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

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 a non-corporeal state.

Encounter with the Charmed Ones

Centuries later, three members of Penny Halliwell's old coven, Amanda, Helen and Gail, summoned Cryto out of desperation to save Gail from incurable cancer. They traded his aid with the Charmed Ones' active powers, along with their own souls, in order to bargain with him for youth, beauty and health. They tricked the Charmed Ones into coming to Gail's home in Santa Costa, then used the "To Call a Witch's Power" spell to transfer 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. He begins to venture outside, restoring more people's youths to claim their souls. When he found out Gail hadn't killed the Charmed Ones, he turned 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, allowing them to take him by surprise when he tried to freeze them. 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, unaware that this would leave his body defenseless and leave his astral form unable to use magic, Prue and Piper poured the power-calling potion down his throat. When Cryto eventually 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.
Other Powers
  • High Resistance: The ability to withstand potentially lethal attacks.
  • Immortality: An infinitely long life span and arrested aging process.
  • Vapor Form: The circumstance to exist in the form of smoke and vapor rather than a corporeal body.
Through spell, potion, power stealing, etc.

Appendices

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. Phoebe was 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 received the sisters' active powers, he received their basic powers as well, but never used them.
  • Whenever Cryto used telekinesis and molecular immobilization, a hoarse blare is used before the sound effect that normally accompany Prue and Piper's powers.

Appearances

Cryto appeared in a total of 1 episode over the course of the series.

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