The spectrum of BDSM roles and fetish personalities is almost endless and many overlap. Be it in motivation, behavior or kinks carried out. In order to bring some order to the chaos, here is an overview with a short description of the around 50 roles that are available to you on Deviance are available to choose from.

TOP

“Top” refers to the dominant BDSM roles, also known as D-type. Individuals who play the top role consensually take physical, emotional, or mental control over others. This can be for the duration of a session, a play relationship, or ideally a romantic relationship. It sounds like fun, but it also entails a lot of responsibility for the well-being of the submissive.

TopA person who consensually controls the activities in BDSM. Top is more of an umbrella term for a variety of dominant roles.
Dom / DommeShort for “Dominant,” referring to a person who consensually takes on power, authority, or control in a relationship, session, or other activity.
Brat-TamerA dominant person who is actually a submissive but rebellious or even rebellious person disciplined and sees this as a challenge.
Daddy / Mommy / CaregiverA person who works within a relationship dynamic and within the framework of ageplay takes on a fatherly or motherly caring role.
Master / MistressA person who consensually takes ownership of another person with whom they are in a relationship.
SadistA person who enjoys consensually inflicting humiliation or pain on someone, whether it be emotional, mental, or physical.
Rigger / Rope TopThe active role in rope bondage, who consensually ties up one or more persons while taking safety risks into account.
Hotwife / CuckoldressA woman who has sexual relationships with people other than her partner. Often, she is sexually dominant towards her partner, and her play with others serves to reinforce her dominance. Her partner is fully aware of her activities and derives pleasure from them.
FeminizerA person who enjoys transforming men into feminine beings by altering their appearance, behavior, and mindset.
Bull / CuckcakeA person who engages in sexual activity with someone whose partner enjoys the cuckold dynamic. Typically, this person is similar to the sex partner in being dominant over the third person, the cuckold or cuckquean.
Primal PredatorA person who enjoys animalistic play and behaves like a primal creature, often engaging in hunting and attempting to capture prey.
HandlerThe dominant role of the human pet owner in a pet role-play scenario.
MakerA person who has control over a human doll and generally sets the rules and commands for how they act and respond.
TrainerThey can take on a variety of dominant roles, but their main purpose is to impart their knowledge to others and train individuals toward a specific goal.
DisciplinarianA person who establishes strict disciplinary rules that another person must follow.
ProtectorA person who engages in protective activities for another individual, accompanying them to activities to ensure their safety.
DegraderA person who derives pleasure from consensual humiliation and degradation of others.
SpankerThey enjoy spanking others on their buttocks or other parts of the body.

BOTTOM

By “bottom” we mean the submissive or submissive BDSM roles, also called s-type. In forums and BDSM literature they are often written with a lowercase initial to emphasize status. People who play below submit to other people physically, emotionally, psychologically, or even financially. This can be for the duration of a session or as part of a gaming or romantic relationship. However, giving up control does not mean giving up responsibility, but rather being clear about your wishes and limits and not being afraid to formulate them clearly at any time to be able to.

BottomA person who willingly agrees to relinquish control or receives stimulation during kinky activities that may involve submission, but not necessarily.
SubA person who willingly agrees to submit or relinquish control in a relationship, session, or activity.
BratA person who enjoys exhibiting one or more of the following behaviors to challenge a dominant counterpart: teasing, playful, mischievous, sly, stubborn, rebellious, disrespectful, or disobedient.
LittleA person who feels like a toddler or enjoys adopting toddler-like behaviors and seeks a relationship with a parental or caregiving figure. See also ageplay.
MiddleA person who identifies with a younger mindset, typically in the teenage years, or exhibits corresponding behavior and seeks a relationship with a caring yet strict parental figure. See also ageplay.
SerfA person who willingly agrees to relinquish total control to someone they are in a relationship with. Note: “Serf” is a new term from the USA for the role commonly understood as “Slave.” Due to the problematic historical connotations and the triggers it can still cause for some people, we no longer support the use of this term in public. Instead, we now prefer the term “serf,” meaning “servant” or “bondservant.”
MasochistA person who enjoys receiving pain or humiliation that is consensually inflicted upon them, whether it be emotional, mental, or physical.
Bunny / Rope BottomA person who consensually allows themselves to be tied up with ropes by others, while taking safety risks into account.
Cuckold / CuckqueanA person who enjoys the humiliation or voyeuristic experience of watching or knowing that their partner is having sex with another person.
SissyA male-identified person who undergoes feminization and sometimes the accompanying humiliation.
Primal PreyA person who enjoys animalistic play and behaves like a primal creature that is being hunted by another.
PetA person who identifies as or behaves like a specific animal, usually a pet, and wants to be treated as such in a caring, affectionate, and sometimes strict manner.
DollA person who enjoys being objectified and wants to be transformed into a kind of living doll, either through their own or someone else’s actions.
ToyA person who desires to be treated like a toy or object, used for playful purposes rather than as a human being.
DegradeeA person who loves to be humiliated or degraded because they derive pleasure or arousal from it.
SpankeeA person who enjoys receiving spankings on their buttocks or other parts of their body.

OTHER

There are also BDSM roles that do not fit into a strict “top” and “bottom” categorization, such as Switches. These individuals exhibit both dominant and submissive traits and may switch roles depending on the kink, whether in classic D/s dynamics, bondage, or impact play.

Besides Switches, there are other roles within the kinky spectrum where power dynamics are not necessarily centered but can still be recognized.

SwitchA person who can be dominant or submissive depending on their partner, mood, or situation. Some switch with one partner, while others have multiple partners with whom they explore each side.
KinksterA person who is interested in kinky activities involving power dynamics, role-playing, sadomasochism, or fetishes, but prefers not to define their role specifically.
FetischistA person who is aroused by objects or non-sexual body parts.
Latex LoverA person who has a preference for the shiny material and enjoys sharing this with others.
AgeplayerA person who participates in role-playing games where one or more participants adopt and behave as if they have a different mental age.
Adult Baby / Diaper LoverA person who derives pleasure, often of a sexual nature, from wearing or using a diaper. Some people enjoy wetting a diaper, some enjoy playing in a diaper, and some love both.
SadomasochistA person whose focus is on the consensual infliction and reception of pain.
SlutA person who disregards societal conventions and lives out their sexuality according to their desires with their partners.
ExhibitionistA person who enjoys displaying themselves in a public or semi-public manner to attract attention, but not in a way that involves non-consenting bystanders in these activities.
VoyeurA person who enjoys watching others, usually in a sexual context, without directly interacting with them. However, this is done in a way that does not involve non-consenting bystanders in these activities.
PrimalA person who enjoys animal play, behaves like a primal animal, rejects rules, traditions, and protocols, and prefers to define their role themselves.
FurryA person who identifies as an animal or creature with human characteristics, wearing costumes or symbols that represent the animal.
SpankoA person who loves spanking or being spanked on the buttocks or other body parts.
ExploringSomeone who is exploring the world of kink and prefers not to commit to a specific role or identity.
EvolvingSomeone who is in the process of changing or redefining their kink identity or personality.
Not sureYou’re still new? No worries, no one has to commit right from the start. Often, people discover their kink personality through exchanging ideas with others.

The list of BDSM types presented here is not exhaustive, nor is it intended to be. We have intentionally focused on the most common play personalities that at least in part exhibit characteristics of power dynamics, in order to complement them with other BDSM roles.

But of course, if you believe that your favorite role absolutely needs to be included and is matchable with others, you can write to us via the contact form and we’ll have a look!

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