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Manyfantasybooks history fight between good and evil , but some of the best unity feature cast of characters of morally gray character that proofreader ca n’t avail but beloved . Morally gray characters make up some of the most compelling musician in fabrication . They pose proofreader with more interesting motivations and choices than full - on Hero of Alexandria , but they ’re far easier to rootle for than most villains . And the fantasy genre is full of figures who live in the gray area of morals , with some of the sound ones run closer to the scoundrel archetype than the hero one .
Written well , these morally dubious character can still process as protagonist or have their own POV chapters . This allows readers to connect with them , even if they do n’t match with everything they do . There are a number of great fantasy Book that get readers place in the plight of virtuously confutable characters , ranging fromSix of Crowson the milder end to more utmost cases , like Joe Abercrombie’sTheFirst Lawtrilogy .
10Six Of Crows
By Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo’sSix of Crowsdiffers fromher other Grishaverse books , as it follows a grouping of criminals on a heist mission rather than a more obvious submarine , like Alina Starkov . The Crows are on the milder side of morally gray characters , as the majority of them are decent people attempt to endure less - than - idealistic circumstances . That certainly key out Inej and Nina , though histrion like Kaz and Matthias are a flake more divisive . But even Kaz ’s willingness to habituate violence as a tool and Matthias ' initial bias wo n’t halt readers from falling for them .
Books In The Six Of Crows Duology In Order
Release Year
Six of Crows
2015
Crooked Kingdom
2016
Six of Crowsmakes sure of that , take readers on an entertaining drive through the criminal underbody of Ketterdam and to the Ice Court . The book masterfully uses the give-and-take and relationships between characters to show us how great they all are . By the timeSix of Crows ' sequel , Crooked Kingdom , come to a close , reader will be dire to see them get felicitous endings — and devastated to learn not all of them do .
9Mistborn: The Final Empire
By Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn : The Final Empirefollows a group of characters overthrowing an tyrannous regime , but while the script ’s heroes are on the correct side of history , they are n’t morally righteous . Vin becomes increasingly more heroic as Brandon Sanderson ’s series persist in , but the supporting dramatis personae is made up of a bunch of criminals , all of whom have refutable codes . The legal age ofMistborn’scharacters will go to commove lengths to see their plans through , even if it means take life and stoop to their enemies ' point in the summons .
ledger In The Original Mistborn Trilogy In Order
Mistborn : The Final Empire
2006
The Well of Ascension
2007
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The Hero of Ages
2008
This is peculiarly true ofThe Final Empire ’s 2nd lead story , Kelsier , who certainly has no qualms about killing noblemen or disrupting ordinary people ’s life for the interest of his revolution . Despite his callous approach to his goals , Kelsier remains one of the most charismatic and entertaining fiber intheMistbornbooks . And his crowd are all just as likeable , even if they ’re far from perfect hoi polloi . That ’s why it ’s so easy to rout for them and so heartbreaking when they conform to other remnant .
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
8A Game Of Thrones
By George R.R. Martin
A Game of Thronesis one of the skillful multi - POV fantasy Book out there , and a number of its big characters have questionable morals from the start . The Lannisters right away come to mind , and while they ’re often abduce as " villain , " George R.R. Martin ’s serial hardly categorizes its characters in such black - and - blanched terms . That ’s part of the ground it ’s so widely make out : becauseeveryone inA Song of Ice and Firefeels naturalistic in their varying level of decency .
record book In A Song Of Ice And Fire In Order
A Game of Thrones
1996
A Clash of Kings
1998
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A Storm of Swords
2000
A banquet for crow
2005
A terpsichore With Dragons
2011
The most prominent reference inA Song of Ice and Fireget more morally dubious as the series locomote on , too , as player like Arya and Daenerys are driven to behavior that ’s pretty perturbing , even when we ’re root for it . Arya ’s quest for retaliation should elevate eyebrows , and Dany ’s willingness to employ " fire and blood line " to attain magnate should make her as bad as the Lannisters . Yet we understand the reasoning behind these grapheme ' actions , and such behavior does n’t deter readers from loving them . This is even dead on target ofASOIAF ’s support cast of characters .
7The Blade Itself
By Joe Abercombie
Joe Abercrombie is the victor of crafting believably horrible eccentric , but lector will find themselves seat after a smattering of chapters in their shoes . This is true while readingThe Blade Itself , the first installment in Abercrombie’sFirst Lawtrilogy . character like Logen and Glotka should n’t be as compelling as they are , but Abercrombie writes them in such a way that it ’s impossible not to get hook on their story . Even if readers do n’t exactly lovethem , they ’ll love going on this journey with them .
Books In The First Law Trilogy In edict
The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
The Last Argument of Kings
And combined with enough time to grow attached , the ransom quality ofThe First Lawcharacters may just win readers over in the 2nd and third books . The Blade Itselfmakes for a gripping first step , but the character oeuvre that Abercrombie does throughout the series just gets more and more impressive .
6Five Broken Blades
By Mai Corland
Agreat replacement forSix of Crows , Five Broken Bladesalso follows a mathematical group of outcasts on a heist mission — and its theatrical role are probably more controversial than those in Bardugo ’s duology . WhileSix of Crows ' leads have a basic undertone of humanity most of the sentence , the main fibre inFive Broken Bladeslose visual modality of that fairly often . Euyn is the most obvious model , as his dubious moral computer code hardly registers hunting man for play as wrong .
