Hades Characters Guide – You Can Please Them All

Hades is a roguelike, dungeon-crawler video game created by Supergiant Games. It is heavily inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, though it focuses on Zagreus as he races through the different levels of the Underworld to find his way to the surface.

Throughout the game, you will meet a lot of characters, and it can be hard to figure out how to complete their favors or if it’s worth going through their individual storylines (it absolutely is worth it). This Hades Characters Guide will help you parse through each of the characters and understand who they are.

CHTHONIC GODS

Hades

  • Keepsake: Sigil of the Dead
  • Fight Reward: Titan Blood
  • Area: Surface and House of Hades

Lord Hades is the god of the Dead and the father of our protagonist, Zagreus. He is actively working to try and keep Zagreus from escaping the Underworld, even going so far as to personally fight him at the end of each escape attempt (if you make it that far).

You can gift him a single Nectar before you finish the first ending of the game. After bringing Persephone home, you can give him four more. After a total of three hearts are unlocked, he will give you his Keepsake, the Sigil of the Dead. After five Nectar are gifted, Hades will return them all to Zagreus and refuse to take more.

He occasionally projects his feelings about the current predicament involving Persephone onto his son; however, after each escape attempt, Hades becomes less harsh towards Zagreus and regularly begins to praise his son.

Even still, one has to wonder if he will ever deserve or earn Zagreus’ forgiveness.

Hades god of the dead game
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Nyx

  • Keepsake: Black Shawl
  • Position: Night Incarnate
  • Her favor is shared with Chaos.

Nyx is the foster mother of Zagreus, having pulled strings to bring him back to life after he was stillborn. Even though Persephone had already left the Underworld, Nyx still went through the effort to bring Zagreus back and then readily took on the task of raising him.

She and Zagreus share a very close relationship, and Nyx tries to help him and do things that she believes are in his best interest (and the best interest of the rest of her children) – even when they may be misguided. She is considered by many, both on Olympus and in the House of Hades, to have a very sharp mind. After gifting Nyx a Nectar, she will give you her Black Shawl Keepsake.

You must complete the favor between her and Chaos to unlock the rest of her affinity gauge. This involves repairing the eldest sigil in the Chamber of Administration. This is done by collecting 3,142 Darkness and giving it to the House Contractor.

Once the sigil is repaired, Nyx will leave to visit Chaos – to get her to return to the House earlier, I recommend you stop by Chaos’ realm on your next escape attempt.

nyx in hades game
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Zagreus

  • Players’ Character
  • Six Different Weapons
  • Unseen force of absolute chaos.

Zagreus is the son of Hades and Persephone, and the foster-child of Nyx. He is the player character through the game, and it is through his interactions with the characters and the Underworld around him that we gradually learn about the world and the relationships between different characters.

Through Zagreus’ actions, the player can reforge bonds, help characters to better themselves, and generally make the Underworld a better (and safer) place. He and his persistence are the only reason that Persephone makes her return voyage to the Underworld.

When Zagreus first learns that Achilles considers him to be the God of Blood, he is very doubtful but eventually readily claims the title as his own.

zagreus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Charon

  • Keepsake: Bone Hourglass
  • Area: Throughout the Underworld, Temple of Styx
  • Options: Any chamber rewards (3 per set up, 5 in the Temple of Styx plus a Diamon or Titan Blood)

Charon can be found throughout the Underworld’s various levels, selling different wares – and even Boons – to Zagreus in exchange for the Obols that he collects throughout the Underworld.

Some characters in the game consider Charon to be one of the richest beings in the entirety of the Underworld – which is saying something when his boss is literally the god of wealth.

At the end of every escape attempt, whatever Obols you didn’t spend are lost to Zagreus and are subsequently dumped into Charon’s ever-deepening pockets.

After giving Charon a Nectar, he will give you the Bone Hourglass Keepsake in return. To Unlock Charon’s affinity gauge, you need to complete his favor of spending 10,000 Obols in his shop.

