| “ | Would you serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell? — Abaddon |
” |
Abaddon was the former leader of the Hellguard before turning into The Destroyer and commanding Hell's forces on Earth and conquer and rule both it and Heaven. He is later revealed as the main antagonist of Darksiders he was eventually fought by War when the Horseman defeated his Chosen reassembled the armageddon blade and infiltrated his tower, which ended Abaddon and his reign once and for all.
Overview
The leader of the Hellguard, Abaddon bravely fought in the name of Heaven for many millenia. His hatred for Demonkind was fierce and he was less than content with the treaties of the Charred Council, a view that put him out of favor with the majority of the Angels. He is described as being the greatest warrior Heaven has ever produced.
Biography
The Abomination Vault
When Belisatra's construct army attacked Eden in an attempt to recover Grand Abominations from the Nephilim's last battle, it was Abaddon that led the reinforcements for the Angel garrison there. During the battle, a construct using the long thought lost Nephilim sword Affliction attacked Abaddon and took his eye.
Death encountered Abaddon when he arrived at the angel encampment at Eden, where angelic healers were trying and failing to save Abaddon's sight. Were it not for his own innate power and the healer's efforts, the blade's poisoning effects would have claimed far more than his eye. Abaddon and Azrael negotiated with Death to share their knowledge regarding the incident, but Death left as soon as he saw Affliction, correctly guessing the Constructs' purpose in attacking Eden.
The Archangel later encountered Death and his brother War in the White City when the two fought an Angelic assassin on their way to research the Maker Belisatra in the Argent Spire. The Archangel confronted them with his guards, a young Uriel among them, and nearly attacked them out of fury for War's recent raid on a facility of his. But Death managed to blitz Abaddon and held him at blade-point, threatening him with both certain death and a declaration of war from the Charred Council. Though incensed, Abaddon relented and allowed them to proceed with their mission.
Death's Door
Several centuries prior to the Apocalypse, Abaddon asked Death to track a rogue demon on Earth that had killed several of his best warriors. Unbeknownst to him, the "Demon" was an Angel taken by Corruption.
When the Angel was dead and the Horseman confronted Abbadon, the Archangel told him that he had assumed the perpetrator was a Demon.
Darksiders Comic Book
Sometime before the apocalypse, Abaddon stood before a great crowd of Angels in the White City and attempted to convince them of the dangers posed by Demonkind. He was mocked, since the other Angels were unwilling to violate the truce in a preemptive strike. The Archangel gave voice to his frustrations in private with Uriel and she assured him that her allegiance would always lie with him.
However, Abaddon soon sent her away so that he could meet confidentially with his fellow conspirators, Ulthane and Azrael.
Darksiders
The Apocalypse
Abaddon was the catalyst for the early Apocalypse. To draw out Hell's champions and destroy their leaders, he planed to break all of the Seals save the last one to summon the Demons to battle but prevent the Four Horsemen from interfering. After he had Azrael break the Seals with the Armageddon Blade, the Maker Ulthane reforged them, destroying the evidence against the conspiracy and therefore allowing the Angels to launch a preemptive strike against the forces of Hell while claiming that the Demons had been the ones to break the truce. When they had done this, Abaddon led the Hellguard to Earth to fight against the Demons, and found to his shock that the Demons were far more prepared than he had anticipated. He was distracted upon seeing War on the field. Shocked at the appearance of the Horseman, which was exactly what he had been trying to prevent by not breaking the seventh seal, Abaddon was taken by surprise and killed by Straga.
After his apparent death, Abaddon found himself in a dark, unknown location, alone except for a shadowy female presence, Lilith, who revealed herself to be responsible for some form of sabotage to Abaddon's plan. As Abaddon broke down in despair, this presence then presented him with a choice: to "Serve in Heaven or rule in Hell," reminding him that if he chose the former, he would likely be trialed and executed by the Charred Council for his defiance. His spirit broken, Abaddon chose to become the Destroyer. He returned to Azrael, who, not knowing what had transpired, took him to Eden to commune with the Tree of Knowledge. It is not known what gift Abaddon received from the Tree, but it may have driven him mad. He also convinced the Archon Lucien to partially open the Well of Souls with the Angel Key, allowing him to tap into the power of the well and he was reborn as a Demon and became the destroyer of the Realms.
