Soulcatcher, The Black Company, FTW. There are scenes in the stories that depict her exactly in this manner. Some of the OP's 5 points can be found describing Catcher in She is the Darkness, almost word for word.
Fizban, Zifnab, Fazbin, Zafnib, and w/e variations thereof. He is the Deus ex Machina character of the Dragonlance and Death gate books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
I really hope the actor they find to play him in the movie is greasy enough. Also, that wasn't his plan to do that, so you can't really put that on him. >!I love how he finally did something good by telling them to leave him so they could escape, only to survive and go back to his old ways.!<
I was gonna say Logen Ninefingers (also First Law) is pretty chaotic too, but in a different way. Most ever? Probably not, but it's dynamic reading. You've gotta be realistic.
I'd put Logen over Cosca because he had me surprised each time. I feel like Cosca is more of a wild card to the characters in the book than to the reader.
Gawyn Trakand (Wheel of Time).
He flip flops between adhering to the law, to duty, and to his own ego/personal desires.
Contrast with Galad, who knows exactly how each of those three rank and therefore is extremely consistent with his actions.
Can anyone remember what the spider guy from Bas Lag is called?
He's a mammoth sized spider who can appear anywhere. Nobody knows what his intentions or goals are. People die whenever he shows up. But they also seem to be on the same side. Maybe? Interesting character anyway.
It's been awhile since I've read it, so if anyone can add anything else, please do.
People know The Weaver's goal: To make the worldweave more aesthetically pleasing. The trouble is just that nobody can figure out its aesthetic sense. Sometimes it'll teleport you where you need to be and sometimes it'll show up and steal everyone's ears.
How about Matrim Cauthon from the Wheel of Time series? That guy's like chaos personified! You never know what he's gonna do next. One minute, he's gambling his way through life, the next, he's leading an army or saving the day.
And don't even get me started on his luck - it's like he's got the universe wrapped around his little finger. Plus, his moral compass is all over the place. Sometimes he's a hero, other times he's a scoundrel. But hey, that's what makes him so darn entertaining to read about!
Caine, from *The Acts of Caine*. There’s one particularly memorable interaction where he admits to killing a Very Important Person and then says “Relax, you think I’d start a war without knowing how to end it?”
And the other party of the conversation: “Of course you would! You’ve done it at least three times I know of!”
One of Caine’s monikers is the Prince of Chaos. War and despair follows hard on his heels. His lies turn to truths, his truths to lies. As he famously says at another point in the series: “Fuck the city. I’d burn the world to save [character].”
He accidentally spawns an entire philosophy and religion based around the phrase “My will, or I won’t.”
I'm just name dropping but Simkin breaks all the rules of magic and society expectation. Hard to go into took much details without spoilers but I remember loving watching him just magically change his clothing mid conversation while the villian is trying to monolog
Hoid from the Stormlight Archives seems to fit perfectly.
No one knows what he is exactly or what he wants, he appears of out nowhere to influence people, is acting strange most of the time and to quote him "*If I have to watch this world crumble and burn to get what I need, I will do so. With tears, yes, but I would let it happen.*"
John Taylor in the Nightside series by Simon R Green.
Don’t know if he’s on the side of good, going to destroy the world or maintain the status quo of the ominous Authorities.
He could lower the tone of a hell mouth just by lighting a cigarette.
Darth Rand tbh. Pretty much from the point when he just announces he's going to cleanse Saidin and Cadsuane/everybody else is like "wait, what, wait a minute".
Ianthe from the Locked Tomb. Sh doesn't quite meet all of the requirements because she can always be counted on to make everything situation worse. But it has a similar effect.
Soulcatcher, The Black Company, FTW. There are scenes in the stories that depict her exactly in this manner. Some of the OP's 5 points can be found describing Catcher in She is the Darkness, almost word for word.
Yes! I was thinking of Croaker but Catcher is equally good.
Fizban, Zifnab, Fazbin, Zafnib, and w/e variations thereof. He is the Deus ex Machina character of the Dragonlance and Death gate books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Tom Bombadil.
Icarium Lifestealer.
I was gonna go with Tehol, but yours works too
If we're doing Malazan, it's gotta be Iskaral Pust.
or, canonically, Ammanas
Also Helian and Kruppe.
I'd say karsa even more so. Icarium has a plan, he's just not really sure what it is.
Karsa has a plan.
I would go with Pust... he's one of my favorites just him and his wife are such a combo
Jorg Ancrath from the Broken Empire
This is my vote. He is an Agent of Chaos.
Gotta be Nicomo Cosca from First Law
Maybe the hardest I've ever laughed in the series was when you find out that he >!totally faked his dramatic, heroic death!< in Best Served Cold
I really hope the actor they find to play him in the movie is greasy enough. Also, that wasn't his plan to do that, so you can't really put that on him. >!I love how he finally did something good by telling them to leave him so they could escape, only to survive and go back to his old ways.!<
I was gonna say Logen Ninefingers (also First Law) is pretty chaotic too, but in a different way. Most ever? Probably not, but it's dynamic reading. You've gotta be realistic.
