Gay devil
Flaming Devil
Wish to portray your antagonist as undeniably malevolent, yet with a flair for theatricality and a penchant for decadent self-indulgence? Craft a Flaming Devil!
Essentially, the Flaming Devil embodies Satan or any other demon exhibiting Camp Gay, or at least ambiguously gay, traits. Often, though not always, a malevolent figure or a demonstrably depraved homosexual, this character is effeminate and prone to misbehavior, if not outright wickedness.
This trope's origins pre-date modern technologies. Androgynous depictions of Satan trace back to the Middle Ages, with folklore frequently portraying the Devil and his cohorts as possessing ambiguous genders and engaging in sexual allurements toward men. The implications of homosexuality in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's overtly bisexual Mephistopheles in Faust, eventually formalized the image of a gleefully wicked and flamboyant effeminate devil.
This concept isn't necessarily linked to Succubi and Incubi, nor to the concept of being irresistibly attractive, though overlap is possible. See also the related Sissy Villain trope. While a devil enveloped in flames is a distinct trope, overlap is feasible.
Compare the Hot God trope.
open/close all folders
Anime & Manga
- Griffith from Berserk, already a Sissy Villain, evolved into this trope after the Eclipse, transforming into the winged, lipstick-adorned monster with hawk talons, after becoming Femto.
- Daiou-sama from Dororon Enma-kun may fit this archetype.
- Despite being a minion and offspring of Father, a quintessential embodiment of the Satanic Archetype, Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist stands out as the most effeminate and flamboyant homunculus. With androgynous features, flamboyant gestures, vanity about their appearance, and wearing traditionally feminine attire, the homunculi (and Father) qualify as demons aligning with this trope.
Comic Books
- Lucifer in Dawn: The Goddess exhibits wicked tendencies and is Yahweh's gay lover. His portrayal is far from comedic.
Fan Works
- In the "Inverse Omens" Good Omens (2019) Role Swap Plot AU, the character Demon Aziraphale, has transformed into this trope, a consequence of the story's metaphysical reversal. This version of Aziraphale retains the canonical camp and hedonistic essence of their angelic persona, yet as a demonic tempter, displays a more flirtatious and overt approach.
Films &8212; Animation
Films &8212; Live-Action
- While the Devil in Forbidden Zone is interested in the Princess, the character is also portrayed by Danny Elfman as a flamboyant showman, with a memorable Creepy Jazz Music scene.
- Jennifer's Body features a female counterpart in Jennifer Check, who has been resurrected and possessed by a succubus. Despite seducing boys for consumption, the main attraction in the film is shown towards her female best friend. Jennifer's actress, Megan Fox, is openly bisexual.
- Jareth the Goblin King, played by David Bowie in his dazzling presence, embodies a Glam Rock depiction of Satan in Labyrinth.
- Boris Lermontov in the 1948 film The Red Shoes is strongly implied to be Satan in human form. His apparent homosexuality is suggested, similar to the other characters in the movie.
- Satan from Terror Toons conveys this impression by endearingly addressing everyone as "darling," among other indications.
Literature
- Nyarlathotep, the embodiment of the Satanic Archetype from H. P. Lovecraft's The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, appears to Randolph Carter as a striking androgynous "young Pharaoh" in a shimmering, rainbow-colored robe. The H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast's 53rd episode described Nyarlathotep's "flamboyant" throne room as akin to a "Dead or Alive concert."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust features an openly bisexual Mephistopheles, perhaps the prototype of this trope.
- Good Omens subverts the trope; while Crowley displays self-awareness of their appearance and makes intriguing observations, Aziraphale, the angel, is portrayed as more overtly gay.
- Outside of ruling the Demon Realm or expressing anger, Luo Binghua from The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong is a devoted, needy house husband of Shen Qingqiu, who often teases their clingy behaviour and "fragile maiden heart." This trait is a reflection of their father and previous Saintly Ruler of the Demon Realm, Tianlang-Jun, a foppish fudanshi with a romanticized worldview.
Live-Action TV
- In a Halloween episode of Community, the study group recounts scary stories, visualized as fantasy sequences, with study group members representing the characters. One story features Satan, embodied by the Dean (pansexual, extremely theatrical, and inclined to cross-dressing).
