#asksfullofsugar

SIR PENTIOUS AND CHERRI: FALLING AND ASCENDING

Sir Pentious and Cherri's love is a redemptive bond for both.

On the one hand Sir Pentious ascends because of his love for Cherri:

He loves her (and the Hazbin Crew) so much that he overcomes his innate cowardice and acts to save everyone. His major Sin is that he lets a misogynistic serial killer hurt women without taking action. So, his redemption is that he acts to prevent a misogynistic mass murderer from hurting the woman he loves. As a result Sir Pentious reaches Heaven, where he becomes a symbolic messenger (an "angel" :P) between Heaven and Hell:

Emily: I invited him. I figured if anyone can help us make these decisions, it'd be best to have an actual Hell expert. Sir Pentious: Well, I'm not quite a Hell expert, but, uh, yes, I'm happy to help.

His wish to find a peaceful solution to Heaven and Hell's struggle obviously stems from the fact his loved ones and Cherri especially are still in Hell. Sir Pentious becomes a "bridge" between the two realms, so that he can meet Cherri again in the future. Hence why he sings to her while on a physical bridge:

On the other hand Cherri falls for Sir Pentious, which motivates her to aim for redemption, so that she can meet him again:

Piss emphasizes it through Cherri both dramatically falling as she sings about her feelings:

But also climbing up in a physical attempt to "be closer" to Pentious:

This psychological process is perfectly described by her letting herself fall only for her own explosions to push her up on the top of the building.

This is Sir Pentious and Cherri's relationship in a nutshell. They both fall for each other:

Cherri Bomb and Sir Pentious: Can ya feel me fallin'? Cherri Bomb: Though I don't know if it's love (Sir Pentious: Could this be love?)

But this fall is what lifts them up towards redemption, happiness and positive change.

HEAVEN AND HELL: LONGING FOR HARMONY

Sir Pentious and Cherri's relationship is characterized as one of fighting, but also longing:

Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb: I know I tried to kill you And you tried to kill me too You blew a hole right through my soul While I was beating the piss out of you! Beatin... The piss... Cherri Bomb: Out of you...

Thematically it mirrors the relationship between Heaven and Hell, which is why the two characters reference their respective realms in their first stanzas:

Sir Pentious: These Elysian nights Alone in the golden skies Lost in a memory of how it used to be When it was only you and me

Cherri Bomb: Can you hear me callin' From way the fuck down here? Those golden days of brawlin' Were the best of all my years!

Obviously Heaven and Hell are not in love :P, but they too need to overcome their conflict and to integrate, just like Sir Pentious and Cherri. As a matter of fact the two Kingdoms are opposite archetypes:

Heaven (blue) is the persona and the superego - it puts importance on morality and ideals and tries to always appear perfect, by hiding its worst traits

Hell (red) is the shadow and the id - it is chaotic and violent, it lets its most irrational traits rule, but it is also full of energy and hidden potential

So, Heaven and Hell are complementary and there can't be one without the other. Both are needed to find harmony, which means they should learn from each other and integrate. Just like our snake and our bombs' lover! This also fits season 2, as a whole. After all, the conflict between Heaven and Hell is furthered by a failed integration between Vox (blue) and Alastor (red):

At the same time, war is avoided thanks to the teamwork of other "red and blue" characters.

Baxter (blue) and Sir Pentious (red) are clearly meant to be Vox and Al's foils. They used to be partners, but eventually separated because of a disagreement. Still, they work together once again and through mind (Baxter) and heart (Sir Pentious) they manage to connect Heaven and Hell.

Vaggi (an angel) and Charlie (a demon) represent Heaven and Hell. They don't usually have a strong blue and red motif, but this season they acquire it in their most intimate moment. In Easy, Vaggi wears a blue towel/dress, while Charlie a red one. This fits, as the fallen angel and the Princess of Hell's integration is symbolically the most important one in the series. Even this season they are key to find peace through their shared dream of the Hazbin Hotel. The true starting spark that brings bigger changes.

Emily (blue + an angel + water) and Charlie (red + a demon + fire) are the two characters whose integration is the most important one this season. Both characters are the hope of their respective Kingdoms and their struggling to lead Heaven and Hell towards a better path rewards them both in the finale, where they join forces and voices.

Sir Pentious and Cherri fit among these blue and red couples and thematically underline this need for peace and reconciliation. This is why after war is avoided they get to speak with each other again:

And can now communicate through gifts and letters:

Their progress shows that Heaven and Hell are also now getting closer and are starting to heal.

(ONE) WINNER OR (TWO) LOSERS?

Sir Pentious and Cherri's bond in the song Piss (A Love Song) is meant to comment on the theme of "love" in general. In particular, is it better to be a lonely Winner or two Losers together?

Is it better Like You?

Emily: '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

Or Loser Baby?

Angel Dust: You're a loser, baby Husk: A loser, but just maybe if we Both: Eat shit together, things will end up differently

Piss's answer is that to be in Heaven has no real meaning, if you can't be with your loved ones. This is why Sir Pentious's lonely nights in Heaven are juxtaposed with his nights in Hell spent fighting Cherri:

Sir Pentious: These Elysian nights Alone in the golden skies

Cherri Bomb: Another exciting Sin City night This sheila's blastin' your ass away!

Sir Pentious and Cherri's relationship uses fights and violence as a metaphor for love and sex:

Sir Pentious: They say time heals all wounds But the wounds are what I miss 'Cause every brush with death Meant much more than a kiss

Cherri: I'm bored as fuck without you! Are you bored without me, too? I'm longing for just one night more Of beating the piss out of you

Sir Pentious compares wounds with kisses and Cherri speaks of spending the night with Pentious... while beating the piss out of him :P

This is not important for Sir Pentious and Cherri's dynamic on a deeper level. They simply fall for each other while fighting, which makes perfect sense for Hell. Still, this metaphor of fighting/sex matters on a broader thematic level. Love and life can be hard, but ultimately it is still worth it to struggle together, even if it means to suffer and even hurt each other sometimes:

Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb: The cuts are healed and scarrin' Sir Pentious: But I still taste the blood (Cherri Bomb: I still taste your blood!)

