Hello everyone, got whitelisted a couple weeks ago so this is my first pure good proposal. Today we're going to be talking about Soichiro Yagami, protagonist Light Yagami's father and a major antagonist hero in the anime and manga Death Note.
What’s the work?[]
Death Note is a Japanese manga and later anime written by Tsugumi Ohba. The series follows Light Yagami on his quest to allegedly eliminate the world of evil by killing all the criminals and anyone who stands in his way. The series mostly follows Light and his game of cat and mouse with the main antagonist hero L Lawliet and later L's successor Near. Eventually Light's mission to eliminate evil becomes nothing more than an egotistical quest for power, as he starts eliminating anyone who doesn't support him.
Who is Soichiro Yagami?[]
Soichiro Yagami is the father of protagonist villain Light Yagami. Unlike his son, Soichiro is a kind-hearted man and a devoted cop. He is the chief of the Japanese Task Force and is devoted to catching the serial killer known as Kira, whom Soichiro doesn’t realize is Light himself.
Throughout the series, Soichiro is tested time and time again as his family (mostly Light) is put under investigation under suspicion of being Kira. While L does quite a few questionable things in pursuit of finding Kira, Soichiro is often appalled by these actions. He’s also the most vocal member of the main cast to value human life, calling out both L and Kira for their blatant disregard for civil rights.
During the first appearance of the second Kira, Soichiro (who had just suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized) broke into the Yotsuba tv station and forced them to stop the broadcast. Saving many lives in the process. This action nearly cost him his life, showing that he’s brave and admirable. Later when Light has himself imprisoned by L under suspicion of being Kira, Soichiro asks to be detained too as he doesn't believe he can keep himself together.
During the latter half of the series, his daughter Saiyu is kidnapped by Mello who demands the task force turn over the death note in exchange for her release. Soichiro is forced to comply and begins to hate himself, both for giving such a dangerous weapon to such a dangerous person and allowing Saiyu to be kidnapped. Though in the end, he saved his daughter’s life. His self-loathing eventually leads to him taking the Shinigami eye deal to try and kill Mello. However, even then Soichiro couldn’t bring himself to end another man’s life. This unfortunately proves to be his undoing as he is shot by one of Mello’s accomplices. Soichiro later dies peacefully, having never used the death note and believing Light isn't Kira.
Goodness Zone[]
This is the main reason why I think he qualifies. Death Note mostly relies on Black and Gray Morality. Light, at first, is a morally ambiguous anti-hero. But by the end of the series, he’s a pure evil megalomaniac who only wants to take over the world and be worshipped. L on the other hand is the main hero of the story though even he isn’t above torturing and manipulating people in pursuit of Kira. Soichiro is really the only character who’s unambiguously good, every day for over 5 years he risked his life to catch Kira, and always maintained a strong sense of justice no matter what. Near even states that a good person wouldn’t use the death note if he knew it was real. As stated above, Soichiro couldn’t bring himself to use the death note against someone he had every reason to hate. Even the Author admits Soichiro is the only person who truly embodies justice in the series.
Corrupting Factors[]
The only point in the series that I can think of is when Soichiro is told by L to threaten to shoot Light in the face. Context matters though, first of all, Soichiro knew the gun was loaded with blanks (not how that works in real life, but whatever), and secondly it was all a test to see if Misa Amane was truly the second Kira (both her and Light had lost their memories at the time), thirdly, he did it to try and clear Light’s name. Then there’s the scene where he almost kills Mello. His hatred of Mello is perfectly justified (Mello did kidnap his daughter after all), and once again he stops himself. I’d say that makes him truly incorruptible. Once again, Near stated that a truly good person wouldn’t use the death note if they knew it was real. Soichiro knew the death note was real and refused to use it. If anyone can think of any more corrupting factors, let me know.
Final Verdict[]
I think Soichiro Yagami qualifies.