Death Note Fanfiction
Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's psychological thriller about Light Yagami, a brilliant student who finds a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it, and L, the eccentric detective hunting him. The AO3 scene is dominated by Light/L (Lawlight), a cat-and-mouse dynamic that fic writers have stretched into everything from chained-together slow burns to full canon rewrites where L survives. Expect dense mind games, moral ambiguity, and a fandom that has been litigating who really won since 2006. Yotsuba-arc handcuff fics are practically their own genre.
Start Reading Death Note Fanfiction
Explore 50,000 Death Note stories on Archive of Our Own, sorted by popularity. Then enjoy the best reading experience with Fanfict Reader.
📱 Download Fanfict Reader for offline reading, custom themes, and seamless sync across devices.
What is Death Note fanfiction?
Death Note fanfiction is fan-created stories set in the Death Note universe. With over 50,000 works on Archive of Our Own, Death Note is one of the most popular fandoms in the fanfiction community.
These stories explore beloved characters like Light Yagami, L, Misa Amane, Ryuk, and many more. Writers create everything from short one-shots to epic novel-length adventures, exploring relationships, alternate universes, and "what if" scenarios.
Most Popular Death Note Fanfics
These are the highest-rated Death Note stories on AO3, ranked by kudos from readers.
HOPES AND SADNESSES
by estere_13
Light Yagami was walking with one arm shot. He was losing hope, of surviving. Suddenly, he hears a voice.
BANG BANG BANG by BBpanzu Death Note song fic
by Number1yuriandyaoifan
Basically inner monologues of L written by me to the lyrics of that one Chainsaw Man fan song.I added a lot of things that aren't canon so beware!
Scared Beast
by Anonymous
“It’s okay, Ryuzaki. We found you, we’re getting you out of here.” The voice pauses. “I’m so sorry it took us this long. I...” An inhale. “Hold still, I’ll take that off.” Beast swings its leg up blindly in the direction of the voice. It doesn’t hit anything, but there’s an answering yelp. Someone f
Blue Moon
by 200920750CS
My take on death note, except many of the characters are genderbent versions of themselves. Light Yagami has played the role of the perfect student well, but it's become terribly boring. She uses a magical notebook, the death note, to try and fix the world, while an odd lady detective tries to catch
Mello vs His Own Sadism
by Oediopismo
Mello, being part of the mafia, experienced certain daily doses of horror. However, on one of his last visits to brothels, he realized that he could do at least one thing in his life that would positively affect someone.
in my mind, i'm annotating you
by Anonymous
Light blames his inability to sleep on L.
Pulse in the Machine
by sweetlawless31
The world knows Misa Amane as a ghost and L as a machine of pure logic. But when whispers of a "Divine Heir" begin to haunt the vacuum left by Kira, L realises the only death he never fully verified was hers—along with another heartbeat that was never supposed to exist. As the birth nears and Kira’s
【砂月】共生（性转）
by feifei_jiang
这大概是个坏女人想得到一切，而坏男人只想得到坏女人的故事。现代AU 超人气偶像×艺术生女大25岁×19岁忠犬×女王病娇超级无敌恋爱脑×精致利己主义两个疯子的爱恨情仇强强恋爱脑预警！！！！夜神月你根本没有心。你比死神还冷。 Be，双死。
Oubliette
by ArgentNoelle
The moment Light writes in the death note he becomes a killer, but he could not become Kira without L. (L/Light, slow burn — Yotsuba Arc with all the mind-games intact)"The thing about getting rid of useless pride is that it is a scaffolding built of years. It takes more than the work of a moment; t
The Serial Killing Life
by Foloxcer
15 twisted souls, all trapped until one can prove themselves a master of their craft. Danganronpa killing game but EVERYONE is a serial killer, and none of them know yet.
