# Why are so many people rooting for Light (Death Note)?



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

I was listening to the Death Note OST on YT and I noticed that a hell of a lot of people like and cheer for Light, and how sad they are he died.
What is bloody wrong with these people? 
Light was sick as fuck. He thought himself to be justice? A god? Hell no.
For starters, let's leave the criminals alone. Why did he kill the people after him? What injustice had they committed? They opposed this so-called god. Yeah, surely that has to be justice beyond reasonable doubt.

Now the criminals. Supposedly he never killed guys that felt remorse or admitted their guilt, yeah right. But what about the rest? They never were given a fair trial to prove their innocence, were they? There's bound to be some people that were innocent, but were arrested by the police due to circumstantial evidence. Where is the justice there?

Also, he thinks he is a "god", for god's sake. Isn't that thing enough to classify him as batshit crazy? There are just so many things wrong with him that I don't even know where to start. I was simply disgusted with the protagonist. 

Now, people that like Light, explain what is it that is likeable in him. Be warned that I may judge you that there is something terribly wrong with you.


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## Mair (Feb 17, 2014)

He became really arrogant towards the end (and that's what killed him), but in the beginning he seemed like someone who tried to make the world a better place by killing criminals ,so people who support corporal punishment saw his actions as justified.

As about the innocent people he killed...I guess his fans think they were necessary sacrifices for the "greater good".

I personally found him annoying and too much of a Mary-Sue(a teenager who tricks everyone, including the Interpol? Really?) and I didn't agree with his opinions in general.


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## ForestPaix (Aug 30, 2014)

He was pretty much an asshole, perfect example of power corrupts. I never finished the series because I hated him for killing literally everyone! Even L, which I found out prematurely thanks to stupid YouTube comments.


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## mysterie (Jul 16, 2014)

i thought he was an interesting character, extremely intelligent and resourceful, so i can see why people might be upset he died. you dont have to morally agree with everything he did, in order to enjoy the colour of having a egotistical character can give to a story


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## Solrac026 (Mar 6, 2012)

Meh, a lot of people are rotten anyway. Also, I like rooting for the underdog, in this case, things that aren't human, like plants and other animals. Why do we as a species get to wipe everything else out for our own benefit? Down with anthropocentrism!


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## ForestPaix (Aug 30, 2014)

mysterie said:


> i thought he was an interesting character, extremely intelligent and resourceful, so i can see why people might be upset he died. you dont have to morally agree with everything he did, in order to enjoy the colour of having a egotistical character can give to a story


True this. Even though he was 'evil' he was still a well written character.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

ForestPaix said:


> True this. Even though he was 'evil' he was still a well written character.


No. Johan from Monster is an example of a well written character. Light is not.



> i thought he was an interesting character, extremely intelligent and resourceful


Except, I was not impressed by his "intelligence" at all. The plan with the camera in the bag of chips was retarded. The plan where he used the bus to get the FBI agent to reveal his identity was one hell of a big stretch. There are waaaay too many things that could've gone wrong there. Thus, I could not identify his so-called intelligence. 

To me, it seemed the anime made itself over-complicated, when in truth, it wasn't much of an anime. The only part that really amazed me was exactly at the beginning, when L was first introduced and determined that Light was somewhere in certain region of Japan.

On a side note, why the hell is everyone in high-school or in their 20's in anime?


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## Mair (Feb 17, 2014)

Am I the only one who thinks Death Note is a really overrated anime? The characters were unrealistic and I couldn't like any of them (except for L maybe, he was pretty unrealistic too but at least I could tolerate him). It also became really boring after L died (it's not only my opinion, lots of people I know think so).
Also, am I the only one who really hated Misa?


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

Mair said:


> Am I the only one who thinks Death Note is a really overrated anime? The characters were unrealistic and I couldn't like any of them (except for L maybe, he was pretty unrealistic too but at least I could tolerate him). It also became really boring after L died (it's not only my opinion, lots of people I know think so).
> Also, am I the only one who really hated Misa?


It's the most overrated anime of all time. Oh, and I hated almost all characters, ranging from Rem to Kira.


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## ForestPaix (Aug 30, 2014)

HGM said:


> No. Johan from Monster is an example of a well written character. Light is not.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmm never heard of Monster. 
Yeah, I tend to agree with you as well, in that light, what teenage kid thinks of perfect set ups, and stuff like the camera in the chips, and stupid bus incident which he used that girl, realistically, he would have left some loophole and screwed up somewhere. He was 'too' smart to be a realistic character, he could have been better written, as he was an interesting character, in that light, but he's too 'smart' too powerful. It's definitely not the greatest anime out, but then again most animes have very frustrating bit, probably most of the reasons people hype it, is the concept of the Death Note, and L and Light fangirls.


