Demon OC Ideas

Press the button for one storybook demon with a small rank, a single rule and a human habit.

Demon OC Ideas: 30 demons

A demon who is the tea-cart attendant on the lowest floor. Their one rule: never cross a doorstep without wiping both feet. They collect clocks that are each wrong in their own way. Their human habit: humming while washing the dishes. The look: one horn chipped, the other mended with wire.

Padlock: keep a part. Arrows: change only that part.

  • Rank or jobthe tea-cart attendant on the lowest floor
  • One rulenever cross a doorstep without wiping both feet
  • What they collectclocks that are each wrong in their own way
  • Human habithumming while washing the dishes
  • The lookone horn chipped, the other mended with wire
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    1. A demon who is the tea-cart attendant on the lowest floor. Their one rule: never cross a doorstep without wiping both feet. They collect clocks that are each wrong in their own way. Their human habit: humming while washing the dishes. The look: one horn chipped, the other mended with wire.
    2. A demon who is on the late shift at a laundromat. Their one rule: always stand still while a clock is striking. They collect echoes, bottled and labeled by valley. Their human habit: learning the ukulele, one chord so far. The look: moss on the shoulders, and a bird's nest behind one horn.
    3. A demon who is a trainee in the Bureau of Mild Inconvenience. Their one rule: raise the voice only to sing. They collect pen caps, every color but blue. Their human habit: falling asleep by the fire with a book open. The look: soot-smudged, sleeves rolled, a pencil behind one ear.
    4. A demon who is the one who stamps every form, in triplicate. Their one rule: make a promise only on a Thursday. They collect marbles that rolled under furniture. Their human habit: putting the kettle on at the first sign of trouble. The look: deep red and very upright, with a clipboard never put down.
    5. A demon who is the inspector of creaks, thuds and unexplained drafts. Their one rule: never keep a secret past midnight. They collect chess pawns, but never a full set. Their human habit: standing in line politely when there is no line. The look: cheeks that glow like coals when pleased.
    6. A demon who is the lookout on the roof of the town hall. Their one rule: always save the last page of a book for tomorrow. They collect echoes, bottled and labeled by valley. Their human habit: keeping a diary in which nothing much happens. The look: charcoal skin, white gloves, and a tail held like a cane.
    7. A demon who is a filing assistant, nine hundred years from promotion. Their one rule: never take the biggest slice of anything. They collect the last words of unfinished sentences. Their human habit: pressing flowers in the heaviest book around. The look: narrow as a coat rack, with branching horns that hold hats.
    8. A demon who is the heir to a throne that nobody else wants. Their one rule: borrow only what fits in one pocket. They collect bus tickets punched on a Tuesday. Their human habit: saving wrapping paper to use again. The look: glasses on a chain, and horns filed neatly round.
    9. A demon who is regent of a bus shelter until the real one returns. Their one rule: raise the voice only to sing. They collect maps with one road drawn in by hand. Their human habit: knitting scarves far too long to wear. The look: horns like a tuning fork, and a faint hum when thinking.
    10. A demon who is the lookout on the roof of the town hall. Their one rule: always save the last page of a book for tomorrow. They collect the shadows of clouds. Their human habit: doing jigsaw puzzles from the middle outward. The look: a long gray coat, a long gray face, horns laid flat.
    11. A demon who is chancellor of the drawer where string is kept. Their one rule: raise the voice only to sing. They collect weather vanes that point the wrong way. Their human habit: knitting scarves far too long to wear. The look: patchwork wings, darned in three colors of thread.
    12. A demon who is the monarch-in-waiting, forty-first in line. Their one rule: travel only by routes that pass a bakery. They collect keys found in the pockets of secondhand coats. Their human habit: feeding the ducks in the park at lunchtime. The look: horns like a tuning fork, and a faint hum when thinking.
    13. A demon who is captain of a guard of one, namely themselves. Their one rule: grant a request only if it rhymes. They collect balls found in hedges long after the game. Their human habit: keeping a drawer of things that might come in useful. The look: mittens over the claws, and a hood with horn holes.
    14. A demon who is the winter caretaker of a boating lake. Their one rule: make a promise only on a Thursday. They collect teacups that have lost their saucers. Their human habit: carrying an umbrella on every sunny day. The look: narrow as a coat rack, with branching horns that hold hats.
