introduction

spoilers for deathnote will be ahead

L lawliet is my favourite character of all time, and he is also from my favourite show, deathnote - which is possibly a special interest of mine (i believe special interest is an asd exculsive term. i am not able to get diagnosed with asd, though i highly suspect that i have it). i especially like his character because he is extremely well written, and morally complex. on the other hand, i also find him relatable. if you are close friend of mine, i would often mention L. recently, i started developing a deathnote au, and i tried to construct my own backstory for L, and the different present world with the presence of my oc.

L lawliet is a fictional character, and the antagonist in the anime and manga series: deathnote, written by tsugumi obha and illustrated by takeshi obata. L goes by several other aliases in the show alongside his name, including hideki ryuga (when he first met light), and ryuzaki (towards light and the task force). in the series of deathnote, he is widely known as the "world's greatest detective". as his work, he solves complex cases and brings justice. L has a strong desire of anonymity as he rarely shows his face or name to others, never getting close to anybody unless he is forced to. before the events of the kira case, watari (L's caretaker as well as a famous inventor and the founder of wammy's house) was the only known person who was able to contact him. L has a dry sense of humor, and general way of speaking - being rather straightforward. however, he is also shown to be a pathological liar - who is able to manipulate the details of a situation in ways that people would not suspect easily.

there are many adaptations and novels made by other people featuring L, for example: deathnote another note: the los angeles bb murder cases, L: change the world, L FILE no.15, and much more. some of the stories are confirmed to be canon by tusgumi obha, the author of deathnote - eg. another note. while others still remain to be fanon. in the show, we were told that L grew up in wammy's house. but, some of L's backstory is stated in L FILE no.15 (fanon novel), in wammys house / one day. in the chapter, L was 8, brought into wammy's house by watari who was also the founder of the orphanage for gifted children. when watari noticed L's abilities, he lets L assist him on cases that he is solving. another novel revolving around his past, is another note - which features a case before the kira investigation.

L could be percieved as eccentric, rather apathetic towards people, and passionate about his work. one thing that L would love as much as working on cases, or perhaps even more would be sweets. they are the only thing that he is seen eating throughout the show, and are usually delivered to him by watari. i believe that his favourite was strawberry shortcake. another "quirk" (many characters in deathnote have their own unique qualities, such as how mello only eats chocolate, or near tends to use figures / toys to depict scenerios) he has is his posture, whilst standing and sitting. he is often hunched over, or sits in a position with his knees to his chest. in his own words, he believes that this posture help him with deduction, as sitting otherwise would cause his deduction abilities would drop by 40%.

L is an unique antagonist, because he is not portrayed as a villain, but nor is he a hero. he appears polite, yet could be condescending at times. both he and light each claim to bring "justice", with different approaches and methods. L is light's equal. they are enemies that dislike each other, but i would imagine that they both would has some level of respect for each other though. though they seem completely different in appearances, they are similar deep down - that they are calculated, prideful, and would do anything to win in their nature - believing that the ends justify the means. in deathnote, they were both shown to even resort to bold, drastic measures to decieve one another. in deathnote, L has recognized that he is similar to kira, comparing himself to light as he says "kira is childish and he hates losing... i'm also childish and hate to lose. that's how i know". there is also a scene in the anime, in which he describes himself as a monster - who is almost pretending to be a human, while having little human values. however, he is knowledgeable about the human nature, and the psychology behind the actions of them.

my headcanon / my au

trigger warnings: abandonment, childhood trauma

He/They  ✶  AroAce Spec  ✶  ASD, C-PTSD, SPD + Schizoid Personality Disorder
INTP  ✶  IT(N)  ✶  LVFE  ✶  So5w4  ✶  Phlegmatic/Melancholic

Lawrence shuffled between multiple " homes " in his childhood. In total, he had been in 3 - his house with his biological parents, an unnamed orphanage, and finally Wammy's house. His constant moving and neglect during his childhood contributed to his "eccentric" behaviors in the present day. During his developmental stages - he has never learned basic tasks such as brushing his teeth, or how to properly shower. Social norms or expectations were a foreign concept to him. These all ended up being things learned late, when he had lost interest or a need for them.

His place of residence was his house with his biological parents, up until age 8. Lawrence lived with his mother, and his father who was rarely present. Lawrence’s mother was a kind woman, who unfortunately struggled with substance abuse after the absence of Lawrence’s father, as well delusions and minor hallucinations - making it difficult to take care of him. The year he moved to an orphanage was the year that she ended her life. Lawrence’s father was absent mainly during his childhood, divorcing and leaving him and his mother days before he turned 4 years old. His relationship with L’s mother was emotionally distant, more like an alliance rather than a marriage. Lawrences’ other place of residence before a smaller, unnamed orphanage for the next 4 years of his life. After Lawrence left his home, he was found by Watari a short while afterward - who took him into Wammy’s house. With a desire for anonymity for his new start, he decided to give himself a name: L. When asked by Watari what his dream would be, he thought for a while. He never really had the time to think about what he wants, or would like to be. But he answered that he would like to become a detective. A harbinger of justice to children and people like him. " I like to solve complicated problems. " He says.

L, for a character who I deem possesses a great mental capacity, it would make sense for him to have a detailed memory starting from a young age. He would observe the world around him carefully, taking notes of details, analyzing the dynamics and situations of his family. His curiosity would lead him to find books, teaching himself to read them - at around age 3. Words helped him understand things better, and piece together complex phenomena. As a child, L would try to barely speak to anyone, only when he had to. It was a tactic that he had learned. Being in your own world and disappearing into the background means that he wouldn’t be yelled at or be hurt. I’d also like to think he is sort of like a wolf in sheep’s clothing - hiding his true self and capabilities from others.

fun facts

• L's birthday is on october 31th - the same day as halloween
• L's year of birth was 1979 in the manga, but 1982 in the anime
• L's real name was L Lawliet. it was never mentioned in the anime, however it was listed on vol. 13 of the manga - titled "how to read"
• L knows a martial art called capoeira
• L used to be a tennis champion in england for a few years in the deathnote universe
• L and light both have the same height
• L dislikes socks and cell phones
• the font used in L's name is cloister black
• according to the author, when L assigns percentages to light (eg. 5%) - most of them were actually well above 90% meaning he was almost certain light was lira, but he had no concrete evidence
• when near faced off against light, he was 17 - 18. this was the same age that light faced off against L
• the author of deathnote considered making the tennis match between L and Light a golf match, as it is a game that could be played with two

quotes

• " no matter how gifted you are ... you, alone, cannot change the world. "
• " light, i'll see you on the other side. let us explore the world of nothingness together. "
• " he who moves first always wins. "
• " it's not a sense of justice. figuring out difficult cases is my hobby. if you measured good and evil deeds by current laws, i would be responsible for many crimes. the same way you all like to solve mysteries and riddles, or clear video games more quickly. for me too, it's simply prolonging something i enjoy doing. that's why i only take on cases that pique my interest. it's not justice at all. and if it means being able to clear a case, i don't play fair, i'm a dishonest, cheating human being who hates losing. "
• " an eye for an eye my friend. "
• " kira is childish and he hates losing... i'm also childish and hate to lose. that's how I know. "
• " but i assure you, L is real. i do exist. now, try to kill me ! ”
• " tell me, light, from the moment you were born, has there ever been a point where you've actually told the truth ? "