Crowley (Good Omens)

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This article is about the demon Crowley from Good Omens. For Crowley from Supernatural, see Crowley (Supernatural). For other uses, see Crowley.
Character
Name: Crawly, Anthony J. Crowley
Occupation: Tempting (Whilst Expending As Little Effort as Possible)
Relationships: Aziraphale
Fandom: Good Omens
Other:
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Crowley is a fictional main character from the Good Omens book and the television series.[1] Crowley was the serpent who tempted Eve in Eden. His best (and only) friend is the angel Aziraphale. He loves his 1926 vintage Bentley, drinking with Aziraphale, and terrifying his houseplants. His entry on the Good Omens Lexicon is extensive.

Fandom

The fandom's favorite slash pairing is Aziraphale/Crowley; however, gen stories are equally as popular.

There has been ongoing dialogue between the creators and fans regarding his activities and whereabouts.

Angelic Headcanons

As Crowley is a former angel, there are many angelic headcanons. This can include fan discussion on the appearance of his wings, and how they differ from Angels. Crowley's angelic past, and his angelic name in particular, are sometimes included in fanfics. Some fans believe his angelic name was Gadriel, the angel who tempted Eve in the Garden, while other fanon names have included, Kazariel, Kireawel and Caphriel. As there is no reference to his angelic name in canon, and also very little reference to his physical appearance, there are many different representations of Crowley in fanfic and fanart.

Following the Good Omens TV series in 2019, a new headcanon arose; Crowley was the Archangel Raphael. This headcanon arose on Tumblr and quickly gained in popularity. It appears to have been built on the fact that the Archangel Raphael is the only Archangel who doesn't appear in the expanded canon of the TV series. Many fans also pointed out that Raphael's motif in religious imagery often included a snake.

Following on from this, some fans headcanoned that Crowley and Aziraphale had both been the Archangel Raphael, and they are one celestial being split in two. Fans of this theory point to the fact that Aziraphale's name means 'Of Raphael' or 'Also Raphael'.

Common Tropes & Storylines in Fanworks

  • Wingfic: As Crowley has demon wings, wingfic often appears. Before the TV series there was some debate about what Crowley's wings would look like, and some fanworks portrayed him with leathery bat like wings. There are also works where Crowley loses his wings and this wingless fic trope, originated in the Good Omens fandom as a response to all the wing fic.
  • Post-canon: works set after the end of the book or series are very common.
  • The Bentley: In fanworks the Bentley can be sentient, and has some sort of connection with Crowley (something that was confirmed in canon during season 2 of the TV series). Crowley is rarely paired with his Bentley. See The Bentley & Crowley (Good Omens) tag on Ao3.
  • Snake Crowley: Crowley in his snake form, many fanworks have Crowley changing into his snake form to rest, so finding Crowley resting in a sunny spot in Aziraphale's bookshop is common. Naga!Crowley, where Crowley is half man and half snake, can also be found.
  • Asexuality: having Crowley be asexual, this can be because of his demonic nature, or just his sexual orientation
  • Hurt/Comfort: because of his supernatural nature fans sometimes have to come up with inventive ways to hurt Crowley, some common ones being: he is hurt by an angel other than Aziraphale, he is hurt/tortured by other demons, he comes into to contact with a cursed/blessed object, he is trapped in a devil's trap, or he is harmed by humans. The most likely person to give Crowley comfort is Aziraphale.
  • Demonic features: it is not unusual for fan creators to give Crowley what may be considered more demonic features, this can been seen in fanart where Crowley may have a forked tongue, sharp nails, or pointed ears[2].
  • Incubus/Succubus Crowley: a rarer trope, but there are some fanworks where Crowley is a incubus/succubus, this element can be used traditionally, or there are some fics where Crowley does not wish to be this type of demon, or refuses to use his powers.
  • Crowley likes Children: this is based on a couple of lines in the TV canon, as well as the fact that Crowley was nanny to young Warlock for several years. Fans usually expand upon this, showing Crowley interacting with or saving children. One common example storyline, after seaon one of the TV series, was that Crowley saved children and placed them on Noah's Ark
  • Angel Crowley: fanworks that imagined Crowley as an angel were common. However, after a flashback scene in season two of the TV series that showed Crowley before the Fall, fanworks of angel Crowley grew exponentially
  • Crossovers: In rare crossovers with SPN, Crowley often meets Supernatural's version of Crowley. Mistaken identity, and/or summoning the incorrect demon are common tropes in these works. In other crossovers, Good Omens Crowley takes the place of Supernatural's Crowley.

Fanworks

Example Fanfiction

Classic Fic

Post-TV Series fic

Recs

Zines

Meta/Further Reading

Example Art Gallery

Inspired by the Book

  • "illustration of dark haired Crowley pointing a plant mister at his head"

    GO: Anthony J. Crowley by noxcape (2008)

  • "illustration of a winged Aziraphale with a halo, holding a book, and a dark haired Crowley with wings and a pointed tail"

    Aziraphale and Crowley by Ememchan08 (2015)

Inspired by the TV Series

Resources

Archives & Fannish Links

References

  1. ^ In the TV series, the character is played by Scottish actor David Tennant
  2. ^ Crowley’s Ears? posted to r/goodomens, Jan 12, 2024
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