#obey me character analysis

[bevy-obeyme]

Character Study - Lucifer, The epitome of pride and how family makes you risk everything. {{Part 1}}

— Spoiler Warning for Lessons in Original Obey Me —

Art by https://x.com/pyunrim/status/1687472597787897856 on twitter/x

As we are all aware, Lucifer was once a greatly admired Seraphim who was also God’s favourite. An ethereal angel with three pairs of wings and yet he disgraced himself - why?

First things first, we all know that even during Lucifer’s period of stay in the Celestial Realm, you’d be surprised to see he still retains most of his qualities during his 'angelic years’.

For example, during Lesson 52-3 when Satan (''Sully’’) and MC go back into the past during a dream, we meet the Seraph as shown above.

It is evident Lucifer still held a sense of pride and superiority, not afraid to exert his authority and influence to get MC and Satan to help with his bidding, as well as portraying himself to be mockingly condescending at first.

However, even Lucifer himself wasn’t opposed to breaking the rules as during Lesson 52-5 he directly goes against the rules in the library to satisfy Satan’s curiosity in books.

This conveys that Lucifer ( even with his high ranking position ) cared not for petty rules and as such wasn’t afraid to dismiss them or rule them out when it came to a favour.

Later on in the same lesson we see that same lesson that Lucifer is still quite cunning, actively playing along to the disguises Satan and MC have brought up and tricking Satan into opening a blank book that acted as a restraint.

Whilst it does not differ from what Lucifer would’ve done in the present, his goal is noticeably much more genuine and appears to be more honest of what he wanted to ascertain which was to find out if Satan was a demon and therefore if he was a danger to the Celestial Realm. In addition, we see that Seraph Lucifer is able to let go of his pride without as much struggle as he apologises to Satan without hesitation or spite. This implies that back then, pride wasn’t as powerful to Lucifer. Even if he did carry more than the average angel, it was balanced out by his honesty and genuine intent.

So we have assured that Lucifer is not much different to what he was like in the Celestial Realm, so why did he fall?

The answer is rather simple; Love. Or rather, his strong dedication to family.

The brothers were very much mischievous as they are now - Mammon was originally a troublemaker under Michael’s care who was then subdued when Lucifer took him in. Belphegor snuck off to the human world often as he was fascinated and ended up dragging Lilith along with him.

Despite the annoyance this caused, Lucifer referred to them as '’small’’ problems which Raphael was actually quick to quip at according to Lucifer. However, he confirms that he never minded and it is evident the eldest even covered for his siblings during their mishaps. Until.

Lilith met a human. We learn during Lesson 15 the history of Belphegor’s hatred for humanity and Lilith’s perish - which was linked to humans.

Falling in love with a human as an angel was heavily against the rules as celestial beings are only meant to guide humans and offer their utmost devotion to the Father (God). Having a lover would surely meddle with duties and especially that of Lilith’s choice being a human - a race both demons and angels alike deem weak and inapt.

Despite this, we see that Lucifer does not hold a bias towards his sisters’ choice as many would have and actively supported her.

He did at first put on a caring and what may have appeared stern face when he went to check on his sisters’ lover, but ultimately, it is understandable. Lucifer was the eldest and Lilith was their only sister and the youngest at that - he wouldn’t want danger to come to her if she had chosen a dangerous man to fall in love with that she could potentially become victim to which explains his protective tendencies - much like that strict father that insists to meet your boyfriend and asses him.

[melverie]

the fact that Satan hides his wrath pretty much for the same reason injured cats in packs pretend to be perfectly fine so they won’t be left behind is insane to me btw

[diavolo-is-babygirl]

Reasons Why Diavolo is the Best Obey Me Babygirl:

He’s Diavolo. Just look at him. What other evidence do you need?

Seriously, though, please allow me to explain why I’ve been bouncing all over Tumblr declaring my love for this ridiculously adorable, charismatic, darling character.

I’ve seen a saying that goes ‘the loneliest people are the kindest, the saddest people smile the brightest, and the most damaged people are the wisest. All because they don’t want anyone to see the way they suffer’.

That, to me, describes Diavolo to a T. Every time he’s on-screen, he overflows with charm and sweetness, all the while masking everything brewing within. With the weight of not only one, or two, but three worlds on his shoulders, he fights to keep up a happy facade all the while battling against one hell of a storm.

There’s been flickers of his inner turmoil in the games, most notably Nightbringer. Which leaves an abundance of room to explore what must be going on deep within. Being burdened by an ever-growing list of responsibilities, tirelessly working towards an immeasurably heavy goal, having a strained relationship with his strict father-all of those are causing a storm of incomprehensible fire. Leaving us with plenty of room for fanfiction and headcanons. Yet Diavolo is always luminous with cheer and an insatiable appetite for fun.

Not only that, but Takuhei’s voice for him is perfect.

