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#REDIRECT ] |
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{{R from fictional element|Television}} |
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| name = Demon |
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{{R to section}} |
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| image = ] |
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| caption = A demon, in its true form of a smoke cloud, being exorcised from its host. |
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| first = "Phantom Traveler" |
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| lbl1 = Home |
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| data1 = ] |
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| lbl2 = Leader |
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| data2 = ] (Seasons 1–2)<br>] (Seasons 3–4)<br>] (Season 5) |
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'''Demons''' are a fictional race of ] beings from the ] television series '']''. A creation of ], demons are the corrupted souls of humans sent to Hell. |
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==Fictional history== |
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The background of demons in ''Supernatural'' is mostly shrouded in mystery for the first two seasons of the series. However, the third season episode "Malleus Maleficarum" reveals that all demons were once human; spending hundreds of years in Hell has corrupted their souls, leaving them as large, black clouds that generate electromagnetic interference.<ref name="mall">{{cite episode|title=Malleus Maleficarum |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Ben Edlund, Director: Robert Singer |network=]|airdate=2008-01-31|season=3|number=9}}</ref> Subsequent seasons expand their history further by tying it into Christian mythology. The first demon in creation is revealed to be Lilith, whom Lucifer himself corrupted as revenge against God.<ref name="levee">{{cite episode|title=When the Levee Breaks |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Sera Gamble, Director: Robert Singer |network=]|airdate=2009-05-07|season=4|number=21}}</ref> However, Lucifer was soon locked away by the Archangel Michael, and Lilith was imprisoned deep within Hell. Thousands of years later, after much searching, the demon Azazel was able to find the doorway to Lucifer's prison. The fallen angel explained that only Lilith can break the 66 seals keeping him imprisoned, and instructed Azazel to find him "a very special child".<ref name="lucrise">{{cite episode|title=Lucifer Rising |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Eric Kripke |network=]|airdate=2009-05-14|season=4|number=22}}</ref> As depicted in the second season finale "]", Azazel spent the following years feeding his own blood to babies—one being main series protagonist ]—as they would then grow up developing demonic abilities.<ref name="allhell">{{cite episode|title=All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Sera Gamble, Director: Robert Singer |network=]|airdate=2007-05-10|season=2|number=21}}</ref> |
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Although an ordinary demon is featured as a ] in the fourth episode of the series, "Phantom Traveler",<ref>{{cite episode|title=Phantom Traveler |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Richard Hatem, Director: Robert Singer |network=]|airdate=2005-10-04|season=1|number=4}}</ref> demons do not become actively involved in the show until the introduction of Azazel's daughter—she possesses and assume the identity of a young woman named Meg Masters—in the second half of the season. She follows Sam and Dean Winchester, and later unsuccessfully sets a trap for their father John Winchester, who has been hunting Azazel for years.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Scarecrow |series=Supernatural |credits=Story: Patrick Sean Smith, Teleplay: John Shiban, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2006-01-10|season=1|number=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Shadow |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2006-02-28|season=1|number=16}}</ref> When the Winchesters find the Colt—a mystical gun capable of killing anything—in "Dead Man's Blood",<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dead Man's Blood |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Cathryn Humphris & John Shiban, Director: Tony Wharmby |network=] | airdate=2006-04-20 |season=1|number=20}}</ref> Meg hunts down their friends in the subsequent episode to force them to give her the gun. John tries to give her a fake, and is captured,<ref>{{cite episode|title=Salvation |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Sera Gamble & Raelle Tucker, Director: Robert Singer |network=] | airdate=2006-04-27 |season=1|number=21}}</ref> although the brothers manage to rescue him in the season finale "]". After a brief confrontation with Azazel, however, a demonically-possessed truck driver crashes into the Winchesters' car.<ref name="devilstrap">{{cite episode|title=Devil's Trap |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=] | airdate=2006-05-04 |season=1|number=22}}</ref> With Dean dying in a coma in the second season premiere "In My Time of Dying", John trades his soul and the Colt to Azazel in exchange for saving his son.<ref>{{cite episode|title=In My Time of Dying |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2006-09-26|season=2|number=1}}</ref> |
