How Many Episode Death Note | TESTED → |

But that tension? That argument? That’s why people still talk about Death Note nearly 20 years later. Watch all 37. Form your own opinion.

Maybe you heard the infamous take: “Death Note should have ended at episode 25.” Maybe you finished episode 37 and thought: “That’s it? That’s the ending people hate?” Maybe you’re trying to decide whether to commit 15 hours of your life to a show where the protagonist writes names in a notebook.

So if you see a list claiming 39 episodes, they’re counting the recaps. Ignore them. Let’s be honest. You didn’t Google this because you needed a number. You Googled it because something felt off . how many episode death note

That’s it. Case closed. Right?

That hiatus created a myth: “Death Note Season 2.” But that tension

Not quite. The fact that you’re even asking—or that you landed on this article—suggests you’ve sensed something strange. Maybe a friend told you to stop at episode 25. Maybe you heard there’s a “second season” that doesn’t exist. Maybe you finished the show feeling baffled, betrayed, or brilliant.

It never existed. But the tonal shift—new opening theme, new ending theme, different pacing—makes it feel like a sequel. The first 25 episodes are a cat-and-mouse thriller. The last 12 are a philosophical chess match with a different kind of tension. Watch all 37

Why? Because the manga continued. The anime stayed faithful. And those final 12 episodes are arguably the most controversial stretch in mainstream anime history. Some call them a slow-motion train wreck. Others call them a masterclass in tragic irony. Many first-time viewers instinctively check their streaming queue after episode 25, convinced the show glitched. It didn’t. The dread is intentional. The “Second Season” Illusion Netflix and Hulu list Death Note as one season. But in 2007, Western fans downloading fansubs saw a break: episodes 1–25 aired in 2006, and episodes 26–37 aired after a 3-month hiatus.