If you were to peel away enough layers, all of his sweetness, charm and warm energy would evaporate. Not just because he’s a demon, but because of all the burdens he carries. He’s one demon, one entity, carrying three worlds on two shoulders. He has to conduct himself in a certain way, every day and every night, in front of prying eyes. Because he’s to be the next ruler of the Devildom.

He can’t be anything less than regal, wise and dignified or else he’ll be scorned. On some level, he probably feels as though not even Barbatos understands what he’s going through. He goes through such great lengths to hide what he truly feels because no one would ever understand anyway. No one could ever possibly share his burden-nor would he want them to. Diavolo doesn’t even want to pass his burden onto Lucifer, whom he holds in the highest regard.

Whether he sees Lucifer as a boyfriend, husband, partner-in-crime, brother or best friend is entirely up to you. Have fun with your headcanons.

In addition to all of this, he looks either devastatingly sexy or unbelievably adorable in everything he wears.

[avatarofcuriousity]

Why YOU Should Vote For Solomon In The 2022 RAD Popularity Contest!

YOU. YES, YOU! YOU are sleeping on Solomon!

He doesn't like that, MC.

So I am making this post as a fellow Solomon enjoyer!

1. Much Character And Development (Very Cool!)

Solomon is an immortal sorcerer. So, he's not a demon or angle. He's different like that, a bit quirky if you will.

He's lived a long time. He's very lonely. The RAD program was finally a place where he could find his found family. Doesn't that make you feel bad? Don't you think he deserves more love to compensate for his very much lonely life? I am guilt tripping you, you are being held at gunpoint, MC...

To elaborate more on his character, please allow me direct you to these AMAZING posts (that are actually serious and put things in way better words than I ever could lol) to explain why he's SUCH much character.

@books-and-catears Quick read of his Birthday Event and all the details of how amazing he is!

@3vocatio 's Analysis Of Why Solomon is a Consistently Written Character AND The Devs FAV (CANON???) (REAL, NOT CLICKBAIT) (😱) (😍)

@yourboyhack 's reblog of Solomon's B-day Character Card and how it mentions the obvious and is so very based

2. He Just Loves You So Very Much

As evident by his constant praise and affection! You're his darling apprentice and is very proud of you! 💙

Example shown here in @books-and-catears post!

He is absolutely your soulmate, MC. No, I'm not gaslighting you, MC, what do you mean?

He is determined to show you how much he loves you! He's open and honest. All he wants is to be sincere with you, as also evident by ANOTHER @books-and-catears post (They're so fucking based, one of the biggest Solomon appreciaters ever) and @he-calls-me-kitten 's reblog!

Conclusion?

Solomon is a very amazing and fantastic character. Especially after his Birthday Event, it's clearer than ever he's one of the best written characters! He deserves much more fans and appreciation. And the Devs ESPECIALLY deserve to know how much we adore his character! And even if you STILL don't like him or prefer another character?

Do it for the bit. That's right. If nothing I said reached you, at least do it for the funny.

And THAT is why you should vote for Solomon in the 2022 RAD Popularity Contest!

VOTE NOW!:

(NOTE: You can vote as many times as you'd like! (If you go into Incognito Mode 😏👀) Vote your true fav, but I encourage you to go vote for Solomon as MANY times as you can in Incognito and go HAM.)

[luckykittysshowerthoughts]

I wonder why micheal keeps getting portrayed as abusive (specifically in simeon, lucifer and mammon based fics) especially when you consider that his canon self isn't that?? I know it's probably something of a scapegoat since it's easy to pin the character we know the least about as the most villainous but I'm curious about your thoughts

Personally, I think there's a few things at play. One of them is recognizing the shades of gray. Humans by nature have a tendency to sort things into black and white when they really shouldn't be, and I think this is an example of that.

Because, there is some truth to what they say. Michael can be downright creepy at times- from sneaking into Lucifer's room without permission being a clear sign of an unhealthy obsession, to the flat-out psychologically damaging stunt he pulled in Nightbringer. And don't even get me started on the angel event from the OG; I was pissed about that for a long time. He also clearly has a very prejudiced, derogatory view of demons, and is likely where Luke got it from. He's certainly not innocent.

BUT, I think people carry it too far. Yes, he's creepy, and yes he can be a colossal asshole. But he also displays clear, genuine care&compassion for others, especially his brothers, and seems to be trying his best to do good.

Such as with Simeon and Luke- he clearly genuinely cares about their wellbeing. As revealed in one of the Hard Mode chapters of Nightbringer, he was worried sick about sending them down to the Devildom, showering them with care packages and wanting constant reports to make sure they were alright. In the OG game, when he cast Simeon out, he didn't just leave him out to dry; he coordinated with the Devildom- which he's always hated- to ensure Simeon's safety, and sent his right-hand man down to protect him. He's implied to have angsted over the very idea too, having told MC in S3, "and of course, I have Simeon to think about." Both of these points will probably be their own posts eventually, because I have a lot to say about them.

