| “ | We share a common fate, Kratos, the gods will release neither of us from our torture. | ” |
–Charon. | ||
Template:Infobox gods
Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, Charon was the ferryman of the Underworld who ferried the souls of the dead across the rivers of Styx and Acheron which separated the world of the living from the world of the dead. In order to board the ferryman's boat a dead soul must pay Charon with a gold coin in order to go on board, otherwise, the soul has to wander the docks as a beggar and pray for anyone to give him/her a spare coin. Those who are dying place a gold coin under their tongue or over thier eyes so that their souls would have a coin in order to pay the ferryman.
God of War Series
God of War: Ascension
Charon does not actually appear in this game, but can be considered a Primordial being (although not necessarily a god), since he's a son of Nyx.
It's unknown if Charon took part in the war of the Primordials. Since Nyx probably died during this war, it's much likely that he was born before it, or maybe even during it. Albeit having enough power to knock out Kratos once, he doesn't seem to be powerful enough to have participated in this war and survived it. Even his powers in Chains of Olympus seem to come from Persephone, and not from himself.
Since Charon's past was never mentioned or revealed in the Series, it's possible that, in the God of War Mythos, Charon would have been a very powerful being, like the other Primordials, but would have died in the war, making him become the undead ferryman seen in Chains of Olympus. It's also possible that he was a demigod, but still a mortal, like the Jailer of Tartarus, and that after he died, he served Hades and Persephone for the rest of eternity.
Chains of Olympus
In God of War: Chains of Olympus, Charon is depicted as a tall, gaunt man with pale skin. He wears dark robes with several decapitated heads attached to them, and a golden mask covering his skull-like face. As a weapon, he carries a large, deadly scythe, which he also uses as a walking stick. It appears that Charon despises his job as ferryman, as he tells Kratos. Kratos comes to Charon's docks upon the River Styx. Upon arrival, the ferryman refuses to give Kratos passage, as he is still living, so the two of them fight for the control of the ship. After a short battle however, Charon knocks Kratos unconscious and throws him into the depths of Tartarus.
After Kratos obtains the Gauntlet of Zeus and escapes Tartarus, he once again encounters Charon. After destroying the three pillars that Charon use to regain health, and weakening him enough, Kratos impales him with Charon's Scythe. However, Charon manages to survive, and eventually Kratos grabs hold of him, and continues to beat his face until he dies, defeating him once and for all. Upon defeating Charon, Kratos then takes the ferryman's golden mask, which gives him the power of Charon's Wrath.
God of War III
Although Charon does not make an appearance in God of War III, there is a carving of him on the gate to Persephone's Shrine.
Powers and Abilities
Charon has a large plethora of powers. First off, he can move with great speed, and deliver fast, long range swipes with his scythe, a 4-hit-combo that can be blocked with the sun shield as well as green orbs and he also have vast strength, stamina, agility, durability, endurance, and accuary. He can dissipate into the ground, and then reappear at another location, making it hard for Kratos to attack him. He can summon green orbs, which he then hurls at Kratos.
Finally, he can also blast a cloud of green ravenous flames from his mask, which does rapid, continuous damage to Kratos if he gets hit. Charon can also control his ferry to unleash an incredible wave of energy onto the deck, killing everything in its' way instantly. He also could charge his scythe with energy. When slammed into the ground, it released shockwaves.
It's highly probable that Charon's powers are derived from Persephone's ones, since he serves her and their powers have the same essence.
Trivia
- Charon's death, implicating there is no ferryman to transport souls to their final judgement, may be what caused the souls of the dead to fall in the River Styx in God of War and God of War III. Hence, the appearance of Lost Souls in God of War III. Without Charon to guide them, and Hades to keep them, they wander the Underworld aimlessly.
- If you have the Spud of War (unlimited magic), using Charon's Wrath during the battle may activate a glitch; when Charon's health bar is less than 40%, there would be a point that his health bar would not go down any further. Continuous use of Charon's Wrath in this state can allow you to make 1000+ Hits with Godly, Immortal, and Impossible descriptions.
- He is the first out of two children of Erebus and Nyx to have been killed by Kratos; the second being Thanatos.
- Charon made another appearance in Visceral Games' Dante's Inferno. When Dante arrives in Hell to rescue Beatrice, he meets Charon, as a huge anthropomorphic ship with only a head. Although he couldn't fight Dante physically, he could summon demons to fight intruders for him. He is later killed (again) when Dante uses an Asterian Beast to tear his head off. His severed head landed in the Citadel of Limbo, and Dante pushes it back into the abyss. The head is later seen in the River Styx serving as a nest for the harpy-like pests.
- In some versions of mythology, Charon actually had a mask, which he needed to use because his face was so horribly gruesome that if any soul saw it, it would never dare to step on his boat.
- Charon, along with Zeus and Deimos are the only characters to have bested Kratos in a fight
Gallery
Video
God of War Chains of Olympus Boss - Charon