Death Note: 10 Of The Most Epic Quotes, Ranked (2024)

When one talks about some of the greatest anime of all time, then Death Notebecomes an inevitable part of the conversation. It's easy to see why this is the case— the story of Light and L is masterfully told, with the titular notebook being used in some of the most unique ways possible. Chances are that people who are very much into anime got into this niche by watching— and getting completely hooked onto — Death Note.

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While there are several factors that have led to this series being so legendary— such as the brilliant storytelling, amazing animation, and an interesting cast of characters— the main focus of this article is on the amazing dialogue of the series and how a few words have resonated with pretty much anyone who's seen this series.

10 "This World Is Rotten And Those Who Are Making It Rot Deserve To Die. Someone Has To Do It, So Why Not Me?" — Light

Light Yagami is one of the most complex characters in anime history, and one need only listen to his words to understand why this is the case.

His mind clearly works on a different tangent altogether, propelled by a savior complex that is incredibly evident in this particular line of dialogue.

9 "When You Die, I'll Be The One Writing Your Name In My Death Note."— Ryuk

Of course, the entire notion of Light being a person with the Death Note would've never worked properly, had it not been for the interesting dynamic he shared with Ryuk.

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The fact that Ryuk purposely dropped the Death Note into the world of humans and turned Light into a twisted messiah at the cost of being his victim in the future shows just how multi-faceted this character really is.

8 "I'll Take A Potato Chip... And Eat It!"— Light

While this might be one of the most unintentionally hilarious lines in the anime, the context behind the scene is still quite enthralling regardless.

After becoming a suspect, Light realizes that he's being spied on by the task force. In a bid to appear as normal as possible, he pretends to lead the life of an average high schooler while simultaneously using the Death Note to its fullest extent without arousing any suspicion.

7 "Humans Are So... Interesting."— Ryuk

The entire reason why Ryuk decides to spice things up by dropping the Death Note in the land of the living is that he was bored and wanted to spice things up.

In that regard, the Death Note couldn't have gone to a more interesting character than Light. His warped notion on how he'll save the word is extremely interesting for Ryuk, who realizes that he was in for an entertaining spell in the human world.

6 "In All Things, One Cannot Win With Defense Alone. To Win, You Must Attack."— Light

During the tennis match between Light and L, the former realizes that he needs to go on the offensive to win.

It's a sentiment that applies to most situations in life, and it's a state of mind that Light decides to act upon after this instance to finally win the drawn-out game of chess against L.

5 "In The End, There Is No Greater Motivation Than Revenge."— Mello

Mello and Near are two characters who are introduced at the tail end of Death Note's run, and while these characters might not be the greatest, there's no denying the fact that they were quite intriguing indeed.

This holds true in the case of Mello, who's personality might seem one-dimensional but actually hides a complex character with his own motivations.

4 "Hear This— I'm Not Only Kira, But I'm Also God Of The New World!"— Light

See Also

14+ revealing thoughts translated and explained – Japanoscope

We've already touched upon Light's savior complex in the series— something that grows stronger and stronger until it becomes way too prevalent in the latter stages of the series.

At this point, Light has pretty much deluded himself into believing that he's a god of a new world, which he has full reign over. It takes a fatal reality check to finally make him realize that he's as vulnerable as any human around.

3 "If You Can't Win The Game... If You Can't Solve The Puzzle,Then You're Nothing But A Loser."— Near

Near is the second notable addition to the cast of Death Note in its latter half, with most people considering his character to just be a cheap knockoff of L.

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However, there's more to his character than just that, and this line is just one of the many instances where he truly shines in every possible way.

2 "If Kira Gets Caught, He Is Evil. If Kira Rules The Word, He Is Justice."— Light

While it might be hard to agree with Light in a number of instances, there's no denying the fact that his point about the persona of Kira is right.

If he gets caught, then Kira is nothing more than a serial killer with supernatural powers. However, given the nature of his killings, people would be more than happy to live in a lawful world without criminals— something that Kira can be a symbol of.

1 "I Am Justice!"— Light and L

Light wished to adopt the persona of Kira and become a symbol of justice for a new world where he would reign supreme. L wanted to take down a delusional killer who believed in the morality of his heinous actions and wanted to play god.

Both these characters had their own definition of justice, which made their dynamic in Death Note all the more interesting.

NEXT:10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths In Death Note