Woden's Hunt, also known as the Wild Ride or Wild Hunt. A myth of devilish riders in the sky, accompanied by black dogs, spectral beasts whose eyes glowed with fire... A Bearer of Death and Guardian of the Supernatural, the Black Dog is also known by its more common name, the Hellhound.
The Hellhound, also known as the Black Dog or the Bearer of Death, is a species of amortal supernatural spirits who possesses the bodies of humans upon being reborn on Earth in order to complete their destined missions. They possess pyrokinetic and thermokinetic powers and are said to be the guardian of the supernatural world, making it their duty to make sure this world remains a secret to the human world.
They are neither good nor evil, being utterly neutral and focused only on their "natural" duty. It was initially believed that Jordan Parrish was the only vessel for a Hellhound spirit in the Teen Wolf series, but in the second half of Season 6, it was revealed that there is at least one other Hellhound, whose name is Halwyn and who has possessed an unknown vessel for over one hundred years. ("Said the Spider to the Fly")
According to folklore and legend, Hellhounds ride the storm with the Ghost Riders of the Wild Hunt, though their specific role within in the Hunt remains a mystery as of now. The vessel of a Hellhound often has no idea of this fact; for example, Parrish had no idea that he had been possessed by the Hellhound for over a year until he was finally informed of his supernatural identity by Chris and Gerard Argent in The Sword and the Spirit.
Because the Hellhound is a creature of the night, the transformation into their Hellhound form usually happens after nightfall, during which point it typically completely takes over its human host, repressing the host's spirit until their job is done for the evening. The transformation has thus far been shown to be a sort of blackout, where the person usually has no memories of what they did while the Hellhound was in control, although after several weeks of actively transforming into the Hellhound at night, Parrish began to remember bits and pieces of the Hellhound's activities that he subconsciously witnessed.
However, the Hellhound is also capable of fully merging with its host, allowing the host conscious control over its powers so they can have a more equal relationship while still completing their mission. This eventually became the case with Jordan Parrish and the Hellhound possessing him, Cerberus, and it can be assumed that the same was the case with Halwyn and his host.
The Hellhound's eyes typically glow reddish-orange like flames (though they can also turn a blue-green color when they are being controlled by the Ghost Riders or someone with the power of a Ghost Rider, such as Garrett Douglas). They possess the power to generate fire and heat from their bodies and control these elements, as evidenced when Parrish burned Theo Raeken and knocked him out with a flaming punch to the face, and when Parrish incinerated the ChimeraCorey Bryant's body when he tried to restrain Parrish in a battle.
This power also affords them an immunity to fire as well; for example, Parrish was burned alive in a car, but moments later, he walked into the police station with no burns or permanent damage, with the exception of the melted and burned remnants of his uniform. Exposure to fire can trigger the Hellhound's control over the vessel's body in cases where the Hellhound spirit and their human vessel have not merged.
It is unknown how many Hellhounds exist in the Teen Wolf universe, but, at present, only two have been introduced. The first Hellhound, who is referred to as Cerberus, is currently possessingJordan Parrish, and the second, known as Halwyn, has been possessing an unnamed male vessel since at least 1912.
Parrish's Hellhound has gone by many names throughout its immensely long life, including Cerberus, Garmr, the Black Shuck, and the Black Dog, presumably gaining the names from various different cultures' version of the Hellhound legend in mythology.
From the short amount of time the Hellhound has been seen in control of Parrish's body, he has given the impression of being aloof and focused solely on fulfilling his mission, barely seeming to notice anything else around him due to his view that it is small and unimportant in comparison. However, he is perfectly willing to eliminate any obstacle in his path if they seem to get in his way, such as the violence he has committed in his pursuit to take the bodies of the dead Chimeras to the Nemeton.
This contrasts strongly with his reaction to the members of the Chimera Pack, who he forcefully attacked after Theo Raeken ordered them to take him down. The Hellhound even warned Scott and his pack about the Beast's trap, suggesting that he at the very least views the pack as innocent creatures who are not worth killing; given the fact that the Hellhound is known as the Guardian of the Supernatural, he may have been trying to protect them in the same way he intended to protect the secret of the supernatural world's existence.
