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Fifty (エル, Eru) is a world-renowned detective who takes on the claiming of catching the mass murderer known equally Kira. In his investigation, L becomes suspicious of Light Yagami and makes information technology his goal to prove that Light is Kira.

Appearance

Fifty is a very slim, stake, tall immature human being with messy neck-length black hair and blackness eyes. One of his well-nigh noticeable features is the shadow below each of his eyes, a result of him beingness an insomniac. L is ever shown to be wearing a pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt. He nigh never wears shoes or socks, preferring to go barefoot, even while in public. This was shown when he visited Light Yagami's school and was seen barefoot while sitting on a bench, not bothering to wear his shoes until he got upwardly to walk. Fifty also tends to hunch over when walking.

Graphic symbol

L is quite secretive, and only communicates with the earth through his assistant, Watari. He never shows his face to the world in person, instead representing himself with a capital letter letter Fifty drawn in "Old English language MT" or "Curtilage Black" typeface. It is more probable to be "Cloister Black" as Watari'southward "W" is different in "Old English language MT."

After coming together the Japanese Job Strength, he requests that the task forcefulness refer to him as "Ryuzaki" as an additional prophylactic measure. The Task Force never learns his true name, and information technology is revealed in neither the manga nor anime.

Fifty is very intelligent, though his disheveled and languid appearance masks his great powers of deduction and many question his abilities upon viewing him. Fifty tends to second-judge everything he is presented with, and is extremely meticulous and analytical. He is practiced at deceiving his opponents, and is willing to have drastic measures to solve a case. Some of his tactics are quite bold, such as having death row inmate Lind L. Tailor pose as himself on live TV in order to describe out Kira, while others seem bizarre to those involved, such every bit handcuffing himself to suspected-Kira, Low-cal Yagami. He is as well shown to accept a dry out sense of humour, and he isn't higher up making sarcastic remarks to people. Although he tends to be polite, to some (such as Task Force member Shuichi Aizawa), L tin can seem condescending at times.

Using subterfuge, misinformation, disinformation, and an analytical knowledge of human nature to aid lure a suspected murderer into a faux sense of security and peradventure brand him carelessly over-confident, L sometimes gets what he wants through abnormal or possibly criminal channels. Whenever 50 gives percentages to indicate how much he suspects a person of committing a crime, such as "five percent," he may in fact be over ninety percent convinced of their culpability. Although Fifty tells Light that he is amidst the least probable suspects with one of the lowest percentages of probability, in reality L is "pretty certain" that Light is Kira. As series writer Tsugumi Ohba said laughing, making calorie-free of L's tactics: "The truth is, he'due south a liar."

He also has several quirks, such every bit preferring to crouch rather than sit, eating only sweet foods (like desserts, candies and fruits) and holding items by using only a thumb and a finger. He also has an unusual style of sitting, with both of his feet on the chair. He claims that if he sits normally, his reasoning ability would drop 40%. Interestingly, in the manga, he is seen sitting on the floor in a pose similar to how one would meditate, while thinking deeply about the Kira example. He is oft seen arranging objects and very attentively stacking, or in other means playing with, his staple food items. L is almost ever encountered while performing actions that are considered inappropriate or rude in public. These deportment/habits include biting fingernails, placing anxiety on furniture, slouching, chewing with an open up mouth, talking with his oral cavity full, and calling out personal observations that may offend others.

With his status as the world's greatest detective, he, like Lite, has a very sensitive pride, being agape to exist incorrect in his deductions and theories, axiomatic through his drastic measures (torturing Misa and confining Light during an unnecessarily lengthy amount of fourth dimension), and lethargic behavior during the beginning of the Yotsuba arc.

Although he is often seen sitting and inactive, Fifty retains a loftier athletic ability. L stayed in England for 5 years, and during that time he was the tennis champion in the England Junior Cup. He as well has a knack for martial arts, which is demonstrated in his brief fight with Low-cal. In chapter 38 of the manga, L suggests that fifty-fifty though he eats simply sweet foods, he remains underweight because the brain uses the nearly calories of any organ in the torso.

When asked nearly 50's ethnicity, creator of the series Tsugumi Ohba responded, "I think of him as a quarter Japanese, a quarter English, a quarter Russian, a quarter French or Italian, like that." Ohba said that L is the most intelligent character in the unabridged Death Note series considering "the plot requires it." He added that he personally views L as "slightly evil."

