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unforgivablego · 12 days ago

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Let’s talk about Hazbin hotel and our love to Alastor. Well, particularly my love to Alastor. And I want it to be an Essay so stay with me on this journey. Let’s roll!

Why I Like Alastor — Explained

Foreword

I generally like villain or morally gray characters — especially if they’re charismatic.

Some vivid examples just to know we´re on the same line:

Miguel O'Hara

Duke from The Vampair Series

Ryuk

(by the way, Ryuk is the closest in personality to pilot Alastor. He lingers in the background, annoys everyone, yet he’s too interesting to ignore)

Orochimaru

Barnaby from Billy Bust Up

Scar

Silco (big green flag)

Death

It’s honestly hard to explain, but I freak out over them (the characters, not real people). Most of them are villains and are not meant for redemption arcs or transformations where they admit fault and grow.

Often, they’re just straight-up psychopaths. But most of them have deep backstories that explain why they act the way they do.

Sometimes, whether they’re a villain just depends on whose perspective you look from.

Why “Pilot” Alastor?

The pilot version of Alastor was that kind of character for me — a psychopathic character I was freaking out over simply because deep down, he’s a sweetheart.

But there was little information available about him, just:

a radio host;

a serial killer during his life;

loved his mom and her cooking;

a jazz fan (which is hot, imo);

disliked being touched, but readily invaded others’ personal space to cause discomfort;

liked pineapple pizza and venison;

died while burying a body — shot by hunters who mistook him for a deer (hence the hatred for hunting dogs);

appeared in Hell and immediately became an Overlord;

broadcasted the screams of sinners across all of Hell;

truly evil;

yet couldn’t stand injustice;

despised any technology post-1930s;

probably ace;

became a cannibal after death;

owns the souls of many sinners, including Husk and Niffty;

master of deals;

from New Orleans;

died sometime in the 1930s;

closely tied to voodoo;

not someone you want to mess with.

Still, I found him funny. At the time of the pilot, he hadn’t done anything bad to the main characters or the hotel — and didn’t seem like he was going to.

I also watched a ton of interviews and fan theories about where his power comes from and how strong he is — even Vivziepop said she didn’t know his full strength because he’s just that powerful.

I’ll get into this more later, but part of his charm also lies in his asexuality or lack of sexual needs/desires. It’s just him. And because of that you don’t even think about him in a sexual context.

Basically, pilot Alastor is a clown character. He’s just... there in the background, not affecting the plot directly, but he’s so fun to watch that you enjoy every second of his screen time. He’s charismatic, has a great sense of humor, and yet is completely untrustworthy. Subconsciously, you’re just waiting for him to do something insane — and if he does, no one’s surprised.

At the same time, he manages to feel harmless. But the most important thing? He’s complex — and that makes him mysterious and compelling.

What’s the Point of it all?

The series version of Alastor is, in a way, another version of Angel Dust — which might be hard to grasp for now, but to explain that, I need to dig into Angel and the Hotel.

The point of Hell in Hazbin Hotel is that many sinners ended up there by accident.

Angel was involved with the mafia from an early age (his father was apparently a mafia boss). That implies a life full of violence, drug addiction, crime, and exploitation. Given his lifestyle, it’s not surprising that he died of an overdose (at age 30, in 1947). And from his name, you can tell what kind of drugs he overdosed on.

In the Hazbin Hotel universe, souls don’t end up in Hell for just one action — but rather for a lifestyle (we learn more about this through Penious’s backstory in season 2): a life full of sin, selfishness, and violence. Angel, essentially, lived within a system that made him both a victim and a cog in a vicious industry. In this universe, Hell is for souls who never sought redemption. So even if someone was a victim, if they did immoral things and never repented, they still end up in Hell.

That means: Angel didn’t end up in Hell because he did something evil, but because he never recognized his guilt or repented.

He acts like a "slayboy". His mind is always on sex, he’s a porn star, obsessed with drugs — and isn’t trying to change any of that. He’s carefree, available, playful, constantly in rose-colored glasses. He behaves flamboyantly, literally like a sassy whore (in the best way). And that would’ve been our perception of him, if not for episode 4, the pilot hints, and his solo song — all showing that this persona is utter bullshit.

