MBTI and Death Note

[Mondo]

I don't think there has been any post done here yet which actually types all the Death Note characters.
I love this show and watched all 37 episodes in less than a week.

This show has some great examples of Rationals- the creators of Death Note are likely NT themselves. There are some characters I am still 50/50 on.

Yagami Light-ENTJ (I've heard INTJ but given his 'god complex' and ways of dealing with people- you see more of a power-hungry, highly intelligent, and charismatic ENTJ than an INTJ. An extravert doesn't have to be a lover of people- especially an Extraverted Rational).

L-INTP (What else could he be?)

Near-INTJ (Seemed more confident in his deductions but less precise than L)

Mello-ENFP (Despite his extremely high intelligence, one of his problems was that he let his emotions control what he did- only in the way that XNFP types let them do. I could see ENTP or even ENTJ.. but Mello's Fi is definitely stronger than his Fe and if he was ENTJ that would make Fi his inferior function which it is definitely not.)

Chief Yagami-ISXJ (Seemed very T towards the beginning but got more F-ish later on, I'm leaning towards ISTJ though, I don't think an F would berate himself as much for 'acting on his emotions'.)

Matsuda- ESFP (What else? Impulsive and often served as comic relief.)

Teru Mikami- ISTJ (A serious Guardian who was in love with justice)

Ryuk- ENTP (He hates boredom and loves apples.. both lead me to say ENTP.)

Misa Misa- ENFP (In love with Light only in a way that an ENFP could do so.)

Mogi- ISTJ (A quiet and cautious type who was devoted to the Kira case. I used to think ISFJ but his enthusiasm as Misa's manager seemed way too overdone and planned for an F type. I've seen ultra enthusiastic ISFJs before and they are actually crazy, )

Aaizawa- ESTJ (Assertive and his strong Te led him to the obvious conclusion that Light has to be Kira and he never seemed to stop believing it after the '13 day rule' proved to be fake).

Watari- INFJ (L's loyal partner- played an SJ-ish role without seeming SJ-ish in terms of personality. His devotion to helping gifted children develop their strengths suggests a strong NF type).

Takada- ESFJ (Her love for Kira was similar to that of Teru Mikami but she had a much warmer personality and unlike Teru could never get herself to actually use the Death Note)

Rem- INFP (She sacrificed herself in the end to save the life of Misa, even though, she seemed to have a good idea of what would happen from the very beginning.. she never took much of an assertive stance against the humans, which suggests INFP. Ryuk's reasons for letting Light do what he desired were very different than why Rem let things go on).

Anyone disagree with my typings?

 

[Mondo]

No one wants to discuss Death Note?
That is surprising...

 

[Kiddo]

I hate to break it to you pal but...

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/popular-culture-type/190-mbti-appeal-death-note-anime.html

and there are 2 others as well.

 

[Mondo]

Oh, thanks.
I'm no longer surprised.

 

[Harold Saxon]

Death Note characters

Well, there has been endless mulling over on Light Yagami's type, but I haven't seen a thread for the typing of all Death Note characters. I've decided to start one. Later type edits on my part are placed with a dash beside my original type guess, which is placed in brackets.

Light Yagami: INTJ (I've also seen him convincingly typed as ENTJ, but he does not seem energized by social interaction at all - it's more a means to an end for him, and he prefers time spent alone in his room. He's also a blatant Ni-dominant, further pointing to INTJ. I've also seen him typed much less convincingly as INFJ or ISTJ, and can only conclude that anyone who types him as an F or an S is on acid.)
L: obvious INTP is obvious
Near: INTJ (possibly INTP, but he seems more of a J)
Mello: a particularly insane ENFP
Matt: [ISFP] - ISTP
Watari: INFJ
Misa Amane: ESFP
Teru Mikami: [INTJ] - ISTJ
Kiyomi Takada: ENFJ
Kyosuke Higuchi: ENTJ
Soichiro Yagami: ISTJ
Shuichi Aizawa: ESTJ
Kanzo Mogi: ISTJ
Touta Matsuda: ENFP
Raye Penber: ISFJ
Naomi Misora: ENFJ
Ryuk: [ESTP] - ENTP
Rem: ISFJ
Gelus: not enough information to tell, but he sounds INFP from Rem's description

 

[Geno]

Ryuk slightly seems more N to me. He shows alot of an interest in lights plans and ideas

Mello probably an insane ENFJ. He is very organized and sure about decisions.

