Baal in popular culture
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The Canaanite god
Baal Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...
in the
Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
. Some influences in popular culture derive not from the Baal in the Hebrew Bible, but from
Baal (demon) Bael (Ba’al or Baal) is a demon described in demonological grimoires such as ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'' and the ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' (where he is the first spirit mentioned) and also in the ''Dictionnaire Infernal''. He is descri ...
in 17th Century occult
grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ...
s. Also Baal, through the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Can ...
, Lord of the Flies, is linked to
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
, or the
Devil in popular culture The Devil, (Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles) appears frequently as a character in literature and various other media. In Abrahamic religions, the figure of the Devil, Satan personifies evil.Kurtz, Lester R., 2007, ''Gods in the Global Vi ...
.


Film and Television

* The fifth episode of
American Horror Stories ''American Horror Stories'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for FX on Hulu. Premiered on July 15, 2021, the series serves as the third installment in the '' American Story'' media franc ...
was titled "Ba'al," and the demon was portrayed by Dane DiLiegro. *In the film '' The Rite'', Father Lucas (
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
) is revealed to be possessed by the demon Baal. It alludes that this is the case throughout the film as cats and frogs are often present around Father Lucas' home. * In the ''
Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
'' television series,
Baal Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...
is an alien who poses as an ancient
Canaanite god The Canaanite religion was the group of ancient Semitic religions practiced by the Canaanites living in the ancient Levant from at least the early Bronze Age through the first centuries AD. Canaanite religion was polytheistic and, in some cases ...
. * In the anime ''
Digimon Fusion ''Digimon Fusion'', known in Japan as , is the sixth anime television series in the ''Digimon'' franchise, produced by Toei Animation. The series was broadcast on TV Asahi and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation between July 2010 and March 2012. I ...
'', a character named "Baalmon" is part of the Bagra Army, and joins with Mikey Kudo after evolving into Beelzemon. * In the ''
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal , stylized as Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, is a Japanese manga and anime series and the third spin-off of the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' franchise, after the preceding ''Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's''. The manga began serialization in Shueisha's '' V Jump'' magazine from Dec ...
'' anime, the character Mr. Heartland briefly uses a card called "Number 1: Infection Baal Zebul"; the monster depicted in the card's art resembles a giant fly. * In the ''
Ash vs Evil Dead Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
'' TV series, Baal has been depicted as a humanoid demon who is able to drive people insane and manipulate them like puppets, also he's able to disguise himself by skinning a human and wearing their skin. He is mentioned as the father of Ruby's spawn, who are trying to raise him so he can take over the world. Baal finally appeared in the second season of the series played by
Joel Tobeck Joel Tobeck (born 2 June 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand) is an actor known for his roles in the television series ''Tangle'', ''The Doctor Blake Mysteries'', ''Xena Warrior Princess'', ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and '' Young Hercules'' ...
, serving as the season's main antagonist. * In '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans'', the ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael, the first Gundam-Frame Mobile Suit was named after the said demon. * French TV miniseries, ''Les Compagnons de Baal'' (1968) is based on an evil fraternity of Baal's worshippers.


Literature

*Baal is a character in the form of a fiery demon and beautiful man in ''Ascent of the Fallen'' by Travis A. Chapman.


Comics

*In ''
xkcd ''xkcd'', sometimes styled ''XKCD'', is a webcomic created in 2005 by American author Randall Munroe. The comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language". Munroe states on the comic's website that the name ...
'', Baal is mentioned as "Ba'al the Annihilator" and "Ba'al, the Eater of Souls" in comi
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as well "Ba'al, the Soul Eater" in comic
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an
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*In The Marvel Universe, Baal appears in the original
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
comic book series, issues #11-16, collectively called "The Gehenna Stone Affair." He is conceptualized as a demon who was worshipped by a cult of depraved sinners in Biblical times, before being destroyed by a divinely-guided warrior. A reincarnation of the original Baal has appeared in modern times and amassed a new cult of followers, who appear as cutthroat lowlifes who emulate vampires by wearing fake fangs and biting their victims, although they do not actually drink blood or possess any supernatural attributes. Baal is attempting to locate and reassemble the fragments of an ancient artifact known as the Gehenna Stone in order to regain his once mighty power, transform his followers into an army of actual vampires, and establish his reign over the earth. *In Japanese manga '' Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic'', Baal is the djinn from the first ever dungeon. He is one of Sinbad's seven Djinn. He is a lightning Djinn representing Wrath and Heroes. *In the series '' The Wicked + The Divine'', Baal is the first god to reincarnate in 2013 and a major character. He's represented as a well-dressed, arrogant, bisexual musician.


