Here are some thoughts on the Speaker of God's design. This post will be shorter and less elaborated than my usual sinful design ones because the character has just appeared and there is not much to comment. That said... how could I resist talking about this Queen?
According to a recent interview, the Speaker of God is the closest the Hellaverse will have to God. She represents God, but she also isn't. This is a way to handle God that I personally like, especially because (either willingly or unwillingly) this character has some similarities with both the Holy Spirit and the Word of God as manifestations of the deity. These elements are present in her design, as well.
A LAYERED ANGEL
The Speaker's looks are built on layers. She has six wings like the Seraphims, but when she is not flying she usually has only one pair open, while the others are closed and appear as a part of her dress. In general, her clothes seem to be made of feathers themselves and are similarly layered. There are shirt-like feathers, skirt-like feathers and an additional layer that resembles a tail. In short, this angel is a mix of different colored feathers that hide what's underneath. Just like her existence and connection with God are difficult to grasp.
A HOLY PHOENIX
The Speaker's animal motif is that of a phoenix, as highlighted by her bird-like face and warm colors. This is poignant for three reasons:
Phoenixes are legendary creatures, which immediately puts her above the other angels, who are inspired by real-life birds (owls, swans, ducks, pigeons, etc.)
Phoenixes are famous for being immortal and going through cycles of death and rebirth; this ties nicely with the Christian symbolism of Jesus's death and resurrection. Moreover, who is gonna bet that in the series's darkest moment the Speaker will apparently die only to pop back to life at the very end?
Phoenixes are associated with fire, which is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit aka a manifestation of God, which conveys knowledge and the Word of God. So, it has a similar function to the Speaker of God herself (even if it is OBVIOUSLY more layered and complicated than a fictional character LOL)
WORD OF GOD
The Speaker is meant to convey God's will. So, in a sense, she herself is the embodiment of the Word of God. This is why my favorite detail of her design are her three tails:
She has three tails that seem made of paper and resemble three scrolls. This can be seen as:
an allusion to the holy trinity
a metaphor for the three books of the Bible (Old Testament, Gospel and New Testament)
a generic imagery used to convey the Speaker is in fact God's Word since she speaks for the deity
SUNLIGHT VS DARK CLOUDS
Finally, the Speaker is associated with the sun:
She is mostly golden and her hair seems to be made of pure light, since it floats around:
The Speaker's sun motif is pretty obvious in the song Sera's Confession, where she tries to guide Sera towards her inner light:
Speaker of God: You're looking for light
Only you can ignite
In general, the whole song plays with light/shadow and sun/clouds-eclipse dichotomies.
The Speaker points Sera towards the light and the sun:
But Sera's inner shadows aka her fears and untamed emotions cloud her judgement. This is why clouds come to cover the sun:
And an eclipse starts with the orb going from light to darkness:
Even as Sera faces her inner darkness, though, the Speaker is still there in the form of pure light:
But Sera is too scared to see it as Hell's Moon eclipses Heaven and its shadow covers her face:
Sera is blind to the point that even as the Speaker of God shines over her and tells her what to do (Look Inside / You can't hide / You must bear the cross bestowed upon you), Sera is still engulfed by shadows:
Which makes it pretty probable Sera will soon be tempted to listen to Lute, who represents a part of herself:
It is not by chance that Sera's two reflections here are the Speaker and Lute, as they are messengers of two different "gods" and philosophies. The Speaker is God's messenger, whereas Lute is Adam's (the Golden Calf and Fake God). This is why Lute's song contrasts the Speaker's.
If the Speaker is light, Lute is shadow:
If the Speaker is sun, Lute is clouds:
If the Speaker tries to bring light and inner clarity, Lute is engulfed by her own inner shadows and confused feelings:
And she aims to cause a storm:
Lute & Adam: Storm's comin'
I can see the clouds
No runnin's gonna save you now!
And hard rain is gonna fall down like gravity
Like gravity!
Which is why in Gravity Lute destroys the glass-ceiling, which is decorated with a sun:
She metaphorically makes "hard rain fall":
GOOD AND EVIL
In conclusion, the Speaker of God is so far a great character with a rich thematic meaning that ties her to the heart of the story. She tries to convey to Sera the main message of the series:
Speaker of God: You speak of choices
Made by other voices
You can only atone (Sera: Tell me how to atone)
Once you speak with your own
Good and Evil are not simple to distinguish and are not written on paper. One must struggle with these ideas and come up with their own answer to their ethical and existential problems.
Here comes a quick post about another design detail that I noticed in Hazbin Hotel (and to a lesser extent in Helluva Boss). That is portals!
The ability to think up portals seems to be an ability shared by high ranking angels and demons alike. As per usual, the way the portals appear tells us something about the characters.
HEAVEN
Generic Heaven Portal
This portal opens up for Charlie and Vaggi in Welcome to Heaven. It appears like a golden circle on fire. It is fun 'cause it loosely resembles a circus fire hoop, which fits Charlie.
Cherubs' Portals
Cherubs can materialize portals to move between Heaven and Earth. These portals look like circles made of shining clouds, which fits the Cherubs' pastel aesthetic.
Lucifer's Portal
Lucifer's portal is a sparkly ring made of light and little stars, which ties with the King of Hell's celestial theme. He is the "Morningstar", after all.
In general, Lucifer has a double elemental motif.
Light, which ties him to Heaven, angels and dreams:
Fire, which ties him to Hell, demons and sin:
This double elemental motif pops up everywhere, even Lucifer's teleportation ability.
Emily's Portal
Emily's portal is made of bubbles! This check, as Emily's character is commented by the motif of "bubbles" in multiple ways:
She has a bubbling personality
She is "holy water" to Charlie's "hellfire"
She is "the girl in the bubble" in the sense she is sheltered
She sings bubblegum pop :P aka what Welcome to Heaven and Like You are deep down
Sera's Portal
Sera's portal is interesting because it is a mix of Lucifer's and Emily's:
Like Lucifer's, it is made of light and sparkles
Like Emily's, it has bubbles and seems made of water
It's too soon to say, but it would be interesting if Sera's elemental motif commented her foiling with both Lucifer and Emily. In particular, she could be light and water in juxtaposition with Lucifer (light and fire). This would make the two older Seraphims complementary just like Emily and Charlie.
The Exorcists' Portal
In season 1 the Exorcists move between Heaven and Hell through portals that are made of two circles decorated with rays:
Season 2 has the same portals return:
Now, it is not clear if these portals are:
Typical of the Exorcists or of the Archangels
Specific to Adam and Abel
Whatever the case, they are clearly meant to be linked to the Exorcists' army since they are associated to them. They could also highlight the similarity of powers between Adam and Abel.
Season 1 VS Season 2
Let me highlight that in season 1 the portals are circles that let the final destination be visible. In season 2 instead they are made of energy and hide the final destination.
This change is probably an animation/aesthetic choice. That said, it is fun to think it is a result of Sera putting Heaven under lock-down.
HELL
Asmodean Crystal Portals
Asmodean Crystals let demons move through places and dimensions. The portals they create resemble... well... crystals :P
The Book's Portals
When Loona and the Imps use the book to teleport, the portals appear as generic red rings of fire. I guess these are default portals.
Stolas and Via's Portals
Father and daughter's portals are similar, since they appear made of "dark matter"/"space matter". This fits the family space motif. At the same time, Stolas's portal appears lighter, while Octavia's is darker. This might mirror their respective personalities, as Stolas is more outgoing, while Octavia is in her emo phase :P
I will add that Octavia seems to have inherited both her father's space powers:
And her uncle's ice powers:
So, it is possible she may be able to create portals made of ice. In general, it would be interesting to see how her two elemental motifs comment her story.
After all, in Sinsmas she uses:
Her space powers to protect Stolas
Her ice powers to cut Stolas off
I would not be surprised if her two elements were used to comment Octavia's inner conflict and the influence of both her mother/uncle and her father.
Asmodeus's Portal
Probably all Sins and Higher Demons can manifest portals. However, Ozzie is especially linked to them. After all the crystals that let demons teleport are called "Asmodean". So, it is not surprising Ozzie uses this power often. His portals are obviously made of fire whose flames are shaped like little hearts.
Design Details in Hazbin Hotel: Mirror Mirror on the Wall
"It's a Deal" starts with both Charlie and Alastor in front of a mirror. This parallel:
Sets up Charlie and Alastor's respective conflicts in 2x4
Tells us something about who they are
TOMATO IN THE MIRROR
The Princess of Hell and the Radio Demon look in the mirror and don't like what they see:
Charlie has had her public image slandered by the Vees. She can't accept she may be an immature communicator and leader. This is why she sets up an interview with Katie Killjoy, even if it is obviously a bad idea.
Alastor has had his power questioned by Adam. The archangel easily defeated him and even hurt him. This is why Alastor angrily looks at the wound. His is not really a physical problem, but a psychological one. Alastor cultivated an image of invincibility that was destroyed in one single fight.
Charlie and Alastor have both their pride crushed, which is why they act immaturely throughout the episode:
Charlie puts herself into an avoidable bad situation and lets her inner child sing for her, which spectacularly backfires
Alastor goes to Rosie with a childish threat (to leave the Hazbin Hotel); once it fails he comes up with a plan, which is both clever and a huge temper tantrum
Both have concerns about the way they see themselves and are seen by others. They project these struggles outside and make them everyone else's problem. What exactly are these issues? Let's discover them by observing Charlie and Alastor's mirrors.
