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Glasya-Labolas - Day 190

Race: Beast Alignment: Neutral-Neutral June 23rd, 2025 Happy Pri-demon-th!

The nuclear family in 2025 will consist of an evil lesbian mother, an evil lesbian mother, Ranni from Elden Ring, an evil lesbian mother, their woke dog, and the token snake. Something I appreciate about SMT V: Vengeance is that all of the Qadištu, even though they all are similar in mythological origin, have vastly different origin points. They're each spread out throughout several different aspects of many Abrahamic faiths, specifically Judaism and Christianity, and while they're all linked, they're also originally from many different tales all winding together. While Naamah and Lilith are intrinsically linked in many tellings, Eisheth and Agrat both are from very unique places that still have links to Lilith, and all of them answer to Samael through different ways in their source material. However, all of this highly interconnected storytelling and mythological origins does leave one oddity out of the bunch; why did they bring Glasya-Labolas to be the servant of the Qadištu?

Glasya-Labolas originates from best friend of the series, the Ars Goetia (though granted, it's not quite an origin point for reasons we went over earlier in the Ukobach analysis), wherein it's the 25th spirit listed, described as the following:

He is a Mighty President and Earl, and showeth himself in the form of a Dog with Wings like a Gryphon. He teacheth all Arts and Sciences in an instant, and is an Author of Bloodshed and Manslaughter. He teacheth all things Past, and to Come. If desired he causeth the love both of Friends and of Foes. He can make a Man to go Invisible. And he hath under his com- mand 36 Legions of Spirits.

And, in the Grand Grimoire, he is said to be a direct servant of... Nebiros? Huh. Still, using this description, we can see some specific things that Glasya-Labolas is. A dog with wings, for starters, but also one who brings destruction and manslaughter, can teach all arts and sciences, and can tell the future and the past. His ability to spark love between friends and foes is also interesting, and his ability to turn invisible is actually reflected in the game, with how it attacks, using a variety of mirages to strike, and even going invisible to sneak up on and attack Yuzuru.

The fact that it's a servant under Nebiros does seem to show that Glasya-Labolas is naturally a subservient force, maybe being the connection to the Qadištu that we need. The fact that it serves under Nebiros, a notedly gay demon in the series, before serving under the Evil Fucking Lesbian Polycule™️ is a pretty funny coincidence, too. Even still, though, Glasya-Labolas, while having a fantastic design, doesn't really have much of a connection with Qadištu outside of originating from the same general canon. If any of you have any ideas as to why, feel free to tell! I do have one theory, though.

As Lilith is commonly depicted as the mother of demons, it could be interpolated that Glasya-Labolas was one of her most loyal children, given how it already is shown to serve under Nebiros in the Grand Grimoire. As such, the fact that it's an attack dog for the Qadištu could be tied to that; as in, it's so loyal to anything above it that it'll actively work with the Qadištu due to its loyalty to Lilith. Naamah is also very tied to Lilith, which could explain why it is only seen really alongside Naamah, but that's just a theory.

I'm not gonna say the line.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Gashadokuro - Day 189

Race: Jaki Alignment: Dark-Neutral June 20th, 2025 Happy Pri-demon-th, as well as Raidou release! I know it was yesterday, but give me this.

As a Japanese series that focuses on mythology, the fact remains that Shin Megami Tensei will have a lot of Yokai. While much of the focus of the series remains planted on demons, famous folkloric figures, and gods and monsters of ancient myth, the fact that the series has very Japanese roots easily lends credence to yokai being a huge mainstay. After all, they are effectively mythological beings, though in more of a Bigfoot way than, say, Cu Chulainn. Yokai are ubiquitous in a lot of Japanese myth, and they date all throughout the history of the nation; after all, when one needs to explain what goes bump in the night, they'll likely come up with something if they can't figure it out themselves. That, or they either serve as a cautionary tale, a ward... or, sometimes, they're really just what would happen if someone asked "Wouldn't it be fucked up if there was a giant skeleton monster that ate your head?"

When it comes to Yokai, none really fit in with the Gashadokuro anywhere. There are many horrifying creatures among the ranks of the Yokai, that much is for sure, but the Gashadokuro have carved out such a unique and iconic place for themselves, and for very good reason. The image of a massive skeletal monster with no lower body appearing from the clouds is as terrifying as it is frankly awesome, and that is precisely what a Gashadokuro is. Plus a pair of rattling eyes in the skull, sometimes. One of the most famous Japanese prints of all time stars a Gashadokuro, in fact, being Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter. Even more terrifying is that they're also very quiet, despite their size, making for a memorable (and sick as hell) monster.

Gashadokuro, however, are also made similar to many other Yokai in that their existence has a purpose, albeit one that was very hard to deal with at the time. Gashadokuro are made up of the corpses of hundreds of starved people and abandoned soldiers, with the main reason being that they were not buried, and due to this, they are starving. Not just for food, however; more important is their hunger for attention and love. Gashadokuro come to be due to neglect and abandonment, as being able to pass on in the Buddhist cycle of reincarnation is an incredibly important part of their ideas of life and death. A peaceful burial is important to ensure that leftover resentment doesn't fester, and Gashadokuro are formed when that resentment boils so much that it takes a physical form.

These massive, starved skeletons attack people at random and bite off their heads, being completely invincible and able to turn invisible at a moment's notice. The first appearance of the Gashadokuro was during the raids on Japan by a very certain Samurai, one whose name will be well known (and feared) by many franchise veterans: Taira no Masakado. However, this ain't about him, so we'll shove him back in the lockbox for... eh, a lot of episodes from now. Still, after Masakado's defeat, and his head being brought to the Japanese capital (Kyoto, at the time,) his daughter, Takiyasha Hime, conjured up the bones of the hundreds of soldiers who died with him and summoned the very first Gashadokuro, which became the subject of Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter.