This should be pretty easy to complete by the time you reach unlocking his favor. If it doesn’t immediately trigger, just buy a few things until it does.

charon in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Hypnos

  • Keepsake: Chthonic Coin Purse
  • Position: House Attendant
  • Favor is randomly triggered

Hypnos is the son of Nyx and the younger twin brother of Thanatos. As well as being the god of sleep, he works as the House Attendant. A majority of the House of Hades considers him to be irresponsible and lazy, often losing track of time and failing to complete his tasks. B

oth Thanatos and Nyx are very worried that Hypnos will lose his job, and Nyx believes it partially to be because he is too dependent on her. As such, both are probably unduly harsh to Hypnos, but with Zagreus’ aid and some encouragement from Thanatos, Hypnos gets things in order and begins to thrive as the House Attendant.

After giving him his first Nectar, Hypnos will give you the Chthonic Coin Purse Keepsake. To unlock the rest of his hearts, you need to complete his favor. This involves speaking with Thanatos about how harsh he has been with Hypnos and suggesting that he encourage Hypnos to do better instead of berating him. This favor is mainly triggered randomly, so it may take a very long time to get the ball rolling on it.

hypnos in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Thanatos

  • Keepsake: Pierced Butterfly
  • Chthonic Companion: Companion Mort
  • Romance Option

Thanatos is the god of death and is one of the prized workers of the House of Hades. He is the son of Nyx and Hypnos’ older twin brother. He and Zagreus were close friends in childhood, and as the game progresses, eventually, the two can become more than friends.

He will often come and help Zagreus fight his way through a randomly chosen chamber – though this can only happen once per run. Afterward, Thanatos has a chance to appear in the House of Hades. The closer the two are, the more likely he is to appear in the House.

After his first Nectar, Thanatos will give Zagreus the Pierced Butterfly Keepsake. After completing his favor (a randomly triggered conversation that can prove very frustrating to get… just show up at the House so we can talk, Than, it’s not that hard to do) and gifting him a bottle of Ambrosia, Than will give Zagreus Companion Mort.

He and Megaera are the only two romance options.

Thanatos in Hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Megaera

  • Keepsake: Skull Earring
  • Chthonic Companion: Companion Battie
  • Romance Option
  • Fight Reward: Titan Blood

Megaera is the first of the furies and the only one that is allowed inside the House of Hades. She is loyal to Nyx and the House rather than Lord Hades himself. Ultimately, her goal is to try and keep the House from falling apart, which, she believes, Zagreus is only making harder to do.

She is the first boss you will encounter, and to get through Tartarus, you will need to beat her. She worries about her reputation in the Underworld and is determined to keep herself in good standing in the House, refusing to let anyone think she is going easy on Zagreus due to their past romantic inclinations.

After her first Nectar, she will give Zagreus the Skull Earring Keepsake. After completing her favor (another randomly triggered event that requires her to show up in Zag’s room without warning… twice…) and gifting her the first bottle of Ambrosia, she will offer Zagreus Companion Battie.

She and Thanatos are the only romance options.

Megaera in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Alecto

  • Last of the Furies
  • Fight Reward: Titan Blood
  • Area: Tartarus

After defeating Megaera several times, Alecto or Tisiphone will begin to take turns fighting Zagreus as the end boss. Alecto is the youngest of the Furies and becomes consumed by her rage during the fight.

She seems to have an intense bloodlust and craves violence far more than either of her sisters. According to Megaera, everyone experiences her unconditional hatred (except maybe Tisiphone).

Alecto in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Tisiphone

  • Second of the Furies
  • Fight Reward: Titan Blood
  • Area: Tartarus

Just like Alecto, Tisiphone will begin appearing after Meg is beaten a certain number of times. She is the second born of the furies and is consumed by her work. Her appearance is rather ghastly, though no real reason is given as to why.

She tortures murderers relentlessly and frequently accuses Zagreus of being one. After enough encounters with her, Zagreus will begin to teach her how to say his name, which she does successfully say after enough runs.

