Ink Demon
- "Ink Bendy" redirects here. For other uses, see Bendy (disambiguation).
"My ink swells and boils. It consumes. I... am the Ink Demon. This realm is mine. You were born from it... you belong to it..." |
The Ink Demon is a demonic ink entity, conqueror of the Cycle, and the largest threat to the residents of the realm, constantly pursuing and killing anyone unlucky enough to be in his proximity. Before his reign, he started out as a failed attempt at creating the Joey Drew Studios's popular mascot Bendy in real life using the Ink Machine, a defect among several other physical cartoon characters due to lacking a soul.[2]
History
Origins
Around the unknown date, the Ink Demon was made as the first figure ever created from the machine in a failed attempt to bring Bendy to life as a living attraction. Though he was deemed a failure due to having no soul, the Ink Demon was initially harmless and made no attempt to hurt anyone as he merely wandered around the studio. This did put some of the staff in a sense of unease as he seemed to have an unearthly presence, according to Thomas Connor.[2] Due to his appearance and behavior, fearing that he would scare everyone off upon seeing him, Joey Drew demanded that Thomas lock the Ink Demon away. Based on Joey's response, the Ink Demon is not the only failed attempt subject being created.[3]
Stalking after the wolf
Around Boris' time, the Ink Demon wandered around the levels while Boris is there collecting supplies for his safehouse. If in line of his sight, the demon will pursue after Boris, and Boris has to run for his life and hide.[4]
The hunt for the original demon's creator
Around 1963, the Ink Demon reveals himself when Henry Stein activates the Ink Machine from the break room after collecting all the ritual items. As Henry approached the blocked entrance to the Ink Machine's loading dock, the Ink Demon suddenly jumps out from behind the boards and attempts to grab Henry but the latter fell back. The demon then sinks back down into the ink as the workshop begins to collapse.
Later after Sammy Lawrence captured Henry and taking him to the sacrifice room, the prophet summons the Ink Demon and commanded to take Henry as a sacrifice so the former will be freed from his inky body. However, the Ink Demon instead goes after Sammy, killing him and giving Henry time to slip out of his bonds. When Henry tries to escape by heading to the exit from the ink-flooded area, the Ink Demon emerges from the ink and chases Henry through the maze before he reaches the S3 Vault and locks him out. The demon tried to break down the door but quickly gives up.
With Buddy Boris and Henry teaming up to explore around more areas, the Ink Demon will become active when Henry starts doing Alice Angel's tasks. To evade detection, Henry has to hide in the nearest Little Miracle Station or run to the elevator and close the doors; otherwise, the Ink Demon will spot Henry and chase him for death.
After the elevator crash, the Ink Demon continues to pursue Henry, as he suddenly shows up while Henry is crawling through the vents after meeting the Lost Ones. The Ink Demon appears suddenly and gently runs one finger down the air vent cover before walking away, leaving behind a waterfall of ink in front of the grate. The Ink Demon later shows up again at the Maintenance to exchange blows with the Projectionist, who was trying to approach Henry from the Little Miracle Station. The demon is able to overpower the Projectionist, lifting him off of his feet and tearing off his projector head. He throws the head against the Little Miracle Station, seemingly aware of Henry's presence inside it, but simply 'glares' at him. He then takes hold of the Projectionist's decapitated body and drags it away, disappearing through the wall with it.
At the administration lobby long after the Lost Harbor battle, the Ink Demon appears as he slowly walk across the balcony after Henry creates the first pipe from the Ink Maker, and after entering the Film Vault and passing through the rooms reminiscent of the workshop seen from the beginning of the story, the Ink Demon will appear in a corridor behind a wall of glass as he slowly walks to the end. Allison will tell Henry not to make a sound upon his appearance, although moving or staying in front of him will provoke no response. After parting ways with Allison and Tom, Henry approaches the Ink Demon's throne within the Ink Machine and listens to Joey Drew's final audio log, who tells him that the Ink Demon never saw the end of the Bendy cartoons which left him wandering throughout the studio for years. Henry takes a nearby film reel, labelled "The End", when the Ink Demon suddenly appears behind the throne. Sensing the danger of the film reel, he transforms into large monstrous version of himself where Henry avoids him through the inner workings of the machine, managing to reach back to the throne room; Henry places "The End" reel inside of the projector to anger but weaken the Ink Demon as all the screens turn into the end sequences for all of the Joey Drew cartoons. As the Ink Demon's body seemingly dissolves into nothing, Bendy is not aware that this is merely just one repetition of events within the Cycle.
