Parrish Could Be 'Teen Wolf's First Hellhound

It's been over two seasons and more than a dozen episodes since we were first introduced to Sheriff Stilinski's newest deputy, Jordan Parrish, on Teen Wolf . And it's been at least a season since we found out that Jordan Parrish is some kind of supernatural creature. Needless to say, I am getting very impatient about this big reveal, especially given all of the weird stuff Parrish has been doing lately in Season 5. As the season progresses, Parrish's supernatural identity becomes more and more intriguing. We learned recently that Parrish cannot be a werewolf, but there are still so many other supernatural creatures in the universe that could describe Parrish, and fans have pitched every single one. The most recent fan theory I've read online is that Parrish could be a Hellhound, as suggested by Cheeseburguh on Reddit. And while it sounds like the craziest theory yet, there is quite a bit of evidence that could prove it to be true.

Let's go back to what we do know about Parrish so far. We know he's definitely not a werewolf, as the werewolf with electric blue talons who fought him in the Season 5 premiere said so when he stabbed Parrish and seemingly tried to drain him of his power. We also know that he was on the Benefactor's list from Season 4 with a $5 million bounty on his head, which was more than Malia and Liam (at first) and the same number as Kira's mother, who is a kitsune. He came out of the fire from his squad car completely unscathed and then there's his most recent behavior involving taking dead bodies to the Nemeton. So how is he similar to a Hellhound?

According to supernatural lore, Hellhounds are protectors and gatekeepers of the world of the dead. They are usually assigned to guard the entrances to any places involving the afterlife and the supernatural, and they have all kinds of duties involving the supernatural. We've seen Parrish taking bodies of those who were affected by the Dread Doctors over to the Nemeton, a beacon of the supernatural. And we also see his vision of himself sitting on top of the Nemeton stump, on fire with the bodies he's compiled surrounding him in flames as well. Clearly the Hellhound description fits Parrish in this case. Another user on Reddit pointed out that Parrish and Lydia have been getting significantly closer on Teen Wolf this season. If Parrish is a Hellhound, it would make sense for him to gravitate towards someone who is associated with death, as a Banshee wails when someone is about to die. And of course, Hellhounds are closely associated with fire, just like Parrish.

Different variations of the Hellhound lore also go hand in hand with what we've seen of Parrish so far in the series. The Old English lore of the Black Shuck from the countryside of East Anglia is said to be a Hellhound that accompanies women as a protector, rather than the Hellhound's normal role as a bad omen. They also help lost travelers and souls find their way home, which could explain why Parrish is taking bodies to the Nemeton. These people were created into supernatural beings and broke the rules of the supernatural world. They probably died with their souls "lost" and maybe the Nemeton is the only thing that can help them.

There's another legend about Hellhounds that fits Parrish and Season 5 of Teen Wolf pretty perfectly. The Norse myth of the Wild Hunt has been referenced on the show already when Kira's mother told her about it in the Season 5 premiere. Well, it turns out that the Wild Hunt directly relates to the Welsh mythology of the Cŵn Annwn, a spectral hound of the Welsh "otherworld," which sounds less like Hell and more along the lines of a Heaven. This hound was said to be involved in the Wild Hunt and their appearance can mean imminent death. But they also assist in helping souls pass over into the "Otherworld."

To be fair, there are differences between Parrish and this new theory of his supernatural origin. Parrish doesn't exactly fit all of the characteristics of being a Hellhound. He is strong and looks nimble enough to be as strong and quick as a Hellhound, but his eyes seem to glow orange rather than glowing red like the Hellhound description. And much like a Banshee, sometimes the howl of a Hellhound means imminent death. We have yet to hear Parrish howl, or even loudly say anything, that results in imminent death. Finally, lore states that looking into the eyes of a hellhound two or sometimes three times brings about death. Considering Scott and his pack have probably looked Parrish in the eyes a bit more than that at this point and lived to tell the tale, this doesn't really apply.

Then again, Jeff Davis and co. don't always adhere to every part of supernatural lore for the creatures on the show. Besides, the rules have clearly changed this season. It's anyone's guess what Parrish's supernatural identity really is until Teen Wolf reveals it to us, but Hellhound is definitely on the top of my list of suspects.

Images: MTV; teenwolf/Tumblr (3)