Hades/Relationships

**Spoiler warning!**
This article contains detailed information about *Hades* that may spoil your enjoyment of discovering the game's secrets for yourself.
 Read at your own risk!

## Family

### Persephone

**Persephone**: Hades's wife.
Their relationship fell apart at some point in the past, partly due to the apparent stillbirth of Zagreus. Persephone left the underworld, while Hades hid the truth about her to Zagreus and forbade all mention of her in the House. Although Persephone had left Olympus willingly, she was technically forced to come to the Underworld by Zeus. Hades was similarly forced into the situation by his scheming brother, although they been smitten with each other for a while. Hades did his best to give his would-be bride her space. The two would eventually come to love each other genuinely, and she brought a kinder side out of him. However, their relationship eventually faltered, largely due to the death of their newborn son, Zagreus. She left the Underworld, but did not return to Olympus, and Hades left her alone. However, Nyx pulled a favor with the Fates, and had Zagreus revived, but Hades chose to not tell Persephone in a bid to protect them from the Olympians, and concealed Zagreus' true parentage from the boy, even going so to forbid her mention in the House of Hades. When Zagreus brings Persephone back from the surface, she reunites with Hades, and the two slowly patch things up. She encourages her husband to be kinder and more patient with Zagreus, and their subjects.

### Zagreus

**Zagreus**: Hades's son.
Hades has a bitter relationship with his son, viewing him as a disappointment. Prior, he tried various methods to toughen Zagreus up and shape him according to his ideals. He is deeply displeased by Zagreus's attempts to escape. Upon Persephone's return and encouragement, their relationship softens somewhat, resembling mutual respect. However, Zagreus has yet to forgive his father fully, and Hades does not expect forgiveness for his actions. Hades eventually makes Zagreus' escape attempts an official job description to stress-test the Underworld's security. By the time of Persephone's return, Zagreus' relationship with his father has improved significantly, in part due to her presence. However, Zagreus is still not able to forgive his father's rude and bitter treatment over the years, while Hades expects no such grace, and instead recognizes that it is his fault in the first place. During their fights on the surface, after the Epilogue, they will mock each other with trivial matters in a lighthearted manner, while showing mutual respect for their skills and combat abilities.

### Melinoë

**Melinoë**: Hades's daughter.
At some point after the events of the first game, Hades and Persephone had a second child, Melinoë. Their relationship is currently unknown but Melinoë has promised to rescue her father from Chronos.

### Cerberus

**Cerberus**: Hades's animal companion.
Cerberus appears to be Hades' only genuine companion and reprieve from his ongoing work.

## House of Hades

### Nyx

**Nyx**: Hades's co-manager.
Hades and Nyx co-manage the underworld domain. Though they seem to tolerate each other begrudgingly, they hold mutual respect for one another. Before Hades' arrival to the underworld, Nyx held everything together but wasn't quite as scaled up on the parchment work or the details of the daily operations of the underworld. Upon Hades' arrival to the underworld, Nyx found Hades to be resourceful and efficient in keeping the underworld's details and operational aspects in good order. Occasionally, Hades and Nyx may disagree on certain things concerning Zagreus and the Olympians. Still, Nyx has no trouble reminding Hades of his place and shows it by literally shaking the entire house of Hades. Hades may control the maintenance of the underworld and placement and punishment of the shades, Titans, and primordial gods, but Nyx is the Night itself and not under the rule of Hades. Nyx and Hades, therefore, have a mutually beneficial arrangement, but Nyx is not a force to be toyed with by anyone, including Hades.

### Hypnos

**Hypnos**: Hades's employee.
Supposedly, Hypnos is tasked with overseeing the newly arrived deceased souls. However, he prefers to spend most of his time sleeping, chatting, and only occasionally fulfilling his duties. The reason he hasn't been fired is because Hades finds him highly amusing, and Hypnos often gets a good laugh out of his boss (a rarity for Hades). As a result, Hades keeps him around as an unofficial court jester of sorts.

Despite Hypnos not being the best employee, at some point, he became more dependable to Hades and more obedient than Thanatos, who often assists Zagreus from the shadows. Hypnos' effort is recognized by Hades, especially in improving his reception duties. This eventually leads to Hypnos having his face on the employee recognition board of Hades.

In Achilles' Codex, Hades seems to genuinely appreciate Hypnos' presence, as it brings a softer and more fun side to the House, which is much needed.

### Achilles

**Achilles**: Hades's employee.
Hades had Achilles sign a contract stating that he would work for Hades; his job involves training and looking after Zagreus, and guarding the West Wing.

### Megaera

**Megaera**: Hades's employee.
Hades places deep trust in Megaera, selecting her exclusively to punish Zagreus. He does so because he knows she has unresolved matters with Zagreus and will execute the task efficiently. She is also a crucial figure in the administration of the underworld, extremely important as an enforcer in her role to maintain order. Megaera is the Fury sister in whom Hades has the most confidence because she is helpful and worth keeping within the House. She also fulfills her role of disciplining her sisters for him.

Although Megaera is strict in the work environment, Hades likely sees her as similar, although he's not sure if Megaera agrees with this. He understands her sense of duty towards him, and she never breaks an order.

