Anti-heroes in Media: a strong case for morality

Disenchantment and the representation of morality

I never thought that an adult animation show could make me seriously ponder religion, God and morality.  I am happy to relay, however, that Matt Groening, the creator of the prolific long-running show The Simpsons and the more science fiction animated series Futurama, has  done just that. In his new 2018 series, Disenchantment, he creates a world of a mix of steampunk and medieval kingdom in a crazy and innovative way.

The first idea that was bewildering yet exciting was the character of Luci. Luci is a demon. Well, a personal demon, to be exact. He was assigned in a place called Maru to be Bean’s(the main character who is to be queen) personal demon, and he also comes from hell. I’m sure at this point you are wondering, how does this seemingly dark and brooding character have anything to do with God?

A lot, actually.

Popular Representations of demons in mainstream media

I would go out on a limb here as I’m sure most of the readers here on Patheos might be perplexed as to why I am making a case of positive morality for a demon character in an animated adult show. And yes, in the majority of media, demons have been represented as evil and damaging in media. Take a look at the brilliant film, The Exorcist (1973), and its impact on how the media and Hollywood portrays hellish demons usurping innocent lives through possession. We all have grown up with the same notion that demons are extensions of the Devil and not to be touched or understood.

However, in Disenchantment, the role of a demon being “assigned” to a human takes on a emotionally visceral and climatic journey of identity, morality and self-sacrifice. Luci turns into a surprisingly sharp example of what it means to love without conditions, to sacrifice yourself without personal gain and to employ the deep-rooted empathy of forgiveness and trust when it comes down to the toughest decisions. According to Heroes Wiki, this is the derivation of Luci’s name:

“The name Luci is evocative of Lucifer, meaning “light-bearer” which is one of the name’s associated with the Devil. Whilst an apparent contraction of Lucifer, the name Luci could derive from Lucius, which itself comes from the Latin lux meaning “light”. His name is ambiguous and paradoxical much like Satan’s: it is perhaps a nod to his shadow-like visage, or his role in guiding Bean to her destiny.”

Anti-hero with a strong moral fiber

The story lands Luci in his journey with his friends Bean and Elfo in the middle of moral predicaments that truly help one appreciate the changes and get down to the nitty-gritty of true reformation and selflessness. He becomes an anti-hero with sinner’s traits: greed, anger, lust, murderous and of chaotic and salacious intent. This is truly an innovative idea as we can see a character of almost no moral standard and deplorable intent turn into what, in my opinion, feels like one of the most noble and truly honorable arcs in TV adult animation history.

We see the progression of these sorts of chaotic mishaps Luci perpetuates with Bean, taking the easy way out of hard situations and taking in vices of alcohol, sex and drugs to catapult the integral plot into motion. However, Luci has an intense loyalty toward Elfo and Bean. Whenever Bean is upset or hurt, he comforts her and sticks up for her as well. When a friend is severely or mortality in danger, he often risks his own life and his title of being a higher ranking demon to save his friends, on more than one occasion. He loses his rank, immortality and parking space, cheekily enough…all of the perks and benefits of being a demon just so his friends are safe from harm, and alive and well.

Luci interacts with God himself, a perfect luminous figure with his face obscured, only realized by a ever-glowing burst of ethereal light and booming voice. In the end, it was Luci who was showing his friends Bean and Elfo to their destiny, but Luci also was led, sometimes in mixed up and strange ways, to his perfect destiny of total forgiveness and reformation in the eyes of God.

I feel that in terms of spirituality and consciousness of moral values and judgment, Disenchantment showcases a strong case of a typecasted, “evil” character turning good for the right reasons without personal gain, all for the good of others and the saving of their mortal soul through God. I hope you check out this series and enjoy it as I did, it was truly a marvel of innovation in terms of characters that have rich inner lives and complicated patterns of morality and choices.