20 Most Dangerous D&D Demons, Ranked

Dungeons & Dragons demons are powerful monsters of chaos and destruction, and their strongest are some of the most powerful beings in the game.
Within the Abyss lie some of the most powerful beings in all of Dungeons & Dragons. If a DM or players are looking for beings of unmitigated evil and chaos, they need look no further than its denizens. When these creatures are not infighting or scheming amongst themselves, they are wreaking havoc across any plane they have been summoned to.

D&D demons are some of the most powerful creatures in the game, but their exact power levels will vary from campaign to campaign. Demon lords are obviously the most powerful, though there are plenty of other strong demonic foes to challenge a D&D party. All of these creatures are singularly dangerous and more than a match for any high-level adventuring party.

Update April 1st, 2023 by Louis Kemner: A dungeon master can throw an astonishing variety of monsters at their party during an adventure, from orcs and goblins to dragons and even deadly plants. Demons rank as the most powerful and are symbolic creatures of evil, hailing from the Abyss - seeking carnage and chaos wherever they go.

20 Quasits Are Small, Basic Demons

A Quasit is one of Dungeons & Dragons' weakest demons of all, being a mere CR 1, so players might face them early in a campaign. A single Quasit isn't very dangerous, so like many weak monsters, Quasit will attack in packs and use sheer numbers to win a fight.

Quasits rely more on trickery than brute force to terrorize the party. They can shapeshift into other creatures to approach the party in disguise and can scare characters who fail a Wisdom saving throw. Quasits can also turn invisible for added stealth and resist magic as well. Still, these stats only make quasits a minor nuisance for parties, so they rank last among all noteworthy demons.

19 Maws Of Yeenoghu Will Aggressively Attack Or Eat Anything They Find

Most demons are tanar'ri who are native to the horrifying Abyss, but other demons are actually the cursed, mutated version of other species. Maws of Yeenoghu are a good example, first appearing in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. These demons were once hill giants, but Yeenoghu's foul influence mutated them into something far worse.

Maws of Yeenoghu have typical demon attributes like magical resistance, though they cannot cast magic or use fancy techniques like Teleport. Instead, these mutated giants use sheer force at close and medium range to tear apart their enemies, and they're also known to charge forth with their mouths open, ready to gobble up everything and everyone in their way.

18 Nalfeshnees Use Flight, Fear, And Melee Attacks To Challenge The Heroes

A Nalfeshnee is a strange-looking creature even by demon standards, looking like an odd mix of ape and boar while standing upright on two legs like a human. It also has feathered wings, so it can fly around and wreak havoc with its claws, tusks, and magic alike.

At CR 13, a Nalfeshnee is a fine challenge for mid-level parties who are ready to face some tough demons. The Nalfeshnee can teleport to attack the party from unexpected angles, use melee attacks, and even employ its horror nimbus ability to scare its enemies with a colorful display of magical light.

17 Mariliths Overwhelm Their Foes With Nonstop Sword Attacks

A marilith is a naga-style demon with the lower body of a giant serpent and the torso of a humanoid woman with long hair and six arms. A typical marilith will wield six different swords in battle, while also constricting its prey in its body to prevent escape. A marilith could always divide its attacks among several targets, but ruthless tanar'ri like these would rather kill off one target without mercy before moving on to the next.

Mariliths are also smart demons capable of advanced battle tactics, so adventurers will often encounter a marilith that's the captain of a small demonic army. Mariliths don't just dish out orders, though - as true demons, they will charge right into battle and lead their troops by bloody example.

16 Goristros Are Brute-Force Siege Engines Of Carnage

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Plenty of demons rely on trickery such as ambushes, magic spells, and stealth to get the upper hand when facing a party of adventurers. Others, like the demonic goristro, rely on sheer force to overwhelm the party with brute strength and lethally straightforward tactics.

A goristro is predictable and obvious in battle, but it's still incredibly dangerous with its massive hit point pool, damage resistances, and magical resistance. A goristro is like a turbocharged minotaur, a bipedal beast of war that can charge forth and slaughter someone with its twin horns.

15 Sibriexes Are Sadistic Scientists Living In Seclusion

In Dungeons & Dragons lore, the sibriexes are a race of mutated obyrith that rule huge domains in the Abyss, and they love to experiment on lesser demons and creatures. A given sibriex will use its dark magic and vast intellect to reshape other creatures to suit their needs, like a classic "mad scientist" character.

A sibriex is a revolting genius that will command a small army of mutated minions, and a dungeon master can design a boss battle accordingly. In gameplay, a sibriex will tirelessly cast spells like Command and Hold Monster, and it can cast Feeblemind a few times to render the party's spellcaster helpless

14 Molydeuses Are The Hard-Hitting Lieutenants Of Demon Lords

The most powerful common D&D demon is the fearsome Molydeus. These chosen champions of the demon lords stand over 12 feet tall and wield a powerful weapon imbued with demonic energy chosen by their respective patrons. Demogorgon's Molydeuses use whips, while Orcus's own Molydeuses use flails. Molydeuses also rank among the highest-level monsters that aren't legendary or unique.

