Pop-anioły: analiza przedstawienia postaci anielskich w uniwersum gier Diablo

The portrayal of angels, as well as angelology itself, is an exceptionally broad subject, encompassing not only visual and literary representations of these beings but also tying into the currents of Christian philosophy and theology. Angels have been the subject of intellectual inquiry rooted in metaphysical foundations, as exemplified by the works of thinkers such as St Bonaventure and St Thomas Aquinas However, within the realm of art, it was necessary to find a means of capturing the ambiguous nature of angels—spiritual beings that are genderless, neither human nor divine. Consequently, as early as the 4th century, the concept of a winged figure symbolizing their spiritual essence emerged, a visualization that remains commonly employed to this day.At present, one can observe highly diverse and complex representations of angels in various forms of popular culture, including in the domain of pop culture. As noted by J. Majewski and M. Kokoszczyńska, the presence of religion in pop culture should not be viewed solely as a negative phenomenon but rather as a potential area of symbiosis, including within the context of media. Given the diversity of angelic representations, shaped by the intentions of creators and the specific nature of various media, this study narrows its focus to the digital game series set within the Diablo universe. The research analyses audiovisual materials originating from the Diablo series and its available downloadable content (DLC), with a particular emphasis on the depiction of angels.The choice of this topic is justified by the academic significance of studying this type of game within the context of contemporary media, as evidenced by existing scholarly literature. Observations made during the study enabled the findings to be compared against representations in other digital games that address similar themes.