Video games

*Bael (another name of the demon Baal) appear in '' Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones'' as giant spiders. *Bael (another name of the demon Baal) appear in '' Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'' as a skinswap of the enemy Buer. *Baal appears in the video game series ''
Megami Tensei ''Megami Tensei'', marketed internationally as ''Shin Megami Tensei'' (formerly ''Revelations''), is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji Okada, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. Primarily developed ...
'' as a usable power. *Baal (spelled Bael) appears as a boss in ''
Devil May Cry 4 is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows platforms. It is the fourth installment in the ''Devil May Cry'' series and is written by Bingo Morihashi ...
'', in the form of a giant white frog with protrusions from its back and tail, which are made of ice. *In ''
Bayonetta 2 is a 2014 action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo. It is the sequel to the 2009 game ''Bayonetta'', and was directed by Yusuke Hashimoto and produced by Atsushi Inaba, Akiko Kuroda, and Hitoshi Yamagami, under ...
'', Baal can be summoned from the depths of Inferno. It takes the form of a dark purple frog with a massive barbed tongue. *2 Baal (Spelled as "Ba'al") appear as difficult downloadable bosses in ''
Bravely Default ''Bravely Default'', known in Japan as ''Bravely Default: Flying Fairy'', is a role-playing video game developed by Silicon Studio for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console, handheld console. ''Bravely Default'' was originally released in 2012 ...
''. *In '' Bravely Second'', Magnolia Arch, a main character, is revealed to be a "Ba'al Buster". In addition, the Ba'al from the first game return alongside several new Ba'al, retaining the role of downloadable bosses, except for one, which is fought during the main storyline. *Baal also appears as a boss in many of the ''
Disgaea is a series of tactical role-playing video games created and developed by Nippon Ichi. The series debuted in Japan on January 30, 2003, with '' Disgaea: Hour of Darkness'', later re-released as ''Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness'' and ''Disgaea D ...
'' games, as well as other NIS games, usually as an ultimate boss. His form varies from each game. *Baal appears as the final boss in the ''
Diablo II ''Diablo II'' is an action role-playing hack-and-slash video game developed by Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2000 for Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, and macOS. The game, with its dark fantasy and horror the ...
'' expansion pack '' Diablo II: Lord of Destruction'' from 2001. *Baal is also the main character in the 2013 game ''Inspire''. His appearance in this game is that of an imp, as he was summoned by an incompetent sorcerer. *The protagonist in ''
Baldur's Gate ''Baldur's Gate'' is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms '' Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign setting. The game has spawned two series, known as the ''Bhaalspawn Saga'' and the ''Dark Alliance'', both taking place mostl ...
'' 1 and 2 is identified as a Child of 'Bhaal,' a deity also known as the 'God of Murder'. *Molag Bal is one of the Daedric princes in ''
The Elder Scrolls ''The Elder Scrolls'' is a series of Action role-playing game, action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on Nonlinear gameplay, free-form gameplay in an ...
'' Series. *In ''
Super Robot Wars ''Super Robot Wars'', known in Japan as is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the '' Compati Hero'' series, the main feature of the franchise ...
'' games, Baal is a force that is known as "mankind's natural enemy". They appear every 12,000 years cycle to wipe out life in the universe. *In ''
Puzzle & Dragons is a puzzle video game with role-playing and strategy elements, developed and published by GungHo Online Entertainment for the iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire platforms. ''Puzzle & Dragons'' is a match-three puzzle game, requiring players t ...
'', Baal is an obtainable monster, along with
Astaroth Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Asteroth), in demonology, was known to be the Great Duke of Hell in the first hierarchy with Beelzebub and Lucifer; he was part of the evil trinity. He is known to be a male figure most likely named afte ...
,
Belial Belial ( he, , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament which later became personified as the devilSee the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at EarlyChristianWritings.com', specifically at ...
, and
Amon Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Momonym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah Given name * Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), American pu ...
. *Baal appears in '' The Exorcist: Legion VR'' in Chapter 4 as a Two-Headed Demon responsible for an epidemic disease *Baal appears in '' Iron Blade'' as a main boss. *''
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
'' (''Legion'' Expansion) by
Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three gradu ...
: Ba’al is a hidden pet obtained by finding a series of Hidden pebbles around various places in Azeroth, then winning a battle pet fight. *Bael (another name of the demon Baal) appears in '' Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night'' as the final boss. *Baal in ''
Genshin Impact ''Genshin Impact'' is an action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo. It was released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows in 2020, on PlayStation 5 in 2021, and is set for release on Nintendo Switch. The game feature ...
'' was the original Archon of Electro whose real name was Makoto. When she was killed, her twin sister
Beelzebul Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistines, Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated w ...
took her place over as a sort of body double and became the "Raiden Shogun", who rules over the island nation of Inazuma in Teyvat and pursued eternity for her land. *Baal makes a few appearances in the
Shin Megami Tensei ''Megami Tensei'', marketed internationally as ''Shin Megami Tensei'' (formerly ''Revelations''), is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. Primarily developed and publishe ...
games. However, he also appears in one
Persona A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...
game, being
Persona 5 is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation ...
and it's remake, Persona 5 Royal. In the game, he appears as a Persona of the Emperor Arcana, and specialises in Wind magic, being the only Persona that is able to learn the Wind magic attack, Panta Rhei, which does Severe Wind damage to one opponent, and gets its own signature move, Ayamur, which does Medium Physical damage to an opponent three times and has high accuracy. However, it can also learn Vacuum Wave, which does Severe Wind damage to all opponents, alongside
Hastur Hastur (The Unspeakable One, The King in Yellow, Him Who Is Not to be Named, Assatur, Xastur, H'aaztre, or Kaiwan) is an entity of cosmic horror. Hastur first appeared in Ambrose Bierce's short story "Haïta the Shepherd" ( 1893) as a benign ...
and
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
. In addition, with the Electric Chair in the Velvet Room, Baal can create the weapon Yagrush/Yagrush EX, the strongest grenade launcher of Haru Okumura.