Books In The Broken Blades In orderliness
Five Broken Blades
2024
Four Ruined Realms
2025
He ’s not the only character inFive Broken Bladesto have major lapses in morals , as Mikail resorts to vivid wildness , and Aeri has no issues with endangering others with her lies . Even the characters with better morality , like Sora and Royo , are guilty of serious wrongdoing . Despite this , readers will desire them to come together to get the better of King Joon inFive Broken Blades — and they ’ll be hope for a happy end in the rule book ’s sequels as well , even if the characters do n’t necessarily merit it .
5Throne Of Glass
By Sarah J. Maas
While many illusion series with morally dubious role see them getting worse as time goes on , crapper of Glasstakes its fictional character in the opposite centering . Most of the series ' heroes could be class as just people by the close of the story , butthe first book opens with some seriously flawed soul at the helm . Celaena Sardothien has a good heart , but being an bravo has force her to make refutable choices , both within the context of her task and exterior of it .
Reading the Throne of Glass serial in orderliness is n’t tricky , and author Sarah J. Maas followed a mostly linear route with her high fancy epic .
Chaol and Dorian are n’t much better whenThrone of Glassopens , as both are loyal to Adarlan to a fault , despite the kingdom ’s obvious depravity . Their blissful ignorance is actively harmful , make it difficult to like them — but readers probably still will by the goal of the book . And the ripe news is that all ofThrone of Glass’characters raise in the proper direction over the course ofSarah J. Maas ' fantasy serial .
4The Cruel Prince
By Holly Black
The Cruel Princeby Holly Black is another fancy book that ’s mild about its morally dubious characters , but there ’s no abnegate that several of the series ' most important players should n’t be likable . The Cruel Prince ’s heroine , Jude , is rough around the border , and her thirst for power and retaliation lands her in the morally gray class . She ’s still well-heeled to fall for though , specially compared to other characters , like Cardan and Taryn .
Books In The sept Of The Air Series In Order
The Cruel Prince
2018
The Wicked King
2019
The Queen of Nothing
Cardan is a genuinely confutable passion interest , which is difficult to find in so many YA fantasy and romantasy serial publication . Cardan ’s handling of Jude could easily make lector indite off his character , but he ’s still charming enough to ensnare them — a sentiment that Jude seems to portion out . And Jude ’s family will bequeath readers frustrated as well , but this just makesThe Cruel Prince ’s universe feel more realistic .
3Vicious
By V.E. Schwab
reader looking for a virtuously dubious take on the superhero genre should calculate no further than V.E. Schwab’sVicious . The story opens with two college roommate , Eli and Victor , trying to unlock over-the-top top executive though near - death experiences . They deliver the goods , and it changes both of them perpetually . And while they spend the book as each other ’s curse , neither of them has particularly admirable morals . Eli fall off worse , as he ’s grievous and rabid . However , Victor is too preoccupied with his payback to handle about much else , making him nearly as bad .
Book In The Villains Series In Order
Vicious
2013
vindictive
In fact , it ’s arduous to get a read on Victor ’s moral computer code for much ofVicious , but readers will still receive themselves eager to have intercourse what becomes of him . The back and forth between him and Eli is just too good to pass up , even if both of them are n’t people readers would need to run into in veridical sprightliness .
2The Lies Of Locke Lamora
By Scott Lynch
The Lies of Locke Lamorais a gritty addition to the phantasy genre , and it lives up to that description with its cast of questionable characters . As the book follow a radical of thieves and criminals , it ’s not surprising that its leads are n’t virtuously upstanding . And just like many of the characters who make up this list , Locke is bent on revenge throughout the novel , which pushes him to some questionable decisions throughout its run .
Quran In The Gentleman Bastard Series
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Red Seas Under Red Skies
The Republic of Thieves
Locke ’s champion are n’t much better , but readers will still recover themselves roll up in the Gentleman Bastards ' adventures . And given that they ’re better than most of the book ’s other characters , reader will be happy when they are and devastated when they mislay . For a group of con artists , The Lies of Locke Lamora ’s characters are surprisingly lovable .
1The Last Magician
By Lisa Maxwell
Heist novels seem to be mature with morally dubious fictitious character , andThe Last Magicianby Lisa Maxwell is no dissimilar . The Word of God come after a thief named Esta back in metre to slip a ledger that could change the grade of the future . Esta ferment with a gang called The Devil ’s Own to secure the physical object , but she design on betraying them the whole time . And she ’s not the only untrusty one in their midst , as most of the lineament have their own interests in mind .
Books In The Last Magician Series In Order
The Last Magician
2017
The Devil ’s Thief
The Serpent ’s nemesis
2021
The Shattered City
2022
Like so many otherfantasybooks with morally gray characters , The Last Magicianhighlights the electropositive and negative qualities of these characters — and readers may find themselves come across more with the former . Most of them are distinctly the heroes of this story , even in cattiness of their thieving and deceiving . And that becomes more obvious as Maxwell ’s story persist in , giving every member of The Devil ’s Own a proper chance to glint .
