Characters & Roles
Characters & Roles Guide
Introduction
In Hades, you play exclusively as Zagreus, the prince of the Underworld. Though there is only one playable character, your build defines your role. This guide covers Zagreus, the six Infernal Arms (each with multiple Aspects that serve as subclasses), and the Olympian Gods whose Boons act as skill trees. We also touch on key NPCs who provide permanent upgrades or story progression.
Zagreus (The Player Character)
- Background: Son of Hades and Persephone, trapped in the Underworld. He fights to escape and reunite with his mother.
- Abilities: Zagreus has a basic attack (varies by weapon), a special (varies by weapon), a dash (invincibility frames), a cast (a ranged projectile), and a call (charged Boon ability). He can also use a summon (companion) after unlocking.
- Role: Pure protagonist. All roles are determined by your weapon and Boon choices.
- Unlock Conditions: Always available.
- Recommended Builds: Depends entirely on weapon and Boons (see below).
- Team Synergy: Not applicable (solo game).
The Infernal Arms (Weapons & Aspects)
Each weapon has a base form and up to four Aspects that drastically change playstyle. Aspects are unlocked by spending Titan Blood and sometimes completing specific prophecies. A brief table of weapons:
| Weapon | Base Style | Notable Aspect (Role) |
|---|---|---|
| Stygian Blade | Balanced melee | Aspect of Arthur (Tank/DPS) |
| Eternal Spear | Reach & speed | Aspect of Hades (Burst DPS) |
| Shield of Chaos | Defense & bash | Aspect of Zeus (Ranged/Cast) |
| Heart-Seeking Bow | Ranged kiting | Aspect of Chiron (Homing DPS) |
| Twin Fists of Malphon | Fast combos | Aspect of Talos (Magnet/DPS) |
| Adamant Rail | Ranged firearm | Aspect of Eris (Self-buff DPS) |
- Background: The original sword of the Underworld, passed down to Zagreus.
- Base Strengths: Balanced speed and damage; good for learning combos.
- Base Weaknesses: Short range, no built-in crowd control.
- Playstyle: Aggressive close-quarters. Use dash-strike to approach and combo.
- Aspects:
- Recommended Boons: Aphrodite (weakness for survivability), Athena (deflect for safety), Artemis (critical boost for Nemesis). Daedalus Hammer: Cursed Slash (heal on hit) pairs well with Arthur.
- Background: A legendary spear wielded by Hades himself.
- Base Strengths: Long reach, fast attack, special has a wide spin.
- Base Weaknesses: Low base damage, spin leaves you vulnerable.
- Playstyle: Keep distance, use dash-strike to close, special for crowd control.
- Aspects:
- Recommended Boons: Demeter (chill slows enemies, stacks for burst), Ares (doom on special/attack for extra damage), Zeus (lightning on attack for fast multi-hit). Daedalus Hammer: Explosive Launcher (special becomes AoE) for Hades aspect.
- Background: Aegis, the shield of Zeus, modified by Chaos.
- Base Strengths: Block (hold attack to absorb frontal damage), charge (bull rush) knocks back enemies and deals damage.
- Base Weaknesses: Slow attack speed, block limits mobility.
- Playstyle: Defensive, reposition with bull rush, use bull rush to interrupt enemy attacks.
- Aspects:
- Recommended Boons: Zeus (lightning synergizes with Zeus Aspect), Ares (doom on attack/special for Chaos Aspect multi-hit), Athena (deflect on bull rush for safety). Daedalus Hammer: Minotaur Rush (bull rush leaves a damaging trail) for Beowulf.
- Background: Bow of Artemis, crafted from a fallen star.
- Base Strengths: Long range, power shot (hold attack for more damage), special fires a spread of arrows.
- Base Weaknesses: Slow fire rate, vulnerable while aiming.
- Playstyle: Kite enemies, use trap doors and pillars, power shot from distance.
- Aspects:
- Recommended Boons: Artemis (critical synergy with power shot), Dionysus (hangover on special with Chiron for fast stacks), Aphrodite (weakness for survivability). Daedalus Hammer: Twin Shot (fires two arrows in a V) for more AoE; Relentless Volley (more special arrows) for Chiron.
- Background: Magical gauntlets worn by the hero of Marathon.
- Base Strengths: Fastest attack in the game, special is a leaping uppercut.
- Base Weaknesses: Short range, no block, vulnerable during uppercut animation.
- Playstyle: Get in close and spam attack, dash frequently to avoid hits.
