Light Yagami is a brilliant high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook belonging to a death god named Ryuk. The Death Note possesses a terrifying power: anyone whose name is written in it will die, as long as their face is known. Convinced that he can create a world free from crime, Light begins eliminating those he considers guilty and soon becomes known as Kira. His actions attract the attention of L, an investigator as brilliant as he is elusive, triggering an intense psychological battle in which each tries to uncover the other’s identity before it is too late.