List of Disney's Hercules characters
Encyclopedia
The following are fictional characters from Disney
's 1997 film Hercules
and from the 1998 TV series. These are heavily interpreted versions of Greek mythology, very different from the classical versions.
, although some aspects of his life differ greatly from the original legend. Hercules was born on Mount Olympus
with all the powers of a god, and his parents were Zeus
and Hera
(the King and Queen of all the gods, thus making him a god prince), who has been re-imagined as a loving mother instead of a spiteful stepmother. However, one god is not happy about the new arrival: Hercules' evil uncle Hades. Hades wants to take control of Mount Olympus
and the world along with all of creation, and he sees that if Hercules chooses to fight when he is older, his plans will be ruined. Knowing that as a god, Hercules is immortal and invulnerable, Hades sends his two lackeys, Pain and Panic, to kidnap Hercules and turn him mortal by means of a magic potion, but the final drop falls wasted on the ground. Pain and Panic discover that because he did not drink the last drop he has retained his godly strength (although Hercule's strength appears to be exceptional even for a God as no other God is seen performing anything close to his feats of strength) and they are beaten back. Amphitryon
and Alcmene
adopt the child, considering his arrival a gift from the gods since they are themselves childless. Too late, Zeus and the other gods discover the kidnapping. Because Herc is now mortal, however, they are unable to take him back to Olympus.
Hercules grows into a strong but clumsy teenage boy who cannot control his godly strength, causing havoc and alienating those around him. His foster parents decide to finally come clean to him about the circumstances of his adoption, showing him a medallion they find that bears the symbol of the gods (Zeus's lightning bolt). Hercules sets off to find his place in the world, and goes to the Temple of Zeus
for guidance. While in the temple, Zeus embodies his own statue, and reveals Hercules's origin. He explains that the only way Hercules can rejoin his parents on Mount Olympus is to prove himself a "true hero", and thus, regain his godhood. He goes to see Philoctetes, a trainer of heroes who originally says he will not train Hercules, but changes his mind after Zeus zaps him with a bolt of lightning.
When Hercules has reached adulthood and has passed his training, he sets off with Philoctetes to become a Hero in Thebes
. On his way he saves Megara from Nessus
, a centaur
acting as river guardian. Unbeknownst to Herc, Meg is working for Hades (albeit unwillingly), and relates the events to the Lord of the Underworld, by which he learns that Hercules is still alive and so sends a variety of monsters to kill Hercules. But Hercules dispatches every monster Hades sends against him. By this time, Hercules has become the toast of Greece, and he believes himself a true hero, He is greatly upset when Zeus tells him that his celebrity status is not enough to regain his immortality, as being famous isn't the same as being a hero, and to "look into his heart". Meg (on assignment from Hades) convinces him to play hookie, going on a date. At first she was trying to learn any weakness he might have, but she eventually fell as hard for him as he had for her. The date is ended by Phil, irate at Hercules for skipping training. Phil is knocked off Pegasus, and wakes up in time to learn of Meg's involvement with Hades. He leaves to tell Hercules, not hearing Meg's refusal to help destroy Hercules. Hercules, ecstatic from the date, refuses to believe Phil's warning about Megera, even hitting him in a flash of blind anger, prompting Phil to quit.
Hades, realizing that Meg herself is Herk's weakness, confronts Hercules, offering Megara's safety if the hero will give up his strength for 24 hours (long enough for Hades to conquer Olympus). Herc is reluctant to see anyone hurt, but Hades vows that no harm will come to Meg. Hercules agrees, and Hades takes the opportunity to humiliate him before revealing Megara's role in his scheme. Enacting his plan, Hades sends a Cyclops
to destroy Hercules. Without his superhuman strength and crushed by Meg's betrayal, Herc is brutally beaten about by the monster but, with a peptalk from the returning Phil, and using his wits, he is able to defeat the Cyclops and send him hurtling off a cliff. The monster's fall causes a pillar to topple towards Herc and Meg pushes him out of the way, taking the impact of the pillar. This in turn causes Hercules to regain his strength because Hades' end of the bargain is now broken as he promised that Meg wouldn't get hurt. Hercules leaves Megara in the care of his friends while he rushes off to thwart Hades' invasion of Olympus. Freeing the captured gods, he captures three of the Titans
in the tornado
body of the fourth and throws them into space, where they explode. He returns to Meg's side only to learn that her injuries were fatal. However, he then travels to Hades' realm to rescue Meg's spirit from the River Styx, which swiftly ages mortals upon contact, thus killing them within a short time. Hercules nevertheless enters the pool to rescue Megara's soul. He is able to reach Meg before he dies and his selfless act fulfills the requirement for being a true hero, thus regaining his godhood. He then punches Hades into the River Styx, and returns Meg's soul to her body. He is invited by Zeus to live in Olympus, which was indeed originally his wish, but he decides rather to live his life on Earth as a mortal with Meg.
Animator Randy Haycock based the infant version of Hercules on his newborn daughter. He also videotaped a friend's six-month old and rented movies with babies in them. Haycock admits that baby Hercules' curly hair comes from his infant daughter's appearance. He adds, Hercules
mannerisms come right off things I've picked up from her", even though Hercules is more caricatured than a real baby. The inspiration for teenage Hercules came from Haycock's experiences as an adolescent. "I was too tall and skinny for my age, and I was a lousy athlete. At home I broke just about everything..." Teenage Hercules has big hands and feet that the animator remembers having himself, as well as the lack of coordination. Andreas Deja
was supervising animator for the adult version of Hercules. He studied photographs of Olympic athletes, not the weightlifters with short necks and bulging muscles, but the swimmers, with long necks and natural musculature. Essentially, he wanted to return to the Greek
tradition of character drawing. As Deja explains, this means "straight nose, pursed lips – almost cherubic, large eyes, a lidded look...The classic style you find on Greek vases or drawings."
The animated series Hercules is set in the intervening period between his teen years and his first journey to Thebes as an adult, while he is still in training on Phil's island. The series also reveals that, on Zeus's instruction, Hercules attends a high school called the Prometheus Academy.
Hercules has also appeared in the Kingdom Hearts
series of video games. In the former, Sora
must help Hercules defeat the evil Hades who, having joined Maleficent
's main group of Disney Villains, is still trying to take over Olympus. In the first game, he is voiced by Sean Astin
, but Donovan reprises his role in the second game. His Japanese voice is done by Yasunori Matsumoto
. Hercules also appeared in the television series Disney's House of Mouse
, in the Walt Disney World version of Fantasmic!
, at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
daily for greetings, and had his own stage show on the Disney Cruise Line
.
, is a satyr
and a trainer of aspiring heroes who has often been disappointed by his trainees' shortcomings. This however, seems to be a confusion with the myth of Chiron
, as Phil states that he trained Achilles and Jason of the Argonauts, both disciples of Chiron. He also says that he trained Odysseus
, Perseus
, Theseus
-- "a lot of 'yeuseus.'" Phil also trained Bellerophon
, but he was equally a failure. On several occasions, Phil will explain something by saying "Two words", and then his next statement will be either one word or three. Phil has long-since retired after failing to train a successful hero, but is convinced to train the callow young Hercules.
After his training is complete, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus set out for the city of Thebes
to prove Hercules' newfound worth. Along the way, Hercules saves a woman named Megara
from being pestered by the centaur Nessus
, and becomes attracted to her, while Phil immediately clashes with her, considering her a distraction from Hercules' activities. Phil becomes a personal manager to the celebrity Hercules has become. Later in the film, Phil discovers that Megara is working for Hades
, her mission being to find Hercules' weakness. Phil tries to warn Hercules, but abandons him after an argument ensues. When Hercules loses his powers to Hades, it is Megara who convinces Phil to return to Hercules, motivating him into battling and defeating the Cyclops through improvisation. During the fight, Megara is mortally wounded by a falling column to save Hercules, and Phil is left taking care of the dying Megara while Hercules fights Hades and the Titans. After Hercules defeats Hades, Phil goes with Hercules to Mount Olympus, where he is seen flirting with Aphrodite
. When Hercules and his friends return to Thebes, Phil is gratified when the people refer to the mighty and triumphant Hercules as "Phil's boy".
The prequel Hercules: Zero to Hero
and the subsequent TV series Disney's Hercules
are set during the time when teen Hercules is training under Phil and attending the Prometheus Academy.
Phil has also appeared in the Disney/Square Enix
video game series Kingdom Hearts
, as well as in the TV series Disney's House of Mouse
. In the film, Philoctetes' voice is provided by Danny DeVito
, while Robert Costanzo
fills the role in the character's video game and television appearances. Ichirō Nagai
supplies Phil's Japanese voice, while Lakis Lazopoulos
was cast for Phil's voice in the Greek language version of the film.
). Hades agreed on the condition that she serve him forever, which she accepted. However, shortly after her lover was revived, he fell in love with someone else and left Meg still locked in servitude to Hades. This background story of the character alludes to the myth of Alcestis
, who dies by proxy for her husband Admetus
.
When Meg first appears onscreen, Hercules encounters her in the middle of trying to recruit Nessus. Meg, not believing that Hercules can help, simply tells him she can handle it, and after Nessus and he fight, watches with some amusement. She at first believes Hercules is faking his shy and innocent personality due to bad experiences with other men. She then reports back to Hades, who learns that Hercules is still alive. Later, in Thebes, Meg rushes up to Hercules, telling him two kids (Pain and Panic in disguise) are trapped in a gorge. He falls for it, and Meg silently pleads with him from a distance to leave before Hades' plan goes into effect, but is forced to watch as Hercules fights and defeats the Hydra
. After several more victories, Meg is openly smug and confident that Hercules will survive. Hades offers Meg her freedom in exchange for discovering Hercules' weakness. Meg goes to Hercules and convinces him to take the day off with her, to which he quickly agrees. During the date, Hercules reveals his feelings for Meg and promises that he will never hurt her. They nearly kiss, but are stopped by Phil. Finding herself falling deeply romantically in love with Hercules. She tries to deny it, but the Muses convince her to stop denying the way she really feels.
Hades then intervenes, and Meg tells him that she will not help him hurt Hercules, due to her recently surfaced strong romantic feelings for him, and that he has no weaknesses. A furious Hades reminds her that he owns her, and upon seeing her new-found romantic love affections for Hercules, realizes that Herc's strong romantic feelings for her are his weakness and uses her as leverage to convince Hercules to give up his enhanced strength for one day in return for her safety; if the deal is broken, his strength will return. Hades then reveals Meg worked for Hades the whole time, and Hercules leaves, disheartened at learning of Meg's betrayal. Meg then goes to find Phil, as he is the only one who can talk sense into Hercules. They return to see Hercules has been badly beaten by the Cyclops, and convince him to fight back. After seeing a column collapse where he is standing, due to the Cyclops
Hercules was fighting, Meg pushes him out of the way, and it collapses on her instead. When he asks why, she explains that "people always do crazy things- when they're in love." Meg dies from her injuries, so Hercules goes to the Underworld
to get her soul back. He makes a deal with Hades where he will exchange himself in return for Meg's life, but in the process of saving her, becomes a god again. After her soul is returned, he explains that he did it for the same reason she gave her life for him- he is deeply romantically in love with her. They are risen to Olympus, and Meg watches as Hercules is finally accepted as a god. However, he declines his place to stay with her on Earth; Meg and Hercules finally kiss, apparently continuing her life with him and his foster parents.
In Hercules: The Animated Series
, Meg appeared twice, once as a teenager and once as an adult from the movie timeline. She meets Hercules, offering a chance to prove himself as a hero. Having him retrieve her the amphora so she can use it to forget about Adonis who she had a blind date with that went badly. They do retrieve it from Ares' sons, but Meg leaves Hercules to escape. She is immediately taken to the Underworld by Pain and Panic; Hercules, despite her betrayal, goes after her. During a fight for the amphora, Meg tells Hercules that she liked him from the start. They almost kiss, but the amphora's water is dropped on them, causing them to forget how they met, and reinforcing the fact that Hercules and Meg never established any relationship until the film. Another episode, "Hercules and the Yearbook", takes place after the events of the film and features Hercules and Meg moving his stuff from Phil's island. Hermes
delivers a special package, which Hercules immediately hides from Meg. Phil reveals all of Hercules' incidents during his school time, and Hercules tells Meg he did not want to show her the yearbook because he wants her to see him as a hero. Meg tells him that she accepts that part of his life as an awkward phase, and loves him just the same. However, this does not stop Hercules from having Hermes retrieve Meg's own yearbook where it is revealed Meg was a cheerleader.
Meg also appeared in Kingdom Hearts II
and meets Sora and co. in the Underworld entrance. She later assists Sora in the fight against the Hydra by providing useful items. She also appears in Disney's House of Mouse
as a guest.
, is the winged horse of Hercules. He is very jealous of the relationship between his master and Meg. It was created by Zeus as a gift at birth. It consists of cirrus
, nimbostratus, and cumulonimbus. It is very true and a great "friend" of Hercules and helps in everything, and has a bird brain.
Pegasus has also appeared in the Disney/Square Enix
video game Kingdom Hearts II
.
, 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
, as well as sleazy dealers, notably persuasive Hollywood Agent types and car dealers. In all of his appearances, Hades has been voiced by James Woods
. The character's mannerisms and other tendencies were partly due to James Woods's using "car-dealer"-style speech while providing the voice of Hades. Hades is described as "mean" and "ruthless" by the Muses. His status as a god makes him immortal, but not invincible. His status as a god likely makes him one of the most powerful if not the most powerful Disney villain. He wears a dark robe with a skull shaped perone, which a pin used to fasten a chiton around the body at the shoulder, and his hair is a glowing blue flame, which flares whenever he becomes excited or enraged (if he is excited it stays blue and if he is angered or frustrated it turns yellow while his whole body turns red), and can also be extinguished (his hair was blown out at one point by Pegasus). James Woods has stated that Hades is one of his favorite roles in his career, and he will gladly reprise the role whenever asked.
In Hercules, Hades seeks to overthrow Zeus and rule Mount Olympus, the Earth and the rest of creation for himself. Upon visiting the Fates, he learns that he could succeed by releasing the Titans in eighteen years, but if Zeus's son, Hercules, is to fight Hades, he will fail. Hades sends his demons, Pain and Panic, to kidnap baby Hercules and give him a potion that would render him mortal. Hercules needs to drink every last drop for it to work, but the last drop is lost. Thus Hercules, while mortal, retains his god-like strength and spends his life on Earth.
