Brutal murders, petty thefts, and senseless violence plague the human world. In stark contrast, the realm of death gods is a monotonous, unchanging gambling den. Both the brilliant 17-year-old Japanese student Light Yagami and the sadistic death god Ryuk share a common belief: their worlds are deeply corrupt. For his own amusement, Ryuk drops a Death Note into the human realm. Light discovers it and initially dismisses its first rule as absurd: the human whose name is written in the note will die. However, curiosity prevails, and Light tests its power by writing the name of a criminal, unwittingly committing his first murder. Realizing the godlike power now in his hands, Light—operating under the alias Kira—embarks on a mission to rid the world of wrongdoers, driven by his twisted sense of justice. Meanwhile, the brilliant detective L is hot on his trail. As the two intellectual titans engage in a high-stakes battle of wits, the intense pursuit of Kira culminates in a deadly confrontation where only one can emerge victorious.