Dexter Morgan

Dexter Morgan (né Moser) is a fictional character and an antihero of a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005), Dexter in the Dark (2007), Dexter by Design (2009), Dexter Is Delicious (2010) and Double Dexter (2011). In 2006, the first novel was adapted into the Showtime TV series Dexter and its companion web series Dexter: Early Cuts. A seventh novel written by Jeff Lindsay entitled Dexter's Debut is expected for release in late 2012.

In both the novels and the TV series, Dexter is a forensic blood spatter analyst who works for the fictitious Miami-Metro Police Department; in his spare time, he is a serial killer who channels his urge to kill onto other murderers who have escaped the justice system. He follows an elaborate code of ethics and procedures taught to him in childhood by his adoptive father, Harry Morgan (which he refers to as "The Code" or "The Code of Harry"), which hinges on two principles: Dexter can only kill people after finding conclusive evidence (usually of a higher standard than police, because he is not bound by legal procedures to obtain them) that they are guilty of at least one murder of an innocent, and that they are likely to kill again in the future if not stopped. Harry also taught him to dispose of all evidence so he doesn't get caught.

The program's first season was largely based on the first novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, but the following seasons veered away from the rest of the book series.

In the television program, Dexter is played by Michael C. Hall. He has received rave reviews for his portrayal, both critically and popularly, and he won a Golden Globe Award in 2009 for Best Actor in a Television Series or Drama for his portrayal of Dexter Morgan in the fourth season.