Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in the Shinigami Realm, although he is obliged to stay in the Human World after dropping his Death Note, a notebook that grants the power to kill. Light Yagami picks it up, so Ryuk must stay with him until he dies or willingly returns the Death Note.
Profession… Shinigami, or God of death. Ryuk’s only job is to extend his own lifespan by killing humans with his Death Note, which is why he is bored enough to trick the Shinigami King into giving him a second Death Note and dropping it into the Human World to see what happens.
Interests… performing trickery, eating apples, and observing humans. He revels in their misery and stupidity but doesn’t much care what happens to those he watches. Most, if not all, of his decisions are motivated by greed or his desire for entertainment.
Relationship Status… single. Ryuk has no interest in developing a relationship with anyone, romantically or otherwise.
Challenges… staying interested and entertained. As an immortal being (at least, if he does his job), Ryuk has a lot of time on his hands. Instead of doing nothing or idly gambling with other Shinigami, he looks for entertainment in the Human World. This often proves difficult, as humans die or simply do not fall for his baits. When private detective L begins to get closer to discovering Light’s identity and killing strategy, rather than being sympathetic, Ryuk exclaims: “Humans are a riot!”
Get to Know him in...
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Death Note follows the cat-and-mouse game between high school student Light Yagami, determined to use a deadly notebook to cleanse the world of evil, and L, an eccentric detective who is equally determined to catch Light.
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A young man comes to possess a supernatural notebook, the Death Note, that grants him the power to kill any person simply by writing down their name on the pages. He then decides to use the notebook to kill criminals and change the world, but an enigmatic detective attempts to track him down and end his reign of terror.
