His Dark Materials: A Guide to Determine a Daemon

One of the most interesting aspects of His Dark Materials is the concept of daemons. The idea of a spirit or totem animal isn't new. Many cultures from all over the world know it, and even the word 'daemon' is derived from a Hellanistic concept for a spirit guide who would act similiar to a daemon of Pullman's multiverse. Pullman, however, seems to take the elements of these concepts and mix them together, with an extra inspiration being paintings such as Lady with an Ermine from Leonardo da Vinci, where human and animal seem to share a deep, but silent connection to one another.

I've been involved in the fandom of this great series for years, and I once even made a quiz myself. This quiz has been since deleted, on the account that I made many common mistakes that many people make when trying to determine a daemon. Some of the questions in the quiz were just emberessing mistakes you'd exspect on a Buzzfeed personality quiz, and I'll adress those later down the line.

With this guide, I hope to help people who want to determine daemons or perhaps desire to make an original character with one. Keep in mind, I'm only human, so always do your own research as well. By no means is this meant to be law. Rather, consider it a guide on how to start, the basics if you will. Its also not a guide on how to write OCs for the fandom.

In this guide I'll be covering what a daemon is, what to do when trying to figure out a daemon's form and what you certainly should not do.


What is a daemon?

In Pullman's universe, a daemon is the soul of a sapient being such as a human or witch, who has a psychial form. The daemon manifests as an animal, but its not a real animal. Daemons talk and think like humans and while they may show the traits of the animal they take the form off, they're ultimately not animals. A cat-daemon won't behave like a cat, and people and animals alike can instinctively tell when a creature is an animal or daemon, tot he point its actually hard for a bird-daemon to blend into a flock of regular birds.

Daemons and humans are essenstially the same being in two bodies. They can share each other's thoughts, pain, pleasure, emotions and dreams and are usually in sync. Daemons are also usually of the opposite gender, and the reason for this has led to much debate. Some believe it reflects the sexuality of a person, while other's claim its supposed t orepresent the feminine or masculine side of the human. I personally believe it to be a mix of the two.

Daemons always take the shape of an animal, and the daemons of children are able to shapeshift, with some even able to take the form of prehistoric and mythical creatures. The current form of a child's daemon is determined by mood, practical reasons and personal preferences. However, once the child hits puberty, the daemon settles permanently in the form of a real animal, losing its ability to shapeshift. The form of the animal is determined by the human's personality.

How a human and daemon interract with each other can tell a lot about a person's mental state, and there are a lot of theories about the shapeshifting abilities of young daemons. However, while that is very fascinating, it usually doesn't have a big impact on the settled form of a mature daemon. It would take a seperate guide to cover these aspects.

Now that we covered the basics of what a daemon is, let's look at some tips on what to do and what not to do when trying to determine the form of a daemon.


What to do when determining a daemon's form

The more animals you know, the better!

A lot of online quizes that offer to determine a daemon only have a limited amount of animals that can result in a form. An extreme example would be Sutherland's spirit animal quiz, where the amount of results was only four different species of animal.

However, even the the closest thing we have to a quiz, the one made by HBO and based on the TV show, only has around 20 forms. That sounds like a lot, untill you realize there are about 8.7 million species of animal estimated to exist. All of which could be possible forms. And that's not even taking subspecies and other variations into account!

Now, its of course impossible to know all these animals, let alone to know their behavior in-depth. But it doesn't hurt to know as many different species as possible. Of course, don't just look at the popular one's! Tigers and wolves and such are cool, but shrews, wasps and tuna also exist, and are just as likely to become a daemon's settled form. Try to look beyond the animals that many people consider their favorite. If you want to determine a daemon's form, but you only look at the charismatic lions and horses and maybe a few of the odd one's out, you're very limited in what you can offer.

Do research regarding animal behavior and how that would translate to humans!

