Alastor

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Alastor ("avenger") in Greek mythology, was the personification of familial feuds. He was also associated with sins that pass down from parent to child. As a genius, or spirit of the household in Roman mythology, he incited people to murder and other sins. He was originally a mortal, son of Neleus, King of Pylos. He was later downgraded to a minor daemon after he and his brothers were killed by Heracles.

In Christian demonology, Alastor became chief executioner to the monarch of Hell. He was likened to Nemesis and the destroying angel and was known as The Executioner. He was exceptionally cruel.

Evil spirits were also known as Alastors.

Alastor in fiction

Alastor is also a quasi-sentient sword in Devil May Cry, and a winged demon in Viewtiful Joe; both are games created by Capcom. His first appearance in Devil May Cry is a scene where the sword moves on its own, stabbing the protagonist through the chest. In the game, Alastor has his own will, but is overpowered by Dante, and becomes his primary weapon for most of the game. In Viewtiful Joe, he serves as a boss in the game, and also as an unlockable playable character. He has, just like Dante, a Devil Trigger form, and is very reminiscent of Devil May Cry in the way he plays.

In the PlayStation 2 version of Viewtiful Joe, Dante is a playable character, and the conversation when Dante meets the character Alastor suggests that Alastor is the spirit of Dante's sword, somehow brought to life.

Alastor has also appeared as an enemy in the famous Konami series, Castlevania, specifically in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. He appears as a translucent silhouette of a Demon with its only visible feature being a broken dark sword. Earning Alastor's soul in that game grants the user the summoning of Alastor's Sword as a Familiar that follows the user and attacks in tandem.

Alastor has also appeared as the leader of Hell's army in Painkiller, and the final boss in Battle out of Hell, the first Painkiller addon. He appears as a large, fat, winged demon in Painkiller, and a heavily armoured version of said demon in Battle out of Hell.

In the role-playing game by White Wolf Game Studio the Alastors are an elite group of enforcers (Archons) of the Camarilla whose sole responsibility is tracking and destroying the Anathema (those listed on the Red List).

Jack Vance wrote three loosely related novels set in a fictitious globular cluster called Alastor.

Alastor's Hood -- late-game headgear in ; this hood can be used in battle "to Haunt a foe."

"Tenjou no Gouka" Alastor (Crimson Lord) He is the Crimson Lord to whom Shana, of Shakugan no Shana, is bound.

A poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is named Alastor.

Alastor makes an appearance as a mini-boss in the PC game Titan Quest. He is referred to in-game as "The Scourge of Acheron."

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