Hell is running very smoothly mainly because of the hard work and efficiency of Lord Enma’s chief deputy, Houzuki. Regardless of the mission, the King of Hell’s loyal aide runs the show from the shadows and works through any challenges in his way. The sadistic Houzuki’s level-headedness allows him to manage the various other employees of Hell with, well, hellish efficiency.

The Underworld of Hoozuki no Reitetsu is filled with various forms of supernatural apparitions. Not only is it housing a multitude of beings, but the Underworld is also a place where bureaucracy is part and parcel of life there – particularly for Houzuki. We are shown the chain of command in this particular rendition of Hell and coming to understand how the management in the afterlife is difficult yet done efficiently; thanks to Houzuki.

Assiah is the realm of the humans, Gehenna, the realm of the demons. Demons arrive in the human realm through possessing human beings. Satan, the ruler of the demon realm is too powerful and hence cannot find a suitable host to possess. He finally figures out a plan: he will send his son to rule Assiah and become a host suitable enough for the Demon King himself. The son, Okumura Rin, lives a difficult life as a troublesome teenager who lives in an orphanage. His life becomes more difficult when demons begin to attack him and he finds out that he is the son of Satan. He vows to become an exorcist to protect Assiah from his father with his brother Yukio.

Gehenna is the realm where Satan and all his demons run amok. They cross over to the land of humans through demonic possession and create much chaos. Assiah and Gehenna are mirrors of each other; however, in the series we are never once shown Gehenna. Interestingly enough, in biblical lore, Gehenna was the site where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Later, it came to be known in some literature as a destination for the evil. Fire plus damnation equals Hell, no?

Beelzebub rules over the realm of Pandemonium after she is exiled from Heaven. Pandemonium is where fallen angels turned demons find work. One day, Beelzebub gets a new aide called Mullin, and she comes to see past the impression of Beelzebub as a wise and cool figure. Beelzebub’s true nature goes beyond level headedness as it turns out that she loves fluffy things. Spurred on by the prospect of learning more about Beelzebub, Mullin attempts to get closer to her, all while living their lives in Pandemonium alongside many quirky characters.

The name of this rendition of Hell comes from the John Milton poem of the same name. “Pandemonium” literally means “All demons”. In the Milton poem, Pandemonium is the capital of Hell. In the context of the Miss Beelzebub anime; however, Pandemonium is less the place of infinite suffering and punishment, but rather a place where those cast down from heaven can go in order to do something with their time.

One day, Amagane Rinne suffered an accident on the way to school which resulted in her death. However, she finds herself in a school in a very odd place: Hell. Her school is populated with various creatures. She wishes to go back to her old life; however, she takes the time to get to know her demon schoolmates, developing relationships and bonds that could prove to be more important than she bargained for.

This anime takes the concept of Hell and turns it into something a lot of people will find somewhat comical. The protagonist ends up going to a school in Hell after meeting an untimely demise. However, it’s different from common conceptions of Hell because this isn’t a place of eternal suffering and the protagonist even manages to make a very tight bond with someone there.

Hyoudou Issei is a perverted high school student who spends all his time peeping on women and daydreaming about having his own harem one day. When a girl from another school asks him out on a date, Issei feels like he’s finally having his big break; however, she turns out to be a fallen angel who kills him. Luckily, Issei is given a second chance at life when his upperclassman, Rias Gremory, a high-class demon, revives him as her servant. He then joins the ranks of the school’s Occult Research Club, learning to fight and survive the violent new world into which he has been thrust, all while keeping it a secret from family and friends.

In High School DxD, the Demon World is an elaborate realm with its own politics, demographics, regional differences and even a social hierarchy. It is ruled by Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias Gremory’s older brother: the Demon Lord Satan himself. It is a place that saw much bloodshed and ruin during the great war prior to the events of the series and a major element to the worldbuilding done in that regard is the preservation of pure demon bloodlines in the noble families of Hell.

Hell is a place reserved only for those who committed violent crimes during their lives. Shinigami are not allowed to go to Hell; however, when prisoners of Hell escape and find themselves in Karakura Town, trouble ensues. Ichigo and his friends find themselves in a precarious situation as these escaped denizens of the dark underworld have incredible power. However, they’re saved when a man named Kokuto arrives at the scene, but Ichigo’s little sisters, Karin and Yuzu, are attacked. Yuzu is also kidnapped by the strange assailants. Now with Kokuto leading the pack, Ichigo and his friends head into Hell in order to rescue Yuzu.

