In the popular anime and manga series Death Note, Shinigami (死神, literally “death gods”) are supernatural beings that take human lives in order to extend their own. They originate from an otherworldly realm called the Shinigami Realm. Given their unusual existence, one might wonder – do Shinigami receive any kind of compensation or payment for their deadly work?
What are Shinigami?
Shinigami are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans to their death, typically by writing the human’s name in a notebook called a Death Note. This notebook has the power to kill any human whose name is written in it, allowing the Shinigami who uses it to determine the time and circumstances of that person’s death. Shinigami sustain their own lives by taking human lives with their Death Notes – they need to write names periodically in order to avoid dying themselves.
In the Death Note series, Shinigami live in their own realm called the Shinigami Realm. Not much is known about the specifics of this realm, but it is described as a desolate, dusty, and generally unpleasant world. The Shinigami spend their days there gambling and sleeping. Overall, they lead very listless and bored existences.
Do Shinigami get paid for taking human lives?
The short answer is no – there is no evidence in Death Note to suggest that Shinigami receive any kind of payment, salary, or other compensation for ending human lives with their Death Notes. Killing humans seems to be solely a means of extending their own lifespans.
That said, there are a few ways Shinigami can benefit materially from interacting with the human world:
Trading for human world items
Shinigami highly covet certain items from the human world that are entertaining or pleasurable for them, such as apples. They are sometimes willing to trade extras of their Death Notes in order to obtain these items.
Gambling/bets
Shinigami gamble amongst themselves, betting years of lifespan. They also occasionally make bets with humans, wagering lifespans or Death Notes.
Killing for profit
While Shinigami themselves do not get paid for taking lives, they could theoretically write down the names of people in exchange for payment from a human who wants someone else killed. However, this kind of murder-for-hire arrangement is not shown in the series.
Why don’t Shinigami get paid for their work?
There are a few plausible reasons why Shinigami do not receive any kind of compensation for ending human lives:
- They are primordial supernatural beings acting on instinct or whim rather than employed workers
- The act of killing humans is its own reward, allowing them to extend their lifespans
- The Shinigami Realm lacks any kind of economic system or employment structure
- Shinigami are indifferent to material rewards or compensation
Basically, Shinigami operate outside of any kind of formal employment or economic system. Killing humans is simply what Shinigami do in order to continue existing. They do not seem to value or even comprehend the idea of being “paid” for their deadly work. The closest thing Shinigami have to payment is the extension of their own lifespans each time they end a human life.
What motivates Shinigami to kill humans?
If they do not get paid, then what motivates Shinigami to end human lives with their Death Notes? Some key motivations include:
Extending their own lifespans
This seems to be the primary reason Shinigami kill humans – to extend their own lifespans. Shinigami naturally have finite lifespans, but ending human lives with a Death Note adds the remainder of that human’s lifespan to the Shinigami’s own remaining time.
Alleviating boredom
The Shinigami Realm is a dreary, desolate world with little entertainment or stimulation. Shinigami are often bored and lacking anything interesting to do. Killing humans in creative ways provides amusement and excitement.
Personal vendettas
While rare, some Shinigami develop an intense hatred of certain humans and kill them out of a personal grudge rather than to extend their own lives.
Developing creative killing strategies
Shinigami compete to come up with clever or imaginative ways of manipulating human deaths via their Death Notes. This kind of morbid creativity seems to provide intellectual stimulation.
Gambling
Shinigami gamble with each other over human lives, with the lives of humans essentially being betting chips. The gambling itself provides motivation, with human lives being used to bet with.
Conclusion
In the Death Note universe, Shinigami are not employed workers and do not receive any kind of payment or compensation for ending human lives. They kill humans primarily as a means of extending their own lifespans, as well as to cure boredom, indulge personal vendettas, compete creatively with each other, and gamble. While Shinigami do not technically get paid for their deadly work, they do derive certain benefits from interacting with the human world, such as obtaining rare items like apples. However, they do not engage in a formal economic system of employment or remuneration. The taking of human lives is simply their supernatural function, akin to how a spider spins webs or a bee makes honey. It is an innate behavior driven by primal motivations, rather than a job performed for a salary.