List of Death Note episodes

Death Note Japanese DVD volume 1 cover

Death Note is a 37-episode anime series based on the manga series of the same name written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. Death Note aired in Japan on the Nippon Television (NTV) network every Tuesday, from October 3, 2006, to June 26, 2007.^[1][2] The plot of the series primarily revolves around high school student Light Yagami, who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook called a Death Note. This book causes the death of anyone whose name is written in it and is passed on to Light by the Shinigami Ryuk after he becomes bored within the Shinigami world.

A three-hour "Director's Cut" compilation TV special, titled "Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God", aired on NTV a few months after the anime concluded.^[3] Although advertised to be the "complete conclusion", the popularity of the series inspired the release of a second TV special, titled "Death Note: Relight 2: L's Successors" nearly a year later. These specials recap the first and second arcs of the anime respectively, with new scenes added to fill in any plot holes resulted from omitted footage.

In 2007, Viz Media licensed the series for a bilingual release in North America. Episodes of the series were officially available for download soon after they aired in Japan; according to Viz, this was "significant because it [marked] the first time a well known Japanese anime property [was] made legally available to domestic audiences for download to own while the title still [aired] on Japanese television."^[4] Viz Media began releasing these episodes via Direct2Drive on May 10, 2007. In addition to this downloadable release of a subtitled version of the series, Viz also acquired the rights for the home video release of both the subtitled and dubbed version of the series.^[5]

On October 21, 2007, Death Note premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.^[6] Death Note episodes were also added to Adult Swim's streaming video service, Adult Swim Video, on Fridays before airing on television. On November 9, 2008, Death Note began airing weekly, at 3:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, starting with episode 1, "Rebirth", on Adult Swim. In Canada, the series premiered on YTV's Bionix block on October 26, 2007. On October 2007, Hong Kong began airing the Cantonese version of Death Note at 12:00 am Saturday nights on TVB. On April 14, 2008, Death Note premiered in Australia, where it aired on ABC 2 on Mondays at 9:30 pm.

Five pieces of theme music were used for the series. The first opening theme, titled "The World", was performed by Nightmare. Nightmare also performed the first ending theme, "Alumina" (アルミナ Arumina), which reappears as the ending theme in the TV special "Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God" and as an insert in episodes 12 and 19. The second opening theme (episode 20 onwards) was "What's Up, People?!" and the second ending theme was "Zetsubō Billy" (絶望ビリー Zetsubō Birī, "Desperate Billy"), which also appeared as an insert in the TV special "Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God". Both themes were performed by Maximum the Hormone. The final episode's ending theme was "Coda ~ Death Note" by series co-composer Yoshihisa Hirano. "Misa's Song", performed by Misa's voice actress Aya Hirano, was heard as an insert for episode 25. The English version of the song is performed by the character's English voice actress, Shannon Chan-Kent.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original airdate	English airdate
01	"Rebirth" "Shinsei" (新生)	October 3, 2006	October 21, 2007
Outside the grounds of his high school, Light Yagami discovers a notebook that claims to be able to kill anyone whose name and face is known to its owner. He initially dismisses the so-called "Death Note" as a hoax, but, after testing its powers, he discovers that these claims are indeed real. The original owner, a shinigami named Ryuk, approaches Light and explains that the notebook now belongs to him. Since Light is the new owner, he is the only one who can see and interact with Ryuk. The shinigami also says that when Light's time to die comes, Ryuk will be the one to write down his name in his book. Light decides to use the Death Note's power to rid the world of evil and become the god of a new, peaceful world.
02	"Confrontation" "Taiketsu" (対決)	October 10, 2006	October 28, 2007
As criminals begin dying from inexplicable heart attacks left and right, Interpol convenes to discuss the phenomenon. Unable to come up with an explanation for it, they turn to the world's top-ranked detective, L, whose true identity is a well-kept secret. L speaks to the Interpol representatives through a computer and an electronic voice, promising them that they are dealing with mass-murder and that he will soon confront the killer whom the general public has been calling Kira (a play on the Japanese pronunciation of the English word killer). This displeases Light, who has been going to great lengths to keep the Death Note hidden, since learning that Ryuk becomes visible to anyone who touches the book. L tricks Light into revealing that Kira lives in Japan's Kanto region with a fake television broadcast. Having played right into L's hands, an enraged and humiliated Light swears to eliminate L.