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In the second season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose", Azazel gathers all of the people he had infected with his blood, and forces them to fight to the death. Sam is eventually killed,<ref name="allhell"/> and the sole survivor Jake Talley is ordered by the demon to open a gateway to Hell that was locked within a mausoleum by the Colt's creator, hunter Samuel Colt. Sam, having been resurrected after Dean makes a demonic pact with a Crossroads Demon, joins his brother and fellow hunters Bobby Singer and Ellen Harvelle in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Jake. Though Lilith and hundreds of other demons are released into the world, the brothers manage to kill Azazel with the Colt.<ref>{{cite episode|title=All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two |series=Supernatural |credits=Story: Eric Kripke & Michael T. Moore, Teleplay: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=]| airdate=2007-05-17|season=2|number=22}}</ref> |
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Although not depicted often, demons then begin waging war against humans in secret, such as in the third season episodes "The Magnificent Seven" and "Sin City".<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Magnificent Seven |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2007-10-04|season=3|number=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Sin City |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Robert Singer & Jeremy Carver, Director: Charles Beeson |network=]|airdate=2007-10-25|season=3|number=4}}</ref> However, they are not united in their efforts until Lilith eventually takes control of the demonic world. After the brothers learn that Lilith holds the contract to Dean's deal, they make a vain attempt to kill her on the eve of Dean's deadline in the finale "No Rest for the Wicked".<ref>{{cite episode|title=No Rest for the Wicked |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2008-05-15|season=3|number=16}}</ref> In the fourth season premiere, Dean is resurrected by the angel Castiel to help stop Lilith from breaking the 66 seals.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Lazarus Rising |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2008-09-18|season=4|number=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Sera Gamble, Director: Phil Sgriccia |network=]|airdate=2008-09-25|season=4|number=2}}</ref> However, all but one seal are eventually broken, and Sam is tricked into using his abilities to kill Lilith, whose death as "Lucifer's first" breaks the final seal and frees the fallen angel.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Lucifer Rising |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Eric Kripke |network=]|airdate=2009-05-14|season=4|number=22}}</ref> With Lucifer freed, all demons begin zealously following his command. Many of them sacrifice their lives for his purpose.<ref name="hope">{{cite episode|title=Abandon All Hope... |series=Supernatural |credits=Writer: Ben Edlund, Director: Phil Sgriccia |network=]|airdate=2009-11-19|season=5|number=10}}</ref> One notable exception is Crowley, who understands Lucifer's ultimate hatred of both demons and humans and expects Lucifer to destroy both races when his plan comes into fruition.<ref name="hope"/> |
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==Demon culture== |
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Demons in the series are generally portrayed as cruel and sadistic, often taking pleasure in causing humans pain. However, they are also—as Kripke deems them—"erudite and sophisticated".<ref name="p115"/> At times their culture has been compared to that of normal humans. Introduced in the third season is the concept of some demons being religious, believing in their own higher power—Lucifer. According to ] in a flashback in "Lucifer Rising", most demons eventually lost faith by 1972. Whether this changes before Lucifer's release in the fourth season is unknown, although a demon in the third season episode "Sin City" comments that some believe in his existence, stating, "Well, no one's actually seen him, but they say that he made us into what we are, and they say that he'll return." Azazel's endgame throughout the entire series is to free Lucifer, whom he refers to as his "Father". |
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] |
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Within the demon culture exists a hierarchy based on levels of power, though all demons have some similar characteristics. They can possess a human body—living or dead<ref>Jus in Bello</ref>—and are invulnerable to natural harm while in the host.<ref name="devilstrap"/> They are also unable to cross paths of salt or iron, and are vulnerable to a devil's trap—a mystical symbol from '']'' that temporarily immobilizes a demon and strips it of its usual abilities.<ref name="allhell"/><ref name="devilstrap"/> ]s are usually used in conjunction with the trap.<ref name="devilstrap"/> Demons can at times be detected by the sulfuric residue they leave, while the mere presence of more powerful demons adversely affects the local weather.<ref name="p114"/> Other aspects also depend on their place in the hierarchy. The most common demon featured in the series are low-level black-eyed demons, who generally just gain enhanced strength while in possession of a host. However, stronger black-eyed demons, such as the one possessing Meg Masters, exhibit other abilities such as telekinesis, and are not barred from entering hallowed grounds. Above them in the hierarchy are the red-eyed Crossroads Demons, who answer to Lilith.