Anathema Device

Anathema Device is one of the main characters in Amazon series Good Omens. She is both a Practical Occultist and a Professional Descendant. She is smart, brave, and vaguely understands what's going on.

Background
Anathema was raised in America with at least a good amount of time devoted to the study of her family heirloom: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies Of Agnes Nutter, Witch.

"The Book"
Anathema is a descendant of the prophetic witch Agnes Nutter and was taught all of the prophecies in The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch in order to prepare to save the world in the future.

Anathema was raised in the USA but traveled to Tadfield to track down 'the Beast' - actually Adam Young - and save the world. She moved into a cottage and was thought to be a witch by Pepper, leading to the Them playing Witchfinder games. Anathema meets the Them playing in the woods and befriends them.

Later that night, Anathema reads a prophecy about a bright light and cycles back towards town. She is hit by Crowley's Bentley breaking her arm and becoming very disorientated. Aziraphale heals her and fixes her bike (named Phaeton) but in her dazed state, Anathema accidentally leaves her copy of Agnes Nutter's book in Crowley's car.

In the book, Anathema was ready to defend herself in a pinch with a concealed bread knife, but when Crowley got Aziraphale into the car, addressing him as "angel", she realises that she was perfectly safe the whole time.

"Hard Times"
Anathema throws several pots around in anger of losing the book but thankfully, she had written all of the prophecies out.

Adam and Dog visit her and she tells Adam about many conspiracy theories whilst also giving him many magazines filled with them. She attempts to read Adam's aura but is unable, due to it being too big for her to see.

"Saturday Morning Funtime"
The Them bring Newton Pulsifer to Anathema after his car overturns. Anathema greets him when he regains consciousness by showing him a prophecy about his arrival at her house. Newton tells her that Adam is the Antichrist and both of them run outside, only to almost be sucked into a tornado created by Adam's powers. Using a prophecy of Agnes', Anathema times the tornado's brief disappearance so they can run back inside. The tornado returns, destroying the windows, and both of them take shelter under the bed.

Anathema grabs one of the flying prophecies telling her and Newton to cling to one another. Newton admits, among other things, he has never kissed a girl. He and Anathema have sex under her bed whilst the storm rages on.

"The Doomsday Option"
When the storm finally dies down, the pair go to Tadfield Airfield where another of Agnes' prophecies reveals that Newton isn't who he said he was.

"The Very Last Day of the Rest of Their Lives"
Newton admits that he isn't a computer engineer and has the ability to break every computer he tries to fix. Anathema suggests that he use this to their advantage and the pair manage to shut down the nuclear warheads that the Four Horsemen had primed.

Outside they witness the Them kill three of the Four Horsemen and Crowley returns Anathema's book to her. Anathema senses Satan's rising and feels how angry he is.

After the Not-Apocalypse, she and Newton manage to exceed Agnes' prophecy that they would only sleep together once. A package arrives from a law firm left behind by Virtue Device and featuring a copy of Agnes Nutter's second book filled with more prophecies, however, at Newton's suggestion, Anathema burns it so she will no longer be a descendant.

Personality
Anathema is very goal-driven, working away from home to study and understand the prophecies of her ancestor Agnes Nutter. She is passionate about her work and various conspiracy theories, as evidenced by the many magazines she gives to Adam Young. She is adaptable, a trait that can be connected to her being a 'Professional Descendant.' For example, she is able to anticipate (via prophecy) Newt's arrival at her house and prepare to treat his injuries and check him for fire-starters.

In the Good Omens book, Anathema presses a stick to a man's back at the Airfield and fools him into thinking it is a gun, showing her quick-thinking.

Anathema does have a tendency, however, to rely heavily on Agnes' prophecies for guidance, becoming distressed upon losing the book, and frequently turning to the cards for instruction. With the help of Newton Pulsifer, she is eventually able to free herself from this dependency by burning the second book of prophecies that came to them.

Quotes

 * "That's because schools are oppressive tools of the state!"

Notes and trivia

 * "Device" is a regional variant of the surname "Davis".
 * "Anathema" is defined either as someone or something that is vehemently disliked; OR as a formal curse/excommunication performed by a ranking member of a Church.
 * Anathema is able to read auras around people
 * She attempts to read Adam's aura but is unable to due to it being too big for her to see