The form of a daemon is determined by personality. To be specific, the personality of their human counterpart. Sometimes, these can be fairly obvious. A loyal person who aims to please will probably have a dog as a daemon, while someone who prefers to be left alone will have something more solitary, such as a cat. However, its not always that clear.

Macaques will try to stay near the trees or other tall structures when looking for food on the ground. That way, when a predator shows up, they can flee up the trees. Now, a human isn't very likely to do this. So you must ask yourself how this behavior can translate into a human's personality. Macaques stay close tot he trees because they are an escape route when faced with danger. In humans, this could manifest as a desire to stick close to one's comfort zone and wanting a way out, or have an emotional anchor of some sorts nearby for comfort. Often you find that why an animal does something is sometimes more important then what they do.

How an animal interacts with other's of its kind and with the world in general also matters a lot. Not every social animal will treat other animals in its social unit the same way. Rabbits live in groups, but mainly because that decreases the chanche of them getting caught when predators attack. After all, if you're with twenty of your pals, the chanche a hungry fox catches you will be quite small. Wolves, on the other hand, are a family unit that depends on each for teamwork. As a result, while both rabbits and wolves are social animals, the reasons behind their social behavior is different, which influences how they act. A rabbit won't be so quick to defend a fellow lagomorph that is attacked, but wolves will generally defend one of their packmates. Therefore, someone with a wolf-daemon will usually be more loyal and family-oriented then a person with a rabbit-daemon, despite the fact both are social extroverted animals that live in groups.

I always suggest you start with how social a person is. Are they very social, socially flexible or selective, or maybe they're very anti-social? Are they introverted or extroverted? Once you know this, narrowing down animals become's a lot easier. If you know someone is an introvert who prefers to be left alone, you know dogs, wolves or hyenas will be out of the question and you can start looking at animals that are solitary in nature, such as cats and owls.

Make sure you know what personality traits are the most important!

People are quite layered and complex, and its not easy to sum up a person with just a few traits. Still, some personality traits tend to more noticeble. Many people would describe themselves as smart, but that doesn't mean their daemon would be an extremely intelligent animal, such as a bonobo, crow, dolphin or spotted hyena. Only if their intelligence is very noteworthy will it result in a daemon that reflects that.

Same with a lot of other personality traits. Divide the various traits you're dealing with in core, secondary and minor traits. If someone's intelligence can be described as average or maybe a bit below average, their daemon won't be an animal that is known for their intelligence.

This goes for pretty much every personality trait you can think off.

Looks matter!

The species says a lot about a person's daemon, but appearance plays a role as well. In a lot of species, different appearances can tell a lot about the animal. To be more specific, size and color. Let's start with the former.

Most animals have an average size and weight, which seems to be the standard for the species. But there are individuals who are bigger or smaller then that, and that has a meaning. An animal that is bigger then average can be a sign of confidence or a big ego, while being smaller can mean the opposite, meaning it can allude to insecurity or a desire to be hidden. However, this is a very minor trait and shouldn't influence a form in the grand scheme of things all that much. Keep in mind that if any of these personality traits are considered a core trait, the form you have in mind probably won't fit. If you really wish to make your tawny owl a giant, you might as well go with an ural owl.

Color tends to have a bigger impact. To demonstrate this, we're going to be looking at leopards. Leopards generally come in two variations when color is concerned. You have the classic yellow leopard with the spots, and the black leopard, usually known as a black panther*. Leopards are famous for being stealthy and good at camouflage, and their spotted coat allows them to blend into a lot of different envirements, ranging from deserts and mountains to jungles and even cities. In humans, this would manifest as someone who is extremely adapteble.

A black leopard, however, doesn't have this luxery. Their black coat stands out to much in most envirements. However, in thick wooded areas such as forests and jungles, the black coat can work very well when the cat takes advantage of the shadows. This could mean that a human with a black leopard as their daemon might not as adaptive as someone with a spotted leopard, but it does mean that they are extremely adapteble and skilled within a specific area of expertise.

