Hades in popular culture
Encyclopedia
The mythological
Greek
deity Hades
often appears in popular culture
.
Despite his appearances in Greek mythology
as being largely impartial, Hades is often portrayed in fiction as a villain.
played by Steve Coogan
, and the remake of Clash of the Titans
played by Ralph Fiennes
. He is depicted as an antagonistic in both but only evil in the latter.
and Xena: Warrior Princess
, Hades was a recurring character, most frequently played by Erik Thomson
, although Mark Ferguson
and Stephen Lovatt
have also played the part. In both series, he was depicted as being overworked and understaffed.
On two episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
, Persephone
was played by Andrea Croton, while Michael Hurst
portrayed Charon
as a recurring character on both series. The ruler of the Underworld was also the subject of episode 3 of Clash of the Gods
.
's folk opera Hadestown
presents Hades as the boss of a post-apocalyptic Depression-era company town. The 2010 recording features Greg Brown performing the deep-voiced part of Hades.
, Hades appears as the primary antagonist. Unlike the mythological Hades, this version is a fast-talking, evil deity; a combination of Satan
and a dodgy car salesman. He plans to overthrow Zeus and rule the Universe. The character was voiced by James Woods
.
, Hades serves as the primary antagonist in the last story arc
of the series. Hades appears as the ruler of the and old enemy of Athena
. He wishes to wipe out humanity, turning the Earth into a desolate wasteland. He despises the human beings, who are each time more ungrateful towards the gods.
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
deity Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
often appears in popular culture
Greek mythology in popular culture
Elements of Greek mythology have appeared many times in popular culture. These elements include the gods of varying stature, humans, demigods, titans, giants, monsters, nymphs, and famed locations. Their use can range from a brief allusion to the use of the actual Greek character as a character...
.
Despite his appearances in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
as being largely impartial, Hades is often portrayed in fiction as a villain.
Film
In 2010, Hades has been in both the movies Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
played by Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
, and the remake of Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans (2010 film)
Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
played by Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
. He is depicted as an antagonistic in both but only evil in the latter.
Television
In the two television series Hercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
and Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
, Hades was a recurring character, most frequently played by Erik Thomson
Erik Thomson
Erik Thomson is an actor known for playing Hades in the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Dr. Mitch Stevens in All Saints and Dave Rafter in Packed to the Rafters...
, although Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson is a New Zealand-based Australian actor and television presenter.-Biography:Ferguson was born in Sydney, Australia, in family of Scottish ancestry . He attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art and graduated in 1981...
and Stephen Lovatt
Stephen Lovatt
Stephen Lovatt is a New Zealand actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Max Hoyland on the Australian soap Neighbours.-Career:...
have also played the part. In both series, he was depicted as being overworked and understaffed.
On two episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
, Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
was played by Andrea Croton, while Michael Hurst
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst, ONZM is a New Zealand actor, director and writer, mostly on stage and television. He is probably best known internationally for playing Iolaus in the television programs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and companion series Xena: Warrior Princess...
portrayed Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
as a recurring character on both series. The ruler of the Underworld was also the subject of episode 3 of Clash of the Gods
Clash of the Gods
Clash of the Gods was a one-hour weekly mythology television series that premiered on August 3, 2009 on the History channel. The program covered many of the ancient Greek and Norse Gods, monsters and heroes including Hades, Hercules, Medusa, Minotaur, Odysseus and Zeus.-DVD/Blu-Ray:Clash of the...
.
Music
Anaïs MitchellAnais Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell is an American singer-songwriter.-Early life:Anaïs Mitchell grew up on a farm in Addison County, Vermont and attended Middlebury College. Her father is a novelist and a retired college professor....
's folk opera Hadestown
Hadestown
Hadestown is the fourth album by Vermont-based Anaïs Mitchell, and was released by Righteous Babe Records in the U.S. on March 9, 2010. The album, a concept album, follows a variation on the Ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, where Orpheus must embark on a quest to rescue his wife Eurydice...
presents Hades as the boss of a post-apocalyptic Depression-era company town. The 2010 recording features Greg Brown performing the deep-voiced part of Hades.
Disney
In the Disney 1997 film HerculesHercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
, Hades appears as the primary antagonist. Unlike the mythological Hades, this version is a fast-talking, evil deity; a combination of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and a dodgy car salesman. He plans to overthrow Zeus and rule the Universe. The character was voiced by James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
.