Later, a young woman named Megara sells her soul to Hades so that he will return her lover's soul. He does, but Meg's lover ungratefully dumps her for another girl shortly afterwards. Meg remains trapped as a slave to Hades, and he uses her beauty, charm and intelligence as an advantage to persuade monsters to join his army. After discovering that Hercules is still alive, Hades sends numerous grotesque beasts to finish Hercules off, only for Hercules to slay every one with ease! When he finds out that Hercules has fallen in love with Megara, he uses this to his advantage and makes a deal with Hercules: Herc must give up his powers for the next twenty-four hours (secretly the same twenty-four hours he will use to take over Olympus) in exchange for Meg's freedom. Herc agrees, as long as Meg will be safe from harm. Hades then reveals that Megara was working for him the whole time, crushing Hercules' will to fight. Hades then releases the Titans, who defeat and imprison the gods, and sends the Cyclops
to kill the weakened and discouraged Hercules to keep him from getting in the way, but Hercules defeats the monster using his wits. However, Megara is grievously injured saving Hercules from a falling pillar- negating Hades's deal that Meg would not be hurt. Hercules is thus given his powers back and returns to Mount Olympus where he easily takes down the Titans and frees the gods. Hades loses his temper, but he taunts Hercules that he at least has a parting gift; while Hercules was fighting the Titans, Megara died from her injuries. Hercules travels to the Underworld to rescue her soul and offers himself to Hades in exchange for Megara's freedom. He swims into the River Styx to retrieve her soul. It almost kills him, when his full Godhood is restored by his being willing to risk his life to save Meg. Hercules emerges from the pit alive and immortal with Megara's soul in his arms, much to Hades' anger. Knowing that he can't stop Hercules in his path, Hades begs the hero to try and ease things with him and the other gods, but Hercules loses his temper and slugs his uncle into the River Styx, where he is swarmed by vengeful souls and dragged to the depths. (However, Hades does not die, seeing as he is immortal, but the fact that he is not invincible makes being attacked by murderously vengeful souls a nonetheless extremely painful experience.) Hades' relationship with Megara is oddly similar to Ned Trent (also played by James Woods) relationship with Sharon Stone's character in The Specialist
. Later, with the return of Hercules in the form of an animated series
, Hades also re-appeared, and had many appearances trying to take over Olympus. One episode even had a crossover where Jafar makes a deal with Hades, in order to make Hercules and Aladdin fight each other. While Hades and Jafar had numerous things in common, Jafar's evil laugh consistently got on the more smooth-talking Hades' nerves – at least until he tried it for himself, calling it "cleansing." This entire series ignores a certain fact about the film, however: in the movie, Hades still thought Hercules was dead throughout his high school days, but in the series, they have many interactions during that time.
Hades appears in the Kingdom Hearts
series of video games. He was originally in league with Maleficent
, using the Heartless to try to take over the worlds. Hades wanted to dispose of Hercules and tricked Cloud Strife
into challenging Hercules in the Preliminaries at the Olympus Colliseum. In return, Hades "promised" Cloud he will lead him to Sephiroth
. However, when Sora
arrived, Hades changed plans and had Cloud attack Sora first. When Cloud refused to kill Sora (or was defeated by him, depending on the outcome), Hades sends out Cerberus
to take care of Cloud. Hercules arrived to get Cloud to safety while Sora & company dealt with Cerberus. After Maleficent's defeat, Hades himself battles Sora and lost as all his schemes against Sora and the others end in failure. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
, a facsimile Hades appeared as token of Sora's memory and the darkness in Riku's heart. In Kingdom Hearts II
, Hades's desire to kill Hercules is still undeterred. After joining forces with Pete, and probably Maleficent through him, Hades decides to use Auron
, who has already died, to fight against Hercules and kill him; however, Auron rebels against Hades and fights him, only to be interrupted by Sora, Donald Duck
and Goofy
. They fight Hades, but, due to the Underworld curse, he is invincible to their attacks. Hades then sends Cerberus and later the Hydra against Sora and his friends. Upon discovering that Sora's Keyblade could unlock any lock, Hades initially plans to use it to unlock the Underdrome, the Underworld's own coliseum. However, when Pete informs him that the Keyblade will only work for Sora, Hades kidnaps Meg and traps her in the locked Underdrome, forcing Sora to unlock it to rescue her. After defeating Pete and the Hydra again, Sora and his friends eventually fight and defeat Hades. However, Hades survives and acts as a challenger in the last tournaments, which are unlocked near the end of the game. In the prequel, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
, he attempts to use Terra to kill Hercules, but Terra resists the Darkness in his heart, so Hades places Zack
under his control to eliminate both Terra and Hercules, but Terra defeats Zack and frees him from Hades' influence. Later, Hades and the Ice Colossus (a replica of the Ice Titan) both fight Aqua in the Coliseum, but Aqua defeats the both of them and Hades flees to the Underworld to further his plans. James Woods reprises his role for the English versions of the games, while his Japanese voice in all the games is done by Kyusaku Shimada.
Hades stars in "Villains Tonight" on the Disney Magic and Disney Dream. "Villains Tonight" is a musical stage show featuring many different villains from various Disney films, including Doctor Facilier, Ursula, Scar, Yzma, Maleficent, Evil Queen, Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, Jafar, and his two sidekicks Pain and Panic. The story here is Hades has "softened a bit" and made the Underworld a fun place. Unfortunately, the Fates tell him he has until midnight to get more evil or he will no longer rule the Underworld. So he summons the most evil villains in his quest to become more evil.
Hades is one of the Disney Villains summoned by the Evil Queen to fight Mickey Mouse in Fantasmic!
. Hades also appears in several episodes of Disney's House of Mouse
. In one episode, he tried to ask Maleficent out on a date and asked Mickey for advice. When Mickey's kind and nice ways did not sway Maleficent, Hades won her over by showing his own, fiery personality in a fit of rage towards Mickey. The two were referred to by Minnie Mouse as "a match not made in heaven." He is also one of the main villains in the full-length spin-off Mickey's House of Villains
; James Woods only provides the voice for one line ("Ha – love that"), and Rob Paulsen
provides the singing voice when Hades sings the lines "Where everyone's a friend of mine!" and "What a place for breakin' bread!" in the song "It's Our House Now!". He also appears briefly in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
.
shaped demon
s (also called imps) in the Disney
animated
feature Hercules
. Pain is a fat, red-shaded demon, and Panic is skinny and blue-green. They are the minions of the film's villain, Hades, Pain is voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait
and Panic by Matt Frewer
.
Panic is paranoid, twitchy, panicky and easily spooked, as his name suggests, but he appears to be pretty smart and is very cautious. He appears to be more honest than Pain. For example, when he says, "Hades is gonna kill us when he finds out what happened!" Pain replies, "You mean if he finds out." And Panic replies, "'If'. 'If' is good." Pain, on the other hand, is bossy, hot-tempered, and sly, but also clumsy, impulsive and liable to get into painful situations, and seems to be less intelligent than Panic. One instance was when Hades asked them how they kill a god. Pain didn't know while Panic answered correctly.
Both possess the ability to shapeshift
into almost any form. They frequently manage to irritate Hades even more than usual, and he is always ready to punish them severely for any mistakes. He also threatens them with torture. Ironically, since they are demons, even Hades cannot kill them – but it is made clear repeatedly that they can still feel pain, and since both Hades and they are immortal, they endeavor not to anger him. It is unclear why they even serve Hades, though they seem to do so out of fear or because he owns their souls.
In the movie, Hades sends them to kidnap baby Hercules, make him mortal, and kill him. The imps obey and somehow capture him in the middle of the night, but fail to kill him, and only half-succeed in making him mortal: he keeps his godlike strength, allowing him to dispose of the pair before they have a chance to kill him as snakes (a reference to the original Hercules myth). Not wanting Hades to know about their failure, they tell him that Hercules is dead. Many years later Hades discovers that Hercules is actually alive. To try and grovel sufficiently they become insects, reminding Hades they could still kill Hercules in the time left. Throughout the rest of the movie, they're seen either cheering Hades's monsters on, grovelling to Hades, or using their shape-shifting powers to contact Hades's spy, Meg. In rare moments of competence, they manage to trap Pegasus by pretending to be a mare, and even capture Hermes in the assault on Olympus, herding the gods off the mountain in chains. At the end of the movie, Hades is punched into the river Styx
, and they are left behind, hoping that he won't return. Their fate after that is unknown.
Pain and Panic also appear in the Hercules TV series
, and still serve as Hades's lackeys. They made many brief appearances in the House of Mouse television series, usually along with Hades (though there was one episode in which they broke up Pinocchio
and Jiminy Cricket
without Hades's aid) and had a very small role in Kingdom Hearts II
, where they are working for Hades and work at the Underdrome, but have no other purpose.
s sang 6 songs to go along with the film which were also featured on the soundtrack album.The songs where "The Gospel Truth", "The Gospel Truth II", "The Gospel Truth III", "Zero to Hero" and "A Star Is Born". The Muses also sing backup vocals for the song "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)
". In 2005 the song was remade by the R&B and pop group The Cheetah Girls for the album DisneyMania 3
.The direct-to-video film, Hercules: Zero to Hero
, featured a title inspired by The Muses song "Zero To Hero".
All of the songs were released on the soundtrack to the movie called, Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack.It was released May 27, 1997 on Walt Disney Records
. Allmusic gave the album 3/5 stars.The album was nominated for an Oscar Award and a Golden Globe Award
for Best Original Score.
The film begins in a very United States of America-like ancient Greece
with a mock-epic spoken narration (by Charlton Heston
), but dissolves into the musical narration by the five Muses. The Muses tell the tale ("The Gospel Truth") of how Zeus came to power and prevented the monstrous Titans from ruling the world. The songs from the movie sung by The Muses (as well as the other songs in the movie) were composed by Alan Menken
and the lyrics were written by David Zippel
. After the film, the Muses made appearances on the Hercules TV series, making musical appearances in episodes of the series. The Muses made also a guest appearance on Disney's House of Mouse
, January 26, 2002 on season 2 and on the episode called "Where's Minnie?". They sung a song called "Minnie Mouse Is in The House" which the beat sampled Salt-n-Pepa
's song "Shoop".
.
from the Disney
animated television series
Hercules
. Though set in Ancient Greece
(specifically Athens
), the Academy
shares many traits with modern educational institutions. It is coeducational, with both male and female students, and teaches such diverse subjects as history, astronomy, shop class, theater arts and "Home Greconomics
".
Prometheus Academy is the school that the teenaged Hercules attends while training with Philoctetes
to become a hero in the Disney movie Hercules
. Many of the other students at the Academy are based on characters from mythology.
The Academy was named after the Titan
Prometheus
, who brought fire from Mount Olympus
(the metaphorical "light of reason") to mankind, and was punished by Zeus being chained to a rock
and having his liver
pecked out by an eagle
every day forever. A bronze
statue
of Prometheus being administered in his punishment is the central point of the Academy's courtyard.
attached to Prometheus Academy. The students that attend are also figures from mythology or ancient history, though preteen versions of those characters, before they became famous. One of their teachers is Mr. Aesop
, who tells stories (his eponymous fables) in order to teach the students by means of his morals.
One episode featured a crossover with Aladdin
, in which Hades and Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman) team up to destroy both their respective archnemesis (ignoring the fact these two series seem to take place a thousand years apart from each other).
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's 1997 film Hercules
Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
and from the 1998 TV series. These are heavily interpreted versions of Greek mythology, very different from the classical versions.
Hercules
Hercules (also known as Heracles) is the main protagonist of the film and the TV series. He is based on the mythical character HerculesHercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
, although some aspects of his life differ greatly from the original legend. Hercules was born on Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
with all the powers of a god, and his parents were Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
and Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
(the King and Queen of all the gods, thus making him a god prince), who has been re-imagined as a loving mother instead of a spiteful stepmother. However, one god is not happy about the new arrival: Hercules' evil uncle Hades. Hades wants to take control of Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
and the world along with all of creation, and he sees that if Hercules chooses to fight when he is older, his plans will be ruined. Knowing that as a god, Hercules is immortal and invulnerable, Hades sends his two lackeys, Pain and Panic, to kidnap Hercules and turn him mortal by means of a magic potion, but the final drop falls wasted on the ground. Pain and Panic discover that because he did not drink the last drop he has retained his godly strength (although Hercule's strength appears to be exceptional even for a God as no other God is seen performing anything close to his feats of strength) and they are beaten back. Amphitryon
Amphitryon
Amphitryon , in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis.Amphitryon was a Theban general, who was originally from Tiryns in the eastern part of the Peloponnese. He was friends with Panopeus....
and Alcmene
Alcmene
In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena was the mother of Heracles.-Background:Alcmene was born to Electryon, the son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Tiryns and Mycenae or Medea in Argolis. Her mother was Anaxo, daughter of Alcaeus and Astydamia, daughter of Pelops and Hippodameia...
adopt the child, considering his arrival a gift from the gods since they are themselves childless. Too late, Zeus and the other gods discover the kidnapping. Because Herc is now mortal, however, they are unable to take him back to Olympus.
Hercules grows into a strong but clumsy teenage boy who cannot control his godly strength, causing havoc and alienating those around him. His foster parents decide to finally come clean to him about the circumstances of his adoption, showing him a medallion they find that bears the symbol of the gods (Zeus's lightning bolt). Hercules sets off to find his place in the world, and goes to the Temple of Zeus
Temple of Zeus
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was an ancient Greek temple in Olympia, Greece, dedicated to the chief of the gods, Zeus. It was the very model of the fully developed classical Greek temple of the Doric order...
for guidance. While in the temple, Zeus embodies his own statue, and reveals Hercules's origin. He explains that the only way Hercules can rejoin his parents on Mount Olympus is to prove himself a "true hero", and thus, regain his godhood. He goes to see Philoctetes, a trainer of heroes who originally says he will not train Hercules, but changes his mind after Zeus zaps him with a bolt of lightning.
When Hercules has reached adulthood and has passed his training, he sets off with Philoctetes to become a Hero in Thebes
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
. On his way he saves Megara from Nessus
Nessus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Nessus was a famous centaur who was killed by Heracles, and whose tainted blood in turn killed Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with the Lapiths. He became a ferryman on the river Euenos....
, a centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
acting as river guardian. Unbeknownst to Herc, Meg is working for Hades (albeit unwillingly), and relates the events to the Lord of the Underworld, by which he learns that Hercules is still alive and so sends a variety of monsters to kill Hercules. But Hercules dispatches every monster Hades sends against him. By this time, Hercules has become the toast of Greece, and he believes himself a true hero, He is greatly upset when Zeus tells him that his celebrity status is not enough to regain his immortality, as being famous isn't the same as being a hero, and to "look into his heart". Meg (on assignment from Hades) convinces him to play hookie, going on a date. At first she was trying to learn any weakness he might have, but she eventually fell as hard for him as he had for her. The date is ended by Phil, irate at Hercules for skipping training. Phil is knocked off Pegasus, and wakes up in time to learn of Meg's involvement with Hades. He leaves to tell Hercules, not hearing Meg's refusal to help destroy Hercules. Hercules, ecstatic from the date, refuses to believe Phil's warning about Megera, even hitting him in a flash of blind anger, prompting Phil to quit.
