The Ruthlessness of a Morningstar

HELL

Hell is the primary setting of both Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss. It is where both sinners and hellborn demons reside.

Hell is the supernatural realm of demons. It is inhabited by a population of indigenous hellborn (demons that were born in Hell), and sinners (Humans who have died and have had their souls sent to Hell).

The atmosphere is presented as perpetually choleric, disorderly, and noxious, though capable of supporting carbon-based lifeforms. Hell's geography is divided into Seven Rings, as first revealed by the lyrics in "You Will Be Okay". Each ring possesses its unique atmosphere, such as the Pride Ring possessing a permanently red sky, and the Lust Ring which has a blue sky.

Hellborn demons have the ability to traverse across any of the rings, made easily accessible via an extensive elevator network, whereas sinner demons are confined to the top-most ring, the Pride Ring, by methods and reasons unknown.

Hell's society is incredibly chaotic due to the unstable and hostile disposition of its populace. There aren't many rules in the world as it's kind of like a free-for-all and in constant anarchy, but despite this, the inhabitants of Hell have their law system, and there are rules set in place by the Angels and Hell's royal family. The realm also appears to be capable of providing and maintaining rudimentary public services, evidenced by the appearance of firefighters in the episode "Murder Family" of Helluva Boss.

Within Hell's civilization, there exists a crude form of hierarchy defined by power, with all of Hell being ruled by a king, the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar, whose daughter and heir apparent is Princess Charlie

The levels of this hierarchy are broken up from top-to-bottom as follows:

Lucifer Morningstar and Lilith - The King and Queen of Hell

CharlieMorningstar - The Princess of Hell, heir apparent to Hell's throne

The Seven Deadly Sins - Demons who embody one of the seven deadly sins

The Ars Goetia - Hellborn Demons with royal and noble status

Overlords - Demons who wield considerable power and influence

Sinners - Immortal Demons who were once humans on Earth, having sinned, were damned to Hell

Hellborn demons - Succubi, Incubi, and other species of demons native to Hell

Imps and Hellhounds - The bottom of Hell's society

Even though the Seven Deadly Sins are on the same level of hierarchy, there seems to be at least some hierarchy between them; Lucifer, being a Fallen Angel and the King of Hell, has authority over, and is ranked separately above the others, however, with his absence, Satan fills in as the leader, showing that Satan has more influence and authority than the other five.

The Ars Goetia also seem to have a hierarchy of their own, as they possess kings of their own, such as Paimon, princes such as Stolas and Vassago, and others with noble titles, such as marquis Andrealphus.

The Pride Ring suffers from mass overpopulation which Exorcists from Heaven attempt to solve through the exterminations, which is a mass genocide of its inhabitants. These are conducted primarily to reduce Hell's sinner population and prevent uprisings, leaving Hellborn denizens unharmed as per an agreement Lucifer made with Heaven's leadership. Charlie aims to stop this by giving sinners a chance to rehabilitate and redeem themselves by checking into her hotel and later ascending to Heaven.

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THE EXTERMINATION

The Extermination is a biannual, formerly annual, purging event where Exorcists from Heaven, armed with Angelic Weapons and led by Adam, are sent down to Hell to prevent overpopulation by eliminating as many Sinners as possible.

In "Welcome to Heaven", it is revealed that the idea was originally pitched by Adam himself to Sera and convinced her it would prevent any uprising of the demons, under the rule that only Sera and the Exorcists were to know about it.

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EXORCISTS

The Exorcists are main antagonists of Hazbin Hotel.

They are angels who make up Adam's private military force sent down from Heaven annually in an event known as the extermination to kill as many sinners as possible both to manage Hell's overpopulation and prevent any potential uprising against Heaven.

BEHAVIOR

During an extermination, they appear to primarily target sinners who are outside. It is unclear if they will attempt to enter buildings to find targets. Exorcists are very bloodthirsty and love violence. They seem to take sadistic joy in killing demons, and are not above killing even a weaker, defenseless demon, as seen when an Exorcist kills one of the Egg Boiz and nearly killed a terrified Frank. However, there is the rare occurrence of an Exorcist having a change of heart.

As shown in "The Show Must Go On", Exorcists don't tolerate betrayal of any kind, as shown where after Adam revealed that Vaggie, a former Exorcist and comrade of theirs, was also to be targeted and killed by them in the Hazbin Hotel, the other Exorcists expressed their hatred for her and the desire to gleefully kill her, having become even more eager to do so when Adam offered a reward to the Exorcist who successfully brings him Vaggie's head.

