Explore the Death Note Morality Alignment Chart as we dive into the D&D-inspired moral alignments of your favorite Death Note characters.
-Robin Bhuyan
Death Note is considered by many as the best detective anime ever created, with many spiritual and philosophical themes. One of the most compelling aspects of Death Note is how it explores morality, justice, and the lengths humans will go to achieve their goals. This isn’t just a story of a supernatural notebook or detectives solving a case – it’s a psychological battle where characters and their ethical boundaries are tested. Explore the Death Note Morality Alignment Chart as we break down the D&D-inspired moral alignments of some of the series’ most iconic figures.
From vigilantes who kill for their own sense of justice to supernatural beings who manipulate events for their amusement, Death Note is also a show that forces us to question what defines good, evil, or something in between. That’s exactly why applying the classic morality alignment chart to these characters is both revealing and thought-provoking. While we look at the Death Note characters morality alignment chart, let’s break it down it as well. The chart has nine moral categories, based on two axes. One goes from good to evil. This is their morality. The other goes from lawful to chaotic, what we’ll call their behavioral code:
Death Note Morality Alignment Chart
Lawful characters believe in structure, order, and/or rules. These character respect authority and value honor, discipline, tradition, and rules. They may be flawed, but lawful characters usually cling to systems.
Neutral characters are more flexible. They don’t mind rules, but they don’t swear by them either. They may avoid extremes, and care mostly about their goals, trying to maintain a balance.
Chaotic characters reject control, tradition, and hierarchy. They value freedom, emotion, and acting on instinct, even if it causes disruption or instability.
Combined with the moral spectrum of good, neutral, and evil, this creates nine unique alignments. Whether you’ve watched the anime, read the manga, or explored the Death Note games, here we shall explore where some of the iconic figures of the Death Note universe land on this Death Note characters morality alignment chart.
Lawful Good – Soichiro Yagami
Lawful Good characters are morally righteous and committed to law, order, and justice. Soichiro Yagami embodies this perfectly which puts him on Lawful Good in this Death Note morality alignment chart. He’s an honest cop who is devoted to protecting people and upholding justice, always following the law even when faced with moral dilemmas. His integrity, loyalty to family, and discipline make him the embodiment of Lawful Good in the Death Note universe.
Neutral Good – L Lawliet
Neutral Good characters care about doing what is right above all else. L is a perfect example. He uses his logic and skill to solve crimes and prevent harm to others. He’s pragmatic, highly intelligent, and committed to justice. He doesn’t rigidly follow laws or rules unless it helps achieve his goals. His methods might be questionable, leaning into the chaotic neutral category, but L’s goals of justice and protecting human lives are for the greater good.
Chaotic Good – Matsuda
Chaotic Good individuals are well-meaning but often impulsive and emotional. Matsuda is the epitome of this alignment. He acts out of loyalty, passion, and emotion rather than rules, often taking risks and defying protocol to do the right thing. His heart drives his actions, not regulations or strategy. He is deeply empathetic and values the lives of others, sometimes putting himself in danger to protect them. Matsuda’s unpredictability and courage make him a beacon of hope in the midst of the darkness that surrounds him.
Lawful Neutral – Near
Lawful Neutral characters prioritize order, logic, and procedure. Near is highly methodical, adhering strictly to rules and strategy in pursuit of Kira. His personal feelings or the greater good rarely influence his decisions. He only cares about carrying forward L’s’ legacy by continuing the pursuit of Kira. He values structure and planning above morality or emotion, which makes him Lawful Neutral.
True Neutral – Ryuk
True Neutral characters operate independently of moral or legal concerns. Ryuk, the Shinigami, fits this perfectly. He observes human behavior, and the unfolding events of the Death Note purely for his own amusement, showing no loyalty or alignment with either side. He doesn’t intervene unless it serves his curiosity or entertainment, and his actions are never guided by morality, ideology, or a desire to influence outcomes. Unlike humans who are bound by ethics or rules, Ryuk exists outside of these constructs, acting according to his whims and impulses. His detachment allows him to be a neutral observer, witnessing both the triumphs and the tragedies of the characters without judgment.
Chaotic Neutral – Mello
Chaotic Neutral individuals act according to personal codes, often unpredictably and without regard for conventional rules or authority. Mello perfectly embodies this alignment. He is impulsive, driven by emotion, and willing to take extreme measures to achieve his goals even if it means putting himself or others at risk. His methods are often reckless and morally questionable, including orchestrating kidnappings and eliminating his rivals without hesitation. Mello’s actions are guided more by personal ambition and a desire for recognition than by any ethical or lawful framework. While his motivations occasionally align with the greater good, such as indirectly helping Near in the pursuit of Kira, these outcomes are largely incidental, making him neither good nor entirely evil, and putting him at Chaotic Neutral in our Death Note Morality Alignment Chart.
Lawful Evil – Light Yagami
Lawful Evil characters generally believe in order and use structure, rules, and systems to achieve their own selfish or destructive goals. Light Yagami is the quintessential example of this alignment. From the moment he acquires the Death Note, he meticulously plans his actions, carefully manipulating both legal systems and social structures to enforce his vision of justice. He adheres to a strict personal code, eliminating those he deems immoral while maintaining a façade of normalcy to avoid suspicion. Light’s methods are strategic and calculated, exploiting the rules of society, law enforcement, and even human psychology to achieve his aims. He orchestrates events with precision, controlling people around him as chess pieces in his larger goal of becoming a “god” of a new world.
Neutral Evil – Rem
Neutral Evil characters act selfishly and pragmatically, without regard for order or chaos. They only care for their own goals, with zero regard for innocent lives and collateral damage. Rem fits this slot quite well. She is willing to kill and manipulate anyone to protect Misa and acts coldly and calculatingly to do so. She might be loyal to her feelings towards Misa, but ultimately, she doesn’t care about anyone else and nothing else matters to her. While this also seems like a chaotic neutral trait, Rem is the only one who would fit all the traits required to be Neutral Evil in our Death Note Morality Alignment Chart, because she is even willing to put at risk by killing L, though L was the only one capable of stopping Light’s tyrannical rule.
Chaotic Evil – Kyosuke Higuchi
Chaotic Evil – Kyosuke HiguchiChaotic Evil individuals are impulsive, destructive, and self-serving, often causing harm without planning. Higuchi embodies this alignment in our Death Note Morality Alignment Chart. Some might argue he fits Neutral Evil more. But Higuchi doesn’t think or plan much, unlike Neutral Evil characters. He is someone who kills opportunistically for personal gain, ignores law and morality, and acts recklessly. His greed and impulsiveness make him the face of Chaotic Evil in the Death Note universe.
Note: Just like in any morally complex universe, some Death Note characters could arguably fit into more than one category. These placements reflect their core behavioral codes and moral compass, not temporary decisions made under stress. Also, don’t be upset if any character you like is not covered here, as only nine characters can be shown here to match the format in our Death Note Morality Alignment Chart.
