Death Note has been not only one of the biggest animes but is also regarded as a classic anime that messed with the fans’ heads in the most iconic way possible. From the growth of Light Yagami as a character to L’s mind challenging the protagonist from start to finish, there is an interesting change throughout the course of the series.
Getting the Death Note was one of, if not the most significant event of Light’s life. Not only did it change his entire life’s course, but it opened the door to his descent into madness. A serial killer who started off as one of the smartest people in his school, someone who had so much potential that he could have achieved the world. So what happened to all that?
Light Yagami was a Bright Mind Before he was a Murderer
When Death Note starts, audiences get a glimpse of Light Yagami in his element. He is too wise for the people around him and his mind has potential beyond compare. He always saw himself as superior to his classmates, something that did not change even till the end of the series. However, he was a hardworking and smart person.
He is dedicated to his work and to his family. Light finds time for his family and his work. He wants to excel in his studies, more than he already was. Not only that, but his father was a big part of his life even before he got the book. It was his work as a detective that intrigued him a lot. Although he used his wish to be a detective as a front to get near L, it was not something he lacked potential in.
It was unfortunate to see just how quickly all of it that had previously been set up came crashing down the moment he picked up the Death Note, writing his own twisted fate in the process.
The Death Note Trapped Light Yagami’s Potential
The Death Note was a symbol of destruction and end. It was not just a written sentence for the people whose names were penned into it, but also for Light Yagami. He no longer thrived with his previous goals, wanting to change the world from the moment he got the notebook. The amount of criminals may have reduced thanks to Light, but because of it, a serial killer is now willing to manipulate and murder innocent people just to save himself.
He used his potential and his mind to protect himself and in his own twisted morals, he never came to understand the things he was doing wrong. To understand that L had been smarter than him, to think that there was someone who could challenge him may have been a driving force for Light, but it also became his fatal flaw. The Death Note completely disregarded Light as the person he used to be and created an entirely new man with a concerning idea about justice.
