Rem (レム, Remu) is the Shinigami who gives Misa Amane her Death Note. Like Ryuk, Rem possesses two Death Notes; however, Rem did not get hers through trickery. The Shinigami Gelus, who had fallen in love with Misa, sacrificed himself to kill her destined murderer. In doing so he was reduced to dust, leaving only his Death Note. Rem delivered this Death Note to Misa, since it was her life he saved.
Appearance
Rem in the anime
Rem's appearance is quite skeletal, with long, spinal cord-like arms and bone-like skin. Her features, such as her hair and the markings on her face, are detailed with a light blue shade. The only exception for this is in the anime, where these details are purple. All other media, such as the movies and games, have the details as blue.
In the manga and anime, Rem tells Misa that she is a female Shinigami. In Death Note: The Last Name, this is not mentioned, leaving her gender ambiguous.
Character
Rem in the second opening
While Ryuk takes amusement in everything in the Human World, Rem is almost the exact opposite. She views most humans with contempt. Also, while Ryuk is ambivalent to Light's success or failure, Rem actively assists Misa. This makes her equally as guilty as Ryuk of not displaying 'proper' traits for a Shinigami to have. She is even willing to sacrifice her life to defend Misa, as evidenced by her threat to kill Light should Misa die before her time. For Misa's sake, however, she still assists Light in his schemes.
Death Note 13: How to Read said Rem "supposedly" experiences difficulty while writing the Japanese language.
Takeshi Obata said that Rem is his favorite Shinigami since she is "a good person," even though she is a Shinigami.
Plot
Rem dies to save Misa
After the Shinigami Gelus gives his life to save a human, Misa Amane, Rem delivers his Death Note to Misa. From that point on, Rem looks after Misa and attempts to keep her from harm. After meeting Light Yagami, Rem becomes aware of Light's intent to use Misa as a tool, and she declares to Light that if his plans should bring any harm to Misa, she will kill him. This ultimately leads to Rem's death, as Light manages to force Rem into killing L for him by presenting a situation in which harm would come to Misa otherwise. By saving Misa's life, Rem dies when she writes L's name.
In other media
Film
Main article: Death Note: The Last Name
Rem and Misa in Death Note: The Last Name
Rem with Takada
Rem in the film is much like her anime and manga counterpart. She is devoted to Misa and attempts to protect her at any cost, including giving her own life. In the second movie, Rem declares her love for Misa and her contempt for Light moments before her death. While her Death Note is left behind in the manga and anime, in the film, Rem burns her Death Note out of spite, saying that Light will not have it.
Conception
Obata said that when he heard that Rem was female, he decided to create a design contrasting with Ryuk's design, using a white body with "rounder" lines. He says that he used fashion collections to create her motif, describing her resulting appearance as if she wore a "really bizarre suit." He also said that Medusa inspired the design of Rem's head.
Quotes
- “If you do anything that results in this girls death, the first thing I'll do is right your name in my death note. I will kill you. I'm sure you realize that I can see her life span. If she happens to die before that time, I'll know it was you who killed her. ("Bomb")
- “Yes, I will die if I act first and kill the person who wants to kill Misa before he makes his move, but... that is fine with me.” ("Bomb")
- (to Light Yagami) “…if you don't save Misa, I will kill you.” ("Removal")
- “Humans are such ugly creatures.” ("Eight")
- “Light Yagami might be as pure as Misa… he was not using the Death Note for himself, but rather he was using the notebook in order to better humanity as a whole.” ("Impertinence")
- “Light…he can even kill a Shinigami; he has surpassed us.” ("Feelings Within")
Theme
