History Main / CharacterAlignment

* '''LawfulGood''': They believe Law is Good, and that upholding the law is good. Believes in Truth, Justice and such, but may potentially believe in them a little [[WideEyedIdealist too much]]. Lawful Good does not necessarily mean someone who obeys every law, but only just laws or an internal code.

* '''LawfulNeutral''': The rule-abiding sort. Law and order is more important than whether you're good or evil. Believes in keeping order, though not necessarily in Justice as a universal constant. It does not necessarily mean following the laws of a government only the laws of a society. Just as often the bad guys as the good guys in an OrderVersusChaos situation.

* '''ChaoticNeutral''': Chaotic Neutral characters are all about freedom, and don't care so much about morality. Sometimes they're just amoral nutjobs, and sometimes they're generally good people with a wild streak that sometimes leads them into bad things. When evil alignments are unavailable, Chaotic Neutral is often used by players in TabletopGames to excuse doing anything they feel like, and as such is often prohibited by the sort of GameMaster who also prohibits evil characters. Just as often the bad guys as the good guys in an OrderVersusChaos situation. The main difference between Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Evil is a matter of execution.

* '''LawfulEvil''': The ordered sort of Evil, that often ends up in charge. They are the most likely to win in a fight against their interest, but otherwise tend to be weaker than the other Evil alignments. May believe in keeping order [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans at all costs]], or may simply believe that a well-ordered system is easy to exploit.

* '''NeutralEvil''': Sometimes known as the Asshole Alignment, Neutral Evil is the most unpredictable evil alignment. They also tend to be [[ItsAllAboutMe egotists who don't care the slightest about other people]]. They may just happen to be on the Good Guy's Team [[EnemyMine because it's better for them at the moment]].

It helps to think of it as a 3x3 square with the moral and ethical axes on each side, and all the possible alignments surrounding TrueNeutral, like so:

* Discussed and parodied in ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020'', where Yakko at one point insists that he and his siblings can't be pickpockets because "we're ChaoticGood! It would go against our whole character alignment!"

'''As a general rule, do not add Character Alignment to any work where it is not featured in {{canon}}, as it will just lead to an EditWar. Administrivia/TheGreatCharacterAlignmentDebate explains this in more detail. In particular, [[Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease there will be no real life examples under these circumstances]], except for descriptions of proposed systems like the [[FourTemperamentEnsemble four humors]] theory.'''

* In ''Literature/IClaudius'', Claudius refers to different character types: virtuous men or scoundrels, stony hearts or golden hearts. He gives examples of [[IncorruptiblePurePureness virtuous men with golden hearts]] (his old teacher), [[GoodIsNotNice virtuous men with stony hearts]] (Cato), [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk scoundrels with stony hearts]] (one of Caligula's henchmen), and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold scoundrels with golden hearts]] (Herod Agrippa).

** ''Planescape'' introduced intermediate alignments between extremes and classifies them as tendencies. For example, you can have Good-leaning Chaotic Neutral, or a Chaotic-leaning Neutral Good, instead of just Chaotic Good. This seems to make classification of characters who are not exactly in one alignment or another much easier.

** Another bit of evidence that suggests that alignment was originally intended to be more "tangible" is the concept of alignment languages. It's not as stupid as it sounds--they're more along the lines of code words and phrases used in secret societies devoted to particular philosophies or religions (such as the Cynics or Pythagorians) than real, living languages. For example, they're described in the 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide as being useful for such things as conducting philosophical discussions appropriate to the alignment, or identifying impostors (which was why Assassins are able to learn Alignment Languages other than their own) but being pretty useless for, say, buying a loaf of bread at the local market.

** ''D&D''[='s=] original alignment system was [[OrderVersusChaos Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic]]. Lawful generally got equated to good and Chaotic with evil (though the rules and retroclones such as ''Swords and Wizardry'' make it clear that this does not have to be the case), but good examples of Chaotics like the unicorn and such may have been the impetus for creating the two-axis system we know and love today.

*** Unaligned characters simply don't care about Good or Evil; their focus is on getting on with their daily lives, meaning they can be cruel or kind as they choose, but they don't devote themselves specifically to doing evil deeds or championing good. Your average Joe is Unaligned, but so would be a PunchClockVillain or an adventurer whose motive is purely selfish -- a character who only wants to stop the EvilEmpire because their home will be levelled if they succeed and doesn't care about anyone else losing their homes, for example.

** The second edition of the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' introduced an updated system with ''The God-Machine Chronicle''. "Integrity" replaces Morality and the only thing that's universal are modifiers, like when protecting a loved one or acting against a vice. These are then applied to character specific "Breaking Points" that resemble a psychological TraumaCongaLine, rather than medieval ethics.

* ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'', which is built on the same system that ''Dungeons & Dragons'' uses, has allegiances. These can be to Ethical (law or chaos) or moral (good or evil) systems, but can also be to other things such as religious beliefs, political views, or organizations. The ''Urban Arcana'' campaign setting converts alignment to allegiances for AlwaysChaoticEvil creatures from ''D&D''... and in the process enforced it to Always Evil levels even for one race that ''weren't''.[[labelnote:Explanation]]The fiend-descended tieflings in D&D at the time were ''usually'' evil, so an adventuring tiefling of non-evil alignment would be nothing really strange, but Urban Arcana instead demanded that tieflings ''had'' to begin play with an allegiance to Evil -- several other usually evil races got off lighter by only having it demanded they begin play with an allegiance to Evil, Chaos, or both.[[/labelnote]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Powers'' allows for "Moral" powers of the types Lawful, Chaotic, Good, and Evil. For the most part, however, TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} as a rule tends to avoid "alignments" as such, and instead represents character traits through the use of Disadvantages.

* ''TabletopGame/TheWitcherGameOfImagination'' completely ignores traditional alignments and the way how they are organised. Instead, there is an Honor[=/=]Reputation[=/=]Adventure triangle in which players must put their characters, giving each element a different level of emphasis (so they have always gradual importance for the character, never equal). They are treated more as a compass for the players and a way to judge their actions by the story-teller than any actual mechanics.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Fantasy Roleplay'' had five alignments: Lawful, Good, Neutral, Evil and Chaotic.

** Neutral is most people. Neutral characters are mostly interested in keeping their heads down, going about their business, and trying to survive. While they may not be willing to pick someone's pocket, they'll keep a wallet they find in the street. They might drop a few coins into a beggar's bowl, but won't go out of their way to do more.

