Line #194 Main/DemonOfHumanOrigin


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10	[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_fulgrimchange.jpg]]]]
11	[[caption-width-right:350:Fulgrim, before and after his transformation into a Daemon Primarch of Slaanesh.]]
12
13	->''"It might take centuries, but sooner or later Hell will burn away your humanity. Every Hell-bound soul, every one, turns into something else. Turns you into us."''
14	-->-- '''Ruby the Demon''', ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', "[[Recap/SupernaturalS03E09MalleusMaleficarum Malleus Maleficarum]]"
15
16	This demon was once a mere mortal, usually someone who had been sent to {{Hell}} but eventually joined the ranks of his torturers. In some settings this may be the only way that new demons are created, with every demon having once been a soul sent to the basement.
17
18	Perhaps they were {{curse}}d to suffer this fate or their souls were [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil tortured until nothing but a monstrous apparition remained]]. They could also have sought it out deliberately, acquiring the powers of hell [[PowerAtAPrice at the cost of their humanity]]. Or maybe TheDevil [[DevilsJobOffer directly made them the offer]] to become one of his infernal minions. Whatever the case, what WasOnceAMan is now a new demon.
19
20	This may be the ultimate goal of a HellSeeker. Given enough time, someone this ambitious may even become [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils one of the officers]] or actually [[HellHasNewManagement overthrow the big boss himself]].
21
22	The process is not always irreversible: see AscendedDemon for those who manage to redeem themselves.
23
24	This idea is NewerThanTheyThink, at least in Western circles. The Literature/BookOfRevelation indicates this is not possible, as demons are simply the {{Fallen Angel}}s who joined Lucifer in his original Fall from Heaven. Humans are also categorically capable of redemption, so while the Devil can tempt them into sin, a sinner can't literally forsake their humanity to become a bodiless spirit of pure evil.
25
26	Subtrope of OurDemonsAreDifferent. Compare DeityOfHumanOrigin, AngelicTransformation, and HumanDemonHybrid. See also EvilMakesYouMonstrous. Contrast HumanityEnsues. Compare and contrast EldritchTransformation and TranshumanAbomination, which are exaggerated forms of this trope.
27
28	----
29	!!Examples
30	[[foldercontrol]]
31
32	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
33	* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': As the world has a heavy amount of ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve, all the monsters are in some way created by humanity and the stronger ones border on DeityOfHumanOrigin:
34	** An artifact called a [[ArtifactOfDoom Behelit]] can, given the right circumstances (typically a DespairEventHorizon on the part of its owner, which always seems to happen sooner or later BecauseDestinySaysSo), open a temporary portal or convergence between [[LayeredWorld our layer of reality]] and what is basically {{Hell}}. There, the owner of the Behelit is offered a DealWithTheDevil by a quadrumvirate (later a quintumvirate) of DemonLordsAndArchDevils called the God Hand. In exchange for a significant sacrifice (usually [[PoweredByAForsakenChild the life of a loved one]]), the bearer of the Behelit will be transformed into a powerful (and often, depending on their inner desires, [[BodyHorror horrific]]) demon called an Apostle. Considering that the bearer is nearly always on the brink of death (or in too much spiritual pain for more life as a human to be very appealing), they nearly always take the offer. The ''[[LawOfChromaticSuperiority Crimson]]'' Behelit can be used every [[NumberOfTheBeast 216 years]] to create a new member of the God Hand for an even larger sacrifice, making them examples as well. It's worth noting that Creator/KentaroMiura took a lot of inspiration from ''Film/{{Hellraiser}}'' (see below) when he created his demons.
35	** Apostles can turn humans into lesser monsters called Apostle Spawn without a sacrifice.
36	** Many lesser demons that are drawn by the Brands of Guts and Casca are created from the [[TheHeartless negative emotions of dying humans]]. Monsters of the Qliphoth in particular, including trolls, ogres, and many strange unnamed creatures, are created by human nightmares.
37	** Emperor Ganishka's Daka army was made by dropping pregnant women into a pool made of still living apostles that were stitched together. Once the woman is submerged inside, her unborn child becomes infused with evil and turns into a monster known as a Daka.
38	* In ''Manga/BeyondEvil'' (also known as ''Aku No Higan'') the demon-like beings who trade in human lives are all implied to have once been normal human beings.
39	* ''Manga/BlackButler'': In Season 2, [[spoiler:Ciel Phantomhive becomes a demon due to the multiple parties messing about with his FaustianBargain with Sebastian, who can't eat his soul as a result]].
40	* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'':
41	** Some devils become more'human by PossessingADeadBody to become a fiend or (much more rarely) becoming a dormant part of a human's body to let them [[HenshinHero transform into a Weapon Human]]. In rare cases of fiends possessing bodies with in-tact brains, the human's memories will remain and have a significant, even dominate, effect on the resulting personality.
42	** Some [[DealWithTheDevil contracts]] [[SuperEmpowering grant a human the devil's power]] by [[PowerUpgradingDeformation transforming them to resemble that devil]]. This change can be drastic and permanent, with some humans described as turning into "pseudo-devils".
43	* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', Demons are originally humans who were turned into such monsters because of Muzan and his underlings giving their blood to them -- willingly or not.
44	* Devils in ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}}'' are specially selected [[MageSpecies Magic Users]] who've gone through years of training and passed the Devil Exam. The end result is basically the original Magic User being fused permanently into a suit of biological PoweredArmor, becoming invincible, virtually omnipotent, and [[BlueAndOrangeMorality cheerfully insane]]. They then spend all their time doing whatever amuses them, whether torturing people in Hell, granting wishes, or pigging out on unhealthy food that can no longer hurt them. Only Chidaruma, the first and greatest Devil, has no human origin.
45	* ''Anime/HellGirl'': [[LittleMissBadass Ai Enma]]. During her dying breath, she cursed the villagers that sacrificed her and her parents to their mountain gods. That same night, she came back to life and burned the whole village down, killing everyone in it. After that, she was sent to hell, and the Lord of Hell forced her to take the job of Hell Girl or else she and her loved ones would suffer in hell eternally. The job comes with a powerful set of powers, and over the course of 400 years she gains enough mastery of it to be able to confront the Lord of Hell, as seen in the end of Season 1. She manages to get off the job at the end of Season 2... and after a complicated set of events, takes the job back at the end of Season 3. [[spoiler:Michiru also becomes a Hell Girl through a very similar set of circumstances in Season 4.]]
46	* ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'': This technically applies to the protagonist and most of his TrueCompanions, with a heavy order of DarkIsNotEvil and OurDemonsAreDifferent. With their numbers greatly depleted by fighting in a three way war between themselves, the Heavenly Hosts and the Fallen Angels, the Devils devised what is called the Evil Pieces system that can transform other races into Devils to bolster their numbers and make up for their extremely low rate of reproduction. It's not restricted to humans though as it can affect {{Youkai}}, {{Valkyries}} and HalfHumanHybrids (among others) as well.
47	* In ''Manga/InuYasha'', a human can make a pact with lower {{youkai}}. He offers his soul to them, and than they turn him into a half-demon. However, the resulting half-demon is no longer the person he was before, because the lower youkai now [[PuppeteerParasite dominate him]]. [[BigBad Naraku]] was born that way.
48	** The anime shows that Sara Asano and the black priestess Tsubaki become half-demons in the same way.
49	** The manga shows the monk Nikosen, who turns into a pure demon. After being defeated, Sango says many demons once were human.
