Death Note is a popular franchise for many reasons: the original manga itself, the anime adaptation, the characters, and even later film, television, and musical adaptations of the series. The iconic characters of Light Yagami and L, as well as secondary characters Misa Amane and Touta Matsuda, remain particularly popular with fans.
However, there's a bigger reason why the franchise got so popular: the many times the franchise surprised the fandom. From unexpected adaptations, plot changes between adaptations, and even character deaths and reveals, fans love — and sometimes hate — Death Note for these various surprises.
10 Naomi Misora Figured Out Who Kira Was Long Before Her Fiancé Raye Penber Ever Could, But Was Caught By Kira
Naomi Misora was Raye Penber's fiancée (or his wife, depending on the adaptation) when she learned about Raye's death. Raye had no clue who Kira truly was until his dying moments. However, Naomi was extremely quick to figure out that Light was none other than Kira himself after investigating Raye's last known whereabouts.
She even initially fooled Light by giving him a false alias when asked. Fans were impressed and thought it meant Light's end. Unfortunately for her and the fans rooting for her, Light manipulated her into giving up her real name and sent her to her death.
9 Fans Didn't See A Netflix Adaptation Of Death Note Coming When It Did
Fans were shocked when Netflix picked up Death Note and released their own live-action film adaptation in 2017. Unfortunately, many fans were displeased with the Netflix adaptation. One reason is due to the movie changing the ethnicity of many characters, with some accusing the production of whitewashing the majority of the cast. Additionally, changes to some of the characters' names and personalities, especially with the film's versions of Light, L, and Misa, and changes to some of the original lore and worldbuilding irked many viewers. To the ire of most fans, a sequel is currently in the works.
8 Fans Were Surprised, But Pleased, When The Series Received A Well-Executed Musical Adaptation
Though the Netflix adaptation went over poorly, fans were extremely pleased with Death Note's musical adaptation. Most musical adaptations of various and anime and manga often result in split fan opinions on whether they're actually good, but this was not the case within the Death Note fandom.
The musical adaptation did so well with fans that both Korean and Japanese productions were staged, and while an American version hasn't yet materialized, fans hope Death Note will take the stage in the near future.
7 Fans Will Never Forget The Iconic Potato Chip Scene
Fans were surprised by Light's iconic potato chip eating scene in the manga and anime. This scene involved Light pretending to study for exams while under surveillance. While he wrote notes with one hand, he used his free hand to reach into a potato chip bag to get a chip and eat it. However, inside the bag was actually a scrap of the Death Note to write the names of criminals, as well as a miniature TV stuffed inside to see their faces and names.
This enabled Light to pretend he was just a student studying for finals, but he killed criminals as he worked. Fans were impressed by how smart the plan was, but also by how funny it was, especially in the anime adaptation's version. Tragically, this scene was cut out of the musical adaptation.
6 Rem Sacrificing Her Life To Save Misa
At the beginning of the series, the Shinigami Rem cares little for humans' well-being. In fact, she even notes that a Shinigami already died for the sake of extending Misa's lifespan; she was supposed to be murdered, but another Shinigami used a Death Note to kill said murderer before this could happen.
However, Rem eventually realizes that she cares for Misa, and ends up sacrificing her own life to protect her. Her feelings for Misa are heavily implied to be romantic in the musical adaptation as well, which pleased several fans. Regardless of how Rem felt about Misa, however, fans were surprised to see Rem go as far as sacrificing herself to save her.
5 Matsuda Surviving The Series (And One-Upping Light) Was A Welcome Surprise
Many fans thought Matsuda would be one of the first people on the Kira investigation team to die. Matsuda, though funny and likable, was a fairly compassionate and soft-hearted person compared to the rest of the sharp-eyed team. However, it's due to these traits, as well as his ability to blend in with normal people, that helped him ultimately survive the series.
Matsuda even gets the chance to one-up Light in the manga and anime adaptation's finale by shooting Light when he tries writing in a scrap of the Death Note. Fans who rooted for Light's defeat were in awe when this happened, and Matsuda became beloved in the fandom as more than just occasional comedic relief.
4 Soichiro's Death Made Fans Realize Light Was Off The Deep End
Soichiro Yagami's death was one that fans were, on the whole, completely shocked to see happen. Considering the close relationship Light shared with his father, some if not all fans assumed that Soichiro would likely be spared from Light's wrath.
However, this proves not to be the case. Soichiro does actually die in the manga and the anime, thanks to Light's own machinations behind the scenes, and in a heartbreaking turn for some fans, he ultimately dies believing that Light isn't actually Kira. Fortunately for Soichiro and fans, his life was spared in the live-action TV adaptation, the Japanese film adaptations, and the musical adaptation.
3 No One Saw L's Death Coming When It Did
Fans loved Light and L's constant mind games of cat-and-mouse. While L eventually figured out that Light was Kira, Light did everything in his power and wit to conceal his identity from the authorities, L included.
But in a shocking turn of events, Light successfully found out L's real name and killed him first, along with Watari. Many thought that this completely ensured Light's victory, but Near and his own task force eventually took Light down later on.
2 Fans Were Equally Shocked By L's Survival In The Japanese Film Adaptations
Though L died in both the original manga and in the anime adaptation of Death Note, L actually survived Light's attempt to kill him in the Japanese movie adaptations. Both films, Death Note and Death Note 2: The Last Name covered much of Light and L's cat-and-mouse efforts to take each other down.
Light thought he won by the climax of The Last Name when he wrote down L's name in the notebook, but L reveals that he's actually still alive because he wrote his own name in the real Death Note to schedule his own death in advance, thus making him immune to anyone else engineering his demise with the Note. Even though this ensured L's eventual and actual death at the end of the film, he managed to one-up Light in this adaptation, and fans were awed by this true victory.
1 Ryuk Killing Light In The Finale Stunned Some Fans
Viewers knew that the Shinigami Ryuk couldn't be fully trusted, but after working with Light Yagami for so long, it seemed that Ryuk would continue collaborating with him until the end. Despite his tricky nature being obvious from the start, some fans were shocked that Ryuk was the one that ultimately killed Light Yagami himself by writing Light's name in the Death Note.
After Light was finally revealed as Kira all along, Ryuk decided that things would only be less entertaining for him from there and so chose to end Light's life for good.
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