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Well, they're just fine. You know, a little dark, a little gloomy. And, as always, hey, full of dead people. What are you gonna do?
―Hades describing how things are in the Underworld

The Underworld is a location in Disney's 1997 animated feature film Hercules. It is the afterlife of the Disney Animated Canon and is ruled by the Olympian God Hades. The location has also appeared in other Disney related media.

Places of interest[]

  • River Styx: Also known as the Pit of Death, this river carries the dead to the Underworld, where they spend the rest of eternity floating in its waters. The River Styx can be deadly to mortals and causes them to swiftly age and kill them if they spend too long in it. In the episode "Hercules and the River Styx" of the animated series, it is revealed that the river is also a Goddess that only reveals herself to those who wield Poseidon's Trident. It is also revealed that the river marks the border of Hades' domain. Technically, Styx is in fact a nymph and will live for as long as her river flows.
  • Tartarus: is the deepest, darkest, and most sinister area of the Underworld. It is here where the souls of the wicked and evil are sent and it is also the place where Zeus imprisoned most of the Titans and a giant Cyclops after he ended their reign of destruction. It is a dark and ominous dungeon-like place located deep beneath the ocean, a few jagged rocks can be seen rising from the sea where Tartarus lies. There is also a small island filled with jagged mountains where the Titan Prometheus is imprisoned and each day a giant eagle comes to eat his liver.
  • Elysian Fields: The final resting place for the good and the heroic. It is a paradise filled with beautiful valleys and temples. This part of the Underworld is protected by Zeus, but Hades attempted to win it from Zeus in a bet in the episode "Hercules and the Driving Test", but he lost the bet however.

Video Games[]

Kingdom Hearts II[]

Sora, Donald, and Goofy emerge in the Underworld when they first arrive, meeting Megara, who is on a quest to convince Hades to stop bothering Hercules. When Sora confronts Hades, he summons Auron, who quickly switches to Sora's side. Hades cannot be hurt in the Underworld, so the team attempts to escape, and Auron and Sora are forced to take on Cerberus before they can leave the Underworld. Back up top, Hercules offers the junior heroes the Olympus Stone, which stops the Underworld from draining all their strength, however, the stone has been stolen by someone in a black cloak. Looking for the stone, they encounter and have their first confrontation with Demyx. The team then rescues Meg with the help of Hercules and Pegasus before opening another gateway with the Olympus Stone.

When the team enters the world for a second time, the Underdrome has been unlocked, presumably when Sora used his Keyblade to open a wall during the first visit. Hades kidnaps Meg to bait Hercules into the games. The group enters the Pain and Panic Cup, and the final competitor is Auron, who is being controlled by Hades. Hercules faces Auron alone while Sora, Donald, and Goofy retrieve the statue Hades is using to control Auron. By returning the statue, Auron regains his free will and refuses to fight. Hades, as Hercules' punishment, drops Meg into the River Styx and Hercules jumps in after her. Hades believes he is dead, but Hercules returns for the final battle with Hades, a true hero at last. They defeat Hades, everyone is reunited, Auron is freed, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy are immortalized as constellations to mark them as true heroes, much to Phil's disbelief.

Kingdom Hearts Dark Road[]

After beating some Heartless in a competition, Xehanort, Eraqus Bragi, Hermod, Urd, and Baldr get all sent in the Underworld, as promised by Hades. The group gets separated, leaving Xehanort with Bragi and Eraqus. Hades asks them why they wanted to come there, and Xehanort tells him they wanted to speak to someone who disappeared, someone named Hoder. Hades tells the group he prefers referring to these people as "dead". Xehanort then tells Hades the name of their friend is Hoder, and Hades verifies if she is in fact in the Underworld, then confirms it. He then tells the group the path to find her and looks away with an evil look, wondering how many of Xehanort's classmates could possibly become his pawns.

Xehanort, Eraqus and Bragi then meet up with Cerberus blocking their way and see Baldr fighting him. Bragi joins Baldr in on the fight, and Xehanort and Eraqus leaves them with the beast.

Xehanort and Eraqus then manage to find Hermod and Urd. After Eraqus tells them what happened, Hermod and Urd decide to join Bragi and Baldr in on their fight against Cerberus. Urd then tells Eraqus to not join them in on the fight, and to instead focus on talking to the upper classmen to know what happened to them.