Hades, realizing that Meg herself is Herk's weakness, confronts Hercules, offering Megara's safety if the hero will give up his strength for 24 hours (long enough for Hades to conquer Olympus). Herc is reluctant to see anyone hurt, but Hades vows that no harm will come to Meg. Hercules agrees, and Hades takes the opportunity to humiliate him before revealing Megara's role in his scheme. Enacting his plan, Hades sends a Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
to destroy Hercules. Without his superhuman strength and crushed by Meg's betrayal, Herc is brutally beaten about by the monster but, with a peptalk from the returning Phil, and using his wits, he is able to defeat the Cyclops and send him hurtling off a cliff. The monster's fall causes a pillar to topple towards Herc and Meg pushes him out of the way, taking the impact of the pillar. This in turn causes Hercules to regain his strength because Hades' end of the bargain is now broken as he promised that Meg wouldn't get hurt. Hercules leaves Megara in the care of his friends while he rushes off to thwart Hades' invasion of Olympus. Freeing the captured gods, he captures three of the Titans
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
in the tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
body of the fourth and throws them into space, where they explode. He returns to Meg's side only to learn that her injuries were fatal. However, he then travels to Hades' realm to rescue Meg's spirit from the River Styx, which swiftly ages mortals upon contact, thus killing them within a short time. Hercules nevertheless enters the pool to rescue Megara's soul. He is able to reach Meg before he dies and his selfless act fulfills the requirement for being a true hero, thus regaining his godhood. He then punches Hades into the River Styx, and returns Meg's soul to her body. He is invited by Zeus to live in Olympus, which was indeed originally his wish, but he decides rather to live his life on Earth as a mortal with Meg.
Animator Randy Haycock based the infant version of Hercules on his newborn daughter. He also videotaped a friend's six-month old and rented movies with babies in them. Haycock admits that baby Hercules' curly hair comes from his infant daughter's appearance. He adds, Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
mannerisms come right off things I've picked up from her", even though Hercules is more caricatured than a real baby. The inspiration for teenage Hercules came from Haycock's experiences as an adolescent. "I was too tall and skinny for my age, and I was a lousy athlete. At home I broke just about everything..." Teenage Hercules has big hands and feet that the animator remembers having himself, as well as the lack of coordination. Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja is as an animator most noted for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Deja's creations include the Disney villains Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin and Scar from The Lion King. He is a recipient of the 2006 Winsor McCay Award.-Early life:Andreas Deja was born...
was supervising animator for the adult version of Hercules. He studied photographs of Olympic athletes, not the weightlifters with short necks and bulging muscles, but the swimmers, with long necks and natural musculature. Essentially, he wanted to return to the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
tradition of character drawing. As Deja explains, this means "straight nose, pursed lips – almost cherubic, large eyes, a lidded look...The classic style you find on Greek vases or drawings."
The animated series Hercules is set in the intervening period between his teen years and his first journey to Thebes as an adult, while he is still in training on Phil's island. The series also reveals that, on Zeus's instruction, Hercules attends a high school called the Prometheus Academy.
Hercules has also appeared in the Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series of video games. In the former, Sora
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square Enix's best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to...
must help Hercules defeat the evil Hades who, having joined Maleficent
Maleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who, after not being invited to the baby's christening, curses the infant Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a...
's main group of Disney Villains, is still trying to take over Olympus. In the first game, he is voiced by Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
, but Donovan reprises his role in the second game. His Japanese voice is done by Yasunori Matsumoto
Yasunori Matsumoto
is a Japanese voice actor. He currently works for Sigma Seven, formerly for Production Baobab.-About:Some of Matsumoto's most notable roles are Wataru Akiyama in Initial D, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Magnum Ace in Shippū! Iron Leaguer, Gourry Gabriev in Slayers and Ryou in Sonic Soldier...
. Hercules also appeared in the television series Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
, in the Walt Disney World version of Fantasmic!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
, at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
daily for greetings, and had his own stage show on the Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal,...
.
Phil
Phil (also known as Philoctetes), based on the mythological PhiloctetesPhiloctetes
Philoctetes or Philocthetes according to Greek mythology, the son of King Poeas of Meliboea in Thessaly. He was a Greek hero, famed as an archer, and was a participant in the Trojan War. He was the subject of at least two plays by Sophocles, one of which is named after him, and one each by both...
, is a satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
and a trainer of aspiring heroes who has often been disappointed by his trainees' shortcomings. This however, seems to be a confusion with the myth of Chiron
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
, as Phil states that he trained Achilles and Jason of the Argonauts, both disciples of Chiron. He also says that he trained Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
, Perseus
Perseus
Perseus ,Perseos and Perseas are not used in English. the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians...
, Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
-- "a lot of 'yeuseus.'" Phil also trained Bellerophon
Bellerophon
Bellerophon or Bellerophontes is a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside of Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and his greatest feat was killing the Chimera, a monster that Homer depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a...
, but he was equally a failure. On several occasions, Phil will explain something by saying "Two words", and then his next statement will be either one word or three. Phil has long-since retired after failing to train a successful hero, but is convinced to train the callow young Hercules.
After his training is complete, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus set out for the city of Thebes
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
to prove Hercules' newfound worth. Along the way, Hercules saves a woman named Megara
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
from being pestered by the centaur Nessus
Nessus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Nessus was a famous centaur who was killed by Heracles, and whose tainted blood in turn killed Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with the Lapiths. He became a ferryman on the river Euenos....
, and becomes attracted to her, while Phil immediately clashes with her, considering her a distraction from Hercules' activities. Phil becomes a personal manager to the celebrity Hercules has become. Later in the film, Phil discovers that Megara is working for Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
, her mission being to find Hercules' weakness. Phil tries to warn Hercules, but abandons him after an argument ensues. When Hercules loses his powers to Hades, it is Megara who convinces Phil to return to Hercules, motivating him into battling and defeating the Cyclops through improvisation. During the fight, Megara is mortally wounded by a falling column to save Hercules, and Phil is left taking care of the dying Megara while Hercules fights Hades and the Titans. After Hercules defeats Hades, Phil goes with Hercules to Mount Olympus, where he is seen flirting with Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
. When Hercules and his friends return to Thebes, Phil is gratified when the people refer to the mighty and triumphant Hercules as "Phil's boy".
The prequel Hercules: Zero to Hero
Hercules: Zero to Hero
Hercules: Zero to Hero is a 1998 direct-to-video midquel to Disney's 1997 animated feature Hercules. It was released on August 31, 1998, and serves as the pilot to Hercules: The Animated Series...
and the subsequent TV series Disney's Hercules
Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles...
are set during the time when teen Hercules is training under Phil and attending the Prometheus Academy.
Phil has also appeared in the Disney/Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
video game series Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
, as well as in the TV series Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
. In the film, Philoctetes' voice is provided by Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, while Robert Costanzo
Robert Costanzo
Robert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
fills the role in the character's video game and television appearances. Ichirō Nagai
Ichiro Nagai
is a male seiyū from Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. He was formerly represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, but is now represented by Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Akuma-kun *Bikkuriman...
supplies Phil's Japanese voice, while Lakis Lazopoulos
Lakis Lazopoulos
Lakis Lazopoulos is a Greek playwright, actor and songwriter. His birth name is Apostolos Lazopoulos , Lakis being a diminutive. Lazopoulos was ranked 83rd by the public in Skai TV's Great Greeks in 2009...
was cast for Phil's voice in the Greek language version of the film.
Megara
Megara (also known as Meg) is a young mortal woman unwillingly working for Hades, and the romantic love interest of Hercules. Sometime during the events of Hercules, Meg went to Hades and sold her soul to revive a lover of hers who had died (revealed in the series to be AdonisAdonis
Adonis , in Greek mythology, the god of beauty and desire, is a figure with Northwest Semitic antecedents, where he is a central figure in various mystery religions. The Greek , Adōnis is a variation of the Semitic word Adonai, "lord", which is also one of the names used to refer to God in the Old...
). Hades agreed on the condition that she serve him forever, which she accepted. However, shortly after her lover was revived, he fell in love with someone else and left Meg still locked in servitude to Hades. This background story of the character alludes to the myth of Alcestis
Alcestis
Alcestis is a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her story was popularised in Euripides's tragedy Alcestis. She was the daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus, and either Anaxibia or Phylomache....
, who dies by proxy for her husband Admetus
Admetus
In Greek mythology, Admetus was a king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeding his father Pheres after whom the city was named. Admetus was one of the Argonauts and took part in the Calydonian Boar hunt. His wife Alcestis offered to substitute her own death for his.-Mythology:Admetus was famed for his...
.
When Meg first appears onscreen, Hercules encounters her in the middle of trying to recruit Nessus. Meg, not believing that Hercules can help, simply tells him she can handle it, and after Nessus and he fight, watches with some amusement. She at first believes Hercules is faking his shy and innocent personality due to bad experiences with other men. She then reports back to Hades, who learns that Hercules is still alive. Later, in Thebes, Meg rushes up to Hercules, telling him two kids (Pain and Panic in disguise) are trapped in a gorge. He falls for it, and Meg silently pleads with him from a distance to leave before Hades' plan goes into effect, but is forced to watch as Hercules fights and defeats the Hydra
Lernaean Hydra
In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even...
. After several more victories, Meg is openly smug and confident that Hercules will survive. Hades offers Meg her freedom in exchange for discovering Hercules' weakness. Meg goes to Hercules and convinces him to take the day off with her, to which he quickly agrees. During the date, Hercules reveals his feelings for Meg and promises that he will never hurt her. They nearly kiss, but are stopped by Phil. Finding herself falling deeply romantically in love with Hercules. She tries to deny it, but the Muses convince her to stop denying the way she really feels.
Hades then intervenes, and Meg tells him that she will not help him hurt Hercules, due to her recently surfaced strong romantic feelings for him, and that he has no weaknesses. A furious Hades reminds her that he owns her, and upon seeing her new-found romantic love affections for Hercules, realizes that Herc's strong romantic feelings for her are his weakness and uses her as leverage to convince Hercules to give up his enhanced strength for one day in return for her safety; if the deal is broken, his strength will return. Hades then reveals Meg worked for Hades the whole time, and Hercules leaves, disheartened at learning of Meg's betrayal. Meg then goes to find Phil, as he is the only one who can talk sense into Hercules. They return to see Hercules has been badly beaten by the Cyclops, and convince him to fight back. After seeing a column collapse where he is standing, due to the Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
Hercules was fighting, Meg pushes him out of the way, and it collapses on her instead. When he asks why, she explains that "people always do crazy things- when they're in love." Meg dies from her injuries, so Hercules goes to the Underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
to get her soul back. He makes a deal with Hades where he will exchange himself in return for Meg's life, but in the process of saving her, becomes a god again. After her soul is returned, he explains that he did it for the same reason she gave her life for him- he is deeply romantically in love with her. They are risen to Olympus, and Meg watches as Hercules is finally accepted as a god. However, he declines his place to stay with her on Earth; Meg and Hercules finally kiss, apparently continuing her life with him and his foster parents.
In Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles...
, Meg appeared twice, once as a teenager and once as an adult from the movie timeline. She meets Hercules, offering a chance to prove himself as a hero. Having him retrieve her the amphora so she can use it to forget about Adonis who she had a blind date with that went badly. They do retrieve it from Ares' sons, but Meg leaves Hercules to escape. She is immediately taken to the Underworld by Pain and Panic; Hercules, despite her betrayal, goes after her. During a fight for the amphora, Meg tells Hercules that she liked him from the start. They almost kiss, but the amphora's water is dropped on them, causing them to forget how they met, and reinforcing the fact that Hercules and Meg never established any relationship until the film. Another episode, "Hercules and the Yearbook", takes place after the events of the film and features Hercules and Meg moving his stuff from Phil's island. Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
delivers a special package, which Hercules immediately hides from Meg. Phil reveals all of Hercules' incidents during his school time, and Hercules tells Meg he did not want to show her the yearbook because he wants her to see him as a hero. Meg tells him that she accepts that part of his life as an awkward phase, and loves him just the same. However, this does not stop Hercules from having Hermes retrieve Meg's own yearbook where it is revealed Meg was a cheerleader.
Meg also appeared in Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
and meets Sora and co. in the Underworld entrance. She later assists Sora in the fight against the Hydra by providing useful items. She also appears in Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
as a guest.
Pegasus
Pegasus, based on the mythological PegasusPegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
, is the winged horse of Hercules. He is very jealous of the relationship between his master and Meg. It was created by Zeus as a gift at birth. It consists of cirrus
Cirrus
Cirrus may refer to:In science:*Cirrus cloud, a type of cloud*Cirrus , a German research rocket*Cirrus, a fleshy, downward extension of the upper lip in salamanders or fish*Cirrus, a thoracic limb of an adult barnacle...
, nimbostratus, and cumulonimbus. It is very true and a great "friend" of Hercules and helps in everything, and has a bird brain.
Pegasus has also appeared in the Disney/Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
video game Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
.
Hades
Hades is the main antagonist of the film and the TV series. He is also the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. Unlike the mythological HadesHades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, 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
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, as well as sleazy dealers, notably persuasive Hollywood Agent types and car dealers. In all of his appearances, Hades has been voiced by James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
. The character's mannerisms and other tendencies were partly due to James Woods's using "car-dealer"-style speech while providing the voice of Hades. Hades is described as "mean" and "ruthless" by the Muses. His status as a god makes him immortal, but not invincible. His status as a god likely makes him one of the most powerful if not the most powerful Disney villain. He wears a dark robe with a skull shaped perone, which a pin used to fasten a chiton around the body at the shoulder, and his hair is a glowing blue flame, which flares whenever he becomes excited or enraged (if he is excited it stays blue and if he is angered or frustrated it turns yellow while his whole body turns red), and can also be extinguished (his hair was blown out at one point by Pegasus). James Woods has stated that Hades is one of his favorite roles in his career, and he will gladly reprise the role whenever asked.
In Hercules, Hades seeks to overthrow Zeus and rule Mount Olympus, the Earth and the rest of creation for himself. Upon visiting the Fates, he learns that he could succeed by releasing the Titans in eighteen years, but if Zeus's son, Hercules, is to fight Hades, he will fail. Hades sends his demons, Pain and Panic, to kidnap baby Hercules and give him a potion that would render him mortal. Hercules needs to drink every last drop for it to work, but the last drop is lost. Thus Hercules, while mortal, retains his god-like strength and spends his life on Earth.