** There is deliberately no color specifically aligned with good or evil, though some colors get stereotyped as such anyway. White is associated with light and angels and often thought of as the "good" faction, but its traits can also be directed to oppressive tyranny and complete conformity. Conversely, Black's selfishness and (un)death motifs make it the obvious "evil" color (and even the creators admit that villains tend to be drawn to Black), but it's also the color that values self-improvement and following your dreams.

** Radicals (Terrorsaurs, Empire of the Apes): Evil-leaning neutral. KnightTemplar [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned Extremists]] who don't necessarily want to destroy humanity, but who have a goal they care about a lot more than, for example, [[TheTokyoFireball Tokyo still being there]]. So far the game's Radical factions have been ecoterrorists, but the agenda isn't necessarily restricted to that.

** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' features an alignment system along the axis of Law-Neutral-Chaos -- Light-Neutral-Dark is ''not'' actually a Good-Neutral-Evil axis in the traditional sense, instead representing the mythological reputation of the entity in question as something to be revered or reviled; the original manual describes Light as "closer to a god" and Dark as "closer to a demon." It is the earliest known videogame to have an alignment system that directly affects the direction of the storyline and which of the MultipleEndings the player is given, through the choices and actions the player makes that alter the player character's alignment. ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'' uses the same kind of alignment system. In both cases, the main character's actions on the OrderVersusChaos axis determine the ending, and the game does not take a stand on which path is best.

* A rare action game example, ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' works off this system quite well. Using branching story-lines, the player would choose multiple endings using a system of levels made up of three outcomes: hero, [[BystanderSyndrome neutral]], and [[TheBadGuyWins dark]]. The final levels would involve only two outcomes (neither could be neutral), which would decide the boss fought and ultimately the ending. The "path" names are non-canonical; instead, there are 326 (!!!) combinations you could possibly take through the levels, each with their own name. However, each combination must end with one of these endings. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope It's subverted in the end;]] Shadow fights the [[OneWingedAngel gargoyle-like Black Doom]] and just saves the world.]]

* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series goes with a Karma system. It really is only one scale, and doesn't involve the lawful-chaotic scale, only ranging from good to evil. The main relation to the [[TabletopGame/DungeonsandDragons D&D]] alignment system comes from '''how''' the player chooses to gain points in either direction. It is generally easier to become good than evil by killing lots and lots of people for the hell of it, ironically, since many of the karma-inducing characters you can kill easily in the games are evil-aligned. While it is possible to be [[KicktheDog dog-kicking]] ChaoticEvil by going into a town and killing guards and civilians, you will most likely alert several higher-leveled guards while doing it, while doing the LawfulEvil approach and subtly plan genocide by detonating live atomic bombs and unleashing mass-killing viruses in the water will comfortably put you on the evil side of the scale without having to shoot a single guard doing it. The good side of the scale tends to be a little more flexible, however, allowing you to both be a trigger-happy nutjob and an agent of various good organizations around while doing it.
** In ''Fallout 3'', once you do become sufficiently good or evil, agents from the opposite side will start hunting you. Killing the Rangers hunting you because you're evil makes you more evil; killing the Talon Co. mercenaries hunting you because you're good makes you more good. So there's a tipping point at which it becomes easier to keep going the direction you were heading. That said, unless you're deliberately TRYING for evil (or you undertake a particular quest that has a ''massive'' karma penalty), it's slightly easier to become "Good" than it is to become "Evil", and staying neutral is hardest of all, since it involves a kind of a balancing act of randomly being an a-hole just enough to keep you from accidentally becoming "too good".

** The game tended to keep to a dichotomy of good vs evil for the most part, but the OrderVersusChaos element is also heavily played and hard to ignore. For one thing, the first game made reference to Shang Tsung corrupting the shaolin tournament and the furies, shifting the side of the tournament's order alignment to the chaos alignment. Later on, we see Shang Tsung's boss, the Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn, who uses his extermination squads to invade and merge other realms using brute, compassionate-free, aggressive force, all while completely ignoring and defying the rules and regulations the Elder Gods commanded to stop this happening. Later on, in the 6th installment ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'', we are presented with the former ruler of Outworld, Onaga the Dragon King. Who still wants to merge the realms much like Shao Kahn, but do so by merging the special kamidogu instead, which would combine the realms automatically, creating complete stability, without the need for violent conquest.
** This is the game where the OrderVersusChaos dichotomy comes into play. With only a handful of 'good' characters left, either killed, or brainwashed to serve as Onaga's pawns, we're left with previously (and new) 'evil' or grey characters teaming up and binding together to fight on the side of chaos to fight for freedom that's threatened by the side of order. Suddenly it's no longer about good vs evil. New realms introduced in the series include Chaosrealm and Orderrealm. Introduced characters that maintain morally grey and/or take no stances on good and evil include a guardsman from the Orderrealm outright stated to want to preserve law and order at all costs, a cleric from the Chaosrealm with a desire to see the world descend into turmoil with militant obsession to oppose any control (good or bad), a resistance revolutionary from Orderrealm taking a leaf out of the chaos book to fight for freedom in Orderrealm and oppose all regulations and laws, and your standard WildCard mercenary that takes no sides in the whole ordeal (good, evil, order, or chaos). If order wins, the universe will be destroyed. If chaos wins, you can celebrate for about a minute before you realize you helped your former evil return. You're screwed either way.

*** An aversion, Zaros, the god of control, can't really be placed in any alignment because WordOfGod has stated that he runs on BlueAndOrangeMorality and has very little emotion. He has little interest in achieving any ideals and sees the fighting between the other gods as petty. During the time he ruled over a vast empire, he ruled with a style that could be interpreted as LawfulGood, LawfulNeutral, or LawfulEvil, and his followers (even his most loyal ones) were spread across just about every alignment. He has now given up on ruling over mortals and wants to manipulate events from the shadows. Ultimately, he just wants to accomplish his goal of stopping the Elder Gods, which is a noble cause, and will do whatever it takes to accomplish this.

