Impel Down and Dante's Inferno in comparison

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What have in common Impel Down and Dante’s Inferno? Come and find out here on my blog!

Impel Down is One Piece’s great dungeon, while Dante’s Inferno is the first canticle of the Divine Comedy. But what exactly have in common Impel Down and Dante’s Inferno? Impel Down is a large complex structure that is very reminiscent of the structure of Dante’s Purgatory.

Its structure rests on the seabed to which it is surrounded by the Sea Kings and the immutable structure of the Calm Belt, while the uppermost part of Impel Down which protrude into an ever-gray sky is surrounded by armored ships. The internal structure of the prison contains many cells and torture chambers, where the cells are built with seastone, suitable for those who possess the Devil Fruit.

The prison is well guarded by many cameras, it also has a medical department that can preventively treat prisoners, who however cannot cure a mix of poison produced by Magellan.

The latter was initially the warden of Impel Down, where after the two years spent in the One Piece plot, Magellan becomes the vice warden, where Hannyabal surpasses him by becoming the warden of Impel Down himself. The prison is divided into six levels plus a bonus:

1: Crimson Hell
2: Wild Beast Hell
3: Starvation Hell
4: Blazing Hell
5: Freezing Hell
5.5: Known as the The “Prisoners’ Secret Flower Garden”
6: Eternal Hell

The Divine Comedy, where there is the first canticle: Hell, begins with Dante who finds himself in a dark wood. He sets out to climb directly up a small mountain, but his way is blocked by three beasts he cannot evade: a Lonza (usually rendered as Leopard) a Lion and a She-Wolf.

Dante is thus saved by the great poet Virgil, moving together towards Hell. They cross the entrance to Hell, after passing through the Vestibule, Dante and Virgil reach the ferry that will take them across the river Acheron and to Hell proper.

Charon stops Dante, but Virgil is opposed, forcing Charon to ferry them over, heading into Hell itself. Virgil proceeds to guide Dante through the nine circles of Hell, structured circularly:

First Circle (Limbo)
Second Circle (Lust)
Third Circle (Gluttony)
Fourth Circle (Greed)
Fifth Circle (Wrath)
Sixth Circle (Heresy)
Seventh Circle (Violence)
Eighth Circle (Fraud)
Ninth Circle (Treachery)

The two worlds are very connected to each other, two prisons for the damned, destined to serve their sentences within these structures. Certainly two great works for two great authors. But exactly what have in common Impel Down and Dante’s Inferno? Find out below my video: The comparison between Impel Down and Dante’s Inferno.