Shinigami

In Japanese mythology, a shinigami is a spirit of the dead. Some Japanese authors and manga artists adapt the legend into their series.

Shinigami (Bleach)

In the manga/anime series Bleach, shinigami are the protectors of souls. Their duties are to guide souls that do not cross over to the Soul Society, and to cleanse Hollows, monsters created when normal souls have a lot of regrets and become corrupted by their regrets. They are spirits and cannot be seen by ordinary humans.

Shinigami (Yami no Matsuei)

The manga/anime series Yami no Matsuei (released in English as Descendants of Darkness), centers around the adventures of a shinigami department. They are charged with ensuring the proper passage of souls into death as inscribed in the Book of the Dead. When anomalies occur, they may interfere in the daily lives of humans and be seen by them.

Shinigami (Death Note)

In the manga/anime series Death Note, shinigamis are known as the gods of death. They can kill any human just by writing his name on their notebooks, which are called death notes. By this way, they gain the life they steal from the humans (for example, if you have to live until you are 64 and a shinigami kills you when you are 42, the remaining 22 years are added to that shinigami's lifespan). Their eyes, known as shinigami eyes, can see a human's lifespan and name floating above his head. They live in their own world and don't usually go down to Earth, unless they let their notebooks fall in it. They can be seen just by the humans who have touched their notebooks and nobody else.