Hades

Hades
Home	Underworld
Occupation	God
Story appearances
Feature films	Hercules, House of Villains
TV shows	House of Mouse, Hercules the Animated Series
Video games	Kingdom Hearts Series
Park attractions	Fantasmic
Voice actor	James Woods

Hades, voiced by James Woods, is the villain in the 1997 movie Hercules, based on the Greek god Hades. Unlike the mythological Hades, who is for the most part a relatively passive deity doing a sometimes nasty job, this version is a fast-talking, evil deity, reminiscent of Satan. The character's mannerisms were due to James Woods ending up using a "car-dealer"-style voice while the movie was being made. His hair is blue fire, and whenever he gets upset, it flares and becomes red. His hair-flame has also been shown to flare when he grows particularly excited (when the Fates tell him he will overthrow Zeus), although in this case it remains blue. Apparently the rest of the Olympian gods don't care for Hades, per the reaction glare they give him when he comes to view Hercules for the first time, sans Zeus, who basically treats him as a little brother. Hades later reappeared in Hercules: The Animated Series and the Kingdom Hearts series. In all of his appearances he was voiced by James Woods. He ranked #8 in the top 30 disney villains (One better than Lady Tremaine but one under Captain Hook.)

Hercules

In the 1997 animated film, Hades sought to overthrow his older brother Zeus and rule Mount Olympus for himself. Upon visiting the Fates, he learned that he could succeed, but there was a catch. If Zeus's son, his nephew, Hercules was to fight Hades, Hercules would win.

Hades sent his two demons, Pain and Panic, to kidnap baby Hercules and give him a potion that would render him mortal. Hercules needed to drink every last drop for it to work, but when a human couple comes along, the demons drop the bottle, breaking it and losing the last drop. Thus, Hercules became a demigod and spent his life on Earth.

Later, a young princess named Megara, or Meg, sold her soul to Hades so that he would rescue her lover. He did, but soon Meg's lover fled for another girl (in the series it is said that her lover was Adonis). Meg was stuck doing tasks for Hades.

The Evil Hades.

After discovering that Hercules is still alive (Pain and Panic had kept the incident invovling the bottle secret for years), Hades sent numerous monsters to do away with Hercules, such as the Hydra, but none worked. When he found out that Hercules had fallen in love with Meg, he took this to his advantage and made a deal with Hercules. He asked Hercules to give up his powers for twenty four hours (when he was set to overtake Mount Olympus) in exchange for Meg's freedom. Hercules agreed, as long as Meg wouldn't be hurt.

Hades attacked Mount Olympus with the Titans and succeeded in overthrowing Zeus without Hercules to stop him. The Cyclops was sent to Earth. Hercules, despite being powerless, managed to take down the monster, using his wits instead of his strength.

However, Meg was fatally crushed saving Hercules from a falling pillar. This negated Hades's deal that Meg would not be hurt. Hercules was thus given his powers back and returned to Mount Olympus where he easily took down the Titans and freed the gods.

Hades was furious, but he taunted Hercules that he at least had a parting gift: Meg's soul. Hercules traveled to the Underworld to rescue her. He swam into the River Styx to retrieve her soul. It almost killed him, when his full Godliness was restored by willing to risk his life to save Meg. Hercules emerged from the pit.

Hades begged the hero to try and ease things with him and the other gods, but Hercules decided to let Hades spread his evil no longer and knocks him into the River Styx, where he was swarmed by the Spirits of the Dead. However, during the end credits of the film, Hades voice can be heard, and he complains about not getting a happy ending.

Hercules Animated Series

Hades in Hercules: The Animated Series Episode Hercules and the Pool Party.

Later, with the return of Hercules on the form of an animated series, Hades also re-appeared, and had many appearances trying to take over the Olympus. One episode even had a crossover where Jafar makes a deal with Hades, in order to make Hercules and Aladdin fight each other.

Personality and traits

Like most Disney villains, Hades is portrayed as an egomaniac with violent mood swings, laid-back and humorous one minute and flying into a murderous rage the next. A psychopathic character, he is suave, charismatic, witty and often charming but utterly remorseless and cruel. He is also a Machiavellian individual as shown by his manipulation of Hercules, Meg and various other characters over the course of the film and TV series.

In many ways, Hades is like Scar and Prince John in that these characters are dark, sinister individuals who are younger brothers of a monarch and envy their brother's power and position, feeling that they deserve it. Both have dim-witted henchmen and attempt to murder or send away their brother and nephew. Hades and Scar are also thrown off a cliff by their nephew and set upon by their minions at the climax of their respective films.

