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"Holy shit," I breathed. "Hellhounds."
"Harry," Michael said sternly, "you know I hate it when you swear."
"You're right, sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds."
The Dresden Files

The oldest of the domesticated animals and man's constant companion throughout history. Cute, loyal, and steadfast. Except when they, you know, aren't.

Hellhounds have been appearing as long as dogs have been domesticated, perhaps longer, making this one Older Than Dirt. Standard hellhounds are black with glowing red or flaming eyes. They may have two or even three heads. Famous hellhounds are Cerberus and the Hound of the Baskervilles. Fenrir may also fit, and Garm certainly does.

As their name implies, they are generally thought to originate in the underworld, but this has become a relaxed requirement for modern incarnations.

Although their origins are impossibly varied, they can generally be lumped into three categories:

Hunter

Escaped or deliberately released from Hell, these hellhounds exist only to hunt and kill. These are usually "hellhound classic," appearing as black hounds with red eyes. The eponymous hound from The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably the most famous example of this type, although it turned out to be a fake.

Guardian

This version is usually just as dangerous as the Hunter, but it is tasked with guarding a location or person. If they're guarding a person, that person is usually associated with Hell. The most famous guardian hellhound is of course Cerberus. Garm is the same but with a Northern accent (lots of Hells have a North).

Portent

The sight of one of these black dogs was a foretelling of doom. They might be malevolent or outright dangerous. Myths are split between the sight of the Black Dog being the cause of the misfortune or merely a symptom. The Barghest of Yorkshire may be the best known example, although the Grim from Harry Potter may be replacing it due to Pop Cultural Osmosis.

Classical hellhounds are immune to Kick The Dog (It'll bite your foot off if you try!). May occasionally overlap with Big Badass Wolf, but these are generally more supernatural/evil.

They may be part of The Wild Hunt. Compare to Hellish Horse.


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