While sometimes complicated, Greek mythology can be incredibly fascinating and Hades does an amazing job at telling an immersive (and educational) story. Hades focuses on Zagreus, the son of Hades, fighting his way up to the surface after finding out that Olympian, Persephone, is his true birth mother.
While Hades tells an interesting story with fresh, challenging gameplay, it would be impossible to cover every little detail and all the ins and outs of all the Greek gods involved in Zagreus' tale. The world of Hades is a curious one, leaving fans with questions about other gods, the rules of their realm, and the limits of gods and Olympians' powers. Here are the most curious mysteries left unanswered in Hades.
Disclaimer: Major plot spoilers ahead!
7 How Was Nyx Powerful Enough To Prevent A Prophecy?
Persephone fled from the Underworld after the supposed stillborn birth of her son with Hades. This was then explained as apparently, the Fates prophecized that Hades would never bear an heir. It was because of this prophecy that Zagreus was doomed from his birth.
As powerful as a prophecy is, it seems as if Nyx held much more power than fate itself. It was clear that both Lord Hades and Olympian Persephone didn't have it in them to bring back their only child from death otherwise Persephone wouldn't have fled. However, Nyx, the Goddess of the Night, was the only one capable of bringing Zagreus back to life. Although it was made clear that Nyx had to resort to using incredible amounts of her power in order to save Zagreus, Nyx's abilities remain a bit of a mystery.
6 Zagreus, The Couch Potato
Little is known about the young, much more rebellious Zagreus in the past besides the moment young Zag decided to put his firey foot down when speaking about his responsibilities with this father. Zagreus' duty as a prince was ultimately for him to reside in the Underworld and learn the ins and outs of all the tedious paperwork that comes with being the King of the Underworld.
It was during this harsh scolding that Hades reprimands Zagreus for being too lazy and living life without ambition. However, "unambitious," is likely the last thing fans would describe Zagreus as, as it's clear that he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goal of reuniting his family. It was stated that after being taken under Achilles' wing that Zagreus began showing a change of heart and excelled at battle immediately.
It's clear that Zagreus much prefers the battlefield over an office cubical but the mystery of how a young, rebellious, lazy Zagreus was so quickly reformed at the hands of Achilles will always have fans curious.
5 Mirror Of Night Vs. Boons
Every boon that Zagreus chooses to take from each level is a great advantage but only lasts as long as the player's run does. The moment Zagreus is sent back to the House of Hades, he's back to the basics; losing every boon power-up that was accumulated during the previous run.
Nyx eventually gifts the mysterious Mirror of Night in an effort to aid Zagreus on his escape from the Underworld. The Mirror of Night grants Zagreus various upgrades that help him in battle in exchange for a currency fittingly called "Darkness".
However, these abilities granted by the mirror are permanent and are still in effect even after Zagreus fails an escape attempt. While the Olympian boons are temporary, the Mirror Of Night's upgrades are permanent and can even be refunded to unlock different upgrades at any time. Could this be another nod at the incredible power Nyx has? Not only is Nyx powerful enough to prevent a prophecy and bring life back from the dead, conceal Persephone's location on the surface, but she is also able to grant Zagreus useful abilities even after death!
4 Hades And Nyx's Overall Relationship
It was mentioned that Thanatos was one of the few individuals in the Underworld that knew the truth behind Zagreus' parentage. However, it must have been a tad strange for all the others to notice Nyx acting the part of Zag's mother with knowing the truth regarding Persephone. Of course, it's assumed that Hades recruited the help of Nyx to cover up the truth and avoid Zagreus from raising any questions.
This then makes fans wonder what the nature of the relationship between Hades and Nyx is. Clearly, Hades felt close enough to Nyx to ask her to help with the charade, but it's a bit unclear if Hades and Nyx ever acted the part of mother and father convincingly enough to fool Zagreus for as long as they did. Perhaps it was their distant nature that made Zagreus suspicious about his parentage in the first place.
3 Zagreus' Mortal Blood
While it is assumed that Zagreus is a full god, many fans seem to think that there is a very real and lingering possibility of Zagreus being a demi-god instead.
The story begins with Zagreus learning that he was birthed by the God of the Dead and Olympian, Persephone; but Persephone's story isn't explored nearly as much. Persephone's mother is Demeter, the Olympian Goddess of the Harvest. However, the story of Persephone's father being a mortal was never truly delved into. Characters in the game have been known to point out Zagreus' bizarre red blood and even say that he bleeds like a mortal.
While this particular detail was most likely to emphasize Zagreus' sense of non-belonging within the Underworld, it also seems to present the mystery of: "is Zagreus 1/4th human?" And even furthermore, if Zagreus does indeed have mortal blood (in addition to the blood of an Olympian), then wouldn't his parentage grant him the ability to survive the surface?
2 Retreating To The Safety Of The River Styx
After Zagreus finally reunites with his birth mother, Persephone, on the surface, he shortly succumbs to fading away and being sent back to the House of Hades. This is the entire crux that gives the player a solid reason to continue to beat the game; to fight their way back up to the surface, find the answers Zagreus was looking for, and to convince Persephone to come back home to the Underworld.
It is only after multiple successes that the player finally achieves the ultimate goal of reuniting Zagreus' family back together. Just a few steps away from Persephone's garden is the River Styx and it is on this river that Zagreus realizes he feels just fine. It's a bit strange that Persephone didn't guide Zagreus over to the river in order to have a much longer conversation, avoiding both Zagreus fighting his way up multiple times and also him inevitably fading away to a painful death.
1 Surviving The Underworld Vs. The Surface
The crux of Zagreus needing to reach the surface as many times as he does is simply because as a being from the Underworld, he cannot survive long on the surface. However, it seems a bit peculiar to think that the beings from the Underworld cannot live long on the surface while the Olympians seem unfazed by the depths of the Underworld.
After multiple successful runs, Persephone eventually decides to invite all the Olympians over for dinner to offer an olive branch and finally putting the possibility of a war of gods to bed. One would likely assume that the concept of an entity not being able to survive outside of their realm would also apply to the Olympians as it does to those of the Underworld. However, it seems as if the Olympians have no issue with being in the cold, dark depths of the Underworld and House of Hades.
It seems a bit unfair that only the Underworld residents are the only ones to be bound by their realm while the others are free to roam as they please!