### Thanatos

**Thanatos**: Hades's employee.
Hades regards him quite highly owing to his unwavering work ethic, to the extent that he becomes the poster child for motivational posters in the administrative office. Nevertheless, within the inner circle, Thanatos doesn't appear to hold Hades' directives as unassailable decrees, unlike the unquestionable authority of his mother, Nyx. He's even open to adjusting or finding loopholes in these directives, a departure from his usual demeanor, all in a bid to aid Hades' offspring, Zagreus.

This favor, however, dissipates when Hades uncovers his complicity in Zagreus' actions. The discovery casts a shadow over their once-respected professional relationship.

### Charon

**Charon**: Hades's employee.
Charon is regarded as one of Hades' most valued employees. Hades acknowledges that Charon is present in the underworld before him, diligently performing his duties. It's likely that Charon's role is of utmost importance, and he holds an equal standing with Hades. Hades doesn't take Charon lightly and knows how to show him the respect he deserves. He also understands the significance of Charon's presence, realizing that the underworld would face uncertain outcomes without him.

## Underworld Residents

**Alecto** and **Tisiphone**: Hades's employees.
The Furies are the main employees that Hades sends after his runaway son to punish him in his place. Even though he doesn't have as much security and confidence in them as he does in Megaera and Thanatos, he will send them in Megaera's place if she fails, despite her protests. This is even though they have caused him a lot of headaches, having expelled Tisiphone and Alecto from the house due to previous conflicts they caused within the House. He still chooses them for this task.

**Theseus** and **Asterius**: Hades's employees.
Hades's champions, he recognized Theseus and Asterius as his champions, Hades summoned them to defeat his rebel son in whatever way they desired.

### Orpheus

**Orpheus**: Hades's employee.
Hades's Court Musician, in fact, Orpheus does not see his wife, due to his favor to the House. He is too torn over Eurydice to even sing, let alone compose, so Hades puts him in solitary confinement, revealing that Eurydice is more important than fearing Hades.

## Olympian Gods

Hades once fought alongside his Olympian siblings to defeat the Titans. Nowadays, he has a low opinion of the Olympians, and has cut off communication with them. In particular he seems to resent his brother Zeus due to past quarrels (and, as is later revealed, the reason behind Persephone initially departing Olympus for the Underworld).

### Zeus

**Zeus**: Hades's younger brother.
Hades has a complicated relationship with his youngest brother. Although Hades had an interest in the daughter of the goddess Demeter, he never asked for his brother's help in getting her attention, let alone kidnapping her, and he certainly didn't see her as a "gift" that could be given as an object. Zagreus will tell Hades is enraged with him, Zeus says that he and Hades had a fight, which he wants to fix, and that the next time Zagreus sees Hades, tells him that he forgives him, this forgiveness only serves to drive him crazy, because their disagreement was entirely Zeus's fault.

### Poseidon

**Poseidon**: Hades's younger brother.
Hades was the one who taught Poseidon how to fight with his trident, after giving up using the sword, when gave up using a sword, and much to Hades' dismay, Poseidon became so well known that he is now associated with the weapon. Poseido is fond of his brother, Hades, however, admits he rarely misses him and wouldn't want his right influence to interfere with the way he handles things.

### Demeter

**Demeter**: Hades's foster sister and sister-in-law.
Demeter finds Hades dull and dislikes his dark presence. He is undoubtedly the last suitor she would ever want for her daughter. Hades is terrified of her and is keeping Persephone's existence a secret, partially out of fear of what she would do. Hades, in particular, calls her a "witch" who could do terrible things if she was angry. When Demeter found out the whole truth, she was incredibly willing to accept that her daughter was married to him and loved him.

### Ares

**Ares**: Hades's nephew.
Ares will express his admiration for his Uncle Hades, as he sees War and Death as going hand in hand. Ares is notably the only Olympian god who will offer praise to Hades without it feeling like a backhanded compliment.

### Artemis

**Artemis**: Hades's niece.
Hades and Artemis are both aloof, stoic, and busy. Achilles speculates that Hades, despite everything he resents and complains about his "irresponsible" Olympian kin, might actually get along with his equally distant and dutiful niece if he tried.

### Aphrodite

**Aphrodite**: The Goddess of Love and Beauty.

## The Titans

The previous rulers of the world, defeated in the Titan War and imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus.

### Chronos

**Chronos**: Hades's father.
 Hades fought and overthrew Chronos and the other Titans, and imprisoned them in Tartarus. In various dialogues with Zagreus, Hades has described the Titans as exceedingly cruel and terrible parents, far worse than he ever was. The only good thing Hades has said about his father, was that he was less of a terrible father than the Titan Hyperion (Demeter's father), who was considered to be the worst of them all. By the time of Hades II, Chronos has escaped the pits of Tartarus, and captured Hades.

## Others

### Heracles

**Heracles**
: Hades despises Heracles entirely and still harbors resentment and anger toward him for invading the Underworld and unexpectedly stealing Cerberus in the past to fulfill one of his "12 Labors" requirements.