Hades 2 will see players take control of Melinoe as they explore a deep and mythic world. The player’s goal this time around is to stop Chronos, the Titan of Time and the father of Hades, who has escaped his imprisonment in the Underworld. Much like the first game, much of the game’s story will likely explore what kind of character Melinoe is and her relationship with the many other gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Many people might not know who Melinoe is, as she is a rather unconventional choice in the Greek pantheon. Despite this, her mythology makes her a perfect fit to be the protagonist in Hades 2.
RELATED: Hades 2 Announced at The Game Awards
Who Is Melinoe?
There is not that much information in an actual myth about Melinoe, rather she mostly appears in the Orphic Hymns. Players will note that Melinoe has a striking resemblance to Zagreus, from their attire to their fiery feet. This is because they are siblings, both being born from Hades and Persephone. The Orphic Hymns leave this bit up to interpretation, as another way to take it isn’t Hades that is Melinoe’s father, but Zeus disguised as Hades. She is described in hymns as having partly black and partly white limbs that represent a dual chthonic and heavenly nature. Supergiant Games designed Melinoe with these aspects in mind and seem to be hinting at this dual nature.
Melinoe is described in the Orphic Hymn as being clad in saffron, which is an epithet in ancient Greek poetry for moon goddesses. Among the hymns, the only goddesses that are described as being clad in saffron are Melinoe and Hecate. Much like Zagreus was alluded to be another form of Dionysus, something that Hades has fun with, Melinoe can be alluded to be a form of Hecate. This is fitting as Hecate also appears in the trailer for Hades 2 and will act as a mentor to Melinoe in the game. Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and crossroads in Greek mythology, which suggests that witchcraft will play a role in the gameplay of Hades 2.
Melinoe’s connections to Hecate and witchcraft describe what kind of goddess she is. She’s a nymph goddess who wanders the earth with ghosts at night and brings night terrors to mortals by manifesting in strange forms. This causes the people she visits in this way to be driven to madness. Her name means either “dark-minded” or “propitiation-minded” and has connections to offerings to ghosts of the dead. The hymn she appears in shows an Orphic initiate attempting to placate her by showing that they respect her nature, avoiding the harm that they know she can cause. Through Melinoe, Hades 2 could focus much more on witchcraft and ghosts than Hades.
The role of witchcraft, magic, and a connection to both the Underworld and Olympus will likely play a role in Melinoe’s character and how she plays in Hades 2. Players got to see other mythological figures like Apollo and Nemesis, so Melinoe must have some sort of relationship with both of them.
Hades 2 is in development, with Early Access planned for 2023.
MORE: Heracles’ 12 Labors Would Fit the Hades Formula Well
