0:02 The bait. Elk's very first appearance in
0:03 the series is through a calculated trap
0:05 designed to narrow down Kira's location.
0:08 He arranges for a death row inmate named
0:10 Lind L. Taylor to appear on television,
0:12 claiming to be L himself and directly
0:14 challenging Kira to kill him. When Light
0:15 takes the bait and kills Taylor, L
0:17 immediately deduces several critical
0:19 pieces of information. First, he
0:20 confirms that Kira can kill remotely
0:22 without physical contact. Second, he
0:24 narrows Kira's location to the Kanto
0:26 region of Japan, as the broadcast was
0:28 only shown in that area. Third, he
0:30 determines that Kira needs a face and a
0:32 name to kill since Taylor was introduced
0:34 by name on the broadcast. What makes
0:35 this moment particularly brilliant is
0:37 the psychological aspect. L reveals
0:39 himself after the killing, explaining
0:41 his entire trick to Kira in essentially
0:43 taunting him. This serves two purposes.
0:45 It establishes L as a direct threat that
0:47 Kira cannot ignore, and it begins the
0:49 psychological warfare that defines their
0:51 entire conflict. The risk L took here
0:54 was calculated but significant. If Kira
0:56 had chosen not to kill Taylor, L would
0:57 have gained nothing. However, L
1:00 correctly predicted that Kira's ego and
1:01 sense of justice would compel him to
1:03 act, which gave L his first major
1:05 breakthrough in the case. One of L's
1:07 most creative moments comes when he
1:09 arranges for Light to take the entrance
1:12 exam at 2 University, while L takes the
1:14 same exam. In the exam, L actually gets
1:15 in trouble for sitting weird in the exam
1:17 hall. And that's also the same time when
1:19 Light and Lock eyes for the first time.
1:21 After the exams, Light and L are invited
1:23 to the stage for delivering a speech for
1:25 getting perfect scores in the exam. This
1:27 time L actually carries a false name.
1:30 Hideki Yuga. After the speech, when they
1:31 sit beside each other in a rather
1:33 spontaneous moment, L reveals his true
1:35 identity. The brilliance here is
1:37 multi-layered. First, L is testing
1:39 whether Light will react to the
1:41 provocation. A guilty person might make
1:43 a mistake under pressure. The sudden
1:45 appearance of L, someone Light has only
1:47 known as a mysterious voice and letter,
1:49 creates an environment where even the
1:51 most controlled individual, might slip
1:53 up. Second, he's establishing a personal
1:55 connection that will allow him to
1:57 observe Light closely over an extended
1:59 period. By becoming Light's peer and
2:01 classmate, L gains access to Light's
2:03 daily life in a way that wouldn't be
2:04 possible through surveillance alone.
2:06 Third, he's demonstrating his own
2:08 intelligence by scoring perfectly on the
2:09 exam alongside Light, establishing
2:11 himself as an intellectual equal. This
2:13 is crucial because it shows Light that L
2:15 isn't just some detective relying on
2:18 police resources. He's someone who can
2:21 match Light's genius step for step. The
2:23 score becomes a statement of capability
2:25 and a subtle form of intimidation. L
2:27 also uses this opportunity to build a
2:28 friendship with Light, which serves as
2:31 both a cover for his investigation and a
2:32 way to manipulate Light's actions. By
2:34 positioning himself as Light's friend
2:36 and rival, L creates a situation where
2:38 Light cannot eliminate him without
2:40 drawing massive suspicion. If L dies
2:42 under mysterious circumstances while
2:43 publicly associated with Light, it would
2:45 immediately implicate Light in the
2:46 investigation. What really makes this
2:48 approach effective is that it forces
2:50 Light into a defensive position. Light
2:53 cannot act freely while under L's direct
2:55 observation, which slows down his plans
2:56 considerably and gives L more time to
2:58 gather evidence. One of L's most
3:00 impressive deductions comes when a
3:02 second Kira begins operating in Japan.
3:04 This new Kira starts sending video
3:06 messages to the original Kira,
3:07 attempting to make contact and offer
3:09 assistance. L immediately recognizes
3:11 that this is a different person based on
3:14 several key differences in their methods
3:15 and behavior. The second Kira
3:17 demonstrates abilities that the first
3:19 Kira doesn't seem to possess. Most
3:21 notably, this new Kira can kill with
3:23 only a face without needing a name. This
3:25 is evident when they kill multiple
3:27 people whose names weren't publicly
3:29 available, which the original Kira had
3:31 never done before. L correctly theorizes
3:33 that the two Kiraas operate under
3:35 different rules or have access to
3:37 different information. L also notices
3:38 differences in personality and
3:40 motivation. The second Kira is more
3:42 reckless and emotional, sending public
3:44 messages that risk exposure. The
3:46 original Kira, who L suspects is highly
3:48 intelligent and calculated, would never
3:50 take such unnecessary risk. This
3:51 behavioral contrast confirms that two
3:53 separate individuals are now using the
3:55 killing power. What makes this deduction
3:58 particularly brilliant is how L uses it
4:00 strategically. He recognizes that the
4:01 second Kira represents both a threat
4:03 [music] and an opportunity. If the two
4:05 Kiraas try to meet, L can potentially
4:06 catch them both. He begins planning
4:08 surveillance and traps specifically
4:10 designed to intercept any communication
4:12 or meeting between them. L also deduces
4:14 that the second Kira is likely connected
4:15 to the first Kira emotionally rather
4:17 than professionally. The messages
4:19 suggest someone who admires Kira rather
4:21 than a calculated partner, which helps L
4:22 narrow down what type of person the
4:24 second Kira might be. This leads
4:25 directly to him suspecting Misa, who
4:27 fits the profile of an emotional,
4:29 impulsive supporter. One of L's final
4:31 major moves is proposing a test of the
4:33 13-day rule written in the death note.