* The sci-fi author Creator/JohnCWright has come up with [[http://www.scifiwright.com/2014/05/alignments-in-amber/ a setting]] which uses a rather complex and confusing concept for alignments. "Alignment" essentially boils down to being loyal to one faction or another. In [[http://www.scifiwright.com/2014/05/alignment-and-realism/ another post,]] he posited the idea of alignments based on real-life worldviews (from his conservative Christian point of view), with Classical (corresponding to Pagan philosophy), Principled (corresponding to theology), and Conventional (corresponding to modern ideology). It is also, more or less, classified following four classical virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude):

And three cardinal virtues (faith, hope, and charity). Or the lack thereof:

* Aristotle's philosophy posits that every personal quality is an axis of a person's moral alignment, and the ideal/virtuous path is somewhere on the middle of each axis, called the golden mean or middle way depending on your translation. For instance, if courage is a virtue, it's actually a scale where going too high results in [[FearlessFool recklessness]], and going too low results in [[DirtyCoward cowardice]].

* ProfessionalWrestling has a bit of an implied alignment system, with all wrestlers being divided into {{Face}}, {{Heel}}, or [[WildCard Tweener]], though this generally isn't acknowledged in {{Kayfabe}} -- except in Mexican lucha libre promotions in the vein of [[Wrestling/{{CMLL}} EMLL]], some other Spanish regions such as The Dominican Wrestling Federation and lucha-inspired promotions like Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}, where wrestlers are openly referred to as either "[[{{Face}} Tecnicos]]" or "[[{{Heel}} Rudos]]". Look for media based on North American wrestling not rooted in lucha culture, such as video games, to use euphemisms to refer to this system (such as "Fan Favorite" for Face and "Rule Breaker" for Heel). When a D20 game was released under [[Videogame/WWEVideogames WWE's licensing]], the alignments were actually Face, Tweener, and Heel. Later games have "Clean" and "Dirty"; apparently no real "tweeners".
* IWRG spells out the difference between tecnicos and rudos [[http://www.iwrg.com.mx/ right on its homepage.]]

** In earlier editions of the game, only player characters are able to freely choose their alignment; monsters (that is, any non-human or demihuman creature) are born with their specific alignment and can never change. This is due to the influence of the Outer Planes (which are arranged precisely according to the alignment axis) and the gods of the campaign. A goblin, for example, is born evil, and no amount of counseling will ever change it (though magic might). The fact all creatures (including [=PCs=]) have invisible "alignment auras" that can be "read" was proof of this. The reason for this is so that good-aligned characters [[{{WhatMeasureIsAMook}} are justified in killing or stealing from most monsters]]. There are, however, occasional variations -- you might meet the rare non-evil goblin, for example, but it would be the result of crossbreeding, magic, etc. -- never willing change.

* The sci-fi author Creator/JohnCWright has come up with [[http://www.scifiwright.com/2014/05/alignments-in-amber/ a setting]] which uses a rather complex and confusing concept for alignments. "Alignment" essentially boils down to being loyal to one faction or another. In [[http://www.scifiwright.com/2014/05/alignment-and-realism/ another post,]] he posited the idea of alignments based on the real-life worldviews (from his conservative Christian point of view), with Classical (corresponding to Pagan philosophy), Principled (corresponding to theology), and Conventional (corresponding to modern ideology).

* See the Franchise/{{Batman}} example in the article description.

* In ''Literature/IClaudius'', Claudius refers to different character types: virtuous men or scoundrels, stony hearts or golden hearts. He gives example of [[IncorruptiblePurePureness virtuous men with golden hearts]] (his old teacher), [[GoodIsNotNice virtuous men with stony hearts]] (Cato), [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk scoundrels with stony hearts]] (one of Caligula's henchmen), and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold scoundrels with golden hearts]] (Herod Agrippa).

** 5E returned to its roots and features the original nine-point axis, but retains Unaligned from 4E, which is narrowed in scope to only include entities that lack the intelligence or sapience to have a concept of morality, such as animals and constructs. Overall, 5e diminishes the importance of alignment by removing most of its mechanical effects' for example, Paladins don't have to be lawful good but follow Oaths that range across the alignment chart from the noble oath of Protection to the sinister oath of Conquest. Additionally, while most creatures "tend" towards certain alignment, individual members can be of any alignment. That being said, the various Oaths and pacts tend to have alignments at their base, so you cannot be a ChaoticEvil Paladin of Protection with a Oath to someone like [[ThePaladin Tyr]] as they won't want to give their blessing to someone actively working against their tenants or goals.

* ''TabletopGame/TheWitcherGameOfImagination'' completely ignores traditional alignments and the way how they are organised. Instead, there is an Honor[=/=]Reputation[=/=]Adventure triangle in which players must put their characters, giving each element different level of emphasis (so they have always gradual importance for the character, never equal). They are treated more as a compass for the players and a way to judge their actions by the story-teller than any actual mechanics.

* The standard Creator/PalladiumBooks system used in ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', ''TabletopGame/PalladiumFantasy'', ''Heroes Unlimited'', and ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'', among others has a variation on the alignment system from ''Dungeons & Dragons''. In this system, there are seven different alignments broken down into Good, Selfish, and Evil categories. Palladium rulebooks state that there is no such thing as Neutral, and dismiss the term as misleading (though that doesn't stop them from including a "Taoist" alignment in the Ninjas and Superspies system). '''Good''' alignments include Principled, which is roughly equivalent to LawfulGood, and Scrupulous, which is somewhere between ChaoticGood and NeutralGood. The '''Selfish''' category includes Unprincipled, which is sort of like LawfulNeutral, but tends to lean Good(); and Anarchist, which is the ChaoticNeutral equivelent. The '''Evil''' alignments include Miscreant, the selfish but not demonic -- roughly NeutralEvil to ChaoticEvil; Aberrant, who is the NobleDemon and textbook LawfulEvil; and Diabolic, a "cruel, brutal killer who trusts no one and has no value for anyone or anything that gets in his way," damn near ''[[CardCarryingEvil Card-Carrying]]'' ChaoticEvil. One thing of note is that the guidelines for what each alignment would or would not do is more rigidly spelled out in Palladium Games than most other systems, with each alignment containing a bulleted list. For instance, a Good character would never betray a friend, and neither would an Aberrant Evil character. Some books even provided fictional characters as guidelines, such as Franchise/{{Superman}} for Principled or [[Franchise/StarWars Han Solo]] for Unprincipled.

