With more haunting scares than its predecessor, The Nun 2 delivers chills and thrills, especially where the so-called goat demon is concerned. A sequel to 2018’s The Nun, the ninth installment in the Conjuring Universe picks up again with Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), who now lives at a convent in Italy. Tasked with investigating a series of strange deaths that have happened across Europe, Irene and her companion, the novice Sister Debra (Storm Reid), come face to face with Valak (Bonnie Aarons) — the Conjuringverse’s Big Bad who most often takes the form of a demonic nun.
Soon enough, Irene and Debra arrive at the France-based boarding school Tarasconl to help handyman Maurice “Frenchie” Theriault (Jonas Bloquet), one of Irene’s allies, and a young student named Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey). In typical horror movie fashion, an off-limits chapel on the school grounds features a haunting mosaic, complete with a red-eyed goat. Later, the creature comes to life as the goat demon, a potential manifestation of the devil that delivers some of The Nun 2‘s biggest scares. Given the character’s popularity with moviegoers, this probably isn’t the last time the demon goat will appear in the series, especially given The Conjuring franchise’s love of Easter eggs and references.
What Is The Goat Demon In The Nun 2
Undoubtedly, the goat demon is one of the scarier Conjuring Universe characters. Early on in The Nun 2, a group of bullies forces Sophie into the boarding school’s abandoned chapel, putting her face-to-face with the unsettling window mosaic. They taunt Sophie in typical bully fashion. According to playground lore, looking away from the goat pictured in the mosaic will bring the creature to life. To make matters more unsettling, an arrow of sunlight shines through the mosaic, lighting the goat’s red eyes. It’s a creepy moment that not only frightens Sophie but echoes Valak’s painting appearance in The Conjuring 2.
Later in the film, Sophie shows her mother, Kate, as well as Irene and Debra the game her cruel classmates made her play in the chapel. After Debra lights the mosaic-goat’s eyes with a flashlight, the group is able to locate a relic belonging to The Nun 2‘s Saint Lucy. However, in the same way Valak isn’t contained to Lorraine Warren’s (Vera Farmiga) canvas, the goat demon vanishes from the mosaic. The goat demon manifests in the real world and terrorizes the school. Taking the form of a goat-man, the creature is thought to be an incarnation of the devil, though the film never outright confirms the characters’ theory.
Is The Nun 2’s Demon Goat Based On A Real Demon?
In terms of its real-life origins, The Nun 2‘s demon goat isn’t quite like Valak. Instead, the creature is rooted more broadly in demon mythology. Much in the same way The Nun 2 isn’t based on a true story, the goat demon isn’t inspired by any ultra-specific demon mythology. However, throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period in Europe, goats were linked to witchcraft. More specifically, many people believed Satan’s mortal form was a goat. This is reflected in The Nun 2, as the protagonists believe the goat demon is the Devil come to life.
However, Conjuring Universe demons take on many forms, as Valak proves. As seen in The Conjuring 2, Valak appears as other sinister beings, including the Crooked Man. It’s possible whatever demon manifests as the goat-man has the ability to take on other earthly forms, too. Moreover, it’s become increasingly clear that Valak is the main source of evil in the Conjuringverse; the demon aids lesser villains and seemingly orchestrates much of what unfolds. Given Valak’s prominence and power, it would be strange if The Nun 2‘s goat demon was actually the Devil, aka the biggest of Big Bads.
Was The Nun 2’s Goat Demon In Any Other Conjuring Movies?
So far, The Nun 2‘s goat demon hasn’t appeared in any other Conjuring Universe movies. However, the film isn’t the first instance of the franchise honing in on goat imagery and its connections to satanism. One of the Conjuring Universe’s overarching antagonists is Malthus — also referred to as Halphas — who appears in Annabelle, as well as its sequels, Annabelle: Creation and Annabelle Comes Home. The entity latches on to the creepy doll, using it as a conduit to torment those who own the toy. It also has a goat-like appearance, though it’s not quite the same as the demon who appears in The Nun 2.
Sadistic and persistent, Malthus takes on many manifestations, though its most notable resembles a humanoid goat. The black, ram-like entity boasts glowing yellow — or, in the case of Annabelle Comes Home, green — eyes and horns. In demonology, Malthus is called the “Great President of Hell” and acts as Satan’s right-hand being; however, unlike in the Conjuring Universe films, that more traditional interpretation of Malthus is said to take the form of a raven (via The Conjuring Universe Wiki).
Will The Goat Demon Return After The Nun 2?
With shades of Black Phillip, the goat form of the Devil in 2015’s The Witch, the demon goat from The Nun 2 has captivated audiences. Moviegoers have taken to the character, especially since it delivers some of the film’s most memorable scares. That said, it won’t be surprising if a future movie, like The Nun 3 or The Conjuring 4, brings the demon goat back to the big screen. After all, The Conjuring 2 struck gold with Valak’s haunting nun form, spawning these very spinoffs. The franchise could even do the same with the goat demon, using it to create more interconnected projects. There’s certainly enough lore to build on.
Even if the demon goat doesn’t get its own film, the Conjuring Universe loves to recycle antagonists, illustrating the interconnectedness (and persistence) of its many demons and supernatural entities. Although The Conjuring: The Last Rites is still in development, the post-credits scene from The Nun 2 hints at a high-stakes installment. Featuring Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren, the after-credits moment teases a crossover of all the Conjuringverse demons, from Valak and Malthus to, possibly, The Nun 2‘s demon goat. Only time will tell if this newcomer appears in the next Conjuring movie. However, it seems like a waste to not capitalize on the eerie new villain’s popularity.
Sources: The Conjuring Universe Wiki
