Lore in Hades covers various aspects of the game's story and world-building. As a Rogue-like game, players will be able to only glimpse bits and pieces of the game's story through various aspects of the game like small dialogues and various item descriptions. The game's setting takes place mostly in the Underworld. Zagreus, Hades' son, has recently found out that his mother is not in fact Nyx. Resolved to escape the Underworld to the surface world where Persephone is said to reside currently, he now journeys through the different layers of his home, beset by Enemies set by Hades who is also resolved to stop him from leaving. You will have to clear the game to find the answers to all the questions that must be running in Zagreus' mind. This page will contain information on the game's lore compiled through the few avenues that the game provides for players.
Hades Lore
Story Overview
Zagreus is the Prince of the Underworld, son of Hades, God of the Dead, and Nyx, Night Incarnate. Growing up, Zagreus had to take lessons to ensure that the Underworld ran smoothly under him, this was ensured by Hades as his heir. However, Hades believes that Zagreus is foolish and lazy, so he attempts to "fix" his attitude by putting him in training in martial ways under Achilles' wing. Zagreus immediately shows his gift in martial ways and expresses his feelings about not fitting in the house of Hades as well as not wanting to pursue Hades' wishes as well as hearing rumors spoken about him. When confronting Hades about it, he refused to answer his questions. Zagreus then asks Hypos' aid to cast a spell on the house of Hades so that everyone is asleep. Zagreus then sneaks into his father's office and finds a goodbye letter from Persephone. Zagreus will then need to go through the biomes of the underworld to escape the Underworld and find his real mother, Persephone, Goddess of Verdure.
Nyx aids Zagreus on his journey by telling the Olympians that Zagreus wishes to leave the Underworld and live on Mount Olympus so the Olympians agree and they accept to help him through their boons. Defeating the Gods and Goddesses that stood in his way, and finally defeating his father, he reaches the surface to meet Persephone. Persephone was ecstatic to see him as she had believed he had died in childbirth. As they chat, Zagreus grows weaker and weaker, he was unable to stay on the surface for so long. So before he is taken back to the Underworld, Zagreus promises his mother that he will return to her. Upon returning home, Hades refuses to acknowledge his defeat by Zagreus and still refuses to let him freely go to the surface. Seeing Persephone again, she tells him about the past between her and Hades. He learns that Persephone had left the Underworld, however, Zeus had spread a rumor that Persephone had secretly left with a mortal to the surface which infuriates Demeter and leads her to freeze the surface. When Hades hears of the rumor, he cuts off all contact with his brother and the overall Olympus.
Soon after Persephone and Hades met, they fell in love and soon got married, and even getting pregnant with Zagreus. Due to Hades not originally being from the Underworld, the prophecy declares that he would have no heirs leaving Zagreus to die upon childbirth. Which breaks Persephone's heart and flees from the Underworld. Nyx gets involved and pours her power onto Zagreus and brings him back to life, as well as using her power to conceal Persephone's location and Zagreus from knowing the truth as they wish to keep it all a secret to prevent war between the Olympian Gods and the Chthonic Gods. While Persephone and Hades believe that it should be kept that way, Zagreus disagrees and wishes to bring his family back together and everything back to normal. So he begs his mother to return to the Underworld with him but she refuses as she is hesitant about the situation and doubts that Hades still loves her, Zagreus tries to convince her that, it is not enough to get Persephone to go back home with him.
Zagreus returns home to seek more to convince his mother that Hades still loves her, he is able to sneak into his father's bedroom with the help of Achilles and finds a beautiful portrait of Persephone on Hades' bedside table. He rushes back to tell his mother and hears that she is still hesitant and worried about a war starting if the Olympians find out that she has returned home. Zagreus gets weaker and returns back to the Underworld, determined to convince Persephone. Upon his next return to the surface, Hades no longer tries to stop Zagreus from reaching the surface and allows him to go freely after seeing his sense of purpose. Once Zagreus reaches the surface to see his mother, he finds that she has packed her things and is convinced by his determination to bring his family together. Charon takes them back to the Underworld through the River Styx and reunites with Hades. Hades apologizes to both of them and they quickly forgive him now that Persephone is home and willing to put everything behind her.
After their reunion, they wish to settle matters between the Olympians. Hades requests Zagreus to continue to try to escape the realm of the Underworld to create the illusion that he is still trying to escape while reinforcing the security within the biomes. The family needed some time to plan out how to settle everything when Persephone came up with a plan. First, Zagreus will need to be on good terms with the Olympians and raise his affinity with them by gifting them with Nectar, Ambrosia and completing their favors. Second, Zagreus will have to personally invite them to a feast they will hold in their home in the Underworld. Persephone will be mostly honest about herself and her situation. During the feast, Persephone told half the truth which made Zagreus uncomfortable, Persephone was honest about their actions though not her words which Zeus also knew about their actions. In the end, Zeus and Hades shook hands and the family could live happily and openly in the Underworld.
