Naomi Misora: Plot Armour Or Genius Writing?

Naomi Misora. She is well known as one of the greatest characters of Death Note; although she appeared for only a few episodes! She almost found the identity of Kira, but was killed off by sheer ‘luck’. Her tragic character has been subjected to various theories by the Death Note fandom. One of the most popular theories is that if she reached L, the story would end much earlier! Many consider her being killed off was by sheer plot armour!

Naomi Misora

Is that REALLY true though?

In episode 2, L confronts Light in their TV battle and corners him. Now that his location and powers are revealed, Light is forced to play a game of mice and cats with L. In episode 3, L deduces that Kira can kill anyone with a heart attack; all he needs is the names and faces of his victims. He also deduces that Kira could be a student as the killer’s timings somehow match the free time window of an average Japanese student. This however reaches Light, through hacking the computer of Soichiro Yagami, his father and the chief of police leading the Kira investigation case! He thus, willingly changes the time of deaths.

To change the time of deaths just after L’s deduction is not wise, after all, it gives away the fact that Kira is connected to the police. But Light calculates that L, now will be forced to investigate the police, leading to a fall in their already shaky relationship! His plan, to dismantle the police’s trust in L works when L brings FBI agents from the USA to investigate the families of the police.

Light's Plan

Later, Ryuk finds out that a mysterious man has been tailing Light. He informs Light, and Light quickly secures his position trying to find the identity of the ‘spy’.

'Spy'

In episode 4, Light executes a plan. He pretends to go on a false date with one of his classmates and boards a bus. The spy boards the same bus. It all seems normal, until a criminal hijacks the bus! He threatens everyone with a gun and asks for ransom from authorities. In the back, Light somewhat loudly proclaims his plan to jump the guy; but is stopped by the spy. He acts as yet another passenger on the bus and advises Light not to act hastily. But Light tells him off saying that there’s no proof that he isn’t an undercover comrade of the hijacker.

Bus Hijack

Seeing Light adamant, the spy decides to blow his cover as already he has judged Light to be innocent (believing if he was Kira he could kill the hijacker with a heart attack). He gives his ID to Light, where his name is revealed to be Raye Penber, an FBI agent!

Raye Penber

However, soon the hijacker goes mad after seeing a monster, which in fact is Ryuk himself (Light subtly made him touch a piece of the death note), and emptying his gun he stops the bus and gets off, only to be hit by a car and die.

Death By Accident

In episode 5, Light covertly corners Raye Penber without revealing his identity. He forces Raye to board a train and write the names of his boss as well as colleagues in some ‘mysterious’ papers. Unknowingly, he writes it in the very pages of death note. When he is done, he is told to leave the train. Just as he leaves, he gets a heart attack. Dying, somehow he turns around to see Light Yagami collecting the papers, who bids him ‘farewell’.

"Farewell, Raye Penber"

This should’ve done with the threat, except it doesn’t. It is revealed that Raye had a fiancée, a former FBI agent Naomi Misora. Naomi breaks down over her fiancé’s murder and decides to investigate alone. She remembers a conversation with Raye who told him partially about the bus hijack and that he revealed his name! She finds the bus, and after learning about the case, deduces that Kira can kill even without heart attacks. She deduces Raye’s murder immediately after the incident meant whoever he gave the name to was Kira, and that such a violent criminal died in such an unceremoniously manner only tells that the bus hijack was a farce to force him to reveal his name. Since the hijacker died in an accident, then if it's Kira’s doing, he can kill without heart attacks!

Naomi thus deduces the following:-

Kira is whoever Raye Penber was following and he can also kill without heart attacks.

Then Naomi decides to visit Soichiro Yagami, head of the police investigating Kira, but unfortunately, is unable to. You see, Light’s earlier plan worked accordingly as many suspected L and just quit. The remaining, including Mr. Yagami, are called by L to a secret location. Naomi is thus unable to contact him and later runs into his son, Light Yagami.

Naomi At Police Headquarters

Though by sheer luck, Light meets Naomi; and decides to kill her after hearing her deduction, fearing it would be a major blow to his cover. Through episodes 4 and 5, Light tries Naomi to give up her name. He is almost fooled once, but later calmly he tricks Naomi into giving up her name. Then he uses this opportunity to write her name in the death note and makes it look like a suicide. It’s too late when Naomi realizes and when she walks away, Light even taunts her. This was truly a heartbreaking moment.

Naomi Misora's Death

So, Naomi never reaches L and her deduction is ‘lost’. All this time seems wasted, and Light only meets her through sheer luck! Seems like plot armour, doesn’t it?

Except this theory has a problem. Later it is revealed that L knew of Naomi from a case he worked on earlier, and finds it hard to believe that she will suicide in grief since she was a powerful person. L thus deduces that Kira probably killed Naomi when she tried to investigate on her own, which mostly fits her character. So, if that’s true, and Kira can make her death look like suicide, then Kira can kill without heart attacks as well!

L Finds Out About Naomi

It is then revealed that she was Raye Penber’s fiancée, leading to L investigating his death much more thoroughly. Now, although never explicitly said in the anime, one can assume Raye’s death was much more different to the deaths of his colleagues simply due to his tense situation. This, along with Naomi’s death, brought special attention to his assigned target, Light Yagami!

So, unlike the popular belief that her death was wasted, her deduction that ‘Kira is whoever Raye Penber was following, and he can kill without heart attacks.’ reaches L even without her being present. This later leads L to focus the investigation on Light himself!

The only downside it seems to have is that Naomi would have been a great help to L. but it is overshadowed by the fact that while Naomi’s words alone would have been insufficient to support her deductions, her death ultimately guarantees her deductions to be true!

Raye and Naomi as Jesus and Mary

in the opening sequence