CHARLIE: A PERFORMATIVE SELF
Charlie's Mirror
Charlie's mirror is framed by a circus tent full of lights, which is fun because:
The circus lights are substitutes for the spotlights typically used for mirrors
The circus motif is a recurring one for Charlie, since she is Lucifer's daughter and the Princess of Hell
Stage curtains opening up on Charlie's mirror speak of Charlie's pressure to over-perform
Charlie thinks of herself as a performer on a stage, that needs to be perfect and to deliver a wonderful show. She must appear capable and in control because people have to think highly of her to compensate Charlie's low self-esteem.
Charlie and Vaggi's Room
Charlie's frail self is well expressed by Charlie's side of the room being full of mirrors:
Like, if you have such a huge collection of mirrors, something tells me you might have self issues :P. Additionally, Charlie's part of the room seems to be more consistently in the light, compared to Vaggi's, which stays mostly in the shadows (even if this could be reaching):
If this detail is wanted, it fits Chaggi's light and shadow motif:
All of this adds to Charlie's characterization. Our girl puts herself in the spotlight to desperately try and be someone worthy of love.
Details About Charlie's Mirror
Charlie's mirror has an eye at its top; this ain't surprising given the series's eye-motif. Still, the eye on the mirror suggests that Charlie is overly sensitive to how others perceive her.
Charlie's mirror is decorated with hearts, which work with Charlie's cutesy character, but also hint at her desperate craving for love; she puts hearts on her reflection to try and love herself.
Charlie has a second smaller mirror on the right side of the shelf. Again, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM GIRL!
Charlie's mirror-shelf is FULL of cosmetics, which is hilarious considering Charlie isn't a super fashionable character; she usually wears the same outfit every day and does not experiment with make-ups or hairstyles, like Velvette does. Here, make-ups and perfumes refer to Charlie's tendency to wear a mask (a persona).
Rosie's Emporium card can be seen on the left; this detail both foreshadows Rosie's role in 2x4 and highlights Rosie's impact on Charlie. Our princess misses her mom and Rosie has acted as a mother-figure when Charlie needed one the most. I am curious to see how this will come back to bite everyone in the ass.
Charlie and Vaggi's Discussion
Chaggi's scene in episode 2x4 uses the mirror symbolism efficiently to show Charlie's state of mind:
Throughout the whole conversation Vaggi is trying to get through to Charlie:
Vaggi: Charlie, babe, I think you need to drop this.
Charlie: Drop what? I'm just trying to clear up the misinformation about the hotel.
Vaggi: There is no point. Those fuckers work for Vox. Katie Killjoy is just gonna do the same thing the Vees did.
However, Charlie ignores her because she is too self-focused. This is perfectly conveyed by the frame of Charlie looking back at Vaggi through her mirror. This happens as Vaggi says this:
Vaggi: Don't feed into this crap. Just stay with me today. And the guests, also the guests.
Vaggi is asking for Charlie's company and wants to shower her with affection to distract her. Still, Charlie is too focused on her public image, so she pushes Vaggi and the Hazbin Hotel away.
Charlie and Fizzarolli
Charlie's mirror symbolism reminds me of Fizzarolli's arc in Mammon's Magnificent Musical.
Fizz collects mirrors, uses make-up to cover his wounds and is obsessed by how others perceive him. Hell, even his mirror is similar to Charlie's since they share the circus motif:
Just like Charlie, Fizz has a lover who is worried about him and tries to persuade him to let go of a clearly toxic obsession. Charlie and Fizz don't listen to their lovers' words, but Vaggi and Ozzie eventually get through with a song:
Vaggi is able to force Charlie outside of her mind - she destroys the fort modeled after a circus tent that Charlie has built
Ozzie is able to act as the mirror Fizz needs - he shows Fizz he loves him as a whole, both strength and weaknesses alike
ALASTOR: A STAGNATING SELF
Alastor's Mirror
Alastor's mirror is a classy old one with an eye decoration, which hints at the Radio Demon tying who he is to how others see him (just like Charlie). Other than this, the looking-glass is characterized by a plant motif, that has two meanings:
1-It connects Alastor to Rosie, whose Cannibal Town is full of roses with black thorns:
2-It calls back to Alastor's old shelter in the forest, where he used to dispose of his victims' bodies and where he eventually died:
Alastor's Room
The influence of Alastor's "house in the woods" is not limited to the mirror, but permeates his whole room.
From what we can see of it, Alastor's room is basically the forest where he died with some parts of his old base materialized here and there. This detail is interesting for two reasons.
1- It shows that Alastor is stuck in his past life and trauma - Alastor can't escape the forest where he used to "hunt":
And where he himself was eventually "hunted":
Alastor is both predator and prey. In order to stop getting exploited, he should stop exploiting others, but he refuses to do so. As a result, he finds himself in a cycle he can't break and hurts himself:
Alastor's cannibalism (of both people and deer) is a way to self-harm masked as a display of power. All in all, Alastor can't really change and is just stagnating in the same toxic dynamics that defined his human life.
2- Alastor creates his room by using his powers - This detail shows Alastor's determination not to depend on others, while highlighting his hypocrisy.
On the one hand Alastor refuses to depend on the Morningstars and especially on Lucifer's power. On the other hand his own powers come from Rosie. In short, he builds his room to show how much "better" than the other residents he is. However, he is really just relying on a different power-source.
At the same time, Alastor's room shows how little integrated he is with the rest of the Hazbin Hotel Crew. After all, his personal style does not match that of the rest of the building.
The best example of this clash is Husk's bar.
In season 1, Husk's bar is magically summoned by Alastor. The Radio Demon teleports a part of a completely different building into the Hazbin Hotel, which makes the bar appear out of place:
In season 2, Husk's bar gets build anew and it is much more integrated in the Hazbin Hotel building:
Sure, Velvette notices that it still has some "clashing themes", but it is much better compared to his previous version. Moreover, Husks's second bar is designed to resemble Husks's personality much more:
The first bar has Husk's slot machine and wings, but Alastor's presence overshadows these details. After all it is difficult not to immediately notice the giant skulls at the top of it.
The second bar has Husk's motifs much more accentuated. The wings are bigger, cat paws decorate the wall above the bottles and card suits are used in the place of the slot machines. This final choice is important because cards are associated both with Husk's gambling addiction (negative) and with his talent as a magician (positive). In other words, Husk's new bar embodies both his flaws and talents, while the old one only represented his ugly parts. Finally, Alastor's influence is toned down. There is a lot of green and some decorations resemble Alastor's antlers, but that is all.
In other words, Husk is integrating with the Hazbin Hotel's crew and is clearly together with them not out of obligation. He chooses to be a part of their small family. The same can't be said about Alastor, who is still keeping secrets and seeing himself as a one-man team.
Details About Alastor's Mirror
There are three objects on Alastor's mirror shelf:
Alastor's microphone, which alludes to his past as a radio host and it ties with his radio motif - it represents both Alasor's persona (filtered voice) and his true self (true voice stolen by Rosie)
Niffty's crown made of cockroaches, which shows that Alastor has the ability to care deeply about other people - it represents Alastor's inner child
Bottles of alcohol, which prove how similar Alastor is to Husk, even if the Radio Demon would never admit it (starting your day with a glass full of alcohol ain't healthy Al :P) - it represents Alastor's shadow
So, Alastor's mirror symbolically showcases the different sides of Alastor's self and links them to the members of the radiotrio. In the end, Niffty and Husk are parts of who Alastor is.
Alastor and Lucifer's Discussion
Alastor and Lucifer's confrontation in 2x4 may not use mirror symbolism directly, but does an excellent job at showing why Alastor and Lucifer are really perfect reflections of each other:
In the frame above, Alastor and Lucifer sit one in front of the other, with complementary mugs themed around the fact they hope the other dies XD. Such losers.
Alastor and Lucifer's conversation is important for both characters.
Alastor
Power and Love
Lucifer: Oh, and I hear you got your ass kicked and ran away when Charlie needed you most.
Lucifer's line above puts salt on Alastor's wound for two reasons. On the one hand it calls out Alastor and Lucifer's difference in power. On the other hand it draws attention to Alastor and Charlie's bond implying Alastor does care for Charlie.
Alastor's defeat in season 1 shocks the Radio Demon both because he discovers to have less power than he thinks and because he realizes he would risk his life out of love for others:
Alastor: This place reeks of death, there's a chill in the air
And I barely escaped being killed by a hair
"Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends"?
Sorry to disappoint... That is not where this ends!
Alastor is so angry about both his weakness and his emotional vulnerability that he equates the two ideas. In one phrase Lucifer hits both topics and humiliates Alastor.
Clean and Dirty
Lucifer: You... should use a coaster.
Alastor: That's it! Fuck this, I quit.