It is better to be two losers in Hell, than a lonely winner in Heaven. It is better to feel and give "love" than to be isolated in a successful life without meaningful relationships.

PISS IS JUST A LOVE SONG

Piss is just what its title says: a love song :P

The title itself blinds together Sir Pentious and Cherri's different personalities.

From Sir Pentious's melodramatic behavior (a love song > they say time heals all wounds, but the wounds are what i miss > a ballad) to Cherri's crass irony (piss > beating the piss out of you > a punk rock song). And all these parts come together musically and lyrically in the finale, as their respective stanzas fuse:

Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb: They say time heals all wounds But the wounds are what I miss And every brush with death Meant much more than a kiss! Can ya feel me fallin'? Cherri Bomb: Though I don't know if it's love (Sir Pentious: Could this be love?) Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb: The cuts are healed and scarrin' Sir Pentious: But I still taste the blood (Cherri Bomb: I still taste your blood!) Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb: I know I tried to kill you And you tried to kill me too You blew a hole right through my soul While I was beating the piss out of you! Beatin... The piss... Cherri Bomb: Out of you...

LOVE IN THE HELLAVERSE

Let me end this meta by saying I agree with @hamliet here. Cherrisnake is meant to be a simpler, but still thematically relevant foils to the three main ships.

Like Charlie and Vaggi, Cherri and Sir Pentious are a demon and an angel, whose love is bringing together Hell and Heaven

Like Angel and Husk, they start as Sinners who meet in Hell and motivate each other to become better until they can both find redemption

Like Lucifer and Lilith, they are currently separated, one in Hell and the other in Heaven, and can't meet physically

Let me highlight this does not apply only to Charlie. There are several characters that on paper are stronger than others. However, they fail to successfully use that power in battle.

Adam is more powerful than Alastor. However, Alastor is the better fighter to the point that if the Radio Demon were less prideful he could have defeated Adam in their early exchange. What fucks Alastor up is really his convinction he does not need an angelic weapon to face Adam.

Emily is a Seraphim, so she could potentially kill Vox with the snap of her fingers. However, Emily is a child (just like Charlie) and has never had to fight in her life. She is not a violent person and can't imagine to use her powers violently.

Abel is an archangel, which means he could one-shot Vox, like Adam did with Alastor. However, he is unsure of his abilities, so instead of proudly going into battle, he is left trembling and hiding.

Finally, an example from Helluva Boss. Andrealphus is a Goetia, which means he should be able to defeat the imps easily. However, he sucks at fighting, while Blitz's group has been making a living on their fighting abilities. So, they are able to embarrass him by kicking his ass.

2- Charlie has power, but she obviously struggles to tap into it. Once again, season 1 finale makes it obvious:

She is overpowered by Adam in their one on one, but when Adam attacks Lucifer, she is able to stop his attack with one fist. The implication is that Charlie has enough power to break Adam with one hand (which is precisely what Lucifer then proceeds to do). However, Charlie can't manifest this power at will (it is not that she CONSCIOUSLY loses her fight against Adam). She struggles to access it.

Why is that so? Well, it is part of her arc.

Charlie's powers are basically her jungian shadow aka the dark part of herself she is repressing. She usually manifests them when she is angry or grieving. In other words, until Charlie won't face all the complicated and ugly emotions she has been ignoring, she will never be able to fully manifest her potential. This struggle is once again set up in season 1:

Vaggie: Well, I mean... You're the princess of Hell. Charlie: So? Vaggie: So, you don't really use the power that comes with that, which I love about you, but maybe you can... I don't know, command a little more... Authority? Charlie: [Whines] But that's so mean...! Vaggie: It's not mean, exactly. It's... uh, aggressive kindness. Charlie: Okay... I could be so aggressively kind to Angel's boss... That I convince him to let Angel spend more time at the hotel! Vaggie: Sure, whatever gets you there, babe.

Here, Vaggi is right. Charlie needs to tap into her aggressivity and authority to succeed. The problem is that Charlie has a childish understanding of good and evil, so politeness =good and conflict = bad. It is very simplistic and detrimental to Charlie's success and growth. In short, Charlie's understanding of violence is set up to be challenged in the future.

All of this is well and good, but the examples I made are all about season 1. What about season 2?

There is one criticism that I think is fair, which is that season 2 does not explore the conflict between Charlie and violence. It kinda leaves it in the background, which is precisely why people are frustrated by Charlie not solving problems with violence. It seems like the story is ignoring that there is this pretty simple solution and is not addressing why Charlie would not consider it. At the same time, Charlie gaining a deeper understanding of her powers is part of her arc, but in season 2 she makes no progress.

That said, I think things should be watched at in context. I said several times now that season 2 is a season where the main plot and the main characters' arcs are put on hold. It is a season where a B plot (Vox) becomes an A plot. The writers used this season to expand on major supporting characters, the worldbuilding, the themes. In this way, they set-up the main characters for future development, but did not give it to them this season (Charlie, Vaggi, Angel, Lucifer and Alastor aka the main 5 are all set up to develop in the upcoming two seasons). I think this choice works for the story, but it is natural it would create frustration in some viewers 'cause we don't have the whole thing, but are consuming the story season after season.

That said, I think this flaw does not justify the majority of the criticism, which imo is in bad faith. After all, season 2 does make clear enough why violence can't be a solution.

SEASON 2 THEMES

The whole point of season 2 is to avoid a war between Heaven and Hell. The story also does a decent job at showing both that war can't be a solution, but also that the sinners' anger is understandable. The people of Hell are being subjected to a genocide for years, so it is no surprise they wish to feel vindicated, even if rationally this would only bring more pain to them, as well (Heaven would have most likely won the war).

In short, Charlie's problem is not really to defeat Vox, but to convince the people of Hell to give up war and to embrace her redemption ideology. Politically, she is presenting herself as a pacifist and a champion of sinners. How do you think public opinion would have reacted if Charlie just went and attacked Vox?

