"On the plus side, I got a new character I think people are going to love." - Henry Stein
This article may contain unmarked details of spoilers. If you wish not to read without spoiling yourself, play the game, watch the cartoon, or read the book first, depending on the article's topic.
The Ink Demon, also known as Ink Bendy or simply Bendy, is the main antagonist of the Bendy franchise. He is a failed attempt at creating the Joey Drew Studios's popular mascot Bendy in real life using the Ink Machine, a defect among several other physical cartoon characters due to lacking a soul.[1]
A demon-like entity of the Cycle, the Ink Demon is the biggest threat to the residents of the ink world, constantly pursuing and attempting to kill anyone unlucky enough to be in his proximity.
In his original incarnation in Bendy and the Ink Machine and Boris and the Dark Survival, the Ink Demon is a tall, malformed figure with skin made of black ink. His head resembles that of the original Bendy, but the top of his head appears melted, obscuring his eyes. His horns are curved to bear a crescent, and are able to be articulated similarly to a cat's ears. His toothy grin, matching his original cartoon design, appears sketch-like and vibrates.
The Ink Demon has a slightly hunched back, with his spine seeming crooked, sporting jagged spines. His left arm is slightly longer than his right, which looks thinner and less human. On his left hand, he wears an cartoony glove with four fingers, (reminiscent of the original Bendy's gloves), while his right hand is much smaller and human-like with five fingers. The Ink Demon's feet are also mismatched: His right foot faintly resembles that of a human, while his left foot is a stump, due to someone cutting it off, giving him his limp. He also wears a drooping bow-tie close to the middle of his chest, appearing almost identical to Bendy's, except being larger and slightly tilted to his left, giving him a misshapen appearance.
In Bendy and the Dark Revival, the Ink Demon's appearance has been updated and changed to be far less cartoony, and much more demonic-looking. Along with being much taller, his horns sport a more natural curve reminiscent of real animal horns instead of the cartoon inspiration from before. With eyes still obscured by thick ink covering his head, his mouth can now open fully with teeth comparable to a human's, complete with gums. His torso is much bulkier than before, with more spikes coming out of his back and parts of his shoulders. His stature is bigger, yet almost skeletal in certain parts.
Though his left hand remains partially gloved, both of the Ink Demon's hands have turned into large claws, with his right forearm appearing to be almost bone-like. While his torso is larger, his legs are now incredibly skinny and have changed to an unguligrade stance with cloven hooves, reemphasizing the demonic imagery. His bowtie now appears realistic and is sagging as well with a visible hole in it.
Personality[]
"Oh, you'll know him when you see him. He likes to smile, and he kills anything that moves."
— Allison Angel describing the Ink Demon's evil and sadistic nature.
The Ink Demon is a failed attempt to create Bendy as a physical, living being; he has no soul and, as such, has no proper emotions. After being locked up on Joey Drew's orders for being a failure, it is possible that the isolation caused him to develop his murderous tendencies as he was not hostile before he was forced into a locked room full of medical supplies.
In Bendy and the Ink Machine, the Ink Demon seems to lack most semblance of human intelligence and is incapable of speaking, only making noise through raspy breathing, moans, and grunts. In Chapter 3: Rise and Fall, he is hinted to be fairly egotistical as he heavily dislikes when the Bendy cutouts throughout the studio are destroyed, according to Twisted Alice. Bendy also seems to dislike anyone he comes across, possibly due to his earlier treatment in the hands of Joey.
In Bendy and the Dark Revival, the Ink Demon now gains a proper personality and voice, showcasing him as a sadistic demon who shows no remorse for his atrocities. He actively desires to kill Audrey and ensure the Cycle's continued existence, which includes himself as its ruler. However, he despises Wilson for his godly aspirations, even warning Audrey not to trust him as a disembodied voice.
When he confronts Audrey after he saves her from Wilson's failed creation, the Ink Demon calls the girl a monster much like him, showing that he is fully aware of his nature and embraces it; however, it's likely that he is merely projecting his own existence onto Audrey. He shows open distaste for Joey Drew and declares that the failures of his life will end with his death. Before Audrey breaks the Cycle's extension, the Ink Demon tells her that she can do nothing to truly end the Cycle for good, showing that he is somewhat nihilistic.
Abilities[]
The Ink Demon demonstrating a few of his abilities by emerging from a shallow pool of ink, and summoning an inky dark aura around himself.