Lucifer reminds Alastor of the rich white people who abused their power against him. Lucifer's line about "using a coaster" ties into this subtext. The implication here is that Alastor is seen as "dirty". It is the same symbolism that we later find in Alastor's flashback:
The irony is that Alastor himself makes use of similar mannerisms and cleans his hand after touching Lucifer in 1x5:
Alastor both despises and envies Lucifer. He despises him because he sees the King of Hell as a symbol of all his struggles to "climb up". He envies him because deep down Alastor wishes to be in Lucifer's place when it comes to power. That is because Alastor sees power as a synonymous of freedom. He wants to be stronger than anyone else, so he does not have to answer to anybody.
Lucifer
Names
Lucifer: Oh! Look who it is interrupting this riveting conversation I was having with... Who are you again?
Angel Dust: Uh, Angel Dust.
Lucifer: Angel Dust! I knew that. You're funny.
Angel Dust: What?
Lucifer hates Alastor, but ironically enough Alastor is basically the only person other than Charlie Lucifer is able to forge some kind of relationship with. One of scorn and rivalry, sure, but still a bond. This is made clear by the fact Alastor's name is the only one Lucifer actually remembers:
This is also why Lucifer is basically lost in his own little world and only animates when Alastor enters the room:
He basically acts as a child trying to show off how well he fits in with the other kids to unnerve the person he can't stand:
Lucifer: It's a sure good thing I showed up, am I right? This guy knows.
Angel Dust: What?
Still, Alastor is really the only one Lucifer is having a true conversation with and once he leaves the King of Hell is left lonely again:
Lucifer: Agh! Oh gahhh- You...
Angel Dust: (laughs; to Cherry) You should've moved in sooner.
Mr Useless
Lucifer: Someone has to actually help out around here, Mr. Useless. What do you actually do here?
Lucifer's line above is about Alastor, but it is true for Lucifer himself. He is Mr Useless, as he has more power than anyone else, but refuses to do anything meaningful with it. "What do you actually do here?" is a question Lucifer should truly ask himself. Both Charlie and Hell are spiraling and he has been doing nothing about it, neither as a father nor a King. In other words, Lucifer takes his own issues and projects them on Alastor (and other Sinners). He himself feels useless, so he needs to prove Alastor is more useless than he is.
Alastor and Lucifer's discussion is meaningful in juxtaposition with Charlie and Vaggi's one.
Vaggi tries to call out Charlie on her behavior, but Charlie fails to listen. Ironically enough, among a ton of insults, Lucifer too manages to point out Alastor's failings:
Alastor: I told you, I'm the host of the hotel.
Lucifer: Huh, I thought that was, uh, I thought that was Charlie's girlfriend's job, because she, my friend, is on it with running this whole hotel... thing.
Here, Lucifer is right as the Radio Demon has been failing as the host of the hotel. If he had assisted Charlie since the beginning of the season Vox would have never gained that much power. Even if Alastor decided to lock in at this point, the situation would still be salvageable. Instead, Alastor lets his hate for Lucifer completely blind him. He decides to make a risky gamble, which almost destroys all of Hell, Lucifer and Alastor himself :P
This is a meta about some design choices made for the angels of the Hellaverse. I am using @hazeleyedotaku's excellent post for reference and I am focusing mostly on two elements:
Wings
Halos
THE SPEAKER OF GOD
WINGS- The Speaker has six wings like the Seraphims. Hers are of two different shades of gold to symbolize her divine nature and her phoenix inspiration. Moreover, she only keeps one pair open, while the other two are wrapped around her body, like a dress. This conveys the idea she is "layered" and difficult to grasp.
HALO- The Speaker's halo has multiple golden rays, which makes it a mix between a crown and the sun. This fits the character, who is the closest angel to God. She is both royalty, hence "the crown", and light, hence "the sun". In general, the Speaker is strongly associated with the brightest heavenly object:
THE ELDERS OF HEAVEN
The Elders of Heaven are six angels mentioned in Overture:
Charlie: Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But he was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world.
It's implied they are the ones who punished Lucifer and their silhouettes appear both in Overture and in Dad Beat Dad. It's too soon to comment on them, but they all have six wings (like Seraphims) and personalized halos. I wonder if together with the Speaker or Sera they are meant to be Heaven's counterpart to the Sins plus Lucifer.
SERAPHIMS = SERA +(ph) EM(im)
WINGS
Seraphims have six bicolor wings. Sera and Emily's are white on the inside and blue on the outside, which fits Heaven color scheme. However, the two sisters do not share the exact same shade of blue:
Sera's blue is lighter, while Emily's is more vibrant. This difference mirrors the sisters' idealism. Sera is older and consumed by the weight of her responsibilities, so she has adopted a cynical viewpoint. Emily is young and naive, but she strongly believes in doing what's right.
Both sisters' wings are avian. This makes the two angels similar to birds. Sera's eyes bring to mind an owl, which suits her association (and struggle) with knowledge. However, Sera's full angelic form is similar to a swan, which fits her foiling with Lucifer (the ugly duckling):
Emily too might be a little swan as an example of a "good Seraphim" (again in juxtaposition with Lucifer). However, her desire to bring peace between Heaven and Hell makes me think of her as a dove. In any case, it may be too soon to say.
HALOS
Seraphims are Heaven Royalty, so Sera and Emily's halos are designed after crowns.
Sera's halo is queen-like with two circles and five rays. It's decorated with blue gems, whose number is not consistent (most likely it's meant to be five).
Emily's halo is princess-like and looks like a tiara. It's decorated with five blue gems designed after water-drops, which fits Emily's elemental motif (she is the holy water to Charlie's hellfire).
Both sisters' halos loosely resemble a recurring divine symbol:
This similarity becomes clearer once we consider Sera and Emily's partial angelic forms:
One eye opens in the middle of both angels' halos while the decorations mimic eyelashes/five smaller eyes. Similar comments can be made for the Seraphim Sisters' angelic forms. For example, let's consider Sera's full angelic form:
Here the halo's five rays grow bigger and become similar to eye-lashes framing an eye.
HIGH RANKING HEAVENBORN ANGELS
Heavenborn angels are meant to foil Hellborn demons. So, there are different kinds with different powers and traits. It's too soon to fully comment on each of them. So, let's just make some superficial considerations.
THRONES
Thrones are multi-eyed wheels or rings. In the Hellaverse, they have a variable number of wings (from four to six to two) and for many of them their rings-like faces seem to count as halos.
DOMINIONS/POWERS
Dominions are described as holding golden staves or orbs. This seems to have been the major inspiration for their (possible) Hellaverse interpretation. The end result is a group of angels with "metallic designs" that include golden wings and halos with sharp and angular lines.
Alternatively, these angels could be Powers, who are described as warrior spirits. They are have weapons and their color scheme makes them similar to archangels aka Heaven's military force. They just seem very soldier-like to me in their appearance.
VIRTUES
Virtues regulate transformation in the natural world (like the change from a seed to a plant). This is why their designs seem inspired by plants and insects. There is no real focus on their wings (I would love if they had a more plant-like or insect-like inspiration, rather than a bird-like one). Their halos are unique in how they use very soft lines, pastel colors and many are inspired by leaves, plants or other elements of the natural world.
POWERS/DOMINIONS
Powers are warrior spirits that appear covered in armors. Some of the angels above seem to be wearing a helmets. Personally, though, I think they could also be Dominions aka angels associated with cosmic governance. These creatures oversee the orderly function of the universe, including planets, stars and seasons. This description could explain why their designs are strongly inspired by stars and heavenly bodies.
Whatever the case, the focus of these angels is clearly astronomy and space. We don't see much of their wings here, but their halos keep the celestial inspiration.
WINNERS
Like Sinners, Winners come in different designs. Many of them acquire animals' traits in their afterlife bodies. These animal-like traits seem to influence the color, shape and numbers of their wings. As for their halos they seem to be fairly simple and anonymous, but some Winners get unique details or colors. Moreover, Emily's words in Like You are interesting:
'Cause no one here is like you
Not one remotely like you
You've got mystique
You're strange and unique
You'll make pals come hither
With every hiss and slither
Evеryone will like you
'Cause no one here is like you
She comments on Sir Pentious's looks, which makes me wonder if animals considered "bad" or "scary" are not very common in Heaven. If so, I wonder if Molly who is a Spider is seen as odd among Winners. (Sure, Emily might just be commenting on Sir Pentious's eccentric personality, but Heaven is so shallow I would not be surprised...)
ARCHANGELS: ADAM + ABEL
WINGS
Archangels seem to have a pair of golden wings with two white/light yellow lines. These decorations are similar to the ones of the Exorcists' wings. As a result, Adam and Abel look loosely like golden pigeons.
What could these two lines symbolize? Maybe it's a sign of Adam and Abel's inherent humanity. No matter how much high they climb, they will never be "fully golden". They will keep some human traits.
Finally, both father and son have the habit to fold their wings, which is uncommon among angels. I wonder if Abel took this tendency by trying to imitate Adam.
HALOS
It seems Archangels get to have unique halos differently from Winners.
Adam's halo looks like... no idea really :P If someone has any suggestions share them please! What's sure is that the two spikes decorating it are unique to him. After all, they even appear in the bracelet Lute supposedly made out of Adam's halo. The bracelet itself is interesting because it perfectly mimics Adam's halo, even if the halo lost both its glow and its crystals after the Archangel's death. So, Lute has either built a perfect imitation or she has managed to "re-activate" Adam's halo.