- When K. Gordon Murray's Santa Claus (1959) was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Crow described the demon Pitch in this manner: "I'm, like, positively evil!"
- While not precisely Camp Gay, on Reaper, Satan is a Depraved Bisexual. Previously, they were enamored with God.
- Supernatural:
- Crowley, a man of refined taste and current King of Hell, started as a crossroads demon, where deals are sealed with a kiss. Consequently, being a Depraved Bisexual is practically a requirement of the job.
- In the episode "Season 7, Time For A Wedding!", the main antagonist is the demon Guy, a stylish dresser with an affected accent, not shy about admiring Sam and Dean or regarding their own vanity.
Guy: I wasn't thrilled to see your new hubby was Sam freakin' Winchester. If he knew I was talking to you, he'd probably...
Becky: Gank your ass.
Guy: Yes. My posterior is one of my finest assets.
Music
Tabletop Games
- In the Warhammer 40,000 setting, the Chaos god of excess, Slaanesh, and its followers, whether daemon, Drukhari (Dark Eldar), or human, are generally quite theatrical.
Video Games
- The antagonist of ANTONBLAST is Satan, presented in an exceptionally flamboyant and theatrical style, frequently making suggestive remarks about personal allure and demonstrating bisexuality. Even during the boss battle, their primary movement style is a playful, prancing manner, utilizing their exaggerated posterior for locomotion. To emphasize this portrayal, one of their attacks involves getting their head stuck in a wall, allowing the player to relentlessly pummel their exposed rear with a colossal mallet as they emit screams and moans.
- Emperor Doviculus from Brütal Legend isn't precisely camp, but displays a strong sadomasochistic aesthetic (shared by their entire faction) and prominent overtones of Hard Gay/Depraved Bisexuality.
- Despite being the servant of the true antagonist, Demon Lord Ghirahim from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, pushes the boundaries of Ambiguously Gay. Their hairstyle, attire, distinctive eye makeup, gestures, and lines, such as "[that] filled my heart with rainbows," and the assertion of a shared Red String of Fate with Link, raises questions. The ambiguity arises from Ghirahim's role as the antagonist's second-in-command and, literally, their sword, prompting uncertainty about their true gender.
Web Animation
- Asmodeus, from Helluva Boss, represents the flamboyant, demonic embodiment of Lust.
Webcomics
Web Original
- When Journalfen was active, a Fandom_Wank member shared a dream about Bill Cosby and Samuel L. Jackson in a film portraying Satan's sexual temptation of Jesus Christ.
Western Animation
- The Devil in A Tale Dark & Grimm is characterized by camp and flamboyance, voiced by Adam Lambert.
- The Red Guy in Cow and Chicken, explicitly identified as the Devil in the pilot, is flamboyant and effeminate, enjoys cross-dressing, squeals like a child, comments on fashion, and sometimes screams like a woman when frightened.
- The Devil in The Cuphead Show! has a stereotypical Camp Gay voice and exaggerated gestures of an Evil Brit.
- The Robot Devil in Futurama entertains Bender with a musical theatrical performance during their first encounter, characterized by flamboyant mannerisms.
- On the short-lived animated series God, the Devil and Bob, the Devil, voiced by Alan Cumming with an Evil Brit accent, isn't overly camp, but is elegantly styled and significantly more composed than God, voiced by James Garner with a more laid-back demeanor.
- Hazbin Hotel features a diverse cast, encompassing gay characters, including Angel Dust, a cross-dressing gay spider-demon, porn star/gangster.
- Him from The Powerpuff Girls (1998) is one of the few (primarily) serious portrayals.
- In The Simpsons episode "The Monkey Suit", Lisa's class observes the propaganda film So You're Calling God A Liar: An Unbiased Comparison of Evolution and Creationism, which features a depiction of Satan making out with Charles Darwin, complete with foot-tapping.
- South Park subverts the trope by depicting Satan as gay, but with a more straightforward, robust depiction compared to their portrayal in "Hell on Earth 2006," where they acted like a spoiled adolescent girl. Generally, Satan is portrayed as rather amiable, only tormenting actual sinners, while everyone else in Hell experiences a jovial atmosphere.