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​

 

[Corinnguard]

It has a long reptilian tail, an unusual number of limbs, a humanoid torso, looks mean like any demon, and wields weapons - classic marilith!

Okay, I'll stop pulling your tail and stay on topic.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The 3.5 MM half snake head woman was a pretty big departure. I did not care for it.

It was my least favorite of the selection, but still closer to the others IMO than to 5.5's version.

 

[dave2008]

It was my least favorite of the selection, but still closer to the others IMO than to 5.5's version.

The question is: is it closer to the 1e version or 5e24 version?

 

[Micah Sweet]

The question is: is it closer to the 1e version or 5e24 version?

Still a recognizable female with six arms, so 1e I guess.

 

[dave2008]

Still a recognizable female with six arms, so 1e I guess.

They all have 6 arms, so you mean being recognizably female is the trump card. Which, in the 3.5e case, means breasts. Breast are the only thing that make it recognizably female. So if we added breast to the 2024 MM marilith would that bring it more into the fold for you?

 

[Hussar]

I got it.

We need to add glasses to the Marilith

 

[Maxperson]

There's no indication that it actually is a replacement and not a variation, either. There's no indication either way. While it might be claimed that as since it's the art in the MM, that indicates it's a replacement, we've seen art of other creatures that vary quite differently from their MM standards in quite a few products over time...

That's not exactly true. There is an indication that it's a replacement, and that's because the core three books are the defaults for what they contain. A new MM default is a replacement for prior defaults in prior editions. Variations generally happen in non-core books like you mention above, where they belong.

 

[Maxperson]

The two wyverns compared:

2025 MM:
View attachment 398248

2024 PHB:
View attachment 398249

If the same creature in the same set of core rule books can look so markedly different, then there's no reason that any, or all, of the other monsters can't as well.

What do apples have to do with oranges? The default for 5e is one version, and the default for 5.5e is the replacement version. When a new core book comes out, it replaces the defaults that came before it with new defaults.

 

[dave2008]

What do apples have to do with oranges? The default for 5e is one version, and the default for 5.5e is the replacement version. When a new core book comes out, it replaces the defaults that came before it with new defaults.

Those images are apples to apples. They are both the 5e24 core books (what you are calling 5.5e).

Now, I still think they are the same "design," just very different artistic takes on the same design.

 

[Maxperson]

They all have 6 arms, so you mean being recognizably female is the trump card. Which, in the 3.5e case, means breasts. Breast are the only thing that make it recognizably female. So if we added breast to the 2024 MM marilith would that bring it more into the fold for you?

For me, yes. It would be obviously female. However, it would still be my least favorite version due to the overly bestial nature of it.