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Hellmouth (Buffyverse)
Encyclopedia
In the fictional universe established by the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
, the Buffyverse
, a Hellmouth is an area fraught with massive supernatural activity.
Hellmouths are places of increased supernatural energy
. According to the mythology of the "Buffyverse
", this is the area in which the barriers between dimensions are weak. The Hellmouth has a focal point, which serves as a portal between earth and Hell. For these reasons, the Hellmouth attracts demon
s and other supernatural creatures, becoming a "hot spot" for supernatural activity. The television series has confirmed that there are Hellmouths under Sunnydale
, California
and Cleveland, Ohio
, as well as other unspecified cities around the world (cf. "Chosen
").
The Hellmouth is first mentioned by name in "The Harvest
", the second episode of Buffy, when Rupert Giles
claims that the original Spanish settlers of Sunnydale
called the area "Boca del Infierno," which Giles then translates to "Hellmouth" in English.
The energies emitted by the Hellmouth can have strange effects. Sunnydale High, positioned over the focal point, bore most of this supernatural phenomena. Buffy
described the effects thus; "where the way a thing feels kind of starts being that way for real". For example, a shy girl who is completely ignored by teachers and students alike turns invisible and is taken away to a school for other invisible children. A boy suffering from stress literally explodes. The ghosts of dead high-school lovers haunt the school. In Season 7, when the Hellmouth becomes more active than during any other time in the series, competition between social clique
s escalates into full-blown war. Inexplicable feats of science become possible. People (mostly teachers and students as well as police) become drawn to do evil things.
In both "Prophecy Girl
" and "The Zeppo", large, multi-tentacled demons seem to be immediately inside the Hellmouth, until Buffy
and her friends slew them in the latter episode. In the episode "Doomed", Buffy entered the Hellmouth where it was revealed to be a large, empty cavern. Three years later, the First Evil
bred thousands of Turok-Han
s inside the Hellmouth, preparing to unleash a worldwide assault.
" the Hellmouth is seen as a narrow but incredibly deep pit in the ruins of the school. When Sunnydale High is re-built at the beginning of the 7th Season, Xander Harris
says that the new principal's office is now located directly over the Hellmouth.
In the 7th Season episode "Conversations with Dead People," a never-before-seen artifact, the Seal of Danzalthar, located in the school's basement below the principal's office, covers the opening of the Hellmouth.
There have been many attempts by apocalyptic individuals/groups to open or utilize the Sunnydale Hellmouth, such as in the episodes "The Harvest", "The Zeppo
" and "Doomed
".
The Seal of Danzalthar is a fiction
al device resembling a demonic symbol, featuring an inverted pentagram
and a goat's head
. It is located over the Hellmouth in the basement of the rebuilt Sunnydale High School, though no explanation is ever given as to how it got there or why it was never seen any of the previous times the Hellmouth was seen.
The Seal is first seen in Season 7 of the series, in the episode "Conversations With Dead People". Andrew Wells
is seduced by First Evil
in the form of Andrew's dead friend Warren Mears
into opening the Seal. The Seal can only be opened by a blood sacrifice, so Andrew murders his friend Jonathan Levinson
who, because he is anemic, doesn't have enough blood to open the Seal. Jonathan's body and the Seal are found by Principal Robin Wood and buried.
The First Evil sends its minions, The Bringers, to capture Spike. They bind him over the Seal and bleed him. The Seal opens sufficiently to allow one Turok-Han
(a.k.a. "Ubervamp") to slip through. The first Turok-Han is killed shortly thereafter by Buffy.
In "First Date
" Lissa, a minor demon, tries to open the Seal using the blood of Xander Harris
but is unsuccessful.
In the episode "Storyteller
," the Seal is wreaking havoc on the Sunnydale student body, inspiring all-out warring amongst cliques, the spontaneous combustion of one student, and the invisibility of another. Five students perform a ritual over the Seal which causes it to emit white light. The students are transformed into Bringers. Buffy
, stating that Andrew may be able to communicate with the Seal, takes him to it. Actually, Buffy and Willow
have deduced that while blood opens the Seal, tears of remorse close it. Buffy forces Andrew to face up to his actions in murdering Jonathan and his tears fall upon the Seal, closing it and temporarily stopping its deleterious effects. By the time of "Touched
," the Hellmouth has grown so powerful that Spike is able to freely enter and exit human residences without being invited, something vampires are usually unable to do, indicating that all of Sunnydale's residences now "belong" to the Hellmouth rather than to their human owners.
