There's a whole host of Hades 2 characters to find in Supergiant's sequel to the original dungeon crawler, so if you're looking to reacquaint yourself with some familiar faces, or meet the new gods on the block, then we've got everything you need to know. The titan-sized follow-up puts Melinoë in the driver's seat, a determined chthonic goddess and baby sister to the first game's protagonist, Zagreus. She's on a quest to take down the powerful Chronos and free her father from his clutches.
We were already super excited for Hades 2's release date, and now that we can take a trip to the Underworld once more, we've stitched together this list of characters so you know exactly what you're up against. Some friends, some foes, and a particularly adorable little spider lady await you on your many journeys. If you're still battling your way through the original game, we have a full list of Hades characters to help you out, plus you can take the game on the go thanks to Hades on Netflix games. You can also check out a bunch of different titles with our picks for the best games like Hades.
Hades 2 character list
Given the sheer size of Supergiant's roguelike sequel, and the fact we're still waiting on a full Hades 2 release date, there is a possibility that even more characters might get introduced when the game leaves early access. Check back with us when the game is fully out, and we'll keep our roster of Hades 2 characters up to date for you.
Here are all the Hades 2 characters:
Melinoë
Melinoë is the main protagonist of Hades 2, and the baby sister of everyone's favorite and devilishly dashing demi-god, Zagreus. She's a chthonic goddess associated with ghosts and nightmares, but is actually quite sweet and earnest despite this. Melinoë is destined to descend into Tartarus, the lowest point of the Underworld, and defeat Chronos, the titan who broke free, captured her father, Hades, and took control of her home.
Hecate
Hecate is a powerful goddess, specializing in witchcraft, necromancy, and the crossroads she calls home. She trained Melinoë as a young child and 'helps' her protege by facing off against her as the first main boss of the game, as you plan to leave Erebus. Hecate is the one that decided Melinoë would be the one to take down Chronos and put her on the path back to the Underworld. If you're a fan of Larian's award-winning Baldur's Gate 3, you might recognize the voice of Hecate as none other than the narrator of the dungeons and dragons-inspired RPG.
Charon
Charon will be a familiar face - or… shroud - to those who played the first Hades game, and even in the second installment, the stygian boatman cares for naught but gold. He acts as a trader throughout several levels of Melinoë's quest, and you can offer gold in exchange for power-ups and god-given boons from Charon during each of your runs. But don't bother trying to engage in meaningful conversation with him, because he'll only grunt and moan at you, same as always, although you can ply him with the odd tipple of Nectar to persuade him to offer you a better deal.
Dora
Everyone needs a bestie, and much like Hypnos used to welcome Zagreus home whenever he failed a run in the first game, Dora is an adorable little ghost who practices her haunting skills in Melinoë's bedroom. This sassy little shade soon becomes a friendly face - despite her attempts at spookiness - and greets Melinoë every time she returns from a run. Dora acts as your welcome wagon, although she has a fair amount of sarcasm despite her small stature.
Schelemeus
Ahh, Skelly. Well, we met him as Skelly in the original Hades game, but in the sequel he goes by his full and proper title of Schelemeus. He continues his role as half-living training dummy and punching bag, and Melinoë can practice with her weapons by beating whatever life is left out of his old bones. He seems to like it, though, so we don't feel too bad for unleashing our frustrations on him whenever we fail a run.
Hypnos
We'd already met Hypnos in the first Hades game, where he was a surprisingly chipper and very-much-awake god that greeted Zagreus after failed runs. In Hades 2, he's curled up and snoozing in Melinoë's home - as is his right. We're sure Melinoë will soon find a way to wake the god of sleep up, though she'd better have some strong coffee prepared. Or maybe he just wants to live up to his name.
Nemesis
Even if you're unfamiliar with Greek mythology, you likely know the term 'Nemesis'. She's Retribution incarnate, and the daughter of Nyx, the goddess of night. She remains at the Crossroads, Melinoë's base camp, and has been tasked with overseeing the place. She's in a constant grump at this assignment, since she'd much prefer to be the one fighting Chronos and feels as though her skills are wasted, so don't expect any bright and cheerful conversation.
