Few anime are anywhere near as accessible as Death Note, nor are there many that are quite as captivating. Throughout its 37 episodes, the series features some truly wonderful moments, not to mention one of the very best rivalries to ever grace the silver screen. Granted, the series' second cour struggles to maintain the high standards set out by its first, but it's still an excellent anime that fans of the genre would be foolish to pass over.
The tactical battle between the series' two main leads provides tension and suspense at every turn, while their actions raise a near endless list of questions about morality and ethics. The narrative is riveting, the characters are compelling and the animation itself is top tier. Each episode has its moments, although, as with any show, there are some that are a lot more impactful than others.
10 Assault (Episode 11)
As the proverbial chess game between Light and L really begins to heat up, both men are shocked to discover the existence of a second Kira. What's more, this new threat possesses the eyes of the Shinigami, allowing them to kill without needing to know their victims' names. A new Kira also means a new Shinigami, with Rem also being introduced to viewers alongside Misa.
The introduction of a second Kira is as much of a shock to viewers as it is to Light and L and in Misa and Rem, the series gains two of its very best characters. Misa's motivations are in stark contrast to those of Light, as too are Rem's when compared to those of Ryuk. Where Ryuk is simply along for the ride and happy to revel in the chaos caused by Light, Rem genuinely cares about Misa's well-being, showing that there's far more to the Shinigami than just death.
9 Encounter (Episode 9)
Encounter marks the beginning of one of the very best rivalries in anime history, with L and Light finally coming face to face after several episodes of them trying to get the measure of each other. The confidence that both men exude following their initial meeting lets viewers know that they're in for one hell of a ride and the episode gets things off to a great start in that respect.
The tension that's present in the pair's interactions is palpable, with each and every tiny action causing ripples of suspense to permeate the scene. Light quickly realizes that L really is a force to be reckoned with, but his unwavering self-belief in his own excellence is enough to keep him focussed and he begins to formulate a plan to help him dispatch his new nemesis.
8 Pursuit (Episode 4)
Pursuit is an important episode as it establishes Light's motivations while forcing both him and the viewers to question the morality of what he's doing. Surprisingly, perhaps, it's Ryuk who prompts this line of questioning; not out of concern, but rather a morbid curiosity. Viewers also catch one of their first glimpses of Light's tactical nouse, as he utilizes the Death Note to learn Penber's true identity.
Unlike Game of Thrones, where Daenerys' sudden descent into madness felt a little out of character, Death Note does an excellent job of laying the groundwork for Light's eventual delusions of grandeur and a lot of that work can be found right here in this episode. Idealistic though his plans may be, the speed with which Light casts off any questions about the morality of his actions is a huge red flag; the first of many that would pop up throughout the early parts of the series.
7 Frenzy (Episode 23)
Light's plan to escape justice seems to be going according to plan, with L finally starting to believe that Higuchi could be the real Kira. Like Light himself, Higuchi is quickly consumed by the Death Note, eventually agreeing to sacrifice half of his life span to acquire Shinigami Eyes. The realization that he has done so terrifies L and forces him into action.
Watching Light and L working together to bring Higuchi down is incredibly interesting and really hammers home the similarities between the pair. What's more, it reminds viewers that Light still has the capacity to be a good and honest person deep down, while simultaneously highlighting a Death Note's ability to corrupt all those who use it.
6 1.28 (Episode 36)
Though the rivalry between Light and Near is nowhere near as captivating as the former's with L, the final showdown between the pair is no less exciting for it. Both are convinced that they are about to achieve victory and the suspense that builds while waiting to find out which of them is right is enough to keep viewers glued firmly to the edges of their seats.
That Near ends up being the one to get the better of Light may not sit well with everyone, but it's worth remembering that by this point, Light has completely lost his mind. His delusions of grandeur have completely taken over, preventing him from thinking rationally or accepting for even a second that somebody could ever outsmart him. His gloating is premature, however, and ends up marking the beginning of a very different ending than the one that Light - and perhaps a lot of the show's viewers - had been planning for.
5 Wager (Episode 15)
Not much gets past L and his distinctive hairstyle, and it doesn't take him long to realize that the two Kira's have now met. What's more, despite Light's best efforts to prove his innocence, L still suspects the young man's guilt. His suspicions only intensify when Misa makes the mistake of confronting the pair outside of the college, all but confirming L's beliefs about Light while simultaneously letting him know that Misa is the second Kira.
Despite how delusional and misguided she is, it's difficult not to feel a little sorry for Misa. She genuinely cares for Light and while he is happy enough to lead her on, he never sees her as more than a tool with which to continue his killing spree. Viewers are reminded of this once again after her arrest, with Light far more concerned about his identity being revealed than Misa's wellbeing.
4 Overcast (Episode 7)
Light's descent into madness is a gradual one, but it really doesn't take long for his actions to fall firmly on the evil side of the line. After all, it could perhaps be argued that using the Death Note to kill the scum of society is morally just in some capacity, but there can be no justification whatsoever for killing Penber or his innocent fiance.
Naomi's death forces viewers to accept that Light really isn't the person that many of them first thought he was, while also showing the toll that the Death Note and the power that comes with it is taking on him. Granted, he killed Naomi out of necessity and in the interest of self-preservation, but by doing so, he effectively becomes one of the criminals that he is supposedly trying to stop.
3 Confrontation (Episode 2)
Confrontation introduces viewers to the super detective, L, and it really doesn't take long for him to make an impression. He's able to get under Light's skin almost immediately and is quickly able to deduce that the killer is living in Japan. He doesn't stop there though and soon tricks Light into revealing that he lives somewhere in the Kanto region.
All of the best fictional characters have an equally excellent nemesis and Light Yagami is no different. Where he and Death Note differ from most other anime shows and movies, however, is that viewers are typically able to identify which is good and which is bad fairly quickly. This does eventually become clear in Death Note too, but not before Light's status switches from hero to antihero and then, gradually, to straight-up villain.
2 Revival (Episode 24)
Following Higuchi's arrest, L finally gets his hands on a Death Note and is surprised to learn that Shinigami really do exist. Light, on the other hand, regains his memories from his time as the original Kira upon touching the Death Note and quickly resumes his plan to find out L's true identity; once again using Misa as his pawn.
Few could argue that Light's plan to escape suspicion wasn't a brilliant one, but his reaction to regaining his memories is troubling nonetheless. Upon his reawakening, he once again begins to compare himself to a god, letting viewers know that he has now well and truly lost his mind. Caught up in his own hype, there's nothing that he won't do to get what he wants and this becomes clearer still in the following episode.
1 Silence (Episode 25)
With Misa's life on the line, Rem takes matters into her own hands and sacrifices herself to keep Misa safe. Of course, this was all part of Light's devious plan and though he's able to achieve victory over his long-time rival as a result of Rem's actions, it ultimately triggers a chain of events that leads to his downfall. It also comes at the expense of any remaining empathy that viewers might have had left towards him, with his status as the series' villain now well and truly confirmed.
Though the series' final cour definitely has its moments, it's never quite able to match the brilliance of its first. Silence serves as the indisputable high point of the story as a whole and perfectly caps off everything that the series - and Light himself - had been building towards over the preceding 24 episodes. Light may have won, but he does so at the expense of both his soul and his mind.