Personality-wise, Parrish's Hellhound is seemingly completely neutral and thus neither good nor evil. While he views Parrish as nothing more than a vessel in his mission to defeat the Beast, he was willing to listen to Lydia when she told him that he could only defeat his foe by accepting Parrish's spirit and allowing them to work together. While his duty is to cover up the supernatural, hiding it from the human world, he hasn't attempted to kill witnesses of his behavior, nor those who know about the supernatural, suggesting that he has some sort of moral code that he follows regarding loss of innocent life.
Halwyn was very determined in his hunt and also used violence against those who would impede him (at least those who were supernatural, such as the WerewolfLiam Dunbar and fellow Hellhound Jordan Parrish), having a similar single-minded goal as Cerberus in that they intended to hunt and kill something that was a serious threat. Halwyn mistakenly hunted Liam but later realized that he was not the entity he was after and changed tactics. The entity he was hunting was revealed to be an Anuk-ite, a powerful shapeshifter that fed on and generated fear; Halwyn had previously caught it and trapped it in the Wild Hunt at some point during or prior to 1912, after which point he helped build Eichen House, where he could have a safe place to go dormant until he was needed.
Powers and Abilities[]
Amortality: According to Cerberus, he is beyond life and death and are one of the few (if not the only) infinite beings in the Teen Wolf universe. He implied that his spirit is extremely old, and judging by the comment he made about being known as Cerberus, a Hellhound figure from Ancient Greek mythology, he has possibly existed for millennia.("A Credible Threat") The Hellhound spirit itself exists forever by being reborn into new human bodies when he has a supernatural duty to fulfill on Earth. This immortality appears to extend to their vessels, as Halwyn's vessel appears to have not aged in the one hundred or so years that it has been imprisoned in Eichen House, though it is unknown whether or not his period of dormancy had anything to do with this arrested aging process.("Memory Lost")
Possession: The Hellhound can take a human vessel by imbuing it with its spirit and power. By doing so, the human gains all of the powers and the abilities of the Hellhound, a process that the Hellhound has seemingly performed countless times throughout its long life. After possessing a body, the Hellhound can either dominate the vessel's spirit and control their body like its own, or they can merge themselves with the spirit of their vessel so that they can work together for a common goal, such as what happened with Parrish and Cerberus when it became clear that they would unable to defeat the Beast without each other's cooperation. It's possible that the human needs to be moments away from death in order to be possessed by a Hellhound, as was the case with Parrish, who had just accidentally triggered an I.E.D. explosion while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan when the Hellhound Cerberus possessed him, keeping him alive in the process. ("A Credible Threat")
Super Strength: The Hellhound is incredibly strong. This was demonstrated when Parrish knocked Theo Raeken out with one punch and flipped over Stiles' Jeep with ease while Stiles was still inside of it.("Strange Frequencies") It even had enough strength to possibly rival the Beast by blocking its strong strikes, though he had to this with two hands due to the immense size difference between them.("The Sword and the Spirit"), ("A Credible Threat"), ("The Beast of Beacon Hills"), ("Apotheosis") After the McCall Pack successfully trapped a Ghost Rider in a cage and surrounded it with Mountain Ash, the Hellhound was compelled by the Ghost Rider to break the mountain ash barrier; when both Scott and Liam attempted to stop him, they were both forced to sync their efforts and push off from the bars of the cage while lifting the Hellhound from the ground just to knock him back and prevent the Hellhound from getting closer. ("Blitzkrieg")
Super Speed, Agility, and Reflexes: Like most supernatural creatures, the Hellhound is very fast, easily faster than any normal human. The Hellhound appears to be one of Teen Wolf's most swift creatures, as it was running so fast that it easily kept up with the pace of the Beast of Gevaudan("A Credible Threat") and was able to completely clear up the blood and body left after Donovan Donati's death within moments so that it appeared as though no one had ever been there.("A Novel Approach")
Jordan's Hellhound form
Super Senses: The Hellhound's heightened senses allow them to see, smell or hear things that normal humans cannot, though the exact range of this power has yet to be defined. Halwyn demonstrated a very acute sense of hearing, which he could use to identify people simply by listening to their specific heart rate and pattern.("Memory Lost") When their eyes glow with hellfire, their eyesight is enhanced enough to see in the dark and to perceive supernatural phenomena not otherwise visible to human sight, such as the Nemeton.
