Theseus

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“	Silence, you monster!! I'll hear no more such wicked lies, half-truths, or quarter-truths! You, however, soon shall hear my blessed spear! Specifically, the sound it makes whilst sliding into your exposed midsection! Defend yourself!	„
	~ Theseus

Theseus is a former hero and king of Athens, most famous for slaying the Minotaur. He was recruited by Hades to help prevent Zagreus's escape. He fights alongside the Minotaur as the final boss of Elysium, and serves Elysium as its champion and its king.

Characteristics and Personality[]

Theseus, often proclaiming himself as "the great king of Athens," is a hot-headed, stubborn, and even childish ex-hero, but he is best known for his youthful exploits that were significant enough to earn him an immortal soul and boast for eternity in Elysium.

Triumphant Theseus is a pompous and arrogant man, perpetually proud and confident in his victories. Most residents outside of Elysium can't stand him because of this. Theseus will occasionally shine during dialogue when he feels particularly proud of himself. The complete opposite of Achilles, Theseus is immodest and acts more like a schoolyard bully than a noble ex-hero.

He tends to interpret things to the extreme and dismiss evidence that doesn't fit his preconceived notions - thus, he will push Zagreus' buttons. In his mind, Zagreus is useless and not a true warrior, despite accumulating multiple victories against Theseus. Zagreus' attempts at conversation are taken as lies and deception, and he will not accept any provocation if Zagreus says that there are better Heroes than him.

An overly confident warrior in his winning streak, Theseus puts on a show for the crowd. He doesn't accept defeat and can behave in a dramatic and comically immature manner. When Zagreus defeats him in combat, Asterius becomes exasperated if Theseus continues to cry over Zagreus. But he has shown a noble and redeemable side, revealing that he used to be more modest, and deep down, he is a noble hero, as seen when he freed Asterius from his imprisonment and accepted him as a worthy comrade, sharing his champion title.

Despite becoming a broken pedestal for Zagreus, there are enough hints scattered through dialogue that Theseus was indeed a great hero when he was still living: Hades speaks rather highly of him. Given how cynical he is, the fact that Hades continues to hold respect for him and gave him such a high station in Elysium is telling. Asterius' Undying Loyalty towards Theseus is rooted in the fact that it was thanks to Theseus that he was allowed to end up in Elysium. The Olympians offer Theseus their blessings. The Olympians are noted as being rather fickle, and despite both Poseidon and Dionysus considering Theseus to be a blowhard, they still view him as worthy of their blessings.

Physical description[]

He and Asterius wear identical clothes, with the only difference being that Theseus keeps his left shoulder uncovered and wears a wide belt around his waist. He is a muscular man who overdid the tan, his blond hair styled back (which in the past was long, similar to Achilles'), and he always maintains a confident expression on his face. His height is similar to Zagreus'. He can transform into a sophisticated battle outfit that includes a golden mask and ammunition on his chest.

The Portrait, Exalted Hero item depicts Theseus in his youth. In it, he dorns a blue cape with yellow details and a cloak pin with the Zodiac symbol of Taurus, more likely a reference to his connection with bulls throughout many of the stories related to him rather than that being his actual Zodiac sign. His hair is longer and his skin isn't as tanned as it is in-game. His right arm is cover in some red fabric hold together with line by the elbow.

History[]

Past[]

Theseus's own birth was a complicate mess. His father, Aegeus, the king of Athens, was childless and asked the Oracle of Delphi for advice. He did not understand her prophecy and sought further advice from his host, king Pittheus of Troezen, who in turn understood the prophecy and thus got Aegeus drunk and gave him his daughter Aethra. However, following Athena's instructions, Aethra wandered off in the middle of the night to the island of Sphairia near Troezen. There, she poured a libation to Sphairos and Poseidon, and the God of the Seas possessed her for the remainder of the night. Thus Theseus was partly divine, as per usual in demigods.

While his mother was pregnant, his father Aegeus would return to Athens, but only after leaving his sandals and sword behind for Theseus to one day uncover. Theseus spends his youth with his mother in Troezen, helping her with multiple tasks and strengthening himself. Now a young man, he uncovers the items left behind by his father and makes way to Athens to reunite. He has the choice to go by sea or land, and chooses the latter, travelling alone through the dangerous Saronic Gulf and defeating six vicious bandits, specifically killing them the same way they kill others.

When he reached Athens, he didn't reveal his true identity right away. His father gave him hospitality, but was suspicious of his intentions. Medea, Aegeus's wife, recognized Theseus and afraid that he would become the heir instead of her son Medus, arranged to have Theseus killed during the capture of the Marathonian Bull, a symbol of Cretan power. He was successful in the hunt, however, and so instead Medea tried to poison him, but Aegeus recognized his son at the last second and knocked the poison cup away from his hands. Thus, father and son were finally reunited.

