The BEST episodes of Death Note

Every episode of Death Note ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Death Note!

When a Japanese high schooler comes into possession of a mystical notebook, he finds he has the power to kill anybody whose name he enters in it.

Last Updated: 9/27/2026Network: Nippon TVStatus: Ended
Silence
star
8.62
403 votes

#1 - Silence

Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 4/4/2007

L continues to interrogate Rem, while Light manipulates Rem into killing off the greatest obstacles in his way.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Revival
star
8.54
451 votes

#2 - Revival

Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/28/2007

While Higuchi is finally captured, Light inadvertently regains his memories as Kira.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Rebirth
star
8.31
736 votes

#3 - Rebirth

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/4/2006

Light Yagami is a high school genius bored with life in general. Ryuk, a shinigami, is also bored, so he decides to drop his Death Note (a notebook shinigami use to kill humans) on Earth. Light finds this mysterious book and decides to rid the world of all wicked people and rule a utopia as a god.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Watch Now:Apple TV
1.28
star
8.07
505 votes

#4 - 1.28

Season 1 - Episode 36 - Aired 6/20/2007

The Japanese Task Force and the SPK finally meet at YellowBox Warehouse on January 28th. However, a third party has come to the warehouse as well, on Kira's orders to kill everyone else there.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Watch Now:Apple TV
Frenzy
star
8.03
476 votes

#5 - Frenzy

Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/21/2007

L and the Task Force close in on Higuchi who continues to play into their hands. But as the time before Kira's identity is revealed on Sakura TV gets closer, Higuchi gets desperate and makes the deal for shinigami eyes.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Confrontation
star
7.95
683 votes

#6 - Confrontation

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/11/2006

Light falls into the first of many of L's attempts to uncover him from his Kira alter ego.

Directors: Tomohiko Ito
Wager
star
7.93
595 votes

#7 - Wager

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/24/2007

Light tries using the second Kira to find out L's real name. However, L is well prepared for Kira's next move and is able to get one of the Kira is in his custody soon enough.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Glare
star
7.92
561 votes

#8 - Glare

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/22/2006

Discovering that L has gone so far as to tap his room with cameras, Light comes up with a plan to throw off his suspicions.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Tactics
star
7.90
589 votes

#9 - Tactics

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/1/2006

After finding the true identity of his follower, Light uses him to deal a major blow to the rest of his enemies.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Decision
star
7.89
678 votes

#10 - Decision

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/31/2007

After renouncing ownership of both Death Notes, Light turns himself into L and is imprisoned.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Performance
star
7.88
469 votes

#11 - Performance

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/7/2007

The Task Force uses Misa as a way to get closer to the Yotsuba corporation. But things get complicated when Rem tries to communicate with her.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Doubt
star
7.88
558 votes

#12 - Doubt

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/6/2006

L begins to profile Light through a game of tennis and brings up some questions regarding the Kira case hoping to figure out the truth about him.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Dealings
star
7.88
733 votes

#13 - Dealings

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/18/2006

Ryuk informs Light that he's being followed and asks Light if he wants to make a trade for his own Shinigami eyes. But at what cost?

Transfer
star
7.86
441 votes

#14 - Transfer

Season 1 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/16/2007

Kira's plan to kill Near backfires and suspicions arise in the Japan Headquarters concerning Kira’s true identity in Light. Kira realizes he must hand off the Death Note once again and finds a new follower.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Pursuit
star
7.81
707 votes

#15 - Pursuit

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/2006

Light creates a complex plan involving the Death Note and another criminal to try and expose his follower's name and identity.

Directors: Naoyasu Hanyu
Overcast
star
7.81
681 votes

#16 - Overcast

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/15/2006

Light meets Penber's fiance — an ex-officer who is determined to hunt down Kira.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Guidance
star
7.81
441 votes

#17 - Guidance

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/14/2007

Thanks to Misa, the Task Force now knows the identity of the new Kira and L plans an elaborate scheme to smoke him out of hiding.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Confession
star
7.75
643 votes

#18 - Confession

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/10/2007

The Task Force and Light continue to try and find the second Kira based on the evidence they keep receiving from him. Little do the other officers know that Light wants to find him for the sake of bettering his position as Kira.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Impatience
star
7.73
496 votes

#19 - Impatience

Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/25/2007

Near collaborates with Light in order to rescue Sayu, who is being held hostage in exchange for the Death Note.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Encounter
star
7.72
503 votes

#20 - Encounter

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/2006

Still suspicious of Light's too-perfect behaviour, L decides to take drastic measures and enters the same university to meet Light face to face.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Friend
star
7.70
558 votes

#21 - Friend

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/17/2007

Light furthers his plans as Kira after meeting with the very annoying second Kira.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Love
star
7.66
557 votes

#22 - Love

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/27/2006

After seeing the message "Kira" sent, the task force decide to make a reply and adds Light to the force. Yet while the task force and L try to find the fake "Kira" Light has to find her first or else the existence of the Death Note will be revealed!

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Unraveling
star
7.65
615 votes

#23 - Unraveling

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/8/2006

Furthering the Kira investigation, the remaining police force finally meets L.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Matsuda
star
7.64
497 votes

#24 - Matsuda

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/21/2007

Matsuda makes the Kira investigation more difficult for the Task Force when he gets himself captured by the Yotsuba corporation.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Malice
star
7.64
437 votes

#25 - Malice

Season 1 - Episode 35 - Aired 6/13/2007

Light and Near agree upon a meeting place for the final confrontation. A key player is kidnapped and the end results are shocking.

Directors: Tetsuro Araki