03	"Dealings" "Torihiki" (取引)	October 17, 2006	November 4, 2007
Police authorities discuss the "Kira case" with L. Upon inquiring about the time of death of the victims, L concludes that Kira is likely a student with a naive concept of justice. He requests data on how the victims were publicized and begins to suspect that Kira has access to police information. Because the police officer in charge of the Kira case, Soichiro Yagami, is Light's father, Light can monitor the authorities' movements. Meanwhile, Ryuk tells Light that he is being followed. He also explains that not only do shinigami get the lifespans of people they have taken before their time, their eyes can see everyone's name and lifespan floating above their heads. He gives Light the option to trade half his remaining lifespan for the eyes of a shinigami, just like Ryuk's.
04	"Pursuit" "Tsuiseki" (追跡)	October 24, 2006	November 11, 2007
Light tells Ryuk that he is trying to create an ideal world where no criminals are left unpunished and that as the god of such a world he cannot sacrifice half of his life for the shinigami eyes. Light begins experimenting to find out how much control he has over how a criminal dies. He tries to have prisoners escape or draw L's face before they die. When they fail to do so, he learns that the Death Note is not all-powerful. Using this knowledge, Light devises a plan to find out who has been following him. Light has a drug dealer touch the Death Note and makes him highjack a bus before he dies. During the highjacking, Light gets his tracker to reveal that he is Raye Penber, a Federal Agent from the United States employed by L and his associate Watari.
05	"Tactics" "Kakehiki" (駆引)	October 31, 2006	November 18, 2007
Light waits one week before killing Raye Penber. He follows Raye onto a train forces him to write down the names of his fellow agents on a piece of the Death Note by threatening Raye's family. Because of the simultaneous death of these twelve FBI agents in Japan, the police are scared to continue investigating, and the American President pulls the FBI off the Kira case. However, Penber's fiancée, a former FBI agent, seeks to find Kira for revenge. Light has another criminal leave a third coded note for L which finishes the phrase 'L, do you know? Gods of Death love apples'. Although there is truth to this, L determines that Kira is only mocking him as he considers his next move.
06	"Unraveling" "Hokorobi" (綻び)	November 7, 2006	November 25, 2007
In an effort to repair his relations with the Japanese police, L meets in secret with the remaining detectives who want to work on the Kira case. L insists that they use false identities for protection against Kira and asks that they call him Ryuzaki instead of L. He reveals his thoughts about how Kira might be following the murders of the FBI agents and pinpoints who the federal agents were tracking during that period. Meanwhile, Light happens to meet a woman who introduces herself as Maki. As the two talk, he realizes that she is Penber's fiancée and that she has worked out that Kira can kill by means other than heart attacks. Convinced that it is his destiny to use the Death Note to create a better world, Light is euphoric that he has come into contact with the very person who can get him caught. He formulates a plan to get rid of her.
07	"Overcast" "Donten" (曇天)	November 14, 2006	December 2, 2007
Light writes the name Maki on the Death Note. When nothing happens, he realizes that Penber's fiancée has kept an alias and fears that she may lead the police to him. Ryuk starts pressuring Light to get the shinigami eyes, but Light coaxes her true name, Naomi Misora, out of her by pretending to work for L. As the Death Note takes effect, Light informs her that he is Kira and watches as Naomi walks away to commit suicide, tauntingly yelling after her how he could easily contact his father now, with her only feebly returning that she has nothing to say. Meanwhile, Watari reveals his identity in the meeting with Light's father and the other detectives. He gives the detectives special gadgets embedded in clothing in the event Kira comes into contact with them or they are in trouble. Detective Shuichi Aizawa is sent to the police headquarters by L and just misses Penber's fiancée.
