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​

 

[pemerton]

Maybe not less intelligent, but, certainly less organized and forward thinking. I mean, Demogorgon has a nearly godlike intellect, but, is hardly what I'd call a deep planner.

That's because he can never agree with himself!

 

[pemerton]

I'm going to choose to think of that 2025 Monster Manual marilith as one of the (until now) rare examples of its kind that presents itself as less feminine. That's (apparently) been a possibility in D&D lore for 27 years now.

At least originally, they could polymorph self at will. And so could appear more-or-less as they wish to.

 

[Maxperson]

I didn't ask how it "struck you". I asked for facts. Since you are insisting on following lore, how things "struck you" is largely unimportant.

Okay. Fact, demons can reproduce. Fact, male demons reproduce with females, and female demons reproduce with males. I was struck by facts.

 

[Hussar]

Okay. Fact, demons can reproduce. Fact, male demons reproduce with females, and female demons reproduce with males. I was struck by facts.

Citation please? From a source that is actually applicable and current.

 

[Maxperson]

Citation please? From a source that is actually applicable and current.

I mean, half demons, cambions, tieflings, the module I showed you(twice) that had a half devil/half demon in it. There are tons of sources out there.

 

[SkidAce]

Apparently you blink and they are everywhere!

 

[Dire Bare]

Wait, what?

If you go to the Abyss as a soul, you are turned into a Larva. You REALLY have no sexual characteristics at that point. It's not like demons breed.

I'm missing a lot of the conversation in this thread, due to the ignore feature, but . . .

• Who says demons (and other spirit creatures) don't breed? The official lore has varied on this, but demons can be, 1) created from the evil essence of the lower planes, 2) transformed souls, and 3) made the old fashioned way, with a mommy and daddy demon. How else do we get cambions, alu, and tieflings?
• Demons are chaotic and malleable, able to change their sexual presentation at will . . . regardless of their origin, they can present as male, female, neutral, or non-applicable. But that doesn't mean they don't engage in sexual or gendered behaviors.
• Perhaps demons have no true sex, but may still have a preferred gender identity. Especially if they originated as a mortal soul.

I do think the D&D-ism of demon "types" doesn't mesh well with the idea of "chaos", each demon should be a unique expression of chaotic evil. But whatever, D&D doesn't always make sense if you scratch too deep, and I'm perfectly fine with that! So having mariliths as a type of demon with similar characteristics throughout the eternity of the abyss is okay with me too. But within the marilith "type", I'm also fine with a lot of variation. Marilith that present as male, female, neither . . . cool. Marilith with human, elven, or even monstrous torsos . . . cool. And WotC showcasing this in the art of their books, I'm totally down with that also.

In fact, I hope WotC continues to push the boundaries on these sorts of things in game design and art presentation! Shake it up and rattle some old, tired tropes!

 

[Dire Bare]

Ahh, this is where I tend to get lost. I have never bothered with anything Planescape. I'm totally lost with Planescape stuff. It's so frustrating that so many people treat Planescape as default in D&D. To me, Planescape is it's own thing with its own rules.

And, sure, demons can breed with non-demons - that's somewhat known. The exact mechanics are a bit ... dodgy. I always thought it was more of a magical infection sort of thing rather than actual sexual breeding.

Dude, all is canon and nothing is canon. Relax. Planescape is part of the greater tapestry of D&D lore, whether you are personally familiar with it or not, whether you care for it or not.

Citation please? From a source that is actually applicable and current.

Again, relax man! This isn't an academic debate, this is simply a bunch of nerds fighting over what is or is not canon, which is an argument no one can win.

Within the 50 years of D&D lore, shockingly things have evolved and changed! Demons have been described as being able to breed sexually, just accept it. Now, is this current 5E canon? Not until it makes it into a 5E book, but honestly, who cares?

 

[Hussar]

I mean, half demons, cambions, tieflings, the module I showed you(twice) that had a half devil/half demon in it. There are tons of sources out there.

Tons of sources for half-demons. Sure. I’m looking for a source with a mommy and daddy demon making a baby demon.

 

[Maxperson]

Tons of sources for half-demons. Sure. I’m looking for a source with a mommy and daddy demon making a baby demon.

Is it your contention that devils can mate with demons, but devil on devil or demon on demon is not possible? Because I've already shown a demon/devil hybrid that only has fiendish parents.

For my part, that's enough for me to see that fiends can mate with one another and produce offspring.