50	* In ''Manga/StraitJacket'': TheCorruption gradually turns magic users into demons. The titular jackets are designed to be worn by demon hunters to prevent this happening but aren't foolproof.
51	* In ''Manga/UshioAndTora'' is often implied that many Youkai were once humans who turned into monsters. They include {{Oni}}, the Kyouma, Tengu and the Azafuse [[spoiler: such as Tora himself.]]
52	* Yubel from ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' was a human in her previous life.
53	* In ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', the Toguro brothers were once human, but asked to be transformed into demons as their prize for winning the Dark Tournament.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Card Games]]
57	* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', [[MadeOfMagic demons are concentrations of Black mana]]. While these tend to occur naturally (or from the spells of dark spellcasters), some examples involve transformation from non-demon beings.
58	** In the Greek Mythology-inspired Theros, demons are born from the souls in the Underworld that have built up enough resentment and hatred at being stuck there that they're transformed by Black mana.
59	** The Chain Veil casts a curse that transforms its wearer into a demon to avenge the artifact's creators. This has happened to Ob Nixilis, once a human planeswalker but now a demon (not that it would have mattered much anyways, since old planeswalkers could transform into anything; he just got stuck in that form) and Garruk Wildspeaker (saved at the last minute).
60	** The Planeswalker Tibalt was a normal (albeit evil) human on Innistrad who in desperation used a fiendish spell that fused him with the essence of devils (which in Magic basically means less powerful, more chaotic demons), leaving him in permanent BigRedDevil mode.
61	** The city of New Capenna is run by five crime families, and each of those families is headed by a demon; while none of them were ''human'' (they include a vampire, a leonin, and aven, a sphinx, and a dragon) they were mortal (with the exception of Xander, a vampire), and only became demonic after making deals with a group of arch-demons to rule in their name, while they were off [[spoiler: [[EvilVersusEvil fighting the Phyrexians]]]]. This also had the side effect of blurring their memories of their pre-demonic lives, which is a problem as they're the only beings alive old enough to remember what actually happened when New Capenna was founded, which is a plot point.
62	* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': The fact that Caliga shares the same ATK, DEF, Attribute, and Level as Aleister -- plus the similar clothing -- implies it is a mutated Aleister. And then Aleister the Meltdown Invoker's card art is showing him turning into Caliga.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Comic Books]]
66	* ''ComicBook/{{Arawn}}'': The main character became the King of Hell, but he was once human. This came about after he was possessed by an actual demon who then absorbed the energy of a PhysicalGoddess but was killed when his SoulJar was destroyed, leaving Arawn with their combined power.
67	* ''Creator/DCComics'':
68	** ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': In ''ComicBook/TheNail'', the Joker returns from Hell, complete with new infernal powers, to try to drag ComicBook/{{Batman}} back with him. He almost did, too, except... [[MemeticBadass he's Batman]].
69	** ''ComicBook/SwampThing'': Anton Arcane was considered so evil as to be transformed into a demon after he died and went to Hell.
70	** ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'':
71	*** Nergal lived in ancient Babylon before he was [[BurnTheWitch burned as a witch]] for sexually abusing children. He was then tortured in hell for thousands of years before he was initiated into demonhood (though this has since apparently been retconned). He would later oversee Anton Arcane's transformation into a demon.
72	*** Ironically, Ritchie Simpson ended up as one of these by stealing Nergal's vacant body; unfortunately for him, Agony and Ecstasy decided that this wouldn't be enough to make him a ''true'' demon and dragged him down into Hell to make sure he ''earned'' his demonhood.
73	** The heroic ComicBook/BlueDevil was originally just a stuntman stuck in a costume, but became an actual demon after a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Neron]].
74	* ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'': The demon who gave [[BlackMagicianGirl Sistah Spooky]] her magic powers [[DealWithTheDevil as part of a bargain]] reveals he is this trope. In life, he was a telemarketer who was stuck in a cubicle on the phone all day making crummy deals with gullible people. He says that he hated this job when he was alive, and hates it even more now that he's stuck doing the demonic equivalent of it for all eternity.
75	* ''ComicBook/LadyDeath'':
76	** Lady Death is ''technically'' not a demon, but was burned at the stake in medieval Sweden before overthrowing Lucifer and becoming the Queen of All That Is Dead and Dying, giving her a host of supernatural powers along with immortality.
77	** Her enemy ComicBook/{{Purgatori}} is another interesting variation since she looks like a [[HotAsHell stunningly attractive]] BigRedDevil, but is really the result of vampirization mixing with her FallenAngel heritage.
78	* ''Creator/MarvelComics'':
79	** ''ComicBook/GhostRider'':
80	*** Some Ghost Riders got their story in this manner, though not usually by their own will in the main series, such as with Johnny Blaze and Zarathos.
81	*** In ''Ghost Rider'' (2020), one of the Jack O'Lanterns is revealed to have become a demon. He escapes Hell with the help of Lilith, but is sent back by Danny Ketch's new Spirit of Corruption form.
82	** ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': Bruce Banner's father Brian was a [[AbusiveParents repugnant]] [[{{Jerkass}} piece of work]] as a mortal man. After death, [[ArchnemesisDad his hatred for his son is so strong]] his spirit continues to torment the Hulk, usually in service to entities like [[ComicBook/ChaosWar the Chaos King]] and [[ComicBook/ImmortalHulk the One Below All]]. When first confronting the Hulk after death, Brian transforms into a monstrous fire-breathing demon version of Hulk, and when merged with the One Below All, becomes a demonic presence that can possess gamma-mutated beings.
83	** ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': In ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan2018'', Kindred is a mummified centipede-themed demon who says he was once human but was sent to Hell and became a demon, and has a potent grudge against Spider-Man. [[spoiler:''Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol. 5 #50 reveals that his true identity is Harry Osborn.]]
84	** ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'':
85	*** Being the Devil's bounty hunter is the Ghost Rider's default.
86	*** Dormammu is revealed to be a human sorcerer when he's depowered.
87	* ''ComicBook/SatansHollow'': The Shadow Man was once a satan-worshipping human known as Burdaine. His goal was to become an arch-demon at the Devil's side, who [[EvilIsNotAToy instead turned him into a lesser demon]] to [[YouHaveFailedMe punish him for a previous failure]], becoming a rather weak LivingShadow instead.
88	* ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'': Spawn struck a DealWithTheDevil to get out of hell. Numerous {{retcon}}s mean that [[DependingOnTheWriter the details vary]], but typically he is granted [[TheUndead undeath]] and a host of demonic powers with the understanding that he will one day lead TheLegionsOfHell against heaven, and typically he's [[FaustianRebellion none too keen about keeping up his end of the bargain]] and always [[AscendedDemon searching for redemption]] to get out of it.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Fan Works]]
92	* ''Fanfic/MikesNewGhostlyFamily'': William Afton, after collaborating with demon lord Vucarik to [[EscapedFromHell escape from Hell]] and absorb the demonic essences of younger Nightmares, gets transformed into Nightmare Springtrap, a demonic version of animatronic that defined his life after the first death. Though his power is much weaker when compared to the real Nightmares, he's still [[NormalFishInATinyPond extraordinarily powerful by human standards]]. [[spoiler:Thankfully, he gets defeated in the BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind against Mike Schmidt, and, after losing his demonic powers and getting brutally tortured by Mike, gets sent back to Hell by Nightmare.]]