The upper classmen, Heimall, Sigrun, Helgi and Hoder then reveal that they all got defeated by Maleficent in her castle, and their spirits were now trapped in the Underworld because of it, Hoder being the first killed. Xehanort and Eraqus ask the upper classmen if they think Maleficent was the formless Darkness they were searching, but Helgi replies that since she transformed into a dragon, she was clearly not formless, therefore not being the one they were looking for. Eraqus then ask them if Maleficent was one of the Darknesses they had to defeat. Heimdall then tells them that there might not be a clear difference between Light and Darkness in people's hearts, the real problem is people's beliefs, if they think they are right or not, making people with different opinions looking like they hold Darkness.

Eraqus, Xehanort and Urd ask Hades where their other friends could be, since they want to leave the Underworld, but Hades tells them he isn't a babysitter, altough one of them was now a permanent resident of the Underworld. Urd and Eraqus then told Hades they would never leave without their friend, making him angry. He then fought the three Keyblade wielders, then Eraqus was about to strike Hades, interrupted by Hermod who suddenly came, and told them they shouldn't fight a resident of this world to not mess with the world orders. Urd and Eraqus then convinced Hermod that they had to fight Hades to bring Baldr and Bragi back, but the four Keyblade wielders got absorbed by a Dark Corridor before the fight could continue.

Disney Dreamlight Valley[]

The Elysian Fields are the first area the Player has access to after unlocking Mythopia. Additionally, Hades' skull-shaped lair can be constructed for 10,000 Star Coins after Hades is unlocked as a Villager. In the quest Mythic Restoration, Hades has the player clear the Fields of debris.

Other appearances[]

The Goddess of Spring[]

Long before Hercules, the Underworld was depicted with Hades, here called Pluto, ruling over it. Persephone is also shown to inhabit it, at least only during the Winter. The depiction of the Underworld is much more in line with modern Christian depictions of Hell where it is a dark cavernous place with brimming red fire all over.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]

The Underworld appears in the episode "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of". The entrance is through a waterbed store that is owned by Procrustes, going by the name "Crusty". Upon entering, the Underworld is split into parts with the area before the River Styx being a barren ashy-grey wasteland with large black rock formations. Charon and Cerberus are here with the latter acting as a guard of sorts for the former. When Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood get passed them, they encounter the Asphodel fields which is composed of the deceased who are rooted to the ground based on their regrets. Annabeth is forced to leave the Underworld when she is nearly caught by the fields. Percy and Grover continue on and encounter the Pit of Tartarus which, compared to the rest of the Underworld is located in the middle of a giant brightly lit desert-like area. In the distance is Hades' castle, a large dark marbled structure.

Interestingly, the entrance to the Underworld is a stark departure from the books where it is at a record studio called DOA Recording Studios. Charon was also at the front desk as an odd-accented man.

Other media[]

In Hercules and the Arabian Night as well as the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom attraction, it served as the prison for Disney Villains after their deaths. Some villains showcased as current residents of the Underworld are Jafar from Aladdin, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Scar from The Lion King, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, and Doctor Facilier from The Princess and the Frog.

Gallery[]

The Disney Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Underworld.

See also[]

External links[]

v - e - d
Media
Films: Hercules (video/soundtrack) • Hercules: Zero to HeroHercules (live-action film)

Shows: TV seriesHouse of MouseChibi Tiny Tales
Video games: Hercules Action GameAnimated Storybook: HerculesHades ChallengeKingdom HeartsKingdom Hearts: Chain of MemoriesKingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts 358/2 DaysKingdom Hearts Birth by SleepKingdom Hearts coded Kingdom Hearts χ Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ/Union χKingdom Hearts IIIDisney Emoji BlitzDisney Heroes: Battle ModeDisney Sorcerer's ArenaDisney SpeedstormDisney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Parks
Disney Animation BuildingIt's a Small WorldSorcerers of the Magic KingdomHercules in the Underworld

