Barbatos

Barbatos is a demon figure that appears in Western occult and medieval demonology, most prominently in grimoires such as The Lesser Key of Solomon (also known as Ars Goetia). In these texts, Barbatos is described as a great duke of Hell who governs several legions of demons. He is said to grant knowledge of the past, present, and future, reconcile friends and foes, and lead to hidden or lost items. Some sources attribute to Barbatos the ability to reveal hidden things or understand affairs that are unclear, though descriptions vary across manuscripts.

Accounts of Barbatos’s appearance differ widely. Some illustrations portray him as a courteous man or noble figure, while others depict him as a hunter, horseman, or a guide accompanied by spirits. The demon’s textual history is complex, with later compilations drawing on earlier traditions while varying in detail about his powers and rank.

Etymology and origins of the name Barbatos are uncertain. The figure is most consistently associated with 17th-century occult literature, though it is framed as part of a longer tradition of demonology that circulated in earlier medieval and Renaissance manuscripts.

In contemporary culture, the name Barbatos appears in various fictional works and games. It is notably used for the Gundam Barbatos, a prominent mobile suit in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015–2016), illustrating how the term has entered broader popular imagination while remaining rooted in its occult origins.