10 Evil Religions in Fiction

Religion is a source of comfort and conscience. As people look to their respective gods for guidance, their conclusions inform their values, drive their actions, and give meaning to events. However, that pattern isn’t always a good thing, as some religious practices aren’t so righteous. An ignoble doctrine could be a cheap excuse to set the faithful on their fellows. The results are predictably tragic, and fiction is an effective way to demonstrate that.

Audiences encounter a slew of evil religions in storytelling. These crooked systems push their followers toward some of the worst acts imaginable. Virtually no sacrifice is off the table, regardless of ethics. If members harbor doubts or regrets, leaders (divine or otherwise) have twisted methods to secure their compliance by force. What they don’t reveal is that these practices are just a means to lord over the unwashed masses. In that respect, such religions are simply tyrannies without resistance. What a scary thought!

Related: The Ten Greatest Fictional Rivalries of All Time

10 Cult of the Pah-wraiths

One man’s alien is another man’s god. Such is the case in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The show’s resident wormhole houses a group of omnipotent beings. These ethereal entities can see the past, the present, and the future. They usually forward these visions to the nearby planet of Bajor. As a result, the Bajorans see these “Prophets” as benevolent deities. The caretakers harbor a dark past, though.

The Prophets’ sinister counterparts are the Pah-wraiths. Cast out of the wormhole and banished to Bajor’s Fire Temple, they seek revenge for both their peers and the galaxy. That vengeance involves the same tactics, albeit taken to greater extremes. The Pah-wraiths induce visions to possess any willing species, forcing them to commit terroristic rituals.

These actions ultimately go toward releasing the false gods from their imprisonment. Disgraced militiaman Gul Dukat proves instrumental in this aim, as he begins a cult dedicated to the Pah-wraiths. Each party wants to pay the universe back for past wrongs, so spreading the fires of destruction satisfies them both.^[1]

9 Church of Yevon

Imagine learning that the divine savior is really the bringer of Armageddon. Final Fantasy X slowly reveals as much with Yu Yevon. In ages past, this sorcerer led his native Zanarkand against the mechanized Bevelle. His imminent loss drives him to magically conjure an artificial Zanarkand, thereby preserving it in some form. To protect its hidden location, he creates Sin: a cataclysmic monster who ravages the land and destroys any cities deemed too advanced. Of course, he doesn’t count on the effort breaking his mind, instead spawning a creature of pure instinct. He also doesn’t predict the propaganda that follows.

Centuries later, the Church of Yevon keeps the world enthralled. The priests deify the sorcerer and demonize anyone who disputes his brilliance. Moreover, they brand any technological society as heretical, saying that their profane practices bring Sin’s wrath. Saving the land requires everyone to accept Yevon as the messiah. The murderous kaiju is bad enough, but this doctrine shrouds it in revisionist history to keep people in the Stone Age.^[2]

8 Kali Cult

Yes, Kali is a real Hindu goddess, but Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom takes a ton of liberties with her depiction. In this film, a group of Thuggee cultists commits various vile acts in service to the deity. Among these sins is kidnapping the children of a nearby village, forcing them to mine for the mystical Sankara stones that grant divine power to whomever holds them. As deplorable as slave labor is, it pales next to the Thuggee’s main attraction.

These bloodthirsty killers make a grand spectacle of human sacrifice. After selecting an unfortunate prisoner, the cultists strap the victim to a metal cage. High priest Mola Ram recites a prayer to Kali before pulling out the target’s heart. Finally, they lower the cage into a fiery pit. As the prisoner bursts into flames, his heart does the same. This macabre display is what Mola Ram intends to replace all other religions, so Indy sets to work on stopping him.^[3]

7 Sith

The most powerful force in Star Wars is, well, the Force. This mystical energy field binds the galaxy together, granting telekinesis, telepathy, and other abilities to people who channel it. The Jedi use mental focus and emotional serenity to wield the Force as peacekeepers, but not everyone believes in such restraint.

The Sith strive to further their own interests. Unlike their Jedi rivals, they draw on passionate emotions like anger to fuel their feats, wielding the Dark Side of the Force with utter abandon. The universe granted them this gift, so why shouldn’t they use it to its fullest potential? It doesn’t matter if they harm a few normal people. Exercising their might is the purest expression of the Force.

That line of thinking informs many a Star Wars tyrant. Darth Sidious, Darth Revan, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Malgus all ravage the galaxy with their profane expertise. Their seductive teachings often attract equally horrible followers, most of whom are fallen Jedi. The Dark Side might not be the right path, but it is the easy one.^[4]

6 Cult of the Absolute

This group gives new meaning to brainwashing. In Baldur’s Gate III, a new religion throws the realm into chaos. High-ranking officials abandon longstanding beliefs, and legions of initiates converge on pivotal locations, leaving trails of bloodshed in their wake. The Cult of the Absolute is responsible for these phenomena. Heading the movement are the religious leaders devoted to the three gods of death. These disparate Chosen now stand united in their worship of the enigmatic Absolute. Then again, things aren’t so simple.

