History Main / DemonLordsAndArchdevils

* ''Creator/NipponIchi's'' TheVerse has this throughout, mostly focused in the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' games and ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom''. Multiple Netherworlds are ruled by Demon Overlords; with Demon Lords as the second highest rank; and they often war with each other. Beyond Overlord one starts getting into GodOfEvil level; and this is not [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil healthy mentally.]]
** Of particular note is the recurring {{Superboss}}, ''Tyrant'' Overlord Baal, who is so powerful that even Overlords tend to crap their pants at the sight of him. He's also immortal, being able to eternally recreate himself even if his body is destroyed.
** It should be noted that Overlords were not originally part of this trope, as they're essentially the BigBad and {{Satan}}-[[MaouTheDemonKing equivalent]] of their universe. TheMultiverse concept just got [[SerialEscalation a little out of hand]], to the point where the entire cast of ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' was made up of Overlords hanging out in the space between Netherworlds.

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'':
** The original games have Hell Knights and Barons of Hell, the latter outranking the former and the former outranking fodder demons like Imps. Spider Masterminds and Cyberdemons seem to outrank the Barons, with the first Cyberdemon you fight being referred to as the "demon lord that ruled the lost moon base of Phobos"(in No Rest For The Living, another Cyberdemon even attempts to proclaim himself lord of all Hell). ''VideoGame/Doom3'' keeps the hierarchy but makes some changes; Barons have been replaced by Guardians, and the Cyberdemon is a unique creature rather than a class, and is explicitly stated to be Hell's greatest warrior. After it dies, Maledict takes over. Note that all of the above greater demons can be killed by liberal application of [[GatlingGood minigun fire to the face and torso]].
** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', being a new universe, elaborates more on the demonic hierarchy. For example, it makes it clear that Arch-viles are part of Hell's ruling caste (something that could only be extrapolated in previous games), though it doesn't clarify wherther or not they outrank Barons. The "Cyberdemon" is unique (generic Cyberdemons more resembling their classic counterparts appear under the name "Tyrants" in ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'') and called a "shadow lord" of the Baalgar type; he ranks above the Barons. At the top of the hierarchy are the unseen archdemons, and above them is the singular Dark Lord. Presumably the three Hell Priests are ranked between the shadow lords and the archdemons. Interestingly, despite being the most powerful beings in Hell short of the Dark Lord himself, Titans seem to be of very low rank in the hierarchy, visibly enslaved and used as beasts of burden, while the Hell Priests are high despite being defenseless in a fight, so it's not exclusively a case of AsskickingLeadsToLeadership.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' each have their own versions of the Four Elemental Fiends, who represent the corruption of the natural elements. Lich, Marilith, Kraken, and Tiamat serve Chaos in the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', serving as important storyline bosses. The Archfiends that appear in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', Scarmiglione, the Blighted Despot, Cagnazzo, the Drowned King, Barbariccia, the Empress of Winds, and Rubicante, the Autarch of Flame, fit the trope better, though, since they have names derived from ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', grandiose titles (at least in the DS version) and make reference to having some connection to hell, whatever that means in that universe.
** However, unlike the Four Fiends of Chaos, who are actual demons corrupting the elements, the Elemental Lords (or Archfiends) of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' are actual spirits of nature, as they tell you in "After Years" while asking to [[NeverSayDie put them back to sleep]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'': The Seven Great Evils, which you will be spending the entire trilogy either killing or foiling the plans of:
** Andariel is the first of the Lesser Evils you kill in ''VideoGame/DiabloII''. She is the Maiden of Anguish and specializes in mental torment.
** Duriel is the second Lesser Evil you kill in ''Diablo II''. He is the Lord of Pain, and specializes in physical torture.
** Belial is the first of the remaining Lesser Evils you fight in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII''. He is the Lord of Lies and specializes in disguise, illusion and manipulation.
** Azmodan is the last of the Lesser Evils, and Hell's premier military commander. He is the Lord of Sin, and commands a group of lieutenants who embody human vices.
** Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, is the first of the greater Prime Evils you take down in ''Diablo II''. He is responsible for the corruption of the Zakarum church.
