Hades: New Foes from Greek Myth to Challenge Zagreus

Hades pits Zagreus against a relentless onslaught of underworld terrors, including slain heroes, furies, and once-vanquished monsters like the hydra, now thirsty for vengeance. Ancient Greek mythology is a deep wellspring, however, and should Supergiant Games ever decide to expand on Hades, there are many beastly options to provide Zagreus with a worthy challenge.

Between the Olympian gods, heroes, monsters, titans, and other entities like muses and nymphs, there is a seemingly inexhaustible supply of storied creatures who could give the Prince of the Dead a run for his obol. But Hades is a transformative title, with a very high standard of quality, and any additions to the game would need to live up to those criteria, not only in terms of striking art and compelling mechanics, but narrative cohesion as well.

Therefore, it is best to restrict the list of potential new foes to beings who either already dwell within Hades, or those who have been banished there after death. And while there are several conspicuous absences from the Greek pantheon who could theoretically pick a fight with Zag, taking gods off the table of potential contenders will make for a more creative selection. Even bearing these constraints in mind, there are plenty of options for promising foes with unique lore that lend themselves to memorable combat.

The three furies are not the only set of monstrous triplets roaming the halls of Tartarus. According to myth, the Hecatoncheires were a trio of giants born to the titans, Uranus and Gaia. While they each have distinctive names, (Briareus, the vigorous; Cottus, the furious; and Gyges the large-limbed) their shared name translates to "Hundred-Handed Ones," referring to their most notable feature. The Hecatoncheires' incredible strength was said to be responsible for earthquakes and tsunamis. And while that may not seem like much in Olympian terms, during the Titanomachy, the war the Olympians fought to overthrow Cronus and the other titans, Zeus sprang the Hecatoncheires from their resting place in Tartarus to act as backup against.

Hecatoncheires appears in the Persona series as a reoccurring enemy/recruitable ally, but they have made relatively few appearances in other fiction, which is a shame, because they seem like an ideal concept for a video game foe. In terms of where Zag could fight them, the Hecatoncheires could slide in between the rotation of furies, for a total of six potential bosses at the end of Tartarus. Given their tremendous size, the fights would likely play out more like the battle with the bone hydra than the furies 1v1 duel format, but each of the many limbed giants could possess its own move set. Having the boss periodically attempt to grapple Zagreus, leaving him vulnerable to attack from adds would make for a distinctive mechanic that players do not encounter elsewhere.

Lions are not thought of as monstrous in modern day but in Ancient Greece, where lions were rare enough that they were almost considered mythological unto themselves, they commanded the same kind of awe, fear, and respect as any fantasy creature. And mythologically empowered lions existed in the same weight class as demi-gods and heroes. The Nemean Lion, for example, had a taste for the flesh of men and golden fur that was completely impenetrable by mortal arms.