And, for all his harassment of Lucifer, he seems to genuinely care about his wellbeing too. For example- saving MC's life in Nightbringer just because he recognized that they were important to Lucifer. This wasn't even because it got him closer to seeing Lucifer again; Lucifer had no way of knowing about this little favor. He did it just to make his brother happy.

There's also him cooperating with the exchange program in the first place. There was no reason Michael had to do that. In fact, considering the Celestial Realm's very traditional and conservative views, it would've been very likely for them to just say no. They didn't have to send anyone down. And yet Michael did. Not only that, but he hand-picked who to send. He clearly cares about and has stakes in this program. It seems that he's trying to change; he at the very least cooperates with those who believe there should be change.

Ultimately, he's a very flawed individual, trying to do his best by others through a lens warped by celestial propaganda and unhealthy coping mechanisms. He's a very morally gray character, and I think sometimes the internet has a hard time reconciling with that.

Especially since we don't have a face to put to Michael. That's the other issue. People are a lot less likely to sympathize with a faceless persona than they would be with their favorite hot demon boy. The brothers and even the side characters can get away with a lot more because we see and regularly interact with them. Because of Michael's secretive nature, often times you have to read between the lines to really understand the nuance of his character- it isn't spoon-fed to you through direct interaction like with many of the other characters. Because he obscures himself so much, it's a lot harder to humanize him, and to get a grasp on his motivations.

I also think a lot of people are looking for a "villain" in a story where there was never meant to be one. People seem to get this idea where every story needs to have a villain, and if they can't find one they make one. Obey Me was never about good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. It's always been about highly flawed and dysfunctional individuals just doing their best. Plenty of drama and meaningful plot can be made from that alone. We don't need a clear villain, and it doesn't need to be Michael. I think a lot of people don't get that.

[melverie]

Okay, but you guys do realize that the reason Mephisto behaves the way he does is because he has been raised with the intent of only being beneficial to the future demon king and nothing else, right?

(Buckle up because this is going to be a loooonnngggg post)

Mephisto comes from a family that has been serving the royal family for ages. He mentions multiple times that his family has always acted as their knights, their advisors and their protectors to them, and it won't be any different with him. It shouldn't be any different with him. Being beneficial to Diavolo has literally been decided to be the very meaning of his life even before he was born. He's been forced into the role and he's following it to a T because he's never known anything else, and because he can't afford to lose that. Without it, what else is left of him? What worth does he hold other than being essentially a tool for Diavolo?

And then the brothers fall and suddenly his position is at risk. Lucifer and Diavolo have already gotten along fairly well back when Lucifer was still an angel. Both Diavolo and Lucifer (as well as several others) mention that they go way back in their Nightbringer homescreen dialogues, and we see them having mutual respect by the end of the 'The Glory Days' Devilgram in the original game. Mephisto and Diavolo meanwhile might be childhood friends, but here's the thing

Diavolo wants a friend. A real friend. Someone that genuinely appreciates him for who he is as a person instead of focusing on his status as the future demon king. And that's something Lucifer can give him. They often hang out for the sake of it (apparently even eating dinner at Ristorante Six together regularly), they regularly engage in lighthearted banter, and Lucifer isn't afraid to give Diavolo his honest opinion

But that's not really the case with Mephisto...? He was never meant to be on equal footing with Diavolo; Diavolo even calls him "mini-Barbatos" at one point. He is literally still calling him 'Lord Diavolo' all the time, requests to speak his honest opinion first and waits for Diavolo to allow him to do so before actually giving it. That's why Mephisto keeps pushing down his own feelings and keeps showering Diavolo in praise any opportunity he gets while he adjusts every aspect of life to be beneficial to Diavolo in a way. Sure, he might be popular, but as long as Diavolo doesn't want him to get married he doesn't even waste a thought about relationships. He might have no real interest in journalism, but of course he'll take over RAD's Newspaper Club. After all, Diavolo asked him to! He's part of the House of Lords because as the future king's right-hand man that just makes sense. He was always just meant to be a tool for the crown prince to use, so he doesn't know how to treat Diavolo as anything but. He was literally groomed to be dispensable, so he's obviously going to act like it

And that's also where Mephisto's dislike for Lucifer stems from—he can only watch as Lucifer slowly grows closer and closer to Diavolo, and threatens to take the role that was always made up to be his. And so Mephisto keeps challenging Lucifer over and over again, trying to sabotage their friendship any way he can in hopes of winning back his position as the crown prince's right-hand man

That obviously doesn't make the way he treats Lucifer (and the rest of the brothers!) right. Lucifer isn't responsible for any of this, and blaming him for it is misguided. But it still doesn't change the fact that Mephisto has the right to be hurt at the situation at hand. His entire purpose of existence is just being ripped away from him right before his eyes and all he can do is watch. That must hurt. Especially when your entire familiy's purpose has been to serve the royal family, and you are the first one to lose that

