The Endings of Death Note: How One Difference Shapes a Series

Off with their heads!
Twitter: / braxtonjs
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/JustStopYT/

[@cat-napsss]

My mom is a very sweet, tolerant woman, and whenever she tells someone that Death Note is her favorite anime, it throws them for a loop.

[@koketsok1513]

only way for this to click in my head is to imagine if maude flanders said this,that when I blinked

[@OxyPox]

Haha same. My mom and I watch anime together. She's even planning on reading some of the mangas. She wants to read the Death Note manga. I think that'll be awesome.

[@ariaaster4122]

My mom really likes death note too , she likes berserk more though

[@gunnymaru2900]

@@ariaaster4122 She single?

[@venomwolverine08]

Woah bro

[@JAhz-um7gz]

The Manga ending is for if you hate Light’s guts. The Anime ending is also if you hate Light’s guts but with some Shakespeare sprinkled on top.

[@alexvaughan1013]

And Berserk 1997 ending where it did is for you if you wanted Light to win!

[@pegasus_136]

And matsudas comment about Near possibly cheating in a later time skip in the manga is for those who liked Light

[@Jake-bk4wh]

How could u hate light? He was a hero, not a criminal.

[@him1517]

anime ending is if you like Light but hate Kira. We see Kira lose, but Light comes back in a way, as we see his memories and he seems to be remorseful.

[@worthyedge9307]

​@@Jake-bk4wh even light didn't end up seeing it that way in his last moments

[@TheKpa11]

An interesting choice by the creator was to make the character of Light a genius from the get go. Usually the most celebrated characters are those that start off low and rise to the position of dominating power. Here, Light’s not just nobody who picks this book up, he’s a prodigy of Japan; athletic, good looking, smart, and has a dad who’s a high ranking cop. He comes close to almost being a fan insert character with those things from the start But I appreciate how he’s written

[@colt1903]

He's the most well flawed self insert

[@anjaneyasreetrout2444]

I guess the reason behind his popularity despite being a borderline "Self Insert" character is because we actually see him work for everything very carefully. We get to see his thought process, actions, mistakes and the consequences in full detail. Then to make it even better, we get an antagonist who poses an actual threat. Which gave us one of the greatest anime rivalries in existence. In most/horrible cases, the self insert character is the focus of attention. But here, the actions of the characters and the mind battles are the focus of attention.

[@brimward122]

I wouldn't call him a fan insert since I'd assume most fans don't really share his qualities.

[@colt1903]

@@brimward122 he can be called one because fans want his qualities.

[@ziongamer6905]

@@brimward122 Fan inserts never share actual qualities with fans, they’re just want fans wish they were

[@beepbeeplettuce_6943]

I actually like the manga’s ending more, because it pushes home the idea that Light was always a criminal and never a god. I think a common misconception about Light is that he had good intentions at heart. This isn’t true. Sure, he did think that there was too much evil in the world before he got the note, but in reality, he used the note because it was something new and exciting in a boring and meaningless life. In the end it was just an excuse which he quickly assigned in order to justify his use of the note.

[@omegazx7236]

This is just an interpretation, I personally disagree

[@sadscientisthououinkyouma1867]

I disliked all endings, simply put it's because they all feel so forced and poorly-thought out. The idea that somehow in a very small window of time, someone could fully copy a death note in the same handwriting style as someone else and replace it is insane. It is the equivalent of making a show which is realistic then suddenly giving the hero super powers at the end to achieve a good ending. It makes no sense and I think the ending is the worst part of the second half.

[@cameron6538]

That's an element, but there's an element of justice in his original motivations. It's a naive child's view of the world, but he is a naive and sheltered person. He's also had it reinforced over his life that he's special and capable of succeeding (notice how his vision for the world sees him on top still, just as his experience in academics has reinforced his position at the top of school hierarchy), so he doesn't bother to reevaluate his ideals and objectively assess how they'd actually turn out in practice - light simply assumes that he's right and moves forward. There is some tacitly positive moral motivation in administering justice as a preventative measure, although reality shows that punishment is a poor prevention for crime because very little crime is a calculated risk vs reward assessment. Light thinks about crime as a logical choice because he's a logical person who isn't very capable of putting himself outside his own perspective of a logical person. So again, he just assumes he's right when studies into the psychology of criminology would show him otherwise if he stayed in school to pursue that like he probably would have considering his father's occupation.

[@ZUnknownFox]

there's 1 line from the last episode that I think really hits hard in the series and it comes from light talking about his dad... he didn't call his father a fool like matsuda thought but instead said "we live in a world where people who fight for their beliefs are made to look like a fool" but personally in my opinion I see it as light always had good intentions and always wanted justice and for people to live a fair and happy life where crime is unnecessary however he was very selfish in believing he was the only 1 who is correct and not to mention thinking getting rid of crime 100% was ever an option but when he gained back the notebook after losing his memories is when he was no longer who he started as.

[@ZUnknownFox]

@@cameron6538 it was also stated by the creators of the show if light had never gotten the death note he would've become one of the greatest detectives working side by side with L

[@otakudaikun]

What I like about Death Note's anime is that, for the most part, it only adds detail to the world. You still get to see light beg, and it definitely shows his desperation, but then we ALSO get to see him contemplate on his past more quietly. Either way, it's a very minor change. In contrast, I'm still salty about how Promised Neverland S2 ruined everything.

[@themightypancake5695]

IKR? I was totally open to The Promised Neverland taking a different route with the story to make something new, but it turned out so terrible. It was practically the same story, but rushed even more than the manga ending was, and some of the best arcs and characters were left out. I will forever be as salty as the dead sea because of that (I just wanted to see my bois Yuugo and Lucas, was that too much to ask?)

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

Okay uhm couldn't care less about PNL but yeah death note is awesome

[@koteshima6682]

I just put it in my mind that TPN never had a second season.

[@Lu_ciernaga]

When I read the end of TPN I was disappointed (both because how rushed it was and because it really pissed me off how Emma was able to "cheat" her end of the promise in the end) and I thought "well, maybe the anime will have an original and better end" It kinda feels like karma

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

I'm the only person who saw the flaws and wanted something else but still enjoyed and loved what did happen and knows that it will never be changed.

[@mariobermudez1228]

Surprised you didn't mention the epilogue of the original manga where Matsuda and Aizawa see how the world has drifted back into the crime infested world it was prior to Kira and one of them asking if they did the right thing bringing him to justice. It added further nuance and felt all the more like there was further consequences. I wish the anime would have kept that part.

[@3slicessenpai]

I think it's kinda fascinating how both added stuff the other didn't have in their epilogue: the anime has Misa commiting suicide while the manga ends with the scene of a Kira cult and a priestess, the authors stating that they wanted to end the series with something beautiful, perhaps reaching out to the supposed goodness and beauty of Kira's world Light desired.

[@Chris_fyn]

@@3slicessenpaishe still commits suicide in the manga

[@kairo5023]

Also, the Matsuda's theory of Near using the Death Note killing Mikami (ten days after Light 's death) is interesting. Anime should have ended like manga. Imho that version lost the humiliation of Light. Him begging Ryuk for his life was awesome.

[@kairo5023]

P.s.: Matsuda talked about that with Ide, not Aizawa :D

[@alvifadhollah]

​@@kairo5023and Ide's simple answer to Matsuda is really good too.

[@smilesimile5194]

I think that the anime overall made small changes which ended up making Light come off as more sympathetic. For example, the scene where he killed a random biker who was harassing a girl outside the cram school (first time he deliberately killed someone with the Death Note) was altered so Light’s actions seemed more justifiable. In the anime, the biker and his gang are trying to rape the girl while in the manga, they are only making creepy comments and not physically assaulting her. It could be assumed that the gang is about to actually try to rape the girl since they are already being absolute scumbags, but Light does not wait for them to prove this and immediately kills their leader on the spot. This makes it seem like he is much more willing to jump to conclusions and assume that the guy is irredeemable than in the anime where he is completely justified in immediately killing him.

