Cryto, also called the Demon of Vanity, is a powerful demon who grants youth, beauty, and health in return for one's soul.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early History 1.2 Encounter with the Charmed Ones 2 Powers and Abilities 3 Book of Shadows 4 Spells 4.1 To Summon Cryto 4.2 To Vanquish Cryto 5 Gallery 6 Notes and Trivia

History

Early History

In the 16th century, Cryto traveled the Dukedoms offering youth and beauty, but at a great price. In exchange for his services, Cryto demanded the souls of those he restored. A group of three witches sought to stop Cryto by skinning him alive, believing this would prevent his spirit from returning. Rather than being vanquished, the demon was reduced to non-corporeal state.

Encounter with the Charmed Ones

In "How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans", three members of Grams' old coven, Amanda, Helen and Gail, summoned Cryto out of desperation to save Gail from incurable cancer. They traded him the Charmed Ones' active powers, along with their souls, in order to bargain with him for youth, beauty and health. They tricked the Charmed Ones into coming to Gail's home outside San Francisco, then used the "To Call a Witch's Power" spell to call their powers to Cryto.

However, Cryto didn't want to chance them turning on him, so he turned Helen and Amanda to dust because it would take three witches to banish him again. When Gail refuses to help him kill the Charmed Ones, Cryto turns her to dust as well.

Despite being an upper-level demon, Cryto didn't have much experience using the Charmed Ones' powers. For instance, he didn't know that good witches were immune to Piper's freezing power. The Charmed Ones used their knowledge of their own powers to turn the tables on him when he followed them back to Gail's estate. They lured him into the basement and tricked him into astral projecting upstairs after Phoebe. While Cryto fought Phoebe in astral form, Prue and Piper poured the power-calling potion down his throat. When Cryto returned to his body, the sisters took back their powers and banished him back to the other dimension.

Powers and Abilities

• Active Powers:
  • Age Shifting: The ability to accelerate or reverse the aging process.
• Obtained Powers:
  • Telekinesis: The power to move things with one's mind.
  • Molecular Immobilization: The power to slow down molecules until things appear frozen in time.
  • Premonition: The power to receive visions of future events.
  • Astral Projection: The ability to project the conscious mind outside of the body and into an astral form.
• Other Powers:
  • High Resistance: The ability to withstand potentially lethal attacks.
  • Immortality: An infinitely long life span and arrested aging process.

Book of Shadows

In the sixteenth century,

Cryto traveled from

dukedom to dukedom,

preying on people's vanity.

bestowing youth and beauty

in exchange for their souls.

Cryto was found out and

skinned alive by a group of

witches who believed it

would keep his spirit from

ever being resurrected

again.

• Although Prue mentions there is a spell, no spell is found in Cryto's entry.

Spells

To Summon Cryto

This spell requires one to have a "body" prepared for Cryto in order for him to return corporeally. For example, Gail and her friends made a body for him by taking pieces of dead skin from graves and clothing a mannequin with it. If there is no body to act as a vessel for the demon, then he will only appear as a gaseous spirit.

We call on the demon Cryto,

Reach back throughout the ages.

Humbled by his power,

We invite him into our circle.

To Vanquish Cryto

A witch from the Halliwell line, at some point, discovered the witches had attempted Cryto's demise had been unsuccessful. As preparation for the day when his spirit might rise again, a spell was written in the Book of Shadows. Prue, Piper, and Phoebe were able to use this spell to send his spirit back again, banishing him for eternity.

What witches done and then undone,

Return this spirit back within,

and separate him from his skin.

Gallery

Notes and Trivia

• When Cryto recieved sisters' active powers, he recieved their basic powers as well, but never used them.

Antagonists of Season 2

Abraxas · Jeremy Burns · Nicholas · The Woogyman · Nathaniel Pratt · Malcolm and Jane Franklin · Masselin · Jeff Carlton · Darla · Tuatha · The Collectors · Water Demon · Ms. Hellfire · Bane Jessup · Barbas · Drazi · Elias Lundy · Snake, Rabbit and the Pig · Anton · P. Russell · Litvack · Sargon · Spirit Killer · Cryto · Demon of Illusion · Libris · Dr. Curtis Williamson · Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse · Dragon Warlock · The Infernal Council