BLEACH never had an exploration of Hell in the anime series apart from the one appearance of The Gates of Hell. This BLEACH movie is hence adds an interesting element to the BLEACHverse, all while giving us one of the darkest renditions of Hell you’ll find on this list. Souls trapped in this Hell literally descend into madness as the eternity of being hunted and eaten alive by Hell’s guardians creates endless despair. This version of Hell looks every bit as inhospitable and hostile as most traditional depictions would have you believe.

Earth is in the middle of enjoying a time of peace. However, in the far reaches of space, there are remnants of Frieza’s old army who arrive on Earth in order to find the Dragon Balls! Sorbet and Tagoma retrieve the seven Dragon Balls and make a wish to have the Emperor of Space revived! Now Frieza can finally get his revenge against the remaining Saiyans, particularly the one known to many as Son Goku.

Frieza’s rendition of Hell was extremely comical simply because it isn’t the first thing that would come to mind when thinking about what Hell could be like. The concept was that Frieza suffered in a personal Hell. In his personal Hell, Frieza was strung up on a tree in a cocoon while cute animals and teddy bears would serenade him. This was the case for the entire time he was deceased; which is from before the Android Saga up until the events of this film.

Hell Correspondence refers to when one harbours an incredibly intense grudge against another person and accesses a strange website that allows them to ship anyone straight to Hell. Enma Ai is the Hell Girl, an entity that asks no questions and metes out punishment against those unlucky enough to find themselves in that unfortunate position. The only catch is that one who uses this service to condemn someone to Hell must be prepared to condemn themselves to an afterlife in Hell.

Considered a place of eternal suffering and supernatural punishment, the version of Hell that is depicted in Hell Girl is one that we’re used to. Condemnation to Hell means going through an eternity of punishment; however, the interesting element here is the fact that many people in this Hell find themselves there because someone else wished it be so. How dark.

According to legend, the Millennium Puzzle is an ancient artefact capable of granting one wish to the person who cracks its secrets. When Yugi Muto solves the puzzle, a spirit contained within the puzzle is released and assumes the role of Yugi’s alter ego. In this world, the game of Duel Monsters is a way of life; however, the game is somehow linked to the ancient Millennium Puzzle and offers Yugi a means of finding out the mystery behind it. However, what starts out as a card game soon becomes a battle for one’s very survival.

It turns out that Duel Monsters is an ancient game that used to cause real-world events whenever two people faced off against each other. These match-ups were incredibly dangerous and dubbed “Shadow Games”, in which the loser could lose their cards, their pride and even their very lives. Losers of Shadow Games have their souls taken to the Shadow Realm, a place that is reminiscent of the depictions of the Graveyard that we see in the anime. It is a place of nothing but pure suffering and darkness and a concept that is incredibly dark for something assumed to be geared towards children.

Yato and Yukine’s relationship as god and Regalia has improved and their lives have gained some kind of normalcy. Yato continues to do odd jobs for 5 yen each in hopes of one day building his own shrine and having millions of worshippers. Yato still has to find a way to bind Iki Hiyori’s soul to her body properly, but her life is going as usual. Everything is good; however, there is conflict between Yato and Bishamonten, the God of War, who bears a heavy grudge against Yato.

In the cold dark depths of The Underworld, Izanami, the Queen of the Underworld rules over all. She is the mother of all the gods; however, living in the The Underworld has subjected her to incredible loneliness because nothing can survive in The Underworld. Izanami’s loneliness causes her to hold on tightly to anyone who is unfortunate enough to find their way to her. Izanami is incapable of dying because she is ruler of The Underworld and thus, she will exist for as long as life and death exist. Her realm is one of unparalleled darkness and despair; despair which has even affected her. Nothing can thrive there – it is well and truly Hell.

First up on our list is an old show that should still be close to most of your hearts, the all-time classic Dragon Ball Z.