[@thecabbageman1]

The anime also made L more sympathetic and human. In the manga L is pretty clearly faking all his personality and never cares for Light or anyone else, only for solving the mystery, making him some times even worse than Light if you judge his actions In the anime, he has scenes that show he does care for Light and his feelings are more complicated. For example that foot washing scene. He says "it will be lonely won't it? You and I will be parting ways soon" knowing that after that day one of them will win and the other will die. He also apologizes to Light out of nowhere. And you get the sense that he isn't worried about the possibilty of his own death, but rather, sad that he will lose the only person he came to see as close to a friend. And sorry that he didn't manage to save him from himself

[@sebas8225]

@@thecabbageman1 I dont think L´s worse than Light for wanting to focus on the case. It´s not like in Hank´s case (from breaking bad) were the criminal he´s after is family and about to die in 6 months or anything, L knows the risks of letting Kira walk away and do his own thing.

[@cormacb2326]

No, it is just that Light did not expect it to work. As you can see from his reaction.

[@theazureknight9399]

@@thecabbageman1 As far as I'm aware L isn't a mass murderer with the blood of thousands in his hands. So no, I don't see how he can be worse than Light in any possible way, shape or form. Light is, however, the smarter one of the two.

[@thecabbageman1]

@@theazureknight9399 He is not. L is clearly smarter. I mean I don't even need to make any lengthy arguments about it. All I need to say is that Light needed to basically use god cheat codes to even reach L's level. Without Rem existing and Misa taking the eye deal, he would have been defeated in less than 20 episodes

[@Lu_ciernaga]

I always liked the anime ending because of that "what could have been" point of view, it felt so bittersweet but conclusive

[@boldandbrash1990]

I really hate Light, but what I mean when I say that mostly is that I hate what the Death Note did to Light. Especially in the Yotsuba arc, we can see that Light was...a good person. He wanted to save people from Kira, and refused to lead on Misa. But I think it's important to recognize that his moral failing as a character was the fact that he *willingly* and *intentionally* let the Death Note corrupt him. He already believed he was better than everyone else to some extent. The allure of the Death Note played less of a part in Light becoming Kira than Light himself letting it corrupt him so he could live out a suppressed God complex and assert his superiority on the rickety justification of punishing the wicked. Had Light never found the Death Note, he would've remained more or less, a well-intentioned person and brilliant detective. I like to imagine he'd have worked with and eventually become genuinely close to and friendly with L.

[@worthyedge9307]

​@@boldandbrash1990 couldn't have said it better myself

[@jw4034]

The ending of the manga vs the anime might be controversial and people think the anime changed the story, but truthfully I like the anime the way it is

[@muddashucka9743]

@@jw4034 The anime gave a little too much justification for some of Light's actions when it was better without it.

[@Bloooo95]

@@boldandbrash1990 Light during the Yotsuba arc agreed with Kira’s philosophy. He just hated Kira because he felt he was falsely accused of being Kira. Light had all the ingredients to be a horrible person. Him having power just unleashed his potential for evil. But that’s still on him, not the Death Note. Ryuk said plenty of humans have had the Death Note and none of them used it nearly as much as Light had when Ryuk first met Light, let alone years later of being Kira.

[@thedogmaticdirector]

I think we can all agree, at least... The Netflix ending is objectively the worst.

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

It doesn't exist for me.

[@l.pricetag.5207]

Do we really have to bring that up?

[@sah5361]

the what ending ?

[@3Guys1Video]

XD but the credits are great

[@ashvac9316]

I like it, also the Netflix ending is the same as the anime, it's good

[@davidogundipe808]

Death Note is one of the best cat and mouse anime/manga that anyone can enjoy.

[@brimward122]

Read "at night I move". The mc doesn't have the same level of character development as light, but it's also a good strategic manga where the main character gets a supernatural power to kill people.

[@ajz295]

The only one that, in my opinion, tops Death Note is Monster

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

Sadly not everyone enjoys it.

[@flickersense]

After Tom and Jerry, of course

[@hatanohifumi4645]

Also read, Maou Juvenile Remix

[@alfa01spotivo]

Say what you will about the second half but that ending (in both versions but especially manga) is fantastic. I especially love the manga's because it felt so real. I genuinely felt his fear. How he IS gonna die in a few seconds and he cant do anything, thats fucking scary and how he begged for his life, goddamn man

[@doggerlander]

the second half is as good if not better than the first half

[@jackmesrel4933]

@@doggerlander Second have is also really good, but even when Near and Mellow (those were their names right? Can't remember now XD) were pretty good characters themselves, they couldn't replicate the amazing dinamic between Light and L of the first half, which was borderline perfect.

[@plugshirt1684]

I thought the second half was mediocre but absolutely love the ending seeing him try everything he can and desperately falling apart. Personally I like the anime ending more for a couple of reasons but both are really good

[@cvrlos583]

@TheWingedPing bad take

[@yellowviper357]

@TheWingedPing I respect your reasoning , although L wasn’t acting like he was Light`s friend , he was faking it, He always hated Light

[@TheTehnigga]

6:16 "Knowing his world is crumbling around him, Light can only imagine how life would have been for him, had he never found the notebook to begin with, and makes him remorseful, because he knows it could have been great." Yes, the author stated that if Light wouldn't have picked up the notebook, he would have became a famous detective and ended up working with L, so definitely a great life.

[@middle_kiwi4020]

I would have loved seeing a world where Light catches himself, and decides to write his own name to stop himself, an internal conflict of which version of him is stronger

[@Akira_1008]

I find it also interesting that in the manga Light mentions that he had bad dreams haunting him ever since he picked up the death note. Shows that hes not a complete psychopath from the beginning. Its easy to forget that the first episode jumps from his first kill all the way to a week in in a matter of minutes and we dont really get to see how the note affected his psyche in the beginning.

[@J-o-s-h-u-a]

In reality, that could have happened to a psychopath as well. Most of them live normal lives without even knowing that they are one, as is the case with Light.

[@michaelmule4582]

Imagine in Light and Mikami countered the fake note and actually succeeded in killing the whole task force and SPK, only for light to waltz out of the warehouse victorious. Only for Ryuk to realize that the game was over and now boring, so as he stated he would write down lights name and boom, It ends. Stupid version maybe but interesting nonetheless.

[@WobblesandBean]

Not gonna lie, I kinda really like that ending a lot better. It would drive home how Ryuk truly just wanted to be entertained the entire time, he couldn't care less about humans.

[@domoarigato2363]

@Zavphkuiel Honestly yeah, that is how the musical ends however. But musical charecterization is different from canon anyways.

[@g3nd1a69]

Honestly the only reason they lost was because of Mikami. If he properly followed Light's orders, or if he carried a spare piece of the notebook on him at all times like Light does before it was stolen, or hell if he didn't just bust through the door like an idiot and instead waited outside, he would've realized the death note was fake and he could've called Light after the meeting to formulate a new plan. The last one would've been especially easy to pull off because Mikami would've had all of their names and would just need an page of the notebook to finish them off.

[@jonathand.t.5051]

So a Saw-style ending Nice

[@Ramsey276one]

Starter, thanks for the Ryuk Ending ;)

[@TheGreatBrett]

What I like about the manga ending is that there is an epilogue chapter where we are roughly a year in the future from Light’s death. We get to see how most of the world settles back to resemble what it was before Kira. We also see how others have come to worship and even pray to Kira, despite his demise.

[@sebas8225]

The rich part is that the world never really got over Kira, but the other present and future human possessors of the Death Note, never actually decided to commit to Kira´s legacy either

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

Last chapter??

[@Ashcoop]

@@CerealExperimentsMizuki Chapter 108, to be exact.

[@ucnguyen6375]

I like that part too, especially the fact that although Light was dead, Kira is still alive

[@ozren8917]

I also love how popular fan theory about Near using death note is mentioned by Matsuda.

[@lukasier26]

I would love to see "what if" scenarios For example version of the story in which Light has never got back his memories about the Death Note Also just wanted to mention that I love the symbolism of some scenes. Cleaning Light's feet just like in Bible where Jesus is washing them. It hit me hard

[@editorgt8623]

Thats what the American movie was supposed to be during its original draft in 2008. A script got leaked somewhere years ago

[@ale-xsantos1078]

I was trying to draw a comic following a similar concept! Like if Light lost his memory earlier. The idea was that Ryuuk decided to play along with Light's question of if he came to take his soul just to see what happens and amuse himself. This results in Light panicking and giving up the notebook in order to avoid that just so he can recover it later as an investigator, trying to trick Ryuuk without realising he fell for a prank. Unfortunately my drawing skills arent that refined so without a computer I cant really make it rn, but I'm hoping I can get back to it once I can buy a new one after the pandemic.

