‘Death Note’ Mistakes You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

Even the best suspenseful mysteries have plot holes or overlooked details that change the course of the story, and ‘Death Note’ is no different. Throughout the series, mistakes in police work, misunderstandings of the rules governing the Shinigami, and risky decisions by those involved consistently shift the balance of power. Here are ten specific errors – made by detectives, helpers, and the supernatural beings themselves – that directly impacted how the power of the notebook was understood, tracked, and eventually stopped.

Taking the Regional Broadcast Bait

When Light accepts the challenge on television from the man known as L, he writes down a name that appears on a local Kanto broadcast. This simple act allows the task force to narrow their search for Kira from the entire country to a single region almost immediately. It also proves that Kira can kill someone using just their name and face as seen on TV, helping them better understand the kind of person they’re looking for. After this, police focus their surveillance much more closely on Light’s city and the surrounding area.

Overexposing Pre-Death Control with Raye Penber

When Light forced Raye Penber to write down his coworkers’ names before he died, he proved Kira could control people’s actions before their death. This helped investigators understand the Death Note’s rules went beyond simply causing a heart attack within 40 seconds. They realized Kira needed both a face and a legal name to kill someone, but could also make them perform actions leading up to their death. This discovery led the task force to implement much stricter rules about protecting members’ identities.

The Bus-Jacking Field Test That Leaves a Trail

Light’s initial test, using a minor criminal on a bus, proved Kira can control someone’s actions in public without touching them. The details of this event – the timing, recovered objects, and the victim’s behavior – gave investigators a clear pattern to identify future Kira-related incidents. This pattern allows L to distinguish between regular crimes and those influenced by Kira, and it prompts the task force to examine victims’ schedules with much greater precision, focusing on minutes rather than hours.

Misa’s Tapes and the Aoyama Trap

The videotapes Misa sent to the TV station provided clues about her voice and how she handled them, allowing investigators to identify another person involved. When Misa followed directions to search for Kira in Aoyama, surveillance teams and photos showed her near several potential suspects. Her unique ability to instantly know people’s names—thanks to her Shinigami Eyes—became a key part of the investigation. These combined clues ultimately led to her capture and questioning.

Accepting the “13-Day Rule” Without a Hard Test

When a notebook suggests a user will die if they don’t write a name in it for 13 days, the investigation team decides against testing this claim directly. This forces L to ease his suspicion of Light and Misa, even though things still don’t quite add up. The unproven rule then unintentionally impacts how the notebook is handled – who can hold it, how closely they’re watched, and who has access. It’s eventually revealed that the rule was a false clue planted to mislead them.

Rem’s Intervention That Plays into a Setup

Rem intervenes to protect Misa by taking out those who pose an immediate danger to the investigation, clearly showing that a Shinigami can kill anyone whose name they know. However, this action does exactly what Light expected – it eliminates the main investigator and changes who’s in charge. This sudden shift in leadership forces everyone to start over with their plans, what evidence they focus on, and how they monitor suspects. It also confirms to the task force that the Death Note’s rules can be used as a weapon by beings other than humans.

Higuchi’s Corporate Pattern of Abuse

Higuchi, a member of the Yotsuba Group, uses the notebook to quickly and noticeably influence markets and sabotage his competitors. These actions consistently happen around important events like meetings, contract signings, and public announcements, creating a recognizable pattern. This predictability lets the task force set traps and track him. Once caught, Higuchi demonstrates exactly how the notebook works while under observation.

Choosing Teru Mikami as a Rigid Proxy

Mikami’s highly structured life – including set times for the gym, regular bank trips, and detailed weekly plans – allows Near’s team to easily monitor him. They use this predictability to figure out where he hides the notebook and when he accesses it. This lets them secretly switch the notebook while Mikami is following his usual routine, effectively breaking the connection between his actions and the results. This disruption of the normal cause-and-effect relationship provides concrete evidence that someone has tampered with his methods.

Re-Engaging Kiyomi Takada as a Public Liaison

By having Light use Takada to give instructions, a prominent and known associate is brought back into the picture. Her careful communication methods—using multiple secure phones, making calls at specific times, and moving in a controlled way—create traceable signals intelligence for both the SPK and the task force. The subsequent kidnapping reveals the entire communication network, including the emergency procedures Takada was trained on. This allows Near to determine how long it takes for decisions to be made between Light, Mikami, and Takada.

Premature Writing at the Yellow Box

During the final showdown at the warehouse, Mikami wrote names as usual, expecting a signal from Light, and didn’t realize he was being tested. Because the investigators had secretly switched the notebook he was using, his writing had no effect, and this happened instantly. This clear failure proved to both teams that he wasn’t who he claimed to be, immediately establishing who was responsible and solving the case.

Share which ‘Death Note’ misstep you think changed the game the most in the comments!

2025-10-19 09:45