Filler episodes. Love them, or hate them, whether they add to the story or develop the characters or make no sense at all other than adding fodder to make up for a lack of content due to the manga being behind on schedule, they are there. Even despite the fandom being either annoyed by them, they will pose a more or less important part of the anime itself.
In today’s post, we’ll be talking about the few, but still present a few filler episodes of Death Note. I hope you all have your pens, pencils, or whatever you prefer using as your main tool for writing, and your notebooks open at a clear page, because we’ll be going into the world of Death Note with a dolphin dive right away.
Table of Contents
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Table of Content
Death Note Filler List
| Ep No. | Ep Title. | Type. |
| 1 | Rebirth | Mixed Canon/Filler |
| 2 | Confrontation | Manga Canon |
| 3 | Dealings | Manga Canon |
| 4 | Pursuit | Manga Canon |
| 5 | Tactics | Manga Canon |
| 6 | Unraveling | Manga Canon |
| 7 | Overcast | Manga Canon |
| 8 | Glare | Manga Canon |
| 9 | Encounter | Manga Canon |
| 10 | Doubt | Manga Canon |
| 11 | Assault | Manga Canon |
| 12 | Love | Manga Canon |
| 13 | Confession | Manga Canon |
| 14 | Friend | Manga Canon |
| 15 | Wager | Manga Canon |
| 16 | Decision | Manga Canon |
| 17 | Execution | Manga Canon |
| 18 | Ally | Manga Canon |
| 19 | Matsuda | Manga Canon |
| 20 | Makeshift | Manga Canon |
| 21 | Performance | Manga Canon |
| 22 | Guidance | Manga Canon |
| 23 | Frenzy | Manga Canon |
| 24 | Revival | Manga Canon |
| 25 | Silence | Mixed Canon/Filler |
| 26 | Renewal | Mixed Canon/Filler |
| 27 | Abduction | Manga Canon |
| 28 | Impatience | Manga Canon |
| 29 | Father | Manga Canon |
| 30 | Justice | Manga Canon |
| 31 | Transfer | Manga Canon |
| 32 | Selection | Manga Canon |
| 33 | Scorn | Manga Canon |
| 34 | Vigilance | Manga Canon |
| 35 | Malice | Manga Canon |
| 36 | 1.28 | Manga Canon |
| 37 | New World | Mixed Canon/Filler |
About The Anime
So, for those of you who have never heard of Death Note, let’s talk about the story as a whole. Imagine a world in which supernatural beings, such as death gods, or Shinigami as the Japanese refer to them, not only exist, but also have a direct effect on the world of mortals.
A young genius, Light Yagami, finds a notebook that fell to Earth, and has incredible powers. Powers that can have grave effects on the entire world, if in the wrong hands. Realising this, and the powers the Death Note as it’s called, Light sets out on a special endeavour. The endeavour to change the world in his own image.
What this means is him systematically killing anyone he deems unworthy to be a part of the ideal society he’s aiming for. He achieves this by utilising the power of the Death Note, that can take the life of anyone whose name is written inside it. Light takes on the guise of Kira, a name derived from the English word Killer. While he does gain followers, he also makes some enemies, obviously due to the fact that what he does is still a crime.
Therefore, a special task force is created to combat Kira and his mad rampage. This task force is led by the enigmatic L, a genius detective and also a bit of a weirdo.
The story’s main focus is the incredible battle of minds between Light and L, and subsequently L’s successors. It’s hard to exactly make a difference between good and evil in this story, since in a way, Light’s intentions are good in the end, but after a while, his good intentions turn to a megalomania of sorts. As it turns out, he’s not shy to kill even those on his side just so he gets away.
Still, the psychological drama and the ever changing status quo shifting back and forth for all the characters make for a fantastic story overall. And what is for certain is that due to the story being compressed into 37 episodes, it doesn’t have much need for fillers, thus there were actually only four of them.
It’s interesting to note how the first and last episodes are both supposed to be of a certain common theme, giving the series a frame of sorts. This kind of frame structure is more often seen in poetry, but it’s likely also a dark twist that the finding of the Death Note began the series, and Light’s death stylishly ends it. The rebirth of a human as a god, and the death of the god of the new world. How fitting, don’t you think? Also, notice how every episode is titled a single word that best describes what happens in that episode.
But let’s also talk about how the story goes down in the two parts, what story Arcs it’s broken down to, and what role the filler episodes have towards the general plot!
Part 1 (Episode 1 to 26)
The Beginning Arc
The story of the first story arc of Death Note, just referred to as Part 1, is the battle of wits between Light and L, the two brilliant minds on either sides of the barricade in a figurative war between the new world order and the old world that’s still resisting the change.
