Supernatural/Afterlife localization
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Afterlife localization |
| Type | Supernatural locations |
| Sphere of activity | Determination of the final resting place of souls and entities after death |
| Leadership | God, the Shadow, Anubis, Death and reapers, the Fates |
| Affiliation | God's creation (except the Empty), the Natural Order |
| Status | Active |
| Period of activity | Since Creation (the Empty predates Creation) |
| Seasons | 1–15 |
| First mention | Pilot (indirectly through ghosts) |
| Last mention | Carry On |
«Afterlife localization» is a system of supernatural dimensions and processes that determine the final resting place of the souls of humans, angels, demons, monsters, Nephilim and other entities after physical or spiritual death in the series Supernatural. The system encompasses several parallel planes of existence, including the Veil (Astral Plane), Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and the Empty, as well as the mechanisms of transition, judgment and possible return.
History
The system of afterlife localization was formed gradually during the process of Creation. The first existing dimension was the Empty — a boundless void that existed before the appearance of God and the Darkness. Angels and demons find eternal sleep in the Empty after death. Its ruler is the entity known as the Shadow.
After locking away the Darkness, God created Heaven as a dwelling place for himself, the archangels, angels and worthy human souls. Concurrently or shortly thereafter, Purgatory was created — originally as a prison for the first beasts, the Leviathans, whose all-consuming nature posed a threat to all of creation. Over time, Purgatory became the final destination for the souls of all monsters created by Eve.
Hell arose later as a place of punishment for the fallen and for human souls whose deeds led to condemnation. Lucifer, cast down from Heaven, played a key role in the emergence of demons — corrupted human souls that had undergone hellish torture.
The Veil, also called the Astral Plane or the Thin World, is an intermediate plane existing parallel to the material world of Earth. Ghosts that failed or refused to move on reside there, and reapers operate within it.
After God's departure from Heaven, the function of judging human souls was partially transferred to the Egyptian god Anubis, who uses his abacus to determine the balance of a soul's good and evil deeds. Parallel to this, the Natural Order is maintained by the Fates (Greek goddesses of destiny) — Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, responsible for the thread of life and the moment of death.
Throughout the fifteen seasons the system was repeatedly disrupted: the sealing of Heaven by Metatron caused souls to accumulate in the Veil, Castiel's opening of Purgatory released the Leviathans, and events involving Jack Kline demonstrated the Shadow's claims on Nephilim.
Supernatural locations
Table of main locations
| Location | Primary inhabitants | Nature | Possibility of return |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Veil | Ghosts, reapers, occasionally hellhounds | Intermediate plane | High (transition to Heaven/Hell or return to Earth) |
| Heaven | Worthy human souls, angels | Personal heavens based on memories | Possible with intervention by God or higher powers |
| Hell | Condemned human souls, demons | Place of torture and transformation into demons | Possible through deals, angelic or divine intervention |
| Purgatory | Monster souls, Leviathans | Eternal war of "kill or be killed" | Through portals, the "backdoor" to Hell, or carrying a soul inside a human |
| The Empty | Dead angels and demons, occasionally Nephilim | Eternal sleep with nightmares of regrets | Only by the will of the Shadow, God, or through special rituals |
The Veil (Astral Plane)
The Veil, also known as the Astral Plane or the Thin World, is a spiritual plane existing parallel to the material world of Earth. It serves as a transitional zone for human souls after death. Reapers escort souls through the Veil to their final destination — Heaven or Hell. The Veil is part of the Natural Order and has existed since the creation of the material world.
Ghosts are souls that refused to follow a reaper or failed to move on. They can partially pierce the Veil into the material world, appearing as apparitions. Piercing requires significant energy and concentration. Spirits that remain in the Veil for a long time may degrade, losing their memories and becoming vengeful. During periods when Heaven was sealed (after Metatron's spell in season eight), souls destined for Heaven accumulated in the Veil, turning it into an overcrowded space. This caused ghosts to remain tied to the places of their deaths and unable to move on.
