Shinigami

Within the context of the popular manga series Death Note, the Shinigami, also known by their formal name of Death Gods, are demon-like characters who live in the Shinigami Realm. To increase their life-span, the Shinigami write the names of humans in their Death Notes, thus killing the human and extending their own life by the amount of time the human had left to live. However, because the Shinigami realm is incredibly dull, this act is usually laughed at, and thus done in privacy. Shinigami cannot be killed by physical methods, such as stabbing or shooting, and must follow a strict set of rules if they want to live without punishment. Ryuk Voiced by: Shidō Nakamura (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)

Ryuk (リューク, Ryūku?) is the Shinigami who dropped a Death Note in the human realm, which was then discovered by Light. It was revealed that Ryuk did it out of boredom, as there was little to do in the Shinigami realm. Ryuk was also found to have tricked the Shinigami King into receiving a second Death Note that would be used by Light, as well as access to the human realm. Ryuk has a great fondness for apples, and will behave unusually if he goes for too long without eating one (for example, he does hand stands or his body twists randomly). He says apples are to Shinigami as cigarettes and liquor are to humans. He also states that he is shy around girls, and it is clear that he likes video games.

For a time, he was Mikami's personal Shinigami, as well as Misa's. At the end of the series, Light begs Ryuk to use the Death Note to save him. Ryuk, however, reminds Light that he will never help him, and that it will be Ryuk who will end Light's life. Ryuk then tells Light that humans go nowhere (to nothingness) when they die and after writing Light's name in the Death Note, returns to the Shinigami Realm.