Death Note timeline guide: Everything that happened and when

Death Note is one of a kind anime where the passage of time isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a key storytelling device that elevates the tension and complexity. Each day in this iconic cat-and-mouse thriller carries weight, purpose, and calculated strategy.

In a world where a name and a face are all that’s needed to bring death, time becomes a battlefield of its own. Every move is countered, every plan dissected, and every day is a step closer to a world reshaped by one boy’s god complex.

In this article, we’ll walk through the extensive and meticulous timeline of Death Note, primarily based on the manga’s chronology. While the anime follows a similar pattern, some dates were adjusted to reflect the broadcast year. That said, whether you're returning for a deep dive or navigating the series for the first time, this timeline serves as your definitive guide to the rise and fall of Kira.

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Death Note timeline guide: Everything that happened and when

The notebook falls

The world didn’t notice when the gates to chaos creaked open. In a Tokyo high school, 17-year-old Light Yagami stumbles upon a mysterious black notebook labeled Death Note. The instructions inside are simple: write a name, picture the person’s face, and they die. What begins as disbelief quickly turns into experimentation, and then full-blown obsession.

Enter Ryuk, the death god, who dropped the notebook just to see what would happen. With his lazy grin and apathy toward human life, Ryuk becomes Light’s silent spectator. But Light sees the notebook as something else entirely: a divine tool. A chance to reshape the world. A cleansing fire.

By the end of the year, hundreds of criminals will be dead. The media has a name for the unseen executioner named Kira. And with that, a new god is being born.

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L arrives, and the world tilts

The governments of the world can no longer ignore the mass deaths. That is when L is introduced, a reclusive, world-renowned detective with no face but a flawless record. He appears on international broadcasts to challenge Kira directly. His trap works as Kira kills the decoy on live TV, proving he exists, and more importantly, that he’s located in Japan.

And so begins one of the greatest cat-and-mouse games in anime history. L, eccentric and methodical, narrows down Kira’s identity with frightening speed.

Light, being cold and calculating, manipulates events and people alike to stay ahead. Their confrontation isn’t just about catching a killer; rather, it’s a duel between two geniuses willing to break everything to win.

But Light goes further. He orchestrates the arrival of a second Kira, Misa Amane, a popular model who also holds a Death Note granted by another Shinigami, Rem. She’s loyal to Kira, driven by love and revenge. Light doesn’t hesitate to manipulate her.

By year’s end, Light takes the most daring step of all: he gives up ownership of the Death Note, erasing his memories, and embedding himself deeper into the investigation team working to catch himself.

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Light becomes a ghost of himself

With no memories of being Kira, Light actually works side-by-side with L, sincerely hunting the killer he once was. He’s convincing. Almost too convincing. And yet, L never lets his guard down. Their relationship turns twisted as best friends and mortal enemies, trapped in a daily dance of suspicion.

But Light planned for this. His past self anticipated everything: how to recover his memories, how to use Misa and Rem, how to remove L from the equation entirely. When the plan activates, it moves like clockwork. Rem, bound by her affection for Misa, sacrifices herself to kill L and his assistant Watari.

The world never sees their faces. Their deaths go unnoticed by the public. But in that quiet room, Light Yagami claims victory. He smiles over L’s dead body. It’s not just personal now. It’s divine.

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Near and Mello rise from the shadows

Time passes. The world forgets the name L. Light has everything he ever wanted from his father’s trust, a public-facing role in the Kira task force, and a godlike status among anonymous followers. But in the shadows of the orphanage where L once trained, two successors step forward.

Near is methodical and emotionless. Mello is wild and unpredictable. They don’t trust each other, but they both share one goal: to defeat Kira.

Mello goes rogue, aligning with the mafia and stealing a piece of the Death Note. His aggression forces Light to make mistakes. In retaliation, Light orchestrates a raid and kills hundreds, including key FBI and SPK agents.

Near, meanwhile, plays the long game. He builds a web of surveillance, distrust, and psychological warfare. And while the world believes in Kira’s justice more than ever, Near chips away at the mask.

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The curtain falls

The final year of Light Yagami’s rule begins with supreme confidence. He’s known as a god to many. He has full control of the Japanese task force. His proxy, Teru Mikami, is a true believer who is zealous and efficient. But the cracks are there.

Mello sacrifices himself to expose Mikami’s use of the Death Note. Near manipulates Mikami into acting prematurely. The final confrontation happens in a sterile white warehouse, where Near and Light face off with the task force watching.

Light, as always, thinks he’s won. But Near reveals the truth: Mikami’s notebook was tampered with. The deaths don’t occur. Light has been exposed. The silence that follows is deafening. When Light breaks into laughter and madness, the image of a god shatters. He pleads, screams, and finally flees.

But he’s shot down. Wounded, bleeding, and hunted by the very people who once followed his commands. Ryuk watches silently. And then, as promised, he writes Light’s name in the Death Note. Light Yagami dies alone. Not as a god. Not as a savior. But as a broken boy who thought he could rewrite morality.

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Conclusion

But the world of Death Note wasn’t finished. As Ryuk returned and dropped the notebook to Minoru Tanaka. Unlike his predecessors, Minoru refused to use it. Instead, he sold it to the highest bidder. The notebook was auctioned off, and the United States won with a bid of nine trillion dollars.

Looking back, Death Note is a series where time is everything. From daily killings to multi-year mind games, it’s a timeline steeped in tension, intellect, and consequence.

Whether you're aligned with L’s sense of justice or Light’s godlike ambition, there’s no denying the sheer complexity of the events that unfolded. And somewhere in the Shinigami Realm, Ryuk is likely watching it all again, waiting for the next interesting human to pick up the notebook.