Tisiphone in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Chaos

  • Keepsake: Cosmic Egg
  • Best Boon: Pauper’s Affluence Or Pauper’s Grasp
  • Area: Chaos Gates

Chaos is the oldest being that still exists within the many planes of existence in Hades. They are the parent of Nyx and the creator of… well, everything. They do not seem fond of most of the Olympians except maybe Ares.

Chaos frequently regrets that they did not try to keep in contact with Nyx, believing they put too many expectations on her.

Zagreus can reunite the two of them through their shared favor with Nyx, Night and Darkness. Chaos has one of the best designs in the entirety of the game – the more you look, the more you begin to notice new details.

After gifting Chaos one Nectar, Zagreus will receive the Cosmic Egg.

chaos in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

OLYMPIANS

Zeus

  • Keepsake: Thunder Signet
  • Best Boon: Lightning Strike
  • Found: After escape attempt one.

Zeus is the god of the sky and thunder, the King of the Olympians, and the youngest brother of Hades. Whether out of a desire to reconnect with his brother or a need to prove he’s better than Hades, he frequently offers his aid to Zagreus.

He is one of the five Olympians that Zagreus cannot run into on his very first run. Zeus’ boons are great at dealing damage to a group all at once, as his lightning effects tend to hit multiple enemies. His Status Curse is known as Jolted.

After giving him Nectar for the first time, Zeus will offer Zagreus the Thunder Signet Keepsake (let’s be honest, he probably didn’t have anything and just gave Zagreus one of his many rings).

His favor involves hearing what the other Olympians think of him and what Hades thinks of him. At some point, Zeus will express a desire to reconnect with Hades. These are all, for the most part, randomly triggered conversations, but it helps to have one of Zeus’ boons.

zeus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Poseidon

  • Keepsake: Conch Shell
  • Best Boon: Tidal Dash
  • Found: After escape attempt one.

Poseidon is the god of the sea and the middle brother of Hades and Zeus. He often comes off as carefree and a bit reckless, which leads to many of the other Olympians (and Hades) having a somewhat low opinion of him. Regardless, Poseidon is a lighthearted god (most of the time) and can always be seen with a joyful and carefree smile.

Poseidon is one of the five Olympians you cannot run into on the first run. He is also the only Olympian that appears shirtless (for the longest time, I thought he was just wearing a tan top). His boons significantly increase Zagreus’ damage, especially if you take advantage of the knockback feature. His signature Status Curse is Ruptured.

After the first gift of Nectar, he offers Zagreus the Conch Shell Keepsake – much more thoughtful than a Thunder Signet, in my not-so-humble opinion.

His favor is one of the harder ones to complete, requiring that you gain access to the Rod of Fishing and successfully catch up to 18 fish. For his favor to trigger and complete, you must talk to him for the first time with a fish in your inventory.

You can carry a fish over from another run, which may help. You do not have to catch a legendary fish to complete his favor.

poseidon in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Athena

  • Keepsake: Owl Pendant
  • Best Boon: Divine Dash
  • Found: First Boon found.

Athena will always be the first Olympian god you encounter when you start a new game. She is the first to take up Nyx’s plea for aid in helping Zagreus escape and is the first to readily and eagerly accept Zagreus into the family, which is why I probably feel the worst for her when it comes to deceiving the Olympians. However, as the goddess of wisdom and strategy, it’s not unlikely that she figured it out before everyone else.

Her boons are primarily oriented toward protecting Zagreus, and she offers one of the most powerful boons in the game: Divine Dash (I hesitate to say overpowered because I don’t want it to get nerfed). Her signature Status Curse is Exposed.

Like with all the others, when you gift the very first Nectar to Athena, she will give you a gift in return – the Owl Pendant Keepsake.

athena in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Aphrodite

  • Keepsake: Eternal Rose
  • Best Boon: Life Affirmation
  • Found: After escape attempt one.

The Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite, is probably the most scandalous of all the Olympians. Your parents will walk in and see her exactly when you don’t want them to (I kid, mostly). You cannot run into her on the first run, so keep an eye out for the following runs.