For those of you that don’t know what Dragon Ball Z is about or those who need a quick reminder after all these years, let us give you a quick overview. Goku has grown up and now tries to live a peaceful life with his wife and son. His quiet days are over, though, when he is visited by Raditz and is told that he is, in fact, a survivor of the Saiyan race which is known for its great powers and destructiveness. A new adventure awaits Goku and his friends.

You might be surprised to see Dragon Ball Z on this list; after all, Hell isn’t really the first thing that pops into your head when thinking of the show’s storyline. However, their version of Hell - a spiritual realm where all deceased go - is definitely interesting enough to deserve a quick shout-out. In fact, it is based on common Japanese and Chinese concepts of the afterlife; oni or ogres are thought to be hell’s assistants and the bloody pond you can see in one or two episodes is also widely known in Japanese culture. Dragon Ball Z deserves to be on this list for being culturally accurate while still being entertaining.

For many years we’ve waited for the new remake of the Berserk series. Today, we want to go back to the original anime adaptation and give this gruesome masterpiece one more minute in the spotlight.

This show follows mercenary Guts on his daily adventures that usually involve tough battles and lots of bloodsheds. Fighting is all Guts knows and he only has himself and his powers to rely on if he wants to stay alive. His solitary days might be over when he meets a group of mercenaries who want him to join their cause. Watch Berserk to find out where Guts’ story leads him.

Most of the action in Berserk is situated in this world (even though Gut’s life seems to be gruesome enough to come straight from Hell), but towards the end of the show, you are presented with the most frightening version of Hell we have to offer on our list. Called “Astral Realm”, this place is not for the faint-hearted since it shows a fair amount of blood and gore. Guts has to fight the lords of darkness themselves while simultaneously giving up everything he has known and loved. Berserk is a recommendation for all fans of dark and gruesome stories.

What better story to include on a Hell-themed list than Hells, the charming movie from 2008?

Amagane Rinne is your typical high school girl who is stressed out by her daily academic duties. Her young life ends abruptly when Rinne gets caught up in an accident. Instead of moving on to the afterlife, though, she finds herself lost in Hell. And what does Hell look like? Like a high school of course, with the exception that this one is filled with demons rather than pubescent teenagers. How will Rinne adapt to her new school life?

What we like about the Underworld featured in Hells is the fact that it combines horror with comedy. While the artwork of Hells is rather gloomy and has an eerie vibe to it, the storyline is definitely supposed to entertain you. Its gothic cartoon style is unique while also reminding of Tim Burton’s creations or the hit show Soul Eater. Hells is a precious little gem that deserves more recognition, so why don’t you check it out when you get the time?

After all these dark and gloomy versions of Hell, why don’t we talk about a more uplifting place where both good and bad demons live?

Nanami Momozono might be young, but she has already been through a lot. After her father abandoned her with a huge gambling debt, she finds herself homeless on the streets. Her tough fate doesn’t stop Nanami from helping out a man in need and this little favor will turn her life around. As a token of appreciation, the stranger offers her a place to live. What Nanami didn’t see coming was the fact that this place is a shrine and she has now inherited the duties of a local shrine goddess.

The afterlife or maybe parallel universe presented in Kamisama Hajimemashita might not be your common definition of Hell, but we still wanted to include it on our list. Why? Because it depicts the Japanese idea of spirits and how they interact with each other. Kamisama Hajimemashita shows a hierarchy between different beings that determines their everyday interactions. This demon world is as unique as it is entertaining and interested us enough to include Kamisama Hajimemashita on our list.

After charming Nanami and her shrine spirits, we are moving on to another demon world, one that is filled with vampires and other scary creatures.

Staz Charlie Blood is a fearsome vampire who rules over parts of the Demon World. You might expect him to be a cold-blooded killer, but what most people don’t know is the fact that Staz is an otaku. He loves everything related to anime, manga, and videogames and couldn’t care less about his duties. Lucky for him, a Japanese girl gets lost in his kingdom and requires his help to return back to life - a golden opportunity for Staz.

So what do we have here? A demon world, a vampire lord, Japanese pop culture and lots of questionable characters. This unique mixture makes up most of the charm of this Comedy show. The demon world of Blood Lab is a lively place filled with all kinds of supernatural beings such as vampires, ghosts, demons and more. Blood Lad doesn’t necessarily try to creep you out, but rather to entertain you with its version of life after death, and that is why we think it makes a good addition to our recommendations.

