Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Then there are the vestiges from the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' supplement "Tome of Magic". These include such luminaries as Andromalius, a thief whose plan to steal his soul from his patron god worked a little too well, and Acererak, a lich who attempted to fuse with the Negative Energy Plane, got halfway there, and ended up shunted into a mysterious nowhere. Regardless of how they got there, they have a semi-detached, insane existence in a location more mysterious than even the Far Realm, and the binder playable class exists to barter with them for power in exchange for letting them briefly contact the world once more.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 74 (click to see context) from:
* In the ''TabletopGame/PointsOfLight'' setting for ''DungeonsAndDragons'', honored servants of a god are supposed to go to his or her divine realm after death as Exalted. Due to the heavens being badly fractured, a large portion of these randomly end up on islands just outside their god's realm, completely blocked from entering by any mundane or magical means.
to:
* In the ''TabletopGame/PointsOfLight'' setting for ''DungeonsAndDragons'', ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', honored servants of a god are supposed to go to his or her divine realm after death as Exalted. Due to the heavens being badly fractured, a large portion of these randomly end up on islands just outside their god's realm, completely blocked from entering by any mundane or magical means.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* In ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', Arthur Dent mentions that he used to have a recurring nightmare where he died and there was a bureaucratic error: all his friends went to heaven or hell, but Arthur got sent to Southend.
to:
* In ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'', Arthur Dent mentions that he used to have a recurring nightmare where he died and there was a bureaucratic error: all his friends went to heaven or hell, but Arthur got sent to Southend.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* In the ''TheTwilightZone'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E84TheHunt The Hunt]]" a man does this to himself. He's allowed into heaven but he isn't allowed to take his dog with him. He decides that an afterlife without his dog is a fate worse than death (so to speak) so he refuses to enter and will just wander the path in between heaven & hell forever. Turns out that wasn't heaven, it was hell. Heaven allows dogs in.
to:
* In the ''TheTwilightZone'' ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E84TheHunt The Hunt]]" a man does this to himself. He's allowed into heaven but he isn't allowed to take his dog with him. He decides that an afterlife without his dog is a fate worse than death (so to speak) so he refuses to enter and will just wander the path in between heaven & hell forever. Turns out that wasn't heaven, it was hell. Heaven allows dogs in.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* The Nameless One from ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' cannot die. Certain very powerful beings can destroy his body beyond the ability to reincarnate, but if that happens this is the result as he never registers as 'dead' in death's book. [[spoiler:The ending of the game sees you rectify your state of immortality. Death -- [[FireAndBrimstoneHell and transportation to your just desserts]] -- [[BittersweetEnding immediately ensues]].]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 83 (click to see context) from:
* The plot of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' revolves around stopping the titular lords, whoa are (among other nastiness) barring the way for dead souls to heaven using an evil mask.
to:
* The plot of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' revolves around stopping the titular lords, whoa who are (among other nastiness) barring the way for dead souls to heaven using an evil mask.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 97 (click to see context) from:
* In the original and [[AbortedArc abandoned]] ''PicturesForSadChildren'' storyline, [[PhraseCatcher Paul, who is a ghost,]] [[CelestialBureaucracy being unable]] go to [[MundaneAfterlife hell]] is the main plot.
to:
* In the original and [[AbortedArc abandoned]] ''PicturesForSadChildren'' storyline, [[PhraseCatcher Paul, who is a ghost,]] [[CelestialBureaucracy being unable]] to go to [[MundaneAfterlife hell]] is the main plot.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Film/TheSearchers'', a group chasing an Comanche war party finds the grave of a dead Comanche. One man angrily smashes him with a rock but John Wayne pulls out his gun and shoots out the corpse's eyes. When asked by a Texas Ranger/Preacher what good that did, Wayne answers that by what the preacher believes, nothing, but the Indian's believe that if he has no eyes he can't enter the afterlife and just has to wander "between the winds".
to:
* In ''Film/TheSearchers'', a group chasing an Comanche war party finds the grave of a dead Comanche. One man angrily smashes him with a rock but John Wayne pulls out his gun and shoots out the corpse's eyes. When asked by a Texas Ranger/Preacher what good that did, Wayne answers that by what the preacher believes, nothing, but the Indian's Indians believe that if he has no eyes he can't enter the afterlife and just has to wander "between the winds".
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 66,68 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Mythology and Folklore]]
* In NorseMythology one can only get into heaven by dying in battle. This created problems in practice, as it would have either wiped out their population or required them to include a disproportionate number of frail old men in their raids. They eventually resorted to "cheating" by methods such as gently tapping the dying with a sword as they passed away.
* Viking "heaven" was called ''Valhalla'', and those who died of natural causes were sent to the realm of the goddess of death Hel (root of the English word Hell, but not as bad).
* In NorseMythology one can only get into heaven by dying in battle. This created problems in practice, as it would have either wiped out their population or required them to include a disproportionate number of frail old men in their raids. They eventually resorted to "cheating" by methods such as gently tapping the dying with a sword as they passed away.
* Viking "heaven" was called ''Valhalla'', and those who died of natural causes were sent to the realm of the goddess of death Hel (root of the English word Hell, but not as bad).
to:
[[folder:Mythology and Folklore]]
Folklore]]
* In NorseMythologyone can only get into heaven by dying in battle. This created problems in practice, as it would have either wiped out their population or required them to include a disproportionate number of frail old men in their raids. They eventually resorted to "cheating" by methods such as gently tapping the dying with a sword as they passed away.