We don't even have to guess because the story gives us two examples:

Both Lucifer and Sera try to threaten Vox with their powers and Vox just takes these attempts and uses them to his advantage. He gets more power from angels trying to kill "the voice of the people". Sure, you could argue that killing Vox would have solved the problem. Would have, though? Sinners' anger would have grown even more and sooner or later someone else would have emerged to take Vox's place as the leader of the people.

It is also not what Charlie personally wants. To kill Vox simply goes against her ideals. Charlie's fixation on ideas is both her strength and weaknesses. To explore this contradiction is the root of her story. So, I don't see a scenario where she would have just gone and killed Vox. It would have made the character incoherent.

On this, I would add that people are acting as if Vox just goes and violently attacks Charlie the whole time... Well, he doesn't. He slanders her reputation, but he is VERY careful not to threaten her or her loved ones violently up until the last arc (the scene with Angel in ep. 2X3 is played for laughs; moreover, after Vox passes a line there Charlie does tell him to leave). Sure, Vox catches Alastor, but it is Alastor himself who goes to fight him. Moreover, everyone at the Hazbin Hotel knows Alastor is in the middle of his machinations and just trusts him enough not to intervene (it is stated so by Vaggi).

Vox becomes openly violent to Charlie's loved ones in the final episodes, when he kidnaps Lucifer and Angel. However, Charlie is not there to see it happen. She suspects something has happened to them, but is unsure and does not know the details.

With all this considered, it is really not surprising Charlie would not attack Vox violently. We are talking about the girl who is unable to go all out against the man who has just killed one of her friends. She is able to fully manifest her true power only to defend a loved one that is under attack right in front of her. This is just how sick violence makes Charlie.

CHARLIE IS A COHERENT CHARACTER

Season 2 may not go deeper nor solve Charlie's complicated relationship with violence and ideals. However, it is VERY clear about this conflict still being relevant for her character. Here comes 4 examples:

1-

Charlie: For my reckonin' (Hotel Visitors: For my reckonin') I'll never turn to violence (Hotel Visitors: I'll never turn to violence)

This lyrics in Hazbin Guarantee is meant to be taken critically. Charlie has just won a fight and survived thanks to violence. Still, she is telling the Sinners they should NEVER use violence. It is clearly a point of view which is too rigid and a little bit hypocritical.

2-

Charlie: He ruined everything is what happened. The angels were here to set things right, but thanks to him— and, apparently, you— Vox was able to spin it, again!

In the climax of her spiral Charlie blames Lucifer and Vaggi for Vox's declaration of war. This showcases once again her white and black thinking and hypocrisy. She blames them 'cause their plan was about using violence to threaten Vox. So, it is OBVIOUSLY bad. Charlie and the angels' plan was instead about apologizing, hence OBVIOUSLY good. However, Vox's declaration of war is made possible not by Vaggi and Lucifer's intervention, but by Charlie bringing Sera at the rally. In the end, Sera even does exactly what Lucifer did. However, for Charlie Sera is innocent, while Lucifer is guilty. Here, our girl is clearly projecting some unsolved issues outside.

3-

Vox: And with Carmilla's aid, we can finally fulfill Lilith's dream. She started this resistance to take back our power by force. She wanted blood, now let's spill some blood. Resist! Charlie: My mom never wanted violence. She empowered sinners. Peaceful protest. There was no blood!

Charlie gets angry at the idea Lilith might have endorsed violence. I am sure Lilith is not the blood-thirsty dictator Vox frames her up to be. However, I am not sure she was such a pacifist as Charlie remembers her. Once again no violence = good in Charlie's mind.

4-

Charlie: And now Vox is declaring a war, and Carmilla's right, I started it, and I'm a hypocrite and my dreams are gonna die!!!

Charlie is so disturbed by her inner violence that she genuinely sees her being forced to use it in season 1 finale as a personal defeat. She is so scared by the destructive results of violence she truly thinks deep down SHE is the one who started the war.

CHARLIE IS TRAUMATIZED

The whole point of Charlie in season 2 is that she is not fine. The final fight of season 1 clearly re-enacted her trauma:

Sir Pentious dies = her mom leaves

The Hazbin Hotel gets destroyed = her family is destroyed

Not only that, but Charlie internalizes it is all her fault.

Her mom abandons her because she is not good:

Charlie: Look, this hotel was my way of finishing what she started, and I think I've been trying so hard to hold on to it because if I can make it work, maybe she'd be… proud of me. And maybe she'd come back and tell me what I did to make her leave.

Her hotel gets destroyed because she made mistakes:

Charlie: This bloodshed could have been avoided If I convinced Heaven to work together I took a hotel and I destroyed it I know I could have done better Better, instead of letting you down

It's not Lilith who is a bad mom for leaving. It is Charlie, who is a bad daughter. The proof that she is so bad is that now Hell is on the verge of war 'cause Charlie dared to use violence ONCE in self-defense!

Charlie's unsolved grief and trauma is why she is so ineffective in the finale btw. She literally goes into a panic attack the moment war seems unavoidable after Vox's Might of Lilith hit. She is overwhelmed by fear, shame and guilt. That is because in her mind EVERYTHING IS HER FAULT. Obviously this is itself a pretty childish and self-centered understanding of reality :P But here's the point. Charlie is a child who needs to grow-up. If she did so in one arc (which season 1 and 2 are), there would be no story.

In short, Charlie is terrified of violence and of the idea of being "bad". She is also clearly set-up to eventually discard this understanding of the world. I mean... her two biggest helpers are Alastor and Vaggi LOL

In particular, Charlie is DEEPLY in love with Vaggi, miss I love fighting and I collect weapons. This is not accidental. It is because the two girls need to integrate their complementary visions of the world. Just like they start doing in 1x7.

Vaggi discovers she needs to fight for love. It means she needs to fight to protect others and herself, rather than to hurt enemies and to sacrifice herself. Out For Love is about her integrating Charlie's vision of the world. Hence why she embraces "dancing" aka her art for the first time. She learns her body is not there only to kill (fight), but also to crete beauty (dance).

Charlie discovers she needs to accept violence to protect the ones she loves. Ready For This is about Charlie accepting this necessity. This is why she sings a recruitment song where she asks people to march and dance (=fight) for her. She even uses a lot of military jargon, which is Vaggi's default language.

