Thanatos/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

### Nyx

**Nyx**: Thanatos's mother.
Thanatos holds great respect for his mother and consistently shows deference towards her. To him, Nyx's word is law, not just for him but for everyone else as well. He can't even bring himself to get angry with Zagreus for commuting Sisyphus' sentence simply because he knows Nyx must have approved it herself. In fact, his unwavering belief in Nyx's words even leads to a quarrel with Zagreus, where he reprimands the prince for continuing to talk to Dusa, despite Nyx instructing him not to. This may have earned him the reputation of being a "momma's boy" among other Chamber subordinates.

It is implied that Thanatos doesn't handle criticism well and doesn't appreciate when others offer their opinions about the way he works. He doesn't take well to his mother's disrespect when she suggests that he's doing more than his fair share of work, even though it's hypocritical because both are helping Zagreus. They share similarities in that they both operate in the shadows, working against Hades to assist Zagreus, and he knows her well enough to understand that she rarely changes her mind on matters related to the state of the House of Hades.

As his mother and superior, Nyx encourages Thanatos to strive for excellence in his work due to its importance. He offers to help her with domestic matters, but she encourages him to continue helping in his own way.

### Hypnos

**Hypnos**: Thanatos's twin brother.
Despite being twins, Thanatos and Hypnos have notably distinct personalities. While Hypnos is relaxed and carefree, Thanatos is efficient and focused.

Thanatos considers his brother too monotonous and finds his work approach uninspiring. He views Hypnos as inattentive and inefficient, leading Thanatos to not pay much attention to him. It seems that Hypnos spends more time chatting and doing other things besides actual work, which makes Thanatos believe it's not a good idea to invest too much time in him. Even when Hypnos delivers a quality report, Thanatos remains skeptical, presuming that someone else must have helped him.

Despite Thanatos' seemingly distant behavior, in his own way, he genuinely cares about Hypnos and sees it as an encouragement for improvement. He intervenes when Hypnos is at risk of losing his job. Thanatos is the first to notice Hypnos's passion for writing letters, and this time, he invests trust in him by offering assistance through task lists to help him manage his time more effectively. Although he doesn't express it openly, Thanatos secretly acknowledges Hypnos's improvements.

Zagreus also plays a pivotal role in fostering a better relationship between the twins. He encourages Thanatos to be more compassionate towards Hypnos and points out how "cruel" he has been to his brother. Thanatos takes this advice seriously, making an effort to be less harsh with his brother, resulting in a gradual improvement in their relationship over time.

### Charon

**Charon**: Thanatos's brother.
Charon is an enigmatic figure in the Underworld, and Thanatos finds himself just as perplexed as the others. When Zagreus inquires about Charon, even Thanatos is unable to provide any insights into the boatman or his intentions, hinting that Zagreus may have a deeper understanding of Charon than he does. Interestingly, when Thanatos deploys the **Companion Mort** to engage Charon, he greets Charon enthusiastically with a hearty "Hail, brother!" This suggests a peculiar connection or familiarity between them.

Moreover, during friendly combat between brothers, Thanatos occasionally mimics Charon's distinctive battle cry, the "Hraaaagh!" This curious behavior implies that there may be more similarities or shared experiences between Thanatos and Charon than either of them openly acknowledges.

### Nemesis

**Nemesis**: Thanatos's sister.
Thanatos looks at his sister with caution and doesn't appear to be close to her, but he recognizes her crucial role in providing shadows for the underworld.

### Eris

**Eris**: Thanatos's sister.
He rarely mentions her and hesitates even to evoke her name.

### The Fates

**The Fates**: Thanatos's sisters.
Despite all being children of Nyx, Thanatos isn't close or even in contact with his prophetic sisters.

## House of Hades

### Zagreus

**Zagreus**: Thanatos' colleague/childhood friend/potential lover
Zagreus and Thanatos are childhood friends and share a connection that goes beyond mere colleagues in the Underworld. Depending on the chosen path, their bond can evolve into something deeper.

Over the years, they have cultivated a close and rigorous connection. From Thanatos' perspective, Zagreus is like a burning flame of unpredictability. Throughout the years, Thanatos nurtured feelings for Zagreus that surpassed friendship, though it seemed apparent to everyone except Zagreus himself, and even Thanatos was "too occupied" to risk leaving the friendship zone.

