Hades 2: Every Character Based On A Greek God

The original Hades saw Zagreus, son of the titular Greek God of the Underworld, reach Mount Olympus in search of his mother, Persephone. It became one of the best rogue-like action RPGs around, with enough glowing reviews from critics and players alike to earn a Metascore of 93 and a User Score of 8.7. Then, Supergiant Games decided to make a sequel that could somehow match, if not surpass, the first.

Hades 2 is now available in Early Access on PC, and follows Zagreus’ sister, Melinoë, as she aims to stop the Titan Chronos from waging war on Olympus, and free her father from his clutches. If they sound new to readers, then they’re not the only ones. Alongside returning gods like Zeus, Aphrodite, Demeter, and others, Hades 2 introduces these new gods from Greek mythology to help or hinder Melinoë in her quest.

Melinoë

Princess Of The Underworld

• God of ghosts, nightmares, and funerary rites.
• Famous for: Helping people speak with the deceased, aiding spirits on their way to the underworld, driving people mad with illusions and ghosts.

Like her brother Zagreus, Melinoë comes from Orphic literature, which came from Thrace (chunks of modern-day Bulgaria, some of Northern Greece, and a bit of Turkey). Invoked in the Orphic Hymns, she was a ‘saffron-cloaked nymph of the Earth’ who was birthed in Cocytus, the River of Wailing.

The hymn says she took the form of a specter who'd "(drive) mortals to madness with her airy apparitions." As such, she’s gained recognition as the Greek God of Ghosts. The hymns also claim both her and Zagreus’ father was Zeus, who shapeshifted on two different occasions to bed Persephone. But since Hades 1 established Zagreus as Hades’ son through and through, it’s likely Hades 2 will do the same for Melinoë.

Hecate

Witch Of The Crossroads

• God of magic, spells, the moon, night, crossroads, and ghosts.
• Famous for: Searching for Persephone after seeing her abduction, protecting Persephone within the underworld, slaying Clytius the Giant, becoming the Wiccan Goddess of Witchcraft.

It’s fitting that Hecate becomes Melinoë’s mentor in Hades 2. The Orphic Hymns associate Melinoë so much with the Greek God of Magic that some thought she was just another name for Hecate. It doesn’t help that Hecate is more well-known, as she was worshiped as one of the many protectors of households, invoked by people from Sicily to Turkey to keep their homes safe.

On top of being the god of magic, spells, and ghosts, she’s associated with crossroads. Old Greek sculptures represented her as a triple-bodied figure facing each direction at a crossroads, and the Romans used the epithet Trivia ("three-ways") to invoke her when seeking protection while traveling. That’s also why Hades 2 uses the Crossroads as her haven from Chronos.

Chronos

Titan Of Time

• God of Time
• Famous for: Creating the cosmos and the first generation of gods, or creating Phanes, turning the Zodiac wheel, inspiring Father Time.

Hades 2’s version of Chronos combines the Greek God of Time with the similarly named Cronus, King of the Titans, and father of Zeus. In that, the former controlled time, and the latter became King of the Elysian Fields within the underworld. But they’re not the only ones. In ancient times, the two would often be confused for one another, to the point that people thought "Cronus" was another name for Chronos.

In the Orphic tradition, he was a separate figure born from earth and water, who produced the egg that made Phanes, the androgynous god that created the cosmos and the first generation of gods. Chronos lives on in modern times as the figure behind Father Time, the scythe-wielding old man who represented last year giving way to Baby New Year.

Eris

Strife Incarnate

• God of strife and discord.
• Famous for: Starting the Trojan War, birthing the personifications of Pains, Murders, Manslaughters, Lies, Quarrels, etc.

Eris, the God of Strife, lives up to her title in Hades 2 as, if the player is progressing too quickly, she’ll hit Melinoë with a debuff that makes her take more damage. If players can withstand it, they can make Eris pay by fighting her at the end of the Rift of Thessaly. She doesn’t care about Chronos’ goals. She just wants to cause trouble wherever she goes, and she considers Melinoë an easy target.

Her most famous role was throwing a golden apple engraved with the term "For the fairest one" towards Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite at a wedding party. Paris, Prince of Troy, would judge who was the fairest of the three and, in giving it to Aphrodite in return for Helen, the fairest mortal woman, would start the Trojan War. No wonder Hesiod considered her “blameworthy…her no man loves.”

Nemesis

Retribution Incarnate

• God of Retribution.
• Famous for: Avenging Echo's fate by leading Narcissus to his doom, helping Artemis get revenge on Aura for insulting her.

The reason "Nemesis" has become a synonym for enemy or arch-rival is because of the Greek god of the same name. She represented retribution, punishing anyone who dared place themselves above the gods, or by righting wrongs. For example, she avenged Echo’s rejection by Narcissus by luring the man to a pool, where he’d fall in love with his own reflection and stare at it until he died.

In Hades 2, she escapes Chronos' capture, but is ordered to protect Hecate’s Crossroads, which she feels is beneath her. She’d rather test Melinoë’s abilities where, like her sister Eris, she'll interfere in the player’s progress. She can block off chambers, take items away from Charon’s shop, and challenge Melinoë to see who can defeat the most enemies on the Underworld path.

