Demonology

Demonology is the study of demons. This resource discusses demon history, creation, characteristics, types, and specific examples of demons who - when not possessing humans - appear as smoke.

Creation & Culture

The first demon was created by Lucifer, an archangel, after God banished him from Heaven for refusing to revere humans. In revenge, he took a human woman - Lilith - and stripped away her humanity to make her the first demon. For this offense, God commanded Michael to imprison Lucifer in a cage in hell.

Demons have a belief system analogous to humans, according to the demon Casey, but while humans believe in God as their higher power, demons view Lucifer as theirs. No demon had ever actually seen Lucifer^{3.04 Sin City} according to Casey, at least until that point in the show's progression. If this is true, it would mean Lilith was turned into a demon without setting her eyes on Lucifer beforehand.

All demons were once originally human spirits, which become demonic when tortured in Hell until their humanity is lost.^{3.09 Malleus Maleficarum} Prior to becoming demons, it is unclear on what criteria the human spirits are judged as being worthy of Hell, other than selling one's soul to a Crossroads Demon or being a witch.

According to Crowley, some demons live in nests.

Hell

Demons seem to operate in Hell as a base of operations. Time in Hell has been suggested to move slower than time on Earth. For instance, Dean spends four months in Earth time in Hell, but he reports that time passes differently there, and for him it was more like forty years.^{4.10 Heaven And Hell} This makes three days on earth roughly equivalent to a year in Hell. This could be an exaggeration, however, as torture and lack of sunrise can indeed affect one's ability to judge time.

There is a hierarchy in Hell, although somewhat loose, with some demons more powerful than others. Specific examples of the hierarchy in Hell include the King of Hell and the King of the Crossroads Demons. Demon allegiances, in the case of Crowley, do not appear long-lasting. In the case of Ruby, however, allegiances can be even hidden from other demons.

Some demons appear to be able to move freely between Hell and the mortal realm, e.g. Alastair. Others are trapped and can only escape through portals such as Devil's gates. Meg was exorcised at the end of Season 1 and returned in Season 2 and Season 5, but escape does not happen often.

Characteristics

File:DTF.JPG

A demon leaving a human.

Demons usually do not have bodies of their own, except in the case of Acheri Demons, who can "manifest" as human children. Other demons appear as a ‘black smoke’ in their incorporeal form. Their presence may leave traces of sulfur. They manifest by possessing humans, alive or recently deceased, via Demonic Possession.

File:DEyes.JPG

1st: Regular Demon
2nd: Crossroads Demon
3rd: Azazel, Yellow-eyed Demon
4th: Samhain, Demon of Halloween
5th: Lilith, White-eyed Demon

Exorcism will drive the demon from its human host and return it to Hell. A possessed human may incur physical damage while the demon is present, including fatal injuries, but will survive until they are dispossessed. A high volume of dispossessed individuals die; Dean commented that demons seem to enjoy wearing out their meatsuits. Humans possessed by demons exhibit black, red, yellow or white eyes depending on the demon involved.

Demons themselves, and people close to the gates of Hell (like Dean in episode 3.16 No Rest For The Wicked), see the "real" decaying faces of demons, not just the body they use to walk the earth. It appears that angels can as well.^{4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer}

Demons abilities and weaknesses vary depending on the apparent rank of the demon. Demons share many strengths and weaknesses with ghosts.

Abilities

• Lower-hierarchy powers:

• Mind control
• Telepathy and telekinesis
• Superhuman strength and enhanced endurance
• Seeing Reapers
• Can resurrect or heal people, but only if a deal is made
• Resistance to extreme temperatures^{5.02 Good God Y'All}
• They seem to be more powerful than Alphas; a group of demons captured the Alpha Vampire on Crowley's orders

• Upper-hierarchy powers:

• Pyrokinesis (known: Azazel, Brady; shown: Crowley)
• Injury to humans by thought (shown: Azazel)
• Destruction of objects with telekinesis (shown: Crowley destroys a light) and with the "Fiery White Light" (shown: Lilith, Samhein)
• Overpowering or possessing reapers (overpowering: Alistair, possessing: Azazel)
• Resurrecting people at will (Crowley).