Later, a young woman named Megara sells her soul to Hades so that he will return her lover's soul. He does, but Meg's lover ungratefully dumps her for another girl shortly afterwards. Meg remains trapped as a slave to Hades, and he uses her beauty, charm and intelligence as an advantage to persuade monsters to join his army. After discovering that Hercules is still alive, Hades sends numerous grotesque beasts to finish Hercules off, only for Hercules to slay every one with ease! When he finds out that Hercules has fallen in love with Megara, he uses this to his advantage and makes a deal with Hercules: Herc must give up his powers for the next twenty-four hours (secretly the same twenty-four hours he will use to take over Olympus) in exchange for Meg's freedom. Herc agrees, as long as Meg will be safe from harm. Hades then reveals that Megara was working for him the whole time, crushing Hercules' will to fight. Hades then releases the Titans, who defeat and imprison the gods, and sends the Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
to kill the weakened and discouraged Hercules to keep him from getting in the way, but Hercules defeats the monster using his wits. However, Megara is grievously injured saving Hercules from a falling pillar- negating Hades's deal that Meg would not be hurt. Hercules is thus given his powers back and returns to Mount Olympus where he easily takes down the Titans and frees the gods. Hades loses his temper, but he taunts Hercules that he at least has a parting gift; while Hercules was fighting the Titans, Megara died from her injuries. Hercules travels to the Underworld to rescue her soul and offers himself to Hades in exchange for Megara's freedom. He swims into the River Styx to retrieve her soul. It almost kills him, when his full Godhood is restored by his being willing to risk his life to save Meg. Hercules emerges from the pit alive and immortal with Megara's soul in his arms, much to Hades' anger. Knowing that he can't stop Hercules in his path, Hades begs the hero to try and ease things with him and the other gods, but Hercules loses his temper and slugs his uncle into the River Styx, where he is swarmed by vengeful souls and dragged to the depths. (However, Hades does not die, seeing as he is immortal, but the fact that he is not invincible makes being attacked by murderously vengeful souls a nonetheless extremely painful experience.) Hades' relationship with Megara is oddly similar to Ned Trent (also played by James Woods) relationship with Sharon Stone's character in The Specialist
The Specialist
The Specialist is a 1994 American action film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It is directed by Luis Llosa, produced by Jerry Weintraub, and written by Alexandra Seros...
. Later, with the return of Hercules in the form of an animated series
Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles...
, Hades also re-appeared, and had many appearances trying to take over Olympus. One episode even had a crossover where Jafar makes a deal with Hades, in order to make Hercules and Aladdin fight each other. While Hades and Jafar had numerous things in common, Jafar's evil laugh consistently got on the more smooth-talking Hades' nerves – at least until he tried it for himself, calling it "cleansing." This entire series ignores a certain fact about the film, however: in the movie, Hades still thought Hercules was dead throughout his high school days, but in the series, they have many interactions during that time.
Hades appears in the Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series of video games. He was originally in league with Maleficent
Maleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who, after not being invited to the baby's christening, curses the infant Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a...
, using the Heartless to try to take over the worlds. Hades wanted to dispose of Hercules and tricked Cloud Strife
Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...
into challenging Hercules in the Preliminaries at the Olympus Colliseum. In return, Hades "promised" Cloud he will lead him to Sephiroth
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)
is a fictional character in the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII developed by Square Co. He is introduced there as the main antagonist. Character designer Tetsuya Nomura wanted his role in the story to be different from the other Final Fantasy villains while his design is intended to contrast...
. However, when Sora
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square Enix's best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to...
arrived, Hades changed plans and had Cloud attack Sora first. When Cloud refused to kill Sora (or was defeated by him, depending on the outcome), Hades sends out Cerberus
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
to take care of Cloud. Hercules arrived to get Cloud to safety while Sora & company dealt with Cerberus. After Maleficent's defeat, Hades himself battles Sora and lost as all his schemes against Sora and the others end in failure. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Japanese studio Jupiter and published by Square Enix in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game serves as an intermediary between the two larger-scale PlayStation 2 games in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was one of the first GBA games to...
, a facsimile Hades appeared as token of Sora's memory and the darkness in Riku's heart. In Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, Hades's desire to kill Hercules is still undeterred. After joining forces with Pete, and probably Maleficent through him, Hades decides to use Auron
Aron
-Characters:* Aron , a character from the comic Aron! HyperSpace Boy!* Aron , a character from the Marvel Universe* Aron , a creature in the Pokémon video game series...
, who has already died, to fight against Hercules and kill him; however, Auron rebels against Hades and fights him, only to be interrupted by Sora, Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
and Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
. They fight Hades, but, due to the Underworld curse, he is invincible to their attacks. Hades then sends Cerberus and later the Hydra against Sora and his friends. Upon discovering that Sora's Keyblade could unlock any lock, Hades initially plans to use it to unlock the Underdrome, the Underworld's own coliseum. However, when Pete informs him that the Keyblade will only work for Sora, Hades kidnaps Meg and traps her in the locked Underdrome, forcing Sora to unlock it to rescue her. After defeating Pete and the Hydra again, Sora and his friends eventually fight and defeat Hades. However, Hades survives and acts as a challenger in the last tournaments, which are unlocked near the end of the game. In the prequel, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix and Disney for the PlayStation Portable, serving as the sixth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. The game was released on UMD in Japan on January 9, 2010, in North America on September 7, 2010 and in Europe on September...
, he attempts to use Terra to kill Hercules, but Terra resists the Darkness in his heart, so Hades places Zack
Zack Fair
is a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix. He first appeared as a non-player character in the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. In the story, Zack is a late member from the paramilitary organization SOLDIER developed by the megacorporation Shinra Electric Power Company...
under his control to eliminate both Terra and Hercules, but Terra defeats Zack and frees him from Hades' influence. Later, Hades and the Ice Colossus (a replica of the Ice Titan) both fight Aqua in the Coliseum, but Aqua defeats the both of them and Hades flees to the Underworld to further his plans. James Woods reprises his role for the English versions of the games, while his Japanese voice in all the games is done by Kyusaku Shimada.
Hades stars in "Villains Tonight" on the Disney Magic and Disney Dream. "Villains Tonight" is a musical stage show featuring many different villains from various Disney films, including Doctor Facilier, Ursula, Scar, Yzma, Maleficent, Evil Queen, Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, Jafar, and his two sidekicks Pain and Panic. The story here is Hades has "softened a bit" and made the Underworld a fun place. Unfortunately, the Fates tell him he has until midnight to get more evil or he will no longer rule the Underworld. So he summons the most evil villains in his quest to become more evil.
Hades is one of the Disney Villains summoned by the Evil Queen to fight Mickey Mouse in Fantasmic!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
. Hades also appears in several episodes of Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
. In one episode, he tried to ask Maleficent out on a date and asked Mickey for advice. When Mickey's kind and nice ways did not sway Maleficent, Hades won her over by showing his own, fiery personality in a fit of rage towards Mickey. The two were referred to by Minnie Mouse as "a match not made in heaven." He is also one of the main villains in the full-length spin-off Mickey's House of Villains
Mickey's House of Villains
Mickey's House of Villains is a direct-to-video film produced by The Walt Disney Company. It is a film adaptation of the Disney Channel animated television series Disney's House of Mouse, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Disney Villains that have appeared in...
; James Woods only provides the voice for one line ("Ha – love that"), and Rob Paulsen
Rob Paulsen
Robert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
provides the singing voice when Hades sings the lines "Where everyone's a friend of mine!" and "What a place for breakin' bread!" in the song "It's Our House Now!". He also appears briefly in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse is the first direct-to-video movie spin off from the Disney Channel animated television series Disney's House of Mouse.-Plot:...
.
Pain and Panic
Pain and Panic are a pair of pint-sized, devilDevil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
shaped demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s (also called imps) in the Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
feature Hercules
Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
. Pain is a fat, red-shaded demon, and Panic is skinny and blue-green. They are the minions of the film's villain, Hades, Pain is voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
and Panic by Matt Frewer
Matt Frewer
Matthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
.
Panic is paranoid, twitchy, panicky and easily spooked, as his name suggests, but he appears to be pretty smart and is very cautious. He appears to be more honest than Pain. For example, when he says, "Hades is gonna kill us when he finds out what happened!" Pain replies, "You mean if he finds out." And Panic replies, "'If'. 'If' is good." Pain, on the other hand, is bossy, hot-tempered, and sly, but also clumsy, impulsive and liable to get into painful situations, and seems to be less intelligent than Panic. One instance was when Hades asked them how they kill a god. Pain didn't know while Panic answered correctly.
Both possess the ability to shapeshift
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
into almost any form. They frequently manage to irritate Hades even more than usual, and he is always ready to punish them severely for any mistakes. He also threatens them with torture. Ironically, since they are demons, even Hades cannot kill them – but it is made clear repeatedly that they can still feel pain, and since both Hades and they are immortal, they endeavor not to anger him. It is unclear why they even serve Hades, though they seem to do so out of fear or because he owns their souls.
In the movie, Hades sends them to kidnap baby Hercules, make him mortal, and kill him. The imps obey and somehow capture him in the middle of the night, but fail to kill him, and only half-succeed in making him mortal: he keeps his godlike strength, allowing him to dispose of the pair before they have a chance to kill him as snakes (a reference to the original Hercules myth). Not wanting Hades to know about their failure, they tell him that Hercules is dead. Many years later Hades discovers that Hercules is actually alive. To try and grovel sufficiently they become insects, reminding Hades they could still kill Hercules in the time left. Throughout the rest of the movie, they're seen either cheering Hades's monsters on, grovelling to Hades, or using their shape-shifting powers to contact Hades's spy, Meg. In rare moments of competence, they manage to trap Pegasus by pretending to be a mare, and even capture Hermes in the assault on Olympus, herding the gods off the mountain in chains. At the end of the movie, Hades is punched into the river Styx
Styx
In Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...
, and they are left behind, hoping that he won't return. Their fate after that is unknown.
Pain and Panic also appear in the Hercules TV series
Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles...
, and still serve as Hades's lackeys. They made many brief appearances in the House of Mouse television series, usually along with Hades (though there was one episode in which they broke up Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
and Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
without Hades's aid) and had a very small role in Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, where they are working for Hades and work at the Underdrome, but have no other purpose.
Other characters
- ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
(voiced by Rip TornRip TornElmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
in the film, Corey BurtonCorey BurtonCorey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
in the TV series): The ruler of Mount Olympus and Hercules' father. Many eons ago Zeus imprisoned the deadly Titans, who threatened to destroy the world, deep beneath the ocean where they would remain for the rest of eternity undisturbed. However he was unaware that the next planetary alignment would reveal the location of the Titans prison. He tells his son that to join the gods, he must become a hero, which he defines as something more than being famous. Zeus is betrayed by Hades, but Hercules later saves him and Olympus, and Zeus reveals that for willingly giving his life to save Meg, he is finally a true hero and can be a god. Nonetheless, he is supportive of his son's decision to remain with Meg. Zeus was heavily edited by Disney as he is different from his portrayal in mythology. Zeus had many affairs with mortal woman and Hercules was born that way, but this was changed in the movie due to it being inappropriate for younger audiences. According to the House Of MouseDisney's House of MouseDisney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
episode, "Unplugged Club", his lightning boltLightning boltLightning bolt may refer to* Lightning discharge, electrical discharge within clouds or between clouds and the ground* Thunderbolt, a traditional expression for a discharge of lightning or a symbolic representation thereof...
is used to recharge the club with red and black electric cables thanks to Mickey MouseMickey MouseMickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
who calls him Big Z. - HeraHeraHera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
(voiced by Samantha EggarSamantha EggarSamantha Eggar is an English film, television and voice actress.-Early life:She was born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar in Hampstead, London to an Anglo-Irish father and a mother of Dutch and Portuguese descent...
): Zeus' wife and Hercules' mother the goddess of women and marriage. In real greek mythology Hera was not Hercule's mother, but actually Alcmene a human woman who Zeus had an affair with. In much of the Greek legend Hera is portrayed as the main antagonist of Hercules due to jealousy of Zeus's affair. However, Disney deemed it not family friendly and gave the role of the villain to Hades. - NessusNessus (mythology)In Greek mythology, Nessus was a famous centaur who was killed by Heracles, and whose tainted blood in turn killed Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with the Lapiths. He became a ferryman on the river Euenos....
(voiced by Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
) - a large centaur who is known as the "River Guardian". He is a minor villain in the film Hercules. Megara was sent by Hades to recruit Nessus for his army but in exchange Nessus wanted Megara to be his lover, she refused however but this made Nessus more persistent, luckily Hercules showed up and headbutted the perverse centaur straight into the rocky wall of the waterfall before sending him flying with a mighty punch. - Demetrius (voiced by Wayne KnightWayne KnightWayne Eliot Knight is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor perhaps best known for his role as Newman in the TV sitcom Seinfeld...
): A pottery salesman whose shop is accidentally destroyed by Hercules alongside the other locations in the local marketplace. He only barely tolerates Hercules, but the loss of his shop angers him to the point that he openly insults Hercules, calling him a freakFreakIn current usage, the word "freak" is commonly used to refer to a person with something unusual about their appearance or behaviour. This usage dates from the so-called freak scene of the 1960s and 1970s. "Freak" in this sense may be used either as a pejorative, a term of admiration, or a...
and ordering Amphitryon to keep him away from the marketplace. - AmphitryonAmphitryonAmphitryon , in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis.Amphitryon was a Theban general, who was originally from Tiryns in the eastern part of the Peloponnese. He was friends with Panopeus....
(voiced by Hal HolbrookHal HolbrookHarold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
): A mortal farmer and Hercules' foster grandpa. - AlcmeneAlcmeneIn Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena was the mother of Heracles.-Background:Alcmene was born to Electryon, the son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Tiryns and Mycenae or Medea in Argolis. Her mother was Anaxo, daughter of Alcaeus and Astydamia, daughter of Pelops and Hippodameia...
(voiced by Barbara BarrieBarbara BarrieBarbara Barrie is an American actress and author of children's books.-Personal life:Barrie was born as Barbara Ann Berman in Chicago, Illinois, of Jewish heritage, the daughter of Frances Rose and Louis Berman. She was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated from University of Texas,...
): Amphitryon's wife and Hercules' foster grandma. - HermesHermesHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
(voiced by Paul ShafferPaul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
): The messenger of the gods. In the TV series, Hermes Hercules's uncle and a frequent companion to "Herc", whom he furnishes with comic relief - ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
(voiced by Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
): God of the sun and music.
The Fates
- ClothoClothoClotho is one of the Three Fates or Moirae, in ancient Greek mythology. Her Roman equivalent is Nona. Clotho was responsible for spinning the thread of human life. She also made major decisions, such as when a person was born, thus in effect controlling people's lives...
(voiced by Amanda Plummer in the film, Tress MacNeilleTress MacNeilleTress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...
in the TV series): The Fate who spins the Thread of Life. She has light blue skin. - LachesisLachesis (mythology)In Greek mythology, Lachesis was the second of the Three Fates, or Moirae, also known as the Triple Moon Goddesses or the Lunar Dieties. Each phase of the moon representing each of the fates - Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos...
