<p>Going by the letter of the law,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If the death leads to the death of more than the intended, the person will simply die of a heart attack.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>logically implies that the surgeon and pilot will die of heart attacks.</p>

<p>This probably makes the most sense. Were it otherwise, people who know the rules could make themselves (nearly) invincible to the Death Note by having a system by which, if they die, someone else is killed (or kills themself). I say “nearly” because the cause of death could be made to say “die at midnight” for both people, and that might kill them. Obviously, the Death Note user would have to know both people involved, which could be made near-impossible quite easily[1].</p>

<p>Though, there is the further question of whether “die at midnight” would work. One person's name has to be written first, and at the time at which it is written, it is not allowed. However, writing the other person's name after then makes it allowed again. When are the rules evaluated, and by what means? Death Note has the power to predict the future of its victims, but can it predict the future of its own use? This is into the realm of time paradoxes!</p>

<p>Or, you could just say that they die of a heart attack. ;-)</p>

<p><em>Edit:</em> [1]For example, if L wanted to make himself invincible to the Death Note, he could have some system by which someone from Wammy's House is killed if he dies. Then, to kill L, a Death Note user needs both L's name and the name and face of that person who gets killed. Even for someone with shinigami eyes, that's virtually impossible to work out.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T17:07:32.783Z
what do you mean by: die at midnight?
DarkYagami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-12T21:51:45.637Z
@user6399 the time (midnight) isn't important. But if they die at the same time, having killed one wouldn't lead to the death of the other; they'd be dead before any effects have propagated.
mudri
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-13T08:05:38.713Z
thanks but i also don't understand what you mean with: Obviously, the Death Note user would have to know both people involved, which could be made near-impossible quite easily. sorry for my bad english.^^
DarkYagami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-13T17:09:11.440Z
For example, if L wanted to make himself invincible to the Death Note, he could have some system by which someone from Wammy's House is killed if he dies. Then, to kill L, a Death Note user needs both L's name and the name and face of that person who gets killed. Even for someone with shinigami eyes, that's virtually impossible to work out.
mudri
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-13T18:04:15.720Z
wow thats smart.^^but that would mean, that ryuk shouldn't have been able to kill light. because after light died, misa killed herself. but yeah that's pretty smart.^^
DarkYagami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-27T10:12:10.537Z
+1, because this is exactly how I feel about this. Although your *midnight* example is a bit vague in the answer, you should edit your last comment to the answer, because it is much clearer. I also don't believe Light would be able to make himself immune to the Death Note and he would still just die of a heartattack, taking down the other person as after effect.
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-27T14:49:20.123Z
If you are interested, a similar question was asked [here](http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/21874/6166). There, the counter-argument for your scenario would be that "the system Light created would malfunction. And because it malfunctioned, Light would not take another life with him, thus not breaking the rule and would just die, despite the system being in place."
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-08T21:28:21.380Z
2015-05-27T14:20:40.457Z
2015-05-27T14:20:40.457Z
mudri
<p>The rules aren't contradicting. Both say that you cannot use the death note to kill other people whose names aren't written in it. For example, you can't write</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>John Doe went to the mall, took out a rifle, shot everyone in the moll dead, then had an heart attack</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Because that would mean other people would die. </p>

<p>As for your specific examples, you cannot write passenger plane crash as the cause of death for a pilot, because that would kill other passengers too. If you wanted, you could write "The pilot disabled the auto-pilot, then had an heart attack". That way, the plane crash has nothing to do with his death, and the plane would still (probably) crash.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-08T15:11:29.140Z
In the first case you say, crash as cause of death. Then he would just die of a heart attack, the crash will then most likely still happen. It contradicts the Other lives not influenced part
Dimitri mx
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-08T15:35:27.020Z
I doubt the pilot could disable the autopilot if it causes someone else dead. I think that the Death Note rule should be interpreted: as long as someone death leads to other people die, such person will die of a heart attack.
Braiam
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-08T15:04:56.340Z
2014-02-08T15:04:56.340Z
Madara's Ghost
<p><em>People who name is not written in the note shall not die due someone else that will die due his name being in the Death Note</em>, both rules can be boiled down to that. That is what the <em>If the death leads to the death of more than the intended</em> means. As long as the death of the person leads to someone else dead, or the conditions prior death can cause death to others, they will die of a heart attack. </p>

