Alignment Chart: The 9 Alignments Explained, With Examples

MeaningWhat Is an Alignment Chart?

In shortAn alignment chart is a 3 x 3 grid that places a character by their attitude to rules and their attitude to other people.

Every character on the chart answers two questions. First: do they follow rules, traditions and promises, or do they trust their own judgement and freedom? Second: do they care about other people, look after themselves, or harm others to get what they want? Crossing the two answers gives nine squares, from Lawful Good in the top-left corner to Chaotic Evil in the bottom-right.

The chart is a simple way to describe a character in one phrase. Writers use it to keep characters consistent, players use it in role-playing games, and the internet uses it for memes that sort anything from foods to friends into the nine squares.

The two linesThe Two Lines of the Alignment Chart

The 9 alignmentsThe 9 Alignments Explained

Select any alignment for its full meaning, traits, real-life examples, classic characters and D&D tips.

The ProtectorLawful GoodLawful Good means doing the right thing through fair rules and kept promises.Read moreThe HelperNeutral GoodNeutral Good means helping people first and following rules only when they help.Read moreThe Rebel with a HeartChaotic GoodChaotic Good means following your conscience over the rules to protect or help others.Read moreThe JudgeLawful NeutralLawful Neutral means valuing order, rules and consistency above personal feelings.Read moreThe BalancerTrue NeutralTrue Neutral means staying balanced between rules and freedom, and between self and others.Read moreThe Wild CardChaotic NeutralChaotic Neutral means putting your own freedom first and following the moment.Read moreThe BossLawful EvilLawful Evil means using rules, systems and deals to get ahead, without caring who loses.Read moreThe OpportunistNeutral EvilNeutral Evil means putting yourself first and using rules or people only when it pays.Read moreThe Agent of ChaosChaotic EvilChaotic Evil means ignoring rules and other people for the thrill or the gain.Read more

HistoryWhere Does the Alignment Chart Come From?

The alignment chart comes from Dungeons & Dragons. The first rules, published in 1974, used a single line: law against chaos. A second line, good against evil, was added in the late 1970s, and the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons books of 1977 and 1978 used the full grid of nine alignments.

Decades later the grid escaped the game table. Fans began sorting characters from books, films and TV into the nine squares, and the chart became a popular internet meme, used for anything from pizza toppings to coworkers. The fifth edition of the game still describes the nine alignments, now as a loose guide to a character’s outlook rather than a strict rule.

How toHow to Make Your Own Alignment Chart

1. Pick a themeCharacters from one story, your friends, foods, anything with nine members.
2. Ask the two questionsDoes each one follow rules or break them? Does it help others, stay neutral or cause harm?
3. Place each onePut each item in the square where both answers meet. Argue about the edge cases: that is half the fun.
4. Share and comparePost it and let friends move things around. Then find where you sit with the moral alignment test.

Personality typesAlignment Chart and Personality Types

Alignment describes moral outlook, and personality type describes how you think and decide, so they are not the same. There is a loose, fun link between two of the lines and two of the letters:

Any type can land anywhere on the chart. The free personality test finds your real four letters.

QuestionsAlignment Chart: FAQ

SourcesSources

Written byElora MercerFamous Personalities WriterReviewed byAarav VardhanEditor-in-Chief