Demonic Possession: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:ExorcistBeforeAndAfter 758.jpg|link=The Exorcist|frame|[[Army of Darkness|"Honey, you got ''real'' ugly."]]]]

 

* [[Deadman (Comic Book)|Deadman]] is a heroic ghost that uses this as his main power. It was granted to him by the Hindu goddess Rama Kushna.

* Both [[Ghost Rider]] characters have this situation.

 

== Film ==

 

== Literature ==

** {{spoiler|It's questionable just how good that turn out is, too. Despite everything Qilue does, she also ultimately ends up getting her goddess killed and leaving Lloth the sole deity of the Drow.}}

* In [[Robert Bloch]]'s [[Cthulhu Mythos]] story "The Shadow From the Steeple", one of Nyarlathotep's many forms can apparently possess people. The possessed individuals look mostly the same other than their skin turning darker. Oh, and they also glow in dark.

* In Jim Butcher's ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', the whole Order of the Blackened Denarius are examples of this; the denarii are the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas for betraying Christ. Each silver coin is an [[Artifact of Doom]] that acts as a [[Soul Jar]] for a [[Fallen Angel]]. ''White Night'' in particular examines the Demonic Possession issue, as the host is unusually resistant, which has given the host and the Fallen more time to become acquainted than is usual.

** There seem to be three kinds of relationship between a full Denarian and his/her Fallen. The first kind is demonstrated by particularly brutish Fallen such as Ursiel or Magog, who simply [[Mind Rape]] their host into submission at first opportunity and outright take over. The second shows up with more cunning Fallen, who let the hosts stay in the driver's seat but use cunning and manipulation to make them do what they want (this is what Lasciel was trying to do to Harry, and allows more options, since with the mortal still technically in control, the Denarian isn't subject to as many restrictions as a Fallen by itself would be). Finally, the Fallen and Denarian can work as equal partners- the only known case of this is the relationship between [[Complete Monster|Nicodemus]] [[The Chessmaster|Archleone]] and his Fallen [[Demon Lords and Archdevils|Anduriel]].

* Tak in [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[The Regulators]]'' and ''[[Desperation]]'' (not the same character, the novels are a short of [[Alternate Continuity]] versions of each other).

* From the [[Chronicles of Thomas Covenant]], the Ravers are a trio of powerful demons who collectively act as [[The Dragon]] to [[Big Bad]] [[God of Evil|Lord Foul]]. They don't have true bodies of their own, but possess a variety of mortals across the series (they can possess humans without help, but require a power boost before they can possess [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Haruchai]] or [[Our Giants Are Taller|Giants]]). Some main characters get possessed at different points and are able to describe the experience.

* Played with in ''[[Good Omens]]'', which features a case of ''angelic'' posession after {{spoiler|Aziraphale's body gets destroyed.}}

** Serial, actually; he jumps around the world, including into an on-air televangelist, before settling on a crazy medium.

* In the last book of ''[[The Bartimaeus Trilogy]]'' {{spoiler|an ill-advised magical experiment leads to a number of powerful demons inhabiting most of the higher members of the government. The demons have no ability to possess people, but the magicians summoned them into their own bodies, believing they could control them. Instead they obliterated their minds and set up shop.}}

* '''Things''' in ''[[Septimus Heap]]'' have this as one of their standard abilities. In ''Queste'', this first happens to Hildegarde Pigeon and then to the Toll-Man.

 

== Live-Action TV ==

** Ghosts in some editions could do this, and it's the signature trick of the odem, a type of disembodied evil spirit from the [[Ravenloft]] setting.

** The ''magic jar'' spell, which has been part of the game since the first edition and allows even humans to play the part of demonic-possessor-from-the-soul-jar.

* ''[[GURPS]]: Creatures of the Night'' has a... thing that uses some sort of cosmic power to possess entire buildings.

* ''[[Shadowrun]]'': Certain extraplanar spirits are unable to remain in Earth's astral space without weakening unless they can anchor themselves to a human host. Bugs Spirits and Shedim, for example.

** Nomads as well: Astral beings that possess their hosts and make them murder other people.

 

== Video Games ==

** The Miko leader gets possessed by a Big Boo and turns into the boss of World 3. Luigi frees the Miko, and Luigi receives a "reward" for rescuing her.

** King Dedede gets possessed by Dark Matter in the boss fight for DDDark Castle. He even coughs up tiny Dark Matters for the second phase of the fight.

 

== Webcomics ==

 

== Web Original ==

* In the ''[[League of Intergalactic Cosmic Champions]]'', Mr. Obvious had been possessed by Asmodeus Beelzebub.

* ''[[Tech Infantry]]'' has the Caal, a long-extinct alien race whose souls somehow stuck around, and tend to possess other life forms. Humans possessed by the Caal are granted supernatural strength and other powers, to the extent that they are described as being able to ''walk through tanks'', but are of course also completely mind-controlled by the Caal.

[[Category:Demonic Possession]]

[[Category:Mind Manipulation Tropes]]