Ever since, Gashadokuro haunted the country roads late at night to snatch up travelers, bite off their heads, and drink their blood. Metal. Now, with all this being said, how does SMT handle Gashadokuro?

I mean, it's hard to mess up such a simple design. It's basically just the epitome of a Gashadokuro, though... I will admit, I don't get why it's red colored in Soul Hackers and green in Raidou. Just one of the weird quirks of the two games, I guess. Still, while I hope to see this demon in more games due to how iconic it is, it's still got a nice design. If a bit basic.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Ukobach - Day 188

Race: Genma Arcana: Devil Order: Pyro June 19th, 2025 Happy Pri-demon-th! ALSO HAPPY RAIDOU DAY TRAHITGSJAGHASIGH

We give you a break from your regularly scheduled gay demons for something that is evidently NOT that, and all for one very specific reason: a high school detective demon summoner. Yep, it's Raidou time. And I will use this time to point out my own pride in the other sense of the term because I FUCKING CALLED IT IT'S NOT JUST A REMASTER ITS A FULL REMAKE!!!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Sorry, Vee-ho is being restrai-hee-nd right now. Give us a second...

(Art version was donated to me by my epic cool friend @get-the-evil, he's a really good artist :3)

Ahem. Sorry about that.

The Raidou Kuzunoha games have quite a unique bunch of demons to their name; the unique setpiece, different gameplay, and heavy feudal Japanese theming all tie together into a wonderfully cohesive whole. Even still, though, it still maintains the mainline SMT trappings of demonology and rather obscure mythological calls, and the very first demon you obtain in the game is among both categories, interestingly enough. You know it's bad when fucking @eirikrjs had to make a post about it. Introducing the Ukobach, a demon that's got an incredibly confusing story behind it; a single secondary source that lacks primary sources, for one, and another thing: that the single source we have to work on is the Dictionnaire Infernal. Yep, this is another one of those episodes. Prepare for a weird one.

Ukobach's existence is highly confusing, as it appears first to most people's knowledge in the Dictionnaire Infernal, but the way it's referred to seems to imply that it isn't just an invention of the author. The way that most grimoires work, and the Dictionnaire is no exception, is that they're collections of pre-existing knowledge; in a way, it's literally a dictionary of infernal creatures. The name is very apt. As for what the Dictionnaire says about Ukobach itself, it describes it as a small, goblin-esque imp who fuels the flames of hell through a bedpan of coals, with large ears and a long nose to listen to the screams of its victims and smell the burning of flesh. His huge eyes and wide mouth also hint towards this, as it basically shows that his senses are very heightened. The Encyclopedia of Daemonology describes its flames as also being the source of the Jack-o'-Lantern's fire, saying that it is the 'Lamp oil for the jack-o'-lantern.'

He also stands to have a connection to Orobas, possibly, as it's posited that he could have been connected to Orobas once upon a time. This is where Eirikr's post ends, and while I'd love to add on more, I... can't really find much. Apparently one of the editions of the Dictionnaire Infernal mentions that he's representative of the west, but I can't find the exact source for this and it might just be made up to give him a bit more leeway to his... well, his existence. Past all this, the Dictionnaire also says that he was the inventor of fried foods and fireworks.

I do find it pretty funny that, while a primary source of Ukobach doesn't really seem to be known, he is still one of the most prominent demons in our pop-culture; when you think of an imp, you'd typically think of this hunched over little guy, and that's where his design comes in. It's basically just one-to-one with his appearance in the Dictionnaire, minus a certain appendage between his legs and a nicer hairdo. Is it boring? Sure. But it works.

[dailydemonspotlight]

A Megaten apocalypse: the sad case of Inanna

Much critique of Atlus’ current direction and of the demon art and writing focuses on Demeter. However, in my opinion it’s Inanna who best embodies the problems the franchise currently faces. Demeter at least has the cornucopia; Inanna, both her design and how she’s written, are actively an antithesis of who she was to ancient Sumerians, Akkadians and other cultures of the region. Read on to find out more. Take into account that some of the quoted texts are explicit, though.

Keep reading

[dailydemonspotlight]

Ianna - Day 187

Race: Lady Alignment: Light-Chaos June 17th, 2025 (Uploaded June 18th, 2025) Happy Pri-demon-th!

Something that's curiously connected quite a bit in many mythologies is war and love. The fact that hate and love are two sides of the same coin is something that has always been seen throughout history, but the associations of battle and love have been a curious connection dating all the way back to some of the most foundational societies we know of, such as the people of Sumer. Whether it be for contrast, such as with Aphrodite being the complete opposite of Athena, or in the case of Inanna, today's Demon of the Day... sometimes, it's both. A warrior goddess who also serves as the mother of the land. Not a mother goddess, though. I'll get into that later.

Inanna could be seen as one of the main deities in the entirety of the Sumerian canon, rising from already having a popular start initially with a rather large cult to becoming the essential head of the entire Mesopotamian pantheon. However, this doesn't begin to explain the fact that she's also one of the most complicated and downright contradictory figures in Mesopotamian canon, if not mythology as a whole. Portrayed in many lights, several of which are completely contrary to several others, she's multi-faceted on the best of days. However, if there's one thing that ties all of these interpretations of Inanna together... it's her very open sexuality.

