Gavin Howe
Lawful Evil is a term used to describe a character alignment in fantasy fiction, particularly in the context of role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. It refers to a character who is evil but also adheres to a particular code or set of rules, often using laws or societal norms to further their own selfish desires or evil agenda. Lawful Evil characters value order and hierarchy, and they are willing to manipulate and exploit others to gain power and wealth. They are cautious and respond well to concepts like loyalty and duty, making them effective henchmen or followers. While they may not engage in senseless killing or stealing, they will use punishment and coercion to maintain control and suppress those beneath them. Examples of Lawful Evil characters can be found in various media, such as the Empire in Star Wars, Caesar's Legion in Fallout: New Vegas, and Loghain from Dragon Age.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Adherence to a lawful system | Without regard for the wishes of others |
| Respect for authority | --- |
| Belief in rules | Only if they favour them |
| Selfishness | --- |
| Lack of empathy | --- |
| Lack of compassion | --- |
| Lack of respect for life | --- |
| Ruthlessness | --- |
| Cruelty | --- |
| Desire for power | --- |
| Desire for wealth | --- |
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What You'll Learn
Lawful Evil in popular culture
Lawful Evil is a popular trope in media and fiction, often used to create complex and intriguing villains. This trope is especially prevalent in fantasy settings, such as in the Dungeons & Dragons alignment system, where characters are aligned along a moral spectrum. Lawful Evil characters are typically defined by their adherence to a strict code or system, often using it to further their own evil agendas.
Examples in Popular Culture:
Satan and Demonology: Satan is often portrayed as Lawful Evil, especially in works like "The Divine Comedy" and "Old Harry's Game". In these interpretations, Satan is depicted as a cunning and cruel character who operates within a set of rules or contracts. He is forced to remain Lawful due to God's influence but seeks to twist and pervert God's creations, embodying the tension between lawful and chaotic evil.
Fantasy Literature and Media: Lawful Evil is prevalent in fantasy literature, such as in "The Wheel of Time" series, where various characters, including Demandred, Sammael, and Therava, exhibit Lawful Evil tendencies. In "The Thrawn Trilogy," the titular character is described as Lawful Evil due to their loyalty to the Empire and pragmatic, unemotional nature. Additionally, in "Burn Notice," a mercenary CEO exemplifies Lawful Evil by prioritizing legality over morality, only concerned with avoiding criminal charges rather than ethical implications.
Villainous Archetypes: Lawful Evil characters often fall into distinct archetypes, such as "The Tyrant," who seeks to enslave and exert control, or "The Honorable," who adheres to a personal code of honour while still pursuing evil schemes. Examples of The Tyrant include Adolf Hitler, Thanos, and Tywin Lannister, who represent the embodiment of power, control, and the abuse of law and order to enforce their evil agendas.
Henchmen and Enforcers: While Lawful Evil characters often occupy positions of power, they can also make effective henchmen or enforcers. These characters respond well to concepts like loyalty, duty, and honour. Examples include The Adjudicator from the John Wick films, Koopa General from the Super Mario franchise, and Ebony Maw from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fascists and Totalitarians: Lawful Evil is often associated with fascist or totalitarian ideologies, where characters or groups believe in an all-encompassing state with unlimited power over public and private life. Examples include Darth Vader from Star Wars, HYDRA from Marvel Comics, and the Soviet Union, representing the embodiment of Lawful Evil on a grand, societal scale.
In conclusion, Lawful Evil is a versatile trope that adds complexity to villains and antagonist groups in popular culture. By adhering to a strict code or system, these characters create an intriguing tension between order and chaos, often blurring the lines between legality and morality.
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Lawful Evil in Dungeons & Dragons
Lawful Evil is a character alignment option in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The game features a system in which players make two choices for their characters: one is the character's views on "law" versus "chaos", and the other is on "good" versus "evil". The two axes, along with "neutral" in the middle, allow for nine alignments in combination.
A Lawful Evil character is evil but tries to impose or uphold a lawful system on others without regard for their wishes. They believe in order because they believe it is the best way to realize their evil wishes. They will obey the letter of the law but not its spirit and are usually careful about giving their word. They are comfortable within a hierarchy and see laws and power dynamics as a means of elevating those who deserve to be masterful over those who are meant to be subservient. They believe in rules because those rules favour them and they apply those rules in a way that serves them without regard for others.
Lawful Evil characters are often in charge but also make good henchmen. They respond well to concepts like "loyalty", "duty" and "honour". They are cautious and respond poorly to bad bosses and dirty cowards. They will turn the code to their advantage if there is an advantage to be had.
Examples of Lawful Evil characters include Fzoul Chembryl, a lawful evil exarch, and Caesar's Legion in Fallout: New Vegas, which uses methods such as slavery and torture to achieve its goals.
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Lawful Evil character traits
Lawful Evil characters are devoted to a cruel, organised system. They are comfortable within a hierarchy and view their position as proof of their superiority over others. They are great respecters of laws and strict order, but life, freedom, and the like are held as valueless. They believe that order is the means by which each group is properly placed in the cosmos, from the lowest to the highest.
