How to Watch Death Note in Order: The Full Franchise

Death Note is often described as a “gateway” anime, meaning it’s one of the first anime series people watch. But if you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s not too late! The anime itself is pretty straightforward, but there are also plenty of live-action adaptations if you want more. In this article, we’ll explain the best watch orders for the anime, live-action films, and the full franchise. We’ll also tell you whether certain adaptations are worth watching, so let’s dive in!

The Best Way to Watch Death Note

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An illustration of the best watch order for the Death Note franchise.

Start with the full Death Note anime (there’s only 1 season), followed by the optional Relight recap movies. If you want to watch the live-action adaptations, start with Death Note (2006) and watch chronologically, ending with Light Up the New World (2016). Most fans suggest skipping the 2017 Netflix adaptation.

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How to Watch the Death Note Anime in Order

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Watch the series followed by the recap movies. The Death Note anime only has one season, so it’s pretty easy to watch; you just watch each episode in order. There are also two Relight movies that recap the series and include a few new or altered scenes, so watch them if you want the full viewing experience.^{[1]
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- Death Note (anime, episodes 1-36)
- Death Note Relight: Visions of a God
- Death Note Relight: L’s Successors
- Note: Since the Relight movies are recaps, you don’t technically have to watch them. We’ll explain more about whether you should watch them below.

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How to Watch the Live-Action Death Note in Order

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Watch the Japanese live-action movies in the order they were released. In addition to the anime, there are also live-action adaptations of the original Death Note manga. These are separate from the anime, so you don’t have to watch them together to understand the story. All the Japanese live-action films are chronological, though, so it’s best to watch them in release order:^{[2]
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- Death Note (2006)
- Death Note 2: The Last Name (2006)
- L: Change the World (2008)
- Death Note: New Generation (2016)
- Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016)
- Note: There is also a 2017 live-action film produced by Netflix. This is a stand-alone film that isn’t related to the Japanese live-action movies. We’ll explain whether the Netflix adaptation is worth watching below.

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How to Watch the Full Death Note Franchise

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Watch the full franchise in chronological order if you’re a completionist. Because the anime and live-action adaptations aren’t connected, you don’t have to watch them together. But if you’re totally obsessed with Death Note (and we don’t blame you!), here’s how to watch every adaptation in release order:
- Death Note (2006 live-action film)
- Death Note anime (episodes 1-5)
- Death Note 2: The Last Name (2006 live-action film; sequel to the 2006 film)
- Death Note anime (episodes 6-36)
- Death Note Relight: Visions of a God (animated film recap of the first 26 anime episodes)
- L: Change the World (2008 spin-off live-action film; takes place at the same time as Death Note 2)
- Death Note Relight: L’s Successors (animated film recap of the last 11 anime episodes)
- Death Note (2015 Japanese live-action series that retells the original manga)
- Death Note: New Generation (2016 live-action mini-series taking place between Death Note 2 and Death Note: Light Up the New World)
- Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016 live-action film set 10 years after the first two live-action films)
- Death Note (2017 Netflix live-action film)

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Do you have to watch the Relight movies?

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You don’t have to watch the Relight movies, but some fans recommend them. Relight is a “director’s cut” that essentially condenses the Death Note anime series into two movies. Since it’s a recap of the series, you don’t technically have to watch it, but many fans recommend it because there are a few new or altered scenes.
- If you decide to watch Relight, watch it after you finish the anime series, as it cuts major character arcs and details. You’d likely get confused if you watched it first.

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Should you watch the Netflix adaptation?

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Most fans recommend skipping the Netflix adaptation. In 2017, Netflix released a live-action movie adaptation of Death Note, but unfortunately, it was poorly received. Many fans felt that it drastically altered the characters, tone, and themes of the original series. Instead of being a cat-and-mouse psychological thriller, people felt that it was a rushed teen drama with poor pacing and excessive gore.
- Many fans also criticized the film for whitewashing the main characters instead of hiring Japanese actors.^{[3]
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- It’s totally okay to watch the film if you want to, though! It’s a standalone, so you don’t have to watch the anime to understand it or vice versa.

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Where to Watch Death Note

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Watch Death Note on Netflix and other streaming platforms. In the United States, the Death Note anime and 2017 live-action adaptation are both currently available to stream on Netflix. You can also watch the anime series on Tubi, Pluto TV, the Roku Channel, Hulu, and Disney+.
- It’s harder to find the Relight movies on streaming services, but you can buy a DVD or Blu-ray copy online.
- Likewise, the Japanese live-action movies are also currently unavailable for streaming in the U.S., but you can buy the DVD online.

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What is Death Note about?

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Death Note follows a young man who kills people by writing their names in a Death Note. Pop culture commentator Michael Udayakumar says Death Note follows a student named Light Yagami who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a police officer. A Shinigami then gives Light a Death Note, in which he can kill anyone by writing down their name and how he wants them to die. Light then decides to take justice into his own hands by killing people he thinks deserve to die.^{[4]
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Michael Udayakumar
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More Anime Watch Orders

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Can’t get enough anime? Neither can we! Check out these other wikiHow articles for even more watch orders for some of the most popular anime series out there: