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​

 

[DragonLancer]

I don't think anyone will be happy with the opposing points of view in this thread.

What if we said that demons don't have gender but instead exist with a traditional gendered appearance? That's why the Marilith has always appeared female in physical form and subsequently art.

 

[Hussar]

I don't think anyone will be happy with the opposing points of view in this thread.

What if we said that demons don't have gender but instead exist with a traditional gendered appearance? That's why the Marilith has always appeared female in physical form and subsequently art.

My take would be that demons can appear in whatever gender they happen to want.

 

[Corinnguard]

Ah, I see how this thread became the way it is.

Has there ever been a thread on these forums where everyone stayed on topic from start to finish? Nope! There's always something in one or more posters' replies to sidetrack us. That's how threads such as this one last so long.

Why does anyone believe this art replaces all other art of mariliths? This exaggeration would obviously make one unhappy.

I certainly don't believe it will replace any other pics of mariliths, past or present, official or 3pp. It's just another pictorial interpretation of a demon that's been around since 1e. It's merely gotten nearly everyone's attention simply by being different than previous interpretations. Had it stayed roughly the same as those previous interpretations, we probably wouldn't give it much attention in the first place. Instead, we might be talking about another monster that's tossed tradition to the side.

 

[Maxperson]

According to that one thing that I don't really understand. The most recent lore is that Devils can't have kids at all expect with mortals. And I prefer it that way myself. Fiends don't have to have anything like normal biology that makes sense.

What is the most recent lore?

 

[Maxperson]

In classic D&D lore, of course the marilith was a female only demon. I don't think the vrock was male only, but maybe some past D&D supplement actually described them that way, I'd buy that with a credible reference. Were all (or most) demons male only with the marilith being the odd girl out? I don't think that's true either, but again, maybe in some supplement that's how they were described. Lore certainly has changed, evolved, and been inconsistent (even within product lines) over the years.

There aren't many, but no they were not the odd girl out. Succubi were also female demons, as were Alu-demons from the 1e MMII. The 1e MMII also referenced 5 female demon ladies of the Abyss, as well as three other female demon princesses who were not lords of the layer. Those ladies and princesses didn't have stats in the books, except for Lolth and maybe Zuggtmoy.

 

[Maxperson]

Here is the part where I'm disagreeing with you and pushing back. I find your arguments strange and your need to pushback confusing.

Demons are things and not living species . . . in your view. Not in D&D canon of any edition.

Within D&D lore over the editions, demons have very much had gender and had the sex with each other. Not necessarily all demon types, but yes, demons do the sex with each other.

Now, if you find that stupid . . . okay, cool, change it in your campaign. Ignore that aspect of D&D classic lore. If we can change the marilith from a female only monster to a monster capable of being male, female, neither, or both, we can change other things too.

What @Hussar keeps ignoring for some reason is that not all demons are spawned by the Abyss. A great many are instead spawned from mortal souls, and those soul come from those who had gender and could/would influence the forms they take.

"Spawn of Chaos. The Abyss creates demons as extensions of itself, spontaneously forming fiends out of filth and carnage. Some are unique monstrosities, while others represent uniform strains virtually identical to each other. Other demons (such as manes) are created from mortal souls shunned or cursed by the gods, or which are otherwise trapped in the Abyss."

That does not say that the Abyss creates all demons, only that it creates demons. Reading it as "all demons" ignores the last bolded sentence there which gives another way that demons are created other than forming as an extension of the Abyss.

 

[Hussar]

There aren't many, but no they were not the odd girl out. Succubi were also female demons, as were Alu-demons from the 1e MMII. The 1e MMII also referenced 5 female demon ladies of the Abyss, as well as three other female demon princesses who were not lords of the layer. Those ladies and princesses didn't have stats in the books, except for Lolth and maybe Zuggtmoy.

And, exactly how were alu-demons/fiends created?

 

[Maxperson]

And, exactly how were alu-demons/fiends created?

I don't remember as I never really cared for them. When I wanted a female demon, I went with marilith or succubus.

 

[Hussar]

What @Hussar keeps ignoring for some reason is that not all demons are spawned by the Abyss. A great many are instead spawned from mortal souls, and those soul come from those who had gender and could/would influence the forms they take.

"Spawn of Chaos. The Abyss creates demons as extensions of itself, spontaneously forming fiends out of filth and carnage. Some are unique monstrosities, while others represent uniform strains virtually identical to each other. Other demons (such as manes) are created from mortal souls shunned or cursed by the gods, or which are otherwise trapped in the Abyss."

That does not say that the Abyss creates all demons, only that it creates demons. Reading it as "all demons" ignores the last bolded sentence there which gives another way that demons are created other than forming as an extension of the Abyss.

Are souls alive? Are they a species? Do souls have a biology? You are reading into the idea that a soul retains it's self after becoming a demon - something that you've added, not something that is spelled out in the lore.

 

[Hussar]

I don't remember as I never really cared for them. When I wanted a female demon, I went with Marilith or succubus.

Oh, that's convenient.