Dethroned by Wilson
With the reset of the Cycle, the Ink Demon is made anew as events repeat themselves, though his rule over the ink realm is challenged by the arrival of Wilson.
At least 211 days before events of Audrey's story, Wilson used the remaining technology left behind by the Gent Corporation within the Cycle in conjunction with his own creations of the Keepers to perform experiments on the Ink Demon after successfully incapacitating him. Though their methods were extreme, using both surgery and torture to try and work out how to destroy the demon, they were not able to harm him.
An answer came in the form of Gent's signal towers, machines built to suppress and neutralize the powers of certain entities within the Cycle. When using these towers on the Ink Demon, it caused him to transform into a weak and powerless form based on his original cartoon design. The Keepers performed another round of experiments on this new Bendy, noting that he was indeed harmless and able to feel emotions such as pain and fear. The Keepers themselves also made note that it was enjoyable to note "tears of ink" and screams from him.
Working under the assumption that the Ink Demon was now permanently trapped in this state, Wilson spun the story to proclaim that he had actually killed the Ink Demon personally, using it to rise to authority and rule over the Cycle. The Ink Demon, in his weakened state, was left alone.
Reclaiming the realm
After Audrey was brought into the Cycle as part of Wilson's plans, she encounters Bendy in Animation Alley and tries to befriend him when her powers accidentally trigger, not only hurting him, but also inadvertently waking up the dormant Ink Demon, allowing him to at least temporarily break out of his confinement within his weaker self. Shortly after scaring the smaller Bendy with her own powers, the Ink Demon made his presence known by speaking to Audrey as a disembodied voice. Throughout the rest of her journey, he would taunt her by claiming he knew of her true nature while also hunting after her in any part of the studio.[5]
Throughout Audrey's journey, the Ink Demon pursues her on random occasions and would kill her if she is unable to hide in certain areas in time. It goes on until Audrey meets the Ink Demon's harmless form again at the Lost City's subway, however she had briefly lost track of him after meeting with Joey's memory at the Lost City's hotel.
Upon returning, the Ink Demon pounces on her just as she is about to enter the Gent workshop. However, the signal towers suddenly turn on, forcing the Ink Demon to transform back into the Bendy she had befriended, proving that the two demons are one and the same.
After being captured by Wilson and brought along to fulfill his plans, the Ink Demon warns Audrey via his voice that he is lying to her. He does not make another appearance until the very end. When Audrey enters the Ink Machine Lair, the demon reminisces about how she was created from that very machine, and then advice her to reflect on her situation before she fights the monstrous version of Shipahoy Dudley. After the long fight, Audrey had successfully banished Wilson's body within his flawed creation, but all this manages to do is upset Shipahoy who proceeds to tear of her legs and prepares to ultimately kill her off, only to be stopped by the Ink Demon who arrives to save her. The two monstrous entities then fight it out, but Shipahoy was easily overpowered and slain by the Ink Demon who then proceeds to drag them into the ink depths. When she comes regains consciousness after passing out, she notices the Demon has reemerged and has summoned his dark inky aura. She fails to escape in fear of the Demon going after her next, but instead he wishes to speak with her. The Ink Demon notes that Audrey can no longer continue because of her recent crippling and tells her to join the Dark Puddles. He claims that Audrey is just a worthless monster living a lie like him, due to both being made from the Ink Machine, but that they can be stronger together. Unable to resist, Audrey's body is taken and the Ink Demon fuses it with his own to once again become Beast Bendy together in one body.