'till death do us part
by shilowrites
“A.. contract.” Light’s breathing was laboured, his lungs shrunken down to half their size. The demon’s presence was suffocating and thick, encircling him like a coiled snake. He was nothing more than prey in his grasp. “Yes… a contract.” The demon hissed sweetly, trailing a bony finger up Light’s a
Mare Incognitum
by CoralFlower
Sometimes I feel lobotomised. I've been reading a lot about Rosemary Kennedy—just to practice English—and of course it is not at all the same; I still retain my identity and the function of my body—but all the same. I feel like something was taken from me and if I just lick deep enough into her I'll
Blind Faith, Open Eyes
by iloveao3forever
"The case had only fallen deeper into the ditch, for the team were now aware of a second Kira. Light would no longer be the sole suspect, his girlfriend, Misa Amane had managed to worm her way onto L's list as well. He watched them both sharply, always calculating two steps ahead, anticipating what
L, do you know...
by caffeineSuspect
L is used to finding the truth in data. Light is using the Death Note to bend the data to his will — and to protect the most dangerous secret on earth.After agreeing to voluntary confinement until L is convinced of his innocence, what begins as a psychological interrogation soon spirals into somethi
The Seventh Transmigration
by sasuwux
Amelia MontgomeryLight YagamiAzulaSasuke UchihaTomura ShigarakiOsamu DazaiRyomen Sukuna Oh.Oh. A - L - A - S - T - O - R No way… she had lived far too long to believe in coincidences when it came to her. Across her many lives, she had questioned everything, analyzing patterns and possibilities. She
ryuk has a problem (it’s her)
by solemnly_starlit
Ryuk gets bored. Then he meets a girl who can see him. That would’ve been it—except she can touch him too. What starts as curiosity turns into routine, routine turns into attachment, and attachment turns into Ryuk realizing he is absolutely, catastrophically not normal about her. There’s apples. The
cleave
by CoralFlower
"You lied to me. Still I gave you what you wanted." The wind whispers through the grass, as tall as the rock L rests upon but sparse, choked out by surface limestone. "What do you say?" Light asks, soft, threatening, a bed of nails with silk sheets. L swallows. "Don't untie me," he gasps.
Backstage Pass
by xxbeyondxbirthdayxx
The prize: Mello, singer and guitarist of Mind Pollution, the million-dollar rock star who sells out arenas, tops charts, and leaves fans screaming and swooning. The contestants: nineteen hopeful guys and one Matt, who mostly came for the paycheck. It’s reality TV. It’s supposed to be fake. But thin
Uncomfortable Epiphany
by X_jet_black_wings_X
Light Yagami picks up a different kind of magazine to read. This, in turn, gives him one [TITLE DROP HERE] [i.e.- What if Light Yagami had picked up a gay magazine instead?] NOTE: this is not that well-written please spare me
Playing his Game
by Afaim
Light und L sind wiedervereint, mit ihren Erinnerungen intakt. Doch Liebesgeflüster und Rachepläne an Ryuk halten nicht lange an, als etwas unvorhergesehenes passiert und alles ändert. Fortsetzung von "Mortals and Fools".
Death Note Fanfics by Length
Pick a reading commitment — from one-sitting one-shots to 100k+ epics:
Best Death Note Fanfic Rec Lists
Popular Death Note Ships
LawLight
L/Yagami Light
The world's greatest detective handcuffed himself to the world's most prolific serial killer, and each called the other his first real friend while plotting the other's destruction. Tennis matches, rain-soaked rooftops, and a foot massage before death made this anime's archetypal enemy ship.
28,000 works →
MattMello
Mello/Matt
Wammy's House's chocolate-eating runner-up and its chain-smoking third place reunited for the Takada kidnapping, where Matt died as Mello's decoy minutes before Mello's own heart gave out. A handful of panels of loyalty unto death built one of fandom's classic minor-character ships.
3,500 works →
MisaLight
Amane Misa/Yagami Light
The second Kira halved her lifespan twice for a man who saw her only as a tool, and Light kept her close precisely because her devotion was exploitable. Fic splits between indicting the manipulation and exploring the darker timeline where Misa finally sees the ledger clearly.
2,500 works →
Common Death Note Tropes
Popular Characters
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Death Note fanfics are on AO3?
There are over 50,000 Death Note fanfiction works on Archive of Our Own, making it one of the platform's largest fandoms.
What are the best Death Note ships?
Popular Death Note pairings include LawLight, MattMello, MisaLight. Each ship has thousands of dedicated stories exploring their relationship.
How can I read Death Note fanfiction on my phone?
Download Fanfict Reader for iOS to browse and read Death Note fanfiction with a beautiful mobile interface, offline reading, and custom themes.
Read Death Note on the go
Fanfict Reader is the best way to browse, search, and read AO3 fanfiction on your iPhone. Download for free and start reading your favorite Death Note fics today.