** There is deliberately no color specifically aligned with good or evil, though some colors get stereotyped as such anyway. White is associated with light and angels and often thought of as the "good" faction, but its traits can also be directed to oppressive tyranny and complete conformity. Conversely, Black's selfishness and (un)death motifs makes it the obvious "evil" color (and even the creators admit that villains tend to be drawn to Black), but it's also the color that values self-improvement and following your dreams.

* Every character in the ''VideoGame/OgreBattle'' series has an alignment, ranging from Lawful to Chaotic, which changes based on their actions during battles. (Characters which attack enemies stronger than themselves, for example, grow more lawful, while characters who hunt down and destroy weaker units [or single-handedly defend liberated cities against hordes of weak enemies which the Empire will mercilessly send to their doom] will grow chaotic.) Alignment affects what classes are available to a particular character. Lawful characters tend to have "light" classses (cleric, knight, angel), while chaotic ones tend to have "dark" classes (wizard, dark knight). Just remember DarkIsNotEvil and LightIsNotGood. In addition, there is another measure available only to the main character which goes by multiple names but is generally known as Reputation. The two are completely separate -- you can be utterly evil but still be famous and respected for your strength. Many special characters will only join you if your Reputation is high or low enough to suit their tastes, and [[AlignmentBasedEndings it affects your]] [[MultipleEndings ending]].

** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' incorportaes Law/Neutral/Chaos into battle gameplay: When you or one of your demons hits an enemy with an element they're weak to, other allies of the same alignment will execute a Demon Co-Op attack. Enemies cannot do the same, however, although it's still a good idea to prevent yourself from being pounded with too many weakness attacks.

** In ''Fallout 3'', once you do become sufficiently good or evil, agents from the opposite site will start hunting you. Killing the Rangers hunting you because you're evil makes you more evil; killing the Talon Co. mercenaries hunting you because you're good makes you more good. So there's a tipping point at which it becomes easier to keep going the direction you were heading. That said, unless you're deliberately TRYING for evil (or you undertake a particular quest that has a ''massive'' karma penalty), it's slightly easier to become "Good" than it is to become "Evil", and staying neutral is hardest of all, since it involves a kind of a balancing act of randomly being an a-hole just enough to keep you from accidentally becoming "too good".

*** Saradomin is the god of [[LawfulNeutral Order]]. Many of his followers are LawfulGood, but it has been shown that Saradomin is far from this due to his character flaws, but he is self-aware of this, engaging in "Do as I say, not as I do". In the distant past, he was an [[LawfulEvil evil tyrant]] before he went though a HeelRealization.

* Both ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' and ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'': Neither have nearly as explicit a system as ''Dungeons & Dragons'', but still has a [[KarmaMeter stat representing how "moral" each character is]]. This is called by a lot of different names, based on which edition and gameline you're playing, but it's generally a scale of "bestial monstrosity" (0) to "saint." (10) New World of Darkness characters also pick one each of seven virtues and seven vices, which add additional depth. A character who chooses, say, Justice and Wrath will be very different from somebody who chooses Faith and Pride.

'''As a general rule, do not add Character Alignment to any work where it is not featured in {{canon}}, as it will just lead to an EditWar. Administrivia/TheGreatCharacterAlignmentDebate explains this in more detail. In paticular, [[Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease there will be no real life examples under these circumstances]], except for descriptions of proposed systems like the [[FourTemperamentEnsemble four humors]] theory.'''

** The various gods and factions of ''Runescape'' represent various alignments, although many characters claim to be one alignment but act like another. A recurring theme is how all of the gods and their factions are NotSoDifferent.

*** The other major factions in the game support the NeutralGood god of peace Seren, the ChaoticGood god of hedonism Marimbo, the ChaoticEvil Trickster Sliske (who is ambiguously a god), and the CloudCuckooLander god of deliciousness Brassica Prime. The exception is the Godless Faction, which, like Guthix, wants the world to be free of gods, and although their philosophy claims to be ChaoticGood, has also shown some extremism that shows they are NotSoDifferent.

** However, several strips give an excellent illustration of alignments coming into conflict: The Lawful Good Celia, Chaotic Good Haley, and Chaotic Evil Belkar encounter a couple of Lawful Evil Hobgoblins. Belkar stabs the Hobgoblin because he just likes killing. Celia is horrified at his random unlawful murder, but Haley justifies it by saying that as they are fighting a war against evil, the unjust killing was, if not necessary, then at least acceptable. However, then they come into contact with a friendly gnome merchant, who Belkar then also stabs. Haley is horrified, but Belkar points out that the gnome's cart and donkey are of great use to the group, and likely to benefit the resistance more than his hobgoblin slaying. Celia then starts commenting on how NotSoDifferent the situation is, and sarcastically suggests that Haley should paint the corpse to look like a Hobgoblin so that Haley can more easily rationalize this second unlawful killing.

* The Pantheon/TropePantheons project in TV Tropes. As it was based on the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' system, designating CharacterAlignment to a character from a series that doesn't normally use them gets a free pass. There are even gods in the Pantheon that represent the four cardinal alignments: [[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Cosmos]] for Good, [[Literature/TheSilmarillion Melkor]] for Evil, and [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei YHVH and Lucifer]] for Law and Chaos respectively.

*** ChaoticGood: Starbuck (from ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''), Malcolm Reynolds (from ''Series/{{Firefly}}''), and RobinHood.

** In earlier editions of the game, only player characters were able to freely choose their alignment; monsters (that is, any non-human or demihuman creature) were born with their specific alignment and could never change. This was due to the influence of the Outer Planes (which were arranged precisely according to the alignment axis) and the gods of the campaign. A goblin, for example, was born evil, and no amount of counseling would ever change it (though magic might). The fact all creatures (including [=PCs=]) had invisible "alignment auras" that could be "read" was proof of this. The reason for this was so that good-aligned characters [[{{WhatMeasureIsAMook}} would be justified in killing or stealing from most monsters]]. There were, however, occasional variations -- you might meet the rare non-evil goblin, for example, but it would be the result of crossbreeding, magic, etc. -- never willing change.
** If the many, many conversations on alignment on various boards (oddly only rarely becoming flame wars) are any indication, the rules for alignment are vague. It really doesn't help that the writers don't seem that constant, one iconic character is lawful because they are devoted to something, but another iconic is chaotic because they are devoted to their art.
** ''Planescape'' introduces intermediate alignments between extremes and classifies them as tendencies. For example, you can have Good-leaning Chaotic Neutral, or a Chaotic-leaning Neutral Good, instead of just Chaotic Good. This seems to make classification of characters who are not exactly in one alignment or another much easier.

