Death Note, a series written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, is a popular supernatural thriller that features two of the most brilliant characters in the history of the medium. A high school kid named Light Yagami discovers a notebook with the power to kill whoever’s name is inscribed in it. However, the clever detective L, better known as Ryuzaki, plays clever tactics with his deductive skills to catch him.
The show made no effort to hide the fact that they’re our only hope for a believable conflict between the two main characters. It was the contrast between their strengths that provided the show’s hallmark tension.
Be warned: The ending involves their deaths. The side led by L technically won, but Light went on for the longest. Regarding this matter, fans appear to be evenly divided.
Most Popular Question: L vs Light Yagami, Who is The Most Intelligent?
Light Yagami may be the most intelligent person in Death Note, but L Lawliet is even more so. L ( Lawliet) has a lower IQ (minor, not drastic) than Light, but his deductive reasoning, strategic thinking, and attention to detail are superior to those of Kira.
He was able to determine Kira’s true identity without any prior knowledge. Hence, L Lawliet / Ryuzaki / Ryuga is actually the smartest, in spite of being severely outmatched by Light Yagami (who had the power of the Death Note, the Shinigami and Shinigami eyes by Misa Amane) but due to lack of evidence he couldn’t convince others,
Although Light clearly has more intelligence, I don’t think L was a complete dumb dumb like Misa Misa. Beyond that, though, which of them do you rate as the smarter person? Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Reasons Why Light Yagami Was Smarter Than L Ryuzaki
| Light Yagami Skills | Rating Percentage |
|---|---|
| Intelligence | 90% |
| Creativity | 100% |
| Emotional Strength | 90% |
| Social Skills | 100% |
| Initiative | 80% |
He Managed to Kill Criminals under the watch of L (Hidden CCTV)
L assumes Kira is the person Raye Penber is looking into, so with Chief Yagami’s permission, he installs surveillance cameras in their home, however Ryuk the Shinigami informs Light about this.
I’ll Take a Potato Chip and EAT IT!
While actually executing criminals with a portion of the Death Note, Light makes the Task Force believe he is studying with a bag of potato chips. When the heat was on, he remained cool and collected.
He outsmarted L, by confessing he was Kira to save Misa Amane
When Misa saw Light Yagami and Ryuzaki outside of school, L believed that she was the second Kira and captures her. Later Rem, the Shinigami warns Light that he will write his name in the Death Note if something happens to Misa or if Light doesn’t liberate her. The murdering ceases after Light informs L that he is willing to be held, and he remains in jail for several weeks.
This leads L to suspect that the Note’s power has been transferred to someone else, and since Light has lost his memory, L is in a good position to convince the Task Force that Light wasn’t Kira.
Outsmarting L by changing Death Note Rules & Faking it
The Task Force learns about the Death Note after L locks them up to show he’s not Kira and after they assist catch Higuchi. Light, though, had modified the Notebook’s regulations in his own .
Light had padded the Notebook with two rules changes to protect it from the Task Force and deflect attention away from himself & Misa. And it was thanks in large part to the 13-day rule that he was finally able to clear his name.
Smartly Killed the FBI Agent’s Spouse Naomi Misora within a few hours
Fortunately, Light discovers Naomi Misora’s plot to inform the Task Force and L about Kira’s ability to kill people by means other than heart attacks.
Light Yagami prepares to eliminate her before she can carry out her plan, as she was the missing and crucial obstacle in his way that has to be removed.
Though she hides her identity at first (plus point to her), Light is able to coax her into disclosing it. To prevent the police from discovering her body, Light writes her name in an old Death Note piece and makes her commit suicide.
He fooled an actual Shinigami (REM) into killing L to save Misa
Light tries to come up with a means to finally get rid of L after he and Misa are cleared of being Kira and eventually comes up with the right technique to accomplish it. Silence is the episode in which Light indirectly convinces Rem to use L’s real name in the Death Note and to kill him (sad).