Also, I feel like something else we need to talk about is how his fight only ever really seems to be with the brothers, especially Lucifer? Again, part of the reason is the entire Diavolo situation, sure, but I feel like it also has to do with the situation in the Devildom at large? I already vaguely talked about this in a different context a few months back, but ever since the brothers have been cast out of the Celestial Realm and arrived in the Devildom, the entire situation has just been super unstable. We as a player have a unique perspective on the events because we only have a limited outsider view to on the actual politics going on the the Devildom, while also being aware how things will play out in the future. We know that ultimately letting the brothers stay is the right choice, but that's not the way a regular denizen who has to live through all this sees it. I mean, just the way Mephisto describes the brothers really puts things into perspective:

The entire realm is super destabilized, they just semi-lost their current king, and there have been multiple very real threats of war—first when the Devildom took the brothers in in the first place, then when "Raphael" showed up and told the brothers to return, and Lucifer rightfully points out to (a comatose) MC that they are bound to go to war should the Celestial Realm ever find out that Diavolo turned Lilith into a human. There's just a lot of tension in the air, and the brothers—extremly powerful as both angels and demons—seem to be at the root of most of it in one way or another. From a the House of Lords' perspective, it makes sense to want the brothers gone, same goes for a denizens perspective. And while it is a delicate situation all around that can't just be blamed on the brothers, it makes sense for Mephisto to also see them at the center of it all. Again, that doesn't make the brothers' treatment right, but it's at least understandable given the circumstances

On a side note, when discussing his beliefs, I think it's also important to remember that he to this day is incredibly sheltered. He just accepts all this as normal because to him it is normal, but as we've seen in lesson 31 hard mode Thirteen was so shocked by his views that she immediately decided to drop everything and play therapist for him (absolute Queen for not just blaming it on him btw 💖). I know this was just a throw-away line, but this paired with him basically excisting to serve Diavolo already says so much about his character:

And with everyone else he seems to be generally pleasent? I mean, he says he doesn't want anything to do with angels or humans, and yet he risks getting injured in order to save Luke from falling. Yet he actively seeks out MC to solve one of the 666 Mysteries of RAD together with them, and saves them from tumbling on the floor because "anyone else would have done the same" (they wouldn't have. The season 1 brothers would have laughed straight in MC's face). He literally complained to Thirteen about how he was just about to go home and how he doesn't have time for her, yet diligently carries all her things for her as rain is pouring down on him. His actions always end up betraying his words

Also he has a massive sweet tooth which alings perfectly with one of the headcanons I had for months and is RAD's local horse girl so we stan! <3

-> more character & relationship analyses -> masterlist

[louisfruit]

About my last post: I think Lucifer makes comments that seem yandere about how MC couldn't leave him if they tried as a defense mechanism. He hates how vulnerable MC makes him and how they could easily hurt him by leaving so he tries to take control of the situation by acting controlling. The man is afraid of getting hurt

[luckykittysshowerthoughts]

Micheal's character is so depressing and so relatable at the same time. Also I wonder what your take is on his and luci's relationship, since they seem pretty close in celestial realm then in nb we see Michael highkey struggling which i don't blame bc he essentially lost 7 siblings at once (including lilith) then in og micheal is still very attached even though he isn't as bad as in nb. I just want your thoughts (you're the only one of 3 including my friend that I trust on Michael analysis/characterization)

First off, thank you so much for listening to my ramblings and praising them so. It's making this hyperfixating little freak very happy

Now, into the analysis. Though, this one is less an analysis and more me compiling everything canon has told us so far, because there's actually a lot there. It's just so spread apart over the course of the story that a lot of people miss the forest for the trees (which I think is another reason Michael as a whole is so misunderstood by the fandom), so it's nice to have a little overview.

Michael and Lucifer's Relationship

It was very nice to see the brotherly tones of Lucifer and Michael's relationship before the war. They seemed to have a typical friendly rivalry, and it was really cute to hear of the two messing with each other in very sibling-like ways.

One example I can think of off the top of my head was angel Lucifer camping out at the site of Michael's new observatory on the night before its grand opening, just to stick it to Michael that he got to his much-anticipated event first. That felt very much like a "little shit sibling" moment.

There was also Michael teasing Lucifer about his wings:

There was also the two of them attempting to pin Father's assignments onto each other, as Lucifer explains here:

They seemed to have a healthy dose of sibling rivalry to their relationship, and it was honestly really adorable.

It's also very clear that the two respected each other greatly. In Season 3, Mammon goes into detail about how much Michael loved Lucifer:

And in Nightbringer, angel Lucifer clearly held Michael in high regard- he seemed to believe Michael was more worthy mentor of Mammon, that he could give Mammon a better shot than he could.

