Chaotic Good Alignment Explained + How To Play + Character Examples

Want to know all about the Chaotic Good alignment? You’re in the right place! This article explains the Chaotic Good character alignment, how to play it, and lists character examples.

You’ll find Chaotic Good traits, background ideas, quotes they’d love, how Chaotic Good compares to other alignments, and loads more info too! Get to know the Chaotic Good alignment.

Chaotic Good Tiefling miniature — Damien, Hellborn Wizard (link to Amazon) who was a Chaotic Good character in one of our D&D campaigns

Chaotic Good definition

A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. 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 the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook 3.5 Edition, Page 105.

‘Chaotic’ and ‘Good’

The Chaotic Good alignment has two main aspects – Chaotic and Good. The ‘Chaotic’ part describes the alignment’s ethics and perspectives on society and how it should operate. The second part of the alignment, ‘Good’ relates to their morals.

Hi! This post may contain affiliate links to online stores. If you use a link and buy something, I may get a commission at no extra cost to you. See my affiliate disclosure.

Chaotic

Chaotic aligned characters live by their own rules instead of the rules society has decided. They believe that is the only way an individual is truly free and can live up to their full potential.

Chaotic characters dislike and distrust authority, don’t like following orders, and live life on their own terms. They can be flexible and adaptable and do what fits the situation and their own goals.

Characters with a Chaotic alignment may rebel against rules to try to bring about change or simply to create chaos. They may take actions with a complete disregard for the consequences.

Good

Good characters care about others and act in ways that help and benefit them. They protect the innocent, defend the weak, and go out of their way to help other people.

Chaotic Good

Chaotic Good characters do what their conscience tells them to for the greater good. They do not care about following society’s rules, they care about doing what’s right.

A Chaotic Good character will speak up for, and help, those who are being needlessly controlled because of arbitrary rules and laws. They do not like seeing people being told what to do for nonsensical reasons. A Chaotic Good character does not trust the legal system to protect Good people and bring Evil people to justice.

These characters will break the rules to do what’s right and may rebel against authority try to bring about societal change.

Chaotic Good characters may appear strange to others because they do not abide by societal expectations to fit in.

On the negative side, the actions of Chaotic Good characters can be at odds with other Good people. For example, a Chaotic Good character will not respect the success of Lawful Good people if that success was earned within a societal system that the Chaotic Good character believes is damaging to people. A Chaotic Good character may seek to bring down that system even if it that will negatively affect other Good people.

The rebellious path is a balancing act. If the Chaotic Good character becomes so focused on toppling the system and authorities with a total disregard for the impact on others, they can change from Chaotic Good to Chaotic Neutral and eventually, if they become too disorderly, Chaotic Evil.

Other Chaotic Good characters are not so rebellious. They do not like rules and authority, however, they do not seek to change it. They are happy enough if the system just leaves them alone. The less they have to do with it, the better. This type of character may be a wandering bard who is completely free to travel the world spreading Good with their music.

Chaotic Good characters will only work with authorities if they absolutely have to. This is for two reasons. The first is that they don’t believe organized society does the most Good for people and the world, and secondly, it’s because they want to do things because they choose to, not because they are told to.

Chaotic Good Character examples

In the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook 3.5 Edition the Chaotic Good alignment is labelled as “Rebel”.

Chaotic Good characters include those who: take from the rich to give to the poor, are driven by a cause to free their people from rule by an evil ruler, or ignore social etiquettes and pleasantries, but do good in the world.

The list below gives some examples of Chaotic Good characters.

Chaotic Good female character examples

Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins)
Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)

Chaotic Good male character examples

Robin Hood (English Folklore)
Peter Quill (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Dante (Devil May Cry)

Chaotic Good traits

These traits are usually associated with Chaotic Good characters.

Independent
Rebellious
Helpful
Kind
Passionate
Unpredictable
Free-spirited
Strong-willed
Self-assured
Impulsive

Chaotic Good moral code

A Chaotic Good character’s moral code might look like this.

I will do good in the world.
I will protect the freedom of others.
I will do what is right, regardless of what the law says.
I will help people in need.
I will not harm innocent people.
I will respect and support others who want to do good.
I will defend my right to freedom of thought.
I will trust my own judgement over that of the law.
I will work against evil.
I will work against people and institutions that restrict freedom.

Chaotic Good character’s perfect world

The perfect world for a Chaotic Good character might work like this.

Everyone is free to do good in the world.
Everyone helps those in need, not out of societal obligation, but because they want to.
People stand up for what is good.
Society has a flat hierarchical structure and people work together of their own free will.
Evil in society is brought to justice in whatever way individuals see fit.
Friends never break their promises.
People are free to pursue their own ambitions and seek happiness.
No one has power over others.
Wealth is shared fairly amongst everyone.
People are free to choose what they want to do in every situation.