In the series finale, "Chosen
," Buffy, Faith and several Potential Slayers cut their hands and bleed on the Seal, opening it. They enter the Hellmouth itself and engage the forces of The First Evil on its own ground. After a pitched battle, an amulet worn by Spike begins to glow. A beam of sunlight shines down into the Hellmouth, focused and amplified by the amulet. The forces of The First Evil are destroyed, the Seal and the Hellmouth are collapsed and the entire town of Sunnydale is consumed in the destruction. As of the events of "Chosen", the Sunnydale Hellmouth is permanently closed and inactive.
The Seal was referenced by Blizzard Entertainment as an epic ring in the game World of Warcraft
.
canon
, located in Sunnydale
, California
and a second one, mentioned several times throughout the series, in Cleveland, Ohio
.
The location of the second Hellmouth is first suggested in the episode "The Wish
". In an alternative timeline, Giles mentions that "there is a lot of demonic activity in Cleveland", where Buffy is located due to the effects of Cordelia
's wish.
After the final battle in "Chosen
", and the characters express relief that their struggle is finally over, Giles adds that "there's another one in Cleveland". In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
comic "No Future For You", Giles refers to Cleveland, where Faith is stationed, as a "second-rate Hellmouth". In Angel: After the Fall
, the Senior Partners express interest in purchasing property in Cleveland, following the destruction of the Sunnydale Hellmouth.
In the non-canon novel Queen of the Slayers, which takes place after "Chosen
", Faith and Robin go to Cleveland to control the supernatural activity there.
In the other non-canon novel Dark Congress which also takes place after "Chosen" Buffy and the gang convene in Rhode Island
where a Hellmouth closed by the death of H.P. Lovecraft reopened for the first Dark Congress in 500 yrs.
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, the Buffyverse
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
, a Hellmouth is an area fraught with massive supernatural activity.
Definition
"From beneath you, it devours."Hellmouths are places of increased supernatural energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
. According to the mythology of the "Buffyverse
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
", this is the area in which the barriers between dimensions are weak. The Hellmouth has a focal point, which serves as a portal between earth and Hell. For these reasons, the Hellmouth attracts demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s and other supernatural creatures, becoming a "hot spot" for supernatural activity. The television series has confirmed that there are Hellmouths under Sunnydale
Sunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, as well as other unspecified cities around the world (cf. "Chosen
Chosen (Buffy episode)
"Chosen" is the series finale of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It serves as the 22nd episode of the seventh season, and the 144th episode overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003...
").
The Hellmouth is first mentioned by name in "The Harvest
The Harvest (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)
"The Harvest" is the second episode of season one of the WB Television Network television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by executive producer Joss Whedon and directed by John T. Kretchmer. The episode originally aired in feature-length format alongside part one, "Welcome to the...
", the second episode of Buffy, when Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
claims that the original Spanish settlers of Sunnydale
Sunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
called the area "Boca del Infierno," which Giles then translates to "Hellmouth" in English.
The energies emitted by the Hellmouth can have strange effects. Sunnydale High, positioned over the focal point, bore most of this supernatural phenomena. Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
described the effects thus; "where the way a thing feels kind of starts being that way for real". For example, a shy girl who is completely ignored by teachers and students alike turns invisible and is taken away to a school for other invisible children. A boy suffering from stress literally explodes. The ghosts of dead high-school lovers haunt the school. In Season 7, when the Hellmouth becomes more active than during any other time in the series, competition between social clique
Clique
A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
s escalates into full-blown war. Inexplicable feats of science become possible. People (mostly teachers and students as well as police) become drawn to do evil things.