Reign as the Destroyer
| “ | Heaven hunts you... Hell hates you. All of creation cares not whether you live or die. Join me War. Like a great sword, I will raise you up and our enemies will shatter against us. The spoils of a thousand victories will be yours. Or serve the justice of a corrupt Council. And a Creator who abandons his most faithful. I offer you this choice Horseman. Would you serve in Heaven or rule in Hell? — Abaddon tries to convince War to join him. |
” |
Abaddon after his rebirth as a demon
As the Destroyer, and empowered by the vast energies of the Well, he took control of Hell's armies on Earth, appointed five powerful creatures of the Abyss as his Chosen and annihilated all of Humanity as well as most of the Hellguard's forces, now led by Uriel. When Samael spoke out against his rule, he split the Blood Prince's power amongst his Chosen and imprisoned Samael in the Scalding Gallow. At some point after tricking the Archon and Azrael into aiding him, he sent Straga, his most powerful minion, to capture Azrael and imprison him in the Black Throne, the seat of Hell's power on Earth. The Destroyer also employed lesser Demon lords such as Belial in his forces. He retained his militant ruthless personality through his transformation, though referred to his previous identity in the third person and became significantly more malicious.
Death visited the Earth during this period to retrieve an immensely powerful Angelic artifact known as the Rod of Arafel. The Destroyer had been using it to empower his forces in a similar way to how he had been using the energies of the Well, but the Archon Lucien had informed Death that, in exchange for the Rod, he would give Death the Angel Key. Death succeeded in obtaining the Rod and Uriel, who had aided him in his search, admitted that she was tempted to ask Death to wield the Rod against the Destroyer. But she feared that it would lead to the weapon's recapture by the Destroyer, and Death had other plans for the weapon.
After War had killed the Chosen and had Ulthane reforge the Armageddon Blade, he finally confronted Abaddon. The Demon tried to persuade War to join his cause (even using the same words Lilith used on him) but engaged the Horseman in battle in his Dragonic Demon form when he refused. However, War proved too strong for Abaddon and he shifted back into his Angelic form, which had been corrupted and now resembled a Dark Angel. He was soon defeated by War and the Horseman tore his wings off. He murmured to Uriel for help, but she only told him to "Reap what he had sown,". Abaddon was impaled by War with the Armageddon Blade and finally died for good.
Darksiders II
Death visited Earth during the Destroyer's reign, where he found that the Fallen Angel's forces were using pieces of the Rod of Arafel, an Angelic relic, to fuel his army and summon monstrosities from the Abyss to serve him like the Chosen and the Suffering. The Horseman reclaimed the relic and left the Earth for Lostlight. Also in Lostlight, the Archangel Nathaniel asked Death to uncover the fate of Abaddon's Soul after his fall on Earth during the Apocalypse, giving him a scroll to deliver to the Eternal Throne.
He did not tell Death who it was he sought, but intended no deception as the name of the Soul sought was on the scroll, unrecognized by Death. He journeyed to the Kingdom of the Dead to inquire of the Chancellor if the Soul had passed through the City of the Dead. When he learned that it had not, he returned to Nathaniel, who was overjoyed to learn that Abaddon may have lived but cautious, keeping the information to himself until learning the details of Abaddon's survival.
Death later learned from Muria that the individual Nathaniel sought was now called Vovin, which translates to Dragon in the Angel's language. He was also informed that the individual was a traitorous Hellguard member. Nathaniel was greatly distraught upon realizing that Abaddon was the Destroyer, and revealed to Death the identity of the Soul upon Death's inquiry.
Personality
Before his fall, Abaddon was fiercely dedicated to Heaven and his fellow Angels, gaining the respect, loyalty and admiration of the Angels who served under him, namely Uriel and the Hellguard. The Hellguard in particular were hyperbolically stated to have worshiped Abaddon by Samael. He greatly valued the lives of those who served under him, refusing to sacrifice them to reach a personal goal, and was somewhat vindictive when they were harmed in any way, as when he called upon Death to slay a Demon that had killed ten of his best warriors (which later turned out to be an Angel named Makhala). Despite this, his intense hatred for Demonkind outweighed his respect and duty to the treaties imposed by the Charred Council, as he greatly desired Hell's defeat along with its ruler, the Dark Prince. This unfortunately put him out of favor of the elder Angels above him and even his old friend Azrael at the time of the premature apocalypse. However, when he announced his plans to ambush the Dark Prince and his closest followers, he had hoped to end it and prevent any Humans from getting caught in the fighting, therefore preventing an actual war.