Entertainment: Animazment: The MusicalDisney Dreams: An Enchanted ClassicDisney Villains: Unfairly Ever AfterDisney's WishesFantasmic!Hercules: The Muse-icalMickey's Gift of DreamsOnce Upon a MouseVillains Tonight!
Parades: Disney Stars and Motor Cars ParadeHercules Victory ParadeThe Hercules Electrical ParadeThe Wonderful World of Disney Parade
Fireworks: Happily Ever AfterHarmoniousIlluminate! A Nighttime CelebrationMomentousReach for the StarsWishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney DreamsWonderful World of AnimationWondrous Journeys
Summer: Stitch and Friends Summer Surprise
Halloween: Disney's Not So Spooky SpectacularDisney Villains Wicked GatheringFrightfully Fun ParadeHocus Pocus Villain SpelltacularHouse of De Vil-lainsMaze of Madness: The Nightmare Experiment ContinuesMickey's Boo-to-You Halloween ParadeRe-Villains! Halloween ParadeRock on With The Disney VillainsScream and Shout Halloween ParadeThe Villains WorldTreat TrailsVillains Night Out!World of Color: Villainous!
Christmas: A Christmas Fantasy Parade

Characters
Original: HerculesHadesPegasusPhiloctetesMegaraPain and PanicFatesMusesZeusHeraHermesHephaestusAthenaAresPoseidonAphroditeArtemisApolloOlympian GodsThebansDionysusTitansCerberusHydraMinotaurSthenoNemean LionNessusNymphsAmphitryon and AlcmeneHarpiesCetusCaledonian BoarCharonBob the NarratorGriffinsCupidDemeter

TV Series: ChipaclesHestiaIcarusCassandraAdonisHelen of TroyTempestCirceTritonGalateaPandoraMedusaEchidnaTyphonEchidna's ChildrenFuriesHecateCanis and LupusNemesisMr. ParenthesesHomerFear and TerrorIbidAntaeusPrometheusDaedelusMorpheusKronosGaiaAmphitriteAchillesTheseusOrionNestor & MeleagerKing MidasMelampusLavinaAndromedaSyrinxMr. GriffChironTiviusOrthosQueen HippolyteMomalusArachneCaucasian EagleSphinx MartindaleGegeneisOtus

Episodes
Season One: "Hercules and the Apollo Mission" • "Hercules and the King of Thessaly" • "Hercules and the Secret Weapon" • "Hercules and the Assassin" • "Hercules and the Big Kiss" • "Hercules and the River Styx" • "Hercules and the Techno Greeks" • "Hercules and the World's First Doctor" • "Hercules and the Pool Party" • "Hercules and the Prince of Thrace" • "Hercules and the Tapestry of Fate" • "Hercules and the Living Legend" • "Hercules and the Return of Typhon" • "Hercules and the Owl of Athena" • "Hercules and the Girdle of Hippolyte" • "Hercules and the Bacchanal" • "Hercules and the Underworld Takeover" • "Hercules and the Comedy of Arrows" • "Hercules and the Hostage Crisis" • "Hercules and the Disappearing Heroes" • "Hercules and the Argonauts" • "Hercules and the Drama Festival" • "Hercules and the Phil Factor" • "Hercules and the All Nighter" • "Hercules and the Song of Circe" • "Hercules and the Trojan War" • "Hercules and the Dream Date" • "Hercules and the Big Games" • "Hercules and the Jilt Trip" • "Hercules and the Falling Stars" • "Hercules and the Golden Touch" • "Hercules and the Minotaur" • "Hercules and the Son of Poseidon" • "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods" • "Hercules and the Griffin" • "Hercules and the King For a Day" • "Hercules and the Pegasus Incident" • "Hercules and the Big Sink" • "Hercules and the Big Lie" • "Hercules and the Prom" • "Hercules and the Spartan Experience" • "Hercules and the Complex Electra" • "Hercules and the Long Nightmare" • "Hercules and the Arabian Night" • "Hercules and the Aetolian Amphora" • "Hercules and the Romans" • "Hercules and the Yearbook" • "Hercules and the Odyssey Experience" • "Hercules and the Grim Avenger" • "Hercules and the Spring of Canathus" • "Hercules and the Big Show" • "Hercules and the Tiff on Olympus"

Season Two: "Hercules and the First Day of School"" • "Hercules and the Visit from Zeus" • "Hercules and the Driving Test" • "Hercules and the Parent's Weekend" • "Hercules and the Prometheus Affair" • "Hercules and the Hero of Athens" • "Hercules and the Caledonian Boar" • "Hercules and the Epic Adventure" • "Hercules and the Poseidon's Cup Adventure" • "Hercules and the Muse of Dance" • "Hercules and the Kids" • "Hercules and the Gorgon" • "Hercules and the Green-Eyed Monster"

Songs
Original: The Gospel TruthGo the DistanceOne Last HopeZero to HeroI Won't Say (I'm in Love)A Star is BornShooting StarI Can't Believe My Heart

