Highlights
- The afterlife in Dragon Ball, known as the Other World, is a separate realm that can be reached through death or by being brought in by someone already inside.
- Ogres, particularly King Yemma, govern the afterlife and decide the fate of souls. Higher deities like King Kai reside in their own planets within the afterlife.
- In the afterlife, souls can be reincarnated, sent to hell, or live in heaven. Heaven resembles Earth, while hell is described more as an uncomfortable prison than a place of torture.
From the underwater lair of the Red Ribbon Army to Kami’s Lookout, the vast and beautiful planet Namek, and the lavish and majestic residence of the Supreme Ruler of the Multiverse. Throughout his long and illustrious life, Goku has taken fans to countless amazing places.
But there is one particular place that is rarely appreciated by viewers despite how interesting it actually is. So let’s use this chance to get to know more about the fascinating afterlife in Dragon Ball.
Related: Dragon Ball: The Gods of Destruction, Explained
The Geography of the Afterlife
The afterlife in Dragon Ball (also called the Other World, Underworld, or Netherworld) is a realm that is separated from reality and can only be reached either when a living being dies or when somebody from the inside brings you in with them. Every living being in the universe shares the same afterlife, no matter the species or the planet, and every universe has its own version of the afterlife. By the way, this article will focus on the afterlife in Universe Seven, because that’s the only one that has been featured heavily in this series.
The native citizens of the afterlife are ogres. From overseeing various unpleasant areas of hell to making sure every soul is accounted for, they are basically the people who run this fascinating place. The one who governs the afterlife is none other than the king of Ogres, King Yemma. He is the judge who decides the fate of the souls that come through the gate of the afterlife.
Other than Ogres, this realm is also where the higher deities of the Universe Seven reside, such as King Kai or Grand Kai. They are rarely involved in the day-to-day operation of the afterlife. After all, they have their own duties and responsibilities. Unlike the ogres who live either in the residential areas or in the governmental offices, the higher deities live on their own planet. These planets are quite small, but they have their own climate and gravity, which makes them look so different from the rest of the afterlife.
Heaven, Hell, and the Serpent Road
When somebody dies, three fates await them in the afterlife. They will either enter the cycle of reincarnation, be sent directly to hell, or get to hang out and have a good time in heaven. For those whom King Yemma deems deserving of reincarnation, their souls will immediately be sent back into the cycle of life. For those who have committed grave sins during their lifetime, their souls will be thrown into Hell. Lastly, for those who have done magnificent deeds deserving of the title hero when they were alive, their souls will be allowed to live in Heaven for eternity.
Before we talk about heaven and hell, however, there is a notable landmark that is worth mentioning first. Sitting atop the vast sea of clouds between heaven and hell is a long and winding road that stretches beyond the horizon. Due to its serpent-like design, it is called the Serpent Road. This road connected King Yemma’s Palace to King Kai’s Planet, and it is said to be about a million kilometers long, which roughly translates into 625,000 miles. Even somebody as strong as Goku needs 177 days to complete the journey. At least that is the case before he can use Instant Transmission. Nowadays though, he can simply teleport into King Kai’s Planet whenever he wants.
And now onto Heaven and Hell in Dragon Ball. Heaven is a massive planet that hovers thousands of miles above the Serpent Road. It looks similar to Earth in the sense that there are countless breathtaking green landscapes with lakes and rivers cutting through the land. The souls that reside here may use their original bodies to interact with their surroundings. As for Hell, although it is technically a place to punish evil beings, there’s rarely any torture or even violence happening in this place. Sure, there are scary areas like a massive lake of blood, blazing hills, or freezing canyons, but it is actually more akin to an unpleasant or uncomfortable prison, rather than a place of torture.
Related: Why Did The Namekians Create The Dragon Balls?
Life in the Afterlife
Since Goku is always sent to heaven whenever he dies, we get numerous insights into how life is in Heaven, as opposed to Hell which may only appear in the series once or twice. So this section will only focus on the life of the people who reside in heaven. As mentioned before, the souls in heaven can use their original body. The body is identical to how it was when they died. The only difference is they will have a shining halo floating on top of their head.
Everybody lives in harmony in this place, and they are free to do whatever they want. And since they are already dead, they don’t require food or rest, but they can certainly sleep or eat if they want to. Not only that, their body also requires less energy in heaven. That’s why Goku can stay in Super Saiyan 3 mode for a longer time here.
Unfortunately, for somebody as active as Goku, heaven feels pretty boring. Especially compared to Earth where there are always things to do every day. That is why he merely considers it as a place to train his body as he awaits to be revived by the Dragon Ball. But other than that, life is pretty good in the afterlife.
Dragon Ball is available to stream on Prime Video.
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