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Death Note news articles

Light is NOT a Sociopath - Excerpt from a Psychology Essay by Serria

29/2/2016

10 Comments

 
Death Note's Light Yagami
Reproduced with permission from an essay originally, and fully, published at DEATH NOTES: an online source for Death Note Analysis and Discussion
(links at the end)

by Serria


Disclaimer: This is a fan essay, only for fun on my part with the hope of generating discussion. I'm well-aware that characters in any form of media are always open for interpretation, and this is just mine.

Light Yagami certainly has a reputation among the fandom, and that reputation isn't founded for pointlessly. The justice-toting boy-genius murdered thousands of people, most of which without so much as batting an eye. And he doesn't regret a single one.

On the contrary, he probably views each as a job well done. It isn't just the killing, either. Light claims each victim with boyish enthusiasm and possesses a childish demeanour that leads him to be competitive to the point of taunting the condemned with a sinister smile and dancing on their grave (literally, if he gets worked up enough). Yes, that's the Light Yagami we know, our unforgettable protagonist of Death Note.

Light is a killer. Light has no disturbed childhood to blame. Light voluntarily kills and once he found the Death Note, probably wouldn't be happy doing anything else. On those facts alone, we could infer any number of similar conclusions. I've heard Light called, by the morally concerned, disturbed. The face of evil. Hopelessly insane. And, most common of all, sociopath. The label insinuates a total lack of everything we call humanity. The inability to feel guilt for any wrongdoing, and thus, a total lack of conscience. If we chose to conclude that, then Light Yagami isn't normal, he isn't like you or me.

But the aforementioned facts are not all there is to Light Yagami, and it's a slam to the complexity - and, I emphatically insist, realism - of his character to assume as such merely because he kills. 'Killer' and 'sociopath' are not interchangeable words. The nature of the killing has to be taken into consideration. As far as the victim is concerned, murder is murder is murder, but not as far as the perpetrator is. The immediate fact of the matter is that sociopaths are, as a rule, self-focused and unable to empathize with the world or the people around him. This contradicts the very nature of Kira's legacy. Certainly there's the fact that Light was a bored, under-challenged genius in a society where he functioned solely on outward appearances and achievements, and certainly there's no doubt that a part of Light was perhaps waiting for the opportunity to test himself. But I honestly cannot conceive how this in any way discounts the fact that the reason Light took the opportunity he did was out of his zealous sense of idealism.

We know for a fact that Light has a societal conscience, beyond mere conditioning (if that were the case, Light wouldn't possess even half the passion that he does). The first chapter/first episode of the series is exclusively about Light's convictions. First, the shock at perhaps having actually taken a person's life, and then the total horror when he's tested it again and realized that he's killed people and yes, it's his fault. The anxiety he feels, that he's capable of feeling, does inexcusably deny him from the title of sociopath. Light is so disturbed by his actions that he can't eat, can't sleep, loses ten pounds in the first week and looks as though he's about to throw up. And finally, the resolution: doing this could make the world a better place. "Even if I sacrifice my mind and soul," Light states (even predicts). "The world is rotting. Someone has to do it." Light even acts initially under the impression that a Shinigami is going to come take his soul as soon as he's found, and when Ryuk arrives he's surprised that he's not going to be punished. Agree with his methods or not, it wouldn't be wrong to call Light's ambition selfless, wanting to "protect the weak" and "make a perfect world" without, as far as the text writes, asking in return for anything conventional such as money, sex, or political power (which also separates him from being a dictator, by definition).

Some argue the sincerity of Light's resolve as being only an excuse to jump at the chance to ease his boredom. I don't personally think that's fair, but nonetheless, the very fact that Light experiences such vivid anxiety before impulsively engaging in such risky behavior already excludes him from the title.

Now to get technical. "Sociopath" isn't a medical term, and though it has general uses it's not a proper diagnosis. When talking about sociopaths/psychopaths in the psychology field, most often we're talking about Antisocial Personality Disorder. The brief definition as listed in the DSM-IV is "The essential feature for the diagnosis is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood." Sure, that's pretty vague and by that sentence alone, I'd agree without a doubt that Light is quick to violate the human rights of others, in particular the right to life (but let it be stated that the same can be said of L, Near and Mello). But the criteria goes beyong that. First, we can't quite call Light an APD at the beginning of the series - one has to be an adult aged at least 18. Furthermore, APDs ought to have a history of conduct disorder (breaking the law, inappropriate actions, truancy, running away from home, etc) since before the age of 15. I think it's safe to say that the Yagami's golden boy who so emphatically values the law hasn't even come close. Also, APDs are known for drug and alcohol abuse, which again, does not apply...

To read more, please visit DEATH NOTES and Serria's original posting of her Kira essay: Light is NOT a Sociopath.

DEATH NOTES is an invaluable resource for those who like a bit of academia in their reading of the Death Note manga.  Largely inactive now,  its archives nevertheless contain a rich bounty of timeless essays written during the period when Death Note was first coming to the attention of international audiences and readers.  The site's essayists emanate from varying disciplines within the academe, with less formal - sometimes downright flippant - pieces interspersed for flavour.

The excerpt above was republished here with permission from DEATH NOTES' editor Jennifer Fu.