93	* ''Fanfic/ThePrinceOfDeath'': Light becomes Prince of the Shinigami Realm.
94	* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'':
95	** Lord Tirek, who in this series is a CompositeCharacter of his G1 and G4 selves, is currently a demonic beast of world threatening power and perceived by ponies as the InUniverse {{Satan}} analogue. However, he originated as a mortal centaur and Prince of the Centaur Empire. Then he [[spoiler:consumed Pandora's Box of Dark Magic]] and mutated into what he is now.
96	** Lilith the Witch Queen was once a normal human woman. However, she's long sense mutated into an immensely powerful and [[MadeOfEvil demonic]] PureMagicBeing that could [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire world]] if she was ever fully unleashed.
97	* ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'': It's eventually revealed that [[WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures Tarakudo]] was originally a [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy historical samurai]] called Minamoto Tametomo. He [[DealWithTheDevil sold his soul]] to the {{Oni}} in exchange for power, and was transformed into one after his death.
98	* ''Fanfic/{{Webwork}}'': Similar to the ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'' example above, Tarakudo states himself to have been a mortal human who ascended to the {{Oni}} ranks like [[FallenHeroine Jade]].
99	* ''Fanfic/AdoptedDisplaced'': In ''Three More Things!'', Tso Lan is so impressed by Valmont's cunning and deviousness, and well aware of Bai Tsa's affections for him, that he offers to find a way to ascend him into a Demon Sorcerer, possibly to replace the deceased Shendu as Demon of Fire. [[spoiler: Instead, after Bai is banished back to the Netherrealm, Valmont's rage causes him to transform into the Demon Sorcerer of [[LightIsNotGood Light]].]]
100	* ''Fanfic/TranscendenceAU'': After a dying Bill attempts to possess Dipper, Bill dies, and his demonic energy ends up being fused with Dipper, turning him into a demon.
101	* ''Fanfic/JimmyTwoShoesTheMovieMiseryLovesCompany'': This is revealed to be the case with the citizens of [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Miseryville]], as the damned are stripped of their memories and then transformed into monsters or demons after becoming sufficiently miserable. [[spoiler:Jimmy and Heloise are still human because they are nowhere near as miserable as the average Miseryvillian, with Heloise only transforming after Jimmy is forced to depart Miseryville for [[{{Heaven}} Joyville]].]]
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
105	* ''Film/Constantine2005'': The {{novelization}} says that the half-breeds are dead people who were so good or bad in life that they got to come back to Earth as part-angel or demon.
106	* ''Film/DustDevil'': According to Joe, the Dust Devils had once been men before passing on to the spirit world.
107	* ''Film/TheExorcistIII'': The [[SerialKiller Gemini Killer]] was a man so evil that he became a demon after striking a deal with the ancient demon Pazuzu (the one who possessed Regan in the first film).
108	* ''Film/GhostShip'': [[spoiler:Ferriman]] reveals himself to be one of Hell's agents, a "salvage expert" responsible for collecting new souls to bring back home and make his bosses happy. Specifically, he notes that he was given the job for a lifetime of sin, indicating that he was once human.
109	* ''Franchise/{{Hellraiser}}'': The Cenobites rule over a Hell-type dimension of pain and pleasure where they torture those who used the [[ArtifactOfDoom Lament configuration puzzle box]] that opens the door to their realm. Each Cenobite was once a human soul until their humanity was slowly chipped away. When they die they actually [[ThisWasHisTrueForm turn back into humans]].
110	* This is the Devil's ''modus operandi'' in ''Film/{{Hunk}}''. He gets humans to sell him their souls, and then turns them into demons to serve him in Hell. He claims to be experiencing his greatest demonpower shortage since the Crusades, which is why he particularly wants Bradley's soul, as he believes Bradley will help him trigger WorldWarThree. At the end of the film, it is revealed that the HotAsHell O'Brien [[spoiler:was originally a 10th Century princess who sold her soul to avoid a Viking marriage her father sold her into]].
111	* ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'': Freddy Krueger's backstory involves being burnt by a lynch mob and after dying, [[DealWithTheDevil striking a deal with three dream demons]] to return as an undead nightmare-controlling monster, apparently so he could eventually kill the whole world.
112	* In ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', Davy Jones was once a mortal sailor who fell in love with the goddess Calypso and was charged by her with ferrying the souls of those who die at sea to the other side. When Calypso spurned his love (or so he believed, at least) Jones abandoned his duties and [[HeartDrive carved out his own heart]], in the process transforming into a Cthulhu-like creature widely regarded as the nautical embodiment of the devil. His crew is also composed of damned souls he ''rescues'' from death at sea in return for [[DealWithTheDevil a century of utter servitude]]; like their master, they're slowly transforming into monstrous hybrids of human and sea creature.
113	* In ''Film/SometimesTheyComeBackAgain'', the three murderers who are killed by the hero have become demons. In the prequel movie, three other murderers returned as undead, but this time they became demons. It probably plays a role that Tony Reno and his two friends were disturbed in a magical ritual, which should turn them into demons.
114	* ''Film/TheWindmillMassacre'': According to the legend, Miller Hendrick was a human who made a DealWithTheDevil. When Hendrik was eventually killed by a mob, the Devil was so pleased with Hendrik's work that he [[DevilsJobOffer made him Hell's gatekeeper]]. However, as demon, Hendrik now cannot harm the innocent or those who truly repent of their sins.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Gamebooks]]
118	* The main demonic antagonists of a few ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' books, namely:
119	** Oldoran Zagor from ''Literature/TheWarlockOfFiretopMountain'' and its two sequels, was born as a hybrid between humans and demons, but retains humanoid features for most of his appearances... until eventually in ''Literature/LegendOfZagor'', he became fused with a powerful Bone Demon from Amarillia, transforming into a full-fledged demon.
120	** Zanbar Bone, one of the franchise's most infamous Demon Princes, who shows up in ''Literature/CityOfThieves1983'' and ''Literature/ThePortOfPeril'', used to be the child of human sorcerors, but after being imbued with demonic powers and realizing the true extent of the Dark Arts, then [[SelfMadeOrphan slays his own parents]], started his own demonic cult, and becoming an all-powerful Skeltal Demon.
121	** Voivod from ''Literature/LegendOfTheShadowWarriors'', whose backstory remains unknown to the readers even after completing the quest. His identity turns out to be a last-minute plot twist; for players do not defeat Voivod by slaying him in battle (thanks to his ResurrectiveImmortality which brings him back from the dead in ''seconds''), but instead by using an enchanted spear to purge the demon in Voivod, turning him back to human.
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Literature]]
125	* Downplayed somewhat with the [[SorcerousOverlord Witchkings]] in ''Literature/TheArtsOfDarkAndLight''. They didn't make themselves complete demons with their transhumanist magic, but they did infuse themselves with sufficient demonic essence to become radically superhuman (or perhaps subhuman) liminal beings.
126	* ''Literature/CiaphasCain'': In the short story "The Beguiling", Cain wipes out a Slaaneshi cult with an artillery strike after killing its leader, Emeli, when she tried to seduce him into being a HumanSacrifice. Several decades later in the novel ''The Traitor's Hand'', Cain encounters Emeli as the final boss; she's been turned into a daemonette during her time dead.
