What Is Gibbs' Dungeons & Dragons Alignment In NCIS?
The core cast of CBS' beloved procedural drama "NCIS" features several characters with complicated pasts and personalities, so they're pretty difficult to describe in just a handful of words. With that in mind, you might be wondering how some of them measure up when compared to the alignment descriptions for characters in the classic fantasy game "Dungeons & Dragons."
Like the heroes and monsters featured in the board game, many of the main characters in "NCIS" are obviously driven by either good or bad intentions. While the team members are generally good, with a few exceptions, and the criminals are obviously bad, there are also a couple that we could consider neutral.
Still not sure where the investigative team's fearless leader, Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), lands on the "D&D" character rating scale? Read on, as we've got the low-down on what Gibbs' "Dungeons & Dragons" alignment is on "NCIS."
Dungeons & Dragons alignments can apply to Gibbs and other NCIS characters
For those who need a refresher, an "alignment" in the "Dungeons & Dragons" epic fantasy game is basically just a short description of a character's central trait.
According to Fandom, the original board game, which was released in 1974, described all the different characters either "Lawful," which embodies qualities of order, control, predictability, and stability, "Chaotic," which represents irrationality, change, and the individual, or "Neutral," which pertains to balance and harmony. In 1979, a new version of the game, "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons," introduced three new ways to describe the many characters in the game: Good (kindness), Evil (harm), and Neutral.
This means that characters in the game can be described as one of nine combinations of the two "axes." However, you can also use this method to describe the various team members of the investigative team on "NCIS," including Gibbs himself.
Gibbs would have a D&D alignment of Lawful Neutral
Screen Rant identifies Gibbs as a "Lawful Neutral" character, since he tries to play by the book, but is often swayed by his own moral compass and set of principles when it comes to most matters. He doesn't have a problem bending the rules if he feels there's a truly justifiable reason, like when a member of his team is in danger.
In a 2005 Q&A on Dragonsfoot Forums, one of the game's co-creators, Gary Gygax, elaborated a bit on his definition of a "Neutral" aligned character, saying, "The neutral isn't a generalist but one who believes in the harmony of creation and a balance between all of its forces." And Fandom notes that a "Lawful Neutral" character is a slave to their principles and often compared to a judge.
Gibbs is definitely one who aims to maintain balance as he deals out justice on "NCIS," so it makes sense that his "Dungeons & Dragons" alignment is "Lawful Neutral."