In Bendy and the Ink Machine, the Ink Demon has the ability to create and manipulate ink at will, such as flooding portions of the studio with ink and creating shadowy, moving Ink patterns on the walls whenever he appears. These ink patterns not only make the areas darker, but also apparently kills some types of ink monster on contact, such as Searchers and members of the Butcher Gang. The Ink Demon can also walk in and out of ink portals that form as he approaches a wall, allowing him to teleport throughout the studio. When truly threatened, the Ink Demon can transform himself to assume a bigger and altogether more fearsome form, known as Beast Bendy.
In Dreams Come to Life, the Ink Demon is seen to be able to instantly heal by recreating his own mass.
In Bendy and the Dark Revival, the Ink Demon's abilities are radically different and only manifest during moments when he threatens Audrey. In addition to being able to project his voice, he only rarely appears in physical form, instead generally making his presence known to Audrey through a sudden shift in perceptive environment from the normal sepia tones to black-and-white. A handful of seconds after this occurs, he will manifest seemingly out of thin air from behind the intended victim, attacking and consuming them before they even have a chance to react. It's only through successfully hiding that this attack can be thwarted.
History[]
At an unknown date after the Ink Machine was purchased, the Ink Demon was made as the first figure ever created from the machine in a failed attempt to bring Bendy to life as a living attraction. Though he was deemed a failure due to having no soul, the Ink Demon was initially harmless and made no attempt to hurt anyone as he merely wandered around the studio. This did put some of the staff in a sense of unease as he seemed to have an unearthly presence, according to Thomas Connor.[1] Due to his unnatural appearance and behavior, Joey Drew demanded that Thomas lock the Ink Demon away.
In the summer of 1946,[2] the Ink Demon was set free from his imprisonment after Buddy heard him sadly moaning and crying out, presumably for help. When Buddy unlocked the door and entered the room, the Ink Demon had vanished, but when Buddy turned around, he appeared. Then he pushed him down before running out and escaping.
The Ink Demon is revealed to be the creature described by Sammy Lawrence during the "ritual" and appears on stage as part of the sacrifice. Instead of killing Jacob, the Ink Demon instead rips a dead Dave's arm out of its socket, grabbing Dot and squeezing her hard, but not enough to kill her. Shortly after, Buddy rescues Dot from the ink demon’s clutches and Dot cuts off one of his legs. He is later dropped into an ink-filled trapdoor in the Court Theater, causing him to deform and become one with the ink. But he catches Buddy off-guard and pulls him in with him after falling in, managing to form himself back together. He manages to stay above the ink long enough to kill Buddy, using his sharp teeth to dissect and then drown him.
In-Game Appearances[]
The Ink Demon as he appears in, Boris and the Dark Survival.
The Ink Demon spawns in a random location on the map after Buddy Boris collects either a certain amount of items (four items in Day 1, one item in Day 2) or when the level is started (Day 3 and next).
Wandering randomly, the Ink Demon's cue that he is coming closer can be determined by a heartbeat ambience and thick inky-aura around him, which also serve as his detection range. He will start running towards Buddy Boris immediately if he is spotted.
To escape him, Buddy Boris must run and hide in the nearest Little Miracle Station. When hiding inside the Station, the Ink Demon will eventually lose sight of Buddy Boris and leave the area. If Buddy Boris runs out of Bacon Soup, the Ink Demon will quickly catch up and attack, sending player back to the lift on the Safehouse level.
The Ink Demon first encounter in Chapter 1: Moving Pictures.
In Chapter 1: Moving Pictures, the Ink Demon's first signs of an appearance is when Henry can hear loud thumping noises on the way to the break room after activating the ink pressure in the projector room. When Henry returns to the Ink Machine after completing the puzzle to activate it, inky footprints can be seen coming from the entrance to the Ink Machine Room doorway to the closed break room door.
With several wooden boards now blocking the entrance to the Ink Machine Room, the Ink Demon suddenly jumps out from behind the boards and attempts to snatch up Henry. He then sinks back down into the ink as the studio beings to collapse and flood.
The Ink Demon blocking the exit, in Chapter 2: The Old Song.
Later in the Sacrifice Room , the Ink Demon can be heard crawling through the pipes, drawing Sammy's attention. He is later summoned by Sammy and commanded to take Henry as a sacrifice so Sammy will be freed from his inky body. However, the Ink Demon instead goes after Sammy, killing him and giving Henry time to slip out of his bonds.