* Viking"heaven" was called ''Valhalla'', and those who died of natural causes were sent to the realm of the goddess of death Hel (root of the English word Hell, but not as bad).bad). They sometimes resorted to "cheating" by methods such as gently tapping the dying with a sword as they passed away.
* In NorseMythology
* Viking
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* In Graeme Penman's ''{{Motherland}}'' it is revealed that the ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation. No wonder the Jackal is so grumpy. [[spoiler: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
to:
* In Graeme Penman's ''{{Motherland}}'' ''Literature/{{Motherland}}'' it is revealed that the ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation. No wonder the Jackal is so grumpy. [[spoiler: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Dont think that trope qualifies (Could use a rename?)
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
It may be his fault due to UnfinishedBusiness, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath getting a little too cheeky with Ol' Grim]], or being TrueNeutral and thus not good or evil enough for heaven or hell. Alternately, being left in limbo ''is'' this universe's version of eternal damnation. For some souls, such a state [[AndIMustScream could actually be worse]] than FireAndBrimstoneHell. May be ThePunishment.
to:
It may be his fault due to UnfinishedBusiness, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath getting a little too cheeky with Ol' Grim]], or being TrueNeutral and thus not good or evil enough for heaven or hell. Alternately, being left in limbo ''is'' this universe's version of eternal damnation. For some souls, such a state [[AndIMustScream could actually be worse]] than FireAndBrimstoneHell. May be ThePunishment.
FireAndBrimstoneHell.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
Most likely he'll end up [[WalkingTheEarth Walking (Or Floating) The Earth]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]], but more rarely he may be forced back into his decaying body as {{Undead}}. Other fates include being stuck in the AfterlifeAntechamber, or shunted to TheNothingAfterDeath. Or if he's really lucky he may get CursedWithAwesome, [[CameBackStrong Coming Back Strong]] and with PurposeDrivenImmortality. LikeABadassOutOfHell is another subtrope.
to:
Most likely he'll end up [[WalkingTheEarth Walking (Or Floating) The Earth]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]], but more rarely he may be forced back into his decaying body as {{Undead}}. Other fates include being stuck in the AfterlifeAntechamber, or shunted to TheNothingAfterDeath. Or if he's really lucky he may get CursedWithAwesome, [[CameBackStrong Coming Back Strong]] and with PurposeDrivenImmortality. (Though [[WhoWantsToLiveForever that can suck, too]].) LikeABadassOutOfHell is another subtrope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
Most likely he'll end up [[WalkingTheEarth Walking (Or Floating) The Earth]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]], but more rarely he may be forced back into his decaying body as {{Undead}}. Other fates include being stuck in the AfterlifeAntechamber, or shunted to TheNothingAfterDeath. Or if he's really lucky he may get CursedWithAwesome, [[CameBackStrong Coming Back Strong]] and maybe even immortal. (Though [[WhoWantsToLiveForever that can suck, too]].) LikeABadassOutOfHell is another subtrope.
to:
Most likely he'll end up [[WalkingTheEarth Walking (Or Floating) The Earth]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]], but more rarely he may be forced back into his decaying body as {{Undead}}. Other fates include being stuck in the AfterlifeAntechamber, or shunted to TheNothingAfterDeath. Or if he's really lucky he may get CursedWithAwesome, [[CameBackStrong Coming Back Strong]] and maybe even immortal. (Though [[WhoWantsToLiveForever that can suck, too]].) with PurposeDrivenImmortality. LikeABadassOutOfHell is another subtrope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* In "The Searchers" a group chasing an Comanche war party finds the grave of a dead Comanche. One man angrily smashes him with a rock but John Wayne pulls out his gun and shoots out the corpse's eyes. When asked by a Texas Ranger/Preacher what good that did, Wayne answers that by what the preacher believes, nothing, but the Indian's believe that if he has no eyes he can't enter the afterlife and just has to wander "between the winds".
to:
* In "The Searchers" ''Film/TheSearchers'', a group chasing an Comanche war party finds the grave of a dead Comanche. One man angrily smashes him with a rock but John Wayne pulls out his gun and shoots out the corpse's eyes. When asked by a Texas Ranger/Preacher what good that did, Wayne answers that by what the preacher believes, nothing, but the Indian's believe that if he has no eyes he can't enter the afterlife and just has to wander "between the winds".
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland it is revealed that the ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation. [[spoiler: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
to:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland ''{{Motherland}}'' it is revealed that the ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation.situation. No wonder the Jackal is so grumpy. [[spoiler: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In "The Searchers" a group chasing an Comanche war party finds the grave of a dead Comanche. One man angrily smashes him with a rock but John Wayne pulls out his gun and shoots out the corpse's eyes. When asked by a Texas Ranger/Preacher what good that did, Wayne answers that by what the preacher believes, nothing, but the Indian's believe that if he has no eyes he can't enter the afterlife and just has to wander "between the winds".
* In "The Rapture", Mimi Rogers refuses to give up her anger at God for what we go through and is literally "left behind" across the river, unable to enter Heaven. When asked by her daughter if she knows how long she'll have to stay there she answers: [[spoiler: "Yes. Forever."]]
