History Main / TheUnderworld

* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', all human characters who perish in the series (Apostles especially) end up being sent to the Abyss, a realm consisting of only nightmarish forms and a swirling ocean of writhing souls known as both Heaven and Hell. Given what generally happens to people there, most readers would describe the place as Hell.

The Underworld is often a gloomy, depressing realm, if only because it is often depicted as being BeneathTheEarth. (The fact that people go there after they die might have something to do with it, too.) Still, [[DarkIsNotEvil it isn't evil.]] It's not {{Hell}}. ''[[OnlyOneAfterlife All]]'' [[OnlyOneAfterlife of the dead come here]], whether they were [[IncorruptiblePurePureness saints]], [[CompleteMonster total jackasses]], or [[MrViceGuy just kinda so-so]] in life. Some versions of the Underworld judge the dead and grant them different living standards (or unliving standards, if you prefer) depending on their conduct in life. In others, there's no real judgment, and life--or whatever--continues much as it did before. Possibly they receive, in due course, a chance to go back.

* In ''Film/BlackOrpheus'', a symbolic retelling of the Orpheus myth in 20th century Brazil, Orfeo is taken to a strange place where a pagan ceremony is taken place. He hears Eurydice's voice, and just as in the myth, he loses her forever when he turns to look.

* In ''Series/MythQuest'', Alex walks into Hades to retrieve Euridice

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Scion}}'', the prison of [[OurTitansAreDifferent the Titans]] drew the souls of the dead to it. When the gods noticed this - and that the dead still held a good measure of their humanity - each pantheon created an Underworld where the dead could go; as a consequence, most every mythological Underworld exists somewhere in ''Scion''. However, the Titans' escape from their prison has caused upheaval across the various Underworlds.
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has a very classically-inspired variant in the "Theros" block, where the realm of Erebos functions as this in a manner similar to that of Hades, right down to being named after the god who rules it. All mortal souls on Theros go here after death, and coinage minted from clay burial masks is the local currency. Interestingly, there is a way for the dead to return to the land of the living-- by forging a golden mask to wear in order to escape Erebos. Sadly, the act of forging this mask and returning to the mortal world also removes the memories of the would-be fugitive, [[CameBackWrong turning them into a shambling zombie known as a Returned]].
* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' setting of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', the souls of the dead go to the grey wasteland of Dolurrh, where the pervasive hopeless apathy of the realm causes them to fade into Shades. The world's primary religion accepts this as the natural order of things, although others, like the Church of the Silver Flame, promise deliverance from Dolurrh to the faithful.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioFusionRevival'' has Di Yu, a world named after the Chinese hell. Many enemies found there are either undead or demonic.
* ''VideoGame/MushroomKingdomFusion'' also has the Demon Realm, with levels based on ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{DOOM}}'' among other things.

* The underworld map in the Fantasy game of ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} 2: Test of Time''.
* The Underwhere of ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' is pretty much one big {{Expy}} of the underworld from Myth/GreekMythology. It's populated by creatures called Shaydes (Shades) who lament about how their [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "games were ended"]] and ruled by Queen Jaydes (Hades), who acts as a judge for the Shaydes. Other characters include a ferryman named Charold (Charon) who provides you safe passage across the River Twygz (River Styx), a three-headed Chain Chomp named Underchomp (Cerberus) that guards the entrance to the Overthere (Elysium), and three old hags (Fates) who live on the Underwhere Road (Tartarus).
* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}'' actually starts in the Underworld.
* A typical feature of the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series, though its appearance varies between games. In the first game, all that is seen is a [[BloodyBowelsOfHell river of blood and several pillars made of bones, with rotating bridges with blades on them that are implied to be made of flesh]]. The second game does away with the gore-related aspects, though it still looks distinctly hellish. The third game, however, has a depiction that is significantly more faithful to the Underworld of Greek Mythology, with only the part of Tartarus actually looking like Hell. Kratos regularly comes down here and manages to [[EscapedFromHell escape]] in some form or another, though in earlier cases he required help of some kind.
* The Netherworld in ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa''. It also has Purgatory, a realm for those who choose to retain their memories of life until they abandon them and become reincarnated.
* The underworld is one of many Netherworlds in TheMultiverse of ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'', and is implied to be the resting place of people too vile to even qualify as prinnies. It is ruled by Seedle, a former samurai who [[EscapedFromHell murdered his way to the top after being sent there]].
* In ''VideoGame/LostEden'', The Valley of Mists is this for the dinosaurs, and is accessible by humans only by eating the Root of Ages. [[spoiler: It's also where you learn the secret of the strange tablets you've been collecting throughout the entire game.]]