** Baal, the Lord of Destruction, is the second of the Prime Evils, and is actually fought in the expansion pack of ''Diablo II''. He's the one responsible for what happens to the Worldstone.
** And last but not least, Diablo himself, the Lord of Terror, the last of the Prime Evils and the BigBad of the entire series. You kill him no fewer than three times in the series (four times if you count Uber Diablo in the ''Diablo II'' expansion), and in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', [[spoiler:he becomes Tathamet, the original Prime Evil from which all the Great Evils originally sprung, reborn]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' has Sargeras the Fallen Titan, a kind of demonic {{Satan}}[=/=]GodOfEvil figure, and the über-demons that serve under him, most notably Legionlords Archimonde and Kil'jaeden.
* ''VideoGame/DeptHeaven'' has a complicated system in its underworld--the demons are ruled by the titular lord of the underworld, who oversees the demon gods; the demon gods oversee the Accursed, and the Accursed are in charge of regulating basic {{Mook|s}} demons. Apparently a demon's intelligence and competence determine its rank, and rank is very important in Niflheim, as survival of the fittest is the only real law. The underworld itself can only be explored briefly in ''[[VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand Riviera]]'''s [[BrutalBonusLevel Bonus Level of Hell]], but the Accursed and demon gods have starred as enemies in both that game and ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Dominions}}'' has five Arch Devils, six Ice Devils, and four Heliophagus' who resemble 'classical' devils and have powers related to fire, ice, and darkness respectively, as well as four Demon lords, who resemble well, some of the more bizarre designs from medieval manuscripts.
* ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'' has Asmodeous and Astaroth as major threats. Each one of them is powerful enough to wreck the world once fully manifest. There's also Amon, who is featured in the [[VideoGame/ShadowHearts1 first game]], too. He is likely based on a Goetic demon Aamon, and is said to be the aforementioned duo's equal.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' doesn't go in depth with its hellish hierarchy except that [[{{Satan}} Mundus]] is called the "Devil Emperor" and "Prince of Darkness" while supplementary material says that he got the title after rising in power and killing the previous GodOfEvil. There are also other powerful high-ranking demons like Argosax the Chaos/Despair Embodied and Abigail/Sid in the animated series. ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' has a new BigBad called Urizen the "Nefarious Usurper" that holds the title of "Demon King" and seeks to become the most powerful being in existance while ruling both worlds. [[spoiler: Urizen ultimately turns out to be the demonic half of Dante's EvilTwin yet still AntiVillain brother Vergil.]] While there are other powerful demons, they are either independent or hold the rank of "generals", with the most important one being Sparda [[HeelFaceTurn who eventually turned good]] and [[AscendedDemon rebelled against his own kind to save the entire human world]].
* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' series has a unit called Archdevil in the Inferno town, not to mention many of its heroes are effectively demon lords.
* ''VideoGame/{{Lusternia}}'' has the Demon Lords of Nil: Gorgulu, who is BodyHorror incarnate and an endlessly ravenous incarnate of greed; Nifilhema, who delights in ColdBloodedTorture and [[CombatAestheticist the beauty of combat]]; Ashtorath, TheBerserker and a BigRedDevil, appropriately representing rage; Baalphegar, a GiantSpider KeeperOfForbiddenKnowledge, who weaves plots that span millennia; and Luciphage, an endlessly patient [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] and their devilishly charismatic leader. The Nihilists guild can form pacts with the Demon Lords, and usually pledge themselves to the service of one above the others (the one whose ideology most matches their own).
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'', a central element of the plot is that the [[BigBad Emperor]] has made a DealWithTheDevil (quite literally, according to the [[AllThereInTheManual novelizations]] {{Satan}} himself rules hell in ''FFII''-verse) to summon TheLegionsOfHell in order to TakeOverTheWorld. However, when the heroes kill the Emperor, he ends up [[HellHasNewManagement killing Satan and taking over Hell]], and thus the heroes are obligated to journey to the palace of Hell to take him out for good. And it is in the palace of Hell that the Demon Lords and Archdevils of ''FFII'' are found, two of them even named Astaroth and Beelzebub.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'': BigBad Ghirahim has the title of "Demon Lord", and he appears to be the leader of the demons of the surface and the most powerful demon next to his master [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeVillain Demise]] the [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]], Hyrule's GodOfEvil]].