The Ink Demon once again can be heard crawling through the pipes from the uppercase ceiling above, following Henry as he walks down the hallway. When Henry tries to escape by heading to the exit from the ink-flooded area, the Ink Demon emerges from the ink and chases Henry through the maze before he reaches the S3 Vault and locks him out. Henry can hear the sound of the Ink Demon banging on the door for a few times before giving up, his footsteps fading as he walks away.
The Ink Demon searching for Henry in Heavenly Toys, in Chapter 3: Rise and Fall.
In Chapter 3: Rise and Fall, the Ink Demon will become active when Henry starts doing Twisted Alice's tasks. He appears in the spawn point that is nearest to Henry on a timer every 3 minutes. The chances of the Ink Demon appearing also increase if Henry sprints too much or if he destroys specific Bendy cut-outs.
When the Ink Demon spawns, the sound of a heartbeat can be heard along with whispering-like ambience as the area surrounding him becomes coated with splotchy patterns of ink which flow around. Buddy Boris will cover his face in fear if this happens in close proximity. In the mobile ports of the game, the ink will instead cover the player's screen border and grow thicker the closer the Ink Demon is.
To evade detection, Henry has to hide in the nearest Little Miracle Station or run to the elevator and close the doors; otherwise, the Ink Demon will spot Henry and chase him. The Ink Demon will stop chasing if Henry manages to hide inside a Station or the elevator, though there's a slight possibility that he can spawn in the same room again. He cannot be approached from behind, as the Ink Demon will automatically turn around and spot him anyways. Upon getting caught, the Ink Demon instantly kills Henry, respawning him at a Bendy statue.
The Ink Demon behind the vent door, in Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders.
The Ink Demon fighting against the Projectionist, in Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders.
In Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders, the Ink Demon appears when Henry is crawling through the vents after meeting the Lost Ones. As Henry approaches a vent cover, the Ink Demon appears suddenly and gently runs one finger down the air vent cover before walking away. The Ink Demon will also leave behind a waterfall of ink in front of the grate.
Later on, after leaving the lower level of the Maintenance Department and hiding from the Projectionist in a Miracle Station, the Ink Demon arrives with a sudden flash of light. The Projectionist looks at him and screams as the pair of them exchange blows. However, the Ink Demon is able to overpower the Projectionist, lifting him off of his feet and tearing off his projector head. He throws it against the Station, seemingly aware of Henry's presence inside it, but simply glares at him. He then takes hold of the Projectionist's decapitated body and drags it away, disappearing through the wall with it.
During the fight, Henry will experience effects identical to that of Horror Visions, ending once the Projectionist is killed.
The Ink Demon walking through the hallway, in Chapter 5: The Last Reel.
The Ink Demon transforming into Beast Bendy, in Chapter 5: The Last Reel.
In Chapter 5: The Last Reel, the Ink Demon is first mentioned by Allison Angel while scolding Tom for being seen while venturing out into the depths. She states that it is only a matter of time until he arrives.
The Ink Demon's first physical appearance is in the balcony above the Administration Lobby, but this only occurs after the creation of the first pipe in the Ink Maker. After leaving the administration hallways, the Ink Demon will slowly walk across the balcony, only serving as a passive threat to Henry.
After entering the Film Vault and passing through the rooms reminiscent of the first chapter, the Ink Demon will appear in a corridor behind a wall of glass as he slowly walks to the end. Allison will tell Henry not to make a sound upon his appearance, although moving or staying in front of him will provoke no response.
After parting ways with Allison and Tom, Henry approaches the Ink Demon's throne within the Ink Machine and listens to Joey Drew's final audio log, who tells him that the Ink Demon never saw the end of the Bendy cartoons which left him wandering throughout the studio for years. Henry takes a nearby film reel, labelled "The End", when the Ink Demon suddenly appears behind the throne. Sensing the danger of the film reel, he transforms into Beast Bendy where Henry avoids him through the inner workings of the machine.
Finally returning to the throne room and the projector, Henry places "The End" reel inside of it, which weakens and angers the Ink Demon as all the screens turn into the end sequences for all of the Joey Drew cartoons. As the ink demon's body seemingly dissolves into nothing, Bendy is not aware that this is merely just one repetition of events within the Cycle. while Henry is aware, as shown by the messages seen in the seeing tool, and later in the Dark Revival, when he openly admits to remembering how to break the cycle.
