Helluva Boss is an Americanadult animatedmusicalcomedyweb series created byVivienne "VivziePop" Medrano. It revolves around the misadventures of the employees of I.M.P., a company inHell that offers hitman services in the realm of the living. Thepilot was released on November 25, 2019, before the series premiered on October 31, 2020.
Set in the samefictional universe asHazbin Hotel, the show is produced bySpindleHorse. The first season was released exclusively on Medrano'sYouTube channel.[5][6][7] The second season premiered on July 30, 2022. A spin-off short series titledHelluva Shorts was also released from April 2024. A third season is in active production. In April 2025, it is announced that the third and fourth seasons will be released onPrime Video, and YouTube a month after, and will often reference and crossover with its sister show,Hazbin Hotel.
The series follows the employees of I.M.P. (Immediate Murder Professionals), animp-run assassination company inHell, on their many different jobs.[8][9][10] The members of I.M.P. include Blitzo (pronounced "Blitz"), the boss of the venture, along with weapons specialist Moxxie, powerhouse Millie, and Blitzo's adopted daughter/receptionisthellhound Loona. With the help of an ancient book obtained fromStolas, aGoetial demon of Hell, they access the human world to complete their tasks on order from souls in Hell.
The show features a different cast of characters and a different storyline thanHazbin Hotel, another show created by Medrano, despite taking place within the same universe.[11][12][13] As Medrano described it, while both shows share the same setting,Helluva Boss follows "characters and societies that already exist in Hell", with the main focus being oninterpersonal relationships between characters, whileHazbin Hotel is aboutredemption and consequences.[14][15]
Thepilot ofHelluva Boss was cast by voice actorKellen Goff and voice directed by Medrano and Rick Zieff. In June 2019, Medrano stated that she was working with Erica Lindbeck, Brock Baker, and Brandon Rogers on a "new project".[16] The companyHorseless Cowboy assisted Medrano with voice work during the first season, with Richard Horvitz and Medrano voice directing.[17] Lucas Bermudez ofScreen Rant attributed the success ofHazbin Hotel as the sole reason forHelluva Boss being greenlit.[18] At some point, Rogers askedJinkx Monsoon to voice a character inHelluva Boss, but Monsoon wanted to voice "stock characters" instead, so they did so, voicing various background and one-off characters in the show's first season.[19]
On November 25, 2019, thepilot was released on Medrano's YouTube channel.[20][21][22] Medrano contributed her writing and animation skills to the episode. Writing production for more episodes began in December 2019, with 8 episodes ordered.[17] In August 2020, the recording for the first eight episodes of season 1 was completed, and Lucas Bermudez ofScreen Rant predicted that more episodes ofHelluva Boss would be released to YouTube "as a web series" because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[18]
On October 31, 2020, the first episode of season 1 was released.[23] In the episode, Rogers and Horvitz return as Blitzo and Moxxie, and while Lindbeck returns as Loona, she is replaced by Vivian Nixon as the voice of Millie. Baker was replaced by Bryce Pinkham as Stolas. Guest stars of the episode include Monsoon, Mara Wilson, and Maxwell Atoms. On January 31, 2021, the third episode of the series wasage-restricted by YouTube.[24] In response, entertainment siteNewgrounds offered to host anuncensored version of the episode and promote it with "a front page banner", something which Medrano expressed interest in.[25] The episode's age restriction was lifted the next day.