* ''[[VideoGame/RagnarokRoguelike Ragnarok]]'' features the various demon lords of Niflheim.
* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' starts out with a mysteriously powerful drow elf empress leading her forces from the subterranean realm of the Underdark to attack the surface, but it eventually turns out her power is derived from her somehow having bound to her will Mephistopheles, the Archdevil ruler of the penultimate level of Baator (the Nine Hells). As anyone should be able to expect, he manipulates her out of the way and becomes the real ultimate adversary of the story, intending to take advantage of his being summoned to the Material Plane to conquer the world and turn it into a tenth level of Baator, making him as the ruler of the lowest level the new supreme ruler in place of Asmodeus.
* Morgath of ''VideoGame/AvencastRiseOfTheMage'' is the commander of the hordes of daemons you fight through the game. He's an oddly passive example since he only warred with humanity after a human empire sought him out to use his organs for spare parts.
* The Daedric Princes of ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, though some are more openly "[[GodOfEvil demonic]]" than others. Some of the biggest offenders are Mehrunes Dagon -- Prince of [[DestroyerDeity Destruction]], Molag Bal -- Prince of [[TheCorrupter Domination]], and Sheogorath -- Prince of [[MadGod Madness]]. For additional information on them (and the other Daedric Princes), see ''Characters/TheElderScrollsDaedra'' sub-page.
* ''You'' in ''VideoGame/NexusClash'' if your character is a Dark Oppressor. There's a whole range of powers that the Oppressor can learn that represent his/her increasing rank in [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Stygia]] and according power to corrupt and rule their immediate vicinity. The catch is that a lot of these powers only work ''inside'' of Stygia and most demons prefer to meddle in the mortal realm, but a suitably ranked Dark Oppressor surrounded by followers is a phenomenally dangerous opponent on their own home turf.
* Ratash, the BigBad in ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheForgottenSands'' in the [=PS3/Xbox 360/PC=] version is an evil Djinn that looks [[BigRedDevil positively demonic]] and is described as "a lord among his people". He qualifies since djinns are regarded as the Middle-Eastern equivalent to demons, though not all of them are evil since the Prince's main ally Razia is one of the last good djinn.
* The strongest of ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl'''s various demons are those represented by an ampersand (&) in the ASCII version. There's Geryon, the gatekeeper to the four Hells. The bottom floor of each branch of Hell contain one of the hell lords (Asmodeus, Antaeus, Ereshkigal, and Dispater), all of whom guard a [[MacGuffin Rune of Zot]] apiece. The endless demonic realms of Pandemonium contain four more named demon lords (Cerebov, Lom Lobon, Mnoleg, and Gloorx Vloq), each of whom presides over one specific level and guards another Rune. Other levels in Pandemonium are each ruled by a randomly-generated Pandemonium Lord, all of whom have a chance of guarding yet another Rune. All of these are extremely challenging {{Optional Boss}}es since you can find enough Runes to complete the game elsewhere in the dungeon.
* ''VideoGame/TrillionGodOfDestruction'': The Underworld is ruled by the Great Overlord, with multiple other Overlords serving alongside. Currently Zeabolos is the Third Great Overlord, directly descending from the First Great Overlord, {{Satan}}, with the other Overlords holding Crests representing the SevenDeadlySins.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Enigmatis}}'' trilogy has the Archdemon Asmodai. [[spoiler:He's also a SealedEvilInACan, being kept trapped by the Archangel Raphael. The overarching plot of the trilogy is that the BigBad, a SinisterMinister, tries to free him and become Asmodai's new host.]]

