Helluva Boss

Blitzo is canonically pansexual, and his intimate and complicated relationship with the gay Prince Stolas is a central plotline, explicitly shown through romantic gestures and emotional conflict. Sallie May, Millie's sister, is a confirmed transgender woman and lesbian, appearing in 'The Harvest Moon Festival' episode and supported in her transition by her family. Other prominent LGBTQ+ characters include bisexual Moxxie and Loona, gay Fizzarolli (in a relationship with pansexual Asmodeus), pansexual Verosika Mayday and Beelzebub, and asexual Octavia and Mammon.

In episodes like 'Murder Family' (S1E1), the I.M.P. crew brutally kills a human family, with visible blood and dismemberment, framed within a comedic context. In 'Truth Seekers' (S1E6), agents are explicitly killed, and later in 'Oops' (S2E6), Fizzarolli experiences violent abduction and injury, leading to a confrontation that includes explicit threats of further harm and violent actions. The show frequently features characters being shot, stabbed, blown up, and dismembered with clear visual depictions of the injuries.

The intimate relationship between Blitzo and Stolas is a recurring theme, involving flirtation, implied sexual encounters, and emotional intimacy. For instance, Stolas frequently expresses explicit sexual desire for Blitzo, and they are shown in compromising positions. The character Verosika Mayday, a succubus, is inherently tied to themes of lust, performing suggestive acts and having dialogue focused on sexual encounters, such as in 'Spring Broken' (S1E3) where she and her crew are depicted engaging in highly suggestive behavior at a spring break event. Many characters, including background ones, are scantily clad or explicitly sexualized.

A detailed swear count analysis showed 'fuck' is the most frequently used expletive, appearing hundreds of times across episodes; for example, in 'Mammon's Magnificent Musical Mid-Season Special' (S2E7), 'fuck' is used 60 times, 'bitch' 27 times, and 'shit' 25 times within that single episode. Blitzo consistently uses strong language, often multiple expletives in a single sentence, such as 'first you’re fucking shit stained claws off him'. This heavy use of profanity is a constant element throughout the show.

Stolas, a Goetial demon, possesses a grimoire that allows the I.M.P. crew to travel between Hell and Earth, demonstrating the central role of magical artifacts and powers. Stolas also uses his demonic powers to control humans, such as in 'Truth Seekers' (S1E6) where he possesses a human agent and causes her to vomit blood to create a summoning circle, which he then uses to return to Hell. Various demons employ spells, curses, and supernatural abilities as a regular part of their existence and the plot.

In 'Ghostf*****s' (S2E10), Blitzo experiences terrifying hallucinations, including one where an illusion of his mother burns alive, her skin strips to the bone, and an eye falls out, creating disturbing body horror and a jumpscare. 'Murder Family' (S1E1) features a disturbing playroom belonging to a cannibal family, containing a chair made of a corpse, a human skin rug, and a roasted human served like a turkey, which is explicitly shown.

The I.M.P. crew, particularly Blitzo, routinely disrespects and talks back to high-ranking demons like Prince Stolas, Beelzebub, and Asmodeus, often to their faces, seemingly without major concern for consequences. For example, Blitzo refers to Beelzebub as 'barky' and Loona is openly hostile towards her, despite her royal status. This defiance of hierarchy is a recurring character trait that drives much of the show's humor and conflict.

The series presents angels as either ineffective (the C.H.E.R.U.B.s) or antagonists (exorcist angels in the related 'Hazbin Hotel' universe, which shares lore), directly contrasting with traditional Christian reverence for angels. The protagonists are demons whose business involves murdering humans, which inherently subverts Christian moral teachings. The show's portrayal of Heaven as potentially 'boring and hypocritical' in satirical works, contrasting with a more 'normal' Hell, reflects a clear thematic stance against traditional Christian doctrine.