‘Chaotic Good’: 50 Posts That Prove You Can Be Unhinged And Still Be On The Right Side (New Pics)

We're exposed to the world of chaotic good from a young age. Think Robin Hood, Aladdin, and, depending on who you ask, Batman. These guys are the rebels, the free spirits. They believe in the power of good, but they live life on their own terms.

"Some don't have a problem with greater systems such as laws as long as they leave them alone; others are anarchists who believe that the betterment of all can only be achieved by actively rejecting any higher instances of power," explains the TV Tropes website. They have a cause and a conscience. They care about people. But not so much the rules.

The Player's Handbook puts it this way: "He makes his own way, but he’s kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society."

Chaotic Good is based on the idea of moral or character alignment. Think of a chart where the vertical axis represents the good vs. evil dimension. The top row is good, the middle row is neutral, and the bottom row is evil.

The horizontal axis is the lawful vs. chaotic dimension. The left-hand column is lawful, the middle column is neutral, and the right-hand column is chaotic. From this, you'd be able to get 9 different character alignments... Different levels of good and evil.

"Lawful good describes characters or things that are systematic, orderly, and principled, explains Figma. "Lawful good characters (e.g., Hermione Granger) promote the greater good while following established procedures or rules."

The site notes that neutral good fits anyone or anything acting with the best intentions for everyone involved. "Neutral good characters (e.g., Wonder Woman) do the right thing, even if it sometimes means bending the rules."

"Chaotic good represents a willingness to challenge authority and break rules to achieve positive change. Chaotic good characters (e.g., Robin Hood) are rebels with both a conscience and a cause," reads the Figma site. And to make it even more complicated, there are different types of chaotic good. But more on that later.

Those who fall under lawful neutrality follow a strict code to maintain stability and order. "Lawful neutral characters (e.g., James Bond) believe in and support the rule of law, no matter whether it’s good or evil," the site explains.

While being truly neutral applies to items, objectives, or characters that aren’t good or evil, lawful or chaotic. "True neutral characters (e.g., The Dude in The Big Lebowski) lack conviction. They don’t follow any moral code and simply do what’s best for them."

The chaotic neutral club comprises those on a quest for absolute freedom and individuality. "Chaotic neutral characters (e.g., Cat Woman) buck tradition and authority. They’re often impulsive and unpredictable."

Anyone or anything that follows a strict code, hierarchy, or system for personal gain at any cost is considered lawful evil. "Lawful evil characters (e.g., Darth Vader) are calculating, organized, and tyrannical."

Those with an utter lack of morals or ethics would fall under neutral evil. Think Cruella de Vil: destructive, corrupt, and out for themselves. Lastly, "Chaotic evil means malevolent self-interest combined with personal freedom," explains the Sigma site. Chaotic evil characters (e.g., The Joker) are dangerous, unpredictable, and bad to the bone.

As we mentioned earlier, there are different types of Chaotic Good. Some believe in Freedom Before Goodness. "These are the ones who are more Chaotic than Good," explains TV Tropes. "They value freedom and feel that they and others should be free to pursue their own desires — it just so happens that what they desire is to do good deeds. They do not see doing good as their duty and may actively resent any attempts to compel them to do good, even if the stakes are h**h." But they'll probably end up doing good anyways, notes the site, adding that these guys will justify their actions by saying that this is what they want to do.

Then you get the Goodness Before Freedom, guys and girls. They're more Good than Chaotic. "They desire to do good, but also feel that they have a responsibility to do good, and view freedom as a secondary (but still important) concern — essentially, they feel that being good is the price of being free, and they are more likely than Freedom Before Goodness to use the law to achieve a good end," explains the site. "They are not opposed to the Lawful system and may even accept it as necessary or even good, but they will rarely, if ever, let it get in the way of doing what they feel is right."

Those devoted to a Chaotic Good cause, like freedom fighters, believe that Freedom Is Goodness. They usually try to promote a society with as little government as possible or overthrow a corrupt, oppressive regime without getting drawn into the politics behind replacing it with something better, notes TV Tropes.

The Balance Seekers believe in doing good and in their freedom to do good. "They believe that they should be allowed to be free and good as they see fit, but recognize that the rest of the world is more complicated and that whether the time is for freedom or goodness is down to a case-by-case basis, and will try and seek the middle ground," TV Tropes explains.