More of Jordan's Hellhound form
Super Durability: The Hellhound's body is much more durable than that of a normal human, allowing them to endure impact trauma with little to no injury. Parrish and Halwyn have both been seen getting thrown forcefully into (and sometimes even through) walls and have gotten right up to continue fighting, and has handled being punched and hit by the Beast of Gevaudan with a similar amount of endurance. Halwyn was hit across the face with a torn-off locker door by Liam Dunbar and was barely fazed by the impact.("Memory Lost")
Shapeshifting: The Hellhound has the ability to transform the bodies of their human hosts into Hellhound form, which involves glowing reddish-orange eyes, retractable claws and fangs that are deadly sharp, and skin that has the appearance of black volcanic rock with veins of molten lava running through it.
Pyrokinetic Shapeshifting: The Hellhound can transform into a fire-based being, their bodies completely composed of flames with which it can selectively use to protect or ignite; for example, the flames covering Parrish's hand caused a Chimera named Corey Bryant to burst into flames and sustain third-degree burns over his entire body, ("Amplification") while a Banshee, Lydia Martin, was protected by the flames when Cerberus wrapped his flaming arms and body around her to protect her and the bystanders from her overpowered Banshee wail. ("Lie Ability") When the Hellhound is being compelled by a Ghost Rider of the Wild Hunt (or, in Garrett Douglas' case, a supernatural being who has taken the power of a Ghost Rider), their glowing eyes will turn from blazing orange-red to bright blue-green, reflecting the same color as the Wild Hunt's mystical energy.("Blitzkrieg")
Accelerated Healing: The Hellhound has been shown to heal from mild to moderate wounds extremely quickly. Parrish has had his abdomen clawed open and his chest impaled with a pipe, both of which healed completely within an hour. It appears that the Hellhound's healing ability is related to its fire-based powers, as the wounds are shown to literally smoke until the tissue is regenerated. This healing happens much quicker when the Hellhound is in control; when their human vessel is in control, their healing is remarkably decreased in speed.
Pyrokinesis: The Hellhound possesses the ability to produce extremely hot flames from within their body, which they can use for many different effects. The Hellhound, while in Parrish's body, has been seen using the flames his body creates to set fire to the bodies of the dead Chimeras whose supernatural secret he was protecting; to enhance his fighting by using flaming fists to hit opponents; and using it as a defensive mechanism, such as when Corey Bryant grabbed him and was subsequently set ablaze. ("Amplification") This fire does not always need to be harmful, though, as the Hellhound has also used it to protect Lydia Martin and the bystanders from her Bansheescream. ("Lie Ability") After some practice, Parrish was able to produce projectile streams of fire from his palms, directing it wherever he wanted, such as using it as a weapon against an opponent.
Green fire form
Thermokinesis: Hellhounds have the ability to generate an extreme amount of heat from one's body, and can heat their and direct the heat through their hands to melt objects such as metal without having to utilize fire to do so. Parrish/Cerberus used a more advanced version of this ability to great effect during the war with the Hunters, as he was able to send out a wave of heat from his body that made the Hunters' guns heat up to the point of glowing orange, forcing them to drop them before they could be burned. ("The Wolves of War")
Fire Immunity: Due to their pyrokinetic and thermokinetic abilities, the Hellhound is completely immune to the effects of heat and fire. Jordan Parrish was once doused in gasoline and set ablaze, and the only negative side effect that occurred was that his clothing melted; otherwise, he suffered no burns or injuries of any kind. Fire is even able to bring the Hellhound into control.
Harbinger Connection: The Hellhound (and the Wild Hunt in general) has a mysterious connection to other Harbingers of Death.
