES
A Death Note Kills Misa Amane
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseMisa Amane inherits the remaining lifespans of two Shinigami, Gelus and Rem, after they kill someone for her, so she should live a long life. Yes, she does trade away half her lifespan twice to acquire the Shinigami eyes, but that doesn't matter. Death Gods' lifespans are thousands of years long, which means Misa should be basically immortal.
However, Misa dies for unknown reasons at the end of the series. Some believe she commits suicide after losing her boyfriend Light, but others theorize her name was written in a Death Note. If so, who killed her, and what was their motivation? No one knows.
- 10521 VOTES
Wammy House Orphans, A And Beyond Birthday, Appear In 'Death Note: Relight'
Photo: Death Note: Relight / MadhouseDeath Note: Relight is a combination of recaps and new footage which aired shortly after the original series. Some of the new footage includes a flashback to L's successors, Mello and Near, as well as other kids from the orphanage. Some fans believe two of the children are A and Beyond Birthday, who originally appeared in the Death Note light novel, Another Note.
This is jarring, as BB grows up to become a serial killer, and A commits suicide due to a combination of BB's harassment and the pressure he feels over having to succeed L. The timing doesn't quite add up, though, because by the time Mello and Near would have been in the orphanage, A was dead and BB was in prison.
- 111,098 VOTES
L Would Have Gone To Prison If He Hadn't Died
Photo: Death Note / MadhouseWhen compared to Light Yagami, L seems like a good guy. But had he not died, he would have most likely served prison time. DuoReview breaks down L's many crimes.
First, he takes a guy off death row to use as bait to draw out Kira. This sounds like a good way to go about it, but it isn't. In Japan, one must go through multiple appeals, waiting periods, and warrants to actually execute a criminal. The chances L does this are infinitesimal. Even if he did manage to do so, the way that Lind L. Tailor (the criminal) dies is totally illegal according to Japanese law. Executions are required to take place in a detention center out of public view, certainly not on public television.
Just as damning, L holds Misa Amane captive and tortures her for months. He does the same thing to Light, though Light agrees to it, which makes the situation slightly different. He eventually lets them both go due to lack of evidence, but not before tricking them into believing Light's father was about to murder them both - a form of psychological torture. Also, before Misa gets arrested, L grabs her butt in an attempt to steal her cell phone. While this likely isn't intentional, he still could easily be slapped with a sexual harassment charge.
While this spin on L's behavior doesn't change the story, it certainly paints an unflattering portrait of the great detective. It also gives the criminal-killing Light additional motivation for wanting him dead. But as Death Note's creator says, “I decided from the beginning that right and wrong wouldn't be a part of Death Note.”
- 12776 VOTES
Netflix's 'Death Note' Takes Place In The Final Destination Universe
Photo: Final Destination / Warner Bros. PicturesRedditor u/magecatwitharrows puts forth a compelling fan theory that somehow saves the Netflix Death Note movie from being entirely unwatchable. In the Final Destination series, Death literally follows those who have cheated it, killing them in gruesome ways that look like freak accidents.
The Redditor suggests this personification is actually an inept Shinigami getting used to their job. This becomes particularly evident in the similarities between Final Destination and the final death scene in Netflix's Death Note. The movie focuses on the human side of things, but this theory considers how Death Gods might scramble to fix the messes created by their own errors.