(voiced by Carole ShelleyCarole ShelleyCarole Shelley is an English actress. Among her many stage roles are the character of Madame Morrible in the original Broadway cast of the musical Wicked.-Life and career:...
): The Fate who decides how long your lifeline is. She has light teal skin with yellow wavy hair. - AtroposAtroposAtropos or Aisa , in Greek mythology, was one of the three Moirae, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta.Atropos or Aisa was the oldest of the Three Fates, and was known as the "inflexible" or "inevitable." It was Atropos who chose the mechanism of death and ended the life...
(voiced by Paddi EdwardsPaddi EdwardsPaddi Edwards was an English-American actress. Born Paddy Edwards, she worked steadily in film...
): The Fate who cuts your life-thread. She has lavender skin and is the only fate to have one eye.
The Muses
The MuseMuse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
s sang 6 songs to go along with the film which were also featured on the soundtrack album.The songs where "The Gospel Truth", "The Gospel Truth II", "The Gospel Truth III", "Zero to Hero" and "A Star Is Born". The Muses also sing backup vocals for the song "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)
I Won't Say (I'm in Love)
"I Won't Say " is the love theme of the 1997 Disney movie Hercules and was sung by Megara as the Muses do some "backup vocalizing"...
". In 2005 the song was remade by the R&B and pop group The Cheetah Girls for the album DisneyMania 3
DisneyMania 3
-Track listing:# Raven-Symoné - "Under the Sea" - 3:15# Jump5 - "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" - 3:04# Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson - "A Whole New World" - 4:11...
.The direct-to-video film, Hercules: Zero to Hero
Hercules: Zero to Hero
Hercules: Zero to Hero is a 1998 direct-to-video midquel to Disney's 1997 animated feature Hercules. It was released on August 31, 1998, and serves as the pilot to Hercules: The Animated Series...
, featured a title inspired by The Muses song "Zero To Hero".
All of the songs were released on the soundtrack to the movie called, Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack.It was released May 27, 1997 on Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
. Allmusic gave the album 3/5 stars.The album was nominated for an Oscar Award and a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Original Score.
The film begins in a very United States of America-like ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
with a mock-epic spoken narration (by Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
), but dissolves into the musical narration by the five Muses. The Muses tell the tale ("The Gospel Truth") of how Zeus came to power and prevented the monstrous Titans from ruling the world. The songs from the movie sung by The Muses (as well as the other songs in the movie) were composed by Alan Menken
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards...
and the lyrics were written by David Zippel
David Zippel
David Joel Zippel is an American musical theatre lyricist.-Biography:Zippel was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. He is a 1976 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. While there, he wrote a "bizarre political musical" called Rotunda...
. After the film, the Muses made appearances on the Hercules TV series, making musical appearances in episodes of the series. The Muses made also a guest appearance on Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
, January 26, 2002 on season 2 and on the episode called "Where's Minnie?". They sung a song called "Minnie Mouse Is in The House" which the beat sampled Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
's song "Shoop".
- CalliopeCalliopeIn Greek mythology, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for the Odyssey and the Iliad....
(voiced by Lillias WhiteLillias WhiteLillias White is an American singer and actress.The Brooklyn, New York native made her Broadway debut in Barnum in 1981. She understudied the role of Effie in the original 1981 production of Dreamgirls and played the part in the 1987 revival...
): The Muse of epic tales, who wears a headband over her big, curly hair. - ClioCliothumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
(voiced by Vaneese Y. Thomas): The Muse of history, with the ponytail. - MelpomeneMelpomeneMelpomene , initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots...
(voiced by Cheryl Freeman): The long-haired Muse of drama. - TerpsichoreTerpsichoreIn Greek mythology, Terpsichore "delight of dancing" was one of the nine Muses, ruling over dance and the dramatic chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance". She is usually depicted sitting down, holding a lyre, accompanying the dancers' choirs...
(voiced by LaChanzeLaChanzeLaChanze is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical in 2006 for her role in The Color Purple....
): The dance Muse with the short, kinky hair. - Thalia (voiced by Roz RyanRoz RyanRoz Ryan is an American actress. She has earned wide acclaim as an actress, singer and comedian.-Life and career:Ryan was born Rosalyn Bowen in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Gertrude and Thomas Bowen, who worked for the Board of Education. She is a 1969 graduate of Mackenzie High School...
): The short and plump Muse of comedy.
The Titans
The Titans were the giant rulers of the world when it was first created, rampaging until they were imprisoned by Zeus. Each presents one of the 4 Elements4 Elements
-Members:*Mike Busse – lead vocals, backing vocals*Ben Collins – lead vocals, guitar, turntables, backing vocals*Brandon Lee – bass guitar, backing vocals*Barry Collins – drums, percussion...
.
- Lythos (voiced by Corey BurtonCorey BurtonCorey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
and Patrick PinneyPatrick PinneyPatrick Pinney is an American voice actor. He attended college at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he had many friends including assistant director Michele Panelli Venetis and San Francisco Bay area costumer Alison Barnwell Morris , with whom he costarred in "The...
) – The two-headed Rock Titan. He also appeared in Kingdom HeartsKingdom Heartsis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
as a boss. - Hydros (voiced by Patrick Pinney) – The Ice Titan. He made an appearance in both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Birth by SleepKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleepis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix and Disney for the PlayStation Portable, serving as the sixth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. The game was released on UMD in Japan on January 9, 2010, in North America on September 7, 2010 and in Europe on September...
as a boss, renamed the Ice Colossus in the later. - Pyros (voiced by Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
) – The Lava Titan, a blob-like creature made of magma. - Stratos (voiced by Corey Burton) – The Wind Titan, resembling a living tornado.
- Cyclops (voiced by Patrick Pinney) - A giant titan who along with them was imprisoned deep beneath the sea of Tartarus by Zeus after their reign of destruction ended, his job is to find and kill Hercules he searches through the town causing much property damage until Hercules reveals himself, Hercules had earlier made a deal with Hades that he would have his strength taken away for 24 hours so the Cyclops takes his time beating him up badly, Phil comes to the rescue and convinces him that he doesn't need his strength to beat him, by this time the Cyclops decides to finish him off by biting his head off, thinking quickly Hercules shoves a torch into his eye blinding him and he stumbles around using this opportunity he then ties the Cyclops legs together causing him to trip and fall off a cliff to his death.
Titans in the television series
- AntaeusAntaeusAntaeus in Greek and Berber mythology was a half-giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, whose wife was Tinjis. Antaeus had a daughter named Alceis or Barce.-Mythology:...
(voiced by Miguel FerrerMiguel FerrerMiguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
) – A half-Giant half-Titan who founded the P.O.O.T.L.s ("People's Organization of Titanic Liberators") so he could free the Titans. He held Prometheus Academy hostage and wanted Hercules as their prisoner so that he can force Zeus to release them. His giant form resembles a rock version of himself. After learning that Antaeus is the son of Gaia and is stronger when on the ground, Hercules threw him into the air and sent him flying all the way to where Zeus had imprisoned the Titans and was placed in there by Zeus himself. - AtlasAtlas (mythology)In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
(voiced by Thomas Lennon) – A muscular Titan that was cursed to forever hold up the sky at the Edge of the World. He appeared in "Hercules and the Prince of Thrace". - Briares (voiced by Reggie MillerReggie MillerReginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
) - A HecatonchiresHekatonkheiresThe Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires , were figures in an archaic stage of Greek mythology, three giants of incredible strength and ferocity that surpassed that of all Titans whom they helped overthrow. Their name derives from the Greek and , "each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads"...
. In this show, he is a giant that can conjure arms from the ground and even water. He is also a fan of the comic book hero Myklos. - CronusCronusIn Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
– The former king of the Titans and father of ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
and HadesHadesHades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
. When he was defeated by Zeus, he created the Cronus Stone as an act of revenge. The stone places any God that comes near it into an eternal sleep. - HeliosHeliosHelios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
– The Titan that embodies the Sun. He never physically appeared in the series, but the Colossus of RhodesColossus of RhodesThe Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek Titan Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes on the Greek island of Rhodes by Chares of Lindos between 292 and 280 BC. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of...
- which resembles him - appeared in "Hercules and the Hero of Athens". However, in Greek mythology Helios became identified as the Sun God ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
. - PrometheusPrometheusIn Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
(voiced by Carl ReinerCarl ReinerCarl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
) – A kindly Titan who gave the gift of fire to humanity so they could improve their lives.
Prometheus Academy
The Prometheus Academy is the fictional high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
from the Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
animated television series
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
Hercules
Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles...
. Though set in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
(specifically Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
), the Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
shares many traits with modern educational institutions. It is coeducational, with both male and female students, and teaches such diverse subjects as history, astronomy, shop class, theater arts and "Home Greconomics
Family and consumer science
Family and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science. Family and consumer sciences deals with the relationship between individuals, families, and communities, and the environment in which they live...
".
Prometheus Academy is the school that the teenaged Hercules attends while training with Philoctetes
Philoctetes
Philoctetes or Philocthetes according to Greek mythology, the son of King Poeas of Meliboea in Thessaly. He was a Greek hero, famed as an archer, and was a participant in the Trojan War. He was the subject of at least two plays by Sophocles, one of which is named after him, and one each by both...
to become a hero in the Disney movie Hercules
Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
. Many of the other students at the Academy are based on characters from mythology.
The Academy was named after the Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Prometheus
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
, who brought fire from Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
(the metaphorical "light of reason") to mankind, and was punished by Zeus being chained to a rock
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
and having his liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
pecked out by an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
every day forever. A bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of Prometheus being administered in his punishment is the central point of the Academy's courtyard.
Prometheus Academy students
- IcarusIcarus-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
(voiced by French StewartFrench StewartMilton French Stewart , better known by his stage name French Stewart, is an American actor, best known for his role as Harry Solomon on the 1990s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.-Early life:...
) – Hercules' best friend. The boy who escaped from the LabyrinthLabyrinthIn Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
with his father on wax wings appears as a complete nut (he was "brain-fried" by flying too close to the SunSunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
). Despite his accident, Icarus still flies every chance he gets resulting in a few more encounters with the sun. Icarus is very adaptive and hence could adjust to about every situation, except when he is very jealous and acts irrational. He could become an ultra serious soldier at boot camp or a nearly identical version of Hades himself. Thankfully, at the end of each episode, he reverts to his own odd self. His father DaedalusDaedalusIn Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
is a teacher in the academy and Icarus doesn't acknowledge his parents' divorce. When Icarus graduates, he goes into inventing with his father and makes a fortune, earning the commercial title "The Wax-Wing King". - CassandraCassandraIn Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy...
(voiced by Sandra BernhardSandra BernhardSandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
) friend of Hercules, social outcast, and Seer. Daughter of Vic (Fred WillardFred WillardFred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
) and Evelyn (Georgia Engel), who call her "Casserole." Cassandra is curseCurseA curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
d with the helpless ability to foreseeProphecyProphecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
catastrophic events, but never to be believed. When one of these prophetic trances overcome her, she becomes immobile and her eyes spin. Icarus calls this her "Cassandra-Vision." Cassandra despises Icarus and calls him her stalkerStalkingStalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
, but she tolerates his presence because otherwise she would have no friends. - AdonisAdonisAdonis , in Greek mythology, the god of beauty and desire, is a figure with Northwest Semitic antecedents, where he is a central figure in various mystery religions. The Greek , Adōnis is a variation of the Semitic word Adonai, "lord", which is also one of the names used to refer to God in the Old...
(voiced by Diedrich BaderDiedrich BaderKarl Diedrich Bader , better known as Diedrich Bader, is an American actor, voice artist and comedian. Many know him for his roles as Oswald Lee Harvey on The Drew Carey Show, Lawrence from the film Office Space, the Tae Kwon Do instructor Rex from Napoleon Dynamite, Tank "Shredder" Evans in Surf's...
) – The idiotic, cowardly, narcissistic, self-obsessed prince of ThraceThraceThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
who bullies Hercules and Icarus every chance he has. He even annoys the gods which resulted in Gaia even putting a curse on him once. Adonis believes that anything can be solved with power and money. In "The Yearbook" at graduation, he was one credit short and had to attend summer school. - AnaxareteAnaxareteIn Greek mythology, Anaxarete was a Cypriot maiden who refused the advances of a shepherd named Iphis. He cried in despair and killed himself on her doorstep, but Anaxarete was still unmoved, so Aphrodite turned her to stone....
(voiced by Cree SummerCree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
) - Herc's former girlfriend. - AndromedaAndromeda (mythology)Andromeda is a princess from Greek mythology who, as divine punishment for her mother's bragging, the Boast of Cassiopeia, was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. She was saved from death by Perseus, her future husband. Her name is the Latinized form of the Greek Ἀνδρομέδη...
(voiced by Katherine SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
) - A new student who attracts Herc's attention. - AjaxAjax (mythology)Ajax or Aias was a mythological Greek hero, the son of Telamon and Periboea and king of Salamis. He plays an important role in Homer's Iliad and in the Epic Cycle, a series of epic poems about the Trojan War. To distinguish him from Ajax, son of Oileus , he is called "Telamonian Ajax," "Greater...
(grunts by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) - A barbarian student with very bad hygiene. - ElectraElectraIn Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
(voiced by Joey Lauren AdamsJoey Lauren AdamsJoey Lauren Adams is an American actress who has appeared in more than thirty films. She is known for her distinctive, raspy voice and for her roles in View Askewniverse films, particularly Mallrats and Chasing Amy, with the latter giving her a Golden Globe for Best Actress nomination.-Career:She...
) - GothGothic fashionGothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, black lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths wear dark eyeliner and dark fingernails. Styles are...
student with a habit of defying the established order. When angry, summons the vicious FuriesErinyesIn Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
. - Helen of Troy (voiced by Jodi BensonJodi BensonJodi Marie Benson is an American actress, voice actress, soprano singer, and Disney Legend. She is best known for providing both the speaking and the singing voices of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels. In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the English...
) – Helen was the sweetest and feminine character of the series. She was the most popular girl in the academy and Adonis' girlfriend. Helen tries her best to keep Adonis from being a jerk but mostly fails. She likes Hercules but as a friend. She is a princess as in the myth but is not a half-sister of Hercules in the series. - MelampusMelampusIn Greek mythology, Melampus, or Melampous , was a legendary soothsayer and healer, originally of Pylos, who ruled at Argos. He was the introducer of the worship of Dionysus, according to Herodotus, who asserted that his powers as a seer were derived from the Egyptians and that he could understand...
(voiced by Ethan EmbryEthan EmbryEthan Philan Randall , although he is known and usually credited as Ethan Embry, is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Declan Giggs on the Showtime television series Brotherhood.-Personal life:...
) - Rival of Icarus for Cassandra's affections. Mykloid fan-boy of the comic-scroll superhero Myklos. - PandoraPandoraIn Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts...