She is very invested in Zagreus’ relationships – specifically revolving around Dusa, Megaera, and Thanatos. Her boons make enemies more susceptible to damage or inflict her Status Curse, Weak. Her charm effect will make enemies fight each other, though when it comes to her aid, you might just want it for the damage instead.

Do I need to preface that you need to give a Nectar to get the Keepsake anymore? No? Great. The Keepsake Aphrodite gives you is the Eternal Rose. To gift her a bottle of Ambrosia, you need to complete her favor – which involves forging bonds with Thanatos, Megaera, and Dusa (you do not need to romance any of them). Afterward, you need to hear her dialogue for each of them.

Aphrodite in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Artemis

  • Keepsake: Adamant Arrowhead
  • Best Boon: True Shot
  • Found: Can be found in the first run.

Artemis is a fairly recluse Olympian, spending more time in the woods with the Nymphs and her partner, Callisto, than on Olympus. She is the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness. Over each escape attempt and encounter with her, she grows closer to Zagreus – more so than any of the gods up on Olympus.

Her Boons mainly focus on dealing a lot of Critical damage and on seriously strengthening your Cast ability. Her signature Status Curse is Marked. She prefers when Zagreus uses Coronacht, the Heart-Seeking Bow, over any other Infernal Arm, as she constantly complements his skill when he is wielding it.

Her Keepsake is the Adamant Arrowhead. Artemis’ favor involves hearing her speak multiple times about Callisto and, afterward, hearing her feel like she is close to Zagreus and can confide in him.

artemis in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Ares

  • Keepsake: Blood-Filled Vial
  • Best Boon: Ares’ Aid
  • Found: Can be found in the first run.

Ares is the god of war and constantly encourages Zagreus’ fight through the Underworld. He hinges more on the violent, chaotic, and primal aspects of warfare as compared to Athena. Both he and Zagreus seem connected, likely because Zagreus is the God of Blood, and blood is a natural element in war. It probably helps that Ares is incredibly bloodthirsty as well.

His Boons mainly focus on helping Zagreus inflict insane amounts of damage rather than offering him any buffs. His signature Status Curse is doom (an excellent Status Curse in Elysium). Unlike the other Olympians, Ares still worships Chaos. He also has a very fond spot in his heart for Nyx.

His Keepsake is a Blood-Filled Vial, which he claims to have collected himself. His favor requires killing 10,000 enemies, which you likely have already done by the time you get to his favor. You need to trigger the prophecy and then his dialogue after hitting 10,000 in order for the favor to register as completed.

ares in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Dionysus

  • Keepsake: Overflowing Cup
  • Best Boon: Trippy Shot
  • Found: Can be found in the first run.

If you thought Poseidon was easygoing, just wait until you meet Dionysus. Fun and laid back, always ready for a good time. He’s ready to have some fun with Zagreus and claims he’s saving the Ambrosia Zagreus gave him so they can share it on Olympus (which I doubt he actually is doing).

Dionysus is the god of wine and parties, and he certainly makes racing through the Underworld to escape a party. His boons focus on dealing his Status Curse, Hangover, which damages the enemies a few times a second so long as they have a few stacks of it applied. He has other boons as well that primarily revolve around drinking.

His Keepsake is the Overflowing Cup. Dionysus’ favor requires that you have forged a bond with six characters and gifted at least 10 Ambrosia.

Dionysus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Hermes

  • Keepsake: Lambent Plume
  • Best Boon: Side Hustle
  • Found: After escape attempt one.

Hermes is the god of swiftness, travel, and trickery and works as the messenger of the gods. He’s technically giving Zagreus boons on the down-low and doesn’t really want the rest of Olympus to know that he’s offering his aid to the Prince of the Underworld.

Hermes cannot appear until at least your second run through the Underworld, assuming you can make it to Asphodel by the second run (I’ve done it once, and I have yet to do it again). Hermes’ boons don’t count toward the four-god limit on the Olympians. His boons generally revolve around making Zagreus faster, making his abilities faster, or giving him a bit of extra coin.

His Keepsake is the Lambent Plume, which you need to get to rank three and have it equipped when you speak with him for the first time during an escape attempt to complete his favor.

hermes in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Demeter

  • Keepsake: Frostbitten Horn
  • Best Boon: Crystal Beam
  • Found: Found after reaching the surface once.