- Aspects:
- Recommended Boons: Zeus (lightning on attack for rapid procs), Dionysus (hangover on attack for stacking), Artemis (critical hits). Daedalus Hammer: Breaker Upper (uppercut deals more damage and knocks enemies away) for Talos; Draining Cutter (heal on uppercut) for survivability.
- Background: A hand cannon created by Hephaestus, powered by ambrosia.
- Base Strengths: Long-range rapid fire, special is a grenade launcher.
- Base Weaknesses: Long reload time, low single-shot damage, grenade can be hard to aim.
- Playstyle: Stay at range, kite enemies, use grenades for crowd control.
- Aspects:
- Recommended Boons: Zeus (lightning on attack for rapid hits), Ares (doom on attack for large single hits with Hestia), Dionysus (hangover for stacking). Daedalus Hammer: Explosive Fire (attack becomes an AoE bomb) for Eris; Rocket Bomb (special becomes a rocket) for high burst.
- Aspect of Nemesis (Unlock: 1 Titan Blood): Critical hit chance on special. Role: Crit-based DPS.
- Aspect of Poseidon (Unlock: 3 Titan Blood): Dash-strike deals bonus damage and hits twice. Role: Mobility DPS, spam dash-strikes.
- Aspect of Arthur (Unlock: Revealed by sword companion, then 15 Titan Blood): Slow, wide sweeps with a holy aura that reduces enemy damage and inflicts a damage debuff. Role: Tank/Control. High health, area denial.
#### 2. Eternal Spear
- Aspect of Achilles (Unlock: 1 Titan Blood): After using special, your next attack/cast does bonus damage and charges a ranged dash. Role: Burst assassin, hit-and-run.
- Aspect of Hades (Unlock: 3 Titan Blood): Spin attack creates a shockwave that deals more damage with consecutive hits. Role: AoE brawler, charge spin.
- Aspect of Guan Yu (Unlock: Hidden aspect, requires completing a prophecy involving Patroclus, then 15 Titan Blood): Heals on hit but reduces max HP and deals less damage. Special is a slow, wide thrust. Role: Sustain/Vampire, careful positioning.
#### 3. Shield of Chaos
- Aspect of Zagreus (unlock free): Slightly faster attack speed. Role: Balanced.
- Aspect of Chaos (Unlock: 3 Titan Blood): Shield throw returns to you after hitting enemies, and damage increases per enemy hit. Role: Ranged DPS, bouncing projectiles.
- Aspect of Zeus (Unlock: 5 Titan Blood): Bull rush calls lightning bolts that strike enemies around you. Role: Zone control, lightning build.
- Aspect of Beowulf (Unlock: 15 Titan Blood, requires at least one other hidden aspect): Cast shard becomes a projectile that you can load and fire for massive damage. Role: Cast artillery, high burst.
#### 4. Heart-Seeking Bow
- Aspect of Chiron (Unlock: 1 Titan Blood): Special arrows home toward the last enemy you hit with attack. Role: Single-target DPS, stack status effects via special.
- Aspect of Hera (Unlock: 3 Titan Blood): You can load your cast into the bow, and the next attack fires a cast-bomb that shatters on hit. Role: Cast burst, synergy with Trippy Shot.
- Aspect of Rama (Unlock: 15 Titan Blood, requires unlocking all other bow aspects): Attack charges slowly but hits all enemies on a line; special applies a damage-sharing debuff. Role: AoE support, debuff-focused.
#### 5. Twin Fists of Malphon
- Aspect of Talos (Unlock: 1 Titan Blood): Special pulls enemies toward you (magnetic effect). Role: Grappler/DPS, group enemies then punch.
- Aspect of Demeter (Unlock: 3 Titan Blood): After dodging, your next attack becomes a Maim (deals damage over time). Role: Hit-and-run, exploit invincibility frames.
- Aspect of Gilgamesh (Unlock: 15 Titan Blood, requires completing a quest involving the Minotaur): Gain a max HP cap increase, a dash uppercut, and Maim on dash attack. Role: Berserker, high mobility, risk/reward.
#### 6. Adamant Rail
- Aspect of Eris (Unlock: 1 Titan Blood): When you damage yourself with your special (grenade), you gain damage for 10 seconds. Role: Self-buff DPS, risky but rewarding.
- Aspect of Hestia (Unlock: 3 Titan Blood): Manual reload (press reload button) turns your next shot into a high-damage crit. Role: Sniper, precision.
- Aspect of Lucifer (Unlock: 15 Titan Blood, requires completing a prophecy involving Hephaestus): Attack fires a continuous beam that deals damage and leaves a damaging landmine; special drops a deployable that fires beams. Role: Area denial, laser turret.