Turns out he sold his soul (probably out of stupidity) to Valentino, is subject to daily abuse, forced to play the slutty role, and suffers physical, emotional, and sexual violence. It hurts just to exist — so he drowns himself in alcohol and drugs. His flirtatious, cheeky nature is entirely fake — a coping mechanism. He’s sensitive, vulnerable, traumatized — and it’s likely that won’t ever go away.

But the point of Hazbin Hotel as a work is to strip away those facades characters wear — make them open up to one another, form bonds, and go through hell together. Literally: “You’re a loser, but you’re not alone.”

Why the Series Version?

To us, just like to the other hotel characters, Alastor is a powerful Overlord who owns the souls of thousands of sinners. A grinning psychopath you don’t want to turn your back on. In life, he was a killer (we don’t yet have an official backstory or details), and after death, a cannibal (because he eats deer while being one — wtf). He holds immense power, and no one knows where it came from. He’s self-assured, proud, has principles, and is ready to defend them. Sometimes he’s funny, constantly amused — he just enjoys watching people suffer trying to achieve the impossible. He controls every situation, always one step ahead, waiting to pounce when someone is weakest and most helpless.

If you look at it like that, he’s essentially the same character as in the pilot — just without the talking mic and with a new design.

But like with Angel, episode 5 sets the bait, episode 6 gives a taste, and episode 8 reels us in. It turns out, Alastor’s smile — is also a mask. No, he’ll never say it out loud, and he’d never admit to any feelings or vulnerabilities, but we all know he’s talking about himself when he comforts Charlie:

“Just because you see a smile doesn’t mean you know what’s going on underneath. A smile is a valuable tool, my dear. It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures that no matter what, YOU are the one in control.”

On top of that, we learn Alastor also sold his soul to someone.

Sure, his emotions differ from Angel’s, and he probably isn’t experiencing abuse. Maybe exploitation. It’s harder to empathize with him — and maybe you don’t even want to. He’s a trickster if I may — a character who plays by his own rules, can be both a threat and an ally, and is often ambivalent.

Yes, he owns Husk’s and Niffty’s souls — but compare that ownership to Valentino’s. Alastor doesn’t exploit them. Not in any sense of the word. They’re not abused. Someone might argue he psychologically messes with Husk, but is that true? Husk crossed a line, knowingly said something that could harm Alastor. Alastor doesn’t punish him or threaten him — he just reminds Husk of his place in a harsh tone. Which makes sense, because Alastor doesn’t exert his power over Husk, and that lets Husk feel more free in how he acts — to the point he forgets they aren’t equals.

When it comes to soul contracts, people often forget many characters sold their souls willingly. No one forced them. It was their choice. They knew the consequences. Even Angel, if he didn’t know, at least understood. He sings about it in "Poison":

“Addicted to this feeling, I can’t help but swallow Up your poison I made my choice, and Every night I’m living like there’s no tomorrow…”

Though in his case, what he was offered was so tempting, he probably didn’t even think about the consequences. Still, the contract bears his name, written by his hand.

Alastor isn’t so much a villain as a prisoner of the system they’re all spinning in. Hell isn’t a resort — it’s eat or be eaten. If you don’t want to end up like Angel, you’d better claw your way into the elite. And that means being terrifying, taking any deal you must — even if it costs you your soul.

The only difference between him and Angel is that Alastor didn’t make a deal with Valentino.

No matter how wide he grins through the season, we can still see his emotions. Even if hidden behind that smile, just as he wants. Because he himself insists he’s "all-powerful", we begin to believe it too.

But we forget — he’s human. A sinner, like everyone else. No matter how strong he is — or how strong he acts — he doesn’t have more power than Husk or Vox. He’s just better at using it, managing it, and scaring others so much they don’t dare challenge him.

