Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / SatanIsGood

Go To

1%%Image chosen via crowner in the Image Suggestion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/ImagePickin/ImageSuggestions102
2%%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452266899092104700
3%%Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
4
5[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/SouthParkPhoneDestroyer https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/satanneucard.png]]]]
6
7->''"It must be remembered that we have only heard one side of the case. God has written all of the books."''
8-->-- '''Samuel Butler''', from ''The Note-Books of Samuel Butler''
9
10A PerspectiveFlip as applied on a cosmic level and a natural corollary to the GodIsEvil trope.
11
12You know the story: a long time ago, there was a conflict between the PowersThatBe. The [[{{God}} good guys]] won, and the bad guys got to suffer (a popular misconception would be to rule) in {{Hell}} instead. But it could be you're not getting the whole story. Maybe [[{{Satan}} Old Scratch]] (or his in-world counterpart, [[CrystalDragonJesus thinly-veiled]] or [[HijackedByJesus not]]) has been WronglyAccused. Maybe his loss in the [[RageAgainstTheHeavens war with God/the gods]] was the original DownerEnding, and the [[GodIsEvil bastards]] who ''did'' win have been [[WrittenByTheWinners tarring him with the propaganda brush]] ever since. Wouldn't ''that'' be a MindScrew?
13
14Another variation is that {{God}} isn't necessarily ''evil''; he and {{Satan}} may just have CreativeDifferences. Or perhaps Satan is willing to play a ZeroApprovalGambit and be a DarkShepherd to help keep people in line, [[HeavensDevils the "stick" to God's "carrot"]]. Or maybe [[NeglectfulPrecursors God]] just doesn't [[TheGodsMustBeLazy care]], or, similarly, [[HaveYouSeenMyGod he vanished from the universe sometime after making it]], and the other angels are evil. It's even possible that he and {{Satan}} are actually [[GodKartingWithBeelzebub good buddies]]. In these versions, if the reasons behind it are mentioned at all, {{Satan}}'s bad reputation may be chalked up to misinterpretation on the part of [[HumansAreBastards mankind]]; particularly if he and {{God}} don't really have anything against each other. It could even be that the entire "warring angels" part never really happened. "Demonizing" the, well, demons could be the work of a CorruptChurch.
15
16This was quite common in earlier times, where {{Satan}} was seen as a servant of {{God}}, who performed an important role in testing peoples' resolve. Satan is derived from the Hebrew "ha-Satan", which quite literally means "the Accuser" -- and what he accuses you of is sin.[[note]]Though it can be interpreted as him accusing YHWH of sin, and the Arabic "ash-Shayṭān" (from the same Semitic root) can also mean "the adversary", but that's beside the point.[[/note]]
17
18Appears often in RageAgainstTheHeavens plots, although it doesn't have to - it's easy to portray {{God}} as the BigBad without bringing {{Satan}} into it at all, usually by portraying humans as the [[HumansAreSpecial good side]]. Also seen in settings with BlackAndGrayMorality, where {{Satan}} may not be ''good'', but he's ''better''. This kind of one-two punch is a red flag that you're living in a CrapsackWorld. There's no telling what TheLegionsOfHell will be like in a Satan Is Good setting; they may or may not even work for him, and if they do they may be just as WronglyAccused as their leader or he may be just barely keeping them in check. In an OrderVsChaos conflict, Satan will lead Team Chaos, often opposing the [[OrderIsNotGood tyranny (real or perceived) presented by God's Team Order]] and their notions of TheEvilsOfFreeWill.
19
20The important distinction between Satan Is Good and VillainProtagonist or SympathyForTheDevil is that, while the latter cases may make him ''sympathetic'', in this case he's actually ''heroic''. Depending on how [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealistic]] the world is, he may be an AntiHero (he probably is) or even a NobleDemon, but he's definitely on the better side. In other words, Satan making an honorable decision, letting someone go because he has nothing against them, or helping the protagonist with something that is mutually beneficial does not immediately make for a Satan is Good situation. Note as well that just because GodIsEvil it doesn't necessarily follow that Satan Is Good. He can just as easily be as bad as his counterpart, [[ByronicHero ineffectual]], or absent. By the same token, just because Satan Is Good does not necessarily imply GodIsEvil; HaveYouSeenMyGod situations in particular allow for Satan Is Good without going in for GodIsEvil. If this trope co-exists with GodIsGood, then you would have a GoodVersusGood scenario and/or a WhiteAndGreyMorality setting, or maybe it's HeavensDevils and they're actually all on the same side.
21
22If Satan Is Good, expect to be treated to AHellOfATime when you die, assuming you don't end up on [[FluffyCloudHeaven the other side of the fence]]. Remember: DarkIsNotEvil and LightIsNotGood[[note]]Although Satan is also known as the Light Bringer whose beauty and charisma could easily tempt mortals. The dark red devil is a more recent phenomenon although it's still common to portray Satan in his original form to invoke LightIsGood as well to portray him as the "true illuminator"[[/note]].
23
24Compare AscendedDemon, CryForTheDevil and TheDevilIsALoser. See also GodAndSatanAreBothJerks.
25
26----
27!!Examples:
28
29[[foldercontrol]]
30
31[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
32* [[SheIsTheKing The Demon King]] from ''Literature/{{Maoyu}}'' just wants to end the war in such a way that everybody wins, bringing peaceful coexistence between humans and demons, and is perfectly happy to work with [[TheHero Yuusha]] for that purpose.
33* Akuto Sai from ''Literature/DemonKingDaimao'' is the Demon King (apparently via {{reincarnation}}) and is a nice guy with noble ideals.
34* Heavily suggested in the backstory for ''Anime/WitchHunterRobin'', although the witch relating it came off (intentionally or not) as an UnreliableNarrator.
35* In ''Literature/{{Slayers}}: Next'', the Lord of Nightmares, the ultimate Creator beyond good and evil, maker of both with a purpose for each, ostensibly the source of all chaos in the universe and god-boss of all Mazoku (demons), doesn't quite live up to her bad hype, as she [[spoiler:not only makes short work of the BigBad (though admittedly in a very cruel manner) but also returns Lina to life when pressed by Gourry (instead of, say, smiting him)]]. Xellos, the series' resident DevilInPlainSight, chalks it up to her sense of humor. The bad reputation is presumably firstly due to the fact that a being that doesn't take sides is easier to put in the bad camp, and secondly because she is extremely destructive when invoked; people who see Giga Slave and know what it can do out of control undoubtedly have a hard time in [[BadPowersBadPeople considering its originator as anything but evil.]]
36* In Kaori Yuki's ''Manga/AngelSanctuary'', God is the GreaterScopeVillain and Lucifer [[spoiler: aka Sakura Kira most of the time]] isn't entirely evil, he's more an AntiHero who only does good things because [[spoiler: he promised the woman he loves, Alexiel, to break her free which involves the destruction of fate]]. At the end, he himself tells Setsuna [[spoiler: he did it all because of his promise]]. Furthermore, whether you're an angel or demon doesn't have anything to do with your alignment.
37* In ''Manga/ShinaDark'' he does appear to be good overall. Satan has all sorts of horrible things written about him (even to the point where he is believed to be a pedophile and a sex maniac). However, he really is just a good-natured, lazy, couch potato, who has numerous "accidental pervert" moments. In fact he doesn't even look like what you would expect him to look like. So much so that his Butler is often mistaken to be Satan. [[spoiler:Though refusing to fight ("It goes against the Beauty of battle if you fight the boss first") and sending your ''maid'' to fight first and then attempting to duck out of the battle with out fighting may not be considered good by some.]] Then again, if said maid is [[spoiler:a RobotGirl PersonOfMassDestruction]], that's pretty much justifiable.
38** There are a few hints, however, that at some long, long ago point of his MysteriousPast he may have been justifiably called Demon King, but as the manga ended years ago on a SequelHook that never materialized and with many unresolved plot points including this one, we'll likely never know.
39* In ''Manga/MythicalDetectiveLokiRagnarok'', Loki the Trickster from Myth/NorseMythology is not evil. Apparently Baldr tried to kill him and Loki killed him in self-defense; which caused Odin the All-Father to go insane and try to punish Loki by any means imaginable; even if it means trying to destroy the world in Ragnarok and blame it on him.
40* In ''Manga/Bastard1988'', the fallen angel Lucifer [[spoiler:better known as Lucien Renlen, Dark Schneider's alter ego]] fights to protect humanity when all the other angels are trying to exterminate them. However, as it turns out [[spoiler:Satan himself (who's a different character from Lucifer) and TheLegionsOfHell are just as evil as you'd expect]].
41* ''Manga/DragonBall'' has had Demon King Piccolo, who was later reincarnated into the more familiar Piccolo who eventually became good (and never was as completely evil as he claimed to be, despite having been evil in his previous life). And there's Dabura, a demon who went to Heaven and reformed his ways (anime version only), with the explanation being that sending a demon to Hell when he dies would hardly be a punishment.
42* In ''Manga/GhostSweeperMikami'', God and Satan are ''both'' good guys; the former is in charge of maintaining order, the latter in charge of maintaining chaos/change. The closest we have to a leader-of-all-wicked-things is [[BigBad Ashtaroth]] (it's implied that he only recently gained the ability to do that).
43* Turns out Demon Overlord Satan in ''Literature/TheDevilIsAPartTimer'' is actually a pretty decent and hardworking person who cares for his underlings. On Ente Isla its implied that he spent most of his time running the demon empire far away from the front lines and didn't know much about the massive atrocities his generals committed during the war, though he admits he probably wouldn't have cared at the time. Once he ends up in Japan working at [[BlandNameProduct MgRonalds]] and is forced to interact with humans he comes to see them as people, too. Not that any of this tempers his desire to TakeOverTheWorld.
44* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' [[spoiler: puts us through everything that could have led to Homura's seeming FaceHeelTurn. The world as she recreates and oversees it is in fact tranquil, orderly and generally happy. The most unforgivable thing she does is giving other characters a LaserGuidedAmnesia. Why? [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans So they would for once stop being in constant misery]]. That said, she did not exactly ask for anyone's permission before doing this and her actions may have severely screwed up the order of things]].