Matt seems more INTP also.

 

[Litvyak]

Mikami Teru is as ISTJ as he can be.

 

[Harold Saxon]

Ryuk slightly seems more N to me. He shows alot of an interest in lights plans and ideas

I agree that he's a borderline case, but I took him for more of an S. He doesn't seem to think ahead about anything at all. He's motivated entirely by boredom. And though it's ridiculously superficial, there's also his constant craving for apples.

Mello probably an insane ENFJ. He is very organized and sure about decisions.

I strongly disagree here. I could buy Mello being an especially emotional ENTP (though ENFP is still more likely, given his rants about Near's lack of emotion), but he's certainly not an ENFJ. He's confident, but that's as far as any similarity between him and a J goes. He constantly thinks ahead (N), but is extremely impulsive and terrible at long-term planning (P). He's also horrendous at managing other people, as seen by the sheer chaos amongst his mafia underlings. He leads by charisma and fear, with no care for orderliness.

Matt seems more INTP also.

I'll agree that I typed Matt incorrectly, but I don't know where you're getting N from. Matt is Mello's muscle, and very action-oriented. I'll concede on the T bit, though - I literally do not have a single clue how I figured F for Matt. I take him for an ISTP.

Mikami Teru is as ISTJ as he can be.

I disagree. He seems very "big picture" oriented, and had already conceived of his ideas regarding justice prior to the existence of Kira, so is more than a mere Kira bandwagon-jumper. His detailed schedule is more S-like, but that's as far as any S in him seems to extend.

So, a revision:

Matt: ISTP

 

[Litvyak]

I disagree. He seems very "big picture" oriented, and had already conceived of his ideas regarding justice prior to the existence of Kira, so is more than a mere Kira bandwagon-jumper. His detailed schedule is more S-like, but that's as far as any S in him seems to extend.

Ideas? What ideas? That criminals must be punished? He has a very strong, SJ-like sense of justice, which pretty much coincides with a traditional draconian moral attitude. He is clearly dwelling on the past, he's using his own personal childhood experiences to draw a line between justice and injustice (Si), and I don't see any signs of the "big picture". I see a frustrated Si-Te type willing to subject himself to a greater power through religious ecstasis (ISJ). I don't see an ounce of Ni in him. Plus the detailed schedule.

 

[Riva]

I love that series. I am referring to the animated series not the film. I haven't watched the film.

Light Yagami - INTJ
L - INTP

And Mello why 'N' why not 'Se'? Why not ISTP?

 

[Riva]

I strongly disagree here. I could buy Mello being an especially emotional ENTP (though ENFP is still more likely, given his rants about Near's lack of emotion), but he's certainly not an ENFJ. He's confident, but that's as far as any similarity between him and a J goes. He constantly thinks ahead (N), but is extremely impulsive and terrible at long-term planning (P). He's also horrendous at managing other people, as seen by the sheer chaos amongst his mafia underlings. He leads by charisma and fear, with no care for orderliness.

For the same reasons you mentioned above I could see him very well as a ISTP.

though ENFP is still more likely, given his rants about Near's lack of emotion

He rants about Near's lack of emotions is not because he cares about feelings or emotions too much, he is simply unnerved by it. He is shocked at how Near is able to keep calm under pressure. He as a Se (as I see him) is annoyed by the fact that Near doesn't show it.

