Summary

• Episode 10 showcased a tense tennis match between Light and L, symbolizing their rivalry and foreshadowing future events.
• Episode 12 revealed Misa's tragic backstory and highlighted the bond between shinigami and humans in a heart-wrenching twist.
• In Episode 16, Light stunned viewers by giving up the Death Note, only to reveal a hidden plan, showcasing his strategic prowess.

Death Note is widely regarded as one of the best anime series of all time, and a phenomenal starter anime for those new to the genre. The characters are dynamic with interesting personalities, and the air of mystery surrounding the plot is enthralling, leaving viewers constantly wondering when and if the serial killer Kira will be finally brought to justice. The plot of the series is absolutely unique and becomes quite complex and action-packed very quickly.

When average high schooler Light Yagami picked up a notebook, he discovered he possessed more power than he ever had before. The Death Note journal gave him the ability to kill anyone by writing down their name and picturing their face, which led him down a dark path of destruction. He developed a god complex and vowed to kill every criminal, but quickly began to murder even innocent people who got in the way of his villainous scheme. The anime maintains its popularity 18 years later, and these are ten of the best and most memorable episodes worth a rewatch.

10 Episode 10, "Doubt," Displayed The Rivalry Between Light And L

Light and L participated in a thrilling, tense, and symbolic tennis match

This is one of the most iconic episodes of the show, for many reasons. It occurs shortly after detective L boldly revealed his identity to Light Yagami and encouraged him to the Kira investigation and help. In order not to cause any suspicion, Light agreed to L's offer of a tennis match. The two engaged in a fast-paced, emotionally charged game of tennis, as L attempted to figure out whether Light was truly Kira and Light was secretly plotting to find out L's last name and murder the detective.

The tennis game is the most memorable and significant part of this episode because it symbolizes the tense and tumultuous rivalry between Light and L, as they both waited patiently for the other person to slip up and crack under the pressure. Light narrowly won the match in the end, with a last minute very strong defensive shot towards L. This moment is tragically symbolic and foreshadows later events in Death Note, as in a future episode, Light killed L right as he was on the cusp of proving him guilty.

9 Episode 12, "Love," Explained Misa's Backstory

Rem told Misa about the shinigami who made a shocking sacrifice for her sake

"Love" contains one of Death Note's saddest moments regarding Misa's story arc, revealing her backstory and how a Death Note journal saved her life in the past. Misa's shinigami, Rem, told her the sobering story one day about how a shinigami could be killed. Gelus gave his life for Misa when she was almost murdered by an obsessive fan who was stalking her. If a shinigami kills a human using a Death Note, they will die, and this is what happened to Gelus because he fell for Misa and couldn't bear to witness her suffering and pain.

This story set up a later important plot arc, where Rem followed Gelus' example and also died for Misa, playing along with Light's plan to kill L for her sake. The heartbreaking story perfectly displayed the extent of the shinigami's love for Misa and subtly foreshadowed how Rem would grow to cherish Misa too, enough to die for her without a second thought. This episode is one of the first in the series to include Misa and provided her with an informative introduction, as she started causing a lot of trouble for Light by unintentionally sabotaging his plans.

8 Episode 4, "Pursuit" Showcased One Of Light's First Murderous Schemes

Light killed one of his first innocent victims, detective Raye Penber

When Light discovered Raye Penber was investigating him and his family, he realized he'd quickly be found out if he allowed the detective to live. He didn't know Raye's name yet, but created a plan to find out the man's first and last name. Light set up a date with a classmate, planned a bus jacking that would occur while they were en route to the date, and deceived Raye into showing him his identification, which contained his full name and photo.

Before this occurrence, Light only killed cruel criminals, so this episode marked a dangerous shift in his philosophy and mindset. From this moment on, he began to try to justify killing anyone who could stop his evil plans, showing the true horror of his inner psyche. This is one of Death Note's best episodes because it perfectly exhibits how twisted Light had become and also how cunning and intelligent he is.

7 In Episode 16, "Decision," Light Took His Biggest Risk Yet

Astoundingly, Light chose to give up the Death Note temporarily

This episode contained one of Death Note's biggest twists that even threw world-renowned detective L Lawliet for a loop. Light forfeited his ownership of the Death Note journal, along with every memory he had of using it and the events that had occurred since obtaining it. This happened while he was imprisoned under surveillance by L, and his demeanor and mindset instantly changed once he gave up the journal, revealing the person he used to be before the Death Note.

Although the series later revealed Light had a plan all along and regained his knowledge of the Death Note and his Kira identity, this episode is absolutely surprising since, for a while, it was very unclear what Light's next move would be. It seemed as if he was backed into a corner, but he was only playing the long game and had a greater plan in mind. This phenomenal plot twist episode is shocking, but affirms Light's ability to think ahead and the crafty schemes he is capable of cooking up to ensure he never gets caught.

6 In Episode 37, "New World," Light Yagami Is Finally Revealed To Be Kira

Death Note's final episode concluded the series with a shocking failure for Light

In Death Note's final episode, Light had nowhere left to run and could no longer deny his Kira identity, but he continued trying until his bitter final moments. Using the evidence L had already gathered, detective Near obtained ironclad proof that Light was Kira and confronted him once and for all. Light began to emotionally and mentally break down, frantically attempting to justify and explain the necessity of his vile actions.

