How Hades 2 Fails Its Protagonist

by

Minor spoilers for Hades and Hades II to follow–read at your own discretion.

Supergiant Games has become known for creating games with compelling stories and engaging gameplay. While all their titles are excellent, the original Hades truly stood out, redefining storytelling in the roguelike genre. It’s fitting, then, that Hades is also the first Supergiant game to receive a sequel.

Hades II builds on many of the things players loved about the first game, but with a new main character. This change could have allowed for fresh storytelling, but unfortunately, the game falls into tired stereotypes about women. The original Hades featured a flawed, sarcastic hero who grew and changed throughout the story. In contrast, the protagonist of Hades II is presented as overly serious and focused on obligation, reinforcing harmful expectations placed on women.

So, I recently played Hades, and it’s awesome! You play as Zagreus, who’s basically the son of Hades, the god of the Underworld. But he’s not happy living down there, even though it’s all fancy and comfortable. He’s determined to escape and hang out with the other gods on Olympus. Getting out is the hard part, though! It’s a total action-packed fight through the Underworld and even Elysium, kind of like a really intense version of Dante’s Inferno. Seriously, you’re battling tons of enemies just to try and get out!

Throughout the many hours of gameplay in Hades, players watched Zagreus evolve from a brooding and entitled character into a confident and charming warrior – truly a cool hero. His journey was a well-developed and satisfying arc, helping to establish the game as a classic and demonstrating Supergiant’s ability to take the expansive world of Greek Mythology and craft a deeply personal story about growth. As players repeatedly tried to help Zagreus escape, they witnessed his personality change and become more approachable. Instead of simply retelling myths, Hades became a touching story about developing gratitude and maturity, resonating with players of all backgrounds.

Hades II arrives as a surprising sequel to the acclaimed original. The big question is: how do you improve on a game that already felt so finished and satisfying? While Greek mythology offers endless possibilities, the first Hades was so tightly crafted and character-driven that it’s natural to wonder where the story could go next.

Hades II introduces Melinoë, the daughter of Hades and sister of Zagreus. Raised by the witch Hecate in Elysium after a siege by Chronos, the God of Time, Melinoë has never known her family. As an infant when Chronos attacked, she’s only heard stories about them. Driven by a desire to meet her family and reclaim their home, Melinoë trains with Hecate, all while navigating a war and the invasion of Olympus, to defeat Chronos.

The core issue with the story of Hades II is that it begins mid-narrative. We meet Mel already deep into her journey, and the Underworld has already been defeated. Because of this, we don’t learn much about who Mel is as a person. While the game reveals pieces of her past through flashbacks, we never fully understand her motivations beyond her desire to rescue her family.

The original Hades excelled at giving its main character, Zagreus, room to grow and change throughout the story. He was allowed to be imperfect, learn from his mistakes, and experience a satisfying journey. In contrast, the story of Mel, the protagonist of Hades II, feels heavily focused on her family. She’s presented as nearly flawless, with her main struggle being repeated failures to help a family she barely knows. Even when the conflict expands to involve the gods of Olympus, Mel primarily exists to solve problems for others. We learn very little about her personal motivations or inner life. The narrative takes a disappointing turn when Zagreus becomes involved later in the game, as Mel loses control of her own story.

Mel’s journey feels problematic because it heavily relies on her family connections. This unintentionally echoes harmful ideas that define a woman’s worth solely by her relationships and family life, suggesting that’s where her goals should be centered. Zagreus was free to be flawed and pursue a selfish goal, openly displaying his imperfections. Why can’t Mel have the same freedom to be imperfect or act impulsively? Why is she held to a different standard?

While I don’t expect the new protagonist, Mel, to be exactly like Zagreus, Hades II misses an opportunity to delve into compelling themes with a female lead. The game introduces Mel as already mature and established, hinting at a complete backstory we don’t fully experience. This choice unfortunately reinforces the idea that women are expected to grow up quickly and prioritize responsibility over self-discovery. Hades II could have explored interesting feminist ideas with this setup, but instead opts for a more reserved character, seemingly as a contrast to the playful Zagreus from the first game.

Hades II is better than the original in many respects, including its combat, progression system, and overall gameplay. However, the game is held back by its protagonist, who lacks meaningful control over her own story and spends much of the time solving problems for others. The first Hades set a high bar for storytelling in the roguelike genre, and unfortunately, Hades II doesn’t quite reach that level due to this issue with its main character.

Read More

2025-11-20 19:10