Dexter Morgan is a serial killer. He is a sociopath. He is also a hero.
Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall on Showtime) is an incredibly complex character best fitting the role of a vigilante. Dexter became who he is for two main reasons. First of all, he witnessed the murder of his mother at the age of three. Orphaned, he is adopted by one of the police officers to arrive on scene, Detective Harry Morgan. During Dexter's childhood Harry sees something in Dexter that disturbs him. Although Dexter cannot remember his mother's murder at this point, he is already displaying signs of sociopathy due to witnessing the murder. Harry takes it upon himself to try to teach Dexter how to "blend in" and knowing that Dexter will ultimately become a killer, Harry decides to leave Dexter with a code for killing. He instructs him how to avoid detection and the best ways to clean up and dispose of victims. He also teaches Dexter to only kill those that deserve to be killed and to make sure that Dexter has collected enough evidence to carry out his desires. Dexter is able to keep to this code with a couple of unfortunate exceptions and remain in the clear.
Dexter's character is a true vigilante. Although not completely sane, he is very methodical in his approach both to prevent being caught and ensure that he has his man. Dexter gets many of his leads from his work as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department, often looking into cold cases and doing subsequent research of his own to determine quilt. Once proof has been found, Dexter kills his victim and disposes of the body without leaving a trace. Obviously what Dexter is doing is illegal; there is no question about that. It is also certain that Dexter is an emotionally and mentally twisted individual. These do not make him a villain though. His ability to control his actions and be disciplined about whom he murders keeps him from drifting into this category. Antihero might be the more appropriate term according to some people because of his shortcomings and illegal activity. Dexter certainly possesses noble traits and his willingness to "take out the trash" benefits society even if they don't realize it. While this may prevent him from reaching the full status as a hero in most peoples' eyes, he certainly isn't a villain. While Dexter is a complex character, he definitely fits into the hero's mold better than the villain's. His actions are not moral, but they are heroic. He risks his life to kill those who escaped the system and deserve to be punished. What may be even more heroic is his ability to stay disciplined and follow Harry's code despite his sociopathic mind consuming him and dictating his actions. Dexter is today's prime example of vigilante justice and as the show continues, we will be able to see his character develop hopefully into the hero we see inside of him.
Dexter is pretty cool. He gets to kill bad people and totally get away with it because he is clever and slightly insane. I think that there are a bunch of people who have a primal instinct to kill those whom they perceive as threats, Despite thousands of years of domestication. I’s Say Dexter is a brave hero indeed.
The issue with vigilantism is that it's at the discretion of the vigilante himself. As a fan of the Dexter series – I'm caught on the fence of labeling Dexter on or the other. There are heroes, villains, humans and then there vigilantes. Dexter Morgan is a heroic vigilante who kills for the greater good of society and helps the slow grinding wheels of justice.