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## ForestPaix (Aug 30, 2014)

Mair said:


> Am I the only one who thinks Death Note is a really overrated anime? The characters were unrealistic and I couldn't like any of them (except for L maybe, he was pretty unrealistic too but at least I could tolerate him). It also became really boring after L died (it's not only my opinion, lots of people I know think so).
> Also, am I the only one who really hated Misa?


Having only seen about 1/4 of the anime, I can only judge what I've seen, but yeah, Light was too powerful with basically no weaknesses to be realistic. L was a memorable character, the only characters I really remember are him, Light, the guy and his fiance that Light killed. Once I knew L was doing to die, I quit watching. Most animes are full of unrealistic characters, but then again, this one is set in the real world, so hence it kind of calls for believable characters.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

ForestPaix said:


> Having only seen about 1/4 of the anime, I can only judge what I've seen, but yeah, Light was too powerful with basically no weaknesses to be realistic. L was a memorable character, the only characters I really remember are him, Light, the guy and his fiance that Light killed. Once I knew L was doing to die, I quit watching. Most animes are full of unrealistic characters, but then again, this one is set in the real world, so hence it kind of calls for believable characters.







This is actually 1000x better than the series. And this guys is more interesting than Light.


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## QrivaN (Aug 3, 2012)

I can't say for sure, but I think that the reason people root for Light is because it's basically part of the premise of the show: the choice between very many extremes on the morality spectrum. We have Light, the representative for "do _anything_ to make the world a better place", though corruption and egocentrism tainted that; L, "do anything to solve the puzzle", because he saw the whole thing as one big game; Soichiro Yagami, the classic "do the right thing at all times"; and so on and so forth. Making the characters unrealistic, the way I see it, was to further accentuate this idea to make it easier for the fans to choose a side without explicit laying out what side is supposed to be good. As far as why everyone's so "smart", I can only guess that that's to keep the story moving. Had they not been, we would've either been stuck on one stupid plan for a long time, or everything would go so smoothly that the story would be over before it actually started.


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## nonstampcollector (Jul 21, 2014)

Light was the first Walter White. In the beginning we're behind his cause, however we slowly watch his power corrupt him and he goes from being a protagonist to an antagonist. The true tragedy was his fall, someone so intelligent and full of potential so easily corrupted and no redemption. That is why most, I wager were sad when he met his demise.

Both Light and Walter start upon their paths with good intent, Walter wanting to create a nest egg for his family before he dies and Light wanting a world without evil, however they both end up becoming the very monsters they're trying to rid the world of.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

nonstampcollector said:


> Light was the first Walter White. In the beginning we're behind his cause, however we slowly watch his power corrupt him and he goes from being a protagonist to an antagonist. The true tragedy was his fall, someone so intelligent and full of potential so easily corrupted and no redemption. That is why most, I wager were sad when he met his demise.
> 
> Both Light and Walter start upon their paths with good intent, Walter wanting to create a nest egg for his family before he dies and Light wanting a world without evil, however they both end up becoming the very monsters they're trying to rid the world of.


Your premise is wrong. Light did not start with good intentions. He was just an insane serial killer. People that commit different crimes deserve punishment, after a fair trial and after everything was taken into account.


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## nonstampcollector (Jul 21, 2014)

HGM said:


> Your premise is wrong. Light did not start with good intentions. He was just an insane serial killer. People that commit different crimes deserve punishment, after a fair trial and after everything was taken into account.


I'll have to disagree, Light wanted to rid the world of evil and he was given an opportunity to do so via the Death Note which ultimately corrupted him. His noble quest turned into a vanity project, it was no longer about ridding the world of evil but outsmarting L. If Light was insane from the off, he would have killed people indiscriminately, regardless of whether they were innocent or criminals.

The story is one of a fall from grace, the slow and eventual corruption that power brings.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

nonstampcollector said:


> I'll have to disagree, Light wanted to *rid the world of evil* and he was given an opportunity to


Not every criminal is evil. Read "Les Miserables". And do not tell me he checked what everyone was doing, because that would be impossible. Therefore, the criminals do not entirely represent evil. Some of them might have "noble" goals of their own. Some might've killed to prevent someone else from being killed and so on. 