** Another bit of evidence that suggests that alignment was originally intended to be more "tangible" was the concept of alignment languages. Yes, [[DorkAge alignment languages]]. If you were, say, LawfulGood, then you had the option of learning to speak the official Lawful Good language ''(tm)''. Presumably, you were then issued your LG decoder ring and membership card that gave you access to the Lambda Gamma frat house where there is absolutely no underage drinking and a strict curfew. Hey, if you wanted a party house, you should've pledged [[ChaoticEvil Chi Epsilon]], which has the most [[TotallyRadical bodacious]] keggers, but you'll probably have trouble getting your roommate to pick up his socks!
*** The Alignment Languages weren't quite as silly as they seem, with the Alignments being more akin to belonging to secret societies devoted to particular philosophies/religions (such as the Cynics or Pythagorians in Ancient Greece) that taught you the appropriate code words and phrases than real, living languages. For example, they were described in the 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide as being useful for such things as conducting philosophical discussions appropriate to the alignment, or identifying impostors (which was why Assassins were able to learn Alignment Languages other than their own) but being pretty useless for, say, buying a loaf of bread at the local market.

** Interestingly enough, 4.0 did away with the nine-point axis, and replaced it with an alignment line of five alignments: LawfulGood, Good, Unaligned, Evil, and ChaoticEvil. NeutralGood and (some of) ChaoticGood were changed to just Good; NeutralEvil and LawfulEvil become just Evil; LawfulNeutral, TrueNeutral, ChaoticNeutral, and (some of) ChaoticGood no longer exist and are replaced by the nondescript "Unaligned". This was most likely done to simplify and clarify the alignment system, but, [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks well...]]

*** ChaoticGood was always something of an odd alignment out; in play, unless you were very serious about OrderVersusChaos distinctions, it either became "NeutralGood but more suspicious of the law" or "Kindhearted/Heroic ChaoticNeutral".
*** ChaoticEvil was always the "Kill, Crush, Burn" evil alignment, as opposed to "Whatever benefits me" of the other branches of Evil.
*** And LawfulGood was similarly distinct from the other branches of Good. Short version: LG had specific prescriptions for "what is Good" built right into it, unlike the others, and was [[ToBeLawfulOrGood more of a balancing act]].

*** ChaoticEvil is [[ForTheEvulz evil for the sake of evil]], and typically found in the kinds of monsters who [[OmnicidalManiac want to destroy the world]] or [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum don't care what happens to anything or everything else if they can't get their way]]. Chaotic Evil is the evil of madness and oblivion, the kind of evil that wants to just destroy everything for no other reason than because it can.

** 5E returns to its roots and gives us the original nine-point axis, but adds a tenth one from 4E, Unaligned.
*** Unaligned was narrowed to only include nonsapient entities such as animals and constructs.
*** 5e has diminished the importance of alignment by removing most of its mechanical effects. For example, Paladins don't have to be lawful good but follow Oaths that range across the alignment chart from the noble oath of Protection to the sinister oath of Conquest. Additionally, while most creatures "tend" towards certain alignment, individual members can be of any alignment. That being said, the various Oaths and pacts tend to have alignments at their base, so you cannot be a ChaoticEvil Paladin of Protection with a Oath to someone like [[ThePaladin Tyr]] as they won't want to give their blessing to someone actively working against their tenants or goals.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat'':

|| '''''Alignment Chart''''' || Order vs. Chaos ||||||
|| Good vs. Evil || ''Lawful'' || ''Neutral'' || ''Chaotic'' ||
|| ''Good'' || LawfulGood || NeutralGood || ChaoticGood ||
|| ''Neutral'' || LawfulNeutral || TrueNeutral || ChaoticNeutral ||
|| ''Evil'' || LawfulEvil || NeutralEvil || ChaoticEvil ||

Character Alignment is a shorthand for a given character's (or religion's, society's, organization's, etc.) moral/ethical outlook on [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy life, the universe and everything]]. Many roleplaying games use some sort of alignment system as a KarmaMeter, an "ideal" for a character to live up to, or just a descriptive shorthand for characters, though some gamers deride them as crutches to "real roleplaying," and some systems accordingly have none at all. Expect a setting that uses character alignments to make frequent use of plots about OrderVersusChaos and BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil.

* '''NeutralEvil''': Sometimes known as the Asshole Alignment, Neutral Evil is the most unpredictable evil alignment. They also tend to be [[ItsAllAboutMe egotists who don't care the slightest about other people]]. They may just happen to be on the Good Guy's Team [[EnemyMine because it's better for them at the moment]]. Expect any Neutral Evil state to be {{Mordor}}, and a Neutral Evil city the WretchedHive.

|| '''''Alignment Chart''''' || OrderVersusChaos ||||||
|| Good Versus Evil || ''Lawful'' || ''Neutral'' || ''Chaotic'' ||
|| ''Good'' || [[color:blue:Lawful Good]] || [[color:fuchsia:Neutral Good]] || [[color:orange:Chaotic Good]] ||
|| ''Neutral'' || [[color:green:Lawful Neutral]] || [[color:navy:True Neutral]] || [[color:gray:Chaotic Neutral]] ||
|| ''Evil'' || [[color:maroon:Lawful Evil]] || [[color:purple:Neutral Evil]] || [[color:red:Chaotic Evil]] ||

Character Alignment is a shorthand for a given character's (or religion's, society's, organization's, etc.) moral/ethical outlook on [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy life, the universe and everything]]. Many roleplaying games use some sort of alignment system as a KarmaMeter, an "ideal" for a character to live up to, or just a descriptive shorthand for characters, though some gamers deride them as crutches to "real roleplaying," and some systems accordingly have none at all. Expect a setting that uses character alignments to make frequent use of plots about OrderAndChaos and BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil.

Character Alignment is a shorthand for a given character's (or religion's, society's, organization's, etc.) moral/ethical outlook on [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy life, the universe and everything]]. Many roleplaying games use some sort of alignment system as a KarmaMeter, an "ideal" for a character to live up to, or just a descriptive shorthand for characters, though some gamers deride them as crutches to "real roleplaying," and some systems accordingly have none at all.