Keep in mind that this can't be applied to every species of animal out there. The white coat of a tiger might hold some unique meaning, but a gray rabbit won't be that much different from one with brown fur. To eloborate, white tigers may look gorgeous, but their appearance is caused by recessive genes that usually manifest through inbreeding. As a result, my theory is that a person with a white tiger may appear impressive, but they're quite broken on the inside.

Subspecies matter!

Well, sometimes, that is. Many animals have various subspecies, and some of these can be pretty similiar, either in appearance or behavior. British barn owls look different from their cousins on the mainland in terms of color, but their behavior is the same. And the majority of red fox subspecies act and look identical. For these species, subspecies arguably doesn't matter for the most part, with the exception of very specific one's. As a result, you can just pick a subspecies you like for the daemon and it won't have any serious consequences.

For other species, however, the subspecies can be very important. Lions are a good example. African and Asiatic lions not only look different, but act different as well. African lions tend to form tight-knit prides and are very social animals. But their cousins from Gir Forest in India, the only place in the world where wild lions can be found outside of Africa, however, are not and only form loose prides, only meeting up to mate and hunt. Especially the males tend be more solitary. Another example would be wolves. No zoologist knows why, but the wolf subspecies from Russia, India and Iran tend to be more aggresive then their cousins in Europe and America. Someone whose daemon takes the form of an Indian wolf may therefore be a bit fiercer then someone with an American wolf.

This also counts for the breeds found within domestic animals such as cats, horses and dogs. A Vizla might be more sensetive then a Dobberman, and a German Shepard can be more protective then a pug. These animals all tend to overlap in terms of traits, but if you want the daemon of your OC to be a breed as opposed to a mutt dog or short-haired cat, do some research towards various breeds in order to narrow it down.

Don't be afraid to do more research or look stuff up!

Biologists estimate there might be around 8.7 million species of animal in the world. These all have their own behavior, and as such can also be possible forms a daemon can settle in. However, its impossible to know every animal in the world. Heck, its impossible to know the behavior of every animal you do know! And even if you a fair amount of the behavior of, say, a vulture, there's always details you may not be aware off.

Therefore, if you're trying to determine a daemon and you're not sure, don't feel ashamed when looking up information in books or the internet! You might even learn something new. Heck, I exsperienced something like that. A few years ago, I thought someone's daemon could perhaps be a type of big cat, so I started researching them to see which one would fit the best. When I reached tigers, I discovered that they weren't as solitary as most of their relatives. Indeed, tigers will spend most of their time alone and aren't nearly as social as lions, but they've been known to maintain bonds with specific members of their kind (usually relatives or mates) and even form 'hub areas' where various tigers can be found together. If I hadn't second-guessed myself and checked my facts, I never would have learned this fascinating fact, which I nowadays use whenever I do an analysis and tigers cross my desk.


What not to do when determining a daemon's form

Don't exspect your daemon to be your favorite animal!

"There's plenty of folk that like to have a lion as a daemon and they end up with a poodle. And 'till they learn to be satisfied with what they are, they're going to be fretful about it." – Farder Coram van Texel

Our dear Farder Coram is quite right here. A daemon is a representation of who someone is as a person, a manifestation of their soul that takes form according to their personality. Its not a patron animal, patronus or totem. As such, you can't really choose what form a daemon will take. You just have to do research, and see what fits best. When doing research, a lot of people discover that their favorite animal isn't their daemon. Don't go inspecting your soul to take the shape of a lion, when it might be a poodle! And while you may not like this initially, I highly suggest thinking more about it, and doing more research. From my exsperience, once people really get to know an animal (regardless of wether its daemon-related or not), they tend to appreciate the critter a lot more.

And who knows? Maybe the form of your daemon may end up becoming your new favorite animal! Again, based on my own expsperiences, the people who got an animal (either for themselves or their OCs) they didn't exspect tend to be quite satisfied in the long-run.

