Characters you dislike the most?

[Lavinius]

However, Light Yagami (Death Note) is just a step too far for me, and is my nomination for the character I most can't stand. The whole premise of the series is just too warped, and Light represents the worst of it with no redeeming features.

What. Please elaborate.

[NemZ]

Light is a generally unlikeable asshole, but the series never tries to make him likable. He's a walking billboard for the dangers of hubris.

[Lavinius]

In my opinion, the series never needed to try to make Light likable because he was likable to begin with.

[Bagheera]

Light is a generally unlikeable asshole, but the series never tries to make him likable. He's a walking billboard for the dangers of hubris.

Yeah, that's my issue with DN in general: I don't particularly like any of the characters and that makes slogging through the whole mess a waste of time for me.

In my opinion, the series never needed to try to make Light likable because he was likable to begin with.

People who take it upon themselves to execute other people willy-nilly are generally not what's considered "likable".

[Lavinius]

People who take it upon themselves to execute other people willy-nilly are generally not what's considered "likable".

Well, it's different for me because I empathized with Light greatly because he reminded me of myself. I actually found him to be one of the few truly relatable characters in fiction I have ever encountered. And I don't consider his Kira'ing to be immoral, and the only time I really doubted him was when those talk show hosts were killed. But I didn't think that Light would do that, and I was right because it turned out to be the Misa who had done that on her own.

[NemZ]

There is a system of justice in place because no one person should have that power and it needs checks and balances to weed out mistakes. He starts off thinking he's some agent of justice but along the way how many completely innocent people does he kill to protect himself from discovery or the fully earned consequences of his actions? It very quickly stops being about anything but his own ego.

[pwhodges]

Exactly so.

And the show as a whole does itself no favours by keeping changing or extending the rules each time they are running out of places for the plot to go.

[Dream]

There is a system of justice in place because no one person should have that power and it needs checks and balances to weed out mistakes. He starts off thinking he's some agent of justice but along the way how many completely innocent people does he kill to protect himself from discovery or the fully earned consequences of his actions? It very quickly stops being about anything but his own ego.

This is part of what made episode 2 so bizarre/jarring for me. At first he kept on with his savior delusions which were... Not admirable, but interesting. But then when L appears on the stage (Before Light kills the dummy) He totally loses his shit, it just never made any sense to me. But yeah, at first Light might have been honest in his savior desires but past a certain point in the series it's pretty clear he just wants to be the lord of a new world.

Yeah, that's my issue with DN in general: I don't particularly like any of the characters and that makes slogging through the whole mess a waste of time for me.

The characters aren't supposed to be likeable though, they're supposed to be swag.

Mind you, i have a lot of sympathy for L and Misa (And Kira's family...), but i can understand why not everyone would feel that way.

[CJD]

Light's an interesting case for me. As a protagonist I enjoy him because he's interesting enough that he doesn't fit the typical MC mold, but as a person I find him utterly detestable.

He starts off thinking he's some agent of justice but along the way how many completely innocent people does he kill to protect himself from discovery or the fully earned consequences of his actions? It very quickly stops being about anything but his own ego.

Yup. What is it, episode 2 or 3 or something they put the fake L on TV to make a worldwide proclamation that the police are coming after Kira? Without a second thought Light kills the guy when he reveals his name. IIRC that's the part where he loses any claim to "agent of justice" as far as I'm concerned. Incidentally, it's also when he seals his fate.

As for characters I hate... off the top of my head, having recently finished Steins;Gate, Ferris/Faris/Whatever is probably one of the most annoying characters I've ever encountered. God every scene with her made me want to strangle myself. Also the fat guy from Eden of the East. And the glasses guy from Eden of the East.. And the chick that wasn't the main chick from Eden of the East... actually, the whole cast from Eden of the East except for the main character.

[Fireball]

Light started with good intentions and corrupted more and more though I can't fault him for trying to create a better world. When you see scum like Breivik getting prison what other countries would consider a 5 star hotel you start to question the system.

This is part of what made episode 2 so bizarre/jarring for me. At first he kept on with his savior delusions which were... Not admirable, but interesting. But then when L appears on the stage (Before Light kills the dummy) He totally loses his shit, it just never made any sense to me. But yeah, at first Light might have been honest in his savior desires but past a certain point in the series it's pretty clear he just wants to be the lord of a new world.