In both "Prophecy Girl
Prophecy Girl
"Prophecy Girl" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's first season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the 12th episode of the series. The episode first aired on June 2, 1997 with the series acting as a midseason replacement for Savannah...
" and "The Zeppo", large, multi-tentacled demons seem to be immediately inside the Hellmouth, until Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
and her friends slew them in the latter episode. In the episode "Doomed", Buffy entered the Hellmouth where it was revealed to be a large, empty cavern. Three years later, the First Evil
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
bred thousands of Turok-Han
Turok-Han
The Turok-Han vampires are fictional characters from Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They appear in the 7th and final season of the series, making their first appearance in the episode "Never Leave Me", when the Seal of Danzalthar is opened under the basement of Sunnydale High,...
s inside the Hellmouth, preparing to unleash a worldwide assault.
Sunnydale Hellmouth
The Sunnydale Hellmouth lies underneath the library of Sunnydale High school during the first three seasons of the show, until the School's destruction at the end of Season 3. In the Season 4 episode "DoomedDoomed (Buffy episode)
"Doomed" is the 11th episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Buffy and Riley finally talk. As much as Riley wants to tell Buffy who he really is, he can't, but Buffy is able to guess based on the evidence of the past several weeks...
" the Hellmouth is seen as a narrow but incredibly deep pit in the ruins of the school. When Sunnydale High is re-built at the beginning of the 7th Season, Xander Harris
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
says that the new principal's office is now located directly over the Hellmouth.
In the 7th Season episode "Conversations with Dead People," a never-before-seen artifact, the Seal of Danzalthar, located in the school's basement below the principal's office, covers the opening of the Hellmouth.
There have been many attempts by apocalyptic individuals/groups to open or utilize the Sunnydale Hellmouth, such as in the episodes "The Harvest", "The Zeppo
The Zeppo (Buffy episode)
"The Zeppo" is episode 13 of season 3 on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Makeup in a Series. Feeling left out by the gang, Xander "befriends" a psychotic student named Jack O'Toole...
" and "Doomed
Doomed (Buffy episode)
"Doomed" is the 11th episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Buffy and Riley finally talk. As much as Riley wants to tell Buffy who he really is, he can't, but Buffy is able to guess based on the evidence of the past several weeks...
".
The Seal of Danzalthar
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al device resembling a demonic symbol, featuring an inverted pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
and a goat's head
Baphomet
Baphomet is an imagined pagan deity , revived in the 19th century as a figure of occultism and Satanism. It appeared as a term for a pagan idol in trial transcripts of the Inquisition of the Knights Templar in the early 14th century...
. It is located over the Hellmouth in the basement of the rebuilt Sunnydale High School, though no explanation is ever given as to how it got there or why it was never seen any of the previous times the Hellmouth was seen.
The Seal is first seen in Season 7 of the series, in the episode "Conversations With Dead People". Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the canonical continuation of the series....
is seduced by First Evil
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
in the form of Andrew's dead friend Warren Mears
Warren Mears
Warren Mears is a fictional character portrayed by Adam Busch in the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as its canonical comic book series continuation.-Television:...
into opening the Seal. The Seal can only be opened by a blood sacrifice, so Andrew murders his friend Jonathan Levinson
Jonathan Levinson
Jonathan Levinson is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Danny Strong.-Character history:Jonathan was born in 1981 and raised in Sunnydale, California...
who, because he is anemic, doesn't have enough blood to open the Seal. Jonathan's body and the Seal are found by Principal Robin Wood and buried.
The First Evil sends its minions, The Bringers, to capture Spike. They bind him over the Seal and bleed him. The Seal opens sufficiently to allow one Turok-Han
Turok-Han
The Turok-Han vampires are fictional characters from Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They appear in the 7th and final season of the series, making their first appearance in the episode "Never Leave Me", when the Seal of Danzalthar is opened under the basement of Sunnydale High,...
(a.k.a. "Ubervamp") to slip through. The first Turok-Han is killed shortly thereafter by Buffy.
In "First Date
First Date (Buffy episode)
"First Date" is the fourteenth episode of season 7 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Buffy discusses the removal of Spike's chip with Giles; Giles doesn't believe that it was the right thing to do, while Buffy is convinced that it was.At work, Buffy tries to hunt for...
