Dexter

Dexter has followed The Code religiously to satisfy his “Dark Passenger” (the name he has assigned to his urge to kill). Like many serial killers, he keeps trophies; before dispatching a wrongdoer, Dexter makes an incision on their cheek with a scalpel and collects a blood sample, which he preserves on a blood slide. He stores his collection in a box concealed inside his air conditioner.

In the beginning of the series, Dexter believes that he has no emotions, and he has to work non-stop to appear normal and blend in with the other people around him. Initially, Dexter is (with varying success) able to fake ‘normal’ emotions and maintain his appearance as an unremarkable friend and neighbor. He does maintain a few personal relationships early on, stating that he is “fond” of his adoptive sister Debra. She is unaware of Harry’s training or Dexter’s secret life, but harbors lingering jealousy of the perceived preferential treatment Harry gave Dexter. As part of his “disguise” in season one, Dexter dates a woman named Rita who is too traumatized from years of abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, Paul Bennett, to be intimate with Dexter. This suits Dexter, who believes getting intimate will reveal his darker side to Rita. He is fond of (and good with) children in general, particularly Rita’s two children, Astor and Cody. However, his attachment to Debra, Rita, Astor and Cody, and later his biological son, Harrison, have all complicated his double life and made him question his “need” to kill.