<p>There's no contradiction, both rules says the same just in different ways.</p>

<p>In the example you made: both will die in such way that nobody else dies. The surgeon will step back of the table and die, the pilot will die when he's not piloting. Of course, this is mere supposition and details could escape.</p>

<p>Light made some experiments trying to kill in such impossible ways (like a Japanese prisoner died in front of Eiffel Tower), those died on hearts attacks.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-27T10:03:31.703Z
What would happen in this case? http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/21874/6166
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-08T15:37:35.493Z
2014-02-08T15:48:55.580Z
2014-02-08T15:48:55.580Z
Braiam
<p><a href="http://deathnote.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_of_the_Death_Note#How_to_Use:_X" rel="noreferrer">Rule X</a> in the Death Note states:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="2">
  <li>Whether the cause of the individual's death is either a suicide or accident, if the death leads to the death of more than the intended, the person will simply die of a heart attack. This is to ensure that other lives are not influenced.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>However, <a href="http://deathnote.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_of_the_Death_Note#How_to_Use:_XXVI" rel="noreferrer">Rule XXVI</a> states:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="2">
  <li>Even though only one name is written in the Death Note, if it influences and causes other humans that are not written in it to die, the victim’s cause of death will be a heart attack</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Besides the fact that I find these 2 rules to be contradicting (correct me if I'm wrong), it still made me curious: <strong>Is it possible to kill people indirectly with the Death Note?</strong></p>

<p>For example, writing a heart surgeon's name during a operation, or a pilot's name while mid-flight.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-27T10:15:38.613Z
I agree with James on this on though. Logically it is indeed implied that they still die of a heart-attack. Especially because if it isn't, Light would have been able to make himself immune to the Death Note, by putting a device in his and Misa's body that would both explode if Light dies. If nobody but him knew about this device, he would be immune to the Death Note forever, which is just too big of a loop hole to believe in.
Peter Raeves
<death-note>
Is it possible to kill people indirectly with the Death Note?
# Is it possible to kill people indirectly with the Death Note?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-02-08
[Rule X](http://deathnote.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_of_the_Death_Note#How_to_Use:_X) in the Death Note states:

> 2. Whether the cause of the individual's death is either a suicide or accident, if the death leads to the death of more than the intended, the person will simply die of a heart attack. This is to ensure that other lives are not influenced.

However, [Rule XXVI](http://deathnote.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_of_the_Death_Note#How_to_Use:_XXVI) states:

> 2. Even though only one name is written in the Death Note, if it influences and causes other humans that are not written in it to die, the victim’s cause of death will be a heart attack

Besides the fact that I find these 2 rules to be contradicting (correct me if I'm wrong), it still made me curious: **Is it possible to kill people indirectly with the Death Note?**

For example, writing a heart surgeon's name during a operation, or a pilot's name while mid-flight.
**Tags:** death-note
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I agree with James on this on though. Logically it is indeed implied that they still die of a heart-attack. Especially because if it isn't, Light would have been able to make himself immune to the Death Note, by putting a device in his and Misa's body that would both explode if Light dies. If nobody but him knew about this device, he would be immune to the Death Note forever, which is just too big of a loop hole to believe in.  
---
## 3 answers
### Answer by username_5 on 2014-02-08. Score: 13 | Accepted answer
*People who name is not written in the note shall not die due someone else that will die due his name being in the Death Note*, both rules can be boiled down to that. That is what the *If the death leads to the death of more than the intended* means. As long as the death of the person leads to someone else dead, or the conditions prior death can cause death to others, they will die of a heart attack.

There's no contradiction, both rules says the same just in different ways.

In the example you made: both will die in such way that nobody else dies. The surgeon will step back of the table and die, the pilot will die when he's not piloting. Of course, this is mere supposition and details could escape.