He was upper-class elite and his father chief officer of the police. Think of Light as that pampered arrogant rich kid that always got it his way. Then he finds the Death Note and gets dat POWA and at the beginning it goes well and all but suddenly there is someone questioning his superiority and safety. Of course he going to get furious - HE IS KIRA!

[Lavinius]

There is a system of justice in place because no one person should have that power and it needs checks and balances to weed out mistakes. He starts off thinking he's some agent of justice but along the way how many completely innocent people does he kill to protect himself from discovery or the fully earned consequences of his actions? It very quickly stops being about anything but his own ego.

In general, strange clowns being bored in shinigami world randomly distributing books isn't a basis for a system of government. I wouldn't recommend a world based on that- it's even more dangerous than a monarchy, for a Kira (well, the Death Note) has actual power, whereas other dictators simply are obeyed out of others' free will. However that is not what I am defending. I am defending the specific instance, Light himself.
How many completely innocent people does he kill? The only ones that I can think of are the ones innocent of the crimes they are killed for, and given that Light kills tens of thousands, this is probably quite a few. But in this case the ends do justify the means.

[NemZ]

How many completely innocent people does he kill? The only ones that I can think of are the ones innocent of the crimes they are killed for, and given that Light kills tens of thousands, this is probably quite a few. But in this case the ends do justify the means.

Quite a few police officers come to mind. L. That lady who was going to the station to report a tip. The guy he -thought- was L (not really an innocent, but he certainly didn't seem to care). Hell, everyone the dies as a result of Light's handing the death notes around to cover his tracks are indirectly his fault as well, and clearly he doesn't care because he keeps using this tactic.

Face it, he's much more concerned with being 'god' than he is with pursuing real justice.

[Defectron]

Well when it comes to deathnote characters I dislike, I dislike the police force team the most because all of them are so damn stupid. Well I do like Matsuda, because even though he's the dumbest of the bunch at least he's funny. I hear originally tsugumi ohba was going to kill off the police force at the end with the exception of Matsuda. I kind of wish he had went that route.

I don't dislike Light, because while I might not agree with his methods I find him interesting. Out of all the genius characters in the series I think Near is the one I come closest to disliking, just because he acts like such a little know it all who likes to rub it in everyones faces. I can see why he may have caused Mello to lose it.

[Bagheera]

In general, strange clowns being bored in shinigami world randomly distributing books isn't a basis for a system of government. I wouldn't recommend a world based on that- it's even more dangerous than a monarchy, for a Kira (well, the Death Note) has actual power, whereas other dictators simply are obeyed out of others' free will. However that is not what I am defending. I am defending the specific instance, Light himself.
How many completely innocent people does he kill? The only ones that I can think of are the ones innocent of the crimes they are killed for, and given that Light kills tens of thousands, this is probably quite a few. But in this case the ends do justify the means.

If your ends require the deaths of tends of thousands of people they probably aren't as virtuous as you think they are.

[Bryan]

If you ends require the deaths of tends of thousands of people they probably aren't as virtuous as you think they are.

If you really believe that, you should be a pacifist. But, most people are not.

[pwhodges]

Yeah - civilisation still has a way to go, I fear.

[Bagheera]

Yeah - civilisation still has a way to go, I fear.

Bit of a difference between war and mass murder.

[pwhodges]

That too; and there are those who prefer to wage war with a minimum of taking of life.

[Xard]

If you really believe that, you should be a pacifist. But, most people are not.

Finding Light and his actions morally repugnant has absolutely nothing to do whether one is pacifist or not. Furthermore it doesn't follow from not being pacifist that one considers all wars equal in justification so even if Light's activties counted as war waging (uhhh) one doesn't need to approve of it even if one is not pacifist.

Pacifism is completely irrelevant.

[Minaplo]

Light's a bit of an interesting case, innit. For me I find it easy to admire Light's intelligence, his foresight, his planning, his flair for the dramatic...

But no, his methods are pretty dastardly. They're very... Pragmatic, and it's fairly clear that he's aiming for a solid destination in his goals. He sees that as the prime, and his methods are overt and harsh, as opposed to trying to create a new society organically where the desired outcome is the natural product.

So at the least, one can definitely say that he's repugnant. But one could also say that he has plenty of style...