L Lawliet
From Death Note
L Lawliet is the world's greatest detective in Death Note, brought in to catch the unseen killer known as Kira. He hides his real name and face for safety and works through his handler, Watari. He is voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi in Japanese and Alessandro Juliani in English.
About L Lawliet
L is a brilliant and mysterious detective brought in to catch the killer known as Kira in Death Note. He works in strange ways, sitting oddly, eating sweets, and hiding his real name for safety. His mind games with his main suspect are the heart of the series.
Appearance
L is a tall, very thin young man who almost never stands straight, preferring a hunched crouch whether he is standing or perched on a chair. He has messy black hair, pale skin and dark, shadowed eyes that rarely blink. He dresses the same way nearly every day, a plain white long-sleeved shirt, jeans and no shoes or socks, and he holds everything, from phones to sugar cubes, delicately between two fingers.
Personality
L is calm, blunt and intensely private, speaking in a flat, polite tone even while accusing someone of mass murder. He thinks in percentages, testing people with traps and half-truths to watch how they react. His habits are famously odd: he sits crouched, stacks objects, and eats almost nothing but sweets and cake. Under the eccentricity sits a fiercely competitive streak, he hates losing, and the Kira case is the first contest that has ever truly matched him.
Background & Story
Almost nothing about L's early life is public, and that is deliberate. He was raised at Wammy's House, an orphanage in Winchester, England, founded by Watari to train gifted children, and he grew into a detective who solves cases no police force can touch, working under several aliases, each with its own worldwide reputation. When criminals around the world begin dying of heart attacks, the killer the public calls Kira, L steps out of the shadows for the first time. He joins the Japanese task force hunting Kira, asks to be called Ryuzaki, and quickly narrows his suspicion to a brilliant Tokyo student: Light Yagami. From there the case becomes a private duel of wits between the two.
Powers & Abilities
- Deductive genius: L reads tiny inconsistencies in behaviour, timing and language to build profiles and traps that corner suspects who have left no physical evidence at all.
Key Relationships
- Light Yagami: His prime suspect and greatest rival, L is almost certain Light is Kira, and proving it becomes a personal contest between equals.
- Watari: His handler, guardian and only link to the outside world; Watari raised him and is the one person L trusts completely.
- Soichiro Yagami: The honest police chief who leads the task force L works with, and, unknowingly, the father of L's main suspect.
- Misa Amane: A famous model L suspects of being the second Kira; her devotion to Light makes her both evidence and danger.
- Near: One of the two gifted successors raised at Wammy's House to follow in L's footsteps.
- Mello: The other Wammy's House successor, brilliant and emotional where Near is calm, and just as determined to beat Kira.
Quick Answers
What is L's real name in Death Note?
His real name is L Lawliet. It is never spoken in the main story and was revealed in the official guidebook Death Note: How to Read 13.
How old is L in Death Note?
L is 24 when the Kira investigation begins and 25 during its later stages. His birthday is October 31.
Why does L sit in a crouch?
L says that if he sits normally, his reasoning ability drops by 40 percent, the crouch is simply how he thinks best.
Who voices L in Death Note?
L is voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi in Japanese and by Alessandro Juliani in the English dub.
Why does L hide his name and face?
Kira kills with only a name and a face, so L protects both, working through Watari and a voice-changed letter 'L' until he chooses to meet the task force in person.