Lawful Evil characters will use their position of power to pursue their own agenda using the apparatus of the state. They will follow laws and encourage all citizens to follow laws by severely punishing criminals. They will increase their own wealth and power at the expense of the population as long as they can use legal means. They are cautious and careful about giving their word, but once given, they will not break it unless they can find a way to do so legally. They are driven to attain their goals through force, power, and intimidation. They are also loyal to their allies and will punish disloyalty and treachery.
Lawful Evil characters try to impose or uphold a lawful system on others without regard for their wishes. They obey the letter of the law, but not the spirit, and are usually very careful about giving their word. They have a selfish, twisted view on morality and exploit the letter of the law over its spirit whenever it suits their interests. They believe in order because they believe it is the best way of realising their evil wishes.
Lawful Evil characters can be found in charge, but they also make good henchmen. They lack any moral scruples that may impair their work, but they respond well to concepts like "loyalty", "duty", and "honour". They support laws and societies that protect their own concerns. They are usually driven by a desire for power and wealth and will use their position to ruthlessly pursue their agenda.
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Lawful Evil alignment spectrum
The Lawful Evil alignment is a part of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game, where alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of player characters, non-player characters, and creatures. The original version of D&D allowed players to choose from three alignments: lawful, chaotic, and neutral. However, in 1976, a second axis of good versus evil was introduced, resulting in nine possible alignments in combination with the law/chaos axis.
Lawful Evil characters are evil but organised, consistent, and rule-abiding. They believe in order and strict discipline, seeing it as a means to impose their will on the world and elevate themselves above others. They have little to no regard for freedom, dignity, or the lives of others, and they use their positions of power to ruthlessly pursue their agendas and increase their wealth and power at the expense of the population. They obey the letter of the law, but not the spirit, and are careful about giving their word. They are comfortable within a hierarchy and view their position as proof of their superiority.
Lawful Evil characters can be further categorised into three types: Lawful over Evil, Noble Demon, and Affably Evil. Lawful over Evil characters use evil means to achieve lawful ends. They may also employ loophole abuse and rules lawyering to blur the line between legal and illegal. Noble Demon characters fight honourably, and Affably Evil characters believe that doing bad things will lead to a better outcome.
In contrast to Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil characters tend to be selfish and lack empathy, while Chaotic Evil characters are challenging to portray sympathetically as they often cross the Moral Event Horizon. Lawful Evil, therefore, allows for a wider spectrum of character types and can even benefit the heroes in certain situations.
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Lawful Evil vs Chaotic Good
The alignment system in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) categorises characters into nine alignments based on two axes: a character's views on "law" versus "chaos", and their stance on "good" versus "evil". Lawful evil characters are those who believe in rules and order, but only because they believe it is the best way to achieve their evil desires. They will obey the letter of the law but not its spirit, and are careful about giving their word. They are comfortable within a hierarchy and view their position of power as proof of their superiority over others. They will use their position to further their own agenda, often at the expense of the population.
Chaotic good characters, on the other hand, are anti-authoritarian and believe in individual freedom and achievement. They are willing to break the rules if it leads to a better outcome. While they are generally altruistic and willing to make personal sacrifices to help others, they are seen as a threat by lawful evil characters, who believe that chaotic good characters jeopardise the structure of their social system.
Lawful evil characters will often ally with other causes if it helps to reduce the influence of chaotic good characters. They are cautious and respond poorly to bad bosses and dirty cowards, but respond well to concepts like "loyalty", "duty", and "honour". They are often found in charge, but can also make good henchmen.
Chaotic good characters, such as Robin Hood, are willing to break the law to do what they believe is right. They are more flexible and unpredictable than lawful evil characters, and their actions are driven by their conscience rather than a strict adherence to rules or laws.
In conclusion, lawful evil and chaotic good characters represent opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their approach to law and order, but both can be found in popular culture and fiction, often as antagonists or anti-heroes. While lawful evil characters are driven by a desire for power and control, chaotic good characters are motivated by a sense of individual freedom and a willingness to challenge authority to achieve their goals.
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Frequently asked questions
Lawful evil is a character alignment in role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, that describes a character who is evil but also tries to impose or uphold a lawful system on others. Lawful evil characters are selfish and have no respect for life, but they believe in rules and order because they think it is the best way to realise their evil wishes.
Examples of lawful evil characters include Ziekfried, Alhazad and Lady Harkan from Wild ARMs 1, and Caesar's Legion in Fallout: New Vegas, who use methods such as slavery and torture to achieve their goals. A well-known fictional example is the Empire from Star Wars, which maintains order and enforces rules that are immoral and focused on maintaining the existing power structure.
Lawful evil is different from chaotic evil, which is harder to portray as sympathetic, and neutral evil, which tends to be completely selfish and lack empathy. Lawful evil is also distinct from lawful good, which describes a character who selflessly serves their fellow citizens and works to fight corruption and eliminate social ills.
It is difficult to say how common lawful evil is as a character alignment, but it is a well-known trope in TV, film, and games, and appears in many different forms of media. Lawful evil characters can be found in charge, but they also make good henchmen as they respond well to concepts like "loyalty", "duty", and "honour".
