D&D (2024) D&D Marilith Is Far More Bestial In 2025

The new 2025 Monster Manual has all-new art, and one major change is the depiction of the marilith. Up until now, the marilith has been depicted as a six-armed humanish female from the waist up; while in the 2025 book, the picture is far more bestial in nature.

Not only is the imagery more demonic, it also features the creature in action, simultaneously beheading, stabbing, and entwining its foes with its six arms and snake-like tail.

Left 2025 Marilith / Right 2014 Marilith​

 

[Bae'zel]

I understand why WotC's art direction was basically "move away from classically gendered, sexy monsters" to appeal to a wider audience.

I prefer more mature art too, trust me. But I understand why they did this.

I'm not a fan of all of the art. That Wyvern is awful.

Overall I think it's better than the 2014 book though.

People who hate WotC D&D now will hate it no matter what anyway.

 

[Bae'zel]

In D&D law has often been stasis, conformity and a lack of emotions, to the degree that the most lawful beings are like robots. While chaos is about change, emotions and individuality, even though some beings like the Slaad in D&D fall short of some of those things.

In one of Michael Moorcock's books (from the 70s or 80s) the protagonists ended up in a Plane of Law and it was a barren, featureless, lifeless grey field.

 

[Micah Sweet]

May I remind you that this is a planescape Glabrezu. This seems at least similar in difference from the source material as this 2024 marilith. I would say it is more different, but that is just a feel really.

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Didn't like that either. 2e wasn't perfect, just IMO better by some metrics than all other official D&D.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I remember something along the lines of this from an earlier edition. To be lawful meant putting the needs of the community over your own personal needs while to be chaotic meant just the opposite. A neutral individual was someone who respected the needs of the community and the needs of the individual but wasn't beholden to either.

That is basically how I see it too.

 

[Scribe]

People who hate WotC D&D now will hate it no matter what anyway.

Not at all, they could just stop making changes like this instead of adding more fuel to the fire.

 

[TheSword]

Not at all, they could just stop making changes like this instead of adding more fuel to the fire.

It’s ok not to like a piece of art.
With 200+ pictures by dozens of different artists it would be weird if you did like them all!

It doesn’t have to be an ideological position.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It’s ok not to like a piece of art.
With 200+ pictures by dozens of different artists it would be weird if you did like them all!

It doesn’t have to be an ideological position.

No, but trends are still a thing.

 

[TheSword]

No, but trends are still a thing.

Even if you dislike every piece of art, it’s still one opinion. That’s not a trend, it’s a viewpoint.

 

[Chaltab]

I don't like the redesign. I'm okay with making it more monstrous but the way some of the arms appear to be coming out of the stomach instead of the back just bothers me.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Even if you dislike every piece of art, it’s still one opinion. That’s not a trend, it’s a viewpoint.

The opinion isn't the trend, the style/quality of the art is.