Gelus

"But she looks so healthy...why today?"

- Gelus (Chapter 27)

Gelus (ジェラス, Jerasu) is the Shinigami who gave his life protecting Misa Amane. He appears in a flashback when Rem explains to Misa how to kill a Shinigami.

Appearance
He is a small, doll-like Shinigami whose appearance suggests that he was poorly sewn together from mismatched fabric. He only has one eye, despite having two eye sockets.

Character
Gelus has a rare personality compared to most Shinigami, as he cares deeply for humans. Gelus is kind and quiet, and has the desire to help others. When he realizes that Misa is about to die, he saves her life out of love.

Plot
In the flashback, Rem recalls Gelus watching over a younger Misa Amane in the Human World. Knowing that it was Misa's final day, she watches with him. Having fallen in love with Misa, Gelus uses his Death Note to kill Misa's destined murderer, against Rem's protests.

Gelus is reduced to a pile of dust as punishment for extending a human life, leaving behind only his Death Note. In the anime, he is shown to drop the pen and start crying, before his eye disappears and he disintegrates. Rem delivers his Death Note to Misa because it was her that he saved as she thinks that was his final wish.

Film
Gelus appears in Death Note: The Last Name. His role in the film is the same as it is in the manga and anime. His appearance in the film is slightly different from his anime appearance, as he seems to be various shades of brown rather than blue and white.

Conception
Obata said that Gelus appeared to be "a really beautiful" Shinigami in the thumbnails but decided to use his concept instead; Obata designed Gelus with a patchwork body since Gelus is a "really pitiful character." Obata said that he believed that readers could relate to him and sympathize with him more if he looked "pathetic" and "stupid" instead of "beautiful."

Obata added the trait of Gelus having difficulty writing names into the Death Note.

He also said that at first he placed "detailed patterns" on Gelus' Death Note. When deciding that the patterns looked "too pretty" Obata covered the patterns with black, leaving the white portions visible. The text of the notebook is in a "Shinigami language."

Trivia

 * In the Japanese dub of the anime, he is voiced by Kenichi Matsuyama - also known for playing L in the Death Note film franchise.
 * In the Japanese version of Death Note: How to Read 13 his name is romanized as "Jealous". However, in the English version of Death Note his name is romanized as "Gelus".

Gallery
Jealous Jealous