Death Note (object)

A Death Note is a supernatural notebook which is used by Shinigami to sustain their life.

Overview
The purpose of the Death Note is to take Human life, thereby increasing the life of the Shinigami who uses it. There are many rules as to how the Death Note can be used, though the most pivotal rule is that "The Human whose name is written in this note shall die."

Use By Shinigami
Shinigami normally use Death Notes to kill humans from the Shinigami Realm, thereby adding each human's remaining years of life to their own. Rogue Shinigami are Shinigami who drop extra Death Note(s) from the Shinigami Realm down to the human world in order to allow humans the use of their spare killer notebook(s). It is unknown how many notebooks exist in the Shinigami Realm, as well as how Death Notes are created.

Use By Humans
A Death Note can be used by a human, although their lifespans do not increase by doing so. Historically, humans have either killed other humans with the Death Note(s) or ended up burning and therefore destroying the Death Note for any number of reasons. Ryuk is the first Rogue Shinigami that is shown in the manga, yet it is stated early in the series that there have been other Death Notes dropped in the human world before.

Death Notes owned by Humans
A total of four notebooks are present in the Human World during the series. These notebooks are listed here along with names of the people who gained ownership. In this article the notebooks are referred to using the name of the Shinigami who originally owned it. For example, the first notebook used by Light is called "Sidoh's Death Note". It is important to note that ownership is not the same as simply holding or touching the notebook.

Sidoh's Death Note
Sidoh's Death Note was found by Ryuk, who dropped it into the Human World. The notebook was then found by Light Yagami in the courtyard of his high school in Kyoto, Japan. The rules of how to use it were written in it by Ryuk. This Death Note would ultimately change Light's life forever, turning him into a serial killer who targeted criminals.

Light gave ownership of this notebook back to Ryuk, who gave it to Rem, who was instructed by Light to give it to a greedy human who would use it for his own gain. It was given to Kyosuke Higuchi by Rem. After Higuchi gets captured by L, the Death Note ends up in the hands of the Japanese Task Force.

Soichiro Yagami later trades the Death Note to the Mafia, who kidnap Sayu Yagami and ask for the Death Note in exchange for her life. The Death Note was then given to Jack Neylon by Mello.

The Death Note is recovered by the Task Force and given by Light to Sidoh, who takes it back to the Shinigami Realm.

Ownership passes from: Sidoh, to Ryuk, to Light Yagami, to Ryuk, to Rem, to Kyosuke Higuchi, to Jack Neylon, to Light Yagami, to Sidoh.

Gelus's Death Note
Gelus fell in love with Misa Amane, and used his Death Note to kill the man who was destined to kill Misa. Gelus died as a result, leaving only his Death Note behind. The notebook was found by Rem, who took it to the Human World and gave it to Misa, who Rem believed was supposed to have it. Light eventually has Misa give up ownership of her notebook, and it is sent to Teru Mikami. Mikami's notebook is later stolen by the SPK. The notebook is eventually burned by Near, and it disappears from the Human World.

Ownership passes from: Gelus, to Rem, to Misa Amane, to Teru Mikami.

Rem's Death Note
Rem's notebook remains in her possession until her death. She uses it to protect Misa by killing Watari and then L. This act causes her to die, and her notebook is left behind, making it property of the Human World. Ownership of the notebook is taken by Light, who gives it Ryuk in order to make Ryuk the Shinigami attached to it. Light then keeps it until he gives it to the Task Force to use against the Mafia. Soichiro becomes the holder of the notebook, and makes the trade with Ryuk for the Shinigami Eyes. Aizawa brings the notebook to the Yellowbox Warehouse, and the notebook is later burned by Near, causing it to disappear from the Human World.

Ownership passes from: Rem, to Light Yagami, to Soichiro Yagami, to Light Yagami.

Ryuk's Death Note
Ryuk's notebook remains with him for the entirety of the series. It is not used until the very end, when he writes down the name of Light Yagami.

Ownership passes: None.

How to Use It: The Complete Rules
'The following information is quoted directly from Death Note: How To Read 13. Please note that this is not a list of the rules written in the Death Note by Ryuk. For that, see The Rules of the Death Note.'

'''This section reveals the rules governing the use of the Death Note. They have been divided into four parts: How to Use It, Ownership, the Shinigami Eyes, and the Shinigami Rules. Here the rules will be explained by highliting specific scenes from the series.'''

1.1 Entering Names
The Human whose name is written in this note shall die. This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subjects face in mind when writing his/her name. This is to prevent people who share the same name from being affected. Use in the story: Realizing that people sharing the same name cannot be killed at once, L uses the name of an idol singer named Hideki Ryuga and approches Light.

The Death Note will not ever affect a person whose name has been misspelled four times.

When the same name is written in two or more Death Notes within 0.06 seconds, the entry is regarded as simultaneous; the Death Notes will not take effect and the individual will not die.

When the same name is written in two our more Death Notes, the note which was used first will take affect, regardless of the time of death.

If a Death Note owner accidently misspells a person's name four times, that person will be free from being killed by the Death Note. However, if the Death Note owner intentionally misspells the name four times, the owner will die.

The Death Note will not take effect if the victim's name is written on several different pages. However, the front and back of a page is considered to be one page. For example, the Death Note will take effect if the victims's last name is written on the front page and first name on the back.

1.2 Entering the Causes and Conditions of Death
If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of the subject's name, it will happen.

If the cause of death is not specified, the subject will die of a heart attack.

Appearance
The inside of a notebook looks like that of a school notebook, and contains ruled white pages. The notebook is activated when someones name is written in it. Regardless of how many names are written in it, the notebook will never run out of pages. Death Notes are made from an unknown material, however they feel and look like regular notebooks and it is possible to rip or burn the pages. Human science cannot analyze a Death Note.

There are several different Death Note designs. The appearance of a Death Note is chosen by the Shinigami. Most Death Note's are plain black (such as Rem's) and do not have writing on the cover, however Shinigami sometimes write their name on it or the words "Death Note". Those that do contain writing on the front can have the words written in any language, such as English (Sidoh's Death Note) or a Shinigami language (Gelus's Death Note). Other cover designs may exist as well, but that would be completely up to the Shinigami owning that particular Death Note. Death Notes which are red or white exist, although they are never shown in the series. Death Note's can also take a form other than a notebook, such as a scroll. Death Note: How To Read 13 suggests that the form changes based on the human era.

Trivia
Shonen Jump also made Death Note notebook replicas which can be bought from their website, and Misa's Death Note for the Death Note movie is also purchasable, which comes with a pen.