However... I also think their relationship was always a bit dysfunctional. In Nightbringer we see a lot more of how obsessive Michael is- not even just in the wake of his grief after the fall, but even before that. Like this anecdote of Michael constantly sneaking into Lucifer's room:

Now, that's a clear violation of boundaries if I ever did see one. While the two were close, I think it's pretty clear Michael was a little too attached to Lucifer, and that likely caused problems in their relationship even before war broke out. We did get an explanation for this behavior in Season 3 of the OG, though that only paints an even more dysfunctional picture:

Michael idolizing Lucifer to this degree, and projecting himself onto him, is clearly not healthy. And I think Lucifer very well understood that, considering Satan is speaking from his memories of Lucifer's perspective here.

Another remark in Season 3 from angel Lucifer himself indicates that Lucifer didn't exactly see Michael as someone he could confide in:

All in all, I think their relationship was very complicated- as most relationships in Obey Me are. I think they both loved each other deeply, but Michael is the type of person to love a little too hard and that created problems.

Going into speculation territory now, I also think their relationship was tainted by their status in the Celestial Realm and the expectations that were placed upon them. I elaborated on this a little more in this post, but to summarize, I believe Michael is the eldest brother who had a rough time living up to the title while watching Lucifer become everything an eldest sibling "should" be. I think Michael was under a lot of pressure that he wasn't quite mature enough to handle properly, and he knew it. Meanwhile, Lucifer was also pushed to be a perfect, flawless Seraph, the pride and joy of the Celestial Realm- and the perfectionism instilled in him by their father only promoted Michael's idolization of him. We have one brother incredibly insecure with the way he presents himself, leaning on the image of perfection created by an equally insecure brother. It's a self-perpetuating cycle.

I also suspect that Father may have played favorites between the two. I don't have any real concrete evidence of this, but something I've been thinking about lately are the Ring of Light and the Ring of Wisdom, which were created for Lucifer and Michael respectively. In official merch (and possibly in-story as well I don't remember), the Ring of Light is shown to be gold, while the Ring of Wisdom is described to be made of brass and iron. Yeah... if this was intentional I think it's pretty clear who the favorite was here. Come on, at least give Michael silver. I don't think Michael is petty enough to be upset about this specifically, he's not Barb, but it might be indicative of a larger problem in the family dynamic. If Father favored Lucifer, that could also be an explanation for Michael's strange idolization of him.

[misc-obeyme]

what are your thoughts on the cheeky lil cow boy (belphie)

Ah yes, Belphegor, a bit of a polarizing character in general, I think. People seem to either really love him or really hate him.

Generally speaking, I think he's deceptively cunning, but not in a malicious way. He's pretty chill most of the time, but he'll do stuff like manipulate his brothers to get them to do his chores for him. Except for Beel, of course. And really they are a unit. Belphie is always ready to fight for Beel and vice versa. But I also really like how they just quietly support each other. Someone will say oh Belphie fell asleep in this weird place and Beel will immediately be like I'll go get him. Or Belphie will be like we need to make sure we bring food to this thing because Beel will get hungry. Like they're just always thinking about each other and I think that's really sweet.

Belphie will also call people out if he wants to. If he has no reason to keep it to himself, he'll straight up tell you if he thinks you're doing something questionable. And his issues with Diavolo indicate to me that he has a problem with authority, like he would be more defiant if he wasn't also lazy lol.

Inevitably, though, we can't really talk about Belphie without discussing the Lesson 16 Incident. At this point, I think most people are aware of those events, but just in case, I'll put the rest of this under a read more. And also it's kinda lengthy, so be forewarned lol.

First of all, I have to say that I was honestly so confused about what was happening in Lesson 16 that I didn't fully understand that Belphie had killed MC. I had to read it multiple times and then read what other people were saying about it. So I never had an intense reaction to it.

But to be fair, it wasn't like we didn't know there was something weird going on the whole time. I knew it was the youngest brother locked up there and it seemed like it was wrong, so that made Lucifer out to be the bad guy of the situation. Then it turns out that wasn't the case at all.

Belphie is manipulative. That's just part of his character. And when he has something that he's trying to do, he's going to use that skill to get it.

Some people are still mad at Lucifer for locking Belphie up at all. Some people are obviously quite upset that Belphie killed MC.

But here's what I think.

It isn't that black and white. Aside from the confusing time travel shenanigans, this event is one of the most realistic things that has ever happened in the story.

Belphie shared Lilith's love of humans. Together they wanted to learn more about the human world. It would be easy for him to blame himself for her interest and what ultimately led to her death. But even if he didn't, he saw the way that it tore his entire family apart.

It wasn't just that his dad got mad at his sister and they had an argument or something.

It was that his dad was going to end his sister's existence and in defiance, his older brother rebelled. And there was a war. This was not some squabble. This was siblings fighting siblings.

Belphie watched his brothers and sisters fight and hurt and kill each other and it all came back to Lilith falling in love with a human.

And then he fell with his brothers, cast out of his home, losing everything he's ever known. His brothers are changing and suffering just like he is.