* In "The Rapture", Mimi Rogers refuses to give up her anger at God for what we go through and is literally "left behind" across the river, unable to enter Heaven. When asked by her daughter if she knows how long she'll have to stay there she answers: [[spoiler: "Yes. Forever."]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
* In ''{{Film/Casper}}'', ghosts are people who [[AuthorExistenceFailure had some important business left unfinished due to their death]]. The comic originally portrayed him as a dead child, but after the FridgeHorror for young readers was pointed out, the author retconned Caspar as being born from a mommy ghost and daddy ghost.
to:
* In ''{{Film/Casper}}'', ghosts are people who [[AuthorExistenceFailure had some important business left unfinished due to their death]]. The comic originally portrayed him as a dead child, but after the FridgeHorror for young readers was pointed out, the author retconned Caspar Casper as being born from a mommy ghost and daddy ghost.
Changed line(s) 45 (click to see context) from:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland it is revealed that the ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation. [[spoilers: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
to:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland it is revealed that the ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation. [[spoilers: [[spoiler: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
Could count as {{Nightmare Fuel}}. Except in a serious case of DownerEnding, he or his next-of-kin will probably get a chance to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong at some point.
to:
Could count as {{Nightmare Fuel}}.NightmareFuel. Except in a serious case of DownerEnding, he or his next-of-kin will probably get a chance to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong at some point.
Added DiffLines:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* The spirits trapped in the house in the first season of ''Series/{{American Horror Story}}''.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Removed an incorrect Lost example. The Island was NOT purgatory.
Deleted line(s) 52 (click to see context) :
* This ended up being the entire point of ''{{Series/Lost}}''. The characters were dead, and had to escape purgatory to go to heaven.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland it is revealed that the ''BigBad''s primary motivation is to get out of this situation. [[spoilers: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
to:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland it is revealed that the ''BigBad''s ''BigBad'' 's primary motivation is to get out of this situation. [[spoilers: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
It may be his fault due to UnfinishedBusiness, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath getting a little too cheeky with Ol' Grim]], or being TrueNeutral and thus not good or evil enough for heaven or hell. Alternately, being left in limbo ''is'' this universe's version of eternal damnation. For some souls, such a state [[AndIMustScream could actually be worse]] than FireAndBrimstoneHell.
to:
It may be his fault due to UnfinishedBusiness, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath getting a little too cheeky with Ol' Grim]], or being TrueNeutral and thus not good or evil enough for heaven or hell. Alternately, being left in limbo ''is'' this universe's version of eternal damnation. For some souls, such a state [[AndIMustScream could actually be worse]] than FireAndBrimstoneHell. \n May be ThePunishment.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added collapsible folders.
Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]
to:
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
Changed line(s) 20,21 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:ComicBooks]]
to:
[[folder:Comicbooks]]
Changed line(s) 24,25 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
to:
[[folder:Film]]
Changed line(s) 31,32 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
to:
[[folder:Literature]]
Changed line(s) 41,42 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
to:
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
Changed line(s) 49,50 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:{{Music}}]]
to:
[[folder:Music]]
Changed line(s) 54,55 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:{{Mythology}} and {{Folklore}}]]
to:
[[folder:Mythology and
Changed line(s) 61,62 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:TabletopGames]]
to:
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
Changed line(s) 65,66 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]
to:
[[folder:Theatre]]
Changed line(s) 68,69 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:VideoGames]]
to:
[[folder:Videogames]]
Changed line(s) 80,81 (click to see context) from:
[[AC:WebComics]]
to:
[[folder:Webcomics]]
Changed line(s) 86 (click to see context) from:
** Glon's dying human father asked to be buried with three grave coins, instead of the usual two. This means that he was technically denied a proper burial, and therefore has an excuse to stick around as a ghost.
to:
** Glon's dying human father asked to be buried with three grave coins, instead of the usual two. This means that he was technically denied a proper burial, and therefore has an excuse to stick around as a ghost.ghost.
[[/folder]]
----
[[/folder]]
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In Graeme Penman's Motherland it is revealed that the ''BigBad''s primary motivation is to get out of this situation. [[spoilers: And it is heavily implied that the same thing will happen to Anthony as they share the same powers.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** The ''Relight'' special of the Anime makes this a bit more ambiguous. At the beginning of the special, Ryuk is talking to another Shinigami. Said Shinigami [[spoiler:bears striking similarities to that of Light (though not in appearance since the Shinigami is a walking skeleton)]] leading to theories that the two are one and the same. However, it's never been officially stated if this is true or not.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 77 (click to see context) from:
to:
* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', this happens to ''everybody'' as a result of the Water Dragon being bound. When the game starts, twenty years worth of restless spirits have piled up, and the Empire's really starting to feel the effects.