08	"Glare" "Mesen" (目線)	November 21, 2006	December 8, 2007
L is close to discovering the identity of Kira. Misora's disappearance causes L to shortlist the people who were being tracked by the FBI at the time of Raye Penber's death. He requests surveillance equipment to be installed in the homes of those he suspects, including Soichiro Yagami's son. Light, however, becomes aware that he is being watched and has the shinigami locate all the cameras in his room. Later, he deceives the surveillance team by watching the news on a portable television hidden in a bag of potato chips and continues to kill the criminals being reported. This throws off L's suspicions that he is Kira.
09	"Encounter" "Sesshoku" (接触)	November 28, 2006	December 15, 2007
L's suspicions are momentarily subdued, but he does not discard the possibility that Light may be Kira and decides to meet him in person. At the college entrance exams, Light notices a mysterious and eccentric student staring at him, who introduces himself as Hideki Ryuga, the same name as a famous idol. Light is shocked when "Hideki Ryuga" told Light he was L. Since it would be too suspicious for L to die right after meeting Light, he decides to befriend L and kill him at a later time. He decides that the best course of action is to get closer to L, gather more information about his true identity and keep an eye on the police.
10	"Doubt" "Giwaku" (疑惑)	December 5, 2006	December 22, 2007
In a bid to profile Light's behavior, L challenges him to a game of tennis. L asks him some questions regarding the Kira case and invites him to help in the investigation. The two then receive news that Soichiro Yagami has had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Light promises to his father that he will make sure Kira is caught and executed for making him suffer. On the way out, L confronts and scrutinizes Light, still uncertain whether or not he is Kira. Light attempts a bluff and demands to be placed in a prison cell without television for one month to prove his innocence. L is satisfied but curious that Light should offer this proposition. Meanwhile, television station Sakura TV receives audio tapes from an anonymous person claiming to be Kira.
11	"Assault" "Totsunyū" (突入)	December 12, 2006	January 4, 2008
The Kira investigation team is discussing the disappearance of Naomi Misora when Watari interrupts their meeting. Sakura TV is broadcasting an audio tape which is allegedly from Kira. To prevent Kira from gaining public support, L demands that the broadcast be stopped. Hirokazu Ukita, one of the investigators working with L, rushes to Sakura TV but mysteriously dies in front of the station. The investigation team realizes that Kira no longer needs to know the person's name to kill and panics. Light, who is watching the broadcast from his room, concludes that he should involve himself in the Kira investigation to gather intelligence on L and the second Kira, whom he correctly infers has already accepted the shinigami eye deal. Meanwhile, L suspects that the person behind the broadcast must be a different Kira from the one they are chasing.
12	"Love" "Koigokoro" (恋心)	December 26, 2006	January 11, 2008
Light meets with L and the detectives. Meaning to test Light's analytical skills, L has him listen to the recordings confiscated by the team to determine if there are any clues in the reader's voice. In this way, L concludes that Light cannot be Kira. The team then broadcasts a recording made by L and Light to trick the second Kira, Misa Amane, into replying. Misa unwittingly reveals important details about the properties of the Death Note and shinigami when she responds and Light begins to panic. In her reply, Misa demands that the first Kira meet her in person. Shocked and wanting to pursue this lead, the investigation team formulates a plan, while Light decides what to do.
13	"Confession" "Kokuhaku" (告白)	January 9, 2007	January 18, 2008
Detective Touta Matsuda and Light volunteer to go to Aoyama to investigate on the date mentioned in the journal entry. Light intends to find out who the Second Kira is, and in order to keep his identity unknown to the shinigami following Misa, he gets a group of his friends to surround them while they walk. Possessing the shinigami eyes, however, Misa finds out that Kira is Light Yagami because his life span is the only one she can't see. Later, Misa confirms to the investigation team that she has found the real Kira. The team decides to change their approach and try to reason with her. They release a television broadcast condemning Kira as a heartless murderer who will kill anyone who discovers his identity. Furthermore, they offer to lessen the severity of the punishment the second Kira will face if she reveals information about the real Kira. Misa ignores this, finds Light and explains that she tracked him down because she loves him.