Don't bother looking up cultural or symbolic information!

A mistake many people, myself included, make when they start out with determining daemons is that they take into account the role animals play in folklore, mythology, religion and symbolism. On the surface, this seems like it makes sense. Owls are wise, so a wise person should have an owl. And a dumb brute should get a spotted hyena because, as a lion cub once said, aren't hyenas mangy, slobbery, stupid poachers? And a lone wolf-character must have a wolf, right?

Wrong!

Humans tend to view animals in a positive or negative light, entirely based on our own ideas and beliefs. We give anthropomorphize them, meaning we give them traits that they don't have. Its easy tot hink of African wild dogs as evil when they tear a live zebra apart. We forget that these are animals, and they're not doing it because they're 'evil'. Likewise, a fox stealing food from a weasel is just out to survive. Its not a robber. Likewise, all the previously named myths (the wise owl, lone wolf and evil hyena) are just that: myths.

(Pop) culture also influences our ideas of animals. We think of lions as noble, good and majestic animals. They star in animated movies and are sported on many flags and emblems. However, real lions are just as likely to steal, kill or commit acts humans tend to find descipeble as other, less popular animals. Its neither fair or accurate to give one animal a free pass because they look 'pretty' or play a positive role in culture. More importantly, the way animals behave in our own folklore or the meanings we give them rarely represent how the actual animal is like. A vampire bat has a horrid reputation, but many people don't know they form very close-knight bonds with other members of their colony and are one of the few animals who are willing to share their food scources. Likewise, we praise meerkats for being cute and adoreble, and casually forget that a meerkat colony pretty much operates as a matriarchal maffia where the 'queen' has a zero tolerance policy on competion, which usually involves her eating the babies of her sisters.

Therefore, unless you really want to make a character who symbolizes something, don't bother giving people daemons based on the role they play in our cultures. There are exceptions of course, but it overall doesn't work. If you want to give an OC a certain animal, make sure their personality fits!

Don't be to literal!

As said before, when analyizing wether an animal can be a proper daemon, its often usefull to look at why an animal does something, and from there on out you can continue your research. However, a common mistake that people make is when they get to literal.

Someone with a lion-daemon, won't therefore be a huge steak lover. And someone whose favorite color is green, won't have a frog as a daemon because of that. But it works both ways. Someone with a vampire bat daemon isn't gonna suck someone's blood, and those with cuckoo-daemons won't therefore murder their siblings in order to win their parents' favor. Not everything an animal does can be translated into human behavior, and its important to remember that. Otherwise, people with wolf-daemons would be tearing apart live elk with their teeth. Try to think of how this behavior could instead be translated into human behavior, as discussed earlier.

Jobs and hobbies can be important, but not always!

Its easy to say that a sailor will have an otter for a daemon, or a pilot a hawk. And wouldn't it be easy to say woodcuttters would have beavers? Well, this can be a thing, but it actually depends on how passionate someone is about said hobby or job.

We actually have an example of this in the canon material. Everyone's favorite Texan, Lee Scoresby, was an a?ronaut. However, he admitted that he only did this because it was his job and claimed that once he was able to retire, he'd never be seen in the air again. Obviously, he isn't that passionate about flying through the skies. As a result, he didn't get a flying animal such a bird, bat or insect. These are all animals that have close connections tot he sky, but considering Lee only views flying as a job and nothing more, his daemon therefore didn't settle as a flying animal.

However, if someone was an extremely dedicated pilot who was passionate about his work and dreaded the idea of retiring and always wanted to do this since they were a child, then their daemon could settle as a flying animal. If they're that passionate about flying, its likely their daemon would settle as an animal that shares that passion.

Don't use prehistoric animals!

