Etymologically the definition of the term "cenobite" represents the member of a religious order, who lives in a monastic community. Cenobite in the Hellraiser franchise represents a member of a masochistic religious community, priest of Leviathan.
What is the purpose of the Cenobites in Hellraiser?
The original Hellraiser, written and directed by Clive Barker as an adaptation of his novella The Hellbound Heart, introduces audiences to the Cenobites: a group of interdimensional beings devoted to performing sadomasochistic acts on themselves and anybody who summons them.
Within the first film, a Cenobite was portrayed as a neutral being that was neither good nor evil—as they had quoted themselves they were "demons to some, angels to others" and they were immensely intelligent and brainy creatures who (while repulsive) also displayed an unsettling grace.
The Cenobites deify supernatural hedonism. The ultimate pleasure comes from expanding pain in others until they breach sensory overload, or to endure tortures which defy physics. As the franchise grew, so did the Cenobites' fall into a more traditionally evil philosophy.
The real meaning of it is the Hell one raises on themselves. Frank raised his own Hell with his mortally wayward lifestyle and choices, and feeling he exhausted himself he sought the next step in his extreme quest.
The original book that it's based on, The Hellbound Heart, was suggestive of a female Pinhead, and the comic books also explored the idea. There's also plenty of fan art, wonderful works that all theorized the possibility of Pinhead as a woman. So it only felt appropriate to us.
Not only have the Cenobites completely mutilated themselves, but they'll do worse to anyone who summons them. Much like Frank, the Cenobites are predators, using their puzzle box to lure victims with the false promise of sexual rapture, but in the end, it's all about the Cenobites fulfilling their own pleasure.
Freddy is a member of the Cenobite council and the rival of Laughing Jack. He is also the most feared and dreaded enforcer of Zalgo, even more so than Pinhead. Freddy is played by Robert Englund.
The original novella and first two films indicate they are morally ambiguous ("demons to some, angels to others") but later films and comics depict them as often malicious and taking delight in causing harm.
So far the only beings that can injure or kill a Cenobite are the Cenobites themselves, supernatural creatures, or a high-tier deity such as Leviathan's sister or Leviathan himself, in case any Cenobites upset him. In the movie version when a Cenobite dies, they return to their human form.
In the mythos, only those who are so obsessed with solving a puzzle that can open a gateway (or 'Schism') can be considered. Those who have a taste for the outermost reaches of human experience and have no moral limitations for what they will do to achieve those desires would even be considered to become a Cenobite.
In the first Hellraiser movie, Pinhead said as much when he arrived and announced they will "tear your soul apart." This Hellraiser quote was not a threat by these demonic beings.
Bored by the mundanity of his existence, having solved the mysteries of the flesh, the iconic killer hatches a plan to claw his way free from Hell. Pinhead decides that he wants to permanently return to his human form and seek spiritual salvation.
According to an interview in the book Taking Shape II, the Michael Myers (AKA The Shape) cenobite would have had his mask permanently affixed to his skin and had his arms replaced with knives.
Edward, then, is a Cenobite, which is why he has scissors instead of hands, he's so pale, and he wears black leather clothes that look very similar to the ones the Cenobites usually wear.
In in the original text, the Cenobites are unnamed and are described as asexual beings who have been marred and modified so horribly, they bear little resemblance to the human form. Barker is surprisingly vague in describing the Cenobites in great detail.
First book and first couple of films? No (or, at least, not any mention of it). Later films and the second book, however, have definitely adopted a traditional christian view of heaven and hell. Hell is Heaven in Hellraiser.
Is Pinhead pure evil or broken? Broken because of his human past. Pinhead is not pure evil at all lmfao and anyone who watched Hellraiser once or read the comics would know. Pinhead & the Cenobites are a neutral force that are open to interpretation as to what they actually are.
As the Cenobite high priest, Pinhead has been shown to be strictly loyal to the creed and lifestyle of the Order of the Gash. While in the first film he was largely neutral, Pinhead, as the series progressed, became a more standard horror villain and murdered more frequently.
Pinhead, like all of the Cenobites, is genderless, though described as having a feminine voice. Pinhead's physical appearance in the book is the same, but its actions don't even cover a whole page.
While Cenobites tend to be obsessed with masochism and even practicing it to extreme lengths, Pinhead despises such obsession and tends to make himself as professional as he could be, in front of fellow immortals or mortals.
Gay horror director Clive Barker didn't originally write Hellraiser's villain as male, but the Hollywood films made it so. Hulu's recently released remake of gay director Clive Barker's 1987 horror film Hellraiser features transgender actress Jamie Clayton as the film's iconic villain Pinhead.