127	* ''Literature/TheCulture'': In ''Literature/SurfaceDetail'', the Pavuleans are one of many societies who believe in BrainUploading of the dead, and more controversially one of a few who believe in having a virtual Hell as well as a virtual Heaven. The demons in the Pavulean Hell are uploaded sadists. There aren't enough sadists in Pavulean society to create all the demons, but they just made copies of the ones they've already got. One of the main characters, Chay [[spoiler:is given demonic powers but as an Angel of Death, granting oblivion to one tortured virtual a day]].
128	* Lower case d demons in Derek Landy's ''Literature/DemonRoad'' trilogy are humans who've made a [[DealWithTheDevil Deal With A Upper Case D Demon]] to transform into a super strong BigRedDevil (colour can vary) at will.
129	* ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'': As revealed in ''Champion Of The Titan Games'', no demon is born a demon, they were all members of other races (dwarves, humans, dragons, possibly a unicorn) who turned themselves into demons through centuries of evil and BlackMagic. While demons can reproduce, the offspring will not themselves be demons (it's not explained exactly what they ''are'').
130	* In ''Literature/GimmicksThree'', by Creator/IsaacAsimov, the protagonist [[DealWithTheDevil signs a contract with a demon]]. After ten years of everything he wants, he will be given a test. Should he pass, he becomes a demon (Hell has a growing staff shortage), otherwise, he is a regular damned soul. Shapur, the demon he deals with, claims to have gone through the same process.
131	* In "Hell-Bent", a short story, the protagonist is an irredeemably evil young man who makes a DealWithTheDevil to become a demon and gain immortality and incredible power, and proves his suitability by callously carrying out evil acts toward his parents and wife. Unfortunately for him, once he's a demon in Hell, he finds himself being horribly tormented -- turns out that demons are tortured in Hell like everyone else and [[FalseReassurance Satan had sold the benefits of demonhood in a way that implied that this was not the case]].
132	* ''Literature/TheIcelandicSagas'': In the "Tale of Thorstein Shiver", a short tale from the ''Book of Flatey'' (c. 1390), the Christian Thorstein encounters an [[TheImp imp from Hell]] who introduces himself as a certain Thorkel the Thin, a warrior of the pagan times who died in the famous Battle of Bravellir. All the same, the demon also relates in conversation that Sigurd and Starkad, two famous heroes of the pagan days, [[FireAndBrimstoneHell are tortured in Hell.]]
133	* ''Literature/InfernoLarryNivenAndJerryPournelle'': Some damned souls are given positions in Hell to help organize the Pit and manage the other sinners. When crossing the Malebolgie in the sequel, the group encounters several Malebranche that were very clearly human sinners, but who have since taken positions among the torturers and have grown steadily more demonic. J. Edgar Hoover still looks basically like his living self, but has already grown horns and fangs; others, such as a former Communist soldier, are almost indistinguishable from the other demons.
134	* ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'': The trickster demon Fagot is revealed to having once been a human knight cursed for a blasphemous joke. His awesome sense of humor is part of the curse, and he hates being a trickster, as his true form reveals.
135	* ''Literature/NinthHouse'': The twist provides an example of this trope. [[spoiler:Darlington turned into a demon to survive.]]
136	* [[https://lukeblackmusic.com/neil-gaiman-other-people/ "Other People"]], Creator/NeilGaiman short story published in ''Fragile Things'', has a man being tortured by a demon. First the demon tortures the man physically, with 211 different instruments. Afterwards he strips the man of the lies he has told to himself and then the demon shows the man the consequences of his actions and how they affected other people. To the man it seems that the process takes several thousand years. At the end of the story the man isn't recognizable as a human any more. By the time the tortured man comes to his senses, he's alone in the chamber [[TemporalParadox and a very familiar man enters]]. The tortured man understands the cyclical nature of his position and starts torturing the newcomer just as he had been tortured.
137	-->''Time is fluid here.''
138	* In Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's novel ''Literature/TheSpiritRing'' demons are ghosts, human souls which are unable to go on to God after death, and instead linger on in the world. Most such ghosts slowly fade away to nothingness, but a few are strong enough that they gain the ability to sustain themselves without any physical body or other material form, feeding on sin--seeking to increase anger and fear and despair--and thus becoming demons.
139	* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Not humans, but the basic concept of this trope is there; [[spoiler:the Voidbringers [[WasOnceAMan are actually]] a bunch of spren and singers who’ve aligned themselves (willingly or not) with [[GreaterScopeVillain Rayse/Odium]], being granted access to the Surges and effectively becoming [[EldritchAbomination cosmic horrors]]. Venli and the Listeners make the terrible mistake of summoning the Everstorm, Odium with it, and are [[DemonicPossession promptly used as bodies for the newest Voidbringers]], with Venli herself becoming a puppet for Odium.]]
140	* In Terry Brooks's ''Literature/TheWordAndTheVoid'' and ''Literature/{{Shannara}}'' series, demons (small "d") are humans who sold their souls to [[GreaterScopeVillain the Void]] and received supernatural powers in return. Their nature varies -- some demons lose their humanity entirely and become bestial monsters, while others are more like especially sociopathic humans with BlackMagic. This is in contrast to Demons with a big "D", who are corrupted faerie creatures and are far more ancient and powerful.
141	[[/folder]]
142
143	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
144	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
145	** The BigBad of the third season deliberately sets out to become a demon.
146	** Vengeance demons are all former humans who attracted the attention of a lower power by using dark magic to get revenge on someone they believed had wronged them.
147	** Played with in the case of the vampires, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent who are in general only half-demon]], the other half being the humans that they took over. Some pureblood demons look down on vampires for being half-breeds, though as Anya says, ''none'' of the demons remaining on Earth are pureblooded; they're all hybrids of some kind or another.
148	* ''Series/LegendOfTheSeeker'': Unlike the source material, Banelings are dead people whom the Keeper allows back into the realm of the living, provided that they kill at least one person every day. The first day they don't, he takes them back.
149	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
150	** This is how demons are created on the show -- essentially anyone who goes to hell will eventually end up with a job there, as their humanity is stripped away and they become a demon. This means that demons are essentially a type of ghost -- for instance, burning the bones of either a demon or ghost's mortal remains will destroy them for good. The quality of the position is directly based on how tough the person in question is; Hell is an AsskickingLeadsToLeadership place, and the only person with a guaranteed spot, Satan, is both [[TailorMadePrison out of circulation]] and an archangel, meaning he outranks the rest of them so totally he could probably ash the whole place by himself.
151	** Between Seasons 3 and 4, Dean takes a job and spends ten years torturing souls in Hell. He doesn't get to leave and it scars him for life. He gets yanked out before he could get proper job security/transformation. [[spoiler:At the end of Season 9 he dies and because he was carrying the Mark of Cain, he is cursed to be resurrected as a demon.]]
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Music]]
155	* The music video for [[Music/PanicAtTheDisco Panic! at the Disco]]'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFF2v8VsaA Emperor's New Clothes]]" follows the events of the "This is Gospel" music video with the lead singer Brendon Urie falling just outside the gates of Hell before gradually turning into a demon.
156	* [[https://youtu.be/yetRJ9aAyvc Udoroth,]] a song by ''Music/ASoundOfThunder'' tells the legend of the eponymous Udoroth, a once mortal man condemned to Hell for every mortal crime and soon rising up to become a demon lord himself.
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
160	* UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}
161	** In John Chrysostom's [[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200128.htm homily XXVIII]] on [[Literature/TheFourGospels The Gospel of Matthew]], those who say the dead become demons are called drunk old women and frightened children for how absurd their idea is. The homily compares the soul of a body becoming an independent spirit to the transformation of a man into an ass. He similarly dismisses ghosts.
