L Lawliet (1979-2004; in Manga) (1982-2007; in anime) is a British/Japanese Police Detective, International Crime Solving Detective, and the popular anti-hero of the series Death Note created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
Wiki/Biography
L, also known as L Lawliet was born on Wednesday, October 31, 1979, and Sunday, October 31, 1982, in anime in Winchester, England (age 22 years in manga/anime; 24-25 years in Death Note: Another World). His Zodiac sign is Scorpio and his blood type is Unknown. He was a well renowned International Detective who was given the case to investigate the murders caused by Kira and he works with the NPA (National Police Agency, 警察庁, Keisatsu-chō) in Japan to solve the case and uncover the identity of Kira.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10”
Weight (approx.): 50 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Nature
L was very calm and composed and would spend all of his time working on cases or eating. He had a personality disorder and wanted to stay away from interacting with people. He was a genius and had earned the title of the world’s best detective. He was very less emotional and took every step carefully with practical approaches. His MBTI personality type is INTP, people with such personalities are introverted, highly analytical, and plan oriented.
Statistics
Knowledge: 8/10
Creativity: 10/10
Initiative: 9/10
Emotional Strength: 10/10
Social Skills: 1/10
Sweet Tooth: 10/10
Family
Parents and Siblings
L Lawliet was an orphan who was found by Watari (Quillsh Wammy) at the age of 8 and taken to the Wammy’s House which was an orphanage for the Gifted Children. Watari found great potential in him and with time L became the greatest-known detective in the world.
L and Watari together
Wife and Children
L was a dedicated Detective and had no interest in social life. He died at a young age at the hands of Kira (Light Yagami) so he couldn’t start his own family.
Relationships/Affairs
L had no interaction with any girls except for Misa Amane (Misa Misa) whom he looked forward to interacting with and using in order to get closer to Kira.
L and Misa Amane
Friends
L Lawliet had no one he could trust or form a bond with except Watari until he met Light Yagami at To-Oh University and found him to be of the same level as his own. He considered Light to be his friend and co-worker but also feared if Light would be Kira it would be a problem for him.
Light and L
Religion
L was raised in England and had a cross on his grave which depicts him to be a Christian.
Career
Ever since a young age, L showed potential for being a good detective and started working with Watari to solve cases and became the World’s Greatest Detective. He worked with the NPA in Japan alongside various officers to solve the case of Kira. He took every necessary step in order to catch Kira but was unable to and lost his life on the case when Rem wrote his name on the Death Note.
Manga
L was introduced in Chapter One: Boredom of the Manga.
L first appearance Chapter 1: Boredom
Anime
L first appeared in the Anime in Episode 2: Confrontation
L First appearance Episode 2: Confrontation
Movies
L was also a significant part of Death Note movies and appeared in Death Note (2006), Death Note: The Last Name (2006), L: Change the World (2008), and Death Note: Light Up the New World (2018).
L in Death Note Movie (2006)
Novels
L was a part of 2 Novels, Death Note: Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases(2006) and Death Note L: Change the World (2004).
L in Death Note Novel L: Change the World
Video Games
L also appeared in video games Death Note: Kira Game (2007), and Death Note: Successor to L (2007).
L in Death Note: Kira Game,2007
L in Successor to L video game
Stage Show
L also appeared in the Death Note: The Musical held in Japan, Korea, and Brazil. Frank Wildhorn composed the music, Jack Murphy wrote the lyrics, and Ivan Menchell penned the script. Initially written in English, the musical was translated into Japanese and Korean for their respective productions in 2015.
L in Death Note: The Musical
TV Drama
In 2015, a drama of Death Note was released in which Kento Yamazaki played the role of L Lawliet.
Kento Yamazaki as L in Death Note TV Drama.
Other Media
L also appeared in other popular media, including Episode 6 of “Full Metal Panic!”, The Second Raid, and Jump Super Stars and Jump Force Ultimate Stars as a supporting character.
L in Full Metal Panic Episode 6
L in Jump Ultimate Stars
Portrayed and Voiced By
L Lawliet has been portrayed by various actors across different adaptations of Death Note. In all Japanese movies, he is portrayed by Kenichi Matsuyama, in TV Drama by Kento Yamazaki, and in stage shows by various artists in different countries. In the 2017 Netflix adaptation, L is portrayed by Lakeith Stanfield.
Kenichi Matsuyama as L
Kento Yamazaki as L
Lakeith Stanfield as L in Death Note, 2017
Japanese Voice Actor
Yamaguchi, Kappei
English Voice Actor
Juliani, Alessandro
French Voice Actor
Lebon, Guillaume
German Voice Actor
Haggége, Julien
Italian Voice Actor
Crescentini, Stefano
Hungarian Voice Actor
Viczián, Ottó
Portuguese (BR) Voice Actor
Cantú, Sérgio
Korean Voice Actors
Eom, Sang Hyeon
Spanish Voice Actors
Núñez, Hugo, Pera, Roger, Domingo, Claudi
Live Action Actors
In the movie series Death Note, L is portrayed by Kenichi Matsuyama. In the TV drama, he is portrayed by Kento Yamazaki. In Death Note: The Musical, he has been portrayed by various different artists such as Teppei Koike, Kim Junsu, and Yaroslav Bayarunas across the country, and in the Netflix movie by Lakeith Stanfield.