Banshee Connection: At least some Banshees appear to have a similar connection with Hellhounds, who are also harbingers of death and who share some of the powers that Banshees have, such premonitions and being drawn to recently deceased bodies. This has been demonstrated by Lydia and a Hellhound named Jordan Parrish, who share both a supernatural and a romantic connection that allows them to locate each other in emergency situations, along with being able to communicate important messages to each other regarding an impending death; for example, Lydia unconsciously appeared in Parrish's mind after he had been attacked by Belasko and urged him to hold on until help arrived, ("Creatures of the Night") and she did the same thing after she had become catatonic to warn him of her current status and the fact that Noah Stilinski was near death as well. ("The Last Chimera") Lydia was also shown to have a strong connection to another Hellhound, Halwyn, even when the latter was functionally dead after his vessel was shot in the head with a silver-coated bullet by Tamora Monroe("Memory Lost"); while Lydia was unconscious on two separate occasions, Halwyn sent Lydia premonitions to help her understand his history and what had happened to him, along with information regarding the current threat of the Anuk-ite. ("Werewolves of London"), ("Genotype")
Premonitions: As part of the Harbinger Connection, the Hellhound can experience premonitions (most often in the form of dreams, but they can also occur when the Hellhound and/or its vessel is awake); for example, the premonition Parrish experienced that depicted the future in which they are retrieving the bodies of the dead Chimeras (or dead supernaturals) and bringing them to the Nemeton to be burned in their ritual. ("Condition Terminal") However, since the future is ever-changing, those who are dead in the Hellhounds' dream may not end up that way if the event that caused their death can be stopped.
Precognitive Dreaming: Hellhounds capable of perceiving future events in dreams. He first began experiencing premonitions in general in dreams in which he was taking the bodies of the Chimeras who were considered failures by the Dread Doctors to the Nemeton to be burned in order to hide them from the human community.
Rift Manipulation: Due to its connection to the Wild Hunt (as well as their pyrokinetic powers), the Hellhound is able to safely cross through rifts in the fabric of reality and can use its strength to manually open a rift so that others can safely travel through it as well. This was demonstrated when Garrett Douglas, who was controlling Cerberus/Parrish at the time, compelled them to forcefully open a hole in the rift so that the two of them could pass through. ("Blitzkrieg")
Supernatural Immunity: Like Banshees, the Hellhound is immune to several types of supernatural phenomenon. Electricity, including that produced by Kitsune and Chimeras with electrokinetic abilities (such as Josh Diaz), have no effect on the Hellhound, nor will Kanimavenom paralyze them like it does other humans and supernatural creatures. They also are immune to Mountain Ash, due in part because their pyrokinesis can literally burn out the mystical energy that creates the barrier.
Harbinger of Death Sense: Hellhounds have the limited supernatural power to sense an impending death or a death that has already happened, much like their Banshee compatriots.
Weaknesses[]
The Hellhound is implied to be reborn on Earth in the body of a human when it has a duty to fulfill, such as the Hellhound Cerberus' mission to defeat The Beast of Gevaudan and possibly protect the Nemeton. When the Hellhound is initially possessing a human, they are only partially active, as they spend most of the daytime hours in human form where their control is suppressed, and therefore their vessel is usually ignorant to their true nature. Additionally, they are more vulnerable during the daylight hours, as it usually isn't until after nightfall that the Hellhound takes control of the body and suppresses the human spirit. Fire is currently the only known thing that can reliably force the transformation from Human to Hellhound so as to counter this weakness.
Additionally, because of their dual nature, their actions while in Hellhound form can be unpredictable. The dual nature is implied to be the reason why the Hellhound was losing his battle against the Beast, as it is fighting against Parrish's spirit for control. This can be rectified by the Hellhound spirit and human spirit communicating and agreeing to become balanced in their control over their shared body.