History

At the age of eight,^[4] L was found past Watari and taken to the orphanage known every bit Wammy's House, a habitation for gifted children. Sometime afterwards, Watari realized that L had incredible intelligence and later assisted him in his cases.^[5] L became a detective at a immature, unknown age and eventually gained a reputation as the greatest detective in the world whose opinion is highly valued.

Plot

50 notices the rapid rate of criminals dying of heart attacks, and suspects a person is behind this and that he is in Nihon, so he seeks cooperation from the NPA. He begins the Kira case by having undocumented expiry row inmate Lind Fifty. Tailor introduce himself on idiot box as "50" and say that Kira is "evil." This provokes Kira into killing Tailor on the spot, which in plow confirms that the Kira killings are not a casual succession of heart attacks amongst criminals but the designs of an ingenious murderer who will kill any and all who try to stop him. Information technology also reveals Kira's location, since the broadcast was televised simply in the Kanto region. Non long after this, because of the time of solar day during which the criminals die coincide with out-of-school hours, he deduces that Kira may well be a student. Not long afterwards this incident, criminals brainstorm dying during one-hour intervals, intentionally contradicting 50's theory, showing to Fifty that Kira has access to police information. Because of this, he requests that 12 FBI agents investigate those close to each of the members of the police.

Presently after the FBI'southward investigation begins, Kira begins testing his abilities using criminals and leaves backside meaningless clues, successfully distracting L from the agents. Not also long after this, all 12 FBI agents die at Kira's hand. This causes a large portion of the NPA to quit the investigation, simply leaving a few members, Soichiro Yagami, Touta Matsuda, Hirokazu Ukita, Shuichi Aizawa, and Kanzo Mogi. L books a hotel room where all half-dozen of them can regularly practice their investigation, and he gives them apocryphal police badges equally well as belt buckles which allow them to contact L in case of an emergency.

L finds footage of the expiry of one of the agents, and the footage shows that Raye Penber, who was investigating the families of Soichiro Yagami and Koreyoshi Kitamura, was reaching for something backside him when he died only exterior the railroad train. Furthermore, the body of Naomi Misora, who previously worked with L on the Los Angeles BB Serial Murder Cases and was Raye's fiancé, went missing. L assumes this was the work of Kira because Naomi didn't seem like the type to commit suicide at the loss of her fiancé. Because of these two factors, Kira must be among those whom Raye was investigating.

L installs surveillance cameras and wiretaps in the Yagami household also as Kitamura's house. However, Fifty places 64 in the room of Light Yagami, Soichiro's son, whom L observes the closest. Afterwards seeing Low-cal's alibi (which was that he writes a proper noun in a blind spot whilst studying), L senses something is very off about Low-cal, deeming him "too perfect."

In club to take his investigation to its adjacent stage, L decides to enroll at To-Oh University (東応大学, Tōō Daigaku)—the same higher that Light attends—using the well-known name of a popular singer and role player, Hideki Ryuga. L attends To-Oh because he feels confident in his reasoning and interrogational skills and wishes to test his theory concerning Low-cal'south subconscious identity past confronting him and perhaps provoking or tricking him to admit that he is indeed Kira. L is well aware that this is something of a gamble, and knows full well that his deed of straight confrontation could prove fatal, but as he'south convinced he understands Low-cal's thought process, he feels confident that the antagonist will not withal risk revealing his secret identity past killing him.

When L introduces himself every bit Ryuga, Light becomes alert and somewhat alarmed but recognizes that it would be pointless to effort to impale him—the name is clearly imitation. Lite has no way of knowing whether Ryuga is the existent L or a proxy interim under orders. He besides reasons that L would have already introduced himself to Light's father earlier, and thus, were he to somehow impale 50, this murder would instantly unmask him, proving that he is indeed Kira. If this person proved to be L'southward proxy, and his name really was Ryuga, he might die, merely L would live and know his identity, without ever having had to reveal himself to Light, and so that L will have gained all the reward. Also, while writing the proper name "Hideki Ryuga" into the Death Annotation, the face up of the pop vocalist bearing that proper name might enter Calorie-free's thoughts involuntarily, and that would cause the death of popular singer Ryuga, which would also lead 50 to the obvious conclusion that Lite is Kira. Equally such, L's expectations about the outcome of his daring opening gambit testify truthful, and Light finds himself in a stalemate situation, unable to act for the fourth dimension existence, as whatsoever endeavor to rid himself of his hunters would result in confirmed suspicions, his subsequent and unavoidable unmasking, and, ultimately, his undoing.

