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How Evil Is This Character?
Based on Dante's Inferno
The title kind of tells you what this post will be all about, but for those who are not aware: The Nine Circles of Hell are a theorized model for the Christian Hell, as depicted by Dante Alighieri in the 13th Century. Each circle is based on a particular sin, going in order from the first circle to the ninth: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence (Against Others, Against Self, and Against God), Fraud (Ten Denominations of Fraud), and Treachery. In this thread, I will additionally be including Dante's Purgatory, a resting place for souls who are in the process of being cleansed for Heaven, and Paradise, the realm of Heaven and God.
The Tierlist for this thread will appear something akin to this:

Each Tier Explained:
Purgatorio (Flawed but Good) - Purgatory in this tier is for characters who are good-natured, but suffer from a flaw that would keep them from being a beacon of good. They either suffer from minor kinds of sin which are not enough to make one evil or neutral. Example of a character in this tier: Batman (Justice League).
Limbo (Flawed Neutral) - These characters are not particularly heroic, or intent on spreading goodness to the world or those around them. They are the average person in the world; these characters are primarily self-interested and just attempting to take life one day at a time. They have flaws, but these flaws are not grave sins that would lower them into the deeper parts of Hell. Examples of characters in this tier: Whis (Dragon Ball), and Frank Grimes (The Simpsons).
1st Circle (Mildly Selfish) - These characters may not be the worst people, but their blatant mistakes and selfishness continues to get them into trouble. It may not be intentional, but it's entirely possible for them to be cowards who continue to make the wrong decision time and time again. They care mostly about themselves, even if they have their moments of goodness. An example of a character in this tier: Kazuya Kinoshita (Rent-A-Girlfriend).
2nd Circle (Mildly Sociopathic) - This is a character who is not a good character, primarily because of their personality. They can be mean, cruel, and otherwise just assholes to other people. Despite this they are not entirely bereft of good. These characters have a rare moment of good in them, but otherwise are more likely to throw an insult than a compliment to a stranger. An example of a character in this tier: Cotton Hill (King of the Hill).
3rd Circle (Mildly Malicious) - Despite what one may think, this character's good charm and demeanor hides a much darker nature, where this character enjoys spreading misery or causing trouble for others. These characters are not likely to kill or murder others; but rather, trick other people, play hurtful pranks, and generally just be a nuisance for their own amusement. They do have the potential to do something good, if they believe it serves their own purposes. An example of this character is Q (Star Trek).
4th Circle (Selfish) - These characters cause problems for everyone because they just cannot help it. They're either dirty cowards, greedy jerks, or just arrogant idiots. They will do whatever they think is best for them, even if others may get hurt in the process. When something goes wrong, they go into panic mode and lash out, usually exacerbating the situation until it gets wildly out of control from their grasp. Examples of characters in this tier: Major Frank M. Burns (M*A*S*H*) and Jerry Lundegaard (Fargo).
5th Circle (Sociopathic) - Erratic, hateful, and full of spite for others. These characters are the definition of functioning sociopaths. They may not appear it, but they have the potential to be as cruel and vicious as even the most evil characters. Yet what holds these people back from being on the bottom of the list is the fact that they are aware of it, and either make strides to hold it back, or are able to curtain their sociopathic tendencies in order to do good, even if it may be for selfish reasons. Characters in this tier tend to be criminals as well. Examples of characters in this tier are: Tony Soprano (The Sopranos), Dexter Morgan (Dexter) and Trevor Phillips (Grand Theft Auto 5).
6th Circle (Malicious) - Characters in this tier are even worse forms of tricksters and liars. These characters enjoy causing pain to others through schemes and lies. They have the potential to kill others, but usually indirectly through destroying their lives, or by causing them to commit crimes in their name. These characters are perhaps the most varied, as they could be religious figures, top-ranking businessmen, or even the average conman. What makes these characters more interesting is that despite their malicious nature, they also have the potential to redeem themselves in spite of their list of sins; but they are usually too self-centered to choose redemption. Examples of this character includes: Lyle Lanley (The Simpsons), and Nucky Thompson (Boardwalk Empire).