A Molydeus' lord speaks to it through its snake head, constantly ensuring it is working with the demon's interest in mind. A critical hit scored by a Molydeus' weapon instantly decapitates the target, a dangerous and imposing ability that puts these demons on almost even footing with their demonic overlords.

13 Kostchtchie May Be A Young Demon Lord, But He's Still Dangerous

Resembling a huge, angry giant, Kostchtchie is one of the youngest demon lords. He rules the 23rd layer of the Abyss, having gathered a large following of frost giants under his sway. Kostchtchie may not be as memorable and exciting as iconic demon lords like Demogorgon and Orcus, but even a high-level D&D party must not take Kostchtchie lightly, or suffer his wrath.

Kostchtchie claims to be a former frost giant deity, but his true history is tied to the powerful witch Baba Yaga, who bestowed upon him the gift of demonic immortality. He wields a powerful war hammer called Matalotok capable of unleashing a blast of elemental cold upon all who dare defy him.

12 Zuggtmoy Reigns Over Mushrooms And Rot In The Abyss

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Zuggtmoy resides within her fungal realm Shedaklah in her palace of mushrooms. She is not as imposing as other D&D 5e demons physically, but she makes up for that with guile and subterfuge. Zuggtmoy has been around for a very long time, and her power to control fungus and mushrooms is not to be scoffed at.

Zuggtmoy has lost ground to Juiblex and Lolth in previous wars and has challenged adventurers from her Temple of Elemental Evil. Yet she still persists, much like her fungal minions. Though not as strong as others, she is still a dangerous adversary.

11 Juiblex Presides Over Foul Slimes And Oozes Of All Kinds

This oozing pile of filth is the ruler of the Slime Pits of the Abyss. A mass of greens and gray, Juiblex is covered in pulsing red eyes. It can summon forth ooze demons, but predominantly engulfs and then crushes or dissolves its foes in combat.

Juiblex is far more inexorable than other D&D demons, preferring a slow and seeping form of chaos than other demon lords. This probably makes it slightly less powerful in a direct sense, but the creeping power of the ooze should not be discounted.

10 Baphomet Is The Lord Of All Minotaurs

The lord of beasts and creator of minotaurs Baphomet is a terrifying and massive humanoid bull crowned with horns. The demon spends his time in his labyrinth on the 600th layer of the Abyss.

He resides in his tower of science, where he produces more refined and powerful demons to unleash upon the world. Baphomet is incredibly strong, and at twelve feet tall, wields a horrible bardiche & spews great gouts of unholy water from his maw. He was at one point captured by Orcus, which shows he isn't as powerful as other demons 5e D&D has to offer.

9 Fraz-Urb'Luu Is Smarter Than His Brutish Appearance Would Suggest

The Prince of Deception resembles a twisted green gargoyle and is a consummate liar and illusionist. Fraz-Urb'luu can create and destroy doors at whim within his lair, and can also make perfect simulacra of himself to divide his enemies' attention.

Like several other demon lords, Fraz-Urb'luu is a brilliant and patient mastermind, content to allow his schemes to fester for hundreds of years. Fraz-Urb'luu has been known to aid demon hunters against his rivals, making him a potential ally for a party opposed to one of the other major demon lords.

8 Yeenoghu Is The Savage King Of Gnolls

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The bitter enemy of Baphomet and progenitor of the gnoll species, Yeenoghu is the lord of savagery and beast of butchery. His leering, skull-like face sits atop fourteen feet of raw muscle, making the god of the gnolls an imposing sight. He wields a three-headed flail called Butcher and resides in his realm of the Death Dells within the Abyss.

Yeenoghu is not a small player among the ranks of D&D demons, however he lacks the power of other denizens. The fact that he feuds with Baphomet and neither has had success in achieving a true victory indicates Yeenoghu's middling strength.

7 Graz'zt Is The Most Seductive, Insidious Demon Lord Of The Abyss

Graz'zt is one of the few D&D demons whose intellect and guile are more than a facade. Many demon princes will resort to violence at the drop of a hat, but Graz'zt doesn't let his rage get the best of him. He is patient, a rarity amongst his kind. With a penchant for careful planning and scheming, it's no wonder his realm encompasses several layers of the Abyss and not just one.

Graz'zt is a legitimate threat to many entities, and he is so strong that he could one day challenge Demogorgon. However, his hubris is an ever-present flaw. Graz'zt won't be winning any all-out brawls, but he is especially dangerous from behind the scenes.