Posted as part of

Month of Kira
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10 Comments
max
23/7/2017 23:22:54

the whole deal with being a sociopath (or a psychopath) is that it is a metal illness that usually develops over time after being born with a pre - version state of it & usually develops after about 25 yrs of life have past. in this case it looks 2 me like when light 1st got the death note & had committed his 1st like 2 murders he was not any psychopath or sociopath but in the next yr or so he was indeed, considering the fact that he does not feel any regret nor remorse when kills as well as he tends 2 lack the ability 2 love & feel compassion or empathy 4 others as well is the fact that light is an extraordinary good liar & equally good at manipulating others. so i would say yes throughout most of the series he is a psychopath.

Reply
Zion Thomas link
24/9/2017 10:45:39

No, every time he kills someone he feels extraordinary guilt, but keeps going because he knows he's doing the right thing.

Reply
facepalm
6/1/2018 12:56:57

No rewatch the anime or read the manga.

He only feel remorse towards his accomplices or innocent people.. whom he considers a liability (one example Kiyomi Takada)

but as far as killing 'criminals' goes he don't feel any guilt

Dan
28/6/2019 16:25:01

Light does not feel guilt.. he killed Lind L out of childish impulse and is literally laughing gleefully and uncontrollably pleased.

IA
5/12/2023 19:20:29

Are we ignoring how he spent an entire episode preparing to kill the FBI agent's fiance without showing a shred of remorse and in fact seemed excited about it

Emilie
2/9/2017 21:24:52

There have been many times throughout the series where Light Yagami has been narcissistic as well. For example he has claimed he is the 'only one who can rid the world of rotten people'. Light has also shown that he is able to manipulate those around him easily. He went as far as being in a relationship with Misa, for the sole purpose of using her for his cause. He thinks ahead of L and continues to pursuit his killings even when working alongside the worlds greatest detective in order to find out who Kira is. His father died in the course of his actions and he has called him pathetic. He shows no remorse for anything he has done in the past. He is able to act and mimic emotions even when he is clearly not feeling those emotions. That being said, how can we know anything he says is true? It's true that ASP can't be diagnosed until the age of 18. That is because those with conduct disorder are not always sociopaths or psychopaths, they may just have had conduct disorder. I believe socipathy can be developed later on in life. I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist but neither are you. No one can really diagnose Light with anything because he is in the end just a fictional character but he has shown many signs of sociopathy throughout the series. However, I may have a limited amount of information to base myself off of because I have never read the manga.

Reply
Guest
11/3/2019 20:33:51

As someone whose family member has been diagnosed as a sociopath. Cleansing the world isn't there forte. Sociopaths will kill for shits and giggles and lack the ability to plan as far ahead as Light Yagami.

Reply
Dan
28/6/2019 16:37:50

I don't think it much matters what Light's clinical diagnosis would be. The DSM, medical industry, and beliefs shift all the time and psychological paradigms are constantly changing.

Psychology as a whole is predicated on subjective, reductive, descriptors. It's hardly the same as saying Light has cancer or any other quantifiable condition.

You're not wrong to say that the semantics of Light's condition could be argued, but that's a generalization that applies to the entire field of psychology, and not a specification that derives from Light's characterization.

Reply
Nate
21/10/2019 05:24:07

I’ve been thinking about the mental health of Light. Originally I too believed he had APD however he lacks certain criteria such as conduct disorder and the symptoms are not at all seen or present as far as we know. Furthermore, people with APD usually have a history of substance abuse and problems with authority. It could be argued that because he was raised in an environment where an authority figure is always present ie his father, he might have a bit more restraint than other cliche APD you see like the Joker. It is only until he gets the notebook does it seem he might have APD really. Also it seems he meets some criteria for APD l. According to the new DSM-V he needs to meet :
A.3 criteria of ongoing behaviors showing disregarding occurring since age 15.
B. 18 yrs and older
C. Evidence of conduct disorder
D. The behavior is not seen during the course of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
He only meets one of those and that is he is 18 yrs of age. Everything else suggests the behavior has to be ongoing and seen at a younger age.

In my opinion, I believe Light has narcissistic personality disorder. NPD can look like APD cuz the lack of empathy and disregard towards others a huge difference is the need of admiration that is associated with the NPD individual that you would not see in APD. He also meets like all the 9 criteria needed for a person with NPD according to the DSM-V.
1. Sense of self-importance
2. Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power
3. Believes to be special unique and can only be associated with like people or special people
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Sense of entitlement
6. Interpersonally exploitative
7. Lacks empathy
8. Often envious and incapable to identify feelings and needs of others
9. Arrogant and display haughty attitudes

In my opinion NPD makes more sense then APD. I feel that Light perhaps might have felt special and above others for much of his life. Look at his academics and praise he gets from his family and classmates that compliment him. He is often praised about his brilliance. In my opinion, he probably was raised with a lot of attention and admiration so naturally he expects it to come to him cuz maybe his self esteem can only maintain if he receives constant admiration and attention like he is use to. Though he kills, he kills to rid the world of those he perceive as inferior and imperfect unlike a person with APD who does not have that same kind of mind set when killing. They usually kill to gain something and act impulsively in this case Light was killing with a desire to satisfy his ego and maintain that feeling of having power and his delusion of being equal to God(who is virtually perfect , almighty and nothing is above him but everything is below him).

So I could continue like analyzing him and giving my opinion about Light. But I don’t want to write an essay haha

But this is my opinion about Light. I believe a lot of evidence supports NPD. Those he does kill, people with NPD can too get violent. Actually anyone can become a killer when you think about it. But I’m done now haha

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