One of the most memorable characters inBaldur’s Gate 3is Raphael, son of one of the strongest devils fromDungeons and Dragons. While Raphael is arguably the most formidable enemy in that game, the cambion is far from the strongest devil scheming in the Nine Hells. With the endless Blood War against demons raging, many devils rise above the rest to become paragons of lawful evil.
The status of a devil is measured by how cunning they are, as any denizen of the Hells must rise through the ranks of other damned souls. Depending on the number of souls they’ve collected, a devil can amass enough power to easily go beyond someone like Raphael. Asiconic monsters inD&D, devils are often threatening due to their equal amounts of charismatic charm and brute strength.
10Amnizu
Arrogant Aristocrats With Beguiling Magic
Amnizuare devils depicted as grotesque, bulbous green creatures with four stubby wings growing from their backs. Usually wearing robes of nobility,these creatures are oftentimes stewards to archdevils, commanding their forces and viciously enforcing their laws. Amnizu are ruthless commanders, whose unquestioning loyalty and deep cunning make them extremely dangerous.
The poisonous minds of Amnizu are infectious too, as they can instill a variety of negative influences onto whoever draws their anger. Amnizu can force their enemies to forget where they are, stunning them in place as easy prey. Through an instinctive charm, they can melt the minds of those they target as well, or charm them into attacking their allies.
As master manipulators, Amnizu are exceedingly arrogant, but never enough to be overconfident. The tactical quality of an Amnizu’s mind is highly valued by top-rank devils, even if they constantly seek to move politically to raise their station further.
9Red Abishai
Tiamat’s Most Faithful Fiends
Abishai are chromatic dragon-kin who worship Tiamat, the five-headed dragon goddess who is considered the mother of all green, blue, black, green, and red dragons. Although not technicallydragon types inD&D, Abishai fiends are incredibly varied and powerful devils in the Nine Hells. Among them,Red Abishai are the strongest kind due to how they can wield Tiamat’s blessings directly.
The power of the Dragon Queen is something only Red Abishai can wield, allowing them to charm targets and incite fanaticism to Tiamat in any allies who already follow them.
Tiamat and Asmodeus use Red Abishai to command cults and armies, creating legions of subjugated creatures in their names.The level of leadership and raw power used by Red Abishai to enforce loyalty can command even the strongest devils, rallying forces that would otherwise remain scattered through fear.
8Titivilus
Master Of Trickery And Charm
Some devils are powerful through their strength, but others likeTitivilusonly need their words to sow terror. As the right hand of Dispater, Lord of the second layer of the Nine Hells, Titivilus had planted seeds of paranoia in his master’s mind, slowly making him the only trusted figure to the archdevil.A master of negotiation and twisting words, Titivilus can spin any situationwith his silver tongue.
When forced to fight, Titivilus is an expert in stealth, using spells like Greater Invisibility to vanish from sight.With teleportation and the ability to emanate his voice from anywhere, it’s rare that Titivilus is ever caughtduring a battle. While willing to bargain with mortals, Titivilus would say anything for more power, but make it sound believable enough for unaware adventurers to give him their souls willingly.
7Pit Fiends
Bloodthirsty Commanders That Define Hellish Battle
The absolute strongest type of fiend that isn’t an archdevil is thePit Fiend, the monstrous commander of most armies in the Nine Hells. A Pit Fiend’s prescene alone creates an aura of fear around a battlefield, making enemies hesitate long enough to be slain.The tides of the Blood War are where Pit Fiends thriveas fiery devils who can destroy thousands of foes without breaking a sweat.
One of the most well-known Pit Fiends is Bel, a rival to Zariel in the first layer of the Nine Hells, Avernus. Bel is almost as powerful as an archdevil, and isn’t the only one among his kind to challenge the Hells' rulers for a spot on their thrones.
Pit Fiends are massive, nearly 12-foot-tall war machines with crimson scales and bat-like wings.The colossal size of a Pit Fiend is paired with its mastery over hellfireand its desire to dominate all those who would stand in its way. While not seen to strike deals often, Pit Fiends will occasionally lend their strength to aspiring warlords and conquerors, enjoying the destruction their lended power will cause.
6Prince Levistus
Frozen Ambitions Still Spreading Icebound Evils
Archdevils are the ultimate pillars of each layer of the Nine Hells, but some notable devil lords likePrince Levistusstand out even among these evil rulers. Levistus is known as the great betrayer of the Nine Hells, fooling enemies into duels of honor only to stab them in the back.His tendency to betray made him one of the Hells' most hated devils, earning him a prison made entirely of ice in the realm of Stygia.
The icy tomb of Stygia may have trapped Levistus' body, but his mind still dreams of great ambitions.Levistus controls an impossibly huge network of devoted followers, both in Stygia and on the Material Plane. He is one of the few devils that doesn’t play by the rules of contracts, instead taking immense glee from destroying the deals that hold some pacts together.
The self-proclaimed prince is a master of ice magic that trapped him in Stygia, and a swordsman of unparalleled skill. With a blinding hatred and need for revenge, he will gladly use all of his powers to enact his schemes everywhere, no matter who gets hurt.