    15. A demon who is assigned to the cupboard under one family's stairs. Their one rule: never take the biggest slice of anything. They collect snow globes of towns that get no snow. Their human habit: keeping a diary in which nothing much happens. The look: a tail too long, looped and carried over one arm.
    16. A demon who is steward of all weather inside one greenhouse. Their one rule: always return a wave, even one aimed at somebody else. They collect the last words of unfinished sentences. Their human habit: falling asleep by the fire with a book open. The look: silver hair parted exactly between the horns.
    17. A demon who is a filing assistant, nine hundred years from promotion. Their one rule: borrow only what fits in one pocket. They collect balls found in hedges long after the game. Their human habit: stopping to read every flyer on a bulletin board. The look: moss on the shoulders, and a bird's nest behind one horn.
    18. A demon who is the sovereign of one small puddle. Their one rule: never frighten anyone who is having a bad day. They collect chess pawns, but never a full set. Their human habit: doing jigsaw puzzles from the middle outward. The look: round as a plum, with stub wings that only hover.
    19. A demon who is on the late shift at a laundromat. Their one rule: always offer the window seat to somebody else. They collect the quiet just after a door closes. Their human habit: saving wrapping paper to use again. The look: tall as a doorway, in a suit one size too small.
    20. A demon who is the monarch-in-waiting, forty-first in line. Their one rule: always return a borrowed thing by the next full moon. They collect buttons that came off in a hurry. Their human habit: waving at trains. The look: cheeks that glow like coals when pleased.
    21. A demon who is the one who stamps every form, in triplicate. Their one rule: always pay a compliment before asking a favor. They collect buttons that came off in a hurry. Their human habit: window-shopping with no intention of buying. The look: candle-flame orange, with a curl of smoke for hair.
    22. A demon who is a filing assistant, nine hundred years from promotion. Their one rule: interrupt only with good news. They collect bus tickets punched on a Tuesday. Their human habit: baking bread that never quite rises. The look: charcoal skin, white gloves, and a tail held like a cane.
    23. A demon who is a filing assistant, nine hundred years from promotion. Their one rule: never answer a question asked before breakfast. They collect the first snowflake of each winter. Their human habit: window-shopping with no intention of buying. The look: moss on the shoulders, and a bird's nest behind one horn.
    24. A demon who is a traveling inspector of scarecrows. Their one rule: raise the voice only to sing. They collect the first snowflake of each winter. Their human habit: feeding the ducks in the park at lunchtime. The look: tall as a doorway, in a suit one size too small.
    25. A demon who is steward of all weather inside one greenhouse. Their one rule: grant a request only if it rhymes. They collect yawns caught halfway. Their human habit: feeding the ducks in the park at lunchtime. The look: candle-flame orange, with a curl of smoke for hair.
    26. A demon who is the archivist of promises made on a Monday. Their one rule: always bow to the first bird seen each morning. They collect apologies that came a day late. Their human habit: standing in line politely when there is no line. The look: patchwork wings, darned in three colors of thread.
    27. A demon who is the inspector of creaks, thuds and unexplained drafts. Their one rule: always bow to the first bird seen each morning. They collect the first snowflake of each winter. Their human habit: practicing card tricks that nearly work. The look: a patched coat with too many pockets, one of them moving.
    28. A demon who is on a long posting to a seaside town out of season. Their one rule: grant a request only if it rhymes. They collect clocks that are each wrong in their own way. Their human habit: complaining about the weather to strangers. The look: soft gray, with ears bigger than the horns.
    29. A demon who is head of complaints, with a line out the door. Their one rule: always give three days' notice of any mischief. They collect bus tickets punched on a Tuesday. Their human habit: checking twice that the front door is locked. The look: charcoal skin, white gloves, and a tail held like a cane.
    30. A demon who is the night watch of a museum's dullest room. Their one rule: never frighten anyone who is having a bad day. They collect echoes, bottled and labeled by valley. Their human habit: labeling every jar in the pantry, even the empty ones. The look: cheeks that glow like coals when pleased.

