The Malebolge ("Evil Ditches") are found in and comprised the eighth circle of Hell. Within this circle are a total of ten bolge (singular bolgia, Italian for "ditches").
In the game, these ditches manifested as a series of trials. Each ditch appeared as an arena, and Dante must clear all of the enemies while using a specific combat style or completing specific challenges. Not sticking to the game style required or failing to complete the challenge given resulted in the failure of the trial. Consequently, the arena would collapse into the pit below, taking Dante with it.
The bonus challenges are given at the start of the trials, and if these bonuses are completed, a large amount of souls was awarded.
Panderers and Seducers[]
Description:[]
The first ditch of the Malebolge contained the Panderers and Seducers. Those who are punished here influenced people to commit sin for their own gain. Among these sinners are those who prostituted themselves and others with evil intention. Their punishment was to march around the edge of the circle, whipped by horned demons to keep them moving, which was similar to how they drove others on in life with their seductive ways. The panderers and pimps are driven to the right, and the seducers are driven to the left.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Among the shades here is the Greek hero Jason, who seduced Queen Hypsipyle of Lemnos and Princess Medea of Colchis. Both Medea and Hypsipyle were manipulated into saving Jason's life by betraying loved ones when Jason was in danger. After he had children by both women, he abandoned them, despite making a sacred vow each time to remain loyal to the woman that he was with at the time. This duplicitous behavior disgusted the gods, who cursed Jason for the rest of his life.
Also found here is Venedico Caccianemico, leader of the Guelphs of Bologna. He is said to have sold his own sister, Ghisolabella Caccianemico, to Obizzo II d'Este, Marquess of Ferrara. Caccianemico reveals to Dante that he is not the only Bolognese panderer present, stating that there are so many in Bologna they outnumber the amount of children on Earth learning how to speak, but he is silenced and driven away by a whip-wielding demon.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
Dante is given infinite mana in this ditch and must kill all enemies using only magic, though Scythe and Cross attacks are allowed. The bonus was to complete the trial in under 75 seconds.
Flatterers[]
Description:[]
The second ditch contained the Flatterers. The sinners punished here are those who, like the Panderers and Seducers, convinced the others to sin for their own gain, but by using words rather than flesh. They are immersed forever in a river of human excrement, which represented the false words excreted from their mouths.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Among those found here was Thais the Harlot, who teased and seduced hundreds of men with her beauty. She married the Macedonian general Ptolemy I Soter, later Pharaoh of Egypt, but she was never made his queen and died in obscurity.
Also found here is Alessio Interminelli of Lucca, who was a member of the White Guelph faction (though his particular sin of flattery is not elaborated on). He laments when Dante stares at him longer than the other sinners, though Dante explained that this is due to him recognizing Interminelli and having known him when he was alive.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante is required to get a 100-hit combo before he could pass the trial. The bonus was to complete the trial in under 30 seconds.
Simony[]
Description:[]
The third level of the Malebolge contained the Simonists (sinners guilty of selling positions within the Church hierarchy and religious property for personal gain, as well as allowing absolution of grave sins for a fee). They are punished by being forced upside down into baptismal fonts with their feet set aflame, which served as a corruption of baptism itself (as the Simonists themselves corrupted the Church). The intensity of the flames depended on the guilt of the sinner. When another soul was sent to this level of the Malebolge, it took the place of one of the others, literally being pushed down atop the soul beneath it. The one that it replaced disappeared forever, shoved further down into the font to suffocate.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
This group of sinners was named after Simon Magus, a sorcerer who attempted to first "buy" the Holy Spirit from the apostle Simon-Peter, then tried to challenge the saint with his magic, which ultimately led to Simon Magus's death. Found here are several corrupt Popes and Cardinals, including Pope Nicholas III, who mistook Dante for Pope Boniface VIII in the poem (hinting that Boniface is destined for Hell upon his own death). Nicholas is present here for his acts of nepotism, while Boniface will be damned for not only being the cause of Dante's exile, but for multiple acts of betrayal and warfare as Pope. Pope Clement V is also prophesied to join Nicholas and Boniface for moving the Holy See to Avignon in France, pandering to the whims of the French monarchy.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must kill 5 enemies while they are airborne to pass. The bonus was to complete the trial in under one minute.
Diviners[]
Description:[]
The fourth ditch was devoted to the Diviners and Fortune-Tellers. The astrologists, seers, sorcerers and others who attempted to pervert God’s laws to divine the future are punished here. Their heads are twisted around to face backwards, forcing them to walk in reverse around this circle for all time. As punishment for attempting to see beyond into the future, they now can only look behind them. The point is further expounded by the fact that tears continually streamed from their eyes, blurring their vision entirely. While this was poetic justice for trying to see into the future, it also represented the twisted nature of magic in general.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
The blind prophet Tiresias was placed in this ditch along with his daughter Manto. According to the game, Tiresias was not only guilty of trying to foresee the future, but also for using magic to change his gender from male to female and back again. Also found here are Aruns (an Etruscan seer who foresaw the war between Caesar and Pompey), Michael Scot (a famous Scottish mathematician and magician who was highly honored among royalty), Asdente (a Parma cobbler who made prophesies against Frederick II) and Guido Bonatti (an astrologer of Forli who claimed credit for the victory at Montaparti for the Senese).
