King of Death



King of Death, also known as the Shinigami King (死神大王, Shinigami Daiō), is the ruler of the Shinigami. An unseen character in the main series, the Shinigami King governs the Shinigami and controls distribution of the Death Notes. It is not made clear if he creates them or just has a certain supply, as he is unwilling to replace lost ones. It is also unclear whether the Shinigami King enforces the various rules of the Shinigami and is regarded as a sort of father figure by lesser Shinigami; and is said to be almost immortal. Many Shinigami refer to him as "Old Man," and How to Read 13 said he "must be very old" due to this. How to Read 13 adds that "little else about him is known." Chapter 109 depicts the King as a large mass suspended in the air with chains. He has a skull for a head, which is surrounded by a larger, skull-like formation. He has four arms, each with only three fingers on the hands, which hang from his body.

One of the eyecatch rules given in the series states that extra Death Notes found by Shinigami are generally expected to be returned to the King, though this clearly is not something Shinigami are forced to abide by. Likewise, lost notebooks must also be reported to him. Little information is given about the character itself, aside from Rem's assertion that the King is not easy to trick, which Ryuk successfully did. In contrast, he is quite easily bribed, as Midora was able to trade thirteen apples for a second Death Note.

Obata said that he felt too afraid to design The King of Death; he said that he considered placing The King of Death on a book spine and felt that the spine would not have enough space to depict The King of Death.