Read more at: https://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?f=474&t=2336

* AbusiveParents: Piero da Vinci (Leonardo's father) most of the time, and Pope Sixtus IV [[spoiler: towards his illegitimate son Riario]]

''Da Vinci's Demons'' is a TV series about Creator/LeonardoDaVinci's fictional early life [[RenaissanceMan as an artist, inventor, idealist, and a genius intellectual]], which premiered on Fox and Starz networks. It was written by David S. Goyer (who collaborated with Christopher Nolan on ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga''), and it stars Tom Riley. The story is mostly realistic, drawing from historical events and showcasing real-life historical figures, but it also contains a LowFantasy MythArc that involves a search for a MacGuffin called 'The Book of Leaves'. This single volume contains hidden knowledge about the universe, and one's possession of it can radically alter the political power-field. Most people are unaware of this book, and those who do know of it generally have ties to the Vatican or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_mysteries The Sons of Mithras]], an ancient cult that is dedicated to the pursuit of the book.

* AncientConspiracy: The Sons of Mithras are a benevolent version. [[spoiler: In the third season, horribly averted.]]

* ArcWords: "I am a son of earth and starry heaven. I am thirsty. Please give me something to drink from the fountain of memory."

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: [[spoiler: The second season shows Lorenzo's diplomatic mission as a failure. Whereas in history the mission was a success and led the the lifting of the interdict on Florence.]]

* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: Vlad Tepes is hopelessly insane from the tortures inflicted on him by the Turks and has devoted the rest of his life to devising the most cruel torments imaginable on anyone of Middle-Eastern persuasion who had the misfortune of being caught alive by his men. He openly admits that he is insane, but doesn't see any alternative for a person who has experienced things that he has.

* CliffHanger: At the end of Season 1 it really looks as if the Pazzis are going to succeed in killing Leonardo, Lucrezia and all the Medicis.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Pope Sixtus is introduced in a rather ironic and funny way. When we first see the pope, he is fully naked, in a large and opulent bath with a young boy and a knife to the boy's throat.

* {{Fingore}}: Nico suffers a hand-variation.

* HotterAndSexier:
** Averted with the first half of the second season.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Leonardo, Giuliano, Lorenzo, Zoroaster, Leo's father...
** Especially Giuliano.

* TheMole: [[spoiler: Lucrezia]]

* PlotArmor: Nico is [[spoiler:Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli]]; Leonardo will of course live a long life.

* ShoutOut: The Secret Vatican Archives contain, among other things, [[Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk the Ark of the Covenant]]. There's also a page from a magical document that changes from one language to another, at one point resembling one of the octogram symbols from ''Series/{{Lost}}''. The Sword in the Stone is also present.

* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: A Vatican guard threatens to leave the woman he was about to rape a memory of the encounter, [[spoiler: although she wasn't raped and was meant to be killed soon after.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Ippolita Maria Sforza is the Queen of Naples and the FirstLove of Lorenzo Medici. When both [[spoiler:are widowed after their spouses are killed]] a marriage between them would seem the most obvious course of action -- but after season two she's never seen or mentioned again.

* TheRenaissance: When the show is set

''Da Vinci's Demons'' is a TV series about [[LeonardoDaVinci Leonardo Da Vinci's]] fictional early life [[RenaissanceMan as an artist, inventor, idealist, and a genius intellectual]], which premiered on Fox and Starz networks. It was written by David S. Goyer (who collaborated with Christopher Nolan on ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga''), and it stars Tom Riley. The story is mostly realistic, drawing from historical events and showcasing real-life historical figures, but it also contains a LowFantasy MythArc that involves a search for a MacGuffin called 'The Book of Leaves'. This single volume contains hidden knowledge about the universe, and one's possession of it can radically alter the political power-field. Most people are unaware of this book, and those who do know of it generally have ties to the Vatican or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_mysteries The Sons of Mithras]], an ancient cult that is dedicated to the pursuit of the book.

->"''[[ArcWords Time is a river...]]''"
-->-- '''The Turk'''

* [[AbsentMindedProfessor Absent-Minded]] ''[[AbsentMindedProfessor Artista]]'': Leonardo da Vinci, of course! He can come off especially bizarre to those around him using unorthodox methods to figure out a problem or focusing on it at the exclusion of everything else.

** BiTheWay: Leonardo. It turns out he was [[spoiler: guilty of sodomy, and had in fact paid a prostitute. Da Vinci explained to Jacopo Saltarelli, the prostitute, that for him, sexuality isn't as simple as men or women.]]

* {{Badass}}:
** Leonardo
** Riario
** Vlad Tepes
** Captain Nazzareno Dragonetti, really brought forth in the Season 2 premiere, during the riots.

* [[CoolSword Cool Spear:]] TheSpearOfDestiny...also cuts through metal.

* HistoricalFantasy

* HollywoodHistory

** EvilIsHammy

** TwoHalvesMakeAPlot: The keys that unlock the Vault of Heaven are this. Leonardo has one of them [[spoiler: while Riario later reveals he has the other.]]

** [[spoiler:NotQuiteDead: Season 3 reveals that Vlad is in fact alive and well without a mark on him, apart from his usual lightning scars.]]

* [[TheQueensLatin The Queen's Italian]]

** AwesomenessByAnalysis

* BlackCloak: Riario has one and is overall dressed to match his black soul ([[GoodColorsEvilColors]])

* FinGore: Nico suffers a hand-variation.

* TheObiWan: The Turk, to Leonardo

* PlotArmor: Nico is [[spoiler:NiccoloMachiavelli]]; Leonardo will of course live a long life.

** CorruptTheCutie: Riario's influence on him has made him quite ruthless as of season two. [[spoiler: In the season 2 finale, Nico's full name is revealed as ''NiccoloMachiavelli''!]]