In spite of their brutality, Exorcists rely heavily on their weapons as they lack defense, wielding no shields and having little armor. Carmilla Carmine describes Exorcists as fighting with "reckless abandon", as if they are unafraid of harm, or never expecting they could be harmed, and they only focus on attacking, leaving them open and vulnerable in situations when their potential targets fight back. She pointed this out when it comes to Vaggie's fighting style. Most notably, since the Exorcists never truly faced resistance when carrying out Extermination Day since they think that angels are more inherently stronger than demons, treating it almost akin to an entertaining sport, and demons had been afraid of them, they were not prepared when Carmilla managed to kill one of them or when Charlie gathered a large enough force to fight them off, as their tactics were mainly attacking head-on and expecting to win.

CULTURAL RELATIONS

Sinners, who are targeted annually, fear and hate Exorcists due to them having the ability to murder thousands of sinners during the extermination with angelic weaponry.

Exorcists are allowed to be in public in Heaven, even as far as wearing their uniforms. Most of Heaven doesn't know about the exterminations, and once it was revealed to the angelic court, heated discussions and verbal infighting began between the courts' angels.

In "Overture", it is revealed that Exorcists can be harmed. Exorcists can be killed by their own weaponry, as Carmilla Carmine was the first demon in history to kill an Exorcist with angelic steel that was in the form of her ballet shoes, while Vaggie received a permanent injury from Lute's angelic sword when she was an Exorcist in a flashback of "Welcome to Heaven". It is unknown whether these weapons can kill higher-ranking angels, or if this is a trait exclusive to Exorcists. However, since Adam is a human soul from Heaven and he was killed by Niffty with an angelic dagger, these weapons may be capable of killing human souls from Heaven.

Exorcists can also be injured without the use of angelic weapons. Lute ripped off her arm that was trapped under fallen rubble. Lute tore off Vaggie's wings with her bare hands, but Vaggie later grew them back.

WEAPONRY

Exorcists appear to be mostly armed with angelic weapons styled in spears. Illustrations of the Exorcists in the pilot also depict them with swords and possibly arrows. According to Vivziepop, they possess a variety of weapons such as guns, knives, swords, spears, etc.

Exorcists do not seem to hold much regard for their weapons and will often leave them behind in their victims, which are then gathered by Hell's denizens following the extermination to sell on the black market, especially with Carmilla Carmine's weapon-dealing business.

ABILITIES

•	    Flight through their wings, which can transform into a drill formation for quick dives. Proficiency with angelic weapons. Enhanced strength and durability.

APPEARANCE

Exorcists appear to have a fairly uniform appearance, each being humanoids with a black halo floating above their heads that have a small black ball with an downward and upward pointing crystals at the front. All Exorcists either have grey or white skin and white hair. Their hairstyles are usually bob cuts in order to fit in their mask and make it easier to fight. Their eye colors can vary, with Vaggie's eyes having white irises with pink sclera, and Lute's eyes having yellow irises with white sclera.

They also have a pair of large wings on their backs, allowing them to fly. Their wings are colored in a gradient of black-to-grey with white on the inside. Most Exorcists have no stripes on the back of their wings, but some, including Lute, have two black stripes along the back. All Exorcists shown so far have two black stripes along the front of their wings, with the exception of Vaggie, who has one stripe. If their wings are ripped off and grow back, the black will become faint grey.

Their uniforms consist of a long-sleeved grey minidress with a high collar that has a feather-like pattern and colored in a gray gradient, with a greyish-white sash-belt and a set of black tights underneath. They also wear greyish-white, arm-length gloves and high-heeled thigh-high boots with a single gray stripe at the cuffs, underneath which they wear an additional pair of arm-length dark gray gloves and thigh-high stockings.

They wear full-head masks with LED screens on their faces that are capable of various expressions. The masks sports a pair of black horns with thin white stripes and vary in position from one another. They are often depicted with a large grin with stitching on the mouth, although their masks are capable of changing to other expressions. One eye appears as a large white circle while the other is a large white X. Seemingly upon death, the Exorcist's mask LED lights change from white to red, with their "eye" closed, and their usual toothy expressions replaced with a frown. It is unknown if all masks show similar features should their wearer die, or if that was simply the last expression the slain Exorcist had at death.

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Adam is an Angel and the main antagonist of the first season of Hazbin Hotel. He made his official debut alongside his lieutenant, Lute, in "Overture". He is the first human man created and the first human soul to enter Heaven. After becoming an angel, he became the commander of the angelic military force known as Exorcists, and served Heaven as forerunner of the Extermination movement.