Suddenly, after the fusion, the Joey Drew's memory appears with "The End" reel, appealing to Audrey who is still inside their shared form. Envious and enraged by Joey's kind words to Audrey and out of spite towards his neglectful creator, the Ink Demon kills the ghost of Joey, but this spurs to Audrey seize control of the body and run to the projectors once more. Aided by Allison, Tom, Henry, and all the others Audrey met, the Ink Demon rages and says that her efforts will not break the Cycle and that he will still rule regardless. Nevertheless, Audrey is able to run the reel and shine the film at the Ink Demon, destroying his body and resetting the Cycle yet again.
Characteristics
Physical appearance
The Ink Demon is a tall, lean, diabolical demon represented as a twisted reflection to the cartoon character Bendy. He has a misshapen appearance with a skin of pitch-black ink, ink dripping over where his eyes should be, and a wide unchanging smile. Unlike his original counterpart, he wears nothing else apart from the bowtie and a left glove.
At first, the Ink Demon appears as a malformed humanoid-like figure, resembling that of Bendy but taller and deformed. His head closely resembles his original counterpart's but his horns are curved to bear a crescent, and are able to be articulated similarly to a cat's ears. His toothy grin matches his original cartoon design, only appears age-stained and vibrates. He has a hunched back, with his spine seeming crooked, sporting jagged spines. His left arm is slightly longer than his right, which looks thinner and less human. On his left hand, he wears an cartoon glove with four fingers, while his right hand is much smaller and human-like with five fingers. His right foot resembles that of a human, while his left foot is a stump which gives him a limp. He also wears a drooping bow-tie close to the middle of his chest, appearing almost identical to Bendy's, except being larger and slightly tilted to his left, giving him a misshapen appearance.
Later on, the Ink Demon's appearance has been drastically changed to look more menacing and less cartoonish. His horns sport a more natural curve reminiscent of real animal horns instead of the cartoon inspiration from before. With eyes still obscured by thick ink covering his head, his grinning mouth is shaped like that of a human skull and can now open fully, complete with gums and realistic teeth. His torso is much bulkier than before, with several tendril-like spikes coming out of his back and parts of his shoulders. His stature is bigger, yet almost skeletal in certain parts. Though his left hand remains partially gloved, both of the Ink Demon's hands have turned into large claws, with his right forearm appearing to be almost bone-like, while his legs are now thinner and have changed to a unguligrade stance with cloven hooves, reemphasizing the demonic imagery. His bowtie now appears sagging as well with a visible hole in it.
Personality
The Ink Demon is a failed attempt to create Bendy as a physical, living being; he has no soul and, as such, has no proper emotions. After being locked up on Joey Drew's orders for being a failure, it is possible that the isolation caused him to develop his murderous tendencies as he was not hostile before he was forced into a locked room full of medical supplies.
In his first incarnation, the Ink Demon seems to lack most semblance of human intelligence and is incapable of speaking, only making noise through raspy breathing, moans, and grunts. He also seems to despise anyone he comes across, possibly due to his earlier treatment in the hands of Joey.
When the Ink Demon gains a new demonic appearance, he now also gains a proper personality and voice, showcasing him as a sadistic demon who shows no remorse for his atrocities. He actively desires to kill anyone (including Henry, Audrey, etc.) and ensure the Cycle's continued existence, which includes himself as its ruler. However, he despises Wilson for his godly aspirations, even warning Audrey not to trust him as a disembodied voice. When he confronts Audrey after he saves her from Wilson's failed creation, the Ink Demon calls the girl a monster much like him, showing that he is fully aware of his nature and embraces it; however, it's likely that he is merely projecting his own existence onto Audrey. He shows open distaste for Joey Drew and declares that the failures of his life will end with his death. Before Audrey breaks the Cycle's extension, the Ink Demon tells her that she can do nothing to truly end the Cycle for good, showing that he is somewhat nihilistic.
