| Setting foot on a Fool's Journey through Death Note in a new column by Tarot card reader, Tarot Mikami |
Many dramas, books and films make use of tarot cards to symbolic effect. Death Note is no exception. There's no doubt that the cards were chosen for shock value. Yet remarkably, Death Note's tarot usage is often - and perhaps inadvertently - correct.
The appearance of tarot cards in Death Note is heralded by Near's shopping list, presented to Anthony Rester, of things that he requires in order to investigate the Kira case. Amid items such as 'plastic models', 'inflatable pool', 'secret base set', 'radio controlled rubber duck' and a 'Christmas tree', Near asked for 'Tarot cards... $250'. That's a pretty expensive deck of tarot!
It's to Near we return, time and again, to see how tarot is used in Death Note.
It's to Near we return, time and again, to see how tarot is used in Death Note.
Death Note Near's Tarot Deck
Near's tarot cards in Death Note Episode 30 (anime)
The deck of tarot cards used by Near in Death Note appears to have been invented by Takeshi Obata (or prompted for him to draw by writer Tsugumi Ohba). At least it's not one that I've ever seen outside the Death Note universe, nor have any fans apparently found a real world set. Surely a marketing opportunity lost right there.
Anthony Rester's tarot purchase on behalf on Near was first revealed in the manga: Death Note Chapter 78 Prediction. Those scenes later appeared in the anime: Death Note Episode 30 Justice.
Anthony Rester's tarot purchase on behalf on Near was first revealed in the manga: Death Note Chapter 78 Prediction. Those scenes later appeared in the anime: Death Note Episode 30 Justice.
 Back of Near's Tarot in Death Note |  Death and The Devil in Near's Death Note Tarot |
Near's Tarot Spread in Death Note Manga and Anime
In both the Death Note anime and manga, Near lays his tarot cards out in a very specific way. They are arrayed in a circle around himself, with most of the cards used in this manner, while a small pile remains to sit inside with him.
While I can't claim to know every single tarot card spread in existence, this one is a new configuration on me. It's difficult to know how it would - or indeed could - be read in a predictive context.
While I can't claim to know every single tarot card spread in existence, this one is a new configuration on me. It's difficult to know how it would - or indeed could - be read in a predictive context.
Near's tarot spread in Death Note - Prediction manga chapter 78
There are roughly 40-44 tarot cards precisely placed in a circle around Near. As there are seventy-eight cards in most packs, this constitutes the majority of them. They appear even more densely packed in version shown in the anime of how Near lays out his tarot cards.
Near's tarot spread in Death Note anime episode Justice
Circular tarot spreads tend to use far fewer cards. The most I've encountered are sixteen piles, with thirteen or twelve (or zodiacal spreads of tarot) being more common. This isn't to say that Near hasn't invented his own, or else knows a way that I haven't seen before. Just that it's rather surprising and probably for visual effect only.
The question being - for whose?
The question being - for whose?
Themes and Motifs in Death Note's Tarot Scene
Death Note Episode 30: Justice
The titles of the Death Note scenes where tarot cards are featured contain hints of their usage.
In the manga, this is Chapter 78 - there are usually 78 cards in a tarot deck. The chapter is entitled Prediction. Fortune telling is how tarot is most famously employed, though by no means the only way in which they might be used.
Moreover, in Death Note 13: How to Read, author Tsugumi Ohba claimed that he chose the title based upon the predictions given by Near and Light respectively. Namely that there is a fake rule (Near) and that Mello would contact the Japanese Kira Task Force (Light). No mention of tarot in this context at all, though it would seem the obvious source.
In the anime, the scenes in which Near reads tarot cards occur in Episode 30: Justice. There's nothing particularly meaningful about the number 30 in tarot, but there is a card usually labelled Justice.
In the manga, this is Chapter 78 - there are usually 78 cards in a tarot deck. The chapter is entitled Prediction. Fortune telling is how tarot is most famously employed, though by no means the only way in which they might be used.
Moreover, in Death Note 13: How to Read, author Tsugumi Ohba claimed that he chose the title based upon the predictions given by Near and Light respectively. Namely that there is a fake rule (Near) and that Mello would contact the Japanese Kira Task Force (Light). No mention of tarot in this context at all, though it would seem the obvious source.
In the anime, the scenes in which Near reads tarot cards occur in Episode 30: Justice. There's nothing particularly meaningful about the number 30 in tarot, but there is a card usually labelled Justice.
