The Game Awards 2022 was a monumental night for Supergiant games and for the Hades fan base. A developer who does not usually make sequels announces Hades 2 is in production and is to be released sometime soon. The fact they are making a sequel attests to the great idea of a Greek mythology-inspired rogue-like, and the mechanics and combat that have proved to be beyond addictive with their dedicated audience. A game exalted to indie godhood: Hades took on the Herculean effort to stand out in a genre that was saturated with many behemoths of gaming history. The idea to entrench their game in the Greek pantheon was a stroke of genius, and now they're trying to bottle lightning again in their sequel.
Unlike the first installment, Supergiant games have decided to introduce a new protagonist Melinoe, Zagrues's half-sister, as she takes up new blades and boons in an intense battle with Chronos who has broken free from his prison in Tartarus. The Greek gods have inspired games in many ways over the years. However, Hades' sitcom family interactions were received with commercial and critical acclaim. It provides players with different builds, boons, and a bevy of background stories to explore with the major and minor gods and goddesses that appear along the way. So, along Melinoe's journey, who can the players hope to meet, battle, and commune with?
12 Chronos
Hades 2 confirms their villain with the youngest of the Titans and father of a few of the Olympic gods: Chronos. A being who ate his own children in order to maintain his stranglehold on his power. If not for the meddling of another titan, Rhea, he would have succeeded; but he was ultimately struck down by Zeus and placed in his Tartarus prison.
With his recent jailbreak, Chronos could be on the path of revenge ruining everything players experienced in the first game with Zagreus and the Olympians. It may be up to Melinoe, with the help of her mentor: Hecate, to beat Chronos. Plus, this titan has control over time which could be a good setup for the rogue-like narrative and play style of attempting runs over and over again.
11 Rhea
Wife of Chronos and Mother to the Olympians. She is a catalyst for the downfall of the titans as she hid away Zeus on a secluded island and raised him to defeat her husband Chronos. Her appearance is inevitable in the series as she may set things into motion and may be one of the targets of Chronos's revenge.
Rhea could take on a role similar to Nyx in the first game. A maternal figure, mothering Melinoe along the way and playing a foil to Hecate. She might offer some wise words to the player or be a guiding hand through the emotions and prophecies that plague Grecian mythology.
10 Oceanus
Poseidon's precursor and father of all rivers and the dwellers of his domain: The Oceanids. He is the eldest titan and is rumored to have remained neutral during the Titanomachy, the fight between the Titans and Gods. Oceanus married Tethys and birthed many famous figures including Styx, Nike, and Cratos; characters may recognize some of these names from the previous game and other famous franchises such as God of War's protagonist.
If Supergiant wishes to implement their wave and tidal mechanics seen in Poseidon's boons then Oceanus would be the perfect god to take on that role, maybe giving Melinoe access to spells with the same knockback effects.
9 Tethys
Sister and wife to Oceanus (literally keeping it within the family), who, like her spousal sibling, she took a neutral stance in the Titanomachy. Her name became synonymous with the sea, however, she was not mentioned much in the echelons of Greek mythology.
She has a similar role to Demeter taking on a matriarchal role depicted as stepmother to Hera in some of her tales. However, Tethys seems to be somewhat removed from the rest of her family. As the oldest titaness, she could take on the stern guiding hand that Demeter often showed in her talks with Zagreus.
8 Coeus
The Titan of questions, queries, and intelligence was imprisoned along with a few of his fellow brothers in Tartarus (excluding Oceanus). His copulation with Phoebe led to the birth of his two children Leto and Asteria. Leto proceeded to lay with Zeus and give birth to Apollo and Artemis, whereas Asteria became the mother of Hecate.
Hecate is one of the few characters to have already been revealed as Melinoe's mentor, so Coeus could play a bigger role than the other titans in the story. Especially, considering Melinoe is fighting against Chronos under his granddaughter's tutelage.
7 Crius
Not much is known about Crius besides his place in the pantheon as the god of constellations, his parentage, and the fact that his involvement in the Titanomachy earned him an indefinite stay in Tartarus with his brothers.
Due to the general strokes of Crius's history, developers Supergiant games may feel as though they have more freedom of interpretation with this particular titan, maybe showcasing him as a boss at the end of traversing a biome. He does have some ties to Hecate though as he fathered Perses: Hecate's father.
6 Hyperion
Father to Helios: The Sun, Selene: The Moon, and Eos: The Dawn, he personified the sun (a mantle he passed along to Helios). His only notable achievements seemed to be his role in overthrowing his own father, Uranus, and fathering his children with his wife.
Similar to Crius, this titan did not play as big of a role as the rest of his brothers and sisters and became more of a footnote in the pantheon. However, the darkness that we find in the Hades 2 trailer could be linked to Hyperion's meddling; players will only find out once the game is released.
5 Theia
The titaness of sight and vision. She gave value to gold, silver, and gems, and birthed Helios, Selene, and Eos with Hyperion. Throughout the mythology, she is seen to laud above all those with celestial powers as she is the being from which all light proceeded, ruling over such figures as Helios and Apollo.
The trailer opens with Melinoe fighting with Hecate underneath a full moon and as a mother of this celestial being the may be more to meet the eye with the Theia and Hyperion lineage.
4 Iapetus
The father to two well-known mythological figures, Atlas: the man who holds the heavens on his shoulders, and Prometheus the being who gave fire to humans and jettisoned modern technological history.
Colloquially known as the Piercer to his friends and foes, and like his brother Chronos he reigned supreme until he was cast down to Tartarus by Zeus and his Olympian cohort. His association with a spear could put him in good stead for a fight similar to the likes of the double boss fight with Theseus in the first game; who had a penchant for spear-throwing moves.
3 Themis
A powerful goddess whose domain includes justice and law and is the mother of The Fates. Often represented through the scales of justice, she could play many different roles within Hades 2. Depending on her idea or perspective of justice, she may side with Melinoae or Chronos as the story progresses.
If she sides with Melinoe and Hecate then Themis may be a good way to entwine prophecies and morals in the narrative as so many Greek stories include some sort of oracular storyline.
2 Mnemosyne
The goddess of memory and mother to the muses. Where the other titans are referenced in history through their involvement in the Titanomachy; Mnemosyne appears multiple times in Greek literature often cited in poems as the goddess who grave poetic speech to the masses with the birth of her children.
Her differences from her brothers and sisters may have her side with Melinoe rather than her siblings. Chronos's revenge against the gods (his imprisoned) goes against Mnemsoyne's role as she often works in tandem with Hades, presiding over the River Lethe that wipes away memories of a person's soul before they are reincarnated.
1 Phoebe
Titan of radiance and grandmother of the sun god Apollo, the moon goddess Artemis, and more importantly the witch Hecate. Wife and sister to Coeus she has many ties to the Olympians and with her relations to Hecate she might be more inclined to support Melinoe too.
Supergiant games proved in Hades that family and the roles they play are important in the narrative and when it comes to the greek pantheons: everything is relative. Phoebe is an interesting middle road to explore with family members on both sides of the titanic scale battle.
Hades 2 is currently in development.