Grisly murders, petty thefts, and mindless violence plague the human world. In stark contrast, the realm of death gods is a dreary, stagnant gambling hall. Both Light Yagami, a brilliant 17-year-old Japanese student, and Ryuk, a sadistic death god, share a common belief: their worlds are corrupt.
For his own amusement, Ryuk drops his Death Note into the human realm. Light stumbles upon it and initially dismisses its first rule as absurd: the person whose name is written in this note will die. But curiosity gets the better of him, and Light tests it by writing the name of a criminal, leading to the chilling reality of his first kill.
Realizing the terrifying godlike power now at his disposal, Light—taking on the alias Kira—pursues his twisted vision of justice, aiming to rid the world of all wrongdoers. But the brilliant detective L is already on his trail. As the two engage in a fierce battle of wits, their intellectual rivalry escalates into a deadly game where only one can emerge victorious.