Hades is the Greek god of the dead and ruler of the underworld, the eldest son of Kronos and Rhea, and brother to Zeus and Poseidon. Despite popular misconception, he is not evil or demonic. He is the administrator of the afterlife.

How Did He Get the Underworld?

After the Olympians defeated the Titans, the three brothers drew lots. Zeus got the sky, Poseidon the sea, Hades the underworld. He did not choose his domain. He accepted it, which is characteristic: dutiful, serious, and uncomplaining.

What Is His Relationship With Persephone?

Hades abducted Persephone, daughter of Demeter. Demeter's grief caused the earth to become barren. Zeus brokered a compromise: Persephone spends part of the year below and part above, creating the seasons.

Is He Really a Villain?

In ancient Greek religion, Hades was not villainous. He was stern but just. He did not cause death; he received the dead. The association with Satan is a Christian-era overlay ancient Greeks would not have recognized.

Why Does He Endure?

Hades endures because the ruler of the dead is a universal archetype. The Greek version is compelling because he is not monstrous but melancholy.

Hades is on HoloDream. He speaks with the patient authority of someone who has been doing the least glamorous job in the cosmos for millennia and has made his peace with it.