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The Best Episodes of Death Note Season 1

Every episode of Death Note Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Death Note Season 1!

Binge this in 9h 5m•Peaking at 9.6/10

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Death Note Season 1 Episode 1 - Rebirth
    8.4/10(12279 votes)

    #1 - Rebirth

    S1:E1

    Brilliant but bored high school student Light Yagami suddenly finds himself holding the power of life and death in his hands—the power of the Death Note. He decides to rid the world of evil—by killing off criminals one by one. When the murders start to pile up, genius detective L is on the case, and an epic battle of wits unfolds.

    Directors:Kei Tsunematsu, Tetsuro Araki
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  2. Death Note Season 1 Episode 2 - Confrontation
    9.0/10(12127 votes)

    #2 - Confrontation

    S1:E2

    While the world’s criminals continue to drop dead, L meets by computer with representatives from various nations. He requests that a task force be set up in Japan, under the direction of none other than Soichiro Yagami, Light’s father.

    Director:Tomohiko Ito
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  3. Death Note Season 1 Episode 3 - Dealings
    8.4/10(9510 votes)

    #3 - Dealings

    S1:E3

    Ryuk, the Shinigami, or god of death, who dropped the Death Note into the human world, warns Light that someone is on his trail. Light is troubled that he can’t find out the identity of his tracker, and Ryuk suggests an amazing deal...

    Director:Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  4. Death Note Season 1 Episode 4 - Pursuit
    8.8/10(9788 votes)

    #4 - Pursuit

    S1:E4

    Light—now known to the world as Kira—tests the Death Note to understand the scope of its powers by killing off six convicts in various ways—and confirms he can control his victims’ actions before they die.

    Director:Naoyasu Habu
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  5. Death Note Season 1 Episode 5 - Tactics
    8.5/10(9301 votes)

    #5 - Tactics

    S1:E5

    Soichiro Yagami demands to meet with L in person when he finds out that L has secretly brought FBI agents into Japan. Light, meanwhile, has found a way to get those very FBI agents off the case—permanently...

    Director:Mitsuhiro Yoneda
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  6. Death Note Season 1 Episode 6 - Unraveling
    8.2/10(8844 votes)

    #6 - Unraveling

    S1:E6

    Light meets a woman at the Police Department with an urgent message for the Kira task force. As son of the chief investigator, Light listens to her story, and is startled to discover she may have information that could lead to his arrest.

    Director:Oyunam
    Writer:Yasuko Kobayashi

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  7. Death Note Season 1 Episode 7 - Overcast
    9.2/10(12027 votes)

    #7 - Overcast

    S1:E7

    Light uses the Death Note to try to get rid of the woman who could get him captured, and is shocked when it doesn’t work. Realizing she must have given him an alias, he’s only got minutes to find out her real name before she tells her story to the task force.

    Director:Tomohiko Ito
    Writer:Shouji Yonemura

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  8. Death Note Season 1 Episode 8 - Glare
    8.4/10(8575 votes)

    #8 - Glare

    S1:E8

    L insists on setting up bugs and cameras in the homes of Chief Yagami and Deputy Director Kitamura—whom Raye Penber was tracking. But Light is a step ahead as usual—he knows he’s being watched.

    Director:Makoto Bessho
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  9. Death Note Season 1 Episode 9 - Encounter
    8.6/10(8749 votes)

    #9 - Encounter

    S1:E9

    The murders continue, and L grows suspicious of Light’s too-perfect behavior and decides to investigate him on his own. In order to get closer to Light, L enrolls at the same university and reveals himself to be L.

    Director:Yukio Okazaki
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  10. Death Note Season 1 Episode 10 - Doubt
    8.2/10(8298 votes)

    #10 - Doubt

    S1:E10

    L's suspicion of Light deepens, compelling him to invite Light into the investigation. But then a phone call alerts them that Soichiro Yagami has suffered a heart attack!

    Director:Shinji Nagamura
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  11. Death Note Season 1 Episode 11 - Assault
    8.7/10(8739 votes)

    #11 - Assault

    S1:E11

    As predicted on the tapes sent to Sakura TV, news anchors and commentators who expressed doubt about Kira die one by one. On further investigation, L concludes that this Kira is not the original—there's a second Kira!

    Director:Naoyasu Habu
    Writer:Shouji Yonemura

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  12. Death Note Season 1 Episode 12 - Love
    8.3/10(8102 votes)

    #12 - Love

    S1:E12

    With a second Kira now on the loose, L asks Light to join the task force and pose as the real Kira in order to catch the copycat. Light agrees, hoping to divert suspicion from himself. To his surprise, this new Kira has a special ability even Light lacks…

    Director:Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  13. Death Note Season 1 Episode 13 - Confession
    8.3/10(7980 votes)

    #13 - Confession

    S1:E13

    Light goes to Aoyama to discover the identity of the second Kira before L becomes more suspicious. But Misa Amane, the new Kira, uses her unusual gift to find Light before he finds her.

