TV Show review
Review basis: 5 seasons, 16 episodes · through November 19, 2025
January 18, 2024 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Hazbin Hotel is an adult animated musical series about Charlie Morningstar, the bisexual daughter of Lucifer and princess of Hell. She opens a rehabilitation hotel to redeem sinners as a non-violent alternative to Heaven's yearly exterminations. Charlie and her lesbian girlfriend Vaggie lead a group of misfit demons that includes a gay adult film star, an aroace cannibal overlord, and other explicitly queer characters through songs, personal struggles, and redemption attempts. Queer identities appear openly and centrally across the main cast in a normalized way, with season 2 adding satirical takes on media power, political populism, and authority structures in Heaven and Hell.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Hazbin Hotel.
Woke representation / casting
Explicit LGBTQ+ identities for multiple prominent characters including the lead princess and her partner in a central sapphic relationship. Angel Dust (gay adult film star) and Alastor (aroace) play major roles. Identities are audience-visible through dialogue, songs, and official materials. Voice casting includes openly bisexual actress Stephanie Beatriz as Vaggie.
Woke political dialogue
Season 2 features satirical songs and plots about media manipulation, a populist villain using "make Hell great again" rhetoric, and critiques of Heaven's authority. These appear alongside character-driven redemption stories rather than direct activist lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
The premise centers a queer princess and ensemble of misfit demons with prominent LGBTQ+ identities pursuing redemption and found family. Creator statements and execution make queerness a visible, integrated part of the storytelling and appeal.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Irreverent satire portrays Heaven as flawed, hypocritical bureaucracy with annual exterminations. It questions traditional religious narratives and authority. Season 2 expands into media corruption, political populism, and power structures with modern satirical parallels.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some viewers and online posts criticize the show for heavy explicit LGBTQ+ representation across the cast and season 2 political satire with fascist and populist elements. Complaints treat it as pushing identity focus or agenda, largely in niche social media and fandom spaces.
Creator track record context
Creator Vivienne Medrano is openly bisexual and has centered her Hellaverse projects (Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss) on prominent, normalized queer characters and relationships. Public statements emphasize queer stories and a women's and queer perspective.
Production
