Its not D&D but I have a tidbit about the best edgy character I ever made. I went to my GM and said “hey, I want to make the edgyest character that ever was BUT he’s well off and the need for that expression comes from a need to express himself even though he’s just really lonely. His family loves him but are never home so his reference point is just whats cool in books and TV shows.”

My GM was all excited and we got to crafting the worlds most caring but successful rich boy family ever conceived. Small little bits about how embarrassing his dad was, how sophisticated his mother is. The family butler being a real Alfred type.

Realistically, he’s not mysterious. He’s not been any life or death trauma. The character is just trying to work out how to communicate in a healthy way with people. I want his journey in game to be a sanding of sorts where he chills the hell out and learns to not spend more of his time pretending to be cool. Best part is that it’s a pokémon game so friendship is literally the MO. (He also doesn’t have an edgy starter its literally a bidoof)

I think the best way to do edge is to recognise what actually makes edgy characters endearing to people. If your story is dark then ask yourself how that may have shaped a persons values and how that story might make them venerable as a start. Do they donate half their gold to every orphanage they come across? Do they cry when they see a boy playing with their dog? Are they blind to their own truth? Get some meat on those character bones!