(voiced by Jenna von OÿJenna von OÿJenna von Oÿ is an American actress and country music singer best known for her roles as Six LeMeure on the NBC series Blossom, and Stevie van Lowe on the UPN sitcom The Parkers.-Early life and career:...
) - Student who possesses a locker full of mysteries. - Tempest, (voiced by Jennifer Jason LeighJennifer Jason LeighJennifer Jason Leigh is an American film and stage actress, best known for her roles in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Single White Female, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Georgia and Short Cuts...
), the quick-temperedAngerAnger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
AmazonAmazonsThe Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
"Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
". She is the daughter of Queen HippolytaHippolytaIn Greek mythology, Hippolyta or Hippolyte is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war. The girdle was a waist belt that signified her authority as queen of the Amazons....
& King Darius. - TritonTriton (mythology)Triton is a mythological Greek god, the messenger of the big sea. He is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and Amphitrite, goddess of the sea, whose herald he is...
(voiced by Chris ElliottChris ElliottChristopher Nash "Chris" Elliott is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his comedic sketches on Late Night with David Letterman, starring in the cult comedy series Get a Life and for his recurring role as Peter MacDougall on Everybody Loves Raymond...
) - Young godling son of PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
& AmphitriteAmphitriteIn ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon. Under the influence of the Olympian pantheon, she became merely the consort of Poseidon, and was further diminished by poets to a symbolic representation of the sea...
. Cousin of Hercules and new student at the Prometheus Academy.
Prometheus Academy staff
- Mr. ParenthesesBracketBrackets are tall punctuation marks used in matched pairs within text, to set apart or interject other text. In the United States, "bracket" usually refers specifically to the "square" or "box" type.-List of types:...
(voiced by Eric IdleEric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
) - Prometheus Academy's Class Administrator and Student Counselor - Ms. CassiopeiaCassiopeia (mythology)Cassiopeia is the name of several figures in Greek mythology.-Wife of Cepheus:The Queen Cassiopeia, wife of king Cepheus of Æthiopia, was beautiful but also arrogant and vain; these latter two characteristics led to her downfall....
(voiced by Alice GhostleyAlice GhostleyAlice Margaret Ghostley was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as housekeeper Esmeralda on Bewitched, as Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D., and as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women, for which she received an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1992...
) - Poetry Teacher - Mr. Physedipus (voiced by Richard SimmonsRichard SimmonsMilton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos and DVDs and is known for his eccentric, outgoing and frequently flamboyant personality...
) - Teacher of Physical Education - Miss ThespiusThespiusThespius was a legendary founder and king of Thespiae, Boeotia. His life account is considered part of Greek mythology.-Life account:...
(voiced by Kathy NajimyKathy NajimyKathy Ann Najimy is an American actress, most notable as Olive Massery on the television series Veronica's Closet, Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act and the voice of Peggy Hill on the animated television series King of the Hill. Prior to her film work, she was best known for two Off Broadway shows...
) - Drama Teacher - Mr. DaedalusDaedalusIn Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
(voiced by David Hyde PierceDavid Hyde PierceDavid Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
) - ProAc Shop Class Instructor, father of Icarus (who calls him Dad-alus), and greatest inventor of all antiquity. - Mr. HerodotusHerodotusHerodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
(voiced by Paul ReubensPaul ReubensPaul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
in the first appearance, Jess HarnellJess HarnellJess Q. Harnell is an American voice actor and singer, best known for voicing Wakko Warner on Animaniacs. Harnell has been the announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos since 1998.-Life and acting career:...
in the second appearance) - History teacher. - Mr. PygmalionPygmalion (mythology)Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.-In Ovid:In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a...
(voiced by Calvert DeForestCalvert DeForestCalvert Grant DeForest , also known by his character Larry "Bud" Melman, was an American actor and comedian, best known for his appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.-Early life:Little has been published about his early life...
) - Art teacher, married to a statue of a woman that Aphrodite brought to life. - Mr. PtolemyPtolemyClaudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
(voiced by George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
) - Astronomy Instructor - Mr. AesopAesopAesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
(voiced by Bob KeeshanBob KeeshanRobert James "Bob" Keeshan was an American television producer and actor. He is most notable as the title character of the children's television program Captain Kangaroo, which became an icon for millions of people during its 30-year run from 1955 to 1984.Keeshan also played the original...
) - Storytime Instructor for ProAc, Jr (Prometheus Junior Academy) - Miss EuphrosyneEuphrosyne (mythology)In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne (Εὐφροσύνη; was one of the Charites, known in English also as the "Three Graces". Her best remembered representation in English is in Milton's poem of the active, joyful life, "L'Allegro". She is also the...
(voiced by Melissa ManchesterMelissa ManchesterMelissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage....
) - Home Greconomics Teacher - Mr. LinusLinus (mythology)In Greek mythology Linus refers to the musical son of Oeagrus, nominally Apollo, and the Muse Calliope. As the son of Apollo and a Muse, either Calliope or Terpsichore, he is considered the inventor of melody and rhythm. Linus taught music to his brother Orpheus and then to Heracles. Linus went...
(voiced by Jason MarsdenJason MarsdenJason Christopher Marsden is an American screen and voice actor who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series.-Early life:...
) - Music Teacher - Mr. EuclidEuclidEuclid , fl. 300 BC, also known as Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician, often referred to as the "Father of Geometry". He was active in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy I...
- The Geometry Teacher
Jr. Prometheus Academy students
The junior schoolJunior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
attached to Prometheus Academy. The students that attend are also figures from mythology or ancient history, though preteen versions of those characters, before they became famous. One of their teachers is Mr. Aesop
Aesop
Aesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
, who tells stories (his eponymous fables) in order to teach the students by means of his morals.
- AlcidesHeraclesHeracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
(voiced by Christine CavanaughChristine CavanaughChristine Cavanaugh is an American former voice actress who had a distinctive speaking style and had provided the voice for a large range of cartoon characters. She is best known as the voice of Babe in the hit film, Babe, Chuckie Finster on Rugrats, and Dexter for the original Dexter's Laboratory...
) - - Alex (voiced by Courtland MeadCourtland MeadCourtland Robert Mead is an American actor.Mead was born in Mission Viejo, California, the son of Denise and Robert Mead and brother of twin sisters Lauren and Candice Mead. In the 1994 film Dragonworld he played the part of young Johnny McGowan, a young boy who finds a dragon egg on his...
) - - BrutusMarcus Junius BrutusMarcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
(voiced by Pamela AdlonPamela AdlonPamela Fionna Adlon is a Jewish-American actress, voice actress, and producer. She is sometimes credited as Pamela Segall, Pamela S. Adlon and Pamela Segall Adlon...
) - A centaur foal. - CallistaCallisto (mythology)In Greek mythology, Callisto or Kallisto was a nymph of Artemis. Transformed into a bear and set among the stars, she was the bear-mother of the Arcadians, through her son Arcas.-Origin of the myth:...
(voiced by Lacey ChabertLacey ChabertLacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
) - - Phillip (voiced by Ryan O'DonohueRyan O'DonohueRyan Sean O'Donohue is an American voice actor, most notable for his performances in many Disney projects.O'Donohue began his acting career at the age of nine when he played Zeke Byrd on the 1994 ABC drama Byrds of Paradise, filmed in Hawaii. The show was cancelled after a 13-episode run despite...
) - A kid with teething troubles.
Greek Pantheon
In addition to Zeus, Hades, Hera, Hermes, Apollo, and the Muses, other characters from the Pantheon include:- AmphitriteAmphitriteIn ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon. Under the influence of the Olympian pantheon, she became merely the consort of Poseidon, and was further diminished by poets to a symbolic representation of the sea...
(voiced by Leslie MannLeslie MannLeslie Mann is an American actress best known for her roles in comedic films, many of which are collaborations with her husband, Judd Apatow.-Early life:...
) - The Goddess of the Sea and wife of Poseidon. - AphroditeAphroditeAphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
(voiced by Lisa KudrowLisa KudrowLisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards...
) – Goddess of Love, with a theme song that even she thinks is annoying. She is quite strong minded, feisty and clever. Shown to be engaged to Hephaestus but only in one episode. She has pink skin and blonde hair. Hades is constantly trying to flirt with her, to no avail. - AresAresAres is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
(voiced by Jay ThomasJay ThomasJay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....
) – The God of War, who just wants to destroy things and prove the superiority of SpartaSpartaSparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
. He hates using 'egghead', and similar words, and is a brash god. It can be assumed he and Hercules are full brothers, since he is a son of Hera and Zeus. Served by his sons FearPhobos (mythology)Phobos is the personification of horror in Greek mythology. He is the offspring of Ares and Aphrodite. He was known for accompanying Ares into battle along with his brother, Deimos, the goddess Enyo, and his father’s attendants. Timor is his Roman equivalent...
(voiced by David CrossDavid CrossDavid Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
) and TerrorDeimos (mythology)In Greek mythology, Deimos was the personification of terror.He was the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He is the twin brother of Phobos and the goddess Enyo who accompanied Ares into battle, as well as his father's attendants, Trembling, Fear, Dread, and Panic...
(voiced by Toby Russ). Ares also has two "dogs of war" who draw his chariot named Brutacles & Sadisto. - ArtemisArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
(voiced by Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
) – Goddess of the Hunt and Wild Animals, Artemis has a few appearances mainly relating to episodes involving hunting sporting McEntire's accent. In particular, she is seen protecting the Calydonian BoarCalydonian BoarThe Calydonian Boar is one of the monsters of Greek mythology that had to be overcome by heroes of the Olympian age. Sent by Artemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia because its king failed to honor her in his rites to the gods, it was killed in the Calydonian Hunt, in which many male...
and transforms a few of the characters into animals, a reference of her turning a hunter who saw her bathing into a stag in mythology. She is also seen scolding OrionOrion (mythology)Orion was a giant huntsman in Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion....
also making references to the Belt of Orion in terms of the star patterns. A few times, she is comically seen fighting off her adoring animal fans like a snake that starts to constrict her. She is the sister of Apollo. - AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
(voiced by Jane LeevesJane LeevesJane Leeves is an English film, stage, and television actress, comedienne and dancer.Leeves made her screen debut with a small role in the 1983 popular British comedy television show The Benny Hill Show. Leeves moved to the United States, where she performed in small roles until she secured a...
) – The Goddess of Wisdom and witty sister of Ares. Ares tries frequently to destroy her worship city, Athens, but Athena always receives help from Hercules. She tends to treat her brother, Hercules, like a child. Athena has a pet owl named Ibid. She doesn't get along with Ares well, but when the two team up, like when Echidna attacks Hercules during the game between Sparta and Athens, they are a formidable pair. - BoreasAnemoiIn Greek mythology, the Anemoi were Greek wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came , and were each associated with various seasons and weather conditions...
(voiced by Alan RosenbergAlan RosenbergAlan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:...
) – The God of the North Wind, seems to have a grudge against Ares for beating him up when Sparta was being created. AeolusAeolusAeolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology. In fact this name was shared by three mythic characters. These three personages are often difficult to tell apart, and even the ancient mythographers appear to have been perplexed about which Aeolus was which...
or any of the other winds do not appear so in the show he may be the God of all of the Winds. - BacchusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
(voiced by Dom DeLuiseDom DeLuiseDominick "Dom" DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author. He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur from 1965 until his death and the father of: actor, director, pianist, and writer Peter DeLuise; actor David DeLuise; and actor Michael DeLuise...
) – God of the WineWineWine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and Partying. He nearly sinks Phil's island with his revelry that bothered Poseidon. - CupidErosEros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
(voiced by Tom ArnoldTom Arnold (actor)Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
) – The God of Passion also appears. He is shown as a pink, short, overweight, middle-aged man wearing a diaper; not explicitly stated to be a son of Aphrodite. Cupid has minions called CherubsCHERUBSCHERUBS is a Non-Profit Organization. It was founded in February, 1995 for families of children born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, a severe and often lethal birth defect. It was founded and currently led by Dawn M...
, and his quiver holds both "love" and "loathe" arrows. - DemeterDemeterIn Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
(voiced by Florence HendersonFlorence HendersonFlorence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974...
) – Goddess of Agriculture. Summons NemesisNemesis (mythology)In Greek mythology, Nemesis , also called Rhamnousia/Rhamnusia at her sanctuary at Rhamnous, north of Marathon, was the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris . The Greeks personified vengeful fate as a remorseless goddess: the goddess of revenge...
to smite the satyr Pan for his inadequate offerings at her harvest festival and building a temple to himself. - GaiaGaia (mythology)Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
(voiced by Kerri Kenney) – Goddess of the Earth, mother of the TitansTitan (mythology)In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
. Adonis selfishly woke her from her eternal slumber after not heeding a warning sign and she cursed him to die at sundown. With Hercules' help, Adonis procured golden apples to appease Gaia, who removes his curse. - HecateHecateHecate or Hekate is a chthonic Greco-Roman goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and crossroads.She is attested in poetry as early as Hesiod's Theogony...
(voiced by Peri GilpinPeri GilpinPeri Gilpin is an American actress known for her role as Roz Doyle in the U.S. television series Frasier from 1993 until 2004. Along with the principal cast, Gilpin won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2000...
) – An Underworld goddess, Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and longs to take over the Underworld from Hades in much the same way he longs to take Olympus from Zeus. Despite his seeming dislike of the place most of the time, he's very possessive of his kingdom whenever she tries to overthrow him. - HephaestusHephaestusHephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
(voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
) – The peg-legged god of fire and the gods' blacksmith. Whether he is a son of Zeus and Hera is never revealed. Engaged to Aphrodite and hates it if Hades flirts with her. - HestiaHestiaIn Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...
(voiced by Betty WhiteBetty WhiteBetty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
) – Only making a few appearances, the Goddess of Family and the Hearth is seen as a cheery housewife type. She is often seen cooking or marveling at her own confections... most of which end up being ruined in a comical fashion like when Adonis caused Hercules to crash into her cake. - MorpheusMorpheus (mythology)Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
(voiced by Jonathan KatzJonathan KatzJonathan Paul Katz is an American comedian, actor, and voice actor who is best known for his starring role in the animated sitcom Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist...
) – God of Sleep. He has a little brother called PhantasosPhantasosIn Greek mythology, Phantasos was the son of Hypnos and one of the Oneiroi. He appeared in dreams in the form of inanimate objects.-Family:...
who wanted to become god of sleep but ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
said that he couldn't because of "seniority." - NarcissusNarcissus (mythology)Narcissus or Narkissos , possibly derived from ναρκη meaning "sleep, numbness," in Greek mythology was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him...
– God of Vanity? Not truly a god in Greco-Roman mythologyClassical mythologyClassical mythology or Greco-Roman mythology is the cultural reception of myths from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Along with philosophy and political thought, mythology represents one of the major survivals of classical antiquity throughout later Western culture.Classical mythology has provided...