7th Circle (Irreparably Selfish) - These characters are evil through their selfish desires and carnal whims. They will choose to destroy all the world and eons fulfill their own self-interested goals. They do not care how much damage they do, as their minds have become twisted and entirely warped by their narcissism and ego. Selfish characters like this are not capable of performing good acts, or only perform said acts if it furthers the goal of their desires. Examples of characters in this tier are: Jafar (Aladdin), Walter Donovan (Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade), and Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones).
8th Circle (Irreparably Sociopathic) - These characters are forces of their own sociopathy. They are antisocial, driven, and have their own code for which they never turn. Their evil is based upon their motives and unrelenting and unapologetic violence. They will kill for any reason they justify, and will never apologize for doing so. These characters can either be automatons of destruction, or mercenaries of death. Some examples of characters in this tier: Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men), Judge Holden (Blood Meridian), and Jason Vorhees (Friday The 13th).
9th Circle (Irreparably Malicious) - These characters are the most irredeemable of the lot, brought low to the bottom of Hell for their evil. These characters take great pleasure in inflicting pain, death, destruction, and misery to others. These characters believe that they are above everyone and everything; characters in this tier may be genocidal dictators, serial killers, or violent and backstabbing psychopaths. Some examples of characters in this tier: Dmitri Rascalov (Grand Theft Auto 5), King Joffrey Baratheon (Game of Thrones), and Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street).
And so, with each tier explained, feel free to give me a character and I'll determine where they are on the tier list, depending how evil they are.
Archived List:
Tiers of Hell | Characters |
Paradiso (Flawless) | Superman (Justice League) |
Purgatorio (Flawed But Good) | Batman (Justice League), Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Butters (South Park) |
Limbo (Flawed Neutral) | Whis (Dragon Ball), Frank Grimes (The Simpsons), Mr. Poopybutthole (Rick and Morty), Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks), Dante Hicks (Clerks), Randal Graves (Clerks), Dr. Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters), Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld), George Costanza (Seinfeld), Eleine Benes (Seinfeld), Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld), Howard The Duck (Howard The Duck), |
1st Circle (Mildly Selfish) | Kazuya Kinoshita (Rent-A-Girlfriend), Bart Simpson (The Simpsons), Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights), Ash Williams (The Evil Dead) |
2nd Circle (Mildly Sociopathic) | Cotton Hill (King of the Hill), L Lawliet (Death Note), Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Charlie Kelley (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Deandra Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) |
3rd Circle (Mildly Malicious) | Q (Star Trek), Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) |
4th Circle (Selfish) | Major Frank M. Burns (M*A*S*H*), Jerry Lundegaard (Fargo), Walter White (Breaking Bad), Roger (American Dad!), Ronald McDonald (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) |
5th Circle (Sociopathic) | Tony Soprano (The Sopranos), Dexter Morgan (Dexter), Trevor Phillips (GTA V), Opie Winston (Sons of Anarchy), Omni-Man (Invincible), Vito Corleone (The Godfather), Kane (WWE), Frank Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) |
6th Circle (Malicious) | Lyle Lanley (The Simpsons), Nucky Thompson (Boardwalk Empire), Niklaus Mikaelson (The Vampire Diaries), Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) |
7th Circle (Irreparably Selfish) | Jafar (Aladdin), Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones), Walter Donovan (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Malcolm Merlyn (Arrow) |
8th Circle (Irreparably Sociopathic) | Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men), Judge Holden (Blood Meridian), Jason Vorhees (Friday The 13th), Light Yagami (Death Note), Michael Corleone (The Godfather) |
9th Circle (Irreparably Malicious) | Dmitri Rascalov (GTA 4), King Joffrey Baratheon (Game of Thrones), Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Albert Wesker (Resident Evil), Mr. McMahon (WWE), Eobard Thawne (The Flash) |
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