They don't talk about it. They clearly all keep secrets regarding it still, things that don't come out until MC comes along. Which is supposedly thousands of years after the fact (at least in OG). That means Belphie has had all that time to let that trauma fester. To let it twist inside him. To let it morph into the one thought that became most dominant: that humans are bad.

Is that a fair assessment of what happened? No, of course not. But we're dealing with a war traumatized fallen angel that clearly hasn't worked through any of these feelings in thousands of years.

And then he defies Diavolo and Lucifer panics.

Yes, Lucifer should have found a better way of handling it. But remember what happened to him when he defied authority? He is trying his best to protect Belphie. He is trying not to lose another sibling. He is also still traumatized and therefore overreacting out of fear.

And so was Belphie.

Imagine being locked up like that and a human comes along. A human is free among your brothers to do whatever terrible things humans do while you're powerless to stop them. Of course he's going to try to manipulate that human into setting him free. Of course he's then going to eliminate them because humans have been historically bad for his family.

I read this situation as Belphie being both afraid and angry that a human - the thing he's convinced himself was the main cause of his sister's death - has become so close to his brothers and has the access to his family that could cause another rift among them.

You could say that it was Belphie's idea to get MC to have all the pacts, but that isn't really true, either. By the time MC meets Belphie, they already have a pact with two of his brothers. He sees them already starting to worm their way into his family. And he knows that the only way to get out of the attic is to encourage it. He doesn't really have a choice.

Maybe everyone can now call me a Belphie apologist. But I'm always coming at this from an outside fictional standpoint. I'm like listen he's a flawed character and it's actually pretty realistic of him to react this way considering the circumstances.

However, he did kill MC. And that's why my own MC, Ciaran, has issues with Belphie for a while. It's also traumatic to have someone kill you, so it isn't like I'm saying MC should just forget about it or forgive Belphie immediately. I think it probably should have taken a lot more time for MC to trust Belphie again. Certainly that part of the story was a bit rushed.

But they're dealing with lesson format constraints and also it's a silly otome game so I guess fully formed character arcs can't be expected. Especially since we aren't dealing with routes and they have to cram everybody into the same set of lessons.

In the end, I think Belphie is an interesting and complex character. I think there's a lot of space to explore more about this particular aspect of him, but due to the format of the media and the lack of routes, his more in depth character arc just doesn't exist.

I personally have no problem with Belphie as a character, but I also understand why people don't like him. I am always of the opinion that everyone is free to love or hate or have any emotions at all about fictional characters lol. This is just my personal opinion.

[pseudonymphomania]

I drew this sketch for someone on Reddit. Someone marry this sus wizard 💍

[melverie]

It's definitely in part jealousy of the brothers' and MC's closeness, but I'd say it's also in large parts due to his upbringing

We've been told that Solomon was born into a world where anyone possessing magical powers would be executed for it, alongside their families. And since his parents were scared of that happening, he spent all his childhood confined to the basement. Everything about his life and the way it played out essentially functioned as a big reminder that there was something so wrong with him that he didn't even deserve to live, and he probably ended up internalizing it, because remember, he was only a child at a time. And so he hid away as he was told to and tried his best to surpress his powers

And then they went haywire. We don't really know what happened other than that his powers caused "tremendous damage and destruction to the human world", but that description already paints a very vivid image on the damage he had caused

(On a side note, while it's not confirmed in any way, I'd say it's fair to assume that that's when Solomon tired to summon Barbatos in order to reverse the damage he has caused after losing control of his powers. We know that Solomon was in an awful state when he summoned Barbatos, Solomon mentions in season 3 how he was absolutely desperate to get his hands on Barbatos power to control time, and Thirteen says that she noticed his soul being dull after he and Barbatos had met. Timeline-wise it adds up)

I'm guessing that's also why he wants to protect humanity so badly. Part of it is because he promised his friend, sure. But there's no way being directly responsible for wiping out everthing you knew and more wasn't an incredibly traumatizing and scarring event to him—especially since he was, again, most likely still a child at that time. In his mind it's probably like a feable attempt at making amends for an incident so grave that he could never possibly make up for it, yet he tries anyway

Which brings me back to why he needs the reassurance. Throuought his entire childhood he was told that there was something wrong with him, that he didn't even deserve to live because it, only to then seemingly prove everyone right by being directly responsible for an immense disaster, caused by his magic inevitably lashing out after being surpressed so long. Whether he even remembers it all or not, it all left with him with scares that we every once in a while get a glimps of, be it by subtly talking himself down (forever thinking about his "Wow, you're even nice to me, huh?" in the OG's Surprise Guest), or by needing reassurance from MC

Solomon constantly asking for your reassurance whenever he engages in anything romantic is due to his insecurity that he isn’t as important to you as the brothers. He needs to know you want to do this, he needs to know you love him.

If you say no he immediately backs off. You have to go out of your way to kiss him. There’s never a dialogue option that leads to a kiss without you explicitly asking for one, unlike some characters.