Yeah, I know. I'd hate to burst your bubble, but I highly suggest not to give someone a Velociraptor-daemon. The reason for this is honestly pretty simple. While fossils and bones can tell us a lot about the primordial beasts that came before us, behavior isn't one of them. They can give us clues, but we'll never be 100% certain.

A lot of what we associate with prehistoric animals isn't really proven. For example, dromeosaurids (though most people know them as raptors) are often portrayed as pack hunters. In truth, however, we actually have very little evidence they truly did that. There is some evidence one species in particular, the Deinonychus, may have been a social hunter, but its not conclusive. And even if the Deinonychus was a pack hunter, that doesn't mean that therefore all relatives, such as the Velociraptor and Utahraptor, also would have. Lions are very social, and live in permanent prides. But their closest relative, the leopard, is a loner if there ever was one, as are most wild cats.

As a result, its difficult to assign a prehistoric animal as a daemon because there is no way of knowing what their exact behavior would have been like, and therefore its not possible to know what kind of human personality would fit them.

There is an exception. If you're writing a story that takes place in a fictional setting where prehistoric species are still alive (such as a HDM!AU that takes place in prehistoric times, or perhaps a crossover with Primal or Jurassic Park), it might be possible. In that case, you'd have to base the personality of the characters on the behavior the franchise's version of the creatures display.

Does that mean you can't have extinct animals as a daemon in general? Actually, no. Not all extinct animals are prehistoric. The Thylacine went extinct as recent as the 30's of the last century, and the splendid poison frog went extinct in 2020! The behavior of recently extint is sometimes quite well-recorded, so much so that its entirely possible to use them as a daemon. That being said, it can be quite difficult and not worth the trouble. But that's just my personal opinioonn.

Don't use mythical creatures!

I tend to avoid fantasy creatures, like dragons and gryphons. The reason being that, well…these creatures aren't real. Its therefore not really easy to assign them to a person, for the same reason prehistoric animals are not adviced to use. There are so many interpretentions, so what would it mean if someone has a dragon-daemon? Furthermore, because these creatures are often meant to be monsters or have a symbolic meaning, they often lack the traits real animals have that are used to determine wether they'd be someone's daemon or not.

An exception would be if the story were to take place in a fantasy world where these creatures are portrayed as 'normal' animals, and are therefore given traits like real animals. The dragons in the How To Train Your Dragon series (book and franchise universe alike) have pretty detailed information when it come's to behavior, and could therefore in theory be used as a daemon. I'm personally not very fond of it, but if you really want your fantasy of having a dragon or unicorn as a daemon, then this is my advice.

Don't rush!

In my opinion, its impossible to find the perfect daemon. You'd need to know every animal in the world, know everything about their behavior down to the last detail, know how each of these traits would manifest in humans (which is pretty subjective) and also have a good grasp on how the human mind works. This is literally impossible. However, its entirely possible to find the animal that would be, according to your own knowledge, be the closest fit.

However, this takes time and research. Its happened to me plenty of times that I thought an OC or person would have a certain type of daemon. But once I did some more research, I found flaws in that original form, or discovered animals that made better fits. Its better to wait a little bit and have a daemon that truly fits, then to change it every week because you rushed it. There's no time limit, and take advantage of that. It actually took months of research before I finally concluded my own daemon would be a fox, which I do admit I was a little bit dissapointed with initially. But now, I wouldn't trade Sarkana for anything in the world, not even for my favorite animals.


Conclusion

And there you have it! Tips on what to do and what not to do when to determine a daemon's form! If you're interested in more of these little guides, then send me a PM. Likewise, if you want to know what your daemon or that of an OC would be, let me know and I'll do my best to help you out!

And if you're really fond of His Dark Materials, I recently started a roleplay forum fort his franchise, here on . If you're interested, I'll send you a link!

Finally, I hope you've enjoyed this guide and that you're able to use it! If you have any questions or critisms on how to improve this, I'd love to hear it! This idea has been on my mind for ages and now that I've finally uploaded, I'm interested in perfecting it.