APPEARANCE

Despite his status as an angel, Adam still looks like a normal human instead of transforming into something else: His skin is pale, his eyes are golden and he sports messy, dirty brown hair and stubble on his chin. He walks around in a long, flowing white robe, and to show he's an angel, possesses a halo and luminous wings. Adam usually wears an LED mask with diabolic horns, yellow eyes that lack pupils and sharp teeth, ironically making him look far more monstrous and intimidating than the actual demons of Hell.

Adam's blood is different to that of a regular human due to being a golden color, likely due to him transcending to angelhood upon death since Exorcists have also been seen bleeding gold.

PERSONALITY

Adam appeared very egotistical and unsympathetic. As the leader of his Exorcist army, he took his stance as the Exorcists' head figure very seriously, sending antagonistic threats towards demons and anyone for standing in their way or whoever disobeyed his command, as he did so with Vaggie for refusing to kill a Sinner, cutting her wings, and leaving her in Hell.

He also displayed traits of extreme narcissism and chauvinism, believing himself the perfect man due to being the first and claiming he had never made a mistake in his life, since he was the first man to be born on Earth, and he claimed that all the male bloodline came from him and brag about how big and great his dick is. His narcissism was so great that, upon his defeat, he refused to admit how far he had fallen and expressed a god-like complex by proclaiming his enemies should be grateful for him having fathered the beginning of humanity while demanding they worship him for his deeds.

Adam did not appear to be aware that his egotistical and depraved behavior towards Lilith was the cause of her leaving him. When meeting Charlie Morningstar, he didn't hate her for being a child of the woman he was married to before she fell in love with Lucifer, and was relatively patient with her, although remained dismissive of her suggestions. Adam was also sexist, constantly addressing other women as "bitches" and enjoyed their sexual depravity, as he admitted to Vaggie that her forbidden love relationship with Charlie was "hot as fuck", albeit it is unclear whether this was about their genders or them being angel and demon. Despite this, he seemed to have a good relationship with Lute, whom he seemed to have in very high esteem, even though he was her superior.

Despite his obliviousness, Adam did show moments of common sense and self-awareness, such as when the death of an Exorcist was discovered, he knew that if they decided to kill the Sinners now after just one week after the most recent Extermination, then demons would catch on to how Exorcists can be killed. Adam also knew when to slow down on his egoism, after inadvertently exposing the purpose of the Extermination to all the courts of Heaven, including Sera, the highest seraphim authority in Heaven and the one who ordered that no one but the Exorcists can know.

Adam may have enjoyed playing music, specifically with a guitar, as he outright claimed to be in a band. He also had a poor view of radio and stereos, telling Alastor those already belong to the past, considering them to be old and useless.

Adam was also quite cruel and sadistic, openly admitting in front of Charlie that he enjoyed killing demons, calling it entertainment, and tended to announce how many killed in the Extermination. He also dismissed Charlie's project of redemption not because he didn't believe in sinners being redeemed, because if she succeeded with that project he wouldn't be able to continue killing demons. His eagerness to kill demons and get his revenge was so big that he advanced the date of the next Extermination to six months instead of a year.

Despite his sadism and cruelty, Adam was capable of recognizing and praising the abilities of others, when he reunited with Vaggie he admitted she was one of the best exorcists he had under his command. He also genuinely commended Lute for killing 275 demons during the most recent extermination, and congratulated her with a fist bump. Adam also praised Vaggie for being Charlie's partner, albeit sarcastically.

POWERS/SKILLS

•	    Angelic / Transcendent Physiology: As one of Heaven’s highest-ranking angels, Adam possesses a divine form that far surpasses mortal and demonic limitations. His body and soul radiate holy energy, making him a living weapon of celestial judgment.

