In Nahuatl mythology, Tezcatlipoca ("smoking mirror") was the god of the night, the north and temptation. He owned a mirror that gave off smoke, killing his enemies. He was the antithesis and rival of Quetzalcoatl. He was a god of beauty and war.

The Prince of This World, the Mirror that Smokes, the One Always at the Shoulder, the Shadow. A trickster, revered particularly by soldiers and magicians. The name refers to the black obsidian mirrors used by magicians which become cloudy when scrying. A god of wealth and power, Tezcatlopoca's favors can only be won by those willing to face his terrors. Ruler over the early years of a man's life.

Tezcatlipoca was the name of an important deity in Aztec religion. He was associated with a wide range of concepts such as the night, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, sorcery, beauty, war and strife. His name which is Nahuatl for "Smoking Mirror" alluded to his connection to obsidian, the material from which mirrors where made in Mesoamerica and which was used for shamanistic rituals.