45* If you can look past the FanService and gratuitous nudity (no small feat, mind), ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'' shows that Devils really aren't all that evil. No more evil than anyone else in the world is capable of being. In the series, the Four Great Satans (Lucifer, Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub) are titles given to the leaders of the Devils, with the current Satan Lucifer (the main leader of the Devils) being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure and [[spoiler:Rias' older brother]]. It turns out that while Angels have been fighting Devils for ages, the Holy Bible is merely just the largest piece of propaganda that God ever created. Angels and followers of God maliciously attack them because they were told that they are evil and must be destroyed (They don't show any mercy to normal humans either, which is how the whole series starts). There are magics in play for each side though. For example, a Devil reading or reciting the Bible will experience pain for trying. The devils usually just try to get by with using their magics to curry favors from clients. They use their magics to fulfill some type of reasonable desire or request, and are paid for their services, but not with people's souls or anything like that. All in all, Devils, and Satan, are just ordinary people trying to live their lives. It's just propaganda that makes the Angels and Fallen Angels give them trouble. However, it should also be noted that just like Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels can be perfectly civil and kind. The ArchangelMichael is pretty much the [[AllLovingHero nicest guy you'll ever meet]], and the leader of the Fallen Angels is pretty reasonable as well. The only thing that really separates the three races from humans is the fact that they have magic powers.
46* In ''VisualNovel/{{Shuffle}}'', the Demon King is a friendly and gentle person, and his best friend is the God King who has a funny personality. Both wouldn't really mind if the protagonist Rin won't marry their respective daughters ([[spoiler:in the anime, he chooses Asa instead]]). Well, since FantasticRacism doesn't exist in this world, neither humans nor Gods nor demons are evil. The only "bad" thing the demons have ever done during the series would be Project Yggdrasil, but it's not that the Demon King wouldn't regret it, and he considers the subjects of Project Yggdrasil as people. [[spoiler:He really cared for his daughter's clone Lycoris who sacrificed herself to save Nerine, he's genuinely nice to Primula, and he apologizes to Ama for what he and his men have done to her (she doesn't mind though).]]
47* ''Literature/TheTestamentOfSisterNewDevil'': Season 2 reveals that while most combat demons are dicks, [[spoiler:a vast majority of demons are just ordinary citizens who have MUCH more in common with human citizens than any other faction in existence. They've managed to balance out their economy with the environment (as seen by their pollution-free cities and lack of slums) and have little desire to rebel against the demon lords, who they pay tribute to but don't actually need]]. Suddenly, the former demon lord's desire for demons to invade the human world seems like the most rational option.
48* A hentai anime called ''Be-yond'' involves Satan, who who was apparently a SealedEvilInACan with EasyAmnesia with a QuestForIdentity. The man (demon?) is so nice, you could forget that he can easily destroy the entire universe if he wanted, and crush someone into atoms if they are cruel, but he would rather put his own needs behind himself to help others. One of the main characters who is a FairCop decides to make sure he doesn't remember who he is.
49* In ''Anime/SevenMortalSins'', Satan is one of the most noble demons in Hell, seen when she sends the soul of an innocent woman to Heaven and then cuts the soul of her killer into pieces. [[spoiler:She even helps Lucifer defend Earth and Hell when it turns out that GodIsEvil and the BigBad.]]
50* ''Anime/{{Voltes V}}'': Downplayed with Jangal Rui, [[Characters/VoltesVPrinceHeinel Prince Heinel]]'s strategist. He resembles a BigRedDevil, though that's where his connection with Satan ends. He is a brute who fights for the [[AliensAreBastards Boazanian Empire]], but as far as personalities go, he's a nice guy. He holds no ill will towards Heinel for ''torturing and imprisoning'' him in episode 5, protects him from assassination attempts, is horrified at seeing the execution of Girion, and [[spoiler: informs Kenichi where his missing father is before he commits {{Seppuku}}]]. He genuinely respects the Voltes Team and would even make a great ally for them had they not been on opposing sides.
51[[/folder]]
52
53[[folder:Comic Books]]
54* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'':
55** While he's not portrayed as especially friendly in the spinoff ''ComicBook/{{Lucifer}}'', Lucifer is at least on the side of saving this universe ([[SaveBothWorlds to say nothing of his own universe]]). [[spoiler:He even ends up helping defend Heaven against the Lilim]].
56** {{God}} is also sympathetic, making this the creative differences version. Indeed, the final story makes it seem less like a great cosmic saga and more like the tales of a powerful and distant father and his troubled, bitter son.
57** His appearance in ''The Sandman'' is more ambiguous. His first appearance seems rather standard Lord of Damnation, but his later appearances show him as a mostly neutral force in things, trying to live his own life, [[spoiler:now that he's abandoned Hell. His rant about people choosing to come to Hell and their lies about him stealing souls pissing him off also made him far more sympathetic, if not necessarily good]]. Also, he has style. And he looks like Music/DavidBowie. [[SympathyForTheHero And he can admit to admiring God's work with sunsets]].
58** Creator/NeilGaiman tends to portray Lucifer's Fall as all part of God's plan in a number of his works, such as "Literature/MurderMysteries". Albeit a plan poor Lucifer was never let in on...
59** Further explored in ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'', with the reveal of the First Of The Fallen. Turns out, Lucifer is '''a'' Devil, not ''the'' Devil. His backstory of rebellion against God is the same, but he was not the original evil. When Lucifer is cast into Hell, he finds the First Of the Fallen ''already there''. Lucifer eventually takes control of Hell, but it's only because of sheer power, and he's a half-hearted torturer of souls at best and not actively antagonistic to humanity, mentioning in ''The Sandman'' that the expression "the Devil made me do it" is fundamentally incorrect because he's never made anyone do anything. Indeed, forcing anyone to do anything goes against Lucifer's personal philosophy of freedom at all costs. In contrast, the First of The Fallen is ''definitely'' what the average person thinks of when they hear the title of the Devil: contemptuous to humanity and reveling in the torture of the souls of the wicked.
60*** Even then, the First of the Fallen still manages to play this trope straight, as he was originally not evil at all but was actually the exact opposite: he was in fact God's own ''Conscience'', which held God back from releasing his full potential as the Creator of Everything (as God was inhibited and hesitant in creating as he still had reservations and doubts over creating anything negative), and was thus split apart by God, with FOF as the first independent entity aside from God. God and the FOF gradually grew distant over their differences of opinion (such as the creation of free will inevitably leading to and resulting in misery and suffering) until FOF was later finally banished from Heaven by God and thrown into what later became Hell for accidentally coming across God in a most embarrassing moment [[spoiler:masturbating mindlessly while in a manic state complete with leering and drooling]]. Naturally aggrieved and embittered, FOF then resolved to both expose the Creator to the rest of Creation as being the original [[AlmightyIdiot Madman]], as well as replace the rule of the regime of God in Heaven with what the FOF believed was a lucid alternative i.e. himself. Over the millennia, his endless war and power struggle against Heaven inevitably caused the FOF and his followers to eventually get [[MoralEventHorizon corrupted]] until they ultimately BecameTheirOwnAntithesis. The FOF admits that he already [[HeelRealization realized]] at some point long ago that he had finally become the irredeemable monster which humans had always made him out to be, but it was John Constantine, using knowledge from human Satanic cults, who figured out at last the true nature of FOF as the former conscience of God.
61* The {{Satan}} figure of Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's ''ComicBook/MidnightNation'' is not quite good but rather an AntiVillain who works at undoing creation because of what he sees as the needless suffering and misery of those in it, and because God has refused to allow criticism of this.
62* In ''ComicBook/PropositionPlayer'', Hell Mary points out that the "other side" rushed their book through production without letting her side make a point for them, and asks Joey if he could really picture his friends in heaven, kowtowing to the big guy and trying to outdo each other at telling Him how great he is. She is also savvy enough to level with Joey and, later, [[spoiler:switches allegiance and joins his group when he decides to become a big player.]] Her celestial counterpart, meanwhile, is a huge jerk who alternately tries to buy off the souls or threaten Joey passive-aggressively, and makes no secret of what a misogynistic, power-abusing, sociopathic asshole he is. (He also doesn't realize that intimidation doesn't work on a cynical bastard like Joey.)
63* In the French comic ''Professor Bell'', every thousand years, a Devil gets seven days to break out of Jerusalem, and if he succeeds, he is free to wreak havoc across the Earth. The Devil from a thousand years ago was vanquished by priest-mages, who created golems to stop him. Eventually, he ended up locked in a pit where his only distraction was a ton of Bibles to read, and over the years has [[HeelFaceTurn turned]]... not exactly ''good'' but TrueNeutral at worst.
64* In the comic ''Nancy in Hell'', Lucifer is basically TheLoad. He was cast into the Primordial Chaos for showing free will, and Hell grew up around him independent of his wishes. All he wants to do is get back to Heaven, but Hell needs him to stay put to maintain its existence, and clouds his mind with doubts to ensure that he stays put. Nancy's tasked with keeping Lucifer on-message long enough for them both to escape.
65* In the Swedish comic ''Himlens Änglar'' by Jan Romare, the Devil is usually shown to be really bad at his job; his evil acts usually go no farther than putting banana peels on the sidewalk for people to slip on. In one extended story arc, his background is explained in more detail, and he even goes to therapy to handle his performance anxiety and general depression. The Devil then goes on to tell the psychiatrist how he started off as a regular angel but got more and more depressed and disenchanted with God because of the various Old Testament horrors he had to watch and take part in. The Devil then decided to go down to earth in order to speak directly to them the humans and try to make them (and his boss) act a little better. He became known as Jesus and was unfortunately killed horribly before being sent back to Heaven. God was really upset about his subordinate's behavior, because "now people will expect me to live up to all the nice things you told them about me", and as punishment, he sent the Devil down to hell to become the Lord of Evil.
66* In Marvel comics, Satan is a title some {{fallen angel}}s and {{demon lords|andarchdevils}} of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent various origins]] compete to have and not everyone who had the title of Satan was evil. Noble Kale from ''Comicbook/GhostRider'' ruled one of [[{{hell}} the splinter realms]] benevolently after he became an angel of death and killed Mephisto and Blackheart, taking their places. He was so benevolent the demons in said realm revolted and [[StatusQuoIsGod kicked him back to Earth]], which somehow [[DeathIsCheap allowed Mephisto and Blackheart to come back to life.]]
67* In ''ComicBook/{{Crimson}}'', Lucifer appears as a [[AffablyEvil friendly, smooth-talking, easy-going]] ManOfWealthAndTaste. While he is said to be evil in nature as he attempted to usurp God's creation in the distant past and is fated to try it again in the end times, he saves the main protagonist's life when he is being [[KangarooCourt summarily judged]] by a group of [[LightIsNotGood overzealous archangels]] - Its quite telling when the ''freakin' Devil'' is nicer than the angels. A flashback shows him as a BenevolentBoss to [[TheAtoner Ekimus]] when he fought on Hell's side and gracefully heeds his retirement request from service. In general, he is the only one of the angels who maintains a close relationship with {{God}}. It's implied that the other angels have become so full of themselves that they can't recognize God for who He really is. God and Satan have creative differences, but they team up to manipulate the other angels into achieving mutual goals for each other. God even offers him redemption, Lucifer declines stating that he likes his gig.