    Next step Give this demon a storyDraw the horns, wings and tail

    Rank or job: all 36 ranks

    Titles over small things 12

    • captain of a guard of one, namely themselves A single figure at attention in a row chalked out for twelve.
    • chancellor of the drawer where string is kept An open drawer seen from above, and a chain of office made of knots.
    • envoy to the pigeons of one town square A scroll held out to a bird that is looking the other way.
    • governor of the north side of one hedge Split the picture with the hedge. Only one side of it is trimmed.
    • the heir to a throne that nobody else wants A huge chair and a small figure on its edge, legs not reaching the floor.
    • keeper of the royal seal, which is a potato stamp A cut potato, an ink pad, and one proud smudge on a page.
    • the marshal of a procession of eleven snails A baton raised over a silver trail. Draw the snails in a wavering file.
    • the monarch-in-waiting, forty-first in line A long line of backs, and one horned head far down it.
    • regent of a bus shelter until the real one returns A bench, a route map, and a paper crown held on with one hand.
    • the sovereign of one small puddle A crown reflected in water no wider than a dinner plate. Keep the feet wet.
    • steward of all weather inside one greenhouse Fogged panes, a tiny cloud at the ridge, a watering can held like a scepter.
    • warden of one stair, the step everybody skips Seat them on the step with arms folded. Shade the stairs above and below.

    Desk jobs 12

    • a filing assistant, nine hundred years from promotion Cabinets rising past the top edge of the page, and one folder in hand.
    • a junior clerk in the Office of Squeaky Hinges An oil can on the desk and a door ajar behind. Tilt the nameplate.
    • a trainee in the Bureau of Mild Inconvenience A lanyard, a badge too big for the chest, and a manual held upside down.
    • the archivist of promises made on a Monday Scrolls in a rack, each tied with ribbon, and a stepladder to the top row.
    • the bookkeeper of small debts, pennies only A ledger wider than the desk, and a neat stack of three coins.
    • head of complaints, with a line out the door A desk bell, a ticket dispenser, and a patient face behind folded hands.
    • the inspector of creaks, thuds and unexplained drafts An ear pressed to a wall, a notebook open, a curtain lifting by itself.
    • the mail sorter for letters with no address A sack of blank envelopes, and one held up to the light.
    • the minute-taker at meetings that nobody else attends A long table, twelve empty chairs, and one figure writing fast in a notebook.
    • the night porter at a door unused for a century A stool, a ring of keys, cobwebs across the frame. Light it from one lamp.
    • the one who stamps every form, in triplicate A rubber stamp caught in mid-air. Three identical sheets fan out below it.
    • the tea-cart attendant on the lowest floor A rattling cart of cups pushed down a corridor with no windows.

    Postings among people 12

    • a traveling inspector of scarecrows A clipboard held up to a straw face. Crows watch from the fence.
    • assigned to one street lamp that flickers A cone of light on a wet sidewalk. They lean on the post like a colleague.
    • assigned to the cupboard under one family's stairs A slanted ceiling, coats on hooks, a camp bed and a reading lamp.
    • the attendant of a night bus with no timetable Lit windows in a dark street. They stand in the doorway with a ticket punch.
    • in charge of a crossroads with a broken signpost Four roads, a post whose arms point at the ground, a lawn chair beside it.
    • the lookout on the roof of the town hall Seen from below against the sky, with a flask and a pair of opera glasses.
    • the night watch of a museum's dullest room Glass cases of thimbles, one flashlight beam, and a yawn.
    • on a long posting to a seaside town out of season Shuttered kiosks, a gray sea, one figure on the boardwalk with a suitcase.
    • on loan to a village as its official bad omen Standing on the green in a sash. Villagers pass with their shopping, unbothered.
    • on the late shift at a laundromat A row of round machine doors, one spinning, and a figure sitting on the folding table.
    • undercover as the quietest lodger in a boarding house A hat pulled low at the breakfast table, and every other lodger in mid-sentence.
    • the winter caretaker of a boating lake Upturned rowboats under snow, a broom, a hut with a lit stove.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-12. Made up for this list: ranks and jobs of our own for a storybook demon: titles over small things, desk jobs, and postings among people. No real office or place is named. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    One rule: all 36 rules

