Megaera Romance

Lore & Background

Megaera is based on the mythological figure of the same name in Greek mythology. She is one of the three Fury Sisters; one of her other two sisters, either Tisiphone or Alecto may take her place in boss fights. In the House of Hades, the player may have Zagreus give her a Nectar, which improves the relationship between him and her. Eventually, Megaera may attempt to seduce Zagreus, which the player may choose to accept or turn down. If Zagreus is in a relationship with Thanatos, Megaera expresses a willingness to be involved in a polyamorous relationship. Creative director Greg Kasavin noted that the polyamorous relationship was something that developed over time instead of being present from the beginning. He discussed that polyamory would make sense for gods, as they did not face the same challenges as mortals, though he noted that polyamory fit the Ancient Greece setting as well.

In Their Own Story

The torchlight flickered against the stone walls of the House, casting long shadows that danced like spirits in the air. Megaera leaned against her desk, the usual scowl replaced by a rare, contemplative silence as she watched him pack his gear. There was no need for words tonight; the tension that usually crackled between them had dissolved into something warmer, quieter. She reached out, adjusting the strap of his armor with a tenderness that belied the chain whip hanging at her hip. Outside, the Underworld raged on, but here in this quiet corner, time seemed to pause for two souls who had found each other amidst the chaos.

Reader's Guide

Megaera is a boss that Zagreus faces on multiple occasions at the end of the first location on Zagreus' way out of the Underworld. Tasked with preventing him from leaving, she fights to the death, upon which either him or her is sent back to the House of Hades. In the House of Hades, the player may have Zagreus give her a Nectar, which improves the relationship between him and her. Eventually, Megaera may attempt to seduce Zagreus, which the player may choose to accept or turn down. If Zagreus is in a relationship with Thanatos, Megaera expresses a willingness to be involved in a polyamorous relationship. The relationship between Megaera and Zagreus, as well as the potential polyamorous relationship they may have with Thanatos, was the subject of discussion by critics. One critic suggested that she and Zagreus have a dominant-submissive relationship respectively, with Megaera serving as the sadist and Zagreus the masochist, suggesting this correlated with the gameplay experience of Megaera and Zagreus' multiple battles with one another.

Did You Know?

• Megaera was created by Greg Kasavin, designed by Jen Zee, and voiced by Avalon Penrose.
• When doing her voice, Avalon Penrose starts with her normal, raspy voice before removing the singsongy and expressive parts, dropping it as low as she can, then adopting a vocal fry, not speaking above a whisper.
• Before Megaera, Avalon Penrose had not played a romantic interest, and she commented that fanart depicting Megaera as powerful made her feel empowered.
• 3D artist Paige Carter used either Megaera or Thanatos as a base when making characters in 3D, with characters like Nyx being based on Megaera's model.
• Megaera's androgynous appearance was noted by one writer as representing a 'subvers[ion] to classical tradition' in Ancient Greek culture.