Diaval

### Likes

Being a bird, shapeshifting, Aurora, accompanying Maleficent in her journeys, being of help, watching over young Aurora, being other wild animals

### Dislikes

Eating bird, dogs, being trapped, Stefan, Queen Ingrith, soldiers attacking him, Maleficent getting injured

### Powers and abilities

Shapeshifting (with help from Maleficent)

### Status

Alive

 ―Diaval to Maleficent

Diaval is the tritagonist of the 2014 live action Disney film, *Maleficent* and also its 2019 sequel *Maleficent: Mistress of Evil*. He's Maleficent's friend, partner, loyal servant, and pet raven. After being saved by Maleficent in his raven form, he agreed to be her servant and act as her "wings."

He is portrayed by actor Sam Riley.

## Personality

As with Diablo, Diaval shared the latter's loyalty towards Maleficent as her confidante and assistant where in his case, out of gratitude for saving his life from a human farmer. Other than that, it is clear Diaval lacked the former's malice owing to his kinder and considerate personality. His relationships with Maleficent started off a rocky one because of his mistress' bitterness from Stefan's betrayal and clearly saddened upon seeing what she had become. Nevertheless, he continued to serve Maleficent faithfully, and was visibly relieved to see his mistress regained the peace she lost thanks to Aurora.

## Physical Appearance

In human form, Diaval appears as a lean, and a clean cut individual. With a relatively average stature for a human male, Diaval is slightly taller than Maleficent. Whilst his frame is rather small, Diaval's chest and face have markings that are reminiscent of feathers.

In his other animal forms, there is always something birdlike in his features, whether it be a feathers, talons, or a beak. Diaval himself has black slicked back hair, very dark brown eyes, and a fair complexion. Throughout most of the film, Diaval always wears black clothing with an open shirt, a belt, and a matching coat. At the end of the film, however, he can also be seen holding Maleficent's staff and wearing a coat designed with sharp animal skin.

## Origin

### *Maleficent*

Diaval was a raven in the Moors. One day he flew into the Human Kingdom and some man caught him in a net. Maleficent saw it and transformed Diaval into a human. The man, who caught Diaval, became scared and ran away, claiming to have caught a demon. When Diaval sees Maleficent, at first, he is upset, protesting, "What have you done to my beautiful self?" Maleficent retorts that he should be thanking her. In gratitude for her kindness, he dedicates his life to serving her. Diaval became Maleficent's servant, and her "wings" and spy on the kingdom. After telling her about Stefan becoming king, he could only watch as his mistress becomes the most eviliest being in the land and Queen of the Moors.

After Maleficent curses the human princess Aurora as revenge for the betrayal of her father King Stefan, the princess is hidden in a cottage under the protection of three pixies. However, the pixies prove unable to care for the girl and both Diaval and Maleficent start grudgingly caring for her. They both start to gradually care for her, watching over her for the sixteen years of her exile. Sometimes, Diaval would visit Aurora, in his raven form, and play with her. As the years went by, Diaval questioned if Maleficent actually started to care for Aurora.

Eventually, the two decided to bring Aurora to the Moors, where she meets both of them formally a few days before her sixteenth birthday and she recognizes Diaval as the 'pretty bird' who took care of her and rocked her when she was a child. After this meeting, Aurora spends time with both Maleficent and Diaval, who introduce her to the creatures of the Moors. The darkness of Maleficent's early reign starts to fade as the creatures experience fun again with Aurora.

In one instance, she starts a mud fight with some river creatures which ends with Maleficent receiving a speck of mud on her face. Although the creatures cower in dread at Maleficent's displeasure, Diaval is delighted and laughs out loud at his mistress's misfortune. Regaining some of her childish mischief, Maleficent magically conjures a handful of mud into his face.

Their mutual care for Aurora changes the relationship between Diaval and Maleficent, as they go from being merely mistress and servant to true friends. When Aurora meets Prince Phillip, Diaval is delighted and hopeful that this means the curse can be broken by their true love. But Maleficent claims that its impossible; she has already tried to break the curse and she bound it to true love's kiss because she knows there is no such thing. When Diaval disagrees with her, she threatens to turn him into an unflattering new creature, he claims that he no longer cares whether she does.

