Like a lightning bolt cast down by the mighty Zeus himself, Hades took the world by storm when it was fully released in September 2020. While the cacophony of combat options and powers from a supporting chorus of Chthonic and Olympian gods made each adventure in this rogue-like exciting and fresh, it was the ongoing storytelling and relationship building that really allowed it to shine. As a sequel, Hades 2 has the opportunity to build upon the relationships that fans of the game have already grown to love. One of the ways Supergiant Games should do that is by adding the major Olympians that were left out of the original to the story of Hades 2.
The Olympian gods featured in the first Hades are Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus, Hermes, and Demeter. The missing Olympians are Apollo, Hera, Hephaestus, and Hestia. Added together, that makes for a total of 13 major Olympic gods, which is because there isn’t a consensus on whether Hestia or Dionysus is the twelfth major Olympian. So to avoid leaving out anyone’s favorite Olympian from the Hades 2 discussion, a baker's dozen of gods and goddesses should be addressed.
Zagreus and Melinoe's Olympian Connections
Hades 2 players will play as Melinoe, the Princess of the Underworld and sister to Zagreus. The main antagonist of Hades 2 is Chronos, the Titan of Time who has escaped his prison and is seeking revenge on Olympus. Familial relationships were a strong part of the story in the first game, and that doesn’t look like it will change in Hades 2 since both Melinoe and Chronos are related to many of the already-established characters. Interesting familial relationships are one of the main reasons the missing Olympian Gods and Goddesses should show up in this sequel. For example, Hera is the wife of Zeus, who is oftentimes the actual, secret father of Melinoe. That reveal alone would justify the addition of Hestia, the goddess of the family and home, to try to help everyone sort out their messy family affairs.
In the first game, players would occasionally find one of Daedalus’ hammers, which allowed them to upgrade their weapon, but Daedalus is just a human. In Hades 2 the gods are under attack, so Hephaestus -- the actual Greek god of blacksmithing -- has no excuse not to show up. Even if the mechanic he brings to the sequel is similar to Daedalus' hammer, his inclusion would change up a progression system, add another compelling voice, and prepare players for the boss battles of Hades 2. The god of light and prophecy Apollo (who is luckily already confirmed for Hades 2) could offer similar change-ups to Nyx’s Mirror of Night and the Fated List of Minor Prophecies.
Boons Can Level Up in Hades 2
Finally, the forgotten gods should be remembered because of the interesting powers they could offer to Melinoe. New gods in Hades 2 means new boons. As the god of the forge, Hephaestus is naturally associated with fire and volcanoes, so he could offer lava-based powers for crowd control or ongoing damage. Apollo is also the god of healing, medicine, and plague, so Apollo could easily offer up some abilities that have to do with leeching life from enemies.
Hades 2 will undoubtedly offer up exciting new equipment and abilities for players to enjoy, whether Hades 2's new weapons and abilities are linked to the four missing Olympic Gods or not. However, because of the themes of family and working on relationships that Hades 2 seems primed to carry over from the original, these four family members -- Hera, Hestia, Apollo, and Hephaestus -- should definitely make it to the family reunion that is Hades 2.
Hades 2 is in development.