This article contains lore based on real-life sources of the Greek mythology as introduced from the God of War Greek era.
| “ | Get out of my sight, Olympian... | ” |
–Typhon | ||
Typhon (Greek: Τυφῶν) is a Titan with power over the wind and storms, who was sealed in the mountains after he was defeated by Zeus after challenging the King of the Gods.
Quick Answers
Who is Typhon in Greek mythology?
What powers does Typhon, the Titan of Greek mythology, possess?
How was Typhon defeated by Zeus?
Who are the children of Typhon and Echidna?
Why is Typhon referred to as the 'Father of All Monsters'?
Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, Typhon, also Typhoeus, Typhaon or Typhos was the son of Gaia and 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 attempts to destroy Zeus at the behest of Gaia, because Zeus had imprisoned the Titans. Typhon overcomes Zeus in their first battle, and tears out Zeus' sinews. However, Hermes recovers the sinews and restores them to Zeus. The titanic struggle between the two created massive earthquakes and tsunamis. Typhon is finally defeated by Zeus, who traps him underneath Mount Etna.
Typhon was also the father of hot dangerous storm winds which issued forth from the stormy part of Tartarus. With Echidna, Typhon bore thousands of monsters of Greek myth, including the Hydra, Cerberus, Chimera, and Sphinx.
Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke, as one of the largest and most fearsome of all creatures. His human upper half reached as high as the stars. His hands reached east and west and had a hundred dragon heads on each. His bottom half was gigantic viper coils that could reach the top of his head when stretched out and made a hissing noise. His whole body was covered in wings, and fire flashed from his eyes. This physical appearance was enough to scare all the gods into hiding by transforming themselves into animals.
In Greek mythology, Typhon is not a Titan but a different class of creature; the mistake is understandable, however, as he is mostly mentioned as an avenger for their defeat.
In The God of War Series
Early life and imprisonment
Typhon was the youngest child of Gaia. After she and her Titans fell from power and were defeated by the Gods in the Great War, the Earth Mother concieved Typhon with her dark counterpart Tartarus, the personification of the abyss. Their only child, Typhon would become a mighty Storm Titan of extraordinary power, easily rivaling and probably exceeding his elder half-brothers, the Titans born from the union of Gaia and Ouranos.
He lived under the earth with his beloved wife, the serpent-woman Echidna and was close to his mother Gaia and his Giant brothers, another set of Gaia's children after the Titans. Typhon would become the Father of Monsters, considering his many children as his family and loving them dearly. Two of his most famous offspring would be the Nemean Lion and the Hydra. However, Gaia's plan to overthrow the Olympians was still in motion, and at some point the Giants waged war on Olympus on their mothers behalf, ending in failure and their death by the hand of the mighty Zeus.
The loss of his brothers enraged Typhon, who at Gaia's behest went on to face the King of the Gods himself. Details of this battle are scarce, however it is clear that Typhon's challenge was a serious threat, perhaps even to the extent of its mythological version in the source material. The battle between Zeus and Typhon ended with his imprisonment within Mount Etna, in a giant cavern in which he was embedded to the very bedrock of the mountain, unable to move. Once more standing victorious, the son of Cronos offered the defeated Titan a deal where he would stay exiled in this mountain prison, and in exchange for his future, continued non-belligerence against his rule, Zeus would spare his wife and family, leaving them as great challenges for future heroes to overcome.
Typhon accepted this arrangement. The magical bow, named Typhon's Bane was inserted into his left eye. It was infused with his storm and wind based powers. Based on its name its function may have been to contain the power of the Storm Titan. Some time afterwards, his nephew Prometheus would end up being enchained and bound to his hand on the outside of the icy mountain. The witty Titan had become another subject of Zeus' wrath, after he defied and tricked the King of the Gods and gave fire to mankind. The son of Iapetus was condemned to be savagely consumed by a ravenous eagle every day for all eternity.
With the passing centuries, Typhon became embittered about his situation and fate. Next to his hatred of the Gods, he also put considerable blame on his mother Gaia for her past blunders such as dooming the Titans by saving Zeus from his father and her ever-present plots against Olympus ever since, which ended up ruining her children, among which the Storm Titan considered himself to be the one she has burdened the most with her schemes.
God of War Novel
Typhon, sometimes together with Echidna would be mentioned by the Gods as the origin of such terrible monsters like the Hydra which Kratos faced in the Aegean Sea. The command over the children of Typhon belonged to Ares, the God of War. Poseidon, Artemis and Athena considered his children to be foul perversions of nature. Zeus himself, had an expression of distaste upon hearing the Storm Titan's name.
God of War II
After Gaia, now guiding Kratos on his way to the Island of Creation, had instructed Kratos to travel to Typhon's Cavern, using the Pegasus, Typhon refused to see Kratos. As if the mountain came to life, Typhon's hand grasped Pegasus, forcing Kratos to descend down into the mountain.
Angered by Kratos’ very appearance, the Titan showed his unwillingness to help Kratos and even attempted to kill the fallen god, but as his arms were still trapped inside the mountain, he had to resort to using his breath to blow the Spartan off the ground and into the caverns below.
Kratos had no choice but to walk on some rocky paths while still trying to avoid Typhon's blows. After passing these paths, he lifted another huge rock in order to make a path to Typhon's face and then leaped to his left eye, stabbing it several times and ripping out Typhon's Bane, a wind bow that contained Typhon's powers. The titan tried to give a last powerful blow, but Kratos shot his other eye using the bane, rendering him blind.