Basically the point of 1.6 is that the two girls integrate with each other, even if they are separate.

VOX AND ANGEL

Since you asked about them specifically, here are some quick thoughts on their situations.

Vox

Charlie saying on TV Vox is the strongest sinner ties with the themes of the season. Charlie would have never given up to Vox, but is forced to say so because of her deal with Alastor. And what happens once she basically loses the fight of communication against Vox? She wins the war.

That is because Charlie is SO obsessed about being a GREAT AND INSPIRING COMMUNICATOR just like Lilith was, that she misses that:

A- You can't win a battle of communication against the embodyment of medias

B- It's not important what you say, but you do. Charlie says she is giving up on TV, but then doesn't and fights for the Sinners. This wins her the Kingdom back

Angel

People blaming Angel's loved ones for his situation are missing the point of Angel's character and story imo.

"Charlie does not care about Angel 'cause she is so fixated on being non-violent, she would not even try ot save him from Valentino!"

Charlie is literally ready to throw hands with Val five minutes after meeting him :''') It is ANGEL, who stops her from doing so. He does it to protect her, but he acts as if he is angry with her.

"Angel's loved ones do not care about him, 'cause they do not try to forcefully save him from Valentino"

They literally forcefully save him from Valenino in the season 2 finale. They even risk their well-being to do so and do not blame Angel for attacking them. After all that, Angel himself chooses to step back into his abusive relationship.

Angel's arc is meant to explore the difficulty of freeing one-self from an abusive situation and so far I think it does a good job at that. It is childish to think that it is easy to save a person in an abusive relationship. It isn't or there would not be so many tragedies all around us.

Angel's loved ones are people aka they are flawed. They don't have the whole picture of what Angel is going through and they face a person, who insists on pushing them away and refusing their help. They themselves need to grow to help Angel. At the same time, Angel needs to grow himself and to let them help him. That is the point of his story.

LOSERS

Finally, it is funny to me that people make it sound as if Charlie is the ONLY ONE who fails ridiculously. I mean, the whole point of the Hellaverse is that everyone is a loser:

Husk- He tells Angel to give Charlie's disastrous redemption plan a chance and then gets angry when Angel saves his life

Vaggi - She keeps her identity hidden for three years, thinking she can somehow pull it off in the long run; she is also unable to come up with a convincing excuse not to go to Heaven, which OBVIOUSLY leads to her secret coming out :''')

Lucifer - Have you seen the man? Let's just say he ends up being a power-source and he kiiiiinda deserves it, you know?

Alastor - He can't use angelic weapons 'cause he is too cool for them. Then, he makes the fact that he lost literally everyone's problem and spends the entirety of season 2 throwing a temper tantrum

Vox - He comes up with this overly complicated plan to gain power through popularity. He does all that and finally becomes THE STRONGEST sinner... and he is barely more powerful than Alastor, still gets his ass handed to him 'cause he is a less efficient fighter and loses it all. Let me also point out that for all of Vox's struggle he is still Overlord- level. Forget Charlie, cinnamon-roll Abel can one-shot him :P

I think I made my point. Everyone in the series is flawed and lame, which is why they are all so compelling. This is also why I find the whole "frauds" discourse so pointless and funny... "This character is a fraud!", "No, this character is a fraud"... Hello? They are all frauds, it's kinda the point. They are all trying to appear better than they are, which is why the narrative humiliates them.

CONCLUSION

Let's go back to Charlie and say I think people are simply reading her wrong. She is not meant to be a hero. She is meant to be a traumatized person trying her best, which makes her far more inspiring. She isn't the genius-princess that conquers everyone with her charm and quirkiness. She is a realistic portrayal of a neglected child, who becomes a young adult without fully growing up.

It's something the story makes crystal clear. Charlie's first scene is her reading a fairy tale about her family after a highly violent event (the exterminations). She is sad and scared and has no family with her because both of her parents have been neglecting her. So, Charlie is left with their idealized version in a picture book and the childish dream to fix her family.

I will point out another layer I never see people discuss. I will say I don't know if we will truly go as deep into the exploration of Charlie. Still, it is an element, which is worth considering. Charlie's parents neglect her not because they are bad people or do not love her. They neglect her because they too are two deeply traumatized people. They had this big dream which became a nightmare and broke the world.

I think both Lucifer and Lilith have both been twisted by whatever went down in Eden and are clearly projecting their traumas in different ways on Charlie. In short, Charlie is the victim of this HUGE inter-generational trauma. Her parents broke the world and have been struggling with this. As their daughter, Charlie has been struggling with this legacy, as well. She wants to fix the world because her parents broke it. So, if she can amend their mistakes they can finally be a normal family.

THE ENTERTAINMENT HIERARCHY

Here comes what I call "The Entertainment Hierarchy". Of course this is all speculative and a head-canon. I also doubt these motifs are going to be used as strictly as this analysis presents them. In short, take it with a grain of salt and enjoy!

LUCIFER AND LILITH: THE KING AND QUEEN OF ENTERTAINMENT

Lucifer and Lilith are ( or may be in Lilith's case) inspired by two famous musical movies. Lucifer references "The Greatest Showman", while Lilith might reference "Moulin Rouge!". Both movies are musicals, with similar ideas about art, entertainment, dreams and why they are important. The two musical movies might also loosely comment on Lucifer and Lilith's arcs in the story.

Moreover, "The Greatest Showman" and "Moulin Rouge!" link respectively Lucifer to the circus and Lilith to cabaret (a combination of dance, songs and theatre):

Lucifer and the circus - I think thematically the circus is symbolic of creativity as a whole. It is a world of dreams, where everything can become possible. Hence why Lucifer tried to model Hell after a giant circus. After all, Lucifer himself has been often compared to characters linked to imagination. He is a Mr Alt Disney, he has been said to be similar to Willy Wonka in interviews and so on. He is the Ringmaster of Hell not because he rules Hell, but mostly because he has contributed to its creation. Even when he is shown "working" in Charlie's flashback in More Than Anything, he is not active politically, but rather creating something in his study-room, which strongly associates him to a "carpenter" of sorts.

