The Real Reason Death Note Fans Hate Near
Death Note is widely regarded as one of the best anime sagas of all time, and it's certainly one of the most popular among fans of the medium. Based on Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's manga of the same name, the story follows Light Yagami, a gifted high school student who finds a supernatural notebook that enables him to kill people by writing their name and method of death on a page. With this power, the Death Note protagonist attempts to rid the world of its most heinous criminals, but he must also contend with those who are out to get him.
Light is the heart and soul of Death Note, but he isn't the only memorable character in the anime series. While the show boasts fan-favorites such as Ryuk, Rem, and L, there are some who have divided the show's base and drawn some harsh criticism as a result. Near, one of L's successors in investigating the mysterious deaths linked to the notebook, is one such character.
Near had impossible shoes to fill in Death Note
Near is introduced on Death Note as Light's nemesis following L's passing, but he struggled to make the same positive impression on fans as a captivating opponent for the killer writer. Per ScreenRant, some of Near's critics have accused him of being an uninspired character who fails to match his predecessor in terms of personality, despite being similar to him in some ways. One Quora user described him as a "cheap carbon copy" of L, albeit without the depth.
According to a Reddit thread, some Death Note viewers also hate Near's ability to solve crimes and get the better of Light. He is portrayed as smarter than Light, though his presence is associated with a perfunctory ending about good triumphing over evil that didn't please everyone. While there's nothing wrong with that concept in theory, many fans felt that the show's ending is contrived, predictable, and shoehorned in. If Near was more original and was part of a story that was more satisfying for the anime's fans, his legacy might not be as controversial.