From: UnluckyAssassin | #076
Light Yagami - No. Despite being a little conceited, he had good intentions originally, and his change over time could be considered due to the influence of the Death Note, making him in another of its victims
That's actually a pretty good argument, but I wouldn't say the Death Note by itself had any influence over him. It's a book, not the One Ring. He started out with good intentions (misguided as they were) and then turned heel over time, but that's not because of the Note. It's because of the *power* the Note granted him. There's a big nuance there. Light got drunk on power and started to abuse it because he saw himself as the god of the new world - and he abuses it from very early on. He became a villain because of his inherent flaws, not because of some external force. This is why I'd say he's definitely a villain.
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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore