Supergiant’s indie darling Hades took the world by storm upon its full release in September 2020. The game received so much praise that it was even put in contention for Game of the Year against AAA industry juggernauts that typically dominate such awards. Particular praise was showered on the game’s narrative, which drew inspiration from Greek mythology and centered on Zagreus, the prince of the Underworld, as he attempted the impossible task of escaping from his father Hades’ domain to reunite with his mother, who had fled to the surface.
It’s through his various escape attempts—both the successes and the failures—as well as the conversations he has with those he meets along the way, that he learns the background and history of his family, while also working towards reconciling it. Given that the story unfolds through multiple playthroughs, and the fact that more of the story can be seen even after the credits roll, most players aren’t going to see the story of Hades in its entirety. So, let’s compile everything together and present it here so we can see the full story. Obviously, spoilers for the game are ahead, so now is the time for you to click away if you haven’t played through the game and want to experience the story on your own (which I definitely recommend). But if you’re still here and ready, let’s get started.
Zagreus’ Journey
Zagreus, the prince of the Underworld, was the son of Hades, the god of the Underworld, and Nyx, the personification of the night. Being the presumptive heir to his father’s vast and expansive realm, he received lessons on what it took to keep the various systems of the Underworld running smoothly. However, he was never particularly good at it, much to his father’s annoyance. In fact, their relationship was pretty strained due to Hades’ belief that Zagreus was lazy and lacked ambition. Hoping to awaken something within his son, Hades charged the shade of Achilles, one of Greece’s most renowned heroes, with training Zagreus in the martial ways—something Zagreus immediately excelled at. Yet, Hades still believed him to be foolish, reckless, and irresponsible.
As such, Zagreus never quite felt at home in the House of Hades, and the rumors surrounding his parentage didn’t help matters either. These rumors centered on his piercing green eye that wasn’t shared by anyone else in his family, or the fact that he bled red just like a mortal did, implying there was mortal blood in his veins. Hades never entertained any questions Zagreus had on the topic, so the prince took matters into his own hands. He convinced Hypnos to put a spell over the house to put everyone to sleep, and then Zagreus snuck to his father’s desk in the Great Hall where he hoped to find something that hinted at who he was. As he searched through the administrative items scattered on the desktop, he came across a farewell note to his father left by a woman named Persephone.
Through what some would call chance and others divine intervention, Zagreus learned that Persephone was his real mother. When he saw Nyx almost immediately after, she confirmed the truth: he was not her son but the son of Persephone, who had left the Underworld to live on the surface. Zagreus had so many questions burning in his head now, but due to a vow she had made to Hades, Nyx couldn’t give him any more information. So, Zagreus decided he was going to find his mother. Having made no vow herself, he was sure she would answer all of his questions. The only problem was that he would need to escape from the realm of his father to reach the surface where his mother resided, and according to Hades, no one was allowed to leave his domain—not even the prince. So, Zagreus was going to have to fight his way out.
The Escape Attempts in Hades
His path would take him through various regions of the Underworld, such as Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx. His early attempts didn’t go too well, as the shades that populated the realms, as well as the various defense mechanisms his father had set up, did a great job of stopping his advance. Although annoyed at the destruction Zagreus caused, Hades entertained his son’s foolish notions of escape, convinced he would give up after a few deaths. However, showing a determination that Hades didn’t know was in him, Zagreus refused to give up and continued his escape attempts.
While his father tried to stop him, there were others who supported Zagreus’ efforts. Knowing he would need assistance, Nyx reached out to the Olympians, informing them that they had a family member in the depths of Hades who wanted to escape and come live with them on Mount Olympus—hiding the truth of Zagreus’ journey for reasons she wouldn’t reveal to the prince. When the Olympians heard of his quest, they offered boons of their power to Zagreus, strengthening him and giving him a little extra push to complete his escape. But these power-ups were only temporary, expiring when Zagreus died and re-emerged in the Pool of Styx in the House of Hades. And alone, they weren’t enough to get him through the Underworld.
