Few anime protagonists are as complex, divisive, and fascinating as Death Note ’s Light Yagami. On paper, he’s a genius high schooler who stumbles upon a supernatural notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written in it. However, beneath that simple premise lies one of anime’s most chilling character studies into ambition, morality, and madness.

While Death Note largely stays loyal to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s original manga, it doesn’t mirror it completely. The anime captures the story’s intensity and moral tension perfectly, but it also adds its own interpretive flair. Certain choices, both in storytelling and characterization, end up changing how audiences perceive Light and his descent into darkness.

Among those creative shifts, Light’s personality is the m

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