Esdeath was a manipulative and barbarous sadist who lacked empathy for people whom she deemed weak since she lived by her father's philosophy ("The strong survive and the weak die"). She enjoyed putting her enemies through great pain, both physically and emotionally. She had no qualms about killing innocent people to get what she wanted and rationalized her behavior with her father's old creed. Although she was unabashedly bloodthirsty, she kept it from dominating her judgment.