Abilities
The Ink Demon has the ability to create and manipulate ink at will, such as flooding portions of the studio with ink and creating shadowy, ink-like patterns on the walls whenever he appears. These ink-like patterns not only make the areas darker, but also apparently kills some types of ink monster on contact, such as Searchers and members of the Butcher Gang. The Ink Demon can also walk in and out of ink portals that form as he approaches a wall, allowing him to teleport throughout the studio.
The Ink Demon's abilities are radically different and only manifest during moments when he threatens Audrey. In addition to being able to project his voice, he only rarely appears in physical form, instead generally making his presence known to Audrey through a sudden shift in perspective from the normal sepia tones to a black-and-white filter. A handful of seconds after this occurs, he will manifest seemingly out of thin air from behind the intended victim, attacking and consuming them before they even have a chance to react. It's only through successfully hiding that this attack can be thwarted.
When truly threatened, the Ink Demon can transform himself to assume a bigger and altogether more fearsome form, known as Beast Bendy. Alternatively, he also has a harmless form that looks nearly identical to his original cartoon counterpart and exists as the Ink Demon's cage, made as a result from the merciless torture given by Wilson's Keepers.
Gameplay
Strategies
Bendy and the Ink Machine
The Ink Demon is only a threat to Henry in Chapter 2: The Old Song, Chapter 3: Rise and Fall, and as well in Chapter 5: The Last Reel after transforming into Beast Bendy. In other chapters Chapter 1: Moving Pictures and Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders, he only appears in scenery. According to the game's code script, the Ink Demon inflicts damage points of +100, meaning that he will kill Henry in one hit as the latter only has +6 health points.
In Chapter 3: Rise and Fall, the Ink Demon has a set of path-findings: TBA
From the same chapter, the Ink Demon will appear in the spawn point that is nearest to Henry on a timer every 3 minutes. The chances of the Ink Demon appearing also increase if Henry sprints too much or if he destroys specific Bendy cutouts. When the Ink Demon spawns, the sound of a heartbeat can be heard along with whispering-like ambiance as the area surrounding him becomes coated with splotchy patterns of ink which flow around. Buddy Boris will cover his face in fear if this happens in close proximity. The Ink Demon will chase after Henry if he is completely vulnerable, even if approached from behind, but stops chasing if Henry manages to hide inside a Little Miracle Station or the elevator, though there is a slight possibility that he can spawn in the same room again. During the chase, the Ink Demon's speed is faster than Henry even while sprinting and there is no way to outrun from him. Upon getting caught, the Ink Demon instantly kills Henry, respawning him at a nearest Bendy statue.
In the mobile ports of the game, the ink will instead cover the player's screen border and grow thicker the closer the Ink Demon is.
Boris and the Dark Survival
The Ink Demon will spawn in a random location on the map when the player (Buddy Boris) either collects a certain amount of items (four items in Day 1, one item in Day 2) or when the level is started (Day 3 and onward).
The cue that the Ink Demon is coming closer can be determined by a heartbeat ambiance and thick inky aura around him, which also serve as his detection range. He will start chasing immediately if he sees the player.
To escape him, the player must run and hide in the nearest Little Miracle Station. When hiding inside the Station, the Ink Demon will eventually lose sight of the player and leave the area. If the player's stamina runs out, the Ink Demon will quickly catch up and attack, sending the player back to the lift on the Safehouse level.
Bendy and the Dark Revival
On random occasions, starting in Chapter 2, the Ink Demon will announce his presence by turning the screen monochromic, along with the pop-up text that appears in the bottom of the screen: "The Ink Demon is coming. Hide."
Audrey only has 10 seconds to hide inside certain objects or the vents. If she is unsuccessful in finding a hiding place, the Ink Demon will suddenly appear and kill her. If standing still when the time runs out, the monochromic filter vanishes but the Ink Demon's growls will not be heard; it still grants an instant death from the Ink Demon when Audrey starts moving again.