The Olympian Gods (Boon Providers)
Each god grants Boons that alter your abilities. These act as your skill tree and define your role further. Key gods:
| God | Boon Themes | Strengths | Weaknesses | Recommended Synergies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeus | Lightning, chain effects | Excellent for fast-hitting weapons (fists, rail), AoE damage | Low single-target, can be RNG reliant | Any weapon with high attack speed; best with Zeus Shield or Rail |
| Poseidon | Knockback, wall damage, dash | Great crowd control, synergizes with wall-based builds, high dash damage | Less effective in open areas; knockback can scatter enemies | Use against tight corridors; pair with Shield bull rush or Sword dash-strike |
| Athena | Deflect, protections, reflect | Survivability, can make you nearly invincible with divine dash | Low offensive damage; deflect may not help against non-projectile enemies | Safe for all weapons; ideal for beginners; works with any Aspect but especially melee |
| Aphrodite | Weakness, damage reduction, charm | Mitigates incoming damage, high % damage boosts on weak enemies | Weakness doesn't stack; charm is unreliable | Great for tanky Aspects like Arthur; pairs with high attack weapons for % bonus |
| Ares | Doom, blade rifts, slow | Strong DPS with timed burst, good AoE with blade rifts | Doom requires delay to activate; can be awkward with fast weapons | Best on single-hit attack weapons (e.g., Hestia Rail) or with Curse of Pain for multi-hit |
| Artemis | Critical hits, seeker arrows | Highest burst potential, critical build works with any weapon | RNG criticals; seeker arrows can miss when enemies die | Compatible with all weapons; bonus crit on specials for spear or shield |
| Dionysus | Hangover (DoT), mixture (Trippy Shot), Gifts | Excellent for fast weapons that stack hangover, cast-based builds with Trippy Shot | DoT takes time to ramp up; weak against armored enemies | Best with Chiron Bow (special stacks quickly) or Rail; Trippy Shot works with Hera Bow |
| Demeter | Chill (slow), frost (explode), winter harvest | Great crowd control, slows enemies, plus % damage reduction | Low immediate damage; chill requires stacks for explosion | Good for melee weapons that need survivability; synergizes with Cast builds; counteracts enemies' speed |
| Hermes | Speed, dodge, extra dashes, movement | Provides quality of life and mobility, extra dashes for survival | No direct damage; buffs are flat and not multiplicative | Useful on any build; extra dash and hyper sprint are universally good |
| Chaos (Primordial) | Curse + boon, rare boons | High-risk high-reward; can give multiplicative damage boosts | Temporary debuffs (e.g., -40% health) can be dangerous | Take early in a run to maximize distance; pair with high survivability Athena or Aphrodite |
Other Major NPCs (Non-Playable but Important)
While not playable, these characters grant permanent upgrades, story progression, or assistance during runs:
- Skelly: Training dummy in the courtyard; helps practice combos. No gameplay role beyond tutorial.
- Dusa: House servant; gives Ambrosia after certain interactions. No combat role.
- Achilles & Patroclus: NPCs that offer Boons (from Achilles' training, Patroclus gives a special buff) and story. Achilles provides +1 dash (once) and a special upgrade after completing his quest.
- Orpheus: Musician; sings at the House. Grants no gameplay benefit but influences story.
- Charon: Boatman; sells items in the shop (Obols) and offers the Satyr Sack in Temple of Styx. Essential for acquiring Boons, health, and keys.
- Sisyphus: Gives a free Obol or health boon if you have him as a companion; also provides a Bouldy buff (optional).
- Megaera: One of the Furies; can be boosted as a companion (Sister of the Fates) later. Provides story and a summon.
- Thanatos: Death incarnate; appears randomly as a timed challenge. Winning grants a Centaur Heart. Also becomes a companion (Than's Aid).
- Hypnos: Sleep god; gives death screen tips and some dialogue. No gameplay effect.
- Nyx: Night personified; grants mirror upgrades and story progression. Essential for unlocking mirror talents.
- Hades: Antagonist; final boss. Defeating him progresses story; you can later brawl with him in the House.
Conclusion
Hades offers immense variety despite a single playable character. Your role—be it a shadowy assassin (Achilles Spear + Artemis), a tanky sword-and-board (Arthur Blade + Aphrodite), or a laser turret (Lucifer Rail + Zeus)—is shaped by your chosen weapon Aspect and Olympian Boons. Experiment with all combinations to find your escape style.