What alignment are these Harry Potter characters? (Spoilers abound.)

Whizbang Dustyboots · Jul 23, 2007

Read HP7, loved it, and am participating in the review thread elsewhere on this site.

But here on General RPG Discussion, I want to know: What alignment are these guys?

Let's start with the heroes:

Harry Potter is clearly Good and clearly not Lawful. But is he Chaotic or Neutral?

Hermione Granger sure seems Good and probably Lawful, but she does get talked into all sorts of mischief on a regular basis. Is that sufficient to knock her over to Neutral Good instead?

Ron Weasely has Weasely blood in him, which seems to give him both red hair and a Chaotic Good attitude, unless you're Percy, in which case you're the white sheep of the family and are Lawful Git instead.

As we see in HP7, Albus Dumbledore doesn't have a spotless record, but he seems to have spent his long life trying to make up for being a brat for 18 months or so as a young man. He's secretive and cryptic, but that doesn't necessarily change his alignment. I'd say he's a safe Neutral Good.

Then there's the villains:

Voldemort is Evil, no question, and is entirely focussed on himself, which would suggest Chaotic, but folks often like to argue that the ability (and inclination) to make long-range plans suggests Lawfulness. So what is he? CE, LE or NE?

The Malfoys are interesting in the light of HP7. Once confronted with what life under a returned Voldemort is like, they decide that blood is thicker than water. But does Narcissa's willingness to betray Voldemort for the sake of her family (and Draco's apparent willingness to do the same) suggest a different alignment? Prior to this book, I'd say they were either Lawful Evil or Neutral Evil. What do you think?

And then there's ...

Severus Snape is a weird one. His behavior is all over the map -- snide and bullying, insolent to authority that won't physically retaliate, capable and even eager for love -- but ultimately, while he does what he does out of love and duty, he doesn't really seem interested in the larger good, nor does he seem particularly eager to truly renounce the worldview of Voldemort and those like him. I'd peg him as floating between Neutral and Neutral Evil, myself.

smootrk · Jul 23, 2007

As you note a few times in your post, it is difficult to give an alignment to most of the characters. I don't think you can really drop an alignment on them, much like anyone in the real world as well. Circumstances, loyalties, changes of heart, and other factors keep the characters shifting about... this and the lack of full knowledge of secrets of the plots keeps one from pinning alignments. JKR skillfully shifts suspicion of the characters intentions around... see Sirius Black, Severus, etc.

Obrysii · Jul 23, 2007

Based on my admittedly limited knowledge of Snape, I'd peg him at either chaotic neutral (with good tendencies) ... he's just a major antihero.

After all, in the first book, he worked hard to SAVE Harry from Quirrel (sp?)...and at least in the third book, he jumped in to protect him again there, as well. That's a good action, and I don't think it was completely caused by selfish motive.

Whizbang Dustyboots · Jul 23, 2007

smootrk said:
As you note a few times in your post, it is difficult to give an alignment to most of the characters. I don't think you can really drop an alignment on them, much like anyone in the real world as well.

That suggests that well roleplayed characters can't have an alignment as well.

So let's skip past the inevitable "this is why alignment is teh suk" and pretend someone's got a wand to our heads and assign them alignments.

Whizbang Dustyboots · Jul 23, 2007

Obrysii said:
Based on my admittedly limited knowledge of Snape, I'd peg him at either chaotic neutral (with good tendencies) ... he's just a major antihero.

After all, in the first book, he worked hard to SAVE Harry from Quirrel (sp?)...and at least in the third book, he jumped in to protect him again there, as well. That's a good action, and I don't think it was completely caused by selfish motive.

According to HP7 -- including Snape's own comments -- they're 100 percent selfish, but not for the reason you might think, until you get to that book/movie.

Klaus · Jul 23, 2007

Only watched the movies.

That being said, I don't get the difficulty of putting alignments to these characters (and most others).

Harry Potter -> Neutral Good (He has a rebellious streak, but longs to belong somewhere, striking a balance between Chaotic and Lawful)

Hermione Granger -> Lawful Good (She's well-mannered and disciplined. That she enjoys a little mischief means she's no Paladin material, but she's still Lawful)

Ron Weasley -> Neutral Good (Like Harry, he strikes a balance between Law and Chaos, and is not a full-fledged Chaotic... Fred and George are)

Albus Dumbledore -> Lawful Good (He does whatever he can to help Harry from within the system, he's disciplined, and he respects authority, even if he's nto subservient)

Voldemort -> Chaotic Evil (Nihilistic and murderous, he's a shark in the water who smells blood *all the time*. Plus, he tried to kill a baby)

Draco Malfoy & Mom -> Neutral Evil (Looking out for themselves is the epitome of Neutral Evil)

Severus Snape -> Neutral (He's an outsider, he's disciplined, he's loyal, he's mean... which pegs him as Neutral, like most common people)

Steel_Wind · Jul 23, 2007

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
The Malfoys are interesting in the light of HP7. Once confronted with what life under a returned Voldemort is like, they decide that blood is thicker than water. But does Narcissa's willingness to betray Voldemort for the sake of her family (and Draco's apparent willingness to do the same) suggest a different alignment? Prior to this book, I'd say they were either Lawful Evil or Neutral Evil. What do you think?

I would agree with Klaus, and would add that Lucius Malfoy is Lawful Evil. He seeks to control others by changing the system - not by destroying it.

Those who see themselves as nobility / aristocrats are inevitably Lawful as they identify with hierarchy - they simply wish to be at the top of it.

Valdemort is more NE with CE tendencies I think. He seeks to impose a new order - not DISorder

Bellatrix Lastrange is, on the other hand, classic CE - for the very good reason that she is quite insane.

nobodez · Jul 23, 2007

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
The Malfoys are interesting in the light of HP7. Once confronted with what life under a returned Voldemort is like, they decide that blood is thicker than water. But does Narcissa's willingness to betray Voldemort for the sake of her family (and Draco's apparent willingness to do the same) suggest a different alignment? Prior to this book, I'd say they were either Lawful Evil or Neutral Evil. What do you think?

And then there's ...

Severus Snape is a weird one. His behavior is all over the map -- snide and bullying, insolent to authority that won't physically retaliate, capable and even eager for love -- but ultimately, while he does what he does out of love and duty, he doesn't really seem interested in the larger good, nor does he seem particularly eager to truly renounce the worldview of Voldemort and those like him. I'd peg him as floating between Neutral and Neutral Evil, myself.

For the Malfoys, I'd sat that they were NE with LE tendencies, and they are looking out for themselves (that's the definition of Evil IMHO).

As for Snape, he's hard under the Alignment Sytem, but if you put him in the Allegiences system, he's much easier.
1 - Lily Evans Potter
2 - Self
3 - Power

Those last two might be switched, but as seen in B7C34, Snape is all about Lily. Everything he does for Harry is actually for Lily, and if he had been a Glryphindor rather than a Slytherin, Lily would probably have married Severus and not James.

Quartz · Jul 23, 2007

Hermione Granger sure seems Good and probably Lawful, but she does get talked into all sorts of mischief on a regular basis. Is that sufficient to knock her over to Neutral Good instead?

I don't think so. Harry is charismatic and she may have Int 18, but her Wis is much lower.