DEATH NOTE is a surprisingly difficult series when it comes to deciding who the “strongest character” is.
That is because this story contains:
humans who can kill someone simply by writing their name in a notebook,
people who use guns and explosives,
and even
Shinigami, beings fundamentally different from humans.
So this is not the kind of battle manga where you can simply say:
“Character A punches harder than Character B, so A wins.”
Instead, I created my own TOP 10 based on one question:
“If these characters seriously became your enemy, who would be the strongest and most dangerous?”
There is something very important to make clear before we begin.
This is not an official ranking.
And this time, my personal opinion plays a particularly large role in the order.
There is no official “combat power” or “strongest character” ranking in DEATH NOTE, and comparing humans and Shinigami under the same conditions is already somewhat unreasonable.
So in this article, I consider factors such as:
The Death Note
Shinigami Eyes
Weapons such as guns and explosives
Physical ability
Ability to defeat someone alone
Initiative
Courage
Quick thinking under pressure
Ability to control people or organizations
The danger actually demonstrated in the story
Weaknesses caused by personality
and combine them with my own sense of:
“How much would I personally not want this character as an enemy?”
For that reason, intelligence is not the most important factor in this ranking.
Of course, the intelligence of Light Yagami, L, Near, and others is an enormous weapon.
However,
even if you have one of the best minds in Japan, getting shot is still a serious problem.
That is the kind of ranking this is.
So opinions such as:
“How can L be outside the TOP 10?”
“Higuchi at No. 3 is way too high.”
or
“Shouldn’t every Shinigami automatically rank above every human?”
are completely understandable.
I do not believe there is one objectively correct answer to this ranking.
Please think of this as my personal strongest-character ranking, based on what was shown in the story but heavily influenced by my own criteria and interpretation.
※This article contains major spoilers through the ending of DEATH NOTE.
Having a huge organization behind you is certainly an advantage, but I also ask:
Can this person still defeat an opponent when they are alone?
That means the Death Note, Shinigami Eyes, guns, physical ability, and similar advantages all matter.
Killing Ability
How many realistic ways does the character have to eliminate an opponent?
Naturally, the Death Note is overwhelmingly powerful.
However,
owning a Death Note does not automatically make someone the strongest.
I also consider whether the character can create a situation where they can actually use it and how they react when they themselves are cornered.
Weapons and Physical Ability
Guns, explosives, sports experience, martial arts experience, and similar abilities all count.
It is easy to forget this in DEATH NOTE, but:
writing someone’s name in a notebook still takes at least a little time.
If the person standing in front of you already has a gun pointed at you, the situation changes considerably.
Initiative and Courage
Can the character personally act even in a dangerous situation?
Characters like Mello, who do not simply say:
“That looks dangerous. I’ll let my subordinates handle it.”
and instead show up themselves receive a high evaluation here.
Intelligence and Quick Thinking
Of course intelligence still matters.
However, it is not weighted nearly as heavily as in my intelligence ranking.
This article is asking “Who is strong?”, not simply “Who is smart?”
Ability to Control Others
The ability to use the mafia, guards, subordinates, or allies is also a form of strength.
However, because I place considerable value on individual ability, someone who relies entirely on an organization will not automatically rank highly.
Personality Weaknesses
This is also important.
Even someone with overwhelming abilities can lose points if they:
Are controlled by emotion
Become careless
Panic
Are easily deceived
Are vulnerable to provocation
And once again, how heavily I value each of these categories is entirely subjective.
DEATH NOTE Top 10 Strongest Characters
Rank
Character
Main Strengths
1
Ryuk
Shinigami, Death Note, ruthlessness, few weaknesses
2
Rem
Shinigami, Death Note, willingness to act for Misa
3
Kyosuke Higuchi
Death Note, Shinigami Eyes, handgun, fifth-dan kendo
4
Mello
Death Note operation, guns, explosives, mafia, initiative
5
Light Yagami
Death Note, intelligence, adaptability, athletic ability
6
Teru Mikami
Death Note, Shinigami Eyes, quick thinking, physical fitness
7
Kiyomi Takada
Death Note scrap, influence, security
8
Misa Amane
Death Note, Shinigami Eyes, unpredictability
9
Touta Matsuda
Handgun, shooting accuracy, ability to act under pressure
10
Sidoh
Shinigami abilities, but major issues with personality and judgment
※This is not an official ranking. I evaluated individual danger, weapons, physical ability, initiative, personality, and other factors according to my own criteria.