He constantly thinks ahead (N), but is extremely impulsive and terrible at long-term planning (P)

That screams ISTP right there. ISTPs think ahead but suck at long term planning since they don't have the patience or discipline for it. This is where ISTPs are different from other SPs.

He's also horrendous at managing other people

Now this is where your theory about him being ENFP is questionable. ENxPs have excellent people managing skills. (Ne combined with Fi)

He leads by charisma and fear, with no care for orderliness.

Do ENFPs lead people by fear? Hardly. That is a strong Se function. Se followed by logical, rutheless Ti would be more like it.

MELLOW and Wolverine (X-Men) are one of the BEST/most obvious ISTP characters you would see on TV.

 

[Harold Saxon]

Ideas? What ideas? That criminals must be punished? He has a very strong, SJ-like sense of justice, which pretty much coincides with a traditional draconian moral attitude.

Not precisely. His personal views on morality would have very little to do with the N-S distinction - and remember, despite being a prosecutor, Mikami is willing to subvert the established rules and order of things in order to dish out his own brand of justice. This would generally indicate SP or some form of N. I think we're both agreed that Teru Mikami is the most neurotic, obsessively J character in the series, so N seems far more plausible.

He is clearly dwelling on the past, he's using his own personal childhood experiences to draw a line between justice and injustice (Si), and I don't see any signs of the "big picture". I see a frustrated Si-Te type willing to subject himself to a greater power through religious ecstasis (ISJ). I don't see an ounce of Ni in him.

I see heaps of Ni, myself. He's motivated by a sort of grand vision of the future, definite Ni. His sheer lack of Ne is also his downfall - he appears to have no ability to creatively problem-solve, and notably did not display any of such ability at the very end when under severe stress (indeed, becoming the exact opposite). He is self-destructively spontaneous under stress (inferior Se), as an Ni-dominant type would be. You do have a point about him seeming to have a degree of Si, but it does not strike me as his dominant function.

And Mello why 'N' why not 'Se'? Why not ISTP?

I is out of the question. Mello is very sociable, and gains energy from social interaction. Indeed, his phenomenal social skills are his primary strength.

S is also highly unlikely - you probably wouldn't get it from merely watching the anime, but he displays profound abstract deductive abilities in the manga. And though it is not as openly displayed, Near lampshades this in the anime, by stating that his entire investigation was dependent on the deductions of both L and Mello. He's most certainly some sort of Ne-Fi type.

T is also unlikely - he's motivated by a personal, emotionally-charged 5-year-long feud with Near. He also has a tendency to be very subjective, having an inability to view anything objectively (overly strong Fi).

Also, an ISTP would have Fe when under stress. Mello having any sort of Fe is out of the question - he takes everything personally (extreme Fi), and is absurdly deficient in any sort of feelings for others (no Fe).

He rants about Near's lack of emotions is not because he cares about feelings or emotions too much, he is simply unnerved by it. He is shocked at how Near is able to keep calm under pressure. He as a Se (as I see him) is annoyed by the fact that Near doesn't show it.

He's clearly shown to care deeply about his own feelings, though at the expense of others. As I stated above, his entire motivation is a severely emotionally-charged, illogical Fi-driven desire to one-up Near.

That screams ISTP right there. ISTPs think ahead but suck at long term planning since they don't have the patience or discipline for it. This is where ISTPs are different from other SPs.

And NPs don't? It is even more clear with them. xNxPs constantly think ahead (N), but tend to be impulsive rather than neurotic planners (P rather than J).

Now this is where your theory about him being ENFP is questionable. ENxPs have excellent people managing skills. (Ne combined with Fi)

ENFPs can get people to go along with them in the short term (Ne, Te, and Fi all working in conjunction), but generally make for terrible group leaders in the long-term. This is abundantly clear in Mello, who can manipulate people very well, but is terrible at efficiently managing his own gang (P).

Do ENFPs lead people by fear? Hardly. That is a strong Se function. Se followed by logical, rutheless Ti would be more like it.