    Never 12

    • never answer a question asked before breakfast A raised finger, a bowl, a spoon. The asker's balloon holds only a question mark.
    • never cross a doorstep without wiping both feet Close on a doormat worn through in two patches.
    • never frighten anyone who is having a bad day A figure half out of the dark, thinking better of it. The other person has dropped the groceries.
    • never keep a secret past midnight A clock at five to twelve, and cheeks puffed with holding it in.
    • never laugh at a joke before the teller does Both hands clamped over the mouth, shoulders shaking, eyes on the teller.
    • never lie to anyone holding a cup of tea A cup held out across a table. Show the demon's mouth pressed shut.
    • never say a name the same way twice A speech balloon with one name crossed out and tried again.
    • never sit down before the host does A full table, every chair taken but one, and a figure standing behind it.
    • never step on anybody else's shadow Long evening shadows on a street, and a figure hopping between them.
    • never take the biggest slice of anything A cake cut unevenly, and a hand steering toward the thinnest piece.
    • never turn left twice in a row Draw the route as a dotted line on a street map: right turns and one long loop.
    • never wake a sleeping cat, whatever the hurry A cat across the stairs, and a figure climbing round by the banister.

    Always 12

    • always answer honestly the third time of asking Three balloons in a row with the same question, each one larger.
    • always bow to the first bird seen each morning A deep bow on a doorstep toward a sparrow on the fence.
    • always carry the exact change An open palm of coins counted out, the smallest coin on top.
    • always finish a story once it has been started A listener asleep in a chair, and the teller still going with one hand raised.
    • always give three days' notice of any mischief A printed notice pinned to a gate, dated, with a signature that curls.
    • always offer the window seat to somebody else A bus bench, an arm swept toward the glass, and a surprised passenger.
    • always pay a compliment before asking a favor An admiring point at somebody's hat, with the request folded small behind the back.
    • always repay a kindness before sunset Low sun, a long shadow, a wrapped parcel left on a step.
    • always return a borrowed thing by the next full moon A moon almost round, and a ladder being carried back down a lane.
    • always return a wave, even one aimed at somebody else An arm up and a wide smile. The friend the wave was for stands just behind.
    • always save the last page of a book for tomorrow A book shut on one finger a leaf from the end, and a lamp being turned down.
    • always stand still while a clock is striking One foot in the air under a clock tower. Draw the sound as widening rings.

    Only 12

    • accept thanks only in writing One hand waving the words away, the other holding out a pen.
    • answer the door only on the second knock A hand on the latch, an ear to the wood, and a fist outside raised to try again.
    • borrow only what fits in one pocket A pocket turned out to show its size, held up against a trombone.
    • eat only what has been offered A loaded table, hands folded in the lap, eyes on one plate.
    • grant a request only if it rhymes A petitioner counting syllables on their fingers. The demon waits, chin on fist.
    • interrupt only with good news A finger raised in a doorway, and a wide closed-mouth smile.
    • make a promise only on a Thursday A handshake stopped an inch apart, both parties looking at a wall calendar.
    • prank only those who pranked first A whoopee cushion on a chair, and a notebook open at one underlined name.
    • raise the voice only to sing Chin up, one hand on the chest, a music stand. Everyone nearby leans back.
    • sit only in a chair that somebody else has warmed Hovering beside an armchair as its owner gets up to fetch something.
    • travel only by routes that pass a bakery A lit shop window at dawn, steam on the glass, a figure slowing down.
    • use the front door only on a first visit Legs disappearing through a side window, with a perfectly good door beside it.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-12. Made up for this list: rules of our own, each small, odd and binding: things never done, things always done, and things done only on one condition. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    What they collect: all 36 collections

    Lost and left behind 12

    • balls found in hedges long after the game A net bag of them slung over a shoulder, all sizes, one still muddy.
    • bookmarks left in books nobody finished Ribbons, receipts and a pressed leaf, fanned out between two fingers.
    • bus tickets punched on a Tuesday Tickets fanned like a hand of cards. Draw the punch holes as small stars.
    • buttons that came off in a hurry A glass jar in window light. Leave a tail of thread on a few.
    • jigsaw pieces found under sofas, all of them sky A tray of blue pieces that almost join. Cast a small shadow under each.
    • keys found in the pockets of secondhand coats A ring as big as a wreath. Vary the teeth on every key.
    • marbles that rolled under furniture A low viewpoint under a dresser: dust, one marble, a reaching claw.
    • odd socks, one from each house on the street A clothesline of singles in every pattern, pinned up in house order.
    • pen caps, every color but blue Caps lined up along a windowsill by shade, with one gap.
    • shopping lists dropped in the street Scraps pasted in a scrapbook. Letter a few words: eggs, string, candles.
    • single gloves found on winter sidewalks Gloves mounted on a board like butterflies, each with a date.
    • umbrellas left behind in waiting rooms A stand bristling with handles: duck heads, hooks, one plain knob.