As many people pointed out, Abel's halo being dented may allude to his death. According to the myth, Cain killed Abel with a stone to his head. Abel's halo might mirror the deep impact the experience had on him.
CHERUBS
Cherubs are Heaven's counterpart of Imps and Hellhounds. They are similar to puttis and look like stuffed animals. They have very simple small wings and simple halos. Overall, they are at the bottom of Heavens' hierarchy and don't seem to have very note-worthy designs.
EXORCISTS
WINGS
Exorcists' wings are black on the outside and white on the inside. Moreover, they have typically two black stripes on their white side. This decoration symbolizes Exorcists' white and black thinking. This is why Vaggi's single stripe hints at the girl's ability to resist indoctrination and at her refusal to fully conform.
Finally, the Exorcists' wings make them look like pigeons. This works on multiple levels:
Pigeons were used to send messages and the yearly exterminations are a message from Heaven to Hell about how useless it is to rebel.
Pigeons are gray, which works for the Exorcists. They are violent warriors, so they can't be pure white like most of the other angels. Moreover, they are the silver to Adam's gold because they are below him.
Angels reference different birds (swans, owls, ducks), so the Exorcists being pigeons might indicate they are not so high in Heaven's "pecking" system. After all, pigeons are not particularly noble birds.
Pigeons, as a species, were artificially made, so it might hint that the same is true for the Exorcists.
HALOS
Exorcists' halos are black and have a sphere floating between two crystals. These halos are similar to Adam's, which fits since the Exorcists are asked to imitate the Archangel. However, there can be two additional meanings:
The halos are loosely similar to eyes. This would fit the Exorcists' "an eye for an eye" philosophy.
The halos resemble a black hole aka a dead star
This imagery is perfect:
The Exorcists are angels abused by Heaven. So, they are dying stars whose inner light is being stolen by the system.
The idea of a "dead star" brings to mind the "Death Star" from Star Wars. The Exorcists themselves are clearly inspired by the Stormtroopes, so it checks.
Black holes are created when a star self-destroys because of its own gravity... Well, guess who is spiraling while singing about "gravity"?
Lute and Adam: The flood's comin', now you can bet on tragedy
Like gravity! (Gravitas)
FALLEN ANGELS: VAGGI + LUCIFER
For angels the fall seems to be synonymous with some kind of transformation.
Vaggi lost both her wings and halo.
Lucifer clearly went through a change, since he acquired a demonic form and lost his halo.
It is still soon to be fully sure of how things work. However, we can make some considerations.
Fallen angels seem to have retractable wings, as both Vaggi and Lucifer can manifest theirs at will. It is unknown if Lucifer went through a similar ordeal as Vaggi, where he lost his wings and had to re-grow them. Whatever the case, this detail makes both characters different from normal angels, whose wings are always present.
Fallen angels might get "replacement halos". Vaggi may find one with time. Lucifer has one thanks to his snake and apple.
In short, fallen angels seem to lose their angelic attributes, but are able to replace them with different ones.
VAGGI
WINGS
Vaggi's wings show her character development.
As an Exorcist, Vaggi has black and white wings. However, hers only have one black stripe. This hints at Vaggi not fully fitting with her sisters. She is able to resist Adam's brainwashing and develops a frail sense of individuality. This is why she is able to empathize with a Sinner and gets discarded.
As a fallen angel, Vaggi has silver wings because she is starting to reconcile her different parts. She is integrating her past as an Exorcist with her present as a Demon. She is realizing the world isn't black and white, but gray. Just like she is. At the same time, she still has her darker stripe. It is just that now it has a much lighter shade, which is similar to the one in her hair. She is slowly growing into herself.
HALO
Vaggi loses her Exorcist halo together with her eye and has yet to find a replacement. However, she always wears her signature ribbon, which could easily become her new "halo". After all, the ribbon is already shown to sometimes mirror Vaggi's emotions. For example, it shapes itself like a pair of horns in "Hello Rosie", when Vaggi gets angry:
More importantly, the ribbon is clearly symbolic of Vaggi's self:
It represents the feminine part (anima) that she was forced to repress as a soldier. When Vaggi was an Exorcist she could not express her feelings or her sensitivity. All these hidden parts are now coming to light in Hell.
It resembles a little moth aka Vaggi's animal. Moths are basically nocturne butterflies and are linked to the cycle of death and rebirth. Vaggi "dies" as an Exorcist, but "is reborn" in Hell as her true self.
Because of all of this, I would not be surprised if Vaggi's ribbon were to turn into a new beautiful halo in a key moment.
LUCIFER
WINGS
Lucifer has six bicolor wings like the Seraphim sisters. However, his are the opposite of theirs.
Sera and Emily's wings are white inside and blue outside.
Lucifer's wings are white outside and red inside.
Basically, Lucifer has an inverted color scheme and complements his white with red, rather than blue. In this way he combines Heaven (white) with Hell (red). This fits the first fallen angel, the first Heavenly creature to turn demonic.
Speaking of wings, Lucifer's full demonic form has a "new" pair of wings appear. The tails of his jacket get decorated with demonic eyes, which make them look like two additional wings. In this way, Lucifer looks similar to an "eight winged angel". In short, Lucifer tries to appear more than what he is. At the same time, it is obvious with a look that the "4th" pair of wings is fake. Just like it is obvious that the Devil is no God. Even the choice of having eyes materialize on Lucifer's clothes rather than his body is interesting. The two Seraphim sisters (Sera especially) have eyes open all over their bodies. However, Lucifer materializes eyes only on his accessories. As if he were trying to imitate the "true" Seraphims, but could not do it. After all, a duckling can not become a swan.
HALO
Lucifer's old halo is still a mystery. The Story of Hell already gives key angels specific halos, even if in a stylized form. However, Lucifer gets nothing, but his signature hat. Of course, this could be because Lucifer's old halo needs to be finalized. Still, it is interesting that our Greatest Showman was already wearing his "big hat". This accessory is pretty important for Lucifer's design because it ties with his Circus Ringmaster allusion. So, I wonder if Lucifer's old halo was the hat or at least a part of it. In a Heaven where high ranking angels' halos look like crowns, Lucifer's one resembling a strange big hat seems fitting for our oddball. A big hat for Lucifer's big dreams. Obviously, Lucifer's old halo could simply be wrapped around his hat, just like his new one.
Lucifer's new halo is made of a golden snake and an apple. They are both references to the Eden Myth aka the event that changed the trajectory of Lucifer's life. They are perfect symbols of Lucifer's new existence in Hell. A reality where he is no Seraphim anymore, but rather the Devil. Speaking of the Devil, Lucifer's halo coupled with his full demonic form resembles the golden calf:
The golden calf is a a symbol coming from a biblical myth, where the Israelites start adoring a golden calf instead of God and are punished for it. Because of this, the idea of "golden calf" is often associated to idolatry. At the same time, calves were important animals in other religions and were often linked to the sun. This is why it is not uncommon for the golden calf to look like a bull with the sun between its horns (sure, it is not the only representation, but it is pretty famous).
Well, Lucifer's full demonic form makes use of this symbolism. In his case, the apple takes the place of the sun. In other words, his "fake" halo makes him look like a "fake god" holding a "fake sun".
It is the perfect imagery for the Devil, especially if we remember the Speaker of God herself is strongly associated to the Sun.
A WHOLE SKY
Angels in the Hellaverse are associated to the sky, the stars and the space. This is why they look like aliens, are full of celestial motifs and are similar to birds. In particular, they can be seen as "heavenly objects" aka "celestial objects". Or at least some key angels are.
The Speaker of God is the Sun
The Exorcists are dead stars
Fallen Angels are fallen stars; in particular Lucifer went from being the brightest star (the Morningstar) to becoming a fallen star (the Devil)
I am curious to see if this motif will be explored more in the upcoming seasons. As for now, these are my thoughts on the angels so far!
I love Chaggi's outfits during the season 2 finale, so I want to analyze them and see what they mean for both girls. As per usual, this post will combine and reference several other posts about both Charlie and Vaggi's designs.
DRESSING UP FOR THE FINALE
Both season 1 and season 2 give Charlie and Vaggi special outfits for their respective finales.
Season 1 gives the girls battle outfits:
Season 2 gives them party outfits:
This difference mirrors the respective conflicts going on.
On the one hand season 1 is about Hell rising against Heaven's exterminations. Peaceful solutions fail and Charlie and Vaggi are forced to fight to the death and to confront their darkest parts while doing it.
On the other hand season 2 is about Hell and Heaven finding a peaceful solution. To prevent a full-out war Charlie and Vaggi need to stay true to who they are, while putting up a performance to defeat Vox in a battle of communication.
In other words, season 1 is about fighting (battle outfit), while Season 2 is about communicating (party outfit).
These different ideas are conveyed by Chaggi's two finale designs, which visually explore three different dichotomies:
Feminine/Masculine
Light/Shadow
Hell/Heaven
BATTLE OUTFITS: INTEGRATING THE SHADOW
Season 1 has Charlie and Vaggi go through a transformation. Specifically, they start integrating their shadows (what they repress).
