Paimon

"*Why did the boy turn out this way? What could I have done to avoid this whole catastrophe? (Paimon sighs heavily) Maybe I **should** have hit him harder...*"
— Paimon lamenting Stolas' situation.

**King Paimon of the Ars Goetia** is a minor antagonist in *Hazbin Hotel: Journey to the Light.*

He is the overarching antagonist of Stolas' storyline.

The face of Hell's corruption and classism, Paimon is the grand vizier of Lucifer, the king of the Goetia family, and a shapeshifting fallen angel. Regarded as the progenitor of the Ars Goetia, he is the father of the 71 original Goetia demons, including Stolas and Andrealphus. In the past, he aided Lucifer in his attempted takeover of Heaven and all creation, and remains his most devoted servant and advisor, or so he loves to claim.

## Biography

### Background

Paimon was once a shapeshifting angel, fiercely loyal to Lucifer, and a key supporter in the war waged in Heaven. Shortly after Hell's formation, Paimon began the burgeoning Ars Goetia faction, siring a total of 71 children with numerous consorts. This transformation led to the birth of numerous formidable offspring who grew into devoted demons under Lucifer's banner. Over time, Paimon ascended to become one of the most potent and influential beings across the entirety of Hell.

Upon Stolas - Paimon's chosen heir - reaching maturity, Paimon assigned Stolas the responsibilities befitting a Goetia prince. His tasks included leading his demonic legions and studying the celestial realms of Earth, space, and the stars to uncover prophecies. Accompanying these duties, Stolas received his grimoire—an instrument granting access to the mortal realm, endowing him with demonic abilities, and enabling him to share his knowledge with his loyal followers.

In the ensuing months, Stolas dedicated himself to deciphering prophecies within his grimoire. Yet, his initial efforts were met with repeated failures, leading Paimon to heap ridicule and emotional abuse upon him for his shortcomings. Eventually, through persistent determination, Stolas managed to unveil his first prophecy. However, the revelation that his destiny involved an early demise filled him with profound horror. Tearfully, he initially rejected the prediction, deeming his powers a "curse." Paimon's response was a relatively indifferent inconvenience at the thought of potentially losing a son before he had sired an heir to the throne. Swiftly, he resolved his quandary by arranging a betrothal between Stolas and Stella, an avian demon of noble lineage and the sister of Stolas' half-brother, Andrealphus. Predictably, this arrangement did little to assuage Stolas' emotional turmoil.

### Events of *Hazbin Hotel: Journey to the Light*

#### Season 5

In "Extermination Day: Part 1," Paimon visits Stolas' observatory to confront his son. Staring coldly, Stolas listens as Paimon chastises him for not promptly welcoming his "dear old daddy" at the door. When questioned about his purpose being in the observatory, Paimon berates Stolas, deeming him a disappointment to the family. Paimon contends that due to Stolas' actions, he has fallen out of favor with Lucifer (unaware that Lucifer has distanced himself from everyone in general). During the conversation, Paimon's disappointment and anger towards Stolas become evident, stemming from Stolas' squandered potential and his associations with imps, which Paimon derides as inferior individuals. Paimon uses revelation that Charlie is aware of Stolas' illicit dealings to further emphasizes his vulnerability. Paimon underscores the dire consequences of Stolas' perceived opposition to Lucifer, unambiguously implying his willingness to eliminate his own son. Overwhelmed with emotion, Stolas' demeanor shifts, and he confronts Paimon, reflecting on his lack of genuine familial affection and yearning to be esteemed for more than just his political utility or as a trophy of Paimon's "exemplary" parenting. Stolas accuses Paimon of feigning love solely for personal gain. Paimon responds with condescension, insinuating Stolas' insignificance within the family.

In a charged moment, Stolas succumbs to his feelings, unleashing a surge of potent magical energy that disrupts his observatory. This newfound strength accompanies his challenge to his father. Despite his fury, Paimon disregards Stolas' outburst and presents him with a pair of choices: seclusion within the observatory indefinitely or returning to Hell to face legal consequences. Paimon abruptly vanishes from the scene, leaving Stolas shattered amid the wreckage of his observatory.