Character Overview
Zagreus
Zagreus is the Prince of the Underworld, the son of Hades, the God of the Dead, and Persephone, the Goddess of Verdure. A young man who quickly shows disinterest in running the Underworld for his father, he is put under Achilles' wing to learn the martial ways. Zagreus also has a single green eye and bleeds red blood, mortal blood when injured. Hades dismisses all questions Zagreus has, this leads Zagreus to seek help from Hypnos to put a spell on the house of Hades, causing everyone to fall asleep while Zagreus looks through his father's desk. Nyx catches up to him and confesses to Zagreus all she knew about his mother. Zagreus sets off to search for Persephone. Once he reaches the surface, he must face Hades before reaching Persephone. Once reaching his mother, he quickly finds out that he cannot stay on the surface for too long as he will get weaker and weaker and slowly die. Leading him to go through the different biomes again to reach his mother for more answers.
He learns that he was supposed to be stillborn and why his mother fled the Underworld, and that Nyx had used his power to bring him back to life, conceal Persephone's true location, and the truth from him. After Zagreus learns of his parents' story, he disagrees that this is how things should be and is set on fixing the family. He begged Persephone to come back home with him to the Underworld, but she is hesitant. Zagreus returns home to find some sort of proof to show her that she is still loved by his father, to which he finds a portrait of Persephone on his fathers bedside table. When he returns to the surface, he sees that Persephone has packed up her things and is ready to go home. Charon awaits to bring them back to the Underworld, and they reunite. Persephone would then come up with a plan where she would have Zagreus be on good terms with the Olympians then later send them invites to a feast in their home in the Underworld, and would just tell everyone parts of the truth. After the feast, he is happy that they have been welcomed back but still feels wrong about lying to the Olympians, though Persephone explained that they were not honest about their word but their actions which was why their story was believed.
Hades
Hades, the God of the Dead, is the father of Zagreus. He wishes for Zagreus to run the Underworld but finds out Zagreus knows about his real mother Persephone. Persephone was a gift from Zeus due to his guilt, however, due to Demeter's disliking of Persephone being with him, Demeter starts a war, freezing the Underworld. Due to Zeus' reckless judgment, he cuts off all contact with his brother and ignores the rest of Olympus. Hades was not originally from the Underworld, therefore he wouldn't be able to have an heir. Due to that prophecy, their child was stillborn on Earth. Nyx later came in to use her powers on Zagreus which brings him back to life, but kept it a secret from Persephone to keep her safe from the Underworld. Hades then requests Nyx to use her power to conceal Persephone's true location as well as to conceal the truth from Zagreus, he also requests that there be no portraits or notes in the house of Hades that show Persephone and has Nyx act as Zagreus' mother. When he sees that Zagreus has returned with Persephone, he apologizes to the both of them. Persephone comes up with a plan against the Olympians and although Hades is annoyed with it, he would still agree to do it to reunite with his family in peace.
Nyx
Nyx, Night Incarnate, is thought to be the mother of Zagreus in the beginning until he finds out that Persephone is his real mother. Nyx aids Zagreus in his journey to the surface to seek answers from Persephone, Nyx lets the Olympians know about Zagreus' plan, and they all encourage him as well as aid him temporarily with their boons. Nyx intervened when she learned about the stillborn Zagreus and poured out her power onto him which brought him back to life but kept it a secret from Persephone to keep her safe from the Underworld, and to conceal Persephone's exact location so that no God or Goddess could find her, and to conceal the truth from Zagreus.
Persephone
Persephone, Goddess of Verdure, and Zagreus' real mother, daughter of Demeter, Goddess of Seasons. She used to live on Mount Olympus but was unhappy due to the treatment of her mother, and the other Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus. Persephone then became a gift from Zeus to Hades to become the Queen of the Underworld. They later got married and became pregnant. However, due to the prophecy and Hades not originally being from the Underworld, the Fates led to their child being stillborn on Earth. This broke Persephone's heart, which led her to flee the Underworld and leave a goodbye note for Hades. Persephone later disappears from Olympus and lives in a garden on the surface where she believes that Zagreus has died upon childbirth but sees him on the surface only to die again as he cannot stay on the surface for too long. He returns to her again and again for him to seek answers. Persephone hopes that Zagreus will agree to live the way things are but he does not. He begs her to come back home with him to the Underworld but is hesitant as there are risks. She believes that Hades no longer loves her and that Zagreus' words were not enough for her to come home. When Zagreus returns to her with the portrait, she has her things packed already, ready to head home with him as she sees how determined he is to see her on the surface and to make things right.
Persephone returns home to Hades and comes up with a plan to handle the Olympians as they will not agree to her stay there. Persephone requests Zagreus to be liked and to be on good terms with the other Olympians. Once that is complete, she will have him give out invitations to the Olympians to a feast in their home. Persephone would then be partly honest about the situation. When the feast began and Persephone had finished her speech, Zeus laughed and welcomed them back into the family. Her explanation as to why she was partly honest was to show that they were honest about their actions instead of words which was why it had worked.
Demeter
Demeter, Goddess of Seasons, and mother of Persephone, Goddess of Verdure, mistreats Persephone but takes her disappearance hard as she leaves Olympus to search for her. She freezes the Underworld when she finds out Persephone is with Hades and starts a war, Zeus later spreads a rumor that Persephone has gone off with a mortal, with this rumor going around, Demeter starts to hate mortals and freezes the mortal world.