Leading by fear is transcendent of type - some types may be more prone to it than others, but it is a tool that can be used by all. It has absolutely nothing to do with Se, and I have no idea where you're getting that from. As an aside, Te types (with the exception of Te-inferior ones, and this holds true in their case if they are severely unhealthy, as Mello clearly is) tend to be more ruthless than Ti ones, simply by the nature of Te.

MELLOW and Wolverine (X-Men) are one of the BEST/most obvious ISTP characters you would see on TV.

Mello is a blatant E in both the manga and the anime, a blatant N in the manga and a probable one in the anime, and a probable F in both.

I do agree that Wolverine is ISTP, but what in the hell does he have to do with anything here? You're starting to ramble incoherently.

 

[Oaky]

Not precisely. His personal views on morality would have very little to do with the N-S distinction - and remember, despite being a prosecutor, Mikami is willing to subvert the established rules and order of things in order to dish out his own brand of justice. This would generally indicate SP or some form of N. I think we're both agreed that Teru Mikami is the most neurotic, obsessively J character in the series, so N seems far more possible.

No. An SJ who sees something as corrupted will want to do all he can to try and remove it. He sees criminals as corruption so he likes the idea of ridding them. He is an SJ who follows with Light's ideas. He is not INTJ.

I see heaps of Ni, myself. He's motivated by a sort of grand vision of the future, definite Ni. His sheer lack of Ne is also his downfall - he appears to have no ability to creatively problem-solve. He also gets self-destructively spontaneous under stress (inferior Se) as an Ni-dominant type would. You do have a point about him seeming to have a degree of Si, but it does not strike me as his dominant function.

No he's motivated because he saw Kira killing criminals and he likes that idea as that's his sense of justice. He is a pawn in Kira's plans. He lacks Ni. Non of his ideas were implemented as he would just go along with Kira's. His sense that Kira is some sort of God is also indication of how low he would put his status level for justice which any Ni-dom INTJ wouldn't do.

 

[Geno]

I agree that he's a borderline case, but I took him for more of an S. He doesn't seem to think ahead about anything at all. He's motivated entirely by boredom. And though it's ridiculously superficial, there's also his constant craving for apples.



I strongly disagree here. I could buy Mello being an especially emotional ENTP (though ENFP is still more likely, given his rants about Near's lack of emotion), but he's certainly not an ENFJ. He's confident, but that's as far as any similarity between him and a J goes. He constantly thinks ahead (N), but is extremely impulsive and terrible at long-term planning (P). He's also horrendous at managing other people, as seen by the sheer chaos amongst his mafia underlings.

I guess I could see matt as an ISTP. But I disagree mellow being an ENFP. He is great at long term planning. I never really saw mello as impulsive either. All his plans he thought at least 6 moves ahead even pissing light off. He also really was horrible at improvising. When ever things did not go his way he completely freaked.

I think the clue that shows Ryuk as an N is what he chose to have fun. He could of been doing various things like killing people odd ways and traveling around the worlds. But he decided to go drop the notebook just to watch. Being very future oriented.


I also agree mikami(probably spelt wrong) Is an ISTJ. All of what he does is very past oriented also.

 

[Litvyak]

Not precisely. His personal views on morality would have very little to do with the N-S distinction - and remember, despite being a prosecutor, Mikami is willing to subvert the established rules and order of things in order to dish out his own brand of justice.

SJ's are loyal to their moral code and the rules and traditions they have accepted during the path to adulthood. It is a common misconception that SJs never break the law. Yes, they follow rules - and these rules may or may not overlap the rules of law.

He's motivated by a sort of grand vision of the future, definite Ni.

No grand plans, no grand visions. Enthusiastic about following a just leader he always craved for, and excited about his long-buried need for revenge which has led him to follow a career as a guardian. He can't let go of the past, he's an unhealthy Si-dominant who uses Te to structure an environment in which he can "rewrite" the years he's lost.

I really like Mikami, but he's no planner. He's a loyal follower - ISTJ.