[@coldedits3027]

@@ale-xsantos1078 that sounds really cool

[@ale-xsantos1078]

@@coldedits3027 Thanks! I hope I can pull it off

[@grandmarie]

@@editorgt8623 Wait what? Where can I find that?

[@GhostSound2]

I was thinking about this same difference before and personally it all comes down to story message vs character. Manga ending hammeres one of the main messages (at least I think it is one of the main messages) that no matter,how powerful you become,you will never escape your humanity. Ryuk expresses disappointment in that last show of humanity and writes his name,ending his life for good. Anime ending personally shows a better end for character of Light. As you said,he is shows a bit more sympathetic in the end,but also this ending shows one of his main attributes-will to overcome obstacles. Even knowing that he can't run forewer and will die soon,he still makes the escape. Ryuk here is shown differently as well,giving some props to Light,yet still killing him out of his own upcoming boredom,the thing that brought him on Earth in the first place. Both endings are great in my opinion,but they have a different purpose in mind,at least that's how I see it.

[@murderman8578]

Agreed

[@thegreatmonacage3782]

But in the end, Light isn't supposed to be sympathetic. He's the main villain

[@rajgus7638]

Completely agree with that. Well said

[@rajgus7638]

@@thegreatmonacage3782 I'd disagree with that. Yes you could say he's the main villian but at the end of the day he is the protagonist of the story. He's the one a lot of people were rooting for, myself included, so I definately felt some kind of sympathy for him as I really liked his character

[@thegreatmonacage3782]

@@rajgus7638 The creators of the manga said he's the most evil person in the story. He is the villain but also the protagonist. I loved his character too and was equally rooting for him. But that doesn't mean I felt sympathy. His death (in the manga at least) is the most suitable that perfectly rounds up his character.

[@angelakumar6604]

Honestly it was a great introduction to the weeb dream

[@TheRawyan]

It totally was

[@Ramsey276one]

69 likes confirmed XD

[@WeedSmokingBrony]

@@m1bl4n fr, I watched banana fish after death note and honestly it did become a nightmare after how much I cried

[@thomasmorris4449]

I never got into anime until last year. Death Note did it for me

[@WeedSmokingBrony]

@@thomasmorris4449 i recomend code geass if you enjoyed death note. I also recomend the anime banana fish, its really really good just a little mature.

[@NicoXBlack]

I personally found the Anime version a lot more emotional. Light running all alone in a broken state in the setting sun accompanied with a quiet, melancholic music, all the while only hearing the footsteps and soft noises of pain and exhaustion from Light just hit so damn different for me. I just love these scenes in anime or any series in fact where not many words are spoken because they're not needed. The music and visuals do more than enough for it. So this was a lot more in line with my taste than the dialogue heavy and kinda miserable ending for Light's story in the Manga. I generally find scenes a lot more impactful when they actually move, have color and of course, have music. So yeah, the Anime version was much more to my liking. But the Manga version isn't bad, of course.

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

The fact that it's more emotional is literally the problem with the anime ending, it misses the point of the manga ending. Light is a psychopath, he's not meant to be a sympathetic character.

[@steverukia6247]

I couldn’t agree more to what you said

[@errwhattheflip]

@@FuckKZbinAndGoogle Yeah, but he didn't really start off as one, and we know he could have been better like when he had that amnesiac case.

[@GThunder_Gaming]

@@FuckKZbinAndGooglebro people can have different interpretations because the writers intended to do so. For you he might be a psychopath but for others he is just a victim of the death note or somewhere in between.

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

@grythndr89 This is a different interpretation, these are literally different things. The anime and manga endings are different, that's the reason people draw different conclusions from each.

[@zilasnake08]

If any person, fictional or real that needs endless respect, one of them has to be Mrs. Yagami. She had to go through her husband dying in his job, her daughter getting kidnapped, and her son dying without her knowledge. And even if she found out her son died, She would not even realize he was an egotistical psychopath. She needs endless love and respect. ❤️❤️

[@ale-xsantos1078]

I like the ending of that fan-comic where Light "wins" and creates his "New World" but then Ryuuk kills him and he finds out that in the afterlife he'll be killed repetitively for every single name he wrote on the death note including experiencing all the conditions of death before ceasing to exist. So he decides to keep going hoping that by the time he experienced all deaths in the book he'd have had enough time to force the Shinigami King to make a deal with him. It's good in the sense Light fans get to see his "utopia" become a reality and he not giving up in the end while Kira haters get to see him receiving a karmic punishment for everything he has done before he gets erased for good.

[@Vardanix2468]

Finally someone mentions it, i love it too, much more than the anime/manga's ending(simply because i was always cheering for light to win)

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

Where do you read it?? Any link??

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

@@ale-xsantos1078 what's Home from 3 days??

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

@@ale-xsantos1078 also link doesn't work, I'm on mobile.

[@ale-xsantos1078]

"Home" is a song, "Three Days Grace" is a rock band And ah, sorry then :/ If it helps, the title is called "Death Note Fan Made Alternate Ending Light Wins" while the uploader's channel is named "Julia"

[@DigiWarriorCallum]

I'm not gonna lie, the Japanese live action Death Note movie "The Last Name" has a rather nice ending. It's a mix of the manga, but has L be the winner, having L already write his own name to keep himself safe from Rem's write, but L still pretends to die to make it convincing, and bust Light by swapping the notebook. Ending with Ryuk writing Light's name in front of Light's father, Misa, and L, after Light begs Ryuk to kill everyone and he dies in his father's arms. Like i said, a very different, but not all together unpleasant take on the ending

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

Oh yeah lol I remember Ryuk is like yeah yeah I'll do it and then shows him his name,a very funny scene

[@Nameless-ln5mr]

Also, there’s the fact that Light’s father gets to survive both movies, now having to live with the fact that his son was a killer, and he also has to lie to his wife and daughter in order to avoid breaking their spirits.

[@l.pricetag.5207]

I'd say that's my favourite ending as well but it always bothered me how L sacrificed himself to win when there's a rule in the deathnote that allows you to become immune to it by having someone else write your own name in it but incorrectly four times over, and you'd think L would have used it instead of just killing himself. Although doingthis would kill the person writing, L could easily get a death row inmate to do it.(The only reason Light wouldn't have been able to use the rule for himself is because he wouldn't be able to make it work. Either that or he simply never read the rules completely. I don't think the latter would apply to L because the writer of deathnote stated that L and N have the ability to take in tremendous amounts of information in a very short time.)

[@Inspirit-gp4dp]

best ending

[@cosmok-1367]

@@l.pricetag.5207 Actually, according to the Death Note rule book from the second half of the anime (I know because of background is red not blue.) It states, and I quote: "If a DEATH NOTE owner accidentally misspells a name four times, that person will be freed from being killed by a DEATH NOTE. However, if they intentionally misspell the name four times, the DEATH NOTE owner will die. The person whose name was misspelled four times on purpose will not be free of death by a DEATH NOTE." So yeah, if L went with writing his own name incorrectly four times in the DEATH NOTE, it would have just killed him. Or if he made someone else do it, they would die and he would still be unguarded to the notebook. The idea is that the person shouldn't know what the real name of that person is to be genuine. Like how the third Kira in the Yotsuba arc didn't know Matsuda's name and wrote two different names twice, but Matsuda didn't die. (If the third Kira tried it two more times with different names that weren't Matsuda's but the third Kira did not know that, then Matsuda would have been freed from being killed by a Death note. If that makes any sense)

[@nuelheart5251]

Personally, I think either ending can satisfy someone's want to see how Light spends his last moments. There could be those that see him as someone that becomes unredeemable as the story reaches the conclusion so they want him to become an emotional mess and beg for some kind of way out, while others see a kid that got way over his head who becomes scared when his castle is destroyed. The two endings give an answer to each of these so I see what ending a person would prefer is connected to how they see Light at the end.

