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​

 

[Hussar]

So, basically, you are advocating for ignoring canon. Good to know.

 

[Maxperson]

So, basically, you are advocating for ignoring canon. Good to know.

No. Try reading to understand and not to respond.

 

[Hussar]

No. Try reading to understand and not to respond.

Yes or no. Mariliths are demons?

Yes or no. Demons can choose gender?

Yes or no. Demons can largely choose their appearance?

That mariliths have been shown as female in the past only means that we simply haven’t seen one that chose to present differently. There is no contradiction here.

What I’m seeing here is what we’ve been seeing all the way along. Cherry picking canon when it’s convenient.

 

[Maxperson]

Yes or no. Mariliths are demons?

Yes, mariliths are demons who have been portrayed as female for 50 years, so are pretty clearly female the overwhelming majority of the time.

Yes or no. Demons can choose gender?

Yes, but per the lore, many choose not to change gender and mariliths are clearly one of those as per 50 YEARS of portrayal.

Yes or no. Demons can largely choose their appearance?

Not by any lore I've ever seen. No.

What I’m seeing here is what we’ve been seeing all the way along. Cherry picking canon when it’s convenient.

No. I've cherry picked nothing, taking all 50 years of lore into account. You on the other hand have throughout the thread tried to avoid the lore that you don't like or contradicts your position.

I broke up your post this time because you asked specific questions and doing it this way made it easier to put the answers to the questions.

 

[Teemu]

There's a much bigger inconsistency in the new marilith art that hasn't been addressed yet.

The new marilith is depicted as dealing both Piercing and Slashing damage. However! The 2025 marilith can only deal Slashing damage, not Piercing (with their weapons).

 

[Maxperson]

There's a much bigger inconsistency in the new marilith art that hasn't been addressed yet.

The new marilith is depicted as dealing both Piercing and Slashing damage. However! The 2025 marilith can only deal Slashing damage, not Piercing (with their weapons).

It seems to me that damage type is based on weapon type(a mace isn't doing slashing damage), and at least with the 5e MM, you were free by RAW to sub weapons in and out as you saw fit. Does the 5.5e MM not allow that?

 

[Jensaarai]

There's a much bigger inconsistency in the new marilith art that hasn't been addressed yet.

The new marilith is depicted as dealing both Piercing and Slashing damage. However! The 2025 marilith can only deal Slashing damage, not Piercing (with their weapons).

will WotC's crimes never cease /jk

 

[Voadam]

There's a much bigger inconsistency in the new marilith art that hasn't been addressed yet.

The new marilith is depicted as dealing both Piercing and Slashing damage. However! The 2025 marilith can only deal Slashing damage, not Piercing (with their weapons).

No, no, look again at that stabbing of the guy on the left. The cut wound is much larger than a straight piercing stab, there was some side to side slashing.

 

[Hussar]

Yes, but per the lore, many choose not to change gender and mariliths are clearly one of those as per 50 YEARS of portrayal.

But isn’t that true of every demon? How many female ballots have been depicted? Or any other demon? How many of any of the demons have been depicted as being either gender (or anywhere on the gender spectrum?)?

You can’t on one hand claim that demons can choose gender (and by implication have some control over minor physical appearance) while on the other hand claim that mariliths are somehow the exception when none of the demons have been shown as being able to present as different genders.

Yes, you’re right that the pictures we have of mariliths have always shown an obviously female torso. But, the same is true for every other demon in that they’ve never been shown as being obviously female, despite, by your own insistence, that they can.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

You can’t on one hand claim that demons can choose gender (and by implication have some control over minor physical appearance) while on the other hand claim that mariliths are somehow the exception when none of the demons have been shown as being able to present as different genders.

Many Demons appear like animals such as Vultures, Orangutans, Mosquitos and so on.

Vultures do have different sexes, it's just less obvious to Human observers.

If you saw a group of Vultures could you identify which Vultures are male or female? Neither would most artists who would draw things like Vultures or Vrocks, as most of them aren't orinthologists.