The Quick Report

Each Zodiac Sign’s Best — and Most Toxic — Traits

Every zodiac sign has pros and cons to them. Today we’re dwelling on both! Read on to find out what your sign’s best, and most toxic, trait is! And don’t forget to check your moon and rising signs if you know them.

All The Zodiac Signs Have Their Stereotypes

woman in blue and white floral shirt holding her face
Photo by Caroline Veronez

You may have clicked on this gallery and thought “oh come on! Surely these traits don’t apply to all of these signs right?” Well these summaries of the best, and most toxic, zodiac traits may be more accurate than you initially thought. Hey, self-reflection isn’t always comfortable! Read on, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Best Aries Trait: Passionate

woman sitting on cliff raising both hands
Photo by Becca Tapert

Aries tend to feel things rather intensely. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, their passionate nature is one of their most wonderful traits. They care a lot about the people and circumstances around them and they want others to care as much as they do. They wish to ignite the zeal of others with their own passion. 

Worst Aries Trait: Wrathful

smiling girl in black and white striped shirt
Photo by Julien L

Aries show their love intensely. And when someone they love and are loyal to hurts them, they get angry. Extremely angry. Even if they have the longest fuse in the world, once it’s lit, it is only a matter of time before they explode. They have a tendency to always keep an insult in their back pocket for every person they meet. And when they get hurt they will whip that insult out quick as lightning. 

Best Taurus Trait: Dependable 

man in blue jacket standing beside woman in white jacket
Photo by Ismael Paramo

If there is one friend or loved one on whom you know you can rely, chances are they are a Taurus or at least they have Taurus somewhere in their chart. Taureans are some of the biggest mom friends in the entire zodiac. They are always ready to lend an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or a hand to help. 

Worst Taurus Trait: Control-Freak

woman holding white mug while standing
Photo by Brooke Lark

Taurus can be the quintessential mom-friend. But sometimes this mom-friend is overwhelmed with the need to control everything. It can stem from their anxiety and fear of losing someone or the life they love and are comfortable with. They tend to insert themselves into situations because they think they can fix everything. They are “fixed” signs after all.

Best Gemini Trait: Inquisitive 

girl in blue and white tank top
Photo by Jeremiah Lawrence

Geminis can never stop learning. Their minds are like sponges that are never fully quenched. They never want to be accused of being ignorant. Geminis are quite sympathetic, and you could credit their sympathy with their need to learn as much as they can about other cultures and the experiences of other people.

Worst Gemini Trait: Two-Faced

close-up photo of Goosebumps Slappy the Dummy ventriloquist doll
Photo by Robert Zunikoff

You might think I’m simply playing on the fact that Gemini is represented by The Twins. But it’s deeper than that. The mutable air sign’s dualistic and loquacious nature can make them come off as insincere gossip mongers. It stems from an overwhelming need to be liked, which is understandable. But it can still leave your

Best Cancer Trait: Creative

person holding book with sketch
Photo by Rachael Gorjestani

The moon has been known to inspire many artists, writers, and poets. So it is only fitting that the sign that is ruled by the great glowing inspirational orb is one of the most creative signs in the zodiac. The cardinal water sign’s mind is like a deep ocean of creative ideas. They are always thinking of a new artistic project.

Worst Cancer Trait: Manipulative 

woman whispering on woman's ear while hands on lips
Photo by Ben White

Cancers are empathetic and they understand people quite well. And this insight can make it easy for them to manipulate those around them. Just as water erodes a stone, the cardinal sign tries to shape those around them and get them to conform to what they believe. They are not Machiavellian in the way they sway others. They generally believe that they are helping by “guiding” their loved ones.

Best Leo Trait: Generous

close up photography of woman holding grey and red box
Photo by Kira auf der Heide

The astral lion is one of the most warm-hearted and generous signs in the zodiac. Leos share the spotlight more than they steal it. They are always ready to shower their loved ones with gifts and praise. They will give you the shirt off their back.

Worst Leo Trait: Conceited

woman putting liquid lipstick on her lips while looking at vehicle's mirror during daytime
Photo by Gustavo Spindula

Sorry Leos, you knew this was coming. Someone as bombastic and theatrical as the fixed fire sign is bound to be a little bit full of themselves. Though Leos have a warm and generous heart, they can sometimes be myopic in the pursuit of their personal ambitions and very proud of their own accomplishments. This pride can cause them to not give credit where it’s due.

Best Virgo Trait: Pragmatic 

person writing on white paper beside white ceramic mug on white textile
Photo by Paico Oficial

We all need a friend who will talk us off a ledge and that is where the kind-hearted yet level-headed Virgo comes in. When our thoughts are cloudy and we can’t see the forest for the trees, in comes the mutable earth sign to help us see the bigger picture. They are never ones to catastrophize a situation. They just handle their circumstances with a clear and rational mind.

Worst Virgo Trait: Overly-Critical

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Photo by Icons8 Team

Virgo is known for their helpful nature. But sometimes they think tough love is the best way to help someone. Sometimes tough love can be beneficial. But if used too much in times of distress it can come off as bullying. And sometimes when someone is overly critical in their pursuit of assistance, the person they are trying to help will just shut them out.