Again, Nyx came to his aid. She gave Zagreus a mirror where he could use solidified darkness he’d collected in the Underworld to improve various aspects of his being. Unlike the boons offered by the Olympians, these darkness upgrades were permanent. Thus, each time he was defeated, Zagreus came back a little stronger thanks to the power of darkness, and wiser thanks to his gained experience in traversing the dangers of the Underworld and battling its denizens.
Eventually, he fought through the Furies that guarded the exit of Tartarus, destroyed the Bone Hydra that lay in the lava pools of Asphodel, defeated the hero Theseus and the mighty Minotaur in a one-on-two fight in Elysium, and bribed his way past his loyal canine companion Cerberus in the Temple of Styx to finally reach the surface. But there was still one more trial he had to overcome. Waiting for him there in the cold winter night was Hades, his father, who had personally come to stop his son from escaping.
However, Zagreus wouldn’t be stopped—not by anybody. And so, whether it was the first time they battled or the fortieth, eventually Zagreus was able to do the impossible and defeat the god of the Underworld, sending him back to his house through the Pool of Styx. With this final obstacle conquered, Zagreus finally set out to find his mother. He walked through the night, watched the sunrise for the first time over the domain of his uncle, then found a green garden standing as an island against a harsh winter. Here, standing outside a quaint cottage, Zagreus found his mother.
The Reunion with Persephone
While he was immensely happy to have found her, the joy Persephone felt when she saw her son was indescribable, as she believed he had died in childbirth. The fact that he was standing before her alive and well was a miracle. The two spent some time together, where Zagreus told her of what had led him here. But before he could get the answers he so desperately wanted from her, their reunion was cut short as Zagreus suddenly weakened and then died. Being inextricably linked to the Underworld, he couldn’t be outside of that realm for long before the Fates ushered him back to his home. Just before he left, he promised his mother he would return to her soon.
He was under the assumption that his father would allow him to go freely to her now that he had escaped and defeated him in battle. Yet Hades, perhaps having his pride hurt by being bested by his lazy, unambitious, good-for-nothing son, completely ignored what transpired between the two of them on the surface and still refused to let Zagreus freely leave his domain.
Despite his father’s continued resistance, Zagreus fought his way through the Underworld several more times. It was through these repeated escape attempts and visits with his mother that Zagreus learned of his past and the past of his parents.
The Backstory of Hades: Persephone and Hades
It all started with Persephone, born to Demeter, the goddess of seasons, and an ordinary mortal man. She was called Kore by her mother as she lived on Mount Olympus among the other gods of the Greek pantheon. But she was deeply unhappy there due to the attitudes of the other gods and her mother’s treatment of her. Her unhappiness was known to Zeus, who devised a plan to help Persephone, but also to help himself.
Since he and his brothers had adopted their respective domains, Zeus had always felt guilty that he got the sprawling heavens, Poseidon gained the vast seas, while Hades was stuck with the never-ending administrative work of the deep, dark Underworld. He decided the best way to make it up to his brother and overcome his guilt, while also helping Persephone escape her miserable surroundings, was to pay a surprise visit to the Underworld with Persephone in tow to give her over to his brother—whom he knew had a bit of a crush on her—to be his new queen, thereby killing two birds with one stone.
However, Zeus didn’t consider what his impulsive actions would do. He didn’t exactly let any of the Olympians know what he was doing with Persephone, so when she disappeared from Olympus, there was panic. Demeter, Persephone’s mother, took her disappearance particularly hard and left Olympus to search for her. Realizing Demeter would make hell freeze over should she find Persephone with Hades in the Underworld—which would eventually cause a war to erupt between the Chthonic gods and the Olympians—Zeus requested that Hades keep Persephone’s presence in the Underworld a secret. Hades agreed, as he had fallen in love with Persephone and was willing to do anything to keep her at his side.