Lilith and entertainment - I think that Lilith is meant to be the brightest star of Hell from an entertainment perspective. She is a famous singer and she used to be a model. I would not be surprised if she were to be an ace at singing, dancing and acting. In general, we know Lilith's talent at singing is meant to be a metaphor for her political talent and ability to inspire and lead others. In short, Lilith is the best singer of Hell because she is the best leader.

THE PROTAGONISTS OF EDEN AS MUSICAL MOVIES

Lucifer and Lilith are the King and Queen of Hell, so their musical motifs link them to the idea of entertainment itself. However, they are also two of the four protagonists of the Story Of Eden, which started the series as a whole. Now, this is OBVIOUSLY a head-canon and I might very well be wrong, but I would like if all the four protagonists of the myth were linked to musical movies.

In this case, Lucifer is "The Greatest Showman" and Lilith may be "Mouling Rouge!", but what about Adam and Eve?

Adam and "School Of Rock" - The musical movie School Of Rock is about rock as freedom, community and challenge to authority. The joke is that Adam takes this form of art and twists it so that in Hazbin Hotel it becomes associated to opposite ideas. Just like Adam presents himself as a messianic archetype, when he is really a satanic archetype. He frames his rhetoric as "good", when it is in fact "evil". The motto of School Of Rock is "Stick it to the man!". Well, Adam repeats these words in Welcome To Heaven without realizing he himself is the man.

Rosie (Eve) and "Hello, Dolly!" - I know that Rosie might very well not be Eve, but, until proven wrong, I am head-canoning them as the same person. In any case, I will use this section to speak of Rosie's entertainment motifs, which are still present no matter who she is.

Rosie alludes to the musical movie "Hello, Dolly!", which is about a woman playing the match-maker and manipulating everyone for her own objectives. Now, the Dolly in the movie is actually well meaning and makes sure everyone (including herself) ends up happy and in love. I am not sure our Rosie is as innocuous :P

I will add Rosie has two additional allusions.

1) She alludes to "Mary Poppins" and "Mary Poppins Returns", as the art below shows:

This reference is present in "Don't You Forget", where Rosie and Al's dance is similar to Mary Poppins and Jack's dance in "The Cover Is Not The Book":

2) She alludes to The Little Mermaid's Ursula (who is a satanic archetype of her own by the way):

Ursula makes a pact with Ariel and takes her voice in exchange for making her a human

Rosie makes a pact with Al and takes his soul in exchange for making him the strongest sinner

There is an obvious link between voices and souls in the Hellaverse. Moreover, both women are actually tricking their victims. Sure, Ursula makes Ariel a human, but she sets up a trial the little mermaid is bound to fail. As for Rosie, she makes Al the strongest sinner, but there are much more powerful beings in Hell and Heaven that the Radio Demon needs to face.

In short, Rosie is set up as an important character also because she has many allusions and references. I think the other character with these many since his introductory episode is Lucifer (The Greatest Showman, The Ugly Duckling and Mr Alt-Disney). Moreover, Lucifer too gets a specific Disney reference, as he alludes to Aladdin's Geenie:

So, I wonder if all this symbolism and these allusions are also because Rosie and Lucifer are gonna be foils (and even more so Rosie and Lilith, but I don't have enough stuff about Lilith). In a sense, you can see Lucifer as old Disney, while Rosie as old Broadway, both of which are among the greatest inspirations for the series. So, like... very ancient and powerful characters ready to clash? We'll see.

Why should the four protagonists of the Eden myth be associated to musical movies? A possible answer is that they are very ancient beings (as ancient as humanity), so in a sense they already have "their own stories". This may be why thematically each one of them references an already existing musical movie. Not only that, but:

Their movies link them all to a form of art

They are twists of their respective musical movies

So, in summary we have:

Adam - rock music: he is a Dewey Finn, who instead of "sticking it to the man" has become "the man"

Lucifer - circus: he is a P.T. Barnum, who has lost his drive and dreams

Lilith - cabaret (dancing + singing + acting): she is a Satine, whose love life is going through a crisis

Rosie (Eve) - musical theatre: she is a Dolly, who is now scheming not for everyone's good, but in a sinister and exploitative way

In a sense they are all so old that it is as if they have outlived their own stories. They have lived so long they have become the antithesis of their own musical movies and need to rediscover themselves.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS AS A CIRCUS TROUPE

Lucifer and Lilith are the King and Queen of Hell and they modeled Hell after a giant circus, which ties into Lucifer's allusion. As a result, the Seven Deadly Sins in this universe are a Circus Troupe:

Lucifer is the Ringmaster

Satan is the Strongman

Bee-lzebub is the Beast-Master and the Circus Animal

Mammon is the Clown

Asmodeus is the Fire-Eater

Leviathan is the Circus-Freak + probably some additional Circus Act

Belphegor is yet to be seen, but may be some kind of Fortune-Teller

Each circus act rules one of the Seven Rings of Hell, so that metaphorically Hell becomes a seven-ring circus aka:

The Greatest Show ever

The greatest chaos ever

In general, the circus symbolism is interesting when it comes to the Sins.

On the one hand many of the Sins do not wear circus clothes during their every-day life (Ozzie and Bee). Sor far, only Lucifer and Mammon's circus motifs are easily recognizable on sight. For the others they can be deduced by details in their houses or outfits.

On the other hand some Sins seem to emphasize their circus motif when dressed formally for the audience in Mastermind (Bee is the primary example).

I think the Sins' circus allusions are meant to symbolize their link with Lucifer, which is growing weaker as Lucifer has been isolating himself (hence they do not perform together as a circus troupe anymore). At the same time, the circus (as the other entertainment motifs) is a metaphor for the Sins' political power, hence them highlighting this imagery in formal occasions.

I will add that Mammon being the one who makes his Circus Motif obvious on spot ties with him trying to fill the power vacuum left by Lucifer and Lilith. They are the King and Queen of Entertainment, but since they are both absent for different reasons Mammon has stepped up to fill the gap. He organizes pageants and has made clowns and circus very popular among Hellborns. He is a Clown who has become Ringmaster.