## Personality

"***Stolas**: Father, why must we do this? All those innocent lives lost-
**Paimon**: (he smacks Stolas in the back of the head) **Innocent**?! They are **humans**, boy! Slaves created to serve the False God and further His corrupt vision. They revoked their own 'innocence' when they rejected Lucifer's light. Their world must be decimated. So no bitching or moaning! Is that understood?
**Stolas**: (he looks down) ...Yes, father.
**Paimon**: (he smacks Stolas across the face) **No hesitation**. You must learn and learn quickly. boy.
**Stolas**: (he simply bows immediately) As you wish, father.
**Paimon**: There's my good boy! Now, be a good little Goetia and kill all those nasty humans in the eastern isles. And don't think for a second I won't take all the credit. Daddy needs a new pair of front-row tickets to Lu Lu World!*"
— Paimon demonstrating his cruel and oppressive ways while tasking a young Stolas with causing destruction over on Earth.

Paimon is one of the most loyal and servile disciples of Lucifer Magne - seemingly to the point of fanaticism - and believes that the purpose of the Ars Goetia should only be serving the King of Hell's every whim. He is a domineering and forthright king who demands that his children and their children maintain a strict adherence to the hierarchy of Hell. In many ways, he is even more corrupt and hierarchical than his master. Like most demon royalty, he detests poor people, humans, and strongly believes in the hierarchy established by Lucifer. He also possesses extraordinary intelligence of the cosmos, time, magical sources, Earth, Heaven, and Hell itself.

In spite of his extensive knowledge, Paimon possesses an overwhelming sense of pride that goes hand in hand with his absentmindedness, indolence, and an astonishing lack of awareness regarding his own shortcomings. He seizes every opportunity to boast about his abilities, or lack thereof, and tends to exaggerate his significance in Lucifer's service. He asserts that executing Lucifer's directives stands as the most paramount task in the Universe. However, in reality, he often delegates the actual work to his subordinate demons, subsequently claiming credit for their accomplishments. This behavior reveals his preference for basking in the limelight rather than effectively managing the responsibilities at hand.

Additionally, Paimon's personal life is marked by a penchant for womanizing. He has engaged in intimate relationships with numerous partners, potentially reaching dozens if not hundreds. These connections are predominantly utilized for the purpose of procreation and expanding the Goetia family, rather than genuine commitment. He establishes these relationships without any true intention of loyalty or emotional connection, treating these women as instruments to achieve his objectives.

Paimon is a misanthrope; he despises humans for "rejecting Lucifer's light" and being created by God, and values their deaths and any destruction of their planet, Earth. He frequently tasked Stolas with wiping out populations of humans, agitating global warming, and causing acts of destruction on Earth all so he could take the credit for his son's work so that Lucifer would praise Paimon alone and reward him with front-row seats to Lu Lu World.

Paimon is so caught up in himself that he often behaves distant, uncaring, and neglectful towards his family; he treats his children, or at least Stolas, with apathy and is incredibly inconsiderate towards them, with the tendency to forget their names and only putting in the effort of being a parent when he is conditioning them for the duties of a Goetia and expanding their family's influence. However, his treatment of his children does not seem to be out of malice as he appears to genuinely believe that he is a good parent and does not even realize (or simply doesn't care) how unhappy his children are, at one point boasting his skills at "daddying".

A common trait among Hell's nobility, Paimon looks down upon the poor and impoverished, refusing to even attend a circus personally with his son as he did not want to be in the presence of commoners. He also views poor people as little more than property which he can buy and use to serve his needs.

## Appearance

Paimon is a tall, horned owl demon covered with black and brown feathers all over his body, sans his arms and legs, with a crown of larger feathers pointing upwards to resemble horns. He has glowing red eyes with white pupils, and has a white face with red markings.

He wears high-collar cloak that covers his body, with a pale maroon upper section and gold trimmings. When opened, the cloak is shown to have a starry design, resembling space, similar to Stolas' attire he wore at Ozzie's. On his head is a golden crown decorated with a golden Goetic symbol and star ornaments on the points on top. He wears a brown vest with gold buttons, a white undershirt, a white neckerchief, and long, black gauntlets.