[@v3_heavan139]

I prefer the manga ending to the anime ending personally. I do like the religious symbolism added by the anime, but I feel like Light's loss of dignity and humanity in the manga ending is a better fit for Light's character. Light lost because of his Ignorance and showing him pleading for safety and victory when faced with death and defeat shows how even though he's sunk to the absolute bottom he's still too ignorant to admit that he's lost. I really don't see Light regretting his actions or accepting defeat, in the end, he's far too arrogant for it. After all, he's a human who sees himself with the worth of a god, it doesn't get more arrogant than that. A more minor reason I prefer the manga ending is that the second half as a whole is better paced and less underwhelming in the manga. In both versions, the ending is what carries the second arc, but in the manga, it feels like a reward for finishing the series, while in the anime it feels like walking on a velvet carpet that's been placed on a rocky trail. Both endings are extremely satisfying though, and while I definitely prefer one, I think both of them are valid conclusions and, as Just Stop states, "Neither is objectively better".

[@efoxkitsune9493]

Great breakdown, couldn't agree more. ...Man, this takes me back... it might be time to give the manga a re-read.

[@v3_heavan139]

@@efoxkitsune9493 Thanks, man! I honestly forgot about leaving this comment and reading it again definitely took me back to my Death Note enthusiast era. I wrote it 4-ish months ago so I feel like I would change some things about it but I still agree with my claim. I'm thinking it's about time I should give Death Note a re-read as well.

[@sasukesbussy7101]

I couldn’t agree more. Anime ending might have neat symbolism but it’s no where near as fitting for Light’s character than the Manga

[@dragonicbladex7574]

I mena that description also sort of describes determination(not giving up until the very end) so I mean.. could be seen as a virtue(?) sort of

[@jackfraser2189]

I'd like to think everyone has the power to change. "You don't know what you've got till it's gone". Light didn't realise how his life was and how innocent he was after obtaining the deathnote. The deathnote changed him and gave him the whole persona of being the God of the new world. At the end he acknowledged that he'd missed how things used to be. Because he was dying he was able to see the pain he'd caused and a life that he'd thrown away. I think that he is so strong for being able to realise that after how arrogant he is and all the lives he took. Deep down in his blackened heart the innocence still existed, then and only then did he realise what once was and what he'd left behind. How despite his ego he accepted defeat, he knew that he had lost. Dying on a stairway full of acceptance, pain and a tinge of regret. That he could neither go to heaven or hell.

[@madamwinnifer4666]

Don't forget the epilogue in the manga. The world reverting to how it once was upon his death, Masuda's regret on how it all ended up with Light of whom he had fondness for (make of that what you will), the suspicious death of Mikami in prison, and the final part that's the countless people Kira saved or delivered justice for. For me the preference of the endings is what aspect interests you more at this point: Light Yagami or Kira.

[@TFPro-xb9qk]

Actually saying they are different as if you see him as Light or Kira is the best way I've seen any comment describe it yet

[@godbobo4088]

The Manga ending I think is loads better because it better understand Light has a character in the N ark. In the L ark Light is put in a situation where it is impossible for him to win, stuck inside a cell, however he gets out because he loses his memories and gives the death note over to Ryuk who finds somebody to replace him short term. The symbolism in this moment is Light no matter what happens always gets slowly corrupted by the Death Note until it leaves him has just a husk. When Light wins it’s because L cannot except losing so when Lights plan comes full circle he is unable to stop him despite knowing exactly who Light is he fails. Now what’s important about all of that is Light is always going to be slowly corrupted by the Note. When Light dies, at the end, we see this corruption, that is the point of the N ark. Many complain about the Anime’s N ark being a ripoff of the first half, and it’s because it portrays it the same way, in the Manga there are several scenes that aren’t in the anime showing Light being a prick, thinking about killing Misa just because she is annoying, and being a smug asshole in his thoughts, Light is shown in the second half to be a tainted version of his former self, and that is removed in the anime for no real reason. When Light loses in the end he grovels and looks pathetic cause at that point that was all that was left of him, when he loses in the Anime the fact he still has dignity shows the anime didn’t really understand the point of the story.

[@annaairahala9462]

Both are quite nice surprisingly, rare for an anime with a different ending. I prefer how the manga finished it since it shows who light was all along whereas the anime seems to put a lot of blame on the notebook despite it not being the driving factor behind his corruption

[@ChrisHighlights]

Light did say that the notebook has supernatural power that makes people want to try it at least once. If Light never found the notebook he would be a normal teenager who has a strong sense of justice like his father.

[@TheKpa11]

When I first saw the series, I never had it in my head that Light would win, but honesty maybe he should have, with the only real karma being he dies from his own lifespan Apparently when Ryuk looks at Light with his eyes and we see the numbers they could have shown us just how little time he has in the long run

[@calb6109]

that's genius.

[@martmine4618]

Well he did "win". The world has changed forever because of him, even if he's gone.

[@ShyGirlMPZ]

@@martmine4618 Not exactly in the manga. There’s an epilogue where the world almost completely goes back to the way it was before Kira appeared.

[@manuelbonelli3690]

@@ShyGirlMPZ yep. Even when Light goes to prison by himself they said that the crime rate changed again and people wanted for Kira to return

[@Mepphy99]

@@ShyGirlMPZ hasn't the One shot retconed that with "Kira has become a part of history?"

[@toongamer2810]

Man, Light is my absolute favorite anime character. I was saddened when I watched his death, but I was crushed when I read it. But that probably just goes to show how amazing death note is. The series made me care for and deeply appreciate...a killer. I'm sad that he died, but I'll take the anime route for which one I prefer here. They're both just too sad though.

[@suburbaneverest9838]

bruh i felt really sad too poor light i know i know people would be like but light killed people light made people suffer hes a killer bro i dont care its an anime its not real life i dont get whats not fun about light

[@efoxkitsune9493]

I hated his guts. And I think one of the main reasons was the feeling of betrayal tbh. He made me like him at the start. He made me sympathize with him, care for him, root for him, see his humanity and hope with all my heart that he'll eventually see the wrong of his actions and do the right thing. I invested time and emotional energy. But he kept descending further and further, until finally he became irredeemable. He abandoned all he seemed to stand for at the beginning. He became a mass murderer, a pathetic boy with a god complex, arrogant, ignorant, so incredibly full of himself. Callous. So the (manga) ending was really satisfying to me. A perfectly fitting end for someone like Light. SUPER compelling character though!! Truly one of the best. It was great following his descent into true villainy. Never felt cheap. He was super intriguing all the way through. But I have to admit I was really relieved when he finally got his comeuppance, haha.

[@toongamer2810]

@@efoxkitsune9493 Man you're the exact opposite from me, just reading that made me sad 😂😂 But he is a really great character, regardless of moral stances. I'm glad we agree on that much haha.

[@dragonicbladex7574]

@@efoxkitsune9493 I just wanted to see what would happen after he won because it sounded interesting, his death sort of made the whole anime feel pointless, his ambitions amounted to nothing, didn't get to see it in the end. So it felt like a little bit of a slap in the face

[@amilcaraguirre6600]

@@efoxkitsune9493 Same, but I didn't care much for him. I just found him entertaining. When he meets Ryuk and says "I want to be the god of the new world" I understood that he wasn't doing this only because of his morals, he wants to be worshiped and praised. He thinks that he knows better and is above everyone else. If he had only killed criminals I could have some sympathy for him, but when he tried to kill "L" on TV it made me realize that he's just sociopath that wouldn't stop for nothing.

[@tipperdipper1149]

I love that there are two different endings. I like both a lot, though I personally lean towards the anime. Hearing Ryuk's little speech while Light runs, those thoughts of what could be running through his mind. The music is so gorgeous, the anime looking stunning visually. Seeing Light finally stop and lie down on those stairs. It feels so...I don't know the best words to put to it. But it hits me so good.

[@zanlancer4426]

I am glad people are still talking about this amazing series even in 2021.

[@albygates4263]

I'm surprised you didn't even mention the whole chapter that follows the one of Light's death, which was completely cut from the anime. Matsuda has an interesting theory about Near having manipulated Mikami with the death note in order to make sure he wouldn't check the note before going to kill the SPK

[@TheDigitalApple]

Member when everyone and their mother was talking bout Death Note?

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

I stopped talking about Death Note the moment I found out that One Piece is and will always be the best Shonen/Shonen Jump series objectively.

[@TheRawyan]

Yeah

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr disagree. HXH is mine

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

@@alfa01spotivo , I stopped watching Hunter Hunter after Greed Island Arc.