Saint Seiya
In Saint SeiyaSaint Seiya
, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
, Hades serves as the primary antagonist in the last story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the series. Hades appears as the ruler of the and old enemy of Athena
Athena (Saint Seiya)
The Greek goddess is one of the main characters in the Saint Seiya series, a manga authored by Masami Kurumada, which was later adapted to anime and originated three other spin-off manga.Kurumada created her character based on the Greek goddess of the same name...
. He wishes to wipe out humanity, turning the Earth into a desolate wasteland. He despises the human beings, who are each time more ungrateful towards the gods.
Gaming
- In the God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
video game series, Hades originally resembled a demon more than a man (God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
). His appearance is changed in God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
(and continues this way) to being overweight, having a grotesque, scarred body, a fiery helmet, spike like growths protruding from his back, and he has clawed weapons attached to chains called the Claws of Hades. In the original God of War (2005), he provides Kratos (the player) with a new magic spell, the Army of Hades. He briefly appears at the end of God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
(2007) overlooking Mt. Olympus as Kratos leads the Titans in an assault on Mt. Olympus. He is a boss in God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
(2010) and is killed by KratosKratos (God of War)Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
, causing the spirits of the Underworld to roam free and Kratos taking his weapons as his own. In God of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in March 2008....
(2008), there is an after-game challenge mode named after him, the Challenge of Hades. The Challenge of Hades is also present in the original God of War but is an in-game challenge of Pandora's Temple and not an after-game challenge.
- Hades can also be worshipped in Zeus: Master of Olympus providing silver and cerberus to the city.
- Hades is the primary antogonist in the Immortal Throne expansion pack of Titan QuestTitan QuestTitan Quest is an action RPG developed by Iron Lore Entertainment. It was released worldwide by THQ on June 26, 2006. The game was released on Steam, along with the expansion Titan Quest: Immortal Throne, on July 17, 2007...
- Hades also appears in the Kingdom HeartsKingdom Heartsis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series in the world Olympus Coliseum, based on the Disney movie HerculesHercules (1997 film)Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
. His personality is identical to the movie and James WoodsJames WoodsJames Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
reprises his role as Hades.
- Hades is a Major God in Age of Empires: MythologiesAge of Empires: MythologiesAge of Empires: Mythologies is a turn-based strategy video game based on Age of Mythology. It is the sequel to Age of Empires: The Age of Kings for Nintendo DS.-Gameplay:...
.
- Hades plays major role in Herc's AdventuresHerc's AdventuresHerc's Adventures is the title of a video game released for the Sega Saturn and the PlayStation by LucasArts Entertainment in 1997.The overhead, action-adventure format was similar to Zombies Ate My Neighbors...
- In Quest for Glory V: Dragon FireQuest for Glory V: Dragon FireQuest for Glory V: Dragon Fire is the fifth and final game in the Quest for Glory computer game series by Sierra Entertainment. Unlike the first four games, Dragon Fire is an Action/RPG with few elements of Adventure.-Story:...
the Hero has to enter the realm of Hades during the main quest.
- In Call of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,...
a upgraded shotgun is named after Hades.
Literature
- He appears in the popular series Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
. In the first book, the Lightning Thief he is depicted as the villain; near the end, however, it is shown that he isn't. He also appears in The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
, where he shows up with an army of zombies to help defeat Kronos in the Battle of Manhattan. He is the father of Nico di Angelo. - In John C. Wright's Titans of Chaos, he, off-stage, is one of the factions who must be appeased about how the children are kept; furthermore, he puts forward his wife's claim to the throne of Olympus after Zeus's death. He is referred to as "Unseen One" and "Lord Dis".
- In Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
's retelling of Orpheus, "Goat SongGoat Song (novelette)"Goat Song" is an award-winning science fiction novelette by Poul Anderson.This story has strong parallels to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice-Plot summary:...
", the computer SUM preserves all dead humans for a foretold resurrection and is the Hades figure he must persuade to bring his dead love back to life. - Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Dazzling Brightness retells the story of Hades and Persephone. - He appears in the comic book series God of WarGod of War (comics)God of War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by the company Wildstorm, and written by Marv Wolfman with art by Andrea Sorrentino.The series chronicles the adventures of Kratos, the protagonist of the God of War video game series....
; a comic book series that spans from the video game franchise. - He appears in The Goddess Test under the name of Henry, who is looking for a new wife to rule with him in the Underworld after Persephone left him.
- Hades is a central, sympathetic character in the Fantasy novel The Hunter of the Dead by Maria Aragon, published in 2009. The novel explores his relationship with Persephone and with other deities aside from the Olympians.