Hazbin Hotel has been a raving success upgrading to its streaming status on Amazon Prime since its humble beginnings as a web cartoon pilot episode on YouTube. With amazing animation, an incredible soundtrack, and unique characters to match a unique take on its hellish narrative, this series deserves all the praise. Being given the opportunity for a full-time streaming gig has absolutely done the series well. But not many know about its sibling spin-off series that deserves the spotlight just as much.
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Helluva Boss, while coinciding in the same universe, has its own take on how things are in Hell. Instead of following the redemption arc twist that Hazbin Hotel spins, the characters in this series take the stereotypes and, while ramping up the impish exploits to be had in Hell, has its own segments of subverting expectations and quirky developments. Supplementing the world within VivziePop’s vision of Hell, Helluva Boss doesn’t just stand on its own two legs as a stand-alone series (and over 120 million views); it would absolutely sprint across expected streaming standards if given the opportunity.
Hazbin Hotel Exceeded Prime Video Expectations
The eponymous Hazbin Hotel is a place where sinners can be rehabilitated and redeemed for a ticket into Heaven. Or at least that’s the idea. Charlie Morningstar, the princess of Hell and daughter of Lucifer, empathizes with her citizens’ plight of not just being condemned to the dominion of Hell but with the annual purge led by Adam, the first human, and his bloodthirsty angelic army to exterminate the overpopulation of sinners. And so, as the proprietor of the Hazbin Hotel, Charlie seeks to find a more peaceful solution. With a somewhat capable staff, including Charlie’s manager and girlfriend Vaggie and the hotel’s host Alastor the Radio Demon, they face a myriad of challenges of not just getting sinners in the door and keeping Heaven locked out, but underlying plots within.
Hazbin Hotel started from humble beginnings as a pilot episode created by Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano on YouTube in 2019. Produced by SpindleHorse Toons, it’s since risen in its ranks as a full-fledged series picked up in 2024 and streaming on Amazon Prime Video in collaboration with A24, Amazon Studios, and the animation studio Bento Box Entertainment. The adult animated musical comedy, with its first season completed, has already been scheduled for not just Season 2, but additionally Seasons 3 and 4 following its overwhelming success as a series. And the stunning animation isn’t the show’s only adored achievement, but, with sixteen bops spanning the 8 first-season episodes, its soundtrack also boasts its own success.
The Web Series is Already Killing It as Its Fictional Business is Booming
The business carried out by I.M.P., the Immediate Murder Professionals, isn’t just messy, but so are the employees themselves. Following their myriad of misadventures, the homicidal staff find their way in not just making a living of off killing the living, but navigating their personal lives living in literal Hell.
“Are you a piece of sh-t that got yourself sent to Hell, or are you an innocent soul who got f-cked over by someone else?!” As Helluva Boss’ Blitzo (Brandon Rodgers) famously says to encompass I.M.P.’s energy, followed with, “Well, luckily for you, thanks to our company’s special access to the living world, we can help you take care of your unfinished business by taking out anyone who screwed you over when you were alive!”
Created by Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano in 2020 following the success of its pilot episode, this spin-off series to Hazbin Hotel is no less worth the hype. Following the eight-episode first season, the second premiered in 2022 with an additional twelve episodes and the show was confirmed the following year for a third season currently in production. A series of shorts is also animated to supplement the main web series.
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Helluva Boss Could Have Similar Success or More as Hazbin Hotel on Streaming
As the central theme of Hazbin Hotel revolves around the sinner residents fighting for a second chance at redemption, Helluva Boss is its antithesis, set within the same universe but following a different cast of not-so-noble characters. Also produced by SpindleHorse Toons, this adult animated comedy web series also deserves to be recognized for its amazing, innovative premise and become a full-fledged streaming series. It even boasts just as capable a cast as Hazbin Hotel, with talents like Richard Horvitz (Zim in Invader Zim) voicing Moxxie and the beloved Erica Lindbeck (Futaba Sakura in Persona 5) as Loona the Hellhound.
As much as Hazbin Hotel is beloved by fans, Helluva Boss fills in the gaps of world-building and the citizens of Hell. While Hazbin Hotel mostly revolves around human sinners being forced to live in Hell and their journey for a hopeful future, Helluva Boss sets the scene for what life is really like in Hell by mostly focusing on average native Hellborn demons like Imps, Succubi, and Hellhounds and how they exploit the sinful ways of humans and each other.
While Hazbin Hotel similarly has its own brand of dark humor and moments of tender character development, Helluva Boss arguably turns both things up a few notches. Although the main concept centralizes on callous killing while implementing dark, crude humor, the characters themselves receive enough of their own screen time to show their more vulnerable sides, oddly contradictory to both their jobs and the coldhearted living humans they encounter.
With each of the cast having their own hilarious, vulgar mischief coinciding with sequences ranging from heartwarming to poignant, you’d think the character arcs would give you whiplash. But, even with episodes averaging around twenty minutes long, the narratives actually have extremely fluid progression, perfect for keeping audiences interested on streaming platforms, Prime or otherwise.
Are you a VivziePop fan? Let us know in the comments if you think Helluva Boss should have a shot at streaming like Hazbin Hotel!
