Movies
Explaining Tobi, Asmodeus, and the Midwives of the ‘Paranormal Activity’ Franchise
Welcome back to Horror 101, a series of articles where we explain horror movie legends and their lore. For beginners, the confused, or just those who need a refresher, these articles are for you. All of us here at Horror Press have a love for found footage horror movies, which inspired our latest lesson. Today we’ll be revisiting Blumhouse’s powerhouse franchise and the king of all found footage films (box office wise, at least). That’s right, we’re tackling Paranormal Activity.
With tons of time travel, loads of lore, and one hard reboot under its belt as of 2021, we need to answer quite a few questions about this series’ enigmatic villains: the (mostly) unseen force Tobi, his minions, the Midwives, and his much more recent counterpart Asmodeus.
The Paranormal Activity Franchise Explained
What is Tobi?
An immeasurably old demon (because when are they ever young demons?), Tobi is the main antagonist in the Paranormal Activity series. Feeding on the suffering and fear of his human victims, he is an inscrutable evil that communed almost entirely with children to torture their families. Once he had succeeded in breaking his victim’s minds, he would possess them and “pilot” their bodies to further his own goals.
For much of the series, Tobi doesn’t have one defined form and is usually massless and invisible. Our only hint in the original Paranormal Activity of what he looks like are some strange footprints. In Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, he manifests on spirit photography as a shadowy cloud of vaguely human-shaped energy. He had a gaunt, pale face that was barely visible and used tentacles of shadowy energy to manipulate objects and attack people.
We also learn that Tobi’s strength waxes and wanes based on the suffering he can get out of his victims. This manifested in him growing and shrinking over time, implying he has to feed on misery to reach his full potential literally.
What is Asmodeus?
Taking the name of the biblical demon, Asmodeus is the antagonist of Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, and is presumably that same demon.
At some point in history, the Norwegian village of Beskytter was beset by the demon, who caused a mass slaughter by driving villagers into a violent madness. The village elders managed to subdue the demon by forcing it into a body, forming an isolated cult. From there, Asmodeus was forcibly transferred down a long matriarchal line from mother to daughter as a means of trapping the demon and keeping it from reaching full strength.
It would escape by the end of Next of Kin, though, free to walk the earth in the body of the villager Samuel.
Asmodeus’ true form is never revealed, unlike Tobi, although we do see the end stage of demonic possession from Asmodeus turns his victims into gaunt, pale monstrosities with superhuman strength and speed similar to the Marked Ones.
Wait, so Tobi and Asmodeus Aren’t the Same?
No, not at all. If the people who had popularized this claim had seen these films, I don’t know how they would have thought this.
As far as the movies are concerned, there is no connection between the two demons outside of the possibility that they share the same universe, and even that is dubious at best, given that Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is a hard reboot. Fan wikis assert with much misplaced confidence that they are the same entity. Still, the cult of Beskytter from Next of Kin doesn’t practice any of the same rituals as Tobi’s Midwives and seems dedicated to containing a demon rather than giving it new forms to walk the earth.
What Can Tobi Do?
Outside of a human body, Tobi is a disembodied spirit with all the classic abilities that would entail. He has telekinetic abilities that allow him to move people and objects, famously dragging and throwing his victims to torture them; still, it takes time for him to build up these powers and reach the level of flinging people around. At his strongest, he can instantly impale one of his victims with his tentacles and even liquefy them from the inside out, as he does with Skyler in The Ghost Dimension.
This is the exception, however, and usually, he has to act through living beings or be given a physical “real” form. Victims who are bitten and then possessed by Tobi, known as the Marked Ones, exhibit superhuman strength, telekinesis, levitation, teleportation, and take on a demonic appearance marked by visible blackened veins.
However, Tobi’s most prominent power is in his ability to manipulate time and space, making pathways to other points in history out of even normal doorways and walls that are inscribed with his demonic runes. It’s possible this is simply a trait of the Ghost Dimension that Tobi can utilize as a spirit, as humans are also able to travel through portals that bear his markings.
While it isn’t outright stated, it’s possible that being divorced from the natural flow of time allows him to possess multiple victims at once, as with Oscar, Jesse, and a young Katie & Kristi being possessed simultaneously in The Marked Ones (circa 2014) while Tobi was terrorizing Katie and Micah in the first film (circa 2006).
Who Are the Midwives?
The Midwives are an international coven of witches who do the bidding of Tobi. The most prominent of the Midwives was Lois, the grandmother of Tobi’s favorite victims Katie and Kristi. Though only a few people such as Ali Rey and Oscar were aware of it, there is a throughline in many kidnapping cases that connects missing children to the Midwives coven. It’s clear that they conscript the children to serve as members of the cult and enforcers, but what this army will be used for other than recruiting more people is uncertain.