Fifty plans on getting closer to Light by asking him to bring together the investigation; this way, if Low-cal is Kira, he would be more prone to slipping upwards, while Light non beingness Kira would still benefit the investigation. L begins by playing a lawn tennis game with Light, in guild to have grounds to get closer to Light and begin asking him about the investigation; during the game, 50 concludes that Light will endeavour to see with the Task Forcefulness members in order to confirm L's identity. Afterward losing the tennis match, in order to prevent Calorie-free from meeting with the Task Strength members, L announces his suspicions, claiming his suspicions are simply one percentage high. L begins testing Light at the buffet, outset by request him about why L revealed himself, then about the file that the FBI agents received, and finally about three notes Kira left behind using criminals. Light passes all the tests and doesn't sideslip up, and and so L doesn't bother trying to test him anymore.

L and then asks Lite to join the investigation, merely Light takes advantage of this past claiming that he'll reject to bring together the investigation unless the Chore Strength members confirm L's identity. Considering Fifty wants Light to join the investigation and he has some other countermeasure to continue him safe anyway, L allows Light to take the Task Strength members ostend his identity. Suddenly, L and Calorie-free receive news of Soichiro having collapsed of a middle attack due to stress, and at the hospital, L has Soichiro confirm his identity, while as well asking for Low-cal's thoughts on Kira's identity.

After a while, Kira sends tapes to Sakura TV, which airs on Television receiver. After Kira begins to kill innocents to bear witness the fact that they're Kira, the Task Force tries their best to stop the broadcast. After all the calls fail, Ukita attempts to barge in the station, just for him to somehow be killed. This shocks them and angers Aizawa as Kira shouldn't have been able to discover Ukita's proper name. Luckily, a recovered Soichiro barges in the station using a truck, confirming his safety, and retrieves the tapes from Demegawa, and hands them over to L and the Task Force. Judging from the fact that Kira tin now kill with just a face and that Kira is uncharacteristically killing innocents, Fifty speculates that this is indeed a second Kira who seeks the collaboration and attention of the first. Because Light's deductive abilities would be useful, 50 asks Lite to bring together the Chore Strength. Considering Low-cal knows of L'south identity, L has Watari pose as another L through a figurer screen in order to prevent Lite from killing Fifty and the Task Force, as an outsider would notice their deaths should they occur.

Together, they both manage to accept the second Kira, who wishes to have L seen on TV, respond to them. In one of the responses, the 2d Kira mentions "Shinigami," and since their existence isn't implausible to L because previous events, L is shocked and unsettled by the thought of him potentially needing to modify his worldview. After the 2nd Kira sends a diary, Light goes to Aoyama on May 22nd under the guise of investigating, simply for him to find nothing. On May 23rd, the second Kira releases a record announcing that she has found Kira, which has L suspect Low-cal further considering this is probably referring to when Lite went to Aoyama the previous day, so 50 has Mogi secretly tail Light.

Judging from the fact that the 2nd Kira now does not seek Kira'southward attention, Fifty thinks that the 2nd Kira and Kira have joined forces. Afterward this, Light suddenly gains a gaggle of girlfriends, all of whom L investigates. L manages to detect that Misa Amane was ahold of these tapes thanks to the hairs and fibers on them. Thus, Misa Amane is the Second Kira. Her manager is then charged for drugs, and 50 meets Lite again at the university. At that place, he meets Misa before she is detained. Because of this, Light is in deep trouble and he asks to be detained, and so L does and then. During Light's confinement, no criminals are killed, which confirms to L that Low-cal is Kira. During Light's 7th mean solar day of confinement, Light begins acting uncharacteristically equally he lost his memories of being Kira. Afterward fifteen days, criminals begin dropping dead once more, and once 50 days accept passed, the Job Force pressures L into releasing Calorie-free and Misa. Still, earlier letting them free, L has Soichiro act every bit if he would shoot Light, every bit he believes that Misa would impale Soichiro in this situation. However, since she doesn't, L agrees to allow them free.

Still convinced Light and Misa are Kira and the 2nd Kira, respectively, L handcuffs his hands to Light'south. L asks Light to manipulate Misa into spilling information regarding the example, merely Calorie-free refuses as it is against his moral code. While Lite, L, and Misa are in Misa'southward room, L sulks over the fact that he has come to the conclusion that Light and Misa have lost their memories of having been Kira and passed on their powers to someone else, which would make solving the instance very difficult. Frustrated with 50's unwillingness to continue due to all that Fifty has put Light through because of the example, Light punches L, and in response, L kicks Calorie-free before Matsuda intervenes and stops the fight.

After a few months of not working on the case, L is shown Low-cal's enquiry; Calorie-free deduces Kira is now within the Yotsuba visitor and that Kira can impale through means other than heart attacks. Soon afterwards, considering of the fact that Kira has bribed and blackmailed the NPA to not oppose Kira, Aizawa quits the Task Force in lodge to back up his family after beingness fed up with Fifty, who lied to Aizawa near him having to make a pick, as L had already ensured that anyone who would quit the NPA to work with the Task Force would exist financially secure.

L hires Aiber and Wedy to help them with the investigation at present that the Task Force is non a part of the police. Together, they all manage to contrive a programme, but Matsuda messes up by taking initiative and entering Yotsuba headquarters. In order to fix his mistakes, L tells Matsuda to imitation his death. L takes advantage of his 2d alias, Eraldo Ringlet, whom Yotsuba hired in club to find L, to find out more information almost the company, with Aiber communicating with them every bit Eraldo.

When Misa finds evidence every bit to who the Tertiary Kira is, L is a trivial underwhelmed, but comes up with a plan to terminate Higuchi regardless. L uses Matsuda equally bait during a Sakura Idiot box talk show to lure Higuchi onto the scene, only for the Task Force members to deadfall him. Higuchi makes an escape, but with the help of Ide and his return, the Chore Force catches up to him. L finally discovers the Death Notation, how Kira kills, and discovers the Shinigami, Rem. Light and Misa regain their memories as Kira, and L discovers a rule, one where if someone doesn't write inside the notebook within thirteen consecutive days, they die. Despite this beingness a perfect alibi for Low-cal, L still suspects him. Due to pressure from the Task Strength at present believing Light and Misa are in the clear, 50 releases Misa and removes the handcuffs from his and Light'southward hands.

Fifty stands out in the rain, hearing the "bells," and massages Light's feet later on doing and then. (This has happened simply in the anime and is absent from the manga. Many fans interpret this as L having noesis of his premature death.)

A few killings later Misa'southward release, the killings from Kira start upwards again, resulting in L quarreling with the Chore Force as he plans on using the notebook to test the legitimacy of the thirteen-mean solar day rule. Yet, just then, Watari has died, as he noticed all the data concerning the Kira example has been deleted. One time L figures out Rem must have killed Watari, Rem writes 50'due south proper noun in the notebook, killing him. Every bit L has a heart assault, Light catches L and holds him by the arms, allowing 50 to meet Lite'due south smug smirk to show that he was indeed Kira the whole fourth dimension.

Because of Wammy's Firm attempting to heighten a successor to 50, Virtually and Mello attempt to catch Kira, with Well-nigh doing this in society to avenge L and defend his pride. During some of his interactions with Near and Mello, Light remembers L. Ultimately, the combined efforts of Near and Mello succeed in defeating Light.

In other media

Picture series

Death Note

L retains many of the aforementioned characteristics seen in the original series. At the finish of the showtime flick, L eats tater chips in front end of Light; Calorie-free understood this to hateful that Fifty was still suspicious of him, as Calorie-free had used a potato fleck bag to hide a mini LCD television from security cameras while L filmed his room.

Death Notation: The Last Name

As there is no time delay between the first and second films, the second film begins shortly earlier L supposedly dies. Different the manga and anime, in the second film, his original "death," caused by Rem writing his name in her Death Note, does non accept outcome, equally Fifty had written his own name in Misa's Death Annotation earlier. It is his self-sacrifice that allows him to stay live for a longer duration (equally he supposed that Kira would kill him on that day), and allows the investigation team to apprehend Low-cal. After Ryuk kills Light, Ryuk offers L the Death Note. 50 refuses, and Ryuk, while maxim that L is deadening, leaves.