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Eugene Greenhilt cannot go to the afterlife until one of his descendants kills Xykon because of a BloodOath.
to:
* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Eugene Greenhilt cannot go to the afterlife until one of his descendants kills Xykon because of a BloodOath. This is the general fate of people bound by a Blood Oath of Vengeance and die with it unfulfilled. [[spoiler:An exception is made for those who died actively trying to fulfill their oaths, as Roy found out.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** This is part of the reason Kuja, the villain of ''Videogame/FinalFantasyIX'' has nothing to lose and everything to gain from being evil. His boss, Garland, will provide him with as much power, wealth, and luxury as he could ever want, but only if Kuja follows his instructions. Otherwise, he'll just take Kuja's soul back and make a new version of him. The problem is, even if Kuja ''succeeds'', Garland will do the exact same thing. So Kuja has absolutely nothing to lose by screwing over everyone but himself. [[TheChessmaster Garland knows this.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* In the ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series, anyone who doesn't get the proper funeral rite can't be taken up by the gods and ends up a lost soul, although they can be redeemed by a living saint. Shamans attach an animal spirit to their soul and need another shaman to separate the two when they die.
to:
* In the ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series, anyone who [[DueToTheDead doesn't get the proper funeral rite rite]] can't be taken up by the gods and ends up a lost soul, although they can be redeemed by a living saint. Shamans attach an animal spirit to their soul and need another shaman to separate the two when they die.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 21,22 (click to see context) from:
* {{Lobo}} was kicked out of both heaven and hell and is thus immortal.
to:
* {{Lobo}} was kicked out of both heaven and hell and is thus immortal.
immortal.
* According to ''WhateverHappenedToTheCapedCrusader'', when Bruce Wayne dies, he is reborn as himself in another universe, and the cycle continues infinitely, barring him from being anything other than {{Batman}} even after death.
* According to ''WhateverHappenedToTheCapedCrusader'', when Bruce Wayne dies, he is reborn as himself in another universe, and the cycle continues infinitely, barring him from being anything other than {{Batman}} even after death.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* The legend behind the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern#Folklore Jack o' Lantern]] involves a thief cursed with this after tricking Death.
to:
* The legend behind the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern#Folklore Jack o' Lantern]] or Will-o'the-wisp involves a thief cursed with this after tricking Death. either Death or the Devil.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
A character has died but cannot enter {{Heaven}}, TheLifestream, his next {{Reincarnation}}, or what-have-you. It's not that he's destined for hell instead, he can't pass on to eternal ''anything''.
It may be his fault due to UnfinishedBusiness, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath getting a little too cheeky with Ol' Grim]], or being TrueNeutral and thus not good or evil enough for heaven or hell. Alternately, being left in limbo ''is'' this universe's version of eternal damnation. For some souls, such a state [[AndIMustScream could actually be worse]] than FireAndBrimstoneHell.
On the other hand, there's plenty of outside factors that can cause this: His remains didn't get their [[DueToTheDead funeral rites]], the CelestialBureaucracy can't find his ticket for the AfterlifeExpress, or [[DeathTakesAHoliday Death went to Hawaii instead]]. The FlyingDutchman / WanderingJew legend in general sometimes has this thrown in.
Most likely he'll end up [[WalkingTheEarth Walking (Or Floating) The Earth]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]], but more rarely he may be forced back into his decaying body as {{Undead}}. Other fates include being stuck in the AfterlifeAntechamber, or shunted to TheNothingAfterDeath. Or if he's really lucky he may get CursedWithAwesome, [[CameBackStrong Coming Back Strong]] and maybe even immortal. (Though [[WhoWantsToLiveForever that can suck, too]].) LikeABadassOutOfHell is another subtrope.
Could count as {{Nightmare Fuel}}. Except in a serious case of DownerEnding, he or his next-of-kin will probably get a chance to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong at some point.
'''DeathTrope alert! Unmarked Spoilers! Abandon hope, ye who read past here!'''
----
!!Examples:
[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]
* At the beginning of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', delinquent Yusuke dies saving a child from being hit by a car, which puts the CelestialBureaucracy in a bind: He was scheduled to go to hell, but his HeroicSacrifice partly redeemed him... but not enough to qualify for heaven. He ends up working for them fighting demons.
* This is stated to be the fate of any DeathNote user. [[spoiler: An ending flashback reveals the truth: [[SubvertedTrope There Is No Heaven Or Hell]], just CessationOfExistence.]]
* In the ''DragonBall'' universe, it's said at one point that being killed by a demon brings you this. Whether it's true or is just a rumor is debatable, though. People said it about King Piccolo, who was later revealed to not be actually a demon.
[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* {{Lobo}} was kicked out of both heaven and hell and is thus immortal.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''{{Film/Casper}}'', ghosts are people who [[AuthorExistenceFailure had some important business left unfinished due to their death]]. The comic originally portrayed him as a dead child, but after the FridgeHorror for young readers was pointed out, the author retconned Caspar as being born from a mommy ghost and daddy ghost.
* The movie ''Film/{{Ghost}}'' is all about this--some souls aren't ready for one place or the other at the time they part with the body, and the main character had some things to resolve on Earth before his soul could be at peace.
* Disney's ''Disney/PeterPan''. Captain Hook is preparing to drown the Indian Princess Tiger Lily to force her to tell him where Peter Pan's hideout is. He threatens her with this trope as he does so.
->'''Captain Hook''': Remember, there is no path through water to the Happy Hunting Ground.
* There's also the 1985 film ''The Heavenly Kid'', where a guy killed in TheFifties is stuck in "Midtown", and has to perform some kind of deed before he can go "Uptown". And it turns out he has to play guardian angel to the son of his former girlfriend. (Oh yeah, and the guy she married was [[AnimalHouse Niedermayer]].)
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* In the ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series, anyone who doesn't get the proper funeral rite can't be taken up by the gods and ends up a lost soul, although they can be redeemed by a living saint. Shamans attach an animal spirit to their soul and need another shaman to separate the two when they die.
