Raymond "Red" Reddington

Appearance
Height: 5'10"

Weight: 190 lbs.

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Brown

Red also has tattoos and scars, none of which have been seen on screen, only mentioned.

Raymond Reddington is Caucasian, 5’10” tall, about 190 pounds, and of medium build. His hair is brown but he is currently bald, having shaved his head recently. He has green eyes.

Red is very meticulous in his way of dressing always making sure it fits with the occasion. He’s usually found in a tailored high end three-piece suit, tie, usually colorful, a fedora, Italian leather shoes, and his signature rose-colored glasses. He also always wears a wristwatch. Depending on the function, he may also appear in a custom-tailored tuxedo. He either wears a blue windbreaker over the suit or an overcoat if it’s cold. He also has a fur-trimmed parka for very cold temperatures.

But he is also a master criminal, and quite often dresses for those kinds of activities as well, found in non-descript, not anywhere near as flashy dress if he needs to blend into an environment.

Personality
There are four facts about Red Reddington that are essential to understanding who he is as a person.

1. He does not believe he is a psychopath.

2. He delights in causing trouble.

3. He firmly believes information, and effective usage of said information is power.

4. He is a criminal but he isn’t soulless.

And now for some detail:

'''1. He does believe he is a psychopath.''' he's a killer'''

Red does believe he’s a psychopath. In his eyes, what he’s done in the criminal world is all an effect of the murder of his family. He turned his back on his country and his career because somehow they were responsible for the elimination of his family. He functions with his own set of morals, that most of society probably wouldn’t agree with.

For example, he dislikes rude people, which is something that Agent Ressler pointed out after Red let a notorious drug dealer get away with false identification. Ressler mentioned that Red wouldn’t let the drug dealer get away because he was rude and Red doesn’t like rude. Red responded with, “Well, he is on my jet.”

When Ressler was shot in the leg trying to save Red, Red keeps him from dying. Then when Red needed the code to open the bulletproof prison they were in, Red threatened to kill Ressler because the situation changed.

Red believes that everything is a give and take relationship, even his Blacklist. In exchange for helping the FBI capture the criminals on it, Red gains information from the bureau and eliminates his competition in various criminal enterprises.

'''2. He delights in making trouble. '''

Red often withholds information when working with the FBI, delighting in exactly how they would react. He doesn’t reveal his reasons for surrendering, nor does he just write down every name on the Blacklist and hand it to the authorities. Instead, he continues to operate his criminal enterprises while under FBI surveillance.

<p class="MsoNormal">Whenever he’s on a mission with Agent Keen he always causes some sort of chaos, whether it’s pulling a fire alarm at a restaurant in Montreal, causing a scene at a Syrian Embassy, or arriving at locations well before the FBI.

<p class="MsoNormal">'''3. He firmly believes information and effective usage of said information is power. '''

<p class="MsoNormal">Red almost always knows more about any given situation than he lets on, especially when dealing with Elizabeth Keen. He prefers to let her figure it out.

<p class="MsoNormal">His knowledge of the criminal world, its players and its own behind the scenes dealings is what earned him the name “The Concierge of Crime”, having brokered some of the most comprehensive criminal deals in the last twenty years.

<p class="MsoNormal">It’s also what gave him the thing that made him valuable to the FBI, the Blacklist an extensive list of criminals that are so good at what they do, that most of them aren’t even on law enforcements’ radar. Red keeps all of this knowledge in his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">He also has a store of other random trivia facts anything from information on art and music to knowledge of classic cocktails like The Avaition Cocktail, which he says “tastes like spring.”

<p class="MsoNormal">'''4. He is a criminal, but he isn’t soulless. '''

<p class="MsoNormal">Red’s a criminal who, among other things, committed murder, weapons violations, extortion, conspiracy, sabotage, destruction of government property, violent crimes to aid racketeering, RICO violations, and any number of other things that have yet to be documented. He tells Agent Keen when she asks if she should believe him, “Of course not. I’m a criminal.”

<p class="MsoNormal">That doesn’t mean he’s completely soulless. His capacity to care about other people he works with or interacts with is demonstrated throughout the series. His has a soft spot for Elizabeth Keen, looking out for her, saving her life, and repeatedly telling her that he’s going to make sure she’s safe and nothing happens to her.

<p class="MsoNormal">When the Government black site that the FBI taskforce works from was invaded, Luli Zheng, Red’s longtime banker and confidant, was shot and killed in front of him, he was affected by her death. If Dembe, his security guard also met the same fate, he would have been upset by that as well. The only thing that got Red out of his bulletproof prison was a threat made on Agent Keen’s life.

<p class="MsoNormal">Agent Donald Ressler, another member of the task force, asked for Red’s help when hunting a Blacklister that was killing his girlfriend. Red warned him that the attitude that Ressler had, was the same one that Reddington himself had, 20 years ago.

<p class="MsoNormal">He isn’t above killing his friends if the circumstances call for it. Two instances occurred so far. Red suffocated his longtime friend and aide, Newton Philips because he betrayed him. He also killed Agent Keen’s foster father, Sam, because he threatened to tell his daughter the truth. Both murders were difficult for Red.

<p class="MsoNormal">***

<p class="MsoNormal">In the second episode of the season, FBI Agent Keen, who is a profiler told Reddington a summary of the profile that she made for him:

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re a loner. You keep your distance. You travel freely through foreign lands. You’re ruthless. You’re very comfortable here with your glass of scotch, but you’re just as comfortable sleeping in a cave with rebels or sharing dinner in some hole in the wall noodle shop. Your closest friends are strangers. You understand that tight bonds can make you vulnerable so you’re careful not to have any and that’s why you’re so conflicted about me. You need me and you hate that about yourself because it makes you vulnerable.”

<p class="MsoNormal">All of that about Red is true and how he’s been able to exist in the life he’s led for the last twenty years. He’s aware that the life he’s led will end in his death and it could happen at any given moment. But, he’s also survived in the criminal world for two decades, and it’s given him a sense of humor about it all. Red can usually make a quip or add some kind of sarcastic observation to any situation.

<p class="MsoNormal">He has a love for money and the finer things in life. When given the choice he stays in five star or higher hotels. He eats well, and dresses well. He’s been known to purchase art, and donates a large sum of money to a ballet company in New York, who in turn performs Swan Lake for him and him alone, every year.

<p class="MsoNormal">Red is very deliberate in everything he does, from how he dresses to how he communicates. All of his business dealings are done face to face as he doesn’t have a mobile phone for any length of time, and barely uses email. He is careful what he says, how he says it, and who he says it to. Not a single word is wasted in his speech.

<p class="MsoNormal">The loss of his family colored Red’s view of his life. The loss of his wife and daughter was deeply felt, and the spark that turned him into the master criminal he is today. It mostly affects personal relationships of his. He was hurt badly and doesn’t particularly want to risk that again.

<p class="MsoNormal">Powers/Special Abilities: Anything about your character that's different, magical, supernatural, or gifted? Please detail here.

<p class="MsoNormal">Red is an expert in languages. During his time abroad as a naval intelligence officer he thrived in foreign countries. He can speak at least five languages, English, French, Mandarin, Ukrainian, Wolof (from Southern Africa).

<p class="MsoNormal">Red is highly intelligent. He holds all of his knowledge of the criminal world in his head, very few things are written down. He can call upon the knowledge he has in seconds.

<p class="MsoNormal">He was expertly trained by the United States Navy and worked in military intelligence. As such, he can do things like strip and reassemble a Colt 45 1911 in much less than two minutes without looking at it. He’s also an excellent shot, and has the knowledge and skill needed to use any number of fire arms and weapons. He can also fight hand to hand if need be.

<p class="MsoNormal">He has some medical knowledge as well, as he was able to keep Agent Ressler from bleeding out when he was shot in the leg, even performing a transfusion of his own blood for the agent.

<p class="MsoNormal">Red can withstand various forms of torture, including beatings and chemical methods.

<p class="MsoNormal">Red’s also extremely observant, making note of his surroundings and how he can use them and the people in them to his advantage. It also makes him a master manipulator.