Samael, whose name means āpoison/venom of God,ā is perhaps the most complicated angel to write a post about.
Samael is recorded as being:
An angel of creation, usually of the third day
Serpent of the Garden of Eden
Ruler of the Fifth Heaven
Enemy of angelologists everywhere
That said, there are many explanations for this wide list of potential dominions. Samael, whether he is recognized as an archangel or the literal king of Hell, has gone by many names, and is likely the victim of mistaken identity. There is no story that belongs to him alone; it is always shared with another name.
Some suggest that Samael is a fallen angel, tricking Eve into consuming the forbidden fruit and fathering demons with human women. In this case, he is usually a substitute for Azazel, Abaddon, or Satan.
Others claim him to be an archangel and ruler of a plane of Heaven. His narrative role as the opponent of Jacob at Peniel is frequently filled by Michael, Gabriel, or Uriel, implying that it was commanded by God as a holy task. He was simultaneously described as a guardian angel of Esau, Jacobās brother, and could not (chronologically) be the demon or fallen angel described above.
In this case, thereās no way to parse out the ātrueā narrative. This may be one fallen angel with an excess of mythology or more than two, who have simply become entwined through a shared name.
Iām interested in other opinions on this topic, should anyone like to share.
archangels-and-angels.com
Dictionary of Angels by Gustav Davidson