10. Sidoh | A Shinigami at No. 10. The Main Problem Is Basically Sidoh
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 10 is the Shinigami Sidoh.
If we look only at his basic specifications, he should be incredibly powerful.
He is a Shinigami.
He can use a Death Note.
His very existence follows completely different rules from that of humans.
Normally, this section could probably end with:
“He is a Shinigami, so he is above humans. The end.”
But Sidoh has one very large problem.
Sidoh himself is not particularly reliable.
He comes to the human world to recover his lost Death Note and eventually reaches Mello’s group.
Yet somehow, Mello ends up holding most of the power in their relationship.
The basic structure should be:
Shinigami → terrifies humans
but with Sidoh it becomes:
Mello → threatens a Shinigami
Something has gone wrong.
As a Shinigami, Sidoh’s abilities are unquestionably among the best in the ranking.
However, this ranking evaluates not only the abilities someone possesses, but also the person—or Shinigami—using them.
That is why Sidoh finishes No. 10.
He has top-tier legendary equipment, but there are some concerns about the player controlling the character.
9. Touta Matsuda | A Shooting Ability That Makes No Sense Compared With His Usual Personality
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 9 is Touta Matsuda.
No Death Note.
No Shinigami Eyes.
No superhuman deduction.
And yet, he still makes the TOP 10.
The reason is simple:
Matsuda with a gun is genuinely dangerous.
During the final confrontation, when Light attempts to use the hidden scrap of Death Note inside his watch, Matsuda immediately shoots and stops him.
Normally, Matsuda is one of the characters who brings some lightness to the atmosphere of the series.
There are moments when you might wonder:
“Are we completely sure this man should be involved in the Kira investigation?”
But the moment he gets a gun,
an entirely different stat suddenly unlocks.
During the final confrontation, his anger also explodes when he learns that Light betrayed Soichiro, a man Matsuda deeply respected.
Even after realizing that Light is Kira, Matsuda has the courage to pull the trigger.
Intelligence is not the most important category in this ranking.
If Matsuda is standing directly in front of you with a handgun, you probably would not feel reassured by thinking:
“It’s fine. My IQ is higher.”
So Matsuda takes No. 9.
8. Misa Amane | Top-Tier Abilities and Absolutely No Guarantee What She Will Do Next
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 8 is Misa Amane.
She appears as the Second Kira and possesses the extremely powerful combination of:
a Death Note + Shinigami Eyes.
With the Shinigami Eyes, she can learn someone’s name simply by seeing their face.
That almost completely removes one of the biggest problems faced by ordinary Death Note users:
“I know the face, but I don’t know the real name.”
In terms of pure killing ability, Misa is probably one of the strongest human characters in the series.
So why is she only No. 8?
Because:
Misa’s own actions are not particularly stable or predictable.
That is a weakness.
But from an opponent’s perspective, it can also make her more frightening.
With Light, you can at least attempt to calculate:
“Given this situation, he will probably do this next.”
With Misa,
she may start doing something completely different while you are still calculating.
Her abilities are powerful.
She is bold.
And she is difficult to predict.
That is extremely inconvenient for an enemy.
An unpredictable character with an instant-kill ability.
Not someone I would particularly want to deal with.
However, because her ability management is less stable than some of the characters above her, I placed her at No. 8.
7. Kiyomi Takada | You Think She Is Just a Famous TV Personality—Then the Hidden Equipment Appears
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 7 is Kiyomi Takada.
