Death Note: Light’s 7 Biggest Mistakes

Light Yagami, the complex protagonist of Death Note, quickly became known as one of anime’s smartest characters. However, he wasn’t perfect, and his flaws were essential to the story. The creators of Death Note deliberately made Light intelligent enough to drive the suspenseful plot, but also prone to errors that prevented him from winning too easily. Ultimately, Light was still human, and L accurately recognized him as a determined, yet childish, person who couldn’t stand losing.

Light’s flawed personality and occasional errors caused him to make several mistakes throughout the story of Death Note. It’s common for heroes in action-packed stories to stumble and create problems for themselves, and Death Note especially emphasizes the consequences of those errors. By the time Light confronted Near in the warehouse, he was burdened by a long list of blunders. However, it’s debatable whether he ever truly felt remorse or learned from them.

Light Picked Up the Death Note

Ryuk Was Right About Light’s Future Misfortune

To be honest, the entire story of Death Note depended on Light Yagami finding that special notebook. It’s actually one of the most iconic plot devices in anime, right up there with the Dragon Balls from the Dragon Ball series. However, by taking the notebook, Light ultimately sealed his own fate.

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Ryuk cautioned Light that owning a Death Note would bring trouble, and while Light initially seemed to avoid this fate, Ryuk found it entertaining, misfortune eventually found him. Despite his intelligence and success as Kira, the notebook ultimately led to Light’s unhappy downfall. Had he simply left the Death Note untouched, he could have lived a long and fulfilling life without suffering.

Light Killed Lind L Tailor

L Knew How to Bait Kira

If Light had been forced to use the Death Note, he could have at least tried harder to cover his tracks. Throughout the story, while Light was often sly and kept secrets from L, he also unintentionally helped L make progress. For example, when Lind L Tailor appeared on television, he openly challenged Kira, portraying him as evil and effectively baiting a response.

Light’s downfall wasn’t a lack of intelligence, but a flaw in his character. He reacted emotionally to a deception, killing a fake L and proving to the world that Kira was real, located somewhere nearby, and capable of killing from a distance. This was a clever victory for L, and it gave the NPA the momentum they desperately needed to progress the Kira investigation. While Light regretted falling for the trick, it only strengthened his determination to become Kira and control the world, regardless of any obstacles.

Light Needlessly Killed the FBI Agents

Raye Penber Wasn’t Actually a Threat

Throughout Death Note, Light often went overboard, making unnecessary moves that ultimately undermined his plans, no matter how brilliant they seemed. This is how he won individual battles against L and other detectives—including during the Raye Penber storyline—but slowly lost the overall conflict. Ironically, Light acted just as Raye Penber had finished concluding he was not a suspect.

Light didn’t want an FBI agent constantly watching him, so he planned the bus hijacking to identify and then eliminate Raye. His goal was to get rid of the entire FBI team in Japan. However, this action drew Naomi Misora’s attention, and she almost caught him. Light believed taking the offensive was the best way to protect himself, but it turned out to be a mistake.

Light Asked Misa and Rem to Go Kill L

Misa Was Operating on Borrowed Time

I watched as things shifted in Death Note when Rem decided to help Light by eliminating L. Ryuk, the Shinigami who followed Light around, always claimed to be neutral, just an observer. But Rem was different – she was fiercely protective of Misa, and Light cleverly used that devotion to get what he wanted. He essentially asked her for a huge favor, knowing she’d likely agree to protect Misa.

Light didn’t realize it then, but trusting Misa and Rem with L’s fate was a major mistake. While Misa was intelligent, she often made careless errors, leaving behind plenty of evidence for the NPA to find. When Misa was arrested as the second Kira, Light’s plan fell apart, and she became a serious problem for him. This was partly Misa’s fault, as she disobeyed Light and recklessly appeared at the university, drawing attention to herself.

Light Let the NPA Keep the Notebook After Raiding Mello’s Hideout

Near Couldn’t Believe Kira’s Apparent Generosity

Following the time jump in Death Note, Light became increasingly frantic to maintain his control as Kira, even pretending to be L. The manga highlights that every victory Light achieved came with a significant, lasting consequence. While he managed to recover the stolen Death Note from Mello by using Misa to act as Kira, this ultimately made Near even more suspicious.

Light tricked his police allies, including Soichiro and Matsuda, but Near was confused by his actions. Light had Kira act unusually leniently towards the police, even when trying to convince them of something difficult. Near couldn’t understand why Kira would return the notebook they’d borrowed, and Light hadn’t anticipated this would be an issue—but it was a mistake.

Light Had Demegawa Coordinate the Attack on Near’s SPK Headquarters

Demegawa is Enthusiastic But Unreliable as a Kira Agent

Light needed help from many people to further Kira’s goals, but genuine camaraderie was rare. He often had to depend on untrustworthy individuals like Hitoshi Demegawa, who served as his field leaders, and this ultimately backfired. For example, Light organized a large, pro-Kira crowd to attack Near’s headquarters in New York City, and Demegawa led the charge.

Light was aware Demegawa wasn’t trustworthy, but he sent him on the operation anyway. Things quickly fell apart when Near cleverly distracted the group with a ruse involving money. Light couldn’t have foreseen Near’s tactic, but he should have chosen someone more dedicated to Kira’s cause – someone who wouldn’t have prioritized personal gain over the mission. Demegawa was motivated more by money and publicity than by loyalty to Kira.

Light Says, “I Win, Near”

Light Was Still Doomed, But That Made it Worse

For a while, Light Yagami seemed like a fantastic hero in Death Note. However, his defeat in the final warehouse scene revealed how much he’d changed. He’d become consumed by his own ego, transforming into the very type of villain he initially fought against when he first started using the Death Note. This arrogance even led to dramatic moments, like when he falsely declared victory over Near as Teru Mikami began writing names.

While Teru’s unexpected actions were a major factor in Light’s downfall, Light’s own words also provided crucial evidence. Near used this statement, along with everything else, to definitively prove that Light was indeed L and Kira. Light mistakenly believed he could manipulate the situation, but his words actually revealed his guilt. This quickly led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in his defeat.

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2026-04-12 03:06