Black-ish is currently in its sixth season and is one of the most fun shows on television. With its star-studded cast, spearheaded by Anthony Anderson and Tracy Ellis-Ross, if you haven’t watched this family-based comedy, you’re missing out. We follow the main character Andre “Dre” Johnson as he tries to establish some cultural identity in his somewhat “sheltered” family. Occasionally his efforts are thwarted by his loving wife Rainbow “Bow” Johnson or one of his very unique children.
While Andre does what he can to change his family’s outlook on life he still worries about his workplace, tolerating an oblivious boss and occasionally over-eccentric co-worker. With a cast of characters that range from zany to agreeable to wholesome, let’s use D&D’s moral alignment system to chart our favorite family. Want to see where you’re moral compass points? Take this test to find out.
Andre “Dre” Johnson- Lawful Good
The patriarch of the Johnson family, or at least that’s how he sees himself. Andre wants what every parent truly wants for their children, a better life than themselves. However, Andre struggles with wanting to provide his family with a better life all while worrying his success has distanced his family from the reality of being an African-American.
Occasionally, his antics to intertwine black culture in his family’s suburban upbringing backfires, leaving him baffled at their naivety. Although he seems overbearing as a father, he only wants what’s best for his kids. To do so, Andre sticks to his strict set of rules to bridge the gap between his upper-middle-class suburban household and some realities of black culture.
Rainbow “Bow” Johnson- Neutral Good
Played by Tracy Ellis-Ross, “Bow” is Andre’s loving wife and a caring mother to her children. Bow finds herself occasionally trapped between her two ethnicities, highlighted when she retells her life through college. For the most part, she agrees with Andre’s ideals of intertwining black culture in their family, however, she occasionally puts her foot down when Andre gets too out of hand.
Even while balancing motherhood and Andre’s incessant mother, Rainbow makes sure to nurture her relationship with her husband. Even though she has a hectic work schedule, she does what she can to engage with her children. Occasionally referring to herself as a “Bommy”, Rainbow keeps everything in the Johnson family balanced.
Jack Johnson- Chaotic Good
It’s not hard to wonder why Jack Johnson makes the “chaotic good” list. First things first, Jack idolizes his father and frequently tries to emulate him. Jack gets out of hand quite often though, for instance, in season six when Jack decided to scour the internet looking for “tall pills”.
Needless to say, Jack requires guidance, more often than not he looks towards his younger sister Diane for advice (which usually backfires). Jack introduces chaos into the Johnson household in several different ways. From licking door handles to get the flu, dubbing it “the flu challenge”, to trying to complete “the cinnamon challenge”, Jack’s the wildcard in the family but you know he means well.
Earl “Pops” Johnson- Lawful Neutral
If you were to pick the real patriarch of the Johnson household, you’d probably lean more towards “Pops” than Andre. Earl “Pops” Johnson is Andre’s father, a man that’s truly hard to get a beat on but is always fair. Played by Laurence Fishburne, Earl brings balance to the Johnson household but rarely picks sides, usually being the voice of reason.
One thing you can pick up from Earl is that he is very proud of his son, although he doesn’t admit it to him often. From making sure he pays the IRS on time to displaying his “old man strength” Pops brings wisdom to the Johnson household and the show wouldn’t be the same without him.
Andre “Junior” Johnson Jr.- True Neutral
In D&D terms, “true neutral” is sometimes the most dangerous alignment. Being not bound to chaos or laws leaves someone who is truly neutral the opportunity to do whatever they want without worrying about a moral code. Enter Andre “Junior” Johnson Jr., the second child of Andre and Rainbow, Junior could be considered “nerdy” but lacks the savvy that you normally find in teenagers.
Andre Jr. has no moral compass, even going so far as to pull a heist on his parents to get groceries for himself and his friends. Although harmless on its surface, it goes to show that “Junior” looks out for himself and won’t bind himself to a moral standard when he’s in need.
Ruby Johnson- Chaotic Neutral
A fan favorite, Ruby Johnson (played by Jenifer Lewis), is Andre’s overbearing mother. It’s apparent she loves her son but isn’t too fond of his wife Rainbow. Ruby’s chaos knows no real direction, occasionally she focuses it on quips at Rainbow other times she’ll enlist her grandchildren as practice partners for Spades.
The best part about Ruby is that her chaos isn’t directed at just one person, she goes after Earl, Andre, Rainbow and her grandchildren without discretion. Ruby has gone as far as yelling at Rainbow over a popsicle stick house, to teaming up with her against Andre, Ruby is an agent of chaos and you can’t help but love her.
Diane Johnson- Lawful Evil
You might think Diane falls more into the “chaotic evil” category, however, Diane is methodical in how she terrorizes her family. From blackmailing Andre Jr. to her court-mandated therapy, Diane is far from chaotic. When Ruby tried to scare Diane and Jack after finding out they weren’t baptized, Diane saw it as a free pass to do whatever she wants.
The term “evil” has to be used loosely here, Diane is a kid that is in the process of finding herself and we can’t call that evil. Diane finds herself sometimes includes teaming up with her grandmother to roast her brothers or putting her foot down on a societal issue that she feels passionate about. Either way, her methodical approach to life will benefit her in the long run, if she starts using it for good.
Charlie Telphy- Chaotic Evil
Andre’s best-friend and co-worker Charlie has all the makings of a maniac, he’s unhinged, unruly and overall pretty odd. Charlie usually spends his time trying to give Andre advice on how he should run his household and his marriage, more often than not this advice makes no sense.
Charlie also enjoys exploiting certain racial stereotypes to get what he wants, using “white-guilt” to get out of work for a day is one of these methods. Pulling out a gun during an office meeting is another, needless to say, Charlie’s chaotic antics usually get him what he wants which is why he does it in the first place. There’s no method to his madness, you just have to hope you can avoid it.
