The short answer
Neutral Evil means doing whatever benefits you, with no loyalty to rules or to chaos and no concern for who gets hurt. A Neutral Evil character follows rules when they help and breaks them when they do not, always for their own gain. They are realistic, self-interested and hard to fool, which makes them the purest form of selfishness on the chart.
On this page
MeaningWhat Does Neutral Evil Mean?
In shortNeutral Evil means putting yourself first and using rules or people only when it pays.
Neutral Evil sits in the bottom-centre of the alignment chart: neutral on the rules line, evil on the people line. These characters are not driven by order or by chaos; they are driven by what they can get. Rules, promises and people are all tools.
Many people call Neutral Evil the most dangerous alignment, because it has no code to limit it and no impulsiveness to give it away. A Neutral Evil character will smile, cooperate and wait, then take whatever is on offer.
- AlignmentNeutral Evil
- MottoWhatever works for me.
- NicknameThe Opportunist
- OppositeNeutral Good
- Biggest strengthRealistic and clear about what they want
- Biggest flawPuts themselves first every time
TraitsNeutral Evil Traits: Strengths and Flaws
Strengths
- Realistic and clear about what they want
- Adaptable to any system
- Very hard to fool
- Patient
- Calm under pressure
Flaws
- Puts themselves first every time
- Untrustworthy
- Isolated: few real allies
- Loyal only while it pays
In peopleWhat Is a Neutral Evil Person Like?
In shortA Neutral Evil person is self-serving, practical and hard to read. They use rules, people and promises when it suits them, drop them when it does not, and rarely let feelings get in the way.
ExamplesNeutral Evil Examples in Real Life
Everyday situations where someone acts in a Neutral Evil way:
- Taking credit for a colleague's work whenever nobody is checking
- Being charming to whoever is useful this month
- Following the rules only when someone is watching
- Selling a friend's secret for an advantage
- Switching teams the moment the other side looks stronger
Find Your Square on the Chart
12 everyday dilemmas place you on both lines of the alignment chart, with a hint at your personality type. Free, no sign-up.
CharactersNeutral Evil Characters in Classic Stories
Characters from well-known public-domain stories that readers and writers often place at Neutral Evil:
Ruins the people around him to get ahead and get even.
Humble on the outside, scheming for his own gain underneath.
Climbs society by using everyone, with no loyalty to anyone.
ComparisonsNeutral Evil vs Other Alignments
| Comparison | The difference |
|---|---|
 Neutral Evil vs Lawful Evil | Lawful Evil keeps a code and its word; Neutral Evil keeps them only when it pays. |
 Neutral Evil vs Chaotic Evil | Chaotic Evil is impulsive and destructive; Neutral Evil is calculated and quiet. |
 Neutral Evil vs True Neutral | True Neutral weighs self and others evenly; Neutral Evil always chooses self. |
Dungeons & DragonsNeutral Evil in D&D
In Dungeons & Dragons, a Neutral Evil character does whatever they can get away with, without compassion and without a strong bias toward order or chaos. It suits assassins, mercenaries and schemers, and works best when the character has a clear goal they will pursue at any cost.
Tips for playing a Neutral Evil character
- Give them one clear goal and let everything serve it
- Make them useful to the party, for now
- Show their charm before their betrayal
Personality typesWhich Personality Types Are Neutral Evil?
Alignment and personality type measure different things, and any type can land anywhere on the chart. As a fun link: lawful leans to J, chaotic to P, good to F and evil to T. Neutral Evil points to T (logic first) only, because it sits in the middle of the rules line. The types with a T:
A fun match, not a test result. The free personality test finds your real four-letter type.
The chartAll 9 Alignments on the Chart
Neutral Evil is highlighted. Select any square to read what that alignment means.
Lawful Good
Neutral Good
Chaotic GoodNeutral
Lawful NeutralTrue Neutral
Chaotic NeutralEvilLawful Evil
Neutral EvilChaotic EvilShare This Guide
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QuestionsNeutral Evil: FAQ
Is Neutral Evil good or bad?
No. Neutral Evil is an evil alignment. It is often seen as the purest selfishness, because nothing but self-interest guides it.
What is the opposite of Neutral Evil?
The opposite of Neutral Evil is Neutral Good, in the far corner of the chart: neutral on the rules line and good on the people line.
What is the difference between Neutral Evil and Lawful Evil?
Lawful Evil keeps a code and its word; Neutral Evil keeps them only when it pays.
What is the rarest moral alignment?
There is no reliable count. Online polls and quiz results are not representative samples, so any claim about the rarest alignment is a guess. In games and fiction, Lawful Evil and Lawful Neutral are often said to be picked least, because they ask a character to follow strict rules without the reward of being the hero.
What are the 9 alignments?
Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil and Chaotic Evil. Each one combines a view on rules (lawful, neutral or chaotic) with a view on other people (good, neutral or evil).
SourcesSources
- Gygax, G. and Arneson, D. (1974). Dungeons & Dragons. Tactical Studies Rules. (The first rules: one line, law against chaos.)
- Gygax, G. (1977). Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. TSR. (Uses the nine alignments.)
- Gygax, G. (1978). Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook. TSR. (Describes the full 3 x 3 alignment system.)
- Wizards of the Coast (2016). Dungeons & Dragons System Reference Document 5.1. (Fifth-edition alignment descriptions.)
- The character examples come from the public-domain works named next to each one.