, but was depicted several times in both the film and the series as an Olympian god. - NemesisNemesis (mythology)In Greek mythology, Nemesis , also called Rhamnousia/Rhamnusia at her sanctuary at Rhamnous, north of Marathon, was the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris . The Greeks personified vengeful fate as a remorseless goddess: the goddess of revenge...
(voiced by Linda HamiltonLinda HamiltonLinda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
) – The Demigoddess of Vengeance who works for the Infernal Retribution Service (IRSInternal Revenue ServiceThe Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
), a service which punishes mortals for offenses committed against Gods like posing as a God or defacing a God's temple. She can turn her hands into weapons. She gets really angry whenever she can't do a smiting. - Pan (voiced by Joe PantolianoJoe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
) - The God of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music. Was shown as merely the king of the satyrsSatyrIn Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
who wants to be worshiped as a god by his people. He gains the wrath of Demeter, who threatens to smite him for building a temple to himself if he does not give her suitable offerings by the end of the harvest festival. After an attempt to get Phil to take his place which nearly gets the trainer killed, Pan is forced to give up all the offerings of the festival to spare his life. He also appear in the episode "Hercules and the Prince of Thrace" in the story of the Muses with King Midas. - PhantasosPhantasosIn Greek mythology, Phantasos was the son of Hypnos and one of the Oneiroi. He appeared in dreams in the form of inanimate objects.-Family:...
(voiced by Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
) – At the start of the world, Phantasos wanted to be God of Sleep only for his brother Morpheus to get the job. Since then, Phantasos plotted to get the job one way or another until the day he created a nightmare counterpart of Morpheus' Blanket of Slumber called the Discomforter. Due to the nightmares people are having, Phantasos suggested to Zeus to become the new God of Sleep should Morpheus fail to stop the nightmare crisis. When in their dreams, Hercules and Philoctetes ended up fighting Phantasos when he turned into the Hydra and Typhon. Though Hercules managed to overcome his nightmare of losing to the Hydra and defeat Phantasos. The next day, Zeus was convinced by Morpheus to make Phantasos the God of Dreams and Nightmares since he is much better at dreams and nightmares than his brother. To improve his work, Phantasos wrote down Zeus's suggestions like no one dreaming is to hit the ground when falling and no one gets caught by dream monster. - PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
(voiced by Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
) - The God of the Seas. - StyxStyxIn Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...
– Was seen in the episode "Hercules and the River Styx".
Heroes
- AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
(voiced by Dom IrreraDom IrreraDomenick Jack Irrera , originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a stand-up comedian. Much of his material is in the form of stories about his life, especially his childhood years and growing up in an Italian-American family, which contributes to the "natural" feel of his...
) – He is an old hero who everyone except for Hercules has forgotten. He was once trained by Phil but he failed. - AgamemnonAgamemnonIn Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Electra and Orestes. Mythical legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area...
(voiced by Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
) – In this show, Agamemnon is a famous hero who is the drill sergeant for the Spar O.T.C. - AlectryonAlectryon (mythology)Alectryon is the Ancient Greek word for "rooster". In Greek mythology, Alectryon was a youth, charged by Ares to stand guard outside his door while the god indulged in illicit love with Aphrodite. He fell asleep, and Helios, the sun, walked in on the couple. Ares turned Alectryon into a rooster,...
(voiced by Steve HytnerSteve HytnerStephen Arthur "Steve" Hytner is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Kenny Bania in Seinfeld...
) – He is a guard and former student of Philoctetes who was turned into a rooster for falling asleep on guard duty. Whenever he crows, anyone who is asleep wakes up. - BellerophonBellerophonBellerophon or Bellerophontes is a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside of Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and his greatest feat was killing the Chimera, a monster that Homer depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a...
(voiced by David SchrammDavid Schramm (Actor)David Schramm is an American actor. He is best known for playing Roy Biggins, the portly, curmudgeonly rival airline owner in the TV series Wings. He portrayed J.J. Peachum in the Westchester production of The Threepenny Opera and starred as Mr. Mister in the John Houseman directed revival of The...
) – Hero king of CorinthCorinthCorinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
who takes Pegasus in and names him "Ignatius". With the help of Pegasus, Bellerophon is able to defeat the ChimeraChimera (mythology)The Chimera or Chimaera was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals: upon the body of a lioness with a tail that ended in a snake's head, the head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her...
.- Cletus (voiced by Charles KimbroughCharles KimbroughCharles Kimbrough is an American character actor known for playing the straight-faced anchorman Jim Dial on Murphy Brown. In 1990, his performance in the role earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series".-Biography:Born in St. Paul, Minnesota,...
) - Bellerophon's servant.
- Cletus (voiced by Charles Kimbrough
- ButesButesIn Greek mythology, the name Butes referred to nine different people.*An Argonaut, son of Teleon and Zeuxippe . When the Argonauts were sailing past the Sirens, he was the only one to not resist the charm of their singing and swim off to them. But Aphrodite saved Butes by transferring him to...
(voiced by Steven WrightSteven WrightSteven Alexander Wright is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes and one-liners with contrived situations.-Early life and career:Wright was born in Mount Auburn...
) – Bee keeper from the Argo. - ChironChironIn Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
(voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
in the first appearance, Louis Gossett, Jr.Louis Gossett, Jr.Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and Fiddler in the 1970s television miniseries Roots...
in the second appearance) – CentaurCentaurIn Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
, Hero, famous hero-trainer and author. Chiron is both rival and friend to Phil, and hunting buddy of Nestor and Meleager. - HippocratesHippocratesHippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles , and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine...
(voiced by Mandy PatinkinMandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
) – He is the world's First Doctor. He cures people of plague and even goes so far as bringing the dead back to life. - HylasHylasIn Greek mythology, Hylas was the son of King Theiodamas of the Dryopians. Roman sources such as Ovid state that Hylas' father was Hercules and his mother was the nymph Melite, or that his mother was the wife of Theiodamas, whose adulterous affair with Heracles caused the war between him and her...
(voiced by Rocky CarrollRocky CarrollRoscoe "Rocky" Carroll is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Joey Emerson on the FOX comedy-drama Roc, as Dr. Keith Wilkes on the medical drama Chicago Hope, and as Leon Vance on the CBS drama NCIS and its spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:Carroll was born Roscoe Fulton Carroll...
) – He is "the bad boy of rowing" although in Greek mythology he is the son of Hercules or was at least raised by him. In "Hercules and the Poseidon Cup Adventure," Hylas was on Adonis' team until he got injured and Hercules ended up taking over. - JasonJasonJason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
(voiced by William ShatnerWilliam ShatnerWilliam Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
) – The leader of the ArgonautsArgonautsThe Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
. - LynceusLynceus (Argonaut)Lynceus was the jealous murderer of Castor, along with his brother, Idas. Idas and Lynceus murdered Castor because they all sought Phoebe and Hilaeira, daughters of Leucippus . Lynceus was one of the Argonauts and he participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar...
(voiced by Larry MillerLarry Miller (actor)Lawrence J. "Larry" Miller is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, podcaster, and columnist.-Early life:Miller was born in Valley Stream, New York, attended Valley Stream South High School graduating in 1971. He attended Amherst College...
) – The helmsman of the Argo. - MelampusMelampusIn Greek mythology, Melampus, or Melampous , was a legendary soothsayer and healer, originally of Pylos, who ruled at Argos. He was the introducer of the worship of Dionysus, according to Herodotus, who asserted that his powers as a seer were derived from the Egyptians and that he could understand...
(voiced by Ethan EmbryEthan EmbryEthan Philan Randall , although he is known and usually credited as Ethan Embry, is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Declan Giggs on the Showtime television series Brotherhood.-Personal life:...
) – He is a nerd that goes to Prometheus Academy. He is dating Cassandra which makes him Icarus' rival. Icarus once tried to hurt Melampus but was stopped by Hercules. - MeleagerMeleagerIn Greek mythology, Meleager was a hero venerated in his temenos at Calydon in Aetolia. He was already famed as the host of the Calydonian boar hunt in the epic tradition that was reworked by Homer....
(voiced by Nicholas TurturroNicholas TurturroNicholas Turturro, Jr. is an American film, television and prolific on-stage character actor, perhaps best known for his role as James Martinez, on NYPD Blue from 1993 to 2000.-Early life:...
) – He's usually with Nestor. He has extraordinary hearing abilities. - MentorMentorIn Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
(voiced by Edward Asner) – The tough retirned police chief who is Chipacles' friend. - NestorNestor (mythology)In Greek mythology, Nestor of Gerenia was the son of Neleus and Chloris and the King of Pylos. He became king after Heracles killed Neleus and all of Nestor's siblings...
(voiced by James BelushiJames BelushiJames Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
) – He is usually with Meleager. He can see very far. - OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
(voiced by Steven WeberSteven Weber (actor)Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
) – A cunning king of the Greek island of IthacaIthacaIthaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...
.- TelemachusTelemachusTelemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's Odyssey. The first four books in particular focus on Telemachus' journeys in search of news about his father, who has been away at war...
– The prince of Ithaca. He, Hercules, and three Argonauts end up in their own OdysseyOdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
.
- Telemachus
- OrpheusOrpheusOrpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
(voiced by Rob PaulsenRob PaulsenRobert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
) – He is a singer and teen idol. - ParisParis (mythology)Paris , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
(voiced by Cary ElwesCary ElwesIvan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
) – Trojan Academy student and arrogant Trojan prince. - PheidippidesPheidippidesPheidippides , hero of Ancient Greece, is the central figure in a story which was the inspiration for a modern sporting event, the marathon.-The story:...
- He was mentioned as a student of Chiron who ran 10000 metres and set a newBattle of MarathonThe Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. It was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate...
world recordMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. - SamsonSamsonSamson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....
- He is described as another student of Chiron's who is very strong and is an "out of towner" referring to him being of Israel. With that Philoctetes sais "yah yah I know him strong guy that needs a haircut referring to the fact that Samsons strength came from his long hair." - TheseusTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
(voiced by Eric StoltzEric StoltzEric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
) – Hercules' cousin. After the MinotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
escapes from the LabyrinthLabyrinthIn Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
, he helps Hercules face it. Theseus has a double identity, his second self being the superhero "Grim Avenger", whose costume resembles that of DC Comics' character Doctor FateDoctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
, though his personality and backstory are more inspired by BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. As the Grim Avenger, Theseus is constantly narrating his every move aloud.
Guest characters
- "Bob" the Narrator (voiced by Robert StackRobert StackRobert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
) – The incorporealIncorporealIncorporeal or uncarnate means without the nature of a body or substance . The idea of incorporeality refers to the notion that there is an incorporeal realm of existence, or "place", that is distinct from the corporeal or material universe. Incorporeal beings or objects are not made out of matter...
voice who opens most episodes and is helped by the MuseMuseThe Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
s who act as a "Greek chorusGreek chorusA Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....
" typically singing their narration. Bob has an incorporeal wife (Mrs. Bob) and two incorporeal children named Tiffany & Chad. Their only "appearance" on screen is in episode "Return of Typhon" when 'Bob' is convinced by the muses to take a holiday, their movements only noticeable by the hats they wore. - Chipacles (voiced by Mike ConnorsMike ConnorsMike Connors is an American actor best known for playing detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series, Mannix. Before that, he had played a crime-fighting investigator, wielding a .38 handgun hidden in his back, in another CBS series, Tightrope.-Early life:Connors was born Krekor Ohanian in...
) – Head city-state trooper for the Athens P.D who takes his job very seriously (Probably a reference to the television show CHiPsCHiPsCHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
). - CirceCirceIn Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
(voiced by Idina MenzelIdina MenzelIdina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
) – She also made an appearance, but not with OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
, who appeared in other episodes. She was simply looking for suitable boyfriends and turned most of the male cast into various animals. - Croesus (voiced by Wayne NewtonWayne NewtonWayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
) - The richest man in the world and owner of AtlantisAtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
City. - GalateaGalatea (mythology)-Name "Galatea":Though the name "Galatea" has become so firmly associated with Pygmalion's statue as to seem antique, its use in connection with Pygmalion originated with a post-classical writer. No extant ancient text mentions the statue's name...
(voiced by Jennifer AnistonJennifer AnistonJennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
) – She also made an appearance, but not as the wife of PygmalionPygmalion (mythology)Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.-In Ovid:In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a...
the art teacher, but as the statue Hercules beseeched Aphrodite to bring to life for him as a date to the Aphrodasia Dance. Hercules learned a decidedly different lesson than the one from the original myth. Because he asked that her personality would be "crazy about [him]", Galatea becomes increasingly obsessive about him, especially when he dumped her and dropped her off on an island in the middle of nowhere. Literally, she walked through water to get to him. She was solidified by an accidental fire but tried hopping to him. Aphrodite changes her personality to free will and have a mind of her own. - Gregarious (voiced by Stuart PankinStuart PankinStuart Pankin is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Pankin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Dickinson College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Columbia University.-Career:...
) - The proprietor of Gyro World. - HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
(voiced by Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
) – Homer is Journalist for a National News-scroll, the "Greekly World News." Coincidentally, his voice actor also voiced another another "HomerHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
" from The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. - King MidasMidasFor the legend of Gordias, a person who was taken by the people and made King, in obedience to the command of the oracle, see Gordias.Midas or King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. This was called the Golden touch, or the...
(voiced by Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
) – He is a greedy king whose touch turns everything into gold (after receiving this gift from Bacchus), which wanted Hermes' sandals to transform the whole world. After being foiled in a James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
manner by Hercules, Midas sees the negative side of his power after accidentally touching his daughter Marigold. To remedy this, King Midas prayed to Bacchus to remove the gift. Bacchus does so and Marigold is returned to normal.- Marigold (voiced by Tia CarrereTia CarrereTia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
) - Midas' daughter. - Agent EpsilonEpsilonEpsilon is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding phonetically to a close-mid front unrounded vowel . In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 5. It was derived from the Phoenician letter He...
(voiced by Craig FergusonCraig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
) – An agent of Midas who was pretending to be with Athens Intelligence to get Hercules into a trap.
- Marigold (voiced by Tia Carrere
- King CinyrasCinyrasIn Greek mythology, Cinyras was a king of Cyprus. Accounts vary significantly as to his genealogy and provide a variety of stories concerning him; in many sources, however, he is associated with the cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus, and Adonis, a consort of Aphrodite, is mentioned as his son.In the...
(voiced by John O'HurleyJohn O'HurleyJohn George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
) - Adonis' father and husband of Queen Myrrha.- Queen Myrhha (voiced by Holland TaylorHolland TaylorHolland Virginia Taylor is an American actress of film, stage and television. Her notable television roles include Ruth Dunbar in Bosom Buddies, senator's wife Margaret Powers on Norman Lear's The Powers That Be, Judge Roberta Kittleson in The Practice and Evelyn Harper in Two and a Half...
