If you saw them at some restaurant, or even passed them on the street, you would think they were a perfectly normal couple. As the girl chatters on and clings to the young man’s arm, you would think “that’s a nice pair,” and pass by without another thought. But your assumption would be dead wrong. The people you just saw form one of the most toxic couples you could ever imagine.
This article examines the MBTI personality types of the famous anime characters Light Yagami and Misa Amane. After discussing each of their types, we examine their interactions. If you like Death Note and the MBTI, you should have fun with this analysis.
1) Misa: ESFP (Turbulent Variant)
Misa is an ESFP: extraverted, sensing, feeling, and percieving. This means she is socially oriented, in touch with reality and the senses, driven by personal values and feelings, and prefers a flexible lifestyle rather than routine. The cognitive functions for an ESFP are: Se, Fi, Te, and Ni. Their strongest functions are extraverted sensing (an active engagement with the world and appreciation of the senses), and introverted feeling (strong personal ethics and rich internal emotional nature).
People with the ESFP type are sometimes called Entertainers or Performers. They love to be the center of attention and the life of the party. A stable and balanced ESFP can be a lot of fun. Their strenghts include empathy, physical skills, a strong appreciation for beauty, unyielding principles, and unique self-expression. Healthy ESFPs also encourage and uplift others. It’s inspiring to see how confident they can be.
Unfortunately, Misa is not a good example of a stable ESFP. She is, rather, a prime example of a toxic, unbalanced ESFP. She is inconsiderate when others need space and quiet. She is difficult to reason with since she always believes she is right and her arguments are purely emotional. Additionally, she is extremely impulsive, constantly putting herself in danger and sometimes lashing out at others with impulsive anger.
As the series progresses, Misa becomes less and less stable. On one occasion, she gets very drunk and tries to hurt the woman she sees as a threat to her relationship. It’s suggested that she abuses alcohol frequently to cope with her terrible relationship. Misa’s final act is to kill herself after Light dies. Some have suggested that this character has Borderline Personality Disorder or other types of mental illnesses. Regardless, she is clearly unhealthy, and it’s sad to watch.
In terms of the MBTI, Misa’s weaknesses and negative traits are typical for ESFPs. The Fi trait, when toxic, convinces the person their feelings are the center of the universe. Fi becomes negative and hateful when the ESFP has no stable sense of values or positivity in their life. Misa is constantly under stress, and her single guiding principle is to serve Light. She justifies all the horrible things Light does because her feelings for him matter more than the justice system, democracy, and the lives of other humans.
The Se trait is what makes Misa so appreciative of fashion, clothing, and cosmetics. All these things involve the senses. Extraverted sensing is also acton-oriented, which is why Misa lives in the moment and has the confidence to be a model and an actress. But the Se trait can also become toxic when without boundaries. Se users love sensory experiences and thrills, which can fuel impulsive actions, risk-taking, and substance abuse. Some of this can be seen in Misa.
2) Light: ENTJ (Turbulent Variant)
Light is an ENTJ: extraverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging. In other words, he is socially assertive, has a keen and original mind, uses hard logic to make his decisions, and prefers a regimented lifestyle where he can enact long-term plans. The cognitive functions for an ENTJ are: Te, Ni, Se, and Fi. The top two functions are therefore extraverted thinking (the objective, active, and outwardly-directed form of thinking), and introverted intuition (the quieter, more observant form of intuition that constantly runs in the background).
(Note: There is actually some debate about Light’s personality type, with many fans believing he is INTJ. You can argue equally well for either side, in my opinion. But personally, I see Light as an ENTJ because his thinking trait is slightly more prominent than his intuition. Also, despite not being a traditional extravert, Light has excellent people skills and strong social charisma.)
ENTJs are often called Commanders or Executives. This type is known for their ability to lead others, be creative problem-solvers, and demonstrate extreme determination for a cause. The stereotypical ENTJ is a cruel CEO or a charismatic supervillain, but there can be good ENTJs. Light, however, is not one of them. Like Misa, he is the turbulent variant, which compared to the assertive variant, is toxic and/or unstable.
In Light’s case, he is more toxic than unbalanced. Most of the time, he keeps his cool and doesn’t act insane. It’s not until the very end that he behaves in a truly irrational way. But there’s no question that he’s twisted. Most of that is due to narcissism and/or Antisocial Personality Disorder. Some of it can also be explained in terms of the MBTI cognitive functions.
