It goes without saying that Death Note is one of the most well-known and popular anime of all time. Every anime fans knows who Kira and L are, whether they loved the series or hate it. The manga series had twelve volumes and got an anime adaptation that ran for thirty-seven episodes. Both iterations of the story received critical acclaim, but that's not to say it was a perfect run.
While the writing for the first part of the story is heavily praised and still talked about to this day, the second part isn't as popular. In Chapter 58 or Episode 25, Light succeeds in killing L, and then there is a five-year time jump. This introduces two characters named Near and Mello, who eventually manage to kill Light. Many argued that L's demise should've been the story's end, and it's hard not to agree with this sentiment. Here are ten compelling reasons why Death Note should've ended with L's death.
10 The Villain Should've Won
Shonen Jump is a magazine where heroes always prevail, and most things have a happy ending. Death Note already has a much different formula than the rest of the series in the magazine but even so, the villain lost just like always.
The series would have been much more interesting and impactful if the good guys didn't win. There are even rumors that the writers were told that they couldn't let Light win because he was evil.
9 Near Was Unsatisfying
Let's be honest: Near was one of the worst parts of the second part. Instead of being amazingly intelligent like L, Near had to rely on being underhanded in order to win. L wanted to face off against Kira using evidence and while obeying the law. Near was willing to put people at risk by entrapping Kira.
Near just couldn't live up to L's name, and fans took notice of the difference in the two characters.
8 Mello Was a Wreck
Mello was meant to be the opposite of L; he was completely unstable and was willing to work with criminals to kill Kira. While Mello did ultimately lead to Light being caught, it took extreme actions and used kidnapping to make this happen.
The manga went more towards an action narrative instead of keeping up the cat and mouse game readers loved. Mello could never take the place of L who was much smarter than Mello could ever hope to be.
7 It Would've Made More Sense
Many fans have noted that the writing in the second half felt inorganic. Light had already been cleared of suspicions; he wasn't even the one who killed L. In fact, it is mostly pure stubbornness that would lead the other two characters to suspect he was Kira.
Near's accusations felt much weaker than L's, who spent tons of time trying to locate Kira. Even if the series would've been a lot shorter and it would have probably ended with L killing Light, it would have felt more realistic.
6 L Can't be Replaced
L was one of the faces of Death Note, and it would be pretty hard to create a character that lived up to his standards. L was also the only character that actually felt intelligent enough to hunt down Light.
Any characters that came after him just felt like a cheap imitation without all the insight. L just couldn't be replaced in the eyes of fans.
5 Light's Plan Was Perfect
Light's plan to kill L was pretty airtight. Whether you love or hate the villain winning, Light used a supernatural being to do the killing, making it so that no evidence what so ever was connected with him. Even though L still had the intuition the Light was Kira, he knew that he had been beaten.
That being said, it doesn't make sense that Near could so easily identify Kira without getting to know Light more in the same way L did.
4 L Played Fair
One thing fans loved about L is that he played fair. L wasn't willing to slump to Light's levels, which made the way L took on Kira and their ensuing mind games much more interesting.
L was able to use legal means to whittle down the suspects enough to figure out who Kira was. There was no entrapment or murder on his end. Even when he detained Light, he did so legally.
3 Light Had No Obstacles
Light really didn't feel like he had any obstacles once L was killed. L was several times pointed out as being the only child who could actually stop Kira.
Near and Mello, despite the way the manga tries to project them as elites, just don't feel like they could actually take down Light with how smart he was. Light shouldn't have had any obstacles, or Misa should have been the one to kill him.
2 L Actually Conceded
L pretty much conceded at the end of the first part. The show even showed a scene where L was rubbing Light's feet, which is a symbolism that he knew he was about to be betrayed.
L also had conversations about trust with Light that can be connected to the fact he knew he lost. L knew Kira had won and was respectful that he had lost the game.
1 The Writer Probably Wanted it That Way
After Death Note, writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata moved on to create Bakuman, a series is about being a mangaka and life in the manga and anime industry. At one point, Bakuman even shows the main characters (Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi) drawing a certain manga that is incredibly similar to Death Note.
This Death Note-parody is titled Reversi and like what it's referencing, Reversi is so popular that the editors want it to be extended even if doing so would rob the short story of its impact. Mashiro and Takagi resolve this by killing off the main character to ensure that a continuation would be impossible while also maintaining Reversi's quality. It's hard not to see this as a reflection of what probably went on behind the scenes of Death Note and a bit of wish fulfillment on Ohba and Obata's parts.