Death Note was a 37-episode anime in which a teenager gained the power to kill people with a notebook. The boy, Light, used this power to try and take control of the world and rid it of scum. While the series is full of compelling drama and raises philosophical questions about human morality, it was also full of odd decisions and missed opportunities.
From characters gone too soon to alignment changes, a lot of things could have gone differently in Death Note. Some rules that weren’t used could have come into play. Some events to the story, when changed, could have had major consequences. The what-ifs are fun to think about, and Death Note is full of them.
10 What If Misa Was Light’s Rival?
Tsugumi Ohba added Misa Amane to Death Note as an editorial mandate. Ohba’s editor told them that fans would prefer a main female presence. Misa was mostly eye candy and didn’t contribute much to the plot after a certain point. But what if she had a different role?
Making Misa an additional rival would have made Misa a decent character of interest. Misa being a rival Kira would have shaken up the story, possibly making her a new contender for “God of the new world.”
9 What if Sidoh Never Came For His Death Note?
One of the most important characters in the second half of Death Note was Sidoh, the shinigami Ryuk stole from. Mello had custody of the notebook when Sidoh appeared in the human world to take it back. He startled the mafia and revealed that Light’s rules were in fact fake.
This would eventually lead to Light’s downfall. If Sidoh never came for his Death Note, it’s possible Near would never have found out about the fake rules. This would have allowed Light to find a way to dispose of Near and Mello.
8 What If Light’s Fake Rule Was Real?
During the latter half of the series, Light fabricated a rule for Death Note users. It stated that a Death Note user could only go a maximum of 13 days without writing a name in the Death Note, or they would die. This rule created an alibi for Light which shielded him from suspicion for a while.
The question is, what if that rule was real? Some parts of the plot would have to be completely reworked, such as the entire section where Light’s memory was erased. Because that period exceeded 13 days, it would have to be scrapped. Who knows what kind of scenario Ohba could come up with using that stipulation?
7 What If Light Never Killed Lind L Tailor?
At the beginning of the series, Light was taunted by a man on TV named Lind L Tailor claiming to be L. Light killed the man, but fell into L’s trap. The broadcast was only in the Kanto region of Japan. This narrowed the detective’s search considerably.
If Light had not killed Lind L Tailor, Light would have planned to keep L off his trail. Or perhaps he would lure L a different way in order to trap and kill him. Either way, the story would’ve taken some wild turns if that murder hadn’t occurred.
6 What If Light Aligned Himself With The Yotsuba Corporation?
While Light and Misa had their memories erased, a third Death Note came on the scene. Higuchi and the Yotsuba corporation were its new owners, killing people in order to further their business. What if Light had planned everything differently, though?
Light could have kept his memories and aligned himself with the Yotsuba group. If that were to happen, Light could have gotten some financial perks. Of course, this may have drawn further suspicion onto Light. Either way, having Light become Higuchi’s ally would have been interesting.
5 What If The Six Death Note Rule Was Invoked?
Throughout the series, various rules of the Death Note are shown. Some of which never come up in the plot, like the minimum and maximum ages for victims of the note. One of them involved the number of Death Notes that could be on Earth at one time. According to the rules, that number is six.
The story potential of such a twist could lead to numerous possibilities. What if Mikami got a hold of his own Death Note prior to his actual introduction to the plot? What if Light had two death Notes? Or what if Yotsuba did? The possible people who could end up with one of the extra notes are plentiful.
4 What If Raye Penbar Was Never Assigned To The Kira Case?
One of the most underrated What-if scenarios with Death Note involves Raye Penbar, the FBI Agent Light ran into early in the series. If Raye hadn’t run into Light, how different would the series be? If Raye hadn’t been assigned to tail Light, those FBI agents may not have been killed (at least that way).
Furthermore, Naomi Misora wouldn’t have been after the task force. If Naomi didn’t run into Light when she did she wouldn’t have been killed. Naomi’s death was suspicious to L and was one of the things that made L suspect Light. Many things would have been different if Penbar hadn’t been assigned to the Kira Case.
3 What If Light Trusted Takada Over Mikami?
In the latter half of the series, Light had three minions: Misa, Teru Mikami, and Kiyomi Takada. Misa was mostly eye candy and was an unquestioning follower of Light. Mikami was a strict templar who killed even lazy people. Kiyomi Takada was Light’s most rational follower, but due to his own sexist attitudes, Light didn’t take her seriously.
If Light listened to Takada more and had more faith in her, she may not have been caught by Mello, which led to her death. Putting full trust in Mikami is actually what got Light killed. If Light had more faith in his other allies, he may have won against Near.
2 What If Light Defeated Near?
Fans were disappointed when Light lost to Near. Matsuda shot Light five times and that was that. However, Light could have won if things had gone differently during that encounter.
If Light had defeated Near, Light would have continued his reign as the world’s ruler and crime would have been at an all time low. With the world under his thumb, Light could do anything he wanted. With no one in sight to take him down, Light could take his seat as God.
1 What If L Didn’t Die?
Many fans claim that L’s death was a turning point in the series. It was also, fans think, where the show began to decline. L’s death gave Light a victory, but it led to new antagonists who weren’t as interesting and a plot that wasn’t as well-written as before.
If Rem didn’t kill L, L would have either figured out Misa or figured out the last rules Light created were fake. L defeating Light would have been a solid ending to the series. Justice would win and fans would be spared sitting through a 12-episode chase that ends in disappointment.
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