) - In this show, Myrrha is the husband of King Cinyras and the mother of Adonis.
- Queen Myrhha (voiced by Holland Taylor
- King MinosMinosIn Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
(voiced by Charles Nelson ReillyCharles Nelson ReillyCharles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
) - The insane King of Crete who had Daedalus construct the labyrinth to hold the Minotaur. - King SalmoneusSalmoneusIn Greek mythology, Salmoneus was the son of Aeolus and Enarete, the brother of Athamas, Sisyphus, Cretheus, Perieres, Deionus, Canace, Alcyone, and Perimede. Salmoneus was the father of Tyro by his first wife Alcidice, the second one being Sidero....
(Jeffrey TamborJeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
) – King of ThessalyThessalyThessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
. To keep his morality high to the people, he ends up impersonating Zeus and gets smited by Zeus after being exposed. After escaping from the Grove of Despair, he conspired with Pain and Panic to reclaim his throne. - Numericles and Calculus (voiced by Stephen TobolowskyStephen TobolowskyStephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
and Kevin West) - Numerckles is the Abacus creator and a great figure for Abacus Valley and Calculus his aid. In "Hercules and the Techno Greeks" they wanted a hero to help them defeat the centaurs. - OrionOrion (mythology)Orion was a giant huntsman in Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion....
(voiced by Craig FergusonCraig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
) - The great hunter. Due to him almost killing off every animal on Earth, he was made a constellationOrion (constellation)Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
by Artemis to keep Zeus from smiting him. Hercules once freed him to teach him how to use the bow resulting in Hercules learning the barbaric Orion Cluster (which was banned in every city-state). He ended up running afoul of Chipacles and even ate a food from Gyro World without paying for it. Due to Hercules freeing Orion, he also freed LeoLeo (constellation)Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
, TaurusTaurus (constellation)Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is a Latin word meaning 'bull', and its astrological symbol is a stylized bull's head:...
, AriesAries (constellation)Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
, ScorpiusScorpiusScorpius, sometimes known as Scorpio, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is . It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east...
, and the Big DipperBig DipperThe Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
causing Hercules and Orion to hunt four of them down with their defeat causing the destruction of Sparta, Corinth, Thessaly, and Abacus Valley. When Leo, Taurus, Aries, and Scorpius converged on Athens, Artemis arrived after finding the Big Dipper and prevented Orion from using the Orion Cluster. Following Hercules learning of Orion's history with Artemis, Hercules was able to use his own rendition of the Orion Cluster to take down the Constellations. After the Constellations were rounded up and sent back into the sky, Artemis had Orion and Hercules repair the damaged city-states, the damaged Gyro World, and pay the fine that Chipacles gave Orion. Later, Orion returned to the sky himself. - PericlesPericlesPericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars...
(voiced by Earl HindmanEarl HindmanEarl John Hindman was an American actor, best-known for his role as the kindly neighbor Wilson W. Wilson Jr...
) - The leader of Athens. - Queen HippolytaHippolytaIn Greek mythology, Hippolyta or Hippolyte is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war. The girdle was a waist belt that signified her authority as queen of the Amazons....
(voiced by Jane CurtinJane CurtinJane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
) - The mother of Tempest and Queen of the Amazons.- King Darius (voiced by Emeril LagasseEmeril Lagasse'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...
) - The father of tempest, the King of the Amazons, and a renowned chef.
- King Darius (voiced by Emeril Lagasse
- TiresiasTiresiasIn Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo; Tiresias participated fully in seven generations at Thebes, beginning as advisor to Cadmus...
(voiced by Jack CarterJack CarterJack Carter may refer to:* Jack Carter, fictional character created by Ted Lewis** from the novels Jack's Return Home, Jack Carter's Law, and Jack Carter and the Mafia Pigeon** from the films Get Carter and Get Carter...
) - A blind prophet who resides at the Elysian Sunset Rest Home.
One episode featured a crossover with Aladdin
Aladdin (TV series)
Aladdin is an animated television series made by Walt Disney Television which aired from 1994 to 1995, based on the original 1992 feature. Coming on the heels of the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar, the series picked up where that installment left off, with Aladdin now living in the...
, in which Hades and Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman) team up to destroy both their respective archnemesis (ignoring the fact these two series seem to take place a thousand years apart from each other).
Monsters
- ArachneArachneIn Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Minerva, the Latin parallel of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts. Arachne refused to acknowledge that her knowledge came, in part at least, from the goddess. The offended...
(voiced by Vicki LewisVicki LewisVicki Lewis is an American film, stage, television and voice actress best known for her role as Beth in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio.-Personal life:...
) – The guardian of the Tapestry of Fate; a spiderSpiderSpiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
-like monster with a bored, sarcastic personality. She only became a guardian because of her mother saying she should see the world and eat exotic people. When Hades changed the Tapestry, Arachne was reduced to minding the cave where the Tapestry used to be. - Argus PanoptesArgus PanoptesIn Greek mythology, Argus Panoptes or Argos, guardian of the heifer-nymph Io and son of Arestor, was a primordial giant whose epithet "Panoptes", "all-seeing", led to his being described with multiple, often one hundred, eyes. The epithet Panoptes was applied to the Titan of the Sun, Helios, and...
(voiced by Harvey FiersteinHarvey FiersteinHarvey Forbes Fierstein is a U.S. actor and playwright, noted for the early distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy, about a gay drag-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the...
) - A multi-eyed monster who has a history with Hermes. - Caucasian EagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
(voiced by Jerry StillerJerry StillerGerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara...
) – A giant eagle who was ordered by Zeus to eat the liver of PrometheusPrometheusIn Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
every day. Appeared in Hercules and the Prometheus Affair. - CatoblepasCatoblepasThe catoblepas is a legendary creature from Ethiopia, described first by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus. It is said to have the body of a buffalo and the head of a wild boar. Its back has scales that protect the beast, and its head is always pointing downwards...
(vocal effects provided by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) - A bull monster that Phil once fought. - Doubt – A snake that bites people, causing them to drown in fear and doubt. Hades called him in to strike Icarus so that he won't kiss Cassandra (because she sold her soul to him to make sure he doesn't kiss her), but his bite wore off quickly.
- EchidnaEchidna (mythology)In Greek mythology, Echidna was half woman half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because most of the monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her...
(voiced by Kathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
) – The Mother of all Monsters. Echidna had a recurring role in the series and was typically seen as an obsessive and doting mother to her various children who one-by-one were defeated by Hercules (a reference to Kevin Sorbo's Hercules fighting Echidna, except here she serves Hades). Her mate was TyphonTyphonTyphon , also Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos was the last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, and the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. He was known as the "Father of all monsters"; his wife Echidna was likewise the "Mother of All Monsters."Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus,...
(voiced by Regis PhilbinRegis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
), who famously lost a battle to Zeus. Among their children were the:- OrthosOrthrusIn Greek mythology, Orthrus or Orthus was a two-headed dog and a doublet of Cerberus, both whelped by the chthonic monsters Echidna and Typhon.He was owned by the three-bodied giant, Geryon...
– (voiced respectively by Wayne KnightWayne KnightWayne Eliot Knight is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor perhaps best known for his role as Newman in the TV sitcom Seinfeld...
and Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
) – A two-headed Cyclops that Hercules fought in "Hercules and the First Day of School." - CerberusCerberusCerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
(vocal effects provided by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) – The three-headed dog that guards the Underworld for Hades. He also appeared in the 1998 TV series as a rambunctious puppy which Hades has a hard time to control. - HydraLernaean HydraIn Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even...
– A giant monster from Thebes that can grow multiple heads to distorted by Hercules, however Hercules defeated him thus earning him fame and adoration from the people of Thebes. - Nemean LionNemean LionThe Nemean lion was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived at Nemea. It was eventually killed by Heracles. It could not be killed with mortal weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attack...
(voiced by Jeremy PivenJeremy PivenJeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
) – A lion with a hide that no weapons can penetrate. - ChimeraChimera (mythology)The Chimera or Chimaera was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals: upon the body of a lioness with a tail that ended in a snake's head, the head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her...
(vocal effects provided by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) - An enemy of Bellerophon. In this show, it has the head and front legs of a lion, the horns and back legs of a goat, and a snake-headed tail. - LadonLadon (mythology)Ladon was the serpent-like dragon that twined and twisted around the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides and guarded the golden apples. He was overcome by Heracles...
(vocal effects provided by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) – The youngest of Echidna's monsters. - Gegeines (voiced by Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
in the first appearance, Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
in the second appearance) – The multi-armed yetiYetiThe Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
-like sailor-eating giant that was encountered by Hercules and the Argonauts. - GeryonGeryonIn Greek mythology, Geryon , son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe and grandson of Medusa, was a fearsome giant who dwelt on the island Erytheia of the mythic Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean. A more literal-minded later generation of Greeks associated the region with Tartessos in southern...
(voiced by Will FerrellWill FerrellJohn William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
) – A monster with three torsos with each head and arms on it. - FuriesErinyesIn Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
– Giant birds that live in the Underworld. - CetoCetoIn ancient Greek, the word ketos - Latinized as cetus - denotes a large fish, a whale, a shark, or a sea monster. The sea monsters slain by Perseus and Heracles were each referred to as a cetus by ancient sources. The term cetacean originates from cetus. In Greek art, cetea were depicted as...
– A sea monster.
- Orthos
- Fenrir - A monstrous wolf that was released by Loki in a plot to incite Ragnarok.
- Frost Giants - Giants of the Norse from Jotunheim, composed of ice and snow similar to the Ice Titan. Agents of Loki and enemies of all that is good.
- GriffinGriffinThe griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
s - Griffins are creatures that are part eagle, part lion. There were two known Griffins in this show:- Griff (voiced by Tim ConwayTim ConwayThomas Daniel "Tim" Conway is an American comedian and actor, primarily known for his roles in sitcoms, films and television. Conway is best known for his role as the inept second-in-command officer, Ensign Charles Parker, to Lt...
) - An elderly griffin that guarded a diamond that Hephaestus forged. He resides at the Elysian Sunset Rest Home. - Merv Griffin (voiced by Merv GriffinMerv GriffinMervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
) - A griffin who has his own talk show.
- Griff (voiced by Tim Conway
- GorgonGorgonIn Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
s - The Gorgons are snake-haired creatures who turn to stone anyone who looks them in the eye. They are:- MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
(voiced by Jennifer Love HewittJennifer Love HewittJennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
) – The famous gorgonGorgonIn Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
whose gaze turns people to stone, although here she is really just lonely and longs for friends. After rescuing Herc from drowning, she develops a crush on him and asks for divine assistance to be able to get close to him. Aphrodite offers useful but utterly ignored self-esteem tips and stone-preventing sunglasses, while Hades grants her a beautiful appearance by day, monster and his employee by night. But if one true friend accepts her for who she is, he'd turn her human permanently. But when Hercules finds out what she truly was, he first thought she was trying to get close to turn him to stone and she runs off, sad. When Hades learns that it is Hercules that she had a crush on, he purposefully revealed her appearance in the dark to turn him to stone. But Aphrodite appeared, pointing out the technicality in the contract but Hades was only concerned in turning Medusa human but she deflects the spell with Hercules' shield at him. With his eyes closed, Hercules asks Medusa out, to which she says yes but first takes Aphrodite's glasses. - Along with Medusa appeared her sister SthenoSthenoStheno , in Greek mythology, was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and "hair" made of living venomous snakes. The daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, she was born in the caverns beneath Mount Olympus...
, who appeared in "Hercules and the Phil Factor." In the same episode, Medusa's other sister EuryaleEuryaleEuryale , in Greek mythology, was the second eldest one of the Gorgons, three vicious sisters with brass hands, sharp fangs, and hair of living, venomous snakes. She and her sister Stheno, unlike their sister, Medusa, were not able to turn any creature to stone with her gaze...
was seen in a picture on Stheno's home fireplace.
- Medusa
- King Arismap (voiced by Harvey KormanHarvey KormanHarvey Herschel Korman was an American comedic actor who performed in television and movie productions beginning in 1960...
) - The King of the Arismapse (a race of thieving mountain gnomeGnomeA gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s) who had been trying to steal the diamond that Griff guards. - King Ephialtes (voiced by Jim VarneyJim VarneyJames Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P...
) - A tree giant who is the King of the Dryads and the father of Syrinx.- Syrinx (voiced by Annie PottsAnnie PottsAnne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
) - A nymph who is the daughter of Ephialtes.
- Syrinx (voiced by Annie Potts
- LaestrygonianLaestrygoniansThe Laestrygonians are a tribe of giant cannibals from ancient Greek mythology. Odysseus, the main character of Homer's Odyssey, visited them during his journey back home to Ithaca...
(voiced by Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
) - A giant that Hades tries to lure to his side. He is a big fan of Orpheus. - Man-Eating MaresMares of DiomedesThe Mares of Diomedes, also called the Mares of Thrace, were four man-eating horses in Greek mythology. Magnificent, wild, and uncontrollable, they belonged to the giant Diomedes , king of Thrace, a son of Ares and Cyrene who lived on the shores of the Black Sea...
(vocal effects provided by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) – Phil tasks Hercules with the job of taking down one of these dangerous horses. Hades sends Neurosis to make sure Hercules fails. When the Man-Eating Mares prove to be difficult for Hercules, he calls on his father for help. Zeus (who possesses his statue after Cerberus destroyed his cloud) manages to scare off the Mares. - Memnon (voiced by David Alan GrierDavid Alan GrierDavid Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
) - A reptilian monster who is a servant of Hades. - MinotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
(voiced by Michael DornMichael DornMichael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
) – He appears in two episodes, The first following his myth, being housed inside the LabyrinthLabyrinthIn Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
built by Daedalus for the insane CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
king MinosMinosIn Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
. The second has him escaping and reaching Athens, where he faces Hercules and Theseus. The two of them managed to subdue the Minotaur and the Gods placed him back in the Labyrinth. - ScyllaScyllaIn Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
- A sea monster that resembles a woman with tentacled legs and dog-heads on her hips. Hercules fought her twice, in "Hercules and the Big Sink" and "Hercules and the Oddysey Experience." - SphinxSphinxA sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
(voiced by Wink MartindaleWink MartindaleWinston Conrad Martindale , known professionally as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.-Radio:...
) – He is a trivia game show host who asks questions nobody can answer until Hercules comes along winning a chariot in the process. - Three-Headed Sea SerpentSea serpentA sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings...
(vocal effects provided by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) - A sea monster that Hercules and Poseidon fought in "Hercules and the Son of Poseidon." - Winged Wolves of HecateEmpusaEmpusa is a demigoddess of Greek mythology. In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate ....
(voiced by Jon CryerJon CryerJonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink...
and Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
) - Two wolves with bird-like wings who work for Hecate.