Alignment Chart
The Alignment Chart is a reference tool covering alignment chart, dnd alignment chart, alignment chart meme, lawful good chart. Use the chart below to look up values instantly. Printable and downloadable versions are available on this page.
D&D Alignment Chart — Complete Reference
The alignment chart from Dungeons and Dragons describes a character's ethical and moral outlook on two axes — the Law-Chaos axis (how a character relates to rules and structure) and the Good-Evil axis (how they treat others).
D&D Alignment Chart — All Nine Alignments
| Lawful | Neutral | Chaotic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good | The Paladin Lawful Good Honest, principled, and works within a structured system to do what is right. Follows rules because they believe the rules support good outcomes. | The Hero Neutral Good Does what is good without strong preference for order or freedom. Adapts their methods to the situation to achieve the best outcome. | The Rebel Chaotic Good Does what they believe is right regardless of rules or authority. Values individual freedom and good conscience over institutional law. |
| Neutral | The Judge Lawful Neutral Believes in order, tradition, and law for their own sake — neither particularly good nor evil. Follows the rules precisely. | The Bystander True Neutral Avoids taking sides. May believe in the balance of all forces or simply be self-interested without strong moral conviction. | The Free Spirit Chaotic Neutral Values personal freedom and acts on whims. Not evil but unpredictable and resistant to any constraints. |
| Evil | The Tyrant Lawful Evil Uses rules, systems, and power structures to achieve selfish or harmful ends. Methodical and calculating. | The Mercenary Neutral Evil Acts out of pure self-interest with no loyalty to rules or ideals. Does whatever advances their own goals regardless of harm to others. | The Destroyer Chaotic Evil Acts on destructive impulses with no regard for rules, life, or consequences. The most dangerous alignment. |
Source: Dungeons and Dragons alignment system — originally introduced in D&D 1974 and formalised in Advanced D&D 1977
Famous Character Alignment Examples
Well-Known Character Alignment Examples
| Alignment | Fictional Character Examples | Real-World Archetype |
|---|---|---|
| Lawful Good | Superman, Ned Stark (before execution), Captain America, Atticus Finch | The noble protector who serves both law and morality. |
| Neutral Good | Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter, Samwise Gamgee, Paddington Bear | The ordinary person doing the right thing. |
| Chaotic Good | Robin Hood, Zorro, Deadpool, Han Solo (later) | The vigilante or rebel who breaks rules to help others. |
| Lawful Neutral | Inspector Javert (Les Misérables), Spock (early Trek) | The letter-of-the-law enforcer. |
| True Neutral | Tom Bombadil, Druids (concept), Switzerland (political concept) | The disinterested balanced party. |
| Chaotic Neutral | Captain Jack Sparrow, The Joker (some interpretations), Gollum | The unpredictable wild card. |
| Lawful Evil | Dolores Umbridge, Tywin Lannister, The Emperor (Star Wars) | The authoritarian ruler who uses systems for evil. |
| Neutral Evil | Hannibal Lecter, Amy Dunne (Gone Girl), Scar (The Lion King) | The self-serving schemer. |
| Chaotic Evil | The Joker (Dark Knight), Bellatrix Lestrange, Kefka (Final Fantasy VI) | The mindless destroyer. |
The Two Alignment Axes Explained
- The Law-Chaos axis measures how a character relates to rules, authority, and structure. Lawful characters value order, hierarchy, and keeping promises. Chaotic characters value individual freedom, flexibility, and acting on personal conscience. Neutral characters fall in between — neither strongly attached to rules nor strongly opposed to them.
- The Good-Evil axis measures how a character treats other beings. Good characters value life, protect others, and consider the welfare of those around them. Evil characters actively harm, exploit, or are indifferent to the suffering of others for personal gain. Neutral characters are somewhere in between — self-interested but not deliberately malicious.
- The most important clarification: Lawful does not mean good and Chaotic does not mean evil. A Lawful Evil character (like a corrupt dictator) uses rules and order for harmful ends. A Chaotic Good character (like Robin Hood) breaks laws for genuinely beneficial reasons.
- True Neutral is sometimes misread as apathy — but in D&D it can represent a principled belief in balance between all forces (as with druids) or simply a character who has not yet made strong moral commitments.
Alignment Chart Maker
Add characters, choose their alignment, drag them between cells, and download your chart as an image.
Frequently Asked Questions
The nine alignments are Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, and Chaotic Evil. Each describes a character's ethical and moral orientation on two axes.
Batman is most commonly interpreted as Chaotic Good — he operates outside the law using vigilante methods but with a genuine commitment to protecting the innocent and never killing. Some interpretations place him as Lawful Good given his strict personal code.
Chaotic Evil is considered the most extreme evil alignment — it combines destructive malevolence with complete disregard for any structure, law, or fellow being. Lawful Evil is often considered more dangerous in practice because it is organised and systematic.
The Joker is most commonly classified as Chaotic Evil — he pursues destruction and chaos for its own sake with no coherent ideology, rules, or self-interested goals. Some interpretations of the Joker (particularly in The Dark Knight) could be read as Chaotic Neutral given his stated goal of exposing civilisation's hypocrisy.
Hermione Granger is most commonly interpreted as Lawful Good — she follows rules, respects authority, and works within institutional structures while consistently choosing to do what is right. Her evolution across the books edges toward Neutral Good as she begins breaking rules for the right reasons.
Yes — the alignment system was introduced in the original Dungeons and Dragons by Gary Gygax in 1974 with the Law-Chaos axis alone. Gary Gygax added the Good-Evil axis in Advanced D&D in 1977 creating the 9-point grid used today.
Lawful Good and Neutral Good are the most common hero alignments because they clearly define motivation (protecting others) while varying in how flexible or rule-bound the hero is. Chaotic Good is also popular for antiheroes and vigilante-type protagonists.
The alignment chart became a popular internet meme format in which the 9-alignment grid is applied to any category — foods, programming languages, politicians, office supplies, or anything else — with the Lawful-Chaotic axis representing one trait spectrum and the Good-Evil axis representing another. These are entirely informal humorous applications of the grid rather than serious D&D content.