To keep her hidden, she took on the name Persephone and reigned beside Hades as his queen for many years, and she eventually grew to love her new life in the Underworld. She loved the tranquility the realm offered her, the shade of the golden fields of Elysium, and the creatures that lived there. But above all else, she grew to love Hades. While they kept each other’s company for many centuries, Persephone wished for a child that she and Hades could raise and nurture.
However, the Fates had declared long ago that no child born of Hades and Persephone could ever live. This is why Zagreus died at childbirth despite the miracle that had allowed her to conceive in the first place. Distraught at losing her child, she couldn’t stay in the Underworld where she would constantly be reminded of him. So, she fled to the surface to live in secret and never again saw Hades until Zagreus came to her.
During their talks, Persephone asked Zagreus about the state of the Underworld, as well as his father’s and Nyx’s health. Hades had told Zagreus that his mother had simply left because she had grown tired of him and the Underworld, but he learned this wasn’t true, and she still loved Hades as much as she had back then. However, Zagreus could tell she had mixed feelings about returning to the Underworld, even though she wanted to see Hades again. She had also made a vow that prevented her from returning. She would come back one last time to the Underworld only when her son requested her to do so, and if she made that request, she would be allowed to pass. Zagreus was determined to make this happen, but he knew it would be a difficult endeavor.
Yet again, Zagreus set out on another escape attempt to reach his mother, and then, after meeting with her, they devised a plan to return to the Underworld. Zagreus made the official request to her, and with her vow fulfilled, she was allowed to accompany him on his next journey back to the Underworld.
Persephone’s Return and the End of Hades
Upon their arrival, Hades was immediately notified, and he came rushing to see her. When he laid eyes on her again, words could not describe the joy he felt. With his wife back at his side, Hades finally softened and made peace with Zagreus, telling him that he could freely come and go from the Underworld as he pleased. He then called for Nyx to come to the Great Hall where Persephone embraced her for all the love and care she showed Zagreus while she was away. Now that the family was reunited, there were some loose ends that needed to be tied up.
The first of these loose ends was the continued relationship between Persephone and her mother, Demeter. Persephone believed her mother deserved to know that she was alive and well and that they should re-establish their relationship, despite the rough patch they had in the past. So, Zagreus, who had grown to like the cold and snow that had come to the Underworld after Demeter began searching for her daughter, was sent by Persephone to make contact with Demeter and let her know what had transpired. At first, Demeter was angry at her daughter for leaving without telling her and for not seeking her out during her self-imposed exile, but she eventually came to understand why Persephone had done it and accepted her decision.
The second loose end was to undo the damage done by Zagreus’ multiple escape attempts. Due to his efforts, various parts of the Underworld were damaged or in need of repair, and Hades and Persephone had to clean up the mess. This led to them coming to an understanding of what they wanted from life, and they began working together to restore the Underworld to its former glory. Nyx also helped them by re-establishing the link between the House of Hades and the mortal realm, ensuring that the dead continued to arrive in the Underworld.
Finally, Zagreus himself had to come to terms with what had transpired. He had gone through many trials and tribulations in his attempts to reunite with his mother and was now faced with a decision: should he continue to stay in the Underworld and help his parents, or should he seek out a new life for himself on the surface? After some soul-searching, Zagreus decided to stay in the Underworld and help his parents in their efforts to restore it, at least for the time being. He had grown to love the realm and the people in it, and he knew that his parents would need his help to fix everything that had been damaged during his escape attempts. However, the surface was still calling him, and he knew that he would one day leave the Underworld again, but this time on his own terms.
And so, the story of Hades comes to an end. Zagreus had accomplished his goal of reuniting with his mother and brought her back to the Underworld, where she was able to reconcile with Hades and Nyx. The Underworld was being restored, and peace had returned to the realm. But the future was still uncertain, and Zagreus knew that his journey was far from over. There were still many challenges ahead, and he would face them with the same determination and courage that had brought him this far.
But the story doesn’t end there. Hades 2 is finally out in early access with a brand new story and a new child born to the ruler of the Underworld.