Reapers move freely within the Veil and can see beings invisible to ordinary humans. They possess the ability to perceive the true faces of demons, angels and other spiritual entities. Humans on the verge of death (for example, after the expiration of a crossroads demon deal) begin to perceive the Veil and see the true faces of demons and hellhounds. Angels and demons in vessels are able to pierce the Veil and interact with its inhabitants. Certain symbols, such as Enochian runes, can be painted within the Veil and remain invisible to ordinary humans.
Astral projection allows living humans to temporarily separate their consciousness from the body and enter the Veil. In this state a person acquires the properties of a ghost: telekinesis, teleportation, the ability to pass through solid objects and interaction with other spirits, but also becomes vulnerable to salt and iron. Known users of astral projection include Pamela Barnes (in the episode "Death Takes a Holiday") and the witch Rowena. In the former case the Winchester brothers used astral projection to investigate the disappearance of reapers and save Tessa from Alastair. Their bodies remained in a sleep-like state, and return was possible only at the will of the psychic who had cast the spell.
The ancient Celts believed that on Halloween night the Veil thins to its maximum, allowing the demon Samhain to summon spirits onto Earth. In the series this property of the Veil was used to explain increased ghost activity at certain times. In addition, some reapers possess secret paths in and out of the Veil that allow them to transport souls between dimensions while bypassing official procedures.
Heaven
Heaven was created by God as a dwelling place for the archangels, angels and worthy human souls. Its structure includes personal heavens — spaces formed from a soul's happiest memories. Every person who enters Heaven relives their own ideal moments of the past, often without realizing they are in the afterlife. Angels have access to all personal heavens and use central areas resembling sterile office buildings with endless corridors, where doors lead to individual heavens arranged in alphabetical order of names.
The criteria for entry into Heaven are determined by a person's deeds in life. After God's departure, the function of judgment is performed by Anubis. He uses an abacus on which white (good) and black (evil) beads appear. A predominance of white beads means entry into Heaven. Anubis describes himself more as an accountant than a judge, since he cannot arbitrarily change the result. The abacus evaluates a person's actions up to the moment of death and does not take into account possible changes afterward. In one episode Anubis judged Lily Sunder, and the initial result pointed to Hell because of the murders of angels she had committed; after her sacrifice to save Jack the balance shifted in favor of Heaven.
Heaven contains billions of human souls (according to Naomi — more than 46 billion). If Heaven ceases to function (due to a lack of angels maintaining its structure), the souls are released onto Earth as vengeful spirits, causing mass chaos. Angels power Heaven with their energy, and their mass fall or death threatens the existence of the dimension. After the events of the series finale the new God Jack Kline rebuilt Heaven, making it more perfect and removing many of the limitations that had existed under the previous God.
Nephilim with a soul may enter Heaven, although the Shadow claims them because of their angelic half. Jack Kline, finding himself in Heaven after death, was able to perceive the true nature of the realm and leave his personal heaven, which was attributed to his angelic essence. The Shadow invaded Heaven to claim him, demonstrating Heaven's vulnerability to forces that exist outside God's creation.
Hell
Hell serves as a place of punishment for human souls whose deeds or deals led to condemnation, as well as the abode of demons. Souls that enter Hell undergo prolonged and extremely cruel torture, as a result of which the human essence is gradually destroyed and the soul may transform into a demon. The process of transformation takes decades or centuries and is accompanied by the complete loss of the former personality in the majority of demons.
Entry into Hell occurs either through a judgment decision (Anubis or earlier — reapers and the will of God), or automatically upon the expiration of a crossroads demon deal, or when killed by hellhounds. Hellhounds specifically track those who have made a deal and, when the term expires, drag the soul to Hell. In the deepest regions of Hell lies Lucifer's Cage — a magically warded prison created to contain the fallen archangel. At various times the Cage also held Sam Winchester (as Lucifer's true vessel) and the archangel Michael together with Adam Milligan.
Hell has many levels and regions. Some are used to contain especially dangerous entities, others for mass torture. Time in Hell flows differently than on Earth: what seems like years of torture may correspond to a significantly shorter period in the material world. It is extremely difficult to move from Hell to Heaven without the intervention of higher powers. There are isolated cases in which God allowed condemned souls to enter Heaven (for example, Bobby Singer and John Winchester). Without such intervention a soul that has entered Hell is considered permanently cut off from Heaven.