The opening panels of Death Note: Chapter 78 Prediction
depicting Near reading the tarot
Death Note Near's Tarot Card Reading - Death
Absolutely the most clichéd use of a tarot card in popular culture comes with the misuse of the Death card. The problem is that viewers, or readers, think they know what it means. You don't have to be a tarot reader to interpret that Death is bound to translate into a fatality. It doesn't look good for the person whose fortune is being told, which is why it works so well for dramatic effect.
Unfortunately for the storytelling plot, the Death card in tarot rarely means actual, physical death for any individual uncovering it.
As an aside, a group of us tarot readers once challenged ourselves to come up with a configuration of cards which would genuinely denote an imminent loss of life. As in unequivocally could not be read in any other way. It was hard work, with much toing and froing and debate, but we eventually arrived at something. Every card was one of the minor arcana. They did not feature the major arcana card Death.
So how did Death Note do with its use of the tarot Death card?
Unfortunately for the storytelling plot, the Death card in tarot rarely means actual, physical death for any individual uncovering it.
As an aside, a group of us tarot readers once challenged ourselves to come up with a configuration of cards which would genuinely denote an imminent loss of life. As in unequivocally could not be read in any other way. It was hard work, with much toing and froing and debate, but we eventually arrived at something. Every card was one of the minor arcana. They did not feature the major arcana card Death.
So how did Death Note do with its use of the tarot Death card?
With the Death card on view, Near offers to kill Mello
At first glance, quite badly. Near waves the Death card about whilst discussing Shinigami, rules of the Death Note and finally focuses upon it as he tells Light and the Japanese Task Force that he plans to murder Mello. None of which are particularly covered by that card's tarot meaning.
At least not in isolation.
Though, of course, Near could just be using the Death tarot card as a symbolic prop and not reading it at all. In which case, it very nicely indicates a Death God, an instrument of death and a vigilante brand of enacting capital punishment upon his erstwhile foster brother.
However, that's not precisely how and when Near links events with his Death card.
At least not in isolation.
Though, of course, Near could just be using the Death tarot card as a symbolic prop and not reading it at all. In which case, it very nicely indicates a Death God, an instrument of death and a vigilante brand of enacting capital punishment upon his erstwhile foster brother.
However, that's not precisely how and when Near links events with his Death card.
Near flips the Death card to conclude that the 13 day rule in Death Note is fake
In tarot, the Death card signifies an ending of something - usually a situation or circumstance, rather than a life. It might just as well have been called a breakthrough card or closure of a chapter, than the more evocative Death.
Near doesn't turn over his card until the moment when he's found a rule which can't be proven true given the known facts of the Kira case. Unless, of course, Light Yagami really was innocent, which Near doesn't believe.
Therefore the appearance of the Death card in Death Note marks a watershed moment whereby Near's investigation genuinely threatens Kira's security, and Light's previously watertight alibi. It's also the first fruits from the beginning of a new arc, in which Mello and Near (not entirely willingly) work together to defeat their mutual adversary.
Death Note's creators may have employed this tarot card in a purely symbolic way or not, but it also fits the plot.
Near doesn't turn over his card until the moment when he's found a rule which can't be proven true given the known facts of the Kira case. Unless, of course, Light Yagami really was innocent, which Near doesn't believe.
Therefore the appearance of the Death card in Death Note marks a watershed moment whereby Near's investigation genuinely threatens Kira's security, and Light's previously watertight alibi. It's also the first fruits from the beginning of a new arc, in which Mello and Near (not entirely willingly) work together to defeat their mutual adversary.
Death Note's creators may have employed this tarot card in a purely symbolic way or not, but it also fits the plot.
Death Note Near's Tarot Reading - The Devil
A second card gets flicked over, as Near realises that the second L - à la Kira - can see and speak with a shinigami. Bringing another of the major arcana into play seems to denote that some progress has been made. Two cards to signify that they've taken a step forward.
It could also be seen very symbolically without recourse to knowledge of tarot cards. If Kira is Death, then he was tempted into it by a supernatural force, i.e. the Death God. (Who was no doubt seen as demonic anyway, especially in the Western mind, amid all that Christian imagery dotted throughout Death Note.) Who better then to represent Ryuk in tarot than The Devil?
It could also be seen very symbolically without recourse to knowledge of tarot cards. If Kira is Death, then he was tempted into it by a supernatural force, i.e. the Death God. (Who was no doubt seen as demonic anyway, especially in the Western mind, amid all that Christian imagery dotted throughout Death Note.) Who better then to represent Ryuk in tarot than The Devil?
Near storytelling via tarot illustrations in Death Note
However, as it happens, The Devil in tarot is exactly the right card for Ryuk, particularly in this situation.
