Supergiant Games
This is Melinoë, the goddess of ghosts and fear, the protagonist of Hades 2
Hades 2 brings players back to its version of the Greek mythological underworld, in control of a new protagonist that may not be recognizable by many. This is who she is.
After getting a surprise release on Steam last week, Hades 2 has become one of the most talked about titles of the year. A sequel to the award-winning Hades, this sequel builds upon what made the first game great: awesome action, roguelike elements, incredible art and music, and of course, a narrative inspired by Greek mythology that presents us with intriguing representations of classic figures from said Pantheon.
And while many things are extremely familiar, almost everything surrounding the underworld of Hades has changed in important ways, including its protagonist. Gone is Zagreus, the son of Hades and Persephone, with players instead taking control of a new character called Melinoë. But who is she really, and how does she connect with the real life mythology of gods, titans, monsters, and more?
Melinoë in Hades 2
Without going into spoiler territory, Melinoë is the daughter of the King and Queen of the underworld (Hades and Persephone) and as such she is Zagreus’ younger sister. The reason why she was never mentioned in the previous game is that she actually hadn’t been born yet: Hades 2 takes place an unknown amount of time after the end of that game, during which she was born.
However, Chronos, the Titan, escaped Tartarus at some point and took over the Underworld himself. Melinoë was saved by Hecate, the Witch of the Crossroads, and trained to take vengeance upon the Titan in the future. The game tells the story of Melinoë finally venturing into Hades to rescue her parents and take down Chronos herself, and in the way she’ll have to contend with other gods.
Melinoë in Greek mythology
In the original myths, Melinoë is actually a Chthonic nymph or goddess associated with the passing of souls to the underworld. Appearing by name in the Orphic Hymn as krokopeplos, she is thought to cause night terrors to mortals thanks to her shifting figure, making them go insane, but she’s also regarded as a protector of the dead, who eases restless spirits to reach their destination.
There are many versions of her myth which have resulted in varying descriptions of her and her origins, with some believing that she was conceived by Zeus when he disguised himself as Hades to bed Persephone. Others claim that they are both her father, as they are two sides of the same god. As such, her description has become popularized as having a body that is white on one half and black on the other, as a representation of the duality of her godhood.
It is also believed that Melinoë is just another name for Hecate. Both are associated with witchcraft, and are referred by the same title several times in ancient texts.