•	    Nigh-Immortality: Adam is immune to aging, disease, and conventional death. Only beings or weapons of equal or greater divine power could potentially destroy him.
•	    Angelic Powers: Adam’s divine essence grants him superhuman abilities, from enhanced strength and speed to the ability to manipulate light and energy in devastating ways.
•	    Photokinesis: He can generate, shape, and weaponize light — from blinding flashes to concentrated beams capable of vaporizing sinners and demons alike.
•	    Ergokinesis: Adam can channel and manipulate pure celestial energy, enhancing his strikes or infusing his weapons with radiant power. His axe, when charged, can cleave through buildings or reduce armies to ash.
•	    Nephelokinesis (Cloud Manipulation): As an Angel, Adam can summon, ride, and manipulate clouds — using them both as transport and as cover during exterminations.
•	    Cloud-Walking: Allows Adam and his fellow angels to walk on clouds or conjured platforms as if solid ground.
•	    Light Beam Emission: Projects focused rays of divine light capable of piercing armor, barriers, and demonic flesh.
•	    Conjuration & Materialization: Adam can summon his signature golden guitar axe and other holy weapons at will. He can also manifest constructs made of solid light.
•	    Portal Creation / Dimensional Travel: As a commander of Heaven’s armies, Adam can open rifts between the mortal realm, Hell, and Heaven for strategic deployment.
•	    Astral Projection: Can separate his consciousness from his body, observing or communicating across realms.
•	    Flight: Manifesting radiant wings, Adam can soar effortlessly across great distances or hover mid-battle with ease.
•	    Immense Strength: Physically powerful enough to overpower most demons and destroy large structures with a single blow.
•	    Nigh-Invulnerability: His celestial body resists extreme physical, elemental, and magical damage.
•	    Combat Prowess: Centuries of exterminations have honed his skill in both armed and unarmed combat. Adam fights with brutal precision and theatrical flair.
•	    Weapon Proficiency / Axemanship: Master of his divine axe — a weapon infused with holy energy that serves as both instrument and instrument of death.
•	    Leadership & Strategic Analysis: A commanding tactician capable of organizing Heaven’s forces with military precision. His strategies often favor overwhelming offense and intimidation.
•	    Guitar Proficiency: When not slaughtering sinners, Adam displays his flair for performance — shredding celestial riffs on his guitar-axe hybrid with divine showmanship.

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Lute is the lieutenant of the Exorcists and a major antagonist in Hazbin Hotel who debuted in the episode "Overture".

APPEARANCE

Lute appears to have a nearly identical appearance to other exorcist angels, but with her mask's black demon-like horns curved backwards. The only visual difference from other Exorcists is that her mask's right pupil is a white circle with an X over it instead of a white X. She also usually has red bloodstains on her dress. While in Heaven, she wears the same style dress but switches it for clean one.

Her halo and right pupil are black with a white glow instead of white.

Lute's Exorcist uniform consist of a long-sleeve grey minidress with a high collar that has a feather-like pattern and colored in a gray gradient, with a greyish-white sash-belt and a set of black leggings underneath. She also wears greyish-white, arm-length gloves and high-heeled thigh-high boots with a single gray stripe at the cuffs, underneath she wears an additional pair of arm-length dark gray gloves and long thigh-high stockings.

Under her mask, Lute is revealed to be a white-skinned humanoid angel with pale yellow eyes, black lips and short pale white hair that has been cut into an asymmetrical bob cut with an undercut. She also appears to have grey eyeshadow that extends to her black thin eyebrows for makeup. This may be typical of the Exorcists, as Vaggie has the same skin and hair tones.

PERSONALITY

Lute is Adam's stoic subordinate who is always by his side. She and Adam appear to have a friendly relationship, with Adam complimenting her on her large kill count, and Lute joining him in his antics. Like Adam, she enjoys her status as an Angel and dislikes the very idea that Angels can make mistakes. Lute especially shows a sadistic side in demeaning Charlie Morningstar, specifically on how her father feels about her.

Like all Exorcists, she utterly despises all Sinners and resorts to killing them every year in the extermination, and takes pride in how many demons she's killed. In fact, based on her interaction with Charlie, Lute would be happy to target all denizens of Hell, Sinner and Hellborn alike, during the Exterminations, which shows a high bloodlust for an angel. However, when they discover a deceased exorcist, Lute is furious at their death and desires retribution, demanding they return to destroy every demon immediately to make sure demons don't have the chance to overthrow Heaven, as she sees the exorcist's death as the demons trying to retaliate against Heaven. She foolishly proclaims that Charlie's idea is a threat destroy everything, despite that the fact that Lute herself and all her allies are the real threat to everything.

Despite her horrible traits she does have one good trait, and that is that she seems to genuinely like and care about Adam, being his loyal right-hand woman and favorite exterminator (after Vaggie's fall from grace). During their screen-time together they are rarely apart, and she is quick to join her boss on his gloating or his musical numbers without any prompting.

Despite Adam's sexist and perverted attitude, she doesn't seem to be a target of the worst aspects of it, taking even his insults in stride and as a result isn't on bad terms with him.

As Vaggie notes, Lute is pathetic in that she only cares about killing those deemed "evil", calling those even Vaggie herself that "sinful filth" don't belong in Heaven despite that Lute herself is a purely sinful monster who was lucky to end up in Heaven when Hell wasn't around yet (same as Adam), and was foolish enough to think Vaggie is weak, when she's actually a lot more skilled, smarter and stronger than Lute is. Then she started seeking death when defeated instead of accepting mercy from the enemy. Unlike Vaggie, who found love and purpose instead of blindly following orders, Lute has no real life outside her job. As well as no pure knowledge at all of what are both Sinner and Hellborn demons are actually like.