Songs

*The third track of the album Head Carrier by the American alternative rock band
The Pixies Pixies is an American alternative rock band formed in 1986, in Boston, Massachusetts. Until 2013, the band consisted of Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, vocals) and David Loverin ...
is called "Baal's Back", and describes a human sacrifice to Baal causing the sky to go black as he returns to Earth. *Exuma's album "Exuma II" has a track titled "Baal" *The death metal act
Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered ...
has a track titled "Blades for Baal" off their 2011 album
Illud Divinum Insanus ''Illud Divinum Insanus'' is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel. It was released on June 7, 2011, by independent French record label Season of Mist. It is Morbid Angel's first album since '' Heretic'' (2003), the ...
.


Role Playing Games

*In the role-playing game ''
Dungeons and Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...
'', Bael (another name of the demon Baal) is one of the nine archdevils in
Baator In the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as ''godly planes'', ''spiritual planes'' or ''divine planes''. The Outer Planes ar ...


Tabletop Games

*In ''
Warhammer 40,000 ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
'', Baal is the name of the homeworld of the Blood Angels
Space Marines The space marine, an archetype of military science fiction, is a kind of soldier who operates in outer space or on alien worlds. Historical marines fulfill multiple roles: ship defence, boarding actions, landing parties, and general-purpose hi ...
chapter.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baal in popular culture Demons in popular culture Baal