“ | You thought you could contain me?! | ” |
–Azazel, Mea Maxima Culpa |
Azazel is a Greater Demon and a Prince of Hell; he is credited as the one who taught man the weapons of war.
History[]
Azazel was shackled to the rocks of Duduael, which according to Magnus Bane is the worst dimension of Hell.[1] Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern summoned him to help him escape Edom. Once Jonathan was free, the man released him to stage an attack on Isabelle Lightwood so he could swoop in and "save" her,[2] a deed which would later grant him access to the New York Institute.
Upon escaping Duduael, he sought the Mortal Cup and began wreaking havoc in New York in search of it. He trailed Inquisitor Herondale's security detail to a bar and demanded the Cup there. When he was told that no one but Valentine knew where it was, he killed the men and proceeded to kill everyone else in the bar. This immediately caught the attention of the Shadowhunters, who investigated the scene of the massacre with the help of NYPD detective Luke Garroway.
Soon, Azazel did as Jonathan, now posing as Sebastian Verlac, ordered him to and attacked Isabelle. When the others tracked his movements and found Isabelle's necklace in an area with traces of Azazel's sand, the others assumed that he had kidnapped Isabelle and that his release was the doing of Valentine's followers so Azazel could free Valentine from the Institute, which Valentine refuted.

Desperate to save Isabelle, the group had Magnus Bane summon him, against the Inquisitor's orders. Clary was unable to make her rune to protect them from Azazel, and the demon was quickly able to weaken the protective barrier around him. He broke out of the barrier and attacked the group, releasing a deafening sound that incapacitated them. He touched Magnus, then Valentine,[1] switching the two.
Greeting Valentine at Magnus's apartment, Azazel bargained for Valentine's return to his body in exchange for the Cup. Alec Lightwood later dropped by Magnus's apartment, where Azazel attacked Valentine (still in Magnus's body) and Alec. Alec was quick to shoot him with an arrow, puncturing the area right below his sternum and successfully banishing him,[3] back to Hell.[4]
Physical appearance[]

Azazel partially revealing his true form.
In the corporeal form Azazel took while in the world of humans, he took the appearance of a tall, young man with black hair and hazel eyes. He wore an expression of coldness and arrogance, and he was clothed in a black suit. His eyes, when shifting to his demonic self, turn black.
Abilities and weaknesses[]
Azazel is powerful enough that he is capable of suffocating or killing others with just a flick of his hand, summoning the sands of Duduael with the slight movement. Azazel is also capable of incapacitating others through a sound frequency, and is also able to swap the souls and minds (or bodies) of two beings he comes into close contact with.
Azazel's weakness is his demonic core; puncturing it can banish him back to the Void. In his corporeal, the core is located between the T8 and T9 vertebrae and is very small, making it very difficult to locate the specific spot that could affect him.
Appearances[]
Season Two (2B) appearances: 2/20 | ||||
Mea Maxima Culpa: Appears |
You Are Not Your Own: Appears |
Those of Demon Blood: Absent |
The Fair Folk: Mentioned only |
A Problem of Memory: Absent |
Day of Atonement: Mentioned only |
A Dark Reflection: Absent |
Awake, Arise, or...: Mentioned only |
Hail and Farewell: Absent |
Beside Still Water: Absent |
Trivia[]
- Azazel's presence was so strong that it broke Isabelle's necklace.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2x11: Mea Maxima Culpa
- ↑ 2x16: Day of Atonement
- ↑ 2x12: You Are Not Your Own
- ↑ 2x14: The Fair Folk