Unlike most deaths from regular combat, the player will not respawn at a designated spot and will only have the options of loading a past save file or quitting the game altogether.
Related achievements
Bendy and the Ink Machine
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Hello Bendy Fall through the floor. |
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The Believer Survive being chased by Bendy. |
Bendy and the Dark Revival
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Ink Master Complete the game without dying. |
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The Demon's Dismay Survive 25 Ink Demon attacks. |
Behind the scenes
The Ink Demon is the recurring main antagonist of the Bendy series, appearing in Bendy and the Ink Machine and Boris and the Dark Survival as the main antagonist, and in Bendy and the Dark Revival as one of the two main antagonists (alongside with Wilson).
Development
The Ink Demon was created for Bendy and the Ink Machine under earlier concept development for the earliest prototype to subsequent updates until Chapter 4. The Ink Demon went through many redesigns and all were archived in the game's archive chapter:[1]
- Concept Bendy - When Chapter 1 started its development, the very first "concept" of Bendy is not the widely known Ink Demon. His design nearly matches his original cartoon form with a large, floating head sporting a wide, toothy mouth going vertically around his head, originally designed by theMeatly.[1] His glove hands shared similarly to the original Bendy's early glove design, with three darts each, and his face looks identical to Bendy, but without his grin and instead would split his head in half to reveal a wide, lamprey-like maw. He is also supposed to be smaller in the game,[1] but his model in the Archives is almost at Henry's exact height. This design was entirely changed later on and was recycled for the Boris clone's model with a few changes. The texture file for his face and gloves can be even found in the first prototype's game files, as this version has never appeared in any version of the game and can only be seen in the Archives chapter.
- Alpha Bendy - From Chapter 1's prototype demo until the initial release of Chapter 2, the Ink Demon's "alpha" design, which was jokingly referred to as "bird poop with a smile" by the development team,[1] is entirely different comparing to his future redesigned builds, having a large body and lack of arms and legs. The shape of his head is very human-like, squarish instead of the later circular one, and has a smaller grin. His horns are more spread out instead of curved, while his bow-tie has a nearly same model as his concept version but was notably missing in the Archives chapter. The "alpha" Ink Demon, when popping out from the Ink Machine room in the prototype demo, also lets out a high-pitched shriek, which is actually a placeholder sound used from theMeatly's game MeatlyMakes. The demon's model was originally designed by theMeatly before hiring Pascal Cleroux to redesign the model. His earlier concept art shows that the Ink Demon's "alpha" version was intended to have fully developed limbs with both two-dotted gloves, and from the left side of his face there is what appears to be a cartoon pie-cut eye hanging from above his mouth, but neither of them were used likely due to time constraints.
- Beta Bendy - In the game's other early version upon initial release of Chapters 2 and 3, the Ink Demon's "beta" design almost resembles his final build. Although, his body bears a less skeletal appearance, lacking ink-dripping visual, and his left glove hand has two buttons like the original Bendy, drenched in ink with a humanized pinkie-finger poking out of the side. His left foot was much more puddle and flatter, and his grin has a less amount of details. He lacked visible hump spines, and his right human hand was partly painted with white colors. His bow tie is slightly rotated to his right for the same reason it is shifted. Furthermore, until the release of Chapter 3, the ink-spreading residue do not appear when he shows up, but when it was first introduced prior to Chapter 4, the early version of his ink aura were simple in design and resembling thin cobweb-like shadows as oppose to a more detailed version with wet and reflective effects.
"Beta Bendy" used since the DLC release of Chapter 2, until Chapter 4.
