Unnamed Shinigami



An Unnamed Shinigami debuted in the Director's Cut one-shot special of Death Note which aired in Japan. Like Ryuk, he too was bored with the Shinigami Realm. This Shinigami has a skeletal figure and dons a coat, a pair of goggles, uses a tie as a headband and carries a bone-like object which he uses like a hammer. He takes an interest in Ryuk's visit to the human realm, and bribes Ryuk with a shinigami apple in exchange for information how to undertake passage into the human world. Ryuk accepts, and begins to tell the story of Light Yagami's legend in regards to the Death Note. Before Ryuk can finish, however, the Unnamed Shinigami is gone, leaving the Shinigami Realm with his sights set on the human world.

Members of the fanbase believe this Unnamed Shinigami to be the reincarnation of Light Yagami due to five pieces of evidence: his coat looks similar to Light's when he died, he walks up stairs to meet Ryuk (a subtle reference to Light's death); the way he tosses the apple to Ryuk; the fact he inexplicably knows Ryuk's love for apples (without asking the other Shinigami); and the fact that Ryuk says "Raito" (Light's real name) as he realizes the identity at the end (after the Unnamed Shinigami leaves before the credits).

Some claim the Shinigami is not Light Yagami by quoting the rules that say "all humans eventually die" and "cannot be brought back to life again". These rules only apply to resurrection of a dead body (as in the eraser from the Pilot chapter).

However, the "Raito" theory is well-supported by Ryuk's statement in his first conversation with Light: "Do not assume that a human who has used a Death Note can go to Heaven or Hell." However, this particular rule may not apply to being sent to Purgatory, or the Shinigami Realm. This would explain what happens after death to humans that have used a Death Note, as Purgatory (Mu) is neither good or evil. In this realm, "living" means an empty existence of "nothingness" amidst the grunge and greed of the Shinigami Realm.