With the reset of the Cycle, the Ink Demon is made anew as events repeat themselves, though his rule over the ink realm is challenged by the arrival of Wilson.
At least 211 days before events of the game, Wilson used the remaining technology left behind by the Gent Corporation within the Cycle in conjunction with his own creations of the Keepers to perform experiments on the Ink Demon after successfully incapacitating him. Though their methods were extreme, using both surgery and torture to try and work out how to destroy the demon, they were not able to harm him.
An answer came in the form of Gent's signal towers, machines built to suppress and neutralise the powers of certain entities within the Cycle. When using these towers on the Ink Demon, it caused him to transform into a weak and powerless form based on his original cartoon design. The Keepers performed another round of experiments on this new Bendy, noting that he was indeed harmless and able to feel emotions such as pain and fear. The Keepers themselves also made note that it was enjoyable to note "tears of ink" and screams from him.
Working under the assumption that the Ink Demon was now permanently trapped in this state, Wilson spun the story to proclaim that he had actually killed the Ink Demon personally, using it to rise to authority and rule over the Cycle. The Ink Demon, in his weakened state, was left alone.
After Audrey was brought into the Cycle as part of Wilson's plans, she encounters Bendy in Animation Alley and tries to befriend him when her powers accidentally trigger, not only hurting him, but also inadvertently waking up the dormant Ink Demon, allowing him to at least temporarily break out of his confinement within his weaker self. Shortly after scaring the smaller Bendy with her own powers, the Ink Demon made his presence known by speaking to Audrey as a disembodied voice. Throughout the rest of her journey, he would taunt her by claiming he knew of her true nature while also hunting after her in any part of the studio.
"The Ink Demon is coming. Hide."
— The game informing the player of the Ink Demon's presence. Bendy and the Dark Revival
The Ink Demon attacking Audrey.
On random occasions, the Ink Demon will announce his presence by turning the screen monochromic, giving Audrey only has a few seconds to hide inside certain objects or the vents. If she is unsuccessful in finding a hiding place, the Ink Demon will suddenly appear and kill her. Unlike most deaths from regular combat, the player will not respawn at a designated spot and will only have the options of loading a past save file or quitting the game altogether.
The Ink Demon blocking the entrance to the Gent Headquarters.
By the time of Chapter 4, when Audrey had briefly lost track of the befriended smaller Bendy, the Ink Demon pounces on her just as she is about to enter the Gent Workshop. However, the signal towers suddenly turn on, forcing the Ink Demon to transform back into the Bendy she had befriended, proving that that the two demons are one and the same.
After being captured by Wilson and brought along to fulfill his plans, the Ink Demon warns Audrey via his voice that he is lying to her. He does not make another appearance until the very end. When Audrey enters the Ink Machine Lair, the demon reminisces about how she was created from that very machine, and then advices her to reflect on her situation before she fights the monsterous version of Shipahoy Dudley. But after the long fight, Audrey had successfully banished Wilson's body within |his flawed creation]].But all this manages to do is upset Shipahoy who proceeds to tear of her legs and prepares to claim her soul. Only to be stopped by the Ink Demon who arrives and saves her. The two monstrous entities then fight it out, but because his soul was separated from his body, Shipahoy was easily overpowered and slained by the Ink Demon who then proceeds to drag them into the ink depths. When she comes regains consciousness after passing out, she notices the Demon has remerged and has summoned his dark inky aura. She fails to escape in fear of the Demon going after her next, but instead he wishes to speak with her. The Ink Demon notes that Audrey can no longer continue because of her recent crippling and tells her to join The Ink. He claims that Audrey is just a worthless monster living a lie like him, but that they can be stronger together. Unable to resist, Audrey's body is taken and the Ink Demon fuses it with his own to once again become Beast Bendy.
Suddenly, the ink incarnation of Joey Drew appears with the End Reel, appealing to Audrey who is still inside their shared form. Envious and enraged by Joey's kind words to Audrey and out of spite towards his neglectful creator, the Ink Demon kills the ghost of Joey, but this spurs to Audrey seize control of the body and run to the projectors once more. Aided by Allison, Tom, Henry, and all the others Audrey met, the Ink Demon rages and says that her efforts will not break the Cycle and that he will still rule regardless. Nevertheless, Audrey is able to run the reel and shine the film at the Ink Demon, destroying his body and resetting the Cycle yet again.