4:34 According to the rule, if a person
4:36 doesn't write a name within 13 days of
4:38 their last use, they die. L suggests
4:40 testing this by having a death row
4:41 inmate write a name, then observing
4:43 whether they die on the 14th day. This
4:45 proposal demonstrates L's commitment to
4:46 finding the truth regardless of moral
4:48 implications. He's willing to
4:50 potentially kill an innocent person to
4:52 verify the rule's authenticity, which
4:54 shows how far he's willing to go to
4:56 catch Kira. The logic behind the test is
4:57 sound. If the rule is real, the inmate
4:59 dies and the notebook's rules are
5:01 confirmed. If the rule is fake, the
5:03 inmate survives, and Light's innocence
5:05 is immediately disproven. What makes
5:07 this moment particularly significant is
5:08 that it reveals how close L is to
5:10 catching Light. He has narrowed down his
5:11 suspicions to the point where he's
5:13 willing to propose an extreme test that
5:15 would definitively prove or disprove
5:17 Light's guilt. The fact that L is
5:18 pushing for this test shows he's
5:21 exhausted nearly every other avenue of
5:22 investigation. The plan is ultimately
5:25 rejected by the Japanese task force on
5:26 moral and legal grounds, which
5:28 frustrates L, but doesn't surprise him.
5:29 He understands that his methods often
5:31 conflict with standard procedure and
5:33 ethics, but he believes the ends justify
5:35 the means when dealing with someone as
5:37 dangerous as Kira. L's instincts here
5:39 are completely correct. The 13-day rule
5:41 is indeed fake, added by Rem to protect
5:43 light. However, without being able to
5:44 test it, L cannot prove his theory,
5:46 which represents one of the few times
5:48 his hands are tied by limitations
5:49 outside his control. If the test had
5:51 been conducted and the inmates survived,
5:52 it would have exposed the rule as false
5:54 and reignited suspicion on Light and
5:56 Misa, potentially leading to their
5:58 arrests and the end of Kira's reign.
5:59 This moment showcases both El's
6:01 brilliance and the tragedy of his
6:02 situation. He knows the truth, but
6:04 cannot act on it due to the constraints
6:06 of working within a legal system that
6:08 prioritizes ethics over results. Perhaps
6:10 El's greatest skill isn't any single
6:12 deduction, but his overall understanding
6:14 of Light's character. From their first
6:16 meeting, L recognizes that Light is
6:18 driven by ego, pride, and a genuine
6:20 belief in his own righteousness. This
6:22 psychological insight guides every
6:24 decision L makes throughout the
6:26 investigation. L knows that Light cannot
6:28 resist a challenge, which is why he
6:30 repeatedly provokes him with statements
6:32 like, "I'm going to make you confess,"
6:34 or, "You're my first friend." But these
6:35 aren't casual remarks that they're
6:37 calculated to get under Light's skin and
6:39 potentially force him into a mistake. L
6:41 understands that Light's need to prove
6:43 his superiority is both his greatest
6:44 strength and his most exploitable
6:46 weakness. He also understands that
6:48 Light's intelligence makes him dangerous
6:50 in a unique way. A less intelligent Kira
6:52 might have been caught quickly through
6:53 conventional detective work. But Light's
6:55 ability to plan multiple steps ahead
6:57 means L has to do the same. Their
6:58 conflict becomes a chess match where
7:00 both players can see numerous moves into
7:02 the future and every action carries
7:04 hidden meaning. L recognizes that
7:06 Light's sense of justice, while twisted,
7:08 is genuine. Light truly believes he's
7:10 creating a better world, which makes him
7:11 more committed and less likely to give
7:13 up than someone motivated purely by
7:15 selfishness. This ideological commitment
7:17 means Light will take risks and make
7:19 sacrifices that a typical criminal
7:22 wouldn't, which L factors into into his
7:23 predictions of Light's behavior.
7:25 Throughout their interactions, L studies
7:27 Light's micro expressions, speech
7:29 patterns, and decision-making processes.
7:31 He notices when Light is uncomfortable,
7:32 when he's calculating, and when he's
7:34 genuinely surprised. This accumulated
7:36 psychological data allows L to build an
7:38 increasingly accurate model of how Light
7:40 thinks and reacts. L's death ultimately
7:42 comes not from being outsmarted by
7:44 Light, but from the intervention of Rem,
7:46 a variable he couldn't fully account
7:48 for. Even at the end, L maintains his
7:49 suspicions about Light and dies knowing
7:50 he was right, even if he couldn't prove
7:52 it. His legacy continues through Near
7:54 and Melo, who eventually succeed where L
7:55 could not, largely by building on the
7:58 foundation L established. In my opinion,
8:00 what really makes L so effective is his
8:01 willingness to trust his instincts even
8:03 when evidence is lacking. He knows Light