Ghost Riders are able to exert some control over Hellhounds, as the Ghost Rider captured by the McCall Pack compelled Cerberus/Parrish to use his fire to burn away the Mountain Ash barrier trapping him and nearly caused them to free him. After consuming the pineal gland from the aforementioned Ghost Rider, Garrett Douglas gained some aspects of their powers, allowing him to take control of Cerberus/Parrish by stating, "Steigen, Höllenhund!", which is German for "Mount, Hellhound!" This allowed Garrett to force the Hellhound to open a rift so the two of them could safely travel to the Phantom Train Station. ("Blitzkrieg")
Additionally, Ghost Rider weapons, such as their pistols, are able to temporarily deactivate a Hellhound's power by extinguishing its flames and forcing it back into human form. All of the aforementioned weaknesses leave a Hellhound vulnerable to the whims of the Wild Hunt.
Like other animalistic shapeshifters such as Werewolves and Werecoyotes, taking too much physical harm can also weaken and force a Hellhound back into its human form, such as impalement by metal bars or even claws. This leaves them open to threats of a mundane level as their human form lacks most of their supernatural durability.
While the myth that Werewolves are vulnerable to silver is just that—a myth—Hellhounds actually are susceptible to silver bullets, as being shot in the head with one can cause them to enter a deathlike state, as evidenced when this exact circumstance happened to Halwyn after being shot by Tamora Monroe. Halwyn then ultimately died as a result, as the removal of the bullet caused his body to heat up as it healed the damage, subsequently melting the leftover silver fragments and causing him to die from silver poisoning.
Another possible weakness is that despite the spirit's age, the host does not inherent the spirit's experience, as while Parrish had the ancient Cerberus as his spirit, he was still unable to defeat Halwyn, who had been a host for longer than Parrish though it is unknown how old Halwyn's Hellhound spirit was.
The reawakened Nemeton somehow caused the Hellhound to be reborn into Parrish's body, which Parrish himself had no recollection of happening until the Argents helped him remember in The Sword and the Spirit. When the Chimeras created by the Dread Doctors in hopes of resurrectingThe Beast of Gevaudan began to fail and risked the exposure of the supernatural world, the Hellhound within Parrish was activated, and he began unknowingly taking the dead Chimera bodies and leaving them at the Nemeton, thus protecting the secret. Parrish began dreaming about the sacrifices, but he didn't learn until recently that they weren't dreams, but are actually true visions. ("Condition Terminal")
Parrish finally "met" the Hellhound within him after Lydia Martin, Chris Argent, and Gerard Argent used a machine to lower his temperature so Parrish could access the Hellhound's consciousness so they could learn more about what they were dealing with. During this conversation, the Hellhound stated that Jordan Parrish's body was a means to an end, and implied that he was dead due to the losing battle they were currently fighting against the Beast, which the Hellhound seems to be destined to battle. However, Lydia, as the Banshee, stated that the Hellhound wouldn't survive without Parrish and vice-versa before telling them to remember the exact moment Parrish died, which gave Parrish back control over his body once again. ("A Credible Threat")
Afterward, it seemed that the Hellhound and Parrish finally began to coexist peacefully with each other, with Cerberus giving Parrish the ability to access his powers at his will rather than Cerberus' own.
Hellhound Vessel; Late 19th/Early 20th Century - 2013
Little is known about Halwyn; what has been revealed thus far is that he has been possessing his current vessel since at least 1912, if not longer, and that his role is to capture and/or re-imprison the entity known as the Anuk-ite, should it escape its prison. ("Memory Lost") Halwyn is dedicated to his mission and demonstrated that he was willing to do whatever it took to catch the creature once again, he was later killed by Tamora Monroe, he was later able to be resurrected long enough to pass on information about Anuk-ike. ("Genotype")
Mythology[]
In the "real world," versions of the Hellhound exist in numerous cultures spanning Europe and the Americas, including many of the names the Hellhound possessing Jordan Parrish referred to in A Credible Threat.
The Greek myth of Cerberus is arguably the most well-known Hellhound legend. Cerberus is also known as the "hound of Hades" and is a monstrous multi-headed dog who is tasked with guarding the gates of the underworld in order to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the final labor in the twelve labors of Heracles, which resulted in Cerberus being captured by the demigod to fulfill his mission. He was also the spawn of Echidna, a half-woman, half-snake monster, and her mate, Typhon, who, as the son of Gaia and Tartarus, is known as the most fearsome monster of Greek mythology and the father of many monsters himself.
