Why are we so obsessed with morally grey characters? Why do we love reading about them and writing them?
I’ve always been drawn to morally grey characters.
In fact, I’d argue that most great books actually have a few morally grey characters mixed in – and personally, I find them some of the most interesting people in the entire cast line-up.
So what exactly do I mean by morally grey?
- People who do harmful things sometimes
- Break rules, laws or social norms
- Have understandable reasons, somewhat, but their actions are usually very questionable
Essentially, you understand why they do what they do, even if you don’t agree with it.
If this character lived in the real world, there’s no question – I don’t think we’d love them at all. But in a story, it works differently. It turns something uncomfortable into something compelling.
Cue Walter White: a morally grey character from Breaking Bad who starts as a high school chemistry teacher. (If you haven’t seen it, spoiler alert!)
When he’s diagnosed with cancer, he turns to cooking meth to provide for his family. At first, that motivation (shocking to say) is justified. We see his reason as necessity, not just choice.
So, even if we don’t agree with it, we can certainly understand the logic.
If we break this down, there are a few things (I think) that make Walter White such a compelling, morally grey character.
First up: he starts ordinary. We understand he’s got money problems, has a responsibility to his family, but also has a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis. He’s desperate. But he’s also highly competent and intelligent, and feels a little like an underdog in the beginning. He’s clearly underpaid and undervalued.
So when he chooses to act and switches into what feels like “survival mode”, we understand the necessity.
We can’t condone or agree with his actions. But we’re still hooked. And what really confuses the Hell out of me is: we want him to succeed. We’re rooting for him. (What the actual F.)
That’s brilliant storytelling. And Walter White is an excellent example of a morally grey character done well.
So why are we obsessed with morally grey characters? Why do we love reading about them and writing them?
I think part of it is that these characters are less predictable (vs your traditional “good” character), a lot of the time. You can’t always anticipate what they’ll do next… they’re a wild card, and we’re along for the ride.
They also make completely unacceptable decisions – but in a story, we can observe their choices without real-world consequences. It’s a guilty pleasure sort of thing.
But, Sam, I hear you say – isn’t that just a villain you’re describing?
Yeah, it is. But morally grey characters differ because their motivations aren’t always selfish or cruel. Plus, they often do helpful things at the same time as harmful things. Go back to Walter White – he’s stooping to a very low level, but his intention isn’t to harm; it’s a means to an end, and he’s driven by the sole reason of providing for his family. That logic is something we can understand.
Now, for a quick writing update.
It’s June 2026, and we’re slowly nearing the first anniversary of my self-published book, To the Edge of Burning Shadows (October 2025). I’m halfway through two drafts – one is a short novel prequel, which I am aiming to complete by August this year. And the second work in progress is the sequel in The Infernal Realms series, which I’ve titled To the Edge of Fading Hearts.
Naturally, I’ve introduced a handful of new morally grey characters in both, and a few villains as well. If you’re a fan of both character types, then keep your eyes peeled for more release news coming soon.