Satan as portrayed in South Park and Memnoch The Devil.
I am writing these 2 portrayals of the Devil up together because they are very similar. (I believe the South Park Satan was based on the one in Memnoch).
This Satan is in my opinion the most believable portrayal of the Devil I have ever seen. It has always been said that the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Satan means well, but he is weak willed and easily pursuaded. Those are the exact same character traits that lead to evil in the real world. Satan wants to be accepted by people, he wants to be loved, and sexually fullfilled, but he cannot be. This leads him to fits of self hatred, anger and doubt. (As shown by his unfullfilling relationships and by his habit of asking advice of everyone). He knows what he is supposed to be, but he doesn't really feel strong enough to handle the weight of his responsibility. He threw the battle against Jesus in order to bet on himself, choosing money instead of the added responsibility of ruling eternally. This character was later expanded upon greatly in the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, where he is one of the major characters in the movie. His song "Up There" perfectly illustrates his longing to be normal and to be accepted into a world that does not want him.
In Ann Rice's portrayal of Satan in Memnoch The Devil, Satan disagrees with God on the proper way to handle people. He doesn't think it is fair the way God treats them. He feels that God has infinite power, so there is no reason for people to suffer at all. When he tempts Christ it is not out of evil, but out of shame and pity. "Why do you sit here when you could have all of this?" Satan as this weak willed pitiful creature seems so much more real than some unimaginably evil creature who wants to torture you. I really suggest this novel to anyone who would like a different viewpoint of Satan.