68[[/folder]]
69
70[[folder:Comic Strips]]
71* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' has Phil, the ruler of Heck and Prince of Insufficient Light. He's basically a harmless version of the devil who inflicts very minor punishments on people for very minor sins. He also turns out to be Dilbert's boss' brother.
72[[/folder]]
73
74[[folder:Fan Works]]
75* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12942137/1/Attero-Dominatus Attero Dominatus]]'' has Satan reveal to a rebel Israelite soldier that he was never the evil being God portrays him to be.
76* In [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4267279/1/Hero-High-Sphinx-Academy Hero High: Sphinx Academy]], the character [[GodIsEvil Lord]] often {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this trope. Once commenting on how he was the good guy since he has turned people to salt, fed them to whales and caused a flood to wipe out humanity. Then states Satan is evil because he punishes people who are evil. After finishing that sentence he openly asks "which one of us is the ''bad'' one again?"
77* ''WebAnimation/TheMandelaMagazine'': Satan still takes the form of the Archangel Gabriel and has a huge SlasherSmile on his face like he does in ''WebVideo/MandelaCatalogue'', but "Gabriel" isn't shown to be malevolent in the slightest and just wants to throw a party. When Mark [[{{Matricide}} starts shooting his mom]], he's shown to be genuinely horrified like the rest of the Alternates.
78* Michael Aquino's ''[[http://www.xeper.org/maquino/nm/Morlindale.pdf Morlindale]]'' is a retelling of some of the backstory of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' that paints Melkor and Sauron as ultimately heroic figures. Col. Aquino used to be the equivalent of an archbishop in the ''Church of Satan.'' Satan Is Good, indeed. As an additional note, Eru Ilúvatar, the traditional analogue of God in the Tolkien mythos, is ''[[AvertedTrope not]]'' [[GodIsEvil evil]]; rather, he is a TrueNeutral embodiment of the natural order of Arda (although in the view of Melkor and Sauron ([[spoiler: and eventually Pallando]]), this order is inherently unjust and something to be struggled against). [[FantasyPantheon The Valar]], [[JerkassGods on the other hand...]]
79* Played with in ''Fanfic/SonicXDarkChaos''. [[PhysicalGod Maledict]] is a FauxAffablyEvil ManipulativeBastard tyrant with semi-good intentions. However, compared to [[GodIsEvil Allysion]] and the Angels (especially the Muslims), he looks like a saint in comparison.
80[[/folder]]
81
82[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
83* {{Satan}} (played by Creator/JohnRitter) is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey0B9dfROwE portrayed quite sympathetically]] in his brief appearance in ''Film/WhollyMoses''. Basically, he was God's partner, inventing stuff like trees and three of the four seasons. One day, God called him over and told him to try his Satan's suit on and, boom!, he's the Devil.
84* ''Bedazzled''
85** In [[Film/{{Bedazzled 1967}} the original film]], Satan (Creator/PeterCook) isn't really evil, just kind of irritating in the pranks he pulls; he only tempts people to win a bet with God (first one to get 100 billion souls) and get back into Heaven. In the end, God is shown to be something of a {{Jerkass}} when he denies poor old Lucifer access back into heaven on a technicality, and ''laughs about it''. When Satan starts ranting about how much worse he's going to be from now on and how bad he's going to make the world, this seems to be [[GodIsEvil exactly what God wants.]] He even explains that he's only a fallen angel because God was being such a dick, he just said [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere "Well, screw this!"]].
86** Satan is played by Creator/ElizabethHurley in [[Film/{{Bedazzled2000}} the 2000 remake]], whose purpose is not so much to tempt men to fall but to offer the choice of falling and during that take the choice to redeem themselves, earning salvation. She's actually quite fun to be around and likes her most recent temptee. It's shown that there is no cosmic battle of good and evil between God and the Devil and they're actually on pretty good terms.
87* ''Film/LittleNicky'' takes a slightly different route, with Hell being set up as a parallel agent to heaven less about tempting the good and more about punishing the bad. The only tempting is done by the devil's two mutinous sons. The current [[Creator/HarveyKeitel Devil]] is actually the second, replacing [[Creator/RodneyDangerfield his father]], and believes in maintaining the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil and raising his kids right. Nicky is the product of a drunken tryst between Satan and an angel at a "Heaven/Hell mixer".
88* ''Film/DriveAngry'' doesn't show Satan on screen, but The Accountant mentions that Satan is well-read and an all-around good guy. He's really just the warden of the afterlife's prison. [[EvenEvilHasStandards He even opposes the idea of having kids sacrificed in his name,]] making the cult leader villain of the film ''more evil'' than Satan himself.
89* ''Film/CecilBDemented'', if his resident booster, Raven, is any indication, Satan Is Love!
90* ''Film/DarkAngelTheAscent'': Demons are just the people who guard and enforce Hell, and answer to God. A demon family is even shown clocking off and saying grace before a meal.
91* ''Film/HailSatan'': A documentary about the creation and growth of the Satanic Temple in America and its grassroots political activism. Many members interpret Satan as a positive rebellious figure for encouraging free will and independence, ideals that align with the temple's political views.
92* ''Film/JacobsLadder'' does this as the stick/carrot interpretation. The demons ''are'' angels, depending on the perspective of the person encountering them. If they don't want to die, they're demons trying to take their life away - if they're at peace, they're angels freeing them from the Earth.
93* In Creator/ErnstLubitsch's ''Film/{{Heaven Can Wait|1943}}'', the recently deceased protagonist goes straight to the gates of Hell, thinking that his dissolute life has doomed his soul; Satan himself makes him see all the good he's done in his life and convinces him to try his chances with Heaven.
94
95[[/folder]]
96
97[[folder:Literature]]
98* ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'': The Devil does not harm any good guys and even teaches the mains some wisdom.
99* [[Creator/WilliamBlake William Blake's]] Prophecy epics heroicise Satan, or rather his allegorical equivalent Orc, against the tyrannical [[GodIsEvil Angel of Albion]]. Blake is also perhaps the most prominent member of the MisaimedFandom evoked above, famously writing that Milton was "a true Poet and of the Devils party without knowing it."
100* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/JobAComedyOfJustice'', {{Satan}} is much friendlier and more accessible than {{God}}, who's portrayed as [[GodIsEvil kind of a dick]], [[spoiler:and neither of them is the true Supreme Being]].
101* {{Satan}} and the rebel angels get a sympathetic portrayal in Creator/StevenBrust's ''Literature/ToReignInHell''. In this version, {{God}} is really just the most powerful angel, who [[GodIsEvil seizes absolute power in a fit of stubbornness and arrogance]]. The creation of the Jesus-like character is treated like a case of Multiple Personality Disorder. The rebel angels aren't evil, they simply reject their new "god's" authority.
102* In the "Von Bek" novels from Creator/MichaelMoorcock's Eternal Champion novels, Ulrich von Bek finds himself damned and in the presence of Lucifer, who is now good. Lucifer had decided he wished to make peace with God, and been charged with ending suffering on Earth as the price of his redemption. Lucifer can't act directly, so he asks von Bek to aid him by returning the Holy Grail to the earth and ending "the World's Pain." The Grail is a symbol for our power of rationality, which Moorcock sees as the only way we can end our suffering, and of course this being so would redeem Lucifer, as it would mean the entire apple thing was ultimately to our benefit.
103* In ''[[Literature/TheVampireChronicles Memnoch the Devil]]'' by Creator/AnneRice, {{Satan}} empathizes intensely with the pain of human existence (particularly before there was a heaven, when souls simply continued existing between worlds for all eternity), and frequently accused God of being arrogant and uncaring towards his creations. God eventually agreed, but gave Memnoch a job he despises: punishing the wicked and purifying them so they can enter Heaven. Granted, we only have Memnoch's word for this, and he [[UnreliableNarrator turned out not to be entirely trustworthy]].
104** In an earlier book, David Talbot talks about his own possible encounter with God and the Devil in a Parisian cafe. In the encounter, the Devil begs God to let him come back to Heaven, being tired of working in Hell.
105* In the ''Literature/PrinceRoger'' series by Creator/DavidWeber and Creator/JohnRingo, one important supporting character's ENTIRE RELIGION is based on this. The character's religion came about as a result of a religious purge war on her home planet, with everyone not in line with the corrupt church being labelled Satanists. Thinking that Satan can't be all that bad if the corrupt church was an example of God's wishes, they pretty much just took the rites and litany of their corrupt church and switched all the names and references around as part InsultBackfire and part TakeThat. Hence, their religious practices bear little resemblance to those commonly associated with Satanists in the media; the entire name is arguably a joke masquerading as a religion. As for their actual beliefs: The Archangels at some point decided they could run the universe better than God, and imprisoned him (which is also why evil happens, according to them; the Archangels are powerful and wise, but neither omnipotent, omniscient nor omnibenevolent). Lucifer tried to defend God, but failed and was cast out of Heaven. Now he sits in Hell, amassing his forces and biding his time until Armageddon, when he will lead his army into Heaven, defeat the Archangels and free God, who will then grant Lucifer's followers the Promised Land as a reward.
106* The sixth book of Creator/PiersAnthony's Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality series, ''Literature/ForLoveOfEvil'' is based entirely on this trope, combined with a PerspectiveFlip from the previous 5 books.
107* Lucifer is the main character of Catherine Webb's ''Waywalkers'' duet, and is a bastard son of Time and Magic and [[BlessedWithSuck mankind's last hope against Chronos]]. He has been subjected to a ruthless smear campaign by his half-brother, Jehovah, son of Time and Belief, to the extent that even most other immortals believe he is evil, though they really should know better. He is actually quite a nice guy who lives in London disguised as a mortal. Despite this, Jehovah is not ''evil'', per se; he's just a {{Jerkass}}. On top of this, [[spoiler:Lucifer's bad rep was one of the many result of his father's [[GambitPileup plan]] to turn him into the ultimate weapon against Chronos]].
108* Not surprisingly, given its very anti-religious theme, the Adversary in the ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' trilogy is described as an extremely sympathetic figure - the leader of the rebel army of angels that attempted to overthrow the Authority (who was simply the oldest being, and only CLAIMED to be the creator to legitimize bossing everyone else around) in aeons past.
109** Well, the character who was the leader of the fallen/rebel angels is the angel Xaphania, and she is pretty much still going around in the universes; needless to say she's wise and "good". Lord Asriel (named after the angel of death) fits the role better, but his KnightTemplar status makes him occasionally quite unsympathetic, [[spoiler:specially in the end of the first book, where he considers his goal more important than the life of his daughter's friend, Roger]]. Arguably, Metatron is also similar in role to Satan, having taken over from [[GodIsEvil The Authority]] after being his right-hand angel, but he is clearly evil (and used to be a human).