With that loose thread hanging open, I'll move on to who she actually is. Her origins are commonly contested, with many myths ascribing her different roles; the granddaughter of Enlil is the most common interpretation, with her also sometimes being seen as the daughter of Enki, god of wisdom, or the daughter of Nanna, goddess of the moon (and also wisdom.) Inanna herself serves several roles, each of which were incredibly important, split between several facets: the goddess of war, the goddess of birth, and the goddess of sensuality/sexuality, to name a few. However, Inanna herself didn't seem to bear many, if any, children at all; her role was mostly as an overseer of childbirth and sexuality. And I mean sexuality.

Inanna's identity was highly tied to her sex appeal, and she was less a goddess of fertility and general and more a goddess of... uh, getting it on. Several of her sources are effectively written like Mesopotamian smut, showing her love for being in charge in the bedroom, especially with her husband, Dumuzi, with many passages being warmly written sex scenes. She was meant to be an epitome of sex appeal, and her love for dominance also ties into her other sphere as the goddess of war. Past this, Inanna was also frequently identified with Ishtar, who was more commonly seen as a goddess of war as well.

To add on to all of this, one of Inanna's traits was her ability to effectively change someone's gender. Attested to in some of her own tales, such as a passage in a poem titled Passionate Inanna, she's written as such: ‘To destroy, to create, to tear out, to establish are yours, Inanna. / To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inanna.’ Not only this, there are records showing that several members of her cult stood outside of the gender binary, such as the statue of 'Ur-Nanshe,' who was a member of this cult who had breasts and an effeminate look, but had a very masculine name.

All of this is to say that the contempt for her design in SMT IV:A is very understandable; it represents next to nothing about Inanna herself, and instead plays up her 'mother goddess' role that she didn't even have outside of being a primary member of the pantheon and being promiscuous. I honestly find her original concept art to be a far better representation of her as a whole, though even it is flawed.

Still, this goddess and her cult does show that non-binary and transgender people have always existed, even in our very first ever civilizations. We're not just a new thing. We've always existed.

[dailydemonspotlight]

no upload today. appointment snuck up on me ;-;

[dailydemonspotlight]

Nebiros - Day 186

Race: Fallen

Arcana: Hermit

Alignment: Neutral-Chaos

June 16th, 2025

Happy pri-demon-th!

Black magic can often be seen as something only fearmongered about in fantasy stories; a fixture of fantastical tales wherein evil fought against light; but it's a common theme for a reason. Magic was seen (and still is, in some circles) as a true force of nature in the old times, and its practitioners were often ascribed as witches and wizards. The occult has played an important role in many places across the world, and while it's viewed as fictional by many, it's also been something that has had ripples throughout history. The perception of magic in history has led to a lot of things, (like, we've all heard of the Salem Witch Trials,) but practitioners were not just boogeymen- they were people. I say all of this to give a bit of context on what exactly the Goetic Grimoires I've been referencing throughout this series are, as they weren't fictional stories- they were written to catalogue black magic in real history, and the demons summoners communed with in the real world. All of this is to say...

Wouldn't it be funny if there was another giant grimoire that had several very important demons listed throughout?

Introducing the Grand Grimoire, AKA Le Dragon Rouge, or The Red Dragon. Dating back to the fourteenth century (if not even earlier,) this grimoire is one of the many formative texts of demonology, and it's also one of the formative texts of the many grimoires themselves. While it is possible that the Lesser Key of Solomon's original text predates the Grand Grimoire, (I can't find the exact centuries the originals originate from, so take this with a mountain of salt) the Grand Grimoire fits its name in being an incredibly important demonic source, as it lists several demons that have become mainstays throughout many stories that take from demonic sources, such as placing Beelzebub and Astaroth as the generals of Lucifer. However, the book also mentions several lesser demons, and among those demons finally lies today's Demon of the Day: Nebiros, the Grand Marshal of hell's forces.

While much of the Grand Grimoire goes over how to safely summon demons (and also spends a LOT of its runtime just posting pictures of the sigils of demons for safe summoning), it does also post the names of six spirits of hell that stand above the rest, but just below Beelzebub, Astaroth, and Lucifer. Among those six is, again, Nebiros, whose exact role and purpose are hardly explained, but are alluded to, and we can infer a lot based on his title alone. As the lowest of the high-ranking demons, and a marshal, we can kinda presume he was in charge of the demonic forces of war, given that that's what a marshal is.

Curiously, in the Ars Goetia, Nebiros is brought up with a completely different spelling and appearance, and it's believed that the two are actually completely different demons; Naberius, in the Goetia, has the ability to grant men mastery over the arts and sciences, specifically in the form of rhetoric, as well as being able to restore 'lost dignities and honors'[sic]. Unfortunately, this is about all I can succinctly glean regarding this demon, as his sources are very scant and he mostly seems to exist in the Grand Goetia... not really anywhere else.

All of this is to say, though, that I love his design in SMT. Seeing as he's a Marshal, I love the fact that he's a puppeteer, likely using his troops as nothing more than strawmen in battle. His skeletal appearance is really unique, especially given how almost... Día de los Muertos festival-esque the skull paint appears. For a demon with not much to go off of, they really made a fantastic design, one of my personal favorites in the entire series. Also, he's one of Alice's adopted uncles alongside Belial, hence why he's here for pride month. We love our gay demon uncles.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Amaterasu - Day 185

Race: Amatsu/Megami Arcana: Priestess Alignment: Light-Law/Neutral June 13th, 2025 Happy pri-demon-th!

