The series known as Death Note has many interesting characters, one of the greatest of which is Ryuk. He was very interesting. While he’s not as smart as Light, L, Near, and Mello and rarely pushes the plot forward, he was very important. Without him, none of what happened in this story would have happened, since it was he who dropped the notebook that Light found.

Even though they have gained a lot of fans, there are many things that people have forgotten about the Shinigami named Ryuk. Here are 10 things Death Note fans should know about the most iconic Shinigami. Death Note is the story of a gambler that bet on lives. If you enjoy the anime, you’ll certainly play on Play Amo to feel the same thrill.

The Design

In Death Note 13: How to Read, Takeshi Obata, the series’ artist, said that Ryuk had a very difficult time drawing when he first came up with the design he has now. Initially, the Shinigami looked like attractive rock stars, with Ryuk having an appearance similar to Light.

However, this idea was dropped to avoid confusion over whether he or Light was the main character. Obata started drawing Ryuk as the fans know him, but it took him a long time to get used to the new design.

Boredom

The reason for all of Ryuk’s actions is that he is bored with the Shinigami Realm. He thought it would be interesting to see what a man would do if a deadly Death Note fell into his hands, so he dropped it as soon as he got a second one.

Ryuk got exactly what he wanted and was entertained for years.

Writing the Rules

In order to interest a person in the death note and learn how to use it, Ryuk wrote everything that, in his opinion, the new owner should know. Most notebooks don’t have any rules or the words “Death Note” on the cover.

Ryuk wrote everything in English as it is the most popular language. If he had not found additional time for this, Light could quickly lose interest in the book.

Light Scared Him

Despite being by Light’s side for many years, the man scared Ryuk many times. Light will yell at him and get annoyed if Ryuk does something he doesn’t like. Most people would have been scared of the Shinigami and would have had a similar reaction to L. when he first learned they existed.

Light and Ryuk’s relationship shows just how intimidating humanity can be.

He Cannot Die

There is only one way to kill a Shinigami. They need to save the person they fall in love with from death. Due to how rare it is, most Shinigami don’t even know that it’s possible to die this way. Since Ryuk would never love a human, he cannot die. Pistols, bombs, and other weapons used in the series have never even harmed a Shinigami.

Writing his name into one of the notebooks won’t kill him either. As long as Ryuk stays the way he is, he will be immortal.

Apples

In addition to entertainment, Ryuk is very fond of apples. Although he does not need to eat anything to live, he has become addicted to fruits. Light constantly gives him apples as a token of his appreciation for having the notebook. Ryuk likes juicy apples on Earth, because the apples from the Shinigami Realm taste like sand.

While the fruit is generally considered to be a religious reference, Tsugumi Ohba, the author of the manga, has said that he just likes it when Ryuk holds them and finds them to suit his appearance.

Nintendo Fan

Fans might be shocked to learn that Ryuk is a big fan of Nintendo. Apart from Matt, he is probably the second most powerful player in the series, and Mario Golf is one of the Shinigami’s favorite games.

He asked Light to play with him when the two of them returned home the day Light discovered the cameras in his room. Ryuk couldn’t play video games for a while, but that didn’t stop him from asking for a Game Boy Advance SP for Christmas.

Pilote

Ryuk was introduced to the world before Light, L and the rest of the main characters. In the pilot, two boys, Taro and Miura, receive their notebooks from Ryuk. Instead of being smart like Light and trying to keep their powers a secret, they use Death Notes against people they know. However, their victims come back to life by erasing their names, which was never the case in the main series.

Although Taro and Miura would eventually be forgotten, Ryuk met a more worthy person who kept him entertained for much longer.

His Participation In the Investigation

Even though Ryuk wanted to be an observer in the battle between Kira and L, Ryuk still interfered from time to time. He informed Light that Ray Penber was following him, which helped Light greatly. He also intervened when Shido returned to retrieve his Death Note, telling the other Shinigami to let the task force kill Mello.

Although he only participated when he wanted to or was pressured, Ryuk usually got what he wanted and took a front row seat on the funniest show he had ever seen.

He Killed Light

The last time Ryuk took part in the lives of other characters in the main series was when he finally wrote Light’s name in his notebook. Ryuk told Light from the day they met that he would kill him.

After Light was defeated, Ryuk decided it was time to end the game, not wanting Light to be captured and imprisoned. Ryuk returned to the Shinigami Realm, pleased with how the game he started had ended.