Chaotic Good quotes

The favourite quotes for a Chaotic Good character might be these.

True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what’s right.
Brigham Young

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.
Pope John Paul II

Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
John Adams

Never rebel for the sake of rebelling, but always rebel for the sake of truth.
Criss Jami

To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.
Pearl S. Buck

Chaotic Good divergence

As your Chaotic Good character goes on their adventures they will come across situations which really test their beliefs. Will the Chaotic side of their alignment win? Or will the Good side?

Regardless of which aspect wins out, your character’s alignment is still Chaotic Good.

Chaotic before Good

For a character to prioritize Chaotic before Good they will allow their desire to rebel against authority or change the status quo, to override their desire to do good.

For example, imagine your character was finally in a situation where they can catch the king about to commit an evil act. But there’s a problem. To capture the king, your character would have to let innocent civilians come to harm.

If your character prioritizes their need for Chaos and toppling the king over their need to do Good, they would capture the king and let the civilians come to harm.

Good before Chaotic

In the same situation as above, a Chaotic Good character that prioritizes Good above Chaos would let the king get away with their it and protect the civilians.

How to roleplay a Chaotic Good character

Your alignment is a useful way to guide the decisions you make in character. Do you treat the guardsman in the local town with respect? How do you respond when you see a civilian being treated badly by a guard?

Generally, you’ll make roleplay decisions that are in-keeping with your alignment because that’s how your character behaves.

It’s fine to make decisions that don’t align with your character’s alignment occasionally, but they may have an impact on your character’s behaviour or begin a character development arc. At some point, your character may stop and reflect on who they are now. They may regret their decisions or feel more affirmed in their new identity.

That change in your character can lead to some amazing campaign stories!

Actions aligned with a Chaotic Good character

Ignoring the orders of the authorities to bring in a person you know to be innocent and helping them to escape instead.
Emptying a wagon holding the taxes collected for an evil count and giving the money to the poor.
Haggling with a barkeep to reduce the price of the food and drink but leaving a big service tip.
Locking a horde of goblins in a room so you can go and get the quest item without them coming to harm.
Joining a band of miscreants as part of an undercover quest to discover who their leader is.
Pretending to be a long lost family member of a rich person to get them to give money to the local town.
Manipulating a game of Dragon’s Chess to win the money from the local bad guys and using it to buy food for the homeless.
Taking a health potion from a body and not telling your allies but later using the health potion to revive an ally.
Rebelling against a new initiative to give free drinks to everyone because you know they are toxic.
When instructed to deliver orders that will result in innocent people being hurt, you tear up the orders instead of delivering them.

Actions not aligned with a Chaotic Good character

Attending a royal ceremony in traditional dress to accept an honour.
Blindly following the orders of anyone.
Breaking promises made to friends and family.
Harming innocent people.
Misleading people for personal gain.
Seeking praise, reputation and rank from organizations.
Baiting someone instead of trying to resolve things peacefully.
Collecting taxes from the poor.
Turning a family member or a friend over to the authorities if they have broken the law.
Keeping all the spoils from a party encounter for themselves.

Chaotic Good insults

As you go about your adventures, you’ll want to dish out a few insults along the way to people who get your back up! Here are some insults a Chaotic Good adventurer might give out.

“When I see your face there’s not a thing that I would change, except the direction I was walking in.”
“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.”
“A thought crossed your mind? Must have been a long and lonely journey.”
“Your face is not worth sunburning.”
“Someday you’ll go far… and I hope you stay there.”
“If you’re going to be two-faced at least make one of them pretty.”
“Now I know why everyone talks about you behind your back.”
“All tools can’t stand it when you call them a tool. Tool.”
“Please shut your mouth when you’re talking to me.”
“Don’t you have a terribly empty feeling in your head?”

For more insults, see my 100+ Cutting Words Insults article!

Example Chaotic Good backgrounds

Your character’s background has shaped the person they are. While you can choose any background you like for your character, here are a few backgrounds that work really well with a Chaotic Good alignment.

Entertainer

You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humour cuts to the quick. Whatever techniques you use, your art is your life.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, 5th Edition, Page 130.