'''Always remember that the vast majority of characters in fiction are not tabletop game characters, and therefore lack a canonical interpretation of alignment by the standards below. Characters should ONLY be categorized under them when their alignments are clearly and explicitly stated in canon.''' As both the standards and especially character personalities are vague, complicated to interpret, and subject to change with CharacterDevelopment, thus leading to endless debate, the assignment of alignments to characters not stated to have them is considered strictly subjective.

The original editions of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' drew on the works of Creator/PoulAnderson and Creator/MichaelMoorcock to come up with three alignments: [[OrderVersusChaos Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic]], with Lawful representing honor and obedience to, well, [[ShapedLikeItself law]]. Chaotic characters may be insane, but could simply lean towards a desire for the freedom to do what they want. Whether they do good or evil because of this freedom is what decides their moral leaning. Neutrality alternatively represents neither one (as was the case with animals and people who simply didn't care) or a desire to see "[[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil balance]]" between the two. Later editions kept this as the "ethical" axis of the alignment scale and added a second "moral" axis of Good, Neutral, and Evil.

The ethical axis was more one's attitude towards the position of society and rules: Lawful characters think having an ordered society is important and beneficial; Chaotic characters don't necessarily oppose this, but think the freedom of the individual comes first; Neutral characters tend to judge such situations on a case-by-case basis. If a law was unjust, a lawful person might think it needs retooling, or say that it prevents more problems than it causes. A neutral person might see the need for such a law, but would still think it should be scrapped and redone from scratch. A chaotic person would probably just break it.

This is sometimes lumped in with two different attitudes: whether the character in question believes that the universe as a whole is orderly, and how the character conducts his life (with plans or flying by the seat of his pants). This can produce considerable confusion, as the three levels can exist in any combination.

The "moral" axis can be adequately explained by the ''focus'' of those morals: Good people generally focus on ''you'' (they feel that they should help everyone else when possible). Neutrals are usually focused on ''us'', meaning their family and friends (they can be charitable, but their "circle" always comes first), though they can display elements of ''me'' (in that they tend to look out for themselves and are uninterested in the affairs of others (though they'll still balk at outright harming others)). Evil people are generally ''me'' focused (often at the expense of other's misfortune). However, like good, evils can also focus on ''you'' (but instead of aid and kindness, when those who are evil-aligned focus on others, it is with an emphasis on destruction and suffering).

* '''LawfulGood''': They believe Law is Good, and that you do good by upholding the law. The alignment of TheCape, [[ThePaladin Paladins]], and the KnightInShiningArmor. Believes in Truth, Justice and such, but may potentially believe in them a little [[WideEyedIdealist too much]]. Lawful Good does not necessarily mean someone who obeys every law, but only just laws or an internal code.

The alignment any particular character falls under is mostly a matter of opinion in works other than TabletopGames, where it's usually spelled out (and even then, fans are likely to spill a lot of words about how [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation the creator got the character's alignment wrong]]). It's also generally only ''important'' in TabletopGames, but that doesn't stop RPG fans from discussing what alignment characters in every other work they like would be -- just for fun, try Googling '[[ComicBook/ThePunisher Punisher]] alignment', or better yet, Google Site Search it on an RPG-oriented forum. This is why most of the above statements about which alignment a character "probably" is are qualified (and, incidentally, why none of the examples is ComicBook/ThePunisher). There will ''always'' be a [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation counter-interpretation]].

This is the concept that gives LawfulStupidChaoticStupid, StupidGood, StupidEvil, StupidNeutral, AlwaysLawfulGood and AlwaysChaoticEvil their names. Expect a setting that explicitly uses alignment to make frequent use of OrderVersusChaos and BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil type plots. The KarmaMeter is a way for video games to represent this. Working out a specific character's alignment is subject to AlternateCharacterInterpretation, ValuesDissonance, and let's not forget mountains of FanDumb. Arguments about what the alignments ''themselves'' mean often get into the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism.

As the quote for LawfulStupidChaoticStupid shows, the alignment system was and is meant to be a roleplaying tool (every [=DnD=] manual from 2E on mentions this fact). Most players of any TTRPG involving one tend to ignore this, and either ignore their alignment or treat it as a character shackle. This truth in and of itself is the reason so many {{subtrope}}s (and arguments) based on this concept exist.

If someone is having difficulty depicting a character of a particular alignment ''because'' of the alignment, or in imagining how to do so sensibly, it's probably because they're putting the cart before the horse. Alignment isn't personality and doesn't determine it. Personality determines alignment. You should first come up with the personality and see how the character functions based on it, and ''then'' see which alignment it fits. For example, instead of presenting ChaoticEvil as doing random evil acts for no reason, you might come up with a character who thinks the only way to get by is to dominate everyone else by using physical violence, and is willing to apply this method at the least provocation, lest he seem "weak", not caring that he hurts others -- and then realise his behaviour and attitude amount to a kind of Chaotic Evil, this time with a reason.

Keep also in mind that the various alignments don't represent higher or lower variants of the two combining coordinates: that is, lawful good is not more lawful than lawful neutral (or viceversa), nor lawful good is more good than chaotic good, and a chaotic evil character is not necessarily the evilest possible character in a setting or the one who causes the most suffering or the biggest crimes. This misinterpretation could emerge particularly when alignments are portrayed in a top-to-bottom list instead of a grid, with lawful good on the top and chaotic evil on the bottom (like in ''Videogame/BaldursGate'' at character creation).

A [[MemeticMutation meme]] on [[Website/FourChan a certain imageboard]] is creating motivational posters of various characters from fiction and real life with a caption explaining their alignment. The ultimate example being a 3x3 grid showing every alignment with varying pictures and captions, [[http://writingiseasier.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/batman-alignment-chart.jpg but]] [[DependingOnTheWriter the same subject]]: Franchise/{{Batman}}.

As with all good concepts, it's very ripe for parody -- there are such motivational posters of [[UnconventionalAlignment alignments]] including "Chaotic Awesome" (for [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Cartman]]) and "Chaotic Gorgeous" (Evanna Lynch's portrayal of [[Film/HarryPotter Luna Lovegood]]).

[[http://easydamus.com/alignment.html This website]] is also quite helpful in explaining the concept of Character Alignment, and has further info on the nine different alignments.

As a general rule, do not add Character Alignment to any work where it is not featured in {{canon}}. Administrivia/TheGreatCharacterAlignmentDebate explains this in more detail.