Vulnerabilities & Preventative Measures

• Regarding possession and locating:

• Exorcism: When a demon is exorcised via ritual, it returns to Hell
• Preventative Charms: At the end of 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign after Sam is possessed, Bobby gives the boys charms to protect against possession.
• Preventative symbol tattoos: In 3.12 Jus in Bello, it is discovered that Sam and Dean have had the protection symbol tattooed on their chests.
• Hex Bags: Hex Bags can be used to help disguise and hide a persons whereabouts from demons.

• Death:

• Death by the Colt: Until Season Three, the only method of permanent dispatch was to shoot them with the Colt and one of the original bullets. In episode 3.04 Sin City Bobby rebuilds the Colt with Ruby's help so that it can kill demons with new ammunition.
• Death by Knife: In episode 3.01 The Magnificent Seven the character Ruby introduced a Knife that could kill demons as well.
• Death by Angels: In Season 4, it is shown that angels have the power to kill demons.
• Death by Sam: Late in Season Four, Sam's powers also allow him to kill demons.
• Death by Scythe: It is mentioned multiple times that Death's Scythe can also kill demons.
• Death by salting and burning earthly remains: In episode 6.04 Weekend At Bobby's it is shown that demons, like spirits, can be killed by burning the bones of the original bodies they had as humans, before they became demons.

• General hinderance:

• Holy Water and Consecrated Ground: While most have some vulnerability to Holy Water, higher level demons, such as Lilith and Azazel, appear immune. Some demons are also able to enter consecrated ground such as churches, as shown by:

• Meg in 1.21 Salvation
• Father Gil in 3.04 Sin City
• Alastair in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer
• Azazel in the flashback scene in 4.22 Lucifer Rising

• Salt: Most cannot cross a line of salt and they feel intense pain when they come in contact with it. Hunters use it in shotguns to wound them.
• Iron: They cannot cross an iron line, and can be hurt with an iron rod.
• Palo Santo - Burns in a similar way to Holy Water.
• Devil's Trap - A symbol that is marked on the floor or ceiling that can trap a demon within it.

History relative to the Winchesters

The most essential aspects of demon history that relate to Sam and Dean begin in 1972. That year, Azazel makes contact with Lucifer by sacrificing a dozen nuns at a convent. He is then instructed to find a 'special child' who would essential in breaking The 66 Seals that are the lock to Lucifer's Cage. Azazel embarks on his plan and in 1973 makes a deal with Mary Winchester for the life of her fiance, John Winchester.^{4.03 In The Beginning} Ten years later he returns and feeds Demon Blood to an infant Sam Winchester. He kills Mary when she tries to intervene, driving John to become a hunter.

Throughout Sam's childhood, Azazel has demons possess people in Sam's life to keep an eye on him.^{5.22 Swan Song} When Sam leaves hunting for college, he pursues a normal life. To combat Sam's transition, Azazel has a demon possess Sam's friend Brady. Brady introduces Sam to Jess. They fall in love, and Azazel orders her death as a means of propelling Sam back into hunting - and the path to becoming Lucifer's vessel.

John has been searching for the demon that killed his wife for decades, and after Sam returns to hunting, he and Dean join the effort to avenge Mary. They require, and eventually obtain, the Colt, the only weapon that can kill this demon. Azazel also needs the weapon, and possesses John in an attempt to acquire it. He does obtain the gun by later making a deal with John, saving Dean's life in exchange for his soul and the gun. John is sent to Hell.

Eventually Azazel takes Sam, along with other Special Children he has created over the years, to a ghost town where he intends for them to fight to the death. He will allow the sole survivor to live, and has tasks for that individual to perform. One of the other candidates - Jake - kills Sam. To resurrect Sam, Dean sells his soul. Later, it is Jake who helps Azazel open the Devil's Gate in Wyoming, loosing demons on the Earth before Bobby and Ellen can close it. During this confrontation, Dean finally kills Azazel with the Colt, and some help from the spirit of John Winchester, who escaped Hell through the gate.