Charlie embraces her demonic side. She learns to face negative feelings thanks to her conflict with Vaggi. Moreover, in the finale she unlocks her powers, physically wounds Adam and stops him by transforming her arm into a claw. She shows she is capable of strength, when push comes to shove:
Vaggi embraces her angelic heritage. She reveals her past as an exorcist and accepts it. Moreover, in the finale she chooses Charlie's philosophy over Adam's by letting Lute go. She manifests her angelic wings, defends herself and chooses to let her enemy live. She shows she is capable of mercy in a critical moment:
Lute: Do it, then. Correct your mistake.
Vaggie: Seriously, you're pathetic, you know that? Ready to die rather than accepting mercy? No. Live. Live, knowing that you only do because I let you. The failure.
Charlie and Vaggi's developments are visually shown by their battle outfits, which mix the characters' visual motifs up. In other words, the season 1 finale forces Charlie and Vaggi to leave their comfort zones and to change a little. This metamorphosis is conveyed by the girls adopting styles different from their usual ones.
Charlie's battle outfit
Feminine/Masculine: Charlie prefers masculine clothes (her tuxedos), but acts very feminine (focuses on ideals, feelings and songs). However, in the final battle she wears a mini-dress (appears feminine) and kicks ass (acts masculine).
Light/Shadow: Charlie is associated to light - she has light powers, her surname is "Morningstar" and one of her signature colors is gold.
However, in the season 1 finale she is visually linked to the shadow:
Her dress is decorated with a "black heart" which symbolizes Charlie's darkest parts that emerge while fighting.
Charlie's hair, which is usually tied (a sign of self-repression), is let loose as the Princess embraces her strong emotions.
Hell/Heaven: Charlie's signature colors are gold (Heaven) and red and black (Hell). In the final battle she is mostly in red and black aka Hell's colors. Moreover, she eventually discards her angelic shield (Heaven), uses her pitchfork (Hell) and enters her demonic form, which showcases both her horns and tail. She definitely fits her title of "Princess of Hell".
Vaggi's Battle Outfit
Feminine/Masculine: Vaggi looks very feminine (her mini-skirt, ribbon and loose long hair), but acts rather masculine (focuses on facts, actions and fights). Still, in the final battle she chooses an androgynous attire (appears masculine), while fighting defensively and showing mercy to her opponent (acts feminine).
Moreover, Vaggi's battle outfit doesn't give up a girly touch. She keeps her signature ribbon and integrates some pink/red details. This represents Vaggi combining her masculine and feminine parts.
Light/Shadow: Vaggi is associated to shadow - she is linked to the night through her moth-motif, her flashback in 1X6 uses shadow symbolism and her signature color is gray/silver.
However, her battle outfit highlights how she is progressively bringing to light more and more of herself:
In the final battle she wears much white, which is unusual for her. In particular, she has a giant white X on her chest, which symbolizes Vaggi's past as an exorcist coming to light.
In season 1 she usually wears her hair loose to cover her wounded eye and her missing wings. However, in the finale she ties it, so that her new angelic wings can come out in all their beauty. She does not need to cover herself up anymore.
Hell/Heaven: Vaggi's usual outfit combines black, blue and red. In the final battle she reduces the red, eliminates the black and wears a combination of blue and white aka Heaven's colors. Moreover, she fights with her usual angelic spear and uses her angelic wings in the climax. She truly looks like an angel.
In conclusion, Charlie and Vaggi's battle uniforms mirror their complementary arcs:
Charlie needs to go deeper into herself and to discover her shadow
Vaggi needs to open herself up more and to show her darkest side
PARTY OUTFITS: FINDING THE INNER LIGHT
Season 2 challenges the characters' identities, so Charlie and Vaggi do not really change, but they re-affirm who they are:
Vaggi: Shut up, you know that I love you
But you're forgettin' who we are
In a pit that doesn't let sun through
Somehow we managed to see stars
This is why the finale briefly tests them with two short moments, where their current selves are put under attack.
Charlie is told she is nothing like Lilith (Charlie's ideal self):
Vox: Look at you, leading your friends into disaster yet again. You are really bad at this. You are a pale imitation of your mother, and she would be disgusted at the weak, pitiful failure you've become.
Vaggi is almost killed by Lute (Vaggi's dark self):
Lilith and Lute represent obstacles Charlie and Vaggi will need to overcome to fully complete their arcs. However, the point of season 2 is not to force the protagonists to go deeper into their wounds. Rather, it is to see if they can withstand the attack and accept who they currently are. So, Charlie's feelings for Lilith and Vaggi's conflict with Lute are not solved, but they are set up for later. Right now, Charlie and Vaggi surviving and accepting their present selves is enough. It is not a transformation, but an affirmation. It is not about integrating the shadow, but about finding the inner light.
These ideas are shown by Charlie and Vaggi's party outfits. Differently from Chaggi's battle designs, the girls' party clothes do not show integration of the parts they are lacking. They rather confirm who the two girls are as for now. This is why they stick to Charlie and Vaggi's usual visual motifs:
Feminine/Masculine - Charlie appears more masculine and Vaggi more feminine
Light/Shadow - Charlie is associated to the light and Vaggi to the shadow
Hell/Heaven - Both girls integrate imagery of Hell and Heaven, as they usually do
Feminine and Masculine
Charlie's outfit is tomboyish with a feminine streak. She combines practical trousers and a top with an elegant skirt. The end result is a twist on the classical princess style, which fits our girl. She looks like a mix between a business-woman (also thanks to the papillon) and a classy Disney heroine (also thanks to the snake-jewel).
Vaggi's outfit is very feminine. She wears an asymmetrical dress completed with ruffles, a sexy top and long boots. The cherry on top is our angel's signature ribbon used as a belt. She sure wants to look cute! The only hint of masculine and feminine integrating is the combination of colors. The dress is sky-blue, but it has pink details.
In short, Charlie and Vaggi stay true to their usual styles (selves). Charlie does not give up on some masculinity even at a party, while Vaggi goes all out with her feminine taste in fashion. This happens because the girls try to keep their confidence, as they step into a party organized to humiliate them. Charlie and Vaggi try to be their most beautiful selves, no matter what people think.
Light and Shadow
Charlie's default color scheme has both black (the shadow) and gold and white (the light). At the party she has her usual white details, but she wears very little black and much more gold than usual. In short, she emphasizes her connection with "the light" (gold + white) and downplays her link with "the shadow" (black).
Vaggi's usual color scheme has already dark blue and black. However, these two colors are accentuated in her party outfit. She wears a black top, black boots and a dark sky-blue dress. Moreover, the gray/silver in her default design is emphasized by her hairstyle and uncovered skin. All these shades are symbolically linked to "the shadow".
So, Charlie is associated to "the light", while Vaggi to "the shadow", as the story makes clear:
Charlie finds herself in the spotlight, as she is Vox's "guest of honor" and is given a place next to him:
Vox: Everyone, Princess Morningstar. Glad to see you accepted my invitation. Come on up here, where everyone can see you.
Vaggi is instead relegated to the shadows, as she is ignored and quickly dismissed:
Vaggie: Where do I sit?
Vox: Who fucking cares?
At the same time, light and shadow are perfect motifs to describe Chaggi's respective roles in the finale.
On the one hand Charlie acts as the Hazbin Hotel's face. She is tasked with the mission of speaking on a stage in front of the Sinners.
On the other hand Vaggi acts as the Hazbin Hotel's arm. She has to find a way to disarm the Might of Lilith behind the scenes.
Two considerations about this:
1- Charlie and Vaggi in the finale take on roles similar to their usual ones. Throughout the season Charlie has been trying to convey her dream to the Sinners, while Vaggi has been putting in the hard work to keep the hotel going.
2- Charlie and Vaggi both fail their individual missions. Charlie is unable to win the Sinners over with her words, while Vaggi can't destroy the cannon with her actions. By the end, they both need the help of other characters (Emily, Sir Pentious and everyone else) to succeed.
In synthesis, Charlie and Vaggi approach the finale by trying to play to their individual strengths. Charlie is a charismatic idealist, so she should communicate. Vaggi is instead practical and resourceful, so she should eliminate the major obstacle. However, the girls are still not fully developed, which is why they fail. At this stage of their stories, they need the support of everyone else to succeed. Still, they will keep on growing until their potential fully blooms.
Hell and Heaven
Charlie and Vaggi's default designs combine elements of both Hell and Heaven:
Charlie's clothes are red (her tuxedo) and white (her shirt). She has also some black (her tail and nails) and golden (her hair). Obviously red and black are colors linked to Hell, while white and gold are associated to Heaven. All of this makes Charlie a perfect mix of Hell and Heaven, which fits her legacy as half-demon and half-angel.
Vaggi's clothes are blue (heaven) and red (hell). What's more, she has a lot of silver elements (like her hair). Silver/gray is a combination of black (hell) and white (heaven), which fits a fallen angel (aka a heavenly creature turned demonic).
At the same time, Charlie is more prominently linked to Hell (she is the Princess of Hell), while Vaggi to Heaven (she is a fallen angel):
Vaggi: No blow comes close to fatal
For this princess and fallen angel
This is true also for their looks in the season 2 finale:
Charlie's dress is red, but under it she wears golden trousers to symbolize her angelic legacy.