After Blood Lad, we have another comedic view on Hell with Makai Ouji or Devils and Realist.

William is the perfect son of aristocrats: he is smart, educated, interested in business and gifted in natural sciences. Too bad that he has a run-in with spirits from another realm he doesn’t believe exists. While trying to retrieve anything of worth from his family’s old mansion, William accidentally summons a devil who tells him he has been chosen to determine the next ruler of the demon world. This is a challenge young William hasn’t faced so far.

Seeing someone being torn between Heaven and Hell, while still being a normal human in this world is something we haven’t seen on this list so far. Makai Ouji puts Hell into a bigger concept and talks about it in connection with a realistic point of view, while still remaining an entertaining show. The clash of supernatural beings and a realist who only believes in science is also a fun idea we don’t see too often in the anime world. Makai Ouji is our fifth recommendation!

Hells isn’t the only show set in the Underworld - Hoozuki no Reitetsu, too, depicts the everyday craze of Hell in its own, unique way.

Hell doesn’t have to be an unruly world suffering from chaos. In Hoozuki no Reitetsu, Hell is more like a business and Hoozuki is the one in charge. The right hand of the King of Hell, Lord Enma, is in charge of keeping all of Hell’s inhabitants in order and making sure that their demonic enterprise succeeds.

Who would have thought of combining the idea of Hell with modern business and management strategies? What sounds like a weird story actually works out for Hoozuki no Reitetsu and offers a new perspective on the afterlife. The show convinced us and the characters you’ll meet throughout the show are all unique, charming, creative and simply hilarious. Hoozuki no Reitetsu is a show that puts a smile on your face, so we couldn’t resist to include it in today’s recommendations.

You might think of old-school anime what you want, but you have to admit that many of them are still as entertaining today as they were in their days. One of these shows is the classic Saint Seiya.

An ancient tale tells of a group of brave men who have devoted their lives and powers to the goddess Athena. These heroes are known as Saints and are more powerful than you could imagine. Now, it’s time for a new generation of Saints to emerge and one of them is more courageous than the others: young knight Seiya.

Here we have another show that convinces with its detailed and intricate depiction of Hell. In fact, the Underworld of Saint Seiya is based on a version depicted by Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy. This Hell features well-known characters like Hades and is divided into different areas known as Prisons. Saint Seiya found a beautiful balance between ancient folklore and modern fantasy and that is why it deserves the third spot on our list.

Next up is one of the most popular Shounen shows out there featuring our favorite son of Satan: Ao no Exorcist.

Rin Okumura is an unlikely hero; the teenager seems to fail at everything he touches and is known as a good-for-nothing delinquent. His tough life is about to take another turn for the worse. The disrupted family he grew up in is attacked by supernatural beings and Rin has to find out a shocking truth: he is, in fact, the son of Satan and has to be trained in the art of exorcism if he doesn’t want to end up in the pits of hell.

Ao no Exorcist might take place in this world, but this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make you feel the horrors of Hell. We don’t know about you, but the few scenes featuring the fiery realm of Satan left a deep impression on us and that is exactly the reason why we included Ao no Exorcist on this list. You might never get a glance inside the gates of Hell, but the producers have succeeded at making their version of Hell seem mysterious, powerful and most importantly scary. A worthy recommendation for our list!

It’s the end of our demonic trip, but before we leave you, we have one more show to talk about: Bleach.

Ichigo Kurosaki’s life as a common teenager changes when his family is attacked by evil spirits known as Hollows. To save them, he takes over the powers of a mysterious Soul Reaper. But his battle doesn’t end there. With his new powers come new duties and it is now up to him and a group of friends to protect their loved ones and free this earth from other Hollows.

Bleach’s idea of Hell seems to be pretty straightforward: it’s an ungodly place where lost souls go after they’ve died. But this is where the simplicity ends because the creative masterminds behind Bleach have spent a lot of time on making their Underworld as detailed and fascinating as possible. On top of pretty impressive looking Gates of Hell, you are also presented with lots of demonic creatures and a layout into several layers, each one more horrible than the previous one. We couldn’t get enough of Bleach’s Hell and that is why it deserves the top spot on this list.