Rod Ross

"It's a notebook that can kill people. I wouldn't be surprised if it's alive."

- Chapter 70

Rod Ross (ロッド・ロス, Roddo Rossu) is the leader of the Mafia organization that Mello joins after leaving Wammy's House.

Appearance
Ross is a tall man with large muscles. He has no hair on his head, though he has very thin facial hair. He is often seen shirtless, but sometimes wears a formal shirt and suit jacket.

In the video game Death Note: Successors to L, Ross's skin color is different. He is black and wears a black button-up shirt and a beige suit.

Character
His description in Death Note 13: How to Read states that he is "the boss of an American crime syndicate. A big fish the police can't even take down." He likes tequila and dislikes soccer. When asked who the most "evil" character in Death Note is by an interviewer, Tsugumi Ohba replied that Ross is the most evil, adding that he is "pretty darn evil" as he is the leader of the Mafia.

Plot
Ross is the leader of the Mafia, and he aims to have power. He allows Mello to join the group because they have the shared goal of taking down Kira. Mello proves his value by locating a rival gang that even Kira couldn't. Following Mello's admittance to the group, Ross typically takes advice from him. Ross is later killed by Light Yagami along with the rest of the Mafia to allow the Japanese Task Force to retrieve the Death Note.

Trivia

 * His name is mentioned in the novel L: Change the WorLd as the leader of an arms syndicate who deals with the mob. This is one of the cases L solves during his final days.