He has feelings. He reacts to stimuli. He gets angry, proud, happy. Yes, he’s always smiling, but we can see when he’s anxious — when his eye twitches, when static creeps into his voice, when the radio effect disappears in especially weak moments, when he’s upset or annoyed. He has real friends (like Mimzy), people he’s attached to. He has tastes, music preferences, hobbies. He feels nostalgia, loves remembering his life on Earth. He has principles and topics he avoids or won’t discuss (he not only avoids TVs, tech, and Vox — he makes a deal so no one can ever mention them around him). He has a past. He has wounds and triggers. He’s happy to see Mimzy. He feels comfortable around Niffty (he even lets her touch him). He helps Charlie. He’s proud of her sometimes — it’s obvious. (Helping with the army and bringing Rosie wasn’t part of his deal with Charlie — that was his own initiative.) No matter how bad a friend Mimzy was, he still cared about her — and kicked her out to protect Charlie. I’d say he almost died for the hotel when he fought Adam. And even though Alastor keeps saying he’s powerful and unbeatable, he’s not stupid — he wouldn’t go against Adam alone.

I believe his greatest weakness — his biggest flaw — is that he’s a coward. Vox even says it — and he’s right. Alastor isn’t suicidal. When real danger comes, he runs. He’ll slaughter a dozen demons for Charlie to impress Lucifer, sure — but he knows what his life is worth, and he’d rather tuck his tail and flee than die. (That’s what sets him apart from someone like Penious — he’s not about self-sacrifice. He can help — but not if it hurts him.)

We see him snap in episode 8. We see him consumed by anxiety. We see him terrified but determined. We see him lost in desperate situations. We see him vulnerable. Yeah, he keeps smiling, but we’re not stupid — we know it’s fake. Everything he says about himself — we buy into it, just like everyone else does. But it’s not the truth. In reality, he’s a scared, pitiful, irritable, proud mess — and everything he built is just theater. And he loves theater.

No matter how much he grins in our faces — the truth is written all over that same face.

He’s no longer the emotionless murder machine from the pilot. He’s alive. He’s real.

The Hotel

I genuinely believe the whole hotel thing is affecting Alastor. Just like it’s affecting every other character — even if they don’t realize it yet, including him.

Yes, Charlie constantly worries that nothing is working, that they need more trust exercises, more games, more "friendship" lessons, more group activities and therapy to rehabilitate everyone. But they’re already being rehabilitated — Charlie is just too focused on her perceived failures to notice what’s happening right under her nose.

Penious wasn’t rehabilitated because Charlie trained him in "friendship and magic" — he changed because he made friends, understood what it means to protect someone at the cost of your life, forgave himself for his mistakes, let go of guilt (more on that in Season 2), and started living again. “It starts with sorry…” — Charlie is right, but it really begins with forgiving yourself.

Unconsciously, by growing closer, living together, being brought together by tragedy or a common enemy, they find common ground with each other. They open up, begin protecting one another, form bonds — and even love.

And Alastor, too. No matter how much he tries to convince himself — and us — otherwise.

I don’t believe in his redemption. Forgiveness? Heaven? Bah! Nonsense.

But what I do believe is that Alastor can change. But don’t get me wrong here. Not like Angel, Husk, or Penious did — but I can imagine him becoming attached to the hotel the same way he becomes attached to people (it’s canon that Alastor can’t love, but he can form attachments). He can genuinely care about Charlie and see her as a daughter. He can protect them — not just because (probably) he was ordered to. He won’t become "good", but he can open up, build trust, and see Charlie and the others as people he can trust.

What Does Lucifer Have to Do With It?

All of this depends on whether Alastor eventually breaks.

Alastor only shows emotion when there are strong external triggers. And right now, the main one is… Guess who? That’s right! Lucifer — and his presence at the hotel (Lucifer is now living right across from Alastor’s tower; there's no way they won’t cross paths — they’re literally locked in together). If there’s anyone who can push Alastor to his limits, it’s Lucifer. Not just because they’re rivals and constantly bicker — but because Lucifer is stronger.

Alastor hates being weak. He’s arrogant and thinks more of himself than he can truly prove. He talks too much (pure truth), often nonsense — but that’s his way of convincing everyone around him that everything is fine, that he’s in control — even when he’s not.

