Dernière modification le 09/09/2026.
A seductive and bewitching demon, the succubus is fatal to men.
Introduction
A succubus is a demon that takes the form of a beautiful young woman. Although she appears in various legends, the main story about her is that of Lilith, often described as the first. Her name comes from the Latin *succuba*, meaning “concubine,” or from *sub* and *cubare*, meaning “under” and “to lie down.”
Because of their appearance and their behavior—which involves seducing men in order to trap them—they are associated with seduction, but above all with lust. They embody temptations that are difficult to resist and that consume one.
Description
The succubus enters men’s dreams and seduces them; then, when they encounter her in the flesh, they immediately give in to her advances.
But she can be even more perverse than that; she takes on the appearance of a man’s deceased lover, leading him to believe that the woman he loves has come back to life. Willing to do anything to mate with them, her ultimate goal is to punish men for their treachery by seducing them and then abandoning them.
Thus, the succubus attracts and fascinates because she is alluring. She is a temptress to men, but she also frightens and horrifies them, for she remains a demon who causes evil.
The Succubus in Video Games
Role-playing games give her special traits and powers, such as wings she can make disappear and the ability to enter an immaterial plane. Of course, she has the power to charm anyone with a kiss, which then allows her to communicate telepathically with her victim. She also has claws for self-defense.
Other Lands and Legends
She is also found in other regions. In Hungary, the szeged is a witch who, when she unites with her victims, suffocates them and then transforms them into flying horses. In the Caribbean, she is known as a dorlisse; in Siberia, she is called an iakoute. In ancient Arabian tales, there is mention of a female demon who also infiltrates men’s dreams to disturb them.
Associated with death, the succubus is often linked to other creatures such as vampires, striges, ghouls, or—in a different vein—harpies and sirens. Female vampires are more similar to succubi, given their “fatal seductress” nature, but their similarities end there.
“The evidence regarding incubi and succubi is so extensive that one could not deny it without being reckless.”
— Augustine of Hippo, *The City of God*
References
Literature: *Vita Nuova* (Dante), *Forgotten Kingdoms* (E. Greenwood), *The Dragons of Cité Rouge* (E. Wietzel)
Movie: Lilith (Jean Markale)
TV: The Gates (G. Scharbo and R. Hatem)
Comics: Succubes (T. Mosdi), Succubus (Froideval, N. Bournay, C. Pontet)
Manga and Anime: Soul Eater (A. Ōkubo), Rosario + Vampire (A. Ikeda), Dungeon Meshi (R. Kui)
Role-playing games: Dungeons & Dragons (Wizards of the Coast)
Video Games: Darkstalkers (Capcom), Neverwinter Nights (BioWare), World of Warcraft (Blizzard), The Witcher 2 (CD Projekt), Succubus (Madmind Studios)
Image: lenycherry_aiart
