So, the next time you watch Devilman Crybaby and see Akira transform, his face a mask of stoic fury, remember: That isn't the hero. That’s Amon. And he is waiting for Akira to finally stop crying so he can finish what he started 120 million years ago.
What do you think? Is Amon a separate entity, or was he always just the dark half of Akira’s soul? Let me know in the comments below.
In the lore, Amon was a general in the demon wars of antiquity, a creature of such unstoppable ferocity that even other demons feared him. He was sealed away for millions of years, hibernating in the ice until the modern era, waiting for a host weak enough to control but strong enough to contain him. The genius of Devilman lies in the possession scene. Akira Fudo, a gentle-hearted crybaby, doesn't fight Amon with brute force. He fights him with soul . His best friend, Ryo Asuka, takes Akira to a Sabbath—a demonic orgy of flesh and violence. There, Akira willingly allows the demon Amon to merge with his body. devilman amon
I am talking, of course, about .
Most possession stories end with the host being erased. But Akira’s empathy is so powerful that it acts as a cage. He doesn’t destroy Amon; he drowns him. So, the next time you watch Devilman Crybaby
Despite their antagonistic relationship, Amon is inextricably fused to Akira. When Akira is finally killed by Satan’s beams in the arctic, Amon dies too. The engine is destroyed along with the driver.
That isn't Akira. That is Amon peeking through the window. What do you think
Go Nagai draws this beautifully. When Akira fights as himself, his movements are deliberate, almost pained. When Amon surfaces, the art becomes jagged, the shadows deepen, and Akira’s face twists into a rictus of pure hatred. For fans who want the deep dive, the 2000 OVA Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman (often subtitled The Dark Side of Devilman ) is the definitive text. This 45-minute short film discards the human drama and psychological horror of the original in favor of a brutalist, Lynchian nightmare.