Odysseus
Odysseus is a veteran tactician who hangs out at the Crossroads, and if your history lessons taught you anything, you'll know that he was the mastermind behind the famous Trojan horse. Fans of the first game thought that maybe Skelly, Zagreus' punching bag, was actually Odysseus, but since the devilishly handsome warrior is chilling at the Crossroads where the ol' bag of bones is also waiting for you, the two are apparently unrelated. Or maybe he just invested in some really good skincare.
Narcissus
As with Nemesus, you'll likely recognize the name Narcissus, too. This long-dead hunter was said to be the most beautiful man in the entire world, but considering he's narcissism incarnate, we can't fathom why he insists on keeping his gorgeous features hidden beneath a shadowy cowl. He appears sporadically in Oceanus during Melinoë's runs, where there are plenty of pools of water for him to gaze upon his reflection. As much as he waxes lyrical about how hard it is to be so good-looking, you can wrangle some pity-gifts out of him, and they're surprisingly pretty good.
Arachne
The cutest dang spider you'll ever have the pleasure to meet, Arachne is perhaps our favorite new addition to the Hades roster. She's an eight-legged friend that likes to spin her silk into beautiful - and powerful - outfits for Melinoë during her runs in the first area of Erebus. These silk gowns all offer different boons, a certain number of armor points, and a whole new fit. What a sweet li'l spider she is.
Moros
Moros is the son of Nyx and quite literally doom incarnate. Moody and morose (duh), he appears after Melinoë performs the Fated Intervention incantation. He bestows Melinoë with the Fated List of Minor Prophecies, where she can earn some extra currency by completing them. Don't expect him to ever cheer up, though, because Moros certainly lives up to his name.
Cerberus
Previously the best boy and Zagreus' three-headed pet, Cerberus now serves as a mutated, corrupted version of himself and acts as the final boss in the Fields of Mourning in Hades 2. Cerberus turning into an Infernal Beast is a sad, sad day for us all, but maybe another Satyr Sack or two could bring him back from destruction. He deserves all the pets and belly rubs, even if you do have to fend off his terrifying AoE attacks.
Selene
Selene is the goddess of the Moon and Melinoë's great-aunt. She's an incredibly powerful deity and offers her niece several helpful Hex boons to guide her on her travels through the Underworld, but can only make an appearance at night (obviously). Although she appears infrequently, she's a welcome sight in the darkness, and you'd do well to offer her some Nectar by way of thanks.
Hades
The god of the Underworld himself, Hades is Melinoë's father and Chronos' prisoner in the depths of Tartarus. Hades commanded Hecate to watch over his daughter in his absence, and when Melinoë finally battles her way to the lowest point of the Underworld she'll find her father, who will bestow powerful boons to help in her fight against the titan of time.
Eris
The personification of strife is the younger sister of Nemesis and serves as the main boss encounter in the Rift of Thessaly. She taunts Melinoë and offers a fearsome battle in her quest to sow chaos in the world - and Underworld. If there ever was someone who wanted to watch the world burn, it's Eris. She also likes to leave trash around the Crossroads, so there's that.
Chaos
Chaos is the ethereal embodiment of the void that spawned the Titans themselves and is empathetic to the goings-on between the gods. They do, however, offer boons to Melinoë in much the same way they did to Zagreus in the original game. But be warned, their gifts come with some, quite understandably, chaotic debuffs. So choose wisely, but don't be afraid. A little chaos never hurt anyone! Much.
Scylla
Giving her best Ursula impression, Scylla is the final boss encounter in Oceanus. Beautiful nymph turned grotesque sea monster, Scylla and her band, the Sirens, put on quite a show for Melinoë at the end of the underwater part of the Underworld. Don't let the music draw you in, plug your ears and take out her sirens before cracking her shell and defeating her. Although we've got to give it to her, she really does play some absolute bangers, so even if it takes us an egregious amount of time to break up the band, at least we have an awesome soundtrack to do battle with.
Heracles
Heracles is the son of Zeus, and yes, his name might be familiar because others will know this enigmatic demi-god as Hercules. Hercules is actually the Roman name for him (Disney messed it up on purpose, I swear). Although he was mentioned in the original game we never got to meet him, but this time around, he helps Melinoë out on her quest to save her father, Hades.
Polyphemus
Polyphemus is the son of water god, Poseidon, and a cyclops who acts as the boss encounter in the City of Ephyra. Our favorite warrior, Odysseus, blinded him many years before when he went pillaging in Polyphemus' cave, but the one-eyed behemoth is still a pretty scary match.
