Death Note
Written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. High school student Light Yagami acquires a Death Note — a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it — and begins eliminating criminals as 'Kira' in a bid for godhood. Part I follows his cat-and-mouse battle with genius detective L; Part II pits him against L's successors Near and Mello. Serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump (2003–2006), 12 volumes. In-story dates follow the official databook Death Note 13: How to Read (manga version).
- Genre:
- サスペンス / 心理戦 / ミステリー / 少年漫画
- Medium:
- Manga / Anime / Film
Death Note — Timeline20 events
Light Yagami Picks Up the Death Note
On November 28, 2003, high school student Light Yagami discovers a Death Note on the grounds of Daikoku Private Academy. He tests its rule — anyone whose name is written in it dies — by inadvertently writing the names of two criminals, confirming that the notebook's power is real.
— Chapter 1; Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Shinigami Ryuk Meets Light
On December 3, 2003, the Shinigami Ryuk appears to reclaim the Death Note he dropped into the human world, and meets Light Yagami. Ryuk declares himself a non-interventionist observer of Light's activities as Kira, though he hints he will be present at the very end.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
ICPO Task Force — L Declares Kira Investigation
On December 4, 2003, INTERPOL convenes a task force on the Kira killings. The enigmatic detective L broadcasts a direct challenge to Kira via televised message, declaring Kira a murderer. This public declaration marks the de facto opening move in Light and L's intellectual duel.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
FBI Agent Raye Penber Eliminated; Naomi Misora Dies
Light uses the Death Note to eliminate the twelve FBI agents L dispatched to Japan. Naomi Misora, a former FBI agent and fiancée of agent Raye Penber, independently closes in on Kira, but Light manipulates her into revealing her real name and writes it in the notebook. A crucial witness is lost.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
To-Oh University Entrance — L and Light Meet Face to Face
On April 5, 2004, L and Light Yagami meet in person for the first time at To-Oh University's entrance ceremony. L attends under the alias 'Ryuzaki' (L Lawliet), presenting himself as the top-scoring new student. Knowing each other's identities, both feign collaboration — beginning a tense double-act.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Misa Amane Emerges as the Second Kira
Idol Misa Amane acquires a Death Note and trades half her remaining lifespan for Shinigami Eyes, enabling her to see anyone's name just by looking at their face. She begins acting as the 'Second Kira' and seeks out Light, whose own inability to read L's name makes Misa a strategically vital — and dangerous — ally.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Light Voluntarily Enters Confinement and Surrenders His Memories
To eliminate suspicion, Light requests to be placed under L's direct surveillance. Before entering confinement he relinquishes ownership of the Death Note, losing all memories of being Kira. Now a genuine amnesiac, he sincerely cooperates with L's investigation — while someone else begins using the notebook.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Yotsuba Kira (Kyosuke Higuchi) Rises and Is Arrested
The Death Note passes to Yotsuba Group executive Kyosuke Higuchi, who uses it to eliminate business rivals and obstacles for the corporation, becoming the 'Third Kira.' L and Light's joint task force tracks Higuchi down, and he is arrested on October 28, 2004. The moment Light touches the notebook, his memories as Kira return in full.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Rem Kills L and Watari with the Death Note
On November 5, 2004, the Shinigami Rem writes L's and Watari's names in the Death Note to protect Misa Amane. Watari collapses while purging investigation data; L dies of a heart attack moments later. Rem herself is destroyed for killing out of love for a human — a violation of Shinigami law. Light assumes the identity of L's successor.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Light Takes Over as the Second L, Commanding the Task Force
From November 15, 2004, Light leads the Japanese Kira Task Force as the self-appointed second L — effectively placing Kira himself in charge of the Kira investigation. In December, at Wammy's House (L's orphanage), the two groomed successors, Near and Mello, learn of L's death. Mello leaves the facility, unwilling to share the role.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Near Establishes the SPK — A New 'L' Moves
In March 2009, approximately four and a half years after L's death, Near establishes the SPK (Special Provision for Kira) in the United States and briefs the President. Mello, independently running his own investigation through the criminal underworld, pursues Kira by a competing route — both racing toward the same quarry.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Light Yagami Assigned to the NPA's Information Management Division
In April 2009, Light is assigned to the National Police Agency's Information Management Division, further consolidating his ability to monitor and control the Kira investigation from an official bureaucratic position. He continues acting as Kira while maintaining the persona of a rising young public servant.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Mello Steals the Death Note from the Japanese Task Force
On October 13, 2009, Mello's mafia organization raids the Japanese Task Force headquarters and steals one of the confiscated Death Notes. Most SPK members are also killed. On the same day, Light and Near speak directly by phone for the first time, becoming fully aware of each other as adversaries.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Soichiro Yagami Dies — Shot by Mello's Gang
On November 11, 2009, during a raid to reclaim the Death Note from Mello's hideout, task force chief Soichiro Yagami is shot by Mello's gang and dies of his wounds. He never learned his son was Kira. His death is widely regarded as one of the story's most tragic moments.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Near Concludes That the Second L Is Kira Himself
On November 18, 2009, Near concludes from accumulated evidence and behavioral analysis that the second L is in fact Kira masquerading as L's successor. Near also detects that one of the Death Note's stated rules was fabricated by Light, deduces the authentic rule, and begins laying the groundwork to expose Light definitively.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Mello Dies — Takes Kiyomi Takada Down with Him
On January 26, 2010, Mello kidnaps Kiyomi Takada, Light's public spokesperson. Light attempts to use a hidden page of the Death Note to protect himself, but both Takada and Mello die. Mello's self-sacrificial gambit inadvertently provides Near the final piece needed to defeat Light.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
YB Warehouse — Near Proves Light Is Kira; Light Confesses
On January 28, 2010, Near's team and Light's task force — plus Teru Mikami — converge at the YB Warehouse in Daikoku. Near has covertly swapped Mikami's Death Note pages; when the notebook fails to kill anyone on cue, Light is exposed. Cornered, Light confesses to being Kira, shocking the task force members who had worked alongside him.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Light Yagami Dies — Ryuk Writes His Name in the Death Note
After confessing, Light is shot multiple times by task force member Matsuda and lies mortally wounded. He begs Ryuk for help. Ryuk calmly writes Light's name in the Death Note — fulfilling his promise to 'be there at the end' — and Light dies of a heart attack. The ambitions of the man who sought to become the god of a new world are extinguished.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Aftermath — Death Notes Destroyed; Mikami Dies in Prison
On January 28, Near burns both Death Notes, formally closing the Kira case. Ryuk returns to the Shinigami Realm. On February 7, 2010, Teru Mikami, who broke down mentally after the warehouse showdown, dies in custody. The principal actors of the Kira Incident conclude their stories one by one.
— Death Note 13: How to Read official timeline.
Special Chapter 'C-Kira' — A New Kira Appears and Vanishes
Approximately two years after the Kira Incident's resolution, a new 'C-Kira' emerges, targeting only elderly people. Near's team investigates, but this Kira's petty motivations and clumsy use of the notebook prove utterly beneath comparison to Light. Ryuk disposes of them with indifference. The episode illustrates both Light's lasting cultural shadow and how hollow his imitators prove to be.
— Special one-shot chapter 'C-Kira,' published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 9, 2008.
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