Hazbin Hotel fans finally got a long-awaited backstory in season 2, episode 4, titled “It’s a Deal.” This episode is sure to spark plenty of discussion and raise questions about the nature of a certain demonic Overlord, who appears far more powerful than anyone previously realized.
The new revelations include a flashback to the human life of a fan-favorite character before his death and subsequent condemnation to Hell. Polygon recently spoke with series creator Vivienne Medrano (also known as Vivziepop) about the major revelations in season 2 and the deeper lore not yet shown on-screen. She also shared a secret about “It’s a Deal” that serves as a major tease for season 3, along with insights into designing the human versions of her demonic characters.
**[Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for episode 4 of Hazbin Hotel, season 2.]**
—
### A Dark Past Revealed: Alastor’s Human Life
In “It’s a Deal,” viewers learn that Alastor, the Radio Demon and a fan-favorite character, was a serial killer in his human life. Aware that he was destined for Hell, Alastor made contact with the afterlife in advance to secure a powerful position there. He struck a deal with Rosie, the charismatic leader of Hell’s cannibal community, who promised him the title of “the most powerful Sinner in Hell” in exchange for his soul.
This revelation raises an intriguing question: How is Rosie powerful enough to elevate Alastor above all other Sinner Demons?
Medrano commented to Polygon, “The Rosie and Alastor deal is the first stepping stone in a much bigger story that involves so much, moving into season 3. Obviously that is a perfect question: How is she that powerful? The answer could be many things, but the answer is in season 3. I’m very excited for people to see it.”
—
### What’s Next? Season 3 and Beyond
While A24 and Prime Video have green-lit seasons 3 and 4 of Hazbin Hotel (with Medrano ultimately hoping for five seasons), there are no release dates yet. As Medrano reminds fans, animation is a slow and lengthy process, and she prefers to keep the focus on season 2 for now.
“The challenge of any kind of deal with demons, or stories that have mysteries, is giving people just enough information to be like, Something’s up here, and then revealing that as we go, and letting that be satisfying,” she explained. “So I’m very excited.”
Medrano promises that season 3 will address many fan questions, including why Rosie ordered Alastor to disappear for seven years — a move that weakened his influence in Hell.
“The whole seven years, and the deals these humans are doing, and all that it’s feeding into a bigger narrative,” she said.
—
### Designing the Human Versions of Demonic Characters
“It’s a Deal” not only sheds light on Alastor’s past but also offers another glimpse into what the core cast of Sinner Demons looked like as humans. This marks the second time fans see a character’s human form, after Sir Pentious appeared in a Victorian-era flashback in episode 2.
Medrano shared that much thought went into crafting these designs.
“The human versions of the characters carry so much weight,” she said. “They range from looking really different from their demon form to looking very similar.”
She revealed there was some internal debate over Sir Pentious’ human design, specifically regarding his long hair.
“With Pentious, there was a bit of a debate internally between going with something that represents the character versus something that’s very time-period accurate. We leaned toward making something that just felt like it was him.”
“We debated his long hair, since nobody really had hair like that in Victorian-era London. But at the same time, we think the silhouette is so important, and he just looked good. We gave the excuse that he’s a hermit who just let his hair grow out. So there’s always a way.”
Medrano called designing the human versions “such a fun thing to explore and figure out,” and expressed her excitement for fans to see more human forms of the characters in upcoming episodes.
—
### When to Watch
New episodes of Hazbin Hotel season 2 are released on Wednesdays via Prime Video. Fans can look forward to uncovering more secrets, backstories, and mysteries as the season progresses.
Stay tuned for what’s next in the devilish world of Hazbin Hotel!
https://www.polygon.com/hazbin-hotel-rosie-alastor-deal-season-3-tease/