110* Creator/AnneBishop's ''Literature/BlackJewels'' trilogy is not a straight example, but still worthy of mention. Here, Hell is a gloomy but all-in-all pretty cozy place, and its ruler, Saetan Daemon [=SaDiablo=], is easily the nicest guy in the entire series.
111** ....besides all the guys that don't torture, slaughter and generally rip to bits their enemies and the enemies of their families. But yes, overall very decent, definitely a protagonist.
112*** There was that time he [[spoiler:erased an entire country and it's population from existence and history]] for kidnapping his child.
113*** Perhaps "easily one of the most upstanding, honorable, caring guys" would be a better way to put it. He can be nice, but even more than nice he cares deeply for others, and sometimes that involves showing some teeth. And after all, he is the [[PapaWolf father figure]] (or actual father) to every main protagonist and even the not-so-main protagonists in the series.
114
115** The other two male main characters are Daemon and Lucivar. It was obviously the author's intention to do this.
116* This is essentially the entire point of ''The Devil's Apocrypha''.
117* Jeremy Leven's novel ''Satan, His Psychotherapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S'' portrays Satan as essentially helpless and neuroses-ridden, subverting the "Lost Son" concept by making God and Satan half-brothers. They shared a mother, "Fear." The book was adapted in 2002 as "Crazy As Hell". The book really leaves the question of whether or not Satan is evil up to the reader.
118* ''Literature/ILucifer'', wherein Lucifer (he doesn't like to be called Satan) narrates his life and his brief attempt to earn his way into Heaven, doesn't present him as being ''good,'' but since God ''does'' present himself as good, Lucifer ''has'' to be evil by default. By anyone's standard, God is not exactly a good person; in the end, it's implied that [[spoiler:God only offered Lucifer the chance to come back to Heaven because He's certain that the latter won't accept, and when it seems like he will, God manufactures an emergency in Hell that requires Lucifer's attention]]. It's not so much Satan Is Good or GodIsEvil as GodAndSatanAreBothJerks.
119* In ''Literature/FifthBusiness'', the Devil figure in the story ends up being an intelligent and charming woman who helps the most in the main character's quest of discovering who he is. As he says later, "The Devil turned out to be a very good fellow."
120* In Timothy Findley's ''Not Wanted on the Voyage'', Satan is [[spoiler: a seven-foot-tall angel. In drag. Who goes by Lucy.]] And Satan's far, far, far better of a character and person than Noah and his ilk.
121* Several of Creator/NeilGaiman's works, including ''Literature/GoodOmens'' and "Murder Mysteries," enjoys playing with the morality paradox that God always ''intended'' for Satan to fall, and that by doing so he's performing his proper function in God's plan. That said, we never actually meet Lucifer in ''Literature/GoodOmens'', and when we ''almost'' do, he's a terrifying, nigh-unstoppable force of destruction about to massacre the cast in a temper tantrum at being denied Armageddon.
122* Peter Ustinov's (yes, the actor) novel ''The Old Man and Mr. Smith'' had God and Satan as best friends, traveling the countryside. Satan (Mr. Smith) tended to commit minor offenses, such as stealing, that bothered God (The Old Man) a bit, but it was always just to help out, and The Old Man couldn't deny that he directly benefited from Mr. Smith's pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
123* Shan-wei is the Literature/{{Safehold}}ian Church of God Awaiting's equivalent of Satan. However, what only a select few know is that Pei Shan-wei was an actual person who tried to deflate the ambitions of her fellow "Archangels" Eric Langhorne and Adorée Bédard and was murdered for her trouble.
124* According to the Friar's Tale in ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales'', all of Hell operates with permission from God. One minor demon observes that he and his guys actually provide opportunities for salvation, by resisting the temptation they offer.
125* In Jeff Long's ''Deeper'' Satan is a TrueNeutral entity that played a major part in uplifting the humanity to its current status in hopes of releasing himself from a metaphysical confinement beneath the Earth with its aid, but it's implied that if his release would actually happen, he would cause immense destruction without even noticing or caring, like only an immortal being with little experience with human contact could when facing fragile mortals.
126* While not quite calling him good, Creator/MarkTwain opined in one of his essays that Satan had never gotten a fair trial and deserved to be able to tell his side of the story.
127** Then he gets his chance in ''Letters from the Earth''. Satan's a little rebellious and every so often gets a time-out, but he just can't comprehend how much of a CrapsackWorld humans make for themselves, all in the name of a pseudo-God. The GodIsEvil corollary here only applies to the ''fictional'' one that Man comes up with, not the 'real' one.
128* In Creator/KurtVonnegut's novel ''Timequake'', Kilgore Trout writes a book that has the Devil giving Adam and Eve the apple, because he sincerely wants them to become intelligent.
129* In Natalia Vasilieva's ''Black Book of Arda'', Melkor (the Tolkienverse's Satan equivalent) is good.
130* [[LaResistance The Other Light faction]] in the Literature/LeftBehind book ''Kingdom Come'' sees GodIsEvil because He won't let "naturals" in the Snake Person Kingdom [[DeathsHourglass live past 100 years of age]] as unbelievers, and claim in their ''If It's True'' manifesto that God has unfairly treated one of His angels (referring to Lucifer) and befouled his name and reputation by casting him out of His presence. To that end, the Other Light worked hard to pass their teachings to the next generation of converts so that the generation that gets to [[FinalBattle confront God and Jesus at the end of the Millennium]] will be "assured victory" when [[SealedEvilInACan Lucifer is released.]] [[CurbStompBattle Unfortunately for them,]] [[YouCantFightFate it didn't go as they hoped.]]
131* Sammael in Creator/StormConstantine's ''Literature/BuryingTheShadow'' is an alternate world interpretation of {{Satan}}. In this world {{God}} was supposed to move on to another plane of existence and Sammael was to take his place, but he decides against it. This was starting to screw up the world, so Sammael and some of the eloim rebelled and were [[FallenAngel banished to Earth]].
132* This is the ultimate goal of wizards and the PowersThatBe in the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' universe. The [[{{Satan}} Lone Power]] invented entropy and death, and for these gifts was sent away until he could learn better. Rhiow in ''The Book of Night with Moon'' describes it best:
133-->But what time is ''about'', they say, is slowly winning the Lone One back to the right side. When that happens, the Whisperer says— when a billion years' worth of wizards' victories finally wear sa'Rrahh down enough to show her what possibilities can lie beyond her own furious blindness and fixity -- then death and entropy will begin to work backward, undoing themselves; evil will transform its own nature and will have no defense against that final transformation, coming as it will from within. The universe will be remade, as if it had been made right from the beginning. ... Every time one of us stands up knowingly to the Devastatrix, she loses a little ground. Every time one of us wins, she loses a little more. And the Whisperer says that the effect is cumulative. No wizard knows whether his or her act today, this minute or the next, might not be the one that will finally make the Lone Power say, 'I give up: joy is easier.' And then the long fall upward into the light, and the rebirth of the worlds, will start...
134* This is explored in the Creator/JoeHill novel ''Literature/{{Horns}}'', in which the protagonist wakes up one morning with a pair of horns and supernatural abilities allowing him to influence people and know their deepest, darkest thoughts. He soon comes to believe that he's becoming a devil, but for every character he punishes for their urges and transgressions, he helps just as many to find peace and happiness, as he helps them to realize that it is not healthy for them to repress certain urges, such as making a couple of closeted gay police officers discover that they are deeply in love with each other and should pursue their relationship regardless of what the rest of the force might think of them. He also muses on the nature of Satan, who does God's work by punishing sinners but also accepts humanity for what it is and celebrates sin/human nature, compared to a God who runs a theological protection racket.
135* Played with in the ''Literature/ChristCloneTrilogy''. [[spoiler:The end of the second book almost convinces you God really is the bad guy.]]
136* In ''Literature/TheScrewtapeLetters'', since it's a PerspectiveFlip on Christian morality, the devils see themselves as heroic and refer to {{God}} as "The Enemy." (Of course, Screwtape is one heck of an UnreliableNarrator.)
137* ''Literature/ParadiseLost'' is the probable TropeCodifier. However, [[SubvertedTrope if one scratches the surface it is very clear that]] the Father of Lies is an extremely UnreliableNarrator.
138* Creator/PercyByssheShelley wrote an essay called ''On the Devil, and Devils'', joining William Blake in interpreting John Milton's Satan as the hero:
139-->''"Milton's Devil, as a moral being, is as far superior to his God, as one who perseveres in a purpose which he has conceived to be excellent, in spite of adversity and torture, is to one who in the cold security of undoubted triumph inflicts the most horrible revenge upon his enemy—not from any mistaken notion of bringing him to repent of a perseverance in enmity, but with the open and alleged design of exasperating him to deserve new torments."''
140* Ghislain Taschereau's ''Inspector Spector'' series, where the hero's secret weapon is being the world's greatest police detective after selling his soul to the devil. The devil is a really cool guy and making deals with him always comes with great perks, such as being nearly invulnerable and Spector's infinite ammunition [[{{BFG}} .666 caliber handgun]]. On the villainous side, Godall Mighty keeps trying to eradicate humanity to restart from scratch [[spoiler: and succeeds in the final book]].
141* The Devil in ''Literature/TheGrimReapersApprentice'' is a rather nice man, despite being in charge of hell. He chats with Jax when he introduces himself, and even [[spoiler:helped the Grim Reaper and Jax's mother to conceive Jax]].
142[[/folder]]
143
144[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
145* The Devil as presented in ''Series/{{Brimstone}}'' wasn't necessarily evil. In fact he was in charge of punishing evildoers, hence his need to get the 113 escapees back to hell. He was, however, an unrepentant {{Jerkass}}.
146* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
147** Some Bajorans worship [[EldritchAbomination the Pah Wraiths]], the demons of the planet's majority religion. It turns out these beings are actually real and actually evil, but most of their worshipers simply feel that [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Prophets]] had [[TheGodsMustBeLazy abandoned them]] during the Cardassian Occupation and are looking for an alternate spiritual option.
148** [[BigBad Dukat]] was also a true believer in these demons, having been possessed by Kosst Amojin, who's hinted to be their ringleader. He led this cult for a while until his old vices got the better of him, disillusioning his followers and turning them against him. His own faith in the Pah-Wraiths remained undiminished to the end, albeit still thoroughly intertwined with his selfish and twisted motives. (Considering his old enmity with the Bajorans, it makes a lot of sense that he'd side with their demons against their gods once he started believing in the supernatural premises underlying their religion.)
