Hades in popular culture
| Hades | |
|---|---|
|
King of the underworld God of the Dead and Riches | |
 | |
| Abode | Underworld |
| Symbol | Cerberus, Cap of invisibility, or Helm of Darkness, Cypress, Narcissus and Key of Hades |
| Consort | Persephone |
| Parents | Cronus and Rhea |
| Siblings | Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Zeus |
| Children | Macaria and Plutus |
| Roman equivalent | Pluto, Dis Pater, Orcus |
The mythological Greek deity Hades often appears in popular culture.
Film
In 2010, Hades has been in the movies Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief played by Steve Coogan, and the remake of Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans played by Ralph Fiennes. He is depicted as an antagonist in all three, but is only the central antagonist in Clash of the Titans. He becomes an ally in Wrath of the Titans.
Television
In the two television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess and Young Hercules Hades was a recurring character, most frequently played by Erik Thomson, although Mark Ferguson and Stephen Lovatt have also played the part. He was depicted as being overworked and understaffed.
On two episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Persephone was played by Andrea Croton, while Michael Hurst portrayed Charon as a recurring character on both series. The ruler of the Underworld was also the subject of episode 3 of Clash of the Gods.
In the DC comics TV series Smallville, the powerful and demonic deity Darkseid was in Earth's history by many names such as Hades and Lucifer and was also connected to the Hindu goddess Kali.
An anime television series adaption of the PSP game Kamigami no Asobi was aired on April 2014 until July 2014, where Hades is one of the few gods sent by Zeus to an academy located in a separate realm which resembles a human high school to learn about the meaning of love and humanity, in an attempt to reverse the weakening bond between humans and the gods.
In Hiro Mashima's Anime series Fairy Tail, Hades is the alias of the character Master Purehito of the guild Grimore Heart, whose objective in the story is to find the black wizard Zeref, in order to create the "The Grand Magic World".
In 2016, Hades was adapted into the hit ABC television series Once Upon a Time, portrayed by Greg Germann.[1] This version is based on the Disney version from Hercules and is shown to be in love with Zelena, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West. He remodeled his domain after Storybrooke as a show of his devotion to her.
Hades three faced dog (HellHound) was also in the popular Television Cartoon series Beybladein Metal Fysion and V-Force. It appears in the form of a Bit-Beast/Bey-Spirit in the series. In V-Force, Zeo's Beast is named Cerberus and in Metal Fusion it is named as Hades Gate.
Music
- Anaïs Mitchell's folk opera Hadestown presents Hades as the boss of a post-apocalyptic Depression-era company town. The 2010 recording features Greg Brown performing the deep-voiced part of Hades.
- South Korean boy band VIXX's 2016 album Hades presents Hades as the character theme of their album and title song "Fantasy". It is the second album in a series about Greek Gods.
Disney
In the Disney 1997 film Hercules, Hades appears as the main antagonist. Unlike the mythological Hades, this version is a fast-talking, evil deity; a combination of Satan and a dodgy Hollywood agent. He plans to overthrow Zeus and rule the Universe, but kill Hercules before that so the hero doesn't foil his plot. The character was voiced by James Woods.
Saint Seiya
In Saint Seiya, Hades serves as the primary antagonist in the last story arc of the series. Hades appears as the ruler of the Underworld (冥界 Meikai) and old enemy of Athena. He wishes to wipe out humanity, turning the Earth into a desolate wasteland. He despises the human beings, who are each time more ungrateful towards the gods.
Gaming
- In the God of War video game series, Hades originally resembled a demon more than a man (God of War). His appearance is changed in God of War II (and continues this way) to being overweight, having a grotesque, scarred body, a fiery helmet, spike like growths protruding from his back, and he has clawed weapons attached to chains called the Claws of Hades. In the original God of War (2005), he provides Kratos (the player) with a new magic spell, the Army of Hades, which allows Kratos to invoke Undead Souls to attack the enemies. He briefly appears twice in God of War II (2007), shown defeating Atlas in a flashback and witnessing with the other gods as Kratos leads the Titans in an assault on Mt. Olympus at the end. He is a boss in God of War III (2010), where, before fighting Kratos, he regards all the brutal actions the Spartan committed, such as the murder of his niece Athena, the death of his brother Poseidon and, most grievously, the slaughter of his queen Persephone (despite seemingly unaware that she wanted to destroy Olympus) and, after a long battle, he is killed by Kratos, causing the spirits of the Underworld to roam free and Kratos taking his weapons as his own. In God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008), there is an after-game challenge mode named after him, the Challenge of Hades. The Challenge of Hades is also present in the original God of War but is an in-game challenge of Pandora's Temple and not an after-game challenge. Hades is featured in God of War: Ascension's (2013) multiplayer mode as one of the four gods that players can pledge their allegiance to. The God of War version of Hades also appears as a stage hazard in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (2012). He was voiced by Nolan North in the first game and by Clancy Brown in God of War III and Ascension.
- In the PSP game Kamigami no Asobi: Ludere Deorum (translated as Mischief of the Gods), Hades is one of the 8 main characters in the game where the player will take on the role of the heroine and choose one of the male characters as her love interest.