Moros

Doom Incarnate

• God of doom, inevitability, and bad luck.
• Famous for: Inspiring Prometheus to grant humanity relief from Moros via Elpis, the Spirit of Hope.

Like his siblings Eris and Nemesis, Moros was born to Nyx either via Erebus or by herself through parthenogenesis. He’s the personification of doom, driving mortals to their fate by reminding them that death and suffering are inevitable. He and his brother, Thanatos, made it out of Greek mythology and inspired Death, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation.

Despite that, Hades 2 doesn’t make Moros all that bad. His polite if stiff demeanor makes him more tolerable than his siblings. Though perhaps, since he knows Melinoë’s fate already, he doesn’t feel all that interested in exacerbating things. He’ll give her the Fated List of Minor Prophecies if she dies after invoking the Fated Intervention. Otherwise, he’ll offer his Engraved Pin for some Nectar at the Crossroads.

Hera

Queen Of The Olympians

• God of women, marriage, marital harmony, and protector of women during childbirth.
• Famous for: Her jealous rages against Zeus' mortal mistresses and offspring, trying to overthrow Zeus with the help of Athena and Poseidon, throwing Hephaestus out of Olympus.

Ironically, on top of being the God of Women, Hera is the goddess of marriage and marital harmony. Zeus’ frequent dalliances in Greek mythology often left her quite inharmonious. She’d take out her fury on Zeus’ mistresses and illegitimate children. For example, she had tried multiple times to kill Heracles since infancy. She eventually drove him mad enough to kill his family, and tried to disrupt his 12 Labors.

Hades 2 doesn’t mention this (so far). In the game, she offers Melinoë the Hitch status curse, where the damage suffered by one foe is spread to every other afflicted enemy. It also turned her parents into the Titans Hyperion and Theia instead of Cronus and Rhea, to avoid making her Zeus’ sister as well as his wife. This was considered fine for gods (and onlybthe gods) in ancient times, but the game decided to sidestep it altogether.

Heracles

Mightiest Of Men

• Made God of Strength and Heroes after his death.
• Famous for: Performing 12 Labors for his cousin Eurystheus, including fighting the Hydra and Nemean Lion, and capturing Cerberus and the Cretan Bull.

Being fair to Hera, Zeus did goad her with the boy by naming him Heracles ("Glory of Hera") in the first place. It’s like someone cheating on their partner, then naming the illegitimate child after the partner as a mea culpa. Then again, it wasn’t Heracles’ fault he was born. Hera just went after him when her attempts to leave Zeus, and in one case overthrow his rule entirely, failed.

Heracles, better known by his Roman name Hercules, became the most famous hero in Greek mythology. When he wasn’t joining Jason’s Argonauts or saving Prometheus, he fought the Hydra, the Nemean Lion, and Cerberus as part of his 12 Labors. In Hades 2, he challenges Melinoë to see who can collect the most Gold Crowns from enemies on their journey to Olympus.

Hephaestus

God Of The Forge

• God of fire, forges, volcanoes, metalworking, metallurgy, sculpting, artisans, carpenters, and blacksmiths.
• Famous for: Trapping Hera in a locking throne to avenge his exile from Olympus, marrying Aphrodite, trapping her and Ares to expose their infidelity, making equipment for mortals and gods.

The game still includes Hera’s envy, as she hoped her child, through Zeus, would outdo Athena and Apollo, his children via Metis and Leto, respectively. Instead, she had Hephaestus, an ugly child with a disability that she rejected. But he’d prove his worth by becoming the best blacksmith in the world, forging weapons for mortal, god, and demigod alike.

Related

Hades 2: Best Hephaestus Boons, Ranked

Hephaestus, God of the Forge, joins the Gods that Melinoe can receive aid from in Hades 2 – and his boons are strong indeed.

Posts

By  Erik Petrovich

Some people have taken umbrage with his custom wheelchair, but the Ancient Greeks did depict him in art with a similar device. The only issue in the mythology was whether he was born with his condition, or if it was caused by Hera (or Zeus) throwing him out of Olympus. Either way, he still made some of the most famous weapons and gear in Greek mythology, from Eros’ arrows to Hermes’ superfast sandals.

Hestia

Goddess Of Flame

• God of homes, hearths, sacred and sacrificial fires, virginity, family, and the state.
• Famous for: Swearing chastity over marrying either Poseidon or Apollo, being immune to Aphrodite's power.

Speaking of designs that got people in a tizzy, Hades 2’s Hestia was made to resemble an elderly black woman rather than, say, the cutesy anime girl version in DanMachi. Yet Hades 2's design fits the god better. Hestia was the god of homes, hearths, and sacred and sacrificial fires. A welcoming, if fierce, fiery figure like Hades 2’s Hestia fits the theme better.

In the game, she’s the elder sister of Hera, Demeter, Helios, Selene, and Eos, and often feuds with Demeter over whom the oldest Olympian is. Hestia is older, but Demeter is on Olympus more often. In mythology, Hestia doesn’t have many stories about her, as it was said she had to stay in her abode to keep the world’s hearths going. Though it has been claimed she took part in the gods’ war against the Giants.