Folk Hero

You come from a humble social rank, but you are destined for so much more. Already the people of your village regard you as their champion, and your destiny calls you to stand against the tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, 5th Edition, Page 131

Outlander

You grew up in the wilds, far from civilization and the comforts of town and technology. You’ve witnessed the migration of herds larger than forests, survived weather more extreme than any city-dweller could comprehend, and enjoyed the solitude of being the only thinking creature for miles in any direction. The wilds are in your blood, whether you were a nomad, an explorer, a recluse, a hunter-gatherer, or even a marauder. Even in places where you don’t know the specific features of the terrain, you know the ways of the wild.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, 5th Edition, Page 136.

Chaotic Good vs the other alignments

Chaotic Good vs Lawful Good

Lawful Good characters and Chaotic Good characters differ in how they view Law and Order in society.

Chaotic Good characters believe that people should be free to decide what is the best way to do good in the world and that the Law shouldn’t decide what that is. Above all else, Chaotic Good characters want to protect people’s freedom to choose.

Unlike Lawful Good characters, Chaotic Good characters don’t see much value in the Law. At best, Law aligns with the decisions a Good person would take anyway, and at its worst, it provides opportunities for Good people to be manipulated and controlled by society’s systems and organizations.

To read more about Lawful Good, check out my Lawful Good alignment article.

Chaotic Good vs Neutral Good

Chaotic Good and Neutral Good characters agree on doing good in the world. They both care about the welfare of others and protecting the innocent and defending the weak.

Where these two alignments disagree is their perspective on Law and order in society. A Neutral Good character does not have strong views on whether Law or Chaos is better for society. Their main priority is doing Good whether that means working with society’s leaders or against them. They will work with them as an equal and not feel like they have to do everything they are ordered to.

In contrast, a Chaotic Good character will avoid working with any authorities and if they do happen to work together it’s because they coincidentally wanted to do the same thing.

If a Neutral Good character goes against societal rules they aren’t motivated to do so from a place of rebellion like a Chaotic Good character is. Instead, a Neutral Good character is motivated to break the rules because it will lead to a better outcome for the greater good.

For more detail on the Neutral Good alignment, see my article.

Chaotic Good vs Lawful Neutral

While a Chaotic Good character’s actions are driven by their desire to do Good, a Lawful Neutral character is about as emotionless as you can get.

A Lawful Neutral character only cares about enforcing the Law to the letter. They do it without any emotion at all. The law is the law and it must be upheld. Who are they to judge what is good and evil?

My Lawful Neutral article looks at this alignment in more detail.

Chaotic Good vs True Neutral

A Chaotic Good character will rely on their need to protect people’s freedom and the drive to do Good to shape their decisions and actions. A True Neutral character, on the other hand, doesn’t have any strong feelings towards Order or Chaos, Good or Evil to help guide them. Instead, they live by their own rules.

True Neutrals don’t prefer Law to Chaos or Good to Evil, instead they see them all as restrictive positions which lead to negative consequences for individuals. Generally, a True Neutral will follow the rules and favour Good over Evil, but only because it makes their life easier and they may be rewarded for it, not because they are obliged to by their personal code.

Find out more on the True Neutral alignment in my article.

Chaotic Good vs Chaotic Neutral

Chaotic Good and Chaotic Neutral characters agree on one thing – that Law and Order do not protect the freedoms of people in society. However, they come at it from different perspectives.

The Chaotic Good character believes that a more chaotic society enables people to do more Good and when given the chance, people will do Good. The Chaotic Neutral character believes that people should be free to do whatever they want, whether that is for Good or Evil.

In any given situation, a Chaotic Good character will be looking for ways to do Good, while a Chaotic Neutral character will be looking for how they as an individual can benefit the most. A Chaotic Neutral character doesn’t care about the impact their actions have on other people.

If other people benefit from their actions, then great. If other people will be negatively affected but the Chaotic Neutral character will come out better with no negative consequences for themselves, also great.

Take a closer look at the Chaotic Neutral alignment in this article.

Chaotic Good vs Lawful Evil

At diagonally opposite positions on the alignment chart, Chaotic Good and Lawful Evil are about as different as you can get!

The Chaotic Good character believes that laws are not beneficial to individuals and restrict freedom, while the Lawful Evil character does not care about the freedom of individuals and believes that order, traditions and codes must be upheld no matter what.

While a Chaotic Good character will break laws to help them do Good, a Lawful Evil character will not generally break the rules of their code to do more Evil. By sticking to the boundaries of their code, Lawful Evil characters may use their code to justify their Evil actions. The more Evil actions they do under their law, the more they will work to uphold it.

Lawful Evil characters are heartless. Vanquish people in the name of their code? Sure thing. It’s what their Law says they must do, it’s nothing personal.

For more on the Lawful Evil alignment, see my article.