14	"Friend" "Tomodachi" (友達)	January 16, 2007	January 25, 2008
After Light introduces Misa to Ryuk, the two discuss their plans to get rid of L. Taking advantage of the situation and of Misa's love for him, Light concludes that he can use her to mislead L, while furthering his plans for a better world. Misa's shinigami, Rem, however, threatens to write down Light's name in her own Death Note if Misa's safety is compromised. In the meantime, L is thrown off the trail by the second Kira and is confused by the new audio tapes purposely denouncing the police's attempt to make the first Kira appear as a pariah. L concludes that the two Kiras might have met and are working towards the same goal.
15	"Wager" "Kake" (賭け)	January 23, 2007	February 1, 2008
Worried at the prospect that he might be murdered, as he is convinced the two Kiras have met, L demands that in the event of his death, Light should be arrested. Later, Light and L meet each other outside college. Much to the anger and frustration of Light, Misa appears and converses with the two. Minutes after Misa leaves, Light receives the news from L that she has been arrested on grounds of being the second Kira. Misa appears to be blindfolded and tied to a chair, while L instructs Watari to torture her to obtain information. A few days later, Misa relinquishes ownership of her Death Note, thus erasing her memories of its existence.
16	"Decision" "Ketsudan" (決断)	January 30, 2007	February 8, 2008
Light decides to tell L that he thinks that he may be Kira subconsciously and wishes to be confined. Light's father also believes it is a good idea that he himself be confined to a cell as he cannot risk his emotions getting the better of him in this investigation. Light concocts a plan whereby he tells Ryuk he will relinquish ownership of the Death Note at any time in a discreet discussion, while being monitored by L. After Light's imprisonment, Kira's executions stop and L's suspicion is heightened. Light chooses this time to give up the Death Note, ensuring he will lose his memories of being Kira. His change in behavior puzzles L; Light goes from being calm to completely desperate. The Kira executions then resume and the new spate of killings confuses L.
17	"Execution" "Shikkō" (執行)	February 6, 2007	February 15, 2008
In a last bid to determine if Light and Misa are the two Kiras, L and Soichiro stage a stunt in which Light's father attempts to kill Light and then himself out of shame. Seeing Light and Misa's reactions to it, L intervenes and announces that he no longer suspects them of being Kira, although he is still suspicious over the fact that Misa's DNA was found on the audio tapes. Misa is released, but Light continues working on the Kira case. L and Watari move the investigation team's headquarters to a new building inside the city. Elsewhere, Rem speaks to a mysterious businessman about the Death Note. Eight businessmen then plan the next murder Kira will commit in order for the Yotsuba Group to excel in the market.
18	"Ally" "Nakama" (仲間)	February 13, 2007	February 22, 2008
L proposes that he be tied to Light, causing a scuffle to break out in the new headquarters. It is some time until Kira begins killing again, which has L and Light thinking that Kira may be killing for monetary profit. Their suspicions lead them to the Yotsuba Group, a rich organization that dominates global markets. Kira is also reported to have been sending threats to politicians and the investigation team is forced to conduct their operations in secret. As far as the public is concerned, the Kira investigation remains unsolved and the team is disbanded. At this point, L brings two new members to the investigation team, Aiber and Wedy.
19	"Matsuda" "Matsuda" (松田)	February 20, 2007	February 29, 2008
Feeling inferior at his lack of participation in the Kira case, Matsuda decides to snoop around the Yotsuba Group and do his own research. He finds evidence that Kira is in the building, but, before he can act, he is apprehended by the eight businessmen. Using the fake identity card Watari gave him, he passes himself off as Misa's manager. He pretends to offer a deal involving her in their commercial campaign, while contacting L using his modified belt buckle. Following L's instructions, he then fakes his own death. In one of the Group's later meetings, one of its members chooses to leave out of fear he may have to face the consequences of Kira's actions.
