- "♪In Heaven
You're safe from all the dirty deeds and depression
Of a sad little world we hope will join us in succession...
But that's behind you, let down your guard!
Like socks with sandals?
Or eating scented candles?
In Heaven, you can be who you truly are!
It's serene with divine eats
And all the bestest holy beatz
No need to hold your child's hand while walking the streets" - — Serenity w/ Heaven denizens in "In Heaven".
Heaven is a perfect, sacred, and ethereal realm of mirth serving as the abode for celestial beings referred to as angels. Analogous to its opposite, Hell, Heaven serves as the destination for the souls of the recently deceased who have passed from Earth, though, unlike its infernal inverse, Heaven is the haven for souls considered to be virtuous and "redeemed".
History
Heaven was created by God while the Light Beyond the Stars were tasked by the Almighty to lay the foundations of the Universe. Shortly after the creation of Heaven, God created seven archangels who would act as the deity's sons and the princes of the sacred domain. One of the Light Beyond the Stars would use the role of Heaven's Light. The mythical object, that is capable of turning into a sun, and is potentially capable of saving those with damned or corrupted souls. God would then knight Archangel Forti as Heaven's greatest protector shortly after the Excalibur chose him as its wielder, tasking him with training Heaven's warrior angels to defend the realm from external threats. Over the years, Heaven would become heavily populated by both natural-born angels, and Winners, former humans who ascended to Heaven after death.
After humanity was created, God commanded all angels in Heaven to bow down to humanity and present more compassion toward them than to Himself. While most angels followed God's command without question and swore to protect His creations, one prince of Heaven, Lucifer Morningstar disobeyed God's order as he saw humans as unworthy in comparison to his own perfection, and questioned why God would order His angels to worship humanity, rather than Lucifer himself. Scorned by God's decision and believing that he was more worthy of ruling all creation than God Himself, Lucifer decided to do whatever it took to overthrow his Father and claim the title of God for himself. The prince would then ally himself with a fallen member of the Light Beyond the Stars, Satan, and go on to corrupt thousands of angels and spiritual entities into joining his eventual war against God.
After months of building his army, Lucifer finally launched his assault on Heaven, opening a gateway for Satan and its malevolent creations to attack both Heaven and the Universe. Millions of humans and angels were killed in the destructive conflict, and Heaven was thrown into a state of war, with not even innocent bystanders being spared. Heaven's military, consisting of warrior angels and an army of archangels led by Forti rose to stop Lucifer's army and Satan, but all archangels were massacred by the Devil. Their deaths led Forti to open a gateway to Purgatory that dragged everything within its vicinity, including Satan and Forti himself, into the realm. Forti then closed the gateway to prevent the Devil and its followers from escaping, imprisoning himself along with them. Archangel Michael, at the behest of God, then rose up to personally stop Lucifer and his amassed army of fallen angels, banishing the fallen prince and all who followed him into rebellion to Hell, stripping Lucifer's followers of their angelic forms and power in the process and transforming them into demons.
The War in Heaven led a profound impact on the realm and the Universe at large. Millions of angels were killed in the conflict, and thousands of angels, notably Millicent and the seven angel children, became lost in the conflict for various reasons, whether they fled out of fear or were dragged into Purgatory when Forti opened the gateway, with most never returning. Heaven strengthened its security by installing large, magical, golden gates around its perimeters, and Michael was appointed to replace Forti as commander of Heaven's military. However Michael eventually forced his younger brother Azrael into leading Heaven's military while he and his siblings went off to serve directly under God. The then-young and inexperienced Azrael was previously meant to go with his siblings while Michael stayed behind guarded Heaven, but Michael desired the prestige of serving under God rather than Heaven.
Over the passing centuries, the strength of Hell's sinner population continued to grow. Despite it not being within their direct jurisdiction, the leadership of Heaven harbored deep-seated fear that the Root of Evil might amass power to a point where not even Purgatory could contain her. Azrael proposed an idea that involved him and his personal army, the Exorcists, descending into Hell to eradicate a significant portion of the sinner population. While officially presented as a strategy to diminish Roo's power and curb the wrongdoings she could feed upon, the true intention of the archangel was to establish Heaven's dominance over Hell. Heaven, initially hesitant, ultimately gave reluctant approval to Azrael's plan due to the pervasive fear of Evil that gripped their leadership.
