The character has received a universally positive critical reception, garnering particular attention for his interpersonal relationships and for Roman's singing performances for "Poison" and "Loser, Baby".
Development
Origins and concept
Angel Dust was created on February 9, 2013, while Medrano was attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Originally, the character was meant to be part of a 2013 "noir-esque mafia demons" short story for Medrano's thesis film, "The Spider Brothers",[2] developed as a brother to her existing character of Arackniss,[3] but the project was later abandoned. Angel Dust was then going to be part of the "Misfit Demon Gang" in the "Angels and Demons" arc of the webcomic ZooPhobia.[4] That project was later adapted into Hazbin Hotel, and Angel Dust became one of the main characters, originally intended to be dating Vaggie,[5] the characters described as "Janis and Damien from Mean Girls" in personality,[6] before both characters were redeveloped as being gay.
Angel Dust's design is based on the jumping spider, with six total arms (two of which are retractable), and two legs that are longer than his torso. He also has eight total eyes, two of them being his main human-like eyes, and three smaller eyes underneath each large eye, resembling freckles. He also has a fluffy chest.[7] Medrano revealed that Angel Dust is a cisgender man who likes to be androgynous, as he is a drag queen. Medrano has also stated that Angel Dust is gay, but is willing to sleep with women during his working hours. His sexuality is explored more in-depth during the series, with him making advances and flirtatious remarks to the hotel's bartender, Husk. The two become more friendly with each other as their relationship progresses. During the "Addict" music video, Angel Dust is seen to be in an abusive relationship with his boss, Valentino, which leads to him developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[8] It is later revealed that Valentino also owns Angel Dust's soul.[9] While he hides his emotions in public, he often confides in his best friend, Cherri Bomb.
Voice and characterization
In 2018 promotional material for Hazbin Hotel, Angel Dust was voiced by Seth Atkinson.[10] From 2018 to 2024, the character was voiced by Michael Kovach in promotional material, the pilot, and a series of music videos. Since 2024, he has been voiced by Blake Roman in the animated series.[11] On approaching the "various multitudes" of Angel's voice and characterization in the series, Roman described it as:
“The thing about Angel that struck me the most is his fierce independence, and that undoubtedly comes from an intense need to be free from people judging him; people trying to take advantage of him; people coming to conclusions about what his personality is before they even know him. There are ways in which Angel Dust tries to control the narrative and control people by giving in to their assumptions, and he uses that to his own advantage. We had scenes where I had to voice and record a bunch of sex noises, and then later on, have a very intimate, or very emotional conversation that doesn’t lie in any performative spectrum. There’s the side of Angel that is on when he’s on camera, and there’s the side of Angel that sometimes the door cracks open, and you see a whole different version. What is that inflection? What’s the vocal?”[12]
Fictional character biography
Hazbin Hotel
Music videos (2016–2024)
In March 2016, Vivienne Medrano released a polka music song titled "Slutty Spider Polka Pop" ("Angel Dust Theme"), composed by Gooseworx, featuring a weapon-wielding Angel Dust dancing.[13]
In February 2020, Silva Hound released a song titled "Addict" which featured Michael Kovach as Angel Dust and Kelly "Chi-Chi" Boyer as Cherri Bomb.[14] In July 2020, Medrano released an animated music video for the song, illustrating Angel Dust's relationships with Cherri Bomb and Valentino.[8] In the post-credits scene, Angel Dust is seen breaking down in his room at the hotel, reflecting on his past.[15][16][17]
Kovach again reprised his role as Angel Dust in the 2024 music video "Thank You and Goodnight", which has been described as a "farewell" to the Hazbin Hotel pilot's cast voice actors, having been written following the announcement that A24 would be re-casting. It was released the day after the premiere of "Overture" as "a light-hearted and proverbial passing of the torch."[18]
"Dirty Healings" (2019–2020)
Angel Dust made his first full appearance in "Chapter 1: Dirty Healings", an official prequelwebcomic published from October 27, 2019 to July 7, 2020 on the Hazbin Hotel website. The webcomic explores the specifics around Angel Dust's career with Valentino, and how Charlie and Vaggie recruited Angel Dust as the first patron of their hotel.[19]
"That's Entertainment" (2019)
Angel Dust (simply known as Angel) appears in "That's Entertainment", the Hazbin Hotel pilot episode, released on October 28, 2019. The events of the episode take place after the events of "Dirty Healings". Angel is seen helping his best friend Cherri Bomb fight in a turf war against Sir Pentious, which is broadcast on 666 News after Charlie announces him as the first patron of her "Happy Hotel", publicly embarrassing her. In the aftermath of the fight, Angel is berated by the hotel's manager, Vaggie, while being driven back to the hotel. After Alastor "the Radio Demon" arrives at the hotel and becomes Charlie's new business partner, Vaggie tells Angel Dust the story of Alastor's history. After Alastor creates a bar for the hotel and summons a bartender, Husk, Angel Dust flirts with him.[20]
Season One (2024)