The dominant function for an ENTJ is Te (extraverted thinking). When used properly, this function makes people more objective thinkers who care about fairness and who try to correct illogical elements in others. When the Te function goes bad, however, it is terrifying. Negative Te users trample on the emotions and values of others, believing their logic is always superior and their actions are always justified. They are often combative and short-tempered, too, with their need to win and be in charge. Light is a great example of a character with a toxic Te trait.
Intuition in the MBTI can be boiled down to processing information with the abstract mind, seeing connections and patterns that may not be “common sense.” Intuitive people tend to be innovative in their thinking. As for introverted intuition in particular, it’s the quieter, calmer form of intuition. People with a strong Ni function are constantly, automatically forming mental databases based on many information points, connecting the dots in the background. They may not even be conscious of the process because it’s just how their minds work.
Introverted intuition is part of what makes Light such a frighteningly intelligent and capable person. He is quick to see how events might unfold, for one thing. For another, he can quickly understand new concepts and information and effortlessly incorporate them into his mental framework. When problems arise, Light comes up with creative solutions and can think outside the box. He is extremely resourceful, seeing many potential uses in what surrounds him. Introverted intuition can be a scary tool in the wrong hands.
3) How They Interact: ESFP x ENTJ
To put it simply and frankly, Light and Misa do not make a good couple. For one thing, both are turbulent variants. Two mentally unhealthy people will usually only worsen each other’s toxicity. Even if one or both of them were assertive (healthy) variants, it probably still wouldn’t work out because ENTJs and ESFPs are just not very compatible. In terms of the one-letter traits that make up their types, they are almost complete opposites. (And if you believe Light is INTJ rather than ENTJ, then he and Misa are literally opposites.) We’ll now take a look at how these two interact.
Because Light is Kira and Kira is justice in her mind, Misa basically worships Light. As long as she can be useful to him, she will sacrifice anything – her friends, her freedom, and even her lifespan. This means she is extremely codependent. Misa is always honest with Light and talks about him like he’s the perfect prince. Even when she probably knows she’s being manipulated, she still loves him.
As they spend more time together, it does seem like Misa genuinely likes Light – especially when her memories are tampered with and she doesn’t remember that he is Kira. At times, Misa expects and demands Light to act more like a boyfriend, showing a little bit of assertiveness. She rarely gets her way, however. Toward the end of the series, as Light ignores and lies to Misa more and more, Misa becomes emotionally unstable, jealous, and self-destructive. She can’t live in a world without Light.
The saddest thing is that even though Misa is smart enough to know she’s being used, and is indeed consenting to being used, a part of her still believes Light loves her and wants to keep her by his side. But Light certainly feels no genuine love for Misa. She is only a tool. There are times where he will treat her gently, talk to her like he cares, or embrace her. However, in those instances, the only purpose is emotional manipulation.
Outside of those situations, Light either ignores Misa or treats her with disdain or annoyance. It’s clear that he sees her as stupid and far beneath him. But since she’s so easy to manipulate, and she has the Shinigami Eyes, he keeps her around. That being said, he is willing to throw her away at a moment’s disposal if the risks of “keeping her” outweigh the benefits. As an adult, Light cheats on Misa with Kiyomi Takada and possibly others. He is not remorseful about it.
Some fans believe Light may have physically abused Misa, but there is no evidence of this. We do, however, see him shout at Misa once when angry, and we know he is constantly emotionally abusive. This toxic couple somehow managed to live in the same apartment for five years, so it’s implied that they had a sexual relationship. However, Light only kisses Misa once on screen, and it’s to make her shut up and go home. He never shows any sexual interest in Misa, and his only sweet or romantic moments are cases of manipulation.
If Light wasn’t a sociopath and Misa wasn’t codependent, it’s possible that this couple could make it work. However, it would be extremely difficult, because their personalities are so different. Light is a thinking type who uses logic, while Misa makes her decisions based on what she feels is right, even if it defies reason. Misa has is highly emotionally expressive, but Light is reserved. This already sounds like communication would be a nightmare even if both were trying to be respectful.
Moving on, Misa uses extraverted sensing, which is the polar opposite of Light’s introverted intuition. In other words, Misa wants to experience the world, looking and feeling good as she has fun adventures, fine foods, and beautiful things. Meanwhile, Light is interested in achieving long-term goals at a measured pace. He would rather read and study than go on a rollercoaster. Knowledge and lofty concepts are more important to him than sensory experiences or enjoyment of physical beauty.
In summary, ENTJs and ESFPs are not well-suited to be a couple. Sometimes, people with very different personalities can still be compatible. However, this combination definitely doesn’t bode well. That’s especially true when both partners are mentally and emotionally unhealthy.
Thank you for reading~
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