162	** In [[http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1108.htm#article8 an article]] of the ''Literature/SummaTheologiae'', Thomas Aquinas argues that even if men do not become demons or angels, after death they will be treated equally to the spirits and become members of their hierarchies.
163	** Emanuel Swedenborg, a mystic whose writings inspired a new denomination of Christianity (Swedenborgianism), claimed in his book ''Heaven and Hell'' (1758) that "Heaven and hell are entirely of the human race... There is no angel or demon created as such."
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder:Podcasts]]
167	* ''Podcast/BrimstoneValleyMall'': At the end of the first season, [[spoiler:Trainee, Damien, and Raven all sell their souls to Mammon and become demons. The main characters, all natural-born demons, are mostly just impressed these random human teenage {{goth}}s actually managed to persuade one of the seven princes of Hell to make a deal with them]].
168	[[/folder]]
169
170	[[folder:Tabletop Games ]]
171	* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' is set in a HistoricalFantasy medieval Europe where the Christian {{Heaven}} and {{Hell}} are real. Demons are recruited from {{Fallen Angel}}s, corrupt non-heavenly [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Spirits]], and the most depraved souls of the damned. However, most people who end up in Hell don't become demons, just HumanResources.
172	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
173	** Mortal souls become Petitioners on one of the Outer Planes based on their alignment, but the process works differently for LawfulEvil souls sent to the Nine Hells of Baator or ChaoticEvil souls bound for the Abyss. Such souls join TheLegionsOfHell as the diabolic or demonic equivalent of conscripts -- meaning, in this context, highly expendable {{Mooks}} -- and may be promoted to more powerful types of Baatezu or Tanar'ri based on their performance -- even the mighty [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Orcus]] was once a lowly Dretch. In the devils' case, promotions (and demotions) follow a strict hierarchy, complete with "dead ends" or alternative advancement paths, while the demons are more unpredictable and may randomly transform into a more powerful fiend based perhaps on the [[GeniusLoci whims of the Abyss itself]]. Some mortals may join a devilish or demonic cult in hope that they'll get fast-tracked through this process to become a mighty Pit Fiend or the like, but even if this is possible there's no guarantee that they'll retain their identities -- becoming a devilish Lemure, for example, involves being subjected to unspeakable tortures until the Petitioner is a mindless blob of ruined flesh free of any traces of humanity. At the same time, it's zigzagged: LawfulEvil devils can only be created from petitioners, but NeutralEvil daemons (or yugoloths) are all created by other means. Demons can be created from petitioners, but most are simply spawned from the Abyss.
174	** In a slightly downplayed example, it's also possible for a tiefling (half mortal, half devil) to be born as another humanoid, but become a tiefling through some sort of pact, or spending too much time on a lower plane (this can be seen in ''VideoGame/BaldursGate3'', where [[spoiler: Wyll can become a tiefling if his patron gets angry with him, if the party refuse to kill Karlech]]).
175	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'':
176	** The Solars of the First Age were killed off in the Usurpation because many of them had become mad, monstrously inhuman tyrants, the rest weren't far behind, and they were ''getting worse''. The ghosts of thirteen of them are now the Deathlords, one of the most dire threats contemporary Creation has ever known.
177	** In the Shard known as Burn Legend, Yamajin come about when an Akuma is killed and proves him or herself worthy to the Yomi Kings in the Thousand Hells. They get spiffy new moves, including the option to go OneWingedAngel, at the trivial expense of having their presence in an area gradually taint it with Hellish energies. But hey, who cares about that when you can hit like a tank?
178	** Also shows up as a possible option in ''Return of the Scarlet Empress'' for the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Scarlet Empress]] herself. In this option, the Empress dies, but the [[EldritchAbomination Neverborn]] are so impressed with her that they decide to turn her into a Deathlord when she becomes a ghost.
179	* ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'':
180	** All player characters are pacted and merged with super-ghosts because they were too hard-assed, too willful, or just insufficiently partied out to stay dead. And then they get to take it out on non-superpowered ghosts.
181	** Geists themselves are not necessarily ''demons'', but ghosts that have burned away their mortal memories in order to embody aspects of their own death, gaining power over the elements of the Underworld.
182	* ''TabletopGame/{{Infernum}}'': A ritual called "Change Species" allows a spellcaster to transform a human or an angel into a demon, permanently. Rumors exist of a reversed version of the rite, but nobody claims to actually be able to perform it. It's easier to transform a corrupt soul than a pure one, but a particularly powerful and malicious magus could force a pure hearted person into the nightmarish existence of a demon, condemning them to feed on human suffering and misery.
183	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' has many outsiders originate from mortal souls who migrate to the Outer Plans upon death and over time "mature" into full natives of their new abodes. Consequently, all of the main fiends -- devils, daemons and demons -- ultimately originate from mortal souls. Because this process almost always results in all of a soul's memories being wiped, however, the resulting outsiders rarely carry much in the way of personality from their prior selves.
184	** LawfulEvil souls in Hell are tortured over centuries into becoming mindless masses of cancerous flesh called lemures. The most evil souls may get promoted into more powerful forms, but they all go through the mindless stage first.
185	** NeutralEvil souls damned to Abaddon who manage to avoid being eaten long enough will transform into daemons, the only trace of their origin being that include themselves in their loathing for all mortal life.
186	** ChaoticEvil souls who arrive in the Abyss become grotesque larvae with mortal faces, feeding on the filth of the Abyss until they eventually become demons embodying the sin they most indulged in while alive. Demons are also capable of reproducing directly with each other, resulting in them being the most numerous kind.
187	** Finally, it's possible for an exceptionally vile individual to bypass the normal processes that destroy the original mind and transform directly into a fiend of the appropriate alignment, through committing great atrocities or bargains with fiendish entities. This doesn't work very often, though -- daemons in particular have a tendency to just eat the soul anyway. There are also cases where, for whatever reason, an outsider may retain or recover their mortal memories.
188	*** There are at least two known demons [[ResurrectedMurderer born from extremely prolific serial killers]] and who retained all of their former memories -- the nascent demon lord Nightripper and the babau Mangvhune. In both cases, this has resulted in them becoming exceptionally fearsome and dangerous demons.
189	*** The demon lord Kostchtchie is especially notable for having completed the mortal-to-demon-to-demon-lord tradition without ever having died -- he was turned into a hideous, undying giant after trying to force Literature/BabaYaga to make him immortal and eventually made his way into the Abyss, where centuries of exposure to its influence and the evil in his own heart caused him to eventually transform into a demon himself. He's extremely proud of this, and considers himself superior to other demon lords as a result -- after all, ''they'' died before they get where they now are.
190	** The lesser fiendish species known as either kytons or velstracs were originally born of selfish and depraved thoughts given form, but now propagate themselves by either tormenting souls that end up on the Plane of Shadows after death (in similar fashion to the main fiends, though souls typically only go there if they worshipped a [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils velstrac demagogue]] or [[GodOfEvil Zon-Kuthon]]), or by dragging living mortals directly to the plane and converting them.
191	** The first rakshasa were humans who became obsessed with immortality and underwent a ritual to bind their spirits to the material plane by way of devouring a totem animal. Ever since it's been plagued by shapeshifting fiends with the heads of beasts and backwards hands who are reborn when slain. Unlike most fiends they dwell on the material plane instead of having their own realm, being primarily concerned with earthly pleasures.