After the Apocalypse and his betrayal in becoming the Destroyer, Abaddon became a shadow of his former self, even refusing to answer to his original name. He abandoned his beliefs in the Creator, believing He abandons His most faithful. Abaddon's derision towards the Council turned to full blown disillusionment, holding the Law in contempt and considering the Council itself corrupt.
Despite his corruption Abaddon still had some lingering feelings for Uriel, as she was his most loyal and fierce follower, and didn't kill her immediately when she confronted him at the Black Throne. He begged her for help when he was finally beaten by War, though he did not receive it. After his corruption, Abaddon noted Uriel's feelings for him and recalled feeling the same way towards her.
Abilities and Power
Telekinesis - Abaddon can affect the objects around him without touching them. In his battle with War, with the power of thought, he lifted heavy stones and launched them at War.
- Avalanche of Flying Rocks - Abaddon raises huge stones from any surface, and throws them with great speed into the enemy over and over again, thereby allowing Abaddon to pin down his enemy.
Teleportation - The former Angel can teleport himself small distances for quick attacks.
Transformation - After his fall, Abaddon is able to transform into a giant dragon and back into his Angel form.
Fire Magic - After his tranformation into the Destroyer, Abaddon can use in-fight fire-based spells.
- Fireball - in the form of a Demon, Abaddon can spit fireballs from his mouth to burn the enemy from afar.
- Fireball Storm - While soaring, Abaddon can create multiple fireballs flying at the enemy from the sky.
Sword Magic - he can fuse his magic with his sword, creating flying blades, reinforce it with magic strikes, magical turns, and sudden attacks from above.
- Light Blades - Abaddon can create several flying strips of light that can wound the enemy and cause a high amount of damage.
- Light Rotation - Abaddon forces his sword in a rotation, thereby creating an aura of light around himself. In this case, the enemy takes damage and is sent back from Abaddon.
- Heaven Fall - Abaddon shoots up into the air, stores energy and falls sharply, then slams the sword on the ground while creating a shock wave in the process. From his body, there is a flash of light, which ends up becoming five long rays of light, thus injuring the enemy.
- Flash of speed - After teleporting, Abaddon surrounds himself with light and at high speeds attack with his sword. While the attack cannot be blocked, it can be dodged.
Immense Strength - As an Archangel and one of the Fallen, Abaddon has a large amount of strength, sufficient enough to fight the Horseman of the Apocalypse on equal terms for a long amount of time. In one stroke, he could force the Horseman out of his Chaos Form.
Immense Speed - Abaddon has great speed, like other Angels. In battle, he is much faster than War. Despite his size, he can go from one part of the area to the next in mere seconds without resorting to teleportation.
Immense Durability - Abaddon has an excellent defense, and was able to block almost all o the blows that the Red Rider gave. After his fall, he could only be harmed by the Armaggedon Blade, one of the most powerful weapons in Creation.
Flight - Since Abaddon is an Angel, he can fly with his wings for an unlimited amount of time, using this as an advantage in battle. This ability remains even in his dragonic Demon form and his Fallen Angel form.
Immense Magic Power - As the Destroyer, Abbadon had immense dark and corrupt power, able to summon powerful creatures from the Abyss, shroud an area making it nearly impenetrable and empower those who serve him, with only beings like Samael and Lucifer to equal or surpass him. He also used magic in his sword style, projecting energy through his blade in various forms.
- Evil Summoning - Abaddon can summon Demons and other monsters from the Abyss of any point on Earth, Hell or the Black Tower.
Master Swordsman - Abaddon is a master of sword fighting, and is not inferior to a swordsman such as War, one of the Riders and the last of the Nephilim. His sword is very long, and perhaps uncomfortable for an ordinary soldier, but for thousands of years, the Archangel learned some powerful and frightening forms of sword fighting. He easily wielded his sword, and can strike from anywhere, as he very easily blocks most attacks, showing that he can defend via his blade perfectly. Despite the size of the sword, Abaddon's style is more quick and rapid, than directed by brute force.
- Elevation - Abaddon bounces up and gets vertical blow to the opponent. Obviously, this is a heavy blow, and can be cut into two parts, because if the enemy dodges, the impact force is destroying the earth.