Light made some experiments trying to kill in such impossible ways (like a Japanese prisoner died in front of Eiffel Tower), those died on hearts attacks.
> **Comments:**
> **username_1** (2015-05-27): What would happen in this case? http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/21874/6166  
---
### Answer by username_2 on 2014-02-08. Score: 9
Going by the letter of the law,

> If the death leads to the death of more than the intended, the person will simply die of a heart attack.”

logically implies that the surgeon and pilot will die of heart attacks.

This probably makes the most sense. Were it otherwise, people who know the rules could make themselves (nearly) invincible to the Death Note by having a system by which, if they die, someone else is killed (or kills themself). I say “nearly” because the cause of death could be made to say “die at midnight” for both people, and that might kill them. Obviously, the Death Note user would have to know both people involved, which could be made near-impossible quite easily[1].

Though, there is the further question of whether “die at midnight” would work. One person's name has to be written first, and at the time at which it is written, it is not allowed. However, writing the other person's name after then makes it allowed again. When are the rules evaluated, and by what means? Death Note has the power to predict the future of its victims, but can it predict the future of its own use? This is into the realm of time paradoxes!

Or, you could just say that they die of a heart attack. ;-)

*Edit:* [1]For example, if L wanted to make himself invincible to the Death Note, he could have some system by which someone from Wammy's House is killed if he dies. Then, to kill L, a Death Note user needs both L's name and the name and face of that person who gets killed. Even for someone with shinigami eyes, that's virtually impossible to work out.
> **Comments:**
> **username_3** (2014-08-11): what do you mean by: die at midnight?  
> **username_2** (2014-08-12): @user6399 the time (midnight) isn't important. But if they die at the same time, having killed one wouldn't lead to the death of the other; they'd be dead before any effects have propagated.  
> **username_3** (2014-08-13): thanks but i also don't understand what you mean with: Obviously, the Death Note user would have to know both people involved, which could be made near-impossible quite easily. sorry for my bad english.^^  
> **username_2** (2014-08-13): For example, if L wanted to make himself invincible to the Death Note, he could have some system by which someone from Wammy's House is killed if he dies. Then, to kill L, a Death Note user needs both L's name and the name and face of that person who gets killed. Even for someone with shinigami eyes, that's virtually impossible to work out.  
> **username_3** (2014-08-13): wow thats smart.^^but that would mean, that ryuk shouldn't have been able to kill light. because after light died, misa killed herself. but yeah that's pretty smart.^^  
> **username_1** (2015-05-27): +1, because this is exactly how I feel about this. Although your *midnight* example is a bit vague in the answer, you should edit your last comment to the answer, because it is much clearer. I also don't believe Light would be able to make himself immune to the Death Note and he would still just die of a heartattack, taking down the other person as after effect.  
> **username_1** (2015-05-27): If you are interested, a similar question was asked [here](http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/21874/6166). There, the counter-argument for your scenario would be that "the system Light created would malfunction. And because it malfunctioned, Light would not take another life with him, thus not breaking the rule and would just die, despite the system being in place."  
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2014-02-08. Score: 7
The rules aren't contradicting. Both say that you cannot use the death note to kill other people whose names aren't written in it. For example, you can't write

> John Doe went to the mall, took out a rifle, shot everyone in the moll dead, then had an heart attack

Because that would mean other people would die.

As for your specific examples, you cannot write passenger plane crash as the cause of death for a pilot, because that would kill other passengers too. If you wanted, you could write "The pilot disabled the auto-pilot, then had an heart attack". That way, the plane crash has nothing to do with his death, and the plane would still (probably) crash.
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2014-02-08): In the first case you say, crash as cause of death. Then he would just die of a heart attack, the crash will then most likely still happen. It contradicts the Other lives not influenced part  
> **username_5** (2014-02-08): I doubt the pilot could disable the autopilot if it causes someone else dead. I think that the Death Note rule should be interpreted: as long as someone death leads to other people die, such person will die of a heart attack.  
---