THE OVERLORDS AS ARTS

This one has been confirmed in a late 2025 interview. From the Hellaverse Wiki:

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)

Here come some considerations.

First of all, 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.

Where does Alastor fit?

I think Alastor is right between art and exploitation. Or to better say he has the potential to do both.

On the one hand Alastor can use his media (radio) to make voices louder, which he does in season 1 as Charlie's "executive producer". He helps her win the cannibals over and lends his microphone to her.

On the other hand Alastor is famous for stealing Overlords' voices (symbolically their souls), trapping them in his radio and making broadcasts out of their screams. If this is not a metaphor for exploitation I don't know what is :P

This duality fits Alastor's character, who is a trickster aka he walks a fine line between ally and antagonist. I will add Alastor is inspired by the song You Are Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile from the musical Annie. If I am not wrong, the song is the only one sung by a minor character (a radio host) in the show. This could fit Alastor trying to "write his own story", but not having a full musical movie after him, as he is far younger and less powerful than other ancient beings. He is trying to climb up the system.

Finally, I think Rosie embodying musical theatre is basically confirmed tbh. I have explained why above, but "Don't You Forget" offers additional arguments.

One among many is this frame:

Rosie moves Alastor around as a puppet in her personal theatre

The scene itself is a reference to yet ANOTHER iconic musical movie ("Chicago"):

So, yeah, they went all out with the musical theatre references for the Cannibal Queen :P

ENTERTAINMENT = POWER

In the Hellaverse the best entertainers are the most powerful and influential characters. Similarly, the motifs explored above describe Hell's political situation.

Lucifer and Lilith are the King and Queen and probably at their best they have complementary roles in Hell:

Lucifer sets the stage (Hell) and prepares the show. He was also probably more interested in the Hellborns and worked together with the Seven Deadly Sins. After all, he makes sure Hellborns are left out from the Exterminations.

Lilith takes central stage as the best performer (political leader). It is possible she was mostly involved with the Sinners and the Pride Ring. After all, Vox calls her a Sinner, so maybe she was not really able to visit the other Rings of Hell (we'll see).

However, they are both missing (Lucifer psychologically and Lilith physically). As a result, others have stepped up and seized the power for themselves.

The Sins are ruling the Rings of Hell with Satan and Mammon expanding their influence, as Lucifer is now uninvolved. They still honor the circus motif distinctive of the King Of Hell.

The Overlords are ruling the Pride Ring with the Vees expanding their influence, as Lilith is gone. The Overlords are not limited to the circus motif, but represent different arts, just like their Queen.

THE HAZBIN CREW

How does the Hazbin Crew fit in all of this?

I will start by saying I am not sure EVERY character at the Hazbin Hotel is gonna fit here. For example, I don't think Cherri Bomb so far has such a strong entertainment motif. Sure, she has a punk rock musical style, but that's all. It is also possible some ideas and concepts will become clearer as the story goes on. In any case, here are some thoughts.

Husk and Niffty are Overlords, so they should fit into the "art motif". I also think they may be minor Overlords, as both are great against Valentino and Velvette, but also need Cherri and Baxter's help to defeat the two Vees.

Husk may represent magic tricks and magic performances. His powers seem equally linked to this art and to gambling. This is also because some elements (like cards) are shared by these two activities. I see the Magician Husk as the real Husk in full control of his destiny. Gambler Husk is instead a Husk, who gives up his power and leaves his life up to chance.

Niffty is still a mystery, but so far she seems linked to "feminine arts" like cleaning and especially sewing. After all, Niffty's weapon and symbol is a giant needle. I think we'll discover more as the story goes on.

Sir Pentious and Baxter are interesting because they are not linked to an art per se. Rather they explore the idea of "creation". Sir Pentious is an inventor and loves creating mechanisms and objects. Baxter is instead a mad scientist, who adores experimenting with organic matter and inventing new life-forms. They are two complementary approaches to creativity, as they represent heart and mind, intuition and logic:

ANGEL, VAGGI AND CHARLIE: THREE PERFORMATIVE ARTS

Here come our three protagonists! Angel, Vaggi and Charlie are the three young characters we see growing throughout the series. So, what is their entertainment motif? Easy, they are linked respectively to acting (Angel), dancing (Vaggi) and singing (Charlie).

Why is this important? Well, acting, dancing and singing are the three performative arts that make up musical theatre, which is at the heart of the series.

Angel, Vaggi and Charlie are still young and inexperienced and are not fully realized people yet. So, they do not have an art/media like the Overlords or a circus act like the Sins. How could they? They lack a proper social role in Hell. They don't even have a fully fledged story (musical movie) of their own yet. They are writing it just now. However, they are full of potential and get to explore the three key performative arts of the series to the fullest.

Angel And Acting

Angel is a porn-star, which is Hell's equivalent of a Hollywood actor. Thematically Angel's link to acting is about:

Angel hiding his trauma and real self behind a persona (negative) > Poison

Angel using his acting to explore different parts of himself (positive) > Losin' Streak

This is why his two main songs so far explore opposite performances. Poison is a negative performance (repression), while Losin' Streak is a positive one (expression).

Vaggi And Dancing

Vaggi is a child-soldier turned dancer. Thematically Vaggi's link to dance is about her rebirth. She is taught she is just a weapon, but discovers herself a person able to create art. She initially sees her body as something to kill and hurt others. However, she discovers it as an instrument of beauty, able to protect (Out For Love) and love (Easy).

This is why two of her key songs are:

Out For Love, where she is a silent protagonist. This song is a training lesson, which is really about dance. The metaphor is that Vaggi must evolve her fighting style to protect and survive, rather than to kill and die.

Easy, where she takes central stage as a singer. This song is a metaphorical depiction of Vaggi and Charlie making love and it uses tango to describe the girls' sexual intercourse.

