Kanichi Takimura is the highest-ranking officer in Japan’s National Police Agency, kidnapped by Mello’s mafia in March 2009 as leverage to extort a Death Note from the Task Force. Light kills him first — not the mafia — to stop him from possibly leaking notebook secrets or Task Force identities, an act ruthless enough that it forces Mello to switch targets to Sayu Yagami instead.
Takimura rose through the ranks of the NPA to its top administrative post, overseeing the agency through the early years of the Kira case alongside officers like Soichiro Yagami.
In March 2009, Mello’s syndicate kidnaps Takimura and demands the Death Note in exchange for his life. Light, now acting as the “New L,” realizes that leaving him in mafia custody risks him revealing the notebook’s existence or the Task Force’s identities, and decides he can’t be allowed to live either way. Using a hidden scrap of the Death Note, Light specifies his death as suicide by hanging, using his own necktie. Mello’s gang discovers the body and suspects Kira’s involvement, but the loss of their hostage forces Mello to escalate — kidnapping Sayu Yagami instead to keep the extortion plan alive.
Major: Ch. 60.
Minor: Ch. 61.
Mentioned only: Ch. 62, 75, 108.3.
Soichiro Yagami
His subordinate, who was deeply concerned for his safety and initially pushed to prioritize his rescue.
Mello
His captor, who saw him purely as a bargaining chip.
Light Yagami (Kira)
His actual executioner — Light saw him as a liability that had to be removed to keep the notebook out of mafia hands.
Sayu Yagami
Indirectly, his replacement as a hostage — his death is what forces Mello to kidnap her instead.
- His death is meant to prove to Mello that the “New L” will sacrifice even top officials to keep the mafia from holding real power.
- One of the few victims Kira forces into a specific physical death (hanging) rather than the default heart attack.
🇯🇵 Japanese Voice Actors
Ikeda, Masaru
🇯🇵 Japanese
🇺🇸 English Voice Actors
Novak, John
🇺🇸 English