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr bruh just skip to the next arc. Its kino

[@axie545]

I actually have a weird cognitive dissonance happening with the anime's ending. Light's actions throughout the series make it clear to me that he's lost it by the end, he's gone mad with power and has lost the ability to empathize with individual humans when he's been thinking of them exclusively as tools to forward his goals and feels nothing about killing them en masse. So when he passes that younger version of himself, I love the parallel (and I easily prefer it to the manga version for its effective imagery, but I think the manga version is just as applicable), but I think only the audience is actually seeing the potential he had. I think what Light sees there is the moment he became doomed, because he's too intelligent not to realize that the choice to pick up the Death Note led to this, and obviously knowing how it turned out there are so many things he would go back and change. I like the ambiguity of his reaction, but I think it's also very easy for people to assume that Light regrets his actions; I don't think he does. I don't think he ever does, he only seems to regret that his actions didn't create the world he wanted, and if he had a chance to do it all over again he'd be more careful. Less impulsive, like he was in his youth when he constantly made big, arrogant mistakes, until his conflict with L taught him he couldn't afford those. Maybe he wouldn't even use the Death Note directly or prolifically until he worked his way into a position of untouchable power. Maybe he wouldn't use it at all and seek to influence the world in all the same ways without that shortcut. There are literally endless ways he could have ensured another outcome if he had the understanding he does while he's running away from his failure, chock full of bullets and regret. Because, while his idealism absolutely got twisted by the power the Death Note gave him, I think Light was always going to turn into at least a fraction of the monster he became as soon as he got enough power. If he became a police chief, he would consider it part of his job to overlook certain indiscretions that cleaned up the streets or got rid of "undesirables," and quite likely begin to see his people as the only proponents for good in the world and thus above the law. If he ran for office, he would approve legislation in favor of the death penalty and restricting people who struggle financially from access to government resources. We know this because his targets were not only those who perpetuate injustice, but also those who are a "burden to society." He says this verbatim while he's formulating his dream of a perfect world, so on a very core level, Light believes that there is no excuse for people to depend on others and everyone should be capable of supporting themselves regardless of their economic, social, or physical limitations. The best outcome for Light, if he never picked up a Death Note, is if he lived his life as a bored pencil pusher, constantly feeling superior to everyone but never taking any meaningful steps to increase his influence on the world (or else having a transformative life experience that makes him re-examine and reconsider his biases). Otherwise, as soon as he got a little too much power, he would inevitably start to victimize the same people he claims to be saving--just like he did on an unimaginable scale when his power was nigh unlimited.

[@Verebazs]

When I first saw the anime at the age of 20 I really liked this ending, and found the manga inferior, because I thought Light was a well-intentioned person, who went off the deep end. Kind of how many people were sympathetic to MCU Thanos in Infinity War. Now at the age of 30, I think the manga is better, because I lived enough to recognise Light was full of sh*t from start, and he never actually cared about bettering the world, he just wanted to reshape it in his image. And the best proof of this are his thoughts before his first murder: the kindergaten hostage taker. There were what? 40 kids and several kindergarten teachers being held hostage, and what's Light's reaction? Is it "God, this is awful, if there's 1% chance this Death Note is real, I've got to take it to save them!"? No. Just the opposite in fact. He was prepairing to write a name in the Death Note to test it, but thought to himself "Wait, if there's 1% chance this Death Note is real, I should write the name of someone despicable.". From the start he didn't set out to save lifes. He set out to take them. Saving lifes in the proccess was just a side-effect, not the cause. He was an egotistic psychopath from the start, and he absolutely deserved the more humiliating death.

[@alwaysangry2232]

this, many light defenders fail to see it, even the anime with his different ending it shows a pathethic arrogant douche who never believed on the justice he preached so much

[@Zhorah]

Saying he was a physcopath from the start is a bit of a stretch and is doing a disservice to his character, when light was about to write his first name on the death note, he contemplated killing a criminal and THEN turned his TV on to see a kidnappings was happening, even near stated killing 1 or 2 people out of curiosity in the beginning would've been a normal reaction, which is exactly what light did, it wasn't until AFTER he killed 2 criminals that he decided to become Kira, at which his mental state started to spiral, which light himself points out.

[@doggerlander]

I don't like it, because in my opinion the point of this has always been that no one "deserves" death, that there's no justice or good, nor there is bad. In fact, death note laughs in the face of good and evil. Hence why there's no heaven or hell, everyone just goes to the same place, which is nothing. Light's "peaceful" death (which honestly was quite humiliating still), to me, was just an opportunity for him to reflect on his life and think "was it worth it?", because there's nothing after death, all that matters is life.

[@kialovet]

I disagree though , it's not fair if you put him in like that . Maybe you already forgot but he smart enough to realized there might be a consequence for his action if he keep using Death note , but he did and used it as much as possible with the goal in his mind at first few days is to reduce the criminals to made the world become a better place even the chance he might die later or "lost his soul" as he fear asked Ryuk until Ryuk clarify about it and at that point was when he grown his God complexed : "killing people without consequences" which is pretty understandable cuz who gonna judge you when even god of death dont even give a shit ? i wont talk about wrong or right about that method cuz it is a different matter , the point is light is a "good guy" at the start until Kira persona start to developed as Death note appeared it in his life . What you gonna do with a death note in your hand ? I'm confident say atleast most of us even a cowar , every day good guy or whatever would use it even once . And the fact Light killed the very first criminal guy i would say justify and doesnt "light up" about him as Evil or good guy , cmon would you tried that "1%" chance that very well can saved so many kids life even that you might kill a person ? I can rambling hours about how Light become Kira even he was a good person at first . . . but sum it up he's a smart kid , he know how the world work and how corrupted it is atleast in Deathnote world , look how balancely evils thing happen in his dailies life , so much that he can easy spot some of the most ugli psychopath criminals on his life to test the deathnote and he's son of cop chief definitely doesnt helped for his mental about the world too . that why the author connected him and Ryuk at the first sceen and said "this world is rotten" . The proofs he was a good person can be proved when he forgot everything about the death note and refuse use any dirty method that involve innocent people just to catch the criminals too , and the obivious one : Ohba himself said Light without Deathnote will become a great detective and against criminals along side with L , What more do you need to think he's not a good person at first ? One of the themes of deathnote obivious is "power corrupted people" even you are good person or someone have potential to become psychopath which i can agurt that light is more of a good guy than L if Deathnote didnt exist . Sorry for long comment and garbage englishu .

[@ale-xsantos1078]

I disagree, if anything I'd say manga Light deserved the anime ending and anime Light deserved the manga ending. In the manga Light threw up and had a meltdown for just killing that one guy. Also he told Ryuuk that he made a psychological profile of every criminal he killed who was always someone caught on act in order to be sure he was only killing someone guilty. Of course I have no idea how he did that while hiding from the police and for hundreds of people per day, but hey anime logic.

[@veganbytheway57]

I think the anime one isn't very good for lots of reasons. Taking the fact that the anime cut A LOT from the second half (around 10 episodes worth of content) aside, the cut content from the ending hurts almost the most. Near's speech for shorten by a lot, Matsuda's theory is out, the amazing shot of Near's fingerpuppet being the same size as Light is out, the final chapter that plays a year after the ending is out, meaning we lost the shot of Near eating choclate which in my opinion says A LOT about the themes of the manga. Near is in my opinion the best and most unquie character in the whole manga, so it sucks that we lost so much of him in the end.. well and through the whole anime since again, we lost 10 episodes worth of content from his arc that shows more of his character. Anyways. I also find Light running away, really, really, really dumb. Firstly) I can't believe that Light has remorse. He thinks he is perfection, god, unbeatable. He was ready to kill his family, Light dosen't care about anyone but himself anymore. He is a monster. There is no way in hell, that after 6 years of being THAT, he starts looking back with remorse on his past. Secondly) Near saying "Leave him alone, he will bleed out" is dumb. Near never wanted to kill Light, he wanted to lock him up, since Near dosen't think that he has the right to kill anyone (except if we say that Matsudas theory is right, which would make him a lot more grey, but that's for the reader to decide) so he would never say "lol he will die." Also for someone who is a super geniuse, letting Light run after finding out that you can kill with only pieces of the notebook is really dumb. What if he has one in his shoe? Would of sucked then, huh. The only reason this line is in, is to explain how Light could run away while being shot without the task force catching up to him. But in return it made Near look worse and dumber than he actually is. AND IT'S MAH BOIS LAST LINE. There are other things I don't like about it, but those are my main problems I think.

