Death Note was never about justice, and it’s what Ryuk does in the first episode that changed my mind

Considered one of the best psychological thriller anime, Death Note still holds its spot among the most intriguing series, with a well-thought-out and technical storyline, since its release in 2006. Based on the manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the series is even considered by many as the pinnacle of supernatural thriller anime.

Death Note is all about detectives and justice, featuring a psychopathic anti-hero who uses supernatural elements to execute others. However, it may not be entirely about moral justice, but rather a series of events stemming from manipulation, hunger for power, or even Ryuk's boredom.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the series and reflects the author's opinions.

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Ryuk's true motivations may portray Death Note in a different light

In episode 1 of the Death Note series, titled Rebirth, Ryuk was seen sitting in the Shinigami World expressing his boredom to the other Shinigamis. Subsequently, as he was bored, Ryuk dropped his Death Note into the human world just so he could be entertained by seeing what a human being could do with the power to dictate someone's death.

And behold, the notebook was picked up by none other than Light Yagami, an ideal third-year high school student at Daikoku Private Academy. At the beginning of the series, Light is characterized as a hard-working and talented natural genius with great deductive skills and high intelligence. However, these qualities soon morphed him into an arrogant person with a god-complex, aka Kira.

While initially Ryuk was only observing from the Shinigami World, he went to the human world five days later to make his acquaintance with Light, who was now the owner of Ryuk's notebook. Ryuk was rather shocked to see how much Light had used the Death Note and how many names he had already put down within merely five days.

Light Yagami as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

After Light insisted on knowing why Ryuk dropped the notebook into the human world, the Shinigami responded by saying that he was bored. He further elaborated, saying that the Shinigamis are either taking naps or gambling to spend their time. As they resided in the Shinigami Realm, writing the names of humans and killing them was no fun.

The entire saga of Light killing the criminals and passing his own judgment to L (who was put on a mission to find Kira and eliminate him) was just a result of Ryuk being bored with his normal day-to-day life as a Shinigami and wanting to spice things up for himself. Moreover, his declaration of not supporting any sides as "good vs evil" further proves his motivations.

Even in the end, when Light dies, Ryuk is just sitting and expressing how it was fun when Light erased his boredom for a while. However, given the extremely meticulous work that went into Light's character development, along with a thoughtful and one of the most intriguing plots, many fans and viewers might easily overlook this perspective.

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Final thoughts

While the story of Death Note may be considered one about moral justice and how power blinds people, leading them to a path of arrogance and psychopathic behavior, the narrative is truly about Ryuk's boredom and his desire to spice up his daily life.

Even to this day, the series is considered one of the masterpieces in genres like crime and psychological thrillers, alongside elements of the supernatural. However, with the ever-evolving anime industry, another series like this can be expected in the future, as fans still wait in anticipation.

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