Demeter, goddess of the seasons and the harvest, will be the last Olympian you meet. She will not appear until Zagreus has made it to the surface once (escape is not required). It is hinted that Persephone is her daughter and that she doesn’t know where she is (much less if she’s alive) through her dialogue with Zagreus (prior to the party in the House of Hades).

If you’re familiar with Greek Mythology, however, you’ll probably know beforehand that Persephone, aka Kore, is Demeter’s daughter. Her boons mainly revolve around inflicting her Status Curse, Chill, which slows down your enemies significantly. With the right boon, it can even begin to damage them over time (similar to Hangover).

Her Keepsake is the Frostbitten Horn, and her favor requires having completed the epilogue of the game and then speaking with her a few times.

demeter in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

OTHERS OF NOTE

Achilles

  • Keepsake: Myrmidon Bracer
  • Position: House Guard
  • His pact must be modified to complete his favor.

Achilles is bound to serve the House in exchange for Patroclus being able to spend the rest of his eternity in Elysium. He not only serves as the House guard, keeping the West Hall clear from those who do not belong, but he also trained Zagreus to fight.

From some conversations with Achilles, you learn that he took the Infernal Arms and snuck them into the Courtyard behind Zagreus’ room. Because of this, he is the only member of the House who knows about the existence of Skelly (prior to Zagreus asking everyone about the Bloodless).

He is rather solemn in his demeanor most of the while, basking in the leftover regret of decisions he made while he was alive. As Dusa put it, he needs a little push; otherwise, he will just sit in his own pity party. Regardless, I (and many others) still hold very fond feelings for Achilles.

He gives the Myrmidon Bracer Keepsake to Zagreus, and after completing his favor and gifting an Ambrosia, he and Patroclus will gift Zagreus Companion Antos.

To complete the Divided by Death favor, you must first complete End to Torment (Sisyphus) and Musician and Muse (Orpheus and Eurydice). You must hear the trigger dialogue from Patroclus.

Achilles will eventually give the go-ahead, and you will get the location of the pact from Nyx. Find it in the administration chamber, forward it to the House Contractor and buy it out. Afterward, find the reunited lovers in Elysium’s special chamber.

Achilles in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Orpheus

  • Keepsake: Distant Memory
  • Position: Court Musician
  • Found: Buy out and release him from his punishment.

Orpheus is the sad and melancholy musician of the House. At the beginning of the game, he was banished by Lord Hades for refusing to sing due to no longer having his muse, Eurydice. After Zagreus frees Orpheus from his punishment, Zagreus makes it his mission to convince Orpheus to sing again, often telling him outlandish tales in the hopes that they will inspire him.

Still, nothing inspires the court musician more than reuniting him with his muse and wife, Eurydice. Eventually, Orpheus will convince Zagreus to learn to play the lyre. After purchasing one from the House Contractor, Zagreus can learn how to play.

To learn how to play the lyre, you must interact with it several times and go through the randomly triggered dialogue from Orpheus. Eventually, you’ll be a master!

Orpheus will give Zagreus the Distant Memory Keepsake.

To complete his and Eurydice’s favor, you must reunite him with Eurydice. This requires having five hearts with the two of them and freeing them from their pact with Hades by finding it in the Administrative Chamber and buying it out.

orpheus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Sisyphus

  • Keepsake: Shattered Shackle
  • Chthonic Companion: Companion Shady
  • Area: Tartarus
  • Offers: Obols, Darkness, or Healing

Sisyphus is the former King of Ephyra, known for cheating death twice. As such, Hades punished him by forcing him to roll a boulder (bouldy) up a hill endlessly. From some dialogue with him and Megaera, it seems that all of the furies are assigned to punish him, not just Megaera. He is one of the special chambers in Tartarus, and when you talk with him, he will offer Zagreus a variety of items: Obols, Darkness, or some Healing items.

