L. Lawliet exclusively known by the mononym L, is a fictional character in the manga series Death Note, He is an eccentric genius and international private detective, reputed to be the world's greatest, who takes on cases that have stymied national governments and Interpol. He opposes the series' main character Light Yagami by trying to prove his suspicion that Light is the mass-murderer called "Kira" who is attempting to create and rule a world "cleansed of evil" as its "God".