Death Note Season 2 - What We Know So Far
"Death Note" started its life as a popular manga series illustrated by Takeshi Obata and written by Tsugumi Ohba. It focuses on the adventures of Light Yagami, a teenage genius who discovers a mysterious notebook one fateful day. It turns out the notebook is a "Death Note," which is a magical artifact dropped into Light's path by a god of death called Ryuk. Possessing a Death Note is an intense responsibility to shoulder, as anyone whose name is written within the pages of the notebook will die.
Light decides to use the Death Note to enter into the world of serial murder and rid society of those he deems immoral. He eventually seeks to cleanse the planet of crime under the alias of "Kira" — which is the English word "killer" written out in Japanese katakana — a moniker given to him by the police (via Death Note News). Light's choices breed many consequences, chiefly in the form of the Kira Investigation Team, headed by the mysterious detective L.
"Death Note" has spawned dozens of pieces of ancillary media, from a light novel to a musical to live-action TV and film adaptations, including a version by Netflix which was poorly received. The manga's anime adaptation first premiered in 2006, and while it only produced a single season, the show manages to encompass the main thrust of the manga series' storyline. Still, fans continue to clamor for more. In fact, Viz Media published a manga in early 2020 set within the series' universe entitled "Death Note: The a-Kira Story."
Could this spawn a Season 2 of the "Death Note" anime? Who would it star, and what would it be about? Here's what we know so far.
When will Season 2 of Death Note be released?
As popular as "Death Note" is as a property, it currently appears that its life as an anime may be over — at least for now. As many anime fans are probably aware, shows can get new seasons years after the last release, so you never know what might happen. 14 years have passed since the original anime series was released with no further word from the animation studio Madhouse about a second season being approved, but at the same time, it hasn't been cancelled either.
Since Season 1 of "Death Note" encompasses the majority of the plotline of the manga series, a new season would have to draw inspiration from a fresh source, likely with an entirely new storyline and main characters. "Death Note" aired on Adult Swim in the United States in 2017, and is currently available yo watch on multiple platforms. But even with all of these factors in play, there hasn't been any word on the anime's status for over a decade. At this time, it's impossible to tell whether or not there will ever be more episodes of "Death Note."
What characters will feature in Season 2 of Death Note?
Since any potential "Death Note" prequel or sequel would have to get along without Light (Mamoru Miyano/Brad Swaile) and L (Kappei Yamaguchi/Alessandro Juliani) as main characters (see below), it's likely that only a small handful of characters and their original voice actors would be asked back for such a series.
Chief among those likely returning characters would be the immortal Ryuk, voiced by Shidô Nakamura in the original Japanese language version of the anime and Brian Drummond in the English dub (per IMDb). Near also survives, voiced by Noriko Hidaka in the original and Cathy Weseluck in the dubbed version, along with Mello, who is played by Nozomu Sasaki in the original version and David Robert Moore in the English dub.
A sequel anime could revolve around a whole new cast of characters, or build itself around any of these living characters from the first season. At least one prequel manga and a sequel manga have already done so — "Death Note: Another Note – The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases" is narrated by Mello, and "Death Note: The a-Kira Story" heavily features Ryuk and Near.
What will Season 2 of Death Note be about?
The conclusion of "Death Note" brings the passing of the anime's protagonist, Light, who is shot by Matsuda (Ryô Naitô/Vincent Tong) after trying to write names down on strips of paper from the Death Note he had secreted in his watch. As Light lies on the floor writhing in agony, Ryuk writes Light's name in the Death Note. Light promptly dies of cardiac arrest while experiencing visions of his nemesis, the dead detective L.
With both of the first season's protagonists dead, the show would either have to adapt one of several existing prequel or sequel mangas, or be an entirely new story. Aside from "Death Note: The a-Kira Story" — which is set 10 years after the events of the original "Death Note" — and "The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases," there is the one-shot "Chapter 109" (also known as "The C-Kira Story") and the "L File No. 15" book.
The most narratively rich vein to mine would be that of "The a-Kira Story." During the manga, the Death Note falls into the hands of a student named Minoru Tanaka, who decides to sell the book to the highest bidder. Ryuk tries to prevent the sale of the Death Note, and the world begins to fall into chaos as American and Chinese authorities battle over the notebook.
Keep an eye on this space for any further developments.