    Director:Mitsuhiro Yoneda
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  14. Death Note Season 1 Episode 14 - Friend
    8.2/10(7890 votes)

    #14 - Friend

    S1:E14

    Light and Misa show each other their Death Notes, and Light asks Misa to have her shinigami Rem get rid of L. But Misa asks something of Light in return—to fall in love with her!

    Director:Tomohiko Ito
    Writer:Shouji Yonemura

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  15. Death Note Season 1 Episode 15 - Wager
    8.9/10(9061 votes)

    #15 - Wager

    S1:E15

    Evidence turns up that points to Misa Amane as the second Kira. In an effort to spare her, Rem forces Misa to forfeit her ownership of the Death Note.

    Director:Oyunam
    Writer:Yasuko Kobayashi

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  16. Death Note Season 1 Episode 16 - Decision
    8.3/10(7838 votes)

    #16 - Decision

    S1:E16

    Misa is in confinement, though her memories of the Death Note have been completely wiped away. When Light is confined as well, the murders stop and suspicion of Light grows stronger. Then suddenly, the killings resume.

    Director:Makoto Bessho
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  17. Death Note Season 1 Episode 17 - Execution
    8.0/10(7817 votes)

    #17 - Execution

    S1:E17

    After fifty days of confinement the killings continue, and Misa and Light are released. But L has devised a plan to ensure no more murders occur, and has Light's father, Soichiro, take the two for a ride that may be their last.

    Director:Ryosuke Nakamura
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  18. Death Note Season 1 Episode 18 - Ally
    7.3/10(7626 votes)

    #18 - Ally

    S1:E18

    Though L is still suspicious, Light and Misa, their memories of being Kira wiped clean, return to headquarters, where Light notices a strange connection between the recent Kira killings and the Yotsuba Group.

    Director:Shinji Nagamura
    Writer:Shouji Yonemura

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  19. Death Note Season 1 Episode 19 - Matsuda
    7.6/10(7569 votes)

    #19 - Matsuda

    S1:E19

    Matsuda, the task force member assigned to watch Misa, is eager to distinguish himself, and while on a job with Misa, he decides to do a little snooping on his own at the Yotsuba Group’s Tokyo headquarters.

    Director:Eiko Nishi
    Writer:Yasuko Kobayashi

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  20. Death Note Season 1 Episode 20 - Makeshift
    7.3/10(7457 votes)

    #20 - Makeshift

    S1:E20

    L's team discovers that the Yotsuba Group meet in secret to discuss the elimination of individuals who are troublesome to their company, and concludes that Kira must be one of the eight executives. Can Light posing as L ferret out the right one?

    Director:Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  21. Death Note Season 1 Episode 21 - Performance
    7.8/10(7406 votes)

    #21 - Performance

    S1:E21

    The Task Force uses Misa as a way to get closer to the Yotsuba corporation. But things get complicated when Rem tries to communicate with her.

    Director:Mitsuhiro Yoneda
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  22. Death Note Season 1 Episode 22 - Guidance
    8.2/10(7481 votes)

    #22 - Guidance

    S1:E22

    Thanks to Misa, the Task Force now knows the identity of the new Kira and L plans an elaborate scheme to smoke him out of hiding.

    Director:Naoto Hashimoto
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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  23. Death Note Season 1 Episode 23 - Frenzy
    8.9/10(8610 votes)

    #23 - Frenzy

    S1:E23

    L, Light and Misa watch from the investigation team building and wonder who he is talking to. L wonders if Higuchi is talking to a shinigami. Rem convinces Higuchi to go to the station, but she has her own selfish motives for doing so.

    Director:Tomohiko Ito
    Writer:Shouji Yonemura

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  24. Death Note Season 1 Episode 24 - Revival
    9.4/10(12159 votes)

    #24 - Revival

    S1:E24

    While Higuchi is finally captured, Light inadvertently regains his memories as Kira.

    Director:Hisato Shimoda
    Writer:Shouji Yonemura

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  25. Death Note Season 1 Episode 25 - Silence
    9.6/10(18041 votes)

    #25 - Silence

    S1:E25

    Light, his memory recovered, orders Misa to begin killing after Higuchi dies. The Shinigami Rem realizes that everything is going according to Light's plan, and that L will arrest Misa as Kira-unless Rem acts quickly.

    Director:Mitsuyuki Masuhara
    Writer:Toshiki Inoue

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Rebirth" is the best rated episode of "Death Note" season 1. It scored 8.4/10 based on 12279 votes. Directed by Kei Tsunematsu, Tetsuro Araki and written by Toshiki Inoue, it aired on 10/4/2006. This episode is rated 0.6 points higher than the second-best, "Confrontation".