One of the aspects of Hades 2 that I’m most interested in uncovering is the origin of Melinoe. While the trailer almost confirms she’s Hades’ daughter and a sibling to Zagreus, who is her mother? Some Greek myths even disassociate her from Hades. So, who are Melinoe’s parents in Hades 2?
Are Hades and Persephone Melinoe’s Parents in Hades 2
The trailer for Hades 2 ends with Hades’ voice advising Melinoe about Chronos and her saying, “I’m coming, father.” This almost confirms that she’s indeed the daughter of Hades and Zagreus’ sister. This would lead us to naturally assume that Persephone is also her mother.
Persephone and Hades having another child after Zagreus during the events of the first game is impossible, however. This is because Persephone is traumatized by thinking Zagreus is a stillbirth, and she leaves for the surface out of desperation. That said, this is possible after she learns the truth during the plot of the game and returns to the Underworld to be with Zag and Hades again. This is actually the case and we have a confirmation from one Demeter line in Hades 2 that Persephone is in fact Melinoe’s mother since Demeter calls her granddaughter.
In this case, she would have to be born after Persephone’s return to Hades. This essentially means that Melinoe is drastically younger than Zagreus and that the story of Hades 2 is set a long time after the first game. Time is wonky in the Underworld, but we can assume Zagreus is at least 20+, judging from his visual appearance. However, this can be tricky, considering Greek gods are immortal and don’t age much compared to humans.
This is strengthened by Supergiant Games’ reply to one of the comments on Studio Grackle’s Twitter, mentioning Hades and Persephone being the parents. But is this the only theory?
Melinoe in Greek Mythology and Alternative Hades 2 Origin
While we have confirmation from the trailer and the above Demeter screenshot that Melinoe is the daughter of Hades and Persephone, there’s also an alternative theory that could have been fun to explore. We get mentions of Melinoe from one of the Orphic Hymns that are loosely ascribed to Orpheus. In this hymn, we see Melinoe as an underworld goddess or nymph. Her various associations include the harbinger of souls, bringer of nightmares, goddess of madness, and commonly also mentioned as a witch trained by Hecate. That said, there’s an interesting tidbit about her parentage. In one passage of this hymn, it’s mentioned:
“I call upon Melinoë … whom revered Persephone bore … upon the sacred bed of Kronian Zeus. In the guise of Plouton Zeus tricked Persephone and through wiley plots bedded her;”
Here, we can see that Melinoe is actually the daughter of Persephone and Zeus, who disguised as Hades and tricked Persephone. It’s not confirmed whether Supergiant Games went with this interpretation of the myth, but it’s possible. This adds another theory to Melinoe’s parentage. Perhaps if this theory is true, Hades still accepts Melinoe as his adopted daughter, and she is working towards helping him in Hades 2.
Either way, Hades 2 is shaping up to be an exciting venture into Supergiant Games’ immersive take on Greek Mythology. I simply cannot wait enough for the playtest and early access in 2024 Q2. For more news on popular roguelike, check out the top 10 Roguelikes coming in 2024.
