10 Reasons Why Misa Amane Is A Better Character Than You Think

One of the most common criticisms levied against Misa comes in the form of digs at her intelligence. In an anime full of super geniuses, Misa might not look bright by comparison, but she holds her own, as is demonstrated by her entry into the series. Misa figures out Kira's identity before anyone else does. Some refuse to give her credit for this because she confirms his identity with the Shinigami Eyes, but the method used to find him in the first place was all her. Misa sends tapes to Sakura TV claiming to be Kira in hopes of getting the real deal's attention, and ensures her identity stays secret by keeping her fingerprints off the tapes. This is on the level of Light or L's plans, but Misa rarely gets recognized for it.

Death Note gets unrelentingly dreary at times, both stylistically and thematically. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; why would you watch a show called Death Note if things never got dark? Still, even the biggest fan of the macabre needs a break once in a while. Misa's brash, silly personality throws a bit of chaotic color into the mix. Watching her cling to Light while making weird faces at L can be annoying, but it's also pretty funny—something Death Note sorely needs. More importantly, Misa alleviates the stress implicit in the mind game mentality of the series, ensuring Death Note depicts more than just two geniuses at work. Even if it's two prodigies at war, it's ridiculous to assume their bout won't affect the people around them, and Misa adds a relatable, regular element to it all.

Arguing for Misa's benevolence feels like a tall task—she willingly kills thousands of people, and seemingly does it to serve her boyfriend. But Misa's more than just Light's lackey. Misa witnesses her parents' murder, then watches the court system utterly fail to bring their killers to justice. After that, a stalker nearly murders her, but she's saved by Gelus at the last minute. Kira, who Misa later discovers is Light, gives her the justice she desires by taking out the man who orphaned her. First she tracks Kira down to thank him, then subsequently falls for him and his manipulations. Though at times Misa behaves in an unstable or inappropriate fashion, it may be because she's experienced multiple traumas without processing them.

After arresting Misa, L and Watari force her to stand upright in a straight jacket for weeks on end with a metal bar over her eyes. Misa would be entirely justified to seek revenge for this alone, but she lets it go because she's focused on a larger goal. Tough as nails, Misa deserves some credit for her sheer resilience.

Misa possesses one of the most entertaining personalities in Death Note. Not only does she boast the charm required to work as as model, she also appears innocent to the vast majority of the police force, all while actively working as Kira. Light gets a ton of credit for his masterful ability to appear innocent and charming, but Misa's prowess in this department is slept on by most viewers.

In an anime where most women wear turtlenecks and long skirts and most men wear suits or dress shirts with khakis, anyone who dresses differently stands out. Misa is one of a small handful of characters who actually puts thought into her appearance. Her clothes gravitates towards punk, goth, and lolita styles, but no matter what she wears, she always looks amazing. Her style offsets the show's dreary atmosphere without completely opposing it.

If one word encapsulates Misa's best qualities, it's loyalty. Whether or not you respect her commitment to both Light Yagami and his quest to rid the world of criminals, you must admire how dedicated she remains to both. Once Misa pledges her allegiance to someone, she never betrays them, even if it puts her in danger. Misa willingly trades half her lifespan to acquire Shinigami Eyes, not once, but twice, to help further her mission. That's not something most people would be willing to do, and it takes incredible bravery to even consider it.

Though damaged in her own way, Misa is far from the only terrible person in Death Note. Sure, she kills a lot of people and neurotically pines after Light Yagami, but so does Teru Mikami, who experiences sensual delight when he kills for Kira. Kiyomi Takada may not seem as clingy as Misa, but she's just as willing to take lives. Light becomes a serial killer who eventually loses all sense of morality, willingly puts his family in danger, and kills innocents to avoid getting caught. L, allegedly one of the good guys, physically and psychologically tortures people to get information out of them. Misa attracts more hate than almost any other character in Death Note, yet shares the same – if not less – guilt than the rest of them. It's fine to dislike her, but lambasting her for being a murderer while simultaneously loving Light or L is hypocritical.

One thing Misa often gets hate for is her role in L's death. If you consider yourself a major L fan, it might be hard to look past this, but if you believe Misa deserves blame, then you should hate Light, Ryuk, and Rem just as much (if not more so). Misa definitely helps kill L, and while it's fair to dislike her personally for this, it makes no sense to dislike her as a character. Narrative conflicts always involve opposing sides. In Death Note, those sides consist of Light and the rest of Team Kira versus L and everybody else trying to take Kira down. Misa falls on Team Kira, and she wants L dead because he gets in the way of Kira's goals. It's fair to hate anyone in that role, but someone needs to fill it or no conflict exists.

Viewers often criticize Misa for being loose, a viewpoint that reeks of falseness and sexism. Throughout the series, Misa only loves Kira, and never makes overtures towards anyone else. She remains loyal to Light to a fault. The problems with this critique go deeper than inaccuracy. Even if Misa – or any other fictional woman – does have lots of sex with multiple partners, why does that matter? As long as her partners are willing and she's upfront and honest about her behavior, there's no reason to hate her—or to use sexist slurs.