192	* ''Franchise/{{Warhammer}}'':
193	** "Daemon Prince" is the title awarded by the Chaos Gods to servants that have most pleased them, as they "ascend" them from mortaldom to immortal daemonhood. It is the ultimate goal of most Chaos worshipers, particularly leaders. However, they're apparently still lower than Greater Daemons in the hierarchy, and a worshiper can [[OriginalPositionFallacy just as easily]] be turned into a [[BodyHorror Chaos]] [[WasOnceAMan Spawn]], [[BlueAndOrangeMorality sometimes for the same feat]]. The most famous examples are ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'''s Daemon Primarchs, who were superhumans even before becoming Daemons.
194	%%** Most daemons are formed from the ''emotions'' of mortal or material races congealing into monsters, and the most pure and concentrated "mass" of emotional energy forms into deities. For example, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_at_Beziers the Massacre of Béziers]] -- where the phrase "kill them all and let God sort them out" was ([[BeamMeUpScotty allegedly]]) coined -- formed a particularly powerful daemon of [[WarGod Khorne]] named the [[https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Ragged_Knight Ragged Knight]]. Some lesser daemons are also described as being formed from the souls of those who devoted themselves to a deity and were impressive enough to earn some kind of reward but not enough to be elevated to a Daemon Prince. For example:%%
195	%%*** Bloodletters, the lesser daemons of [[WarGod Khorne]], are described in ''Fantasy'' as being created from the souls of Khornate warriors who pleased their god through causing great slaughter and dying suitably impressive deaths.%%
196	%%*** Plaguebearers are lesser daemons of the [[{{Plaguemaster}} Plague God Nurgle]] created from the souls of those who die from his favorite diseases, particularly [[MysticalPlague Nurgle's Rot]]. The power of the Plaguebearer is determined by how long the victim endured the disease before perishing, with those who survive the longest often rising to become Daemon Heralds who act as the commanders of Nurgle's [[TheLegionsOfHell Plague Legions]]. While the plaguebearer was at one time explicitly stated to be the souls of those who died by Nurgle's Rot, it may now be the case that Plaguebearers are created from their suffering instead. [[FlipFlopOfGod It's not entirely clear how it all works]], perhaps deliberately [[MindScrew due to the nature of the Warp and the Winds of Magic]]. Bubonicus, a Daemon World in ''40,000'', is also described as having a horizon-encircling chain of human dancers who gradually transform into Plaguebearers before being replaced by fresh mortal dancers.%%
197	%%*** Furies, lesser daemons of Chaos Undivided, are said to be formed from the souls of mortals who avoided making pacts with any god and instead chose to use Chaos for their own ends.%%
198	%%** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
199	%%*** Doombreed, [[WarGod Khorne's]] first human Daemon Prince, is heavily hinted to have been none other than UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan in life.%%
200	%%** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': While they're never outright called daemons, the Beastmen (initially created when millions of humans were mutated by Chaos when the polar gates collapsed) basically fit the bill as horned, hoofed, fanged, tailed, clawed, magically-corrupted [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters]] who make up much of the rank-and-file of TheLegionsOfHell. Per ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay: The Old World Bestiary'', "there is no absolute dividing line between Mutant and Beastman, or between Beastman and Daemon; rather, there is a spectrum of taint."%%
201	[[/folder]]
202
203	[[folder:Video Games]]
204	* In ''VideoGame/Afterlife1996'' both demons and angels are recruited from the souls they oversee in their respective afterlives.
205	* ''VideoGame/BloodyBattle'': By using "Demonify", a syringe filled with a mysterious red liquid, you will turn into a demon that grows in power the more it damages other players.
206	* ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain'': Kain struck a deal with a necromancer to escape hell, and was returned to Nosgoth as a vampire for it. And in the sequel ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKainSoulReaver'', his child Raziel strikes a similar deal with the Elder God and returns as a soul-devouring apparition.
207	* ''VideoGame/DarkDeception'': Secret notes hidden throughout the levels reveal that all of the monsters the protagonist has to face throughout the Dark Dimension are the souls of sinful or criminal humans who were twisted into monstrous forms fitting their vices (Greedy people become statues of gold, Trolls become little clown-gremlins, abusive mothers literal MamaBear...). However it is subverted as other kind of evil spirits and demons exist in the Dark Dimension, and it is made clear that they never were humans.
208	* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
209	** Some of the demonic-themed bosses in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' were the children of the Witch of Izalith, twisted by her transformation into the Bed of Chaos: Quelaag was bonded to a giant demonic spider, while the Ceaseless Discharge was twisted into a giant, lava-seeping monster. That being said, most of the bosses that are actually ''called'' demons are spawned from the Bed rather than human in origin.
210	** The Covetous Demon in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' was a man besotted with Mytha, the Baneful Queen, but she only had eyes for the Old Iron King. Eventually, his gluttonous overconsumption transformed him into a giant creature that vaguely resembles [[Franchise/StarWars Jabba the Hutt]].
211	* ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'': Humans can transform into demons if they offer themselves into the service of the Old One. [[spoiler:The player character can choose to stop the final attempt to lull the Old One to sleep,and in doing so he is rewarded by being elevated into the Old One's most powerful archdemon.]]
212	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'': Starting with ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'', this has become the main goal of every BigBad, usually for the sake of more power. Examples include [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Arius]], [[ArchnemesisDad Arkham]] and [[SinisterMinister Sanctus]] and by extension, the Order of the Sword (including [[MadScientist Agnus]] and [[NobleTopEnforcer Credo]]) via the Ascension Ceremony. ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' twisted things a bit: [[spoiler:V is Vergil's human side that was cast off, and his goal is to ''return'' to being a half-demon.]]
213	* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'': Demons have found many ways of converting humans into demonic servants, from the humanoid Morlu (the fate of human sorcerers trying to bind demons to their will) to the scorpion-like Tormented Stingers (made by cutting and twisting the corpse of a human sacrifice). Then again, humans in the Diablo universe are of demon (and angel) origin, inverting this trope.
214	* The ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series and its related works has had this happen a few times. Then again, humans are capable of becoming either demons or angels, mainly depending on their actions in life (and of course, angels can fall just as demons could ascend).
215	** In ''VideoGame/LaPucelle'' this seems to be the canonical fate of its main heroine, Priere, as she became an Overlord after beating several of them by herself. [[spoiler:In La Pucelle Ragnarok's GoldenEnding, she beats the Dark Prince out of Croix and utterly destroys [[BigBad Noir]] singlehandedly.]]
216	** In ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' both Salome and Seedle were once humans, but became demons. This is a major plot point [[spoiler: as the two were members of a human adventuring party. Seedle had the hots for Salome, but she didn't reciprocate. This drove him to try and force himself onto her, and she stabbed him to death in retribution. Seedle's sheer animosity at being killed by her landed him in the Underworld, where he basically killed everything to become its master. Salome was burned at the stake for killing a "noble samurai", where she soon ended up in the Netherworld, meeting with Zetta.]]
217	* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'':
218	** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'': [[spoiler:Olivia Pierce]] opened the Hell Portal for good to allow the demonic forces to invade Mars in exchange for her own elevation into godhood. It turns out that this means ripping out her original personality and forcefully transforming her into the [[FinalBoss Spider Mastermind demon]].
