Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

Pazuzu
The Exorcist character
Eileen Dietz as Pazuzu superimposed over Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
First appearanceThe Exorcist (1971 novel)
Last appearanceThe Exorcist (TV series)
Created byWilliam Peter Blatty
Portrayed byEileen Dietz (film)
Robert Emmet Lunney (TV series)
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesDemon
GenderMale

Pazuzu is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in The Exorcist horror novels and film series, created by William Peter Blatty. Blatty derived the character from Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, where the mythic Pazuzu was considered the king of the demons of the wind, and the son of the god Hanbi. In The Exorcist, Pazuzu appears as a demon who possesses Regan MacNeil.

Pazuzu is often depicted as a combination of animal and human parts with his right hand pointing upwards and his left hand downwards. He has the body of a man, the head of a lion or dog, eagle-like taloned feet, two pairs of wings, a scorpion's tail, and a serpentine penis.