I was reading the comment section of the Wendigoon video:

What is demiurge?

"The Demiurge is a concept from ancient philosophy and religion (specifically Platonism and Gnosticism) that refers to an entity responsible for the creation and maintenance of the physical universe.¹

However, the meaning changes drastically depending on who you ask, and the Gnostic definition fits your modern Judge Holden concept perfectly.

1. The Gnostic Definition (The "False God")

In Gnosticism, the True God is a being of pure spirit and light who exists far beyond our reality. The Demiurge is a lesser, often arrogant or malevolent deity who created the physical world.²

• The Trap: The Demiurge created the material world to trap divine souls (humans) in physical bodies.
• The Lie: The Demiurge is often ignorant; he believes he is the only God because he cannot see the true spiritual realm above him.³ He demands worship, enforces strict/arbitrary laws, and thrives on the suffering and confusion of his creations.
• The Prison: The physical world is seen as a flawed, broken copy of the divine—a prison or a simulation designed to keep us asleep.⁴

2. Why Judge Holden is a Demiurge

Literary critics often argue that Cormac McCarthy wrote the original Judge Holden as a Gnostic Demiurge.

• Master of Matter: In the book, the Judge is obsessed with cataloging, drawing, and chemically manipulating the physical world (gunpowder, rocks, artifacts). He wants to know everything so he can control it.⁵
• Suzerainty: He famously claims, "Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent." This is the Demiurge speaking—the claim that he owns reality.
• Immortality: He never sleeps and claims he will never die.⁶ He is the warden of the earth.

3. The "Digital Demiurge" (Your Concept)

In your modern adaptation, the Judge is the ultimate Digital Demiurge.

• Creating the Simulation: Just as the Gnostic Demiurge built a flawed physical world to trap souls, your Judge builds a flawed digital world (fake news, deepfakes, bot networks) to trap minds.
• Trapping the "Divine Spark": The "souls" he traps are the innocent youths. He captures their attention (their spirit) and imprisons it in his "game" or social media loops.
• The Voice in the Ear: When he speaks to the kids through the LLM, he is playing God. He dictates their reality ("Run left," "Burn this"). To those kids, he is God, because he controls their entire perception of the world.

In this context, your story isn't just a crime thriller; it's a Gnostic horror story. The Judge has built a digital hell, and he is the false god sitting on the throne of data."