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​

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Just for fun, here are my favorite fiends from the 2024 MM:

Devils
View attachment 397863
View attachment 397864
View attachment 397865

Demons
View attachment 397866
View attachment 397867

View attachment 397868

Yugoloths
None of these really sing for me

The new Vrock is probably my favorite of the new Demon art.

 

[Chaltab]

The new Vrock is probably my favorite of the new Demon art.
View attachment 397877

That thing just looks like it smells absolutely awful.

 

[dave2008]

The new Vrock is probably my favorite of the new Demon art.
View attachment 397877

Yes, that was supposed to be on my list - I just missed the png on my desktop.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I was more into the lore of 2e Planescape than its' art. The description of each plane and its' inhabitants, the City of Doors and its' factions.

I loved both. Planescape is my favorite D&D setting after Ravenloft.

 

[Corinnguard]

I loved both. Planescape is my favorite D&D setting after Ravenloft.

For me, it had to be 2e Planescape and Dark Sun. 2e had quite a number of supplements for both settings.

 

[Micah Sweet]

There is a small line in the 2014 lore section on Demons that says some demons are wholly unique and unlike others, which fall into categories which are mostly identical (the devil section doesn’t have an equivalent, so I don’t think this is referring to the Archfiends). So, not how I like to represent demons, but a hint of it.

I wasn’t saying that’s how Demons and Devils are made visually distinct in D&D 5e. But I think Demons and Devils could use some visual distinction to make it more easy to tell them apart, and was explaining my thoughts on it.

I tell them apart because I know what they all look like, and because demons tend to be more unnecessarily violent and less thoughtful.

 

[Micah Sweet]

For me, it had to be 2e Planescape and Dark Sun. 2e had quite a number of supplements for both settings.

Hence my love for 2e over all other editions. Dark Sun is number 4 for me, after Dragonlance.

 

[wicked cool]

WotC chose a different art direction. Nobody said it was offensive, and nobody demanded it--you made all that up.

I was being facetious. Right nobody did but all of a sudden someone is

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I tell them apart because I know what they all look like,

Yes, but my point was that the difficulty of learning that would be eased if there was more visual distinction between Demons and Devils.

 

[Voadam]

Has the description for the Marilith changed to be more bestial or just the sample guy marilith art?