Best Libra Trait: Diplomatic 

person holding peace flag
Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse

While it is important not to equivocate, sometimes a disagreement requires a peace-keeper. That is where Libra comes in. The cardinal air sign likes to balance the scales. Libras are the ideal mediators and always try to listen to all sides of a situation to bring about harmony. They will never make one side feel wrong, they will make all sides feel seen and heard.

Worst Libra Trait: Ambivalent

a boy with his arms crossed
Photo by Nachristos

Libras value peace and harmony above all else. Which is why they have a tendency to “both-sides” an argument when acting as a mediator or voice of reason. It’s good to see all sides of a situation, and sometimes both sides can be equally right o

Best Scorpio Trait: Adventurous 

person above mountain and body of water
Photo by Jakob Owens

You know those friends that text you at 11:00 pm, asking you if you want to go on an adventure? You couldn’t imagine life without those friends, just as you can’t imagine life without Scorpios. The fixed water sign’s adventurous nature is unmatched by any other sign in the zodiac. They are always up for new experiences and new challenges. 

Worst Scorpio Trait: Secretive 

grayscale photo of woman doing silent hand sign
Photo by Kristina Flour

Keeping your private life private is not necessarily a toxic trait. But there is a fine line between being unwilling to disclose personal details and purposely withholding information — and Scorpios like to flirt with that line. Sometimes, in their quest to keep secrets, they can resort to subtle gaslighting. But to their credit, this gaslighting is not always intentional.

Best Sagittarius Trait: Self-Reflective

woman wearing silver-colored ring
Photo by Giulia Bertelli

Sagittarians are incredibly self-aware. They are not particularly prideful and often question their own decisions. This may not seem like a positive attribute on the surface, but it is probably one of the most positive traits on this list. The mutable fire sign’s ability to self-reflect allows them to make rational and compassionate decisions.

Worst Sagittarius Trait: Fight AND Flight

girl in blue sleeveless dress
Photo by Obie Fernandez

Fight and flight tendencies are not necessarily toxic traits, they are trauma responses. However, Sagittarians can utilize both responses when they find themselves in an argument. They will lash out and explode and before the other party can respond or defend themselves the mutable fire sign will quickly leave the situation, ensuring that they have the last word.

Best Capricorn Trait: Self-Disciplined 

man wearing karate gi standing on road
Photo by Thao LEE

Capricorns are exceptional leaders. Their incredible leadership skills can be attributed in part to their self-discipline. They pride themselves on their ability to think rationally and make good decisions. They like to protect their loved ones but they also like to protect themselves from any negative influences.

Worst Capricorn Trait: Patronizing

person standing near the stairs
Photo by Hunters Race

Capricorns are intelligent, hard working leaders. And sometimes they have the ability to believe their own hype. They often believe that their way — and only their way — is the best way. Any deviation from what they believe to be right is seen as

Best Aquarius Trait: Innovative 

a light bulb being held by a hand
Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki

To say that Aquarians think outside of the box is a huge understatement. Aquarians don’t just think outside of the box, they think outside of our atmosphere. They always look at things with a fresh perspective, and their mind is always teeming with newfangled ideas. The sky is never the limit, because they have no limit.

Worst Aquarius Trait: Aloof

man on boat looking back
Photo by Kenny Eliason

Aquarians are the masters of overthinking. They get maligned as

Best Pisces Trait: Empathetic

two hands
Photo by Toa Heftiba

There are many astrologers who believe that people with Pisces in a prominent place in their birth charts have psychic abilities. These abilities really shine through with their empathetic nature. “Empath” is a title that the compassionate and sensitive Pisces can rightfully claim.

Read More: Which Tim Burton Character Are You Based On Your Zodiac Sign?

Worst Pisces Trait: Escapist 

children sitting on road
Photo by Emma Frances Logan

Sagittarius and Pisces share a ruling planet (Jupiter is technically Pisces’ ancient ruler) so I guess it’s understandable that their toxic traits are similar. However, Pisces is all flight and very little fight. Rather than working through their problems or struggles, they would prefer a dramatic escape. When times get tough, running away is always a tempting option for them.

Best Ophiuchus Trait: Everything 

man in black white and red striped shirt holding purple balloon
Photo by Sammy Xu

You are the kindest, most sincere, most intelligent, and the most beautiful of all the signs… or at least you would be if you were a real zodiac sign!

Read More: The Definitive Disney Villain Zodiac Guide

Worst Ophiuchus Trait: Ghosting 

woman in gray turtleneck long sleeve shirt
Photo by Uday Mittal

Ophiuchus is super good at ghosting because they don’t exist.

Read More: 10 Underrated Zodiac Love (and Friend) Matches

Wait, What’s Ophiuchus?

grafitti
Photo by Tim Mossholder

Ophiuchus is allegedly the 13th zodiac sign. Every few years you’ll see articles telling you that your zodiac sign has been wrong all along, which sends people into a panic. But most astrologers don’t acknowledge the existence of the sign. And neither do we!

Read More: The Zodiac Signs, Ranked from Least to Most Generous