Furious, blindness didn't prevent Typhon from trying to kill Kratos, as he continued to try to blow the Spartan away. Before Kratos left the icy caverns, Typhon cursed him by telling him he would pay for what he had done. Finally, Kratos freed the Pegasus from Typhon's grasp using Rage of the Titans.
God of War II Novel
The novelization extends the encounter between Kratos and Typhon with dialogue which gives an insight into the Titan's reasoning for his belligerence against the fallen god, aswell as adding some information about his past.
Upon trapping the Pegasus, Typhon declares that Kratos wont get any help from, being an Olympian. The Spartan looked at the vast, frozen Titan, contemplating his predicament, before continuing to explore the icy mountain cavern. He discovered that the Sentries who live within this place, regularly keep heating and warming the Titan, to keep him from freezing over completely. Kratos came upon Prometheus, who told him that in order to free him he would need Typhon's Bane, the magical bow within his left eye. The Spartan returned inside the mountain and approached Typhon, wondering how he could retrieve the Bow, when Typhon's voice resonated within the cavern, telling the White Warrior that he cannot win and should surrender, promising a quick death.
The Ghost of Sparta replied, telling the Titan that Gaia has told him what he needs to defeat Zeus, asking the Titan if he is willing to defy his mother, which Typhon promptly answers, proclaiming his mother to be the reason for the Titans downfall. Kratos proposes an alliance, given their shared hatred of Zeus, which the Father of Monsters categorically refuses, stating that in any case he would rather kill Zeus himself, not allied to a disgraced and fallen god like Kratos.
The Spartan sprung into action and latched onto the Titan's face, clawing his way towards the Bow within his eye and ripping it out, provoking an thunderous roar of pain. Kratos remained stuck on Typhon's face, unable to jump to the stony perch from which he came from. Typhon raged on, saying that Kratos cannot do this to him and that he will slay him for it. Kratos retorts that given his special history with Zeus out of all the Titans, he should understand Kratos' goal of killing him, adding that his Giant brothers have died by the Skyfather's hand.
As the Titan remembered the tragic past, a tear began to form in his eye, threatening to freeze Kratos' arm in due time. Typhon says that he is the youngest of Gaia's children, yet the one she burdened most with her schemes. The former God of War tells Typhon that this may be his last chance to escape this cruel exile, asking what more he has to lose anyway. The Spartan claims that victory will be his, while the Titan doubts his chances against the King of the Gods, saying he cannot risk oppossing him. Typhon reveals that after his imprisonment, Zeus has allowed his wife and children to live in freedom, and that he would slay them all should he learn that he had helped Kratos against him.
Kratos at last realizes, saying that the loss of ones family is a terrible burden to bear, with Typhon harshly replying that he should know, asking whether the Ghost of Sparta would have him endure the same pain and fail his family as he did his own. After an increasingly violent rant about his love for Echidna and hatred for Zeus, Kratos was able to jump back to safety, leaving the Titan behind for now and returning to Prometheus, releasing him into the Fires of Olympus and gaining the Rage of the Titans.
The White Warrior, now greatly empowered and blessed by Prometheus with the innate knowledge of how to escape the freezing mountain, made his way to his Pegasus, still trapped under Typhon's hand. The Ghost of Sparta ordered the Storm Titan to release the horse, to which he replied that he does not obey the likes of him. Kratos then released the Rage of the Titans, easily breaking a fingernail and causing the giant hand to move away. Now, Kratos mounted the winged horse and went off, behind him thunderous roars of rage, the kind of rage that Kratos knew well, the kind that comes from having your life and family destroyed by the Gods.
God of War III
Typhon did not aid his fellow Titans in battle on Mount Olympus. The Titan has presumably remained trapped in his cave, with no clear idea of what has happened outside. It is possible that he perished due to the chaos that ravaged the world or because he was born after the great war he ceased to exist after Gaia was brought to the future. After Kratos fell into the blood pool, when in his own psyche, Typhon's voice is heard, exclaiming "You will pay for that, Kratos".
Powers and Abilities
Being the Titan of Winds and Storms, Typhon possessed the power to control massive amounts of it, as well as being immortal and nearly invincible. How exactly Typhon's Bane was placed into his eye is unknown. Being a Titan and Greek deity, he was acausual, as the laws of time and space do not affect him like they do lesser beings. He could blow strong gusts of icy wind and create tornadoes. He had the strengh to come forward and challenge Zeus himself.
Among the Titans, he was unique in being fathered by Tartarus, the primordial abyss itself. Among the many children of Gaia, it can be said Typhon was the most powerful one in his prime, being able to challenge Zeus and Olympus after they have already established themselves as the rulers of the cosmos, wielding far greater power than during the Great War against the reigning Titans under Cronos.
Trivia
- In God of War II and God of War III, Typhon is voiced by Fred Tatasciore, who also voices many other characters in the series.
- Typhon was imprisoned within a volcano, and its eruptions were said to be his fiery breath.
- Though addressed as being a "Titan" in God of War II, Typhon was not a Titan in real mythology; merely a ferocious monster whom Gaia had given birth to long after giving birth to the twelve Titans. In other versions, he was said to be the god of windstorms and drought, but still a son of Gaia and Tartarus.
- During Kratos' travel towards Typhon, Gaia also mentions her "Titan brother slumbers...", while in fact Typhon is neither a real Titan nor is he her brother; he is in fact Gaia's child. The term "brother" is likely used to refer to Typhon as kin rather than actual sibling.
- Though Typhon is more along the lines of a fire monster in the original myths, it is possible that, for the purpose of the game, he was locked away in a frozen mountain and had his arms and body trapped in it to diminish his powers.
- The Armor of Typhon appears in the multiplayer of God of War: Ascension.
Gallery
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