Due to a previously lost war, Athens was charged with sending fourteen youths, seven males and seven females, every Great Year to Crete to feed the Minotaur. Theseus eventually volunteered to go one day in place of one of the youths with the intent to end his people's suffering. Upon arrival, he met Ariadne, with whom he had a fleet affair and also lent him a ball of yarn to help him find his way around the labyrinth. With yarn in hand, Theseus made his way through the labyrinth's corridors and eventually found and fought the Minotaur bare-handed, leaving victorious. On his way back to Athens, Ariadne accompanied him and they stopped on the Island of Naxos, where Theseus eventually abandoned her, but she was later rescued by Dionysus.

Theseus would come to go on multiple adventures later on, mostly accompanied by his friend Pirithous, himself a son of Zeus. One such adventure of them has them going to the Underworld to kidnap Persephone for Pirithous. They manage to reach Tartarus and, feeling tired, decide to sit down to rest. However, they can't get up when they try, now that they're stuck in the rocks. It would only be later when Heracles came to get Cerberus for his last labour that Theseus would see himself free, but Pirithous had to be left behind as when they tried to take him out, the whole Underworld shook.

Following that trespassing, Theseus is exiled from Athens and seeks refuge in the island of Skyros. He would eventually be thrown off a cliff by Lycomedes, drowning and dying in the process.

Upon reaching the Underworld, now dead, he came to be aware of Asterius's, the Minotaur, predicament and used his status as king to negotiate with Hades and have Asterius live in Elysium with him, claiming the Bull of Minos had been his most formidable opponent in life and deserving of living among the other formidable warriors. They've since shared the title of Champion of Elysium.

Hades[]

Theseus was tasked by Hades to stop Zagreus's escape attempts by guarding the Elysium Stadium.

Epilogue[]

Just like everyone else, Theseus too is aware of the Queen's return, but refuses to believe she is Zagreus's mother. He'll keep guarding the exit of Elysium whenever the prince attempts an escape.

With the Pact of Punishment, Theseus receives the Macedonian Tau-Lambda, designed by Daedalus himself, and supposedly the best chariot ever made. He becomes very attached to it, to the point of avenging it whenever Zagreus destroys it in battle. It's also Theseus that apparently does the repairs afterwards, though it's possible he might have help.

As the battles go on, Theseus starts to lose heart. With Zagreus constantly inviting Asterius to join him, the King begins to imagine that come true day by day, eventually breaking down completely and declaring their friendship over. It would be in the next fight that Asterius would remind Theseus that he'd always follow him, and lift Theseus's spirits once more.

Affinity[]

Theseus cannot be given Nectar or Ambrosia.

Codex entry[]

'...Oft called the great king of Athens, the hero Theseus is nonetheless best-known for his deeds earlier in life; deeds great enough to earn his immortal soul a place of high honor in hallowed Elysium. Now he reigns in this heaven of ours much as I understand he reigned in life; with pride and confidence both in abundance. The kings I knew in life aspired to the same. Yet, there is something distinctly different about him. I do not know if it was merely for pity that Theseus vouched for the bull-headed Asterius to join him in Elysium, doubtless risking his own station there. Some say Asterius is merely an unwilling servant of his, now. But I know mortal battle builds strong bonds. Is it so difficult to imagine that a peerless man like Theseus might find a peer in an unlikely soul?'

Trivia[]

Theseus was originally meant to be the playable protagonist of the earliest version of Hades called Minos which revolved around his journey through the Crete labyrinth to defeat the Minotaur. However, the developers found fleshing out Theseus as a character rather challenging and he was ultimately replaced by Zagreus after Greg Kasavin had discovered Zagreus while reading the Odyssey and the Iliad.
- The Portrait, Exalted Hero depicts Theseus in said early concept.
If Zagreus fights Theseus while having boons from every god, Theseus calls on Artemis.
- Coincidentally, she was the only god ever present in concept art for the game Minos.
- There's no tellings of them having some sort of mythologic connection or ever meeting, but Theseus' son Hippolytus was said to be a follower of Artemis.
As an Easter egg, Theseus and Asterius, with identical designs from Hades, were honored at the 2023 DC Comics event 'Lazarus Planet' in 'Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods,' appearing as undead, fighting against Wonder Woman and the Amazons.
- Interestingly enough, in his myths, Theseus fought with the Amazons when he aided Heracles in his ninth labour.
Theseus can react with surprise whenever Zagreus calls on a God. For the majority of them, he only has two specific quotes addressed to them, with the exception of Poseidon and Dionysus, the gods more intrinsic in his life, that have a third one.
Despite disliking Zagreus, Theseus is the character with the most different names for him, though all of them are pejorative.
Certain myths portray Theseus as a son of Poseidon, but in the Hades universe these are just rumors spread by Zeus.
Theseus fights with a spear, but in his myths he wields a sword or fights bare-handed. The sword is also one of his symbols.