Death Note: 10 L Memes As Funny As He Is

It's been years since Death Note ended, yet we find ourselves drawn to his gripping series like moths to a flame. Part of that has to do with the series' nail-biting mysteries and iconic characters. But the other part of that admittedly stems from all of the hilarious Death Note memes out there.

Perhaps no other character from the series inspired as many mems as L Lawliet - the eccentric sleuth that nearly exposed Kira to the world at large. To honor his memory, we've compiled 10 of the funniest L memes we could find around the web. It goes without saying - especially regarding a legendary series from the early 2000's - but here there be spoilers! If you haven't finished the series by now (you blasphemer,) read ahead at your own peril.

10 Take This L

When someone goofs hard, we often tell them to 'hold an L' - aka accept your loss and try not to screw up so badly in the future. Were you planning on asking your crush to Prom, but botched your proposal. Hold this L. Did a movie theater employee tell you to enjoy your film, and you mindlessly "thanks, you too?" Hold this L!

This meme adds a new connotation to the phrase - hearkening back to the first Legend of Zelda game on the Famicon. Now, the expressions 'hold this L' or 'take this L' are akin to phrases like 'Godspeed Spider-Man' or 'May the Force be with you.' If a friend is about to pull an all-nighter to try and snag a promotion, you can say 'take this L' as a way of wishing them well. Though your mate will probably just think you're making fun of them, come to think of it.

9 Laziness

Ain't technology grand? A few decades ago, the ability to video chat with someone on the other side of the globe was the stuff of Sci-Fi novels. Now, most of us have pocket-sized supercomputers that do almost anything and everything. Surely, the advent of such sophisticated technology would usher in a new Golden Age for mankind!

Well, as this meme highlights, it would seem that smartphones have made us lazier - not smarter. This scene comes from one of the earlier chapters in Death Note - wherein L infiltrates Light's new college to try and catch him red-handed. Out of context, however, it just looks like L and Light are phone-droning to the nth degree.

8 Creepy Cute

There's no shortage of Death Note fans that ardently believed L was hot as Hell. We remember it like yesterday - witnessing thousands of fangirls and fanboys posting pics of themselves with L body pillows on social media.

We won't deny that, in his own way, L is a rather charming fellow. However, as this meme suggests, L is creepy cute - like a bat or a pet snake. Our favorite aspect of Lawliet's character is how little he cares about other peoples' opinions - he'll look as disheveled and unhinged as he wants, consequences be damned!

7 Sitting Strangely

L's signature sitting pose is another example of how little he cares about what others think of him. Our man looks like an owl waiting to catch a field rat for lunch - which isn' t too far from wrong, come to think of it.

Netflix's live-action adaptation of the series sort of disregarded its source material at every corner, but Lakeith Stanfield's depiction of L at least struck this pose a few times. Oh, we just thought of another diss; L looks he's squatting over a toilet, ready to drop a tactical nuke!

6 Challenge Accepted

Arthur memes are honestly some of the best out there- pure facts! No matter the subject and regardless of timing, these memes seem to work every time. To rest our case, we present this meme that calls back to the very beginning of Deat Note - when L challenged Light on live TV!

As fans of the series know all too well, L's challenge was merely a part of an elaborate plan - one that Light fell for hook, line, and sinker. Just the thought of Light getting triggered enough to bawl his fist a character from a children's show is golden!

5 Light Is Kira

Are you familiar with the Cassandra Metaphor, by any chance? It's essentially a moment wherein someone tries to warn others of an impending threat, only to be met with skepticism and ire. But only later on, when it's far too late, are the futurist's words proven true.

That predicament, in a nutshell, epitomizes L's struggle throughout the entirety of Death Note. Since the beginning of the series, L heavily suspected that Light was Kira. But everyone else swore up and down that the wunderkind couldn't have been the mass murderer. Even L started second-guessing himself - right before Light put his master plan into action.

4 L's Always Right

Off course, things would have gone much more smoothly if everyone adhered to these two simple tenets. Think about it like this; Light more or less had free reign since the only person who consistently challenged him was L. Everyone else, including the task force officers hunting Kira, essentially took his word at face value.

L, in stark contrast, constantly found himself wrestling with the police officers that were supposed to be under his command. Were L able to conduct the operation without any obstructions, we think there's a high chance he would've caught Light/Kira very early on. But, then again, the series would've been over in about 5 chapters tops.

3 That Was Easy

Though L never managed to take down Light directly, his work paved the way for his successors - Near and Mello. By the time Lawliet, unfortunately, passed away, everyone learned to stop questioning the smartest guy in the room.

As a result, Near had a much easier time exposing Light than L did. Granted, the young boy had to put his life on the line - after Mello outright sacrificed himself - but he managed to capture Light in a matter of chapters.

2 L Didn't Die

There are a few pervasive theories out there that suggest L's survival at the end of the series. Some like to think that Lawliet, migrated to the world of My Hero Academia - taking on the role of Shota Aizawa.

Others believe that L became Ulquiorra Cifer from Bleach - as this meme points out. While we think that L becoming such an OP character is a cool thought, we also detest the notion of him becoming a villain - as well as getting rekt by Ichigo in the long run.