    Kept on purpose 12

    • bottle caps, sorted by how they rattle Tins with handwritten labels, and one held up to the ear.
    • chess pawns, but never a full set A row of pawns in different woods, tallest to shortest.
    • clocks that are each wrong in their own way A wall of dials showing different hours. Catch one pendulum mid-swing.
    • corks, each labeled with the occasion A bowl of corks with paper flags on pins.
    • maps with one road drawn in by hand A map unfolded on the floor, a pencil line wandering off its edge.
    • pencils sharpened down to the last inch A flat tin of stubs laid in like sardines, erasers all chewed.
    • postcards of places they have never been A wall of views joined with string, and nothing written on the backs.
    • second-place ribbons from village fairs Rosettes pinned across a sash, each with a large numeral two.
    • snow globes of towns that get no snow A globe in a claw, mid-shake, with a palm tree inside.
    • the stickers off fruit The inside of a cupboard door papered in small ovals.
    • teacups that have lost their saucers A shelf of cups on hooks, no two alike, handles all turned one way.
    • weather vanes that point the wrong way Roosters, ships and arrows on poles, each facing a different wind.

    Cannot be held 12

    • apologies that came a day late Envelopes with yesterday's postmark, tied in a bundle with string.
    • echoes, bottled and labeled by valley Stoppered bottles on a shelf, each with a faint ring drawn inside.
    • the first snowflake of each winter A black velvet tray, one flake, a magnifying glass, breath held.
    • hiccups, in order of loudness A row of jars, small to large, each lid jumping a little.
    • the last words of unfinished sentences A notebook page of single words, each after a long ruled line.
    • the pause before a punchline Two figures, one with its mouth open, and a stopwatch between them.
    • the quiet just after a door closes An empty hallway, and a coat still swinging on its hook.
    • the shadows of clouds A hillside in patches of dark and light, and a figure pacing one out.
    • the smell of rain on a warm sidewalk A jar held open low over wet stone, with steam curling in.
    • tunes that people hum without noticing Music notes drifting from a passer-by into an open satchel.
    • the warm spot a cat has just left A cushion with a round dent, and a hand held just above it.
    • yawns caught halfway A butterfly net swung at an open mouth on a train.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-12. Made up for this list: collections of our own for a storybook demon: things lost and left behind, things kept on purpose, and things that cannot be held. Nothing is taken from anybody who would miss it. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    Human habit: all 36 habits

    At home 12

    • checking twice that the front door is locked Halfway down the path and turning back, keys already out.
    • doing the crossword in pen A folded newspaper on one knee, ink blots, the tongue between the teeth.
    • falling asleep by the fire with a book open A book tented on the chest, lit warm from one side only.
    • humming while washing the dishes Suds to the elbows, a plate held to the light, and a tune drawn as notes among the bubbles.
    • ironing everything, including the socks A tower of flat folded laundry, and steam rising round the horns.
    • keeping a drawer of things that might come in useful A drawer pulled out too far: rubber bands, fuses, a single roller skate.
    • labeling every jar in the pantry, even the empty ones Small jars in a row, one held up to read, one label turned outward.
    • leaving notes on the fridge for nobody Magnets, a slip of paper, handwriting that slopes uphill.
    • putting the kettle on at the first sign of trouble A kettle mid-pour in the foreground, and the chaos small in the doorway.
    • saving wrapping paper to use again A careful peel at the tape, and a drawer of folded sheets behind.
    • talking to houseplants and waiting for a reply Bent toward a fern, one hand cupped to the ear.
    • writing a to-do list and then losing it Patting every pocket. The list is stuck to the sole of one foot.