* Meg in ''TheWishList'' dies with a perfect balance of good and bad deeds to her name, disqualifying her from both branches of the afterlife. She finds a way back to the mortal world and decides to help an old man fulfill his life's wishes in the hopes of earning enough karma to get into heaven.
* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, ghosts are people who either refused or were too scared to accept death and move on. Apparently, there's no take-backs later on if you change your mind.
* In ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', Arthur Dent mentions that he used to have a recurring nightmare where he died and there was a bureaucratic error: all his friends went to heaven or hell, but Arthur got sent to Southend.
* In one of the ''{{Nightside}}'' novels, Sinner is an otherwise-good man who'd sold his soul to the Devil for true love. When he died and went to Hell, it was revealed to him that his "true love" was a succubus who'd only been pretending to care about him ... but he still loved ''her'' and was content with his end of the bargain, so much so that having him around subverted the basic premise of Hell. Rather than let a happy soul spoil the atmosphere of the place, the Devil kicked him out again, and Sinner wound up in the Nightside, back on Earth.
* In Dante's ''DivineComedy'', those who refused to commit to a position in life were left to run back and forth in the borderlands, for even Hell won't take them in.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the Dead Men of Dunharrow are cursed to an undead life until they have fulfilled their oath to aid Gondor's king in battle.
[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', this is Cole Turner's final fate - he ends up stuck in limbo, too good for Hell but too bad for heaven.
* One episode of ''Series/TheStoryteller'' had a solider who became EnemiesWithDeath... and "won", putting it in a bag but eventually releasing it. Because of this, Death was too afraid to reap him, Heaven would not take him for his sins, and Hell was afraid he'd become LikeABadassOutOfHell.
* This is how ghosts and zombies are created in ''BeingHuman''. Ghosts usually die with some particular piece of unfinished business, and are unable to cross over until they can figure out what it is and fulfill it. Zombies are created when something unnatural blocks a soul's transition into the afterlife at the moment of death; body and soul don't separate properly, and the soul is forced to remain within the corpse for several weeks after death, until the body has decayed to the point that it simply can't sustain the soul anymore.
* This ended up being the entire point of ''{{Series/Lost}}''. The characters were dead, and had to escape purgatory to go to heaven.
* In the ''TheTwilightZone'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E84TheHunt The Hunt]]" a man does this to himself. He's allowed into heaven but he isn't allowed to take his dog with him. He decides that an afterlife without his dog is a fate worse than death (so to speak) so he refuses to enter and will just wander the path in between heaven & hell forever. Turns out that wasn't heaven, it was hell. Heaven allows dogs in.
* In the short lived early Fox series ''Second Chance'' (not to be confused with [[Series/SecondChance the game show]] [[SimilarlyNamedWorks of the same name]]) Charles Russell dies in the [[{{Zeerust}} Far Future of 2011]], and learns he is too bad for heaven but too good for hell. He is given the opportunity to go back to his teenage years and become a mentor to his younger self (played by Matthew Perry). The second season drops the older Charles Russell character, and became a standard SitCom called ''Boys Will Be Boys''.
[[AC:{{Music}}]]
* Jackyl's "Heaven Don't Want Me (And Hell's Afraid I'll Take Over)".
* A one-line reference in SonataArctica's ''Broken'': "Heaven's closed, Hell's sold out."
* Also, discussed in the ''Music/DeathCabForCutie'' song "I Will Follow You Into The Dark": "When heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the nos on their vacancy signs."
[[AC:{{Mythology}} and {{Folklore}}]]
* In NorseMythology one can only get into heaven by dying in battle. This created problems in practice, as it would have either wiped out their population or required them to include a disproportionate number of frail old men in their raids. They eventually resorted to "cheating" by methods such as gently tapping the dying with a sword as they passed away.
* Viking "heaven" was called ''Valhalla'', and those who died of natural causes were sent to the realm of the goddess of death Hel (root of the English word Hell, but not as bad).
* The legend behind the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern#Folklore Jack o' Lantern]] involves a thief cursed with this after tricking Death.
* Some of the Native American tribes from the great plains allegedly believed that mutilating someone's body after death would bar them from entering the afterlife, so they'd be forced to wander the earth as a spirit.
* "The Soldier and Death" is a Russian folktale, retold in English by Arthur Michell Ransome and later used as an episode of ''TheStoryteller''. At the end of the story, the soldier having tried to enter both Hell and Heaven and being turned away from both, is left to wander the Earth forever.
[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* In the ''TabletopGame/PointsOfLight'' setting for ''DungeonsAndDragons'', honored servants of a god are supposed to go to his or her divine realm after death as Exalted. Due to the heavens being badly fractured, a large portion of these randomly end up on islands just outside their god's realm, completely blocked from entering by any mundane or magical means.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module I3 ''Pharaoh''. The pharaoh Amun-re sacrifices the wealth and well being of his people to build himself a magnificent pyramid tomb.When he's threatened by an angry mob, he lays a curse that will cause the land to dry up if he is killed. A member of the mob kills him anyway, and the god Osiris is forced to carry out the curse. However, he punishes Amun-re by condemning his spirit to wander the land until someone steals his treasure from his tomb.
[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]
* Polynices, in ''{{Theatre/Antigone}}'', has been left unburied by the king Creon so that his soul cannot go on to the underworld, in punishment for his rebellion. His sister Antigone takes it upon herself to do so.