If you're reading from an Abrahamic background (Jew, Christian, Muslim etc.), then please put aside all you know of The Devil/Satan. This tarot card skirts about the edges of that persona, but it isn't an exact fit. For that you need to reach further into the inspiration for the modern Devil - Pan, Bacchus/Dionysus etc. This is a deity/demi-god who exists for hedonistic pleasure. He will grant your every desire and give you tools to satisfy your greatest craving. Thus teaching the individual the meaning of the old adage: be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
You only have to see the addict in thrall to their next hit, or those crushed beneath debt because they really couldn't afford all those things that they bought, in order to see how instant gratification and receiving all that you wanted might go badly wrong.
In the case of Kira, it was that Ryuk presented him with power usually beyond the scope of any mere human. Light Yagami's wish for a better world made him reach for the Death Note. His use of it ultimately controlled him, rather than the other way around. Ryuk has frequently stated that he's on nobody's side. He's there for the lulz, as it were. But here he is providing Light/Kira/2nd L with the lie required to continue satisfying his need to remain in power.
That is The Devil of the tarot, and the Death God of the manga/anime alike. At any time, Light could have stopped. Ryuk doesn't force him into this course of action. He just facilitates it.
That Near turns over The Devil card at the point whereby Ryuk lies on Kira's behalf is exactly right. That was the moment of facilitation, not merely that of being present.
If you're reading from an Abrahamic background (Jew, Christian, Muslim etc.), then please put aside all you know of The Devil/Satan. This tarot card skirts about the edges of that persona, but it isn't an exact fit. For that you need to reach further into the inspiration for the modern Devil - Pan, Bacchus/Dionysus etc. This is a deity/demi-god who exists for hedonistic pleasure. He will grant your every desire and give you tools to satisfy your greatest craving. Thus teaching the individual the meaning of the old adage: be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
You only have to see the addict in thrall to their next hit, or those crushed beneath debt because they really couldn't afford all those things that they bought, in order to see how instant gratification and receiving all that you wanted might go badly wrong.
In the case of Kira, it was that Ryuk presented him with power usually beyond the scope of any mere human. Light Yagami's wish for a better world made him reach for the Death Note. His use of it ultimately controlled him, rather than the other way around. Ryuk has frequently stated that he's on nobody's side. He's there for the lulz, as it were. But here he is providing Light/Kira/2nd L with the lie required to continue satisfying his need to remain in power.
That is The Devil of the tarot, and the Death God of the manga/anime alike. At any time, Light could have stopped. Ryuk doesn't force him into this course of action. He just facilitates it.
That Near turns over The Devil card at the point whereby Ryuk lies on Kira's behalf is exactly right. That was the moment of facilitation, not merely that of being present.
Ryuk and Light exemplify The Devil in Death Note Chapter 78
How Near Uses Tarot Cards in Death Note
In both the manga and anime, Death Note's tarot scenes with Near aren't so much fortune-telling - nor the Prediction of its chapter title - as seeing the cards used as commentary upon what's already occurring. Near isn't 'reading' tarot cards per se. He's providing illustrations to highlight the important clues unfolding.
If he'd merely picked those cards at random from the tarot pack, then they really were worth the $250 in precision, and Near is undoubtedly the most intuitive character in manga history.
But he didn't pick either of them at random.
Look again at how the sequence with The Devil tarot card in the Death Note anime plays out to witness how Near selects his tarot cards quite purposefully.
If he'd merely picked those cards at random from the tarot pack, then they really were worth the $250 in precision, and Near is undoubtedly the most intuitive character in manga history.
But he didn't pick either of them at random.
Look again at how the sequence with The Devil tarot card in the Death Note anime plays out to witness how Near selects his tarot cards quite purposefully.
Psychological Profiling with Near's Tarot Deck in Death Note
Step One: Near sits in the midst of his circle of tarot cards. He's selected just a handful - five or six at most - and flicks through them overlooked by Hal Lidner and Anthony Rester. As his conversation with Light Yagami goes on, Near's index finger pauses upon a single card among the tarot in his hand. His fingertip strokes back and forth along its rim.
Analysis: Near hasn't yet reached a firm conclusion upon what's occurring with the Second L (Light/Kira). Each tarot card in his hand represents a possibility.
Analysis: Near hasn't yet reached a firm conclusion upon what's occurring with the Second L (Light/Kira). Each tarot card in his hand represents a possibility.