## Powers and Abilities

### Unique Powers

* **Angelic Power**: Being a Goetia King and ancient fallen angel, Paimon is a phenomenally powerful being, standing out even among Hell's nobles and upper crust. Due in no small part to his angelic heritage, he is far more powerful than most of the Ars Goetia. He can assume virtually any form he desires - being a shapeshifter -, can leave massive craters in the ground simply by teleporting, and possesses the ability to manipulate the very cosmos and conjure spacial anomalies through the use of magical grimoires.
	+ **Clairvoyance**: Paimon can see, speak, and apparently smell through a magic mirror which can be carried around by his servants for his dealings.
	+ **Cosmic Manipulation**: Using a grimoire, Paimon can manipulate and control cosmic elements to his whim, allowing him to create and summon spacial anomalies such as blackholes. This also allows him to summon and manipulate stars into intricate motions, as well as destroy and create asteroids and planets with little effort. While giving Stolas his grimoire, he used his power to summon numerous stars.
	+ **Flight**: In all of his forms, Paimon can ascend through the air with ease, and can also travel through space.
	+ **Omnifarious**: As a shapeshifter, Paimon can take the form of any creature or object he desires, among them being demonic creatures such as a goat, a four-headed snake, an elephant, and a flying eyeball. While shapeshifting, he appears as a wisp of darkness with a star pattern. It is implied that his owl form is not his true form.
	+ **Reality Warping**: Paimon can warp the environment around him simply by shapeshifting, warping nearby objects and distorting physical compositions.
	+ **Sonic Scream**: Paimon can produce shockwaves, earthquakes, and hurricane-force winds just by screaming.
	+ **Summoning**: Paimon can summon grimoires, either producing them using magic or even summoning them from stars. He can also summon shooting stars.
	+ **Teleportation**: Paimon is capable of teleporting by enveloping himself in hellfire, often leaving behind a gigantic crater and explosion while doing so.

### Abilities

* **Intellect**: Paimon is extremely skilled in Universe's knowledge and overall a very intelligent being, as well as history of Hell, Earth and Cosmo overall. He is also skilled in geography, science and maths.

## Relationships

### Family

#### Stolas

Stolas is one of Paimon's many children. Paimon is shown to be a generally neglectful, apathetic, and uncaring parent to Stolas, having to be reminded of what his name was by a servant. He also has no regard for Stolas' autonomy as he was willing to put his son in an arranged marriage with Stella, even when his son clearly was not willing. He often employs emotionally abusive tendencies on his son, bluntly swearing at him to get him to stop crying. Paimon reacted to Stolas' death prophecy as if it was a small fork in the road and when his young son started crying upon reading the prophecy, Paimon arranged him to marry Stella in some attempt to cheer him up and preserve his legacy, which only made Stolas more upset.

In Season 5, "A Complete Shitshow", during Stolas' meeting with Lucifer, the latter casually mentions that Paimon hates him. It's unknown if this is actually true or just to spite the Owl demon.

### Allies

#### Lucifer Magne

Lucifer Magne is Paimon's master. He assisted the archangel in overthrowing God and even partook in the War in Heaven. After Lucifer and all of his followers were banished from Heaven, including Paimon, Lucifer still saw some use in Paimon, due to his angelic power being kept, unlike Koatal's. From then on, Paimon was appointed by Lucifer as his vizier, while Paimon tries all of his best to get the fallen archangel's attention.

It is heavily implied that he has a crush on Lucifer as he mentioned Lucifer's name in a seductive tone when he was educating young Stolas on his future responsibilities and the purpose of their family.

## Quotes

### Season 5

"***Paimon**: You disobedient, fucking waste! You had it all; My wisdom, EVERYTHING you could ask for, and yet you threw all of your potential away from some filthy vermin imp! You've disgraced not just the Goetia lineage, but Hell's entire upper-crust! Even Princess Charlotte couldn't bare your stench of failure. And now... you stand alone. Remember son, any treasonous fool vile enough to threaten His Majesty will suffer a demise that would chill the Sins themselves...
**Stolas**: I 'had it all'? What about your love?! ANY familial love?! (his power flares) Love and the feeling of being wanted as a demon and son rather than an heir and puppet is ALL I EVER CRAVED!!! ...And now that I'm doing things out of my own autonomy, you no longer pretend to love me just so you can brag about it to your associates.
**Paimon**: (he chuckles) Ah... yes. Reflect on how insignificant you must be for your own household not to love you. Even a little.*"
— Paimon scolding Stolas in their final confrontation.

## Trivia

* While his appearance differs from his description in *The Lesser Key of Solomon*, the camel he is said to ride is referenced in his insignia.
* In *The Lesser Key of Solomon*, Paimon is depicted as being one of the most loyal servants of the fallen angel, Lucifer, hence his relationship with Lucifer in the series.
* According to Vox, Paimon is "thirsty" for Lucifer, implying that his loyalty to Lucifer could be out of some unspoken lust he has for the King of Hell. Though, seeing as how Vox said this as a joke on *Voxtalk*, it could have simply been a joke at Paimon's expense.