He will gift the Shattered Shackle Keepsake to Zagreus. His favor requires buying out his pact from the Administrative Chamber. After giving him a bottle of Ambrosia, he will gift you the Chthonic Companion Shady.

sisyphus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Bouldy

Bouldy is Sisyphus’ friend and boulder. After you’ve deepened your relationship with Sisyphus, you should be able to start talking with Bouldy – and be able to start offering it some Nectar. Giving Bouldy Nectar doesn’t do anything, but you can get some funny and confused lines from Sisyphus for doing so, like “Why bother?”

Bouldy in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Eurydice

  • Keepsake: Evergreen Acorn
  • Area: Asphodel
  • Offers: Ambrosia Delight, Pom Porridge, or Refreshing Nectar

Eurydice is the muse of Orpheus, though she seems to be doing much better than her husband. She does hold a slight grudge against him for not having enough faith not to look back when he was bringing her out of the Underworld, but still, her rendition of Good Riddance sounds more like someone who finally feels free rather than the more melancholic and depressing version Orpheus will sing.

Her chamber is the special chamber in Asphodel, and she will offer a variety of delicious goods that she spends her free time baking. Unfortunately, however, you only get to pick one of the following: Ambrosia Delight, Pom Porridge, or Refreshing Nectar.

She will gift you the Evergreen Acorn Keepsake. Her favor is a shared favor with Orpheus.

Eurydice in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Patroclus

  • Keepsake: Broken Spearpoint
  • Area: Elysium
  • Offers: Kiss of Styx Premium, HydraLite Gold, or Cyclops Jerky Select

Patroclus is another melancholic character Zagreus can run across. He fills the special chamber in Elysium, sitting in his glade and often speaking softly to himself. If you take a moment to listen, you’ll realize he’s almost reciting the words he’ll say if he ever sees Achilles again.

At first, he seems unwilling to tell Zagreus about his life, but the more Zagreus enters his chamber, the more he begins to tell. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where Patroclus learns that Achilles had their ashes mixed together after he died, and this seems to soften the fallen warrior’s heart significantly.

After this, and after both Achilles and Patroclus are at their locked heart, he should eventually ask Zagreus to tell Achilles to “risk it all.” This will set in motion the events needed to complete their shared favor.

When you visit Patroclus, he will give you a choice of items: Kiss of Styx Premium, HydraLite Gold, or Cyclops Jerky Select. Pat will offer Touch of Styx Dark instead of Kiss of Styx Premium if you use Stubborn Defiance instead of Death Defiance from the Mirror of Night.

He will gift Zagreus the Broken Spearpoint Keepsake.

Patroclus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Theseus

  • Area: Elysium Arena
  • Fight Reward: Ambrosia
  • Occupation: Useless (Champion of Elysium)

Theseus is one of the final bosses in Elysium, fighting alongside his once-enemy, Asterius. With their relationship steeped in the bonds of brotherhood, as Theseus himself puts it, they are determined to take Zagreus down. However, Theseus’ ego is often hurt whenever Zagreus completely demolishes him.

There is even one point where Theseus seems to ‘crack’ and believes that Zagreus is attempting to take Asterius away from him. Eventually, Asterius reassures him that this is absolutely not the case.

After getting Asterius’ autograph for Hypnos, Theseus will cockily offer his own autograph to Zagreus, though when Zagreus turns it down, he badly pretends like he was just joking (in truth his ego seems to be very much hurt).

Asterius

  • Area: Elysium Mini-boss/Elysium Arena
  • Fight Reward: Chamber Reward/Ambrosia
  • Will die for Theseus (literally).

Asterius, formerly known as the Bull of Minos, is a mini-boss in Elysium and one of the final bosses. He enjoys his duels with Zagreus and seems to be the more level-headed and down-to-earth of the Champion duo.

Hypnos will constantly beg Zagreus to get him an autograph from Asterius, and after dying to Asterius twice, Theseus twice, and either one of them once, you will be able to get it from the mini-boss room.

Asterius makes sure that Zagreus knows, however, that the autograph is a favor to him and not Hypnos, as Zagreus is willing to fight him head-on.

