Benefic and malefic
Classical astrology sorts the planets by nature into benefics, Venus and Jupiter, and malefics, Mars and Saturn, with Mercury taking the character of whatever it is joined to.
The labels describe temperament rather than fate. Jupiter is hot and moist and expands; Saturn is cold and dry and restricts. What follows from that depends entirely on what is being expanded or restricted, which is why a benefic is not a promise and a malefic is not a threat.
Sect changes the weighting more than most readers expect. A malefic in sect is far better behaved than one out of it, and an out-of-sect benefic delivers less than its reputation suggests.
Frequently asked
Is Saturn always difficult?
No. Saturn in sect in a day chart is the classical example of a malefic doing useful, structural work.
What about the Sun, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto?
The Sun is treated separately, as it burns what it touches. The three modern planets have no classical assignment and ours are labelled as modern additions.