> via the Death Note


Everyone has a right to live and to die, if they wish so. No one else gets to decide who lives or who dies. 



> His *noble quest*


There is something terribly wrong with you. There wasn't anything noble about his stupid fantasy. He wanted more "to become a God" than the cheesy bullshit of "ridding the world of evil".



> outsmarting L


Yeah, L lacked the benefit of having an overpowered weapon AND an invisible being. So, L kind of outsmarted Light by a lot.



> If Light was insane from the off, he would have killed people indiscriminately, regardless of whether they were innocent or criminals.


In, like, episode 2 or 3, he kills the fake L because he "dared oppose his highness the God Light". That was his crime.

So, to me, Light wasn't at all someone with "a noble goal". But then again, I'm from Romania.


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## nonstampcollector (Jul 21, 2014)

HGM said:


> Not every criminal is evil. Read "Les Miserables". And do not tell me he checked what everyone was doing, because that would be impossible. Therefore, the criminals do not entirely represent evil. Some of them might have "noble" goals of their own. Some might've killed to prevent someone else from being killed and so on.
> 
> 
> Everyone has a right to live and to die, if they wish so. No one else gets to decide who lives or who dies.
> ...


You seem to applying Lights mental state to my own world view. I agree that not all criminals are evil, I'm simply speaking from Lights point of view. He saw them as an evil and that the world would be a better place without them, I however; do not share this view.

You seem to be applying too much emotional baggage upon a simple work of fiction. I reiterate, the story is one that highlights how power can corrupt and the very thing we set out to destroy, we inevitably become. _"He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."_ 

No, there is nothing wrong with me, please refrain from using _argumentum ad hominem_, again Light himself saw that ridding the world of those that do evil was a noble undertaking, and again this is *NOT* a view that I share with the character. I reiterate *AGAIN* the story is highlighting a protagonists journey to becoming the antagonist.

Indeed, L had Light on the ropes for a lot of the narrative and Light was simply playing an intense waiting game, finding the opportune moment to pen L's name in to his Death Note.

And again... Light killing the fake L is showing Lights slow corruption out of the starting blocks. He justifies it by believing anyone standing in his way to rid the world of evil is an enabler of evil, until L becomes so much of a hindrance to his plans that L becomes the main focus of his machinations. 

So, I say again, I'm not aligning myself with Lights world view, I do not agree with his motivations or methods, I'm simply arguing from his point of view which he meant well, but was corrupted by his power.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

nonstampcollector said:


> You seem to applying Lights mental state to my own world view. I agree that not all criminals are evil, I'm simply speaking from Lights point of view. He saw them as an evil and that the world would be a better place without them, I however; do not share this view.
> 
> You seem to be applying too much emotional baggage upon a simple work of fiction. I reiterate, the story is one that highlights how power can corrupt and the very thing we set out to destroy, we inevitably become. _"He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."_
> 
> ...


Sorry if I offended you, but I've had really rough day and things are not looking like they are about go get any better. Still, that is no excuse. I apologize. Do not get me wrong, I stand by my point, though I've conveyed it in a bad way.

EDIT: I thought your views were the same as his. Your post kind of makes me think that way, especially the bolded words. Guess I made a wrong assumption.


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## Aya the Abysswalker (Mar 23, 2012)

Because Light represents what they think is wrong with society.


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## nonstampcollector (Jul 21, 2014)

HGM said:


> Sorry if I offended you, but I've had really rough day and things are not looking like they are about go get any better. Still, that is no excuse. I apologize. Do not get me wrong, I stand by my point, though I've conveyed it in a bad way.
> 
> EDIT: I thought your views were the same as his. Your post kind of makes me think that way, especially the bolded words. Guess I made a wrong assumption.


It's cool, don't worry about it. You asked why people are on his side, the short answer is he's the protagonist and we follow events from his perspective for most of the story and we become emotionally invested in his quest. However a conflict of interests does start to arise, like that with Walter White of Breaking Bad. It's sad in the end because all of it was for naught, no one won apart from Ryuk and there was no redemption.


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## WindScale (Jun 16, 2013)

I was rooting for him because I thought he made the story more interesting. Seeing him rise then ultimately fall. I would never really condone some of the actions he took but seeing things through the eyes of a protagonist of his character was appealing.


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## elixare (Aug 26, 2010)

Because the alternative would be rooting for L/Near/Mello who are all lame (L stands for Lame) and boring as hell


Also,


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

childofprodigy said:


> Because the alternative would be rooting for L/Near/Mello who are all lame (L stands for Lame) and boring as hell
> 
> 
> Also,


The entire series is nothing but boredom.