Vaggi's dress is blue, but under it she wears a black top to symbolize her current life in hell.
At the same time, both girls emphasize their connection with Heaven.
On the one hand Charlie wears more gold than usual (her trousers, but also her papillon and her snake). She even uses her angelic shield to fight:
On the other hand Vaggi reduces the red and wears a lot of blue. She even puts two feathers on the top of her head to highlight her angelic origin:
Why this choice? It's because Charlie and Vaggi's objective is to stop the war between Heaven and Hell. So, they use their looks to give a political message by adding many heavenly details. Moreover, they attend the party as an inter-species couple to show that Hell and Heaven can coexist:
Vox: And I see you brought a date, and an angel no less-- bold move. I can respect a statement.
In short, they present as a united front of Hell and Heaven. This unity is conveyed by their hairstyles:
This time around both characters wear their hair in chic updos (it's a party, after all!). Their hairstyles convey two messages:
Charlie and Vaggi are complementary: soft lines/jagged lines (femininity/masculinity), gold/silver (light/shadow), Hell crown/Angelic feathers (Hell/Heaven)
Charlie and Vaggi are a team and on the same side: the girls arrange their hair, so that when they stand next to each other it is styled on the same side
In conclusion, Charlie and Vaggi present themselves as ambassadors of unity, peace and integration of the different.
Let's now focus a little on their individual designs and arcs.
CHARLIE: THE GREATEST SHOW
Charlie's party look is built on symmetry. Her crown, shield, papillon and dress all have symmetric designs. Why is that so? It's to convey that Charlie is a perfect combination of her parents. This is why her attire integrates elements of both Lilith and Lucifer.
Like Lilith, she wears a snake as a jewel and a long and elegant dress:
Like Lucifer, she wears a papillon. Moreover, the decoration on her shoes mimics Lucifer's bow tie in demonic form:
However, this time around Charlie integrates more elements from her dad. She chooses his colors (the red and gold they share by default), looks masculine and even fights with a shield that resembles his seraphim-wings:
In season 1 instead Charlie chooses more feminine clothes, fights with her pitchfork and has her hair fly around in her demonic form:
She does not exactly take after Lilith's sense of fashion, but she looks much more like her mom, especially with her hair down.
This checks as:
Season 1 is about fighting for Hell, so Charlie needs her mother's determination and love for her Kingdom. Moreover, Charlie thinks about Lilith before the fight.
Season 2 is about finding peace with Heaven, so Charlie needs her father's angelic legacy. Moreover, Charlie is also trying to save Lucifer.
At the same time, season 1 has Charlie display her firework magic that she inherited from Lucifer:
Season 2 instead has her showcase her musical magic that she inherited from Lilith:
Interestingly, this also fits as:
The focus of season 1's climax is Lucifer and Charlie's bond, as her father comes to help her and supports her in rebuilding the hotel.
The focus of season 2's climax is Charlie's feelings for Lilith, as she has to overcome Vox's bad imitation of Lilith and Charlie's mother calls her after the fight is over.
So, Lilith and Lucifer keep being symbolically intertwined with Charlie's journey in complementary and yet contradictory ways. This conveys that Charlie's bond with both is key for her arc, but she still doesn't fully know them as people. In short, Charlie sees herself as Lucifer and Lilith's daughter, but she has no idea of who Lucifer and Lilith are. This is why she is not fully sure of who she herself is yet.
In any case, Charlie marches into Vox's party proud of her legacy, which is alluded to in two ways by her party outfit.
1- Charlie's party design references the Eden Myth
The Eden Myth is usually associated to two symbols: the snake and the apple. Charlie wears a snake-like bracelet and a red dress. It is no-one's secret Charlie herself is meant to be Lilith and Lucifer's little apple. So, Charlie's party clothes just reinforce this idea.
2- Charlie's party design has some circus imagery
The buttons on Charlie's finale outfit resemble those of a circus ringmaster's jacket or those of a major band outfit. This isn't a surprise as in Hell circus-imagery is associated with royalty. So, for both of the season finales Charlie wears her crown and an outfit that references the circus (her season 1 dress has similar buttons too). She is the Princess of Hell and when the time demands it she showcases her royal symbols.
So, just like Lucifer is "the whole circus", Charlie is "the greatest show". Her party design highlights this by framing her figure like theatre curtains do to a stage. She is the main attraction, the musical show, the star.
In conclusion, Charlie's party design is a synthesis of her current identity. She is a mix of her parents, she is the apple, she is Lucifer's greatest creation. The choices made for her underline how much Charlie's sense of self is rooted in the myth of her family. She is not just Charlie, but the Princess of Hell. This fits with Charlie needing a role to feel like someone. Even in her everyday life, she chooses to wear a red tuxedo, which is nothing, but her Hotel Manager uniform:
Charlie has value if she can be the perfect daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, Hell's Princess and the Leader of the Hazbin Hotel. She needs a role to fulfill and a part to play.
VAGGI: A PINK RIBBON
Vaggi's party design is very asymmetric. She wears her feathers on her right side and her classy eye-patch on the left. Moreover, her left side is almost entirely covered, while her right side is naked. What does it all mean?
The basic idea is that Vaggi's two sides are coming together.
Vaggi's right uncovered side represents her shadow and her current life in hell. That's why it is black.
Vaggi's left covered side represents her persona and her past life in Heaven. That's why it is blue.
Vaggi is a character that usually hides herself and is slowly showing more of who she is. This is the meaning behind her party design. One uncovered side and one covered side held together by a developing sense of self. That would be her iconic pink ribbon!
Vaggi's ribbon is clearly symbolic of Vaggi herself. It is the accessory Vaggi never goes without no matter the situation. Moreover, its shape loosely resembles a moth aka Vaggi's animal motif. Vaggi herself is a moth. A beautiful night butterfly who is reborn in Hell. A child-soldier who re-discovers her anima (feminine side) thanks to an unlikely love. Vaggi's girly pink ribbon represents all that. This is why here she uses it as a belt to literally "keep herself together".
Vaggi integrating her two sides is conveyed also by the evolution of her spear and by her hairstyle.
1- Spear - Evolution
In season 1 Vaggi's spear is the same she used as an exorcist, so it is linked to her past and abusive environment. Moreover, it is an anonymous two-sided spear:
In season 2 Vaggi's spear is brand new. Moreover, it is personalized (it has a heart decoration on it) and it is a one-sided spear:
As @uniquenachotiger suggested in a comment, Vaggi's spear going from two-sided to one-sided represents how Vaggi stopped fighting herself. She is light (Heaven) and shadow (Hell). She is an exorcist, who is now a demon in Hell. She is both a fighter (animus/masculine traits) and someone who loves deeply (anima/feminine traits). So, her spear is still sharp (animus), but has girly decorations (anima). She does not use a two-sided weapon anymore as she is integrating her two sides in one.
2- Hairstyle Evolution
In season 1 Vaggi lets her hair loose to hide her wounds. In the season 1 finale she ties it for more practicability. In season 2 Vaggi keeps it tied, but her hairstyle is less strict and more feminine than the one she uses during the Exterminations. In particular, Vaggi lets some hair-locks on her right side out from her pony-tail. The end result is far cuter and more girly:
Vaggi's hairstyle in the season 2 finale is just an updo version of her usual one. Her hair is up higher, but the iconic rebel hair-locks on the right side are still there! She unites practicality and femininity.
In short, Vaggi's design in the season 2 finale is that of a person, who is realizing who she is and who she can become. Vaggi is building her own self. This is why we see that she is basically "inventing" her symbology. For example, she chooses to wear angelic feathers on the top of her head to match Charlie's crown. Vaggi might not have a legacy, but she is steadily growing into her own person. She is starting to see herself not as Charlie's knight in shining armor, but as an equal to her. Maybe this is why her top exhibits the iconic circus-like buttons. Vaggi is not royalty, but she is Charlie's partner. So, our Fallen Angel is determined to stand at the Princess of Hell's side no matter the situation.
CHAGGI: CONFLICTING IDENTITY PROBLEMS
Let's conclude this analysis with two considerations.
1- Charlie has definitely grown less than Vaggi. This is not surprising as Charlie's arc is supposed to be the heart of the story. I am expecting the next couple of seasons to greatly focus on her, so that we can go deeper into who the Princess of Hell truly is. At the same time, Vaggi herself will continue her development and unpack more of her trauma.
2- Charlie and Vaggi have identity problems, but they are opposites.
On the one hand Charlie is defined by her legacy. She doesn't know who she is outside of being Charlie Morningstar, the daughter of the King and Queen of Hell. This is why Charlie's arc is about struggling with the good sides and the bad sides of her parents. She needs to better understand them, so that she can realize who she is outside of them.
On the other hand Vaggi is defined by her abusive past. She has been brought up in an environment that stripped away any sign of an individual identity. She was asked to conform, she failed and was discarded. This is why Vaggi's arc is about inventing herself as someone new. It is about discovering who she is now that she is given the chance to be somebody.
This difference is imo perfectly conveyed by Chaggi's official Valentine card:
Charlie's side of the card is decorated with the symbols of Charlie's family: an apple and two snakes. Vaggi's side of the card is instead decorated with Vaggi's own symbol: a pink ribbon.
