Bestiary
Everything down there that moves, in order of descent: the beasts that block the road, the guardians who will not let you past, and the souls worth stopping for.
1The Dark Wood7 entries
- The Blind Man in the PasspursuerA man left inside the narrows, who cannot see and follows the air.
- The LionbeastThe second of the three beasts, the one that stands in the open on the slope.
- The LeopardbeastThe first of the three beasts, the one that blocks the path in the thicket.
- The She WolfbeastThe third of the three beasts, and the only one that moves.
- The Ones Who Stayed, and Duccio di BencivennibodyThe bodies at the far mouth of the pass, and the only one still speaking.
- The LostcrowdThe souls who never found the way out of the wood, and now come after you.
- VirgilguideThe shade waiting at the bottom of the wood, who opens the road down.
2The Gate and the Antehell5 entries
- CharonguardianThe ferryman of Acheron, who does not carry the living.
- The WanderersoulThe neutral soul that lost the file and roams the valley on a living trace.
- The One of the Great Refusalone of the damnedThe shade Dante recognises and does not name, sitting outside the circuit of the banner.
- Meo di Lapo, Dyerone of the damnedOne of the file waiting for the ferry, the last person you speak to before the boat.
- The SwimmerssoulThe souls who throw themselves into Acheron behind the boat.
3Incontinence10 entries
- The Souls of Limbocrowd · Being builtThe crowd of the circle without punishment, which leaves you alone until you take its names.
- Cerberusguardian · Being builtThe three throated dog that guards the narrows of the third circle.
- Ciaccoone of the damned · Being builtThe only one of the submerged who sits up, and the only half name in the game.
- Filippo Argentione of the damned · Being builtThe one soul in Hell who goes for Dante himself.
- Phlegyasferryman · Being builtThe ferryman of the Styx, who comes only if you call him.
- Francescaone of the damned · Being builtThe soul who turns in the storm with Paolo, and the riddle of the second circle.
- The Faces on the Passesgate · Being builtWhat you see on the mouth of each landslide, which is why you do not go down it yet.
- Minosguardian · Being builtThe judge on the first ledge: he never looks at you, he counts.
- Plutusguardian · Being builtThe beast that bars the way down to the fourth circle: a living gate.
- The Loosed Damnedpursuer · Being builtA damned soul that has smelled a living body and stopped serving its sentence for a while.
4The Walls of Dis12 entries
- The Harpiesbeast · Being builtThey nest in the branches of the wood of the suicides and only come down when something is broken.
- Capaneusone of the damned · Being builtThe blasphemer lying on his back on the burning sand, who only gets worse when you hit him.
- The Centaurs of Phlegethonguardian · Being builtThey run the bank of the river of blood and shoot whoever rises higher than their guilt allows.
- Chiron and Nessusguardian · Being builtThe one who decides who carries you across, and the one who carries you.
- The Devils of Disdemon · Being builtThe fallen angels who hold the city gate shut.
- The Heretics, Farinata and Cavalcanteone of the damned · Being builtThe field of open tombs inside the walls, and the souls that come loose from them.
- The Three Furiesdemon · Being builtMegaera, Tisiphone and Alecto, the three who stand on the tower balconies and call a name.
- Geryonguardian · Being builtThe beast that rises out of the chasm when a rope is thrown into it, and carries you down.
- Medusamonster · Being builtThe one the Furies call by name, and the one you must not look at.
- The Messenger from Heavennot hostile · Being builtThe one who crosses the marsh dry shod and opens the gate without a word to anyone.
- The Minotaurguardian · Being builtThe infamy of Crete, planted at the head of the landslide down into the seventh circle.
- Pier della Vignaone of the damned · Being builtThe thorn tree that answers in full, at the bottom of the wood of the suicides.
5Malebolge14 entries
- Caiaphasone of the damned · Being builtThe high priest crucified to the ground, laid crosswise over the road of the sixth ditch.
- The Leaden Copesone of the damned · Being builtThe hypocrites of the sixth ditch, shut inside friars’ copes gilded outside and lead beneath.
- The Horned Devilsdemon · Being builtThe demons with whips who stand on the rim of the first ditch and lash anyone out of step.
- The Cleaving Devildemon · Being builtThe devil with the sword who makes his round of the ninth ditch and opens whoever is on the line of the blade.
- The Giantsguardian · Being builtThe towers that are not towers: they stand in the central well, sunk in its bank up to the waist.
- The Divinersone of the damned · Being builtThe damned whose faces are turned round to their backs, and who therefore walk backwards.
- The Lantern Thiefone of the damned · Being builtThe thief in serpent shape who tears the lantern out of your hand and runs ahead with your flame in his mouth.
- Master Adamone of the damned · Being builtThe coiner of the tenth ditch, swollen with water and unable to rise, and the only counter in the whole chapter.
- The Malebranchedemon · Being builtThe ten hooked devils who keep watch over the pitch of the fifth ditch, and the officer who commands them.
- Nicholas IIIone of the damned · Being builtThe pope planted head down in the third ditch, with the soles of his feet on fire.
- The Rabidone of the damned · Being builtThe impersonators of the tenth ditch, the only ones down there who run and bite.
- The Serpentsbeast · Being builtThe serpents of the seventh ditch, which follow the trace of a living body and bite.
- Ulyssesflame · Being builtThe two-horned flame of the eighth ditch, the only one that splits at the top and speaks.
- Vanni Fuccione of the damned · Being builtThe thief from Pistoia who blasphemes with his hands, and the serpents take him.