The demons unleashed by the opening of the Devil's Gate are very powerful, and include Lilith, the first demon. It is revealed that she holds the contract for Dean's soul. The demon Ruby also escaped Hell through the gate. She gets close to Sam and gains his trust. She tries to encourage him to use his powers, but he initially resists. The brothers do what they can to combat Lilith and the other escaped demons, but eventually Dean's time is up, and he is killed by hellhounds. Grief stricken after Dean's death, and his failure to save him, Sam grows careless. He is saved by Ruby, who at last convinces Sam to use his powers, ostensibly to save people from demonic possession, with the promise that he will one day be able to kill Lilith, and avenge Dean. The use of his powers requires him to drink demon blood.

In the mean time, the demons are anxious to begin freeing Lucifer. The first seal on Lucifer's Cage is prophesied to be broken when "a righteous man spills blood in Hell." When John Winchester makes his deal with Azazel for Dean's life, he is sent to Hell and tortured continuously. The plan is that he will break the seal - but he manages to resist until he escapes. Dean's deal gives the demons another opportunity to break the first seal. They are successful when Dean, after thirty years of torture by Alastair, surrenders and becomes a torturer.

Dean is saved from Hell by Castiel, who informs him about the seals, and the effort to free Lucifer. Lilith and other demons work to break the required sixty-six seals while Sam, Dean, Bobby, and Castiel try to block their progress. They are unsuccessful, and eventually only one seal remains. Sam chooses to kill Lilith with Ruby's help, leaving Dean behind. Lilith is killed by Sam, high on demon blood, and it is discovered that Lilith is the final seal. Her death frees Lucifer. Ruby has been playing Sam all along in order to get him to kill Lilith and free the Devil. The higher level angels have been complicit in letting this happen, as Michael wishes to kill Lucifer.

Lucifer rises. With demon aid Lucifer wreaks havoc, instigating the Apocalypse. Most demons are anxious to serve him, either because they revere him or because they fear him. Even Meg is glad to follow him. An exception is the demon Crowley, who suspects that Lucifer will kill off the demons as soon as he has destroyed humanity. He gives aid to Sam and Dean, including providing them with the Colt, and then helping them to locate two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Lucifer requires a vessel, and while he finds a temporary one in Nick, Sam is the vessel he needs. In the same manner, Michael needs Dean. The demons attempt on several occasions to capture Sam, and put a price on Dean's head. Sam eventually allows Lucifer to possess him, and is able to overpower him and throw him, along with Michael, into Lucifer's Cage.

Following Lucifer's defeat, Crowley assumes control of Hell.

Alastair

Alastair

Alastair is a torturer in Hell, and specifically was Dean's torturer. He first appears in pursuit of Anna Milton in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer and 4.10 Heaven And Hell. He reappears in 4.15 Death Takes A Holiday and attempts to break a seal by killing two reapers, but is captured by angels. He is destroyed by Sam in 4.16 On The Head Of A Pin.

Alastair is known to be a very powerful demon. He has white eyes (iris and pupil). He tortured both Dean and John, and in both instances offered to end the torment if they would become torturers themselves.

It is Alastair that reveals the first seal was broken when Dean accepted this offer. Alastair can send angels back to Heaven, is resistant to Ruby's Knife, and is resistant to an angel's power of exorcism, as shown when Castiel tries to expel him in 4.10 Heaven And Hell.

While initially immune to Sam's powers, Alastair is eventually killed by them.

Lilith

Lilith

Lilith is the first demon created by Lucifer. She has white eyes. She is first mentioned in 3.09 Malleus Maleficarum. Her initial onscreen appearance is in 3.12 Jus in Bello. On that occasion, as well as in 3.16 No Rest For The Wicked, Lilith chooses to manifest inside a little girl. In later episodes Lilith does possess adult women. She is extremely powerful among demons, exhibiting both telekinesis and a destructive power that appears as a bright white light. Sam is immune to her powers.

Lilith controls a large number of demons, some of which constitute her 'entourage'. This group includes a 'chef' responsible for supplying Lilith with baby's blood. With the assistance of these demons, Lilith endeavors to free Lucifer by breaking The 66 Seals. Lilith held the contract that sent to Dean to Hell, where he broke the first seal, and she raised the Witnesses, selecting spirits that would attack hunters. Lilith is herself the final seal on Lucifer's Cage; her death at Sam's hand frees Lucifer.

