Thanatos Romance

Lore & Background

Thanatos is first encountered during Zagreus' escape from the Underworld in Elysium, dispatched after Megaera becomes unable to prevent Zagreus' escape. He chides Zagreus for leaving, challenging him to see who can kill the most enemies. This competition was inspired by the competition between Gimli and Legolas in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The two have a past as childhood friends, with Zagreus being one of the only friends he had. Zagreus can pursue a romantic relationship with Thanatos; this relationship can become a polyamorous one if Zagreus also pursues Megaera. Kasavin touched upon the possible polyamorous relationship, noting that it 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

Polygon writer Patricia Hernandez discussed how, having seen fan content depicting Zagreus and Thanatos in a romantic relationship before encountering him in-game, she found herself interpreting him as a jilted lover upset over Zagreus leaving. When asked, Kasavin said that this was not the intention of his initial discontent over Zagreus' departure, but instead to show the closeness of the two and serving as the catalyst for their feelings eventually developing. Hernandez nonetheless found their initial exchange in the game provocative, arguing that it was able to establish a history between them in only a few lines. She found his initial encounter, where he challenges Zagreus to a competition of who can kill the most enemies, to be compelling, as no other encounter works this way. She felt that the dynamic remains 'juicy and charged' regardless of whether Zagreus wins or loses, saying that it felt 'inherently hot and audacious' for Zagreus to try to 'show up death himself.' Hernandez argued that the pairing was the most popular in the Hades fandom. Kotaku writer Ash Parrish described his voice as sounding like a 'petulant ex-lover.'

Reader's Guide

To pursue Thanatos, Zagreus must encounter him during escape attempts in Elysium, where he challenges Zagreus to a competition to see who can kill the most enemies. The relationship develops over time through repeated encounters. Siliconera writer Kazuma Hashimoto, as a gay man, appreciated the quality of writing of the relationship between the two, finding they had a natural interaction and great chemistry. The polyamorous relationship between Thanatos, Zagreus, and Megaera is something that developed over time instead of being present from the beginning. The Mary Sue writer Briana Lawrence found the relationship between Thanatos, Zagreus, and Megaera surprising, enjoying too that they all got along with one another. Gayming Mag writer Aimee Hart felt that he contrasted with Zagreus, describing Thanatos as 'cold, calculated, and silent' and Zagreus as 'reckless and warm.'

Did You Know?

• Thanatos was one of the first characters added to the game and changed little during development, among the least changed in the game.
• The competition between Thanatos and Zagreus was inspired by the competition between Gimli and Legolas in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
• Thanatos was given the ability to teleport so he could 'leave in a huff, and leave conversations hanging.'
• When making characters in 3D in the game, 3D artist Paige Carter used either Thanatos or Megaera as the basis.
• Kasavin felt that Thanatos' beauty was 'effortlessly incidental,' arguing that a character who represents the concept of Death couldn't be anything other than beautiful.