Opinions on the character "HellBoy"

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Nazarite

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I have been struggling with my opinion on this character ever since seeing the films a while back. I have recently stumbled upon them again and i re watched them and i have to say they were not what i was expecting at all. Hellboy is described as a well-meaning demon whose who was summoned from Hell to Earth as an infant on December 23, 1944 by Nazi occultists. He was discovered by the Allied Forces; amongst them, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who formed the United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). In time Hellboy grew to be a large, red-skinned demon with a tail, horns (which he files off, leaving behind the signature circular stumps on his forehead), cloven hooves for feet, and an oversized right hand made of stone. But Hellboy was raised a devout catholic by his adoptive father Professor Bruttenholm, Hellboy even carries his rosary with him at all times and tries to refrain from foul language and also rids the world of evil to save the unaware citizens. He also appears to have a big heart as an example of his acts of kindness saving a box of kittens from a monster and by his attempts to write a love letter to the girl of his dreams. In the film at a dramatic point of almost turning to the evil side he is tossed his rosary and is reminded who he is and what he chose to be, he then proceeds to rip the horns form his head and fight for good. There are tons of catholic/christian imagery in the films and the books as well, the thing is i see this as a story of redemption and showing no matter who you are you can repent of your sins and fight for good. But that said Hellboy is still…well "Hell"boy and he is a demon so i have been confused on this topic and whether i should continue to be a fan of the movies, books, and games or to refrain from it. I would be happy to hear your opinions!
 
You can see Hellboy as an allegorical character who represents fallen man trying to do good by God’s grace. It’s in the same vein as Ghostrider who was tricked into working for the devil and turns into a monster at night, but who decided to work against the devil instead. It’s a redemption story. As long as you understand this, I think it’s fine.
 
Thank you for your sincere reply! I have been trying to discuss this with others but no one has given me their opinion, But really thank you!
 
Della said:
You can see Hellboy as an allegorical character who represents fallen man trying to do good by God’s grace. It’s in the same vein as Ghostrider who was tricked into working for the devil and turns into a monster at night, but who decided to work against the devil instead. It’s a redemption story. As long as you understand this, I think it’s fine.
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I second this.

Hellboy’s nature is evil, fallen; and he struggles against it with all his might to do good, as we all do.

Great assessment ^^
 
Demons can not be save because they will never repent. However this story is a different universe entirely so things are different. Hell boy is more of a symbol of the evil within us becoming good through the power of Jesus
 
Loving_disciple said:
Demons can not be save because they will never repent. However this story is a different universe entirely so things are different. Hell boy is more of a symbol of the evil within us becoming good through the power of Jesus
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See this is exactly why i’m skeptical of the character I just don’t want to be involved in something that would be wrong in the eyes of God.
 
Mike Mignola, who created Hellboy, is Catholic.

I think it’s fine as a fantasy, and I appreciate the Catholic beliefs that pervade it, and the emphasis on free will and the ability of even a half-demon to choose the side of righteousness - helped by being raised in a loving environment by a Catholic stepfather. (One could argue, I suppose, that whereas Satan and his minions have made their choice in Infinity and their choice is everlasting, Hellboy resides in the finite world and is thus capable of making choices, possibly due to his human side.) Theologically, there are things that don’t fit our view of what is possible (Satan could not impregnate a woman to have a son, as evil is non-creative), but again, we are in a fantasy world, and that is a consistent trope (Rosemary’s Baby, Daimon Hellstrom, etc.) in fantasy fiction. I enjoy the movies.
 
I like the idea behind HellBoy. All humanity struggles even us HellGirls:D
 
Loving_disciple said:
Demons can not be save because they will never repent. However this story is a different universe entirely so things are different. Hell boy is more of a symbol of the evil within us becoming good through the power of Jesus
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Exactly- ‘A different universe’ - It’s a work of fiction using symbols and characters drawing material from sources common to many to communicate a theme or message. It’s fantasy. If you approach it that way, it’s fine. Because, Hellboy isn’t really an accurate depiction of a demon and isn’t meant to be. As a comic book character he is a creation of imagination which lent itself well to animation and imagery. Cool pictures and interesting to contemplate someone struggling between nature and nurture, between natural inclination/temptation and a choice/act of will. A way to tell a good story with illustration.
 
I always had a hard time with demons seeking redemption till I looked at it from a strictly objective point.

Fallen character has to over come great odds to obtain goodness.

Kinda like us.
 
I kind of liked the Hellboy movies. 🙂 I know what it’s like to have people look down on you just because of where you come from, no matter how good you try to be.

I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss them simply because, “that’s not how it works when it comes to demons.” If we did that, then we’d have to do the same for things like the Lord of the Rings.
 
Thanks everyone for your opinions you have really helped me out! Also on the subject on a demon being redeemed, my opinion on the matter is that they are pure evil and have no intent on repenting. Its not that they could not be forgiven its that they would never repent in the first place, they saw the great love that God is and they turned against him and that is just pure evil so they don’t even think about repenting. But anyways you guys are right hellboy is just a fictional story with a character who tries his best to be good and to overcome his bad roots. Thanks for all your opinions!
 
I like Hellboy because anyone who loves cats can’t be all bad.

And I smoke cigars too lol.

Please no lectures on the cigars!
 
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