Unfortunately, the three fairies told of her true origins, Maleficent and the curse, so she went to the castle to be with her father. Realizing that Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, the two took found Phillip, Diaval took the form of a horse, and they raced towards the castle. However, the two were too late and Aurora feel into a forever sleep. Hoping that the true loves kiss will break the curse, Maleficent and Diaval took Prince Phillip to where the sleeping Aurora is. Both Maleficent and Diaval watched as Phillip kissed Aurora, but Aurora didn't wake. After everyone else left, Maleficent and Diaval approached the sleeping Aurora, Maleficent felt guilty for what her hatred has brought to her dear friend. Diaval watched as she gives Aurora a goodbye kiss on the forehead and just before she can walk away a miracle happens, Aurora wakes up.

The three attempted to escape the castle to the Moor, however King Stephan and an army of iron-clad soldiers ambushed them. As the soldiers attacked Maleficent, Diaval tried his best to defend her. Maleficent then turned Diaval into a dragon. Diaval was able to fend off the soldiers for a while, but the soldiers were able to restraint that mighty dragon. Just when the soldiers were about to kill Diaval, Maleficent's wings reattached on her back, and Maleficent rescued Diaval. After Maleficent killed King Stephan, the three returned to the Moor, where both the humans and Fairy creature were at peace with each other.

In the last scene, he witnesses Maleficent crowning Aurora the new queen of both the human and fairy kingdoms and flies happily alongside the reformed fairy, Maleficent.

### *Maleficent: Mistress of Evil*

Diaval overhears Prince Phillip proposing to Aurora. When he relays this to Maleficent, she is not pleased. He attends the banquet alongside Maleficent that Queen Ingrith has invited Aurora too. Due to being able to pass off as a human, he is not amongst the Moors Folk who get taken to the church to get killed. He is able to get into the castle, and help rescue some of the ones trapped. Amidst the fighting with Queen Ingrith's Army, Maleficent transforms him into a bear, and he fights off countless soldiers as a result. In the form of a bear, Diaval frees the fairies trapped inside by destroying the door that is too heavy to be pushed while Maleficent prepares to take out Ingrith for her tyranny.

## Powers & Abilities

* Shapeshifting: Diaval can transform into any animal, however, it is dependent on Maleficent. Diaval has transformed into a human, a wolf, a horse, a dragon, and a bear. However, he only ever transforms at Maleficent's will. She generally keeps him in his human form, as she prefers him to be able to converse with him, as well as offer assistance due to her disability.

## Relationships

### Maleficent

After saving his life, Diaval promises Maleficent he will be her humble servant as a gratitude. Maleficent and Diaval have been together for twenty-one years now. Throughout the years they've become close friends and even after by this time, Diaval has payed his life-debt and Maleficent no longer need "wings."

The book "Heart of the Moors" by Holly Black states that despite this, there's not another place where he would prefer to be instead of the little dysfunctional family that Maleficent and him formed with Aurora.

On the other hand, Maleficent is not oblivious to this peculiar relationship and even treasures it.

## Trivia

* Befitting the fact he is a bird, Diaval takes great pride in his appearance.
* If he needs to speak, he pesters Maleficent so she will change him into a human.
* Diaval is shown to have a disregard towards dogs and wolves, as he was disapproved of Maleficent for turning him into a wolf.
* Diaval is based on Diablo the Raven from the 1959 Disney film; *Sleeping Beauty*. But unlike the that version, Diaval wasn't turned into stone, and Diablo was never friendly towards Aurora, nor had he been turned into a human, a wolf, horse, and dragon by Maleficent in that version.
* Diaval, along with the Good Fairies, are the only characters to have their names changed.
* It can be noted that even when Diaval shifts into many different forms, he still retains some characteristics of his original raven self:
	+ In his human form, his nose is slightly longer and sharper than normal. This mimics his beak.
	+ In his wolf form, his paws appear more like talons.
	+ In his horse form, his mane appears to have the texture of feathers, and his snout is sharper than a regular horse.
	+ In his wyvern form, along with scales, there is a feathery texture along his back.
	+ In his bear form, his nose looks like his beak.

* Sam Riley, who portrays Diaval in the films, believes that Diaval has romantic feelings for Maleficent.