[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The plot of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' revolves around stopping the titular lords, whoa are (among other nastiness) barring the way for dead souls to heaven using an evil mask.
* Souls in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' must receive a sending ritual from a summoner in order to reach the Farplane. Souls that don't get this ritual become Unsent (sentient undead) if they're lucky, otherwise, their jealousy towards living beings warps them into Fiends. This leads to some FridgeHorror: At the end of the game, there's no more summoners, since the BigBad was powering them. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 The sequel]] reveals Fiends are still appearing, but no one is sure why. Someone's going to connect the dots and have a HeroicBSOD at some point...
* The basis of ''{{Painkiller}}'' is that the main character has died, but cannot enter Heaven with his wife until he does some work for the angels and kill the generals of Hell.
* In the ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'' expansion pack ''Immortal Throne'', [[EveryoneHatesHades Hades']] invasion of the mortal world causes Charon, the Styx's ferryman, to neglect his duties, resulting in the dead becoming stranded outside the afterlife. The player resolves this by killing Charon and presenting his oar to one of the trapped souls, allowing the soul to become the ferryman in Charon's place.
* In ''[[HeroesOfMightAndMagic Might and Magic: Heroes VI]]'', dead souls are supposed to be delivered to the goddess Asha for reincarnation, but those who die particularly violent or unjust deaths can find themselves trapped in the mortal world as ghosts. Necromancers who worship Asha sometimes try to bring comfort to them, in the hopes that they can rejoin the cycle.
* In ''VagrantStory'', anyone who becomes tainted by [[TheDarkSide 'The Dark']] is fated to die an incomplete death. For most people this means being reborn as a [[TheUndead walking corpse]], but some people, [[spoiler:such as Sydney, and possibly Duke Bardorba,]] have studied and manipulated The Dark to such an extent that they've become functionally immortal.
* In the video game ''{{Malice}}'' if you die you end up in a limbo stage where all you need to do is talk to the Grim Reaper who promptly sends the title character (a demigoddess) back to the living world (i.e. you restart the level you died on) simply because he doesn't want to deal with the complicated paperwork of processing a god.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', we have [[CuteGhostGirl Yuyuko Saigyouji]], the princess of the Netherworld, the place where souls wait for their {{Reincarnation}}. However, because [[spoiler: her body is being used to seal the [[EldritchAbomination Saigyou Ayakashi]]]] she cannot enter the cycle of reincarnation and is stuck forever as a ghost. She seems to be enjoying it, though.
[[AC:WebComics]]
* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Eugene Greenhilt cannot go to the afterlife until one of his descendants kills Xykon because of a BloodOath.
* In the original and [[AbortedArc abandoned]] ''PicturesForSadChildren'' storyline, [[PhraseCatcher Paul, who is a ghost,]] [[CelestialBureaucracy being unable]] go to [[MundaneAfterlife hell]] is the main plot.
* Bleedman's ''GrimTalesFromDownBelow'' has [[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy Billy]] die and end up in Heaven. But the saints get fed up of him and kick him out (literally). Billy then ends up in Hell. But they get fed up of him there as well and he ends up wandering the Earth as a spirit.
* In ''Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'', the gods of Man and the gods of [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orc]] couldn't agree on who should claim Glon the [[HalfHumanHybrid half-orc]], and he convinced them to send him back to life so he could determine which of his two heritages was his "true" one.
** Glon's dying human father asked to be buried with three grave coins, instead of the usual two. This means that he was technically denied a proper burial, and therefore has an excuse to stick around as a ghost.
It may be his fault due to UnfinishedBusiness, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath getting a little too cheeky with Ol' Grim]], or being TrueNeutral and thus not good or evil enough for heaven or hell. Alternately, being left in limbo ''is'' this universe's version of eternal damnation. For some souls, such a state [[AndIMustScream could actually be worse]] than FireAndBrimstoneHell.
On the other hand, there's plenty of outside factors that can cause this: His remains didn't get their [[DueToTheDead funeral rites]], the CelestialBureaucracy can't find his ticket for the AfterlifeExpress, or [[DeathTakesAHoliday Death went to Hawaii instead]]. The FlyingDutchman / WanderingJew legend in general sometimes has this thrown in.
Most likely he'll end up [[WalkingTheEarth Walking (Or Floating) The Earth]] as a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]], but more rarely he may be forced back into his decaying body as {{Undead}}. Other fates include being stuck in the AfterlifeAntechamber, or shunted to TheNothingAfterDeath. Or if he's really lucky he may get CursedWithAwesome, [[CameBackStrong Coming Back Strong]] and maybe even immortal. (Though [[WhoWantsToLiveForever that can suck, too]].) LikeABadassOutOfHell is another subtrope.
Could count as {{Nightmare Fuel}}. Except in a serious case of DownerEnding, he or his next-of-kin will probably get a chance to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong at some point.
'''DeathTrope alert! Unmarked Spoilers! Abandon hope, ye who read past here!'''
----
!!Examples:
[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]
* At the beginning of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', delinquent Yusuke dies saving a child from being hit by a car, which puts the CelestialBureaucracy in a bind: He was scheduled to go to hell, but his HeroicSacrifice partly redeemed him... but not enough to qualify for heaven. He ends up working for them fighting demons.
