Following the success of Supergiant Games' action-packed roguelike Hades, the studio announced it had begun work on something entirely new for the team: a sequel.

Revealed at 2022's The Game Awards, Hades II picks up after its predecessor and follows former protagonist Zagreus' younger sister Melinoë as she embarks on a journey to save her family and kill Chronos, the titan of time. Thanks to Hades II's technical test, we now have a better idea of which gods, heroes, and potential villains we are going to encounter in our next romp through the underworld. As such, we've rounded up a list of all the game's currently confirmed characters, their gorgeous character art and a brief overview of their mythology included.

Melinoe

Our new protagonist, Melinoe, is an interesting mythological figure in that her origins and familial ties have multiple interpretations. Whereas Hades II presents her as the daughter of Hades and Persephone, many accounts list Hades' older brother, Zeus, as her father, which could make for an interesting twist if that's the direction Supergiant opts to go in. However, doing so does have some... off-putting implications. Melinoe's conception apparently happened while Zeus was impersonating Hades, truly cementing the King of Gods and one of the scummiest guys around.

But moving away from the grotesque nature of the gods--and regardless of her parentage--Melinoe is referred to in one of the Orphic Hymns as "bringer of nightmares and madness," with the ability to drive humans to insanity. She is often seen as connected to Hecate (keeping in line with what we see in Hades II) as well as Hermes. Each of these figures is interesting in that they are some of the few gods that travel back and forth between the Underworld and the surface. Hecate is often referred to as the Goddess of the Crossroads, and is said to be responsible for bringing Persephone to and from Hades' domain when she goes back to the surface to live with her mother, Demeter, during the spring and summer months. And while Hermes is technically one of the 12 Olympians, he plays a unique role in the Underworld as the one who guides souls to the afterlife. As such, Melinoe has unique ties to the division between the surface and the Underworld.

Apollo, God of Light

As one of the 12 Olympic deities, there is a lot written about Apollo--so we'll keep it brief. Apollo, son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis, is often associated with the sun, oracles, youth, archery, music, medicine, and protection. Whereas Hades II seems to place particular emphasis on his relationship to the sun, his most important role is generally considered as the god of prophecy. In fact, he was even made the patron god of Delphi, an ancient city known for its oracles and prophets.

As for any notable ties to existing Hades' character, Apollo is also the father of Eurydice, and is largely considered responsible for Achilles' death, as he was the one who guided Paris' arrow into Achilles' heel.

Dora, Listless Shade

Though there is no Greek figure of note named Dora, it seems possible this "listless shade" is actually someone of great mythological importance: Pandora. Aside from being the first human (which Hephaestus created using clay), Pandora is primarily known for letting her curiosity get the best of her and opening a box filled with humanity's evils, thus releasing them upon the world. This could leave a person feeling pretty "listless," making it seem at least possible.

Odysseus, Veteran Tactician

One of the most notable heroes in all of Greek mythology, Odysseus is the subject of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey and played a vital role in the Trojan war. You know that wooden horse we hear so much about? Yeah, he was the guy who hatched that idea and subsequently seized Troy.

Odysseus was known for being a cunning warrior and brilliant tactician, using his wits to win battle after battle--sometimes, perhaps, a bit cruelly. He is also the man responsible for slaying Polyphemus the cyclops, and later became the king of Ithaca.

Hecate, Witch of the Crossroads

If there is a character I could go on about the most on this list, it's easily Hecate. She just rules, okay? And it's not just because her character art is phenomenal.

As the goddess of magic, spells, the moon, the night, ghosts, and the crossroads--the path between the Underworld and the surface above--it's no wonder she's heavily associated with witchcraft. In fact, she is often seen as one of the most recurring figures across all mythologies and religions thanks to her identity as the "triple" or "triple-bodied" goddess, with her three forms being that of the mother, the maiden, and the crone.

As for her ties to the cast of Hades, Hecate was the one to assist Demeter on her search for her daughter, Persephone, following her abduction by Hades--though modern retellings, including Hades, make it seem like less of an abduction in the malicious sense we might perceive it to be. After Persephone and Demeter were reunited, she took on the role of Persephone's guide as she journeyed back and forth between the Underworld and the surface.

Schelemeus, Training Master

Though it remains to be seen if Schelemeus is, in fact, Skelly from the first Hades game, it seems like he'll serve the same role regardless. As Melinoe's training master, you'll be able to test out various weapons and skills against him before heading out into battle. He might not be a figure from Greek mythology, but he sure is important in this game.

Demeter, Goddess of Seasons

Considering her role in the previous game, I won't dig too much into Demeter's backstory. Suffice to say, Demeter is the loving (and perhaps overly protective) mother of Persephone, making her Melinoe's grandmother. She is also one of the 12 Olympians and the elder sister of Zeus--yeah, don't think too hard on the relationships here, as it gets weird extremely fast. As for her domains, she rules over the seasons, agriculture, harvest, and fertility.

Hestia, Goddess of Flame

Another of the 12 Olympians, Hestia is the first-born daughter of the titans Rhea and Chronos--the central antagonist of Hades II--and is siblings with Hades, Zeus, Demeter, Hera, and Poseidon. Though referred to as the virgin goddess, Hestia is most commonly associated with family, domestic life, and the hearth. As for her look, I wouldn't worry too much--it seems like her current character art is a placeholder and will be updated before the game launches in early access later this year.