Description
Positioned above Hell itself, Heaven can be seen in the Pride Ring's crimson sky, adjacent to the city's infernal star-shaped moon. Its external appearance resembles an immense white orb or moon-like entity, crowned with a halo, yet its inner expanse presents an unending vista of clear skies illuminated by radiant beams of light and iridescent rainbows. The landscape within consists of an infinite realm of enchanted clouds. Despite having a visible exterior, Heaven can only be accessed through the use of portals that bridge a gap between realms; it is impossible to simply fly up to it.
Heaven is a very whimsical and carefree place, a place only found somewhere over the rainbow and in one's dreams. It is a realm where everyone is accepted regardless of age, appearance, or disposition; The diversity and uniqueness of souls is celebrated, with everyone being accepted and appreciated for their quirks. In this merry land, there are no worries, no bullies, no bad days, and no strife. The souls within spend their time frolicking, laughing, conversing, singing, and enjoying simple pleasures such as picnics or visiting the many discothèques, theme parks, riding boat-shaped clouds through an oasis, and visiting candy stores. The routines are relaxed, with work starting late and ending early, leaving ample time for leisure.
Heaven's atmosphere and magical nature ensures no curse words, with profanity being replaced by innocent words dubbed over by a toddler. Weapons of mass destruction are rendered useless, and winners are reborn with perfect bodies and kept in good shape through gentle care at the oasis and spas.
Architecturally, most of Heaven's structures possess a dreamlike design that defies the laws of reality, often featuring asymmetrical elements. The more opulent structures in locales such as Halo City exhibit a resplendent quality, evoking the impression of crystal or diamond composition. Streets throughout Heaven are paved with gold or adorned with diamonds, while some buildings seemingly levitate upon clouds, defying gravity itself.
Beyond its divine civilizations, Heaven boasts an array of expansive landscapes and features, including boundless meadows adorned with exquisite flowers and teeming with diverse wildlife. Rainbow-hued waterfalls cascade gracefully, accompanied by geysers that playfully eject confectionery treats. Every tree within this realm bears plump, perpetually fresh fruit, assuring that even in the event of becoming disoriented, sustenance and hydration are inexhaustibly available, eliminating the specter of starvation or thirst.
Unlike Hell, Heaven is constantly expanding, so its wonders are essentially endless.
Heaven's enchanted forests are home to a diverse array of sentient wildlife, such as all of God's creatures, extinct or extant. This even includes a vast array of mythical animals, such as unicorns, pegasi, minotaurs, and chimeras. These creatures possess sapience, and an inherent wisdom and hospitality akin to the angels of Heaven. And, of course, they possess the ability to communicate through speech and song.
Heaven's atmosphere stands in stark contrast to its infernal counterpart, Hell. While Hell remains in perpetual chaos and disorder, Heaven exudes an aura of serenity, enchantment, and whimsy. The majority of its inhabitants embody a joyful and warm-hearted nature, characterized by their welcoming demeanor and playfully lighthearted disposition. They readily break into song and offer assistance whenever the opportunity arises, presenting a striking juxtaposition to the aggressive and coarse inhabitants of Hell.
In Heaven, children can freely explore without concern, as both predators and threats are nonexistent. Objects and animals come to life with the ability to communicate eloquently through speech and song. At every turn, one encounters rainbow-kissed ponds and flower-strewn fields, and the streets resonate with the harmonious melodies of exuberant angels, who eagerly join in each other's musical revelries.
In direct contrast to Hell's tumultuous nature, Heaven stands as a realm of profound tranquility, marked by meticulous bureaucracy and meticulous orderliness. Consequently, its inhabitants tend to respond swiftly with a sense of alarm whenever chaos or impending danger looms. This rapid reaction arises from their accustomed existence of serene living, which has fostered a heightened sensitivity to disruptions in their harmonious environment.
To say the relationship between Heaven and Hell is a mixed bag would be an understatement; the majority of Hell's society holds strong animosity and/or resentment toward Heaven and its inhabitants, with many sinners despising the realm for sending the Exterminators to massacre the Pride Ring's population, and demons expressing disdain towards angels for their purities and strong belief in humanity. Some angels, such as Azrael and Keenie are shown to despise demons, and the Exterminators expressed clear joy and excitement while butchering Pride's populace. Most of Heaven's denizens are rightfully afraid of Hell's inhabitants while not necessarily believing they are helpless or irredeemable. There were almost as many angels who supported the annual Extermination than those who opposed it; many supported the extermination out of bigoted hatred, extremist views or loyalty to Azrael while most oppose it on a moral ground. Other angels, such as Millicent of the Heavenly Host and Forti, expressed sympathy for sinners and do not hate them, as they are still humans in a way, and have encouraged Charlie's mission to reform sinners so that they can ascend to Heaven.