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must stay in the air for 8 seconds to pass. The bonus was to kill 2 enemies while completing the challenge in the air.
Politicians[]
Description:[]
The fifth level of the Malebolge was the home of the corrupt Politicians (extortionists, blackmailers, grafters and unscrupulous businessmen). These were sinners who used their positions in life to gain personal wealth, or other advantages for themselves by robbing the rights of others. They are punished by being thrown into a river of boiling pitch and tar, which represented the sticky fingers and dark secrets of their business. In addition, should any of the corrupt politicians try to escape from the pitch, a horde of demons (the "Malebranche", meaning "Evil Claws"), armed with grappling hooks and barbs, stood guard over them, ready to tear them to pieces and push them back into the tar.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must protect the two Innocents on the opposite sides of the stage from the hordes of Anger Minions that try to attack them; Dante can still pass the trial so long as at least one Innocent is kept alive. The bonus is to keep both Innocents safe until the end of the trial.
Hypocrites[]
Description:[]
The sixth level was the punishment for the Hypocrites. They are forced to wear robes as they are marched around the circumference of this circle. The robes are golden and resemble a monk’s cowl, but they are lined with heavy lead, symbolically representing the dual nature of hypocrisy. As they degraded others for sin yet glorified themselves in life, they are now horribly weighed down by the sins that cripple them in the afterlife.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Among those who are found here are Catalano dei Malavolti (a Guelph and governor of Bologna and Florence) and Loderingo degli Andalo (a prominent Ghibelline and co-governor of Florence with Catalano). Despite being political enemies, the two founded the Knights of St. Mary, also called the Jovial Friars, which was sanctioned by Pope Clement IV. The order was meant to promote peace between the warring factions, but it degenerated into a self-serving organization.
Caiaphas, the Pharisee who insisted on the execution of Jesus, suffers a worse fate that the other Hypocrites. Deemed the greatest hypocrite of all for sentencing an innocent man and the Son of God to crucifixion, Caiaphas is himself crucified to the floor of this circle, so the ranks of the lead-weighted Hypocrites stomp on him. His father-in-law and fellow Pharisee, Annas, shares Caiaphas's fate.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must kill all of the enemies without using magic to pass the trial. The bonus was to complete the trial in under one minute. Dante must then use an Asterian Beast to rumble the statue from up high down, allowing him to cross through the breaking rocks.
Thieves[]
Description:[]
The seventh ditch was the home of the Thieves. This ditch is guarded by the centaur Cacus, who wields a fire-breathing dragon on one shoulder (in Greek Mythology, Cacus was originally a fire-breathing monster slain by Heracles after stealing the hero's cattle). This bolgia was filled with serpents, dragons and other reptilian monstrosities that tortured the thieves endlessly. The bites of some of the snakes caused the thieves to spontaneously combust, only for their bodies to regenerate soon after for further torment. The thieves have their very essence stolen by the snakes and lizards that bit them, transforming them into twisted, reptilian versions of themselves. As the thieves stole the possessions of others in life, their very identity became subjected to theft in the Malebolge.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Some notable thieves are included in this passage, with their fates being the most explicit and harshest of all of the Thieves. They are as follows:
- Vanni Fucci: a Black Guelph who was so brutal in his pillaging of enemy homes that he was called la Bestia ("The Beast"). He was also responsible for stealing a reliquary from the Cathedral of Pistoia, resulting in an innocent man nearly being executed for the crime. Fucci is turned to ashes and resurrected multiple times. When he attempts to curse God for this, one of the serpents of the ditch coils itself around his throat to silence him, before he is deprived of his human form once again.
- Agnello Brunelleschi: another Black Guelph, and a famous thief who committed his crimes in disguise. He is blended with the six-legged reptile that Cianfa becomes.
- Cianfa Donati: a political advisor, although his crime of theft is not elaborated on. In serpentine form, he attacks and is blended with Agnello into a six-legged reptile.
- Buoso Donati (or Buoso degli Abati): another of the Black Guelphs. His circumstances of thievery are not elaborated on. He exchanges shapes with the four-legged Francesco (no relation to the brother of Beatrice in the game).
- Francesco de Cavalcanti, also called Guercio ("One-eyed"). Although his circumstances for theft are not disclosed, he was reportedly killed in the village of Gaville. This murder resulted in a massive, violent fight between the villagers and his family, which brought the deaths of many people. He exchanges shapes with Buoso.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante's health will slowly drain, and all enemies must be killed before he dies. The bonus was to complete the trial in under one minute.