TV series songs: Send My Boy to SchoolMy TownPericles of AthensPromethean DittyThe AgoraThe BacchanalThe Man That I LovePucker Up or Let Him SnoozeThat's How the Story GoesAphrodesia DanceLove Is In The AirSince the Light Went AwayAin't Life a BeachCan-Do KingKronos StoneWhat's a Mother to Do?Sreamin' Grecian Teenage BluesLethe Water on the Brain!One Good ManYou're My Hero
Musical songs: The ProphecyUniquely Greek Town SquareDespina's LullabyPhil's Soul SpotForget About ItCool Day in HellThe ProphecyA Muse BoucheI'm Back!Great Bolts of ThunderTo Be Human

Locations
Ancient GreeceMount OlympusUnderworldPhil's IslandThebesPrometheus AcademyAtlantis City
Objects
Skull PacifierArmageddon BowLightning BoltsMortal PotionTrident
Miscellaneous
Disney Sing Along Songs: From HerculesMusical

v - e - d
Games
Kingdom Hearts (HD I.5 ReMIX/Soundtrack/Soundtrack Complete/HD I.5 ReMIX Soundtrack) • Chain of MemoriesKingdom Hearts II (HD II.5 ReMIX/HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue/Soundtrack/HD II.5 ReMIX Soundtrack ) • 358/2 DaysBirth by Sleep (Soundtrack) • codedDream Drop Distance (Soundtrack) • χ [chi]Unchained χ/Union χ [cross]Kingdom Hearts IIIDark RoadMelody of MemoryKingdom Hearts IV
Other media
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween PartyAgrabah (Kingdom Hearts pilot)Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link
Incorporated Films and Shorts
Aladdin/The Return of JafarAlice in WonderlandBeauty and the BeastBig Hero 6CinderellaFantasiaFrozenHerculesThe Hunchback of Notre DameLilo & StitchThe Lion KingThe Little MermaidMickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three MusketeersMonsters, Inc.MulanThe Nightmare Before ChristmasPeter PanPinocchioPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl/Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's EndSleeping BeautySnow White and the Seven DwarfsSteamboat WillieTangledTarzanToy StoryTron/Tron: LegacyWinnie the PoohWreck-It Ralph
Characters
Main Characters: SoraRikuKairiKing MickeyDonald DuckGoofyRoxasAxel/LeaNaminéXionAquaTerraVentus

