Evil Gods
Evil gods are powerful gods that represent the embodiment of destructive forces, chaos, and suffering, often serving as antagonists to benevolent deities and figures of morality in fictional worlds. Fictional evil beings often serve as a critical component to a fictional religion, or, in settings where gods are real, may be a malevolent force attempting to conquer the known world (if they haven’t done so already). In fantasy worlds evil gods and spirits may have cults or entire armies acting in their behalf. Often these beings have rebelled against the other gods and spirits of a pantheon. They are often imprisoned, either by competing gods or by human heroes.
| Synonyms: malevolent forces, nefarious beings |
| Example Mythonyms: the Usurper, the Adversary, Baron Dark |
| Gods |
Designing Fictional Evil Gods
Archetypes
Overview
Evil gods are defined by their opposition to good. They actively undermine concepts like creation, order, and compassion. Their power often manifests in areas associated with suffering, such as disease, war, death, or chaos. Many utilize deception and manipulation to further their goals, exploiting human weaknesses and desires to sow discord and ruin. Worshipers (religious factions or cults) of these dark deities might be expected to perform cruel rituals or offer sacrifices to appease their wrathful gods.
Appearance
Fictional evil gods are depicted in a number of different ways, from unassuming middle-aged humans, to hulking beasts made of horn, smoke, and fire. While these beings may be beautiful (playing into themes of temptation), more often than not they are designed to instill a sense of unease and/or horror.
Unnatural Proportions: Excessively tall, gaunt, or with limbs that stretch and contort.
Malformed Body: Jagged teeth, mismatched features, or a body stitched together from disparate parts.
Decaying Flesh: Skin crawling with insects, oozing sores, or a corpse-like visage.
Multiple Eyes or No Eyes at All: Representing a distorted perception or a complete lack of empathy.
Horns, Claws, and Razor-Sharp Teeth: Evoking primal fear and a connection to the monstrous.
Glowing Red Eyes: Representing malice, rage, and a hunger for destruction.
Bat Wings or Leaping Limbs: Suggesting a predatory and unsettling presence.
Serpent-Like Features: Hissing voices, forked tongues, or a serpentine body for a feeling of deceit and temptation.
Obscured by Shadow: The god’s true form is never fully revealed.
Emanating Smoke or Flames: Black smoke or flickering fire suggest chaos and destruction.
Corrupted Beauty: A once-angelic form twisted and warped by evil.
Shifting Form: The god’s appearance constantly changes, defying comprehension.
Too Many Limbs: An overwhelming number of limbs that move in an unnatural way.
No Discernible Face: A blank void or a swirling mass of tentacles where a face should be.
Powers
Like all fictional gods, evil gods often possess powers far greater than any mere mortal. What those powers are will depend on the fictional world, however most evil gods are depicted as having increased strength, speed, and immortality. Evil gods that reflect a specific domain, such as those representing disease, corruption, lust, fire, etc. often exhibit powers reflecting those traits.
Motivations
While some evil gods wish nothing more than to conquer, destroy, and bring about pain to all, others exhibit more nuance and complexities in their desires. Both simple and complex characterizations serve a purpose in worldbuilding and neither is intrinsically better than the other. Simple evil gods often serve an abstract role that symbolizes a general evil that must be resisted or overcome. They are also often the better choice for simpler worlds, for worlds that highlight the basic struggle between good and evil, and for worlds with a child or family-centered audience. Evil gods with complex motivations can be more useful for exploring more in depth themes and can allow for greater characterization. However this can come at the cost of humanizing an evil god, which can cause problems if the world is better suited for a simpler kind of evil.
Mythological & Religious Context
Many cultures have their own interpretations of evil gods. In Norse mythology, Loki, the cunning trickster god, embodies mischief and occasionally will fulfil the role of an evil god, often causing chaos for the other deities. Egyptian mythology features Set, the god of deserts, storms, and violence, depicted as the murderer of his brother Osiris and a constant threat to order and stability. Buddhist mythology includes Mara, the embodiment of death and temptation, who tempts sentient beings towards ignorance and suffering, hindering their progress towards enlightenment. Christianity features Lucifer, the fallen angel who waged a war against the benevolent god and now acts in opposition by tempting humans to perform malevolent acts.