And Lucifer — he’s the King of Hell. No matter how powerful Alastor is, he can’t compete with that.

That’s why the only way he can get under Lucifer’s skin is by calling him a terrible father (which, to be fair — is true). Alastor found his weak spot and keeps jabbing at it — because it’s the only way he can feel superior in some way. But the fact that Lucifer outranks him — pisses him off in every single scene they share. (I’m not crazy — they literally can’t stand each other in every interaction.)

And irritation — that’s a complex emotion. One that can wreck the image of the perfect, dangerous demon-killer. It’s hard to hold it in all the time. And one day, he’s going to explode. And that explosion will be so intense it’ll tear apart the entire facade he’s been hiding behind. Which means — he’ll show vulnerability. Whether it’s just to Lucifer or in front of the entire hotel, that moment will let them — and us — see the real Alastor. Alastor who’s not in control anymore. Alastor who needs help. And I doubt Charlie will refuse to help him.

To me, Lucifer — as a catalyst — could become the only one who truly knows the real Alastor (just like Husk became a catalyst for Angel and now holds his vulnerable side).

Besides, I think Alastor and Lucifer have a lot in common. They’re both proud, they both care about Charlie, they’re both "father figures", both tired and faking their strength and position. Both used to hiding their feelings, both hate talking about them. And they equally hate each other. Though each for their own reasons. And, most likely, only Lucifer knows how to return a sold soul.

They’d honestly make great friends. Or at least could have a deep, complicated, platonic relationship.

Still a Grinning Killer

I still believe that Alastor could fully become an antagonist in the future. He has to fulfill his character’s role. (Let’s not forget — he was a serial killer in life, even if we haven’t seen it yet, and can’t say for sure, because it’s been over four years since the pilot and both the characters and canon may have changed — and have changed.)

He might betray the hotel, set everyone up, maybe even kill or sell someone. I don’t know — but that breaking point needs to happen, otherwise his character arc won’t be complete.

My favorite theory for how his arc could end is this: Alastor will be ordered to, or forced by circumstance, to do something truly harmful to the hotel or Charlie — and he just won’t be able to.

Because, as I’ve said before, he’s capable of forming attachments — and by now, the hotel is already working on him.

So Why Alastor?

I like mysterious characters. The kind you want to pick apart and analyze. For example, Angel feels a bit too flat to me — too straightforward and surface-level. His trauma is pretty standard, and his response to it is just as expected. Overall, he develops exactly the way you’d imagine, and for me, that can be a bit boring to watch sometimes.

Of course, I feel for him, I sympathize — episode 4 is the most tragic one for me and probably the only one that actually brought me to tears. Angel is, in many ways, easy to love. And I do love him, in my own way. He’s a good character, I enjoy the show — it’s just that I like some characters more than others. Which is normal.

I tend to look at characters through the lens of my obsession with analyzing them. The more complex and enigmatic the character, the more I think about them.

And I especially love charming scumbags (because I have daddy issues, let’s be real), and anyone who has a good reason for being the way they are. These kinds of characters often have good manners, they’re clever, mature — too self-reliant to need help or care. But at the same time, each one has a weakness that gives away the mask they’re wearing.

Usually, they don’t know how to interact with people or emotions — their own or others’. And if they do express them, it’s rare — often only when something happens to someone they care about. They’re not the type to whine or complain. They’re serious, responsible, hate talking but will gladly listen. These characters always carry emotional baggage they don’t talk about and won’t cry over — because that’s life, and it goes on.

Also, these characters often (though not always) treat women with respect, or they go out of their way for them — whether it’s a love interest, a daughter, a sister, or a mother. And to me, that signals safety. That’s my comfort character. That’s my type.

Honestly, when I like a character, I overlook every red flag. I’m selfish — and as long as I’m sure I’m safe with them, they could burn the world down for all I care.

What draws me in even more are characters who, despite every opportunity to do so, don’t view me (or anyone) as a sexual object. These are often men over 30. Often asexual characters whose brains work completely differently. And because such characters are rarely given any romantic or sexual interest — or any connection at all — you instinctively assume they’re just gray and not wired for that kind of thing.

