Introduction
The God of High School (GoH) is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by Yongje Park. The series takes heavy inspiration from the Journey to the West, such as its main character being Sun Wukong himself, as well as utilizing heavy Buddhist themes in the series with them playing major aspect in character themes and abilities. With these inspirations naturally comes the with the series adding multiple universes and dimensions in its setting. This page serves to outline the cosmological structure of the GoH universe.
The cosmology of The God of High School expands to include various mythological and supernatural elements from different cultures, such as gods, demons, and otherworldly realms. These elements are drawn from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and other mythologies, creating a rich and diverse cosmological framework for the story.
The Realms
Human World (Human Universe)
The realm where Humans reside in the God of High School series is known as the Human Realm, or simply the Universe. It contains planets, solar systems, and cosmic formations such as the Milky Way Galaxy and Oort Cloud, much like our own universe. After merging with Tathagata and gaining his wisdom, Mujin Park also states that the Universe is "nearly infinite" in size.
However, at the end of the series, the Universe is left in disarray. Mori and Mujin, in their conflict, have caused significant dimensional cracks to appear throughout the entire Universe. These cracks have broken down the walls of Space-Time, allowing entities to emerge from them and pose a threat to the existence of Humans.
Demon Realm (Taoist World/Sage Realm)
The second of the three main realms in The God of High School is the Demon Realm, also known as the Taoist World. It is home to a diverse population of monsters, spirits, and legendary beings referred to as Demons and monsters. The Demon Realm is completely separated from the Human Realm and Heavenly Realm is only shown accessible through portals. Inhabitants of the Demon Realm often refer to it as a universe.
One notable feature of the Demon Realm is its varying physics, including the existence of planets that are impossible to exist in the Human Realm. Additionally, time functions differently in the Demon Realm compared to the Human Realm, with one day in the Human Realm equaling one hour in the Demon Realm.
Heavenly Realm (Divine Realm)
The Heavenly Realm, which is the final realm among the three main realms along with the Human and Demon Realms, is inhabited by numerous gods. In terms of time, the Heavenly Realm functions similarly to the Demon Realm, with time flowing much slower. While the exact rate at which time passes in the Heavenly Realm is uncertain, Mubong mentions that only a few hours had passed for him in the weeks following his initial encounter with Satan. The Heavenly Realm is divided into seven floors, each floor representing its own realm or dimension. The entrance to the Heavenly Realm is located in an inverted tower situated on a planet in the Demon Realm called the Skyscraper. The last 7 floors are their own realms which make up the Heavenly Realm. Due to this proximity of the entrance, the Demon Realm and the Heavenly Realm are considered to be closely connected.
The strongest and most influential members of several pantheons, including but not limited to Satan, Odin, Beelzebub, and Zeus, appear to make up the First Realm. Within the realm is is a gigantic cathedral-like building that is seemingly used to home the angels, Nephilim's and other massive creatures like the Sky Whales. It is unknown how large the realm is but it is able to house the Unknown, a god who's head is comparable to the earth is size.
There is not much known about the Second realm. The Greco-Roman pantheon, which includes but is not limited to Poseidon, Hades, Athena, and Hera, rules the realm, which is headed by Garuda. The Valkyries, who serve as Odin's maids, reside there as well. Tree-like structures were carried with its inhabitants when they were called to the Human Realm. Within the 2nd Floor it is shown to contain a star.
There are 400,076,000 Apostles living in the Third Heavenly Realm, who appear as crabs, Nephilim's, and angels. The sky of this realm is an array of soft swirly colors. Shiva is the master of this world.
There is nothing known about the forth realm besides its owner gods, Humpty Dumpty.
Nothing is known of the fifth realm besides that the residents are ogre like beings and that similar to the other realms it contains an sky and atmosphere.
The sixth heavenly realm environment is heavily filled with fire and lava, and all of its inhabitants are impervious to the fire and fire based attacks. The Arpeggio, a subordinate of the floor's owner, the Pralltriller, and enormous crabs make up the majority of the population of the Realm. The Pralltriller is big enough to reach the clouds while sitting.
The seventh realm consists of an swirly, gooey, environment of that consists of a color palette that with the range of colors between purple to a light blue. The Sole inhabitant of the realm is its owner, Avidya.