The story begins with a bored high school student, Light Yagami, and Ryuk, a Shinigami, bored with how monotone the shinigami realm is, meeting by fate. Ryuk dropped his notebook, the Death Note, in our world and as luck would have it, everyone passed it by except for Light.
Light’s curiosity in trying out what the Death Note is capable of ends with him killing two criminals using its powers. This prompts him to devise a plan for changing the world drastically in his own image. He takes on the cover name of Kira, derived from the english word Killer, and sets out to systematically take down all the criminals of the world, until no crime is left anymore.
Naturally, with the more people dying, the ICPO, or Interpol are soon alerted and a new task force is formed, led by the enigmatic L, who takes the fight against Kira personally. Light is lured into committing the killing of a convicted criminal on Live TV. This helps prove the existence of Kira, and gets them closer to pinpointing his location.
Light, instead of retreating, starts testing the limits of the Death Note’s powers while also rubbing the fact that he has access to police databases into L’s face. He’s trying to cause the police task force members to turn against each other.
Light’s father, Soichiro, is the head of the Kira investigations and therefore Light can keep tabs on the task force directly.
The FBI sends agents to Japan to help the investigation and uncover the possible traitor among the NPA, but Light takes them down one after the other. L loses more and more of his men, and he’s forced to reveal himself. While L faces the rest of the Task Force, Light kills Naomi Misora.
Thanks to the list of people one of the FBI agents was suspicious of, L is able to narrow down the possible identity of Kira to maybe two households, and their homes are rigged with security cameras and bugs to be able to keep an eye and an ear on them at all times. Light is still able to carry out his killings, thanks to taking out criminals whose names were revealed on television broadcasts. L is unable to point out a single suspect, but he’s clearly most suspicious of Light himself.
L enrolls at the To-Oh University, taking on the guise of Hideki Ryuga, thus giving Light a target name, hoping to get him to unveil himself. This is a double edged blade, since Light may blow his own cover if L dies and the task force may find him out but it’s also possible that since he only uses a proxy. Light might become suspicious, and not even try taking him out.
Light instead goes to L directly to meet the task force members and confirm L’s identity. L, attempting to lure him into a trap, asks Light to join the investigation, to keep an eye on him, hoping to catch him in the act or at the very least, force him into a mistake.
L tries everything in his strength to get Light to give away his identity as Kira, but Light manages to avoid being caught every single time, and even gets to meet the members of the task force. He basically blackmails them into telling him L’s true identity. When his father has a heart attack, Light finally manages to confirm L’s real name.
The Second Kira Arc
Tapes from Kira are broadcast on TV, prompting L to deduce that there is more than one Kira out there. Light also realises that the second Kira has Shinigami Eyes, eyes that allow the user to see the real name and lifespan of people. This can be achieved by sacrificing half of one’s lifespan.
Light is asked to join the task force in hopes of helping them lure the new Kira out, but L also hopes to get closer to him. Light, though, has other plans, to meet this second Kira before L and his crew can get to them, and before they make a mistake that could endanger him as well.
The second Kira’s diary is found and Light is lured to Aoyama. Here, he meets a girl named Misa Amane, who also has a Shinigami companion, Rem. She offers her help to Kira, to which Light realises that he needs to keep her around so she doesn’t get him into trouble. He also knows Rem could kill him should anything happen to Misa, this including by L.
L soon deduces that the first and second Kira are cooperating. Light devises a plan to date multiple girls at the same time creating an alibi for his meetings with Misa. Misa double crosses his plans, appearing earlier than she was supposed to, but Light seizes the opportunity to have Rem take L out with the reasoning of making Misa happy with doing so.
Little does Light know that in the meantime, L found evidence of Misa being the second Kira. They meet at the University and he points out that if he were to die, the task force will immediately know that Light is Kira. Misa is arrested before she can tell L’s real name to Light.
Rem wipes Misa’s memories of being the second Kira and issues a threat to kill Light, to which he responds by coming up with a plan to save both himself, and Misa while taking out L with the same stone. Light has Rem pose as the Shinigami in possession of Light’s Death Note, and has them to hand it over to someone else, while Ryuk takes over Misa’s Death Note
Once this is set into motion, Light asks to be locked behind bars and cooks up a fake rule for the Death Note. Anyone to write in one has to kill a person within the next 13 days, or else they would die.