Azazel

File:Azazel in 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose Part One.jpg

Azazel

Azazel is one of the most powerful demons seen on Supernatural. His presence in an area will be presaged by cattle deaths, electrical storms, temperature fluctuations. It can stop clocks and disrupt electrical devices. His strength and telekinetic ability are profound. He has some distinctive characteristics and abilities that set him apart from common demons:

• Is pyrokinetic (controls fire).
• Is impervious to Holy Water.
• Has yellow eyes (iris and pupil).
• Unaffected by a salt barrier.
• Can possess other supernatural beings such as a Reaper.
• He has the power to cause internal bleeding and grievous wounds with his mind.

Azazel killed Mary Winchester, and made Sam one of his Special Children. It is later revealed that he did this on Lucifer's orders. He discovers the door to Lucifer's Cage in 1972, and after sacrificing a group of nuns is able to speak with Lucifer. The Devil orders him to find "a very special child". Azazel refers to Lucifer as 'father'. He is greatly respected by other demons, and commands multiple demons in his machinations. These subordinate demons include Meg and Tom, who he refers to as his children.

Like Crossroads Demons, Azazel can raise the dead, but only after he has sealed a deal with someone. After Azazel makes an agreement with Mary that would allow him access to baby Sam, he then raises John from the dead. He also saves a dying Dean after making a deal with John.

Azazel arranges for the Devil's Gate to be opened, and is killed by the combined efforts of Sam, Dean, and John's spirit at the site.

Crowley

Crowley

Crowley is a leader of the Crossroads Demons, and has referred to himself as "King of the Crossroads". According to Becky, he is Lilith's right hand demon prior to her death, and takes possession of the Colt from Bela. He keeps the Colt for over a year, and when Sam and Dean track him down to find the weapon in order to kill Lucifer, Crowley gives it to them freely. Crowley believes that once Lucifer succeeds in wiping out the human race, he will then destroy all the demons, who are lesser still than humans. His beliefs are backed up when Lucifer sacrifices several demons to raise the horseman Death saying, "They're just demons."

After giving the weapon to the Winchesters, and following their inability to destroy Lucifer with it, Crowley becomes a target for demon retribution. When he learns that Sam and Dean have another means of stopping the Devil, he decides to help. He leads them to Brady, who gives them the location of Pestilence, and after borrowing Bobby's soul, locates Death.

Following Lucifer's defeat, Crowley assumes leadership of Hell. He claims responsibility for resurrecting Sam and Samuel Campbell, and for holding back Sam's soul. He manipulates Sam, Dean, and Samuel into capturing Alphas so that Crowley can interrogate them about the location of Purgatory.

As a human his name was Fergus Roderick MacLeod, and he was born in Canisbay, Scotland in 1661. He sold his soul to a demon, thus ending up in Hell and becoming one of them.

Ruby

Ruby

Ruby is a black-eyed demon that makes her first appearance in 3.01 The Magnificent Seven. She saves Sam using a knife that can kill demons. It is revealed that Ruby was a witch that sold her soul during the Middle Ages, and became a demon in hell. She continues to follow and speak to Sam during Season Three, suggesting that she knows how to save Dean from Hell. After Dean's death, Ruby becomes a teacher to Sam, helping to use his powers and providing the demon blood needed to improve them. In the end, Ruby is revealed as a confidant of Lilith and she plays a critical role in the plan to free Lucifer by setting Sam up to break the final seal.

Seven Deadly Sins

In episode 3.01 The Magnificent Seven the Seven Deadly Sins, who were released when the Devil's Gate was opened, possess humans and start killing people. Bodily contact with one of the demons appears to imbue the person touched with the sin the demon represents. Thus a family starve to death in front of a television (Sloth), Isaac drinks drain cleaner (Gluttony), while Pride confronts Sam and Lust tries to seduce Dean.

Envy possesses Walter, who is killed in the process, but is exorcised by Tamara. After Gluttony kills Isaac, his body is possessed by Wrath, but is immobilized by Tamara with a stake of Palo Santo. Sloth is trapped under a Devil's Trap and exorcised by Bobby, while Lust is subdued by Dean with Holy Water. Wrath and Lust are later exorcised by Bobby. Gluttony, Greed, and Pride are killed by Ruby with a demon-killing knife.

