The Dungeons & Dragons alignments make up a classification system that distinguishes between the good vs. evil and law vs. chaos tendencies in the game’s characters. Like all people, characters are brought up in different places, have different experiences, and come in all different moral shapes and sizes, which is important in bringing complexity to the characters.
Comedy-drama Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes a unique, comedic turn on a cop show, adding a lightness to the genre while addressing current social issues. The show also brings with it one of the most diverse and talented casts on screen today, emulating what we can only hope all of television will look like someday. To find out more about the characters we’ve given them their D&D alignments.
Doug Judy: Chaotic Neutral
Watching his sweet, charming demeanor, it’s easy to forget that Doug Judy is not only a thief but a high-profile criminal whose notoriety has earned him his own nickname: the Pontiac Bandit.
Over the course of six seasons, Doug Judy’s character has been thoroughly fleshed out more than any other criminal on the show. It quickly becomes clear that, although he is deceitful at times, he almost always has unselfish reasons for breaking the law, whether it’s protecting his mother or defending himself from the threat of death or imprisonment. It’s because of this that his rivalry-turned-alliance with Jake becomes one of the greatest friendships of the series. It also makes him both chaotic and surprisingly neutral.
Michael Hitchcock: Chaotic Neutral
A main characteristic of Hitchcock is his laziness. While it may not be intentional, his reluctance to do his work could be considered a form of rebellion against his superiors. His inaction also reveals very little about his values, aside from food and his friendship with Scully.
He has a long string of ex-wives, which indicates a lack of impulse control. His verbal filter is almost nonexistent, so we have access to his innermost thoughts, but, simple as they are, they reveal little in terms of his tendency toward either good or evil, making him chaotic neutral.
Norm Scully: True Neutral
At first glance, Hitchcock and Scully are practically the same characters. They share a love of food and gross incompetence as detectives, but a closer look at the two reveals minute differences that sway their alignments away from each other.
Like his partner, Scully tends away from any form of work, but his talents, like languages, singing, and puzzle-solving, indicate a sense of discipline that takes him out of the chaotic category. His laziness is also an obstacle in determining his values, so it’s assumed that he, like Hitchcock, leans in a neutral moral direction as well.
Raymond Holt: Lawful Neutral
The law is of the utmost importance to Captain Holt; it rarely, but occasionally, gives way to his own personal code of ethics, giving him neutral tendencies. He lives a meticulously structured life, both in a personal and professional respect, and has proven his discomfort with lying and manipulation, even if it would spare the feelings of someone close to him.
Captain Holt has endured a lot to achieve the high status he holds in the NYPD and knows the value of both integrity and composure, passing along his wisdom as a mentor to the detectives in his charge.
Gina Linetti: Chaotic Evil
Of all the main characters, Gina is the least likely to comply with authority figures, appropriate to her position as the only civilian on the team. That’s not to say she has much ill-will toward anyone specific, but she does revel in chaos and mayhem, seeing the misfortunes of her colleagues primarily as entertainment.
Gina considers herself to be above the people around her and, therefore, does and says anything and everything to benefit herself, even at the cost of others, though she is not regarded as a particularly harmful character.
Charles Boyle: Neutral Good
Some of the comments Charles makes may be questionable, but his good intentions are never in question. He is generally a rule follower but occasionally strays from this distinction under dire circumstances, especially those concerning the people closest to him.
He proves to be extremely loyal to his best friend Jake and, later, his son Nikolaj, but also has deep respect for the other members of the precinct, like Gina and Rosa. Only to keep from betraying the trust of these people would he ever bring himself to tell a lie.
Amy Santiago: Lawful Neutral
One of Amy’s most prominent traits is her organization. She works hard to put every aspect of her life in order. Her perfectionism, evident in her thorough police work, past excellence in school, and fondness of puzzles, probably stems from her overachieving siblings.
She values rules and the law, and she would likely follow them even if she believed it to be unethical, at least unless her teammates could convince her to do what she knows is morally right. Over the years, she has learned to let go of what others, specifically her mentor Captain Holt, think of her, and become a little less strict with herself.
Terry Jeffords: Lawful Good
Terry strives to do right for the people he cares about, be them his family or his coworkers, but also for his community and country. He recognizes on several occasions that, as a sergeant in the NYPD, he has the opportunity to make the country safer for his children and the generations to come after him.
Terry is in a constant struggle to keep the precinct in order, wrangling his detectives out of the sticky situations they get themselves into and keeping a safe and functioning workplace all in one breath.
Rosa Diaz: True Neutral
She may have a dark motorcycle-riding leather-jacket-wearing side, but there’s hardly anything about Rosa that could be considered evil. Concurrently, there’s nothing explicitly altruistic about her either. It’s only when the other detectives stir up mischief that she gets involved in their antics, and she sometimes represents the voice of reason when things become too chaotic.
She works hard to keep the personal details of her life secret from her coworkers, so it’s often hard to get a read on her. Over the years, we have become privy to the details of her life, her character, and her values.
Jake Peralta: Chaotic Good
He takes pleasure in the thrill of crime-fighting as well as, and sometimes more than, the justice. He can, on occasion, be selfish, especially in comparison to his more benevolent friends, like Boyle, but more often in an ignorant than in a hurtful way.
Jake consistently strives to do what he believes is right, even when what he considers to be right doesn’t align with the laws in place. Though he doesn’t always heed his warnings, he deeply respects Captain Holt and sees him as a father figure. He has developed bonds with several members of the precinct, whom he considers to be family.