Most of the time, the biggest deities of many mythologies are male: Zeus, Ra, or the Jade Emperor come to mind- but the Shinto Kami have a bit of a different approach. While it's sometimes debated, the most commonly accepted leader of this famous group of Japanese gods is a woman, and one of the most famous deities from the entire Japanese canon as well. She does share one trait with many of her fellow leaders, though: being the representative and the god of the Sun. Today's Demon of the Day is one of my personal favorites, not due to her role in SMT, but rather due to everything about her: Amaterasu, the Shinto Kami of the Sun, daughter of Izanagi, and one of my favorite demons in the series.

Amaterasu was born to Izanagi alongside her two brothers, Susano'o and Tsukuyomi, after Izanagi washed himself from the evil of the land of the dead, Yomi, a place he visited to pursue his wife Izanami and to save her from it. Amaterasu was born from his left eye, Tsukuyomi from his right, and Susanoo from his nose. However, as Izanagi's first-born, Amaterasu was given the right to rule, as Izanagi took on the role of protecting the world from Yomi, and she took on the mantle of goddess of creation from him by adopting a necklace of jewels. She and Susano'o then decided to make children together, though not by copulation (thank god) and instead by Amaterasu chewing on pieces of a blade he gave to her, and him chewing on her jewels, before spitting them out, creating many children. This can be interpreted in two ways: either it was a competition for the right to rule, or it was out of good faith, but either way, Amaterasu ultimately ended up creating more.

This is a sidenote but, interestingly, Amaterasu can be seen as the opposite of Yomi herself, as not only is her light vital to life, but she was born in the river Tachibana, which is the ideal place for purification for... reasons that are pretty hard to translate from Japanese. Still, it shows how important she was- even her birth was pre-ordained to show that she was a guiding light. So what happens if that light disappears?

After their competition, Susano'o, frustrated at his loss, grew belligerent and angry, and, as any well-mannered man would do, went on a tantrum-rampage that ravaged several of Amaterasu's personal rice fields, defiled Amaterasu's home, and in one final act of pettiness that tipped her over the edge, threw a flayed horse at her weaving hall, killing one of her closest servants in the process. Indignant and horrified in equal measure, Amaterasu sealed herself within a cave, meaning that the sun would no longer rise.

Naturally, the consequences turned out devastating. The land plunged into total darkness, crops refused to grow, and the people grew terrified. As such, the 800 kami came together to formulate a plan to draw her back out. At first, it was several cocks (the bird kind) that they lined up to crow loudly, but she didn't budge. Then, they decided that, if that wasn't enough, they'd throw a crazy party. Calling up Ame-no-Uzume, they made quite a lot of noise, and, most importantly, Ame-no-Uzume began to perform a striptease. Hearing the commotion, and drawn out by the promise of naked ladies, Amaterasu finally poked her head out of the cave, and was dragged out at long last to join the celebrations. And as such, Susano'o's tantrum almost lead to the end of the world, only for it to be saved by the power of lesbianism.

Of course, this isn't the only Amaterasu myth, but it's the one that I feel points out her most defining traits- her kindness, yet also her slight weakness as a leader. Even still, though, she serves (in more ways than one) as the leader of the Shinto Kami. As for her design in SMT, there's not much to say- I just like it. She looks pretty. I wish she showed up in more games, but ah well.

I find it pretty funny that her most popular myth has her only being drawn out by the promise of a striptease, though. Also shoutout to Okami.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Legion - Day 184

Race: Spirit Arcana: Fool Alignment: Dark-Chaos June 12th, 2025 Happy pri-demon-th!

For the last time, Demi-Fiend! We don't use they/them because we're nonbinary, we use they/them because we're literally six guys!

There's a pretty common trope that appears in many stories, but not many actually know where it comes from- that being the trope, or the statement, "We are legion." This phrase is pretty commonly used to denote a hive-mind or other such group of single-minded people, but like all things, it didn't just pop out of nowhere. And, like a lot of things in the western canon... its origin is pretty easy to trace back to one prophet from the middle east. Yep, it originates from Abrahamic mythology and, more specifically, Christianity. But how, one might ask, does it? Well, demons! Today's Demon of the Day is less a single figure and more the concept of what certain demons can do- that being turning from one to many. They are Legion, and they are today's spotlight!

The first mention of this idea of a legion of demons is seen in the Gospel of Mark, specifically in 5:9, wherein Jesus comes across a man possessed by demons. The demons say to Jesus, 'I am legion, for we are many,' and that serves as context for what the man got up to before Jeezy-C arrived. Not only was he responsible for countless deaths, the man was also impossible to chain down or imprison, to the point that even when sealed within a tomb, he broke out easily.

However, Jesus, in his infinite 'son-of-God-ness,' ended up easily casting away the demons after calling out the demons themselves, saying to leave the man alone. The demons, terrified, begged to not be tortured, and Jesus gave them a choice of absolution- one they took by delving into a river with a herd of roughly two thousand pigs. There is a symbolic reason for this, as there is with basically everything in the Bible, but it's also just kinda funny to imagine.

Still, from this, we can pretty easily piece together what Legion was: several demons. Even one demon possessing a man could wreak havoc, so several, all acting with one mind, could easily be uncontainable; it's as if one stuffed several groups of souls into one person, kinda like Nightmare Luffy in One Piece. The story is retold in many other Gospels, such as the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew, but it's essentially the same tale.

