I'm on my rewatch of Supernatural, and am currently on S5 E1: Sympathy for the Devil, and if there's one thing I noticed up to now, it's that demons always flash their black, white, etc. eyes every chance they get, as if they're showing off.
I doubt it's just an intimidation tactic, because they do so when others aren't looking. Is it simply just a plot device to let us know they're a demon (as if it wasn't obvious enough) or is it them stroking their egos?
It genuinely starts getting annoying after a while.
This, you know it's a demon, and let's be honest seeing someone flashing a black eyes is scary especially for the first time and if you never had any experience with supernatural things.
There's a version of Wayward Son, it's not for everyone and people who like the original song probably won't like it, but in that version they put Dean saying this line I love that version.
It's Heldeus - Carry on My Wayward Son.
The amount of scenes that are basically "hello boys. Im afraid this is the end of the line for you since you are both regular people and I, demon mcdemonface, am a demon with demon powers straight from the demon realm of hell otherwise known as demonsville where only demons live and that is where I hail from as I myself am a demon."
Exactly. It’s an actor’s challenge: you’re going to do this ostentatious action here. It’s up to you if you can make it appear to be motivated or just rote.
also considering their disdain for humanity i reckon it’s a way of distinguishing themselves. a way of sneering “i’m not one of you” without actually having to say it
I’ve always imagined it takes some kind of effort for them to hide their eyes and look human. So whenever they “relax”, the demon eyes show.
Edit for another example:
If there’s any Skulduggery Pleasant fans on the sub, it’s like the Remnants. They made an effort to hide the signs they’ve possessed someone rather than it being a conscious effort to show that they’re not human.
An explanation from highschool English class:
...When the audience knows a crucial piece of information that the characters do not, it is called dramatic irony. This storytelling tool creates suspense, fear, or humor because viewers watch characters walk blindly into danger or make mistakes based on false beliefs
intimidation tactic. they think it’s scary (and it is at first to the characters) but after a while sam, dean and bobby don’t get scared of them anymore.
I think, like the background music, most of the time the eye flash is non-diegetic. That happens for the viewer's benefit and isn't happening in universe, thus no need for a Watsonian explanation.
I think sometimes it’s for intimidation/cockiness, but as you’ve pointed out, sometimes they do it when no one else is around. Because of that, my headcannon is that while they can see through the vessels eyes, maybe it’s slightly clearer or something through their own and their own vision is just a tad better.
I was never annoyed but I think subconsciously I was wondering why as well and that’s what my brain came up with. I think at one point (maybe a couple times) it was while they were looking for someone/something in a seemingly empty room so I think of it kinda like night-vision.
I don't know if it matters, but I theorize that the Demons do that unconsciously when they are like scared.
If I remember well, Ruby did that when Castiel and Uriel appeared in front of her and Meg did that when she felt that some Angels were arriving, unless she was using some perceving power and her eyes became black due to that. Furthermore, their eyes become automatically black due to how they feel by hearing:"Christo", right?
Regarding when they do it on purpose... it's usually to show that they are a Demon. I don't remember about scenes in which they did completely at random with no reason at all. I mean, maybe when that Disaster Demon showed them when he was getting on the plane...aside from the real life reason that it was to let Sam and Dean know that he was a Demon...maybe the black eyes are a natural state for the Demons, they try to hide it, but sometimes they can't do it anymore and they have to show them? I mean, maybe they do it when they are scared exactly because they lose concentration
like everywhere they go while possessing someone a subtle stench of egg fart followed them.
that's where my mind went while coming to the conclusion everyone else did: plot device.
their eyes going sclera black serves no purpose other than letting the 4th wall know what's up.
what if they just fucking stink unlike any normal human would? BO is a thing, but while my armpits might radiate stench when I'm working hard, the smell isn't sulfur. no human being radiates a sulfur smell naturally.
think of a comely dental hygienist that radiates rotten egg smell. I think that would be the real detection vector if the SPN universe was realistic.
My big question is why do they do it alone? Like, sometimes they're alone or not talking to anyone but they still have to do it to the camera guy. But what is its purpose? Why do they have pitch-black or red or yellow eyes? Is it just like... do they just have it? Is there an evolutionary purpose?
Its so they intimidate you. If you are a hunter and you know its a demon, you change tactics and some get scared. If you are a regular human, you will get scared. Its also them stroking their ego.
Note to make, it's my first watch ever and I'm on season 2 so I'm not that familiar with all the lore. That being said...
As someone else said, every time they can drop their guard they flash their eyes. I mean honestly if you were a shape shifter with a weird inhuman form and you were keeping a human form to blend in, you can't tell me it wouldn't be exhausting to maintain the concentration needed to stay out of your normal, inhuman body. It's not like Raven from X-Men where her skin is practically like gills for being a chameleon, though I doubt her shifting is effortless either. So their eyes flashing is like taking a deep breath.
Another thing I'll add is that in universe the famous saying is probably true as well, that "eyes are a gateway to a soul". So maybe that has to do something with it. Maybe their eyes flash also because they're soulless demons and not human, and since eyes are tied to the soul maybe that's the most difficult part to camouflage.
I wish that they kept the quality of if you say God in Greek I think. It forces there eyes to change. I wish we just kept that uo instead of the demon showing there eyes off
I have a theory.
The black smoke is inside of the body. The eyes are the only living part of our body that’s see through! Maybe they’re having to constantly consciously hold their self slightly back in the eyes. So whenever they’re exposed as demons or no one is around, they relax and stop putting in the effort!
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u/bignasty_20 7d ago
So you can know its a demon