[@jacobisgone9530]

Didn't expect to see you here. I'm u/jacobisgone from the Death Note sub lol.

[@veganbytheway57]

@@jacobisgone9530 Oh hello, my fellow second half protecter.

[@bobbyokeefe4285]

Also,the manga implies that although Light lost Kira on the other hand might have had a post-mortem victory as Kira's cult is no where near coming to an end,the impact Kira had on society is still present with all the people in the streets still as fanatical as ever,in other words SPK can end Kira the man but there is no guarantee because of cognitive dissonance that they will be able to end Kira the concept.

[@Nikko_no_Tabi]

I really love how both endings are equally understandable and possible. In my opinion it's better to think that both are correct, not happening at the same time/sequentially but that both signify aspects of Light's character and the downward spiral he traversed in his journey

[@LiQuidFlav]

The anime ending was a masterpiece IMO

[@parkermaisterra8532]

I think everyone has had some character that you wish for having Lights ending in the anime. Where usually they don’t get the privilege of dying a slow almost peaceful death where they see their past mistakes, how they know everything is over and have to basically accept the reality of it all. While seeing a character begging right before their death or dying so suddenly they can hardly react is satisfying I feel like anime Lights type of death is something that can satisfied for years if not decades later

[@djohnsveress6616]

To me that anime ending was the light (with small L) returning into kira's eyes, i very much liked the arc where "Light" gives up ownership with it his memories, his eyes changed, his hair style returned to how it looked the first episode, when he was just a teengager with some dark but none serious thoughts. It almost was as if L really did foresee that Kira aka the owner of the Death note is being possessed by "the being Kira", even tho he made that assumption because of the lack of information at hand and is obviously not the case, but in the end on some level of reality it turned out to be true, and when Kira finally lost, Light returned... God damn i know he meant not to make a character drama, but some underlying tones and meanings just catches a tear in my eye. For a second there in the L+Light arc i hoped even if Light would get his memories back by touching the note he would realize and have internal conflicts bout the ideals of Kira and Light. But as if someone been possessed he returned to being kira with no struggle at all in a snap of a finger, Voice tone, his hair style returned, and his eyes always had at least a faint red glow to it.. Up until the very end where we could see that goldish brown eyes for one last time without the corruption of the notebook. I know i'm not Opening new skies under this topic, but still.. Just saw it the first time in my life a few days ago, and i'm still in shock how good it was and how empty it left me. One personal note, I really dislike the Near = L thing, he was written fairly good, every discovery he made turned out to have solid evidence and reasoning, and grounded at that, just like how L did his things.. But it still felt cheap.. Near's existence is none sense. I'm not criticizing the Characters Actions but the need for his existence, really there wasn't an other way ? L was 1# Detective wich was already a tuff idea to swallow, then they introduce the same ass character but reborn as a child.. Yall know the "This Antagonist is making way to much sense.." memes ? That's how i felt by the end, Light came a long way just to lose to a deux ex machina like reincarnation I low key wanted light at that point just to rule the new world, with L i was rooting for them to catch him, but without that personal conflict between the two ?

[@HobieInTheBox]

This was my first anime, my first proper introduction to anime. And after 7/8 years, I'm still in love with it. Shoutout to Death Note for introducing me to a world that shaped most of my personality, passion and improvement in art. 😤❤️

[@ObaREX]

I prefer the manga ending. Sure, it's much sadder, uncomfortable and pathetic. But it's also much more unnerving and... honest.

[@obbobo2317]

Im so happy Death Note is still being talked about today, such a great story

[@valysheev]

Everytime i get to the end of this series my heart starts to drop

[@3Guys1Video]

;3;

[@petermj1098]

Light got poetic justice in the manga ending. His ego as Kira crumbles in literally a matter of seconds in front of him. His biggest enemies watch him die being desperate, the SPK members who he decieved the most watch him die being desperate, and Ryuk who gave him the power and figurative life to be Kira, ironically takes away the power and literal life to be Kira.

[@VideoGameMasters09]

I still think the Re-Light mini-series was a missed opportunity. I know it was like a clip show with some new scenes thrown in, but they wasted the perfect opportunity to re-do the ending and make it like the manga.

[@claralaxton5849]

There’s actually a musical based off the show. I’ll admit the ending is slightly rushed and some characters were cut but I’d recommend it.

[@missasyan]

I found it sad that he knew exactly that when he'd lose his memories he'd be so determined team up with L to find Kira, and as soon as he gets his memories back he's so smug about it being part of his master plan I think the anime's ending was good because of that, what would've happened if he hadn't gotten the Death Note...he knows that he would've worked to find the killer and I guess it shows that he did know it was bad but he was too far in to stop

[@Lordlaneus]

I say, watch the anime ending, but make sure to read the manga only epilogue. The epilogue puts forward that Near had use to the Death Note to ensure that the final confrontation went they way wanted, which is an important detail thematically, and it really helps make the final confrontation feel more fleshed less sloppy

[@Lordlaneus]

@@bunnihanni yeah, and L could have done the same thing when he first got his hands on the note, the only reason he didn't being that he actually respected Light

[@mynameisntjoe3024]

it doesnt make it less sloppy. Near shouldnt have the death note to begin with

[@NomadQuinn]

I’ve been wanting to see a video talking about the ending differences for so long. Nice analysis!

[@Dicky_Moe]

I honestly think the series should've ended with L's death.

[@WobblesandBean]

Yeah, me too. The ending was just bad.

[@doggerlander]

Nah, the second half was probably better than the first.

[@Oh_Phoenix]

@@WobblesandBean the ending was the best part of the series wdym?

[@onewingedren2228]

Second half is really good(mostly in the manga) Light losing it's a better ending than winning and has a better message overall The problem with the second half in anime is being rushed (They cutted some parts where Near was showing his deductions and lowering Mello's screentime)

[@plugshirt1684]

It would hav even better overall but would have been a worse ending

[@cherrium1719]

Now that I know there's a slight alternate ending, my perception of Death Note is slightly better. After L died, the anime really went downhill for me and became unenjoyable. I think the manga ending is a lot more fitting. I don't get why they changed it in the first place, it's always best to stay by the original author's writing.

[@G_Zumbie]

Probably because a lot of people viewed the ending more mixed or negatively, that’s the only thing I can sum up for the change. I still find something to appreciate with the anime’s ending, though admittedly, I’m a little disappointed that Light’s freak out til death wasn’t included.

[@jessetheanimenerd3304]

The anime rushed the 2nd half of the manga, cutting out the majority of Near and Mello's scenes and characterization. I'd strongly reccomend you read it sometime, the anime didn't do it justice.

[@mystery4561]

Well they DID rush the second half for some reason.

[@Gakusangi]

All these years later, we're still talking about Death Note. It might just be great.

[@AHylianWarrior]

I prefer the anime ending. The manga one is like...dude, you'll die from your wounds anyway or survive from them but get sentenced to death, why you pleading to Ryuk? The anime ending is much more bittesweet as the sun slowly sets on him and the fate of the others are left to interpretation.

[@davgg9621]

He still could have gotten life in prison or even if they executed him he would still have a time to sit in prison beforehand. Ryuk said: I don't wan't to wait, you lost. So thats the reason he wrote his name in the note, as he promised him in the beginning.

[@davgg9621]

Btw, before writing his Name in the Note, Light has a complete breakdown and cries towards every "friend" or "partner" he had. And Ryuk said too: I have never seen someone who used a Death Note die without despair.

[@jessetheanimenerd3304]

Near said that he wouldn't kill Light, but that he'd lock him up.

[@sasukesbussy7101]

Manga is more fitting for Light’s character. Dude wasn’t some godlike mastermind above death. That was only what his ego had him believe. And it was his ignorance and ego that was his undoing. In the end, Light was just another pathetic human, who feared death, and it’s fitting he died pleading and begging in his knees. It’s pathetic to watch and it’s supposed to be. The manga made a point not to idolise and romantacise people like Light While the anime was more sympathetic and shifts blame off him, directing it to the Notebooks fault.