* In the broader ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' canon, there exists a group by the name of the Seven Great Demon Lords, consisting of... well, seven great demon lords: [[BigRedDevil Daemon]], [[EvilSorcerer Barbamon]], [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile Leviamon]], [[BearsAreBadNews Belphemon]], [[BadassBiker Beelzebumon]], Lilithmon and their leader, [[{{Satan}} Lucemon]]. In actual appearances in media, they've been portrayed rather inconsistently and never together though, outside of the video games (they're the primary antagonists in ''Digimon World Data Squad'', for example):

[[caption-width-right:330:[[NamesToRunAwayFrom/DemonsOrAngels Asmodeus]], [[SatanicArchetype Lord of Nessus]] and [[{{Satan}} King of]] [[Literature/TheDivineComedy the Nine Hells]]. ]]

--> -- '''Demogorgon, Prince of Demons''', ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal''

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' Giles sought to face Barvain, the Demon Prince. But The Initiative got to him first.
* In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' demons had the Source of Evil and a power ranking for lesser and greater demons; as the series advanced so did the level of power the enemies they faced.

* The first BigBad of ''Series/SleepyHollow'' is Moloch, the demon god who [[DimensionLord rules Purgatory]].
* In Season 4 of ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', Hell is shown to be ruled by the triumvirate of Satan, Belial, and Beelzebub, whom the season's BigBad Neron is plotting to overthrow in preparation for then unleashing HellOnEarth.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In the final scene of "Crazy as a Soup Sandwich", it is revealed that Nino Lancaster is the master of demons.

--> When the Devil is too busy and Death's a bit too much
--> They call on me, by name, you see, for my special touch

** Marduk Kurios repeatedly shows up again as "Lucifer" in battle against the Ghost Riders, and in his final form as the "true devil" who "really ruled" Hell when Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}}'s spirit is sent to Hell for eternal punishment. MK is later confirmed by Mephisto at the irregularly held convention get-together meeting of ''all'' demons (or at least those native to Earth and its connected {{pocket dimension}}s), the aptly named Devil's Advocacy, to be the "Satan" who fathered Daimom Hellstrom, and his younger sister Satana, and guest-starred in their series.

** In 2018, Marvel finally revealed their ''"true"'' Satan in ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'': the One Below All, who is the 'lowest'-level devil -- as in, residing in the bottomest level of the multiversal netherworld and thus being the most powerful demon ever -- not just of Earth, but of the literally the ''whole [[TheMultiverse multiverse]]''. Fittingly, 'it' is [[TheAntiGod the evil counterpart to the One Above All, the highest-level deity in the multiverse]]. Even more shockingly, the One Below All is also revealed to be the secret supernatural source of all gamma radiation in the cosmos, making [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner the Hulk]] and all other gamma-powered mutates its unwitting and unwilling avatars of violence and hatred.

** The LawfulEvil devils are ruled by Asmodeus (probably the most direct Satan-analogue) and overseen by a pretty complicated hierarchy of devils, the most important one being the other eight Archdevils or Lords of the Nine: [[FallenAngel Zariel]] (formerly [[DragonAscendant Bel]]), [[ExtraOreDinary Dispater]], [[{{Greed}} Mammon]], [[LadyInRed Fierna]] (and her father, [[ParentalIncest lover]] and secret co-ruler or "[[TheManBehindTheMan advisor]]", Belial) , [[SealedEvilInACan Levi]][[AnIcePerson stus]], [[DaddysLittleVillain Glasya]], [[{{Beelzebub}} Baalzebul]], and [[TheStarscream Mephistopheles]]; there are also a couple of exiles, most notably Geryon and Moloch. The lesser unique devils are known as Dukes of Hell and serve the above as vassals.

