Zagreus is a true bisexual disaster. His existence in the underworld is one defined by mountains of history, a background that is unknown to us as we step into his shoes for the first time as we seek to escape the underworld. The charming prince is beloved and despised in equal measure by his peers across the House of Hades. Many of them cheer him on from the sidelines, wishing him the best of luck as he tries time and time again to reach the heights of Mount Olympus. Others view our protagonist with vocal contempt, demonising his ideology and how it threatens to throw things into disarray.
These relationships grow and evolve with each run, encounters with characters opening up as you defeat them in battle or gift them with nectar that can mend friendships and provide a glimpse at past romances that have long faded away. He is leaving behind his entire life – whether it be friends, family, or years of personal development that made Zagreus who he is. But his past is being hidden away from him, and the only way to reconcile this omission is to walk away, except each subsequent failure forces him to return home and once again confront those he has come to terms with abandoning. It’s a perfect narrative loop, each interaction carrying a sense of weight and development that few games manage to accomplish.
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Zagreus has a romantic past with Megaera and Thanatos, two characters who at first feel disgusted by his presence. Megaera is the very first boss you face upon making your way through Tartarus, greeting Zagreus with pitiful indifference as she readies her whip and prepares to send him back to the underworld. There’s an attempt to reason with her, but it always boils down to physical conflict. Regardless of how she feels, Meg is simply doing her job, and some of her own feelings of betrayal sink into her violent actions. She’ll return to the hub area once you’ve beaten her, forming bonds with Thanatos and Dusa and even opening up to Zagreus once you wear her down with constant gifts of Nectar.
I’ve yet to see Meg forgive Zagreus, but their relationship is mending, with small hints at what once was visible through the wreckage. I love this dynamic – it elicits an aura of tragedy that Zagreus is all too aware of, hence why he tries so hard to fix these relationships before he eventually leaves them behind forever. His bond with Thanatos is a little more positive, yet is also defined by a foundation of resentment that takes several hours to be addressed. Than is responsible for herding fallen souls into the underworld, so he pops up in the majority of runs to lend Zagreus a hand with dispatching enemies.
Defeat more foes than him and you’ll earn a reward and some extra dialogue. Than also acts like he must help Zag as much as possible before he’s noticed neglecting his duties, making it clear he cares deeply about his former partner despite their circumstances. They love each other, and the game makes you work before arriving at this revelation. I’ve written about being a hopeless romantic time and time again, and I’d be lying if I wasn’t holding out for a happy ending for all three of these characters, but I feel opting for a traditional conclusion would be a disservice to the trauma Supergiant Games does such a phenomenal job of conveying. These people might be gods, but they all feel human.
Zagreus is fully aware of the disorder he’s brought about as a result of his chosen path, and he often tries to play it off with sarcasm and humour, but when the reality sinks in he succumbs to his own suppressed emotions. These moments are beautiful, yet fleeting so as not to disrupt the fairly jovial tone of Hades as a whole. Instances like this are perfectly placed, and none so poignant as the love between Achilles and Patroclus. The two men were in love in the mortal realm, yet a tragic pact beyond their control has left them separated in the afterlife. Patroclus blames his former lover for his situation, choosing to ignore his existence and wallow in pity amidst the beautiful blues of Elysium. With each passing visit, Zagreus begins to build a rapport between the two, rekindling an old flame as he comes to understand the cruel fate that befell them.
I love how much of an optimist Zagreus is. Regardless of what’s happening, he will always look on the bright side of things, opting for love and intimacy instead of distance and hate whenever the decision comes up. He’s an integral link between all of the characters in the Underworld, and watching how much all of them mean to him is the greatest thing Hades has to offer. Having just completed my first run, there’s still much development I’m yet to see, but this game has a grasp on the joys and heartbreak of romantic relationships like few before it, and that’s worth celebrating.
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