Asmodeus
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| Name | Asmodeus |
| Actor | Jeffrey Vincent Parise |
| Dates | Before the sinking of Atlantis |
| Location | Fall River, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Prince of Hell King of Hell |
| Episode(s) | 13.02 The Rising Son 13.07 War of the Worlds 13.13 Devil's Bargain 13.17 The Thing |
Long ago. Eager to please, I freed the shedim... Hell's most savage. Things so dark and base, God himself would not allow them into the light. But I, in my pride, believed that I could train them. Use them. But Lucifer feared them, as well he should. So he forbade it, locked them up again. He was... 'disappointed' in me. The pain, the uh... the total humiliation... it forged an eternal bond between us. I am his to command, as you are mine.
– Asmodeus, 13.02 The Rising Son
History
Asmodeus is the last remaining of the four Princes of Hell. At some point during his eons of servitude to Lucifer, Asmodeus attempted to free the shedim and use them in service of Lucifer. However, due to the dark and base nature of the shedim, Lucifer feared them and locked them away. For the disappointment Asmodeus caused Lucifer, he permanently scarred his face, and through that pain and humiliation, an eternal bond was forged. Asmodeus became Lucifer's to command. At some point in time, Asmodeus, along with his siblings Ramiel and Dagon, left the machinations of Hell behind to live quiet lives on Earth, later revealing to Dean Winchester that he left because he was unable to get Lucifer's approval.
Characteristics
Asmodeus has yellow irises with white sclerae and no visible pupils. Dressed in white, he sports a well-groomed beard and a southern accent, and he has two scars around his left eye which were given to him by Lucifer, which indicates that he has occupied his current vessel for millennia. According to Ramiel, Asmodeus occupied himself with his "hobbies," which have not been specified. While his ability to smite a room full of demons, desire in ruling the shedim, and ability to overpower a weakened Lucifer and the recently-resurrected Castiel at the same time implies that he might be the most powerful of the four Princes of Hell, Lucifer reveals to Castiel that Asmodeus was his weakest creation, and was unaware where Asmodeus got the ability to shapeshift among other abilites, claiming not to have given them to him. It is later revealed that Asmodeus received his newfound abilities by extracting grace from the archangel; Gabriel, who was previously imprisoned in the Needham Asylum, and injecting it into himself.
Powers and abilities
- Form shifting
- Smiting
- Telekinesis
- Teleportation
- Mind control
Weaknesses
Episodes
13.02 The Rising Son
Asmodeus resurfaces to reclaim control of Hell in Lucifer's absence. Enforcing some new changes, Asmodeus tells the demons in his presence that the old bureaucracy of Crowley's Hell is over, and he is returning things to the old ways of fire and brimstone. He calls forward three demons -- Drexel, Harrington, and Sierra -- then kills the remaining demons in the throne room with a gesture, proclaiming that there's a "new sheriff in town."
Drexel reports to Asmodeus that he has had demons scouring all of Hell, even the Cage, but they are unable to locate Lucifer. Asmodeus decides to direct their attention towards finding Jack Kline, whom he plans to train to rule, with Asmodeus as his "humble adviser." As Drexel tells him about his experience with Lucifer's short fuse, Asmodeus, angry that Drexel would compare his meager acquaintance with Lucifer to his, shows off the scars which Lucifer gave him for freeing the shedim. He took the experience and used the humiliation and pain to grow and form an eternal bond with Lucifer, becoming his humble servant.
When a demon spots the Winchesters and Jack in Wyoming, Asmodeus kills and takes the form of a bartender at a bar near their motel where he questions Dean, and tells him of his own issues with his father. Later, he disguises himself as Donatello Redfield and speaks with Sam to try and learn more about Jack. When he discovers that Jack will become even more powerful than Lucifer, Asmodeus decides to use him to release the shedim. Taking Jack to Jasper, Wyoming, he tells him a story about a troop of God's greatest soldiers that have been trapped in a distant cavern in Hell. Telling Jack God wants him to set them free, he asks Jack to focus his powers on a patch of earth and to call forth the soldiers to rescue them. As Jack begins opening the Hell Gate and the shedim begin crawling their way out, an ecstatic Asmodeus is suddenly confronted by the Winchesters and the real Donatello. Dean quickly takes a shot, hitting Asmodeus which breaks his illusion and reverts him back to his normal self. Uninjured by the bullet, he begins choking the three with a gesture while telling Jack he can give him the world. Jack, angry that Asmodeus is hurting his friends, causes the shedim to be sucked back to Hell and the gate to re-close before turning his attention to Asmodeus, who teleports away.
