Lucifer: Every Biblical Figure (Including Michael) Explained

Lucifer offers a fresh and entertaining take on the infamous Biblical figure, and throughout its run continues to introduce the show’s own take on religious figures from Abrahamic religious mythology. Netflix’s upcoming season 5 has already teased the appearance of Lucifer’s twin, believed to be the Archangel Michael, and with Lucifer now renewed for a sixth and final season, there is still time for further Biblical figures to make an appearance.

Considering that Lucifer has the Devil running a piano bar and solving crimes, it is fair to say that the television series differs somewhat from the Judeo-Christian canon. Still, the show mostly follows the broad strokes of religious mythology, namely the existence of God as creator, the war in Heaven that led to Lucifer being cast out, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden, and many others, only with a Hollywood or DC comics twist. Whether named directly or loosely based upon, the following is every Biblically-inspired character to appear on Lucifer, including of course the eponymous fallen angel.

Lucifer Morningstar, A.K.A. Satan

Known by many names including Satan, the Devil, Beelzebub, and Lucifer, the figure is often regarded as a personification of evil. The show, however, takes a more sympathetic approach to the character of Lucifer, painting him not as a malevolent being but as someone with his own sense of justice and desire to punish sinners. As time goes by, Lucifer also grows to enjoy gaining justice for the innocent, most often through his police work. In mainstream Christianity, the Devil is a fallen angel who rebelled against God and, after losing to God’s armies of angels, was cast out of Heaven and tasked to rule over Hell for all eternity. The Devil is also identified as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose persuasions led to Eve eating the fruit of knowledge. This sequence of events is referred to in Lucifer, though details of his fall from Heaven are sparse.

Marcus Pierce, A.K.A. Cain

Marcus Pierce (Tom Welling) is a major character in Lucifer’s season 3, introduced as the new LAPD Lieutenant and boss of Chloe Decker, Dan Espinoza, and Ella Lopez. It is later revealed that not only is Pierce leading a double life as the crime lord ‘The Sinnerman,’ but he is also the immortal Cain, firstborn son of Adam and Eve. In Christian lore and in Lucifer, Cain is humanity’s first murderer, having killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. As punishment, he was cursed to wander the Earth forever. In the show, Cain briefly allies with Lucifer in order to erase the Mark of Cain, so that he may break the curse and finally die.

Eve, A.K.A. The Original Sinner

Eve (Inbar Lavi) first appears in Lucifer season 4, having escaped Heaven in search of Lucifer. In the origin story of Abrahamic religions, Eve is the first human woman, wife to Adam and mother to Cain and Abel. Eve is tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge (of good and evil), sharing the fruit with Adam. As a result of her actions, they are expelled from the Garden of Eden. In Lucifer, Eve was Adam’s second wife after he separated from Lilith, though it remains unknown whether Lilith was human and thus whether Eve was the first woman. In the show’s lore, Eve entered into a sexual relationship with Lucifer while she was still with Adam, a relationship she rekindles upon her return to Earth. Eve also explains that the story of the apple being the forbidden fruit was false, and that it was more like “a banana,” implying that the “forbidden fruit” was a sexual metaphor for hers and Adam’s affair with Lucifer, which was misinterpreted over the millennia.

Lucifer’s Twin Brother Or Archangel Michael

The trailer for the upcoming season 5 sees Lucifer’s twin brother Michael impersonate him and take over his life on Earth while Lucifer is still in Hell. Though little is known about the show’s adaptation of Michael, the character’s name indicates a relation to the religious figure of Archangel Michael. In mainstream Christianity, Michael was the angel who led God’s armies against Lucifer’s during the Heavenly War. While popular depictions of Michael paint him as the dutiful son of God however, this role in Lucifer seems occupied by Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside). The show’s version of Michael sees him jealous and angry, at odds with his kin and with Lucifer, and thus it is still unclear how closely related he will be to his canonical counterpart.

God

So far referenced but not seen (one exception being when God was voiced by Neil Gaiman in a bonus episode of season 3), God is set to appear in Lucifer season 5, portrayed by Dennis Haysbert. In religious texts, God is the creator of all; an omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent being. However in the show, God is the co-creator of the Universe, alongside his wife the Goddess. God is mostly absent in Lucifer, once intervening to resurrect Lucifer after he was murdered by Malcolm Graham.

Uriel, Azrael And Remiel

Three of Lucifer and Amenadiel’s siblings appear on Lucifer: Uriel (Michael Imperioli) comes to earth to kill the Goddess with Azrael’s blade and is killed by Lucifer; Remiel (Vinessa Vidotto) comes down to earth after sensing a new celestial being was going to be born, and tries to convince Amenadiel to let his child be raised in Heaven; Azrael (Charlyne Yi) is the Angel of Death, and prior to the series’ events had befriended Ella and encouraged her to move to LA, so she could meet Lucifer. Azrael in Islam and some Jewish traditions is understood to be the Angel of Death, much as on Lucifer. On the other hand, religious mythology pertaining to Remiel and Uriel are more confused, though they are understood to be archangels in Christianity and Judaism.

Speculating On The Origins Of Amenadiel, Mazikeen And Goddess

Amenadiel, Mazikeen (Lesley-Ann Brandt) and Goddess (also known as Charlotte Richards, portrayed by Tricia Helfer), are all prominent Lucifer characters with no direct Biblical counterpart. However, fans have long speculated on which figures the characters were inspired by. As previously mentioned, though Amenadiel does not appear in any religious texts, his status as God’s firstborn and his favorite son, as well as his most loyal and trusted, it seems likely that Amenadiel is based on the Abrahamic faiths’ angel Michael. Meanwhile, Mazikeen, often called Maze, is a member of the Lilim, a class of powerful demons descended from Lilith; she served as Hell’s best torturer and remains Lucifer’s most trusted friend, accompanying him on Earth when he left Hell. Her name is likely drawn from the Hebrew term mazikin, as mentioned in the Talmud, and understood to refer to invisible demons that a person could encounter in daily life. Lastly, the co-creator of the Universe in Lucifer, Goddess, is likely based on Asherah. Scholars have suggested that ancient Israelites may have worshiped Asherah as the wife of Yahweh (God); asherim, cult objects related to the worship of Asherah, are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.