Plantilla:CharacterTabs Plantilla:Msgbox Plantilla:Infobox character Zagreus is the prince of the Underworld and the rebellious son of Hades. He is the older brother of Melinoë and is the protagonist of Hades.
He always had a sense that he doesn't belong in the House of Hades. After finding out the truth about his lineage, he decides to escape the underworld no matter what, going against his father's will. He is aided and encouraged in his journey by his mentor Achilles and his caretaker Nyx, who puts him into contact with the Olympian Gods who grant him boons to make him more powerful during his escape attempts. Despite their aid, they only see him as a half-god.
In his escape attempts, Zagreus will start at Tartarus, continue upwards and end his journey at the surface, where he cannot stay for long and must return back down along the river. Along the way, he may meet Sisyphus and other friendly faces who will help him, as well as Charon the shopkeeper who sells his various powerful wares. Zagreus is met with many obstacles in his journey upwards such as aggressive shades working for his father and has run-ins with the guardians of each region like the Furies, Bone Hydra, and the champions of Elysium Theseus and Asterius - culminating in a fight against his father, Lord Hades. Losing all of his health at any point results in an express trip back home.
Zagreus is mentioned in Hades II, as he is Melinoë's brother and part of the driving force of her mission.
Characteristics and Personality[]
Unlike most of the residents of the House of Hades, Zagreus is laid back and characterized by his good humor and kindness. However, he is endlessly persistent, restless, reckless and stubborn. His confident attitude, sarcasm and occasional obliviousness can lead to rocky relationships with the ones close to him, such as Megaera and Thanatos.
Zagreus is very energetic and has trouble doing the official underworld duties his father relegated to him, and decides to forego them in favor of his escape attempts. He is determined to escape his father's oppressive rule of the Underworld and meet his birth mother, Persephone.
Zagreus has a penchant for using his influence for mending relationships around him, as well as befriending everyone he can with gifts of Nectar and Ambrosia. He regards his Olympian family members with respect and politeness. Zagreus is very forgiving and amicable with the residents of the house and the peaceful denizens of the Underworld, but despite that shows annoyance towards certain characters, such as Hypnos and Theseus.
Physical Description[]
Zagreus has spiky black hair and wears a burning laurel crown on his head. He has differently colored eyes, his mother's green on his left and his father's red on his right. He has pale skin and is physically strong and muscular. Like his father, his feet are constantly on fire. He is often described as short. He bleeds red due to having mortal blood. He wears a black and red toga, decorated with bone white belts leading to triple-headed hound skulls on his shoulder. His arms are adorned with red ribbon and bracelets.
Hades[]
As the Fates prophesied that Hades would never have an heir, Zagreus was stillborn. His mother Persephone fled the underworld, heartbroken. However, Nyx used her power and the aid of her daughters to revive him without Persephone's knowledge. From then on, Nyx raised him, and he was trained and mentored by Achilles.
As Zagreus' sense of unrest about his family grew, he asked Hypnos to put a spell upon the house and sought the truth. Once he found out Persephone is his birth-mother after rifling through Hades' desk and finding a letter written by her hand, he was dead set on getting out of the underworld to find her. He quit his job at the administrator's chamber and set out to find Persephone with Nyx's help, despite Hades' insistence that there is no escape from the Underworld. He then got in contact with Athena, and from there, the rest of his relatives - who were under the impression he is Nyx's son, trying to get to Olympus. All but Hermes were oblivious to his true goal.
At the end of every escape attempt, Zagreus must confront his father and vanquish him in order to leave and see Persephone. Since their first meeting, she is overjoyed to meet her son. However, he cannot stay on the surface for long due to his chthonic blood, and after a brief conversation he perishes and goes down the river Styx and back to the house. Each time, they discuss the circumstances under which Persephone arrived in the underworld and her relationship with Hades as she is hesitant to go back, fearing she will be discovered by Olympus and a war will break out. After numerous victories, Hades lets him go freely and Persephone agrees to return to the Underworld, with Charon as their ferryman.
Impressed by his ability to pass through Underworld defenses, Hades hires Zagreus back to keep escaping and finding breaches in the Underworld's security in an official capacity.
After the family is reunited and many bonds have been formed with his relatives, Persephone hatches a plan to peacefully resolve the potential conflict her absconding could cause. A great feast is held in the House of Hades after Zagreus personally invites all the Olympians, and most of everything is set straight with careful wording and a bit of deception.
Hades II[]
After Chronos escapes his imprisonment in Tartarus and captures the residents of the House, Zagreus is trapped. He appears in a painting that was commissioned right after Melinoë is born, which she sees as a grim motivator to rescue her family.
Codex entry[]
Plantilla:Codex
Completing the Epilogue will unlock the complete Codex Entry.
Plantilla:Codex
Trivia[]
- According to initial design documents, Zagreus appears 22 and his tone reference is Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Thor. Other visual and tonal references were Alucard from Castlevania, Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, Dante from Devil May Cry and Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.
- Zagreus' accent is meant to be "fantasy british" a la Lord of the Rings. It is considered an Olympian accent, which he has due to Hades insisting to teach him how to speak in his own way.
- Artemis notes that Zagreus' name means "great hunter."
- The game references the Orphic myth of Zagreus being reborn as Dionysus in the form of the song Hymn to Zagreus, as well as referencing the versions where Zeus is his father by joking he would be a better father to him than Hades.
- Due to Persephone's father being a mortal, Zagreus is 3/4 God, and 1/4 mortal.
- Upon catching a Flameater, Zagreus might sing its name in the tone of "Snake Eater" from Metal Gear Solid 3.
- If Zagreus's codex entry is viewed in the game's files, there is additional text that does not appear in the game. Like the other content of the codex, it appears to be written from Achilles' point of view. More text was occasionally added along with major updates:
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Gallery[]
Additional notes[]
For additional information about Zagreus that does not pertain to Hades, see Wikipedia's article: Zagreus.
References[]
Plantilla:Nav characters
es:Zagreo