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Greater Demons is the term used by Shadowhunters to refer to demons of significant power and intelligence compared to their lesser counterparts.

Description

"Greater Demons" have some aspects in common: human-level intelligence, personalities, and names. They are considered the upper class in the demonic hierarchy. The greatest of Greater Demons were originally angels who fell from Heaven.

As far as the Shadowhunters know, Greater Demons cannot be permanently destroyed with any angelic weapon available. Shadowhunters' Void Theory says their destruction merely shatters their physical form into a million pieces between the worlds, or the spaces in the Void, where its ethereal body exists. While it may take them centuries to reform and rebuild its physical form, they eventually do. When they are summoned or forced to reform, they remain weak for decades.[1][2] To be truly killed, Greater Demons must be vanquished in both their physical and ethereal forms.[3]

Known Greater Demons

Princes of Hell

Among the Greater Demons there are nine Fallen Angels ranked at the highest of the demon hierarchy: the Princes of Hell, or the Fati.[4] Those nine are as said to be as powerful as Raziel, and to conquer and collect worlds.[5] Each Prince rules over their own realm of Hell.[4]

In other beliefs,[6] the seven known princes of Hell are said to tempt people by means of one of the seven deadly sins.

  • Asmodeus — the ruler of Edom, along with Lilith, and a general of Hell's army. He is the demon of lust.
  • Astaroth — he takes advantage of those grieving and tempts men to lie.
  • Azazel — a Lieutenant of Hell, and the Forger of Weapons, Azazel is second only to Lucifer himself. He is considered a corrupter of humans, having taught mankind how to make weapons, which eventually corrupted them with war, resulting in his eventual downfall. He is bound to the rocks of Duduael.
  • Belial — a prince of necromancers and warlocks, and the greatest of Eidolon demons. He cannot walk among men and is a thief of realms.
  • Belphegor — the prince of sloth, tricksters, and charletons.
  • Leviathan — the demon of envy and chaos, who is rarely summoned. He's the only Prince who is not a Fallen Angel and is considered to have always been a monster.
  • Lucifer — known as the Light-Bearer and The Morning Star, is presumed to have been an Archangel prior to his fall. Lucifer is known as the Devil, the Ruler of Hell and Demons, an individual who fights an endless war with God for the souls of man.
  • Mammon — the prince of greed and wealth who can be bribed, believed to run Hell's bank.
  • Sammael — the first to let demons into the world. Recorded as the former Archangel of Death and a general of Hell's army. He fought Archangel Michael as an equal and was cut down by his sword.

Ancients

  • Abbadon — Demon of the Abyss and the Lord of the Fallen.
  • Baal[7]
  • Lilith — the Mother of Warlocks, and the first woman to be created who left Adam and was cursed to have all her children die. She is known to be the progenitor demon.

Others

SPOILER WARNING: Plot details for The Lost Book of the White follow. Caution is advised!

Trivia

  • Since demons of sub-human intelligence have no traits that distinguish them (name, personality, individual features, etc), it's impossible to establish if they are truly killable as believed, or if they reform in the Void and come back as the Greater Demons do.[1]

References

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