Lister's Other Self

Lister's other self is the main antagonist from the Red Dwarf novel The Last Human. He is actually David Lister from another dimension, but he is much different from our Lister.

Description
According to Dr. Alice Kellerman, Lister's other self is a sociopath. He is charming at first sight, but he only uses it to manipulate others. He is obsessed with death, loves reading horror novels and magazines and listening to mental-metal hard rock music. Just like our Lister, he plays the guitar and isn't able to plan anything. On the other side, he regrets none of his crimes and despises love. Also, in his reality his girlfriend isn't Kochanski who dates Rimmer instead.

History
The alternative Lister is an orphan. As a child he can choose between two adoptive families. Although they aren't nice to him, he eventually gives priority to richest one. However, it isn't a good decision; his adoptive father soon ends up in prison and mother has manic depression.

When the alternative Lister grows up, he isn't able to find a job and retain it. He is arrested twice, for robbery and drink-driving. He also commits several thefts he is never sentenced for. He has three children with three different women, but loses contact with them. He later joins Red Dwarf as a third technician, but spends much time in the prison for violent behavior, including thefts and beating up an officer.

The alternative Lister obviously smuggles a cat aboard and ends up in stasis, as he survives the radiation leak just like our Lister. It is unknown how alternative Kochanski manages to survive it, but after the accident she is part of the crew along with him, Kryten, the Cat and Rimmer.

To gain access to the genetic engineering device G.O.D., the alternative Lister doesn't hesitate to slaughter all his friends. However, dead Kryten is still holding a piece of paper with coordinates to the device in his hand, so Lister's other self simply cuts it off and leaves Starbug.

Years later, our Red Dwarf crew mistakenly enters another dimension and finds other Starbug which is full of dead bodies of their own alter-egos, except Lister's. They discover that the alternative Kochanski survives when she gets into stasis after being attacked. Unfortunately, her injuries are too severe and she soon dies, without knowing it was the alternative Lister who attacked her. Before dying, she forces our crew to promise to find her Lister.

Meanwhile, the alternative Lister is captured by Great GELF State for crimes he doesn't commit under the GELF law of pre-determined guilt and sent to Cyberia, prison where prisoners live in artificial personal hells.

Meanwhile, our crew discovers where the alternative Lister is and decides to set him free. They buy some battle droids from the Kinatawowi tribe. However, Lister accidentally insults the chief and is forced to marry his daughter, only for him to escape from her as fast as possible. The crew then finds Cyberia and Lister successfully frees his alter-ego. Much to his dismay, he soon finds out his other version is a completely maniac; he kills a droid only to get its weapon and then rushes into the medicine room only to eat some tablets. The last straw for our Lister is when his alter-ego gives guns to some guards (so it is fair fight now) and then is about to shoot them with a grenade launcher dead.

Our Lister knocks out his alter version and ties him up. They then hide in desert, waiting for Starbug. Lister opens a box containing his alter-ego's belongings and finds Kryten's arm in. He then realizes what actually happened on other Starbug. But it is too late; his alternative version jumps into fire to burn his bonds (and hands), knocks Lister out and buries him alive.

When Starbug arrives, he pretends to be real Lister who was thrown into fire by his mad alter-ego. The crew doesn't suspect anything and Kochanski fondly cures his burn hands. He then decides to get a taste of her later, when he's feeling stronger. He then gives them coordinates to the device and Starbug heads there, with the crew being in stasis.

During the journey, Kryten awakes from stasis earlier and notices several disconcerting differences in Lister’s medical records. He realizes they have the wrong lister abroad. Even worse, when Kryten reads the alternate Starbug’s crew records, he finds out Lister's alter ego is a ruthless, sociopathic criminal. Suddenly, he is surprised by the alternate Lister who has also awoken early from stasis. He attacks Kryten when they are interrupted by Kinatawowis. They enter Starbug, mistakes Lister's imposer for Lister who married their chief's daughter and take him with them. Unfortunately, he manages to kill them all and hides in the Starbug's cargo bay.

When Starbug lands on the planet where they meet Lister again, his evil doppelganger goes out, locks Kryten and Rimmer in the cargo bay and takes Rimmer's son Michael McGruder as his prisoner. He then asks for an escape pod to leave the planet and wants Kochanski to accompany him. Her refusal however provokes him into shooting Lister's groin with a radiation gun, turning him sterile. He is then about to kill Kochanski who is luckily saved by the luck virus she used. They are suddenly interrupted by Rimmer who flies in with a jet-powered paint-stripper. He manages to injure the alternative Lister before he shoots his holo-bee, fatally injuring Rimmer.

Unfortunately, the Rage is above them now and the only way to stop it killing them all is the Circle of Sacer Facere. Lister, Kochanski and McGruder drag the alternative Lister into the circle, but he manages to grab the vial of the luck virus from Kochanski in order to survive. This turns to be a bad decision, because when the Rage enters their circle, he - like everyone else - desires it wholeheartedly. And since he has the luck virus, the alternate Lister's wish fulfills; the Rage chooses him and he dies.

Trivia

 * He is similar to Low Lister from the episode Demons and Angels who is another evil version of Lister.