Villains: XehanortAnsemXemnasMaleficentPeteVanitasXigbar/BraigXaldinVexenLexaeusZexionSaïx/IsaDemyxLuxordMarluxiaLarxeneTerra-XehanortYoung XehanortXehanort's Guardian
Other Characters: Jiminy CricketAnsem the Wise/DiZYen SidMaster EraqusDilanEvenAeleusIenzoLingering WillHaynerPenceOletteKairi's GrandmaRiku ReplicaJiminy's JournalForetellersMaster of MastersLuxuEphemerSkuldChirithyStrelitziaLauriamYozoraVorHermod
Original Monsters: HeartlessNobodiesUnversedDream Eater
Disney Characters introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Queen MinnieDaisy DuckPlutoChip and DaleHuey, Dewey, and LouieMagic BroomsAliceWhite RabbitDoorknobCheshire CatQueen of HeartsCard SoldiersTarzanJane PorterClaytonTerkKerchakKalaSaborHerculesPhiloctetesHadesCerberusRock TitanIce TitanAladdinAbuJasmineGenieCarpetJafarIagoPeddlerCave of WondersPinocchioGeppettoMonstroCleoArielFlounderSebastianUrsulaKing TritonFlotsam and JetsamGlutJack SkellingtonZeroSallyOogie BoogieLock, Shock, and BarrelDr. FinkelsteinMayor of Halloween TownPeter PanTinker BellCaptain HookMr. SmeeWendyCrocodileMerlinWinnie the PoohTiggerPigletEeyoreRabbitOwlRooBeesBeastBelleSnow WhiteCinderellaFairy GodmotherAuroraPongoPerditaDalmatian PuppiesSimbaMushuDumboBambiChernabog
Disney Characters introduced in Kingdom Hearts II: Flora, Fauna, and MerryweatherMaleficent's RavenScrooge McDuckMulanLi ShangShan YuHayabusaYao, Ling, and Chien PoThe EmperorLumiereCogsworthMrs PottsChipWardrobePegasusMegaraPain and PanicHydraHorace HorsecollarClarabelle CowClara CluckJack SparrowElizabeth SwannWill TurnerCaptain BarbossaBo'sunJacobyTwiggCursed CrewPrince EricAttinaAndrinaSanta ClausSkeletal ReindeerTimonPumbaaNalaRafikiScarShenzi, Banzai, and EdMufasaKiaraPridelandersHyenasTronMaster Control ProgramCommander SarkKangaGopherStitchChicken Little
Disney Characters introduced in Birth by Sleep: Prince PhillipMaleficent's GoonsDocGrumpyHappySleepyBashfulSneezyDopeyThe PrinceEvil QueenMagic MirrorPrince CharmingJaqLady TremaineAnastasiaDrizellaLuciferGrand DukeGrand CouncilwomanCaptain GantuJumbaExperiment 221SlightlyCubby
Disney Characters introduced in Dream Drop Distance: QuasimodoEsmeraldaPhoebusJudge Claude FrolloVictor, Hugo, and LaverneKevin FlynnSam FlynnQuorraCLUBlack GuardsBlue FairyBeagle BoysChernabog's MinionsJulius
Disney Characters introduced in Kingdom Hearts χ: Mad HatterMarch HareRazoulRoyal GuardsMauriceGaston
Disney Characters introduced in Kingdom Hearts Union χ: SultanSamsonVanellope von SchweetzFix-It Felix Jr.Sergeant CalhounKing CandySour BillCy-BugsHero's Duty Troops
Disney Characters introduced in Kingdom Hearts III: ZeusApolloAthenaHermesLava TitanTornado TitanLittle ChefWoodyBuzz LightyearRexHammSargeGreen Army MenLittle Green MenRapunzelFlynn RiderPascalMaximusMother GothelSulleyMike WazowskiBooRandall BoggsChild Detection AgencyTrailer FolkElsaAnnaKristoffOlafSvenMarshmallowHansMr. GibbsTia DalmaDavy JonesKrakenCutler BeckettDavy Jones' Locker CrabsBaymaxHiro HamadaGo Go TomagoHoney LemonFredWasabiLumpyWreck-It Ralph
Disney Characters introduced in Kingdom Hearts Dark Road: Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Disney Characters introduced in the manga: CaterpillarChi-Fu
Square Enix Characters: LeonCloudMoogleOthers

Elements
Plot Elements: Kingdom HeartsHeartKeyblade WarDark Seeker SagaMore

Game Elements: Gameplay in Kingdom HeartsMagic

Objects
Sea-salt ice creamWayfinderDoor to DarknessKeybladeX-bladeMorePixar BallA113Pizza Planet Truck
Locations
Original Worlds: Destiny IslandsTraverse TownRadiant Garden/Hollow BastionDisney Castle/Disney Town/Timeless RiverDive to the HeartEnd of the WorldRealm of DarknessTwilight Town/Mysterious TowerThe World That Never WasCastle That Never WasLand of Departure/Castle OblivionKeyblade GraveyardDaybreak Town/Scala ad Caelum

Disney Worlds: WonderlandDeep JungleOlympus Coliseum/Underworld/OlympusAgrabahAtlanticaHalloween Town/Christmas TownNeverlandHundred Acre WoodThe Land of DragonsBeast's CastlePort Royal/The CaribbeanPride LandsSpace ParanoidsDwarf WoodlandsCastle of DreamsDeep SpaceLa Cité des ClochesThe GridPrankster's ParadiseCountry of the MusketeersToy BoxKingdom of CoronaMonstropolisArendelleSan FransokyoGame Central Station/Niceland/Cy-Bug Sector/Candy Kingdom

Organizations/Groups
Organization XIIIPrincesses of HeartDisney Villains Council
Songs
"Dearly Beloved" • "Simple and Clean" • "Sanctuary" • Face My FearsDon't Think TwiceMickey Mouse Club MarchSwim This WayPart of Your WorldUnder the SeaUrsula's RevengeA New Day is DawningDestatiThis is HalloweenHe's a PirateBeauty and the BeastBibbidi-Bobbidi-BooIt's a Small WorldNight on Bald MountainWinnie the PoohThe Sorcerer's ApprenticeThe Pastoral SymphonyNutcracker SuiteYou've Got a Friend in MeHealing IncantationPut That Thing Back Where It Came From or So Help MeLet It GoDo You Want to Build a SnowmanYo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)A Whole New WorldCircle of Life