In this game the Ink Demon has a minor role. He will only appear to kill you if you destroy too many of his cutouts or keep the game paused without continuing for more than 3 minutes. He also appears as an image on the bendy target in the spoilers room.
The Ink Demon was created for Bendy and the Ink Machine under earlier concept development for the earliest prototype to subsequent updates until Chapter 4. The Ink Demon went through many redesigns and all were archived in the game's archive chapter.
Concept Bendy.
Concept Bendy: When Chapter 1 started its development, the very first "concept" of Bendy resembled his original cartoon form with a large, floating head sporting a wide, toothy mouth going vertically around his head, originally designed by theMeatly. His glove hands shared similarly to the original Bendy's early glove design, with three darts each, and his face looks identical to Bendy, but without his grin. He would split his head in half to reveal a terrifying, leech-like mouth. He is also supposed to be smaller in the game, but his model in the Archives is almost at Henry's exact height. This design was entirely changed later on and was recycled for the Boris clone's model with a few noticeable changes. The texture file for his face and gloves can be even found in the first prototype's game files, as this version has never appeared in any version of the game and can only be seen in the Archives chapter.
Alpha Bendy.
Alpha Bendy: From Chapter 1's early prototype before Chapter 2, the Ink Demon's "alpha" design is entirely different comparing to his future redesigned builds, having a large body and lack of arms and legs. The shape of his head is very human-like, squarish instead of the later circular one, and sports a smaller grin. His horns are more spread out instead of curved, while his bow-tie has a nearly same model as his concept version. He also appears at the same height as Henry. The model was originally designed by theMeatly before hiring Pascal Cleroux to redesign the model. This version is jokingly referred to as “bird poop with a smile” by the development team. It is noted that the alpha the Ink Demon's bow-tie in the Archives chapter is missing as a development oversight.
His concept artwork shows that the Ink Demon's "alpha" form was intended to have fully developed arms and legs but scrapped likely due to time constraints. He also wore both gloves, each sporting two buttons.
Beta Bendy.
Beta Bendy: For Chapters 2 and 3's release prior to Chapter 4 coming out, the Ink Demon's "beta" design almost resembles his final build. His body bears a less skeletal appearance, and his left glove hand sported two buttons like the original Bendy, drenched in ink with a humanized pinkie-finger poking out of the side. His left foot was much more puddle-like and flatter, and his grin has a less amount of details. He lacked visible hump spines, and his right human hand was partly painted with white colors. His bow tie is slightly rotated to his right for the same reason it is shifted.
Until the release of Chapter 3: Rise and Fall, the Ink Demon completely lacked the ability to cause ink spreading in areas from his surroundings. From Chapter 3's update where this ability was first introduced, the early version of his ink spreads were simple in design and closely resembled cobwebs. Before October 5 2017, the Ink Demon didn't have a ''wet'' effect, and wasn't shiny or didn't reflect any light. After the patch, the Ink Demon got a ''wet'' effect, and became much more shiny and actually reflects light. The Ink Demon then also gained an ink-dripping visual on it's model.
Although Bendy and the Dark Revival didn't have as many models as its counterpart, it did have a few older renditions of the character, which were scrapped in the end. Interestingly, none of them were shown in The Archives, likely due to the fact the betas of BatDR were a dark time for the developers.[3] Even though they weren't shown in the game, there is evidence to support certain versions existing.
Beta BatDR Bendy: The Ink Demon did have an old model, however there's currently no full view of the actual model. All we have to go off is an action figure, a t-shirt and old blurry teasers. He appeared to be more slender looking, having a head similar to the final model, however the grin doesn't stretch onto both sides of his face, and neither of his horns have bare patches. His bowtie appears similar to the Bendy and the Ink Machine version, although here it's higher up and has a bit less width. Both of his legs and feet look normal, not looking like hooves or a stump in any way. His right arm is still gloved, appearing similar to the BatIM version, but it has two dots like regular Bendy, and it's also covered in ink. His left arm is still missing the glove and doesn't appear to be different from the BatIM version. His body appears a lot less skeletal, looking more like the beta version of the Ink Demon in BatIM.
He was changed because the developers thought he looked silly compared to the now grimmer world of The Cycle.[4]
The model will likely not be shown by the developers, as the developing process for Bendy and the Dark Revival had some dark times, and this version of the Ink Demon was part of that dark time.[5][3]
The Ink Demon in "The reason why BATDR is taking so long."
The shirt showing the model.
The action figure of the old model.
