Netflix's 2017 Death Note movie deviates wildly from the beloved manga and anime, with the characters and concept of a Death Note being some of the only things carried over. The endings are also wildly different, with one version seeing Light finally meet his end while the other has him make a clean getaway. Both endings have their own merits and failings, but which one comes out on top?

What Is 2017's Death Note About?

Netflix's Death Note

Despite featuring characters of the same name, 2017's Death Note tells an almost completely different story to the manga. Now taking place in the U.S., Light stumbles upon the Death Note, writes down the name of a school bully and witnesses their death. Instead of trying his best to keep it a secret like in the original, Light shows the book to his friend Mia and they decide to work together to rid the world of criminals, working under the name of Kira.

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The criminal killing is short-lived, as Detective L is quickly able to deduce that Kira is a student in Seattle. And after several police killings, L becomes suspicious that Light's police-detective father is the only one still alive, and so Light becomes a prime suspect. Also unlike her counterpart from the original Death Note, Mia is much less obedient to Light, as she actively foils Light's plan to learn L's name. She even goes as far as to write Light's name on a page of the notebook, forcing him to hand it over so she'll destroy the page in return.

Also diverging from the manga, the Death Note movie ends with Light still alive, having killed almost everyone around him. It's always satisfying to see Light describe his convoluted plans, and the ending is certainly one of them. After Light and Mia take a ride on a Ferris wheel, Light has Ryuk destroy the wheel, having already written Mia into the Death Note. Mia dies in the destruction and Light falls into a river. It's then revealed that Light wrote the name of a doctor into the notebook, commanding them to save him and place him into a coma then jump off a roof. He also wrote another man's name, whose job was to find the notebook and continue writing names, throwing the scent off of Light. After some time, the man gives the notebook back to Light and dies.

How Does Death Note's Ending Differ From the Anime?

Compared to the Death Note anime, the Netflix movie ends with a much more convoluted plan from Light, which is actually quite impressive. But as an ending to a movie, it still has its problems. Firstly, there are too many things left unknown, as L seemingly discovers Light is Kira at the very end, but the movie ends before there's any confrontation. And secondly, Light definitely isn't a hero, even if he is the protagonist, so an ending where he comes out on top is unsatisfying because there's no punishment for his actions.

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Compared to the film, the Death Note anime is filled with a lot more twists and turns, with the final episode showing one last showdown between Light and Near, L's successor. Light finally makes one too many mistakes, making for a great conclusion filled with emotion that shows him in complete panic and desperation for the first time. There's no one left for him to trick and manipulate, and during one final attempt to write their names in the Death Note, his comrade Matsuda guns him down. And with an ending that brings everything back around, Ryuk fulfills his promise from the very start and writes Light's name in the notebook.

While it's an entertaining ending, it's not necessarily the most satisfying either. Although most would agree that Light should've lost, the way he lost could've been better. Instead of Near outsmarting Light, his downfall comes because of Teru Mikami, who he entrusted to be the second Kira. Mikami went against Light's orders and took matters into his own hands, attempting to kill Mello. It was at this moment when he used his own notebook that Near was able to swap it for a fake. And so, if Mikami hadn't gone against what Light said, he might've won the final confrontation and Near might've been outsmarted.

Despite both endings having pros and cons, the Death Note anime gives a more solid conclusion. And no doubt the anime's ending is preferred by most fans, as the show is beloved by many and the Netflix movie received a lot of criticism for being an unfaithful adaptation.

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