5Lady Fierna & Lord Belial
Constant Rivalry Leaves All Souls In Jeopardy
Rivalries are always present in the Nine Hells, butLady FiernaandLord Belialtruly devastate everyone through their constant competition. Lord Belial was once the sole ruler of Phlegethos, the fourth layer of the Hells, until his daughter Fierna was also raised to his station. This was to deliberately create discord within the layer through a complex, vile relationship that punishes innoncent mortals the most.
Fierna and Belial act like lawyers most of the time through their plethora of hellish deals made throughout the dark city of Abriymoch in the Nine Hells. However, their expertise in wielding hellfire together makes them an inseparable pair that would rather burn all their contracts than see anyone else take their role.
Both Fierna and Belial are always seeking to strike deals and create contracts, using cunning language and hidden clauses to fool souls into their possessions.Belial rules over the court that determines how devils are promoted, whileFierna is a purveyor of secrets and rumorsmeant to tear down her father’s work.
4Zariel
Fallen Angel Turned Merciless General
Perhaps the most famous devil isZariel, who is mentioned multiple times by Karlach and Raphael inBG3. Zariel is the commander of Hell’s armies, specifically in Avernus, where the Blood War of demons versus devils takes place. According to legend,Zariel is a fallen angel who once led a group of good warriors into the Hells to cleanse it, only for her to fall from graceamidst the cruelty of Avernus' hellscape.
Beyond just commanding some ofD&D’s deadliest monsters,Zariel herself is a ruthless warrior who uses her angelic heritage and hellish powersin tandem. She yearns for battle, doing everything in her power to conscript others into her endless wars. To fall to Zariel is not to die, but to be subjugated to years of servitude on the battlefield.
3Dispater
Iron Duke Of Punishment
Dispateris the archdevil of Dis, the second layer of Hell where evil souls are punished for eternity. Almost resembling real depictions of a satanic figure,Dispater is described as the Duke of the Iron City, a labyrinthine construction that reflects the paranoid mind of its ruler. Dispater is constantly suspicious of enemy plots to dethrone him, so he stays locked in a massive Iron Tower that overlooks his relam.
The rod of authority that Dispater wields is one of the strongest magical artifacts in the multiverse, capable of commanding even the most resilient creatures if they are deemed an enemy of the archdevil.
From his tower, Dispater plots and schemes like other devils, but with a mind honed with secrets and study. Dispater has a suave charm paired with a mastermind’s intellect, creating patient plots that could take years to develop. A seasoned politician,Dispater works tirelessly to make others do his bidding unwittingly, oftentimes allowing other devils to think they’ve bested him until he pulls the rug from under them.
Dispater has the ability to turn his enemies' flesh into iron, transforming them into a part of his Iron City.Due to his paranoia, Dispater is always ready for a betrayal or broken deal, making him one of the hardest devils to outmaneuver in all the Hells.
2Mephistopheles
Ultimate Hellfire Rebel
Archdevil ruler of the eighth layer of the Nine Hells,Mephistophelesis the second-strongest devil of all, and the creator of hellfire magic. Mephistopheles claims dominion over Cania, a realm of constant cold and relentless ice. Despite this,Mephistopheles used their knowledge as a wizard to create a brand-new type of fire, alongside other powerful and forbidden magics.
Like Dispater, Mephistopheles is a brilliant tactician and strategist, but he is overflowing with ambition driven by envy. The temper of Mephistopheles is barely controlled, leading to one of the most active devils in any realm.Mephistophales understands the politics of the Hells better than anyone, capable of making impossible deals with every type of alliance you could think of.
Raphael inBG3is actually the son of Mephistopheles, which is what likely gives him such abnormal strength for a cambion devil. However, Mephistopholes holds no love for his children, and can be seen consuming Raphael if you defeat him in the House of Hope.
This has led to at least one great rebellion against the true ruler of the Nine Hells, where Mephistopheles convinced several archdevils to join him. While this attempt fails,Mephistopheles is still a projection of pride, whose constant ambitions are marked with furious ragethat threatens to burn down everyone in sight.
1Asmodeus
Don’t Dance With The Devil
Asmodeusis not simply a devil, he may as well be a diety in the larger lore ofD&D. Whereas the other archdevils are devils by nature,Asmodeus is THE devil incarnate, supposedly a creature from the dawn of time. Asmodeus follows all the laws of the Nine Hells, perhaps more so than his peers, but creates plots over thousands of years that are impossible to predict.
While his goals are beyond understanding, many speculate thatAsmodeus' driving goal is to collect all mortal souls by undermining their faith in other gods. As the Overlord of all Nine Hells, Asmodeus demands absolute loyalty from every devil, whose attempts to dethrone him have always been in vain.
As creator of devil contracts and the laws that bind the Hells together, Asmodeus rarely displays anger, keeping an air of tyranny and control without question. If there is one thing you never want to do inDungeons and Dragons, it’s to be on Asmodeus' bad side, as he will spend eons plotting the perfect plan to ruin your life far more than Raphael ever could in a thousand generations.