149* {{Subverted|Trope}} on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Lucifer would like to convince you that he's the good guy, but he's clearly just an egotistical bastard. At times he'll come off as AffablyEvil, but then he'll go and do something that completely averts this, [[spoiler:i.e. killing off an army of demons (his children) to summon Death, exploding Castiel, snapping Bobby's neck, beating the living crap out of Dean (while wearing Sam's body!) etcetera, etcetera]]. Then again, on this show, [[CrapsackWorld no higher power can possibly be good]].
150* The Devil of ''Series/TheCollector'', [[OmniscientMoralityLicense or so he claims]].
151* A recurring bit on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'''s "Weekend Update" features them inviting the Devil on to discuss something heinous in the news, only to [[EvenEvilHasStandards refuse to take credit]] on hearing the act actually ''described''.
152-->"I may be the devil, but I'm not a monster!"
153* The title character of ''Series/Lucifer2016'' may be amoral, as self-centered as a gyroscope, and constantly trying to get the female lead into bed with him, but he's very dedicated to punishing wrongdoers and saving innocents (even when he doesn't believe he's doing it), and some wrongdoings disgust him deeply. For example, one villain murdered an innocent woman just to get his prize client indebted to him. When said villain referred to the girl as "that bitch", Lucifer furiously shoved him through a window. [[spoiler:Not to mention he literally and selflessly died for the female lead, ''twice''.]] And in the SeriesFinale, [[spoiler:he returns to Hell to become a ''therapist'' for the damned so that they can move past their guilt and reach Heaven]].
154* Played with and ultimately subverted in ''Series/TheFallen'', where [[Creator/BryanCranston Lucifer Morningstar]] is initially portrayed as a friendly, repentant angel, who simply had a disagreement with the Creator. He nearly convinces Aaron to Redeem him, but Aaron suddenly realizes that all Lucifer wants is to be free from Hell in order to wreak havoc on Earth and Heaven. In fact, Lucifer is the only being that is actually permanently trapped in Hell. Humans can leave if they redeem themselves enough. Notably, most fallen angels are also decent people and were thus not trapped in Hell. [[spoiler:Azazel is a big exception.]] The whole "rebellion against the Creator" is seen by them as more of a political move than a turn to the dark side.
155[[/folder]]
156
157[[folder:Music]]
158* Voltaire's "Almost Human" is, essentially, the Devil's lament about being cast from heaven and being constantly despised by angels (or TheFundamentalist; it's not exactly clear), despite being basically [[NotSoDifferentRemark the same as humanity]].
159* Music/{{Cormorant}}'s "Ballad Of the Beast" is a possible example, as it portrays Jesus giving in to all three of the devil's temptations and calling him his friend. At the end, Jesus claims that he is "now free". It may also be a case, for God sends out an angel to keep Jesus from dying when he jumps, of GodAndSatanAreBothJerks.
160* In Power Sympathy's "Lightbringer," Lucifer states that he was created as God intended, and that his fall and temptation of mankind is the will of God.
161* Not outright stating it, but Music/RunningWild's song "Satan" shows him in more anti-heroic light.
162* The animated clip from DAT's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vJf38Lp5CI "Showtime"]] depicts a depressed devil that makes friends with a young woman and falls in love with her. Although he swallows her soon after they meet and pulls teasingly at her (long) skirt, these are more like pranks, and she seems unharmed. They dance together, he drives her on a bicycle and, when he sees her cry,[[spoiler: he decides to become human, or almost (his horns and wings just become small) to stay with her. However, he can't remain much long in this form and painfully returns to his devilish self.With the woman's consent, he erases her memories of him with a tear on his eye before they have a last dance [[StarCrossedLovers and he leaves her for good.]] The song, however, sounds optimistic: " Though I can't see, I can see compassion/Trust in the hope of our future"]]
163* Despite the song's title, "Sympathy for the Devil" portrays Satan as an arrogant and malevolent presence who haunts all of humanity's great atrocities. Though there is AnAesop in there about how these evils are really the fault of humans or specifically, the human denial of their own capacity for evil, hiding under the guise of civilization and ascribing their flaws to a sarcastic devil who they assign [[NeverMyFault all responsibility]] for their own actions.
164* Country singer Terri Gibbs' {{Signature Song}} "Somebody's Knockin'" has this notable lyric, "Somebody's Knockin' should I let him in? Lord It's the Devil, would you looked at him? I've heard about him but I never dreamed he'd have blue eyes and blue jeans." She would later record Christian Country music and is a Christian.
165* Music/OKGo wrote a musical response to "Sympathy for the Devil" called "A Good Idea At The Time," which depicts him as, at worst, apathetic to said atrocities.
166-->''Now it's true about my wealth, true about my taste\
167But you don't need no help from me, you'll lay yourself to waste''
168[[/folder]]
169
170[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
171* In UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}, Satan (know here as Samael) is not a fallen angel, the serpent in the Garden, or Lucifer. He's a regular angel submissive to God's will, though his job is still to spread sin, which he heavily implies he does not enjoy. He distinguishes himself by being critical of humanity's capacity for evil, and specifically proposes a test of faith for Job. His name comes from the word for "adversary" or "accuser" and his role is more like that of God's prosecuting attorney, the "devil's advocate." In fact, the title of Adversary does not necessarily belong to one angel; it could be the title of whichever angel is being argumentative at the moment.
172* In UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}, Satan ''was'' good would be correct. He was God's servant and his title of Satan (lit. The Adversary/Accuser) meant that he was the adversary of liars, hypocrites, and frauds, and his purpose was to put those chosen by God through their paces and make sure that they were truly devout and could not be swayed from the path of God. His part in the Literature/BookOfJob was that God was telling him about how faithful and righteous Job was and Satan was not buying it and said that of course he is, after all with all of the benefits that you are giving him he would have to be insane to not worship you.\
173Although, by the time he appears to tempt Jesus, he seems to have turned evil. Of course, the opposite argument can also be made: If his purpose is indeed to make sure those chosen by God were truly devout and could not be swayed from His path, then his tempting of Jesus fits into this; Jesus, incarnated as a human, is not exempt from anything humans go through, up to and including temptations.
174* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidi Yazidis]], a religious minority in western Iraq, call the chief angel in charge of running the world on God's orders the Peacock Angel, Melek Tawuse. They consider him an intermediary between humanity and God. They don't even believe in {{Fallen Angel}}s, considering evil to be entirely the result of human misbehavior. However, owing to a Yazidi faith about Melek Tawuse that closely resembles the Muslim faith of Iblis/Shaitan's rebellion against God[[note]]In the Muslim faith, God orders Iblis to bow down to Adam, and he refuses, starting the Rebellion of the fallen Djinn. In the Yazidi faith, God orders Melek Tawuse never to bow to anyone except God, then tests his obedience by ordering all the angels to bow to Adam. Only Tawuse passes the test by ''not'' bowing to a being less than God, earning him his place as the lead angel.[[/note]], they are very frequently [[SadlyMythtaken accused of]] [[ReligionOfEvil worshiping Satan]] by people with a OneMythToExplainThemAll mentality.
175* Real-life Satanists and Luciferians hold up the major antagonists of Christianity and other major world religions as role models whose values that humans should look up to.
176** Generally speaking, Satanists emphasize Satan's disobedience to God and his laws in order to stress the importance of challenging authority and moral mores, engaging in desired carnal behaviors, and feeling unashamed of being unconventional as a way of leading a personally fulfilling life. The few rules that exist in [=LaVeyan=] Satanism are mostly safeguards protecting the personal freedoms of others from outside interference. There are also commandments specifically protecting children and animals from undue harm.
177** Meanwhile, Luciferians more heavily stress the illuminating aspects of Lucifer, particularly that of striving to acquire knowledge and truth. This extends to things considered forbidden or taboo by culture or by other religions. Modern Luciferians generally support the rational scientific method and tolerance for people of other persuasions.
178* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Of_Satan Anton [=LaVey=]'s Church of Satan]], and Modern Satanism in general. Modern Satanists like [=LaVey=] don't believe in a literal Satan, but consider him to be a symbol. In his later writings, [=LaVey=] implied that God might very well exist, but if he does, he's an [[JerkassGods asshole]].
179** Laveyan Satanists' prayers to Satan are, per the few doctrines they have, not meant as a personal request to curry favors but a more abstract plea, not unlike how "bless you" isn't an indication of Christian faith or magic powers on the speaker's part.
180** Indeed, a careful reading of [=LaVey=]'s ''Satanic Bible'' suggests that he did believe in a very real Satan, albeit as a vaguely pantheistic Jungian Archetype. (It lists the names of several old pagan gods of destruction and evil and contends that these are also proper names for Satan.) Certainly, [=LaVeyan=] Satanists believe Satan's ''power'' is very literal and real: Anton's own daughter claims to have slain him by smiting him with a death curse.
181** There's also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theistic_Satanism Traditional Satanism]], which does believe in a literal Satan. Their view is that Satan is the one who really wants what's best for them, or that he simply wants them to think for themselves (most well-known example being the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil).
182* There was a group called the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciferianism Luciferians]] that was persecuted by the Catholic Church as a heretical sect during the Middle Ages. As with this trope, the Luciferians believed that eating from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil was a positive thing, and that Lucifer was the noble Creator opposing an evil and repressive god who had better press. They never worshiped evil or performed dark sacrificial rituals the way Satanists in contemporary and modern media were/are supposed to do. There are also modern day Luciferians who believe the same thing.
183** Interestingly, many if not most Luciferians avoid associating Lucifer with the common perception of Satan, some going so far as to refer to Lucifer as the Holy Spirit or Paracletus and even ''referring to the god of the Torah[=/=]Old Testament as Satan''. Satan Is Good who is {{God}} assuming GodIsGood. But this leads to a logical problem identifying Satan Is Good with {{God}}, given the GodIsEvil trope.
184* In Myth/ClassicalMythology, Prometheus subversively gives the gods' protected knowledge of fire to humanity, not unlike the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil offered by the evil serpent in Literature/TheBible. When the myth first appeared in Creator/{{Hesiod}}'s ''Literature/{{Theogony}}'', Zeus was a wise and just god who sentenced Prometheus to eternal suffering, while the Titan Prometheus was to blame for the suffering of humanity. ''Theatre/PrometheusBound'' turns this around, making [[GodIsEvil Zeus a cruel tyrant]] and Prometheus the benefactor of humanity's rise to civilization (OlderThanFeudalism). The suffering of humanity was blamed on [[SchmuckBait Pandora]], not Prometheus (and even Pandora is clearly established as having been set up).
185* The god [[Myth/LusitanianMythology Endovelicus]] became identified as Lucifer after Christianity became dominant on the Iberian Peninsula, but he was already quite established as a benevolent god in the native pantheon.
186* ''Theodicy'' is the philosophical/theological question of why evil exists. One thing that emerges from a study of theodicy is that, if you accept that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, then Satan ''must'' [[FridgeBrilliance serve a good purpose,]] or else God wouldn't allow him to exist!