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love

Another returning goddess, Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus, the ex-wife of Hephaestus, Ares' noncommittal lover, and a certifiable baddie. She is most commonly associated with love, lust, passion, pleasure, beauty, and sexuality, thus the reason for her revealing attire (or lack-thereof).

With the addition of Hephaestus in Hades II, I am eager to see how the two gods (and more importantly, two exes) react towards one another. The two were promptly separated after Hephaestus caught Aphrodite in the middle of doing something very inappropriate with Ares, captured the pair in a net, and put them on display for all the gods to laugh at--which is one way to cope with infidelity, I guess?

Poseidon, God of the Sea

Another returning figure, Poseidon is the brother of Zeus and company--making him Melinoe's uncle--and is the god of the sea, storms, and earthquakes. Whereas his brother Zeus rules the sky and Hades rules the Underworld, their father Chronos gifted Poseidon the sea to care for and control.

As for any new and relevant connections, it's worth noting that Poseidon is not a fan of Odysseus, as the Greek hero is responsible for the death of his son, Polyphemus the cyclops.

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt

While I am an immense fan of all of the updates previous Hades characters have received in Hades II, can we just talk about how good Artemis' is? I am obsessed.

But moving along, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and twin sister of Apollo, making her a very important figure in Greek mythology. She is the goddess of nature, wildlife, the hunt, animals, young women, and archery, and was said to roam throughout nature alongside her nymph companions. What more could you ask for? She also gifted some of the best boons in Hades, so here's hoping she'll keep brining the pain (and high crit rates) going forward.

Charon, Stygian Boatman

Similarly to Hestia, the current art for Charon seems to be a placeholder so I wouldn't worry too much about our favorite ferryman losing his luster. That said, Charon remains the groaning ferryman of the river Styx. It remains to be seen if we will again be able to fight him, but if so, best prepare for an even more brutal showdown.

Zeus, King of the Olympians

Oh Zeus. King of the Olympians yet one of the most... questionable, to put it politely, among them. As Melinoe's uncle (or is he?) and one of the biggest haters of his dad, Chronos, it seems likely that he'll provide a useful helping hand throughout Hades. And as the ruler of gods, the sky, lighting, thunder, and law, he's a good ally to have.

Arachne, Silk Weaver

Despite her cutesy appearance, Arachne's story is not a particularly fun one to hear--please consider this a trigger warning.

Arachne is a notable figure in Greek mythology and one of the subjects of the Roman poet Ovid's book Metamorphoses. In it, Ovid tells the tale of how the incredibly gifted (and once-human) Arachne was challenged by Athena to a weaving contest after Athena overheard her boasting about her skills. The pair then began to weave, and after Athena could find not a single fault with Arachne's finished tapestry, she decided to beat the woman out of jealousy. Ashamed, Arachne ultimately hung herself. Feeling a bit guilty for the pain she caused, Athena then decided to turn Arachne into a spider so she would weave for all time--though I'd argue that still comes off a bit vindictive.

Moros, Doom Incarnate

The son of Nyx and one of the primordial deities, Moros, as his title implies, is the spirit of impending doom personified. His siblings include Thanatos, who you might recognize from Hades, as well as Keres--the bringer of violent death and terminal illness--and the Fates. Additionally, he is said to be able to bestow the power to see one's own death. Yet despite all these dour factoids, we suspect he will be a very, very popular subject for fan artists--and I get it.

Selene, Moon Incarnate

As both the goddess and personification of the moon, Selene is a figure in many Greek myths. She is the sister of the sun god, Helios, and the dawn goddess, Eos, and holds the chief responsibility of driving her moon chariot across the sky to bring night down upon the world. As for her relationships to the Olympians, Selene was one of Zeus' many lovers, and was often seen as a companion of Artemis' while her fiery brother, Helios, was a companion of Apollo's.

Hephaestus, God of the Forge

Despite not appearing in the first Hades, Hephaestus is an extremely important god. In addition to being one of the 12 Olympians, he's Zeus' son, Aphrodite's ex-husband, and is attributed alongside Prometheus as one of the creators of humans. Hephaestus is also the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, blacksmiths, sculpting, artisans, and the forge, as well as the chief blacksmith for all the gods of Olympus. Like I said, he's an important guy!

As for his character art, let's touch on how Hephaestus wheelchair is not only an interesting design choice, but is also incredibly in line with his mythology. You see, Hephaestus was actually cast away off Mount Olympus by his mother Hera due to a congenital impairment that left him without the use of his legs. Considering Hephaestus is a brilliant craftsman, it makes sense that he would be able to rig himself up something that could assist his movement.

Nemesis, Retribution Incarnate

Similarly to Selene or Moros, Nemesis is more of a concept come-to-life who can also be seen as a goddess of sorts. Simply put, Nemesis is the embodiment of revenge, jealousy, and anger--yet it's important to note that she is described by Homer as a figure who only gives what people deserve, and is neutral rather than evil. While he origin is disputed, she is generally considered a daughter of Nyx and the mother of Helen of Troy.