Heaven was somewhat infamous for being extremely difficult to get into; a solitary sin or transgression committed during one's lifetime is sufficient for condemnation to Hell, effectively barring access to Heaven. This policy remained steadfast, irrespective of the individual's overall benevolence throughout their existence. However, this stringent admission criteria was a relatively recent development. In contemporary times, Azrael, the formerly preeminent archangel-turned-disgraceful standard angel and the former overseer of Heaven in God's absence, had exerted his personal convictions upon the realm's statutes. During his authority, only those who were devoid of sin or fervently dedicated to God found acceptance within Heaven's confines. However, Azrael was eventually removed from Heaven, and his standards along with him, making Heaven far more easily enterable to the good-willed.
Heaven has a structured prayer system which works almost like the human race's mail system, wherein the entreaties of humans, angels, and demons alike are submitted to God for vetting before reaching their intended recipients. These prayers, originating from the depths of one's being, may sometimes be tainted by self-serving motives. Within the celestial realm, prayers take the form of as golden, ethereal, interlocking hands which, when opened, project the petitioner's prayer through a holy light, akin to holographic displays. Prayers are treasured in Heaven's society as not only can they work like messages, allowing winners and sinners separated in afterlife to reconnect, but they can bring forth miracles, good will, and luck for the human race. Remarkably inclusive, Heaven welcomes prayers from all quarters, even those of sinners, as evidenced by Molly's acknowledgment of Angel Dust's prayers to her, which he would only do in times of extreme distress. Yet, prayers deemed dubious or egoistic undergo scrutiny in the Divine Court for adjudication.
Hierarchy
Similar to Hell, Heaven also functions within a hierarchical structure. However, in contrast to Hell's caste-based system, Heaven's hierarchy is predominantly bureaucratic in nature. It revolves around an individual's proximity to God rather than the dual emphasis on power and status characteristic of Hell's arrangement.
- God: God stands as the Most High, having brought Heaven and Creation into existence. His eminence surpasses not only within the confines of Heaven but extends throughout Creation as a whole, with beings such as Death occasionally. However, He does not directly govern within the realms of Heaven; rather, His dominion reigns supreme over His celestial domain from above, the Empyrean. Universally adored and venerated by all denizens of Heaven, His every decree and utterance hold sway as irrefutable law and the unwavering truth.
- The Great Mother, Asherah: Asherah is the Queen of the Kingdom of Heaven, the progenitor of all Heavenborn angels, and the other half of God. She represents the Tree of Life, her influence the very thing that keeps all supernatural life, including Heaven's angels, winners, and even demons alive and infinitely young, and she works closely alongside God in maintaining the roots and fabrics of Creation.
- The Seven Heavenly Virtues: Seven archangels who each embody one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues and work alongside God to maintain and defend all life.
- Metatron, the Speaker of God: An ethereal Thrones Angel serving as God's chief steward and the ambassador of Heaven, tasked with conveying divine messages throughout the expanse of both Heaven and the Universe on behalf of the Divine Creator.
- Seraphim: A royal family of divine angels that serve as God's choir, singing the praises of the Creator and all of Heaven's heroes. In addition, they manage the records of every soul that has ever dwelled on Earth, Heaven and Hell. In desperate times, they carry out salvations, or perform God's divine will.
- Ophanim: A choir of divine sentinel angels who guard Heaven and the throne of God.
- Principalities: Angelic entities designated as political officers within the cities and rings of Heaven, entrusted with governance and administration. Their responsibilities extend beyond heavenly domains to safeguarding churches and sanctified places on Earth.
- The Heavenly/Divine Court: An assembly of esteemed angels forming a celestial choir that fulfills the role of Heaven's parliament. Their primary function entails upholding the laws and maintaining order within Heaven's realm. They preside over the trials of those who transgress divine decrees, ensuring justice prevails. Furthermore, they attentively attend to the queries, worries, and viewpoints voiced by the inhabitants of Heaven, thereby contributing to the harmonious governance of the celestial domain. They are led by Sera.
- Winners: Former humans who ascended to Heaven after death. As per God's decree, winners are treasured in Heaven as God had ordered His angels to love humanity even moreso than Himself. While winners generally reborn in Heaven following their deaths, it is believed by some that it is possible to become a Saint by being absolved of one's sins and allowed entry into Heaven from Hell.
- Saints: Saints are human souls who were personally ordained by God and Asherah for their dedication to Heaven and for feats of heroism. They are hailed and revered as role models of virtue, and are protectors and leaders to the winner population.
