One Piece comfortably ranks among shonen's original "big three" series, and it features many dazzling story arcs taking place on different islands or, in one particular story arc, an underwater prison complex. This is the dreaded Impel Down max-security prison, and Warden Magellan takes pride in its perfect security record.
However, this isn't the only max-security prison in fantasy TV that fans can explore. Avatar: The Last Airbender features the notorious Boiling Rock prison facility, hidden deep within Fire Nation territory. No one has ever escaped from there either, so it's time to compare these two ultra-secure prisons and see which is the toughest for a shonen hero to escape from.
Impel Down: Six Main Hells & A Well-Armed Fleet
Impel Down is located in the Calm Belt, controlled by the government and personally run by the fearsome Warden Magellan, who wields the deadly Venom-Venom fruit. This prison is legendary for containing the world's most dangerous and wanted criminals within its walls, and Magellan has made absolutely sure that no one has ever escaped this place, no matter their Devil Fruits or combat skills. Unlike the previous warden, Shiryu of the Rain, Magellan is fair, only punishing or harming criminals who actually break the rules or attempt an escape. Still, if someone attempts to flee this prison, they will face impossible odds, and not even Monkey D. Luffy himself could break out all on his own.
Impel Down is mainly underwater, meaning it's pointless to drill a hole in the walls or escape underground. The top part is exposed, but it's surrounded by a well-armed Navy fleet to keep unwanted parties away from the prison or sink the ship of anyone attempting to escape. Impel Down is also ringed by a thick stone wall complete with a tough gate that may be lowered at a moment's notice.
Inside, Impel Down is a multi-layered maze of monsters and hazards. Aside from Magellan himself, the prison is staffed by well-armed and merciless human guards, the ax-wielding Blugori, and Jailer Beasts such as minotaurs who can club misbehaving prisoners to death without mercy. Each level also has its own theme designed to weaken the prisoners and/or intimidate them, from the bladed forests of level one to the hellish furnaces of level four and the endless life sentences of level six, the deepest of all. Anyone trying to escape Impel Down must contend with environmental hazards, the various guards, Magellan himself, the Navy fleet and the prison's gate, roughly in that order.
The Boiling Rock: An Island Of Despair
The Fire Nation is the most industrialized and advanced of the four nations, and the Boiling Rock facility's sophisticated security reflects that. This grim prison is located on a small volcanic island deep in Fire Nation territory, where raiders from the Earth Kingdom or the Northern Water Tribe are unlikely to even reach it, let alone break in and help a prisoner escape. Aside from its remote location, the Boiling Rock is also naturally protected by the volcano's sheer height and steep rocky sides, in addition to the heated moat surrounding it, hence the prison's name. Not even the most toughened firebender could swim to freedom, and the area's hot air makes hot air balloons and zeppelins ineffective, as Sokka and Zuko soon discovered.
The Boiling Rock is more like a real-world prison than Impel Down, featuring secure cells with thick doors, a barracks for the guards, an outdoor recreation court and a gondola system that serves as the only way in and out. Anyone who visits must arrive via a zeppelin just outside the caldera, then board a gondola and ride it to the facility itself. The entire time, guests are being watched by the many firebender guards, who will have no mercy on anyone who breaks the rules. Misbehaving prisoners are interrogated and/or tossed into the Cooler to freeze half to death. The Boiling Rock also has solitary confinement cells.
The Most Secure Fantasy Prison: Impel Down
Both prisons are impressive, but overall, Impel Down boasts greater security and is an even more entertaining setting for fantasy action. Impel Down lacks the Boiling Rock's hot waters, but otherwise, it has much stronger security, from a small fleet of battleships to its sheer depth underwater and its powerful guards.
Moreover, Magellan and the Jailer Beasts are stronger than typical firebenders, seeing how not even Luffy could beat Magellan at first, and then there are the environmental hazards inside, such as the bladed forest and a frigid level that acts as one giant Cooler. All things considered, Impel Down is much tougher to escape from, even if many of its prisoners are stronger than those found in the Boiling Rock.
