Demons have long been the punching bags and favorite villains of video games. Almost every other fantasy series has featured them in one form or another. That’s probably not about to change since either, as they arguably make for the perfect enemies. Demons typically fall into the chaotic evil spectrum where their motivation for evil is instinctive or perverse, thus, making them look bad is somewhate inconsequential.
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This does cheapen video game demons a bit, but some of them have more dimensions beyond being an evil narrative force. Others are simply too influential or impactful to forget. Over the years, thesebig bad demonshave become iconic for their mere presence and contributions to demonkind.
8Asylum Demon (Dark Souls)
The Asylum Demon from the firstDark Soulsgame is likely the weakest of the bunch here. However, newbies to that dementing sub-genre of gaming will surely beg to disagree. It’s the very first boss that players will come up against and the manner they have to face it is thestuff of nightmares. It’sDark Souls' signature cruelty in full swing.
Players are chucked right into the boss arena with no warnings or indications. Its job is to stop any rebellious Chosen Undead from escaping its prison. The Asylum Demon exists purely to deliver a baptism by fire and the worst part is that it’s only the tutorial level. Thus, despite being a relatively weak demon, the Asylum Demon holds a special place in the history of video games.
7Cyberdemon (Doom)
There’s certainly no shortage of demons in theDoomfranchise, and while there are memorable and annoying ones, perhaps their best representative comes in the form of the Cyberdemon. It’s a hulking mass of evil whose limbs were partially replaced with robotic parts. It’s best described as an unholy union between technology and evil.
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Sure enough, that kind of description commands fear and respect, which is why the Cyberdemon is often reserved for boss arenas or special encounters. Only a few of them exist in the majority ofDoomgames, as, like the Asylum Demon, they’re meant to be wardens who collectsinful soulsto add to the armies of Hell.
6Devil Jin (Tekken)
Depending on the player’s whims or choices for theirTekkenfighter, Devil Jin could either be seen as good or bad. Regardless, Devil Jin isTekken’s edgelord poster boy just as Sasuke isNaruto’s. It’s also worth noting that Devil Jin only achieved this form inTekken 3and only became a playable character fromTekken 5onward.
That means he spent a considerable amount of time as a villain. Devil Jin is practically Jin’s evil version after his Devil Gene (yes, seriously) took over. With that in mind, there’s no denying that Devil Jin is a destructive force that typically needs to be stopped. He’s one of the most powerful fighters inTekkenand it takes the collective strength and skill of multiple characters to finally defeat him (as per the narrative).
5Morrigan (Darkstalker Series)
Yet another demon from a fighting game, Morrigan is a little different from the rest. She’s one of the few prominent female demons in video game history, and another thing that sets her apart is that she’s not totally evil. Granted, she might be a succubus demon of the Makai realm, but she tries her best to abstain from her inherently evil nature (albeit, cheekily).
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Morrigan is actually one of the protagonists of theDarkstalkerfranchise and she’s one of the good guys. When it comes to herdemon capabilities, she has an indispensable advantage over male characters and enemies thanks to her being a succubus. If that doesn’t work, she can always rely on her complete “super” package of strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes, and the like.
4Illidan Stormrage (Warfcraft)
Much like Morrigan fromDarkstalkers,Illidan Stormrage from theWarcraftmythos is not really “evil.” He’s just conflicted and sometimes employs morally dubious methods in the name of some noble or beneficial motivations. As a result, he’s one ofWarcraft’s fan-favorite anti-heroes. Illidan was originally a Night Elf but traded his dignity and heritage to become a demon in his frustration to defeat the actual evil demons.
In certainWorld of Warcraftstory phases, Illidan did take on the role of a villain. Even then though, it’s quite difficult to hate him given all the help he’s provided for the franchise’s de facto heroes. As a demon, Illidan has command over a vast army of misbegotten creatures and also employs his otherworldly magic to defeat his enemies.
3Diablo (Diablo Series)
When it to demon lords, the one undisputed persistent evil who keeps coming back despite taking numerous big fat L’s is none other than Diablo himself. He’s the Lord of Terror in theDiablolore (or Diablore).Diablo, along with his two brothers, is one of the Prime Evils or the main villains of theDiablogames.
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Their goal is to take over Sanctuary (basically Earth in Diablore) in order to one-up the Forces of Heaven. As a demon, Diablo is capable of unleashing several menacing attacks that usually consist of fire and lightning. He also has claws for some good old-fashioned melee. However, what truly makes him a problematic demon lord is that, at this point in the franchise, it seems he can’t truly be killed or defeated.
2Dante (Devil May Cry)
Dante is a demon slayer, though is also a demon himself, so along with other angsty anti-heroes who hunt their own evil kind (likeBlade), Dante has been on an ongoing waragainst demonkindthroughout most of theDevil May Cryseries. Granted, he’s only half-demon. The other half is angelic.
Dante is a hybrid known as “the Nephilim” who existed because a couple of demons and angels decided to make love, not war. However, Dante’s bias is thankfully toward his more benevolent half. As far as demonic powers go, Dante has the full suite. On top of superhuman everything, he can also tap into his inner demon to give himself the edge. When it comes toslaying demons, there’s no better swordsman.
1Lucifer/Satan
Of course, one cannot forget Hell’s head honcho when it comes to crediting the best demons in video games. The biblical Satan (who is sometimes referred to as Lucifer) has repeatedly made his way into video games as one of the most popular choices for a villain. After all, he is one of the most popular villains in the real world, so it kind of makes sense to import him into fiction.
Satan’s powers vary from game to game, but some of his most horrific forms can be seen in full splendor in games likeDante’s Infernoor evenSaints Row. Regardless of his capabilities as a demon, one thing is usually certain about Satan/Lucifer: he’s the top demon, meaning he’s usually the most powerful. As a result, it’s going to take quite a lot of effort and button-mashing before players can bring him down.
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