Thus, Light triumphs against L in battle, not only killing his foe but also outwitting L and the shinigami to become the Task Force’s chief and gain internal control over the Japanese police. He may have triumphed in one arena, but he will ultimately lose the war.
L Could Not Beat Him While Light Was Not Actively Fighting Back
Light’s victory over L can be defined during the time when Light lost his memories and forfeited the ownership of the Death Note, according to his plan. Although it may seem like a win for Light, this is actually a defeat for L.
Light and L had temporarily halted their battle, and Light was now on L’s side. However, L was unable to seize this window of opportunity to apprehend the original Kira.
Light outlived detective L
Light and L were in a life-or-death struggle with each other. However, L met his end thanks to Light’s cunning plan. To be sure, Light passed away, but that was six years after his death. Light appears to have triumphed when stated in such a way.
In terms of the competition within L’s timeline, Light Yagami is unquestionably the victor. In that little window, L had no chance of saving himself or of stopping Kira.
Reasons Why L Ryuzaki was Better Than Light Yagami
| L Lawliet / Ryuzaki Skills | Rating Percentage |
|---|---|
| Intelligence | 95% |
| Creativity | 100% |
| Emotional Strength | 100% |
| Social Skills | 10% |
| Initiative | 95% |
His Amazing Deduction & Intuition skills
L Lawliet’s logical skills and intuition are inhumane, as evidenced by the fact that he quickly figured out the two most crucial elements of “Death Note” within the first few episodes of the anime. From the beginning of the anime, we’ve seen Light and L going at it.
He Deduced Kira was a student & Location immediately
Having deduced Kira’s whereabouts, L discovers a pattern. He has figured out that criminals are being killed off only at night and at odd hours on the weekend.
Using this data, L deduced that Kira was likely a Japanese student because he followed the schedule of his school.
L’s decision was brilliant since it allowed him to zero down on a smaller pool of potential perpetrators and gain insight into their thought processes.
Figured out Quickly there were Two Kiras After the TV Show By Misa
Even though Light was aware of the existence of a second Kira. He didn’t have to use his brain to figure out that someone else also had a notebook. As a result, more credit for this finding goes to L.
After apprehending Higuchi, he spotted one of the notes and immediately deduced that there were two still existing, and the war is not over yet.
Confronts Light unexpectedly at the University
At the Induction Ceremony at To-Oh University, L introduces himself to Light as Hideki Ryuga, or Ryuzaki as he is more often known, and claims to be the actual L detective. Light is shaken and shocked by this, and he tries to steady himself.
When he gets home, he erupts in rage, screaming that he can’t kill this person regardless of whether he is the real L or not because his death just after seeing Light would be highly suspicious and he’s unlikely to also kill the actor Ryuzaki. He takes a deep breath and declares the war to be underway.
He never wanted to release Light Yagami from Jail
Two of the earlier Kiras were imprisoned by him. While Light did give himself in, L was adamant about keeping him locked up. Following the resumption of killing, he had no intention of releasing him. Not even close to convincing him, he saw through it.
Obviously, he gave in to the pressure from the rest of the Kira Task Force and released Light. I had previously stated that Light would have made it if his allies had simply done what he asked. It’s possible L. had a similar experience.
L had a backup plan after death to capture Kira
L’s dream comes true when his successors, Near and Mello, collaborate to bring down Kira while also securing all the notebooks in government hands, Mello however died, but this helped Near crack the case immediately.
Even though Near was the one who discovered how to defeat Light, one could argue that he couldn’t have done so without L’s help because he wouldn’t have had the ready resources, information, or successors to catch Kira.
Final Conclusion, Who is the best?
Light Yagami’s assisted to the Japanese Police in a number of crimes and he self-proclaimed “new God” Kira, he is no match for L, who is an expert at breaking difficult cases.
When compared to the other characters in “Death Note,” L Lawliet is head and shoulders beyond even Light Yagami in terms of intelligence. He was able to recognize Kira even without any hints or clues.
Death Note creator Tsugumi Ohba also claims that L Lawliet is the series’ most intelligent character.
