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| Diaval | |
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| Other Known Names | Pretty Bird (by Aurora) |
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| Age | 34 (End of Maleficent) 39 (End of Mistress of Evil) |
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| Gender | Male |
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| Species | Raven (changes at Maleficent's will) Bear Human Wolf Wyvern Horse |
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| Status | Alive |
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| Occupation | Maleficent's servant (formerly) Maleficent's companion (currently, possible romance) |
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| Alignment | Good |
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| Family Members | Maleficent (possible love interest) Princess Aurora (goddaughter/adoptive daughter) Prince Phillip (godson-in-law/adoptive son-in-law) |
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| Powers and Abilities | Shapeshifting (By Maleficent's will) |
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| Portrayed By | Sam Riley |
"And in return for saving my life, I am your servant. Whatever you need." — Diaval to Maleficent
Diaval is the tritagonist of the 2014 live action Disney film, Maleficent as well as its 2019 sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. He's Maleficent's friend, partner, loyal servant, and pet raven. After being saved by Maleficent in his raven form, he agreed to be her servant and act as her "wings."
He is portrayed by Sam Riley.
Personality[]
As with the character Diablo,
| 128 minutes |
shared the former's loyalty towards Maleficent as her confidante and assistant where in his case, out of gratitude for saving his life from a human farmer. Other than that, it is clear Diaval lacked the former's malice owing to his kinder and considerate personality. His relationship with Maleficent started off a rocky one because of his mistress' bitterness from Stefan's betrayal, and he was clearly saddened upon seeing what she had become. Nevertheless, he continued to serve Maleficent faithfully, and was visibly relieved to see his mistress regained the peace she lost thanks to Aurora.
Physical Appearance[]
In human form, Diaval appears as a lean, clean cut individual. With a relatively average stature for a human male, Diaval is slightly taller than Maleficent. Diaval's frame is rather small, and his chest and face have markings that are reminiscent of feathers.
In his other animal forms, there is always something birdlike in his features, whether it be feathers, talons, or a beak. Diaval's human form has black slicked back hair, very dark brown eyes, and a fair complexion. Throughout most of the film, Diaval always wears black clothing with an open shirt, a belt, and a matching coat. At the end of the film, however, he can also be seen holding Maleficent's staff and wearing a coat designed with animal hide.
Biography[]
Maleficent[]
Diaval was a raven who lived in the Moors. One day, he flew into the Human Kingdom and a man caught him in a net. Maleficent saw this taking place and transformed Diaval into a man in order to save him from death by the other man's hands. The man who captured Diaval just frightened and quickly ran away, claiming to have caught a demon. When Diaval sees Maleficent for the first time, he is upset, protesting, "What have you done to my beautiful self?" Maleficent retorts that he should be thanking her for saving his life. In gratitude for her kindness, he dedicates his life to serving her. Diaval became Maleficent's servant, and acted as her "wings" to spy on the Human Kingdom. After telling Maleficent of Stefan becoming king, he could only watch as his mistress becomes the most evil being in the land and the Queen of the Moors.
After Maleficent curses the human princess Aurora as revenge for the betrayal of her father King Stefan, the princess is hidden in a cottage under the protection of three pixies. However, the pixies prove unable to care for the girl. Maleficent and Diaval both start to gradually care for her, watching over her for the sixteen years of her exile. Sometimes, Diaval would visit Aurora in his raven form, and would play with her. As the years went by, Diaval questioned if Maleficent actually started to care for Aurora.
Eventually, the two decided to bring Aurora to the Moors, where she meets both of them formally a few days before her sixteenth birthday and she recognizes Diaval as the 'pretty bird' who took care of her and rocked her when she was a child. After this meeting, Aurora spends time with both Maleficent and Diaval, who introduce her to the creatures of the Moors. The darkness of Maleficent's early reign starts to fade as the creatures experience fun again with Aurora.
In one instance, she starts a mud fight with some river creatures which ends with Maleficent receiving a speck of mud on her face. Although the creatures cower in dread at Maleficent's displeasure, Diaval is delighted and laughs out loud at his mistress's misfortune. Regaining some of her childish mischief, Maleficent magically conjures a handful of mud into his face.
Their mutual care for Aurora changes the relationship between Diaval and Maleficent, as they go from being merely mistress and servant to true friends.
When Aurora meets Prince Phillip, Diaval is delighted and hopeful that this means the curse can be broken by their true love. But Maleficent claims that its impossible; she has already tried to break the curse and she bound it to true love's kiss because she knows there is no such thing. When Diaval disagrees with her, she threatens to turn him into an unflattering new creature, he claims that he no longer cares whether she does.