* According to ''VideoGame/{{Shadowman}}'', everyone who dies ends up in Deadside- basically, hell- where they gradually lose their identities and become mindless zombies. The sole exception is the titular protagonist, due to the power of the Mask of Shadows.
* The Underworld can be accessed in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonLightOfHope''. Gorgan is the Underworld King. Nova is his (presumably HalfHumanHybrid) daughter who decided that she preferred to live on the surface. The Underworld isn't particularly hellish as it has its own inhabitants and society.

* Creator/FoxEye's {{Roguelike}} ''VideoGame/HadesVanquish'' takes place in the titular underworld, where Mana's soul goes after she dies from cardiac arrest at the beginning of the game. True to Fox Eye's AuthorAppeal and SignatureStyle, this take on Hades [[UnderTheSea has many of its floors underwater]]. The player must navigate through each floor of each area in Hades while fighting off monsters and [[OxygenMeter making sure Mana doesn't drown]] in each floor's submerged areas in her bid to escape from the underworld and get a second chance at life.
* The setting of ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'', as can be divined by its title. Hades himself has made his palace in the deepest layer of Tartarus, [[CelestialBureaucracy wherein he manages his realm and listens to the petitions of the dead]], and protagonist Zagreus will have to carve his way out of all three traditional layers of the Underworld (Tartarus, Asphodel and Elysium) plus the banks of the river Styx during [[EscapedFromHell his repeated attempts to run away from home]].

* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', the Land of the Dead is where all the spirits of the dead go regardless of their alignment. It used to be a neutral realm ruled by Dis Pater until Death took over and turned the land into the verse's equivalent of Hell with his corrupting influence.

* Appears in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' often. Located miles beneath the surface, oceans of lava and macabre, monstrous architecture are commonplace. It's populated by monsters and demons of every type imaginable with many of the show's supernatural characters coming from the realm (including the Grim Reaper himself). Despite the similarities to {{Hell}} though, most of the monsters live a normal Earth-like life and [[DarkIsNotEvil many seem to be quite amiable if frightening.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fangbone}}'' has the Skullbanian afterlife known as the Nightlands, a barren wasteland shrouded in perpetual darkness where the memories of those who have passed through the realm play out for others to see. In its heart however is a WarriorHeaven in the form of a vast feasting hall home to the spirits of countless barbarians.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' has the Land of the Dead seen in "Death in Bloom".

* The Underworld in the TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness is where ghosts who lose all their anchors to the living world end up. It's divided into the Autochthonous Depths, a massive underground labyrinth that bears a vague resemblance to the underworld myths of the nearest living civilization, and the Lower Mysteries, which are alien realms governed by strange laws enforced by the Kerberoi.
** The TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness, on the other hand, has the Dark Umbra, the place where [[TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion wraiths]] materialize. It's split into layers; the Shadowlands, which mirror the living world, are at the top, while beneath them are a number of firmaments known as the Dark Kingdoms (America and Europe play host to the Dark Kingdom of Stygia) and an everswirling storm of unsettled spaces known as the Tempest. Below the Tempest lies the Labyrinth, which is not a nice place.

** Yomi, the main afterlife location, is rather similar to Hades, as it's not a place of punishment, but still rather dark and gloomy. Unlike Hades, it's [[AfterlifeAntichamber not eternal,]] as souls eventually either reincarnate or become [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Kami.]]

* Starting in ''[[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Wonder Woman Vol 2]]'' Themyscira holds Doom's Doorway, which leads to the dangerous outer reaches of the Underworld full of monstrous creatures seeking to escape to earth. If one manages to pass through far enough to reach Hades itself Elysium is also contained within so there are some nice places there as well, just not anywhere near the door.

See also {{Heaven}} and {{Hell}}, the Underworld's more exclusive counterparts. Despite its normally neutral nature, the Underworld, especially the Myth/GreekMythology version, is susceptible to being HijackedByJesus and becoming {{Hell}}. Expect intrepid mortals to mount an OrpheanRescue for a loved one. See also AfterlifeAntechamber, which is a waiting room or brief rest stop on the way to the true afterlife. Compare and contrast MundaneAfterlife.

* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', Ryuk informs Light that anyone who uses a [[ArtifactOfDoom Death Note]] can neither go to Heaven nor to Hell, but rather to a place called "Mu," or [[CessationOfExistence "nothingness."]] Eventually, Light figures out that [[spoiler: this applies to ''everyone'', whether they have used a Death Note or have never even seen one.]] In the prequel novel ''LightNovel/AnotherNote'', the narrator [[spoiler: Mello]] hints that rather than being a ''true'' CessationOfExistence, Mu is more of a MundaneAfterlife or simply a generic world of the dead.

* ''VideoGame/Rayman2'' has The Cave of Bad Dreams, where Polokus's nightmares are sealed. It has ghosts coming out of the ground, lots of skulls, and is referred to as the Kingdom of the Dead in the [=PS1=] version.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has BigGood and sun goddess Princess Celestia put out lost dog flyers for Cerberus, and Twilight worries about the evils in Tartarus escaping. Putting something from Myth/GreekMythology into a world that has little to nothing to do with the world of the viewer was a bit jarring. However, it ''definitely'' still counts: much much much later, the final enemy of season four [[SealedEvilInACan was being held there]] and Cerberus' temporary absence so long ago was what allowed him to get free. No word on whether or not there are less nasty-looking areas for people who aren't imprisoned {{Big Bad}}s, or if it's where the souls of the deceased go at all (unsurprisingly, ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' doesn't bring up ''the souls of the deceased'' very often.)

* The Underworld in ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', based as the entire movie is on Myth/GreekMythology.

The Underworld is often a gloomy, depressing realm, if only because it is often depicted as being BeneathTheEarth. (The fact that people go there after they die might have something to do with it, too.) Still, [[DarkIsNotEvil it isn't evil.]] It's not {{Hell}}. ''[[OnlyOneAfterlife All]]'' [[OnlyOneAfterlife of the dead come here]], whether they were [[LawfulGood saints]], [[ChaoticEvil total jackasses]], or [[TrueNeutral just kinda so-so]] in life. Some versions of the Underworld judge the dead and grant them different living standards (or unliving standards, if you prefer) depending on their conduct in life. In others, there's no real judgment, and life--or whatever--continues much as it did before. Possibly they receive, in due course, a chance to go back.

* ''VideoGame/Rayman2'' has The Cave of Bad Dreams, where Polokus's nightmares are sealed. It has ghosts coming out of the ground, and lots of skulls.

* VideoGame/Rayman2 has The Cave of Bad Dreams, where Polokus's nightmares are sealed. It has ghosts coming out of the ground, and lots of skulls.

* In ''Literature/Riverworld'', there are two afterlives: one for children who die before the age of five, and the Riverworld itself for those who die at an age where they'll be able to care for themselves once they're resurrected.

The Underworld is often a gloomy, depressing realm, if only because it is often depicted as being BeneathTheEarth. [[CaptainObvious (The fact that people go there after they die might have something to do with it, too.)]] Still, [[DarkIsNotEvil it isn't evil.]] It's not {{Hell}}. ''[[OnlyOneAfterlife All]]'' [[OnlyOneAfterlife of the dead come here]], whether they were [[LawfulGood saints]], [[ChaoticEvil total jackasses]], or [[TrueNeutral just kinda so-so]] in life. Some versions of the Underworld judge the dead and grant them different living standards (or unliving standards, if you prefer) depending on their conduct in life. In others, there's no real judgment, and life--or whatever--continues much as it did before. Possibly they receive, in due course, a chance to go back.

* The Underwhere of ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' is pretty much one big {{Expy}} of the underworld from Myth/GreekMythology. It's populated by creatures called Shaydes (Shades) who lament about how their [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "games were ended"]] and ruled by Queen Jaydes (Hades), who acts as a judge for the Shaydes. Other characters include a ferryman named Charold (Charon) who provides you safe passage across the River Twygz (River Styx), a three-headed Chain Chomp named Underchomp (Cerberus) that guards the entrance to the Overthere (Heaven), and three old hags (Fates) who live on the Underwhere Road (Tartarus).

** The TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness, on the other hand, has the Dark Umbra, the place where [[TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion wraiths]] materialize. It's split into layers; the Shadowlands, which mirror the living world, are at the top, while beneath them are a number of firmaments known as the Dark Kingdoms (America and Europe play host to the Dark Kingdom of Stygia) and an everswirling storm of unsettled spaces known as the Tempest. Below the Tempest lies the Labyrinth, [[{{Understatement}} which is not a nice place]].