- Lukewarm: Lukewarm are Winners who were accepted into Heaven despite lacking complete commitment to Heaven and its ideals. They are considered to be neither sinful nor totally sinless. They reside in the middle ring of Heaven and were ruled by Azrael.
- Archangels: God's champions, leading defenders of Heaven, and commanders of the Heavenly Host. They are responsible for leading their own forces, inspiring and guiding the souls of Heaven, and protecting the Universe from the greatest of threats and disasters.
- Heavenly Host: Angelic warriors in Heaven's military. They are responsible for defending their home realm from external threats, dealing with immediate intruders, or going on expeditions outside of Heaven to capture or eliminate those who have threatened Heaven and its denizens.
- Heavenborn: Created from the Tree of Life itself, these are natural-born angels of Heaven, this includes humanoid angels, Heavenhounds, Goetia angels, and Heaven's sapient wildlife.
- Cherubim: A subspecies of angels who essentially serve as guardian angels, protecting and keeping a watch over Earth and its populace.
- The Powers: A choir of warrior angels that were trained under Archangel Azrael to annually massacre the Pride Ring's population.
Known Locations
- Pearly Gates
- Halo City
- Seraphim Square
- Seraphim Center
- Divine Comfort
- God's Kingdom
- Heavenly Fabrics
- Zoo
- Seraphim Square
- Enchanted Forest
- Meditation Gardens
- Cherub Towne
- C.H.E.R.U.B Headquarters
- Cupid's Loveshack
- Golden Arches
- Virtue Ville
- Embassy of Hell
- Hartfelt Foods
- Realm Travel Facility
- Multi-Plex
- Unicorn Polo Stadiums
- Azrael's Inner Sanctum
- Haven
Gallery
Trivia
- Unlike Hell, Heaven is virtually infinite and constantly adjusts its size depending on how many souls are in it at a time, despite always appearing to be a moon-sized planet from an outside perspective. This also means that Heaven never has to worry about overpopulation, unlike its infernal counterpart.
- As opposed to Hell's overpopulation problem, Heaven initially suffered from a diversity problem due to the realm's strict and borderline puritanical guidelines for winners, which led some to find Heaven's society samey or boring. However, this problem was resolved following Azrael's removal from Heaven.
- Heaven's theme song would be "The Merry Old Land of Oz" from The Wizard of Oz.
- Heaven is described by the series' creators as being based on Oz from The Wizard of Oz in that it is an upbeat place full of wonder and magic, and the inhabitants are very cheerful, cartoony, and sing all the time.
- Heaven has at least one TV station that can be viewed in Hell.
- Heaven has a built-in censor so that all swearing and obscene gestures are replaced with something innocent (for example, swear words being replaced with the sound of a church bell/tweeting birds or by a toddler saying words like "friendship" and "love"; or the middle finger gesture being censored by a bouquet of roses).
- Although Heaven can be seen in Hell's skyline, ascending to it isn't as straightforward as taking flight. Accessing Heaven isn't merely a matter of flying up to it; the only way to access Heaven is through the creation of a dimensional portal, bridging the gap between these realms.
- Heaven has its own version of Disneyland (and answer to Hell's Lu Lu World) called God's Kingdom, which Azrael, Azuriel and Lute used to frequent.
- Non-angels who visit Heaven have to wear special eyewear to protect their eyes from the holy lights and sheer brightness of Heaven's cities and lands, which typically only angelic eyes are allowed to gaze upon.
- Heaven has a sort of enchanted environment that entirely prevents weapons (such as firearms, bombs or weapons of mass destruction) from functioning.
- According to Serenity, Heaven does not have an economy as everything is provided for by God, thus everybody in Heaven lacks for nothing.
- Asherah controls all of the weather in Heaven.
- Much like Earth, Heaven has seasons such as summer, fall, winter, and spring.
- As one would expect, Christmas is a very popular holiday in Heaven and its denizens are extremely passionate about it, though it isn't celebrated in the often commercial and materialistic it is on Earth. Instead, angels celebrate the Holy Night, singing carols and hymns in praise to the their leaders while lighting candles, feasting, giving, and spreading joy and cheer.
- In "Heaven Meets Hell", it is strongly implied in comedic banter between Sera and Serenity that Heaven once tried to make a deal with the Roman Empire that backfired, resulting in the Fall of Rome.
- Roo is allowed to enter Heaven every thousands of years for a one-day visit, though it is unknown what business she actually does while staying.
- According to Forti, Heaven has an extensive record of every single soul dwelling in Hell, especially its nobles and higher-ups.
- Heaven has an embassy in Hell that is located in the Pride Ring. Likewise, Hell is stated to have an embassy somewhere in Virtue Ville.