Medea
Medea is the witch of shadows and will offer Melinoë her nightly curses to help in her quest to take down Chronos. She can be found in the City of Ephyra, and despite bestowing 'curses', she actually has some pretty cool boons on offer. You see, don't judge a book by its - witchy - cover.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is one of the Olympian goddesses and the personification of love and beauty. Aphrodite doesn't appear during an initial run, but will sporadically pop up thereafter, offering boons to help turn Melinoë's foes weak and helpless, with googly heart-eyes and dopey grins and the whole nine yards. Love does it to us all, and it's what Aphrodite is best at. She's just as strong as she was in the first game, and we wouldn't expect anything less from her.
Apollo
Apollo is the twin brother of Artemis and the Olympian god of light. His handy boons can help daze Melinoë's foes, which stops them from dealing damage and makes them easier to kill. He's a smooth-talking, charismatic god, and despite being twins, gets ever so peeved when Artemis refers to him as 'little brother'.
Artemis
Artemis is the Olympian goddess of the hunt and twin sister to Apollo. She can help Melinoë mark enemies, which makes them far more susceptible to critical damage, and so with her boons on side, you can make light work of foes. She boasts perhaps one of the strongest DPS builds in both games, and despite her stoic disposition, is a lot of fun to play with.
Demeter
Demeter is the Olympian goddess of seasons, though is depicted as chilly and wrapped up in furs to keep her warm. In the original game, Demeter only appeared to Zagreus once he reached the surface, but in Hades 2 she will come to Melinoë's aid almost from the beginning. She can now freeze enemies with her boons, which can make for some great crowd-control builds.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus is the Olympian god of the forge and makes his debut in Hades 2 after only being mentioned in passing by Zagreus in the original game. His boons inflict Vent on enemies, which deals damage over time. Fans of the game have celebrated Hades 2's version of Hephaestus for his representation, with the god of craftsmanship depicted as an amputee in a perfectly forged chariot-style wheelchair.
Hera
Hera is the queen of Olympus and the goddess of marriage. She married Zeus after the war with the Titans and left her Heart-Seeking Bow for Zagreus to pick up. Despite being the goddess of matrimonial bliss, she does so enjoy going up against her husband. Understandable. She aids Melinoë in her fight against Chronos with her Hitch boons, which makes foes take damage when other afflicted enemies are attacked.
Hermes
Hermes is the messenger of the gods of Olympus, and this speedy little trickster has become a double agent in Hades 2. If it was going to be anyone, it was going to be Hermes. He managed to infiltrate Chronos' army and uses this knowledge to help turn the tides and grant boons upon Melinoë.
Hestia
This fiery ol' lady is the goddess of hearth and flame. She is Melinoë's great-aunt and offers boons that scorch enemies with damage over time. This effect can stack, meaning Hestia can really help turn the tide in a fight.
Poseidon
The Olympian god of the sea and brother to Zeus, Poseidon is one of few gods that won't appear to Melinoë in her very first run. But he does turn up pretty regularly after, and his new status curse, Slip, is a change from the previous Ruptured in the original Hades game. This effect now causes enemies to take more damage and get knocked back, which is helpful when Melinoë is dealing with wave after wave of bad guys.
Zeus
Everyone knows Zeus. Zeus knows that everyone knows. It's Zeus. The king of Olympus and god of sky and thunder won't show himself to Melinoë on her first run out of the Underworld but will appear after to offer some pretty hectic boons. His new status effect, Blitz, causes enemies to be hit with bolts of lightning after they take a certain amount of damage. What a spark of ingenuity.
Chronos
The big bad guy of Hades 2. Chronos is the titan of time and the one who kidnapped Melinoë's father, Hades, to rule the Underworld in his place. Melinoë is tasked with stopping Chronos in his quest to wage war on Olympus and defeat all the gods within, and with the help of her powerful family, we know Chronos doesn't stand a chance.
But there you have it, that's every character that we've come across in Hades 2. We'll make sure to keep this list up to date in case we stumble upon any other gods, nymphs, or otherworldly creatures on our travels with Melinoë. If you're after even more roguelike goodness, check out our picks for the best roguelikes on Switch and mobile, as well as the best fighting games on Switch if you just wanna beat 'em up.