Free roam Ink Demon: It is speculated that at some point in development, the Ink Demon was going to have a mechanic similar to that of Chapter 3, where he would roam freely around the map. This is due to the fact that there are unused animations that contain a walk cycle, and even an idle animation, which would have been used when the Ink Demon was hunting you. Note that while this does seem very likely, this has yet to be confirmed by an actual developer.
The Ink Demon pointing at something.
The Ink Demon running.
"sfx_ink_demon_idle_glitch_whisper_loop" is the name of this sound file, which could've been the Ink Demon's ambience.
General Facts[]
In the limited-time Hello Bendy for the first game, the Ink Demon is completely replaced by the Neighbor from the game Hello Neighbor mod to take his role. Despite his entire replacement, however, he still appears in the final flashback image from the end of Chapter 1 and the "Path of the Demon" ending of Chapter 3.
From the mod for Hello Neighbor, the Ink Demon's head appeared as a water tower.
The Ink Demon appeared in the noncanonical "The Original Sample" animated short created by TimetheHobo. He briefly shows up in the scene where he rises from the ink puddle behind the original Bendy, then "kidnaps" him and melts away.
The Ink Demon also appears in the crossover animation video in DBX by Screwattack from Rooster Teeth. He is Bendy's second form during the fight against Cuphead, right after the duo transported from Cuphead's world to Bendy's.
One peculiar thing some fans notice is that the Ink Demon's glove has four fingers, while his other hand has five.
From old previous updates of Chapter 1 and 2 before the release of Chapter 3, the horns of the Ink Demon did not move due to lack of modeling.
The Ink Demon's deep, eerie ambient sound is actually a trail noisily passing by, with loud rapid cow bells accompanying it.
In the Android/iOS mobile ports, the Ink Demon's ink-surrounding masses are absent. Instead, the ink slime will surround the mobile screen's perspective when the Ink Demon is active, slowly growing closer to the screen as he approaches Henry.
There is an error in the game in the version for Nintendo Switch, and it is that in Chapter 3 if the Tommy Gun is used in Bendy, His walking animation will freeze and chase the player, without the background song and without moving.
The Ink Demon's movable horns are strikingly similar to how his original version's horns moved from the animation seen in Chapter 1's theater room in earlier pre-updates before the animation got updated after Chapter 4's release.
The official Funko POP! product for the Ink Demon was originally titled "Monster" before being renamed to "Ink Bendy". Funko POP! Ink Bendy's prototype design is also slightly different, in that it includes a somewhat visible pie eye on the right side of his face.[6]
The Ink Demon's default appearance is eerily similar to the Blotlings (especially the Shadow Blot or a scrapped boss Storm Blot), the enemies from the game Epic Mickey.
The Ink Demon's alternate form, Beast Bendy, looks more similar to the Shadow Blot than his default form.
When Chapter 4 released, in Chapters 1 through 3, his back produced wisps of blackish smoke, but when Chapter 5 released, the smoke is no longer present.
Although not in-game, there is a poem mentioning the Ink Demon himself by the name "Demon" from the tweet posted by theMeatly on Twitter:
Alpha / Prototype Bendy's model name is just "Cube", while other models are "bendy_model".
Chapter 1: Moving Pictures
Just before the chapter ends in the ritual room when Henry sees sudden visions, the Ink Demon can also be seen for a brief second during Henry's final vision image, where he appears in Accounting & Finance on Level S.
After collecting all the items and activating the main power, if Henry approaches the Ink Machine by walking backwards, the Ink Demon's jumpscare will not occur. To get the jumpscare to happen, Henry must walk back to the intersecting hallway, then approach the room regularly. This is not necessarily a bug but made to prevent the player from moving on to the next objective without triggering the Ink Demon's jumpscare first.
The Ink Demon's first encounter changes several times over every update:
From the earliest prototype in his alpha design, his first encounter is completely different. Instead of trying to grab Henry after popping out (due to lacking arms), he does nothing but moves his head around for a brief moment (as if checking the place out) before sinking away.
The Ink Demon also lets out a shrill scream when popping out. His scream audio is, however, removed upon release of the game's remastered updates, but still can be located within the game files. His beta scream is actually a placeholder sound used from MeatlyMakes, theMeatly's game from the past.
Before and after update patch 1.3.1.3, both versions of beta Ink Demon's jumpscare are slightly different.
There is a minor error; If one looks very closely, beta Ink Demon's hands clip through the boards when melting away.