20	"Makeshift" "Kosoku" (姑息)	February 27, 2007	March 7, 2008
The investigation team installs wiretaps and surveillance cameras to monitor the Yotsuba Group meetings and are amazed at how openly they discuss their use of Kira. Light and L come up with a plan to contact one of the members of the Group, Reiji Namikawa. Namikawa agrees to act as a spy and help postpone Kira's killings by discussing them at the meetings. L reveals that he still suspects Light is the first Kira by playing mind games with him. Afterward, L questions Misa and wants her to infiltrate the Yotsuba Group to obtain information. Soichiro worries that even if they do gather enough information on the Group it will be difficult to capture all of its members at the same time.
21	"Performance" "Katsuyaku" (活躍)	March 6, 2007	March 16, 2008
The third Kira sets his eyes on Misa after meeting her. While Misa is taking a break from meeting with the Yotsuba Group, Rem contacts her. Misa is able to see the shinigami, but her memories of being the second Kira do not return upon touching a portion of the Death Note that Rem has brought her. Rem then tells Misa about everything that has happened and that she must trust Light lest she be killed. Upon re-entering the room, she spots who the third Kira must be: Kyosuke Higuchi. Misa goes on a date with him and is able to obtain proof that Higuchi is the criminal L is looking for. Her ease in determining who Kira is leaves L very suspicious, since he could not deduce it himself.
22	"Guidance" "Yūdō" (誘導)	March 13, 2007	March 23, 2008
After learning that Higuchi is Kira, L decides that the police must not apprehend him until they understand his killing method. He points out that this will be an advantage in curing society of Kira and proving that he has been caught. He arranges for Sakura TV to air a "Kira special" where Matsuda will declare he knows the identity of Kira to lure out Higuchi. Having been granted immunity from prosecution, several of the businessmen trick Higuchi and lead him to follow L's plan. As the third Kira races to the television station, determined to kill the whistleblower, L and the investigation team watch his every move via cameras and wiretaps.
23	"Frenzy" "Kyōsō" (狂騒)	March 20, 2007	March 30, 2008
While driving to Sakura TV, Higuchi talks with Rem about his situation. L, Light and Misa watch from the investigation team building and wonder who he is talking to. L wonders if Higuchi is talking to a shinigami. Rem convinces Higuchi to go to the station, but she has her own selfish motives for doing so. Higuchi enters the station's offices and writes Matsuda's fake name in his Death Note. The team thinks he has just written a note to himself, but find his subsequent erratic behavior odd. L argues that Higuchi has attempted to use his killing method. Higuchi then makes the deal with Rem to obtain shinigami eyes. A furious pursuit ensues when L realizes Higuchi can kill after looking at a person's face and orders the police to apprehend him.
24	"Revival" "Fukkatsu" (復活)	March 27, 2007	April 6, 2008
Higuchi is arrested on grounds of being Kira and causing multiple murders in the region of Kanto. Inspecting Higuchi's Death Note, L discovers that shinigami do exist. While L is stunned, Light takes the Death Note from him and remembers that he is the original Kira. Light then kills Higuchi by writing his name on a scrap of the Death Note. It is revealed that when Light gave away his Death Note, he added a fake rule stating that, after having written in the book, its owner must continue to use it at least once every thirteen days or perish. The investigation team reviews the rules written in the book and finds that they can do little to get rid of it. Meanwhile, Light orders Misa to recover the other Death Note he had hidden a few months earlier. Misa makes a second deal with Ryuk for the shinigami eyes in order to find out L's true identity.
25	"Silence" "Chinmoku" (沈黙)	April 3, 2007	April 13, 2008
L asks Rem about Death Notes, but she reveals as little information as possible to avoid implicating Light or Misa. Meanwhile, Misa begins to use her Death Note to kill criminals. Although Light denies Misa's involvement, L becomes suspicious of her and Rem realizes that it was Light's plan all along to endanger Misa so that Rem would sacrifice herself to kill L. Later, Light finds L on the roof of the investigation team headquarters. The latter laments how distant he is from other people and how often they, like most people, lie. When the two rejoin the rest of the team, L reveals that he is planning on testing the thirteen day rule, the only thing currently absolving Misa. Before he can do so, however, Rem kills Watari and L, and herself in the process. After secretly snatching away Rem's notebook, Light celebrates his victory in silence.
