Content Warning: The show discussed here contains depictions of violence, gore, body horror, abusive relationships, substance abuse, strong language, and sexual assault.
I’ll be honest, I was not on the hype train for Hazbin Hotel when the creator, Vivienne Medrano (aka VivziePop), first dropped the pilot on YouTube in 2019. That honour goes to my younger sibling who was a fan from day one and did me the favour of forcing me to watch the new episodes when they premiered on Amazon Prime in January 2024. I’m lucky they did because now I have a new animated show to consume my life — one of my favourite pastimes! In the interest of continuing my newfound obsession, here’s everything you need to know about the show and why you should watch it.
Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie Morningstar, princess of Hell and perpetual optimist. Charlie’s peppy attitude and enthusiastic musical numbers would probably make her a better fit for Disney than eternal damnation. Still, she’s got a problem: Hell’s population keeps growing bigger. Every year, Heaven sends down an extermination — an army of angels who kill enough sinners to keep Hell’s numbers under control. Tired of seeing her people — as murderous, deceptive, and violent as they are — getting killed every year, Charlie comes up with a plan. She and her girlfriend will open up Hazbin Hotel, a place to rehabilitate sinners and help them earn a place in heaven. If the sinners can find redemption and join the ranks of Heaven, Hell’s population will decrease, and that way Heaven won’t have to keep killing them every year! It’s the perfect solution — right?
Well, it’s really not that simple. With the types of folks joining her at the hotel, Charlie has her work cut out for her. One of the first people she has to contend with is Alastor, the Radio Demon. As one of Hell’s particularly mysterious legends, Alastor earned his title by arriving in Hell with enough power to brutally destroy some of its strongest overlords — and broadcast their screaming ends on air. Characterized by a razor-sharp grin, a mischievous voice filtered through radio static, and a penchant for being entertained by human futility, Alastor volunteers to “help” Charlie pull off her redemption goals. His true motives? Unclear. Either way, his flair for the dramatic certainly serves his radio personality and fuels some truly excellent songs.
Also joining this eclectic cast is their first client, Angel Dust. He’s a — shall we say — “adult entertainment actor” whose substance use, crude sense of humour, and constant flirting with the staff (not to mention his job) make him a difficult candidate to push through the pearly gates. Don’t let his brash persona fool you though — Angel’s got layers under all that fluff. (Insert suggestive joke here).
As for those who want to support the hotel, Charlie’s main ally is Vaggie — her driven and protective girlfriend, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Encanto). Joining them, we have brooding bartender Husk and housekeeper/bug-murderer Nifty — both of whom sold their souls to Alastor and don’t really have any choice but to support his schemes. There’s also Sir Pentious, a war machine enthusiast and leader of his minions, the egg bois.
Now, as I mentioned in the content warning for this article, I do need to give some cautions for the show. Don’t be fooled by the animated medium and the Broadway-style musical elements: this show thrives on gallows humour and a variety of obscenities. It also tackles some heavy topics through the sinners who wind up at Charlie’s doors, including abusive relationships, substance abuse, and sexual assault. The show has many wholesome found-family moments, but the content is decidedly adult and at times painful to watch, so if you do decide to explore the show, be mindful of the content warnings and take care of yourself.
Overall, I’m really enjoying Hazbin Hotel. It showcases colourful, unique character designs, energetic songs, well-timed (often vulgar) humour, and genuinely heartfelt moments among this bizarre found-family. I’m already very attached to the world-building and characters, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!