The Ink Demon's model in Bendy and the Dark Revival was designed by 3D director Benoit Lacroix. The Ink Demon in the game is also evidenced to have an earlier design, however there is currently no full view of the actual model. His older version was seen on a t-shirt, old blurry teasers, and as PhatMojo's unreleased deluxe action figure. He strongly resembles his appearance in Bendy and the Ink Machine, appearing to be more slender looking, having a head much similar to his appearance from the first game, and unlike his final Dark Revival model, the grin does not stretch onto both sides of his face, and neither of his horns have bare patches. His bowtie also appears similar to the Bendy and the Ink Machine version, although here it was higher up and has a bit less width. Both of his legs and feet look normal, not looking like hooves or a stump in any way. His left arm is still gloved, appearing similar to the version, but it has two dots like regular Bendy, and it was also covered in ink, however his right arm is still missing the glove. His body appears less skeletal and bears a more humanoid shape. He was ultimately changed because the developers thought he looked silly compared to the now grimmer world of the Cycle.[6]
Portrayal
Although he was silent in Bendy and the Ink Machine and Boris and the Dark Survival, the Ink Demon was voiced in Bendy and the Dark Revival by Sean Crisden. The reason for giving the Ink Demon a voice is in order to add a better story-telling for the game and communicate his motives.[7]
Other information
From the limited-time Hello Bendy crossover mod for Bendy and the Ink Machine, the Ink Demon is replaced by Theodore Peterson from the game series Hello Neighbor to take over his role.
From this version in the Hello Neighbor game, the Ink Demon's head appeared as a water tower.
Dialogue
- Main article: Ink Demon/dialogue
- "They promised us peace, but they bring us only more pain."
Gallery
- Main category: Category:Images of the Ink Demon
The early concept art of the Ink Demon from Bendy and the Ink Machine by theMeatly.
The Bendy and the Dark Revival concept art of the Ink Demon's height by Audrey Hotte.
The Bendy and the Dark Revival concept art of the Ink Demon's head by Audrey Hotte.
The Ink Demon in the Fan Kit wallpaper.
The Ink Demon from the death screen in Bendy and the Dark Revival.
The Ink Demon from one of the official Bendy and the Dark Revival screenshots.
The Ink Demon's model showcase for Bendy and the Dark Revival by Ben Lacroix.
Ditto but without texture map.
In other languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified) | 墨魔 Mò mó |
| French | Démon d'encre |
| German | Tintendämon |
| Italian | Demone dell'inchiostro |
| Japanese | インクデーモン Inkudēmon |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Demônio de tinta |
| Russian | Чернильный демон Chernil'nyy demon |
| Spanish (Spain) | Demonio de tinta |
See also
- Bendy, the cartoon character that the Ink Demon is based on.
- Beast Bendy, the Ink Demon's monstrous form, which was also used for making his hosts stronger.
- Bendy (ink realm), the Ink Demon's harmless form based on the original cartoon character.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Bendy and the Ink Machine. The Archives. Developed and published by Joey Drew Studios Inc on February 10, 2017 – October 26, 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Progress Report" by Thomas Connor. Bendy and the Ink Machine. Chapter 5: The Last Reel.
- ↑ "Listen Tommy" by Joey Drew. Bendy and the Ink Machine. Chapter 5: The Last Reel.
- ↑ Boris and the Dark Survival. Developed and published by Joey Drew Studios Inc on February 10, 2020.
- ↑ Bendy and the Dark Revival. Chapter 1: Drawn to Darkness. Developed and published by Joey Drew Studios Inc on November 15, 2022.
- ↑ Bendy and the Dark Revival. The Archives. Developed and published by Joey Drew Studios Inc on November 15, 2022.
- ↑ theMeatly. December 29, 2023. "When the decision was made to have the Ink Demon speak in #BATDR in order to better tell the story and communicate his motives, I remember thinking: "This is a big change. I REALLY hope I don't mess this up... O.O." Fortunately, I think it turned out ok. :)". Twitter.
- Enemies
- Enemies in Bendy and the Ink Machine
- Enemies in Boris and the Dark Survival
- Enemies in Bendy and the Dark Revival
- Enemies in Bendy: Secrets of the Machine
- Special enemies
- Characters
- Characters in Bendy and the Ink Machine
- Characters in Bendy and the Dark Revival
- Characters in Bendy: Secrets of the Machine
- Ink-realm entities
- Demons
- Cartoon experiments