187** Unless you adhere to the view that God is TheFettered, and allows Satan to exist because He either believes that everyone has a fundamental right to exist (even the Devil) and [[DeaderThanDead eliminating a sentient being from Creation entirely]] [[ThouShaltNotKill is wrong]], or alternatively has a thing for salvation over elimination and is waiting for Satan to [[HeelFaceTurn learn his lesson]].
188** The more orthodox view, at least in Christianity, is that God is playing a XanatosGambit by turning Satan's ''entire life'' into one long series of NiceJobFixingItVillain. Any evil deed that Satan does, according to this argument, gets twisted into a good result - the most prominent examples being the temptation of Adam and Eve, and the death of Jesus. In other words, yes, Satan is serving a good purpose, but not by choice.
189* The Gnostics generally viewed the Hebrew God as a false and sometimes malevolent demigod of sorts known as the Demiurge and considered the Serpent in the Garden of Eden to be a messenger from the "True, Unknowable God." Because Jesus is also considered a messenger from God in most Gnostic traditions, this leads to an association between Lucifer and Jesus that most modern Christians find odd and heretical. (However, Lucifer and Satan are considered separate entities in Gnosticism; sometimes the Demiurge is even referred to as Satan.) Satanael (Gnosticism's version of Lucifer) is believed to have rebelled against God after realizing he is an imposter.
190* Theosophist believe that Lucifer and Satan are two different entities and Lucifer is not evil, is the carrier of Light (i.e. wisdom) while Satan is an unrelated evil demon. The association between both was mistakenly done by the Church.
191* In Raëlism, there's an Elohim named Lucifer who was responsible for, among other things, saving samples of all life on Earth from an attack by Yahweh.
192* Adonism is a Neopagan belief that believes the GodOfEvil, Molchos, [[GodIsEvil founded monotheism]], while the primary good god, Adonis, is identified with figures like Satan, Iblis and Ahriman.
193[[/folder]]
194
195[[folder:Radio]]
196* The Satan of ''Radio/OldHarrysGame'' is quite offended by suggestions he isn't the Ultimate Evil, or has some sort of soft spot, but the evidence is against him. One season involved him trying to make the world a better place, purely to alleviate the overcrowding in Hell, of course. In a later season, he's perturbed when dogs and babies start ending up in his domain, insisting things have to be ''fair'', or what's the point? He also refers to the Rebellion as an attempt to bring some sort of democracy to Heaven (although he's a bit defensive when Gabriel asks if it was because he wasn't allowed to ride the flaming chariot).
197* Ghost, from Radio/TrueCapitalist, gets a few calls from Satanists, which made him sarcastically remark "Satan is good, Satan is my pal." Of course, this resulted in more than one VoiceClipSong.[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
200* In White Wolf's ''TabletopGame/DemonTheFallen'', the {{Player Character}}s are part of TheLegionsOfHell, and Lucifer is presented as the sympathetic leader of LaResistance. And not merely "sympathetic": Lucifer loves humanity probably more than anyone else ever did in the world's history, including the {{Jerkass God|s}} (and possibly [[JesusWasWayCool even Jesus]]). It is exactly because he loved humans more than God that the Rebellion (later labeled "the Fall") happened, but this being [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness the World of Darkness]], it didn't work as planned. After Lucifer tried summoning his former comrades, not knowing that time spent in the Abyss had caused them to become {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, he ''created Christianity'' in order to fight them.
201* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'':
202** The Road of the Adversary, based on real Satanism (described above) as opposed to HollywoodSatanism (which the game also contains, called the Road of the Devil, and emphatically ''not'' this trope). To those on the Road of the Adversary, Lucifer is seen as an inspirational figure for vampires, not as an evil Satan, but as the ultimate rebel and protector of freedom, an example of how to lead a truly free existence. Needless to say, a very popular ideology among [[RebelliousSpirit Clan Brujah]].
203** The same Clan also contains the Promethean ideology, which is very similar to aforementioned real-world Prometheanism and Luciferianism, and focused on building a shared {{Utopia}} for humans and vampires by pursuing enlightenment. Interestingly, despite the similarities to the beliefs of the Fallen, kindred on these paths are not aware of the true nature of Lucifer in the setting and so there is little to no cooperation. In fact, as protectors of humanity, the Fallen lean towards OmnicidalNeutral when it comes to other supernaturals, probably even those who idolize Lucifer.
204** The Setites originally practiced a version syncretized with Egyptian paganism, stylizing the pagan god Set as the Biblical Serpent and a Lucifer figure who opposes evil gods as both a warrior and a trickster in order to free mankind. However, over time, this underwent in-universe MotiveDecay and became a conventional ReligionOfEvil. Out of universe, it was actually the other way round, the Setites having always been a ReligionOfEvil until someone came up with the idea of giving them a more sympathetic original faith for the Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition.
205* Some ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' campaigns feature this portrayal of {{Satan}}. The core books leave the characterization of both him and {{God}} ambiguous enough that it's mostly a question of how the GameMaster portrays the world.
206* ''TabletopGame/{{Nobilis}}'' second edition has Lucifer be so principled that millennia in Hell haven't corrupted him at all. And the major efforts of the Fallen Angels at this point in time are all about protecting the world from the omnicidal [[BigBad Excrucians]]. However, those principles he cleaves to so strongly? Inflicting Suffering, feeding Corruption, and using Power.
207** In third ed, the Angels love beauty and justice, but only the Devils love ''everything''. For daring to stand up for the monstrous, the wicked, and the corrupt, the Angels cast the Devils into Hell.
208* In ''TabletopGame/{{Godbound}}'', Hell was once [[PurgatoryAndLimbo a place where souls were purified before entering Heaven]]. After a war between humanity and Heaven [[LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair nearly destroyed the universe]], however, the angels snapped [[LightIsNotGood and decided all humanity deserved eternal damnation]]. The former warden of Hell, Sammael, disagrees and wants Hell restored to its purifying role; he is one of the few friendly angels the [=PCs=] can expect to encounter.
209[[/folder]]
210
211[[folder:Theater]]
212* In the "Don Juan in Hell" dream-sequence interlude of Creator/GeorgeBernardShaw's play ''Man and Superman'', the difference between Heaven and Hell is not presented as being between good and evil. Rather, Hell is a place for those who love pleasure, love and beauty to be happy; Heaven is a place for the higher-minded, intellectual, aspiring sorts who worship the "Life Force" (a philosophical concept in which Shaw, apparently, actually believed). The Devil is a gentleman who left Heaven and set up Hell because he found Heaven intolerably boring. God is not mentioned at all; the implication is that there is no God, save the Life Force.
213[[/folder]]
214
215[[folder:Video Games]]
216* Cygames has given two different examples, both named Lucifer rather than "satan":
217** ''VideoGame/RageOfBahamut'' has Lucifer: A dutiful Arch Seraph who was deceived by his God and punished for his rebellion, turning him into the {{Jerkass}} the players would come to know. It wasn't until the players went back in time and changed his story that he would come out an anti-hero in the end, working from the shadows to protect Mystaria from threats.
218** And then there's Lucifer from ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', the games BigGood and a benevolent entity that only wishes for the prosperity of the Sky Realm. Even after being deceived by his creator and questioning the motives of God, he doesn't stray away from the path of goodness and disposes of those who threaten the safety of the world he protects.
219* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games dance around this one. According to Christianity, he actually ''is'' a {{bishonen}} seraph. As it is their custom, Atlus [[ShownTheirWork did their homework]]. At least, that's what he looks like when he's interested in becoming (or acting as) your ally--he becomes much more demonic-looking when he gets hostile. Also, Lucifer most often appears as TheChessmaster who honestly cares about Humanity in contrast with the angels, who only see them as cattle and labor. The problem? He has ''very'' interesting ideas about the concept of Perfection for Humanity... On the other hand, Satan is a very different gent altogether. Who just happens to have the angelic title of [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Accuser]], and simultaneously be [[{{God}} YHVH's]] [[TheDragon Dragon]]... and an EldritchAbomination.
220** Interestingly, the part with Satan being allied with YHVH is not something Atlus made up - [[ShownTheirWork this was indeed his status in the old Jewish religious texts]]. He is not a case of Satan Is Good, though, because YHVH himself tends to be evil.
221** Despite being ChaoticEvil to God's [[GodIsEvil Lawful Evil]] in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'', in the sequel, ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'', Lucifer's depiction changed to ChaoticGood, while YHVH remained Lawful Evil - the ending where you side with Lucifer is the closest that comes to being a truly HappyEnding of the three. Also, Satan (again, different beings) is usually God's [[TheDragon lackey]]. CrapsackWorld, folks. CrapsackWorld. It's {{Double Subver|sion}}ted with Satan's alignment in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'' - even ''he'' gets fed up with God and joins the hero if you chose the Law path. Then again, everyone thought God [[GodIsEvil had gone]] [[ThisIsUnforgivable too far]], even [[ArchangelGabriel Gabriel]].
222** Before that, in ''VideoGame/MegamiTenseiII'', Lucifer is imprisoned in ice for the first half of the game for battling against YHWH, and recruiting him using the similarly maligned Baal is necessary to get the good ending of the game. Ironically, the separate character Satan was responsible for the apocalypse (On YHWH's orders no less) but managed to blame Lucifer for it.
223** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', Lucifer admits that he doesn't really care much for humanity, but at the same time states that he will never abandon them, which is certainly more than can be said for God... but does not stop him from being the saint patron of MoreThanMindControl, a horribly dangerous [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] and a ManipulativeBastard whose only goal is the destruction of Law. DracoInLeatherPants applies as you understand that he's just as dangerous an extremist as the Archangels or YHVH.
224*** Though in ''Redux'', he (she? She presents solely as a mysterious blonde woman in Strange Journey) will [[spoiler: approve of all of the New endings, though only reluctantly for Law, both because they're all humanity choosing its own fate rather than following the whims of a higher power, and because they're fulfilling the wish of her daughter from the future.]]
225** Lucifer himself only appears as a high-level fusion, but his Expy [[spoiler: Al Saiduq, aka Alcor]] in ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'' plays this trope completely straight. [[spoiler: As a Septentrion, Alcor rebelled against his creator Polaris, not for {{Pride}}, but to violate the AlienNonInterferenceClause. Although he gave primitive humans the gifts of fire and culture out of genuine compassion, he eventually came to regret his actions when humanity's evolution peaked too early. When Polaris [[ApocalypseHow decided to erase humanity from the Akashic records]] as inferior specimen, he countered by supplying humans with [[ScryVsScry the Nicaea Website]] and [[SummonMagic Demon Summoning App]], granting them the chance to [[HumanityOnTrial prove their own worth to Polaris]]. One possible ending even features the player urging him to a full-blown RageAgainstTheHeavens, ending with him [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt replacing Polaris]] on the Heavenly Throne. Fittingly, you unlock the ability to fuse Lucifer by getting Alcor's [[RelationshipValues Fate Level]] to 5, which is only possible if you go for said ending.]]
226** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', Satan only exists to serve [[GodIsEvil the Creator]], but [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII once again]] comes to doubt his boss and [[HeelFaceTurn joins you]] so you can take YHVH's place. [[spoiler:TheReveal that the Axiom, the embodiment of reality itself, has become fed up with YHVH's shenanigans probably has something to do with it]].
227** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'': The heroic main character's ultimate GuardianEntity is [[spoiler:Satanael, the {{UsefulNotes/Gnostic|ism}} equivalent of the Devil. This version is also heavily inspired by the standard ''Shin Megami Tensei'' interpretation of Lucifer, down to having the same character outline and sporting the same arms open wide AssKickingPose]].
228** In the ''VideoGame/{{Devil Children}}'' spinoffs, Lucifer seems evil in Generation 1 [[spoiler:But it's actually Azel impersonating him after trapping and imprisoning him. The '''real''' Lucifer was a straight-up nice guy who was as good a father to Setsuna and Mirai as circumstances allowed up until his imprisonment, helps guide them on their journey even when imprisoned, and wants to use the Ragnarok and Hoshigami to make a better world for everyone.]] In Gen 2, he's a straight-up good guy. Saving him from being killed by a manipulated Shin and his second-in-command Forlo is a key part of Jin's story in Light Book, and he ends up setting Akira on his journey in Dark Book. Remarkably, this was ''not'' changed in any way for the Western release of Gen 2, despite numerous name changes throughout the game.
229* Elisa Than ("Satan") in ''VideoGame/TheBastardOfKosigan'' was actually out to save everyone from being subjugated by Gabriel's totalitarian regime (there is no actual God in that story). Leads to a bunch of entertaining revelations, like Jesus having been given his powers by the "demons" (John and Judas were the only actual supernatural beings among Jesus and his Apostles), and the "angels" starting Islam to force all of Europe to unite under Catholicism (which they created to subvert Jesus' original message).
230* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' plays with this. [[spoiler:The role of God was taken by the Goddess of Order, Ashera, while Satan was depicted as the Goddess of Chaos, Yune. Neither goddess are [[ChaoticNeutral truly good or bad]] (and are actually two parts to a whole), but ancient propaganda had Yune portrayed as a "dark goddess", although this was actually for a noble, albeit misguided, purpose to preserve ethnic and political relations. It doesn't last, and when Ashera decides to pass judgment on the world and turns humanity into stone, it's Yune, long depicted as the "dark goddess", [[DarkIsNotEvil who assists the heroes to save the world]].]]
231* Satan is [[spoiler:the protagonist himself]] and son of a Prometheus stand-in in ''VisualNovel/TearsToTiara''. The angels are a bunch of jerkasses. [[spoiler: More precisely ''genocidal'' jerkasses. They had a hand in creating other races like elves, giants and dragons. When these did not live up to their expectations, the angels did their best to wipe them out. That is why in the present day, these races are now represented by scattered remnants of nigh extinct civilizations. Of these, the elves are in the best shape simply because Arawn stood up for them. ''And the angels have decided its now humanity's turn.'']]
232* The land of [[TheVerse Ivalice]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is ruled by the godlike Occuria, timeless beings that [[ManipulativeBastard manipulate history in order to preserve peace according to their own designs]]. While [[BlueAndOrangeMorality their morality]] remains a matter of debate, among their ranks is Venat, a heretical Occuria who wishes to give humanity (and all other species on Ivalice) control over their ''own'' fate. Although [[NecessarilyEvil she commits many, and terrible atrocities throughout the game to accomplish this]], in the end [[spoiler:her mission succeeds and Ivalice is free from the yoke of its abominable masters, and she joins [[AntiVillain the main antagonist]] in death as gratitude for their alliance]].
233** Ivalice has it both ways, with two Satan counter-parts. One of them is the above mentioned Venat, whose strives to free the mortal characters from The Occuria, but the other is the esper Ultima, who rebelled against them out of pride, and ends up [[spoiler:the BigBad trying to take over Ivalice]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''.
234* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
235** In the series' primary CreationMyth, this is the case for Lorkhan, the [[GodIsDead "dead" creator god]]. To most of the [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer (Elves)]], especially the ancient Aldmer and current Altmer, Lorkhan is a [[SatanicArchetype Satanic figure]]. Their religious beliefs state that, before the creation of the mortal world, they were all immortal spirits in the pre-creation universe. Creation was then a malevolent act which robbed them of their divinity and forced them into "a mortal prison", where they experience death and suffering. To them, he is "[[GodIsEvil the most unholy of all higher powers]]". The other spirits who he "tricked" into aiding him in creation (the Aedra) lost their CompleteImmortality and "killed" him as punishment, tearing out his "heart" (divine center) and casting it down into the world he created. However, to most of the races of Men (especially [[HornyVikings Nords]] and [[HumansAreDiplomats Imperials]]), Lorkhan ([[IHaveManyNames known alternatively as Shor, Shezarr, Sep, etc.]]) is the [[HumansAreSpecial champion of mankind]] who ''freed'' their spirits from [[HellOfAHeaven the unchanging stasis of pre-creation]]. Prior to the formation of the Alessian Empire in the 1st Era, most races of Men followed the Nordic pantheon, which treated Lorkhan (under the name Shor) as their TopGod and most beloved benefactor. The Elves, on the other hand, ''hated'' Lorkhan to the point that worship of him was out of the question. Even after Alessia conquered the [[AbusivePrecursors Ayleids]], her empire was threatened to be torn apart due to religious in-fighting. Her solution was to group the most important Aedra into the [[SaintlyChurch Eight Divines]], with Lorkhan only partially acknowledged as the "Missing Ninth God". This appeased both the Men and Mer within her empire.
236** This also applies to some of the less outright malevolent [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Princes]]. Unlike the Aedra, who made sacrifices during creation, the Daedra made no sacrifices and thus remain truly immortal. The Daedric Princes are an extremely varied group, with some being [[JerkassGods almost exclusively malevolent]] toward mortals ([[DestroyerDeity Mehrunes Dagon]], [[GodOfEvil Molag Bal]]), some generally being more benevolent toward mortals (but [[GoodIsNotNice not always "nice"]], such as [[TheChessmaster Azura]] and [[FallenAngel Merida]]), some varying wildly with the Prince's motivations [[BlueAndOrangeMorality beyond mortal understanding]] ([[EldritchAbomination Hermaeus]] [[KeeperOfForbiddenKnowledge Mora]], [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Boethiah]]), and some who toy with mortals simply to [[ForTheEvulz amuse themselves]] ([[MadGod Sheogorath]], [[FunPersonified Sanguine]]). Like Lorkhan, the worship of the Daedric Princes varies in the religions of different races. For example, Azura is a major deity in the religions of the Dunmer (Dark Elves) and the [[CatFolk Khajiit]]. Similarly, [[AllTheOtherReindeer Malacath]] is despised by most races, but is considered the patron deity of the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs (Orsimer)]].
237* Giratina from the ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' games is a downplayed example: while it appears as being malevolent, yet does not show any malicious intent [[spoiler: ([[ForegoneConclusion at least]] [[VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus not anymore]])]], it is still a hostile, aggressive, and ''especially'' territorial Pokemon that is capable of willingly destroying the main universe should its home dimension ever get threated in some way. [[spoiler: Of course, [[BigBad Cyrus]] learned it the hard way.]]
238* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', Shinki is basically Satan; female, extremely powerful and somewhat nice. However provoking her is not a good idea and she could easily destroy entire cities on a whim. The sole reason why she was attacked in the first place by Reimu and Marisa was because she sent demons to Gensokyo - as ''tourists''. In contrast, the place that she created and currently rules, Makai, The Demon Realm, is ''not'' Hell; the bad afterlife is showed later in the series, and has no relation to her or her realm. Really, she is Satan only in motif, being a six-winged ruler of demons [[Literature/ParadiseLost that lives in a palace called Pandemonium]].
239* In ''VideoGame/{{Disciples}}'' the demonic hordes are a nasty bunch, but their overlord Bethrezen has been royally screwed over by his fellow angels. In the third game, he is the only one who does not want to restart the world.
240* Satan from ''VideoGame/SamAndMax'' is actually kind of nice, especially compared to someone like [[EldritchAbomination Junior]].
241* Elven mythology of the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' universe tells of an old god known as Fen'Harel, a.k.a. "The Dread Wolf", who brought on the fall of the Elven Gods and subsequently the loss of elves' immortality, seemingly ForTheEvulz. The [[PlayableEpilogue "Trespasser"]] DLC of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' reveals that [[spoiler:your party member Solas IS Fen'Harel, and while he was responsible for the fall of the Elven Gods, and Elves losing much of their power, he did so to put a stop to the empire of cruelty built by the [[AbusivePrecursors immensely powerful mages]] who had [[AGodAmI styled themselves]] as gods. Still, as with most things in ''Dragon Age'', there's a lot of moral ambiguity in play, as Solas is now trying to destroy the world so a new, better one can be made, even though everyone living in the current one would have to die first. So the trope is ultimatly deconstructed.]]
242* Despite what the characters in ''VisualNovel/WeKnowTheDevil'' are taught to think, Satan really does want the best for them. She wants to free them from the pain inflicted on them by God, society, and even corporeality.
243* ''The Ancient Gods Part 1'' DLC of ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' finally introduces ''the'' GreaterScopeVillain of the entire franchise, Satan in all but name, and the supreme leader of Hell: [[spoiler: Davoth, the Dark Lord. Sure, he caused all of the suffering throughout the franchise, but then it is for one reason: [[LoveMakesYouEvil love.]] Davoth and his demons (and by extension, Hell) were once an ambitious, benevolent race of beings created by [[TopGod The Father]] in Urdak. The Father created Davoth with boundless ambition and love for his people, but this love was so great that Davoth never wished for any of them to die, and so begins his downward spiral as he futilely seeks immortality. As time went on, Davoth starts to become increasingly deranged, and started to use more and more [[MoralEventHorizon depraved methods]] to seek limitless life. His corruption caused his people to start changing as well, turning to the demons that we know today. Sure, Davoth isn't exactly ''good'' anymore, but in complete contrast to every other antagonist before him, who are either mindless beasts or vile, self-serving OmnicidalManiac, Davoth only did it because he didn't want his people to die out before him.]]