With all this being said, though, Legion is a pretty easy (and gnarly) concept to understand: a hivemind of demons possessing one soul. And that, my friends, is where "We are legion" comes from. Cool? Cool. That's about all there really is to say, unfortunately, as Legion doesn't pop up outside of this story as far as I can tell, but it's still a concept that's stuck around, even if the story it originates from hasn't.

[dailydemonspotlight]

I just realized the Artemis post was marked by a content label lol, I guess I should've Yamai'd her Persona design.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Artemis - Day 183

Race: Megami Arcana: Moon Alignment: Light-Neutral June 11th, 2025 Happy pri-demon-th!

As a society that valued strength and masculinity, the Greeks had a very different view of homosexuality than us today, something I've already gone over in the Apollo analysis. And yeah, expect for this to be repeated a lot in the coming weeks, as there's not many queer demons in the series outside of Greek ones- whether it be because I've already covered them, or they're just not included in the series due to being relatively obscure. However, in spite of just how gay ancient Greece was, there was one goddess who stood above the rest and said no. In fact, she said no to any romantic or sexual feelings, and that goddess is, funny enough, Apollo's sister. Twins can tend to be opposites, I suppose, as the fruitiest man in Greek myth is a direct twin to the complete opposite: Artemis, who is today's Demon of the Day.

Artemis, as one of the most popular and famous goddesses of the Greek pantheon, has a lot of stories to her name. Not only was she popular in the average populace, she was also the favorite deity to the rural population of Greece, and where she stood was a very important role: a huntress. Her birth story ran parallel to Apollo's, as, as soon as she was born, she helped Leto give birth to Apollo as a midwife, giving her the role as a goddess of childbirth; ironic, given that one of her most iconic traits is her virgin status.

As Apollo took up the mantle of the sun, Artemis took up the mantle of the moon, and this duality can be seen in many aspects between the two; while Apollo would happily flirt with anyone who breathed, Artemis was the complete opposite. In one of her most famous tales, the minor Demigod Actaeon ended up seeing her bathing (or was boasting that his hunting skills surpassed hers, it depends on the version) and, as a punishment, she turned him into a stag and had his own hunting dogs descend upon him and rip him apart limb from limb. Gnarly, but honestly? Also very slay. Literally.

Her disinterest in sex, being the goddess of chastity, and her strength made her a very popular figure for the women of ancient Greece, and she honestly still kicks ass- she's explicitly the opposite of a traditional woman, residing within and representing the wild, and no stories truly point to her having any romantic feelings for anyone. Even the tale of Orion, the story of the 'only man she ever loved,' is not explicitly romantic in most original tellings- of course, it changes as time goes on, as all myths do, but in most depictions, Orion forced himself onto Artemis (or one of her hunters) and was executed as a result. In one of the only concrete primary sources we have on the story, the Hymn to Artemis, it explicitly says that all who attempt to woo her will end up dead.

Even her hunters themselves were all female, save for Orion, which predictably ended poorly. One such member of her hunters, Callisto, had been sexually assaulted by Zeus- who actually took on the form of Artemis- and in revenge, Artemis made her take on the form of a bear.

Artemis's asexuality, of course, isn't a set-in-stone fact- she was a virgin, sure, but marriage during that time was an implicitly submissive affair, and it's entirely possible that she's simply refusing to partake in sex or marriage due to how it'd imply her own submission. However, I personally enjoy her portrayal as asexual, even if it's not entirely accurate... which is why I have to ask what the fuck they were cooking when they made both of Artemis's designs?!

I can't even show Artemis's original design, because it's so explicit that I feel like even Yamai-ifying it wouldn't make it feel less uncomfortable. If you don't know what it is, though? She's covered in tits from head to toe. Why??? I get it, she's the goddess of childbirth, and breasts are associated with motherhood- but what the fuck were they even DOING??? Why not make her look like a huntress? Let her look like she's actually got a good design instead of being covered in boobs?! Her SMT V design is a step up, but even then, it doesn't reflect her at all- it makes her look like a peppy manic pixie dream girl and not the fickle and fierce being she ACTUALLY is. These youthful features and the energy just don't fit! I like the way her gauntlets are bows, I guess, but that's about it- everything else just isn't Artemis.

And don't even get me started on her Persona design.

What even is this? Why does she have plastic cups over her boobs and crotch? Why is she so explicitly sexualized when she's literally one of the most famously NON-SEXUAL FIGURES IN A VERY SEXUAL MYTHOS????

God, whatever. SMT bungled her three times, but at least we got the best design of a very bad batch going forward, even if that design is still pretty bad.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Artemis - Day 183

Race: Megami Arcana: Moon Alignment: Light-Neutral June 11th, 2025 Happy pri-demon-th!

As a society that valued strength and masculinity, the Greeks had a very different view of homosexuality than us today, something I've already gone over in the Apollo analysis. And yeah, expect for this to be repeated a lot in the coming weeks, as there's not many queer demons in the series outside of Greek ones- whether it be because I've already covered them, or they're just not included in the series due to being relatively obscure. However, in spite of just how gay ancient Greece was, there was one goddess who stood above the rest and said no. In fact, she said no to any romantic or sexual feelings, and that goddess is, funny enough, Apollo's sister. Twins can tend to be opposites, I suppose, as the fruitiest man in Greek myth is a direct twin to the complete opposite: Artemis, who is today's Demon of the Day.

Artemis, as one of the most popular and famous goddesses of the Greek pantheon, has a lot of stories to her name. Not only was she popular in the average populace, she was also the favorite deity to the rural population of Greece, and where she stood was a very important role: a huntress. Her birth story ran parallel to Apollo's, as, as soon as she was born, she helped Leto give birth to Apollo as a midwife, giving her the role as a goddess of childbirth; ironic, given that one of her most iconic traits is her virgin status.

