Hades and the Five Love Languages

Beneath the action-packed battles to the death as players attempt to escape the Underworld, Hades is a game about relationships. It’s a game about family, friends, and love, where players get to build connections with characters during and between their bloody ascents through Hades’ domain. Throughout the game, the five love languages—gifts, words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, and quality time—are present in the relationships the player builds and the characters they build them with, romantic or otherwise. Many of the characters are hostile at first, but through his undying perseverance and friendliness, our main character Zagreus manages to kickstart a redemption arc for just about everyone. Even Theseus, the stuck-up champion of Elysium with arguably the least redeeming qualities out of all the characters, has his fans in the Hades community. Zagreus also builds his pre-existing relationships, growing a support system and bringing people together.

Gifts

The most prevalent and obvious example of showing love in Hades is gift-giving. Zagreus’s main way of showing affection is gifting nectar and ambrosia to his friends, which is always accompanied by a sincere speech that could melt the frostiest of hearts. His friends reciprocate as well, giving him keepsakes and trinkets to aid him on his journey. The gods also show their affection through gift-giving, offering Zagreus boons to increase his power, and for the most part being extremely flattered when he gives them offerings. It’s the only way they can really communicate, so it’s a good thing they both value this form of showing affection. It’s also a handy game mechanic, since quantifying a relationship isn’t really possible in the real world.

Words of Affirmation

Dialogue between characters is an important aspect of the game, with vocal support and words of affirmation and encouragement being common but always special. One of the most supportive characters is Achilles, who has been there to cheer on Zagreus since the beginning. He’s full of inspirational phrases that manage to avoid being cheesy, and always offers support. Zagreus also gives words of affirmation often. In addition to giving gifts, Zagreus is a real charmer. He can be sarcastic and funny, but he knows when to be sincere with people. He can win over just about anyone, except maybe Theseus. Theseus himself loves words of affirmation, and thrives on the adoration of the crowds that watch him fight. He loves to talk as well, and his scathing comments directed at Zagreus are probably what he considers the highest forms of insult. Words of affirmation are arguably the second most common form of showing affection in the game.

Physical Touch

Although most of the physical contact in Hades involves fighting to the death, there are characters who express care for others through physical touch. Zagreus can choose to have romantic fade-to-blacks with Meg and Thanatos, which involve plenty of physical touch. Meg’s relationship with Zagreus is mostly physical and involves a lot of whipping, both in and out of the bedroom, and it seems to be the primary way that she shows affection. There’s also Asterius, who actually does enjoy fighting to the death, especially with those he considers strong and honorable. He respects Zagreus and looks forward to their battles, and he also enjoys fighting side by side with Theseus, for whom he holds the most respect. Lastly, it would be impossible to talk about physical affection without mentioning Cerberus, who loves getting pets (though only on one of his three gigantic heads). The family dog, also known as the guardian of hell, is a very good boy and receives plenty of attention from the players.

Acts of Service

Acts of service are not as common as some of the other expressions of affection, but two main characters that appreciate and show them are Hades and Thanatos. Even though Hades is usually grumpy or battling Zagreus to the death, he has his own way of showing that he cares, at least a little. At the beginning of the game, Hades is upset that his son isn’t performing his duties and helping to maintain the Underworld. He wants Zagreus to show that he cares for his home through acts of service, and when Zagreus eventually does start taking on responsibilities on his own terms, their relationship improves. Thanatos is another character who performs acts of service, risking his job to fight alongside Zagreus in the Underworld. Like Hades, Thanatos is not always great at expressing care through his words, but he finds other ways to show it. He also puts a lot of effort into his job, which Hades notices and appreciates. When Thanatos starts falling behind on work because he’s helping Zagreus, Hades actually tells him to rest and not overextend himself. Sharing the same love language helps them understand each other in a way that some of the other characters cannot.

Quality Time

Although interactions between characters are often brief unless they are boss fights, spending time with others is an important aspect of the game. The players have the choice to stop and talk to every character, renovate the lounge so that the residents of the House of Hades can relax and spend time together, and occasionally share a drink with a friend. Also, for a large part of the game, Zagreus’s main goal is to go spend quality time with his mother, fighting through the entire Underworld just to hang out with her for a few out-of-game minutes. Spending time and having conversations with others moves the plot along, but it’s also just enjoyable. It’s always exciting to see the exclamation mark above the chamber door that marks Sisyphus, Euridice, or Patroclus, and not just because it means a reward chamber and a break from the fighting. This is especially true for Sisyphus, who is always overjoyed to see Zagreus after having no one for company except Boudly the Boulder, who doesn’t speak, and the Furies, who often torture him. Spending time with the characters is never a bore.

There are plenty of examples of the five love languages in Hades. Whether they’re exchanging gifts, giving words of affirmation and support, engaging in physical contact, performing acts of service, or spending quality time together, the characters have plenty of love to go around, even if it might not seem like it at first. As a player, it’s easy to become attached to the characters yourself. The portrayal of relationships, whether they’re familial or friendly, romantic or platonic, or healthy or growing, is an important part of Hades that makes it unique and keeps players coming back.