All Hades 2 Gods, side characters & their lore explained

Gods offer you Boons to help you in your quest to kill Chronos, with each having their own traits and lore tidbits to discover. Then there are the side characters, who aren't so godly but are still an important part of Hades 2 - so here's all the ones you can meet.

All Hades 2 Gods

Here's a list of all the Gods in Hades 2, both new and old:

New Gods

Melinoe

Melinoe is the Underworld Princess and the new protagonist in Hades 2. She's the sister of Zagreus, the protagonist from the first game. In Hades 2 she's on a quest to take down the Titan Chronos, who can control time, after he captured her father Hades and took over the Underworld.

Chronos

Chronos is the main antagonist of Hades 2, a major boss fight and the Titan of Time. He captured Hades, and it's up to Melinoe to take him down. He will appear throughout the game to taunt you, usually with some kind of time-based pun.

Hecate

Hecate is the Goddess of Witchcraft, and helps you out in your journey. Not only does she serve as your mentor, but she's your first major challenge in the game, and won't let you progress past her until you can prove to her that you've learned enough to take down Chronos.

She's also voiced by Amelia Tyler, of Baldur's Gate 3 fame.

Apollo

Apollo is the God of Light and appears to give you Boons in Hades 2. He's the younger brother of Artemis, and his Boons are based around the Daze effect which causes enemies to do no damage to you.

Hestia

Hestia is the Goddess of Flame. She grants you the Scorch curse which can deal damage over time to enemies with a burning effect. Hestia is the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister to Demeter, Hera, Helios, Eos and Selene. She joined Zeus to help defeat the Titans, and has a tendency to make puns about fire.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus is the God of the Forge and offers Boons with the Vent curse, which deals damage to enemies after 5 seconds. He's a large man in what looks like a regal wheelchair, and he carries a heavy hammer. His left leg also appears to be entirely mechanical.

Selene

Selune is the Moon Incarnate and appears atop a horse with moonlight beaming down upon her. She has the power to Morph enemies into harmless critters when you take her Boons, and she's one of the daughters of Hyperion and Theia alongside Hestia, Demeter, Hera and Eos.

Hera

Hera is the Queen of the Olympians and the wife of Zeus. She rules Olympus with the King of the Olympians by her side. Hera joined Zeus to defeat the Titans, and her Boons give the Hitch curse which makes foes take more damage when other foes with Hitch are hit.

Heracles

Heracles is the son of Zeus, and was born from an affair with a mortal. As a demigod, he still offers help to Melinoe on her way to Olympus. He previously killed the Nemean Lion and wears its skin as a show of strength.

Circe

Circe is an enchantress who you can encounter on the surface on the Rift of Thessaly. She's the Witch of Changing, and she offers Melinoe Changes and Fortunes which can change her size and power, among other things. She's known for transforming her enemies, and once transformed Odysseus' men into swine before changing them back when he convinced her to do so.

Medea

Medea is a Witch of Shadows, and you can encounter her on the surface where she'll offer you Nightly Curses. We don't know much about her in the game yet, but she is known to have married a famous greek hero before killing his next wife and her children after he annulled the marriage.

Nemesis

Nemesis is a tall, imposing fighter and a daughter of Nyx. She is the Goddess of Retribution, and has a brutal personality, seemingly seeing herself as a competitor to Melinoe.

Eris

Eris is Strife Incarnate, and bestows a debuff on you when you meet her that increases enemy damage done to you. Later on, you're able to fight her, but first, you need to suffer through this annoying curse. She wielded the Adamant Rail, and she's a daughter of Nyx and sister to Nemesis.

Returning Gods

Poseidon

Poseidon, God of the Sea, offers you Boons that can push enemies away with water or make them take more damage. He's an Olympian and a son of Chronos, but he rebelled against the Titans and assists Melinoe in her journey.

Zeus

Zeus is the King of the Olympians and the younger brother of Hades. He will offer Melinoe Boons with Blitz, an effect that causes enemies to be hit by lightning strikes. He's the third son of Chronos and rebelled against him with Poseidon, Hades and other Olympians.

