History Main / LouisCypher

* Mr. Scratch, in Stephen Vincent Benet's ''TheDevilAndDanielWebster''. He doesn't make much of an effort to conceal his true identity, however.
* Old Scratch, in WashingtonIrving's ''The Devil and Tom Walker''.
* The titular figure in Creator/StephenKing's award-winning short story "The Man In The Black Suit."

** Andre Linoge (an anagram for ''Legion'') in ''StormOfTheCentury''.
** He doesn't have the MeaningfulName, but Randall Flagg from ''TheStand'' and other King novels fits this trope in every other way.

* PiersAnthony's ''IncarnationsOfImmortality'' series has Natasha, "Ah, Satan" [[SdrawkcabName spelled backwards]]. It's also a legitimately common name which originated in Russia as a derivative of Natalya, so it doesn't seem like quite a dead giveaway… Just plain weird, anyway, as it's a female name, and the character is male.
* In the KatherineKerr novel ''Freezeframes'', the character Nick Harrison is revealed to be the devil. While not as common nowadays as Old Nick, Old Harry is another term for the devil, as used in TheBBC radio comedy ''Old Harry's Game''.
* He's not exactly Satan, but [[spoiler:Low-Key Lyesmith]] from the NeilGaiman novel ''Literature/AmericanGods'' turns out to be [[spoiler:a Norse god with a suspiciously similar sounding name]]. He's bad news, to say the least. ''Literature/AmericanGods'' also contains a wealthy, "forgettable" god who is essentially the inversion of this trope: even the WordOfGod about him is an [[TheUnreveal unreveal]].

* In a bizarre, but fantastic portrayal, ''NotWantedOnTheVoyage'' indicates Satan as a seven-foot tall transsexual named Lucy. She's also on the side of good; Noah is evil. It's that kind of book.

* One interpretation of Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where are you Going, Where have you been?" is that the antagonist is a representative of Satan. This is supported by his strange name, "Arnold Friend."

* In ''FalseMemory'', a DeanKoontz novel, the evil psychologist is named Mark Ahriman. Not only is his last name identical to the name of the chief figure of evil in Zoroastrianism, but when he travels, he uses aliases that have two things in common: very ordinary first names, and [[CharacterNameAlias last names that are the name of the Devil]]. One example is "Jim Shaitan," Shaitan being one of the names for the Devil in Islam.

* The butler in the ''{{Nightside}}'' novel ''Hell To Pay'' says his name is Hobbes -- at least, that's how John Taylor hears it at the time. He later realizes that "Hob" is an archaic name for the devil; the butler actually said "my name is Hob's".

* In Alexander Kuprin's story ''The Star of Solomon'' devil uses the name "Methodius Isayevich Toffel" i.e. Meph-Is-Topheles.

** Specifically, ''ShinMegamiTenseiNocturne'' (the game in question) had a bonus disc with Dante of ''DevilMayCry'' and a 6th, "maniac" ending, which is what we got. In said bonus disc, you could [[spoiler:choose a 6th path, choosing instead of joining any of the "good" or "evil" characters to screw them all and to meet with Lucifer, who has ''interesting'' ideas about your place in the universe.]] This lets you get the sixth ending, [[spoiler: True Demon Ending. Wherein you join Lucifer and attack heaven, to try and stop the constant destruction and recreation of the millions of alternate Earths -- and the genocide of billions of humans -- by God.]] Although, considering that he has an ObviouslyEvil smile on his face when you make the aforementioned decision, one could make a case for the player being [[UnwittingPawn suckered in]]. Though, to be fair, he gives you a lot of time ''and'' a certain amount of reasons as to why you ''shouldn't'' agree to his plan.

* Mr. Nick in ''TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus''.

* Maou Sadao from ''TheDevilIsAPartTimer'' may have the worst alias ever. The given he chooses, Sadao, is an odd but believable name written 貞夫 (good husband). Unfortunately the characters he chooses for his family name are 真奥 (secret inside) and he pronounces them "Maou" which means devil. The official English translation is Jacob Satan.

* In '''{{Demonbane}}'', there's a mysterious woman call herself Nya. As story progress, player can see her face briefly change to demonic being with three burning eyes. Eventually, it's reveal that she's [[spoiler:[[CthulhuMythos Nyarlathotep]]]]. It appear again as Father Ny in the Elder Gods ending and as Nyarla in prequel novel.

* When the Antichrist from ''Comicbook/GhostRider'' has to keep low profile, he decided to [[HiddenInPlainSight hide]] [[DevilInPlainSight as]] [[TeensAreMonsters teenage]] CorruptCorporateExecutive under the name Anton Sat'An. Multiple times he has to [[MyNameIsNotDurwood remind people his last name is not]] {{Satan}}. And when two Ghost Riders, one DemonHunter, [[AntiAntiChrist Daimon Hellstorm]] and entire army of Angels gets on his back, [[WhatAnIdiot he's suprised they have found him so easily]].

Be very wary of guys named "Lou", "Luke", "Lukas", or "Lucius", particularly if their last name is Siffer or Cypher or [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast something like that.]] Keep an ear open for Milton (author of ParadiseLost) and [[NamesToRunAwayFrom/{{Mor}} Morgenstern]] (German for "morning star"; but be careful with this one, "morning star" is [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory also a title for Jesus]].[[note]]''I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.'' (Rev. 22:16)[[/note]]). Also take a careful look at the ones named "Nick", "Scratch", "Deuce", "Thorn" or some variant thereon. In certain cases, don't trust [[HotAsHell women named "Lucy" or "Georgia."]] Apparently the Devil's not very good at choosing aliases, despite having a huge variety to pick from. Or maybe it just shows his opinion of the hero's intelligence level. Or, it could just be ego.