The Yotsuba Arc
Light’s memories of being Kira are wiped while in confinement. 15 days after he’s locked behind bars, criminals broadcasted on TV are killed, and the murders continue even into the next 50 days. L decides to release Light and Misa. An execution is staged and soon they are confirmed to not be Kira. Light finds a new goal in capturing the new Kira while helping L.
They soon figure out that the new Kira is one of the leaders of the Yotsuba company. L calls in old friends to aid them in the form of two of his acquaintances, Aiber and Wedy, who have a criminal history. L still has suspicions for Light and has himself handcuffed to him to keep a close eye on him. This does cause some conflict between them.
One of the task force members is captured before their plan could be executed. He does obtain proof of the Yotsuba company’s connection to the new Kira. He then suggests they hire Misa as a model before faking his death.
Aiber takes on the role of detective Eraldo Coil to go undercover and gain more information about the new Kira, while supposedly investigating L, having been hired by the company’s executives.
Rem contacts Misa during her job interview and this returns her memories of the Second Kira. She learns who the third Kira is, and Misa gets the perpetrator to fess up. L is able to get Higuchi, the third Kira to reveal himself, and soon the task force corners and captures him.
This is when the Task force learns about the Death Note and Light regains his memories, continuing his work as Kira. He now has a strong enough alibi and is close to L as well, so he puts Misa into danger, prompting Rem to kill L and his handler, Watari to save her. Light thus regains possession of his note.
Part 2 (Episode 27-37)
The America Arc
Learning of L’s demise, his accomplices, Near and Mello are shocked and plan their revenge against Kira. Five years pass and the SPK, a new special unit to combat Kira is formed, led by Near. The Kira killings continue, now with the help of the internet which is improving Light’s efficiency. Mello meanwhile has joined forces with the mafia.
Mello, now gone rogue, kidnaps Light’s sister, Sayu and ransoms Light for the Death Note, forcing him to ask for Near’s help. Light does manage to get his sister back, but Mello gets his hands on the notebook, at the cost of Light learning about him being the one behind the kidnapping. Light was already suspicious of Near, and since he learns that Near and Mello are supposed to be both on the same side, Light’s tension rises.
In order to stop Mello, Light’s machinations begin, first having the president send troops against Mello’s supposed base of operations. But he is thwarted by Sidoh, a Shinigami working for Mello and the mafia to get his hands on the Death Note. Since this attempt failed, the Taskforce is sent in instead, now with help from Ryuk, and Soichiro gaining shinigami eyes.
Light kills off all the mafia members, and convinces Sidoh to work for them instead, also learning Mello’s real name in the process. Light’s father dies and Mello makes his escape.
Near is slowly coming closer and closer to uncovering Kira’s true identity, thanks to all of Mello’s actions. Mello makes it to the SPK HQ, exchanging information over the Kira case with Near. During this conversation, he reveals that one of the rules regarding the Death Note is a fake. Near believes it’s the 13 day rule.
Near has a confrontation with Light over his doubts over him, and this also causes doubt among the members of the Task force.
Mello tasks Mogi, a member of the task force, to seek out Near with the intention of getting him to spill information while he’s listening in on the conversation. Mogi crosses this plan by remaining silent. Light in the meantime sends his followers to the SPK HQ, but Near is able to get away safely.
Near uses this opportunity to gain one up on Light again, lying about Mogi dying of a heart attack, getting valuable information, which only reinforces his suspicion to the point that he’s certain Light is Kira. Light, expecting Near to get the Task Force on his side, hands ownership of the Death Note from Misa to Mikami, one of his apprentices and has Demagawa, his “spokesman“ killed.
A new spokesman is chosen in Kiyomi Takada. Takada has had relations with Light and Light had run-ins with her covering it up with investigating her. In truth, Takada is actually his contact with Mikami.
Near is able to uncover Mikami as the X-Kira, and puts him under observation. However, Mikami is actually a bait, while Takada uses pages of the notebook to do the real killings. Near takes the bait and swaps the fake notebook for another fake one for his final plan to meet Light at the Yellow Box warehouse. Mikami gets a chance to write down the names of everyone there, hence for Kira, helping him to uncover the villain.
Mello interferes however, by kidnapping Takada with the help of his friend Matt. Matt is killed off by Takada’s bodyguards, while Takada writes Mello’s real name into the Death Note.
Near doesn’t change his plans about the meeting however. Light is confident about his success, since he thinks Mikami has the real notebook. However when Takada was kidnapped, Mikami was forced to write her name in the real notebook, making Near aware of its whereabouts and swapping the real one out for a fake as well.
