Highlights
- Hades 2 will likely have a very strong central theme, building on the theme of fatherhood from the first game.
- The first Hades game explored the theme of fatherhood through the abusive relationship between Zagreus and his underworld king father, Hades.
- Hades 2 is expected to delve deeper into the theme of fatherhood, introducing new parent-child relationships and extending the theme to the game's cast.
Themes are an integral part of storytelling, no matter the medium. Whether it's a TV show, movie, comic book, or video game, any story needs to have at least one central theme that the character's journey revolves around. This theme can be just about anything, from themes of revenge to love to acceptance to sadness, and as long as at least one theme is there, a story will have a good chance of resonating with at least a portion of the audience. Being the sequel to one of the best Indie games in recent years, it's likely that Hades 2 is going to have a very strong central theme.
One of the more tricky, but universal themes to try and tackle is the theme of fatherhood. In and of itself, the theme of fatherhood is extremely expansive, and while the first Hades already dived deep into this theme, it's barely even scratched the surface. And with even more parental connections in the sequel, it's likely that Hades 2 is going to double down on its predecessor's central theme of fatherhood.
How Hades 2 Doubles Down on the Series' Themes of Fatherhood
Though it's wrapped up in a thick layer of Greek mythology and tongue-in-cheek humor and charm, the first Hades is essentially all about the theme of fatherhood. The core gameplay loop and premise of Hades sees players take on the role of Zagreus, the son of the titular king of the underworld, as he tries repeatedly to escape from his quite literally hellish home.
Throughout the game, Hades is seen constantly berating his son, demeaning and belittling his efforts to escape, and mocking his seeming lack of motivation to do so. After a few hours, it's revealed to the player that Zagreus is trying to escape the underworld so that he can find his mother Persephone, who's been missing since his birth.
Though it's never plainly stated, it's made clear that Zagreus is only on this quest because of his father's abusive style of parenting, gradually giving him a desire for a loving parent over the years, a desire so strong that he's willing to die over and over again to see it eventually come to fruition. The final boss of Hades is the father himself, and in finally taking him down, players share in a moment of triumph with Zagreus, having beat the game in real life, but also having seen Zagreus finally overcome his father's constant admonishing.
From the little fans have seen so far, it seems as though Hades 2 might follow a similar theme. In some interpretations of Greek mythology, Melinoe—the main protagonist of Hades 2—is Hades and Persephone's daughter. In some other interpretations of the mythology, it's Zeus that's Melinoe's father, having tricked Persephone by disguising himself as the king of the underworld. Regardless of which version of the mythology Hades 2 ends up going with, the theme of fatherhood will likely play another major role in the story, with either Zeus or Hades being Melinoe's dad, and presumably their relationship is quite strained.
But what might be even more intriguing is the second father-child relationship already confirmed for Hades 2. Hades 2's story centers around the Titan Chronos, who's escaped from his underworld prison and has captured Hades. In Greek mythology, Chronos is the father of the vast majority of Mt. Olympus' residents, including Zeus and Hades. With this being the game's central plot line, it seems safe to assume that Hades 2 is going to double down on this theme of fatherhood, extending it to probably most of the game's cast.
Hades 2 is in development.