Demonic possession is when a demon takes physical possession of a dead human and inhabits the shell of the body after the human soul goes to Hell after death. The body is then wholly in the possession of the demon and acts in accordance with the dictates of the demon within; all human nature is lost, only the body remains. So much so, that when the demon Dromos took possession of the late Father Kinley's body, Lucifer was able to recognize that it was Dromos inhabiting the body by looking into his eyes.
As Demons, even in possession of a human form, they are still nominally under the control of the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar.
Operation[]
When it appeared they were dealing with a case of demon possession, Mazikeen explained to Chloe that a demon cannot simply pop into any human it pleased, "the body has to belong to a dead, doomed soul or a demon wouldn't know where or when there was a recent vacancy." She also said that any demon possessing a human would be in big trouble, because Lucifer banned possession "years ago."
Known Possessions[]
- William Kinley was possessed by Dromos.[1]
- Hola Bay was possessed by Squee.[2]
- Dozens of unnamed humans were murdered by Dromos and Squee in a confessional and were possessed by unnamed demons, appearing during the final conflict in "Who's Da New King of Hell?"[2]
- Gromos takes possession of a recently dead murder suspect to convey a message from Lucifer to Chloe in "Really Sad Devil Guy."
- A dozen convicts were possessed by demons to lend support to Team Lucifer during the season 5 finale.
- Several unnamed humans were possessed by some of Mazikeen's kin so that they could attend her wedding.
Trivia[]
- Lucifer Morningstar banned possession years before the events of the series for unknown reasons. He also indicates he would incinerate any demon who breaks the rule.
- Although demons and Gods are the only species who can possess humans by themselves, it was shown that angels can help mortals return to their bodies after death although this is resurrection, not possession.
- Ghosts are capable of possession as well, although in Dan Espinoza's case, he was unable to break the possession that he'd initiated inadvertently. Lucifer suggests that Dan would be freed when his vessel dies, and that Dan can use it to enjoy life again.
- When Gromos was in possession a recently dead murder suspect, the body is so badly damaged that he couldn't keep it working. As a result, he can only use the body very briefly, while for other cases, they can last longer until the vessel is dead again.
- In similar cases of possession, Charlotte Richards was possessed by Goddess[3] , and Dan Espinoza's ghost possessed Vincent Le Mec in a similar manner to demonic possession.[4]