Alpha Ink Demon's ending sequence for the early prototype is different. After the Chapter 1 credits, in the pentagram room with the floor splattered with ink, the Ink Demon's alpha build can be seen emerging from the darkness between two chairs briefly before the screen fades to black.
During the development of Chapter 1's first remastered update, while his model was redesigned to his "beta" version, the Ink Demon was originally going to tear the boards off of the Ink Machine room's doorway after the player moved further away, which would have started a chase afterward. However since the animation was based on the players' own movements, this risked the breaking of immersion, something against the developers' intentions. Ergo, the idea was scrapped.[8]
Mike Mood, one of the game's main developers, claimed that another of the contributing factors to this feature's removal was due to the Ink Demon's right arm appearing too "puny" to have the strength to break the boards. Mike also explains the third reason behind the feature's removal is that would not perfectly fit with the game's story or the Ink Demon himself, as it was only for testing.[9]
From Chapter 1's first remastered update during the flashbacks at the end, beta Ink Demon can be seen standing adjacent to Henry's desk before his image from the Utility Shaft 9 appears. After the chapter's second remastered update upon Chapter 3's release, this vision was removed, however.
Chapter 2: The Old Song
The Ink Demon's encounter was changed a few times until Chapter 4:
From Chapter 2's first release, Henry getting killed by the Ink Demon during the chase sends him directly back to the ritual room where Sammy performs the ritual. This is because the game's respawning point, the Bendy statue, was not planned to be featured yet.
The Ink Demon's running animation is also very different, making him look like he's jogging instead of "marching" and reaching his left hand when close to Henry.
Upon killing Henry, the whole screen cuts to black instead of getting covered by ink. Henry's dying sounds are not heard, but the Ink Demon emitted a strange, deep moaning sound resembling a cow moo. While the audio was removed upon Chapter 3's release, his moan still can be heard at first when merging out of the ink pool before the chase, as well as trying to break the door down and walking away from S3 vault.
In Chapter 3's release, for a lifesaving tip before encountering the Ink Demon, it is possible to move wooden barrels from the ritual room to the ink-filled pool. That way, there would be enough barrels to barricade the Ink Demon's path and prevent him from going after Henry, giving Henry a safe chance to head for the S3 vault without getting outright chased. This no longer happens upon Chapter 4's release.
In the Android/iOS mobile ports, the Ink Demon gets stuck somewhere in the beginning of the maze and won’t chase you to the end. Therefore, he cannot kill you unless you back walk to where he got stuck and get too close.
Chapter 3: Rise and Fall
Beta Ink Demon can be seen for a split second in the Chapter 3 announcement teaser. This is the same image as the last unused vision for Chapter 1, only with a different hue.
In Chapter 3's reveal trailer, Beta Ink Demon is seen flying and lunging after Henry while inside the Little Miracle Station. However, he never displays this in-game.
On Twitter, from the video by Mike Mood which was from Chapter 3's development, the video reveals that the Ink Demon was originally planned to emerge out from the floor instead of walls. This idea was scrapped from the chapter's final release.[10]
When hacking you can see untextured prisms in his body, these as TheMeatly said in Boundary Break, they representation the spine of the Ink Demon. Only when playing in the immortal hack you can clearly see them because when you touch the Ink Demon you will instantly die.
Untextured prisms representation the spine of the Ink Demon.
Sometimes, beta Ink Demon's running animation can glitch and freeze in the first frame, making the Ink Demon "slide" towards the player. This was fixed in update patch 1.3.1.
In the current version, however, if Bendy is provoked, he can still slide toward the player, and will or may do so without the chase music playing. Hiding or escaping from him will fix this glitch. It is unconfirmed what causes this or whether or not this happens on all platform versions. One cause is shooting him with the Tommy Gun while he's not looking. A video can be found here.
Mike Mood confirms that the Ink Demon is programmed to detect and find a broken cutout. [11]
For Chapter 3's earlier updates, there are a few differences from the remastered version launched alongside Chapter 4:
In both pre-updates:
There used to be an ending image where he is shown standing next to the doorway of the ink-filled room with all Butcher Gang enemies and a Swollen Searcher if the player chooses the "Path of the Demon". This was later taken out in the Chapter 4 update.
In update patch 1.3.1 prior to update 1.4.0.0:
There is a common bug during the quest of breaking the Bendy cutouts where the Ink Demon gets stuck at one location with his walking animation going in an endless loop, making it impossible to get through without getting killed. This lowers Henry's chance of obtaining the Tommy gun later after choosing the demon path.