Asexuality

We would need a very long chapter to thoroughly explore this, but it will clarify a lot.

No, it’s not that I like all asexual characters just because they are asexual. The fact that Via or Mammon are canonically asexual doesn’t make me love them or love them more. No orientation will make me love or hate a character.

I have long studied myself, the reactions of my body and mind to all kinds of stimuli. And I know that sex with men does not interest me. I don’t see men as sexual objects, and I don’t even see all women that way. It’s hard for me to realize when someone wants something from me or is hinting at something. I simply don’t have those thoughts and they won’t come unless a person says directly, “Let’s f*ck.”

And I tried everything before coming to these conclusions about myself. There are no mistakes here, no “you’ll grow up and understand.” This is final. I’m not at the age where I don’t understand myself or how I feel.

Basically, I have strange ideas about WHAT I consider sexual (let’s start with eyelash length and end with lateral ankles). But most often it’s something emotional, like “You’re my daughter, and I will protect you even if you’re against me,” or “You’re the only one who can see me weak and use it, the only one who can kill me, betray me, hurt me, but I trust you so much I’m not afraid to be that way around you,” or “I’d let the world burn for you.” One single thing — a person who makes a strong character weak — and I melt. Also, I like weak adult men.

Can we say, then, that I have sexual attraction if it’s not connected to physical aspects, and I just feel very comfortable with people to whom I feel a huge emotional attachment and whose emotions and behavior sometimes resemble mine, so I feel safe?

And if I’ve figured out the lack of sexual attraction, there are parts of me that superficially think because of societal pressure. So I don’t like to put flags or labels on myself.

When people explain to me what romance is and how it manifests, I understand it. But… only conceptually. I can’t feel it. I can’t recognize or express it. But I understand what it is. The term is clear to me, but I cannot live it. I can be told examples of romance and be warned, “This is romance,” but I can’t independently orient myself, adapt, or tune in.

I’m not dumb to not realize that if someone gives me flowers, it’s probably a romantic gesture or something like that. But… I don’t understand that gesture. I don’t understand what caused it, why now, what’s on their mind and what made them do it.

And I don’t accept it because I don’t understand it not only metaphorically but also logically and emotionally — the celebration put into this gesture. Why tear flowers just to bring them to me wrapped in cellophane and a ribbon on some special day and expect me to accept it because… it’s a gift and it’s beautiful? Meanwhile, I don’t understand how I can enjoy something that is practically useless, not only as a gesture but as an object. They’ll wilt tomorrow, and I’ll throw them away, so why should I take them at all? Besides, I feel like a clown when I have to pretend something I don’t feel just so the BIG gesture of some person isn’t ignored. I can see it’s important to someone, but I don’t feel it myself and don’t understand why people do this. It doesn’t evoke any emotions in me except probably confusion.

Okay. Flowers are just the most popular example, just to explain how it all works for me. I hope the message is clear, the metaphor understandable.

I just can’t distinguish or name relationships with people. Like, why does someone become more than a friend when you have sex? Sex doesn’t make someone “closer” if there’s no deep connection. Yes, I can understand what it means to be important to someone, to be attached, probably, etc., but why do we need gestures and names for this?

That’s why courting rituals are also confusing to me. Why does someone try to pretend to be something? If I’m comfortable with them, I’ll just be with them. If not, I’ll say “leave me alone,” and their “courting” will just push me away because it disrespects my “no” and me as a person.

I don’t feel “special” emotions when someone makes gestures toward me. I don’t see practical or emotional value in these actions. It’s enough for me that the person is comfortable, nothing more is needed. It’s unpleasant to me if someone even thinks that they need to “win me over”: as if I’m some goal or nice trophy. As if people think I have a low or special opinion of them and that my opinion must be changed or raised. That’s more insulting.

For me, love exists only in books. I know it as an idea, as a cultural phenomenon, but I don’t understand it in practice. For me, there’s no difference between friendship and love because in any platonic relationship I’m interested only in deep emotional attachment and connection. Sex can happen in friendship. It just depends on the person. I wouldn’t do it either with friends or anyone else. But if it’s someone I’m comfortable and safe with, I don’t care if they’re a friend or anyone else, whatever label they have, I don’t see a problem if they suddenly want to or I suddenly want to.