Step Two: Near suddenly whips the card free of those in his hand. But he holds it away from himself, with its picture aspect concealed from his own view. His gaze is actually upon the Death card upturned on the carpet before him. Meanwhile, Near tells Light that he knows there is a fake rule in the Death Note and asks his opinion upon which it is. Light - in the guise of (second) L - answers that it's the 13 day rule.
Analysis: Until now, The Devil card has symbolized one of a final handful of strong contenders for what's going on. Near has promoted it to most likely scenario, but cannot acknowledge it as fact until he's tested his theory.
Analysis: Until now, The Devil card has symbolized one of a final handful of strong contenders for what's going on. Near has promoted it to most likely scenario, but cannot acknowledge it as fact until he's tested his theory.
Step Three: As Light asks Ryuk to confirm whether or not there is a fake rule in the Death Note, Near smiles and turns The Devil card towards himself. He does so at the moment that Ryuk asserts that there are no fake rules, thus lying to maintain Light Yagami's prior alibi against accusations of being Kira.
In that pose, Near clarifies that there is indeed a shinigami present, and confirms that the answer was that all Death Note rules are truly stated.
Analysis: Near has already deduced that there should be a shinigami present, as he suspects that Light Yagami is Kira. What he was testing was whether the relationship between Kira and Ryuk is akin to that state of affairs governed in tarot by The Devil card. Near knows there is a fake rule, so Ryuk's denial of the fact confirms Near's favoured theory.
From a pack of 78 tarot cards, Near has now homed in on one - The Devil - to describe Kira's inner sanctum and mindset, and Ryuk's position within the scenario too. This sets the tempo for what will later play out in the Yellow Box warehouse. In short, Near just nailed Light Yagami's psychology; Ryuk's facilitative indifference; and his own end game. All with a single tarot card to provide context.
In that pose, Near clarifies that there is indeed a shinigami present, and confirms that the answer was that all Death Note rules are truly stated.
Analysis: Near has already deduced that there should be a shinigami present, as he suspects that Light Yagami is Kira. What he was testing was whether the relationship between Kira and Ryuk is akin to that state of affairs governed in tarot by The Devil card. Near knows there is a fake rule, so Ryuk's denial of the fact confirms Near's favoured theory.
From a pack of 78 tarot cards, Near has now homed in on one - The Devil - to describe Kira's inner sanctum and mindset, and Ryuk's position within the scenario too. This sets the tempo for what will later play out in the Yellow Box warehouse. In short, Near just nailed Light Yagami's psychology; Ryuk's facilitative indifference; and his own end game. All with a single tarot card to provide context.
Step Four: Near might hold his card close to his heart, but only physically. In actuality, he's crowing his victory - repeating to Light precisely what just happened. That the confirmation wasn't that the Death Note rules aren't fake, but that a shinigami will lie in capitulation to Kira's will.
Whilst speaking, Near throws down The Devil card, so it lands upturned upon the Death card.
Whilst speaking, Near throws down The Devil card, so it lands upturned upon the Death card.
Analysis: Thus Near is able to finally play his card - The Devil previously selected - whilst spelling out to all listening (the remaining SPK, plus the entire Japanese Task Force, in addition to Light and Ryuk) that the shinigami's presence confirms Kira's presence too.
Moreover, Near's just shown that the Death God will lie for Kira, inserting fake rules to provide him with an alibi. Therefore Light Yagami's innocence is no longer proven. He could still be, and almost certainly is, Kira.
He never once mentions The Devil, though Hal, Anthony and the unseen Stephen would be able to see Near deal his tarot card. Nevertheless, Near has tripped Light up by triggering the weakness inherent to all in that state of being highlighted by The Devil in tarot.
Conclusion: Near uses the tarot in Death Note as psychological profiling tools. Not fortune-telling at all, just props for his own thought processes and theory categorization.
Moreover, Near's just shown that the Death God will lie for Kira, inserting fake rules to provide him with an alibi. Therefore Light Yagami's innocence is no longer proven. He could still be, and almost certainly is, Kira.
He never once mentions The Devil, though Hal, Anthony and the unseen Stephen would be able to see Near deal his tarot card. Nevertheless, Near has tripped Light up by triggering the weakness inherent to all in that state of being highlighted by The Devil in tarot.
Conclusion: Near uses the tarot in Death Note as psychological profiling tools. Not fortune-telling at all, just props for his own thought processes and theory categorization.
Surrounded by his tarot, Near contemplates The World to attain in Death Note
I hope you enjoyed the first editorial in my Tarot column for Death Note News. Next time I'll be looking at the way Near uses tarot in the Death Note One Shot manga.
~ Tarot Mikami
~ Tarot Mikami
