"The gates of Hades,never held me!!" - Kratos
Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, the Underworld, also known as Hades, was a place ruled by the god Hades
The Underworld in God of War 3
and his wife, the goddess Persephone. The Underworld was a misty, gloomy, and volcanic realm where all mortals would be judged in the afterlife, either being rewarded or cursed. There were several sections within the Underworld, including the Elysian Fields and Tartarus. Heroes of the ancient time dwelled in Elysium (Isles of the Blessed), ruled by the Titan Cronos.
The dead entered the Underworld by crossing the Acheron, ferried across by Charon, who charged an obolus for passage, which should have been placed under the tongue of the deceased by pious relatives. The far side of the river was guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed dog defeated by Heracles. Passing beyond Cerberus were the shades of the departed who entered the land of the dead to be judged.
There were five rivers in the Underworld: Acheron (the river of sorrow), Cocytus (the river of lamentation), Phlegethon (the river of fire), Lethe (the river of forgetfulness), and Styx (the river of hate). The River Styx in particular formed the boundary between upper and lower worlds.
The first region of the Underworld compromised of the Fields of Asphodel, where the shades of heroes wandered despondently among lesser spirits, who twittered around them like bats. Only libations of blood offered to them in the world of the living could reawaken them for a time in the sensations of humanity.
Beyond the Fields of Asphodel lay the pool of Lethe, where the common souls flocked to erase all memory, and the pool of Mnemosyne, where the initiates of the Mysteries drank instead. In the forecourt of the palace of Hades and Persephone sat the three judges of the Underworld: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aecus. There at the trivium sacred to Hecate, where three roads met, souls were judged, they returned to the the Fields of Asphodel if they were neither virtuous nor evil, sent by the road to Tartarus if they were impious or evil, or were sent to Elysium with the heroes.
In the God of War Series
Throughout the series, Kratos journeys to the Underworld numerous times, but always eventually makes it out.
God of War
After Kratos finally retrieved Pandora's Box, Ares learned of this and threw a pillar from the ruins of Athens far into the the Desert of Lost Souls where it would pierce Kratos through the chest. As he slowly died, he watched helplessly as wretched Harpies took the box into their grasp.
Kratos fell to the Underworld along with many other souls. He would not give up so easily, however, and grasped onto a person who had been gripping onto the ledge of what appeared to be a massive bone. This same person was the man whom Kratos allowed to be swallowed by the horrific Hydra in the Aegean Sea. