Out of all the amazingly written characters in Death Note, I'd have to say that I have several favorites--
- L: His incredible intelligence and endearingly childish demeanor is pretty awesome. You've got to love a detective, right?
- Matsuda: Okay, so he's kind of an idiot, but his loyalty to Chief Yagami is really admirable, and the comic relief he provides is priceless.
- Naomi Misora: Pretty much the only strong female character in the series. If you've read Death Note: Another Note, you know how incredibly intelligent she is. And L trusts her, so she's obviously awesome. Apparently the writers originally wished for her to have a bigger role--sort of wish they carried that out.
I'd have to admit though, there are some unsavory characters--
- Light: I put him down very hesitantly, seeing his fanbase... I like to believe his intentions were good, but the Death Note twisted them and flawed his sense of "justice." Imagine what he would have been like without the Death Note.
- Ryuk: I find it sort of despicable how he treats the conflict his interfering has caused as entertainment, opposed to how Rem deeply cares for her human "charge" Misa.
Characters I'm neutral on--
- Mello and Near: Both of them never really wanted justice--Mello just wanted to one-up Near and L, and Near seemed maddeningly neutral about whether he wanted justice or not. Mello's methods were cruel and ruthless, while Near never cared about any of his subordinates at all. They both show sides of L, but L actually cared about the justice. However, I think I prefer Near over Mello.
- Misa: Okay, so her devotion and love for Light was quite strong--but it was incredibly stupid. She was willing to die for him, yet he could care less about her. Rem had to watch out for her at every turn.
What are your opinions on the characters?