*** The TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms used to have the god Gargauth, a former Archdevil that had somehow managed to make himself into a demigod of betrayal, cruelty, powerbrokers and political corruption. His titles included 'the Tenth Lord of the Nine'.
*** In 2nd edition ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' the Lords of the Nine were Bel, Dispater, [[SnakesAreSinister Minauros]], Fierana, Levistus, [[WickedWitch Malagard]], [[MadArtist Triel]], [[AnIcePerson Molikroth]] and initially [[NoNameGiven the Dark Lord of Nessus]]. A 1995 ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' article describing the Nine from a in-universe perspective concluded with a note that the in-universe author disappeared mysteriously due to asking too many questions about the Dark Lord. He was finally revealed to be Asmodeus (making his second edition debut) in 1999's ''A Guide to Hell''. The changes in 3rd edition were explained in a few ways: Bel and Malagard had been replaced by the current Lords, Minauros and Triel were simply [[IHaveManyNames alternate names]] for Mammon and Baalzebul... and Molikroth turned out to be Mephistopheles feigning his own overthrow. (The real world reason for the ''Planescape'' names seems to have been to distance the Lords of the Nine from actual Christian mythology, in the same way as devils and demons became baatezu and tanar'ri.)

*** Rovagug was a qlippoth lord who ascended to godhood and cut a bloody swathe through armies of gods before being sealed in the heart of a planet, where he still makes his presence known in the form of [[{{Kaiju}} nation destroying beasts]] that occasionally slip through the cracks of his prison. He's likely the most powerful of any of these.
** Under Asmodeus, Hell is ruled by the archdevils Barbatos[[note]]Not actually a devil, or for that matter anything anyone knows about, but he holds a place in their ranks.[[/note]], Dispater, Mammon, Belial, Geryon, Moloch, [[{{Beelzebub}} Baalzebul]], and Mephistopheles, each of whom rules one of its rings. Under them are the infernal dukes, the elite of Hell's society, and the Malebranche, powerful devils each transformed to conquer a mortal world.

* ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' has the various Demon Princes: a dozen or so in the core rules and an unspecified number of "minor" ones, some of which have been detailed in the supplements. As with the Archangels, they each have a Word that they must act in accordance with. As a rule, these are Words with negative connotations, including traditional sins such as Gluttony, Greed and Lust, universal constants such as Death and Fate, and more recent contrivances such as Drugs and the Media. Below the Princes is a baroque hierarchy of peerages awarded to servants that distiguish themselves in the field, starting with simple Knights, Captains and Barons -- the default distinctions that a player is assumed to earn over the course of typical play -- and progressing to Earls, Counts and Dukes of Hell that serve directly beneath the Princes.

For whatever reasons there are these guys: usually with names taken from apocrypha, the Literature/ArsGoetia or ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', these guys can be described as Almost-Satan, for when the real deal isn't as fun to use. They're often given fancy titles and pretty much do whatever {{Satan}} would have done had he been present. Also, if you actually kill one or stop their schemes, it's still an accomplishment, but it's hardly a collapse of the demonic system. There will always be another to replace the one that falls. [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Perhaps even]] [[TheStarscream the killer.]] Keep in mind, killing one is a lot harder than it sounds, because miraculously driving one's HitPoints to zero usually involves FightingAShadow.

* ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' has the various Demon Princes: a dozen or so in the core rules and an unspecified number of "minor" ones, some of which have been detailed in the supplements. As with the Archangels, they have a Word they must act in accordance with. Unlike the Archangels, who may sometimes have a Word that makes their life difficult, but only because [[BeingGoodSucks upholding morality is, in fact, difficult]], it's been known for demons to be given BlessedWithSuck Words as a ''punishment'' (for instance, the Demon Princess of Taking Credit For Others' Work, whose Word is specifically designed to ensure other demons hate her).

