| “ | One of the worst of a bad lot. You can't think of enough rotten things to say about him. He's fast, hard to kill, casts spells, and resurrects dead monsters! At least these suckers are rare. | „ |
| ~ DOOM II Manual description |
| “ | One of the worst of a bad lot. You can't think of enough rotten things to say about him. He's fast, hard to kill, casts spells, and resurrects dead monsters! At least these suckers are rare. | „ |
| ~ DOOM II Manual description |
| “ | Forged from Hellfire, the Archvile is feared among lesser demons for its innate ability to channel and manipulate the unholy powers of Hell magic. Descended from the eldest race of demons, the Archvile has long held a place within the ruling caste of high-born demon lords. Possessing superior intellect among the demon ranks, the Archvile's psychomancy powers make it a natural-born ruler of the savage and primitive beasts of Hell, capable of bending weak-minded underlings to serve its will. | „ |
| ~ DOOM Eternal codex |
Summary
The Arch-vile is one of the most formidable enemies in DOOM, serving as a major threat even when encountered by itself. They are seen as 'evil healers' of some sort within the ranks of Hell, reanimating their fellow demons and incinerating those who attempt to stand in their way. Due to their large propensity for attacking anything that disturbs them, they pose just as much of a danger to their comrades as they do to their foes.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 9-B physically, 9-A with fire columns, higher with fire blasts
Name: Arch-vile
Origin: DOOM
Gender: Seemingly genderless
Age: Unknown
Classification: Demon Lord (Likely sorcerer)
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Fire Manipulation, Distance Negation with fire blasts (Can completely ignore distance as long as the target remains within its line of sight), Necromancy, Summoning (Can summon any non-boss enemy in the game)
Attack Potency: Wall level physically (Slightly weaker than the Cacodemon), Small Building level with fire columns, higher with fire blasts (The most devastating of any non-boss attack in the original games. Significantly more powerful than the Baron of Hell's plasma projectiles)
Speed: At least Supersonic (Comparable to Doomguy, much faster than an Imp, the original games depict them as being among the fastest-moving enemies encountered)
Lifting Strength: Class K (Stronger than Lost Soul)
Striking Strength: Wall Class (Their strikes are comparable to Cacodemon projectiles, albeit slightly weaker)
Durability: Small Building level (Significantly superior to the Hell Knight. Capable of taking multiple direct hits from the Rocket Launcher, as well as numerous plasma projectiles. Point-blank explosions aren't enough to interrupt their spellcasting)
Stamina: Superhuman
Range: Extended melee range physically (due to size), likely several meters with fire columns, far higher with fire blasts (presumably only limited by sight)
Standard Equipment: N/A
Intelligence: Seemingly above most other demons in the series, as it is capable of utilizing tactics in combat. Despite this, it is somewhat unstable, and oftentimes makes little distinction between friend and foe.
Weaknesses: Far less dangerous in melee encounters. Prone to attacking anything that hurts it, and as such will lose focus on its main enemy if hit by a stray projectile from someone else. Is not immune to its own flames, and can in fact harm itself if it is within close proximity of the target when fire spells are cast. Most spells take a brief moment of standing still in order to cast, leaving it vulnerable to attack during that period. Fire blasts can be avoided altogether if the target hides behind cover before they are cast, and they leave the Arch-vile exposed to counterattacks if they miss.
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
- Fire Column: The Arch-vile thrusts its hands forward, sending a fast-moving column of fire at its target.
- Fire Blast: A spell that causes a fire to ignite itself underneath the target's feet and follow them around whenever they move. After a moment of gathering its flames, the Arch-vile shoot its hands forward, creating an explosion of fire underneath the target that more often than not sends them flying backwards. This can be avoided if the target manages to leave the Arch-vile's line of sight before the spell is cast, however.
- Summon: With this spell, the Arch-vile opens a portal to Hell, summoning any demon of its choosing to fight at its side.
- Resurrection: When presented with a fallen ally, the Arch-vile is capable of bringing them back to life with a spell. Resurrected beings are cured of all wounds and possess every bit of the strength they had before they died.
Note: Not to be confused with the Summoner. Despite the two enemies fulfilling the same exact role within their respective games in the franchise, they are two different monsters with different abilities and thus should not be treated as one in the same.
Others
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches: