Nyx

OverviewQuotesRelationships

Nyx

Hades
Hades II

General Information

Title

Night Incarnate

Type

Primordial

Affiliation

Keepsake

Black Shawl

Relationships

Relations

Hades (Co-Manager)
Persephone (Co-Manager/Close Friend)
Zagreus (Foster Son)
Selene (Foster Daughter)
The Furies (Employees)
Dusa (Employee)
Hecate (Handmaiden)
Ares (Admirer)

Behind the Scenes

Voice

Jamie Landrum

“

Darkness guide you, child. You have outgrown this house, of that I am now certain. Should you return again here, I shall keep you safe.

„

~ Nyx

Nyx, sometimes referred to as "Mother Night", is the personification of night and a resident in the House of Hades. She gives counsel, directions and reviews the day's work of Chthonic Gods and staff, as seen in her interactions with Megaera, Dusa and the House Contractor. She is also the creator of the Nocturnal Arms alongside her daughters The Fates.

Nyx is a daughter of Chaos, and mother of The Fates, Charon, Geras, Philotes, Moros, Nemesis, Momus, Oizys, Thanatos, Hypnos, Eris, The Keres and many others, and foster mother of Selene and Zagreus.

Nyx eventually curried favor with the Olympian Gods and gave Zagreus the Mirror of Night to aid in his escape.

Characteristics and Personality[]

Nyx is the primordial goddess who personifies the night. She co-rules the underworld alongside Hades and is more involved in the state of the realm itself than its inhabitants. She deeply supports Zagreus' desire to leave, and will grant him the "Mirror of Night", which will aid him in his quest for answers and self-discovery.

Although the chthonic gods represent darker aspects of humanity's reflections, and for this reason the Olympians dislike Nyx and fear her, Nyx is considered benevolent, approachable, and maternal towards Zagreus. She was the first to unconditionally support him and contact the Olympian gods to help him escape. She never felt comfortable lying to him, unable to look at Zagreus without feeling guilt and responsibility for the conditions that bind him to the kingdom. It is implied that Nyx may know even more than Hades about Persephone, but cannot tell him because of Hades' prohibitions, so he will have to discover the mysteries behind his mother's disappearance and himself on his own.

Even though supporting him means he will have to leave the "flax" and she will see him less frequently she encourages him. Nyx was able to bring him back from the dead and change his tragic fate, but that did not stop her from reprimanding him or being tough on him from time to time. Zagreus witnessed Nyx being his greatest defender against his controlling fatherhood. She will conspire against Hades and pull the ropes strings behind the scenes.

Despite her compassionate tenderness and attentive parenthood towards Zagreus, she is not usually like this with her own children, treating them with emotional distance and professionalism because it will strengthen them. With ultimate authority, her phrases end with "Are we clear?" She does not like to be contradicted and can be cold, unfair, and commit injustices, as shown by Dusa.

The true reason Nyx chose to help Zagreus leave the underworld to reunite with Persephone is that it was part of a larger plan to end the rivalry between chthonic and Olympian gods. However, she genuinely has good intentions behind it.

Physical description[]

Nyx has the appearance of a beautiful woman with pale gray skin, yellow eyes, and very dark purple hair. She appears to be wearing black eye shadow, purple lipstick, and periwinkle nail polish. Her waist-length hair is elaborately fashioned with a braid on either side and a high bun held up in part by a golden crown. Her hair also flares to either side in the shape of a pair of bird-like wings, and the stars of the night sky can be seen on the undersides of these "wings."

She is dressed in graceful robes of purple and gray fabrics with gold accents. The sleeveless robes are long enough to cover her feet and hug her neck, but expose some of her chest. Her golden pauldrons are shaped like a pair of crescent moons, each with one thin, purple bat-like wing shooting outward. Her chest, forehead, and hanging earlobe piercings are decorated with teardrop-shaped Darkness crystals (seemingly identical to the collectible in-game item). She has a skull motif, with three white skull shapes on her chest, each with bright pink eyes. The golden skull on her crown also features the same color eyes. In addition, the crown is decorated with numerous pale star shapes. Nyx wears a golden armguard on her left hand, which also bears three rings: two with purple crystals, and one bright pink. Finally, a long, purple ribbon floats ethereally around her frame, levitating behind her head until it wraps forward onto the inside of her elbows.

Background[]

Nyx, the night itself, is one of the oldest and most feared deities born from Chaos itself. Long ago, they went their separate ways, Nyx forging her own path and destiny. Having her own descendants, many of whom, beyond her calculation, now reside in realms beyond reach, perhaps even beyond hers, each with specific roles and purposes to fulfill ordained by her.

At some point, Nyx and her daughters, The Fates, forged the Nocturnal Arms as sister weapons to the Infernal Arms, with Nyx herself wielding the Black Coat for a time.

After the war of the Titans, she found herself compelled to share dominion over the realm with Hades, who acquired it by decree of The Fates. Co-managing the underworld alongside Hades, but with the arrival of Persephone, everything became more bearable. Nyx invests more in the state of the realm itself than in its inhabitants.

Following the prophecy of Hades lacking an heir, Persephone bore a lifeless child, leaving Persephone devastated and departing indefinitely. Nyx struck a persistent deal with the inscrutable Fate to bring Zagreus back from the dead. However, the result led to a troubled child, unable to reside in the world above for an extended period. After Persephone left the Underworld, Nyx became the main caretaker of Zagreus, assuming the role of his surrogate mother.

Hades[]

Throughout the game, Nyx reveals to Zagreus that she is not his true mother. Nyx feels Zagreus's desire to depart and find his real mother, but does not hinder him. She is his first ally and orchestrates everything discreetly under Hades's nose.

Nyx contacts the Olympians and offers Zagreus the Mirror of Night to ease his journey. Zagreus will often share with her anything new he found on his attempts and she often encourages him to not give up on his goals.

As a close friend of Persephone, she is one of the most glad for her return, and both enjoy reconnecting at the lounge.

Nyx takes part in the feast prepared by the house to accommodate the Olympians and put an end to any possible conflicts inside the family. She gets to interact with Ares, who has on multiple occasions expressed a desire to meet her.

Zagreus can also take part in a quest to reunite Nyx and Chaos. Feeling Nyx's presence and help radiating from the prince, Chaos confesses they feel alone and wish to reconnect with their daughter, a feeling that turns out to be mutual. Thus, Nyx instructs Zagreus he must fix the Eldest Sigil so she can access the Chaos Gates. Once done so, Nyx may be found during runs when Zagreus visits Chaos.

Hades II[]

Shortly after the birth of Melinoë, Hades's second child, Nyx was imprisoned by Chronos. As part of a promise made with Hecate, all of Nyx's children were granted safety and shelter at The Crossroads.

While she was absent, her will was carried by the Silver Sisters and The Unseen. Occasionally, Melinoë would hear Nyx's whispers when interacting with the Oath of the Unseen.

After Chronos' final defeat, Nyx was freed along with Zagreus, Persephone, and the rest of the House of Hades. She can occasionally visit the Crossroads to talk to Hecate and Nemesis. Melinoë can also encounter Nyx with her parent Chaos when entering a Chaos Gate.

Affinity[]

Nyx's affinity gauge is maxed out at 9 hearts. The final affinity gauge will be locked until Zagreus reunites Nyx with her parent, Chaos. At some point, she will tell you that she has sensed Chaos' attempts to communicate with her. She will later inform you that the bridge to Chaos cannot currently be accessed through the Eldest Sigil in the administrative chamber, but you can change this using a certain amount of Darkness. An upgrade will become available at the House Contractor, requiring 3142 .

Once purchased, Nyx will then use the eldest sigil to visit Chaos' realm, and you can even encounter her there in your run. When she returns to the House of Hades, her affinity gauge will no longer be locked, and you can give her Ambrosia.

	Affinity Gauge	Gift	Reward
		1	Black Shawl
		1	2nd Conversation
		1	3rd Conversation
		1	4th Conversation
		1	5th Conversation
		1	6th Conversation
		1	Ambrosia Conversation
		1	Second Ambrosia Conversation
		1	Bond Forged

In Hades II, there is no affinity gauge for Nyx. She can be gifted 2 Nectars, the first she will keep but offer no Keepsakes. The second nectar she will return it back to Melinoë.

Codex entry[]

'...Mother Night, we like to call her, though rare is the occasion when she dotes on us. She has her many, many children to look after, many of whom reside now in locales beyond my reckoning, and perhaps beyond hers. Yet, nonetheless, she toils about the Master's House, and conducts such affairs that fail to reach his notice or gain his attention. She and the Master do enjoy a sort of harmony, for even as he tends personally to the dead, she watches over the domain itself. They tolerate each other, in respect of one another's power.'

Unlocking the complete Codex Entry requires deepening Zagreus' relationship with Nyx.

'She could have made the Master's life eternally more difficult, down here, if she so chose. Had every right to, perhaps, when her own daughters, the Fates, determined that the Master ought to govern where once she alone presided. But, Mother Night does not possess a mortal's pridefulness; and her commitment to the Underworld and her children is absolute.'

Book of Shadows entry[]

'Mother Night. Her influence is felt from the highest peaks of the surface to the darkest abyss. Existence without her and her many children is unimaginable. The Unseen all are sworn to serve the Underworld, by extension of her will.'

Trivia[]

Nyx holds a managerial role in the Underworld, leaving bureaucracy and ruler-ship to Hades and Persephone.
The item Night Spindle from the Well of Charon is a reference to her and how she created all the chthonic Companions.
Nyx's deep connection to Darkness mostly comes from how she is Night itself, but can also be attributed to the god Erebus, Darkness Incarnate, her husband in Greek Mythology.
Nyx being Selene's foster mother comes not only from how they're the Night and the Moon, but from their close mythological connection, as Nyx was often depicted in art with Selene, as well as her siblings Helios and Eos. However, there is no indication Helios and Eos were raised by Nyx like Selene was.
Nyx and Megaera have a relationship akin to that of a mother and daughter, a reference to how some accounts say Nyx was the mother of the Erynies. It's unclear if Nyx has a similar relationship with Tisiphone and Alecto.