Expert of hand-to-hand combat - Abaddon uses melee in the form of a Demon, and though the style is not the most used weapon in his arsenal after becoming a Demon, Abaddon has excellent melee skills. His great strength and speed allow him to apply possible and fast strokes; although his Demonic form slightly reduced his speed, his punches were fatal.
Strategy
Phase 1
In the first phase, the Destroyer is in Dragon form, it is preferable to mount Ruin for better survival chances, although it is doable on foot as well. As the Destroyer charges around the arena, position yourself so that you are jousting him head-on. Shortly before you collide, one of his arms will glow. If you pass on the glowing side, he will strike you. Pass by on his other side and slash his legs, tripping him.Turn quickly and dismount to slash his vulnerable belly as many time as you can before he gets up, then remount and repeat the process. Sometimes he instead flies off-screen and becomes untargetable. After a short delay he will roar and crash into the ground. When you hear the roar, activate Ruin's boost to dodge. Eventually, you should be able to see the finishing move icon. Once you have pressed the finishing move, War will jump on his back and the Destroyer will fly high in the air. When the icon comes up, press the allocated button repeatedly to end the first stage.
If attempting to complete the battle without using Ruin, it will be necessary to remain very close to the periphery of the battleground while he charges you on foot. He will charge at you with one of his forepaws glowing; dodge to one side or the other (it doesn't matter most of the time) to avoid his strike. If close to the perimeter of the battleground, Abaddon will get to the wall, briefly pause, and prepare to run away again like he typically would. Ordinarily, it would be impossible to reach him on foot during this pause because he will be too far away to engage before he starts running again. However, because of the wall, he will usually have stopped close enough to War that it will be possible to attack him. During his flight phase, it is also possible to fight him on foot. When he takes to the sky, simply stand in one place and wait for him to fall. If a block counter is activated at the precise moment he lands on War, War will take no damage and counter just as he normally would. It is also possible, with the right items and Wrath powers, to tank the hits without countering and simply wait for the flight phase to end.
Phase 2
In the second phase, the Destroyer has turned into a black winged version of his former self, Abaddon. In this battle, it's a simple slash and hack (just attack him as much as you can), however there are obstacles. Abaddon will block most of your melee hits, so it is usually necessary to engage him immediately after he finished an attack sequence. For some unknown reason it is impossible to use Chaos Form during this phase of battle - Abaddon will immediately break any attempt to use it and War will return to his normal form. At times, he will teleport in the air out of reach and levitate and throw three huge rocks one by one, which you must dodge quickly. He will also charge at you quickly, similar to Tiamat's combat tactics. Fortunately, most of his melee attacks are able to be countered, which staggers Abaddon and mostly alleviates the problem of War having his attacks blocked. Timed correctly, block counters can take down Abaddon remarkably quickly. Throughout the fight, there will also be times where War and Abaddon will bladelock after a short fencing animation, during which you must press the allocated button repeatedly and quickly. After this process has been repeated three times, the final bladelock will result in War disarming and critically wounding Abaddon, after which a cutscene plays during which War rips off Abaddon's wings and impales him on the Armageddon blade.
Trivia
- He is one of the few angels with feathered wings.
- Abaddon is the Hebrew term for destruction or doom (spelled avadon).
- Abbadon is Egyptian for the Destroyer (spelled avaton).
- In the Apocalypse of John, Abaddon is equated with Apollyon, which is the Greek term for "The Destroyer".
- The angel Abaddon is only mentioned once in the Bible being The Angel of the Pit, in connection to the apocalypse: "And they had a king over them [the locusts], which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." (Book of Revelation 9:11)
- During the final portion of the boss fight, Abaddon's black wings, his long katana, and his meteor-throwing attack are very similar to Sephiroth of the Final Fantasy series.
- The term "Would you rather serve in Heaven or rule in Hell?" is a direct quote from the first chapter of John Milton's Paradise Lost. In the first game Lilith says this to Abaddon before turning him into the Destroyer, and Abaddon then asks the same question to War before being struck down.
- In Darksiders II, Muria reveals that one of his proper names before becoming the Destroyer was Vovin, which means "dragon" in the angelic language.
- His story shares similarities with Deathwing of World of Warcraft, both being at first very powerful forces of good and later being corrupted into fiery Dragons. They also share a title: The Destroyer.
- When Abaddon teleports away to launch giant rocks at War, during the second phase, it is possible to remain in Chaos Form. However, Abaddon will turn War back to normal when he comes back.
Video
Gallery
