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The primary antagonist of the novel, Goddard himself does not evolve over the course of the story. Privately, Goddard firmly believes in his own innate superiority as a scythe and decries any restrictions on his work. Publicly, Goddard obfuscates the most hateful or horrifying aspects of his philosophies, not out of shame but out of pragmatism, because he knows as well as anyone how controversial his ideas are. Though Goddard often presents lofty defenses of his methods that have a certain appealing logic, his ideas have no real internal consistency. He denigrates mortal culture as often as he uses it as a justification when convenient. Ultimately, Goddard simply enjoys killing people and wants an excuse to do so with impunity.
Charismatic and articulate, Goddard is skilled at manipulating others. His training techniques suggest he has an astute understanding of people, which increases his ability to manipulate them effectively. He can blackmail Xenocrates into doing his bidding, has corrupted Volta into betraying his principles, and successfully molds Rowan into an effective though reluctant killer. Still, for all his skill at turning others into amoral killers, Goddard is so convinced of his own abilities that he badly misreads Rowan.