In September 2021, Medrano spoke on a virtual stage at the Animation Exposé of theOttawa International Animation Festival about creatingHazbin Hotel andHelluva Boss.[26][27] She was joined by Bryan Dimas, the associate producer of development atWarner Bros. Animation and co-director of a group called LatinX in Animation.[28][29]
In February 2022, the officialHelluva Boss Twitter account stated that the season one finale would be out "soon" but that it was taking longer than expected, and noted that season two was in production.[30] On June 3, 2022, theHelluva Boss Twitter account released an update after the final episode of season 1 was delayed, and the series would instead be moving forward with season 2. The original season 1 finale was released a year later on June 24, 2023.[31] The second season premiered on July 30, 2022.[32][33] The series has included celebrities such asKesha,Norman Reedus,Mara Wilson,Alex Brightman and others as guest stars.[34][35]
On March 27, 2023, the show was confirmed to be renewed for a third season, in active production.[36][37] On May 25, 2023, Medrano stated that the series was planned to be "a very set 4 season story".[38] On July 31, 2023, VivziePop posted titles for the upcoming episodes for season 2 on Twitter.[39]
On April 26, 2024, a spin-off short series ofHelluva Boss titledHelluva Shorts was announced at LVLUP Expo, with the first short being released on the same day.[40]
On April 25, 2025, it was announced thatHelluva Boss would now be available onAmazon Prime Video as well as YouTube. It was also announced thatHelluva Boss episodes will be released on Amazon Prime first and then uploaded to YouTube as normal for the series one month later. Alongside SpindleHorse,Amazon MGM Studios will also help produce the series, with Medrano expressing that she was grateful to Prime Video for the opportunity and what it "means for the continued rise of indie animation.".[41][42]The A.V. Club also reported that Medrano, and Spindlehorse itself, retains "full creative control and final cut on the series." ComicBook later reported that Rochelle Diamante would be taking over the voice role of Beezlebub fromKesha.[43][44][45]
Helluva Boss has various LGBTQ+ characters, specifically Moxxie, who isbisexual, and Blitzo, who ispansexual.[46][47] Another character, Stolas, isgay.[48][47][49] The episode "The Harvest Moon Festival" introduced the character Sallie May, Millie's sister, who was confirmed on the show's official Twitter account to betransgender,[46][47] and by her voice actor to belesbian.[50]
Helluva Boss was met with critical acclaim for its animation, characters, voice acting, songs, and humor. In December 2019, in an article about the current state of adult animation,CBR animation critic Reuben Baron stated that, whilethe pilot episode ofHelluva Boss has garnered "warranted criticism" because of its "edgy" humor, it is still a "clear labor of love from an animation standpoint".[51] Another reviewer, also forCBR, Morgan Shaunette, described the series as "underrated", said that it is a "twisted take on the workplace comedy", and called it a "helluva strange ride".[52] Tito W. James' ofComicon.com stated that demons having access to a portal that connects to the human realm "adds a new dynamic and is ripe for narrative potential".[53] Jones also said that he was impressed with the quality of the series and stated that "other animated adult comedies should take notes".[54]
The same was said about the show's third episode, which one reviewer said had other types of humor like "fourth-wall breaking and blink-and-you-miss-it sight-gags".[55] Zoe Dumas ofMovieWeb argued that the series has "emotionally complex" characters, a talented and musical voice cast, and "outstanding" animation.[46] Dumas also argued that the series is "more episodic and character-driven" thanHazbin Hotel, while complimenting the latter.[56] Joshua S. Mackey forInto praised the series for having "three different queer main characters".[47]
Animation Magazine reported that the pilots ofHazbin Hotel andHelluva Boss had been, collectively, viewed over 65 million times by October 7, 2020. It referred toHelluva Boss as "wildly popular" and an "overnight sensation".[57] Others called the series a "YouTube hit".[26]
In February 2021, Medrano toldInsider thatHelluva Boss remains independent ofHazbin Hotel, stating she intends to keep it that way "as long as the audience wants to keep seeing it", adding that she has "a plan for where the story goes and ends". It also states that she has "carved out a niche for adult animation on the platform".[24] In 2023, scholar Ben Mitchell described the series as "sensationally popular" and an effective use of Patreon to subsidize the show's art "through monthly tiered payments".[58] Zoe Dumas ofMovieWeb described the series as a "wild success" with a "superb voice cast".[46]
^Crusch, Marley (December 13, 2020)."Hazbin Hotel Panel Recap".Bubble Blabber.Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. RetrievedDecember 15, 2020.
