Death Note is a notorious supernatural crime thriller anime starring the brilliant but twisted antihero Light Yagami, a high school senior who obtained the murderous notebook and resolved to create a crime-free world with it at all costs. Light soon went on a rampage, however, becoming the very thing he swore to destroy.
This tragic irony is a key trait of Light's character arc, but there's more to him than that. Light is also noted for being an excellent actor, a flexible thinker and an introspective antihero who often embodies his astrological sign in unique ways. He was born on February 28th, meaning he is a Pisces. Here's how Light's zodiac sign aligns with his character and choices throughout Death Note.
Pisces, The Twin Fish Of Astrological Lore
Pisces is one of the three water signs of astrological lore, represented by two fish circling one another to represent its empathetic nature and capacity for introspection and self-awareness. Water signs are finely attuned to mystic energies and are known for their vibrant, creative inner lives and relatively unexpressive exteriors. Pisces is more sensitive than the other two water signs, Cancer and Scorpio, having absorbed the joys and painful lessons of all other signs.
Ruled by Neptune and the twelfth house, Pisces represents the turning point where a person under this sign will analyze their life choices and begin anew after a great success or a crushing failure. Pisces are always ready for change and aren't afraid to wipe the slate clean after learning some lessons. Overall, a Pisces is a creative, intuitive, thoughtful and empathetic being who is quietly but earnestly invested in the mental energies of everyone around them, and they don't like stubborn or narrow-minded people. That sets them apart from Virgos and Capricorns, who are unyielding like the earth itself.
Some of the most positive Pisces traits include a willingness to learn, a strong sense of mature romance, and general optimism. On the other hand, they may overwhelm themselves with the torrent of emotional energy around them, becoming indecisive or even pessimistic if they absorb too much negative energy. Being flexible and empathetic may cause a Pisces to become disoriented and lack a clear goal.
Light Yagami As A Pisces In Death Note
The flexible and empathetic traits of a Pisces make it an exemplary sign for sympathetic anime protagonists such as Tohru Honda of Fruits Basket fame or Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer, but they are actually Cancers; Light Yagami is a Pisces unlike any other, having twisted his sign into something monstrous.
Pisces is known for its empathy and flexibility, and Light certainly has those qualities as an antihero scheming to become the world's next God. He is an expert at reading people and predicting their thought processes as a Pisces, but instead of helping those people, Light uses his personal insights to manipulate others and deceive them with expert acting. His Pisces empathy is a weapon, not a tool for good.
Pisces are also noted for being flexible, creative and adaptable thinkers who aren't afraid to wipe the slate clean, and Light demonstrated those qualities a few times in Death Note. He would often adjust his tactics on the fly to stay one step ahead of the detective L and the police, and he would quickly abandon one trick in favor of another if necessary. The best example of this was when Misa Amane got herself captured as a Kira suspect, and Light gave up his own Kira powers to prove his false innocence and escape justice.
Light then set up Higuchi as the third Kira, then bade his time and reclaimed the notebook when ready, regaining his memories in the process. A stubborn Virgo wouldn't have done that, but a mutable sign like Pisces would. Light did the same when he manipulated Kiyomi Takada into aiding him, and showed serious flexibility by transferring his Kira powers first to Teru Mikami, then Kiyomi herself to throw the detective Near off his trail. Light is one slippery, villainous Pisces.