This episode is tragic, but one of Death Note's best and most symbolic. It is satisfying that Light was finally caught and could no longer kill innocent people, but the episode also brings up the saddest thing about Light: how differently his life might've turned out had he never picked the journal up off the ground. Light's actions didn't just ruin and end his own life, they led to the death and downfall of many other humans who had no part in his evil deeds, revealing the devastating effect one person's choices can have.

5 Episode 7, "Overcast" Revealed Light's Cruelty And Careful Planning

Light killed Naomi Misora in a truly despicable and well-planned way

Light's awful method of murdering Naomi Misora was one of his most brutal killings in the entire Death Note series and perfectly showcased how smart he is, which makes him even more dangerous. Naomi was already incredibly suspicious of everyone, as she began to seek out the identity of the person who murdered her fiancé, Raye Penber. Light amazingly managed to gain her trust in a very brief period of time and convinced her to show him her ID, explaining it was necessary because he wanted to recruit her to the task force to work on the investigation.

This episode is very tense and nerve-wracking, since it seemed like Light would be caught at any moment because Naomi was very unwilling to give up on any information on herself at first. Light's cunning persuasion skills were on full display in this episode and watching Naomi fall right into his trap was horrifying to watch, but revealed how capable of a killer Light is. This episode is a fan-favorite and widely regarded as one of Light's best planned schemes, since Naomi initially seemed almost impossible to deceive.

4 In Episode 9, "Encounter," L Made A Risky Move That Brought Him Closer To His Suspect

L revealed his identity and face to Light

Light Yagami is a confident and clever killer with a nearly unbreakable drive to achieve his will, but L Lawliet possesses these same traits and was willing to risk it all to catch Kira. L infiltrated Light's school and posed as just another student, so he could spy on Light, but he also took it one step further. He approached the suspect, boldly exclaiming to Light, "I am L."

This was one of L's most perilous decisions because revealing himself to Light put him in danger of being killed, especially since he already strongly suspected Light was Kira. However, this decision proved L was extremely motivated and unwilling to let fear stand in his way, although he was certainly worried about becoming Kira's next victim. This beloved episode confirmed L's talent as a detective and his daring nature in spite of the risks, and also gave Light his first real challenge and significant roadblock since becoming Kira.

3 Episode 25, "Silence" Is One Of Death Note's Most Upsetting And Sobering Episodes

Light finally murdered L, making the serial killer appear almost impossible to stop

L Lawliet was tragically defeated in this episode, finally outsmarted by the twisted killer. The shinigami Rem, who had grown to deeply love Misa by this point, killed L and Watari for Light, since Misa begged her to and told Rem she would only find true joy in life by Light's side. It is evident at this point that L knew in his gut and heart that Light was Kira, he was just a bit too late to provide enough concrete, solid evidence to convict the murderer for his crimes.

Seeing such an intelligent and lovable character die so suddenly was incredibly shocking and dismaying to witness, especially since L seemed to have a premonition that he would die soon, as seen in the scene where he asks Light if he can hear the bells. This episode also contains the iconic scene of L washing Light's feet, which seems to parallel the Biblical story of Jesus and Judas, hinting at Light's future betrayal of L. This heartbreaking, symbolism-filled episode is immensely sad to watch but very well-written.

2 Episode 2, "Confrontation" Proved Light Had Met His Match

L's status as the world's best detective is solidified in this episode

At this point in Death Note, L Lawliet had not yet revealed his face out of fear Kira would kill him, but he still found a way to coax the killer into revealing more incriminating information. He broadcast a message on television, calling Kira to action, and Light foolishly fell for the trick. The video was only played in one specific region of Japan, so this revealed Kira's location to L and drastically lowered the list of potential suspects.

In this episode, Light realized L was an incredibly dangerous threat and began to put all of his energy into catching and killing the detective. Watching Light be tricked by L is satisfying and almost humorous, since Light was beginning to view himself as a god, yet someone was able to outsmart him. This entertaining and surprising episode perfectly set up the future battle of wits between L and Light that continued throughout the anime.

1 Episode 24, "Revival" Offered One Of Death Note's Biggest Twists Of All

After relinquishing the Death Note for a while, Light finally regained his memories

It seemed unclear how Light would continue his Kira plan once he gave up his possession of the Death Note, but the manipulative killer found a way. During this episode, Light and L caught and arrested the current Death Note holder together, giving them access to his Death Note. Upon touching the journal, all of Light's memories came back to him in a mere moment, and he was Kira once again.

This episode captured Light's nearly unstoppable planning, showing that he would go to any lengths to succeed with his wicked scheme. Even though he didn't have the Death Note in his possession for quite a while, he was able to manipulate others, like Misa and Rem, to continue the horrible plans he devised until he was able to become Kira once more. Although Light was eventually defeated, this episode showed him at the height of his power, when he was fully convinced he was an unstoppable god, showcasing all the qualities that make Death Note one of the most memorable anime of all time.

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