Twenty-three days after writing his proper noun in the Death Note, and after burning all the remaining Death Notes and having a chat with Soichiro Yagami, L dies peacefully while eating a chocolate bar, with a picture of Watari lying right beside him.

L: Change the Globe

L: Modify the World chronicles the 23 days that Fifty has left before he dies. L decides to solve one last case. He is in charge of stopping a deadly virus from spreading across the world. Ryuk comes to his assistance on behalf of Kira's final wishes. Hideo Nakata, the managing director, told The Daily Yomiuri that he wanted to exhibit L's "human side," a quality which was non made all too credible in the Decease Annotation series.

Conception of L in the films

Shūsuke Kaneko, director of the films, said that L's role was the most hard to cast; as the starting date of the shooting schedule drew near, many of the "big proper noun" actors had other projects. Kaneko decided to offer the role to Ken'ichi Matsuyama, "very much a newcomer." When Matsuyama spoke to him of his intention to "live as 50," the young actor had "clinched it," declares Kaneko.

Matsuyama admits having experienced some difficulty in trying to portray L, and he worried virtually his performance. In the terminate, he decided to interpret L equally an private who does not "quite empathise other people on an emotional level"—the histrion reasoned that L rarely interacted with others, and as a effect, his social skills and emotional expressiveness may not be those of a socially active person. Matsuyama, describing himself as "not very flexible physically," encountered difficulty in emulating L'due south postures. The actor also ate sweets that L would eat, and carefully considered the details of L'south signature gestures.

Matsuyama said that he and Fujiwara became "and then immersed" in their grapheme portrayals, that they did not talk to 1 another while on the prepare; only when filming ceased did they converse, and they "went out for a drinkable or ii."

Matsuyama described L and Low-cal every bit having "such unique characters that they're incommunicable to understand" and that "the within of L's head remains a mystery" to him. Matsuyama said that L and Light are "extremely" alike in that they have "very strong sense of justice."

Novels

Death Note: Another Annotation: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases

In the novel Decease Notation: Another Note, the reader is led to believe L—under the alias, Rue Ryuzaki—is helping Naomi Misora solve a murder case. She was recruited for the instance by L because she was on leave from the FBI. This Rue acts very much similar L and shared many characteristics similar crouching to sit and consuming sweets. At the end of the novel, the reader discovers that Beyond Birthday detective proper name B, who was another candidate to replace L forth with Nigh and Mello, was non only the killer merely also Rue Ryuzaki in disguise nether heavy make-up. He was trying to make a case Fifty could not solve to prove his superiority to L. In the book the only certified reference to 50 was the telephone conversations Naomi had with him to discuss the case. At the very end of the volume, as Naomi was going dorsum to piece of work, she sees a homo similar to Rue, who the reader is led to believe is L (and probably is, considering that Mello earlier stated that this case was the first fourth dimension that L had shown himself in public nether the alias 'Ryuzaki'). This homo attempts to give Naomi a hug, which she counters in cocky-defense and sends him tumbling down a flying of stairs. She then catches up to him and asks him his name, to which he replies, "Ryuzaki."

It is revealed that, prior to the series, L one time told Mello three stories regarding his previous solved cases—the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, detective wars against the real Eraldo Curlicue and Deneuve, and the story of how L met Watari.^[6]

L: Change the WorLd

Although following closely the storyline of its motion picture counterpart—with the exception of a few creative changes—the novelization reveals various attributes of L. It is revealed in the novel that the initial "L" has two meanings: 50 stands for "Concluding Ane," pregnant no 1 could surpass or match him, just also for "Lost One," pregnant a gifted entity who has dropped down, or was cast out from heaven.

The novel besides states that 50 helped in the prevention of World State of war III when he was but eight years onetime.

In the novel, 50 takes a few capoeira lessons from Suruga. This is virtually likely a homage to the on-going fan speculation of 50'south capoeira like fighting manner in the Death Note manga and anime.

Also, in the novel, L for the first time completely loses his sophistication and calm attitude: when Maki is kidnapped by Bluish Ship, L breaks down and screams toward the heaven later realizing that this was what Light meant about feeling helpless to protect the people he cares about. L also states at 1 point that "his heart hurts." His feelings virtually Light are also revealed, and it is described that L did consider Light to exist his friend, going equally far as holding on to Calorie-free's broken lookout as a memento and saying, "Light, I'll run across you on the other side. Allow us explore the world of nothingness together."