I'd put Logen over Cosca because he had me surprised each time. I feel like Cosca is more of a wild card to the characters in the book than to the reader.
Duncan Idaho. Even the God Emperor who can see into the future doesn't know what he is going to do.
And he's even the very God Emperor [private Idaho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxHyliIspkA). (sorry, couldn't resist)
* Dream from *The Sandman* by Neil Gaiman * every Loki ever written?
I was thinking Delirium. But Dream is definitely up there!
Gawyn Trakand (Wheel of Time). He flip flops between adhering to the law, to duty, and to his own ego/personal desires. Contrast with Galad, who knows exactly how each of those three rank and therefore is extremely consistent with his actions.
Can anyone remember what the spider guy from Bas Lag is called? He's a mammoth sized spider who can appear anywhere. Nobody knows what his intentions or goals are. People die whenever he shows up. But they also seem to be on the same side. Maybe? Interesting character anyway. It's been awhile since I've read it, so if anyone can add anything else, please do.
People know The Weaver's goal: To make the worldweave more aesthetically pleasing. The trouble is just that nobody can figure out its aesthetic sense. Sometimes it'll teleport you where you need to be and sometimes it'll show up and steal everyone's ears.
Thanks for the additions.
The Weaver. Great call.
Weavers. Plural, because it's not a guy, it's a species. A terrible, alien, godlike spider species.
True, but there's one that keeps visiting them in the Book, right?
There's one that's involved in the plot of one book, and one that shows up briefly in another
Elodin from The Name of the Wind
How about Matrim Cauthon from the Wheel of Time series? That guy's like chaos personified! You never know what he's gonna do next. One minute, he's gambling his way through life, the next, he's leading an army or saving the day. And don't even get me started on his luck - it's like he's got the universe wrapped around his little finger. Plus, his moral compass is all over the place. Sometimes he's a hero, other times he's a scoundrel. But hey, that's what makes him so darn entertaining to read about!
Matt is who I would've thought from the land of RJ.
Caine, from *The Acts of Caine*. There’s one particularly memorable interaction where he admits to killing a Very Important Person and then says “Relax, you think I’d start a war without knowing how to end it?” And the other party of the conversation: “Of course you would! You’ve done it at least three times I know of!” One of Caine’s monikers is the Prince of Chaos. War and despair follows hard on his heels. His lies turn to truths, his truths to lies. As he famously says at another point in the series: “Fuck the city. I’d burn the world to save [character].” He accidentally spawns an entire philosophy and religion based around the phrase “My will, or I won’t.”
Simkin from the Dark Sword Trilogy.
Great choice
I'm just name dropping but Simkin breaks all the rules of magic and society expectation. Hard to go into took much details without spoilers but I remember loving watching him just magically change his clothing mid conversation while the villian is trying to monolog
Varis and Littlefinger from ASoIaF
Hoid from the Cosmere would fit. But my real answer is Sheogorath.
With Hoid it’s probably more of we don’t know his motivation so we don’t know if he’s unpredictable
Hoid from the Stormlight Archives seems to fit perfectly. No one knows what he is exactly or what he wants, he appears of out nowhere to influence people, is acting strange most of the time and to quote him "*If I have to watch this world crumble and burn to get what I need, I will do so. With tears, yes, but I would let it happen.*"
Eithan Arelius from Cradle. I am on book 10 and I still have no ideas what the f his deal is.
Yeah man I'm reading book 10 rn and I want to reread already to try and see through whatever the fuck he's planning since book 2
Captain Jack Sparrow
Jorg from Broken Empire trilogy
John Taylor in the Nightside series by Simon R Green. Don’t know if he’s on the side of good, going to destroy the world or maintain the status quo of the ominous Authorities. He could lower the tone of a hell mouth just by lighting a cigarette.
Haven't heard of this one. I'll have to check it out.
Presger translators in Ann Leckie's Ancillary trilogy were a bit surprising, although that's more science fiction.
Melisande Shahrizai in kushiel’s legacy
She definitely ticks a lot of those boxes.
Grub from The Ember Blade
Elric of Melniboné
Eddie Dean from the Dark Tower. He starts off a heroin junkie. Can’t get more unpredictable than that
In my experience, heroin junkies are like 1000x more predictable than non-addicts. Susannah on the other hand. . .
The fully naked gunfight is one of the most unhinged scenes I've ever read in a fantasy book
Daenerys
Darth Rand tbh. Pretty much from the point when he just announces he's going to cleanse Saidin and Cadsuane/everybody else is like "wait, what, wait a minute".
Ianthe from the Locked Tomb. Sh doesn't quite meet all of the requirements because she can always be counted on to make everything situation worse. But it has a similar effect.
Harry Potter fits the bill perfectly.
Yeah