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Evil in fantasy takes many forms. It can be an orc, dragon, or feral beast. In the genre, there is one type of being that is associated with darkness, a being that is the ultimate personification of what it entails. Such a vile monster is known simply as the fantasy demon and it is truly a wicked creature.
Due to his deep affinity with evil, the demon wields substantial powers, far more than many other servants of darkness. Not surprisingly, it uses them in many sinister ways, from masquerading as kind people in order to deceive them, wreak havoc on the battlefield, and even try to change the natural order of the world. It reigns supreme both in and out of the battlefield.
The fantasy demon sits among the higher echelons of power and influence. In many stories, it serves as the main villain whose goal is to conquer the world and destroy all that is good in it. Even if not sitting at the helm, it is among the big bad’s most loyal servants, perfectly willing to do whatever it takes to win.
As an acolyte of darkness, the demon is particularly fond of areas that augment his already-considerable powers. It can be found in a number of places that many people avoid at all costs. Only those with great courage can venture in such areas to destroy it and cleanse them of his malevolent influence. These skirmishes are not short, they take hours and the demon deploys everything in his arsenal to eliminate his opponent and only holy light can truly vanquish it.
This is the fourteenth article in the series delving into all the fantasy creatures of the genre. If you like this one and are curious to see what else we have, our blog page has tons more!
If evil has a hierarchy, the demon would rank at either the top or right underneath it. It is precisely for this reason that it is the main antagonist in the vast majority of stories within the genre. It also serves as an excellent foil to the protagonist since they represent two opposing forces and are part of the long-running war between good and evil.
Sauron and Ganondorf are just two of many examples of the demons who play the role of the big bad in the story. The typical fantasy demon endeavors to take control of the world by force and doing so requires far more than power which it has in spades. It relies on great intelligence, cunning, subterfuge, and sheer force of will to bring that goal to fruition.
The demon wields immense powers in terms of darkness. It has a deep reservoir of knowledge in all things black magic, from sorcery to necromancy. This monster makes extensive use of its dark powers in a number of things from performing experiments to creating powerful thunderstorms. It can even use them offensively in battle, casting various spells that can cause irreparable damage to its foes!
The fantasy demon has a special relationship with fire. It is considered a fire spirit and it knows quite a bit about it. It uses its fiery powers to forge powerful objects that are difficult to break, rain destruction upon the world, and cast flames in battle that cause its foes to scurry away.
Elemental powers are one of the demon’s main weapons but it also excels in trickery. Masquerading as kind-hearted people, it uses the art of deception to trick people into doing what it wants. It can even manipulate people into breaking up with their loved ones or perform actions that are wholly against their character in order to obliterate the good in them with the aim of turning them evil.
The dark powers in fantasy don’t just operate by themselves. They are parts of organizations, especially ones they lead. Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine is the head of the Galactic Empire for instance. All these organizations have a hierarchy in which the most powerful leaders sit atop the top and power flows ever downward.
So where does the typical fantasy demon fit in terms of its position? In the last section, we explored just how powerful it is, meaning it is not on the lower end of the hierarchy. Rather it is at or near the top. The position it is in represents their importance to the organization and the influence and power it wields.
In the genre, demons are the majority of villains and rule the roost. They run regimes and other organizations with an iron fist and all dissidents are either broken or eliminated. They are the ones in command, constantly issuing orders to their subordinates with the utmost expectation that they are followed immediately.
Many times, the head of the organization has a small, intimate circle filled with his most loyal subordinates and sycophants. When it comes to the fantasy demon, his circle is staffed with similar monsters who aren’t as powerful as he is. Though they serve him, they hold high positions, meaning whatever instructions they issue are to be implemented pronto. They are considered representatives of the leader and speak on his behalf in important meetings in his stead.
Regardless of if it sits at the helm or serves the leader, the demon’s function is essentially the same: do whatever it takes to attain victory. It will spare no expenses in ensuring it achieves its goal, no matter how much destruction it wreaks across the world. This makes this monster one of the most formidable adversaries the protagonist faces in the plot.
As a being who possesses great intelligence and abilities, the demon is strategic in the places he chooses to call home. He will not be found in areas brimming with light, unless it is one he twisted to satiate his darkest desire. Most likely, he’ll seek places that bring him comfort and augment his powers.
The fantasy demon is notoriously fond of desolate, inhospitable environments. It could be a charred wasteland where a ceaseless stream of clouds blot out the light or an area where the dark influence is strongest. It uses these sites to work on increasing its powers and add new spells and abilities in its repertoire to make it deadlier and more difficult to bring down.
In rare cases, the demon will choose a place of strategic importance to its enemy and take it by force. It does so for two reasons: one, to weaken the other side and second, to turn it into an evil citadel. This wicked monster deliberately targets holy sites like temples with the intention of weakening people’s relationship with their deities so that they are more vulnerable to its lies.
The fantasy demon is considered an aberration of the natural order in that it seeks only to destroy, not create. It endeavors to utterly dismantle the natural order and it does so by attacking places that are representative of it such as forests. It likes to drain them of their vim and vigor by purging all that is good from them, forever marring them.
Whenever a demon goes into hiding, it searches for sites servants of good will overlook. Places like cemeteries and abandoned fortresses are excellent spots for it to hide. It can conceal its power as to not draw attention and use them as a temporary base of operations in which to continue their campaign against the light by hiding in the shadows.
There’s a reason why the fantasy demon appears in virtually all stories in the genre. It poses the gravest threat to the world simply due to its abilities, intelligence, and desire to dominate the world. It can even pose as a kindly person as to hornswoggle people and get them to do their bidding without them ever knowing its true identity. The protagonist and his allies will certainly have a tough time trying to stop him from winning which makes for riveting storytelling!
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