She becomes Kira’s spokesperson and gains enormous social influence.
To be precise, what Takada uses near the end of the story is not the full Death Note itself, but a hidden scrap of the notebook that Light instructed her to keep.
When Mello kidnaps her, Takada uses that scrap to write Mello’s real name and actually kills him.
That is extremely dangerous.
Naturally, Mello is cautious.
He checks her for weapons.
He even forces her to remove her clothing.
And yet:
one piece of paper remains, and he dies because of it.
Security checks in the world of DEATH NOTE are unfairly difficult.
Takada is also a famous public figure acting as Kira’s spokesperson and is surrounded by security.
Her individual physical ability is not particularly impressive.
However:
social influence + security + a hidden Death Note scrap
is an extremely difficult combination to deal with.
And she has the actual achievement of killing Mello after being cornered.
That is enough for No. 7.
6. Teru Mikami | Death Note, Shinigami Eyes, Quick Thinking… and Regular Gym Sessions
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 6 is Teru Mikami.
Light entrusts him with the Death Note, and he operates as X-Kira.
First of all, his equipment is excellent.
Death Note.
Shinigami Eyes.
That alone already makes him extremely dangerous.
Mikami is also capable of understanding Kira’s ideology and acting independently without Light giving him detailed instructions every time.
He is more than someone whose only job is writing names.
And surprisingly, another factor matters in this ranking:
he also keeps himself physically fit.
Gevanni’s investigation reveals that Mikami regularly goes to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays, maintaining the routine with extraordinary consistency.
So we have:
A Death Note user.
Shinigami Eyes.
A prosecutor.
Intelligent.
And he works out.
There are surprisingly few obvious gaps in his build.
Even if you approach him thinking:
“As long as I stop him from writing my name, I’ll be fine,”
you are still approaching an adult man who regularly trains his body.
Slightly more troublesome than expected.
On the other hand, that excessively predictable routine also allows Gevanni to understand his behavior pattern.
Working out is a strength. The schedule is the weakness.
His independent action after Takada’s kidnapping also becomes one of the factors leading to Light’s defeat.
High specifications, but a little inflexible.
No. 6.
5. Light Yagami | It Is Not Just His Brain—He Is Actually Highly Athletic Too
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 5 is the protagonist, Light Yagami.
He is the person who uses the Death Note as Kira.
Naturally, his greatest weapon is:
the Death Note + one of the greatest minds in the entire series.
But that is not the only reason he ranks this highly.
Light is also extremely athletic.
During his second and third years of junior high school, he won national-level tennis tournaments.
So Light is:
Intelligent.
Good-looking.
A nationally competitive athlete.
And then one day he finds a Death Note.
Someone clearly spent too many points on the character creation screen.
Light is also extraordinarily good at reacting to unexpected situations.
Even when he happens to encounter Naomi Misora by complete accident, he creates a plan on the spot to eliminate her.
He gives up ownership of the Death Note and even incorporates the loss of his own memories into a long-term plan.
His use of the notebook is on another level compared with most owners.
Even so, he is only No. 5.
Because intelligence is not the most important category here.
Light does not possess the Shinigami Eyes.
If he does not know someone’s real name, he cannot kill them with the notebook.
He is also not someone who routinely uses guns or explosives.
And his greatest weakness is:
pride.
He reacts to L’s provocation and allows L to narrow down his location.
Light is close to an all-around character.
But:
it is possible that he forgot to assign enough stat points to “resistance to being provoked.”
His overall ability still earns him No. 5.
4. Mello | Dangerous Without a Death Note. Even Worse Once a Death Note Enters the Picture
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 4 is Mello.
His real name is Mihael Keehl.
The biggest reason I ranked Mello this highly is:
he is already dangerous without a Death Note.
After leaving Wammy’s House, Mello enters the criminal underworld and eventually uses a mafia organization to pursue the Death Note.
His available tools include:
Kidnapping
Guns
Explosives
The mafia
The Death Note
Aggressive tactics
That is a lot of options.