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## Donkey D Kong (Feb 14, 2011)

I rooted for Light because he was the main character and I sure as hell love a villain protagonist and an INTJ protagonist. Ethically, I couldn't agree with him on any grounds, but I'm sure there are some edgy teens that agreed with what he did. I've actually wanted to write a few blog posts about the philosophy in Death Note, but never exactly got around to it.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

Donkey D Kong said:


> I rooted for Light because he was the main character and I sure as hell love a villain protagonist and an INTJ protagonist. Ethically, I couldn't agree with him on any grounds, but I'm sure there are some edgy teens that agreed with what he did. I've actually wanted to write a few blog posts about the philosophy in Death Note, but never exactly got around to it.


I also happen to like villains, but they have to be interesting (Johan, Monster).


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## euphorie (May 21, 2014)

I rooted for Light because I saw his good intentions in the beginning (even if killing others is completely wrong) and stuck by him throughout the series because I secretly wanted him to succeed. I don't know why. I just didn't like L very much and I don't see the appeal. L was so popular amongst the people around me and I get that he's funny and he's a little childish but still a genius... but he's kinda flat and boring to me. Actually, most characters were.


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## Nirel (Oct 21, 2012)

Not all relatable characters need to be good. ofc he was evil and deserved to die from the beginning, but he had qualities that made you identify with him, as a fictional character I'd find the series more interesting if he had won at the end.


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## Playful Proxy (Feb 6, 2012)

Light was the main character. I think everyone knew he was bad, but at the same time, it'd be nice to see the bad guy win every now and then, you know? Also, after they killed of L, Light was the most interesting character left. Had L found some amazing way to win, I don't think it would have been nearly as bad as some kid who just magically knew 'everything' and just pulled a "Oh, you switched the notebooks? I DOUBLESWITCHED the notebooks!" to bring him down. T.T


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## XZ9 (Nov 16, 2013)

I wanted light to win. He could had even killed Near with his death note piece if he hadn't made it so obvious. He flashed out his watched in front of everyone.


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## ScarlettHayden (Jun 8, 2012)

You know what.. I have no idea. And I worshipped him for practically an entire year. What the hell was in my head back then. He has to be the most twisted character ever created.


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## aendern (Dec 28, 2013)

Light was interesting as fuck, and he had a master plan and a vision.

How could I not root for him?

Also, he was practically a mind reader with his ability to predict L's moves. And he planned out his own losing of possession of the death note so that he could trick L into believing him.

Like that was so smart. By far my favourite part of the series.

I also liked how he was willing to let Misa Misa give up 75% of her lifespan for 2 sets of shinigami eyes.

I always root for the interesting character. Idc if they're evil or what have you. If they're some stupid noob in a horror movie "oh what's behind this door with blood on it?" of course I'm going to root for the bad guy.


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## 18skeltor (Oct 6, 2013)

Just because someone is rooting for someone in a *fictional work*, doesn't mean they're like crazy or evil. It just means they liked the character because he was interesting and it was fun to see how he used his brilliance throughout the show to evade being caught.


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## sjack (Mar 18, 2013)

I think anyone who doesn't posses the moral compass of some edgy 12 year old can recognize the fact that Light's idea of "justice" is completely nonsensical. The apparent reason as to why people root for him is because his some genius out to conquer the world. Except he made so many dumb mistakes caused by his immature childish ego and the only reason L didn't catch him from the beginning is because the author needed to keep the plot going. Death Note is a nice gateway anime until you actually expand your horizons and realize that it's a sub-par work at best.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

18skeltor said:


> Just because someone is rooting for someone in a *fictional work*, doesn't mean they're like crazy or evil. It just means they liked the character because he was interesting and it was fun to see how he used his brilliance throughout the show to evade being caught.


I realize this is an old reply, but something constructive might come of it. While I do admit having an exaggerated reaction, due to me being somewhat immature, you cannot deny that the fiction you like reflects a part of your personality. Liking a certain stereotype of character definitely has a link to your psychology, conscious or not. 
I am annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to cheer for Lights vision, even though it was clear of how twisted it was. Also, this is very subjective, but I found the series very overrated, as the plans weren't that brilliant, aside from the part where L first appeared.