Charlie And Singing

Charlie is a singer who wants someone to properly listen to her. Thematically Charlie's link to singing is about communication. Charlie wants to convey her big lofty dreams to people, but she struggles to get through them. At the same time, she often is self-centered and fails to listen to others properly. Her growth lies into her finding a good balance between singing and listening. Her major songs all highlight this:

Happy Day In Hell is about Charlie singing about her dream to an unresponsive and cynical Hell

It Starts With Sorry is about Charlie teaching Sir Pentious about Redemption

More Than Anything is about Charlie and Lucifer finally communicating

You Didn't Know is about Charlie finally standing up and answering to Adam's claims

Ready For This is about Charlie getting through to the Cannibals thanks to her voice

Hazbin Guarantee is about Charlie trying to make a speech to convince the Sinners to stay at the Hazbin Hotel

Speedrun To Redemption is about Charlie speaking over Angel, when she should listen to him

Easy is about Charlie finally listening to Vaggi

Obviously Charlie's passion for singing stems also from her admiration for Lilith, who is a famous singer able to use her voice to empower others. Charlie would like to do the same, but she has to do it her own way, not Lilith's.

In a sense, Charlie is a person who is looking for her own unique voice and will find it by helping others find theirs. This will be Charlie's way to "empower" others. Through listening and discovering their voices, rather than by imposing hers. Charlie's objective is to help everyone find their "musical key". This is why she is always ready to offer guests a key-room and why the mascotte of her Hazbin Hotel is a literal key:

KeeKee is a key able to sense people's hearts (hence she gets attached to Pentious and hisses at Vox). She is the Hazbin Hotel's key and symbolically she stands for the "musical key" present in everyone. She highlights the Hazbin Hotel's goal to unlock everyone's inner sounds.

CHARLIE: SINGING + CIRCUS

One final focus on Charlie. Our girl is a mix between Lilith and Lucifer, as her powers show:

Charlie's powers combine Lilith's musical notes and Lucifer's fireworks. That is because Charlie herself is her parents' combination.

On the one hand she wants to inspire sinners through her voice (Lilith's empowering voice). On the other hand she has a big lofty dream (Lucifer's circus) she wants to realize.

As a result, Charlie's own entertainment motif might become more layered as the story goes on.

Like Lilith, Charlie might need to grow as a performer

Charlie's key song so far is Ready For This, which is a full-fledged performance. Here Charlie finally succeeds at convincing a group of people to "sing her song" and follow her.

To do that she goes all out not only at singing, but at dancing and acting, as well.

-She sings a beautiful song that resonates with her public.

-She incorporates some tip-tap in her routine and invites the cannibals to dance with her.

-She puts up a performance, as she hides her doubts and negativity to appear as a strong leader:

Charlie: I really hope that I'm ready for this...

The song is titled "Ready For This", but Charlie never once says that she is ready. She just tries to appear ready and to perform accordingly.

Like Lucifer, Charlie might need to build her own circus

Charlie's link with the circus is less present than her link with music. However, it might still be relevant for her character.

For example, in Easy Charlie apologizes to Vaggi by building a small circus-tent:

Just like Lucifer materializes a circus pocket dimension for Charlie in More Than Anything:

So, it is probable "circus" for Charlie means dreams, wonder and love. More importantly, it might be a home, a place where her loved ones are protected. So, Charlie's personal circus may really be her Hazbin Hotel :P

Thematically it is also possible Charlie might need to grow into a Ringmaster in her own right:

This is an old sketch, but here Charlie looks like a Ringleader to me.

Not only that, but so far her designs for the two season finales have incorporated some circus elements, like the buttons on both her outfits:

Seedling aka a very young plant that has been born from a seed

Both meanings tie with the idea Kanae is linked to the beginning of the process. She is the earth where the other flowers (aka characters) will grow; she is barely more than a seed.

Because of her role, Kanae's song is really about the theme of arc 2, rather than Kanae herself:

Holy spirits have them Devilish spirits have them Ah, though you carry a grain of Heaven Everyone has infernal ulterior motives--the good have them! The evil have them! Ah, though you hold the eeriness of Hell As long as such suspicious figures come, There shall be debate! If it be so, on an awesome moonlit night Come out and go astray! This mystery is beyond the ken of Man Humans, dwarfed by the vastness of Creation Shall tremble in fear at that form!

Arc 2 introduces complexity, as it challenges Utena to try and see beyond appearances. Everyone has a darker side and every person has both good and evil within them. This is the reality Utena should see. She should break the vision rooted in heroes and monsters, princesses and princes. Kanae's song highlights this complex reality and hints at the idea there is a bigger illusion going on.

After all, the second stanza mentions the Moon, which is the tarot of illusion. This obviously hints at Akio's illusion (the castle in the sky) aka the idea of fairy tales and rigid gender roles. Kanae is a girl trapped in an illusion, so she is the first character who challenges Utena to break her own fantasies.

KANAE'S CHARACTER = SNOWHITE

Kanae is a tragic Snowhite.

The allusion is made obvious the moment Kanae dies (this is the implication). She is shown catatonic, as Akio is holding her and Anthy is putting a slice of apple into her mouth. In the next scene, Akio is left in the room with Kanae and Anthy is shown cutting ice in the same room with Utena and Nanami:

The whole scene is pretty unnerving, especially because Anthy stops Utena from entering Akio's room. The implication is that Akio is disposing of the body by cutting it, just like Anthy is cutting ice (aka Snowhite :P). This is also why Nanami is so scared of Anthy in this scene:

Obviously Nanami has no idea of what is going on. However, she knows of Anthy and Akio's incestuous relationship and unconsciously realizes that something very dark is going on behind the scenes.

So, is that all? Kanae is Snowhite 'cause she dies with a poisoned apple? Not really, the meaning of the fairy tale is deeper. In particular, Kanae's allusion is important for both herself and Anthy, as the two girls are trapped in a dark fairy tale written by their guardians.

On the one hand Kanae is the victim of an abusive mother. Mrs Ohtori is the Evil Queen, who uses Kanae to further her goals. She is clearly charmed/in love with Akio, which is why she poisons Mr Ohtory (or so I think it is implied somewhere). However, she can not openly be in a relationship with Akio, so she uses her own daughter to live a relationship by proxy. This is why she gets angry when Akio does not see Kanae that much often anymore. In other words, Mrs Ohtori sacrifices Kanae's life to live through her. This fits the Evil Queen whose whole problem was the inability to accept the passage of time. It is normal for a mother to grow old and for a child to grow up. This also makes it obvious that at one point the mother will be less beautiful than the daughter. It is literally the cycle of nature. However, the Evil Queen can't accept it and decides to kill Snowhite to stop time. Similarly, Mrs Ohtori decides to use her Snowhite as an extension of herself. She uses Kanae's life as if it were hers, which eventually results in Kanae's death.