Demeter

Demeter is the Goddess of Seasons, and a daughter of Hyperion and Theia. She joined up with Zeus to help take down the Titans, and now offers Melinoe Boons with the Freeze curse that can stop enemies in their tracks.

Artemis

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, offers Boons to you that can Mark enemies, increasing your chance of landing a critical hit. Unlike other Gods, she prefers to keep to herself and hunt in the forest, but she will still help Melinoe on her journey. She's one of Zeus' daughters and the twin sister of Apollo.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and offers Boons that make enemies Weak, reduces their damage by 30%. She's sweet and seductive, always complimenting the protagonist. She uses her charm and beauty to her advantage and appears basically naked in the game.

Hermes

Hermes, the God of Swiftness, is another God who offers help to Melinoe on her quest. He previously helped Zagreus escape the underworld, and helps Charon guide the souls of the dead. His Boons help you increase your speed or attack speed.

Chaos

Chaos is a non-binary embodiment of the primordial void. They offer Boons to the protagonist, but these Boons are unlike other Gods'. Chaos will offer debuffs that eventually result in greater power once you've persisted for long enough.

Hades

Hades is the God of the Dead and plays a major role in the game despite not appearing like the other Gods do to help you out. Instead, he plays a significant role in the story as he has been captured by Chronos. Hades is the father of Melinoe and Zagreus, and he is married to his wife Persephone, who escaped the underworld to live on the surface in the first game.

Hypnos

Hypnos is Sleep Incarnate, and in Hades 2 he's in a deep slumber that you need to figure out a way to wake him from. Previously, he greeted Zagreus whenever he returned to the House of Hades after dying in the first game.

Moros

Moros is a pretty edgy guy, and its for good reason - he's the personification of bad luck and Doom Incarnate, and the son of Nyx. He won't appear until you perform the Fated Intervention incantation. After that, you can invite him to the Crossroads where you'll learn more about his character and the fates of his sisters.

Charon

Charon, the boatman on the river Styx, is a merchant who will sell you different items for coins. You can trade for power-ups, Boons and more, as long as you can afford it. It's his job to transport the souls of the damned to the underworld.

Hades 2 side characters

In addition to the Gods, there's a selection of side characters who you can meet in the game. These characters don't show up to offer you Boons but they're still an important part of the game. Some will give you different items or help you out in the game's hub whenever you return.

Arachne

Arachne is a spider with a giant female head on its body. She'll weave you new dresses made out of silk that give you temporary armour and different effects in battle. 

Odysseus

Odysseus is a Veteran Tactician and the former king of Ithaca. He created the Trojan Horse, and now resides in The Crossroads after previously being at the House of Hades. He was killed by his son and now assists Melinoe in her quest.

Dora

Dora is the Listless Shade, and she likes to act like a scary ghost when she's really a kind soul. She likes to joke around and enjoys shifting her form to that of a menacing shade. You'll typically see her whenever you die and return to the Crossroads.

Schelemeus

Schelemeus is the Training Master and a new take on Skelly, the skeleton from the House of Hades. He has made himself appear far more empowered with his new persona and is revered as a famous seafarer. You can beat him up with different weapons to test them out - don't worry, he can't actually die.

Narcissus

Narcissus is supposedly the most beautiful man in the world and fell in love with himself after seeing his reflection in a pool. He offers the player various gifts including HP boosts, Bones and more.

Echo

Echo is a helpful being you'll encounter further into the game. She will give you rewards such as a replica of the last Boon you were offered by the Gods. She's a nymph who was cursed to repeat the last words said to her forever. She also loved Narcissus, then died, and she now resides in the Field of Mourning.

Icarus

Icarus makes an appearance in Hades 2, though he's currently unfinished. He makes his debut in the Rift of Thessaly and helps you out before offering a powerful ability to you. Perhaps best known for flying too close to the sun and falling to his death after his wings burned, Icarus now assists Melinoe on her journey above the surface.

Frinos

Frinos is the frog who greets you every time you return home. He's clearly the best character in the game.

That's it for the Hades 2 characters! If we discover any more we'll add them to the lists above.