Note: When it comes to the heavenly realms, not much is known about them or how large they are. However, the heavenly realms are considered and talked about in the same vein as the human realm and demon realm, which are considered universe, it is possible that realms themselves might be universe in size, especially with the them housing gigantic beings, such as the unknown, who is larger than earth. The realms are seemingly inspired by the idea of the Seven Heavens.
Odin's Library
Not much is known about Odin's Library. It is unclear if it is a subspace that resides in the heavenly realm or its own separate dimension. The realm consists of multiple doors in a completely black realm that open to little library sized pocket dimensions.
The Imaginary Place
The Imaginary Place is a distinct mental and imaginative realm that is completely separated from the outside world in the God of High School series. From the inside, the perception of the world flows as it would normally, while the physical body of the individual remains in the same location without their control within the Imaginary Place. This realm has only been accessed by Mujin after he had the Loop of Binding placed on him and was brought before the Agent/Executioner of the Supreme God to determine whether to revive or kill the Supreme God. The Imaginary Place is depicted as a circular library-like structure with a single entrance that towers upward. It appears to be fused with the mind of the bearer of the Loop of Binding, as Mujin's mind is shown to resemble the Imaginary Place in its entirety.
Paradise (Nirvana)
Paradise, also known as Nirvana, is a higher dimensional plane where time and space overlap in the God of High School series. Entities who reach this level of existence are regarded as beings of a higher dimension and possess immense power to oversee and balance the universe and all of creation. For example, Mori Jin is stated to have the ability to stop dimensional cracks in the universe and fix them, demonstrating the immense power of those who achieve Nirvana. Only those who have achieved Nirvana are able to enter this higher dimensional plane, where they transform into all-powerful entities that are no longer bound by physical constraints and the laws of nature.
Note: The higher dimension statements are made earlier in the series in relation to Maitreya (True Supreme God), who Mori eventually becomes, the True God of Prophecy at the end of the series. Early statements made by Odin in the series are based on the assumption that he has become the Supreme God(True), although this is not the case. Similarly, in Satan's case, he is sensing the energy of the Prophet (Xuanzang/Gaia) who has already ascended while protecting Mori. Tathagata and Mujin Park were also granted the title Supreme God, however, as shown at the end of the series they were false candidates.
Afterlife
The Afterlife, also called Valhalla by Odin, is a spiritual realm that appears to function similarly to the biblical heaven, where the souls of the good and righteous are taken after death. Nothing more is known about the realm.
Naraka (Hell)
Naraka, otherwise know as Hell, is a spiritual realm that appears to function similarly to the biblical hell, where the souls of the bad and mischievous are taken after death. Nothing more is known about the realm.
Central Realm
When it comes to the Central Realm, the space between Heavenly realm and Demon Realm, there is no real information besides its mention, all that that can be gathered is that its location is between the realms and seemingly acts as a separating space form the realms.
Travel Between Physical Realms
Dimensional travel is necessary to move between different realms, which are separate realms with their own space and time. Physical means such as running or flying do not allow travel between the realms due to dimensional walls that block them off. However, there are several examples of portals that have shown the ability to facilitate travel between realms. These include the King's Cane of the Sage, which creates space-time portals, the Dimension Teleporter created by Seungcheol Baek using the Staff's portal abilities and the 7th Floor Owner's 4-Dimensional Matrix Portal as well other forms of portals within the series. These methods of dimensional travel provide characters in the series with the ability to traverse between the realms and explore the diverse and distinct realms within The God of High School cosmology.
Alternative Dimensions
In The God of High School, the multiverse is depicted as a complex web of at least nine separate timelines, each with its own history and set of events. These timelines are not separate dimensions but rather parallel dimensions that coexist simultaneously, with each timeline potentially containing its own heavenly realm and demon realm.
Despite being just passingly seen in the series' climax, the concept of the multiverse is established through the summoning of various versions of Mori Jin by the mainline Mori. Each timeline has its own distinct past, resulting in different Mori Jins with unique characteristics, such as Female Mori, giant monkey Mori, and Mori Hui. These timelines also have parallels, as each Mori battles their own version of Tathagata.
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