In the chapter's first release, during the task of chopping the Bendy cutouts, the Ink Demon will appear after accomplishing this task and Twisted Alice's warning. Upon the release of update 1.3.1, the Ink Demon is intended as much sensitive, spawning each time a Bendy cutout gets destroyed, rather than just appearing after completing this quest. This change was reverted in Chapter 4's release.
Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders
In the unpublished demo of Chapter 4 at Pax East 2018, the Ink Demon appears in a jumpscare towards the end of the game's first part where Henry attempts to pull the switch from the second room of the Research and Design department.
Oddly enough, the Ink Demon is strong enough to break down a metal door, as seen in the Maintenance room, but not wooden doors, as seen in Chapter 2.
The Ink Demon has a rather humorously unused audio file titled "Bendy_CH4_Scare_Temp.ogg", and it was not used for the game as it was just a hidden joke from the game files. This "jumpscare" sound is just an amusing voice saying "Hey hey hey!", a direct catchphrase from Fat Albert in the animated TV show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Mike Mood confirms it to be a placeholder used for the moment where the Ink Demon pops out behind the window from the vent location.[12]
When teleporting outside the Little Miracle Station with hacks, it can be seen that the Ink Demon runs towards the Projectionist, with the same run animation as Beta Bendy.
Chapter 5: The Last Reel
When the reveal trailer was first uploaded, there was a scene showing the Ink Demon in the Gent Home Office who strangely appears in his Beta Bendy model. Due to this clear oversight, the scene was removed upon the update for the trailer from Joey Drew Studios Inc.'s YouTube channel on October 2, 2018, while theMeatly unlisted the same Chapter 5 reveal trailer from his own channel on the same day.
If one listens closely in Thomas' audio log found in Gent Home Office, the Ink Demon's breathing is heard in the background, implementing that he might have been in or near the office when Thomas made the recording. Despite the Ink Demon's murderous and unstoppable behavior, this seems to be completely ignored by Thomas in his audio log, stating that he is just going to be locked in the studio.
Some concept doodles of the Ink Demon seen in some of Joey's sketches.
Later in Joey's apartment after Beast Bendy's fate, concept art of the Ink Demon can be seen in the storyboard sketches on Joey's desk being portrayed in various situations such as fishing with Sammy Lawrence, his bullet-riddled body lying in a pool of ink, leading an army of Searchers, an alternate version of him with two heads, holding Sammy's Mask, and coming out of the ride from Bertrum Piedmont's monster form.
Interestingly, the ink web-like substance does not surround him when he transforms into his beast form.
Even though the game features a huge graphical upgrade, the Ink Demon's model and texture are reused from Bendy and the Ink Machine.
The Ink Demon is the only monster in the game to use an animation exclusively for his jumpscare.
The Ink Demon's soundtrack, "Little Devil Darlin", was made into a new version as to not copy the original from Bendy and the Ink Machine.
The Ink Demon is featured to have a voice in Bendy and the Dark Revival, despite not having one in Bendy and the Ink Machine.
The Ink Demon's design is closer to his beast form, being that he now has a giant mouth with pointy teeth.
The Ink Demon is one of the few monsters in Dark Revival that can give the player a game over. The other enemies that can do such are King Widow, the Lurker, and Shipahoy Wilson.
Ink Demon can jumpscare you when you're afk for some time. Also he can jumpscare you if you destroy every Bendy cutout.
A bizarre scene in the files shows the Ink Demon and who appears to be Alice Angel, Wilson, Sammy Lawrence, and Slicer dancing in what appears to be a rave party. The Ink Demon is also holding pink and blue lightsticks.
↑"As the world of Dark Revival became more complex and established, we realized the Ink Demon's design needed a complete rethink to match our new tone. Previous versions of his appearance looked absolutely silly when placed in the world alongside the other characters. No amount of creepy music or screen effects could conceal how out-of-place he looked. The Ink Demon needed to look different than everything else in the world and show a natural progression of the Ink Demon's evolution as Wilson held the cycle in place." - Bendy and the Dark Revival: The Archives
↑"In ch1? That doesn't fit with the story or the character, that was just a test that ultimately didn't make canon. ;)" - Mike Mood. October 30, 2017. Twitter.
↑"BOO! #BATIM" - Mike Mood. October 8, 2017. Twitter
