Dexter, which ran for eight seasons from 2006 through to 2013, left viewers confused as they rooted for the likable serial killer, Dexter Morgan. Why? He managed to control his desires and use them for good by only killing other serial killers and bad people. Any victim had to meet a specific “code.” The vigilante killer was in a perfect position to commit his crimes. He was a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, making him the first person called to crime scenes and who knew how to analyze (and stage) them. He had access to police databases to dig up information on his potential targets. He also had a boat that he could use whenever he needed to dispose of chopped-up body parts. And a family provided the perfect cover, making him seem like just your average guy.
But lurking deep down in Dexter was his Dark Passenger. And while Dexter tried to control his desires by only killing “deserving individuals,” we aren’t so sure that all of his victims really deserved to die in the way he killed them.
Deserved It: Santos Jimenez
There’s no question that Jimenez deserved every bit of torture that was brought upon him. Not only was he a notorious drug dealer in Miami, he was also the person responsible for the death of Dexter’s mother. Fans of the series know that Dexter’s mother was killed right in front of him while he was a baby, and he was found sitting and crying in a pool of her blood.
Needless to say, when Dexter found Jimenez and discovered who he was, he captured him, tied him down as he did all of his victims, and dismembered him with a chainsaw, limb by limb, as Jimenez had done to his mother.
Not So Sure: Valerie Castillo
Castillo and her husband Jorge were responsible for smuggling Cuban migrants into the U.S. and drowning anyone who couldn’t pay the fee. While what they did was despicable, Valerie never really took part in the actual killings. Jorge might have deserved to be stabbed in the heart, but Valerie was only an accomplice.
She knew what her husband was doing and didn’t do anything about it, but she didn’t do the deeds herself. Does this make her just as guilty and fit Dexter’s code? We’re not so sure.
Deserved It: Brian Moser/Rudy Cooper, a.k.a. The Ice Truck Killer
The main antagonist of the first season, Moser was as cunning and clever as Dexter, first inserting himself into Dexter’s life by dating his sister, then taunting him with trinkets from his crimes. Moser, who went by Rudy Cooper, later revealed himself to be Dexter’s biological brother.
While Dexter killed just as many people, Moser, or the Ice Truck Killer, as he was known, went after innocent people and tried to convince Dexter to set himself free and do the same. So Moser needed to go. Dexter suspended him in the air as Moser did to his own victims, sliced his throat, then convinced the police department that Moser committed suicide.
Not So Sure: Miguel Prado
The Assistant District Attorney, it turned out that Prado had his own Dark Passenger brewing. He was on to who and what Dexter was, and wanted in on the fun. While Prado wasn’t really a killer himself — until he had his first kill and something awakened in him — he was open to the idea of vigilante justice.
Still, Prado ended up killing a somewhat innocent women, and even tried to target Dexter’s boss Maria, causing Dexter to put an end to Prado’s run before the partnership became too dangerous. Sure, Prado had the potential to become someone really evil. But Dexter killed him more for selfish reasons than anything else — to save a single person (Maria) and keep his secret under wraps.
Deserved It: Lila West
Oh, sweet Lila. The innocent yet troubled girlfriend who Dexter met in a narcotics anonymous group. While they were having their affair, Lila started getting too much into Dexter’s business. She could get violent, framed Dexter’s colleague Angel, and was a pyromaniac who killed people from fires she set.
She even attempted to murder Dexter’s stepchildren Astor and Cody. Lila needed to be dealt with before she caused more damage. She didn’t necessarily fit the code, but we’ll make an exception here.
Not So Sure: James Doakes
Okay, so Dexter didn’t technically “kill” Doakes; it was only by proxy. Doakes perished in a fiery explosion due to a blaze set by Lila. A sergeant on the police force, Doakes was the only one suspicious of Dexter, believing something was off.
But after Doakes discovered who Dexter really was, Dexter kidnapped him and locked him in a cabin. Would he have killed Doakes if Lila hadn’t blown the place up? It’s unknown. Doakes didn’t fit the code at all, but he did pose a major threat. He would have meant the end to Dexter as we know it. But Doakes still didn’t deserve to die for simply doing his job.
Deserved It: Arthur Mitchell, a.k.a. The Trinity Killer
The absolute best antagonist of the series, Arthur Mitchell was also responsible for the single most tragic death: Rita, Dexter’s sweet and innocent wife. The Trinity Killer left posed bathing in her own blood in the bathtub, no less. For decades, he traveled throughout the U.S. killing people in cycles of three, following a specific pattern.
When Dexter finally captured him, Mitchell got the last laugh anyway, knowing Dexter would be reeling from the discovery of Rita’s body and the loss of the only thing that was keeping his humanity alive.
Not So Sure: Clint McKay
The father of Dexter’s love interest Hannah, she described him as uncaring and untrustworthy, cruel and neglectful. Did this meet Dexter’s code? We’re not so sure. He was a con man, a compulsive gambler, a liar, and a blackmailer.
He was selfish and abusive, and tried to take advantage of his daughter while also insulting and berating her. And he was going to rat out his own daughter to the cops after discovering that she killed someone. But was he a killer? No. Dexter simply wanted to kill him.
Deserved It: Little Chino
This gang enforcer, a strapping man with slicked back hair, prominent sideburns, and a handlebar mustache, was all bad, all the time. His weapon of choice? A machete, which he used to hack many a victim into pieces. He was just as terrifying and sinister a killer as Dexter, except he would chop someone up just for snitching — he had no code.
Plus, as gang leader, he was technically responsible for every kill they did, not just the ones by his hands. So it was a relief when Dexter tranquilized, strapped him down, and put him out of our misery.
Not So Sure: Zoey Kruger
This is a tough one. There’s no denying that Zoey was a terrible person. A policewoman, she shot and killed her own husband and daughter, then framed a gang member for the murder and killed him too, claiming it was a gang-related shooting. While she did kill three people in cold blood, she wasn’t necessarily a serial killer.
There’s no question she needed to pay for her actions, have her day in court, and likely spend the rest of her life rotting in a jail cell. If anything, Dexter let her off too easy by killing her so swiftly.