26	"Renewal" "Saisei" (再生)	April 10, 2007	April 20, 2008
The first half of the episode features L narrating the events of the first 25 episodes. This account of the Kira case is revealed to have been left behind by L as a record of his achievements as a detective. It is deleted by Light when he discovers it. The investigation team appoints Light as L’s successor and agrees to not publicly announce L's death. Light learns to wield the power he has inherited, while resuming his executions as Kira. The show jumps ahead in time five years, depicting Light joining the National Police Agency (NPA) of Japan in 2012, at the age of 23. Five years earlier, shortly after L's death, L's computer is shown automatically notifying an elderly man of L's fate. The man then reveals this information to two children.
27	"Abduction" "Yūkai" (誘拐)	April 17, 2007	April 27, 2008
Orphanage caretaker Roger Ruvie informs L's true successors, Mello and Near, that L has died. Relinquishing the opportunity to succeed L, Mello leaves the orphanage to pursue Kira on his own, backed by the American Mafia. Near allies himself with the President of the United States. Along with Steve Mason of the FBI, he forms an organization whose goal is to catch Kira, the Special Provision for Kira (SPK). Mello eventually abducts the director of the NPA and demands the Death Note under Light's task force's possession as ransom. As soon as Light discovers this, he kills the director. Mello then decides to kidnap Light's sister, Sayu. While scrambling to find a way to rescue Sayu, the investigation team receives a phone call from Near, who reveals that he knows of L's death and that someone has attempted to replace him.
28	"Impatience" "Shōsō" (焦燥)	April 24, 2007	May 4, 2008
Near suggests that he and Light cooperate to rescue Sayu. Soichiro takes the Death Note to the exchange point chosen by the kidnappers in Los Angeles, but Mello's men hijack the plane he is on and drop him off in the middle of the desert. Light monitors his father via satellite, until he enters an underground facility. There, Soichiro exchanges the Death Note for Sayu. Most of the SPK members die soon after Mello grabs hold of the Death Note. Near then proposes to Light that the two cooperate completely in the future and shares his suspicions that Mello is behind these deaths and is playing a game to see who can catch Kira faster. Meanwhile, in the shinigami realm, a shinigami named Sidoh tells another, Armonia Justin, that he lost his Death Note. Justin informs him that it was stolen by Ryuk and dropped in the human world. He advises Sidoh to go retrieve it.
29	"Father" "Chichioya" (父親)	May 1, 2007	May 11, 2008
Light uses the Death Note to have a member of Mello's Mafia mail him the address of their hideout. Sidoh sees the address and goes to find Mello. Meanwhile, Light informs Ryuk that he will give up ownership of his Death Note and borrow Misa's. The next day, Misa, posing as Kira, calls the investigation team to tell them that she will give them her Death Note. She also tells them that most of the members of Mello's mafia will die on November 10 and that that will be the best time to find the stolen Death Note. Upon receiving the second Death Note, Soichiro makes the deal with Ryuk to obtain shinigami eyes. The investigation team storms Mello's facility on the set date. Soichiro comes face to face with Mello and reads his true name: Mihael Keehl. Before he can write it on the recently recovered Death Note, however, Soichiro is shot. Mello escapes the rest of the investigation team by detonating explosives and Soichiro is taken to a hospital, where he dies comforted by the knowledge that his son cannot be Kira because he can see Light's lifespan. Light returns Sidoh's lost Death Note to him.
30	"Justice" "Seigi" (正義)	May 8, 2007	May 18, 2008
The President of the United States declares America's neutrality regarding Kira in Sakura TV's program "Kira's Kingdom". Meanwhile, a deeply scarred Mello uses SPK agent Halle Lidner as hostage to gain entrance into Near's headquarters and meet with him. Mello wants the picture Near has of him so that he will remain safe from Kira. In return, he tells Near about shinigami and that some of the Death Note's rules are fake. Already suspicious of Light, Near proposes to the investigation team that they test the "thirteen day" rule, but none of them believe that they should. In response to Near's actions, Light contacts the President of the United States, asking for information on the whereabouts of the SPK and threatening to kill him if he does not cooperate. Later, Hitoshi Demegawa, the host of Sakura TV's show, goes to America as Kira's messenger and gives a worldwide broadcast inciting people to break into the newly found headquarters of the supposedly evil SPK.
