Deals with the Devil in popular culture

Did You Know?

• The Devil's Trill Sonata by Giuseppe Tartini is a musical piece associated with a deal with the devil.
• In the opera Mefistofele by Arrigo Boito (1868), the Devil is a central character.
• The song "Cross Road Blues" by Robert Johnson is a famous musical example of the theme.

In print

Novels and short stories have long explored the pact with the Devil. One early precursor is the tale of Theophilus of Adana, a saint who made such a deal and likely inspired later Faust legends. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Bearskin" features a man who gains fortune and a bride through a pact. Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker" (1824) is an early American example. Stephen Vincent Benét wrote "The Devil and Daniel Webster", based on Irving's story. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust (1808) and Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1592) are foundational dramatic works. Other notable novels include The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, where Dorian Gray offers his soul for eternal youth, and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. In Perelandra by C.S. Lewis, Professor Weston offers his soul to Satan without asking for anything in return, with terrible results. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver includes a character who sells her soul to escape the Congo. Sparrow Hill Road and the related InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire depict the crossroads itself as a malevolent deal-making entity. Short stories such as "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov, "Gimmicks Three" by Isaac Asimov, and "Choosing a Game" by Karl Johanson also engage the theme. In the latter, a man must win a game against the Devil, but the Devil gets the first move.

In film

Film adaptations of the deal with the Devil span many decades and genres. In Angel on My Shoulder (1946), the Devil offers a dead gangster the chance to take revenge by impersonating an honest judge. Bedazzled (1967) features a man who exchanges his soul for seven wishes, each leading to disaster, and is eventually spared out of pity; a 2000 remake uses a similar premise but ends when an unselfish wish negates the deal. Damn Yankees (1958) follows a middle-aged baseball fan who sells his soul to become a star player. The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) involves a deceased landlord offered redemption if he can trick three others into forfeiting their souls. In Angel Heart (1987), a man who lost his memory trying to escape his deal is pursued by the Devil. The Devil's Advocate (1997) centers on a Florida attorney who works for a law firm run by the Devil. End of Days (1999) features Satan offering to restore a man's murdered family in exchange for information. Constantine (2004) involves John Constantine asking Satan to release a woman's soul rather than resurrect him, and Satan's desire for Constantine's soul is thwarted when Constantine's self-sacrifice earns him a place in Heaven. Crossroads (1986) investigates the legend of Robert Johnson. American Satan (2017) follows an aspiring rock band that moves to Los Angeles to become famous. Belladonna (1973) centers on a woman's pact with the Devil, inspired by 19th-century perceptions of medieval witchcraft. Faust (1994) is a mixed live-action and animation film directed by Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer.

In television

Television has presented the deal with the Devil in both live-action and animated series. In the animated series Futurama, the Robot Devil appears in multiple episodes: in "Hell is Other Robots", Fry and Leela must win a musical contest to save Bender's soul; in "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings", Fry makes a deal to play the holophonor; and in "Calculon 2.0", Fry and Bender make a deal to resurrect an actor, but the Robot Devil lets them win because he is annoyed by the actor's dramatic nature. In Gravity Falls, the episode "Sock Opera" shows Dipper Pines making a deal with the dream demon Bill Cipher, who tricks him into allowing possession in exchange for a password. American Dad! features an episode where Roger makes a Faustian bargain to learn guitar. Archer references Kenny Loggins as a possible Faustian deal-maker. Metalocalypse has an episode where the band is told to make a deal with the devil for blues skills. Puella Magi Madoka Magica and its adaptations use Goethe's Faust as a central motif, with protagonists making contracts with the devil-like figure Kyubey.

In video games

Video games frequently incorporate deals with the Devil as a gameplay or narrative element. In Cuphead, the main characters lose a bet with the devil and owe him their souls; they make a new deal to collect the souls of other monsters to escape their fate. The Binding of Isaac allows players to sell health in "Devil Rooms" for in-game benefits. In the Soul series, Siegfried Schtauffen makes a deal with the demonic sword Soul Edge for power and revenge, leading to possession and transformation into the dark knight Nightmare; one of his weapons is named Faust. Guacamelee! tells the story of Carlos Calaca, a rodeo rider who sold his soul to heal a broken arm before a competition, only to be dragged to hell immediately after winning. Devil Maker: Tokyo is an anime-inspired role-playing card battle adventure where the player is a contractor who forms contracts with devils. Magic: The Gathering features the sorceress Liliana Vess, who makes deals with devils and demons for eternal youth and dark knowledge, and later seeks to free herself from those contracts.