There is a "backdoor" from Purgatory into Hell, used by some reapers for the secret transport of souls. This portal is located behind three trees that grow together beside a stream and allows official routes to be bypassed. Angels are capable of entering Hell, although this is associated with serious danger even for powerful seraphim. Demons, in turn, can leave Hell through various gates, deals and spells.
Purgatory
Purgatory was originally created by God as a prison for the Leviathans — the first beasts whose all-consuming nature threatened all of creation. Later it became the final destination for all monsters — creatures created by Eve or descended from them (vampires, werewolves, rugaru, shapeshifters, wendigos and others). Regardless of whether the monsters led a "good" or "bad" life, after death their souls are directed here.
Purgatory is a dark forested world filled with constant warfare. Every inhabitant is forced to hunt or become prey. The terrain consists of dense forests, rivers and rocks, and the atmosphere is saturated with blood and death. Time in Purgatory flows differently than on Earth: days appear significantly longer. According to Crowley's estimates, it contains between 30 and 40 million souls. Leviathans and other monsters are able to sense the presence of "outsiders" (humans or angels), and word of the appearance of such beings spreads quickly.
For humans who accidentally enter Purgatory there exists an emergency one-way portal created by God. It activates when a human approaches and ejects them into the forests of Maine (USA), known as the Hundred-Mile Wilderness. Monsters cannot pass through this portal on their own, but can "hitch a ride" inside a human by hiding their soul within the human's body with the aid of a special spell. It was in this way that Dean Winchester carried the soul of the vampire Benny Lafitte out of Purgatory, and later Sam carried out Bobby Singer's soul.
A known two-way "backdoor" to Hell is a portal concealed behind three trees that grow together beside a stream between boulders. It is used by some reapers for the secret transport of souls. The archangel Michael (from the Apocalypse World) was able to open rifts into Purgatory with a snap of his fingers. In addition, there exist rituals for opening portals from Earth that require the blood of a righteous man, the blood of the fallen and certain astronomical conditions (for example, a lunar eclipse).
Leviathans consider Purgatory a worse place than Hell. Despite the brutality, some inhabitants (including Benny) described Purgatory as a "pure" place, free of the complex intrigues of Heaven and Hell and based solely on the instinct of survival. If a monster is "killed" a second time while already in Purgatory, its soul apparently disappears permanently; the exact fate of such souls is not revealed in the canon.
The Empty
The Empty is the most ancient dimension, existing before God and the Darkness. According to the Shadow itself, before the appearance of creation, destruction, Heaven, Hell and Earth there was only "nothing," and it is in this nothing that dead angels and demons reside. After death all angels and demons go there. They remain in a state of eternal sleep accompanied by nightmares of their greatest regrets and failures. Ruby once described the Empty as a place full of sorrow and despair, despite the apparent peace.
The ruler of the Empty is the Shadow (Cosmic Entity). The awakening of anyone in the Empty disturbs the Shadow, which seeks to return everything to a state of rest and can itself sleep only when all inhabitants are asleep. The Shadow is capable of taking various forms, including that of Castiel, and of invading Heaven to claim Nephilim, whom it considers its own. The Shadow stated outright that "angels are mine" and regarded Nephilim as belonging to the Empty because of their angelic half.
Return from the Empty is possible only by the will of the Shadow, God, or through complex rituals (for example, using Nephilim blood). Castiel became the first known being to awaken and return from the Empty: he demanded release from the Shadow, and the latter, wishing to rid itself of the disturbance, agreed. Later the Shadow and Billie (in the form of Death) returned Jack Kline. God also demonstrated the ability to resurrect beings from the Empty, contradicting the Shadow's earlier claims of complete independence from the Creator's power. Nick (Lucifer's vessel) nearly succeeded in a ritual to return Lucifer using Jack's blood, but Jack sent his father back.
The Empty is not a place of torture in the classical sense, yet the Shadow called it worse than Hell because "at least Hell is something." For the inhabitants, eternal sleep with recurring nightmares of their own failures becomes a form of infinite punishment.