244** ''The Ancient Gods Part 2'' take this trope a step further and turns it on its head. [[spoiler: It turns out Davoth was actually God himself, originally. And was overthrown by The Father, who [[WrittenByTheWinners claimed to be God]] and served as a far more benevolent deity than Davoth. Meaning that Davoth is simultaneously a case of this trope and GodIsEvil.]]
245* ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}'': [[spoiler:[[AdaptationalHeroism Unlike]] his [[Literature/TheDivineComedy poem counterpart]], Lucifer never betrayed {{God}} nor bring evil and suffering to the world. Instead, [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill sin is a natural consequence of free will]] and Lucifer merely questions God about the creation of {{Hell}} out of sympathy for the human sinners. In a state of terror, God casted Lucifer into Hell, a tragic mistake that God Himself [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone immediately regrets]] once He came to His senses.]] In a disturbing twist, [[spoiler: it is ''[[GeniusLoci Hell itself]]'' that serves as the game's SatanicArchetype.]]
246* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': While he is never explicitly stated as such, [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss King Asgore]], with his goat-like body, pitchfork weapon, fire spells, and penchant for collecting souls, definitely gives off a superficially Devil-ish vibe. He is also one of the nicest, {{gentle|Giant}}st characters in the game, who only wants to collect your soul so that he can free his people, who were unjustly sealed away in the underworld by the humans who feared them]]. Interestingly, [[spoiler:the game also has [[BigBadDuumvirate Flowey and Chara]] as more straightforward {{Satanic Archetype}}s.]]
247* ''VideoGame/TheWorldIsYourWeapon'': Demon Lord Dolhabach destroyed the local castle after breaking free of his seal, but otherwise doesn't harm anyone during the course of the story. [[spoiler:If Weaco makes it to the top floor of the Demonic Castle, Dolhabach reveals that his real goal is to maintain the [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil balance between humans and monsters]] so that monsters don't overrun humanity while humanity doesn't become complacent from a lack of adversaries. Once Weaco defeats him, he asks her to act as a moral compass to the rest of humanity to prevent them from falling into complacency.]]
248[[/folder]]
249
250[[folder:Visual Novels]]
251* ''VisualNovel/TearsToTiara'' has the Demon Lord Arawn, who's both TheHero of the game and the BigGood of the setting. [[spoiler: Bonus points for him actually being a FallenAngel whose true name is ''Lucifer'', in opposition to the other angels who are genocidal pricks.]]
252[[/folder]]
253
254[[folder:Webcomics]]
255* {{Satan}} is portrayed as a cute and generally nice young woman in ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy''; it's later revealed that [[spoiler:God is her father]].
256* Satan in ''Webcomic/BoyMeetsBoy'' is, at worst, AffablyEvil. The same goes for her daughter, the main characters' landlady.
257* In his brief appearance in ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'', Satan isn't exactly good...however, he is a man of his word, and ends up whimpering, about his rebellion, "I just wanted to hear I did a good job sometimes." It's an impressive feat to make eight-foot-tall-muscley-red-demon!Satan have a moment of [[TheWoobie Woobiedom]].
258* Not exactly good but in ''WebComic/TheDevilsPanties'' Satan comes across more as an AffablyEvil PunchClockVillain than really evil. In later strips there is a demon simply called "The Devil" who is a childish {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and is more mischievous than outright evil.
259* K's [[LouisCypher Uncle Luc]] in WebComic/{{Blip}} appears, for all intents and purposes, to be Lucifer. But he's very polite, and visits her in her dreams to teach her art, music, literature and the like. He seems to be in conflict of some kind with Heavenly forces, but since those forces are conspiring to crush K's artistic potential, he comes across as a genuinely helpful fellow. K is the "blip" in god's plan, and her very existence threatens to [[ButterflyOfDoom alter the future in unpredictable ways]], so it remains to be seen whether Luc's true intentions are good or bad, but it's easy to sympathize with him when his "crime" involves making one girl's life less miserable.
260* In [[http://mortifer.smackjeeves.com Mortifer]], Lucifer is actually [[spoiler: an angel who's job is to prevent the fallen from escaping hell]].
261* A ''Webcomic/ChannelAte'' strip dealt with the devil's confusion over his apparent bad reputation. It was appropriately titled [[http://www.channelate.com/2008/12/17/dont-believe-everything-you-hear/ "Don't Believe Everything You Hear"]].
262-->'''Satan''': Welcome to Hell, Mr. Jones, here is--\
263'''Jones''': I don't understand! I know I could have tried to be a better person, but I did my best. I didn't kill anyone.\
264'''Satan''': I know, great job. Here is your welcome package with cologne, margarita mix, a bottle of Patron and a dance card. [[AHellOfATime Enjoy the eternal party.]]\
265Seriously, what are they saying about us up there?
266* In ''Webcomic/EvilInc'', the devil acts quite the gentleman when it comes to his daughter marrying another supervillain.
267* Zigzagged in ''Webcomic/ItHurts'': sure, Satan is a colossal jerk (but then again who ''isn't'' in this comic) but he gives Pasqualo some good advice about Pasqualo's place in the universe and told him that [[spoiler:Pasqualo's mother plans on killing God]] and gave Pasqualo a means to stop that from happening. Also it's implied [[spoiler:he and God are ''lovers''.]]
268* Satan in ''Webcomic/RoosterTeethComics'' is a pretty mellow guy and BenevolentBoss to his demons, and happily honors his promise to allow Matt to come back to life after Matt covers for him when his wife calls. Though he isn't above committing murder for hire (he's saving up for an air hockey table). And technically he's not in charge of Hell anymore: since God [[EasyRoadToHell sends all Mac users to hell]], Apple bought it to use as tech support.
269* ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' references Shin Megami Tensei's usage [[https://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic/archfriend here]].
270-->'''Yu''': We did it, guys! And it was all thanks to the power of friendship... ''and'' the power of Satan!
271* In ''Webcomic/AdventuresOfGod'', torturing the damned ''is'' part of Satan's job, but the worst he does is playfully screw over God in matters of society's faith. He's a good father figure to children who summon him, a good husband to Riley, and genuinely working to make Hell a better place - at least, for those sent there for reasons ''other'' than wickedness in life, like [[TheMatchmaker being gay eligible bachelors]] or [[FireForgedFriends for bonding exercises between (former) enemies]]. His usual villainy is instead embodied by his second-in-command, Ebag.
272[[/folder]]
273
274[[folder:Web Original]]
275* Lucy in the ''WebVideo/MrDeity'' online shorts. An amiable and rather pleasant (if short-tempered) woman and Mr. Deity's on-off girlfriend, who only agreed to be Lord of Hell to do Mr. Deity a favour, really doesn't like the 'passive-aggressive' references to her being a 'snake' in the '[[Literature/TheBible script]]', and would much rather that her avatar be a bunny. The only thing about her that really comes even close to actually being 'evil' is her slight over-enthusiasm for the torture and punishment of adulterers, and it's implied by Mr. Deity's uncomfortable reactions whenever she brings it up that he's more than a little responsible for that particular attitude.
276* Satan attempts to clear up misconceptions about him on his ''[[http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11582 FAQ page]]''.
277* ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' has [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-compelling-reasons-to-consider-switching-to-satan/ an article]] based on the idea that Satan did more for humanity than God did.
278* The entire point of the [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/good-guy-lucifer "Good Guy Lucifer" meme]].
279[[/folder]]
280
281[[folder:Western Animation]]
282* Satan in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is a rather [[AffablyEvil nice]] PunchClockVillain (the Canadian Devil from "Freemium Isn't Free", in contrast, is genuinely evil). He tortures people, sure, but mostly he is portrayed as naive and needy; his apparently-darker moments seem to mostly be an act. His boyfriend [[JerkAss Saddam Hussein]] on the other hand... Furthermore, while we see more than a few people getting tortured, we also see plenty of people just wandering around doing their thing without hassle in parks and town squares that seem quite nice, considering the fire and brimstone surrounding them. Considering that only Mormons get into heaven in ''South Park'', hell is filled with perfectly good people, so there's no reason for Satan to be mean to them. They might even get a chance at one of those nice condos out by the lake of fire! And don't forget the costume parties and Hawaiian-themed hula-dancing! And on one occasion, he even visited Heaven temporarily to ask God for advice.
283-->'''Satan''': Thanks, God. I forgot how clear you make things sometimes.\
284'''God''': It was nice to see you again, Satan.
285:: God points out in the aforementioned episode that Satan's gone through quite a bit of VillainDecay to get here.
286-->'''God''': ...Jesus, what the hell happened to you? [[BadassDecay You got kicked outta here for being a head-strong rebel, and now you're a whiny little bitch]].
287** In "Nobody Got Cereal?", he even [[spoiler: performs a HeroicSacrifice and [[AscendedDemon goes to]] ''Heaven'']].
288* The Devil as he appears in ''WesternAnimation/DevilMayCare'' is genuinely a nice and friendly guy and, despite the appearance of his true form, is technically still an angel, placed in charge of Hell because his ideas for earth were genuinely terrible. Hell ''used'' to be a place of torment but when he realized that humans didn't like pain, he's been revamping Hell so it's at least bearable, if not an enjoyable place to live. The worst thing about him is that he can be a bit impulsive and prone to not thinking things through and having trouble paying attention at times. That said, it's still a good idea to not ''intentionally'' make him mad or fight him.
289* There's Satan in ''WesternAnimation/LucyTheDaughterOfTheDevil''. While he's not exactly good, he's still a pretty nice guy and he even gets along with DJ Jesus at times.
290-->"Driving to bur-ning man! Driving to bur-ning man!"
291* Robot Devil in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' is actually most of the time rather [[AffablyEvil polite]] as a character, despite being a robot {{Satan}}, and the depths to which Bender sinks at times [[EvenEvilHasStandards leave even him appalled]].
292* In ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'', Lucifer was a WellIntentionedExtremist who gave mankind free will in the Garden of Eden [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill against the rest of Heaven's wishes]] because he believed they'd do great things with it. After his actions [[NiceJobBreakingItHero introduced evil into the world]], he was banished to Hell and forced to see all the negativity he created [[IronicHell and none of the great works he inspired]]. As a result, in the present day he's a jaded BrokenAce with his more immoral actions being born from apathy rather than outright malice.
293* Possible example: In the ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS1E8TheMagicksOfMegasTu The Magicks of Megas-Tu]]", the crew meets an alien who looks like the devil, and other aliens claim that he did form the basis of humans' conception of the devil long ago, but what we see him do now is purely benevolent. Supposedly, he had a HeelFaceTurn.
294* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' has SatanicArchetype Globgor, who is a BigRedDevil seen as a satanic figure to the Spiderbites, [[spoiler:but gets shown to have a softer side and being TheAtoner]].
295[[/folder]]

Top