Hello everyone! Today we are going to talk about Hazbin Hotel’s sister show: Helluva Boss. With the recent A24 TV Series Hazbin Hotel getting released on Amazon Prime, Helluva Boss is a spinoff TV series of its own on YouTube. They are both set in Hell, but Helluva Boss goes into more detail about the setting than Hazbin Hotel. While Hazbin Hotel is about a sinner’s redemption, Helluva Boss is the polar opposite. So come along as we dive deeper into the sister show.
Helluva Boss is about an imp, who is of lower class in Hell, called Blitzø (Brandon Rogers) and his assassination company: The Immediate Murder Professionals, a.k.a IMP. With the help from Stolas’s (Bryce Pinkham) grimoire, Blitzø and his two co-workers, Millie (Vivian Nixon) and Moxxie (Richard Horvitz) are able to access the human realm to kill their targets.
The cast of Helluva Boss is a little more diverse than Hazbin Hotel. Instead of just Broadway and movie stars, Helluva grabs the attention of Broadway, TV stars, and a few YouTubers. The show stars Broadway actors from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Aladdin, Mean Girls, and Beetlejuice. Other actors star in shows ranging from Invader Zim to Grey’s Anatomy to DC Superhero Girls. Finally, Vivziepop, the creator of the Hellaverse, as the fandom calls it, was able to grab a YouTuber to voice the main character.
Brandon Rogers’ portrayal of Blitzø was very well done. In an interview, Rogers stated that voicing Blitzø is just like performing one of his many personas on YouTube, making Blitzø an easy character voice for him to manage. From the pilot onwards, Rogers stated that he has enjoyed playing Blitzø because he can utilize his skills in comedic relief in the show. It is also impressive how much emotion Rogers puts into his character Blitzø, to the point where we can understand his ideology and feelings about being in the lower class.
Another character that I absolutely loved was Stolas. Stolas is a side character in the show but voice actor Bryce Pinkham absolutely killed it. One thing that I absolutely love about his portrayal of Stolas is that he’s not playing the character just for fun, he truly embodies the character with his emotions. Some might say that Helluva Boss is just a show about assassins, but Stolas alone provides an emotional depth that defies the show’s reputation. Some of my favorite songs from Stolas are the melodic “You Will Be Okay”, the intense “Mastermind”, and the power ballad “Just Look My Way”.
In addition, Moxxie was a very comedic character in the show. Horvitz commented that he had a fun time playing Moxxie because he can insert any humor he likes into the character and people will find it funny. Some fans asked Horvitz if it was different from his role in Invader Zim, but he didn’t mind the change of pace. Moxxie is a very wholesome, comforting character who is always there to help Blitzø when he needs it, even if he is getting yelled at to do better.
Along with Moxxie’s comedy and Stolas’ emotional portrayal, Millie was a sweetheart in the show. She is married to Moxxie, but Vivian Nixon portrayed her to be headstrong and caring. I love the ultimate dynamic between Millie and Moxxie because it is a very sweet relationship. One thing that I also enjoy about Millie’s character is the little country accent Nixon added. In my opinion, some country people, like Millie, have a small accent which is cute, and I feel like this small detail is overlooked by many.
Finally, I love the animation style for this show. Every fight scene and song makes the show unique in its own way. The color palette is my favorite aspect of the animation because it helps bring out emotional scenes and make them have a lasting impact on the audience. One of my favorite color palettes is Just Look My Way. I love the blue and the red mixed together as it symbolizes both Stolas and Blitz. Another thing that I really find well done is the arc shots, which is when the camera goes around a character in 360 degrees. One of my favorite arc shots is during “Mastermind”, when the camera goes around Stolas as he confesses what he did. The character designs are flawless as well and, unlike Hazbin Hotel, the show doesn’t hold back on showing a few demon forms as well. With Season 2 having an emotional impact, I can’t wait to see what the future two seasons have to offer.