31	"Transfer" "Ijō" (移譲)	May 15, 2007	May 25, 2008
Demegawa commands Kira's followers to break into the SPK headquarters in New York, while Misa watches the scene on television, waiting to kill Near as soon as he exits the building. Near asks the Japanese investigation team to consider that Light may be Kira. He and the remaining SPK members then escape the building by dropping buckets of money out of the windows to distract the protesters. Aware that his team is beginning to doubt his identity, Light e-mails Misa with a new plan. Meanwhile, Aizawa offers Near information about the past investigation that leads Near to conclude that Light is Kira. Aizawa then tells Light that he would like to resume surveillance on Misa and him to help clear their names. Light does not object. Demegawa appears on television soon after, asking Kira's followers to donate money to build a temple to worship Kira. Disgusted that Demegawa is exploiting the situation, Light has Teru Mikami, the new owner of Misa's Death Note whom Light selected based on his appearances in "Kira's Kingdom", kill the television host. Back at the investigation team headquarters, Aizawa realizes that with both Light and Misa under observation, the new killings cannot be attributed to either of them.
32	"Selection" "Sentaku" (選択)	May 22, 2007	June 1, 2008
Tragic events in Teru Mikami's childhood convince him that God wants him to stand up to evil. As a result, when criminals everywhere begin to die, Mikami believes that this is God's righteous judgment and becomes a frequent guest on "Kira's Kingdom". After Light gives him a Death Note, Mikami becomes ecstatic and passes judgment on criminals in Light's stead. He chooses a new spokesperson for Kira: Kiyomi Takada, who happens to be one of Light's girlfriends in college. Light realizes that he can use this connection to his advantage and sets up a meeting with Takada, presumably for the benefit of the investigation. While the two meet, Takada receives a call from Mikami and Light reveals himself to Mikami as Kira. They create a ploy to force the investigation team to remove all bugs from the room, after which Light tells Takada that he wants her to be his goddess in the new world. Light then tells the investigation team that he will be pretending to be Takada's boyfriend to catch Kira. Elsewhere, Mello watches Misa, suspecting her to be the second Kira.
33	"Scorn" "Chōshō" (嘲笑)	May 29, 2007	June 8, 2008
Near goes to Japan, allegedly as bait for Kira, and Light silently accepts the challenge. Near ponders on how to beat Light, knowing that the one who is doing his will has shinigami eyes and that the two communicate via Takada. Following Light's instructions, Takada asks Mikami to send her five pages of the Death Note. She tells him that he will continue his work in a fake book made to look like the real one. While walking to a broadcast, Misa runs into Takada and rushes her, jealous that she is not the most popular star. Halle Lidner, who has been sent by Near to act as Takada's bodyguard, stops her then, but Takada meets with Misa for a girl-to-girl talk soon after. Lidner sits in with them. By the end of the conversation, Takada is convinced that Misa is stupid and Lidner reports to Near about the love triangle between Light, Takada and Misa. Elsewhere, SPK member Stephen Gevanni confirms that Mikami is the new Kira, after watching him kill a man by writing something in a notebook.
34	"Vigilance" "Koshi" (虎視)	June 5, 2007	June 15, 2008
After Gevanni's report, Near decides that they must get close to Mikami, but carefully so that the shinigami trailing Mikami will not warn him of their presence. Meanwhile, Aizawa marks several notepads before Light and Takada meet, to determine whether or not they are communicating in secret through written notes. Takada tells Light of her meeting with Misa. Annoyed at the trouble that both women cause him, Light assures her that she is the only one for him. He then writes a script for Takada that makes it sound like she has agreed to help capture Kira. After the meeting, Aizawa's suspicions are confirmed. The SPK picks up Misa then and, when Light contacts Near to tell him that they have lost track of her, Near informs him that he has her. Meanwhile, Gevanni searches Mikami's locker while the man is doing machine flyes and finds the notebook. During a second visit, Gevanni takes photographs of the names written in it. Near determines that the handwriting is Mikami's. Now having everything he needs, Near sets his plan in motion.
