In Netflix’s YOU, Penn Badgley plays the obsessive and creepy Joe Goldberg, who just can’t stay away from whichever woman he sets his eyes on. Killing any friends or love interests that might get in his way, Joe is the perfect sociopath who believes his intentions are always good.
However, Joe isn’t the only twisted character seen on screen. From characters with dark pasts to vengeful ex-girlfriends, Joe’s aspiration to find love by force is constantly challenged. We’re here to share our D&D alignment chart interpretation of the series’ main characters, from Season 1 and Season 2.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Dr. Nicky: Neutral Evil
Dr. Nicky plays a surprisingly big role in the series. He is Beck and Joe’s therapist in the first season and actually engages in an affair with the former despite having a wife and children. Joe then decides to get revenge on Nicky by framing him for all the murders he committed in the name of Beck.
Dr. Nicky is currently in prison as an innocent man, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have nefarious interests. He did engage in an affair with Beck and betrayed his family, making him a selfish Neutral Evil. As a therapist that people trust and confide in, it isn’t the best, most innocent look.
Ethan: Lawful Good
In the first season, Joe works in an atmospheric New York book shop alongside Ethan, the shop assistant. While Ethan doesn’t have that big of a role, he does complicate things at times when Joe’s trying to operate secretly and is keeping someone in the basement of the shop.
Ethan is a warm and gentle person. He’s very caring and helpful, and he’s a loyal friend and co-worker to Joe. With that in mind, it makes Ethan a solid Lawful Good, who just follows the rules in place and obeys the orders of those who are superior to him.
Paco: Chaotic Good
Paco is an interesting character, especially after everything we know from Joe’s past from Season 2. He lives next door to Joe and is subject to abuse from his stepfather. Much like Joe, he feels neglected and betrayed by his family, which leads him to try and knock his stepfather Ron with a baseball bat. Joe then kills Ron and Paco keeps his secret.
Paco is someone who’s been put through a lot. He’s a smart, bookish kid, who seems very similar to the young Joe we see in Season 2’s flashbacks. At his current point in life, Paco is a solid Chaotic Good. Despite his chaotic nature, Paco shows a willingness to do good, even if there is a chance that, later on, he will walk down the same path as Joe towards something more sinister.
Delilah Alves: Chaotic Good
Delilah is the strong-willed older sister of Ellie from Season 2 and a journalist on the hunt for the next big scoop. She’s had a tough past as the caretaker of her little sister, as well as a victim of Henderson. Despite that, she doesn’t let anyone walk all over her and chases to get to the bottom of things.
Delilah is a typical Chaotic Good character, due to her desire to do the right thing while often disregarding the rules. Delilah protects Ellie with everything she has, and will even threaten Joe and other characters if she gets a bad vibe from them.
Candace Stone: Chaotic Neutral
Candace is first portrayed as Joe’s crazy ex-girlfriend and someone who perhaps played a part in turning him into what he is today. Turns out, Candace is a victim just like Beck, albeit one that survived to tell the tale. Now, she’s out for revenge and would do just about anything to see her own justice done.
Candace is mostly out for herself, which puts her in the Neutral category by default. However, she’s likely to occasionally break the law to get her way, which is what defines her as someone more Chaotic than simply True Neutral.
Forty Quinn: Chaotic Good
In many ways, Forty Quinn is the Peach Salinger of Season 2. He’s a major barrier and annoyance to Joe, who looks down upon him throughout the entire season. It turns out, Forty is more complex than initially assumed.
Forty has a lot on his plate, from desperate dreams of grandeur to a past he’d rather forget. Regardless, he’s always extremely eager to have a good time and make sure that his sister and friends are happy and safe. Even if that means drugging them in secret. He’s a typical Chaotic Good character.
Love Quinn: Lawful Evil
Love is Joe’s primary love interest in Season 2 and the daughter of a rich family that owns Anavrin. It becomes very evident as the season progresses that Love has connections in LA and that she’ll use them to get the information she needs or push her decisions through.
While Love might appear sweet and innocent, she is the mastermind behind Season 2. Not only did she investigate Joe, but she’s also killed in the past, believing she was doing her brother Forty a service. Love also kills Delilah and Candance to have Joe to herself, which shows she’s highly selfish and obsessed. She is a sociopath like Joe, but with the corrupt power and connections of a Lawful Evil character.
Peach Salinger: Neutral Evil
Peach has been Beck’s best friend since they both attended university. She’s from a very rich and influential family, with connections that she often offers to Beck. Despite initially coming across as overprotective of Beck, it turns out Peach is almost as obsessed with her as Joe.
Peach is an incredibly controlling and selfish character, who doesn’t actually care about Beck’s well-being. Because of this, she’ll often force Beck to be there for her rather than being with Joe. All in all, Peach is clearly a Neutral Evil, who does evil acts for the sake of gaining something for herself, in this case, Beck’s attention.
Guinevere Beck: Neutral Good
Beck is Joe’s love interest in the first season of YOU. She is your typical struggling writer living in New York who is just trying to put her foot in the door. She’s very secretive about her parents and past, mainly due to her father’s drug addiction. She even goes as far as lying about her past to conceal it.
While Beck does seem self-absorbed at times, she’s simply very naive. Overall, however, she has a kind heart and wants to do good, which is shown in how much she cares for Peach despite her being a toxic influence on her. She’s a Neutral Good in that regard.
Joe Goldberg: Neutral Evil
While YOU has yet to reveal all the details about Joe’s past, we know that he’s had a rough childhood where he was abused and neglected by his mother’s partners. He also worked under a strict boss, Mr. Mooney, who would lock him up in the store’s basement. As a result, he’s become a bit of a sociopath, unable to relate to people’s feelings.
Joe will constantly break the law and go above and beyond to get who or what he wants. He’ll often forcefully insert himself into situations, believing that it’s his hope as a “hero” to do or “fix” something. However, this is just his delusional narcissism talking. He’s extremely selfish and a classic Neutral Evil character.