As Apollo took up the mantle of the sun, Artemis took up the mantle of the moon, and this duality can be seen in many aspects between the two; while Apollo would happily flirt with anyone who breathed, Artemis was the complete opposite. In one of her most famous tales, the minor Demigod Actaeon ended up seeing her bathing (or was boasting that his hunting skills surpassed hers, it depends on the version) and, as a punishment, she turned him into a stag and had his own hunting dogs descend upon him and rip him apart limb from limb. Gnarly, but honestly? Also very slay. Literally.

Her disinterest in sex, being the goddess of chastity, and her strength made her a very popular figure for the women of ancient Greece, and she honestly still kicks ass- she's explicitly the opposite of a traditional woman, residing within and representing the wild, and no stories truly point to her having any romantic feelings for anyone. Even the tale of Orion, the story of the 'only man she ever loved,' is not explicitly romantic in most original tellings- of course, it changes as time goes on, as all myths do, but in most depictions, Orion forced himself onto Artemis (or one of her hunters) and was executed as a result. In one of the only concrete primary sources we have on the story, the Hymn to Artemis, it explicitly says that all who attempt to woo her will end up dead.

Even her hunters themselves were all female, save for Orion, which predictably ended poorly. One such member of her hunters, Callisto, had been sexually assaulted by Zeus- who actually took on the form of Artemis- and in revenge, Artemis made her take on the form of a bear.

Artemis's asexuality, of course, isn't a set-in-stone fact- she was a virgin, sure, but marriage during that time was an implicitly submissive affair, and it's entirely possible that she's simply refusing to partake in sex or marriage due to how it'd imply her own submission. However, I personally enjoy her portrayal as asexual, even if it's not entirely accurate... which is why I have to ask what the fuck they were cooking when they made both of Artemis's designs?!

I can't even show Artemis's original design, because it's so explicit that I feel like even Yamai-ifying it wouldn't make it feel less uncomfortable. If you don't know what it is, though? She's covered in tits from head to toe. Why??? I get it, she's the goddess of childbirth, and breasts are associated with motherhood- but what the fuck were they even DOING??? Why not make her look like a huntress? Let her look like she's actually got a good design instead of being covered in boobs?! Her SMT V design is a step up, but even then, it doesn't reflect her at all- it makes her look like a peppy manic pixie dream girl and not the fickle and fierce being she ACTUALLY is. These youthful features and the energy just don't fit! I like the way her gauntlets are bows, I guess, but that's about it- everything else just isn't Artemis.

And don't even get me started on her Persona design.

What even is this? Why does she have plastic cups over her boobs and crotch? Why is she so explicitly sexualized when she's literally one of the most famously NON-SEXUAL FIGURES IN A VERY SEXUAL MYTHOS????

God, whatever. SMT bungled her three times, but at least we got the best design of a very bad batch going forward, even if that design is still pretty bad.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Ahriman - Day 182

Race: Tyrant Arcana: Tower Alignment: Dark-Chaos June 10th, 2025

...Look, I didn't say it had to be good gay rep, okay?

Finally, I'm talking about a boogeyman I've been avoiding for quite a while. Zoroastrianism is one of the most interesting rabbit holes of a religion out there, with several different ideas working together to create a massive, winding narrative. Being one of the oldest religions in the world, its tales are many and storied, and most of them originate from one man: the Iranian prophet Zarathushtra, better known as Zoroaster. Interestingly, Zoroastrianism can be seen as the source of many of the most prolific religions in the world today, such as Islam and Christianity, as it's essentially the ur-Abrahamic faith. It could even be seen as the first ever popular attempt at a monotheistic religion! However, just because the practitioners of this faith worship one god doesn't mean that there aren't more- in fact, the gods of the old Iranian religion were merged to become aspects of Ahura Mazda, the primary god of the religion; all except for one. Today's Demon of the Day, and the primary evil of Zoroastrian faith: Ahriman.

In Zoroastrianism, there are two sides: Good and evil, locked in an eternal struggle where good is destined to triumph. The good side is headed by Ahura Mazda, whose omnipotence is restrained only by this struggle, and with enough help, he can overcome his shackles to defeat evil... eventually. Meanwhile, his eternal rival is Ahriman, whose original name (Angra Mainyu) literally translates to evil spirit. I'm sure you can guess what he does. Ahriman is the source of all negativity, conflict, confusion, and controls all demons by his own will.

Now, why is he being spotlighted during pride month? Well, past the, uh... pridemon shirt (which I love and want really bad), Ahriman stands as representing evil, and it's not hard to see that one of the oldest religions in the world could represent homosexuality as being evil. As such, on top of being pure evil in every sense, Ahriman also became the patron of homosexuality. I am not kidding. He essentially sponsored gay sex, and in a story that I can't find for the life of me but desperately want to find, outlined in the book 'Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods' by Ronald E. Long, he... okay, bare with me for a second, I'm just gonna copy and paste off the Wikipedia article on LGBT themes in mythology because I think it's really fucking funny.

When Ahriman, the "Spirit of Aridity and Death" and "Lord of Lies", seeks to destroy the world, he engages in self-sodomy. This homosexual self-intercourse causes an "explosion of evil power" and results in the birth of a host of evil minions and demons.

He self-fucks and causes an evil explosion that spawns a ton of demons. Or maybe he masturbates? I don't know man lmao

So, yeah! If you're a homosexual man who's capable of doing that, tell me if you're capable of summoning minions to do your will if you do, okay?