219	** ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'': It's shown that all the demons of Hell are in some way the product of humanity and other sentient species as a result of [[spoiler:the Khan Maykr's [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Hell]]]]. Many mortals who end up there end up suffering enduring torture until their soul can be extracted and used for SoulPower, while the soulless body over time becomes a new demon. Although, the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Hell Priests]] were allowed to retain their old personalities for giving up all of Argent D'Nur on a silver platter to the Dark Lord.
220	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Dro-m'Athra are a kind of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Daedra]] created when a [[CatFolk Khajiit]] falls under the sway of the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] Namiira, their inner darkness overtaking them and transforming them into a shadowy and hateful spirit that wants nothing more than to drag every other Khajiit down to the Void with them. Notably, none of the other mortal races can become Dro-m'Athra, leading to some in-universe speculation that Khajiiti souls have some unique flaw or duality that leaves them susceptible to the Dark.
221	* ''VideoGame/{{Elsword}}'':
222	** Ara's big brother was a normal human and a famous man in their village before the demonic forces corrupted him, turning him into a humanoid demon, Ran.
223	** Due to having his soul bound into the demon Lu, Ciel becomes partly demonic. As Lu becomes Diabla (her third job path), she regains most of her demonic power, and some of those leaked into Ciel; Demonio ("advanced" Diabla) is where Ciel becomes closer to a real demon.
224	* One of the very late game techs in ''VideoGame/EvolveIdle'' is Demonic Ascension. After spending lives and resources to explore Hell itself, the player is given the option to sacrifice their civilization to infuse themselves with demonic power and become a Lord of Hell.
225	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'':
226	** [[spoiler:Voidsent]] are revealed to actually have originally been the citizens of another world which fell to darkness and have become twisted and corrupted as a result.
227	** Although the threat of primals is mostly waged by beastmen tribes, [[spoiler:a handful are actually born from the Spoken races, with some of those humanoids ''becoming'' the primal in question. These include Shiva, summoned by Ysaile Iceheart; King Thordan I and the Knights of the Round, summoned by Archbishop Thordan VII and the Heavensward; and Tsukuyomi, summoned by Yotsuyu.]]
228	* ''VideoGame/FridayThe13thTheGame'': The new version of Jason is based on a WhatIf scenario if after ''Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday'', he escapes Hell as a demon. The result is... [[https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E5dOCTHA5BA/WMQajSkGkGI/AAAAAAAATUM/ZWN6_kSZ234vlEY1kTXCSo5m-eRPnGmHwCEw/s1600/F13thGame-SaviniJason6.jpg not pretty]].
229	* In ''VideoGame/{{IMGCM}}'', [[spoiler:A few demons the heroines fight were once [[AlternateSelf alternate selves]] of the heroines from identical {{alternate universe}}s before they’re slain ''and'' corrupted by demons and their demonized selves from other alternate universes]].
230	* This is played with in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' series, where if someone dies the darkness in their heart gets converted into a Heartless, and how strong they are depends on how much darkness was in said person's heart, though the person themselves is never turned into one.
231	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': While the creatures specifically ''called'' demons do not start as humans, the very demon-like Darkin ''did''. After their lore was reworked, they were confirmed to be [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Ascended of Shurima]], twisted by exposure to [[TheCorruption the Void]] and the mind-shattering shock of the destruction of Icathia -- making them humans who were upgraded to divine, near-godlike beings, and then twisted into monsters. The only Darkin to have regained a full form, Aatrox, takes the form of a BigRedDevil just to make the comparisons explicit.
232	* Ba Wang, the main villain of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSilkroad'', used to be a human warlord, one who is overtly ambitious and power-hungry before he sold his soul to the forces of evil. He takes the form of a BigRedDevil as you fight him, and if you win he ditches his demon form via BishonenLine, turning into a far more humanoid appearance... but still [[RedEyesTakeWarning have glowing red eyes]] as an indication of his demonic nature.
233	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King Ganon]], the BigBad of the whole series overall, was once a mortal Gerudo human named Ganondorf. Though several games of the franchise give Ganondorf [[MultipleChoicePast different origin stories of how he became Ganon]], it always involves Ganondorf seizing a MacGuffin of great power, typically the Triforce, and said-power granting him immortality and mutating his body into that of [[PigMan a pig demon]]. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyword Sword]]'' subverts the traditional story by implying that Ganondorf was born from a DyingCurse of a genuine Demon King named [[GreaterScopeVillain Demise]], with ancillary media suggesting that Ganondorf himself is Demise's mortal reincarnation. This means Ganondorf was always a demon and his transformation into Ganon is simply him assuming his true form.
234	* In ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', [[spoiler:KnightInShiningArmor Oersted becomes The Demon King of Hatred, Odio, and causes the game's plot.]]
235	* Our hero Abel in ''VideoGame/{{Majyuo}}'' ends up having to become one in order to get a leg-up for what he's supposed to be doing. Namely, [[ProHumanTranshuman killing off his own kind to save his family]].
236	* ''VideoGame/MidnightSuns'': Lilith, the game's main antagonist, is a formerly human witch who was transformed into a powerful demon as part of a bargain she struck with the Elder God Chthon. She transforms several other heroes and villains into demons as well, though the transformation is reversed for all but one of them by the end of the game.
237	* Due to the purely PlayerVersusPlayer nature of the franchise, ''all'' demons in ''VideoGame/NexusWar'' games are former humans who chose to descend to demonhood after a sufficiently low plunge on the KarmaMeter. At higher levels, they can strip away their remaining humanity, make more pacts with the Dark Powers, and become even worse demons -- though later games also give them a last chance to [[AscendedDemon get off]] the road to hell at this point if they really try.
238	* ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'':
239	** [[TheStarscream Lord Brigan]] was released from the Netherworld by Queen Odette to possess Odin after Gwendolyn killed him -- only to be beaten out of Odin and banished for good by Gwendolyn.
240	** King Gallon was once TheGoodKing of Titania, but an invasion from the armies of [[{{Magitek}} Valentine]] forced him to use [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique the Darkova spell]], transforming him into a massive {{Cerberus}} that crushed the invading army but also drove him mad and made him ravage his own kingdom until he was killed by his son Edmund. When he ended up in the Netherworld still transformed, Odette cursed him to [[AndIMustScream forever rot and regenerate]], making him an [[EverythingsDeaderWithZombies undead]] {{Cerberus}}. [[spoiler:Once Odette dies, Gallon becomes the new King of the Netherworld and leads the undead during Armageddon to destroy the living world]].
241	* ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'': The first three games deal with the aftermath of demons taking the soul of Japanese warlord UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga and striking a deal with him to become a demon and give demons sway over Japan. After [[DemonLord the king of the demons]] is killed at the end of the [[VideoGame/OnimushaWarlords first game]], Nobunaga becomes the new demon king ([[DemonKingNobunaga it happens more often than you'd think]]) and begins to lead them in conquering Japan, with the eventual goal to TakeOverTheWorld.
242	* ''VideoGame/PennyArcadeAdventures'': In Underhell, human souls undergo a slow transformation into demons over centuries, until nothing is left of their former selves. This is Tycho's justification for why ''every'' soul needs to be sacrificed to create a universe without Hell. [[DemonicPossession This doesn't pan out]] [[EldritchAbomination the way he thought it would]].
243	* ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'': Played with.
244	** Most humans unlucky enough to end up in the Hell Dimensions are little more than fuel sources used to sustain the decaying world; however, a rare few souls are spared this fate and empowered to serve as soldiers in the armies of Hell -- the most prominent of which are [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Cassius, Brutus and Judas Iscariot]]. Of course, despite the powers they've been granted, they're still just slaves and not all that impressive compared to the more exotic varieties of Hellspawn.