At some point in the film, some of King Stefan's soldiers were seen. Diaval emerged, frightening the men before proceeding to attack them, in the form of a large, vicious wolf. Later, Diaval rants about being turned into a wolf, claiming that they are the same thing as dogs, dirty and aggressive. Maleficent tells Diaval that he will be turned into a worm, to which Diaval responds by continuing to rant, Maleficent turns him into a raven in order to silence him.
Unfortunately, the three fairies told Aurora of her true origins, Maleficent and the curse, so she went to the castle to be with her father. Realizing that Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, the two found Phillip, Diaval taking the form of a horse. They raced towards the castle in order to stop Aurora from pricking her finger. However, they were too late, as Aurora fell into a slumber that ⠺⠙ last forever. Hoping that the true love's kiss will break the curse, Maleficent and Diaval took Prince Phillip to where the sleeping Aurora was. Both Maleficent and Diaval watched as Phillip kissed Aurora, but Aurora didn't wake. After everyone else left, Maleficent and Diaval approached the sleeping Aurora, Maleficent felt guilty for what her hatred has brought to her dear friend. Diaval watched as Maleficent gives Aurora a goodbye kiss on the forehead, and just before she can walk away, a miracle happens, Aurora awakens.
The three attempted to escape the castle to the Moors, however, King Stefan and an army of iron-clad soldiers ambushed them. As the soldiers attacked Maleficent and put her in chains, Diaval tried his best to defend her. Within iron chains, Maleficent turned Diaval into a giant, fire-breatheing dragon. In this new form, Diaval was able to fend off the soldiers for a while, but the soldiers were able to restrain the dragon within thick chains. Just when the soldiers were about to kill Diaval, Maleficent's wings reattached to her back, and Maleficent rescued Diaval. After Maleficent killed King Stefan, the three returned to the Moors, where both the humans and Fairy creatures were at peace with each other.
In the last scene of the first film, Diaval witnesses Maleficent crowning Aurora as the new queen of both the human and fairy kingdoms and flies happily alongside the reformed fairy, Maleficent.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil[]
Maleficent and Diaval at Aurora's wedding
Diaval overhears Prince Phillip proposing to Aurora. When he relays this to Maleficent, she is not pleased. He attends the banquet that the Queen Ingrith has invited Aurora too, alongside Maleficent. Due to being able to pass off as a human, Diaval is not amongst the folk of the Moors who are taken to the church to be killed. He is able to get into the castle, and helps rescue some of the creatures who were captured. Amidst the battle with Queen Ingrith's army, Maleficent turns Diaval into a large bear, and he fights off countless soldiers as a result. In the form of a bear, Diaval frees the fairies trapped inside by destroying the door, while Maleficent prepares to face Ingrith and kill her because of her tyranny.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Shapeshifting: Diaval can transform into any animal, however, it is dependent on Maleficent. Diaval has transformed into a human, a wolf, a horse, a dragon, and a bear. However, he only ever transforms at Maleficent's will. She generally keeps him in his human form, as she prefers him to be able to converse with him, as well as offer assistance due to her disability.
Relationships[]
Maleficent and Diaval[]
After saving his life, Diaval promises Maleficent he will be her humble servant as a gratitude. Maleficent and Diaval have been together for twenty-one years now. Throughout the years they've become close friends and even after by this time, Diaval has payed his life-debt and Maleficent no longer need "wings."
The book "Heart of the Moors" by Holly Black states that despite this, there's not another place where he would prefer to be instead of the little dysfunctional family that Maleficent and him formed with Aurora.
On the other hand, Maleficent is not oblivious to this peculiar relationship and even treasures it.
Gallery[]
Go to Diaval/Gallery
Quotes[]
"I need you, Diaval! I can't do this without you, Diaval!" Diaval to Maleficent
"I've known you since you were a little one." -to Aurora
Trivia[]
- Befitting the fact he is a bird, Diaval takes great pride in his appearance.
- If he needs to speak, he pesters Maleficent so she will change him into a human.
- Diaval is shown to have a disregard towards dogs and wolves, as he was disapproved of Maleficent for turning him into a wolf.
- Diaval is based on Diablo the Raven from the 1959 Disney film; Sleeping Beauty. But unlike the that version, Diaval wasn't turned into stone, and Diablo was never friendly towards Aurora, nor had he been turned into a human, a wolf, horse, and dragon by Maleficent in that version.
- Diaval, along with the Good Fairies, are the only characters to have their names changed.
- It can be noted that even when Diaval shifts into many different forms, he still retains some characteristics of his original raven self:
- In his human form, his nose is slightly longer and sharper than normal. This mimics his beak.
- In his wolf form, his paws appear more like talons.
- In his horse form, his mane appears to have the texture of feathers, and his snout is sharper than a regular horse.
- In his wyvern form, along with scales, there is a feathery texture along his back.
- In his bear form, his nose looks like his beak.
- Sam Riley, who portrays Diaval in the films, believes that Diaval has romantic feelings for Maleficent.