The Crazy Thing You Don't Realise About Death Note - Light Loses in Episode 2 - Death Note Theory

Today at the Mystery Shack, we look at a crazy thing you may not realise about Death Note - Light's biggest blunder that causes his down fall as soon as episode 2. Despite how smart he is, being wise is a whole different question and Light plays right into L's hand, continuing to make mistake after mistake that only narrow down the suspect list, making him effectively lose no more than a couple episodes in.

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[mubasshirkhan]

In the show there's a dialogue "the weakness of a genius is the need for an audience"

[snvcchs]

It wouldn't be a story without Light's pride. I like how you pointed that out.

[TheJadeFist]

The problem here is largely that Light wanted people to know there was someone casting judgement, random heart attacks although would be better to avoid any possible link to himself, as in like there isn't even anything to suspect because people have heart attacks all the time. He wanted the attention, and maybe was also a bit cocky about being untraceable.

[saparapatepete]

Actually, L's plan was to broadcast per region and country to narrow down to the place where Kira would take the bait. He broadcasted in Kanto/Japan first because of the small population and to make it easier to narrow down who is Kirai it turns out he's there. Light's mistake of taking the bait wasn't only a tactical mistake. He crossed a moral line when he decide to kill the people investigating him and were trying to do justice instead of sticking to only criminals.

[pafif]

I like how he says spoiler warning AFTER saying “that’s why he dies in the end”

[BertRamDam]

Light’s own ego was his worst enemy. Ryuk could not have asked for anyone better to pickup the notebook.

[jjfasho]

But remember, Light's ultimate goal was to be revered as a god once he murdered everybody. So announcing his presence was very much a part of his plan.

[enzo]

Besides Light doing all that because he wants to confront and mock L, if you pay attention, Light explains why he acted on the police info, he wanted L to investigate the police so they would investigate L and do Light's work for him. It kinda worked because L had to admit defeat and work with a very reduced group.

[Vakodraws]

Thats why i think episode 2 of deathnote is the biggest hook in history. Yes the premise in episode 1 is enough to make you watch ep 2 but when you see that L multi level galaxy brain outplay, you're in it till the end

[cassandraecw]

The moment he killed Lind L. Tailor, his fate was sealed.

[Sarah_Malter]

as soon as he fell for L broadcast trick he was cooked not only his location was revealed but now L was aware of his terribly high ego

[jonathonthomas]

One issue I have with your breakdown here is when you talk about his elaborate hiding of the notebook. The problem with what you were saying is that the minute someone else touches the notebook, they are able to see the shinigami attached to it.

[KensBlade]

To be honest the biggest misstake was that he took a window seat in class.

[barnacleboi]

When an anime is being talked about a decade and a half later, you know its a GOAT

[IVIUTD]

him falling for the bait when there was no pressure on him specifically has always made me angry. all he had to do was sit back and just continue to do what he is doing behind closed doors.

[jonathanferguson]

Well to be fair, Light, like many serial killers or megalomaniacs WANTED to be known for his work. He wanted to walk the thin line between getting away with it and taunting you to your face. The way he taunts Ray, the way he taunts Misori, the way he sends L a taunt via note and then to his face, the way he taunts Near. Light is a cocky dude with a giant ego once he gets his hands on the death note. If he wanted to "succeed" and keep using the death note despite Ryuk telling him taht Ryuk WILL write his name down in his own death note he should've just kept killing in silence. So yeah as much as i love some of your analysis for other series, when it comes to death note the truth is: yep if Light was a machievelli/egotistical smug bastard he probably would've won. That's all it boils down to and makes anything else seem blatantly obvious or silly.

[DoubleK]

L. Bait: *doesn't die
L: "welp I'm stumped."
*end credits

[wowhowbizarre]

Let’s be real the only reason light managed to kill L was b/c he was using death god magic and the fact the L was pretty much able to deduce he was using some kind of death god magic at all is kinda insane.

[Allenluvable]

Yeah, I recently rewatched this show for the first time since I was like, fourteen, (I'm 28) and noticed this too. He reacted well enough, and was able to keep going for a long time, due to his intelligence, but him reacting to Lind L Taylor at all basically set his fate in stone. His own hubris was his downfall.

[christianmarchesi]

Light’s decisions where severely affected by his ego. However, all he did in episode 2 and after was to get closer to L (letting L get closer to him), because he always knew he had to kill him. Otherwise he couldn’t create his new world, because L would have always tried to catch him.