When his hideout is raided, Mello even detonates the explosives himself in order to escape.
He also does not insist on personally keeping or using the Death Note.
Instead, he uses other members of the mafia to operate it and even takes advantage of the Shinigami Eye deal through others.
In other words, one of Mello’s strengths is:
his ability to make other people act for his goals.
And he does not simply sit in a safe room giving orders.
He personally enters dangerous situations.
He personally kidnaps Takada.
He carries a gun.
While Near might think:
“How can I solve this situation logically?”
Mello is more likely to move toward:
“If I kidnap someone, the situation will probably change.”
Their methods are very different.
If Mello becomes your enemy, you have to:
Protect yourself.
Protect your family.
Watch the mafia.
Watch for explosives.
Watch the Death Note.
There are far too many things to worry about.
Taking his intelligence, weapons, courage, initiative, and ability to control others together, I ranked him No. 4.
3. Kyosuke Higuchi | He Would Never Rank This High in an Intelligence List—But Look at His Equipment
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 3 is Kyosuke Higuchi.
This is probably the most controversial position in the entire ranking.
Many readers are probably thinking:
“Higuchi above Light!?”
That is a completely normal reaction.
But remember:
this is not an intelligence ranking.
Let us simply list what Higuchi has available.
A Death Note.
Shinigami Eyes.
A handgun.
And:
fifth-dan rank in kendo.
Higuchi’s fifth-dan kendo rank is included in character profile information associated with the official guide.
When he is cornered, Higuchi also makes the Shinigami Eye deal with Rem, giving him the ability to identify someone’s name simply by seeing their face.
He also carries a handgun, meaning he is not limited to the notebook itself.
So:
At long range, the Death Note.
If he does not know the real name, Shinigami Eyes.
At close range, a handgun.
And on top of that, martial arts experience.
His personal equipment list is genuinely impressive.
If this were a video game, you might reasonably ask:
“Why does this character have this many weapons?”
The problem, of course, is:
the person using all of that equipment is Higuchi.
He panics when Matsuda does not die.
He becomes increasingly desperate once he realizes he has been trapped.
He loses his composure under pressure.
He certainly does not possess Light’s level of planning ability.
So if we summarized him like a game character:
Equipment: S Battle of wits: B Mental stability: slightly concerning
However, this ranking gives considerable weight to individual killing options and physical ability rather than intelligence alone.
That is why he is No. 3.
It is very different from a typical DEATH NOTE strongest-character ranking, but under these particular criteria,
I think Higuchi is a surprisingly dangerous character.
2. Rem | When Misa Is in Danger, There May Be Nobody More Frightening
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 2 is the Shinigami Rem.
If we judged only abilities, she could easily be No. 1.
As a Shinigami, her very existence gives her an overwhelming advantage over humans.
She can use a Death Note and see human names and lifespans.
And her actual record is enormous.
She personally kills L and Watari.
Importantly, Rem does not lose because she is too foolish to understand Light’s plan.
She understands that if the 13-day rule is tested, Misa’s innocence will collapse.
She realizes that the entire situation is a trap created by Light.
And yet she still kills L and Watari in order to save Misa.
That distinction is extremely important for this ranking.
Rem did not lose because she lacked intelligence.
Her weakness is:
her emotional attachment to Misa.
But the opposite is also true:
when Misa is in danger, Rem becomes terrifying.
Even the greatest detective in the world cannot do much if a Shinigami personally writes his name.
However, Rem’s feelings for Misa can also be used to control her actions.
That is the difference between her and No. 1.
If this were a game mechanic:
her attack power increases dramatically as Misa’s HP falls, but using Misa also allows the player to influence the boss’s behavior.
Extremely powerful.
But with one very clear weakness.
That is why Rem is No. 2.
1. Ryuk | The Shinigami Who Never Truly Became Light’s Ally
Source: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, “DEATH NOTE”, Shueisha
No. 1 is Ryuk.
He is the character I personally consider the strongest in DEATH NOTE under the criteria used in this article.