Near finally uncovers Light as Kira, who doesn’t even bother to deny it, and is later on shot by Matsuda. Light turns to Ryuk for help, who in turn turns against him, and writes his name into the Death Note. Light dies soon after.
The Fillers and Changes to episodes
Technically there are two filler episodes and two episodes that are different from the manga in more ways than one. Let’s take a look at these episodes!
Episode 1: Rebirth
In the baren Shinigami World, a Shinigami named Ryuk watches two of his brethren playing a game akin to a game of dice and in his boredom decides to go look for his Death Note he lost some time ago. Meanwhile, on Earth, a brilliant high school student named Light Yagami spots a black notebook falling to Earth.
His interest piqued in it, he picks it up, and thus gains godlike powers. The notebook is the so-called Death Note, and has strict rules written on the first page of it. Light sees the potential in this, in him being able to make one of his greatest wishes come true. The wish to create a world without crime.
Differences
- The differences here are that the prologue with Ryuk is more detailed in the manga, as we’re also told, he already has another Death Note he received from the Shinigami King, but he still sets out to look for the one he lost. This shows much better how bored he really is, and kind of puts his meeting with Light more into perspective.
- Light initially walks away from the Death Note, despite being the one spotting it falling to the Earth in the first place. His curiosity is what ultimately brings him back to it to pick it up. In the manga, he immediately picks it up.
- In the Anime, we receive a montage of how Light kills criminals using the notebook. This does not happen in the manga at all.
Episode 25: Silence
Rem is questioned by L over the Death Notes, but she reveals just some vague information, so as to not get too much attention to Light and Misa. Misa in the meantime starts killing criminals with the Death Note. Light denies any involvement from Misa, but L is suspicious of her.
Rem realises that Light deliberately endangered Misa to get Rem to even sacrifice herself for her sake, just to take down L. Light later meets L on the Task Force HQ rooftop. L laments over how people are all just the same and lie about everything, and how distant he feels from all of them.
L later reveals his plan to the rest of the Task force that he wants to test the thirteen day rule, which is the only rule that saves Misa from being framed. Before the plan could be set into motion however, Rem takes both L and Watari out, dying herself in the process. Once it’s over, Light takes Rem’s Death Note and celebrates his victory.
Differences
- In the anime, L dies without saying a word, with just his eyes staring blankly at Light, who smiles at him victoriously. In the manga, L is shown to still whisper something like „I knew it was you.“ before passing away.
Episode 26: Renewal
A Recap episode with L narrating the first half, recalling the events of the past 25 episodes. This is revealed to be a sort of diary left behind by L himself as a record of his achievements in the case. Light discovers it and deletes it as soon as he finishes.
Light becomes L’s successor as the leader of the investigation team and L’s death is officially kept under wraps. Light from this point on has to learn into his new role, while also carrying on with his work as Kira.
We then skip ahead by five years, and Light is shown to have joined the NPA, the National Police Agency, at the age of 23.
We’re also shown however that after L died, his computer sent a notification to an elderly man. He then reveals the information about L’s demise to two children, whose names are later revealed to be Near and Mello.
Episode 37: New World
Mikami attempts to use his fake Death Note, but fails. Near reveals that he knew of the fake note and he’s also stolen the real one Mikami is captured, and Near reveals all of his undeniable evidence pointing towards Light as Kira. Light simply collapses and just laughs like a maniac, attempting to write Near and Matsuda’s names into the scraps of the Death Note he keeps with him in his watch, but he’s shot by Matsuda.
Mikami commits suicide after seeing Light’s suffering, while Light makes his escape ceizing this opportunity. While on the run, he recalls all the events he’s been through in the form of flashbacks and while observing this, Ryuk writes one last name in his Death Note, and it’s Light’s. He promised this to Light, and notes that it’s been fun working with Light.
Misa is shown one last time atop a skyscraper, just before Light finally dies in a heart attack while collapsing on a set of stairs, and L’s figure makes an appearance in front of him.
Differences
- In the Manga, Light isn’t shot, he instead begs Ryuk to help him, and write the names of Near and Matsuda into his notebook, but Ryuk turns against him and writes his name instead, insisting, that he doesn’t want to wait for him to die in prison, so he took matters in his own hands.
- Misa doesn’t die in the anime, but she actually does in the manga.
Conclusion
That’s it my friends! Luckily, unlike a lot of other anime I could mention here, Death Note doesn’t really contain much filler at all. Sure, the anime does vary from the manga at certain points, but this doesn’t break the overall experience. Let us know what other small differences you noticed and what else felt like filler to you compared to the manga, and all that in the comments. Until next time!
