The Strongest Demons In Video Game History

Key Takeaways

• Demons in video games range from powerful enemies to beloved protagonists with unique abilities and backstories.
• Characters like Diablo and Samael showcase immense power and deep lore, becoming iconic figures in gaming history.
• From the pride demons in Dragon Age to the Ink Demon in Bendy, demons bring a sinister and powerful presence to the gaming world.

From heart-pumping FPS games to terrifying survival horrors, demons have been a regular fixture in video games for many years. Coming from the depths of hell to corrupt, burn, and kill, demons are the epitome of dark powers made flesh. Throughout the history of video games, demons have come in all shapes, sizes, and shades of chaos. They can be fun antiheroes or challenging boss fights.

While some video game demons are regular enemies, other demonic entities are the most powerful creatures in their unique universes. These characters are some of the most distinctive and loved in gaming history. They are powerful enemies, fun protagonists, and misunderstood villains.

8 Pride Demons

Malicious and Intelligent Monsters

• Appears in: Dragon Age (Series)

The early Dragon Age games were defined by their dark storylines and vibrant world-building. Where mages were seen as ticking time bombs that needed to be tightly controlled. In Dragon Age, demons are real and can easily possess the weak-willed.

Within the world, there are many demon types, each one a specialist preying on an aspect of humanity. From hunger demons, lust demons, greed, or rage demons, these entities feed off negative emotions. The largest and most dangerous of these is the Pride Demon. These are known to be the most insidious, cunning, and cruel of the demon types and are powerful, monstrous creatures when revealed.

7 Demon Prince

The Last Of An Ancient Race

• Appears In: Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City DLC

Throughout the games, the demons of Dark Souls can be seen as a dying race. From the ruined civilization of Lost Izalith in Dark Souls to the fading strength of the Old Demon King in Dark Souls 3. Like many things in the series, the demons are fading along with the First Flame.

However, the last powerful remnants of this race can be found at the end of Dark Souls 3. Found at the bottom of the Dreg Heap on the path to the Ringed City, players will face off against the Demon in Pain & Demon from Below. These two creatures are fast and deadly but hide a secret. Once defeated, they merge to become the Demon Prince. The Demon Prince is the toughest demon boss in Dark Souls and has deadly attacks that can easily kill players. Little is known about this character except he was defeated by Lorian and retreated beneath the earth. While he may be the last of the demons, he still fights with their ferocious strength.

6 Devil Jin

An Undefeated Champion

• Appears in: Tekken (Series)

Jin Kazama is the central protagonist of the Tekken game series. In the lore, he has beaten almost every character in the fighting game franchise, even without his devil powers. Once transformed, he is an unstoppable force that could only be defeated potentially by Devil Kazuya.

Devil Jin is the entity that inhabits the body of Jin Kazama, who inherited the devil gene from his father. The dark-winged demon only emerges when Jin is close to defeat and is powerful both as a playable character and in the lore.

5 Ink Demon

A Sinister Nightmare

• Appears in: Bendy (Series)

The cult horror series Bendy blends dark survival horror with classic cartoon aesthetics. Its main antagonist, the terrifying Ink Demon, is a powerful entity that is the master of the ink world players find themselves in. Throughout the games, the Ink Demon’s powers have changed and grown, as has its intelligence. From teleporting between ink portals in Bendy and the Ink Machine to appearing out of nowhere with only a few seconds’ warning in Bendy and the Dark Revival.

The Ink Demon has infinite power and health. Players can only hide when it appears. It can create ink at will and change its physical form. Of all the video game demons, the Ink Demon may be one of the most sinister and powerful and is much more than a simple ravenous monster.

4 Dante

The Lovable Anti-Hero

• Appears in: Devil May Cry (Series)

Dante has become one of the most beloved characters in video game history and might well be one of the strongest. He is the son of a powerful demon named Sparda, and as a half-demon, he has access to incredible demonic powers. However, Dante has no desire for power, he uses them as a devil hunter, defeating evil wherever he finds it.

Throughout the series, Dante grows in power, taking on more demon abilities as he goes. While he may be only a half-demon, through the games, Dante regularly defeats powerful entities. Essentially undefeated in combat, Dante is one of the most overpowered characters in video game history.

3 Diablo

The Lord of Terror

• Appears in: Diablo (Series)

The namesake of the entire series, Diablo, is one of the Prime Evils, whose domain is the Realm of Terror. The character is one of the main antagonists of Diablo and one of the most powerful. His mastery of fear makes him a dangerous foe, and while he is the youngest of the Prime Evils, Diablo is considered the greatest.

Looking much like the archetypical Satan character, Diablo is one of the great gaming villains and, in his time, has corrupted countless humans. He has returned many times throughout the series and is now considered almost unkillable.

2 Samael

The Heir To Hell

• Ap pears in: Darksiders (Series)

Second only to Lucifer himself, Samael is a demon of immense power. Unlike most demons on this list, he does not act as an antagonist but as a character who helps the player throughout the game. Samael rules from the Red Court but keeps his own counsel. His agenda is a mystery to all but himself.

His origins are shrouded in secrecy, as he is an extremely ancient being. Even in times when his powers were diminished, he was a sought-after ally in the political wars of hell. He has a number of powers, which include time manipulation and conjuring. He is able to gift allies powers such as flight. It is said he is so powerful he could take the throne of hell if he wished.

1 Icon of Sin

The Impending Doom of the World

• Appears in: Doom (Series)

First appearing in Doom 2, the Icon of Sin is one of the toughest boss fights in the entire Doom series. In Doom Eternal, he is the final boss of the base game and is essentially a walking demon tank with thick armor and flame-throwing abilities. It is strong, fast, and durable and only second in power to its maker, the Dark Lord.

With numerous powerful demons in the series, the Icon of Sin stands higher than most. His mere presence can warp reality and cause destruction on a massive scale. When on Earth, this power only grows, which would eventually, if not stopped, rip the dimension apart and bring it to hell. Few demons in gaming history have the power to destroy just by existing in a realm.