Garmr, also known as Garm, is a hound from Norse legends who is described as a blood-stained watchdog who guards the gate to Hel, the Norse realm of the dead which is ruled by the goddess of the same name. He is mentioned several times (though not always by name) in the Poetic Edda; in the Baldrs draumar, Odin journeys to Hel and meets a dog who is implied to be Garmr. Additionally, the Prose Edda describes him as "the greatest monster" who guarded the cave of Gnipahellir and who would do battle with the god Týr during Ragnarök, with each slaying the other before the world starts anew.
The Black Dog is a being found in the folklore of the British Isles that is best known as a ghostly apparition of a black hound that is larger than an average dog. It is described as having large glowing eyes and is often associated with lightning and thunderstorms, crossroads, ancient pathways, and places where executions take place. It is also associated with Hellhounds and the Devil in general. The origins of this legendary creature of the night remain a mystery, as it could be derived from either the Celtic or the Germanic influences on British culture. The Black Dog is also frequently compared to the Cŵn Annwn, Garmr, Cerberus, and other Hellhound myths such as the Barghest.
The Black Shuck is another variation of the myth of the Black Dog, only it is specific to the fens of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire. It is suggested that the name "shuck" came from the Old English word for "demon," "scucca," and the dog is described as a large, shaggy and/or hairy hound the size of a calf or a horse with large, flaming eyes. The Black Shuck is often times referred to as an omen of death (similar to the legend of the Grim, which was often referenced in the Harry Potter series), but other stories describe the dog as a companion to humans. Those who claim to have seen the Black Shuck say he was spotted on the coastline, graveyards, side roads, bodies of water, and dark forests of East Anglia.
The Bearer of Death is the phrase used to describe the Hellhound, both in the book Lydia Martin was reading in Status Asthmaticus and in real-life mythology. The Bearer of Death version of the Hellhound is claimed to be "black as coal and smell of burning brimstone," causing wherever he walks to be burned in a trail behind him. His eyes are described as being deep, bright red, and he possesses razor-sharp teeth, super speed and strength, which is likely where Jeff Davis came up with the in-series mythology of the Hellhound. In this myth, Hellhounds are known as the "Bearers of Death" because they were said to be created by ancient demons for the sole purpose of being heralds of death. Some legends say that seeing a Bearer of Death will lead to the person's death, where others say they must see the Hellhound three times before this occurs, which is what has made the Hellhound such a feared creature.
So far, Hellhounds have been shown to be nearly unstoppable; though they are vulnerable in their human form, any life-threatening injury will cause them to revert to Hellhound form, at least until they are fully healed.
A silver bullet to the head can neutralize a weakened Hellhound, and melted silver entering the bloodstream is enough to actually kill a Hellhound, as evidenced by Halwyn's death.
The Hellhound seems destined to face the resurrectedThe Beast of Gevaudan. Parrish is the only being known to survive an encounter with it thus far, though Parrish admitted he knew he was losing in their last fights.
It has been suggested that Parrish will need to evolve to be able to beat the Beast as the Hellhound, possibly implying that there may be a way for Parrish and the Hellhound to coexist in one body rather than fighting back and forth for control.
The internal battle between the Hellhound and Jordan Parrish shares many similarities to the battle between the Beast and Mason Hewitt, the teenage Chimera acting as its host, as well as Kira Yukimura and the battle she's facing with her inner Kitsune spirit.
It is unknown where the Hellhound resides when it isn't possessing a human vessel on Earth.
When Jordan Parrish and Lydia Martin touched the Nemeton together, the rings of the stump began to glow bright gold, indicating the connection between the two harbingers of death and the once-powerful tree.
In Season 3B's Anchors, Stiles Stilinski made a somewhat-joking comment about how he was not prepared for the possibility of the creature for whom they were searching (which ultimately turned out to be the werecoyoteMalia Tate) turning out to be a "three-headed hound of hell." Since Jordan Parrish was introduced as a character in this season who was drawn to Beacon Hills by the Nemeton, it is possible that this was foreshadowing the Hellhound's introduction in Season 4 and Season 5.
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