Now, in SMT, Ahriman takes on a variety of forms- the one I personally most associate with him is his Reason form as one of the final bosses of SMT Nocturne, but he's also got a really fantastic design in Dx2, of all games.

Both of them capture the lord of evil thing well, and I love how they both share common traits in having horns and bug wings; it's a really nice connecting thread through both designs.

even still, i can't get over the burst of evil energy. god imagine jerking off and when you finish you give off such a malicious energy that demons follow you thats so fucking funny

[dailydemonspotlight]

Ardha - Day 181

Race: Deity Arcana: Judgment Alignment: Light-Law June 9th, 2025 Happy pride month!

A fact that I sadly haven't seen mentioned much is that a lot of Hindu mythology is actually very queer. For one of the biggest religions in the world, Hinduism doesn't actually have much spread over here in the West, and most of what I do see, past just how fascinating it is, is that it's weird... which, well, I suppose is a synonym for queer in some ways, but regardless. Still, something to note is that Hinduism doesn't actually distinguish between homosexual and heterosexual in the forming texts of the faith; instead, they only mark a difference between sexual acts in marriage and out of it. This can even be seen in many Hindu communities, such as the Hindu American Foundation, which says this on the topic: “Given their inherent spiritual equality, Hindus should not socially ostracize LGBT individuals, but should accept them as fellow sojourners on the path to moksha.”

All of this can be traced back to the fact that the mythology itself is also rather queer, believe it or not- there are several gay gods and goddesses, and even some transgender or non-binary ones, such as today's Demon of the Day- the intersex mix of Shiva and Parvati, Ardhanarishvara- shortened down to Ardha because, wow, that is a mouthful.

Shiva could be seen as an ideal man, or a symbol of masculinity: a man who stands tall and proud, and what is more masculine than embracing your more feminine side? Shiva, in his wisdom, wooed Parvati, who fell madly in love with him, becoming his most famous consort. In their love, Parvati once professed to him that she wished to experience the world from his eyes, though how this came to be is dependent on the tale. In some versions, Parvati grew jealous of how a monk only worshipped Shiva, and in my personal favorite version, Parvati instead grew so enraptured with Shiva (and Shiva did her) that they decided to align themselves with each other in their marriage. As such, they wished to share with the other their experiences.

The two fully fused together upon Parvati sitting on his left lap, and both were ecstatic- Shiva and Parvati now represented two halves of a whole, that whole being the gender binary. Shiva's side, the right side, represented masculinity, the brain, and strength, while Parvati's side, the left side, represented the heart, creativity, and intuition. They could see beyond their preconceived boundaries and into the whole of the world itself together.

In a way, this story could be read as a gender awakening tale, as the newly born Ardha was in complete joy, possibly even euphoria. The way that they exist, even, seems to imply the idea that no human is purely male or female, and rather that we are all who we are; male, female, non-binary, and all shades between. As long as one is happy, they've found themselves. It's a really beautiful narrative, especially from a trans angle, as it mirrors the stories of many transgender people. (me included! :D)

In SMT, Ardha's design has gone unchanged for years upon years, and it's not hard to see why- they're pretty much spot-on. The male and female sides are represented well, though I do have to wonder why Shiva is on the left side when he's meant to be on the right. That doesn't really matter though, because some depictions do have Shiva on the right, it's just something I noticed. I do like how Shiva's side has two arms, though- it's a nice reference to the fact that, well, this is half Shiva, and he has four arms, so... yeah. Plus, I just like how the design looks. I'd love to see a modern redraw without really changing any aspects of it tbh.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Uriel - Day 180

Race: Herald Arcana: Justice Alignment: Light-Law June 6th, 2025 Requested by @/Wakawakawaka on our Discord!

Haha, get it? Yuri-el? Eh? Eh? I'll, uh, see myself out.

Angels are, despite their more heroic appearances and how one might assume they'd be focused on, not actually given many names in the Bible. Much of the field of Angelology is less a field and more something derived from various extrapolations based on the various texts making up the major Abrahamic religions; the hierarchy of angels isn't even really a thing in any of the original works, and is instead pulled from various Scholarly readings of the Talmud and many other Jewish works that have been adapted into the other Abrahamic faiths. However, even with this comparative lack of spotlight, there are several angels that shine and are given unique names... even if not considered canon. Enter today's Angel of the Day, Uriel!

Uriel is a... weird case, even in the rather strange ranks of angels. Only really broadly recognized in Russian Orthodoxy and Folk Catholicism, Uriel's main (and only) appearances are actually in many apocryphal texts, texts that are no longer considered canon (or at least aren't important any longer) but once were, and he never makes a named appearance in any Biblical texts, despite being recognized pop-culturally to be one of the Archangels. In fact, Biblically, only one Archangel is recognized, being Michael. Gabriel also makes an appearance, but he's not directly stated to be an Archangel. Maybe he got demoted after fighting a gopro.

Uriel's main appearance is in the Book of Enoch, an apocryphal text shared between Christianity and Judaism, wherein he's described as one of the seven Archangels that watches over the world, and a notable appearance is in 21:3, which I'll helpfully paste here so you don't have to look it up, which shows him presiding over seven fallen angels who are being punished for all eternity. (Possibly where modern conceptions of hell came from?)

1 And I proceeded to where things were chaotic. 2 And I saw there something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible. 3 And there I saw seven stars of heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire. 4 Then I said: 'For what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in here?' 5 Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me and was chief over them, and said: 'Enoch, why do you ask, and why are you eager for the truth? 6 These are of the number of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here until ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.'