[impish-ivy]

Do you think the reason Solomon isn’t able to tell that the people around him hate his food is because as he was growing up he perceived disgust as love?

We know he’s being genuine because he acts very shocked and hurt when MC and Asmo tell him the truth. I’ve seen theories that he fakes not being aware because he’s trolling and although that’d be hilarious, it’s not canon.

His friendship with Thirteen would only further to prove this belief. They both care very much about each other but they have more of a cat-mouse relationship. She regularly insults him and he always laughs it off or thanks her for her compliments.

The same way he reacts to complaints about his cooking.

The brother’s close relationship probably doesn’t help either. They’re constantly at each other’s throats but are praised for being close and loving each other so much. So when they speak about how shit his cooking is, he probably thinks they’re just doing their family banter.

And I think they’re all aware of this.

Not of his specific trauma, but that he has some. It’s why they never bother correcting him or refuse to eat his food outright.

It’s why he likes to cook for everyone so much, he feels so loved when everyone complains about his cooking.

This is the dude who canonically loves being scolded by MC, after all.

[elsecrytt]

To be a Demon King

okay, posting for the first time in months with this thought that came to me in the shower.

disclaimer: this is all almost entirely made up, inspired by some nb spoilers. it's just a fun headcanon that would be cool backstory for a certain character.

so:

diavolo's name isn't actually diavolo.

"diavolo" is the name of the throne's heir, whoever that may be.

when he becomes king, he will be "diaval" (or perhaps diablo) - his father's name.

and when a demon king dies - he has no name.

demon kings are instead entombed and remembered by their monuments in the mausoleum.

the only way for a demon king to retain a name after their death is to make such a mark on the world (and its people) so as to gain an epithet; "diaval angelsbane" or such.

both diavolo's grandfather and great-grandfather never did enough to earn an epithet.

diavolo's father was determined, in his war against the celestial realm, not to join them.

diavolo grew up knowing if he did not change the world, he would not even be remembered.

he doesn't really have a name of his own. "diavolo" was his father's name, when his grandfather was still alive, and it was his grandfather's name as a child, too.

from the very beginning, diavolo knew the only way to have any identity of his own would be to have a truly exceptional vision to put into action.

to be remembered for his rule... to be an exceptional demon king.

[luckykittysshowerthoughts]

I’m actually not sure about Michael and Sloth. It definitely makes sense, but there are a few others that also make sense. Main one that comes to mind is Gluttony. This man loves his sweets. He’s way more gluttonous than Thirteen- Luke constantly talks about making sweets for him, and then there's this chat:

Hooooly hell Michael. Maybe chill a little, ok?

I think I get what Raphael meant when he said this.

Man's eating almost as much as Beel. The avatar of gluttony.

I've also considered greed for him. It isn't just sweets that Michael sends his little brothers on long runs for- in the devilgram "Errands for Michael", Raphael was already overwhelmed even before he got to the sweets section of Michael's shopping list.

(this screenshot came AFTER lamenting about all the shopping he's already done)

"Insatiable" whims and desires seems very much like a greed/gluttony thing rather than a sloth thing.

Raphael in general is often seen looking for souvenirs for Michael when he goes places with the rest of the cast, too. It's where that much-memed "shark hat raphael" moment came from.

There's also Michael's "collection" of Lucifer memorabilia. I get that he could just be a sentimental guy, but with his tendency to collect other random crap too I have to wonder how many other "collections" this guy has.

There's definitely a point to be made for sloth, though. Backing up your points, I'd also like to bring up this:

And also him shoving his duties onto Lucifer back when Lucifer was an angel.

Honestly though, whichever of the three it is, one thing is very clear: this is a heeeeeeeella sinful angel. The fact that this is even a substantial and closely-tied argument when it comes to the Celestial Realm's most revered and respected angel says a lot. I find it really interesting how this guy who's supposed to be the best the Celestial Realm has to offer is kind of just a chaotic whirlwind of several different sins.

🧐 What Sins Will The New Side Characters Fall Under? 🧐

So I’ve had these theories floating around in my head for a while and I figure I’ll put it out there before they all become dateable. Here are my thoughts on what primary sin each new character falls under.

Thirteen: I think she will fall under Gluttony. takes MC to the cafe a lot, she mentions she likes being alone on her birthday to have an entire cake to herself, and was delighted when Barbatos made two cakes for her instead of one on a visit to the castle.

Mephistopheles: I want to say Pride because of his affiliation with Diavolo and being a braggy brag about being a noble HOWEVER he is also a strong contender for Envy. He’s clearly jealous of Lucifer’s closeness to Diavolo and also feels threatened by MC’s relationship with him.

Raphael: I was leaning towards Wrath for him, considering he is quick to unleash his spears at those that anger him but we already have an angel associated with Wrath so he may end up being something else. I could see Raphael being associated with Pride only for the fact that it seems he is very responsible and takes pride in his role in the Celestial Realm and being an angel.