Here comes a post about some details I noticed about Charlie's design, specifically her powers and weapons and how they are built on duality.
FIRE AND LIGHT
Our Princess of Hell is associated to two elements.
Fire:
Light:
This makes her similar to her dad:
However, Lucifer's demonic and angelic sides are thematically at odds with each other.
Lucifer's light is associated to his angelic qualities and the dreams he needs to rediscover:
Lucifer's fire instead symbolizes his demonic side, his loss of hope and the birth of his apathy:
When it comes to Charlie, our girl's demonic and angelic sides are instead two parts of her legacy she needs to fully integrate. This is confirmed also by her weapons of choice.
TRIDENT AND SHIELD
Charlie has so far exhibited two weapons.
A trident:
A shield:
Both sport the main symbols of the Morningstars: an apple and a snake. These motifs are shared by all three Morningstars.
Lucifer wears both a snake and an apple, which together become his halo in full demonic form.
Lilith is shown eating apples and wearing snake jewelry on her leg.
Despite the similar decorations, Charlie's weapons are complete opposites both in function and in symbology:
Charlie's trident is an offensive weapon, which is linked to her demonic side since tridents are associated with the devil
Charlie's shield is a defensive weapon, which is linked to her angelic side since it is decorated with six angelic wings
Even if the weapons do not appear often, they still give us important information character-wise and thematically-wise.
Character-wise, the way Charlie uses them mirrors her pacifist personality. She clearly favors her shield (defensive) over her trident (offensive). She starts the exterminations by using her shield and only deploys the trident the moment Sir Pentious dies. Even in season 2 she only uses her shield during the finale, which also makes sense as she is trying to save people and not to fight. In any case, I think Charlie's first weapon of choice is her shield. I think this fits her and ties with one of the main points of her arc, which is to better integrate her aggressive part.
Thematically-wise, the importance of Charlie's weapons in the two finales mirrors the seasons' respective conflicts.
On the one hand season 1 is about Hell rising against Heaven's exterminations. Charlie tries to find a peaceful solution, but when everything else fails, she is forced to step up and fight. In this context she accesses her full powers and uses the offensive weapon, which is most linked to her demonic legacy. Charlie has to use violence to survive and protect her Kingdom and her dream. Coherently, victory comes when Charlie protects Lucifer by transforming her arm into a demonic claw to stop Adam.
On the other hand season 2 is about Hell and Heaven finding a peaceful solution, which would prevent full-out war. Charlie has to stay true to herself and her peaceful ideals in a world, which grows more and more hostile. In this context she saves sinners by using her shield, which has angelic decorations on it. Charlie in this way sends a peaceful message and makes a statement about her alliance with those angels, like Emily and Vaggi, who want to help Hell. Coherently, victory comes when Charlie joins forces with everyone to create a barrier and dissolve Vox's cannon in a rainbow.
In short, season 1 is about fighting, while season 2 is about preventing a fight. Charlie's main weapon of the season ties into these two objectives.
At the same time, obviously Charlie's weapons represent her double legacy. She is the daughter of a demon (Lilith) and an angel (Lucifer) and she will probably need to unpack and solve her parents' complex legacy. It is too soon to comment on Lilith and Lucifer's respective influence. However, we can already see Charlie has inherited a little of both by looking at her powers.
SONGS AND CIRCUS
Lilith and Lucifer's' main motifs and powers are introduced in the Story of Hell:
Charlie Morningstar: But Lilith thrived, empowering demonkind with her voice and songs.
Charlie Morningstar: Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for All of creation.
Lilith is said to use her voice to empower sinners and her powers might mirror this talent of hers by resembling musical notes.
Lucifer is said to be a creative dreamer and this trait is mirrored by his circus motif. We see this when he conjures a pocket dimension designed after a circus-tent:
And even in his "show" to intimidate Vox, he combines both his elemental powers (light + fire) with some fire-works:
In short, Lilith and Lucifer are linked respectively to singing (empowering voice) and to the circus (big dreams). Charlie has somehow inherited both of her parents' attitudes. On the one hand she wants to inspire sinners through her voice. On the other hand she has a big lofty dream she wants to realize. She is a synthesis of her parents, which is highlighted also by the motifs linked to her magic.
Her default powers manifest through musical notes:
And fireworks:
This is something present since the pilot:
And it gets confirmed also in episode 5, when she tries to contact Emily:
So, Charlie's magic is really a mix of Lilith and Lucifer, just like she is. It will be interesting to see her struggle with these different parts of herself going forward.
Probably people have already discussed it, but I love that in the season 2 finale Velvette and Valentino wear matching outfits.
Obviously Velvette wears a fur coat very similar to Val's and she wears a witch hat to match Val's usual red hat:
Still, it is more than that. Valentino and Velvette truly have an almost identical mise:
Both wear a black mini-dress with a golden belt stylized after a devil's tail, a golden V-neckline/V-necklace and have little golden heart-shaped decorations on their black boots.
This is in stark contrast with Vox's party outfit, that doesn't match:
This is cool as it shows:
1- Velvette and Valentino are so full of Vox's shit they basically decide to be a united front and highlight this even through their outfits.
2- Velvette probably decides to match Valentino's style as a sign of support. After all, the whole outfit fits Valentino's usual style (coat fur plus black mini-dress decorated with golden hearts) more than Velvette's (who wears many different styles). Velvette is shown to be sensitive to Val's struggle over Vox and she tries to mediate between her two boys. I would not be surprised if the fashion designer uses fashion as a love language tbh. For her to dress similarly to Val might have been the highest sign of affection possible.
This detail brings to mind something I have been thinking for a while when it comes to the Vees, medias and art. So, here I have written how the three Vees might be trying to imitate three Sins (Vox - Lucifer, Valentino- Asmodeus and Velvette-Leviathan). However, they ironically end up resembling Mammon much more than their chosen Sin (Velvette here is the exception, but we know less about her than we do the others). This fits the Vees' role in Hell's "entertainment hierarchy".
Long story short, there is an entertainment motif going on with Hazbin Hotel that comments themes and characters. When it comes to the Overlords, here comes a summary:
In a late-2025 interview, Vivziepop explained that in one of her earliest versions of Hazbin Hotel, she made each of the Overlords to represent a different kind of media or art form, and each have a vague theme. However, Vivziepop says that as the characters began to play different roles, she team didn't want to label each one.
Here is a list of the major Overlords and their art-motifs:
Carmilla - dance, specifically ballet (confirmed)
Zestial - some people proposed literature and I love it for him
Zeezi - hip hop + grunge (confirmed)
Maestro - classical music + opera (confirmed)
Prick and Hatchet - I head-canon them as respectively western and something like punk or goth music. I see them as relatively minor Overlords, so I think they allude more to sub-genres than anything else
Vox - medias in general, with a focus on TV, as he is the Media Overlord (confirmed)
Valentino - the film industry (confirmed)
Velvette - social media (confirmed)
Alastor - radio (confirmed)
Rosie - musical theatre (my head-canon)
It is interesting to notice a difference between the other Overlords, especially the oldest ones (like Carmilla and Zestial), and the Vees:
The "old guard" alludes to "arts"
The Vees, who are younger Overlords, allude to "medias"
Obviously every media can become "art", but in the context of the Vees I like to think they allude to medias because they are mostly exploitative, rather than artistic. Their modus operandi is to prey on people and to steal their talents (see Angel or the Overexposed Sinner). After all, they represent the showbusiness industry at its worst.
So, the Vees represent medias over arts. They are meant to symbolize an idea of entertainment, which is cheap and superficial. This is why they are linked to medias rather than arts. Still, especially Valentino and Velvette are shown to have artistic talents:
Valentino is a great artist and he draws and paints. I think it is not by chance most of his works focus on Vox aka the person he is clearly in love with.
Velvette is a great fashion designer, is shown to design her own outfits and those of her colleagues.
I am curious to see if these "secondary art" will comment Valentino and Velvette's arcs in any meaningful way.
Here comes a quick post about Lute's design, similar to the ones I did for Vaggie, Adam, Bee and Mammon. Lute's case is interesting, though, because we have just scraped the surface of her character. So, this will be an exercise to try and guess what brainwashed angel girl has to offer!
THE PERFECT EXORCIST
Lute is the embodiment of what an exorcist should be:
So, to break down her design, the first step is to focus on the exorcists' uniform:
This attire consists of pants, shirt, boots and gloves all in different shades of gray. The exorcists' wings too play with this color palette, as they are black outside and white inside with two black stripes. The end result is that the exorcists look similar to pigeons:
Why is that so? Here are some possible explanations:
Pigeons are genuinely a menace and shit everywhere, which is basically what the exorcists do in Hell :P
Pigeons were used to send messages and the yearly exterminations are a message from Heaven to Hell about how useless it is to rebel.
Pigeons are gray, which works for the exorcists. They are violent warriors, so they can't be pure white like most of the other angels. Moreover, they are the silver to Adam's gold because they are below him.
Angels reference different birds (swans, owls, ducks), so the exorcists being pigeons might indicate they are not so high in Heaven's "pecking" system. After all, pigeons are not particularly noble birds.
