The protagonists of Netflix's Dexter have a few things in common, namely that they are both serial killers. It's difficult not to compare these two shows, and when that happens, one question will always arise above all else. Which serial killer is more deadly?
Is it Dexter Morgan, blood splatter analyst by day, serial killer of bad guys by night? Or is it Joe Goldberg, the stalker/murderer deluded by hopeless romantic fantasies? There are a lot of factors to consider, such as the number of kills, the likelihood of getting caught, strength, skill, intelligence, and more. Dexter and Joe have a lot in common, but they are deadly killers for very different reasons.
Joe: He Doesn't Have A Code
Probably the most important factor that makes Joe more dangerous than Dexter is that he doesn't have a code. Although Joe often tries to justify his killings, the truth is he will kill anyone who gets in his way.
Dexter, on the other hand, was taught a code by his adoptive father Harry to never kill an innocent person, and for the most part, he binds himself to it. At least, he really tries.
Dexter: Higher Kill Count
Despite the code, Dexter has a higher kill count than Joe. Whereas Joe kills sporadically, Dexter is methodical and planned. He chooses his victims specifically because they themselves are killers and he is careful to cover his tracks.
Dexter has been consistently killing for years and his box of blood slides can attest to that. Joe randomly takes out spurned ex-lovers and those who get in his way as he sees fit, so his kill count is definitely lower.
Joe: Not Tied Down By A Family
Dexter works hard to ensure that he maintains the cover of having a normal life. This benefits him in many ways, but can also create problems. Dexter is tied down with the responsibilities of being a husband and father. He moves in with Rita after their marriage and has less privacy and space to hide his blood slides.
Dexter is also expected to come home at a certain time and to fulfill his parental duties. Joe is not married and does not have children (although this will be changing in season 3). While he is often in relationships, he enjoys much more freedom and privacy than Dexter.
Dexter: Less Conspicuous
This is the positive side of Dexter's stability. People see Dexter as a family man and a nice guy. He has a good job, friends, a good relationship with his sister, a wife and kids, and a home. Not only that but Dexter is a lot wiser than Joe with his kill choices.
Because he targets other serial killers, he avoids connecting himself to his victims and takes out people who are less likely to be missed. Joe makes the poor choice of killing people who are close to him, even his own girlfriend, which surely will come back to bite him despite his attempted cover-ups.
Joe: Left His Home Behind
Joe's willingness to drop everything and leave behind his hometown probably saved him from getting caught. After he killed Beck and Candace tracked him down, Joe needed to get out of New York fast. So he quickly picked up his entire life and moved across the country to Los Angeles.
It's pretty hard to imagine that Dexter would do the same thing if someone was threatening him. Dexter enjoys his home in Maimi and is attached to the routines he has established. Even when the bodies of his victims are discovered in season 2, Dexter refuses to cut and run. And although he had planned to move to Argentina with Hannah and Harrison, his devotion to his sister kept him in Maimi.
Dexter: Raised By Harry
Harry's training taught Dexter two extremely valuable rules: never kill an innocent and don't get caught. Harry specifically taught Dexter how to get away with murder from a police officer's perspective, and that gives Dexter a huge advantage.
Because of Harry, Dexter established a methodical, organized way of taking out his victims, usually by tranquilizing them and then unleashing the final blow in a kill room.
Joe: Mentored By Mooney
At the same time, Joe had a mentor of his own. Mr. Mooney was Joe's adoptive father, just as Harry was to Dexter. Mooney was really abusing Joe rather than training him to be a killer, but Joe still learned many valuable lessons in his youth.
Mr. Mooney taught Joe the ways of the plexiglass cage vault and helped him to cover his tracks after he killed Elijah.
Dexter: Works For Miami Metro Homicide
Dexter has a huge advantage in the fact that he works for Miami Metro Homicide. Since he targets other serial killers, he uses the homicide department to find information about and stalk his victims.
Dexter is also able to stay one step ahead of the police when they're looking into one of his murders due to his inside access.
Joe: Uses Technology To His Advantage
While Dexter has the advantage of using information from Maimi Metro, Joe came up with another technique for keeping tabs on those around him. Joe frequently steals the phones or laptops of those he stalks in order to keep tabs on them.
He also uses the phones of his dead or captured victims to text their loved ones and buy himself more time before anyone notices they are missing.
Dexter: Physically Stronger
In a contest of pure physical strength, Dexter would come out on top. Although both Dexter and Joe are occasionally involved in physical confrontations, it's clear that Dexter is the more powerful opponent.
In the first season, Joe is badly beaten by his neighbor's abusive boyfriend, Ron. Meanwhile, Dexter usually seems to have the upper hand when he ends up in a physical altercation.