According to the timeline that is presented on each page of the novel, it appears Fifty was to have only 272 days left to alive prior to writing his name onto the page of the Death Note. Based on this bit of data it's obvious that L's remaining natural lifespan at the end of the second motion picture would only take amounted to less than a year.

According to page 151 of the novel, it is revealed that the reason why L has caused so many eccentric quirks is because of the heavy strain of upholding the proper name of L. From the novel:

How L did not and could not forget the faces of thousands of victims. "Who could encompass the man who had lived his life, and had to alive confronting all the lives concluded prematurely, the tears of the grief stricken survivors, the devaluing of life as a daily reality. How was it possible to measure the pain of such a man? Was information technology a strain then heavy that 50's back curved under all its weight? Was it an agony so terrible equally to get out the indelible dark circles around his eyes? Was it a feeling so bitter that every seize with teeth he took needed to be coated in sugar? The chronically rounded shoulders, the inevitable dark circles, the eccentric tastes—L suppressed the pain of being a champion of justice, but the prove of the hurting was molded into his very torso."

L's detective skills are besides explored. In the novel L manages to disguise himself from Kujo and the Blueish Transport members by wearing lipstick and putting on a women'southward wig. He even goes every bit far as playing the part, and calling Suruga "Honey" while in disguise, much to his annoyance.

Yonkoma

Main articles: Expiry Note 13: How to Read and Yonkoma

Death Note 13: How to Read describes 50 in the Death Note yonkoma as the "holder of the world's greatest listen" and having the "powerful ability to act like a fool." Expiry Note 13: How to Read adds that in the yonkoma, "it's like [L was] built-in to be mocked."

Musical

L's function in Death Note: The Musical is essentially the same, but there are some notable changes to the plot. 50 does non create the Task Force; the Task Strength is formed prior to his involvement, and Soichiro Yagami calls Fifty in to assist on the instance.

The ending is besides very dissimilar. Light convinces Rem to not just write L'south name in the notebook but to likewise write the way of L's death. As written, L goes to meet Light at a warehouse in Daikoku Wharf and he takes a gun. Light reveals himself as Kira and allows L to touch the Death Note and run into Ryuk. 50 shoots Lite in the leg, but Light reveals that this is all according to what'southward already been written, considering Calorie-free intends to make it wait like L himself was Kira and Lite exposed him. Low-cal guides the gun in L'south mitt to L's temple, and L pulls the trigger and dies.

Fifty is portrayed by various actors for the different musical productions. Teppei Koike (小池徹平, Koike Teppei) portrayed him in the 2015 Japanese production, and he will reprise the part in 2017. Kim Junsu (김준수) portrayed him in both the 2015 and 2017 Korean productions. Jarrod Spector voiced the character for the New York studio demo recordings.

L performs the post-obit songs in the Musical:

• "The Game Begins"
• "Secrets and Lies"
• "Where is the Justice Reprise"
• "Stalemate aka A Game of Expiry"
• "The Way Things Are aka The Unwavering Truth"
• "Playing His Game aka Into Him"
• "The Way Things Are Reprise"
• "Terminal Moments"

Drama

Fifty receives major changes in the drama accommodation. Dissimilar his manga and anime analogue, this live-action 50 sits properly, albeit with his feet on tables and his legs crossed, regularly wears shoes, and eschews sweets and candy in favour of energy drinks. He is also portrayed equally far more bold, evident in episode 2 when he accuses Low-cal and several other suspects as being Kira over the phone without even using a voice scrambler. He shows more emotions than Fifty does in the manga, screaming during his fight with Low-cal and laughing when he knows he has Lite cornered.

Fifty has a much closer relationship to Near in the drama, and the two of them regularly keep in touch over the telephone. L is very wary of Near'southward "Mello" personality and does not hesitate to scold Mello when he comes out. It is for this reason that L attempts to keep Near sheltered, though he ultimately fails when Near escapes the Wammy Firm. The two spend fourth dimension together in person, and L values Near's contribution to the Higuchi case and respects his establishment equally a earth-renowned detective.