" Lissa, a minor demon, tries to open the Seal using the blood of Xander Harris
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
but is unsuccessful.
In the episode "Storyteller
Storyteller (Buffy episode)
"Storyteller" is the sixteenth episode of season 7 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Storyteller refers to Andrew Wells, who has become a pseudo-member of the Scooby Gang after being a villain in the previous season, and has been held hostage at Buffy's home since early in the...
," the Seal is wreaking havoc on the Sunnydale student body, inspiring all-out warring amongst cliques, the spontaneous combustion of one student, and the invisibility of another. Five students perform a ritual over the Seal which causes it to emit white light. The students are transformed into Bringers. Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
, stating that Andrew may be able to communicate with the Seal, takes him to it. Actually, Buffy and Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
have deduced that while blood opens the Seal, tears of remorse close it. Buffy forces Andrew to face up to his actions in murdering Jonathan and his tears fall upon the Seal, closing it and temporarily stopping its deleterious effects. By the time of "Touched
Touched (Buffy episode)
"Touched" is the 20th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot:After being ejected from her home when the Scooby Gang loses faith in her leadership, a depressed Buffy is comforted by Spike....
," the Hellmouth has grown so powerful that Spike is able to freely enter and exit human residences without being invited, something vampires are usually unable to do, indicating that all of Sunnydale's residences now "belong" to the Hellmouth rather than to their human owners.
In the series finale, "Chosen
Chosen (Buffy episode)
"Chosen" is the series finale of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It serves as the 22nd episode of the seventh season, and the 144th episode overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003...
," Buffy, Faith and several Potential Slayers cut their hands and bleed on the Seal, opening it. They enter the Hellmouth itself and engage the forces of The First Evil on its own ground. After a pitched battle, an amulet worn by Spike begins to glow. A beam of sunlight shines down into the Hellmouth, focused and amplified by the amulet. The forces of The First Evil are destroyed, the Seal and the Hellmouth are collapsed and the entire town of Sunnydale is consumed in the destruction. As of the events of "Chosen", the Sunnydale Hellmouth is permanently closed and inactive.
The Seal was referenced by Blizzard Entertainment as an epic ring in the game World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
.
Cleveland Hellmouth
There is one featured Hellmouth in BuffyverseBuffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
canon
Buffyverse canon
The Buffyverse canon consists of materials that are thought to be genuine and those events, characters, settings, etc., that are considered to have inarguable existence within the fictional universe established by the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
, located in Sunnydale
Sunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and a second one, mentioned several times throughout the series, in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
The location of the second Hellmouth is first suggested in the episode "The Wish
The Wish (Buffy episode)
"The Wish" is the ninth episode of season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Plot synopsis :Following Xander and Willow's kiss in "Lovers Walk", Oz has called a time-out on his relationship with Willow and Cordelia is decidedly avoiding any contact with Xander. Cordelia returns to school only to be...
". In an alternative timeline, Giles mentions that "there is a lot of demonic activity in Cleveland", where Buffy is located due to the effects of Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
's wish.
After the final battle in "Chosen
Chosen (Buffy episode)
"Chosen" is the series finale of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It serves as the 22nd episode of the seventh season, and the 144th episode overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003...
", and the characters express relief that their struggle is finally over, Giles adds that "there's another one in Cleveland". In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
comic "No Future For You", Giles refers to Cleveland, where Faith is stationed, as a "second-rate Hellmouth". In Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
, the Senior Partners express interest in purchasing property in Cleveland, following the destruction of the Sunnydale Hellmouth.
In the non-canon novel Queen of the Slayers, which takes place after "Chosen
Chosen (Buffy episode)
"Chosen" is the series finale of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It serves as the 22nd episode of the seventh season, and the 144th episode overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003...
", Faith and Robin go to Cleveland to control the supernatural activity there.
In the other non-canon novel Dark Congress which also takes place after "Chosen" Buffy and the gang convene in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
where a Hellmouth closed by the death of H.P. Lovecraft reopened for the first Dark Congress in 500 yrs.