Asterius in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Cerberus

  • Keepsake: Old Spiked Collar
  • Position: Vicious Hound of Hell
  • To “Defeat”: Find a Saytr Sack and give it to him.

Cerberus is the bestest boy. As the Hound of Hell, the three-headed terror of the Underworld, he guards the exit from the Temple of Styx. You must appease his appetite with a Saytr Sack, and he will move on from there. Afterward, you can likely find him in the House of Hades, where you can give him so many pets and even some Nectar and Ambrosia.

Cerberus will give Zagreus the Old Spiked Collar Keepsake. To complete his favor, you must give him twenty pets after reaching the locked heart. You can also get an achievement on most consoles (except the switch) and on PC called Three-Headed Boy by petting Cerberus ten times.

Cerberus in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Dusa

  • Keepsake: Harpy Feather Duster
  • Position: House Cleaner/Maid
  • Chthonic Companion: Companion Fidi

Dusa is a Gorgon bound to the House of Hades as a maid. She reports to Nyx for her work and is very flustered by Zagreus in the early game. If you want to give her a gift early on, make sure you do it before talking to her, lest you risk her darting up into the rafters.

She and Zagreus eventually grow very close, and while it seems like she’s a potential romance option, what she and Zagreus have remains platonic (per her request). She is devoted to her work, trying to “match and exceed” Nyx’s expectations.

Dusa will give Zagreus Harpy Feather Duster Keepsake. Her favor requires purchasing twelve upgrades from the House Contractor for the Lounge, including cleaning up the disaster Cerberus left behind. To progress further through her hearts, you need to give Dusa a lot of Ambrosia.

The first gift will be one; the second is two bottles; the third is three bottles; and the last gift of Ambrosia will be four bottles. After agreeing to remain friends, Dusa will give all the bottles back (you should accept them with grace). She will give Zagreus Companion Fidi after the first gift of Ambrosia.

At one point, Nyx fires Dusa for overworking herself, and Zagreus viciously fights to keep her on board.

dusa in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Skelly

  • Keepsake: Broken Tooth
  • Chthonic Companion: Companion Rib
  • Position: Training Dummy and Professional Snark Master

Skelly is essentially the tutorial character. Nobody knows he’s in the House except for Achilles. Skelly, for the most part, refuses to give up his sources and who his employer is, though he constantly reiterates that he’s on the House payroll. Eventually, Zagreus will be able to bully the name of his employer out of him.

Zagreus will eventually learn who Skelly was when he was alive as well, though nobody is quite sure if it really is true or not – in fact, nobody seems to be able to pinpoint exactly who Skelly is or who he is based on Greek mythology.

Skelly will give Zagreus the Broken Tooth Keepsake and Companion Rib. His favor requires killing him after he brings up the idea to Zagreus.

Skelly in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

Persephone

  • Keepsake:  Pom Blossom
  • Position: Queen of the Underworld
  • Location: Surface (prior to returning)

Persephone is the biological mother of Zagreus and the Queen of the Underworld. The beginning plot of the game revolves around bringing her home (or, at the very least, meeting her).

After she returns home, she begins to plot how to introduce Olympus to the fact that she has been in the Underworld this entire time (kind of) without igniting a war between Olympus and the Underworld.

She proves to be especially clever in this regard and understands very well how her Olympic family members work and understand things.

Persephone will gift Zagreus the Pom Blossom Keepsake.

persephone in hades
Screenshot by Tallis Spalding

FAQ

Question: Which Hades Characters Give Companions? 

Answer: Skelly, Dusa, Achilles, Sisyphus, Thanatos, and Megaera all give Chthonic Companions to Zagreus after gifting them their first Ambrosia.

Question: How do you Romance Characters in Hades?

Answer: You can only romance Thanatos and Megaera. You do so by slowly gifting them Nectar and Ambrosia when you have it and when you see them.

Question: Will Hades Come to Mobile? 

Answer: It does not seem like Hades will be coming to mobile anytime soon (sorry). However, it is available on Nintendo Switch Switch, Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PC, and MacOS.

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