The Nine Alignments and You10

by AJ Focht

It is my belief that everyone, every decision, and every character ever created fits into one of the nine alignments layed out in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeons & Dragons third edition. The nine alignments are: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, (True) Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, and Chaotic Evil.

The alignments seem very straight forward but on a closer look the line that divides them gets very blurry. A characters alignment is based on their most common course of action and not on individual actions. Think of it like a RPG game with a morality feature, it takes time for your alignment to shift from good to evil and not just one mistake.

(Basic Alignment Chart)

Here is a quick description of each alignment:

• Lawful Good- Doing the right thing, the right way, and abiding by all just authorities and laws while doing so. For Lawful Good simply think Superman.
• Neutral Good- Doing what is morally right and makes life better for the many. This can be done against authority if that is what is necessary. Spider-Man is perfect example of a neutral good hero; he is always the good hero even if that puts him on the bad side of the lawman.
• Chaotic Good- These are your rebellious characters who are working for the greater good and are opposing formal authority (often times corrupt). These characters are often painted as a villain by authority, especially those who are lawful evil. “V” (V for Vendetta) , Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly) and Robin Hood are all examples of chaotic good characters.
• Lawful Neutral- These characters are all bound to some form of code, law, discipline, or course of action. They fight for their cause and are willing to do whatever it takes to stick to it. Good examples of lawful neutral characters include James Bond and Judge Dread.
• True Neutral- A true neutral character is Switzerland. They do not align themselves with good, evil, laws, or chaos. They are just as likely to help the bad guy as they are the good guy. This alignment is often disputed in the gaming world because the characters motivations can be very unclear. Pokemon are a great example of true neutral characters as they act on the will of another unquestioningly. Other characters listed by Dungeons & Dragons include Han Solo (in his early appearances) and Laura Croft… essentially anyone willing to do other peoples work for money.
• Chaotic Neutral- A chaotic neutral character is an agent of chaos first and foremost. Plans aren’t really part of the plan for these characters. Many chaotic neutral characters are thought to straddle the edge of sanity because of their unconventional methods. Jack Sparrow and Deadpool are good examples of chaotic neutral characters.
• Lawful Evil- Tyrants and oppressors fill a majority of these character types. A hunger for power often turns a character into lawful evil. These characters have a respect for formal society and will follow its laws. They will also use these laws, bend these laws, and if all else fails change these laws to suit their needs. Lex Luthor and Magneto are classic examples of the lawful evil villains.
• Neutral Evil- A neutral evil character is only looking out for their own well being. They are often concerned with power not to use it but just to have it. Unlike lawful evil they are not concerned with ruling or domination. When thinking neutral evil think Sylar from Heroes (at least first season Sylar).
• Chaotic Evil- These are the characters that everyone, even the other evil characters, fear.  They are unstable and lean toward psychotic tendencies. As Alfred says in The Dark Knight, “Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” These are your chaotic evil characters and as such the Joker is often their poster boy.

The alignment chart is complete and has a spot for every character no matter the setting. Characters from all books, movies, TV shows, etc. can find a place within the alignment chart. The choices that the character makes fit an alignment no matter whether they spend their time shooting bad guys or working as a store clerk.

(Scrubs Alignment Chart)

So, what alignment is your favorite character? More importantly, what alignment are you?