Role of the Fates
The Fates are three sisters, the Greek goddesses of destiny: Clotho (who spins the thread of life), Lachesis (who measures its length) and Atropos (who cuts the thread). God assigned them the task of maintaining the Natural Order: ensuring that events unfold according to destiny and that beings die at their appointed time. The Fates exist outside the ordinary hierarchy of angels and demons and possess power surpassing that of many mighty beings.
Atropos appeared most actively in the series (the episode "My Heart Will Go On"). When the angel Balthazar prevented the sinking of the Titanic, disrupting the fate of thousands of people, Atropos began eliminating the descendants of those who should have died in order to restore the balance. She possesses Destiny's Book, in which predetermined deaths and their circumstances are recorded. The Fates are closely linked to the work of reapers and Death: they determine the moment and manner of death, while reapers carry out the soul's transition. Destiny's Book can be destroyed, yet Atropos is able to recreate it.
The Fates possess significant power. According to Atropos, her elder sisters are even more powerful and capable of destroying even the Winchesters in an instant. Interference in the work of the Fates leads to serious consequences for the Natural Order. Castiel was forced to make a deal with Atropos in order to stop her vengeance. The Fates remind us that even God once delegated to them a portion of his authority over the maintenance of fate, and their role remains critically important for the functioning of the entire system of afterlife localization.
Death
Death is the oldest and most powerful of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a primordial entity that has existed since the beginning of time alongside God. Death himself admitted that he no longer remembers which of them is older — himself or God — and that in the end he will reap God as well. This statement, made to Dean Winchester, underscores the absolute nature of the Natural Order: even the Creator is not eternal.
Death stands above ordinary reapers and possesses near-limitless power over life and death. He is capable of moving souls, causing planetary-scale catastrophes, entering Lucifer's Cage without the Horsemen's rings, removing or transferring the Mark of Cain, and even realigning the solar system. Unlike the other Horsemen, the loss of his ring does not weaken him. Death can appear in human form without the need to possess a vessel.
Death's relationship with God is complex. God once imprisoned him, and Lucifer later bound him with a spell and used him as a weapon. Death repeatedly expressed contempt for interference in the Natural Order and for those who attempt to cheat it. He interacted with Dean Winchester on multiple occasions: offering a deal in exchange for freedom from Lucifer's control, teaching Dean the rules of the Order, and temporarily transferring his powers to him (by putting on the ring, Dean became Death for a day and was obliged to reap souls). Later Dean killed the original Death with Death's own scythe.
After the death of the original Death, the reaper Billie took his place — according to the rule that the first reaper to die after Death becomes the new incarnation. Billie continued to uphold the Natural Order while also pursuing her own goals. A brief third incarnation, Betty, later appeared. Death (in any incarnation) remains one of the key regulators of all posthumous phenomena: it is Death and the reapers who ensure the transition of souls, and violation of Death's rules entails severe consequences for all of creation.
Structure and operation
The system of afterlife localization functions within the Natural Order, maintained by God, Death, reapers, the Fates and Anubis. Each of these elements performs a strictly defined role, and disruption of any one link inevitably affects the entire system.
The process for a human soul typically proceeds as follows:
1. Physical death of the body.
2. The soul's departure from the body into the Veil (Astral Plane).
3. Appearance of a reaper who takes the soul.
4. Judgment (Anubis with his abacus or earlier — the will of God and reapers).
5. Direction to Heaven or Hell according to the balance of deeds.
Monsters are directed to Purgatory automatically, regardless of the nature of their lives. Angels and demons, upon destruction, are sent to the Empty. Nephilim represent a special case: with a soul they may enter Heaven, yet the Shadow insists on their belonging to the Empty.
Reapers can travel between dimensions and sometimes use unofficial routes (including the "backdoor" through Purgatory). Death (in its various incarnations — from the original Death to Billie) holds supreme authority over the soul-collection process but rarely intervenes directly, preferring to maintain the Natural Order. The Fates determine the moment and manner of death, recording them in Destiny's Book, while reapers carry out the transition. Anubis performs the final "tally" for human souls.
Disruptions of the system (the sealing of Heaven by Metatron, Castiel's opening of Purgatory, awakenings in the Empty, Balthazar's interference with fate) lead to global consequences: accumulation of ghosts in the Veil, the release of Leviathans onto Earth, invasions of Heaven by the Shadow, and mass "corrections" of fate by Atropos. Resurrections performed by angels, demons or God are also temporary violations of the Natural Order and frequently entail compensatory events.