245	** Theodore Wicker is a much weirder case of this: originally an Oxford-educated mage, he set off on a quest to send himself to Hell -- all for the sake of restoring the fallen dimension to its former glory. Because Hell's environment is inherently corrosive to human physiology, Wicker had to magically alter his own body before finding a way in, to the point that he tore out his heart and [[TheSoulless stripped away his soul]]. By the time players finally meet up with Wicker, he's become an [[HumanoidAbomination immortal hybrid of human and demon]] with a MissingReflection and a distinct [[VoiceOfTheLegion demonic reverb to his voice]]... and he's also leading the denizens of Hell in a revolution against {{Satan}}!
246	* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
247	** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'': In order to get his final revenge on Ozawa, the Chaos Hero fuses with one of your demons and becomes a half-demon himself.
248	** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'': By reclaiming the eleven Candelabra, using them for their intended purpose as keys of the [[{{Hell}} Labyrinth of Amala]], and reaching the elevator at the bottom, the Demi-Fiend elects to cast away his humanity, become a full-blooded demon, and march against Kagutsuchi with full intent on murdering the multiverse.
249	** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'': Jimenez fuses with his demon Bugaboo to save both of their lives and becomes a half-demon. On the Law route, [[spoiler:he completely renounces his humanity when he goes OneWingedAngel]].
250	** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'':
251	*** The Black Samurai/[[spoiler:Lilith]] turns citizens of Mikado into demons by exposing them to literature.
252	*** A human that consumes a Red Pill will transform into a demon.
253	* ''VideoGame/SuperColumbineMassacreRPG'': The second half is about Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold doing this after they killed themselves following [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} their rampage at Columbine High School]]. At the end, they take on Satan himself, defeat him, and [[DefeatMeansFriendship become his minions.]]
254	* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII'': Being set in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' universe, Daemon Princes show up, with the two main ones being The Dark Prince (the final launch player character, representing the Daemons of Chaos Undivided) and Be'lakor the Dark Master, [[MonsterProgenitor the first Daemon Prince ever]]. Additionally, the Champions of Chaos DLC allows the Warriors of Chaos to bestow marks and other blessings from the dark gods onto their lords, with the eventual option to convert them into Daemon Princes.
255	* ''VideoGame/ViewFromBelow'': The random encounters of Below are demons, who are the lost spirits of dead humans who gave into despair.
256	* In ''VideoGame/WildArms1'' [[spoiler: Lady Harken is revealed to have originally been human but was [[ReforgedAsMinion turned into a demon by Alhazad.]] What makes this worse is she used to be Jack's closest friend and possible lover.]]
257	[[/folder]]
258
259	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
260	* ''VisualNovel/ContractDemon'': Any mortal who makes a contract with a demon will have their soul bound to the Netherworld, causing them to become a demon when they eventually die. The catch is that the mortal will also suffer a DeathOfPersonality as the demon form completely overrides their former being.
261	[[/folder]]
262
263	[[folder:Web Animation]]
264	* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Keela once was an ordinary girl who was trapped in the Unworld, then she made a DealWithTheDevil and became a demon.
265	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In Volume 6, [[spoiler:the series' BigBad, Salem, was revealed to have been a lonely young woman who was cursed with immortality by the gods for her failed attempts to bring back her dead lover.]] [[spoiler:Interestingly, the "demon" part is the only aspect she doesn't seek out for power, but only for the sake of undoing her immortality. This also fails, and doubly curses her with the primal urge to destroy everything.]]
266	[[/folder]]
267
268	[[folder:Webcomics]]
269	* ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'': Karnak was a human who averted a war in Hell by attacking the Demon of War. He was carried down to Hell (mostly for being a Yandere who happened to piss off a Demon Lord), became a Demon Lord himself, and ultimately triumphed after another Hell war as the first Overlord.
270	** Other sinners have the opportunity to mutate into demons, but they have to consume other souls first. Typically, the [[EatsBabies souls that happen to look like babies]] are typical targets.
271	* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'': Being a ''40K'' crossover, there are a couple of villains with the goal of ascension to Daemon Princehood. [[spoiler:Morth actually succeeds.]]
272	* In ''Webcomic/{{Hellbound}}'' Mel was a witch in life, then became a succubus after her death. Her sister Kyota also went to Hell and became a demon for ahem [[BestialityIsDepraved other reasons]].
273	* In ''Webcomic/HellInc'' most of the demons fit this trope. Sara the Intern, a recently-damned soul with demonic potential, still looks human, although she is wearing a headband with horns on it. It is implied that physical transformation into a more classically demonic appearance happens with time and experience, or with a promotion from unpaid intern status.
274	* ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth'': Mobster Kingpin "descends to demonhood" as he becomes the FinalBoss.
275	* ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'': In the "Divine Comedy" arc, Larisa sells her soul to the Devil, who says he'll make a succubus of her because anything else would be a waste of [[FilleFatale her talents]].
276	* Gretyl, from ''Webcomic/TheSettlers'', was originally a UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} human woman. That was about two thousand years ago, though, and she is now a pretty powerful demon.
277	* In ''Webcomic/WelcomeToHell'', all demons begin as humans that get a DevilsJobOffer.
278	[[/folder]]
279
280	[[folder:Web Original]]
281	* ''Literature/VoidDomain'':
282	** The spider demon Arachne claims to be ''the'' Arachne of Myth/ClassicalMythology, and that the Gods [[ForcedTransformation cursed her to become a demon]] in retribution for her winning a contest of skill against them. Another character posits that mortal [[TheArchmage archmages]] were involved, but either way, Arachne thinks she's CursedWithAwesome.
283	** Devon's experiments with Eva are intended to guide her on a SlowTransformation into a demon. Throughout the story, it progresses to the point that she has [[TheNeedless almost no need of food or sleep]] and once [[spoiler:gets stuck in limbo for a few weeks because she's no longer human enough to die]]. After she [[spoiler:uses a SummoningRitual the power of Void, the SentientCosmicForce that created all demons, she completes her {{Metamorphosis}}.]]
284	[[/folder]]
285
286	[[folder:Western Animation]]
287	* In ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'', all sinners become demons when they arrive in Hell, their forms reflecting their sins; though what decides how human they look is unclear (it does not seem to be as simple as correlating to how bad their sins were). However, not all demons in Hell are of human origin; imps and hellhounds are effectively mortal-demons (have families, can be shot with conventional weapons), while [[AntiAntiChrist Charlie]] is the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, a FallenAngel and the original human woman respectively.
288	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'': This seems to be the case with the Marra. While Kelly might not have been literal when she said Frida would made a good Marra, the fact that she has an ordinary human mother implies that Marra (or at least the ones in Trolberg) are former humans who chose to become [[NightmareWeaver nightmare spirits]].
289	* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'', two seasons after Slade was killed by [[DishingOutDirt Terra]], he is [[DealWithTheDevil recruited]] by [[BigRedDevil Trigon]] as a "messenger". This resurrects him back to life (well sort of; more like it grants him [[OurZombiesAreDifferent undeath]]) and gives him [[PlayingWithFire fire powers]]. Eventually though, Slade loses his demonic powers (Trigon stripped them from him as a punishment), and is eventually [[BackFromTheDead restored to full life and no longer undead]].
290	[[/folder]]
291

Context Main / DemonOfHumanOrigin