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## aendern (Dec 28, 2013)

Noir said:


> I realize this is an old reply, but something constructive might come of it. While I do admit having an exaggerated reaction, due to me being somewhat immature, you cannot deny that the fiction you like reflects a part of your personality. Liking a certain stereotype of character definitely has a link to your psychology, conscious or not.
> I am annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to cheer for Lights vision, even though it was clear of how twisted it was. Also, this is very subjective, but I found the series very overrated, as the plans weren't that brilliant, aside from the part where L first appeared.


I agree that the show is overrated. It was probably the first anime series I ever watched. And at the time I thought it was the best anime series ever (no doubt the best I'd ever seen :wink but after watching dozens of other ones, I totally don't see why Death Note is rated #1 on many anime rating sites.

That's the whole reason I watched it first... and I definitely wouldn't rate it #1... maybe in the top 10.

btw I *loved* Mushishi and I'm so sad there was no actual ending :'( or a season 2 or _something_.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

emberfly said:


> I agree that the show is overrated. It was probably the first anime series I ever watched. And at the time I thought it was the best anime series ever (no doubt the best I'd ever seen :wink but after watching dozens of other ones, I totally don't see why Death Note is rated #1 on many anime rating sites.
> 
> That's the whole reason I watched it first... and I definitely wouldn't rate it #1... maybe in the top 10.
> 
> btw I *loved* Mushishi and I'm so sad there was no actual ending :'( or a season 2 or _something_.


You are aware of Mushishi: Zoku Shou?


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## aendern (Dec 28, 2013)

Noir said:


> You are aware of Mushishi: Zoku Shou?


What is that?


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## sjack (Mar 18, 2013)

emberfly said:


> What is that?


Second season. It started airing this year.


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## 18skeltor (Oct 6, 2013)

Noir said:


> I realize this is an old reply, but something constructive might come of it. While I do admit having an exaggerated reaction, due to me being somewhat immature, you cannot deny that the fiction you like reflects a part of your personality. Liking a certain stereotype of character definitely has a link to your psychology, conscious or not.
> I am annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to cheer for Lights vision, even though it was clear of how twisted it was. Also, this is very subjective, but I found the series very overrated, as the plans weren't that brilliant, aside from the part where L first appeared.


Yes, I agree that it liking of a certain character definitely has a link to your psychology, but it's not just as simple as "Liking evil character = You're evil". It's much more complex than that, and simplistic assumptions cannot be made.

Are you serious? The majority of people who have talked about the show have rooted for L. That has become clear to me by looking through opinions of this show on the internet.

I cheered for Light. I'm not a delusional psycho, I just found him to be brilliant, and I loved his schemes. I would have cheered for him if he was on a quest to save a group of puppies, so long as he exhibited characteristics that showed genius and logical thinking.

Edit: There aren't enough NT characters in shows. I was ecstatic when Topher of Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" was an ENTP.


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## sjack (Mar 18, 2013)

18skeltor said:


> Yes, I agree that it liking of a certain character definitely has a link to your psychology, but it's not just as simple as "Liking evil character = You're evil". It's much more complex than that, and simplistic assumptions cannot be made.
> 
> Are you serious? The majority of people who have talked about the show have rooted for L. That has become clear to me by looking through opinions of this show on the internet.
> 
> ...


No I actually think there are plenty of over-saturated NT "tv genius" characters in shows e.g. Dexter, Criminal Minds, Sherlock etc. to almost a nauseating degree.


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## Razare (Apr 21, 2009)

Noir said:


> Now, people that like Light, explain what is it that is likeable in him. Be warned that I may judge you that there is something terribly wrong with you.


I liked Light a lot as a character because I could see my old flawed self in him. I was pretty much an ego-maniac who had I been given a death note, could have easily done the very same thing he did.

By the time I watched Death Note, I was a somewhat different person, but my old self at 18 very much resembled him.

Remember, Light was a normal person who was given something he should not have. His father in the hospital toward the beginning of the series said it best... the real tragedy was that this power was bestowed upon a person, because no matter how it was used, it would never be good.

When he forgot what he had done, he was pretty much back to being a normal person who thought Kira was evil. The problem arose because he had murdered someone before he realized he was a murderer... and then chose to deal with it the wrong way by going insane. Insanity was really his coping mechanism to try to bring about some kind of good from evil, but he didn't realize that this was actually impossible and just became evil.


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## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

18skeltor said:


> I cheered for Light. I'm not a delusional psycho, I just found him to be brilliant, and I loved his schemes. I would have cheered for him if he was on a quest to save a group of puppies, so long as he exhibited characteristics that showed genius and logical thinking.