In the 2024 Hazbin Hotel animated series, Angel Dust (simply known as Angel) continues to serve as the first guest of PrincessCharlie Morningstar's titular redemption hotel. In "Overture", Angel Dust attempts to help Vaggie in filming a new commercial for Charlie with Husk and Niffty. In "Radio Killed the Video Star", he is revealed to have an abusive relationship with his boss Valentino "Val", who is frustrated at his most famous porn star having moved to Charlie's hotel instead of living at the studio as he had previously been doing. In "Scrambled Eggs", he partakes in trust exercises and other activities in the hotel. In "Masquerade", when Charlie inadvertently causes Angel (whose birth name is revealed to be Anthony) to be assaulted by Valentino, who owns his soul, he tells her to leave before he has to work for sixteen hours straight ("Poison").[21] Later on, he goes out to drink his troubles away, and Husk saves him from being drugged. Husk insists he talk to him about his troubles, and both open up about their respective addictions that cost them their souls to different overlords of Hell ("Loser, Baby"). In "Dad Beat Dad", Angel briefly flirts with Lucifer, before asking an arriving Mimzy about Alastor's history, being shocked at the brutality of his reputation. In "Welcome to Heaven", while Charlie and Vaggie go to a meeting with Heaven to discuss whether the Hazbin Hotel can redeem a soul, Charlie asks Cherri Bomb to take Angel Dust, the hotel's other guest Sir Pentious, and its staff out to party. Being watched from a court of angels in Heaven, Angel proceeds to meet the terms set out by Adam as to what should allow one into Heaven, including acting selfless, stopping Niffty from stealing, and confronting Valentino. In "Hello Rosie", after learning the hotel will be the first target of the coming Extermination, Angel agrees to stay and help Charlie. In "The Show Must Go On", he fights against the angels alongside the staff and patrons of the hotel, and is shown to care very greatly for all of them, mourning Sir Pentious after he is killed by Adam.
Other appearances
Angel Dust made his first formal appearance in "Daddy Issues", an animatic short published by Medrano on February 19, 2015. Using audio of Steve Buscemi from the film The Wedding Singer as the basis for the narrative, the short follows Angel Dust as he gives a speech at his brother Arackniss' wedding in Hell, noting the irony in their father favoring Arackniss more than Angel Dust.[22] From 2019 to 2023, Kovach would reprise his role as Angel Dust in a series of skits in HuniCast, a live podcast series he co-hosted with Ashley Nichols, often featuring the cast and crew of Hazbin Hotel and SpindleHorse Toons as guests.[23] In the 2021 Helluva Boss episode "Ozzie's", Angel Dust is depicted on a series of posters for his films displayed in the Lust Ring of Hell.
Reception
Pilot
Angel Dust's character in the show's pilot was received positively. Dan Short of Animated Views called him "so flamboyant and unabashed that he’s appealing even at his most despicable, which is quite often and intentional", praising Michael Kovach's vocal performance as him as "sound[ing] like he’s having a blast going as far over-the-top as he can".[24] Esther Liberman of BeLatina described him as "caricaturesque, impossibly rotten and flatter, like a perverse version of a third-generation descendant, all grown up and gone the route of opioids or crack".[25] Reviewer Sean Cubillas for Screen Rant complimented Angel Dust's introduction as doing "a great job of presenting his character as well as opening a few doors for any tepid viewers that may want to leave", praising him as "a funny character [who] knows a thing or two about jokes [with] puns and innuendos galore".[26]
Series
Decider complimented the "incredible amount of emotional vulnerability" shown in Angel's character, and his tragic backstory as heartbreaking,[9]Screen Rant noting him as having "the saddest storyline in Hazbin Hotel", calling him "overall, an incredibly compelling character".[27]Telltale TV lauded Blake Roman's performance as Angel Dust as "a knockout [who] infuses Angel Dust with painful nuance, dark humor, and a beautiful vulnerability",[28]The Illuminerdi noting him as a scene-stealer,[29] and Mashable as a "standout", who with Husk "score[s] the spotlight".[30]The Cosmic Circus noted his character as "incredibly multidimensional [with] a sadness behind the sex jokes and smile".[31]
Merchandise
Since 2018, official clothing and merchandise based around Angel Dust and the cast of Hazbin Hotel, designed by Medrano, have been available intermittently from Shark Robot LLC.[32][33][34]
^Brown, Gabriel (January 19, 2024). Thank You And Goodnight – (A Farewell Song from the Pilot Cast of Hazbin Hotel!). Black Gryph0n. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via YouTube. This song has been a long time coming… We actually wrote it over a year ago when we (the pilot cast of #HazbinHotel) found out we were being re-cast. However, we didn't release it out of respect for Vivienne and the new A24 crew as they hadn't made their official announcement yet. Now that the cat's out of the bag, we hope you enjoy our final Hazbin Hotel song! We hope it is received in the spirit with which it was written; as a light-hearted and proverbial passing of the torch from the pilot cast of Hazbin, to the incredible new voice cast that will carry the show into the future! We have nothing but love and respect for the incredible world that is the Hellaverse, and the brilliant people who bring it to life! We are honored to have been a part of it, even for a moment! Thank you, and Goodnight!