Samhain

File:SAMHAIN.Jpg

Samhain

Samhain is also known as the origin Demon of Halloween. In 4.07 It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester he is summoned and possesses the dead body of a school teacher and witch, Don Harding. His irises turn milky white, but the pupils stay black. Samhain was first exorcised and imprisoned in hell centuries ago. He is later exorcised in 2008 by Sam Winchester.

Mother Of An Anti-Christ

File:Mother of The Anti Christ.jpg

Mother of Cambion Jesse Turner

This demon gave birth to Jesse Turner, a Cambion who was technically conceived by Julia Wright. This demon was extremely strong and appeared to have some type of a connection and bond with Jesse.

Types of Demons

Crossroads Demons

A Crossroads Demon makes bargains with people, granting a wish in exchange for claiming their life and soul at a later date. Deals are sealed with a kiss. They:

• Have red eyes (all except for a black pupil)
• Have made deals with:
  • Robert Johnson in 2.08 Crossroad Blues in 1930
  • George Darrow, Sean Boyden, Silvia Growman and Evan Hudson in 1996 in 2.08 Crossroad Blues
  • Dean in 2.08 Crossroad Blues and 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two
  • Mr. Pendleton in 5.10 Abandon All Hope

In 3.05 Bedtime Stories, Sam summons a demon, hoping to force her to release Dean from his contract with the Colt. She reveals that 'someone higher' than her holds the contract and describes herself as 'a saleswoman'. Sam kills this demon with the Colt, and stabs another that he summons in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer. On this occasion, it is revealed that Crossroads Demons can refuse the offer of a soul if they choose. Higher ranking demons who can also make deals include Crowley, Lilith, and Azazel.

Black-eyed demons

This is the most common type of demon seen on Supernatural, but it is not an homogeneous group. They appear to hold different ranks in demon society and display a range of abilities and powers. They are grouped together because when they possess a human, they can turn the hosts eyes entirely black at will. Most black-eyed demons serve a higher ranking demon or entity. Both Lilith and Crowley have black-eyed body guards; others serve as members of an entourage, like Lilith's 'personal chef'. One group of the demons is assigned by Lucifer to care for Famine. They are subject to the typical demon weaknesses - holy water, salt, exorcism, the Colt, Ruby's Knife, and the Devil's Trap. Some of the more powerful black-eyed demons, such as Meg, are impervious to hallowed ground:^{1.21 Salvation}

Pastor Jim: I know what you are. You can’t be here. This is hallowed ground.

Meg: Please. Maybe that works in the minor leagues, but not with me.

Tammi, the demon in 3.09 Malleus Maleficarum, is one of the strongest black-eyed demons encountered. Like the yellow-eyed Azazel and the white-eyed Lilith, she can pin both Sam and Dean to a wall telekinetically. Tammi also stops a bullet from the Colt in mid-air when Sam tries to shoot her. She provides power to witches in exchange for their souls.

These stronger black-eyed demons often have an advanced knowledge of magic and spells that helps them achieve their goals. Tammi and Ruby both made extensive use of Hex Bags. Meg uses a black altar to control daevas in 1.16 Shadow. Later, while she is possessing Sam in 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign, she manages to resist exorcism for a time using a binding link with him. Both Meg and Brady communicated via the goblet of blood with the Yellow-Eyed Demon and Pestilence respectively.

As with most demons, their appearance can be accompanied or presaged by odd weather phenomena and electrical interference, as well as the presence of sulfur. In 1.04 Phantom Traveler, a demon is also associated with EVP.

Some examples of black-eyed demons include:

• Airplane Demon from 1.04 Phantom Traveler
• Meg (possesses Meg Masters and Sam)
• Ruby
• Tom
• Trucker
• Duane Tanner
• Seven Deadly Sins
• Casey
• Father Gil
• Tammi
• Lilith’s Chef (possesses Cindy McClellan)
• Brady

Acheri Demon

Ava can summon Acheris. Ava uses the Acheri Demons against the other Special Children. Sam says they are demons that manifest as children. He dispels it using an iron rod. It cannot cross a salt barrier.^{2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One}

Links

• Binsfeld's Classification of Demons
• Demonic Possession
• Wikipedia's entry on Demonology