Be very wary of guys named "Lou", "Luke", "Lukas", or "Lucius", particularly if their last name is Siffer or Cypher or [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast something like that.]] Keep an ear open for Milton (author of ParadiseLost) and [[NamesToRunAwayFrom/{{Mor}} Morgenstern]] (German for "morning star"). Also take a careful look at the ones named "Nick", "Scratch", "Deuce", "Thorn" or some variant thereon. In certain cases, don't trust [[HotAsHell women named "Lucy" or "Georgia."]] Apparently the Devil's not very good at choosing aliases, despite having a huge variety to pick from. Or maybe it just shows his opinion of the hero's intelligence level. Or, it could just be ego.

* Cypher, [[spoiler: the murderous and traitorous human crewmember]] from ''Film/TheMatrix'', says [[spoiler: to Agent Smith on his deal to return to the Matrix in exchange for the capture of Morpheus,]] that "ignorance is bliss." His name also represented a numerical opposite to Neo: One definition of "Cypher" is "zero," in contrast to Neo, the [[TheChosenOne One]].

Be very wary of guys named "Lou", "Luke", "Lukas", or "Lucius" particularly if their last name is Siffer or Cypher or [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast something like that.]] Keep an ear open for Milton (author of ParadiseLost) and [[NamesToRunAwayFrom/{{Mor}} Morgenstern]] (German for "morning star"). Also take a careful look at the ones named "Nick", "Scratch", "Deuce", "Thorn" or some variant thereon. In certain cases, don't trust [[HotAsHell women named "Lucy" or "Georgia."]] Apparently the Devil's not very good at choosing aliases, despite having a huge variety to pick from. Or maybe it just shows his opinion of the hero's intelligence level. Or, it could just be ego.

* Louis Cypher/Cyphre is also the human pseudonym for Lucifer in the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series. He shows up in all three ''Shin Megami Tensei'' games as a subtle [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]]: twice as a blond haired gentleman, once as both a young child and an elderly guy in a wheelchair - in fact the nurses accompanying both could be "him" too - and recently he's even [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney switched genders]]. Depending on your spot on the OrderVersusChaos meter, he'll either be your best friend or an inevitable [[TheDragon Dragon]].

** And now he appears in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' as well! But this time, he's [[spoiler: an AttractiveBentGender who goes by "Louisa Ferre"!]]

* ''TheOnion'''s show ''Dr. Good'', has the creepy plastic surgeon [[SignificantAnagram Dr. Tanas]], who gives increasingly unsubtle hints to his true identity has the show progress.

* In "The Devil's Footprints" from ''[[Literature/PointHorror Thirteen: 13 Tales of Horror]]'', the Devil mixes among a house party in England, though everyone thinks he is simply an ordinary guy in a goat costume.

* The Red Guy from ''CowAndChicken''. He was blatantly referred to as The Devil in the pilot.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' features a friendly character you might run into at a bar, by the name of [[spoiler: Sam Guevenne]]. He's Sanguine, Daedric prince of debauchery. [[WhatDidIDoLastNight And you're in for a ride.]] Not all Daedra are [[OurDemonsAreDifferent fantasy analogs for demons]], but [[BigRedDevil it's obvious that this one is]].
** He's not all bad, though. While his openly Daedric form ''looks'' like a stereotypical devil, he is (fittingly for his Sphere) more interested in having ''fun'' than in claiming your soul, and gives you a powerful magical artifact as a gift "to remember old Uncle Sanguine."

Common in DealWithTheDevil stories. See also SdrawkcabName. Related to MostDefinitelyNotAVillain. If GodIsEvil, LouisCypher may be a StevenUlyssesPerhero. SubTrope of DevilInDisguise.

!!Examples:

[[caption-width-right:350:[[SarcasmMode Well, who would have guessed]].]]

* The demon "Sebastian Michaelis" of ''BlackButler'' is a quite clever example via GeniusBonus. Sebastian is the stock name for butlers in Japanese tv, but [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastien_Michaelis Sebastien Michaelis]] was an actual person, a French inquisitor and [[TheWitchHunter witch hunter]] who wrote about supposed instances of demonic possession. Thus, having a demon calling himself that is a similar effect to [[TheDevilsAdvocate having Satan call himself John Milton]].

* John Milton (Al Pacino's character) from ''TheDevilsAdvocate''. Creator/JohnMilton, ''Literature/ParadiseLost'', get it?

* In Polanski's ''TheNinthGate'', the engravings' signature :

* ''TenaciousDInThePickOfDestiny'': [[spoiler: The open mic host]] turns out to be the devil wanting his tooth back. In a deleted scene, [[spoiler: Lee]] has scary black eyes of doom, implying he's possessed or being used as a disguise.

Be very wary of guys named "Lou", "Luke", "Lukas", or "Lucius" particularly if their last name is Siffer or Cypher or [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast something like that.]] Keep an ear open for Milton (author of ParadiseLost) and Morgenstern (German for "morning star"). Also take a careful look at the ones named "Nick", "Scratch", "Deuce", "Thorn" or some variant thereon. In certain cases, don't trust [[HotAsHell women named "Lucy" or "Georgia."]] Apparently the Devil's not very good at choosing aliases, despite having a huge variety to pick from. Or maybe it just shows his opinion of the hero's intelligence level. Or, it could just be ego.

** He's not all bad, though. While his openly Daedric form ''looks'' like a stereotypical devil, he is (fittingly for his Sphere) more interested in having ''fun'' than in claiming your soul.

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* One of these appears on ''GoodEats'', making a pact with a woman (and eventually her rival) to help her win a cake-baking contest with a new recipe: Devil's Food Cake (and for the rival, Red Velvet Cake).

* Every country in The Evillious Chronicles by {{Mothy}} has a name derived from a Prince of Hell

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