On the other hand Anthy is the victim of an abusive brother. Akio is Anthy's "twisted prince", who turns her into an evil witch. This obviously means that Akio makes Anthy an accomplice to his crimes. Even in Kanae's case, Akio is the one holding Kanae firm, but he has Anthy poison Kanae. Obviously one can read the whole thing as Anthy being "jealous" of Kanae and Akio's relationship, hence her dislike of Kanae and her killing her. That said, the whole thing is clearly a consequence of Akio's abuse and of the siblings' twisted oedipal relationship. Anthy sees Akio as a father, but it is also implied Akio himself sees Anthy as a nurturing presence ready to sacrifice herself for him. That would be a mother. This is probably why Anthy is often forced into the role of "mother", be it the Evil Queen Mother in Kanae's story or Miki's new adoptive mother. Whatever the case, Anthy is trapped in the role of the Evil Witch.

In other words, Kanae and Anthy are children trapped in twisted fairy tales by adults unable to grow up. However, Anthy will eventually escape, while Kanae dies there.

This makes Kanae an interesting foil to all the three main female characters: Anthy, Utena and Nanami. This may also be why her design is loosely similar to all three. She has green eyes like Anthy, blond hair like Nanami and her overall looks are similar to Utena's. On a deeper level, she foils all three girls.

Like Anthy, Kanae is a victim of familial abuse. Not only that, but both have internalized misogyny that they project on the other. The true enemy in both their stories is Akio, but they are pit against each other (Snowhite VS Evil Queen). On the one hand Kanae knows something is wrong in her new arrangement, but she blames it all on Anthy. This is why she has an unconscious desire is to kill Anthy. On the other hand Anthy ends up truly killing Kanae that she sees as a disposable woman in Akio's life. Just like herself.

Like Utena, Kanae is a child being groomed and raped by Akio. Kanae's introduction is really the first hint that something is very wrong with Akio. Sure, Akio is intimate with his fiance. However, Akio's fiance is really a student in Akio's school. How wrong is that? The implication is that Kanae was once courted and pampered just like Utena. However, as Kanae is about to become an adult (I think she is 18 by the time of the series), Akio progressively loses all interest in her. After all, Akio is probably attracted only by underage kids. In other words, Akio used Kanae for sex and to take control of the school, but now he is ready to move on and to dispose of her. He is switching targets from Kanae to Utena. In other words, Utena is set up to meet a destiny very similar to Kanae, but she manages to fight it by recognizing Akio for who he is and by refusing to be "his princess". Obviously there is also the difference that Anthy starts to genuinely love Utena, while she is indifferent/dislikes Kanae. This is made clear by Kanae and Utena's different family pictures:

Kanae's picture has Akio in the centre and Anthy and Kanae on his two sides

Utena's picture has Anthy between herself and Akio; this detail is important 'cause initially Utena was supposed to be in the middle. However, Anthy steps in between Akio and Utena, as a hint that she does not like Utena being groomed by Akio

Like Nanami, Kanae is a child with a "parasitic" sense of self. Nanami has built who she is around Touga, while Kanae has built her identity around her family name. Both girls unconsciously know there is something very wrong with their situations.

Nanami is deep down conscious that she is "vermin" aka a parasite to Touga. This is why one of her focus episode back in arc 1 has her convinced Touga wants to kill her. Symbolically she gets sure of it the moment she overhears Touga and Anthy speak about "parasites" and "vermins". That is because Nnami IS a vermin to Touga's rose. She is a part of him. This is why her big revelation in arc 3 is to admit that she is indeed vermin like all other girls. It is the first step to bloom into her own self.

Kanae is deep down conscious something is wrong in her relationship with Akio. She knows she is being used by her mother, but this unconscious realization never becomes clear to her. As a result, she is unable to become her own person. This is interesting given her Snowhite allusion. As a fairy tale, Snowhite is the story of a child becoming an adult. As children, we see ourselves as extensions of our parents (hence we see our parents as we look in the mirror). The moment we grow up we realize we are someone different (hence the mirror will stop reflecting the Queen and start showing Snowhite). This makes us scared to the point we would like to stop the process (The Queen wants to kill Snowhite). However, it is part of growing up (Snowhite becomes Queen). Well, Kanae is unable to "kill her Queen" and to become her own person. She is murdered before she can grow up.

Nanami is the apple of knowledge and the fruit that separates herself from the tree:

Kanae is the apple of knowledge that arrives too late and the fruit that gets poisoned. She is the poisoned apple:

Someone pointed out how the apple being pierced by forks is loosely similar to Anthy herself being pierced by swords later on. The apple is Eve being tormented by the patriarchy.

Kanae's death is overall important thematically for two reasons.

1- It happens in the yellow phase, so it can be considered "the yellow death". In my previous meta, I pointed out how the series is divided into three arcs (white, black and red). I discovered recently some people divide it into four. Specifically, the final arc gets divided into the Akio's arc and the Apocalypse arc. The Akio's arc ends in episode 33, when Akio rapes Utena.

If one were to welcome this division, the "Akio's arc" should be considered the yellow phase. It would make sense as the yellow phase is really just a part of the red phase. Moreover, Nanami's arc climaxes in episode 32, which is when Kanae dies. In other words, Kanae can be seen as the "yellow death". She is the child that fails to become the wise woman and can't separate from the parent. Her death makes so that Akio officially moves on to physically target Utena.

2- Kanae is a dark foil of the main protagonists, who all escape fairy tales.

Nanami escapes the idea she is the school princess (I am just vermin!)

Utena escapes the idea she is a heroic prince (I could not become your prince)

Anthy escapes the idea she is a witch (Wait for me, Utena)

Kanae is instead the girl who dies as a princess. She plays Snowhite until her tragic end. A death with no resurrection.