Netflix film

American actor Keith Stanfield portrays an American version of L in the 2017 Netflix adaptation of Death Note.

Similar to the television drama, L's character and groundwork have significant changes. Prior to the events of the moving picture, L was raised in an orphanage in New York where he and several other children were trained by Watari to become the greatest detectives in the world. The orphanage was eventually abandoned soon subsequently L's divergence. 50 likewise rarely took time to sleep and ate nothing but sweets and required Watari'south aid to maintain his health.

Towards the film's third human activity, L displays an aggressive behavior that causes him to shout and fifty-fifty break things when he is angered. When Watari is killed, L's rage consumes him and he takes a gun in an endeavour to hunt down Light Turner to avenge his mentor, but is knocked unconscious past a Kira worshipper earlier he can shoot Light.

After being taken into custody past the police force, Fifty is able to avert prison due to his contacts in the authorities, but he is deported and is to be sent back to Japan. Before his plane takes off, L remembers Mia's involvement with Light and he breaks into Mia'due south business firm. He searches through her belongings and finds a page of the Death Note with the names of the FBI agents on information technology. Out of anger, L grabs a pen and considers writing Light's name down.

Formulation

The following data is from Expiry Note thirteen: How to Read.

Tsugumi Ohba: Writer

Takeshi Obata: Artist

Overview

Ohba created Fifty as a "force of justice" and a "super detective" who stands between Light and Light's goals and advances the story. Ohba believed that the story would not hold much involvement if L was significantly older than Light, and then Ohba created L as a immature developed. Ohba said that for L'south proper name he wanted to utilise a single letter with a lot of significance; according to Ohba, he considered "I" and "J" but decided that they did not "feel as good" as "L" and settled on it "after careful consideration." Ohba mentions having given L the alias "Ryuzaki" considering L is pronounced like R in Japanese.

Ohba said that his favorite homo graphic symbol in the series was L as he believed that 50 was the "strongest" character in the series "besides Light." Obata also chose L as his favorite due to "appearance, personality, everything." He stated that he could never take created L and that he enjoyed cartoon him. Obata added that because of this, 50 is not "existent" to him, and he likes that aspect of L. In response to the question "Who was the most fun to draw?" both Ohba and Obata answered "L."

Appearance

Ohba claims he left "everything" about 50's graphic symbol design to Obata, who asked Ohba if Fifty could be "unattractive." Later, Ohba would include his ideas about the character into his thumbnails, including L's posture when seated, and notes such as: "he's English," and "he's listless." He also added details regarding Fifty'south mannerisms, and his "sweet molar." Apart from all that, Ohba credits Obata for the character designs.

Obata described the thumbnail pictures of Fifty created by Ohba as having a "plain face with no expression," and no "bags" nether his eyes. According to Obata, the thumbnail pattern was "cracking, and I wish I could accept used it every bit is." Obata drew L as an "attractive young homo" until Chapter 11, when the grapheme appeared in person. After Chapter eleven Obata decided to dissimilarity L'due south advent with that of Light'due south; Obata claims that both he and Ohba held this thought.

Obata speaks of his concern, during the evolution of the early manga chapters, that Fifty would appear to exist "so suspicious that Calorie-free would know instantly it was L if they ever met." When Obata's editor told him that he wanted L to accept a face "looking cool based on the angle," Obata added black "bags" under L'south eyes, and he cited Devilman'due south Akira Fudou when expressing his belief that black bags "looked cool." In addition, Obata thought of a "dead optics" concept, which involved L having "all-black eyes" and "mostly no eyebrows." Although he believes that giving it such black eyes tends to make an animated grapheme appear "goofier," he likewise thinks that the bags "sharpen the character's gaze." Obata suggests that the design evokes "a feeling of mystery" surrounding the character, and as a event, the reader cannot make up one's mind Fifty's true thoughts. He adds that the numberless under L'southward eyes also attract speculation about L's lifestyle and past, and describes the bags as "useful." Obata designed L with a "elementary" outfit of a white, long-sleeved shirt and jeans in gild to convey the idea that L does non put much thought into choosing his attire. In Decease Notation 13: How to Read, Ohba presented an initial crude draft of L, and said that, with a "absurd expression" and without the "bags" under his eyes the crude draft showed "a totally different person."

While designing color book covers, Obata assigned colors to characters to "go the atmosphere right." The color he assigned to L was gold.