[@dragonicbladex7574]

@@sasukesbussy7101 I mean without the notebook none of the story would have set off, probably, so it totally is it's fault. True villain in a sense is ryuk since I guess this has probably happened a bunch in the past because of him

[@eeperton]

This show was absolutely incredible, and definitely my favorite. I felt like I was going on the same journey as Light at the very end. The way he considered how his life and the lives of those he had effected could have been different is really sad. In that moment, he realized that he was once a brilliant student, now an unstable murderer.

[@corporalkills]

I felt the anime ending was anticlimactic, especially after the manga ending. The character breaking of Light and the sinister visage of Ryuk makes for a very gripping moment. It showed that at the end of it all, the story is about a bored shinigami that just wondered what would happen.

[@mynameisntjoe3024]

the last sentence is quite literally what the anime showed too

[@squee-g1658]

After rewatching DN I feel sorry for Light's mother and sister.

[@Animefan8050]

I think you've hit the nail on the head, though my preference has always been the Manga ending. I think just as much each ending changes how people see Light, I think Ryuk is changed even more. Ryuk in the Manga ending shows that his attitude (especially in the first half of the story) has stayed the same and that he only cares to be entertained while Ryuk in the anime seems to be more attached to Light; both are interesting but I think the former fits better for the character and brings the story full circle and it makes Ryuk's earlier comments more impactful.

[@NickCTorres]

A quick note: The story wasn't extended after L's death so it can end with Light's defeat; one way or another he would be forced to keep playing games and killing people until Ryuk gets bored and kill him, he was the one who was going to write his name (it was stated at the beginning and therefore had to happent, and we have to remember that Ryuk kill him at the true ending because otherwise he would be in prison and Ryuk wasn't going to bore to death there), but sooner than later N and M appeared so the game continued Sure, ending with his death right after L's doesn't quite feel like a defeat since he wouldn't be discovered as Kira, but his impossible dream of reign over the world and cleaning it indefinetly still would be over There's even an alternative non-canon scene in the anime (i think is in a special edition or something, is on yt) where Light, after practically twerking at L's grave after the funeral, Ryuks has a dialogue that clarifies he's just about to kill him because the fun is over

[@Benjamslikestrains]

I thought that scene was canon and just got cut because it was deemed "too evil"? At the very least you can see it in the Relight movie

[@Thetopnoobpro]

I think both of them are great endings. If I had to choose one tho, it would be subjective, but I think the manga does it just a bit better. Especially because of the reveal at the end. We may have not thought about it a lot but we truly never did know where everyone went after they died, if they became shinigami, and with lights memory it confirms it, the memory that tells us he and everyone else will go to nothingness. It tells us in this moment that yes truly, light has lost. And in the memory it shows how light outsmarted ryuk and how he was content with it, but now thinking over this memory makes him scream in fear more and more. Everything he did crumbled so far down, he made no more sense, begging ryuk he Dosent want to die even tho him of all people should know that once the name is in, it’s over. He does not even think about humiliation at this point, all the way back in chapter 19 L was able to make him feel that way and this situation definitely does but he has no time at all to think about it, cause he can’t think, he clings on to what he has built. In the beginning he was ready to die, he thought ryuk would “suck his soul”. Even if he was caught by L he would show some sense of acceptance as shown in another continuity/ ending of death note that I won’t state to avoid spoilers, (not the fanmade ending were light becomes old and asks ryuk to kill him) but at this point Light can’t even think about the thought of dying. After everything he’s done he never saw an end road, he never saw a moment where it would be over, so for it to just abruptly end like this takes him for a loop. In the end he died. Not saying any words that show maybe he was sorry, no words showing the sadness in his heart, even tho it was there, his word is that a criminal would say, he never wanted to end up like a criminal, he told ryuk he would not be one of the bad people left. But like someone who did “wrong”, or knows what they did was “wrong” (because he acknowledged he knew killing was wrong but it was the only way to a peaceful world so therefore it is righteous) would beg for there life and do there best to get away. He begged a god of death itself, and died just like everyone else he killed. No honor, no symbolism, no moment of realization or choice of final words, he died begging and screaming.

[@CZsWorld]

The Japanese live action movies have a much different ending too, some say that's the best ending.

[@dillonyoung5502]

Love Czswolrd, hopefully you cam ckver death note at one point!

[@allieglass9513]

I am one of those people that likes that ending the most mainly because I don’t have to deal with Near and Mello

[@karlonpluto]

death note 2 ending is such a W for L (spoilers! it is the ending where L faked the heart attack and made kira confess in his point of "death")

[@keikustar]

SO DAMN TRUE

[@maxwellquipey1]

Ayo, the legend commented on this video a year ago? Cool.

[@theboracarebear]

Damn, another upload, you keep on blessing us

[@BlackScreenProductions125]

Both endings are great, aside from how bland of a final...well, not villain...adversary, I guess...Near is. If he were more interesting, I'd call both endings nearly perfect.

[@pj-hp7xd]

he's much more fleshed out in the manga, along with mello too..... i have no idea why they cut so much of their scenes out of the anime

[@jtc8458]

Ye, in all honesty, near is just simply a copy of L. I wouldve liked the second half more if near was portayed differently, like having his own unique traits. At least for mello, he is different from L, being the type of "detective" who is willing to do bad things to find out who Kira is. Near, on the other hand, is just a young, white-haired L who likes toys and is less interesting.

[@jessetheanimenerd3304]

@@jtc8458 That's not true at all. Unlike L, Near actually had some sort of humbleness to him and his investigative style was much more laid back and passive. The anime just butchered the 2nd half of the story compared to the manga.

[@Bruh1]

NEARly perfect

[@demetrian7856]

@@jessetheanimenerd3304 Lol Near was not humble, the reason he was put in was to show a different shade of grey and that not all good guys are good guys. He is much more aggressive with how he tries to get everyone to turn on Light, with less evidence than what L had. He was too focused on proving himself to others, while L was trying to prove Light was Kira because he had to. Even when characters hate him, he still acts respectfully towards them. He appreciates others and their feelings and seems much more human than spoiled robot baby Near. Near is still important to the story though, and I love how he was written.

[@thefvguy5648]

I'm really happy you seem to be moving away from talking about youtube drama and putting more focus on talking about storytelling from your favorite stories. Keep up the good work my dude, love your content.

[@plugshirt1684]

Personally I don’t feel in the anime that light accepted his death at all he tried to run away from his problems rather than beg and reflected on his life but had to lie down in the stairs because of blood loss and couldn’t run anymore. I don’t think he is thinking about how he could have lived without the death note rather he is reflecting on when he found the death note and is devastated that all he has built is falling apart but reflecting on how it all started. He accepts his death because he can’t run anymore rather than just giving up on trying to escape he does because he has no way to try and escape anymore.

[@mcraden3603]

Its funny that you uploaded this because I litterly just got done rewatching it(for like the 5th time) today.

[@fianchetto4987]

Everything is said well and your analysis is great, i just think that in the anime Light isnt remorseful at all. He sees young himself walking by and then he contemplates about his youth and past actions but at the end of the contemplation he gazes in front of himself like he has no repentance and that he would do the same if he could travel back in the past.

[@zeo4481]

3:00 The entire reason Light lost was because Mikami was one stupid sun of a gun and messed everything up. 6:30 Uhh , Kira did save Their world . A reduction in crime by 80 percent for 3 years would save FAAR more people than Kira could ever kill whit the Death Note. Is it moral no. Is it just - probably not. Is it effective tho? ABSOLUTELY

[@jessetheanimenerd3304]

No, Mikami's mistake was justified. Light didn't tell Mikami that he could kill in desperate circumstances, meaning that Mikami, (whose job it was to act on Kira's behalf) had to kill Takada. Mikami's line of thinking was almost always on the same wavelength as Light's, so calling a dumb for a single understandable mistake isn't very fair. Especially since Light has made tons of mistakes purely because of his ego or carelessness.

[@Salwarehouse]

Good video bro but the true best ending is the heartwarming moment when Light gives swimming lessons to Matsuda.

[@l.pricetag.5207]

I understand that reference.

[@wanderingjellyfish9647]

I prefer the anime ending because it paints Light as a morally debatable character which Death Note had asked the consumer to question and debate themselves since the start. It asks wherever in the end Light was exceptionally evil or wherever given the same power and potential he was given most humans would be eaten by their own ego and driven to destruction in the same way he was. I think it’s also a nice compromise ending for those that despised Light and those that grew to sympathise with him and the biblical additions were a neat touch. Both endings are good though and I highly recommend reading the manga and watching the anime to truly appreciate Death Note in all its glory.