Evil Advisors[]
Description:[]
The eighth level was the home of the Evil Counselors. In this ditch, the souls of those who gave false or corrupted advice to others for personal benefit are punished. They are constantly ablaze, appearing as living and speaking tongues of flame.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Seen in this ditch was the Greek hero Ulysses, who was suffering here for his creation of the Trojan Horse, and the massacre of the Trojans by this trickery. Odysseus tells Dante about his final voyage, during which he spotted Mount Purgatory, before his ship was overturned, drowning the former king of Ithaca. Along with Ulysses in this bolgia is his fellow Greek hero and fighting companion, King Diomedes of Argos.
Also found here is Guido da Montefeltro, who advised Pope Boniface VIII to make a truce with the noble Colonna family, and subsequently break it, resulting in the destruction of the clan. Boniface offered complete absolution to Guido for any sins that his advice might incur, though Guido's presence here shows that Dante clearly felt that this did nothing to save him from damnation in Hell; it is impossible to be truly repentant of a sin that has not yet been committed.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must kill all of the enemies while being unable to block. The bonus was to complete the trial in under one minute.
Sowers of Discord[]
Description:[]
The ninth level was the home of Sowers of Discord. The sinners who in life promoted scandals, schism and discord are punished here, particularly those who caused discord within the Church or within politics. They are forced to walk around the circle bearing horrible and disfiguring wounds, inflicted on them by a great demon with a sword. Being already deceased, these sinners cannot die from their mutilations, which healed as they continued walking around the circle. By the time they reached the demon again, they would be fully whole once more, only for the demon to hack them apart all over again and the cycle to eternally repeat.
The nature of the wound mirrored the sins of the particular soul. While some only had gashes, or fingers and toes cut off, others are decapitated, cut in half (as Schismatics) or are completely disemboweled.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Among those who are tormented here was Bertrand de Born. de Born carries his severed head around like a lantern, as punishment for the discord he caused between King Henry II of England and his son Henry the Young King, who died rebelling against his father. The prophet Muhammad is also damned here. According to Brunetto Latini, Muhammad was a former Cardinal before establishing the religion of Islam, which further split the Catholic Church. His son-in-law Ali was also present here, walking directly ahead of Muhammad and weeping. He is damned for the division of Islam into the Sunni and Shi'a denominations.
Prophesied to come to this bolgia in the future is Fra Dolcino, a member of the Order of Apostolic Brothers, who renounced all worldly goods. However, his order was deemed heretical. He and his fellows were hunted down, and Dolcino was burned at the stake. Muhammad gives Dante the warning for Dolcino to give his ways up before this fate comes to pass.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must kill all of the enemies in a single combo. If the hit counter resets, Dante will not pass this trial and will fall to his death. The bonus was to complete the trial in under one minute.
Falsifiers and Counterfeiters[]
Description:[]
The tenth and final area of the circle was the home of the Falsifiers, those who attempted to alter things through lies, deceit or alchemy. Those who tried to pass false items off as real, such as counterfeiters of coins, are punished here. This ditch had four subdivisions, where specific classes of falsifiers (alchemists, impostors, counterfeiters and liars) endured different degrees of punishment, in the form of horrible and consumptive diseases such as rashes, dropsy, leprosy and consumption. They suffer such a fate as they themselves were thought of as a "plague" on humanity.
Famous Damned Souls:[]
Here, Dante encountered the shade of Myrrha, a princess afflicted with madness for seducing her own father multiple times, disguising herself as a prostitute to do so until she was found out. Others found here include Zuleikha, "the wife of Potiphar," who lusted after Joseph, son of the Biblical patriarch Jacob and slave to Potiphar. When Joseph refused her advances out of loyalty to his master, Zuleikha used his abandoned robe to falsely accuse him of rape. Also found here is Sinon, a mythological figure from Virgil's Aeneid. Sinon was stated to be a Greek spy, who helped trick the Trojans into taking the Trojan Horse into their city. Due to his advice not only being evil, but also a complete falsification of the truth, Sinon is damned to this ditch rather than the one for Evil Counselors.
Time Trial and Bonus Challenge:[]
In this ditch, Dante must simply survive the overwhelming hordes of enemies that manifest. The bonus was to complete the trial in under 5 minutes.
Trivia[]
- It is interesting to note that in the game, you never get to see any of the souls condemned to the Malebolge suffering from their respective punishment. All that was revealed was a statue showing what the sinners' condemnation is on each side of the arena above each ditch. Screams can be heard coming up from the darkness below each arena. There are also damned souls trapped in the walls and impaled on spikes in the corridors between the Malebolge.
- The corridor before the Hypocrite Bolgia has at least two of the damned being crucified to the wall. This could be a reference to the fate of Caiaphas and his placement in the bolgia, but another crucified sinner is found in the corridor before the Evil Counselors bolgia, so it could be a coincidence.
- The statue for the Flatterers bolgia implies that the term "human filth" also covers other unsavory bodily expulsions besides feces, such as vomit.
- The statues for the Politicians bolgia shows these sinners being hung like meat from the hooked ends of a Malebrache's wings, rather than being thrown into boiling tar.
- The Diviners Bolgia was mistakenly called Politicians on the PlayStation Portable port.