    Out and about 12

    • apologizing to lampposts after walking into them A hat lifted to a post, the other hand rubbing the forehead.
    • carrying an umbrella on every sunny day A furled umbrella under the arm, a hard noon shadow, not a cloud anywhere.
    • complaining about the weather to strangers Two figures at a bus stop under one cloud: one talking, one nodding.
    • feeding the ducks in the park at lunchtime A paper bag, a bench, ducks in a half circle. One duck is on the bench.
    • reading over shoulders on the bus A neck craned sideways, and a newspaper being tilted away.
    • returning other people's shopping carts A train of nested carts pushed across an empty lot toward the bay.
    • standing in line politely when there is no line One figure a careful step back from an empty counter.
    • stopping to read every flyer on a bulletin board A cork board layered with paper, and a finger following one line.
    • taking the long way home to pass a certain dog A garden gate, a wagging tail, a hand reaching through the bars.
    • thanking the bus driver, getting on and getting off One foot on the step, a small bow toward the cab, and a line of riders waiting behind.
    • waving at trains A footbridge, a blur of cars below, one arm held high.
    • window-shopping with no intention of buying A nose print on the glass, and hands clasped behind the back.

    Hobbies 12

    • baking bread that never quite rises A flat loaf on a rack, flour on the brow, one oven mitt still on.
    • bird-watching with a notebook and no binoculars Squinting up, pencil ready. Put the bird directly behind them.
    • doing jigsaw puzzles from the middle outward An island of joined pieces on a bare table, the edge pieces still in the box.
    • growing windowsill tomatoes and naming each one Pots with name tags on sticks, and a very small watering can.
    • keeping a diary in which nothing much happens A small book on the knee, and a pen tapped against the chin.
    • knitting scarves far too long to wear The scarf runs off the lap, across the floor and out of the frame.
    • learning the ukulele, one chord so far Fingers placed with great care, a chord chart propped against a mug.
    • painting the same hill in watercolors every week An easel outdoors, and a stack of near-identical pictures against its leg.
    • practicing card tricks that nearly work A fan of cards, one drifting to the floor, an audience of one houseplant.
    • pressing flowers in the heaviest book around A fat book shut on a stem, a second book on top of it, then a brick.
    • singing in a choir, slightly behind the beat A row of open mouths, and one that is only just opening.
    • writing to the newspaper about overgrown hedges A desk lamp, a fountain pen, a wastebasket of crumpled first tries.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-12. Made up for this list: ordinary human habits of our own choosing, for a demon to have picked up: at home, out and about, and hobbies. Each is harmless. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    The look: all 36 looks

    Small and round 12

    • button eyes, a snub snout, and a tail tied in a bow Space the eyes wide and low on the face. The bow is two loops and a knot.
    • candle-flame orange, with a curl of smoke for hair Palest at the belly and darker toward the edges, like a flame turned inside out.
    • cheeks that glow like coals when pleased Leave the cheeks the brightest thing on the page and warm the edges near them.
    • freckled lavender skin, and horns still capped in fuzz Dot the freckles across the nose and the horn tips in a slightly darker violet.
    • ink-blue and pocket-sized, with a white tuft on the tail Draw it looking out over the top of a coat pocket, tuft hanging outside.
    • mittens over the claws, and a hood with horn holes Round every shape. Let one claw tip poke through the wool.
    • moth wings, a fluffy collar, and horns like antennae Dusty browns with one eye spot on each wing. Feather the edges of the horns.
    • no taller than a milk bottle, with horns like two commas Stand a bottle or a boot beside it for scale. Make the head a third of the height.
    • pear-shaped, in a scarf that goes round four times Narrow head, wide base, and the scarf covering everything up to the eyes.
    • round as a plum, with stub wings that only hover One circle for the body. Blur the wings and lift it an inch off the ground line.
    • the size of a cat, striped tail, horns like a calf's Borrow the outline of a sitting cat, then add two short blunt horns.
    • soft gray, with ears bigger than the horns Let the ears droop to the shoulders and keep the horns as two small bumps.

