10 Most Ominous Cinematic Prisons

A fortress on a lone island in the North Sea, this prison holds convicted criminal wizards and is hidden from the Muggle realm.

The name comes from the Hebrew word abaddon, which means “place of destruction". This penitentiary literally renders its prisoners insane, but it is not the lack of freedom that does it.

Azkaban’s guards are the Dementors, dark and blind entities that gradually strip the inmates of their happiness and the will to live. The worst punishment that one can receive is the poisonously named Dementor’s Kiss, the soul draining performed by the apparitions.

What good is any option to escape if one has no desire to go through with it? Any kind of loss is survivable, but once an individual loses their mind and their soul, they become an empty shell.

It is telling that Azkaban is never shown in the books themselves; the shocking nature of its horrors cannot be depicted.

It is also possible that this is the reason why Azkaban is portrayed as a triangular building in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, since some symbolism web sites list the triangle as a representation of strength.

Dementors themselves were inspired by the Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling’s experiences with clinical depression and are to be applauded for being a significant factor in the discussion aiming to end mental illness stigma.