<ref name="p105"/> Master manipulators, they love to play on people's emotions, making them feel extreme guilt or fear. Their main purpose is to make bargains with desperate people in exchange for their souls, and are summoned at a crossroads by a person by burying a box with his or her picture, graveyard dirt, and a bone from a black cat, though they also sometimes seek out their victims.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Crossroad Blues|series=Supernatural|credits=Writer: Sera Gamble, Director: Steve Boyum |network=]|airdate=2006-11-16|season=2|number=8}}</ref> The yellow-eyed Azazel is immune to the effects of holy water, and has pyrokinetic and dream-manipulating abilities.<ref name="devilstrap"/><ref name="allhell"/> Although Kripke stated during the third season that he felt Azazel was "just below" the white-eyed Lilith in the hierarchy,<ref name="p105">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 1 Companion'', p.105</ref> the fourth season introduced other white-eyed demons. The most powerful type, these demons are able to emit from their hands rays of "searing white energy".<ref name="p93">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 3 Companion'', p.93</ref> |
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However, even below the hierarchy exist those whom Kripke refers to as other demons' "pit bulls".<ref name="p115">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 1 Companion'', p.115</ref> These demons, such as the "savage" and "primal" Zoroastrian daevas of the first season episode "Shadow", do not possess people, but rather use their true form to kill.<ref>Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 1 Companion'', pp.114-115</ref> Only visible as shadows, daevas can only be controlled through the use of special altars or pendants featuring their Zoroastrian sigil. Another such demon, an ], makes an appearance in the second season finale. Unlike daevas, the Acheri exists as the typical demonic smoke cloud, but can take on the form of a little girl to lure in victims and attack. |
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Demons in the series have generally appeared to have little dissent, though it does exist. They are held together at first by the "]" Azazel, who eventually releases an army of demons from Hell in order to wage war against humanity with ] as their leader. However, after Azazel is killed and Sam fails to assume the role, the demons' cohesion falls apart, with hundreds of demons attempting to fill the ].<ref name="sincity">{{cite episode|title=Sin City|series=Supernatural|credits=Writers: Robert Singer & Jeremy Carver, Director: Charles Beeson |network=]|airdate=2007-10-25|season=3|number=4}}</ref> The demonic world eventually reunites under Lilith's command,<ref name="jusinbello">{{cite episode|title=Jus In Bello|series=Supernatural|credits=Writer: Sera Gamble, Director: Kim Manners |network=]|airdate=2008-02-21|season=3|number=12}}</ref> and after she gives her life in order to release Lucifer, they follow their creator until his eventual reimprisonment. |
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==Physical characteristics== |
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===Eyes=== |
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] |
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While in possession of a host, a demon is appearance-wise indistinguishable from normal humans. However, when a demon uses its abilities, or for reasons such as intimidation, its eyes change to a color based on the demon's place in the hierarchy. The writers prefer to limit unique colors to only the "big, big, bad guys". Writer ] noted, "If every time we had a demon that was powerful we gave them a different eye color, pretty soon it'd be like, 'The Chartreuse-Eyed Demon is coming for us!'"<ref name="p105"/> |
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Within the hierarchy, lower-level demons have completely black eyes, with Crossroads Demons' eyes being shaded red. Unlike other demons, the yellow-eyed Azazel's ] and ]s are the only areas affected. Actor ] had to wear hard yellow contacts when portraying Azazel in the second season, forcing him to act blind.<ref name="DVD">{{cite video | people=Eric Kripke, Sera Gamble, and Bob Singer |title=Supernatural season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "All Hell Breaks Loose"| medium=DVD|publisher=}}</ref> During production of the second season, Kripke viewed the horror film '']'', and found one of the creatures having all-white eyes to be "really disturbing".<ref name="p105">Knight, Nicholas, (Season 3 Companion), p.105</ref> The writers considered changing the eye color of regular demons to white, but eventually decided against it. However, Kripke later used the idea when Lilith and other high-level demons were introduced.<ref name="p105"/> |
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===Smoke=== |
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It was originally intended for demons to not use human hosts, but rather exist "halfway between spirits and corporeal creatures".<ref name="p114"/> However, after it was decided to give the demon featured in "Phantom Traveler" the ability to possess people—this quality and its other characteristics were chosen without foresight solely to fit with the episode's storyline<ref name="effectsdvd">{{cite video | people=|title=Supernatural season 3 DVD featurette "From Legends to Reality"| medium=DVD|publisher=}}</ref>—the writers opted to maintain it as an element of all demons.<ref name="p114">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 1 Companion'', p.114</ref> Kripke feels that this added an interesting aspect to the storylines, as the viewers "never quite know who the bad guy is".<ref name="p114"/> |