Due to the controversial nature of this trope, and not to mention, it's considered shoe-horning to categorize people with these kind of tropes, '''[[Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease there will be no real life examples under these circumstances]], since it invites an Administrivia/EditWar.''' The one exception is outlines of actual RealLife proposed systems (such as the [[FourTemperamentEnsemble four humors]] theory).

* '''LawfulGood''': Basically, they believe Law is Good, and that you do good by upholding the law. The alignment of TheCape, [[ThePaladin Paladins]], and the KnightInShiningArmor. Believes in Truth, Justice and such, but may potentially believe in them a little [[WideEyedIdealist too much]]. Commonly run into the question of whether ToBeLawfulOrGood. Poorly portrayed, he tends to be LawfulStupid, largely depending on your interpretation of "good" and law. Individuals who believe that RousseauWasRight will tend to view society as tending towards LawfulGood, with most individuals within it as lawful or NeutralGood. In ''D&D'' {{canon}} up to 4.0 edition, archons, celestials who inhabit the Seven Heavens, are Lawful Good. From a non-''D&D'', more realistic perspective, however, [=LGs=] are likely altruists who believe in an orderly lifestyle for the benefit of their species.Lawful Good does not necessarily mean someone who obeys every law but only just laws or an internal code. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion, but it can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

* '''NeutralGood''': Sweetness and light. Doing good is more important than upholding the law, but law is not a bad thing. Not too caught up in OrderVersusChaos; concerned with moral goodness, but often not willing to enforce it in others. A MessianicArchetype is very likely to be NeutralGood. Just think "basically nice person" and you've probably got it. (For advanced learners, there's GoodIsNotNice.) NeutralGood states may be [[{{Utopia}} really nice places to live]], but depending on how idealistic or cynical the setting is, they may be deluding themselves into being do idealistic. The guardinal celestials of ''D&D'', [[FunnyAnimal beastlike creatures]] who inhabit Elysium, are Neutral Good. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order, but it can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

* '''ChaoticGood''': [[RebelliousSpirit Rebels]] and [[WildCard free spirits]] who are stereotypically found opposing tyrants and other oppressive types. They tend to believe that things like order, discipline, and [[HonorBeforeReason honor]] can get in the way of doing good. Thanks to their free-spirited, easily bored nature, if the local government isn't considered sufficiently oppressive, they might just go out and find one that is. Or they may believe too much order is bad for ''everyone''. A society that's run by chaotic Good individuals could exist but would involved personal freedom and liberty. Whatever their stance is, they act on their ideals before they let laws get in the way, and sometimes they ''dare'' the laws to get in the way. Basically, think RobinHood or VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog -- a guy who lives for freedom and adventure, but consistently lends a helping hand to the downtrodden and oppressed whenever the opportunity arises, even if he has to go well out of his way to do so. Whether ChaoticGood characters are portrayed as BigDamnHeroes, [[WideEyedIdealist too damn idealistic]], [[ManicPixieDreamGirl manic pixie dream people]], or [[NiceJobBreakingItHero just a damn problem]] depends on the views of the author and, ultimately, readers. Represented in pre-4th Edition ''D&D'' by the elf- and fey-like eladrin celestials of Arborea. Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit, but it can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.

* '''LawfulNeutral''': The rule-abiding sort. Law and order is more important than whether you're good or evil. Believes in keeping order, though not necessarily in Justice as a universal constant (though they may -- this can get complicated). They'll arrest a robber or rapist, but may also kick a family out of their home for failing to pay rent, even if they were poor. It does not necessarily mean following the laws of a government only the laws of a society. For example a career criminal who works for a criminal organisation would be lawful neutral as their primary interests are involved with protecting their organisation. Many a PunchClockVillain fits under this alignment May also believe in a Cosmic Order that transcends laws -- many monks are LawfulNeutral. Just as often the bad guys as the good guys in an OrderVersusChaos situation. People who think HobbesWasRight will argue that all societies tend towards LawfulNeutral, as the Always ChaoticNeutral individuals who make up society surrender their freedom to the law in exchange [[EnemyMine for protection from other Chaotic Neutral individuals]]. Modrons, ''D&D'' beings of geometrically perfect precision and order who inhabit the plane of Mechanus, are Lawful Neutral. Mercenaries who obey their contracts without question, and take either side of the moral spectrum, are LawfulNeutral. TheStoic can make a good LawfulNeutral. Probably the best known example of this alignment is InspectorJavert from ''Literature/LesMiserables'' (who basically sees "lawful" as the same as "good"). Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot, but it can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.

* '''TrueNeutral''': Sometimes known as just ''Neutral'', or even ''[[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Neutral Neutral]]''. Comes in two flavors: [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil Keeping the Balance]] and [[BystanderSyndrome Just Doesn't Care]]. Druids are [[{{Canon}} canonically]] the former sort, on the same side as the animals. The balance-happy sort may sometimes be [[TheDitz characters just too dumb to know the difference]], but may also be a WildCard. It's not uncommon to see TrueNeutral monks, for instance; not to mention [[{{Muggles}} ordinary folks who just want to be left alone]]. Many a PunchClockVillain fits under this alignment when not LawfulNeutral. Your average citizen of Libria (in ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'') is an example of the "Just Doesn't Care" version of neutrality, without necessarily being ''stupid'' -- the government would probably be LawfulEvil. Druids in ''D&D'' were required to be TrueNeutral until the 3rd Edition of the game, and even then had to maintain "some of nature's neutrality". Mordenkainen, from the ''TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}}'' setting, a very powerful wizard who actively tries to keep any major power from getting the upper hand, is an example of the "Balance Keeping" version. Animals, meanwhile, are considered to lack any sort of moral capacity; since moral judgments can't be placed on them, they are [[{{Canon}} canonically]] TrueNeutral in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Rilmani, metallic-skinned humanoids from the Outlands, are the True Neutral archetype, maintaining the balance between all the other planes. If True Neutrals include the kind with a head for things, then they most likely typically do not care for idealist virtues and/or politics. Intelligent true neutrals are quite logical in how they go about things, including morals. Employers fire and hire employees in equal measure, etc. Neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion, but it can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

* '''ChaoticNeutral''': The ultimate free spirits, or just [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} lunatics]]? It can go either way. Chaotic Neutral characters are all about freedom, and don't care so much about morality. Sometimes they're just amoral nutjobs, and sometimes they're generally good people with a wild streak that sometimes leads them into bad things. Often used by players in TabletopGames to excuse doing anything they feel like (in the case of a GameMaster who disables evil alignments -- see NeutralEvil, below), and often prohibited by the sort of GameMaster who also prohibits outright evil characters. Like Lawful Neutral, however, how "good" they ultimately end up seeming depends on which side of OrderVersusChaos the plot tends toward. The toadlike slaad ("I didn't know what he was talking about, so I ate him."), inhabitants of Limbo, are Chaotic Neutral. The main difference between chaotic neutral and Chaotic evil is a matter of execution. A chaotic neutral person fights because they love fighting. A chaotic evil person fights to hurt. Chaotic neutral is the best alignment you can be because it represents true freedom from both society's restrictions and a do-gooder's zeal, but it can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all authority, harmony, and order in society.