Mannerisms

Obata has stated his conventionalities that traits exhibited past L are best revealed "gradually." He is convinced that if he drew L eating "mountains of sweets" prior to revealing L's confront, the graphic symbol would not have "much credibility as a super detective," and people would question whether 50 was "crazy."

Obata mentions being told often that L'southward fighting style is much like capoeira; the artist claims that he did not consider this when he drew L's fights—he was simply thinking of the about constructive method of kick an adversary while being handcuffed to him. In Obata's opinion, if the manner resembles capoeira, then this "adds some other element to it" and "that makes me happy."

Trivia

• L's proper name, L Lawliet, was first revealed in Death Note thirteen: How to Read on a promotional menu featured at the starting time of the book.

• In the anime, certain characters take on stylized hair colors while the viewer hears their thoughts; L'due south color is blue.
• L's lifespan in the tv drama is 51161121.
• 50 can necktie two cherry stems in a knot with his mouth, every bit seen in episode 18.
• In the Death Notation DVD Behind the Scenes, Fifty's vocalisation thespian, Alessandro Juliani, describes L every bit an "enigma, and someone, that if y'all saturday adjacent to on the subway with you would probably move to the other side."
• In the Italian version, rather than using the alphabetic character "L" to spell his proper name, the phonetic spelling ("Elle") is used.
• In Total Metal Panic! The Second Raid episode six, a character resembling L was briefly seen riding a bike.

• 50 was one of the Death Notation characters made into Nendoroid figures. The L Nendoroid comes with a chair, an extra arm belongings a prison cell telephone, another body of L simply in his crouching posture, and three other faces, an angry face up, a shocked face up, and a confront looking to the correct.
• American R&B singer Christina Grimmie cosplayed as L for her 2015 music video of "Shrug." Two versions of the music video were made with the L cosplay being used in the "Dude Version."

Quotes

• "Kira is childish and he hates losing… I'thou also childish and hate losing." (Affiliate 11)
• "Well, to put it just… I had prepared a lilliputian trick to exam whether you lot were Kira… But I didn't fifty-fifty feel the need to apply it on any of you." (Chapter xiii)
• "He who moves start e'er wins." (Affiliate 20)
• "I just can't sit any other fashion than this. If I sit down the way other people do, my reasoning ability drops by twoscore%." (Chapter 21)
• "The only thing I see is the abnormal force of Amane'due south beloved for Calorie-free Yagami." (Affiliate 36)
• "Light-kun, please shut Misa-san up." (Chapter 37)
• "Not satisfied unless you're Kira…? Yes, that may be true… I have just realized something… I wanted you to be Kira…" (Chapter 38)
• "Misa-san, take this seriously or I'll kick you." (Chapter 46)
• "Information technology's non a sense of justice. Figuring out difficult cases is my hobby. If you measured practiced and evil deeds past electric current laws, I would be responsible for many crimes. The aforementioned way you all like to solve mysteries and riddles, or clear video games more chop-chop. For me too, information technology's only prolonging something I relish doing. That's why I only take on cases that pique my interest. It's not justice at all. And if information technology ways being able to clear a example, I don't play fair, I'm a quack, adulterous man being who hates losing." (Death Note One-Shot Special)
• "There are…many types of monsters in this globe: Monsters who will non show themselves and who cause trouble; monsters who abduct children; monsters who devour dreams; monsters who suck claret, and… monsters who always tell lies. Lying monsters are a existent nuisance. They are much more cunning than other monsters. They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the homo heart. They eat fifty-fifty though they've never experienced hunger. They study even though they have no interest in academics. They seek friendship fifty-fifty though they do non know how to dear. If I were to come across such a monster, I would likely be eaten past it. Because in truth, I am that monster." (Death Note Relight 2: L's Successors)
• "The killer is B." (Decease Note: Some other Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, p 104)
• "Light wanted to live like a god. He didn't dice like i." (L: Alter the World)
• "Watari, now I want to live in this globe a little scrap longer." (50: Modify the WorLd)
• "Misa Amane… I promise you savour the remaining few years of your life." (L: Change the Globe, p 115)
• "Low-cal, I'll come across you on the other side. Allow us explore the earth of nothingness together." (L: Change the WorLd, p 188)

Themes

References

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