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The appearance of demons' true forms have become more complex as the series has progressed. Originally a small, thin stream of black smoke in their first appearance, they now appear as large, thick smoke clouds.<ref name="effectsdvd"/> When in large groups, the clouds have electricity pulsing throughout them. The visual effects department based the demons' shape off of that of a snake, giving it a "predatorial" and "intelligent" look. Visual effects supervisor Ivan Hayden finds demon smoke to be one of hardest visual effects in the series.<ref name="effectsdvd"/> |
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<!-- issue 13, p.58, smoke effects--> |
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==Development== |
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Inspirations for the types of demons have come from numerous sources, such as the devil-on-your-shoulder concept that is used in the episode "Sin City". The writers often try to base the demons off of actual aspects of history, as is done in "Malleus Maleficarum" by having the demon Tammi ].<ref name="p104">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 3 Companion'', p.104</ref> An encyclopedia on demons is used for research, with '']'' inspiring "The Magnificent Seven"'s storyline of demons being the physical embodiment of the ].<ref name="p104"/> For the second season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose", writer Sera Gamble needed a creature that matched the episode's setting, and decided to borrow the ] from ], making it into a type of demon. In lore, this creature is a "diseased spirit that kills everybody in the settlements", so it fit in with the abandoned town that the episode takes place in.<ref name="p117">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 2 Companion'', p.117</ref> |
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For the third season, writer Ben Edlund pitched the revelation that demons were once human, which series creator Eric Kripke feels "opened up the mythology in an interesting and complicated way". It was further expanded upon to both convey the belief of the writing staff that the "worst evil is the evil inside all of us" and to serve as a plot device by showing Dean that being in Hell will "burn away his humanity" and turn him into the "thing he hates most".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/exclusive-interview-with-super-16374.aspx|title=Exclusive Interview: 'Supernatural' Creator Eric Kripke|last=Kubicek|first=John |date=February 5, 2008|publisher=BuddyTV|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> Also introduced was the demon Ruby, who was meant to make the perception of demons into more of a ], rather than the "black and white", "They're evil, we're good" approach previously used. Gamble commented, " brought the idea that you can't just dismiss demons as things that need to be killed right away. They could be useful, and while fundamentally untrustworthy, there might be cause to trust them in a given situation."<ref name="p104"/> Despite her status as a traitor revealed in the fourth season finale, the theme returns in Season 5 with Crowley, who is more perceptive of Lucifer's opinion of demons. |
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A major theme throughout the series is a "war of demons against humanity", with the potential for it being hinted at during the first two seasons.<ref name="war">http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=1868</ref> It finally started at the end of the second season,<ref name="war"/> and was originally intended to be large-scale, as the network wanted the writers to increase the scope of the series. However, production on the third season premiere went severely over-budget, and the network demanded that future episodes stick to the budget, forcing the writers to scale things back.<ref name="p1112"/> The war in the third season is mainly depicted through small groups of demons working independently, as the writers wanted to reflect ]. On this aspect, Kripke commented, "They were not necessarily organized, and there was a danger in that, that they could be everywhere. Each one has a different motive."<ref name="p11">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 3 Companion'', p.11</ref> However, Kripke felt that this format was not working out as planned, as he prefers writing based on old legends rather than current topics.<ref name="p1112">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 3 Companion'', pp.11-12</ref> Thus, the writers introduced a new lead villain in the form of Lilith, Kripke finding it "refreshing to get back on firm ground where you knew there was a bad guy and you knew there was a plan".<ref name="p1314">Knight, Nicholas, ''Season 3 Companion'', pp.13-14</ref> Other depictions of the war were dropped from the third season due to the ].<ref>http://eclipsemagazine.com/hollywood-insider/5633/</ref> Angels were added to the series in the fourth season to allow for a "cosmic battle" between angels and demons,<ref>http://www.fanbolt.com/tvinterview.php?id=207&page=2</ref> but budget cuts forced the writers to change it from an "all-out demon war" into a "smaller, more contained, underground, more guerrilla-style".<ref>http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/supernatural-season-4-faces-bu-18788.aspx</ref> |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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{{Supernaturalnav}} |
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