Michael: Michael is without a doubt Sloth. He nods off during poetry readings, is known to leave Raphael with his own duties, shares interests with Belphegor, and Raphael has hinted at his laziness. Also, he doesn’t seem to follow through with threats.

[bevy-obeyme]

All asks, requests, headcanons and discussions are OPEN!

Feel free to send asks :3

[arielle-nova]

A Hidden Figure

⊹˚₊‧───────────‧₊˚⊹ ⊹˚₊‧──────

I stated this in a previous post about Michael and his insecurities. I wanted to take a deeper dive into what I mean, and Michael’s character in general.

•The Mysterious Angel

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑ ⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

Michael is a character that has been mentioned since the beginning of the game, yet we haven’t seen him. Not only do I believe that this is intentional, I believe it’s a huge part of who Michael is and what he is like.

We know the basics of what his personality is like:

He loves sweets and Astronomy

He has a good fashion sense

Michael is prone to rambling

He can act childish at times

Tends to think selfishly at times

Is the opposite of Lucifer, visually at least

A bit of a sadist

He likes to collect souvenirs

He can be considered lazy

This is just to name the basics.

Michael hides himself and I believe it’s on purpose. At first, I thought it was just the devs being lazy and not wanting to introduce another character (might be true still). However, with everything that’s happened when Michael is in the picture, it seems to be apart of his character.

I spoke in my first post about Father being the reason for Michael’s insecure behavior, which I believe. Michael hides himself and it seems to be on purpose. I doubt devs would be go out of their way to make Michael hide behind light and another person’s body just for the sake of being too lazy to show him. I feel like that’s just more work for them than actually showing him would be. They wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t a cannon part of his character.

A character that hides himself and has been since the beginning of the game; it’s not simple laziness, it’s insecurity. Michael is a character that not only has insecure behavior, but to an extent, self loathing behavior.

Self Loathing VS. Insecurity

Self loathing and insecure behavior are similar, but two completely different things.

⊹˚₊‧───────────‧₊˚⊹

Self Loathing: Extreme criticism of oneself; a constant belief or feeling of worthlessness, failure, inadequacy, and incompetence.

Insecurity: Uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence.

⊹˚₊‧───────────‧₊˚⊹

While insecure behavior is expressed more as anxiety and uncertainty about oneself, self loathing behavior is essentially self hatred.

Michael is a character that is not only insecure, but arguably has self loathing behavior. This stems from him physically running from problems. However, the thing is, when Michael ran from Raphael, he was in his body. He wasn’t hiding behind someone else, or a blinding light. He was in his own body, facing another person. When he was in his own body, he ran away. He hides himself and even went as far as hiding behind someone else’s body to hide himself. There is no way Michael would be happy with himself. We learn that after the war, he felt immense guilt. If Father has any role in his insecure behavior, that might play a huge factor in his self loathing behavior. He is an insecure character, which is obvious. Never once showing himself, and ultimately running off when he did. This is insecure behavior on the surface. But, if one were to look between the lines, it can be seen as self loathing.

 ‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

Reading Between the Lines

When you delve deeper into each of our interactions with Michael, and what other characters say, his behavior could teeter on the self loathing side of things. This mainly stems from 3 things:

•Hiding himself every time we meet him

• The Ring of Light vs. The Ring of Wisdom

•Physically running away from conflict

If anything, the first and the third have potential to be related to each other. Michael hiding himself might be him avoiding conflict. Maybe conflict with his siblings, or even with God. Which leads to the second idea: Favoritism. God may have been the stepping stone leading to Michael’s self hatred. He favored Lucifer, and even though it’s said Michael is God’s most “loyal” he still favored Lucifer because he was (potentially still is) God’s definition of perfection.

Michael, God’s most loyal angel; the one who doesn’t question his father’s authority . . . isn’t the favorite? Being insanely loyal and devoting your life to someone, only to be pushed aside for your sibling that fell from grace. An entire war broke out, and everything fell on Michael. The blame, anguish, pain, and regret of the battle. The deaths and the loss of siblings had to have taken a toll on Michael as well, not only the demons brothers. Imagine that: choosing between the God you devoted your life to, or the family you love dearly. It’s not an easy decision to make.

The loss of siblings, favoritism, and the blame.

Michael was blamed for the brothers falling from grace. Sure, our focus should be on the brothers and how they dealt with it. But when we meet Angels, they always show remorse and regret of what happened. One major example I can think of is Raphael dreaming of the brothers returning to the Celestial Realm. Raphael, Michael’s closest confidant, wishes they were back in the Celestial Realm. If Raphael wishes that, imagine what Michael wants?

When everything is added together, Michael doesn’t sound like a villain. He sounds like another victim. I wouldn’t be shocked if characters in game also view him as some sort of villain, which would contribute to Self-Loathing behavior in Michael.