Light Yagami Light Yagami as he appears in the anime.
Alias
(The first) Kira
Other aliases
(The second) L, God (by Mikami), Watari (assumes role after death), L-Kira (by Near), Light Asahi
Killed by
Ryuk
Shinigami Eyes
No
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
Light Yagami (夜神 月, Yagami Raito?) is the protagonist of Death Note and an extremely intelligent, but bored, young man who finds Ryuk's Death Note by sheer chance. Light constantly tries to evade the suspicion of L while both maintaining his identity as Kira (Japanese pronunciation of Killer), and cleansing the world of crime. The fact that he is a genius also adds to his notion that only he is fit to judge humanity and steer it on a proper moral course. Light is seen as somewhat heartless and sociopathic by those who are aware of what he is doing, as he can willingly kill his victims without batting an eye or do things which would seem evil to most, but he believes that he is doing good and bringing justice for most of the series.
Light, born on February 28, 1986, is a third year high school student (12th Grade) at Daikoku Private Academy (大国学園, Daikoku Gakuen?) (Volume 1, Page 131) who also attends supplemental classes at Gamou Prep Academy (Volume 1, Page 35). In Spring 2004 Light becomes a first-year student (freshman) at To-Oh University (東応大学, Tōō Daigaku?) (Volume 2, Page 47), becoming one of two freshman representatives; L is the other freshman representative (Volume 2, Page 49). During the tennis game with L at To-Oh, spectators reveal that Light was the junior high school tennis champion in 1999 and 2000; After his 2000 victory, Light quit tennis as he entered high school (Volume 2, Page 78).
L invites Light to join the team, and Light requests the alias Light Asahi (朝日 月, Asahi Raito?) to be used for him.
When L is finally able to corner him, Light puts his master plan in practice. He temporarily gives up his Death Note to Ryuk, erasing his memories about his time as Kira from his mind. Rem, under instruction by Light to give it to someone who would use it selfishly, gives it to Kyosuke Higuchi of the Yotsuba Corporation. Now unaware of the fact that he was the original Kira, Light accepts L's offer to join the investigation team to hunt down Higuchi, known as the third Kira. When he is finally captured, Light touches his Death Note, thereby regaining his memory of when he was the original Kira. He then proceeds just as planned, masterfully killing Higuchi by using the Death Note paper he put in his watch before he lost his memories; and manipulating Rem, who also dies in the process, to kill both Watari and L.
Light Yagami as he appears in Volume 1 of the manga
Ryuk is looking at Light with the Shinigami Eyes, revealing Light's real name and remaining lifespan (in Shinigami time). Light is later nominated by L's investigation team (who are unaware that he is Kira) to act as L, due to the fact that they cannot reveal the death of the real L to the world. Light also takes over the role of L's assistant, Watari. Now able to act as both Kira and L, Light can continue killing criminals while leading the investigation team in circles. His secret identity as L is soon discovered by the Special Provisions for Kira, President Hoope, and Mello's gang. Light joins the Japanese Police Force's Intelligence Department in April 2009, believing that no one can stop his plans. Near and Mello eventually appear before him, trying to accomplish what L could not: to expose Kira's true identity, and bring him to justice.
In the end, the combined efforts of Mello and Near prove to be more than Light can handle, and he is forced to reveal himself as Kira. In the final clash between Near and Light at a warehouse, Light loses the battle of wits.
In the manga version, completely losing his head and characteristic cool over the prospect of being arrested and in complete desperation after his attempts to write Near's name down are thwarted by Matsuda, Light begs Ryuk to help him. Ryuk reminds Light that he is on neither side, and fulfills his earlier promise to write Light's name in his Death Note, thus ending Light's life.
In the anime version, Light manages to flee the warehouse after Mikami commits suicide. Near instructs the team that there is no reason to pursue Light given that there should be no more hidden Death Notes, and Light's wounds would prevent him from getting far. Despite this, Aizawa, Mogi, Ide and Matsuda follow Light but are unable to find him before he dies on the staircase of a nearby warehouse due to cardiac arrest from Ryuk writing his name in his Death Note. As Light slowly closes his eyes, an apparition of L appears before Light, mirroring Light standing over L in episode 25 at L's death.
According to the manga, Light's date of birth is February 28, 1986, which makes him younger than Misa. His date of death is January 28, 2010. His height and weight are 179 centimeters (5'10") and 54 kilograms (120 pounds), respectively, which puts him at the same height as L (if L stands up in a proper position). His blood type is A (see Japanese blood type theory of personality). His name is also a play on the theme of good and evil in the series, as Light is his first name, and Yagami is similar to yami meaning dark, dark being evil and light being good.
Japanese Wikipedia article: 夜神月
Light in the film
A few changes were made to Light in the film. At the film's beginning, Light is a first-year university student studying Law, instead of still being a high school genius, as in the beginning of the manga and anime. Light's motives differ; his boredom trait does not appear, as he uses the Death Note originally out of frustration from the perceived failures of the Japanese justice system. Light, prior to his discovery of the Death Note, hacks into the government database and finds that the government secretly acknowledges that many criminals are unable to be prosecuted. Light discovers the Death Note in an alley during a rainy night after encountering Shibuimaru in a club and throwing a law book into the rain in a rage. Light meets Ryuk after killing Shibuimaru. Light has a girlfriend, Shiori Akino, who attends his university. Light kills Shiori at the end of the first movie to gain sympathy from L.
After Rem "kills" L and kills Watari, Light writes his father's name in an attempt to kill him, an attempt that ultimately fails. The endings of both the second movie and the manga are similar. In the second film, after being exposed as Kira, Light asks Ryuk to write the names of the team members in the book during the climax. The police shoot but do not kill Ryuk as he writes in the Death Note. Light laughs until Ryuk shows Light the Death Note, revealing that Light's name was written in the book. Light tries to stop Ryuk, passing through the shinigami. Light dies in his father's arms, begging him to believe that he acted as Kira to put justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice. He is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, best known as Shuya Nanahara of Battle Royale.