It turns out that the Absolute is an Elder Brain. This telepathic organism is part of the Mind Flayer/Illithid species, controlling others of its kind through a neural link. Humans are immune, but the creatures can morph them into Illithids by infecting them with tadpoles. The aforementioned Elder Brain is a slave to the Chosen, letting them weaponize its biological gifts for their own ends. With a few tadpoles, they can quash entire kingdoms.^[5]

5 Church of the Eternal Fire

A light in the darkness sounds like an uplifting prospect. The Eternal Fire starts as such. Humans within the Witcher world often face ominous uncertainty, clashing with other sentient species while avoiding nightmarish monsters. Amid that uncertainty, a fire provides a beacon for lost souls to gather, gives them strength to face the coming adversity, and drives away any encroaching evil. It’s how followers interpret that evil that creates problems.

The Church of the Eternal Fire begins to see any abnormality as part of the darkness. Elves, Dwarves, dopplers, and even Mages become personae non gratae. Purging these aberrations is the only way to ensure human safety, so the church’s enforcers round them up and burn them at the stake. They preach that the pure flames will cleanse these souls. Anyone with eyes, however, can see this practice for what it is: a witch hunt.^[6]

4 Children of Doom

Death is endemic to Conan the Barbarian, but it usually occurs in battle. This cult takes all the glory out of such a sacrifice. The Children of Doom appropriately serve a leader named Thulsa Doom. This wizard boasts a plethora of powers, the deadliest of which is his dominion over snakes. Not only does he have several titanic serpents at his command, but he can morph into a slithering creature himself. One might think this gimmick symbolizes his allegiance to a mysterious snake god, but his true agenda is his own ego.

Thulsa Doom uses people to prop up his magnificence. He routinely trades in slaves, both for manual labor and to fill his harem. At any point, he could command these servants to off themselves. They could jump from cliffs, provide food for his serpentine pets, or commit other suicidal acts. Any hesitation is nonexistent, and rarely do these destructive acts have any purpose beyond flexing. Rather than simply take life, his seductive influence persuades people to give it away.^[7]

3 Immortan Joe

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, survivors would naturally look for guidance. Immortan Joe provides that guidance in the Mad Max movies. He amasses an army of followers, promising to lead them toward a brighter future. To reach that better world, they must rise from the ashes of the ruined one. Such a pursuit often calls for their lives, as they can then rise from their own ashes to the highways of Valhalla. The Viking parallels are no accident. More so than death, however, these warriors attain glory by serving their leader.

Joe strives to build a mighty dynasty. He puts his War Boys to work on his towering citadel, building weapons and vehicles for desert conquests. More importantly, he keeps any healthy women for himself. His greatest aspiration is to father a line of future conquerors. Legacy is everything to the Immortan; he gives meaning to lost souls by making them part of that legacy.^[8]

2 Daughters of Aku

Aku proudly stands as the essence of evil. The archnemesis of Samurai Jack, he comes into being when the malevolent remnants of a divine war drift to Earth and manifest in feudal Japan. He eventually takes over the world, keeping residents under his thumb for thousands of years. Though mainly relying on demonic tricks and robotic troops, he also has a handful of sentient servants.

After several millennia, his reign heralds the Daughters of Aku. These masked assassins exist to spread the supremacy of their lord. Their High Priestess births them after consuming Aku’s mystical essence, effectively making them demon-human hybrids. To reach their full potential, they must endure years of physical hardship. This inhumane treatment seems like trauma for its own sake, but the Priestess motivates her disciples with a simple doctrine: Aku is the world’s savior, while Jack is a cold-hearted destroyer. How better to craft an elite cabal of killers?^[9]

1 Temple of Morgoth

Every evil creature in Middle-earth owes its existence to Morgoth. As one of the Valar who molded the world, he’s essentially a dark deity who wants to corrupt all creation. He wreaks utter havoc throughout The Silmarillion, turning the fantasy realm into a burning wasteland full of Orcs, demons, dragons, vampires, werewolves, and betrayers. Instrumental in these goals is his top lieutenant, Sauron. Although he eventually becomes the Lord of the Rings, this villain begins as a faithful servant. He’s so loyal that he continues his work even after Morgoth is vanquished.

As part of a grander scheme, Sauron secures a position in Númenor. This proud kingdom of Men owes its blessings to the Valar, but the Dark Lord begins preaching the word of Morgoth. On top of building a temple, he carries out human sacrifices in tribute to his master. These teachings amplify the kingdom’s growing distrust of the Valar, which ultimately leads to ruin when the Men try to invade the gods’ homeland. Thus, Sauron fells Númenor without losing a single soldier.^[10]