Chaotic Good vs Neutral Evil

Unlike Chaotic Good characters who passionately distrust and dislike Law and Order, Neutral Evil characters don’t care how society is structured. All they care about is themselves and doing as much Evil in the world as they can.

A Neutral Evil character will mislead, break promises, and harm innocents to get what they want. They will even follow the rules if it will get them a good outcome! In comparison, a Chaotic Good character will only do bad things if they are for the greater good and they will never harm an innocent.

Delve into the detail of Neutral Evil in my article.

Chaotic Good vs Chaotic Evil

While they are morally opposite, ethically both Chaotic Good and Chaotic Evil characters agree that order in society does not protect the freedom of individuals. However, they want freedom for different reasons.

For a Chaotic Good character, it’s because they believe that when people are free they will do more Good in society. For a Chaotic Evil character, it’s because when society is run Chaotically they have more freedom to spread Evil.

A Chaotic Good character might be rebelling against the system of order to actively change it, or because they just want to do as much good as possible and will do whatever it takes to do Good.

A Chaotic Evil character, however, is unlikely to rebel against a system of order to change it. Instead, they will simply revel in the disorder they cause and doing Evil acts. At their best, Chaotic Evil characters are unpredictable, selfish and heartless. At their worst, Chaotic Evil characters seek to spread Evil and Chaos for their own sake and cause pain wherever they go.

Take a closer look at Chaotic Evil in my article.

How a Chaotic Good character views other alignments

Chaotic Good characters look at other characters with the question in mind, “Are they freethinking and are they kind?”

A chart showing a Chaotic Good’s perspective on the other alignments looks like this.

Lawful Good Authoritarian but kind	Neutral Good Compliant but kind	Chaotic Good Freethinking and kind
Lawful Neutral Authoritarian and apathetic	True Neutral Compliant and apathetic	Chaotic Neutral Freethinking yet apathetic
Lawful Evil Authoritarian and cruel	Neutral Evil Compliant and cruel	Chaotic Evil Freethinking but cruel

Chaotic Good character alignment FAQs

Can paladins be Chaotic Good?

Until Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition, paladins had to have a Lawful Good alignment. Now, they can be any alignment.

The reasons why your paladin isn’t Lawful Good can make for an interesting character backstory. Perhaps they praised their deity without fail and followed their code to the letter, but it resulted in their squad perishing anyway. If they had broken the rules they could have saved them. Their guilt led them to question their perspectives on law and order and they are now Chaotic Good.

Can a druid be Chaotic Good?

A druid can be Chaotic Good, or any other alignment.

Historically, druids have been associated with Neutral alignments because they have affinities with the natural world which itself is unaligned. Druids seek to maintain this balance between Good and Evil in the world. The alignment a druid can have has changed over time.

In Dungeons and Dragons 1st and 2nd Edition, druids were only allowed to be True Neutral.

In 3rd Edition druids could have any alignment which was at least one part Neutral i.e. Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral or Neutral Evil.

In 4th Edition a druid’s alignment must match their deity, but given that druids draw on the Primal Spirits rather than deities, they can be any alignment.

In Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, druids can be any alignment.

Can a cleric be Chaotic Good?

In Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, a cleric can be Chaotic Good if that’s the alignment of their deity.

Clerics are a medium between the world of mortals and the realm of their diety. If a cleric remains in their deity’s favour, they are rewarded. It makes sense for the cleric and their deity to have the same alignment because they are behaving in a way that their diety favours.

In earlier editions of D&D, a cleric had to be within one alignment step of their deity. For example, if their deity was Lawful Good, the cleric could be Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral or Neutral Good.

Are anti-heroes Chaotic Good?

Anti-heroes are usually Chaotic Good because they will break the law, ignore authority and rebel against controlling systems to achieve good in the world. Robin Hood is a classic anti-hero who takes from the rich to give to the poor. While it is wrong, he does it for the greater good.

Conclusion – Chaotic Good alignment

The Chaotic Good alignment is fun to play because you can be a good character but be free to choose how you do good in the world. You won’t blindly follow the orders of anyone sending you on a quest without first considering if it will benefit the world.

Chaotic Good can cause problems if your character becomes so obsessed with rebelling against the existing order of things, that they negatively affect good people that have succeeded within that system.

Chaotic Good is a perfect alignment for a rebellious, cheeky, lovable rogue, a wandering laid-back bard, or a really happy tiefling with a love for rock! That was Chaotic Good character in one of our D&D campaigns. He’s the mini in the picture for this article – Damien, a Hellborn Wizard (link to Amazon). Notice his hand!

If you play D&D chances are you have friends who do too and I bet they like gifts! Check out my 33 Best Dungeons and Dragons Gift Ideas article to find the perfect gift for them!