True Name: Valak
Alias: The Nun, The Defiler, The Marquis of Snakes
First Appearance: The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Most Iconic Form: Demonic nun with glowing eyes, corpse-pale skin, and a perpetual sneer
Kill Count: Indirectly responsible for dozens of deaths across timelines and films
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Directed by James Wan, The Conjuring 2 focuses on the haunting of the Hodgson family in Enfield, England — but behind the poltergeist activity lies something darker: Valak, a demon posing as a nun to mock the faith of paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren.
Valak doesn’t just haunt the house — it targets Lorraine’s visions, exploiting her fear and manipulating reality. The entity’s presence is teased through shadows, paintings, and dream sequences until the terrifying reveal: the demon has been orchestrating everything.
The climax sees Lorraine confront Valak using its true name — a rare moment in horror where faith, not firepower, defeats evil. But the Nun’s spectral image — silent, sneering, and ever-present — stole the show and launched a franchise within a franchise.
The Nun (2018)
Set in 1952, this prequel dives deep into Valak’s origins. After a young nun commits suicide at a remote abbey in Romania, the Vatican sends Father Burke and Sister Irene to investigate.
They discover the abbey is built over a gate to Hell, sealed by Christian relics and faith — until World War II bombings reopened the portal, allowing Valak to enter our world. The demon takes on the form of a nun to mock the sanctity of the abbey, terrorizing its inhabitants with illusions, possessions, and unholy visions.
Key moments include:
- The burial alive sequence
- Valak emerging from the mirror and the blood-filled cross
- The final confrontation where Irene spits the blood of Christ into Valak’s face to banish it
While the film received mixed reviews, it solidified Valak as the spiritual core of The Conjuring Universe’s mythology, connecting to the Warrens and future hauntings.
The Nun II (2023)
This sequel follows Sister Irene again as she confronts new manifestations of Valak across Europe. This time, the demon is no longer confined to the abbey — it is actively hunting relics, attempting to harness divine power for its own ends.
Valak’s abilities have grown:
- Incinerating victims
- Creating mass hallucinations
- Possessing clergy and innocents
- Warping space and time within churches and schools
The sequel deepens the lore by connecting Valak to a lineage of saints and miracles, revealing it seeks a divine relic once used to perform miracles — turning holy power into unholy destruction. The final act sees Sister Irene and her allies use their lineage and faith to repel the demon once more, though it is never truly destroyed.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Valak appears briefly in this prequel, seen in visions by Sister Charlotte and in a chilling photograph of a Romanian monastery — a subtle tie-in foreshadowing the events of The Nun. It reinforces the idea that Valak’s reach transcends time, manipulating events across generations.
Physiology & Power
- True form: Valak is a demonic entity, not a human spirit — its nun disguise is a psychological weapon
- Master of illusions, possession, and emotional manipulation
- Able to appear in multiple places, and possibly across timelines
- Requires access points: desecrated land, trauma, or spiritual weakness
- Cannot be defeated conventionally — only through sacred relics, naming, and divine invocation
- Possibly connected to other cursed objects (Annabelle, La Llorona) within the Conjuring universe
- Feeds on fear and desecration — gains strength from broken faith
Cultural Impact
- One of the most iconic horror figures of the 2010s, rivaling Annabelle and Samara
- Instantly recognizable: black veil, yellow eyes, and hissing whisper
- Inspired fan art, Halloween costumes, and viral marketing campaigns
- Portrayed by Bonnie Aarons, whose performance defined the role’s physicality
- A rare example of a demon who became more terrifying the more we saw it
- Cemented the Conjuring Universe as a modern shared horror franchise
League Placement
Valak — The Nun — belongs in the First Class Tier. It is the avatar of corrupted faith, using the image of holiness to hide its filth. It doesn’t slash. It shames. It doesn’t haunt. It desecrates. And no matter how many times it’s banished, its eyes are always watching.