* This is stated to be the fate of any DeathNote user. [[spoiler: An ending flashback reveals the truth: [[SubvertedTrope There Is No Heaven Or Hell]], just CessationOfExistence.]]
* In the ''DragonBall'' universe, it's said at one point that being killed by a demon brings you this. Whether it's true or is just a rumor is debatable, though. People said it about King Piccolo, who was later revealed to not be actually a demon.
[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* {{Lobo}} was kicked out of both heaven and hell and is thus immortal.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''{{Film/Casper}}'', ghosts are people who [[AuthorExistenceFailure had some important business left unfinished due to their death]]. The comic originally portrayed him as a dead child, but after the FridgeHorror for young readers was pointed out, the author retconned Caspar as being born from a mommy ghost and daddy ghost.
* The movie ''Film/{{Ghost}}'' is all about this--some souls aren't ready for one place or the other at the time they part with the body, and the main character had some things to resolve on Earth before his soul could be at peace.
* Disney's ''Disney/PeterPan''. Captain Hook is preparing to drown the Indian Princess Tiger Lily to force her to tell him where Peter Pan's hideout is. He threatens her with this trope as he does so.
->'''Captain Hook''': Remember, there is no path through water to the Happy Hunting Ground.
* There's also the 1985 film ''The Heavenly Kid'', where a guy killed in TheFifties is stuck in "Midtown", and has to perform some kind of deed before he can go "Uptown". And it turns out he has to play guardian angel to the son of his former girlfriend. (Oh yeah, and the guy she married was [[AnimalHouse Niedermayer]].)
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* In the ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series, anyone who doesn't get the proper funeral rite can't be taken up by the gods and ends up a lost soul, although they can be redeemed by a living saint. Shamans attach an animal spirit to their soul and need another shaman to separate the two when they die.
* Meg in ''TheWishList'' dies with a perfect balance of good and bad deeds to her name, disqualifying her from both branches of the afterlife. She finds a way back to the mortal world and decides to help an old man fulfill his life's wishes in the hopes of earning enough karma to get into heaven.
* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, ghosts are people who either refused or were too scared to accept death and move on. Apparently, there's no take-backs later on if you change your mind.
* In ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', Arthur Dent mentions that he used to have a recurring nightmare where he died and there was a bureaucratic error: all his friends went to heaven or hell, but Arthur got sent to Southend.
* In one of the ''{{Nightside}}'' novels, Sinner is an otherwise-good man who'd sold his soul to the Devil for true love. When he died and went to Hell, it was revealed to him that his "true love" was a succubus who'd only been pretending to care about him ... but he still loved ''her'' and was content with his end of the bargain, so much so that having him around subverted the basic premise of Hell. Rather than let a happy soul spoil the atmosphere of the place, the Devil kicked him out again, and Sinner wound up in the Nightside, back on Earth.
* In Dante's ''DivineComedy'', those who refused to commit to a position in life were left to run back and forth in the borderlands, for even Hell won't take them in.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the Dead Men of Dunharrow are cursed to an undead life until they have fulfilled their oath to aid Gondor's king in battle.
[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', this is Cole Turner's final fate - he ends up stuck in limbo, too good for Hell but too bad for heaven.
* One episode of ''Series/TheStoryteller'' had a solider who became EnemiesWithDeath... and "won", putting it in a bag but eventually releasing it. Because of this, Death was too afraid to reap him, Heaven would not take him for his sins, and Hell was afraid he'd become LikeABadassOutOfHell.
* This is how ghosts and zombies are created in ''BeingHuman''. Ghosts usually die with some particular piece of unfinished business, and are unable to cross over until they can figure out what it is and fulfill it. Zombies are created when something unnatural blocks a soul's transition into the afterlife at the moment of death; body and soul don't separate properly, and the soul is forced to remain within the corpse for several weeks after death, until the body has decayed to the point that it simply can't sustain the soul anymore.
* This ended up being the entire point of ''{{Series/Lost}}''. The characters were dead, and had to escape purgatory to go to heaven.
* In the ''TheTwilightZone'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E84TheHunt The Hunt]]" a man does this to himself. He's allowed into heaven but he isn't allowed to take his dog with him. He decides that an afterlife without his dog is a fate worse than death (so to speak) so he refuses to enter and will just wander the path in between heaven & hell forever. Turns out that wasn't heaven, it was hell. Heaven allows dogs in.
* In the short lived early Fox series ''Second Chance'' (not to be confused with [[Series/SecondChance the game show]] [[SimilarlyNamedWorks of the same name]]) Charles Russell dies in the [[{{Zeerust}} Far Future of 2011]], and learns he is too bad for heaven but too good for hell. He is given the opportunity to go back to his teenage years and become a mentor to his younger self (played by Matthew Perry). The second season drops the older Charles Russell character, and became a standard SitCom called ''Boys Will Be Boys''.
[[AC:{{Music}}]]
* Jackyl's "Heaven Don't Want Me (And Hell's Afraid I'll Take Over)".
* A one-line reference in SonataArctica's ''Broken'': "Heaven's closed, Hell's sold out."
* Also, discussed in the ''Music/DeathCabForCutie'' song "I Will Follow You Into The Dark": "When heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the nos on their vacancy signs."