When Zagreus made the decision to leave the Underworld without informing the God of Death, Thanatos was visibly hurt. However, he continued to assist Hades' son in his endeavors. Their relationship is marked by affectionate banter and moments of mutual care. Nevertheless, underlying tension persists as Thanatos is tasked with collecting the souls of mortals whom Zagreus helps escape from the Underworld.

Thanatos becomes disheartened by how Zagreus frequently trivializes serious matters. Between a fifth bottle of Nectar and a first bottle of Ambrosia, he confronts Zagreus, demanding rigorously to know what he truly desires in their relationship. Even as he accepts Zagreus's advances, Thanatos asks that Zagreus not take his distant silence personally.

Despite their contrasting personalities, they may eventually form a romantic connection. This inexplicable attraction possibly stems from the fact that Thanatos is the God of Death, while Zagreus is the God of Life, Blood, and Rebirth. There is a magnetic attraction between them, uniting them despite their differences, which explains the attraction to the God of Death.

### Megaera

**Megaera**: Thanatos' colleague.
Megaera and Thanatos they are Zagreus's childhood friends and are long-time coworkers and friends. They are bound together by their mutual frustration over being deceived by Sisyphus in the past. This shared history has created a strong bond between them. Additionally, in the present, they both share a sense of frustration (along with some reluctant affection) towards Zagreus.

If Zagreus chooses to pursue a romantic relationship with Thanatos, he will reveal that Meg encouraged him to confess his feelings. This suggests that there is a level of trust and openness between Megaera and Thanatos.

It's possible that the three of them may eventually form a polyamorous relationship. Their relationships can evolve based on the player's choices, with both parties comfortable with it.

### Hades

**Hades**: Thanatos' boss.
Thanatos, much like his boss, values maintaining order within the House, and Hades has no issues with the accuracy of soul collection. As a result, Hades holds Thanatos in high regard due to his strong work ethic.

Zagreus, the defiant son of Hades, had a penchant for challenging the status quo within the realm. Thanatos, initially loyal to Hades and the House's traditions, found himself torn between allegiance to his employer and empathy for Zagreus' cause. Thanatos chose to assist Zagreus without Hades' knowledge, all while continuing his regular work for Hades, effectively maintaining a dual role.

### Cerberus

**Cerberus**: Thanatos' friend.
He used to take care of Thanatos and Megaera when they were very young. They still play with Zagreus from time to time.

### Skelly

**Skelly**: Thanatos' colleague.
While not unpleasant about it, he is a fan of Thanatos and is very pleased if Zagreus summons him when Than and Zag have a body count contest.

### Dusa

**Dusa**: Thanatos' colleague.
When dating Thanatos, Dusa lets slip to having thoughts about Zagreus and Thanatos, imagining lately "the things they do together," blushing in panic before going into further detail. At least Thanatos must acknowledge that Dusa works better than her brother.

### Achilles

**Achilles**: Thanatos' colleague.
In the Codex, it is stated that Achilles hard encourages the relationship between Zagreus and Thanatos.

### Persephone

**Persephone**: Thanatos's queen.
Their relationship was little explored, and Thanatos drops hints to Zagreus about his relationship with Persephone, suggesting that one of his eyes was inherited from her. He implies that he, like everyone else in the underworld, used to say she was an exemplary queen.

## Underworld Residents

### Sisyphus

**Sisyphus**: The Tortured Soul.
The former king had once tricked Thanatos to dodge his own death. This earned the ire of the god of Death, as well as many of the other gods of the Underworld. His ire continues to persist, even ages after the fact, and continues to distrust Sisyphus despite his changed demeanor after being punished, and even with Zagreus' support of the former king.

## Olympian Gods

### Ares

**Ares**: God of War.
Thanatos is quite perplexed when Zagreus tells him how much Ares sings his praises. When asked what his opinion is of Ares, Thanatos admits that he doesn't like Ares' views on death, but at least appreciates that he is genuinely cordial to him, unlike most other Olympians. Ares sometimes tells Zagreus to send his regards to the god of death or just take the time to ask if he's doing well. He'll also be fully on board if Zagreus and Thanatos ever become a couple, saying that Zagreus has chosen a good mate.

### Hermes

**Hermes**: Fellow psychopomp.
Thanatos: Although Thanatos ends up bumping into Hermes at some point and likes to stay well informed at work, he finds the way Hermes delivers information irritating.