The Plague Kings: Terrible Trio
What could be better than one Plague King? Well, three obviously. And lucky for you, that’s what we’ve got! These guys are something else, too. The three stars of this trio represent different aspects of evil. Asmodeus is the Lord of Vermin, Purson is the Lord of Shadow, and Beelzebub is the Lord of Flies. Together, one of their main goals is to stop Sabrina from ascending to the throne. They believe that her half-witch, half-mortal nature will bring chaos. And here I thought demons liked chaos.
The Role of the Plague Kings
We first meet these lovely guys when they emerge from the Greendale Mines during the Winter Solstice in search of Sabrina. Asmodeus is the first to attack her at the Academy of Unseen Arts. Purson tries to kill her in the woods. Finally, Beelzebub goes after her at Baxter High. Each time they attempt to take Sabrina out, they are banished to Hell. Not the most skilled demons, am I right? This does a lot to show the internal conflicts in Hell, as the Plague Kings operate largely independently of the Dark Lord and have their own agendas.
Hell’s Politics
After the Plague Kings are banished, they decide to align themselves with Caliban, a demon made from clay of the pit itself. He is the self-proclaimed Prince of Hell and believes himself to be more suited to rule as the Dark Lord’s successor than Sabrina. When Lilith claims the throne of Hell, the Plague Kings object, saying that Caliban would be a better ruler. When Sabrina makes a claim to the throne, they are also not fans, since she is half-mortal. Instead, they are on board with Caliban’s efforts to restore stability to Hell and conquer the Earth. Yeah, everyone wants to take over the world these days. Unfortunately for them, they later have to kneel before Sabrina when she claims her seat on the throne of Hell. All that scheming for nothing!
Demon Namesakes
One of the fun things about the "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" is that the show borrows from mythology and folklore. The Plague Kings are named after three demons that share a few similarities to the ones in the series but many key differences as well.
Hello Demons, Nice to Meet You
Asmodeus is also known as Ashmedai in Hebrew mythology. He is historically a demon associated with lust and is sometimes shown as a monster with three heads. His claim to fame is disrupting marriages and causing lust. He goes as far as killing seven husbands of Sarah in the book of Tobit. Busy guy.
Purson is a “Great King” of Hell in mythology. He even has twenty-two legions of demons at his command. He can be seen riding a bear, carrying a viper, and has the face of a lion. You know he’s coming when there’s a lot of trumpet music. When he’s not busy commanding his legions, he can also find hidden things and tell the future. Another interesting aspect of this demon is his ability to bring good familiars into the world.
Beelzebub is sometimes called Baal or Bael and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament. He is one of the seven princes of Hell in mythology. Also a pretty odd looking individual, he has the heads of a toad, man, and a cat. He commands a whopping 66 legions of demons, teaches the art of invisibility, and is associated with pride.
These three Plague Kings may have been written a little differently in the series, but they are still just as creepy. Not necessarily beings you’d want to meet at a party, but they cause plenty of fun conflicts for Sabrina and company to overcome.