His sheer lack of Ne is also his downfall - he appears to have no ability to creatively problem-solve, and notably did not display any of such ability at the very end when under severe stress (indeed, becoming the exact opposite). He is self-destructively spontaneous under stress (inferior Se).

Keep in mind that ISTJs have inferior Ne, which is not much of a weapon for them even if they're healthy, unlike Mikami. Your second and third points, including the "destructive spontaneity" may be explained with the ISTJ's shadow, which takes over during stress: Se Ti Fe Ni

You do have a point about him seeming to have a degree of Si, but it does not strike me as his dominant function.

INTJs usually do not have an ounce of Si...

 

[Harold Saxon]

All right, the "Mikami is an ISTJ" brigade has given some very good points. I had mostly guessed N from his words in the interview he was given on Kira - looking at his backstory, however, he does seem to be an S.

But I disagree mellow being an ENFP. He is great at long term planning. I never really saw mello as impulsive either. All his plans he thought at least 6 moves ahead even pissing light off. He also really was horrible at improvising. When ever things did not go his way he completely freaked.

Mello is certainly impulsive. His entire decision to leave Wammy's House was on a spur of the moment impulse, which shaped his entire life. He does think ahead, but this is more indicative of N than P - he typically does not act on his thoughts, so much as mentally take note of them and then act on however he feels at a given moment.

Mello is additionally not a very good long-term planner. He tends to let events come his way, usually letting the manipulations of others do his work for him. This is especially the case with his leeching on the SPK's investigation, using it in a spur of the moment plan to one-up Near himself - a plan with many holes (resting solely on the assumption that Light Yagami would not kill his own sister), as it was not very well-thought-out.

Analysis of Mello's functions also reveals that he is clearly an ENFP - he's most certainly Ne, Fi, Te, Si. Mello is very far from an Fe-dominant. If anything, he's Fe-deficient, having an utterly sociopathic disregard for the feelings of others. He also displays no Ni whatsoever.

I think the clue that shows Ryuk as an N is what he chose to have fun. He could of been doing various things like killing people odd ways and traveling around the worlds. But he decided to go drop the notebook just to watch. Being very future oriented.

Well, that's more a sign of being lazy than anything. It isn't a very good point - is watching television a sign of N too? No, not particularly. However, thinking about it further, he thought out most of his own actions with Light before they happened - this is especially apparent in the manga and live-action films (rather than the anime, where it is not shown at all), where you could make the argument that he was the only individual to successfully manipulate Light himself. I suppose he is more N than S, but your point on this matter, to be perfectly honest (and I mean no disrespect), isn't a very strong one.

 

[Geno]

All right, the "Mikami is an ISTJ" brigade has given some very good points. I had mostly guessed N from his words in the interview he was given on Kira - looking at his backstory, however, he does seem to be an S.



Mello is certainly impulsive. His entire decision to leave Wammy's House was on a spur of the moment impulse, which shaped his entire life. He does think ahead, but this is more indicative of N than P - he typically does not act on his thoughts, so much as mentally take note of them and then act on however he feels at a given moment.

Mello is additionally not a very good long-term planner. He tends to let events come his way, usually letting the manipulations of others do his work for him. This is especially the case with his leeching on the SPK's investigation, using it in a spur of the moment plan to one-up Near himself - a plan with many holes (resting solely on the assumption that Light Yagami would not kill his own sister), as it was not very well-thought-out.

Analysis of Mello's functions also reveals that he is clearly an ENFP - he's most certainly Ne, Fi, Te, Si. Mello is very far from an Fe-dominant. If anything, he's Fe-deficient, having an utterly sociopathic disregard for the feelings of others. He also displays no Ni whatsoever.

Mello choice to leave Wammys house was more do to his Fi then his actual planning ability. And it was not an assumption that light would not kill his sister. I am pretty sure he planned for light to keep that kidnapping a secret. He knew L was kira at that time. (I suppose. Not the best memory). The only reason he chose a second victim because he new that it would be kept A secret. Keeping it alive. So I am pretty sure this is a perfect example of Mello's planning ability.