* '''LawfulEvil''': The ordered sort of Evil, that often ends up in charge. Can be a lot like Lawful Neutral, but ''nastier''. Well-structured, large-scale and often scarily successful evil. May believe in keeping order ''[[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans at all costs]]'', or may simply believe that a well-ordered system is ''so'' much [[AmoralAttorney easier to exploit]]. Whether an ObstructiveBureaucrat is Lawful Evil or Lawful Neutral is basically a function of whether he ''enjoys'' what he's doing (see above example of kicking the family out of the house). {{Knight Templar}}s are almost always this alignment. If GodIsEvil, he's almost always Lawful Evil. On the "bright" side, the WorthyOpponent and NobleDemon are often Lawful Evil (if they're evil at all), as they tend to develop a "CodeOfHonor" to guide their actions, and can in fact be dependable allies in an EnemyMine situation where other alignments might fizzle out. In circumstances where you are not a threat to their intentions, Lawful Evil might well be the "lesser of the three evils", but on the other hand, it's the one most likely to win and the one that most frequently causes suffering on a grand scale. [[BigBad BB]][[EvilGenius EGs]] in general tend towards Lawful Evil -- mostly since they plan to construct their very own empire that you'd better fall in line with -- as do many {{Magnificent Bastard}}s. A mercenary who always keeps his contract (good or evil), but enjoys a job where he gets to hurt people, is Lawful Evil and more likely to end up working for the bad guys. The baatezu (devils) of ''D&D'' rule the plane of Baator with a Lawful Evil fist, and some of these were originally KnightTemplar angels. As a good reference point, Big Brother (or [[spoiler:O'Brien]]) from ''1984'' would be Lawful Evil. Lawful evil creatures consider their alignment to be the best because it combines honor with a dedicated self-interest, but it is also the most difficult to fight evil alignment because it represents methodical, intentional, and frequently successful evil.

* '''NeutralEvil''': Sometimes known as the Asshole Alignment. The Neutral Evil Alignment can be even more dangerous than the Chaotic Evil Alignment -- simply because you can't be sure of which way they'll swing in the end. Neutral Evil characters are primarily in it for themselves, because while they are usually villains, they can also swing to the good guy's side, like the MagnificentBastard they really are. They may also just happen to be on the Good Guy's Team [[EnemyMine because it's better for them at the moment]]. Why are they so bad? It could be that EvilTastesGood or maybe EvilFeelsGood. Could be that they've given in to TheDarkSide. They could be part of the ReligionOfEvil. They could just be, you know, [[TheSociopath sociopaths]]. They could take [[ItsAllAboutMe looking out for number one]] way too far. Or it could be for no readily apparent reason whatsoever. They can be the very embodiment of malice, or just petty thugs. In ''Dungeons & Dragons'', characters who are selfish above all else are Neutral Evil by default. Expect any Neutral Evil state to be {{Mordor}}, and a Neutral Evil city the WretchedHive. The double-dealing, backstabbing, gleefully evil and mercenary fiends called yugoloths (daemons), living in the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, are ''D&D''[='s=] archetypal NeutralEvil beings. Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others, but it is also the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation, being able to walk on the sides of both order and chaos as necessary.

* '''ChaoticEvil''': If Chaotic Neutral indicates the truly free spirit, Chaotic Evil is the truly ''evil'' free spirit. Whereas the Chaotic Neutral is concerned only with his wants and needs but isn't a really horrible person, the same can't be said for the Chaotic Evil character. They will do whatever they want to (even if, and sometimes, especially if, it hurts other people) and (to them) rules don't matter. Whiles Neutral evil person would work within the system until it was convivient not to a chaotic evil person would often work outside the system. A chaotic evil society is one where the strong rule above all else. If the leader is weak he is killed and replaced by someone wit the will to lead. So why are they evil? Perhaps they're in it for profit. Maybe they are narcissistic or egotistical. Or maybe they're simply insane; most but not all psychopaths fall under this designation. But contrary to what some believe, Chaotic Evil does not mean the kind of wanton, meaningless slaughter and destruction associated with StupidEvil. Chaotic evil is primarly about doing what you want and few people randomly slaughter people when it would be impractical.Indeed, it is often the more calculating and intelligent villains of this kind that are the most dangerous. Being Chaotic Evil doesn't mean a character HAS to slaughter an entire village just because he's passing through. Of course, if he's having a bad day, or is bored, he might just jam a knife in somebody ForTheEvulz. But most chaotic people are not that cartoonishly evil simply are not bound by any societal rules and unlike neutral evil people don't pretend to follow those rules at all {{Serial Killer}}s are good examples of Chaotic Evil . It's the canonical alignment of tanar'ri (demons), beings who were created in and by an endless semisentient Abyss that itself is dedicated to entropy, in ''D&D''. For a great example of how Chaotic Evil can be done well and not be ChaoticStupid, see [[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker]]. Chaotic evil beings believe their alignment is the best because it combines self-interest and pure freedom, but it is also the most terrifying alignment because it represents the destruction not only of beauty and life but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.

* The Pantheon/TropePantheons project in TV Tropes. As it was based on the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' system, designating CharacterAlignment to a character from a series that doesn't normally use them gets a free pass. There are even gods in the Pantheon that represent the four cardinal alignments: [[VideoGame/DissiddaFinalFantasy Cosmos]] for Good, [[Literature/TheSilmarillion Melkor]] for Evil, and [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei YHVH and Lucifer]] for Law and Chaos respectively.