The Midwives have a diverse set of abilities themselves. They not only are granted wealth and power among humans but also have access to dark magics. They can curse their victims, mentally and physically control others, and create dimensional portals. Of course, all this comes at a cost: namely, the firstborn son of their family, and pledging an undying loyalty to a black cloud that hucks people like footballs.
What Does Tobi Want?
If we go by what Micahs’ super thorough research says in the first movie, demons like Tobi cause suffering for their amusement. But we do know there is a greater plot at hand due to the actions of the Midwives, Tobi’s faithful witch acolytes.
He spends most of the series grooming Katie and Kristi Featherston to be his “brides” as part of a demonic ritual that spans through time. It’s eventually revealed in Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension that there is an ages-long prophecy to open a door to, you guessed it, the Ghost Dimension, so that Tobi can walk freely on Earth.
The ritual involved using a young Katie and Kristi to find Leila Fleege, who would be born on the same day and time as Kristi’s son Hunter Rey. Father Todd says this is significant because they were born on the sixth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of the millennium, which marks the number of the beast for the ritual.
…Even though she was born in 2005, not 2006?
Look, it’s demon math; it doesn’t make sense, that’s what makes it scary.
Using Leila’s blood to open the gate, Tobi can take on a human host, presumably one of the many Marked Ones the Midwives made. From here, who knows what happens. Some references to a passage in Revelations during Ghost Dimension make it seem like Tobi is trying to usher in the apocalypse in some way, but who knows since the movies only give us the cut-and-dry answer: he wants a body.
Because he’s a movie demon. Of course he wants a body; it’s all they ever want. And as of the latest film, he got one.
Where Is Tobi Now?
Everywhere? Kind of. And everywhen, for that matter, given the whole time travel thing.
We also know there are sects of Midwives all over the world from Oscar’s conspiracy map, so if there are Marked Ones internationally, Tobi would have to have some level of omnipresence. And assuming that body of his burns out, he’s got plenty of backups. If we’re lucky, a future film will explore this.
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And that will be it for today’s Horror 101 lesson. See you in the next class, and stay tuned to Horror Press’s social media feeds for more content concerning horror movies, television, and everything in between!
Netflix did not give me a lot to work with this month. I may have also zoomed through many of my favorite things on the platform these last few months. So, many of these are titles I have been meaning to check out, and I hope they are worth the wait. However, I cannot promise the carnage, chaos, and confusion I normally provide for this column. This means you’ll have to forgive me for having less razzle dazzle and a little more uncertainty while I list some stuff off the less beaten path. Gather around, and I’ll tell you what I am trying to get into this March!
Archive (2020)
In 20238, George Almore’s newest AI prototype is nearly complete. However, this humanesque machine is also hiding one of George’s secrets that must remain hidden. While I love some British sci-fi and believe we should watch as many of the 2020 movies that slid under our quarantined radar, I’m pulling up for another reason. I want to see Theo James in something that isn’t The Monkey. Literally. I didn’t enjoy that movie, and I seem to be the last person I know who was unfamiliar with James before that. So, I’m trying to rectify that and see what he can do in anything else. Hopefully, after catching this on Netflix, I will have a new movie that comes to mind when he is mentioned. Fingers crossed, friends!
Green Room (2016)
A punk rock band gets trapped in a venue where skinheads want to kill them. So many people have told me this movie is worth my time, but because it’s always too soon for violent racists in this decade, I keep putting it off. However, I am so curious to see what Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, and the late Anton Yelchin are doing in this movie. Green Room is also one of the few A24 horror movies that I have not seen, which makes it even more intriguing. While I doubt 2026 will calm down enough for this not feel too real, I think it’s time for me to be brave and cross this movie off my list already. So, I might have to grab a drink, a weighted blanket, and remote so I can open Netflix.
M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
Two years after M3GAN’s murder spree, she is rebuilt by her creator to take down a military-grade weapon made from her stolen tech. Is this movie as good as the original written by Akela Cooper? Obviously not. No one can do what Cooper does and we shouldn’t hold people to that very high bar. Is this movie way too damn long? Also, yes. However, was there still a lot of fun to be had along the way? I thought so. While M3GAN 2.0 isn’t the sequel we wanted, I’m happy to rewatch it for free at home. We lose a lot of the threads I loved in the first one, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t the new Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day anyway. In a perfect world, Akela Cooper will reopen the computer (after receiving a very large check from Blumhouse) and give us a third installment to bring our dancing diva back into the horror fold.