Well, that's more a sign of being lazy than anything. It isn't a very good point - is watching television a sign of N too? No, not particularly. However, thinking about it further, he thought out most of his own actions with Light before they happened - this is especially apparent in the manga and live-action films (rather than the anime, where it is not shown at all), where you could make the argument that he was the only individual to successfully manipulate Light himself. I suppose he is more N than S, but your point on this matter, to be perfectly honest (and I mean no disrespect), isn't a very strong one.[/QUOTE]

Looking back on it. It was a crappy point. But I think Ryuk shows his Ne alot. Making his sidebar comments being completely just random.

Also sensors and Intutatives have different definitions of fun. Sensors would really prefer more action and adventure type a thing. They live in the present and a sensor would not really think of watching a person go around doing something as interesting. Seeing they prefer now rather then the future.

 

[Rainne]

Light - INTJ
L - INTP

Don't really care about the rest.

 

[Harold Saxon]

Mello choice to leave Wammys house was more do to his Fi then his actual planning ability. And it was not an assumption that light would not kill his sister. I am pretty sure he planned for light to keep that kidnapping a secret. He knew L was kira at that time. (I suppose. Not the best memory). The only reason he chose a second victim because he new that it would be kept A secret. Keeping it alive. So I am pretty sure this is a perfect example of Mello's planning ability.

His Fi played a role to be sure, but would a J under normal circumstances make such a brash and reckless decision? No, they likely would not.

Yes, he did know that L was Kira - he assumed that he could discern positively that Light = L = Kira if Kira were to do something reckless to save Sayu Yagami. The plan fell through the cracks, because Mello had little in the way of any sort of contingency plan.

Also, note that ENFJs do not have Fi (which you mentioned Mello having) - they have Fe, which Mello is very deficient in. Mello is blatantly Ne-Fi, which points to ENFP.

Looking back on it. It was a crappy point. But I think Ryuk shows his Ne alot. Making his sidebar comments being completely just random.

Also sensors and Intutatives have different definitions of fun. Sensors would really prefer more action and adventure type a thing. They live in the present and a sensor would not really think of watching a person go around doing something as interesting. Seeing they prefer now rather then the future.

Well, no, a sensor could easily enjoy watching people do things. They're more attentive to detail, remember. They simply would be less likely to enjoy analyzing future possibilities of these events, so much as simply watching them at concrete face value.

I agree that Ryuk often shows Ne, however - he shows significant degrees of Se (his apple fixation, for one thing) as well, but my current guess for him is some bizarre sort of ENTP with a weak N.

 

[Geno]

His Fi played a role to be sure, but would a J under normal circumstances make such a brash and reckless decision? No, they likely would not.

Yes, he did know that L was Kira - he assumed that he could discern positively that Light = L = Kira if Kira were to do something reckless to save Sayu Yagami. The plan fell through the cracks, because Mello had little in the way of any sort of contingency plan. A

Also, note that ENFJs do not have Fi (which you mentioned Mello having) - they have Fe, which Mello is very deficient in. Mello is blatantly Ne-Fi, which points to ENFP.



Well, no, a sensor could easily enjoy watching people do things. They're more attentive to detail, remember. They simply would be less likely to enjoy analyzing future possibilities of these events, so much as simply watching them at concrete face value.

I agree that Ryuk often shows Ne, however - he shows significant degrees of Se (his apple fixation, for one thing) as well, but my current guess for him is some bizarre sort of ENTP with a weak N.

I seen a convincing argument for Mello being an ENFP. A psychopath one anyway....

And I am confused about ryuk. I am actually slowly started to think he is an ESTP with a perfectly great Ti. What he chose to go with light for something interesting. With him needing excitement he uses his Ti to take in "mind" excitement rather then doing activities.

I think Se mixed with Ti is making him look more like an N when he really is not.