Good Omens

by

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Satan Character Analysis

Satan is the Antichrist, Adam’s, father; he’s a fallen angel and is referred to in the novel’s list of characters as the “Adversary.” He directs the demon characters’ activities, though he never appears in person in the novel. His one attempt to appear on Earth is thwarted when Adam, in his capacity as the Antichrist, changes history so that his human father (Mr. Young) shows up instead of Satan.

Satan Quotes in Good Omens

The Good Omens quotes below are all either spoken by Satan or refer to Satan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Good and Evil Theme Icon
).
Eleven Years Ago Quotes

“Don’t tell me from genetics. What’ve they got to do with it?” said Crowley. “Look at Satan. Created as an angel, grows up to be the Great Adversary. Hey, if you’re going to go on about genetics, you might as well say the kid will grow up to be an angel. After all, his father was really big in Heaven in the old days. Saying he’ll grow up to be a demon just because his dad became one is like saying a mouse with its tail cut off will give birth to tailless mice. No. Upbringing is everything. Take it from me.”

Related Characters: Crowley/Crawly (speaker), Aziraphale, Adam Young/The Antichrist, Satan
Page Number: 52
Explanation and Analysis:
Wednesday Quotes

They’d come up with some stomach-churning idea that no demon could have thought of in a thousand years, some dark and mindless unpleasantness that only a fully functioning human brain could conceive, then shout “The Devil Made Me Do It” and get the sympathy of the court when the whole point was that the devil hardly ever made anyone do anything. He didn’t have to. That was what some humans found hard to understand. Hell wasn’t a major reservoir of evil, any more than Heaven, in Crowley’s opinion, was a fountain of goodness; they were just sides in the great cosmic chess game. Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind.

Related Characters: Aziraphale, Crowley/Crawly, Adam Young/The Antichrist, Warlock, Satan
Page Number: 76-77
Explanation and Analysis:
Saturday Quotes

“I don’t see what’s so triffic about creating people as people and then gettin’ upset ‘cos they act like people,” said Adam severely. “Anyway, if you stopped tellin’ people it’s all sorted out after they’re dead, they might try sorting it all out while they’re alive.”

Related Characters: Adam Young/The Antichrist (speaker), Satan, God, The Metatron, Beelzebub
Page Number: 335
Explanation and Analysis:

Everyone found their eyes turning toward Adam. He seemed to be thinking very carefully.

Then he said: “I don’t see why it matters what is written. Not when it’s about people. It can always be crossed out.”

Related Characters: Adam Young/The Antichrist (speaker), Aziraphale, Crowley/Crawly, Satan, God, The Metatron, Beelzebub
Page Number: 337
Explanation and Analysis:

“I’d just like to say,” he said, “if we don’t get out of this, that...I’ll have known, deep down inside, that there was a spark of goodness in you.”

“That’s right,” said Crowley bitterly. “Make my day.”

Aziraphale held out his hand.

“Nice knowing you,” he said.

Crowley took it.

“Here’s to the next time,” he said. “And...Aziraphale?”

“Yes.”

“Just remember I’ll have known that, deep down inside, you were just enough of a bastard to be worth liking.”

Related Characters: Aziraphale (speaker), Crowley/Crawly (speaker), Adam Young/The Antichrist, Satan
Page Number: 342
Explanation and Analysis:
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Good Omens PDF

Satan Quotes in Good Omens

The Good Omens quotes below are all either spoken by Satan or refer to Satan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Good and Evil Theme Icon
).
Eleven Years Ago Quotes

“Don’t tell me from genetics. What’ve they got to do with it?” said Crowley. “Look at Satan. Created as an angel, grows up to be the Great Adversary. Hey, if you’re going to go on about genetics, you might as well say the kid will grow up to be an angel. After all, his father was really big in Heaven in the old days. Saying he’ll grow up to be a demon just because his dad became one is like saying a mouse with its tail cut off will give birth to tailless mice. No. Upbringing is everything. Take it from me.”

Related Characters: Crowley/Crawly (speaker), Aziraphale, Adam Young/The Antichrist, Satan
Page Number: 52
Explanation and Analysis:
Wednesday Quotes

They’d come up with some stomach-churning idea that no demon could have thought of in a thousand years, some dark and mindless unpleasantness that only a fully functioning human brain could conceive, then shout “The Devil Made Me Do It” and get the sympathy of the court when the whole point was that the devil hardly ever made anyone do anything. He didn’t have to. That was what some humans found hard to understand. Hell wasn’t a major reservoir of evil, any more than Heaven, in Crowley’s opinion, was a fountain of goodness; they were just sides in the great cosmic chess game. Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind.

Related Characters: Aziraphale, Crowley/Crawly, Adam Young/The Antichrist, Warlock, Satan
Page Number: 76-77
Explanation and Analysis:
Saturday Quotes

“I don’t see what’s so triffic about creating people as people and then gettin’ upset ‘cos they act like people,” said Adam severely. “Anyway, if you stopped tellin’ people it’s all sorted out after they’re dead, they might try sorting it all out while they’re alive.”

Related Characters: Adam Young/The Antichrist (speaker), Satan, God, The Metatron, Beelzebub
Page Number: 335
Explanation and Analysis:

Everyone found their eyes turning toward Adam. He seemed to be thinking very carefully.

Then he said: “I don’t see why it matters what is written. Not when it’s about people. It can always be crossed out.”

Related Characters: Adam Young/The Antichrist (speaker), Aziraphale, Crowley/Crawly, Satan, God, The Metatron, Beelzebub
Page Number: 337
Explanation and Analysis:

“I’d just like to say,” he said, “if we don’t get out of this, that...I’ll have known, deep down inside, that there was a spark of goodness in you.”

“That’s right,” said Crowley bitterly. “Make my day.”

Aziraphale held out his hand.

“Nice knowing you,” he said.

Crowley took it.

“Here’s to the next time,” he said. “And...Aziraphale?”

“Yes.”

“Just remember I’ll have known that, deep down inside, you were just enough of a bastard to be worth liking.”

Related Characters: Aziraphale (speaker), Crowley/Crawly (speaker), Adam Young/The Antichrist, Satan
Page Number: 342
Explanation and Analysis: