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Which Video Game Had the Best Devil?
Most of us have been to Hell and back more times than we can count. The underworld has long been a popular destination in video games, and the same can be said for the guy who rules it. With the arrival of the new Doom just around the corner — May 13(!) — I wanted to take a look back at some of gaming’s most devilish devils and, if we’re up for it, finally determine which devil devil’d best.
And to make this a wee bit easier on you, I have a working list of Satans, Lucifers, and Hades’ for you to choose from below. I haven’t gotten around to playing all the games yet, so if you think you have a more worthy pick, feel free to share it in the comments below.
Fleming, Shadows of the Damned
Diablo, Diablo
Hades, God of War III
Icon of Sin, Doom II: Hell On Earth
Mundus, Devil May Cry
Satan, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Chaos, Final Fantasy
Samael, Darksiders
Lucifer and his Horrifying Member, Dante’s Inferno
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war, but it was a cheerful illustrator from England who helped to define the terrifying war-torn imagery that inspired what we now know as Grimdark (a hybrid genre combining horror with sci-fi/fantasy).
Unfortunately for fans of Warhammer 40,000, Trench Crusade and countless other sources of Grimdark thrills, veteran artist John Blanche passed away this week after struggling with health issues for the past few years.
While the artist retired back in 2023, he leaves us with an enormous legacy of iconic artwork that continues to inspire gamers and storytellers around the world to this very day.
The news is especially gloomy as it was only last year that Daniel Lowman and Napoleon Dynamite himself Jon Heder released The Grim & the Dark: The Search for John Blanche, a documentary following Heder’s exploration of the Grimdark genre culminating in a heartwarming encounter with Blanche in his own home.
Below is one of my favorite pieces by Blanche, his highly influential depiction of Warhammer 40k’s God-Emperor of Mankind on his Golden Throne.
We send our deepest condolences to John Blanche’s family, friends, and fans.
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