There are several reasons why something is "good" in Commander. Sometimes, it's because it's just powerful and wins games. Sometimes the card is flavorful, or has a particular effect you need, or matches your theme.

Demons come in lots of different styles in Magic. If you're building a Ninja Kindred deck, it's very likely Silent-Blade Oni is your best option. In my Shadow the Hedgehog Hasty-Creatures-matter deck, The Balrog of Moria is an excellent choice. If you're looking to combo and beat someone out of nowhere, Master of Cruelties is your pal.

I'm going to use today's list to look at raw power. These are the top 10 Demons I'd consider, not just for a Demon deck, but for any deck running their colors if I'm looking to make my deck stronger. Let's bring on the haymakers.

Honorable Mention #1

These two both make great Commanders for torturing a table. One keeps them off permanents, the other keeps life totals dropping, but in either case, people will be upset with you. With a slight Power boost, Rakdos is in 3-hit-dead territory, too.

Honorable Mention #2

Extra Combat steps aren't important to everyone, but they are to a lot of people. Getting your 6/6 flying trampler to do damage each turn shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Honorable Mention #3

9/7, Flying, Lifelink, Indestructible, Haste. For the low-low cost of five Creatures sacrificed and 5 mana. You need to be able to support a colorless Land, and if getting to isn't likely, it won't work, but Westvale Abbey is solid in many decks as a mana sink, and Ormendahl is a problematic threat no matter the situation.

Honorable Mention #4

Not every deck wants this effect, but let's face it - most of them do. The number of "oops, I died" moments when an effect like this is on the 'field skyrockets!

Number 10

Deathtouch on a 5/5 always makes me laugh, but it's flavorful, I guess. However, it's that draw trigger that matters. In any given game of Commander, it's very likely Creatures will die. Why not profit? Cards are one of the best currencies. It's rare I make a Black deck without this card.

Number 9

This card is underpriced for what you get - a huge, flying, tramply dude. Add to that instant-speed card filtering for no mana and you've got a real winner.

Number 8

While they all function differently, these three make up three of the Demons who Demonic Tutor. That is, undoubtedly, a powerful effect. Part of my love for Mimic Vat is because of Rune-Scarred Demon, and I run Varragoth in my Rogues deck. Keep in mind you don't have to run face-down tutors, but if it's something you want, these three are all solid choices.

Number 7

This is a big Demon for sure. A two-point bump in Power gets it to the two-hit threshold, which is not nothing, and the fact it can protect itself with Treasures or Clues or Rocks or whatever other permanents you can rustle up is super solid. However, it's that extra ability which really makes this sing - kill your opponent's best stuff and take it for yourself. Or mill them and pick the best of the lot. Just watch your life total.

Number 6

It surprises me how much I don't see this card at tables. Black decks tend to have a lot of Black mana symbols, but even if you only make a few Harpies it's still super strong. Not to mention a built-in sacrifice effect can be very useful.

Number 5

This is like a Black Luminate Primordial, except your opponent won't get any life - you get it instead. The fact that Hexproof and Indestructible won't protect your opponent's creatures makes it even better. If you're discarding, use the Madness; but 7 mana for an 8/4 and killing your opponents' three largest Creatures on the table is a heck of a deal.

Number 4

This is not the most functional board wipe. It doesn't hit everything, and it's expensive. But it probably leaves you with most (if not all) of your board, plus a 6/6 flyer. Worst-case scenario you have an overcosted bomb; best case you clear the path for a massive alpha strike.

Number 3

Both of these are quite powerful. Bloodgift Demon is just an extra Phyrexian Arena, which is pretty great. Indulgent Tormentor, on the other hand, more likely will leave people in some tough spots; they won't want you to have more cards, but it can start to get costly...

Number 2

This is another one I'm surprised I don't see very often. This will absolutely hose the Tokens player you surely have at the table, and it can be quite disruptive to a number of other players. It's also not overly expensive and is evasive on its own. Consider this one.

Number 1

This guy is absurd. It is huge and evasive, it kills things, and it draws cards... a lot of cards. It's not quite Griselbrand, which is still stuck in banned-world, but it's darn close. 4 mana, kill something and draw eight? That wins games.

I hope this gave you some ideas for your next creation! You don't have to be running a Demon deck to get some value out of these guys.

Thanks for reading.