![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Heroes and Alignments
A while back on this LJ, while discussing Heroes, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rufinia said: "Nathan...well, Nathan isn't quite prepared to be Lawful Good." Actually, I'm not sure he's even particularly trying to be Lawful Good, though he may be trying to fool himself about that. The D&D Alignment system is a fairly blunt instrument at best, but looking through that lens, Nathan seems to me to be Neutral Evil. He doesn't register strongly on the Law/Chaos axis, being willing to work either with or against the system as it suits him. But in D&D terms, Evil equates to selfishness and self-centered-ness, and that's Nathan in spades. While Hiro may *think* Nathan cares about other people, it seems to me that he treats them as either tools or potential liabilities. He works with the FBI against Linderman not out of any moral code, or because it will make the world better -- he does it because Linderman tried to kill *him*, personally, and remains a threat to him. As soon as Linderman said, "You won't make it out of this room alive if you shoot," the conversation was effecively over. Nathan *really* doesn't like having someone in a position of power over him -- but he would hate being dead much, much worse. It was sensible of Linderman to apply some carrot as well as stick, but the stick probably would have been enough.
Alignment is a fun game, let's play some more!
Hiro, of course, is Chaotic Good. He'd probably *like* to be Lawful (and goodness knows his dad would prefer it), but it just isn't in him. He will always be quitting jobs, stealing things when it is "his destiny", and the like.
Mr. Bennett, like most Evil Government Conspiracy members, is a fairly classic Lawful Evil, although that could change with all the plot-stress he's been under.
Claire, on the other hand, is Lawful Good. Much of her stress comes from the fact that she's put in positions where being Lawful is difficult or impossible for her, or where other people (like her father) appear to be "breaking rules".
Peter is Chaotic Good, though he's in serious danger of slipping over to the dark side.
Nikki is Lawful Good, but Jessica is Chaotic Evil.
Anyone else want to play?
rufinia said: "Nathan...well, Nathan isn't quite prepared to be Lawful Good." Actually, I'm not sure he's even particularly trying to be Lawful Good, though he may be trying to fool himself about that. The D&D Alignment system is a fairly blunt instrument at best, but looking through that lens, Nathan seems to me to be Neutral Evil. He doesn't register strongly on the Law/Chaos axis, being willing to work either with or against the system as it suits him. But in D&D terms, Evil equates to selfishness and self-centered-ness, and that's Nathan in spades. While Hiro may *think* Nathan cares about other people, it seems to me that he treats them as either tools or potential liabilities. He works with the FBI against Linderman not out of any moral code, or because it will make the world better -- he does it because Linderman tried to kill *him*, personally, and remains a threat to him. As soon as Linderman said, "You won't make it out of this room alive if you shoot," the conversation was effecively over. Nathan *really* doesn't like having someone in a position of power over him -- but he would hate being dead much, much worse. It was sensible of Linderman to apply some carrot as well as stick, but the stick probably would have been enough.Alignment is a fun game, let's play some more!
Hiro, of course, is Chaotic Good. He'd probably *like* to be Lawful (and goodness knows his dad would prefer it), but it just isn't in him. He will always be quitting jobs, stealing things when it is "his destiny", and the like.
Mr. Bennett, like most Evil Government Conspiracy members, is a fairly classic Lawful Evil, although that could change with all the plot-stress he's been under.
Claire, on the other hand, is Lawful Good. Much of her stress comes from the fact that she's put in positions where being Lawful is difficult or impossible for her, or where other people (like her father) appear to be "breaking rules".
Peter is Chaotic Good, though he's in serious danger of slipping over to the dark side.
Nikki is Lawful Good, but Jessica is Chaotic Evil.
Anyone else want to play?
no subject
no subject
I maintain that that was more about establishing his own autonomy than out of any sense of civic duty. It is an arguable point, I'll admit.
Nathan also cares deeply about his family
Oh, he certainly does. I just think he cares about them in the sense of "valuable property", and is often frustrated at his lack of control over them. Again, reasonable people could interpret his actions differently, but that's how I see it.