Dragon Ball Theory Suggests Goku Will Soon Explore the Circles of Hell

Is Goku about to follow in the steps of Dante's Inferno?

By Megan Peters

We are in the home stretch for Dragon Ball Daima. After being announced over a year ago, the anime will make its debut on television in just over a month. Dragon Ball Daima is expected to go live on October 11. The anime will bring a new adventure to Son Goku and his friends as we know a rogue wish on the dragon balls will turn them tiny. And thanks to some trailer teasers, Dragon Ball fans think Goku is about to star in his own version of Dante's Inferno.

You did read that right. Dante and Goku have little if nothing in common, but that seems like it will change when Dragon Ball Daima goes live. Centuries ago, Dante was forced to traverse the rings of hell as part of an epic trilogy. Son Goku is now set to explore a different kind of hell, and we have the Demon Realm to thank.

The Levels of the Demon Realm

The theory came to life as the latest trailer for Dragon Ball Daima showcases some new settings. We are shown some curious close ups of Universe 7, but three made fans pause in particular. As you can see below, the supernatural areas have an ominous energy to them, and Dragon Ball fans are theorizing each locale is a separate ring of the Demon Realm. You know, just like how Dante's Inferno has its own nine layers.

Looking at the levels, the first layer is pretty close to what you'd imagine as hell. It is imbued with dark red shades like fire is coating the sky. For the most part, the area is a wasteland, so this level of the Demon Realm may be the first. As for the second layer, its bright green hue is definitely lively, but the third pictured in the Dragon Ball Daima trailer is making fans buzz. After all, the pink-sky should look familiar. The area appears to be where our heroes fought Dabura back in the Dragon Ball Z days, and we know the demon has connections to the Demon World as he put it.

Will Dragon Ball Daima Mimic Real-World Myths?

We already know Dragon Ball Daima will focus on the Demon Realm as its denizens seem to have caused Goku's mini makeover. The dragon balls may have been corrupted by the demonic power of the underworld, and for ages, the Demon Realm has been sealed. If a crack opened for locals to escape, then Goku should be able to get in just the same. And if we are going to be spending time in the Demon Realm, well – it is going to need plenty of locales for us to visit.

Still, there is more backing this theory than just Dante's Inferno. If you take a step back from Dragon Ball, a number of religions and cultures depict hell as having layers. In some faiths, hell is a simple static place for wayward souls to go after death. However, other depictions of hell occur like in Greek mythology. It is there the Underworld is separated into four main regions. One of these regions is the Elysian Fields where the souls of heroes reside; Back in the day, Dragon Ball's version of heaven drew comparisons to the Elysian Fields, so it is not hard to imagine the Demon Realm copying even more Greek mythos.

From Buddhism to Catholicism, hell has been portrayed in all sorts of ways over the decades. We know Dragon Ball takes inspiration from the real world as series creator Akira Toriyama crafted Goku from the hero of Journey to the West. It would not surprise fans to find more cultural takeaways in the Demon Realm, so Son Goku's take on Dante is not just possible but likely.

What Does Goku Want From the Demon Realm?

It seems like Goku is going to have to traverse the Demon Realm one way or another when Dragon Ball Daima goes live. The question now is how that adventure goes. We've seen the Saiyan take on tons of missions over the decades, and he's (literally) been to hell and back. The Demon Realm is just another underworld along the way, but its denizens are no doubt strong. There is a reason Dragon Ball lore states the realm was sealed away ages ago. Its revival can only lead to chaos, and it will be Goku's job to prevent that apocalypse from being fulfilled.

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If you want to check out Dragon Ball Daima, the series is set to launch on October 11. At this time, the anime has yet to share where it will be streaming, but Goku has been attended to in the past. Funimation oversaw the anime's streaming run for ages, and given its fold into Crunchyroll, you shouldn't worry too much about Dragon Ball Daima finding a place to stream.

What do you make of this latest Dragon Ball theory? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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