[[AC:{{Mythology}} and {{Folklore}}]]
* In NorseMythology one can only get into heaven by dying in battle. This created problems in practice, as it would have either wiped out their population or required them to include a disproportionate number of frail old men in their raids. They eventually resorted to "cheating" by methods such as gently tapping the dying with a sword as they passed away.
* Viking "heaven" was called ''Valhalla'', and those who died of natural causes were sent to the realm of the goddess of death Hel (root of the English word Hell, but not as bad).
* The legend behind the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern#Folklore Jack o' Lantern]] involves a thief cursed with this after tricking Death.
* Some of the Native American tribes from the great plains allegedly believed that mutilating someone's body after death would bar them from entering the afterlife, so they'd be forced to wander the earth as a spirit.
* "The Soldier and Death" is a Russian folktale, retold in English by Arthur Michell Ransome and later used as an episode of ''TheStoryteller''. At the end of the story, the soldier having tried to enter both Hell and Heaven and being turned away from both, is left to wander the Earth forever.
[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* In the ''TabletopGame/PointsOfLight'' setting for ''DungeonsAndDragons'', honored servants of a god are supposed to go to his or her divine realm after death as Exalted. Due to the heavens being badly fractured, a large portion of these randomly end up on islands just outside their god's realm, completely blocked from entering by any mundane or magical means.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module I3 ''Pharaoh''. The pharaoh Amun-re sacrifices the wealth and well being of his people to build himself a magnificent pyramid tomb.When he's threatened by an angry mob, he lays a curse that will cause the land to dry up if he is killed. A member of the mob kills him anyway, and the god Osiris is forced to carry out the curse. However, he punishes Amun-re by condemning his spirit to wander the land until someone steals his treasure from his tomb.
[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]
* Polynices, in ''{{Theatre/Antigone}}'', has been left unburied by the king Creon so that his soul cannot go on to the underworld, in punishment for his rebellion. His sister Antigone takes it upon herself to do so.
[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The plot of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' revolves around stopping the titular lords, whoa are (among other nastiness) barring the way for dead souls to heaven using an evil mask.
* Souls in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' must receive a sending ritual from a summoner in order to reach the Farplane. Souls that don't get this ritual become Unsent (sentient undead) if they're lucky, otherwise, their jealousy towards living beings warps them into Fiends. This leads to some FridgeHorror: At the end of the game, there's no more summoners, since the BigBad was powering them. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 The sequel]] reveals Fiends are still appearing, but no one is sure why. Someone's going to connect the dots and have a HeroicBSOD at some point...
* The basis of ''{{Painkiller}}'' is that the main character has died, but cannot enter Heaven with his wife until he does some work for the angels and kill the generals of Hell.
* In the ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'' expansion pack ''Immortal Throne'', [[EveryoneHatesHades Hades']] invasion of the mortal world causes Charon, the Styx's ferryman, to neglect his duties, resulting in the dead becoming stranded outside the afterlife. The player resolves this by killing Charon and presenting his oar to one of the trapped souls, allowing the soul to become the ferryman in Charon's place.
* In ''[[HeroesOfMightAndMagic Might and Magic: Heroes VI]]'', dead souls are supposed to be delivered to the goddess Asha for reincarnation, but those who die particularly violent or unjust deaths can find themselves trapped in the mortal world as ghosts. Necromancers who worship Asha sometimes try to bring comfort to them, in the hopes that they can rejoin the cycle.
* In ''VagrantStory'', anyone who becomes tainted by [[TheDarkSide 'The Dark']] is fated to die an incomplete death. For most people this means being reborn as a [[TheUndead walking corpse]], but some people, [[spoiler:such as Sydney, and possibly Duke Bardorba,]] have studied and manipulated The Dark to such an extent that they've become functionally immortal.
* In the video game ''{{Malice}}'' if you die you end up in a limbo stage where all you need to do is talk to the Grim Reaper who promptly sends the title character (a demigoddess) back to the living world (i.e. you restart the level you died on) simply because he doesn't want to deal with the complicated paperwork of processing a god.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', we have [[CuteGhostGirl Yuyuko Saigyouji]], the princess of the Netherworld, the place where souls wait for their {{Reincarnation}}. However, because [[spoiler: her body is being used to seal the [[EldritchAbomination Saigyou Ayakashi]]]] she cannot enter the cycle of reincarnation and is stuck forever as a ghost. She seems to be enjoying it, though.
[[AC:WebComics]]
* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Eugene Greenhilt cannot go to the afterlife until one of his descendants kills Xykon because of a BloodOath.
* In the original and [[AbortedArc abandoned]] ''PicturesForSadChildren'' storyline, [[PhraseCatcher Paul, who is a ghost,]] [[CelestialBureaucracy being unable]] go to [[MundaneAfterlife hell]] is the main plot.
* Bleedman's ''GrimTalesFromDownBelow'' has [[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy Billy]] die and end up in Heaven. But the saints get fed up of him and kick him out (literally). Billy then ends up in Hell. But they get fed up of him there as well and he ends up wandering the Earth as a spirit.
* In ''Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'', the gods of Man and the gods of [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orc]] couldn't agree on who should claim Glon the [[HalfHumanHybrid half-orc]], and he convinced them to send him back to life so he could determine which of his two heritages was his "true" one.
** Glon's dying human father asked to be buried with three grave coins, instead of the usual two. This means that he was technically denied a proper burial, and therefore has an excuse to stick around as a ghost.