[@gktte2574]

nahhh, what kind of people sympathize with a person who kills people that don't have criminal records...A character who contemplates doesn't mean he should be sympathized and forgiven, he is intellectual enough to know the risk and still he did it.

[@dragonicbladex7574]

@@gktte2574 I mean a lot of people clearly have sympathy for light, you can see that in the comments section

[@gktte2574]

@@dragonicbladex7574 yall just soften because of that ending, plus he is the protagonist... Looking deeper, he is a person who doesn't deserve sympathy

[@sicklyflower]

This is the kind of content I like to see. Please keep it up.

[@zwei3179]

For me i prefer the live action ending of death note. I always thought that if L was going to die he would take Light with him. Proving how smart L was knowing full well. Light is a mastermind what a mastermind doesnt know would you die just to take him out with you. Which just seemed more logical to me, plus L knows he has people who can take his place. So it only makes sense he would use any tool he has gained aka the death note in order to take out Light without even killing him Like that ending to the live action film was so good. Light not knowing why he cant kill L only to find out L put his own name in. The single move Light wouldnt expect a suicide. Then he just loses it cause hes been bested and only to die by his death god who saw him break and realizing the fun was up. So the death god just does what needs to be done take what he is owned.

[@misterking561]

Even for a second I wanted Ryuk to have even a little affection towards light as Rem has for Misa. I also thought the story would be completely different if Ryuk had a soft corner for light, who's agree with me?

[@gktte2574]

nahhh it's clear at the beginning Ryuk is only there for entertainment, it would ruin the story and give Light plot armour if Ryuk has affection towards him

[@Orphealerote]

Been waiting for about a decade now for someone to sit with the difference between these two endings, a conversation that often isn't touched on when people discuss this series. Appreciate this video hard!

[@milktea6676]

I take a chip..... and eat it!!!!! While Watch just stop’s video

[@pimentx3253]

First of all, I just want to say that I agree with your take on what each ending was going for, I think you nailed it. With that said, I personaly prefer the manga's ending, I think seeing Light beg Ryuk to kill everybody was great, the cherry on the top of his decay. Not only that but seen Obata's art almost makes me sick, in a good way, the detail was something else. The anime had a more artsy feel to it, which I like for the most part(sometimes I think it's heavy handed with the simbolism), but seeing Light running way his past self, gives us interesting somber, melacholic ending, not to mention the color pallete, and the fantastic soundtrack. Both are great in their own way I think, tiny details make all the difference.

[@retrohanska4441]

I think this just opens interesting platform for Light's character analysis, the question being whether Light was corrupted by absolute power or if being already corrupted is what led him to use it in such way. It's great that we have representation of what both outcomes would look like. Personally I think manga ending is a bit more accurate because Light is already showing quite heavy narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies when he first starts using Death Note. Person like that would have qualms about begging and groveling on their knees if it benefits them. Person like that thinks he's always right, justified in his means and goals and while they usually try to please others and may even do it succesfully, that lasts only as long as there's any benefit to that. What we see in his last moments is what was always there, buried under countless layers of acting and facade. He would have been able to act like normal human being for the rest of his life without Death Note but should he have pursued detective work I think he would have ended up as darker version of L and probably with a sack of bones buried under his garden.

[@AudreysKitchen]

Good video. I never knew about the anime’s ending. I like them both though. I think it’s cool that we get to enjoy two different endings that are both really good and cool while being different. I liked how you pointed out dying on a staircase symbolizing neither going to heaven or hell too.

[@dustingray4551]

I just finished the manga and I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. It would have been cool to see light become a shinigami after death, but I was really hoping to see his final plan succeed with only one twist, being Mikami Killing everyone in the warehouse and keeping the note for himself. Especially with the addition of the short stories book telling us that notebooks still get thrown around the human world.

[@rjante2236]

Mikami betraying Light would have been really interesting

[@DMTInfinity]

Imagine if Light set it up to where when he died, his followers would carry out his will with their pages of the Death Note. And since the Death Note has infinite pages, this method would work to at least some degree based on how Light set it all it. So in the same way L had successors, Light would too. 🧐

[@prtzortimdat13]

wow this comment is from ages ago but i couldnt help myself haha,,, light wouldnt want any successors tho. he only used people to act on his orders for small periods of time and with the "kira" name. he used them when he cant kill those criminals regularly because people suspected him. if the killings had stopped when he was being watched, it would be pretty obvious that he's actually kira. he would be captured and put in prison but the "holy work of cleaning the world from evil" would still be ongoing because he still had those people who are still doing the same job he did (like mikami and even misa). but he wasn't ok with that because then he wouldnt have become the god he always dreamed of becoming. he wanted to be the one and only kira so yeah,,, l wasn't like that. and that's why he had successors. imo of course, im not the mangaka lol

[@calingligore]

The ending I wanted was: Light wins. But dies. Rem wrote his name and date of death as to die at the same time as Misa since she only wanted to keep him alive just so she won’t upset Misa.

[@Chikadulce10]

Love this!! It's one of the anime I have enjoyed the most, especially because I love thrillers in general. I had a feeling I was going to like it, but not be this heavily invested.

[@ocarinaofsociety]

I’m glad someone talked about this. Good video dude.

[@F2p7YshCn9]

Death Note is one of those weird series where I absolutely adore the beginning, hate most of it (mostly everything after Misa shows up 'till the finale) and then I also absolutely love the ending

[@misterzygarde6431]

I did not know that Light died differently.... You know I'd be down for a Death Note reboot where Light hangs out with Grim from Billy and Mandy

[@dynamosaurusimperious2718]

I found this to one very great Just Stop video about the ending of the godly Death Note. Also I wish everyone a great day.

[@parallel38]

This a very well put together bunch of senseless dribble, only running as long as it did to meet the word count requirement.

[@brandondagoat3740]

"You see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are," - The Joker.

[@juuchan5795]

finally someone who talks about this. i've been thinking over it for years. i prefer the manga ending myself because it's the kind of ending light deserved and evolved towards, but the anime tried to give him a more graceful ending, trying to save his humanity at the very end. i don't want to try to save his image, the point of the story is to show how absolute power corrupts absolutely. light dying pathetically is perfect. but the anime ending is emotional so it's good too.

[@dragonicbladex7574]

I mean.. I'm not usually one to care about the deeper message of a story or anything, moreso just the characters and story in it, so I do prefer the anime one

[@djinsanity3575]

Gonna have to watch and read this again. Thanks

[@ItsSupercat94]

I love both of these endings so much I don't know which one I like more, the manga is more realistic for lights character at the end but I'm also a sucker for emotional endings like the anime and getting a little of redemption at the end.

[@MrNeuveren]

I actualy like anime ending more because of what it implies. The fact Light had a moment to reflect and realise the changes he's come through on his way up his spiral of lies made me appreciate the story that much more. It happens in our lives all the time - we set goals, embark on our own journeys towards achievements, but we always end up different persons that we were when we started. We grow up and change, our priorities shift and without us noticing it we are a somewhat different person. It is that much insightful to look back in the past just to realise how naive or stupid you were, and what you might have done instead of what you ended up doing. Sometimes life runs too fast for us to catch up and we only slow down when we are far beyond the point of no return. Some say life shifts in front of your eyes before you die - what is this ending, if not it. That much more better than manga one.

[@MissKillingQueen]

This is such a good show I actually got my hubby, who swore he would never watch anime to watch it.

[@oliverpecek4883]

Genuinely like these video essays

[@thekingforehead8614]

I put this in my watch laters roughly 2-3 months ago, and I just finished reading the manga and watching the anime today, so I could come back and watch this video

[@t00nbink]

I personally really like the detail of Light begging ryuk to write the name in his death note in the Manga. That fits perfectly with Lights character as he's trying everything he can think of to still win (like trying to write Near's name even though that wouldn't change his situation).

[@lenen9456]

In all honesty, both endings are amazing. And I love both and won’t stop loving both.

[@JacenFawkes]

really good video man!

[@DoctorMario606]

I had just watched it for the first time last year. It was so interesting I watched it all in one day, something I never do.