Uriel first truly appears, however, in chapter 10, wherein he's carrying out an incredibly important duty: being the one responsible for telling Noah about the flood, which led to basically everything in the Bible happening, including Noah's Ark.

Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 〈Go to Noah〉 and tell him in my name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it.

I wonder if the original text has those weird brackets over big G's speech. Uriel's role in warning Noah, as well as being a generally friendly (if cryptic, like all Angels) being who helps the devout and punishes evil led him to being a rather popular figure in many other apocryphal texts, and he quickly became widespread. This got to a point, however, when people began to combine together the many angels actually mentioned in canonical texts- Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel- and decided to assign each of them a cardinal direction. However, they lacked a final angel for North, as Raphael was the East, Michael the South, and Gabriel the west. As such, looking at the literature provided, even if deemed non-canon, Jewish scholars decided to take Uriel and plop him into the group, deeming him an important and relevant enough figure- making him the North of the compass.

From there, Uriel became a very prominent Saint in many Abrahamic faiths, being the patron of Arts and Intellect for... reasons that I'm not really clear on. Even still, though, for a non-canonical Angel, he has a surprising amount of relevance and reverence, especially given his role in warning Noah, which I'm just gonna say is canon in my own reading of the Bible. Why? Because why not. I think it's neat.

Uriel's design in SMT is definitely a product of its time, but it's also an absolute classic, so I can't give it much (if any) slack. Being depicted frequently with a flaming sword, though, I gotta wonder why they didn't actually give him a blazing blade- it'd add a lot to his already iconic design.

Of course, I also gotta shout out the SMT IV angels.

...I dunno what else to say! SMT IV angels are terrifying and I love them.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Uriel - Day 180

Race: Herald Arcana: Justice Alignment: Light-Law June 6th, 2025 Requested by @/Wakawakawaka on our Discord!

Haha, get it? Yuri-el? Eh? Eh? I'll, uh, see myself out.

Angels are, despite their more heroic appearances and how one might assume they'd be focused on, not actually given many names in the Bible. Much of the field of Angelology is less a field and more something derived from various extrapolations based on the various texts making up the major Abrahamic religions; the hierarchy of angels isn't even really a thing in any of the original works, and is instead pulled from various Scholarly readings of the Talmud and many other Jewish works that have been adapted into the other Abrahamic faiths. However, even with this comparative lack of spotlight, there are several angels that shine and are given unique names... even if not considered canon. Enter today's Angel of the Day, Uriel!

Uriel is a... weird case, even in the rather strange ranks of angels. Only really broadly recognized in Russian Orthodoxy and Folk Catholicism, Uriel's main (and only) appearances are actually in many apocryphal texts, texts that are no longer considered canon (or at least aren't important any longer) but once were, and he never makes a named appearance in any Biblical texts, despite being recognized pop-culturally to be one of the Archangels. In fact, Biblically, only one Archangel is recognized, being Michael. Gabriel also makes an appearance, but he's not directly stated to be an Archangel. Maybe he got demoted after fighting a gopro.

Uriel's main appearance is in the Book of Enoch, an apocryphal text shared between Christianity and Judaism, wherein he's described as one of the seven Archangels that watches over the world, and a notable appearance is in 21:3, which I'll helpfully paste here so you don't have to look it up, which shows him presiding over seven fallen angels who are being punished for all eternity. (Possibly where modern conceptions of hell came from?)

1 And I proceeded to where things were chaotic. 2 And I saw there something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible. 3 And there I saw seven stars of heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire. 4 Then I said: 'For what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in here?' 5 Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me and was chief over them, and said: 'Enoch, why do you ask, and why are you eager for the truth? 6 These are of the number of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here until ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.'

Uriel first truly appears, however, in chapter 10, wherein he's carrying out an incredibly important duty: being the one responsible for telling Noah about the flood, which led to basically everything in the Bible happening, including Noah's Ark.

Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 〈Go to Noah〉 and tell him in my name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it.

I wonder if the original text has those weird brackets over big G's speech. Uriel's role in warning Noah, as well as being a generally friendly (if cryptic, like all Angels) being who helps the devout and punishes evil led him to being a rather popular figure in many other apocryphal texts, and he quickly became widespread. This got to a point, however, when people began to combine together the many angels actually mentioned in canonical texts- Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel- and decided to assign each of them a cardinal direction. However, they lacked a final angel for North, as Raphael was the East, Michael the South, and Gabriel the west. As such, looking at the literature provided, even if deemed non-canon, Jewish scholars decided to take Uriel and plop him into the group, deeming him an important and relevant enough figure- making him the North of the compass.

From there, Uriel became a very prominent Saint in many Abrahamic faiths, being the patron of Arts and Intellect for... reasons that I'm not really clear on. Even still, though, for a non-canonical Angel, he has a surprising amount of relevance and reverence, especially given his role in warning Noah, which I'm just gonna say is canon in my own reading of the Bible. Why? Because why not. I think it's neat.

Uriel's design in SMT is definitely a product of its time, but it's also an absolute classic, so I can't give it much (if any) slack. Being depicted frequently with a flaming sword, though, I gotta wonder why they didn't actually give him a blazing blade- it'd add a lot to his already iconic design.

Of course, I also gotta shout out the SMT IV angels.

...I dunno what else to say! SMT IV angels are terrifying and I love them.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Gonna have only one more upload this week just so I can get back to my normal schedule of ending each week with a 5/0 lol

blame my perfectionism or smth idk