Weapon and Power
L was a Gifted genius with a natural talent for solving cases which made him rise to the ranks of the World’s Greatest Detective. He was an extraordinary human with access to unlimited sources of money and information. He was the head of the NPA (National Police Agency) while solving the case of Kira. He also had the FBI and CIA ready to follow any command or investigation for him. He also found a Death Note which he used to get clues on cases but never used it to kill anyone.
L holding Death Note
L with SPA Members
Controversies
Death of L unjustified
During the events of the death of L, many fans did not agree with the events that happened. It was unfair for a Shinigami (Rem) to his power to kill L and sacrifice himself through the manipulation of Light Yagami.
American Cast in Death Note Movie (2017)
Many people were infuriated with the cast used by Netflix for Death Note movie. Actor Lakeith Stanfield portrayed L who was supposed to be a Japanese character but was shown as a Black American with the change of name from L Lawliet to L Lebensborn.
Ignorance of various hints and clues
L had ignored various clues which could have gotten him closer to solving the case such as the death of Misora Naomi, Light acting weird after getting Death Note in the helicopter, and ignoring the clues left by Kira. Everyone believes he should have never revealed himself to the suspect Light Yagami too early on and worked so close to the Japanese Police Force.
Death
L Lawliet had one of the saddest and most emotional ends to his life which is still one of the fan favorites. While he was solving Kira’s case and was soon about to uncover the truth about Kira’s identity when he got informed about the death of Watari and how he deleted all the details related to Kira’s case before dying. At that moment L knew he was about to die and had a one-on-one conversation with Light before his death. He washed Lights Yagami’s feet and talked to him just before Shinigami Rem writes his name in the Death Note in order to protect Misa Amane from the danger of L bringing harm to her. Just before his death, Light Holds L and gives him a smirk, telling him he was Kira all along. He died in manga on Wednesday, November 5, 2004, and in anime on Sunday, November 5, 2007.
Death Of L in front of Light Yagami
L Lawliet Death Scene
Favorites
Food: Chocolates and desserts
Color: Red
Addiction: Sugar
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Awards of the Japanese Academy (2007) – Best Supporting Actor – Ken’ichi Matsuyama
- Yokohama Film Festival (2007)- Festival Prize for Best New Talent to Ken’ichi Matsuyama shared with Death Note: The Last Name’s Otoko-tachi no Yamato and Oyayubi Sagashi
- Hochi Film Awards (2006)- Winner Hochi Film Award for Best New Actor to Ken’ichi Matsuyama shared with Otoko-tachi no Yamato
Facts and Trivia
- L Lawliet has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes people anti-social, uninterested, and follow the same pattern of behavior.
- Other than being called L, he was also referred to as Hideki Ryuga (流河旱樹, Ryūga Hideki), Ryuzaki (竜崎, Ryūzaki), Eraldo Coil, Deneuve Asahi Suzuki (スズキ, Suzuki), L-Prime (L: Change the WorLd), Yoshio Anderson (TV drama)
- Before his death in Anime in episode 25, L hears loud bells which gives him a sign of an upcoming death. This was never shown in the Manga.
- L has always been addicted to sugar and believed it helped him think better.
L loves eating sugary food
- During the creation of L, the concept of dead eyes was inspired by the character Akira Fudo from Devilman which later became the final draft of L.
- L, one of the smartest characters in the Death Note series, possesses the exceptional skill of ambidexterity, allowing him to write with both hands simultaneously, in addition to his impressive IQ of over 200.
- The real name L Lawiet was only informed to the readers in the guidebook Death Note 13: How to Read.
- L’s relationship with Light parallels Judas’ relationship with Jesus. The scene in which L massages Light’s feet shows this connection, referencing Jesus washing Judas’s feet despite knowing about the impending betrayal and his own doom.
L washing Light’s feet
- L is an expert in Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art using dance and music along with combat which he showed in Episode 18 of the Anime.
L and Light Fighting
- In Death Note: Another Note, it’s mentioned that L wasn’t the first generation of Detectives and had two other successors before Near and Mello.
- The movie L: Change the World portrays the last 23 days of L’s life. L sets out to prevent a bio-terrorist group led by “K” from unleashing a lethal virus worldwide. As he progresses towards his goal, he encounters Maki, a young girl, FBI agent Suruga, and a boy he calls Near. During the film, L establishes a close bond with Maki and Near, treating Maki like his younger sister. However, Maki appears to develop romantic feelings toward L. On the day before his demise, L selects Near as his successor and arranges for him to be cared for in the same orphanage where he spent his childhood.
- In the past, L has worked with Naomi Misora on the Los Angeles BB Murder Case.
- Like other Death Note characters, L was given a Nendoroid Figure L 2.0. It was made in various positions of L sitting, eating, and standing.
L Nendoroid
