What is the name of the protagonist serial killer in Dexter?

The protagonist serial killer in Dexter is Dexter Morgan. He is the central character of Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter novels and the television franchise, where he is portrayed primarily by Michael C. Hall.

Dexter is presented as an antihero with two closely connected lives. Publicly, he works for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department as a blood spatter analyst. Secretly, he tracks and kills murderers who have escaped justice. This dual identity creates the series’ central tension: Dexter uses forensic expertise to help solve crimes while concealing his own crimes.

His adoptive father, Harry Morgan, discovers Dexter’s violent impulses when Dexter is young and teaches him a set of rules known as the Code of Harry. The code is intended to direct Dexter’s killings toward people who are themselves murderers while helping him avoid detection. Dexter’s biological name is Dexter Moser, and Brian Moser is his biological brother, not the protagonist.

Viewers sometimes confuse Dexter with Harry Morgan, his adoptive father, or with villains such as Arthur Mitchell and Brian Moser. Those characters are important to the story, but Dexter Morgan remains the principal character and the serial killer at its center.