So what exactly is the Demon Realm?

[Ronin]

My understanding of it before Daima (and this may have been wrong; I didn't think about it much since we didn't see much of it) was that it was a place where everyone evil of the Kai's race were sent to. I thought that all of Kais were the same race who hatched out of fruit that was on a tree on a planet in the afterlife. They all lived on this planet and some of them could go on to become Kais or assistants of Kais. The ones who turned bad were sent to their own domain in the Demon Realm. I was imagining it being the hell for the Kais race.

But in Daima, we see it has normal denizens who don't seem to be bad or evil at all. Some own their own businesses and go about doing normal every day things etc and it even has its own set of dragon balls. So I'm confused now as to why the Demon Realm exists at all and why it's separated from the rest of the universe. And why does Kaioshin not have any authority here?

[Hugo Boss]

The Demon Realm has long been a mystery in Dragon Ball lore, and its depiction always varied across the manga, anime, games, guidebooks and interviews. Early lore described the Demon Realm as tied sometimes to the Other World sometimes to the Living World, potentially located at Universe 7's lower edge and governed by evil beings. Daima retcons this by making it a multilayered dimension separate from Universe 7, with the First, Second, and Third Demon Worlds connected by magical tunnels.

Toriyama’s interviews further complicate matters. Initially, Shin-jin were born from the Planet Kaishin's Giant Tree, with Kaioshins being chosen among Shin-jin born from a special golden fruit. Later depictions in Dragon Ball Super suggest Kaioshins aren't always born as Kaioshin and can be appointed for the role. Daima’s take effectively places their origins in one of five Glind Trees located in the Second Demon World. The lack of Kaioshin authority in the Demon Realm makes sense if they are not seen as its overseers but rather its residents.

Daima also suggests an independence between planes rather than one controlling the other. The introduction of Sir Warp and the PIN system in Daima adds logistical elements to interdimensional travel, reinforcing the idea that the Demon Realm operates independently within the Dragon Ball multiverse. This further separates it from the original depiction of a "hell for Shin-jin."

It goes without saying that Dragon Ball frequently revises its lore to suit current story arcs. Rather than focusing on the contradictions, Daima seems to emphasize the Demon Realm as a complex world in its own right. This mirrors how Universe 6 and other universes were introduced, broadening the multiverse beyond binary good-vs-evil dynamics. These changes may feel jarring for some, but I believe they reflect a shift toward exploring more nuanced dimensions within the Dragon Ball universe.

The inconsistencies are undeniable, but Daima reframes the Demon Realm as less of an "evil prison" and more of an alternate plane with its own rules and societies (at least, it remained consistent with Daizenshuu 7's description about it being ruled by magic). This creative liberty breathes fresh life into Dragon Ball's expansive lore, even if it demands some suspension of disbelief regarding past depictions.

[Ronin]

Ahh okay. I forgot that they said in Daima that the Glind trees were in the Second Demon World. So they did away with Planet Kaishin in Otherworld altogether. That makes sense why there are non-evil residents in the Demon Realm, but I'm still confused why it's cut off from the rest of the universe and why Kaioshin has no authority there. He may be/have been a resident, but you can still have authority in a place that you're a resident of if you've been given a high position.

[Hugo Boss]

Kaioshin’s lack of authority in the Demon Realm is attributed to his role in Universe 7. He only oversees life, creation, and balance in that universe. His responsibilities don’t extend to governing an autonomous dimension like the Demon Realm, especially since it is depicted as a society with its own rulers (Dabra, Gomah) and internal governing systems (King Kadan in the Third Demon World). It's outside the traditional jurisdiction of Kaioshins, since it's separated from all the universes, not only from Universe 7.

[Ronin]

Geez, I need to pay more attention. I do remember them saying something about universe 7 in an earlier episode, but I just thought they meant this was the Demon Realm of universe 7. Everything makes a little more sense now. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Thani]

I wonder how much, if any, influence the Omni King has on the Demon Realm. I suppose he has some, since he can obliterate it out of existence (assuming he did so in the future timeline, which was implied) wherever he wants.

[MisteryOne]

Daima has made it a lot more interesting by it being a realm completely separate from the 12 universes, rather than what Toriyama originally saw it as, just as some vague part of the universe not unlike the Kaioshin realm (which is so underutilized than functionally it could have been literally just a planet like Beerus'... we only know from the Buu arc Goku got to eat there.)

However, there really is not indication the citizens are more evil than the ones in the multiverse. Because of translation issues it seems most people (still) get it wrong, but the demons in Daima or Majin sre not the same type of demons King Piccolo was. The later was one because of his evil nature, but not all Namekians are. Because of its use in the west it seems most people assume all demons are evil in Dragonball too.

I do wish they had expanded on Makaioshins rather than having all Glinds be from there, or make Zamasu in the manga a huge hypocrite who was even more over his head and delusional than we previously thought. Degesu and Arinsu would have been a lot more interesting as evil counterparts to Kaioshins rather than "oh they just decided to not leave".

I wonder how much, if any, influence the Omni King has on the Demon Realm. I suppose he has some, since he can obliterate it out of existence (assuming he did so in the future timeline, which was implied) wherever he wants.

How was it implied? There was (understandably) no mention of it in that scene at all. We only see Future Zeno floating around and told he destroyed the universes. But given the Demon Realm is so disconnected to them not even the Kaioshins can travel to it freely, for all we know it may have not been hit by his attack.

[Hugo Boss]

How was it implied? There was (understandably) no mention of it in that scene at all. We only see Future Zeno floating around and told he destroyed the universes. But given the Demon Realm is so disconnected to them not even the Kaioshins can travel to it freely, for all we know it may have not been hit by his attack.

The manga implied the entire timeline was extinguished. If Daima realm was exempt from Zeno’s wrath, I think it’d be a less likely scenario, unless it’s independent of timeline shenanigans.