Neither romance nor sex attracts me (I’m not against them, I’m just not interested because I don’t understand or accept what people put into them), so men who feel the same, men who are hard to ascribe or invent this interest for, or just don’t show it (you could say — stones or clueless guys) — they are my safe island.

There are characters to whom the words “sexuality” or “sexual attraction” just don’t apply. Characters who, when you look at them, you see and feel protection, safety, and comfort just by watching how they interact with their comfort person.

Therefore, a character’s platonic connection with someone is, for me, simply the height of liking them. And that is always asexual characters.

I want this to be understood exactly as I see it, so I’ll give a couple of examples:

Discord and Fluttershy (big green flag)

Silco and Jinx (big green flag)

Orochimaru and Mitsuki

Joel and Ellie

Sherlock and John

Venom and Eddie

Naruto and Kurama

Hannibal and Will

Obito and Rin

What about Alastor?

I feel that regarding his asexual part (the part that doesn’t look at him or anyone else sexually), we are very similar. That’s why I find it interesting to observe how he behaves in various situations — because I can project each such situation onto myself, and vice versa: my everyday life onto him.

This involves headcanons and some partial out-of-character traits that I assign to him. From my firm belief that Alastor can feel and emotionalize, I create his image in my head. And this image is closely connected to my own thoughts and reactions. For example, I can have deep platonic relationships with someone, which I confidently transfer to Alastor in my mind, because stepping outside canon, he can also have them — just under certain circumstances.

Precisely because I see something very close to me in this character, it becomes easier for me to perceive him on an emotional level. There is no empathy born of trauma (like with Angel), no deep sympathy, pity, or desire to protect or help (because characters like Alastor don’t need that), and no intention to justify the character, no matter how rotten he might be. It is simply a feeling of deep emotional connection and comfort, triggered by certain actions, traits, moments, specific habits, tendencies, words, or values. Altogether, this creates an illusion of safety that wins me over.

And then the second character comes into play, the one with whom Alastor — potentially — can be vulnerable and show all those emotions. So far, that’s Lucifer. Yes, I know it’s hard to imagine how they could get along at all, but theoretically, I place both characters in certain conditions, and based on canon, they would act as I imagine, without breaking canon. And it works.

Giving Alastor his comfort-person (like Husk is for Angel), he becomes vulnerable and weak, sensitive and real. No longer the killing machine from the pilot.

Because, in reality, the show’s Alastor is just as human.

This doesn’t negate the fact that he’s still a serial killer in life, a psychopath, a being who enjoys suffering, a demon. But this is Hell. There are no purely good or purely bad here. Everyone is in a gray zone, doing everything according to their own ideas, motivations, principles, and ideals. And, first and foremost, they are all human.

Тhere is Angel, who ended up here not because of a particular wrongdoing, but simply because the system works that way. Angel, brought here by a series of decisions and choices he made in the past.

And there is Alastor, who also ended up here after making certain choices. The same sinner, just located in a different coordinate system.

Hell is just another checkpoint. Some develop and pass through it, while others have nowhere further to go.

Conclusion

I could be wrong. This might all be the product of my imagination and affection for someone close and dear to me. I could be wrong about Alastor. I could be wrong about Lucifer and the nature of their relationship. I could be wrong about Charlie, Angel, Pentius, Mimzy, and even myself. Maybe I just see what isn’t there. Maybe I dug so deep I dug through and found “nothing.” Maybe Hazbin Hotel can still surprise me, deceive me, or outplay me.

But for me, that’s the charm of any show I like — the possibility to think, fantasize, analyze, dig, unravel, search for clues and possibilities, be present, participate, find something close, do what I enjoy. Without this, it’s boring. There’s no attachment, no chase, no adrenaline, no hyperfixation, no dopamine. And if there is, it ends when I close the player tab.

I could be wrong, but that would only mean the show is good.

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