* ''TabletopGame/{{Zweihander}}'' is based primarily on 1st edition ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' with a sprinkling of 2nd edition. There's the outlawed religions which has dark gods such as the Gilded Pharoah (Nagash), the Thirteen (Horned Rat), the Witch Queen (Tzarina Katarin mixed with Morathi) and etc. Among these dark gods are the 5 Abyssal Princes who correspond to Warhammer's Chaos Gods. They are the Prince of Change (Tzeentch), Prince of Violence (Khorne), Prince of Decay (Nurgle), Prince of Pleasure (Slaanesh) and the Other (Malal). It's these Abyssal Princes who rule the demons, which are divided between the Higher Demons, the Lower Demons and the local wildlife Hellbeasts (they're not true demons but will serve). The Higher Demons are the nobility and avatars of the Abyssal Princes: There's the Arch Cenobite (Keeper of Secrets), the Brass Primarch (Bloodthirster), the Great Devourer (Great Unclean One), the Light-Eater (Lord of Change) and the Numina which serves the Other.

** ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'' likewise has the Urge Wyrms, aspect of [[EldritchAbomination the Wyrm]] that lure mankind to ruin through aspects such as Power, Corruption, Lust, Greed, Hatred, and Apathy. They've got their own Maeljin, but these are humans who were so wicked in life that they were offered the chance to become a representative to horrible wickedness, and gladly said yes.
** ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' has the Maeljin, grand spirits of malevolence. There are 9 of them, 7 of which corresponds to the SevenDeadlySins (the other two are of Deception and of Violence). They rule over evil spirits, the Maeltinet, who in turn are the totem spirit of the [[TheMole Bale Hounds]]. [[EnemyMine The Forsaken and The Pure hates them more than they hate each others.]]

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' has Archduke Sebassis, "bonafide nobility of the fiery down under" and commander of 40 [[TheLegionsOfHell Legions of Hell]]. The Senior Partners and the [[EldritchAbomination Old Ones]], such as Illyria, may count as these as well. According to Illyria (herself demoted to a puny humanoid form, implying a high turnover rate in the demon world), the Partners were once [[HarmlessVillain considered a joke]] amongst their peers. Perhaps aware of this, they hid behind "man's law", allowing them to flourish in the litigious modern world.

* ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'' and its sister series ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'' have an entire demonic caste system within {{Hell}}. At the top are the King and Queen, Lucifer and Lilith with [[AntiAntiChrist their daughter Charlie]]. Beneath them are the Princes of Hell representing the other six of the SevenDeadlySins ruling each ring of Hell below Lucifer's Pride Ring, such as {{Asmodeus}} of the Lust Ring or {{Mammon}} of the Greed Ring. Next are the 72 demons of the Literature/ArsGoetia such as the 36th spirit Stolas who serves as a high noble. Last among the demonic upper classes are the Overlords, such as the Radio Demon Alastor, who are treated more or less as criminal kingpins rather than actual nobility.

*** The game has rules for Daemon Lords of Chaos, Greater Daemons even bigger and more powerful than most of their kind. They are Gargantuan Creatures that cost from between 666 (Slaanesh) to 999 (Tzeench) points so they're only usable in extremely large-scale games, and for a good reason as they can pretty wipe out armies single-handedly. While daemon princes, mostly traitor primarchs who ascended to daemonhood, rule entire Chaos planets.

*** The Skaven have the Horned Rat as their unique Chaos God (and who became one of the four main Chaos Gods in ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar''), who is served by Greater Daemons known as Vermilords, while the Chaos Dwarves have Hashut as theirs. Note that Daemons and Chaos Gods are essentially the same thing, just differing in scale. Various sourcebooks mention that the difference between an extra-powerful Greater Daemon and a weak Chaos God is negligble.