Pigeons, as a species, were artificially made, so it might be a hint the same is true for the exorcists.
This last point is just a theory, but it could tie nicely with the sci-fic inspiration of angels. After all, they have space-ships, holograms, advanced technology and are supposedly designed after aliens. So, the exorcists being somehow artificially created could fit the same vibe. That said, what's important is that this group brings to mind an army of clone-like soldiers. All the same, all united behind one creed, just like another sci-fic reference they are obviously based on:
Similarly to the stormtroopers, Adam's followers are robbed of their identities. All of them are forced to conform and to repress who they are. This is why they wear a mask, which is characterized by two elements:
The horns
The "X" eye
1-The horns have a double meaning.
On the one hand they make the exorcists the "cows" in Adam's "bull" harem, which fits Adam's food motif:
On the other hand the horns are demonic attributes, which show that the exorcists are similar to demons because of their violence and ruthlessness.
2- The "X" eye represents the exorcists' inability to see complexity. They see things from only one side, so they are missing an eye.
In short, the exorcists are angels similar to demons, so they themselves are gray, but ironically they have a black and white vision of the world. They accept Adam's ideals:
Adam: 'Cause the rules are black and white
There's no use in tryin' to fight it
They're burnin' for their lives
Until we kill 'em again!
This is true especially for Lute who reprises Adam's song:
Adam and Lute: There's no question to be posed
He's unholy, case closed
Did you forget that "Hell is forever"?
It is not by chance she puts her exorcist's mask on the moment she starts singing "hell is forever". It is to convey these are not her own beliefs, but what Adam has taught her. She has turned herself into an extension of Adam, who thinks what he thinks and does what he wants. She is Adam's angelic instrument ("a lute") and lieutenant ("lieute-nant").
THE TRUTH IS IN THE EYE
Lute is the perfect exorcist, but she is also unique design-wise because her mask is the only one with two eyes. All the others lack one eye and have an "X" in its stead. Lute's mask instead has both eyes, but one is crossed. This is important for two reasons.
1- This detail makes her similar and opposite to Vaggie. Vaggie wears an eyepatch (a circle) with an X on her left eye. Lute instead has her right eye crossed. At the same time, Vaggie too has a distinctive detail in her design, as she is the only exorcist with one black stripe on her wings.
Vaggie's wings symbolize her resistance to Adam. Even as an exorcist she is unable to conform and to fully see the world in black and white. She knows there is complexity and chooses to look at it and embrace it.
Lute's crossed eye highlights her loyalty to Adam. Lute doesn't "miss one eye", so she can probably "see" deep down that what the exorcists are doing is wrong. Still, she chooses to "turn a blind-eye" to it all. She could look at complexity, but she decides not to.
2- This design choice underlines Lute's bloodlust. As a matter of fact Lute's crossed eye loosely resembles a gunsight, especially in its "pilot" version. So, Lute sees others, not as people, but as targets:
These two aspects of Lute can be explored more thanks to other visual elements. In particular:
Lute and Vaggie are designed to be mirrors of each other
Lute's looks underlines her violence and thirst for blood
LUTE AND VAGGIE - MIRROR MIRROR
Lute and Vaggie wear their "X" on opposite eyes because they don't see "eye to eye". However, this is not the only way their designs mirror each other. Let's compare their default looks as exorcists:
The colors of their "X" are complementary. Lute's is black, while Vaggie's is white. Same goes for the colors of their weapons. Lute uses a golden sword, whereas Vaggie wields a silver spear.
Lute's horns and Vaggie's horns bend in opposite ways. Lute's towards the bottom, Vaggie's towards the top.
The default expression of Lute's mask is a smile; that of Vaggie's mask is a grimace.
These choices highlight the girls' foiling. Both are exorcists, but Lute thrives in her role, while Vaggie is full of doubts (hence the smile and the wince). Their different outlooks are seen even in how they treat their uniforms.
On the one hand Lute wears her androgynous uniform even during her free time:
Moreover, her hair is short and practical, which fits the style of a soldier. As a matter of fact that is what Lute and others alike see her as:
Sera: You should listen to your lieutenant, Adam.
Sera doesn't even care to call Lute by name or to recognize she exists outside of Adam. She is Adam's lieutenant, nothing more and nothing less. And Lute would agree with that. She fully embraces the meaning behind her name.
On the other hand Vaggie takes her mask off even during a military operation:
And the first thing she does when she is left behind is to change clothes and to throw her old ones in the trash:
Finally, the more time she spends in Hell, the more Vaggie leaves behind her masculine soldier persona and embraces her feminine side with ribbons, mini-skirts and long hair:
She negates the role Adam imposes on her to the point she even starts pronouncing her name differently. She refuses to be just a "vagina" who serves Adam.
So, both Lute and Vaggie's sense of self is strictly intertwined with their role as exorcists. However, they take opposite stances on it:
Lute makes her exorcist self all that she is about. She spends the majority of her time with her superior and her life seems organized around Adam's.
Vaggie rejects her exorcist self. She hides it from her loved ones and is ashamed and hateful of it.
Neither approach is healthy, which is why Vaggie has had to face his past and integrate with it. Similarly, Lute will probably have to face all the parts of herself she refuses to aknowledge. For example, it is obvious she is capable of love and deep down wants to be loved herself. However, she will never get her wish if she keeps repressing the human feelings she has been indoctrinated to see as weakness.
BAD BLOOD
Lute's identity is rooted in the idea that angels are always right, pure and perfect. They can't make mistakes, so it is dutiful for them to kill demons. In fact, Lute has been told her own value lies in her violence and strength:
Adam: Lute, how many demons did you kill this year?
Lute: Got a good 275 this year, sir.
Adam: 275? Woah! Badass! Awesome job, danger tits! Pound it.
This is why she is bloodthirsty and this trait of her personality is conveyed by the big splats of blood on her clothes:
The blood keeps coming back even in scenes, where her uniform is supposed to be clean. Sure, these are probably animation mistakes, but it is fun it keeps happening when Lute is being particularly aggressive.
Like, when she vouches against Charlie during the questioning:
Or when she tells the other exorcists to kill Vaggie:
It is a nice addition, which comments her personality and behavior well.
What's even more interesting is that Lute's default design after the finale has the same splashes of blood, but they are golden rather than red:
On the one hand this makes sense, because she usually kills Sinners (red blood), but in the final fight she fights Vaggie and ends up hurt herself (golden blood).
On the other hand this change highlights how Lute herself is caught in the cycle of violence. She initially kills demons (red blood), then she punishes sinful angels (a gray zone) and eventually she makes herself suffer (golden blood). In other words, she goes through a spiral, that leads to self-destruction.
Lute is a character that hurts both others:
And herself:
Not only that, but the body-parts she damages are meaningful. For example, she takes out Vaggie's eye because she can't stand Vaggie looking at the world in a different way than her. Vaggie sees a sinner's fear and shows empathy, which is unacceptable. So, Lute half-blinds Vaggie to remind her she should look at things from only one perspective.
RIGHT HAND WOMAN
Lute sacrifices her left arm in the final fight:
Why is that so?
Well, Lute lives only to be Adam's red-hand woman, so by the end she is left with only her right hand. It is a symbolic commentary of her arc.
During her fight with Vaggie, Lute gets unmasked:
And she and Vaggie can finally face off as two girls who have been brought up in the same detrimental environment. Lute offers Vaggie her own idea of redemption:
Lute: Do it, then. Correct your mistake.
She asks Vaggie to see things from her perspective once again. The angel was banned because weak, but grew strong enough to defeat Lute and now she has the chance to be strong and kill Lute herself. And yet, Vaggie refuses this way of thinking:
Vaggie: Seriously, you're pathetic, you know that? Ready to die rather than accepting mercy? No. Live. Live, knowing that you only do because I let you. The failure.
Lute's answer to this? She cuts her arm off because she can't stop being an exorcists and specifically Adam's lieutenant. She could be much more, like Vaggie, who is slowly learning to be her own person outside of Charlie. And yet, Lute refuses this opportunity and chooses to act just like Adam would want her to. She decides to hurt herself to hurt others. However, she fails. In the end, Lute's badass self-sacrifice doesn't let her defeat Vaggie. She has no impact on the rest of the fight and eventually loses Adam. It is only an additional wounds she inflicts herself.
By the end of season 1 Lute is reduced to a walking right hand that lacks someone to move her. However, this could give her the chance to change (obviously after she spirals in season 2 because we all know she is gonna spiral badly). After all, she has intertwined who she is with her mission as an exorcist, but, differently from Adam, she at least doesn't wear her mask 24h/24h. So, she might still be more than someone else's lieutenant. The question is: who will she choose to be?
PIRATES?
This last paragraph is more tongue-in-cheek and it is basically me wondering if Lute and Vaggie will share a "pirate" motif.
After all:
Vaggie's design is partly inspired by pirates and she sings on the top of a wrecked ship. Her eye-patch even makes her loosely look as a pirate.
Lute too loses a hand, which might give her a hook-like prosthetic (I remember watching an interview, where Charlie's voice actress even makes the sign of a hook when she speaks about Lute). Moreover, her weapon of choice is a sword, which could easily be pirate-like:
The meaning of this? No idea, if there even is any, but it is fun to notice!