The interconnection of the dimensions is also manifested in the existence of portals. From Purgatory there is a path to Hell and back, as well as to Earth; from the Veil there are exits into the material world; from the Empty there are extremely rare paths of return. These connections allow, under certain conditions, the movement of souls and entities between locations, which has been repeatedly used by characters in the series.
Significance in the series
Afterlife localization is one of the central elements of the mythology of the series *Supernatural*. It determines the stakes of most conflicts: the Winchester brothers died and returned multiple times, allowing both viewers and characters to explore various dimensions. Dean Winchester's time in Purgatory (seasons seven–eight), Sam Winchester's imprisonment in Lucifer's Cage, Castiel's return from the Empty, Anubis's judgment of Lily Sunder, and the Shadow's claims on Jack Kline — all these events successively reveal the structure of the afterlife and the rules by which it functions.
The system also serves as a vehicle for examining the key themes of the series: free will, destiny, redemption, the cost of resurrection and the nature of the divine order. The Fates underscore the idea of predestination and inevitability, while the numerous returns from the dead (accomplished by angels, demons, God, the Shadow or through rituals) demonstrate the possibility of disrupting that order — and the consequences of such disruptions. The story of Jack Kline, who after death entered the Empty (while soulless), was then returned, regained his soul and ultimately became the new God who rebuilt Heaven, serves as the culmination of the entire theme of afterlife localization.
In the series finale, Jack's rebuilding of Heaven symbolizes the possibility of improving the system created by the previous God. The new Heaven becomes a place where souls can interact freely rather than remaining locked in separate memories. This change emphasizes that even the fundamental laws of creation can be revised.
In addition, afterlife localization is closely tied to the Winchesters' hunting activities. Knowledge of where the souls of monsters, demons and humans go directly affects methods of hunting, the use of rituals and an understanding of the consequences of destroying supernatural beings.
Interesting facts and notes
- The Empty existed before Creation and, according to the Shadow's initial claims, lies outside God's power. It was later revealed that God is nevertheless capable of resurrecting beings from the Empty, although the Shadow continues to regard the dimension as its own.
- Anubis was chosen over his father Osiris as the judge of souls after God's departure. Osiris had previously appeared in the series as a pagan god who judged the living according to the weight of their guilt.
- In Purgatory, monsters "killed" a second time apparently disappear permanently. The exact fate of such souls is not revealed in the canon, and Castiel explicitly noted the metaphysical uncertainty of this question.
- Nephilim represent a special case: with a soul they may enter Heaven, but the Shadow insists on their belonging to the Empty because of their angelic half. When Jack died without a soul, he went precisely to the Empty.
- Astral projection renders a person vulnerable like a ghost (salt, iron) while granting corresponding abilities (telekinesis, teleportation, interaction with spirits).
- The Fates work in close connection with Death and reapers, determining not only the moment but also the manner of death. Atropos's Destiny's Book contains records of predetermined ends.
- After Metatron's spell that expelled the angels from Heaven, the Veil became overcrowded with souls destined for Heaven. These souls remained tied to the places of their deaths until the functioning of Heaven was restored.
- There exists an emergency portal out of Purgatory specifically for humans — evidence that God foresaw the possibility of mortals accidentally ending up there. The portal ejects a person into the Hundred-Mile Wilderness in the state of Maine.
- Reapers can send souls not only to Heaven or Hell but also to the Empty (as a punishment, as Billie threatened the Winchesters). It remains unknown to this day whether that threat was genuine or a bluff on the part of the then-current Death. It is not definitively established whether Death has the ability to move human souls into the Empty.
- Time flows differently in the various dimensions: in Purgatory and Hell it stretches relative to Earth — 40 years in Hell are roughly equal to one Earth year. In Heaven the situation with time is different: a comparatively short period spent in Heaven (presumably a few hours) equals a lifetime on Earth (the final scene of the last episode, when Dean, having managed to reach the bridge in Heaven, waited for Sam, who had lived out his entire earthly life).
- Death stated that he would one day reap God himself, emphasizing that even the Creator is subject to the Natural Order.
