If you were getting into anime around 2006 or 2007, you remember the immense popularity of Death Note. And its legacy still holds up today as probably the best supernatural manga in existence, with one of the most suspenseful and gripping plotlines. Indeed we've seen Tsugumi Ohba's series at its best (the manga, the anime), its worst (the live-action adaptations), and its bizarre (the musical version). Netflix and IMDb put it on their lists as one of the best anime of all time.
Considering the complex identity of Kira and intricate rules of the Death Note, this shonen series leaves room for many plot holes. One of the most enigmatic characters is Ryuk, a shinigami (a Japanese death god), who indirectly gives Light a copy of the Death Note, a notebook that will kill those whose names are written in it. Given his supernatural background, some things just don't add up about Ryuk. Here are ten things about him that make zero sense.
10 What Happens to the Death Note's Owner
There are rules concerning the human owner of a Death Note. In the first episode of the anime, Ryuk tells Light that if he gives away the Death Note, then he will be forced to wipe his memory. If Light dies as the owner of the Death Note, Ryuk must write Light's name in the Death Note. We get the causes of these possibilities, but what are the effects?
If Ryuk wipes his memory, what happens to Light? What happens to the Death Note? Will it be dropped again for another human to find? And if Light dies, where will he be sent to? What will happen to Ryuk once he fulfills that duty? Your guess is as good as ours.
9 Purpose For Dropping The Death Note
If you think about it, there's no legitimate reason for Ryuk to drop the Death Note onto earth. There's no concrete explanation except that he wanted to amuse himself. He didn't want a specific person to die or change the course of humanity. Light is, fortunately, a bright individual and (initially) uses the Death Note for good, but anyone could've stumbled upon the notebook.
What if a criminal or dictator got their hands on the book? Ryuk's action sets the plot in motion, but there doesn't seem to be a motive aside from a cure for his boredom.
8 His Personality
It's not that this aspect doesn't make sense, but it's pretty bizarre for a shinigami. Ryuk has a sense of humor, as he is often seen grinning and giggling. Given the shinigami realm is desolate and barren, it's odd how Ryuk is so happy.
In spite of his apathy, he's quite fond of humans, which contrasts against how the purpose of death gods are to end human lives (hence, the Death Note). He's shown to be lighthearted and sentimental; he admits to getting shy around girls like Misa, and he asks Light for a Silver Game Boy Advance SP for Christmas.
7 The Three Notebooks
There can only be six Death Notes in the human world at once. Once Rem was dead, two of those notebooks were thus unclaimed by shinigami. Unless Light commanded Ryuk to grab them all and drop them, Ryuk is still only tied to his original Death Note. Afterward Light gave that notebook to X-Kira.
If we follow the rules of the Death Note, one can't make the eye deal while borrowing the notebook, and if one owns multiple notebooks and gives one away, you may no longer see the shinigami tied to it.
This means X-Kira wasn't simply borrowing the notebook and Light shouldn't have been able to see Ryuk, unless he took ownership of both notebooks -- which is never confirmed.
6 His Name In The Death Note
The Netflix live-action adaptation of Death Note is...horrible for many reasons, including the numerous plot holes. For instance, Light threatens Ryuk with writing his name in the Death Note, but someone has apparently already done that. The message warns Light and the audience not to trust Ryuk.
Considering Ryuk told Light that no one was able to write his name without getting killed completely contradicts this occurrence. Fans of the anime or manga know writing a shinigami's name in the Death Note has no effect, so does this mean other names have no effects either? Hence another reason to skip the live-action adaptation entirely.
5 The Shinigami Eyes
Ryuk offers Light to use his eyes, but Light declines the offer. Shinigami are able to exchange their eyes for half of the human's lifespan. The shinigami eyes can make a person's name and lifespan visible but only under circumstances. A person's eyes must be visible for it to work, so if you can't see their eyes, then tough luck. If a human with these eyes looks into a mirror, they can see their own name yet not their lifespan. Overall it sounds like a crummy deal on both ends.
Why would the shinigami give up their eyes for a few years when they can kill humans for more? These rules seem complicated with obvious drawbacks. We don't blame Light for not accepting it -- and we wonder why Misa did.
4 His Human Observation Journal
Ryuk says himself: "Shinigami trust shinigami before humans." But for a shinigami, Ryuk is quite fond of humans, to the point where he keeps a human observation journal. His entries include various details about the other humans, such as Light's image of the New World, how L eats, and a list of Mello's hardships. He even has a special section called Misa's Pure Love Memorial, all about her love for Light and jealousy towards the other women who come near him.
Ryuk even made a quiz to identify character types under the alias "Professor Ryuk," and the answer choices are all the humans he knows. It doesn't make sense that he keeps this journal, or even cares about humans this much. But it does give comic relief to his character.
3 Light's Ability to See Ryuk
When Light finds Ryuk's Death Note, he is able to see him, who explains only owners of a death note can see a shinigami. Although we discover Light can't see Rem (Misa's shinigami) unless he has come in contact with the Death Note that Rem gave for Misa to find. When Sidoh claims that Ryuk stole his death note. Ryuk tells Light that the one he dropped was actually meant for Sidoh.
When Sidoh visits Mello, the gangsters who have touched the death note can see Sidoh, which means that it really does belong to Sidoh, not Ryuk. If this chain of events is true, how could Light have initially seen Ryuk, if Sidoh is the true owner of the Death Note? And how would Misa be able to see Ryuk too? If you're confused after reading this...we're right there with you.
2 His Wings
Despite their diversity in appearance, all shinigami have wings. They like to use these wings for transportation in the human world. However, all the death gods can materialize and de-materialize their bodies at will.
Additionally, they can walk through walls and other solid objects. Human attacks can't hurt shinigami either, so they don't need to flee quickly. So why do they need wings? While we can't imagine Ryuk's rock-star inspired design without those giant wings, he ultimately doesn't need them.
1 His Fondness For Apples
Yes, Ryuk has explained that the shinigami only eat apples. He says the apples in the human world taste sweeter than the ones in the shinigami world. But it's not just a snack...it's an addiction! He compares it to alcohol or cigarettes in the human world, and his withdrawal symptoms involve twisting himself up and doing handstands. Who gets addicted to apples?
Even Ohba has confessed there's no other reason other than the dying message. Ohba has also explained he liked how the red color of apples contrast his black design, and how they can fit into his largemouth.