Fans of Hotel Hazbin are probably watching hellish boss to pass the time during the hiatus, but a recently released episode makes things confusing about who dominates VivziePop's vision of Hell. Hotel Hazbin released on Prime Video in early 2024, an adult animated musical series about Lucifer's daughter trying to rehabilitate sinners so they can go to heaven. It is loosely connected to another animated series by creator Vivienne Medrano set in Hell, titled hellish bossand available on the VivziePop YouTube channel. hellish boss follows a company of assassins carrying out attacks on the living world.
Both series feature vibrant animation, hilarious casts of unfiltered characters, stunning musical numbers, and underlying stories about acceptance and redemption. With Hotel Hazbin Season 2 is still some time in the future, hellish boss is the ideal substitute. However, although the series are assumed to be set in the same universe, they run the risk of contradicting each other when the characters run in different circles. And when the main character's father Hotel Hazbin is Lucifer himself, he establishes rigorous worldbuilding that is easy to counter later.
The new episode of Helluva Boss introduced Satan as the ruler of hell
Satan appears in Helluva Boss, season 2, episode 11, his first on-screen appearance in the Hellaverse
Things take a dark turn for IMP (Immediate Murder Professionals) in Season 2, Episode 11, “Mastermind.” The law finally realizes that Blitzø (Brandon Rogers) and his employees have been illegally heading to the mortal world for some time. They are all brought before a jury, including Satan (Patrick Page) and personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins. Almost immediately they are all sentenced to death; Blitzø claims the others were just following orders to save their lives, then her ex, Prince Stolas (Bryce Pinkham), appears and saves her life claiming it was all his master plan.
This is the first time that Satan has been seen in person in hellish bossalthough it is regularly referenced. Satan is presumably the ruler of Hell and is presiding over speedy judgment. This assumption is supported by the titular musical number, during which he sings the words: “I am the mentor and here I am the law! I ruled the endless darkness, long before the fall of the Golden Angel!” However, this confirmation of Satan's dominance is what poses a problem for the Hellaverse.
Lucifer is the sin of pride and Satan is the sin of wrath in the Hellaverse
VivziePop created clever iterations of all seven deadly sins in Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss
Although Lucifer may be another name for Satan in the better-known biblical canon, hellish boss and Hotel Hazbin present Satan and Lucius as totally different characters, the latter being voiced by Jeremy Jordan. Hotel Hazbin includes overlords as part of the power structure in Hell, who possess the souls of sinners who have traded with them; hellish boss depicts a loosely defined network of real demons who have some sort of hierarchy answering to Satan/Lucifer at the top.
Prince Stolas is one of these real devils, while the imps (Blitzø, his employees and their families) are the working class of hell. Characters who are personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins are also considered real demons. Sin characters who have appeared on the show before include Asmodeus “Ozzie” (James Monroe Iglehart) for Lust, Beelzebub “Queen Bee” (Kesha) for Gluttony, and Mammon (Michael Cusack) for Greed.
VivziePop evidently draws from several religious texts when it comes to naming her other demons, and dividing Lucifer and Satan is actually some interesting worldbuilding.
According to Vivienne Medrano (via YouTube), Lucifer is Pride while Satan is Wrath. VivziePop evidently draws from several religious texts when it comes to naming her other demons, and dividing Lucifer and Satan is actually some interesting worldbuilding. Lucifer is not present during Blitzø's trial, while the other Sins appear to all be there. Due to the friendly relationships established with the main cast in previous episodes, Ozzie and Queen Bee are the only ones to defend Blitzø and ask for a fair trial for the IMP.
Lucifer is introduced as the ruler of hell at the Hazbin Hotel
There is no doubt that Lucifer is responsible for everything at the Hazbin Hotel
The contradictory element of the Helluva Boss episode “Mastermind” is the brief lyrics that suggest Satan is the lord of Hell. Hotel Hazbinwhich supposedly takes place in the same setting, regularly shows characters referring to Lucifer as the definitive authority over everyone in Hell. Charlie (Erika Henningsen) is known as his princess and heir to the throne. Notably, Hotel Hazbin tells a story that is much more concerned with the people at the top of Hell what hellish boss. In this story, Lucifer seems to prefer to hand over administrative responsibilities to Charlie or someone else.
However, Satan is the one overseeing the trial because of how VivziePop wanted this scene to play out, with Stolas having to rescue Blitzø and losing everything because of it. Lucifer may also not have particularly cared about what happened to Blitzø and the others, but at least he is characterized as friendlier than Satan. Part of the main point of “Mastermind” is Satan’s ruthlessness, and that Blitzø never stood a chance after getting caught. However, Lucifer's absence from the proceedings raises questions about Hellaverse lore.
The fandom has largely taken over (via Reddit and other forums) that Satan is replacing Lucifer, who stepped away from leadership after the end of his marriage. However, Satan even claims that he has “ruled the endless darkness, since long before the fall of the Golden Angel,“ rather than being a relatively recent replacement. The exact power of the various Sins over the different rings of Hell is also vague, raising the biggest question about the mutual recognition of the two series.
How much do Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss follow each other's continuity?
Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss don't look each other in the eye often
Vivienne Medrano said she would love to do a crossover with Hotel Hazbin and hellish boss (through The direct). Various Easter eggs and references in both shows constitute small-scale crossover moments. Medrano also occasionally uses the designs of hellish boss characters as extras in Hotel Hazbinand vice versa. Blitzø and one of his employees, Moxxie (Richard Steven Horvitz), even started out as recurring characters on Hotel Hazbin before being developed into their own show.
However, looking at the main and substantial plots, both hellish boss and Hotel Hazbin they are primarily concerned with telling their own stories. Hotel Hazbin depicts the discord between Hell and Heaven as Charlie attests that the hotel's residents will have a chance at redemption, while hellish boss investigates the class structure of Hell through the lens of a startup company. It's not unbelievable that the two stories take place in the same setting, with the main characters of both never having had the opportunity to meet each other.
There are references to different rings of Hell that make it seem like the world is big enough for Charlie in Blitzø to never find himself in.
The Lucifer/Satan contradiction is the only time the shows have actually found a way to conflict when there are references to different rings of Hell that make it seem like the world is big enough for Charlie in Blitzø to never meet. However, both Hotel Hazbin and hellish boss are set to continue for a while and are apparently getting closer to each other, and this could be clarified or even more confusing in the future.
Source: YouTube, Reddit, The direct