Kingdom Hearts series

Kingdom Hearts

Hades was one of Maleficent's allies, and apparently the most powerful villain on her team aside from her. He utilized the Heartless by supplying them as monsters to the Olympus Coliseum, for heroes to battle as per usual. However, he also gained the assistance of Cloud Strife by making a deal: If Cloud kills Hercules, Hades will lead him to Sephiroth (who he apparently does know the location of, as Sephiroth is indeed at the coliseum). Hades additionally provided Sora with a pass to enter the coliseum games. However, when Sora appeared to be winning in the Coliseum, Hades instructed Cloud to kill Sora as well. When the plan failed (either with Cloud refusing to deal the final blow to Sora, or with Sora defeating Cloud; it depends on the result of the battle), Hades had Cerberus attack Cloud. However, Hercules rescued Cloud and Sora defeated Cerberus.

As Sora left the Coliseum, Maleficent warned Hades not to be overcome by the darkness. Although Hades sent Maleficent away, claiming he could handle it, he ironically was not overcome at all (while the rest of Maleficent's followers and Maleficent herself ended up being overcome, with the other exception of Captain Hook). Strangely, Maleficent overlooked the fact that Hades was the immortal god of the dark underworld. This lead to the inevitable irony of Hades outliving Maleficent as well as being currently the only villain in the whole series to show in all the games and survive and will probably continue to survive due to him being a god.

When Hades learned of Maleficent's demise, he put matters into his own hands. Hades, determined on personally defeating both Hercules and Sora, opened the Hades Cup in the Coliseum. The long, grueling tournament had a battle with him near the end. Unfortunately for Hades, Sora defeated him in the battle, knocking him into a cell where he was beaten up by someone, possibly Cloud. After a few more battles in the cup, though, Hades decided on a way for revenge.

In events very much like those in Hercules, Hades unleashed the four Titans upon the world (although only two are seen, it can be guessed that the other two and possibly the Cyclops were as well). When Sora reached the final rank in the tournament, he had to combat the Rock Titan. Upon its defeat, Hades apparently went into hiding.

Chain of Memories

Hades's role in Chain of memories is almost identical to his role in Kingdom Hearts one. He is fought in the Key to Truth room.

Kingdom Hearts II

Hades in Kingdom Hearts II.

• First Visit

Hades is once again an antagonist in Kingdom Hearts II (unlike the rest of the villains, he has an excuse to be able to come back since he's immortal, and wasn't destroyed in the first game anyway). Most of Hades's dealings take place in the Underworld in this game. This time, in an effort to destroy Hercules, he tries to strike a deal with the dead Auron (whom he calls "The Mother of All Bad Guys"), offering him his life back with a clean slate, on the condition that he "Fight Hercules. In the Coliseum. To the death!" Auron refuses, and when Hades reminds him that he is talking to the Lord of the Dead, he responds "No wonder no one wants to die." Hades becomes enraged, and almost strikes Auron down until Sora arrives, needing to speak to him. But it ended up with Sora and gang running for it as Hades is invincible within his domain, and they are weakened by the Underworld's curse.

Pete suggests waiting for the Heartless to take care of Sora and company, but Hades knows better and dispatches Cerberus to take care of them instead. However, Sora and Auron defeat Cerberus and escape when Sora unlocks a door with the Keyblade. Learning that the Keyblade can open any lock, Hades decides to steal it and reopen the Underdrome, a coliseum locked up by Zeus long ago that makes the Olympus Coliseum itself "look like an Olympic kiddie pool". However, when Pete informs him that the Keyblade won't work for just anyone, and the fact that Sora is a lot tougher than he looks, Hades decides to apply "a woman's touch" to his plans. To this end, he kidnaps Meg and traps her in the Underdrome, meaning Sora must use the Keyblade to rescue her, unsealing the Underdrome in the process.

• Second Visit

To celebrate the Underdrome's re-opening, Hades decides to hold the Hades Cup, in the hopes of killing Hercules once again. Trapping Auron's soul in a statue, he ordered him to take care of Hercules and Sora once and for all. But inevitably, the scheme fails, and a furious Hades dumps Meg into the River Styx with Hercules diving after her. Confident they'll be dead within moments, Hades overpowered Sora and gang until Hercules emerged, his full power restored by willing to risk his life to save Meg. Hades was soon quickly defeated and, while attempting to avoid a hit from Sora, loses his footing and falls down into the River Styx. Despite this, Hades manages to escape, though he doesn't appear to cause Hercules and co. much trouble after that.

Trivia

Pluto in Goddess of Spring.

• Hades’s personality is based of Pluto from Marvel Comics.

• The Greek god Hades was not evil as he is in Disney.

• A different version of Hades (called Pluto) appears in the Silly Symphony The Goddess of Spring.

• In Hercules, Hades has smoke emitting from his feet/robe, however, this trait is missing in Kingdom Hearts.

• Hades is one of the few villains with historic significence. Others include John Ratcliffe, Chernabog, Arawn, and the Hun Army.
• Hades epitomizes the deadly sin of Wrath, considering his fiery temper