- Hades can also be worshipped in Zeus: Master of Olympus providing silver and cerberus to the city.
- Hades is the primary antagonist in the Immortal Throne expansion pack of Titan Quest.
- Hades also appears in the Kingdom Hearts series in the world Olympus Coliseum, based on the Disney movie Hercules. His personality is identical to the movie and James Woods reprises his role as Hades.
- Hades is a Major God in Age of Mythology and Age of Empires: Mythologies.
- Hades plays a major role in Herc's Adventures.
- In Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire the Hero has to enter the realm of Hades during the main quest.
- In the game Poptropica, Hades is an ally.
- Hades is the Lord of the Underworld and the true antagonist of Kid Icarus: Uprising, voiced by S. Scott Bullock. In the game's story line, Hades engineers the series of battles to ensure a vast amount of souls to increase his own powers. He also displays the power to craft souls into monsters or resurrect those who died. He is portrayed as rather arrogant and pompous, with a nonchalant attitude and a somewhat sadistic sense of humor.
- In Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Hades is Eikichi Mishina's ultimate Persona.
- Hades is a recurring summon in the Final Fantasy series.
- The upgraded Olympia double-barrel shotgun featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops is referred to as the Hades
- Hades appears in Smite, a multiplayer online battle arena, as a playable god. He acts as a mage that can deal high amounts of damage to enemy players.
- In Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Joseph Chkheidze, commonly referred to as Hades, is the leader of the KVA and serves as the game's primary antagonist for the first six missions of the single player campaign.
- Appears in the Assassin's Creed franchise in his Etruscan name "Aita" in many reincarnations as The Sage through many lifetimes in historic timeline and is the husband of Juno.
- In the game Kid Icarus: Uprising, the main villain is revealed to be Hades, but is portrayed as being particularly mordacious and playful in his demeanour.
Literature
- He appears in the popular series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In the first book, the Lightning Thief, he is depicted as the villain; near the end, however, it is shown that this is not the case, and he is framed for a crime against Zeus in an attempt to start a war of the Gods. He also appears in The Last Olympian, where he shows up with an army of zombies to help defeat Kronos in the Battle of Manhattan. He is the father of Nico di Angelo, Bianca di Angelo, and Hazel Levesque (as Pluto).
- Unlike many modern depictions of Hades, this version is more akin to the Hades from the original myths.
- In Erin Kinsella's Olympian Confessions: Hades and Persephone, Hades appears as a strong, gentle and human-like co-protagonist who falls in love with Persephone as opposed to kidnapping her. Together, they elect to challenge the status quo of Olympus in the face of fierce hostility from Demeter and Zeus, and work to transform the fate of Earth and the divine realms forever.
- Hades appears in a modern retelling of the Persephone myth in Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis
- In John C. Wright's Titans of Chaos, he, off-stage, is one of the factions who must be appeased about how the children are kept. Furthermore, he puts forward his wife's claim to the throne of Olympus after Zeus's death. He is referred to as "Unseen One" and "Lord Dis".[2]
- In Poul Anderson's retelling of Orpheus, "Goat Song", the computer SUM preserves all dead humans for a foretold resurrection and is the Hades figure that he must persuade to bring his dead love back to life.[3]
- Roberta Gellis's Dazzling Brightness retells the story of Hades and Persephone.
- He appears in the God of War comic series, which spans from the video game franchise. In it, he enters into a wager with five other Olympian gods who each choose a champion to search for the Ambrosia of Asclepius, an elixir with magical healing properties.
- He appears in The Goddess Test under the name of Henry, who is looking for a new wife to rule with him in the Underworld after Persephone left him.
- Hades is a central, sympathetic character in the fantasy novel The Hunter of the Dead by Maria Aragon, published in 2009. The novel explores his relationship with Persephone and with other deities aside from the Olympians.
- Hades also appears in Starcrossed trilogy by Josephine Angelini. He appears and the rulers of the underworld, feared but also the most compassionate of all the gods. Persephone is his wife and they love each other but she cannot stay in his realm for too long because nothing sustains in the underworld for too long. And Hades cannot leave his realm for too long because he cannot leave the undead unattended.
- Hades is an alias in Hiro Mashima's Manga/Anime series Fairy Tail for the character Master Purehito of the guild Grimore Heart, whose objective in the story is to find the black wizard Zeref, in order to create the "The Grand Magic World".
- Hades appears as a "cute" dark-haired boy who is in love with Persephone in GoddessGirls series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams.
- Hades is a protagonist and love interest in "Persephone's Orchard" by Molly Ringle, a retelling of the myth of Persephone and Hades, set in modern America and ancient Greece.
- "The Dark Wife" by Sarah Diemer, features Hades as a main character, who's negative reputation has been created by Zeus due to rivalry between the siblings.
- Hades makes a brief appearance in the book "Skin Game", a part of The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is pressed into helping break into Hades' vault in search of a holy relic and later meets the Greek God.
- Hades made his debut in Ichiei Ishibumi's Manga series High School DxD, and the main antagonist throughout Volume 11 and Volume 12, aiding Khaos Brigade's Old Satan Faction and Hero Faction behind the scenes in a scheme to destroy the Devils and Fallen Angels. He commands a legion of Grim Reapers.