    Tall and tidy 12

    • a high collar, a long neck, and horns in a tidy spiral Draw the neck first as a gentle S. Wind each horn twice and stop.
    • a long gray coat, a long gray face, horns laid flat Build it from three tall rectangles. The horns follow the skull like combed hair.
    • a tall hat with two neat holes for the horns The hat sits lower than you expect. Stitch a ring round each hole.
    • bat wings rolled like an umbrella under one arm A tight bundle with one wing claw as the handle. Keep the back plain.
    • brass-colored eyes, and a bow tie in the same brass Use the brass twice and nowhere else. Keep the rest in cool darks.
    • charcoal skin, white gloves, and a tail held like a cane Let the gloves be the only white. The tail meets the ground in a straight line.
    • deep red and very upright, with a clipboard never put down A spine as straight as a plumb line. Angle the clipboard toward the viewer.
    • glasses on a chain, and horns filed neatly round Rest the glasses low on the nose. The horn tips end in soft domes.
    • horns polished to a shine, and a vest with a pocket watch One white highlight along each horn, and the chain in a shallow curve.
    • narrow as a coat rack, with branching horns that hold hats A thin upright, then the horns as a wide fork. Hang two hats at different heights.
    • silver hair parted exactly between the horns A part as straight as a ruler, with the hair falling evenly on both sides.
    • tall as a doorway, in a suit one size too small Duck the head under a lintel. Show wrists and ankles beyond the cuffs.

    Scruffy and odd 12

    • a patched coat with too many pockets, one of them moving Vary the pocket sizes and flaps. Add motion lines at a single pocket.
    • a tail too long, looped and carried over one arm Three loose coils over the forearm like a garden hose, the tip trailing.
    • four eyes, of which two are usually asleep Upper pair shut as curved lines, lower pair wide. Give each pair its own brow.
    • horns grown into a knot, and a frown of concentration Cross the horns once above the head. Pull the brows down to meet.
    • horns like a tuning fork, and a faint hum when thinking Two straight prongs rising from one stem. Add short vibration lines at the tips.
    • moss on the shoulders, and a bird's nest behind one horn Soft green along the top edges, and a beak or two showing over the nest.
    • one horn chipped, the other mended with wire Break the outline of one horn. Wrap the other in a few tight turns.
    • patchwork wings, darned in three colors of thread Divide each wing into panels and change the stitch direction in each.
    • sea-green, barnacled, and always slightly damp Cluster the barnacles at the shoulders and horn bases. Add a small pool underfoot.
    • shaggy as a doormat, with only the nose and horn tips out Draw the fur as downward strokes from a center line. No eyes showing.
    • skin like peeling paint, with older colors under it Curl a few flakes outward and let a second and third color show in patches.
    • soot-smudged, sleeves rolled, a pencil behind one ear Thumbprint smudges on the cheek and forearm. Leave the pencil clean.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-12. Made up for this list: looks of our own for a storybook demon, each a few design decisions around a pair of horns: small and round, tall and tidy, and scruffy and odd. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    How it works

    These demon OC ideas treat a demon as somebody with a job. Every rank is small, every rule is odd and binding, and nothing here is frightening: one demon is a junior clerk in the Office of Squeaky Hinges.

    Read the full guide

    Demon character ideas need a rule

    A demon who can do anything is hard to draw and dull to write. The second part hands yours one rule that cannot be broken: never lie to anyone holding a cup of tea, or grant a request only if it rhymes. Draw the moment the rule gets in the way.

    Rank first, horns last

    Horns say demon and nothing about which one. The rank does that: the sovereign of one small puddle wants a crown and wet feet, the marshal of a procession of eleven snails a baton. Let the habit set the pose, then add the horns.

    • Red is optional. The look list has lavender, ink-blue and sea-green demons, and the horns keep each one a demon.
    • Put the collection in the background: tins of bottle caps, sorted by how they rattle, do the work of a caption.

    Questions and answers

    What are cute ideas for a demon OC?

    Make the demon small and its dignity large. Among the small, round looks, one is no taller than a milk bottle, with horns like two commas; another wears mittens over the claws, and a hood with horn holes. Add a grand rank.

    Can a demon OC be good?

    Yes, and most of these lean that way. The rules include never frighten anyone who is having a bad day and always repay a kindness before sunset, and the habits are gentle: feeding the ducks in the park at lunchtime, waving at trains.

    What should a demon OC look like?

    Keep the horns and change everything else. The looks run from tall and tidy (horns polished to a shine, and a vest with a pocket watch) to scruffy (one horn chipped, the other mended with wire).

    Are these demons from a show, a game or a religion?

    No. All five lists were made up for this page. No demon of any scripture, story, show or game is named, nothing here is a belief or a ritual, and nobody is hurt, cursed or bargained out of anything.

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