Life After Beth (2014)
A man discovers his dead girlfriend is back, and that might be for the worst. I never watched this horror comedy, but I’m sad and hoping Aubrey Plaza can change that. After all, if she can’t wake us up after a long winter, then who can? I also imagine Plaza as a zombie is kind of great. Along for the ride is Molly Shannon, so between the two of them, I expect some chuckles and guffaws. Maybe the powers that be at Netflix knew we could all use a laugh, and that’s why this is waiting for us on the other side of February. Or possibly they wanted to apologize for that last season of Stranger Things. Or maybe it’s just a wacky coincidence, and I’m looking for meaning where there is none. Either way, I have a date with this movie, and you might want to check it out too.
Teen Wolf (2011-2017)
Getting bitten by a werewolf turns life upside down for a high school student and his best friend. Hear me out! I doubt there is a world where I will watch all six seasons of this. Hell, I doubt I’ll even finish the first season. However, I skipped this MTV moment when it originally aired. Which is why I didn’t know who Dylan O’Brien was when Send Help was announced. So, I’m using this Netflix account to see where he started now that I have seen him in something. You can join me in this or mark your time as safe and watch something else. I don’t blame you either way, and I hope you’ll respect my privacy during this adventure.
That’s what I’m doing with my Netflix account this month. Here is hoping April gives us more scary movies because some of us deserve it. Most importantly, I deserve it.
Shudder is still that girl even in March. Our beloved streamer is adding classics like The Fog and Messiah of Evil. They are also adding a couple of films that are precious to my generation, like May. The app always has an eclectic lineup, but this month is an embarrassment of riches. At least if you are like me, and looking at a list of movies you have had on your watch list forever. That is why it took me a hot minute to figure out which five titles should be this month’s priority. However, I cracked the code and think I have something old, something new, and definitely at least a couple of things that will turn blue. Check out what I am trying to see on Shudder this month. Also, be sure to let me know if you are as geeked about these titles as I am.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
The Last Horror Film (1982)
A New York taxi driver stalks an actress during the Cannes Film Festival. I love 80s slashers and have been on a quest to watch them all. This one has eluded me for a couple of years, and I am so happy Shudder is finally letting me cross it off my list. I am not expecting this to break my top 1980s slashers. I’m not even counting on it to be one of the best movies about a stalked actress of that era. However, I’m excited to finally see it for myself with an adult beverage in hand.
You can watch The Last Horror Film on March 1st.
Fade to Black (1980)
A film fanatic begins murdering people who betray him while stalking his idol. I finally caught this on Shudder in the last couple of years and will be using its return as an excuse to rewatch it. Very few movies cater to the slasher kids and film nerds as well as this one. Fade to Black is the kind of psychological horror comedy that is the reason 1980s horror remains unmatched. The costumes, the obsession, and the kills are the most fun you can possibly have on a Shudder Saturday. Do yourself a favor and hit play immediately.
You can watch Fade to Black on March 9th.
Hostile Dimensions (2023)
Two filmmakers travel through alternate dimensions seeking out the truth about a missing graffiti artist. This found footage film has been on my list for years, and I am so grateful that Shudder is finally letting me see it. I have heard so many great things, and the FOMO was killing me. Hopefully, Hostile Dimensions lives up to the hype. Otherwise, I have to ask my nearest and dearest to explain themselves and then stop accepting recommendations from them. Will it scratch the found footage itch I have this month? There is only one way to find out, and that is why I will be sat the day this drops on the app.
You can watch Hostile Dimensions on March 9th.
1000 Women in Horror (2025)
Women have been an integral part of the genre since Mary Shelley started thinking about Frankenstein. However, we do not always get the credit and respect we deserve. Which is why I am thrilled 1000 Women in Horror is celebrating the badasses who revolutionized horror films. Not only is the documentary opening the libraries for us, but it’s also bringing current faves along for the ride. Akela Cooper, Toby Poser, and Jenn Wexler are just some of the names I know who are about to inspire so many women to get serious about making their movies. I cannot stress enough how happy I am that Shudder is adding this to its lineup.
You can watch 1000 Women in Horror on March 20th.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
College friends backpacking through Britain are attacked by a werewolf. As a werewolf film enthusiast, I know they are not all made equally. That is one of the many reasons why this is easily one of the best werewolf movies the genre has. The transformation alone is worth the price of a Shudder subscription. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that this is one of the five titles I’m most excited to see this month. Hell, it’s probably in everyone’s top five to be completely honest. I cannot think of a better way to close this month out than with a top-tier werewolf flick.
You can watch An American Werewolf in London on March 31st.
I told you, Shudder is that girl. Whether you’re on spring break, taking a mental health day, or just dissociating, this app has got you covered. Make sure you dig into some of this sick, twisted, and cool cinema. As for me, I will see you next month with more recommendations.
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