First, his basic Shinigami abilities are obviously powerful.
He owns a Death Note.
He can see human names and lifespans.
It is extremely difficult for humans to directly eliminate him.
But when comparing Ryuk and Rem, the factor I value most is:
how few emotional weaknesses Ryuk has.
Ryuk spends a very long time with Light.
He watches Light’s plans.
He watches the battle against L.
He watches Light transform the world as Kira.
And yet:
he never becomes Light’s ally.
His basic position from the beginning is essentially:
“The human world is entertaining, so I am watching.”
Then comes the final stage.
Light loses to Near and runs away.
Ryuk does not decide to save him because of their long relationship.
Instead, he ultimately writes Light Yagami’s name in his own Death Note.
That is the decisive factor for me.
Rem has her feelings for Misa.
Light has his pride.
Misa has her love for Light.
Mikami has his faith in Kira.
Many characters have something that an opponent can exploit:
“If I push this point, I can change their behavior.”
Ryuk has far fewer of those weaknesses.
Even after spending years alongside Light:
in the end,
he writes the name.
There is no emotional overtime.
There is no friendship discount.
Light manages to incorporate many humans into his plans.
He even manipulates Rem.
But Ryuk is never truly:
one of Light’s pieces.
And in the end, Ryuk is the one who decides Light’s fate.
Ability.
Killing power.
Survivability.
Few weaknesses.
And his final ruthlessness.
Taking all of these together, my personal ranking places Ryuk at No. 1.
Who Is Stronger: Ryuk or Rem?
These are the No. 1 and No. 2 characters in this ranking.
There is no official numerical comparison of their pure Shinigami combat abilities, so I am not claiming:
“Ryuk objectively has higher combat power than Rem.”
The difference I chose to emphasize is:
personality.
Rem
She has an extremely strong emotional attachment to Misa.
She is willing to kill L in order to protect her.
However, Light is also able to exploit those feelings.
Ryuk
He remains neutral even after spending a long time with Light.
And in the end, he writes Light’s own name.
So I also considered:
“If this character seriously became my enemy, which one would be less likely to change their decision because of emotional attachment?”
That led to:
1. Ryuk 2. Rem
However, under the very specific condition that:
you are threatening Misa,
Rem becomes frightening enough that I could easily imagine placing her at No. 1.
Why Is Higuchi Ranked No. 3?
This is probably the position that requires the most explanation.
I will say it again:
I would never rank Higuchi No. 3 in an intelligence ranking.
But the category here is:
individual strength and danger.
Higuchi has:
A Death Note
Shinigami Eyes
A handgun
Fifth-dan kendo
His intelligence is below Light’s.
His judgment is below Light’s.
Mello is probably mentally tougher.
However, if the condition suddenly becomes:
“You are now alone in the same location and must fight each other,”
Higuchi becomes significantly more frightening.
If he sees your face, he has the Shinigami Eyes.
If he has time, he has the notebook.
If you are close, he has the gun.
If the weapons disappear, he still has fifth-dan kendo.
He has a strangely large number of ways to defeat someone.
His greatest weakness is:
Higuchi himself tends to panic badly when he is cornered.
Without that weakness, he might have ranked even higher.
Why Are L and Near Outside the TOP 10?
In my intelligence ranking, I placed:
L at No. 1
and
Near at No. 3.
But both are outside the TOP 10 here.
The reason is simple.
Intelligence is not the most important category in this ranking.
L is one of the greatest detectives in the world.
Near possesses extraordinary analytical ability.
But when evaluating individual killing power, they are at a serious disadvantage against:
A Death Note.
Shinigami Eyes.
A handgun.
Explosives.
A Shinigami.
To use an extreme example:
if L and Higuchi were locked in the same room and told to eliminate each other,
Higuchi might pull out a gun before L finishes forming a deduction.
L would overwhelmingly win the intelligence test.
But:
this competition is not an intelligence test.
For a ranking focused specifically on intelligence:
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