When Dexter actually aired on TV in 2006-ish I was too young to watch it and now that I’m watching it all the way through for the first time AS AN ADULT I totally understand why my dad wouldn’t let me watch at like 9 years old.
Ever since Dexter: Original Sin came out (Rip), I have been reading and hunting down an insane amount of Dexter fanfiction. The show isn’t really that popular of a show for fanfiction. Not to mention that it came out when Fanfiction.net was becoming popular and most people used livejournal for fanfiction. So finding good Dexter fanfics from back in the day has been a bit of a challenge. But I did dig up some recently written fanfics, since New Blood, Resurrection, and Original Sin came out, it caused an uptick in fanfics. Here is the list of my favorites.
My Comments: I like this fic, mainly because I like watching things through Brian's perspective. I gotta admit, I wasn't that big of a fan of Brian in the show (honestly I found the whole secret brother thing to be a little too cliche). But this fic totally brings his character to life. It's a pretty decent fic. It was written before Original Sin came out, so the author’s take on Brian is solely based on season 1 of Dexter, but I would still recommend it.
Status: Complete
Length: 79,677 words
Ashen Rain
By: NachtofWalpurgis
https://archiveofourown.org/works/33868501
Summary: He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “Deb, I’m the Bay Harbor Butcher.” Deb knew him better than anyone. Relied on him for so much recently. She had to be able to see the monster, right?
My Comments: This fic was written back in 2021, right around when New Blood came out. It’s an AU that’s set at the end of season two, when Dexter’s about to confess to Deb that he’s the Bay Harbor Butcher. This is a pretty great AU, and I love how it explores how Deb would react to his dark secret. I love this take on her reaction. Sadly it is abandoned, which is a shame because I thought it was really going places. This fic is cross-posted on fanfiction.net, so I’ll link that down below.
Summary: While Dexter’s off at the Mitchell’s Family Thanksgiving, Rita falls and hits her head… and that changes the course of their lives forever.
My Comments: This is a great fic with the amnesia trope (a favorite trope of mine). I really love all the family moments in this fic between Dexter and Astor & Cody. Not to mention Rita (from pre-season one memories) slowly learning to trust Dexter again. This is just a great feel good fic. I also like how it forces Dexter to reevaluate his priorities and let go of his Dark Passenger. I highly recommend this fic if you’re looking for Dexter/Rita and Dexter!familyman moments as well.
Status: Complete
Length: 25,572 words
Revelations Series
By: Zedpm
https://archiveofourown.org/series/4470232
Summary: In a universe where Dexter tells Debra about his dark urges at a young age, things go very differently. Haunted daily by the impulse to kill, Dexter must navigate working under his foster father, trying to forge an honest relationship with Rita, and the unearthing of family secrets that may be better left buried.
My Comments: This is a 6 part (and counting) series about a Dexter AU with him not being a serial killer. I have to say I really love Deb in this series and how she was able to help Dexter control his Dark Passenger. I also enjoyed how it showed just how much damage Harry did, and that there was another way. It’s really a great series and one that I reread constantly. I love the author’s take on season one and how it could have played out if Dexter wasn’t a killer and Harry was still alive. I highly recommend this fic.
Status: Incomplete
Last Update: 6/4/25
Length: 30,988 words
Empty Eyes
By: prettylittletraitors
https://archiveofourown.org/works/29180313
Summary: When a new officer starts at Miami Metro, Dexter can’t help but take notice when he sees what hides behind her eyes. Emptiness. The same emptiness he knows is inside him too. Kayla brings a new sense of danger to Dexter’s life, from her violent instincts to her friendship with Sergeant Doakes. Will she be his salvation or lead to his downfall?
My Comments: I absolutely love this fanfiction! It is a Dexter/OFC fic, with a sociopathic Original Female Character, and I’ve got to say that the author really pulls off writing a sociopath. I’ve found that those types of characters are really difficult to write, you have to get the right blend of normal and abnormal characteristics and if you go too much in either direction you’ve lost the audience. So the fact that the author was able to tiptoe that line effectively and still write a compelling story is impressive to say the least. I love the plot, the slow burn between Kayla and Dexter, the love triangle between Kayla/Dexter/Doakes that you are torn between. The only thing I didn’t really like was how the author wrote Rita, although seeing as Dexter had a different primary love interest in this fic, you sort of had to write Rita as a little annoying to make the story work, so I get it. Anyway, every chapter seems to end on an effective cliffhanger that just keeps you on the edge of your seat and eager for more. All leading up to the big reveal of Dexter’s secret being discovered by Kayla. I can’t recommend this fanfic enough! Not to mention that the author’s been updating it consistently, so it is ongoing. Seriously though, you need to read this fic.
Status: Incomplete
Last Update: 9/22/25
Length: 164,802 words
Miami, Florida, 1991
By: acceptableandinoffensiveusername
https://archiveofourown.org/works/63346117
Summary: As Dexter, Masuka, Angel, and Bobby arrive at Alvaro’s restaurant to celebrate Dexter’s first crime scene, they are suddenly pulled away with a meeting, leaving Dexter sitting by himself. “Anyone sitting here?” a young man asks. Dexter, being as awkward as he is, says no.
My Comments: I did make a little tweak to the summary, mainly just the last word. Anyway, this is a fic set during Original Sin, where in episode two, Brian actually does sit with Dexter at the restaurant. The story mainly seems to follow the plot of the show, with Dexter and Brian moments of them hanging out. I have to say I really love this fic, it just took the bait the showwriters left dangling in front of us in Original Sin and just ran with it. Sadly we haven’t gotten to the reveal yet, but I still highly recommend this fic, for it’s really going places.
