Chaotic Evil

Chaotic Evil is the alignment of malice unrestrained by authority. It is evil that is unpragmatic, unprincipled, and even aimless. It is the evil of the Joker, Demogorgon, Bill Cipher, misanthropes, and serial killers.

Comparisons

Versus Lawful Evil

Chaotic Evil is pretty easy to differentiate from Lawful Evil. LE has a discernable aim. It has an endgame. Oftentimes it even has principles. Think of how Magneto genuinely doesn't want to kill mutants. Then think of how the Joker will literally just shoot his own guys as a prank. Could you see Magneto doing that? I couldn't.

Versus Neutral Evil

This one is harder, but a large difference is that NE is pragmatic. NE is more patient and willing to cooperate with others in order to achieve their ends. CE is uninterested in such things. For example, I would consider Xehanort a good example of Neutral Evil, and Cyric a great example of Chaotic Evil, even though they have similar goals (to become the god-king of everything). However, Xehanort is patient, pragmatic, and even organized to a certain extent (he makes alliances and has convinced people to join him), whereas Cyric is impulsive, unhinged, and arguably even self-destructive.

Powers

There's a strong pattern among these individuals. Most of them want one of two things: to destroy everything, or to become the god-king of everything. I'll mark those who fall into the former category with an (a) and those who fall into the latter category with a (b).

• Casir (if not NE)
• Cyric (b).
• Demogorgon (a)
• Erythnul
• Graz'zt (b)
• Incabulos (IMO)
• Iggwilv
• Iuz (b)
• Lolth (b)
• Obox-ob (a)
• Orcus (a)
• Pale Night (a)
• Queen of Chaos (a)
• Rovagug (a)
• Tharizdun (in the NV, FR, Exandria) (a)
• Zehir

Tharizdun and Incabulos

Tharizdun and Incabulos are both weird. In Greyhawk, both were considered Neutral Evil, but nowadays everyone agrees that Tharizdun is Chaotic Evil. He has no higher goal than to obliterate all things. Perhaps Gary was right and Tharizdun had some clandestine higher goal, but from what I can see, he seems Chaotic.

I believe the same applies to Incabulos. He doesn't seem to have any goal other than to spread suffering.

Other examples

• Bill Cipher
• Joker
• Ted Bundy

Alignment
	Lawful	Neutral	Chaotic
Good	Lawful Good	Neutral Good	Chaotic Good
Neutral	Lawful Neutral	True Neutral	Chaotic Neutral
Evil	Lawful Evil	Neutral Evil	Chaotic Evil