13.07 War of the Worlds
Sitting in meditation on his throne, calling out to Jack, Asmodeus is interrupted by a demon minion with news of "The Jack". The news is that there is no news and they have exhausted their resources. Asmodeus incredulously wonders how it is possible for a being of immense power such as Jack to be undetectable by such a powerful being as himself. He states that the Winchesters must have cloaked him masterfully, but the demon corrects Asmodeus, telling him that a hunter they have on the payroll has revealed that Winchesters have lost him as well. Asmodeus wonders who, then, is protecting Jack.
While torturing a motel clerk from Dodge City, Asmodeus asks him what miracles he was witness to when the Winchesters and Jack stayed at his motel, and where they were going next. The clerks tells him only that the people staying in room 26 were FBI and paid in cash. Dismayed by the lack of information, Asmodeus has a demon kill the clerk before ordering the rest to clean up the mess. As he turns to walk away, he suddenly begins sensing a powerful force, not that of the Nephilim, but of Lucifer's aura.
Asmodeus tracks down Lucifer to a dive bar. As the doors swing open, Asmodeus casually walks through the bar, disintegrating the bartender as he walks towards him and Castiel. Lucifer begins mocking Asmodeus, calling him a "one-time stooge," "runt of the litter," and "dimmest bulb on the string" and telling him he can stand down from running Hell now that he is back. Asmodeus tells Lucifer he is satisfied with his position and how Hell is being run. He says he was hoping to have a meeting with Lucifer, and won't take no for an answer. Lucifer, in his weakened state, attempts to intimidate Asmodeus, who is able to see past his bravado and send both Lucifer and Castiel flying back into the bar with a simple gesture.
Answering Castiel's cell phone, Asmodeus disguises his voice to sound like Cas and tells Dean that he is looking into a very interesting lead and will contact him when he knows more. After hanging up, Asmodeus informs Arthur Ketch of his current plans for Lucifer and Castiel and that he will be needing Jack even more now that a new version of Michael plans on coming to their world.
13.13 Devil's Bargain
Asmodeus returns to Needham Asylum, after running "an important errand." Angry that his subordinates allowed Lucifer and Castiel to escape confinement, Asmodeus agrees with Ketch that attempting to hold Lucifer was "monumentally stupid" and thus changes tactics and orders Ketch to kill Lucifer. Seeing Ketch visibly apprehensive about the task, Asmodeus assures him that Lucifer is running on empty and that an angel blade to the heart should kill him... probably, but Ketch needs to act quick before Lucifer regains his power or they will all die.
Days later, Asmodeus is given the news that his demons have located the prophet Donatello Redfield. Using his shapeshifting abilities to assume the form of Castiel, Asmodeus confronts Donatello exiting a fried chicken restaurant. He is able to get new information regarding Jack and the opening of a new rift. Having heard enough, Asmodeus changes back and alters Donatello's mind, telling him any new information will be reported to him. Donatello agrees and walks away.
When Ketch reports back regarding his inability to kill Lucifer, Asmodeus reveals to him the important errand that took him away from his duties -- locating and retrieving the archangel blade. When Ketch questions the practicality of a weapon that can only be wielded by an archangel, Asmodeus decides to introduce Ketch to one of his prisoners, Gabriel.
13.17 The Thing
Asmodeus in Lore
Asmodeus is known as a king of demons / shedim and as one of the seven princes of Hell in Binsfeld's Classification of Demons, where he is considered the demon of lust in accordance with the seven deadly sins. In Jewish and Islamic lore, the shedim are said to be the followers of Asmodeus, who is their king.
