Hell/Movie Continuity

is the place where deceased Humans and cleansed Hollows and Arrancar are sent if they were wicked when they were alive.

Overview
Hell is a place where the Souls of Sinners, known as Togabito, are forever tormented for their crimes. Should any Togabito die while in Hell, they will continuously be revived to prolong their suffering. Likewise, should a Human, Shinigami, or Quincy enter Hell and die there, they will automatically be revived as a Togabito. A highly enigmatic place, Hell is considered a separate realm from the Three Worlds of Soul Society, the Human world, and Hueco Mundo, and even predates their creation at the hands of the Soul King. One of the reasons the Human World was believed to be created was so it could serve as a "lid" to seal off Hell from the rest of existence.

Effect Upon Hollowfication
Kokutō explains that the unique environment of Hell also has an adverse effect on individuals that possess Hollow-like abilities. While the extent to which is unknown, Hell's influence is powerful enough to coax Ichigo Kurosaki into inadvertently summoning his Hollow mask to defeat a Kushanāda. Kokutō also confirms that if Ichigo lets his guard down whilst fighting in Hell, his Hollow powers will manifest and take over his body. This happens on two separate occasions, wherein his inner Hollow completely takes over his body in Hell.

Inhabitants
The only known natural inhabitants of Hell are the Kushanāda, gargantuan beings that guard and torment the imprisoned Togabito.

Accessing Hell
Under normal circumstances, the only way to access Hell is to be branded a "Sinner" upon death, after which the Gates of Hell will manifest in the Human World and pull their victim in before disappearing again.

However, as difficult as it is to enter Hell, it is next to impossible for any inhabitant to truly leave Hell. The Gates of Hell themselves prevent conventional departure and keep the Kushanāda from leaving. Additionally, the Togabito are also forever bound to Hell by nigh-indestructible chains; even if a Togabito would somehow slip past the Gates, they will inevitably be pulled back by the chains. Should any Shinigami be required enter Hell, they can be granted access to a special Hell Kidō, which can teleport them back to the Human World as long as the Gates of Hell are still open.

Government
Hell has no known government or rulers, and is stated to fall outside of the jurisdiction of the Gotei 13. Only a select few Shinigami have duties that correspond directly to Hell.

The First Level

 * The First Level of Hell features a multitude of white blocks floating in mid-air among a series of blue pathways. It is on this level that many of the dejected Togabito reside, having given up on resistance. Renji Abarai commented that the First Level of Hell has Reiatsu so strangled that people with normal Reiatsu would go insane. This level is where the majority of Kushanāda patrol frequently, in order to prey upon the weaker Togabito. At the edge of the blue pathway is a gaping abyss, through which the next level can be accessed.

The Second Level

 * The Second Level of Hell is mostly composed of a large body of water. Within this large expanse of water, are a multitude of stone water lilies, in the center of which lies a pierced skeleton of a Kushanāda. It is on this level that Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends initially battle with the Togabito in Hell. The body of water can also be navigated through, and ultimately leads to the third level.

The Third Level

 * The Third Level of Hell is a rocky, barren landscape with various craters in which yellow lava forms. It is here that Szayelaporro Granz and Aaroniero Arruruerie battled with Shuren and his comrades. Ichigo and Kokutō navigate through this area to reach Shuren's base at the lowermost level of Hell. Taikon, Gunjō, and Garogai are all defeated on this level. After the rocky landscape is cleared, there is a narrow passageway lit with the dim lighting from various shrines.

The Fourth Level

 * The Fourth Level of Hell starts off with a hilly area in which there are a multitude of small domes jutting out of the ground. From the opening in the face of a cliff, a thundering waterfall with the yellow lava rains down around it. The sand which emits trace amounts of Reiatsu is comprised of the crushed bones of millions of Togabito, who turned to ash due to the hopelessness of their predicament. This section then crosses over into a giant skeleton resembling the ones which make up the Gates of Hell. This overlooks a pit of lava, which has the ability to resurrect killed Togabito. Around the skeletal structure, is a series of pillars and a set of stone fingers.

The Lowermost Level

 * The Lowermost Level of Hell is composed of a black landscape, with many irregular columns covered in veins of lava jutting out from the ground. The Kushanāda are capable of materializing from within these lava columns. This level was where Kokutō was imprisoned in Hell, and also where he subsequently awoke after witnessing Ichigo's Hollowfication. Lightning strikes are a frequent occurrence here. There are also withered trees composed of bones littered across the landscape, from which Kokutō hangs the bodies of Lieutenant Renji Abarai and Uryū Ishida for Ichigo to see.