All Death Note Arcs In Order

Death Note doesn’t have an official list of arcs but based on the story we can roughly split the story into the following arcs.

1. Light vs L Arc

Episodes: 1 to 10

Chapters: 1 to 22

Death Note follows the story of Light Yagami, a high school student who becomes obsessed with using a supernatural notebook that has the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. Light becomes determined to create a utopia by eliminating all criminals from the world. However, he is pursued by the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) and a talented detective known as L, who is determined to catch Light and uncover the truth behind the mysterious deaths.

As Light and L engage in a game of cat-and-mouse, they challenge each other’s limits and abilities. The investigation becomes personal for Light when L enrolls in his university under an assumed identity, and Light’s father, who is leading the investigation, suffers a heart attack.

2. Second Kira Arc

Episodes: 11 to 16

Chapters: 23 to 35

Sakura TV broadcasts tapes from Kira, leading L to deduce that there is a second Kira. Light meets Misa Amane, who reveals that she has a Shinigami and wants to help Kira. Light agrees to keep her around but must also protect her from L, who has found physical evidence linking her to the second Kira. Light begins dating multiple girls to explain his connection to Misa and tries to convince Rem, Misa’s Shinigami, to kill L.

Misa is arrested and her memories of being Kira are wiped, but Rem threatens to kill Light if he doesn’t come up with a plan to save both of them and kill L. Light has Rem become the Shinigami possessing his notebook and adds a fake rule to the Death Note stating that anyone who writes in it must kill someone within 13 days or die.

3. Yotsuba Arc

Episodes: 17 to 25

Chapters: 36 to 58

After Light and Misa are released from confinement, they join the investigation to catch the new Kira, who they believe is connected to the Yotsuba company. Misa regains her memories of being the second Kira and helps the Task Force capture the Yotsuba Kira, Kyosuke Higuchi. The Task Force learns about the Death Note, and Light regains his memories and continues his work as Kira. He manipulates Misa into a dangerous situation, leading her Shinigami, Rem, to kill L and Watari in order to save Misa, leaving Light as the ultimate victor with the Death Note.

4. Mello arc

Episodes: 26 to 29

Chapters: 59 to 74

After L’s death, the SPK is established under Near and Kira continues to kill criminals using the internet. Five years later, Mello kidnaps Sayu Yagami and tries to obtain the Death Note. Light contacts Near for help and tries to attack Mello’s base, but the attempt fails due to the intervention of Sidoh, who is working for Mello. Light then sends the Task Force to attack the base, using Ryuk’s help and Soichiro’s Shinigami Eyes. The attack is successful, but Soichiro dies and Mello escapes.

5. Wammy arc

Episodes: 30

Chapters: 75 to 83

Near gets closer to figuring out Kira’s identity thanks to Mello’s actions, and Mello tells Near that a rule within the notebook is fake. Near confronts Light about this, causing doubt within the Task Force. Mello sends Mogi to the SPK base to get information from Near, but Mogi stays silent. Light then sends followers to attack the SPK, but Near escapes unscathed.

Near lies to the Task Force and says that Mogi has died of a heart attack, incriminating Light and causing Aizawa to spill information to Near. Near believes that Light Yagami is Kira. In anticipation of investigation from the Task Force, Light transfers ownership of the Death Note from Misa to Mikami, who kills Demegawa.

6. Final arc

Episodes: 31 to 37

Chapters: 84 to 108

Mikami selects Kiyomi Takada as the new spokesperson for Kira, and Light communicates with Mikami through private meetings with Takada. Near deduces Mikami’s identity as X-Kira and begins spying on him. Light is using a fake notebook while Takada does the real killings with the multiple pages of the book she has. Near switches the fake notebook with another fake one for the final plan, where he and Light agree to meet at the Yellow Box warehouse so that Mikami can write down the names of everyone except Kira’s.

However, Mello intervenes a few days before the plan and kidnaps Takada, causing Mikami to write down Takada’s name in the real Death Note. Near switches the real Death Note with a fake one and exposes Light as Kira at the meeting. Matsuda shoots Light, and Ryuk writes Light’s name in his Death Note.