35	"Malice" "Satsui" (殺意)	June 12, 2007	June 22, 2008
Mello kidnaps Takada in a daring operation, getting in the way of both Near and Light's plans to set up a meeting between the SPK and the investigation team. Prepared to face such an event, however, Takada kills Mello by writing his name in a piece of the Death Note she managed to secret away. Once Light hears about this, he uses a piece of the Death Note of his own to make her commit suicide.
36	"1.28 (January 28)" "1.28"	June 19, 2007	June 29, 2008
Each having developed a strategy to bring the other down for good, Light and Near finally meet face to face in an abandoned warehouse. Light brings out Mikami to have him write the names of everyone but Light on his Death Note. Meanwhile, Near is confident that the pages of the notebook Mikami is using are fake, confessing that he has tampered with them. All they need do now is check whose name was not written to find out who the real Kira is. Light struggles to mask his glee as he thinks of how he already knew of Near's actions and that that had been why he had Takada keep the real Death Note while switching Mikami's with a false one. As the seconds before the Death Note's power takes effect count down, Light declares his victory to Near.
37	"New World" "Shinsekai" (新世界)	June 26, 2007	July 4, 2008
Mikami's Death Note fails to work and Near confesses that he knew about the fake notebook and had actually tampered with the real one. Mikami is restrained and, faced with Near's undeniable evidence, Light breaks down and laughs like a madman. He confesses that he is Kira and attempts to write names down on a piece of the Death Note hidden in his watch. Matsuda keeps him from doing so by shooting him down. Seeing Light writhe on the floor in agony, Mikami kills himself. Wounded, Light escapes in the middle of the commotion. He goes over everything that has happened in a series of flashbacks. As he had promised in the beginning of the series, Ryuk writes down Light's name in his notebook, thinking that this whole experience has been quite fun. Misa is shown standing on top of a skyscraper, before Light finally dies of cardiac arrest on a set of stairs, seeing L's figure in front of him.

TV specials

No.	Title	Original airdate	English airdate
1	"Director's Cut Complete Conclusion Relight: Visions of a God" "Direkutāzu Katto Kanzen Ketchaku ~Riraito · Genshisuru Kami~" (ディレクターズカット完全決着版 〜リライト·幻視する神〜[7])	August 31, 2007	June 23, 2009 (Home video only)
A nameless shinigami, interested in visiting the human world, visits Ryuk sometime after Kira case has concluded. Receiving an apple from the former, Ryuk agrees to tell Light's story, but stops at Light's victory over L. The film concludes with the shinigami leaving and setting his sights on the human realm.[3]
2	"Relight 2: L's Successors" "Riraito 2 Eru o Tsugu Mono" (リライト2 Lを継ぐ者[8])	August 22, 2008	October 27, 2009 (Home video only)
The special summarizes the "Mello and Near" arc of the anime by omitting most of Mello's involvement in the Kira case. Unlike its predecessor, the film merely uses a condensed version of the final episode as its ending, followed by an added scene of Ryuk leaving the human realm. There is also an added scene of Aizawa and Matsuda finding Light's body.[9]

References

1. "Nippon Television Network Program Catalogue: Animation" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
2. "Death Note: backnumber story" (in Japanese). Nippon Television. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
3. "Death Note TV Special to be Three-Hour Director's Cut". Anime News Network. 2007-07-12. Retrieved 2007-09-03.
4. VIZ Media (2007-01-10). "Viz Media Obtains License to Download Death Note". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
5. "Death Note Release Won't be Limited to Downloads". Anime News Network. 2007-01-13. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
6. "Death Note Confirmed to Air on Adult Swim October 20". Anime News Network. 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
7. "Ad for the first special".
8. "Ad for the second special".
9. "Second Death Note Special to Air on August 22 in Japan". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-07-25.

External links

• Official Death Note anime website (Japanese)
• Death Note (2006–2007) at the Internet Movie Database