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The D&D alignment chart explained

2026-11-01

The alignment chart began as a way to describe characters in Dungeons & Dragons and became one of the internet's favourite templates. People now use it to sort superheroes, sandwiches, programming languages and members of their own family. This guide explains what the nine alignments mean, how to read them, and how to build a chart of your own.

Two axes, nine squares

Every alignment is a combination of two questions:

1. Law versus chaos (the columns): how does a character feel about rules, order and tradition?
2. Good versus evil (the rows): what does a character care about when it comes to other people?

Each axis has three values: lawful, neutral and chaotic across the top, and good, neutral and evil down the side. Cross them and you get a 3×3 grid of nine alignments.

The nine alignments

Lawful good: "the crusader"

Lawful good characters do the right thing and believe in doing it the right way. They keep promises, respect honest authority and protect the innocent. Think of the paladin who follows a strict code, or the police officer who never cuts corners. A lawful good character may struggle when the law and what is right come apart.

Neutral good: "the benefactor"

Neutral good characters simply want to do good. They follow rules when rules help and ignore them when they do not. The kind neighbour who helps everyone without making a fuss is neutral good. They are about results, not procedures.

Chaotic good: "the rebel"

Chaotic good characters follow their conscience, and they do not care much for what others expect. They break unjust rules and bend others to help people. The outlaw who steals from the wealthy to feed the poor is a classic example.

Lawful neutral: "the judge"

Lawful neutral characters value order, tradition or their personal code above questions of good and evil. A soldier who obeys orders, a judge who follows the letter of the law, or a bureaucrat who always follows the procedure belongs here.

True neutral: "the undecided"

True neutral characters avoid extremes. They may keep a balance between forces, or they may simply not feel strongly one way or the other. In a chart for fun, this square is also where everything ordinary and unremarkable ends up.

Chaotic neutral: "the free spirit"

Chaotic neutral characters value personal freedom above all. They are unpredictable, not especially kind and not especially cruel. The wandering trickster who does whatever seems fun at the moment fits here.

Lawful evil: "the dominator"

Lawful evil characters use rules, contracts and hierarchy to get what they want. They keep their word, but only because it suits them. The tyrant who rules by law, the villain who exploits loopholes, and the corrupt official all live here.

Neutral evil: "the malefactor"

Neutral evil characters want what they want and do not care who they hurt. They do not particularly love or hate rules; they use whatever works. A self-serving schemer who betrays friends for profit is neutral evil.

Chaotic evil: "the destroyer"

Chaotic evil characters act on whim and cruelty, rejecting rules and caring nothing for others. They are violent, unpredictable and dangerous. Raging monsters and villains who just want to watch the world burn belong in this corner.

How to place a character

Ask the two questions separately:

• Does this character follow rules or their own judgement? If they stick to a code, an institution or a tradition, they lean lawful. If they follow their feelings and break rules freely, they lean chaotic. If they do not care, they are neutral on this axis.
• Do they care about other people? If they help others even at a cost to themselves, they lean good. If they harm others for gain or pleasure, they lean evil. If they look after themselves and those close to them, they are neutral.

Then combine the two answers. A character who always follows the law and helps others is lawful good; one who breaks the law to help others is chaotic good.

Why people argue about it

Alignment is a simplification, and characters rarely sit still. Most debate comes from:

• People change. A character's alignment may shift over a story.
• Motives versus actions. Someone who does good things for selfish reasons is hard to place.
• Rules differ. What counts as "the law" depends on who wrote it.

That friction is what makes alignment charts fun. There is no single right answer.

Make your own alignment chart

You can build a chart in a minute:

1. Open the alignment chart maker. For the classic format, use the 3×3 alignment chart.
2. Add the people, characters or things you want to place, using text, pictures or both.
3. Drag each item into the square where it fits. Keyboard users can pick up an item with Space or Enter, move it with the arrow keys and drop it with Space or Enter.
4. Rename the rows and columns if you want to play with the format: "Healthy / Neutral / Junk" and "Sweet / Mixed / Savoury" make a good food chart.
5. Export the result as an image, or publish it and share the link.

You can also change the grid. Variants with 2×2 and 5×5 squares are available for charts that need fewer or more categories.

Ideas for charts

• Superheroes and villains of a franchise
• Pizza toppings, sandwiches or breakfast cereals
• Teachers, bosses or family members (keep it kind)
• Programming languages or video game characters
• Historical figures, if you enjoy a good argument

When you are done, share the chart and let others heart it, comment on it, or remix it with their own placements.