Who are the Illuminati in Blue Exorcist?

The conflict that drives Blue Exorcist‘s story is the long-running struggle between the humans of Assiah and the demons of Gehenna. However, the line between humanity and demon-kind starts to blur once the Illuminati step out of the shadows and begin making a lot of trouble for Rin Okumura.

The titular villains of the newly-released Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga, the ranks of the Illuminati are filled with some of the most dangerous foes Rin and his friends have ever faced. Since they’ll be making their animated debut soon, here’s everything you need to know about Blue Exorcist‘s take on the Illuminati.

What is the Illuminati in Blue Exorcist?

Sharing the same name as the infamous Enlightenment-era secret society of the same name, the Illuminati is one of the main antagonist forces in Blue Exorcist. Modeled after the version of the organization at the center of many real-world conspiracy theories, Blue Exorcist‘s Illuminati is an ancient occult order that has secretly influenced the course of Assiah’s history for centuries, holding almost, if not more influence over the world than the True Cross Order.

Related: Blue Exorcist Season 3 Episode 2 Countdown – Release Date and Time

Unlike the True Cross Order, the Illuminati does not believe that the demons of Gehenna are enemies of humanity. To the Illuminati, there is no real difference between humans and demons, and their goal is to unify both factions into a new world order by merging the realms of Assiah and Gehenna into a single realm where all beings are equal.

While the Illuminati’s goals may sound noble, the organization adheres to a dangerously fanatical “ends-justify-the-means” mentality. Throughout Blue Exorcist, the Illuminati commits countless atrocities to further their goals, viewing every death they cause as a tragic but necessary sacrifice.

Who is the Illuminati?

The Illuminati is a massive organization made up mostly of nameless goons, but the upper echelons have quite a few memorable characters. One of the primary standouts is Saburota Todo, a high-ranking Exorcist and member of the prestigious Todo Family who betrayed the True Cross Order. Fans of the Blue Exorcist anime saw quite a bit of Todo during Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga, in which the treacherous ex-exorcist helped free the Impure King.

The Illuminati also counts quite a few powerful demons amongst its ranks, including Egyn, the Demon King of Water and one of Satan’s many sons. However, none of these demons are even remotely as powerful as the Illuminati’s founder and leader, Lucifer.

Who is Lucifer?

Lucifer, also the King of Light, is the oldest son of Satan and one of the most powerful demons in all of Gehenna. Bearing an eerily similar appearance to his brother Mephisto Pheles, Lucifer is second only to his father in the demonic hierarchy that governs Gehenna, and the influence he wields over Assiah through the Illuminati makes him a much more imposing foe than most of the demons Rin has faced.

Lucifer’s history is one of the most fascinating parts of Blue Exorcist‘s story, so I won’t dare spoil it by going into detail about it here. However, anime fans won’t have to wait long to see why the exorcists of the True Cross Order have cause to fear the light.