Dude, I already admitted I went overboard in the 1st post. I find it frustrating that so many people cheer for a so-called "genius" character that had such a wrong way of viewing things. He thought he was a god...












> I just found him to be brilliant, and I loved his schemes.


You have a right to like what you want, but his schemes weren't that great. The chip plan, where he put a camera in the bag was very lacking. How did he manage to reseal the bag with the camera in it? And if the camera was so small it could fit in a bag of chips, how could Light even read the names of the criminals on such a small screen? Not impressed. 
The bus plan - it was too random. A lot of things could have gone wrong. What if the detective hadn't revealed his identity, what if the back seat was taken, what if one of the passengers tried to fight the hijacking etc. Light had more dumb luck than strategic planning. Not impressed. 
The only part that really impressed me was the one where L first appeared and discovered where Light was.
Overall, I find this series really overrated.


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## Clyme (Jul 17, 2014)

Noir said:


> I was listening to the Death Note OST on YT and I noticed that a hell of a lot of people like and cheer for Light, and how sad they are he died.
> What is bloody wrong with these people?
> Light was sick as fuck. He thought himself to be justice? A god? Hell no.
> For starters, let's leave the criminals alone. Why did he kill the people after him? What injustice had they committed? They opposed this so-called god. Yeah, surely that has to be justice beyond reasonable doubt.
> ...


Honestly, I was never fond of the character, and if I recall, I was somewhat against his motivations from the start. Towards the end, he became derailed and I wasn't fond of that either. I didn't feel sorry for the character at the end at all. I think, if our world really were like that, such a thing would be necessary.


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## 18skeltor (Oct 6, 2013)

Noir said:


> Dude, I already admitted I went overboard in the 1st post. I find it frustrating that so many people cheer for a so-called "genius" character that had such a wrong way of viewing things. He thought he was a god...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Good 4 U. 

Yeah, that scene was shit, in the logical sense. Not exactly Light's problem though. The creators, more like


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## KimA (Jul 7, 2014)

Noir said:


> I was listening to the Death Note OST on YT and I noticed that a hell of a lot of people like and cheer for Light, and how sad they are he died.
> What is bloody wrong with these people?
> Light was sick as fuck. He thought himself to be justice? A god? Hell no.
> For starters, let's leave the criminals alone. Why did he kill the people after him? What injustice had they committed? They opposed this so-called god. Yeah, surely that has to be justice beyond reasonable doubt.
> ...



I absolutely agree with you. It was very clear to me from the very beginning that Light's true intentions were not to better the world. He was obsessed with the idea of becoming a 'God' and being revered. He used the idea that he was bettering humanity as an excuse to feel as if what he was doing was right. He convinced himself that he is justice.

Light's psychology is a little complicated. Psychopathy is unlikely because his family would have noticed very odd behavior since childhood (many people with anti social personality disorder exhibit common traits during childhood, including pathological lying, stealing, injuring and bullying other children and animals, behavioral disorders, etc...). There also must be a trigger for the disorder. For instance, the probability of someone becoming a psychopath without a history of abuse is extremely low (unless they have brain damage, as far as I know this can cause it as well). Light's childhood as far as we know, was relatively normal.

I can however, see how he could have been a narcissist. Since Light was a genius, it is possible that his parents had very high expectations of him. A narcissist is someone who creates a fake persona because their original personality was shunned to the point that they felt they had to become someone else. Light may have felt the need to do this due to pressure from his parents. In this case, his true personality would be left undeveloped and he would use other people to try and create a mirror reflection of what he wants to believe he is. I can definitely see this in Light Yagami. During the course of the story, he develops an idealized version of himself as the 'God of the new world' and in the end, when Near tears the entire thing to shreds, breaks down into the unstable person he really is. 

However, Light's behavior isn't what it is when he no longer has the Death Note. We can see that when he loses his memories, he becomes a completely different person. He even expresses his discomfort at the idea of tricking Misa into loving him to obtain information for L. 

And if you consider the states of other users of the Death Note, namely Mikami, Takada, and Misa, they do seem like people who would never have thought about killing someone prior to obtaining the notebook. Mikami also experiences a similar breakdown to Light's at the end of the story, and resorts to killing himself. For this reason I think it is possible that the Death Note itself operates somewhat like the ring from Lord of the Rings. Just as Light himself said at the beginning, there's something about it that makes humans want to use it. It is a supernatural notebook after all.


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