6 Pale Night Is A Mysterious Obyrith With A Horrifying Face

Pale Night is only officially available in Dungeons & Dragons 4e, 3e, and 2e.

Pale Night shares a realm with Baphomet, and they seem to have mutual respect for each other. Pale Night dwarfs Baphomet in power, though. She is possibly one of the oldest beings in the Abyss as an obyrith and has unleashed a number of horrors into the world, earning her the moniker Mother of all Demons.

She appears in a shroud to hide her true form, which is so horrific that reality simply refuses to show it. When Pale Night does force reality to take a knee, she can drive anything looking at her insane. Pale Night is not quite as active as other powerful demon lords, and her exact strength is difficult to judge, but she is still a fearsome figure in the Abyss.

5 Dagon Dwells In The Deepest, Darkest Waters

Dagon is only officially available in Dungeons & Dragons 4e and 3.5.

Dwelling in the depths of Shadowsea, the 89th layer of the Abyss, Dagon is a massive, looming creature that resembles an amalgamation of several deep-sea creatures. He has been involved in several campaigns to submerge the Material Plane beneath a relentless tide of water, a process he repeats every 720 years.

Dagon is one of the most ancient of the demon lords, and while he doesn't yet have an official stat block in D&D 5th Edition. Any DMs looking to use him in their campaign could easily reflavor a kraken with extra spells. A campaign featuring Dagon as a major NPC might involve powerful aquatic monsters mutated by this fearsome obyrith's vile influence, from dragon turtles and krakens to leviathans.

4 The Queen Of Chaos & Miska The Wolf Spider Are Horrifying Monsters From Earlier D&D Lore

The Queen of Chaos and Miska the Wolf Spider are only officially available in Dungeons & Dragons 2e.

These old-school forces of chaos come as a pair, the Queen being an ancient demon called an obyrith and Miska being a more traditional D&D demon. Together, they led a campaign against the whole of the universe from the Abyss. To control the Abyss is a startling feat even for gods and other beings of immense power. These two have not yet appeared in D&D 5e, but an enterprising DM could easily use the stats from another extremely powerful creature.

In the lore of past editions, the Rod of Seven Parts put a stop to their demonic incursion and banished Miska somewhere unknowable. The Queen of Chaos was left to search for Miska's prison in hopes of liberating him for a future campaign of interplanar domination.

3 Demogorgon Is Chaos Incarnate

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The Demon Prince of Demons Demogorgon has risen to fame thanks to his name being used in Stranger Things, but he has a long D&D history as well.

Many consider Demogorgon to be the most powerful demon to exist and the apex of demonkind, far more powerful than the human-sized monster "Demogorgon" from Stranger Things. The true D&D Demogorgon has been around since the formation of the Abyss and has survived countless battles with incredibly powerful elder creatures and gods. Demogorgon is proficient with magic and his powerful tentacles spread disease and wither his foes. He rules the 88th layer of the Abyss, a briny sea populated with all manner of horrors.

Demogorgon has one fatal flaw, and it is that his two heads have two different personalities. While they will work together in emergencies, Aameul and Hethradiah argue and bicker constantly. This is likely what keeps Demogorgon from truly conquering the Abyss.

2 Orcus Seeks The End Of All Life

Orcus is a demon with a skeletal head, burning red eyes, and immense magical power. He and Demogorgon have had a long hatred for one another, which exists to this day. His massive wand, dubbed the Wand of Orcus, has allowed him to slay gods and raise legions of undead.

Orcus is slightly more powerful than Demogorgon in the long run, despite the two both being Challenge Rating 26. Orcus is not constantly at war with himself, so he can focus on his plans. Orcus is capable of summoning 500 hit points worth of undead monster minions, which could come in the form of multiple liches, a swarm of ghosts, or a complete zombie horde.

1 Lolth Has Nearly Reached Godhood As The Lady Of All Drow

Lolth does not have an official stat block in Dungeons & Dragons, although she is present in 5e, 4e, 3e, and 2e.

Though she is technically a god, Lolth has a long association with demonkind. She is the patron of evil drow, spiders, and plenty of demons, all of whom she will bless with her dark touch. Lolth's church prizes unquestioned loyalty and unchecked authority.

Lolth's realm, the Demonweb Pits, was once the 66th layer of the Abyss, but she made it into its own plane to ensure she had a home all her own. Seeing as she straddles the line between demon and god, Lolth is clearly one of the most powerful beings ever seen in the D&D universe and the most powerful demon in the current lore, bar none.

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

FranchiseDungeons & DragonsOriginal Release DateJanuary 26, 1974PublisherWizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.DesignerE. Gary Gygax , Dave ArnesonPlayer Count4-8 Players RecommendedAge Recommendation12+Length per Game3 hours +ExpansionsDungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition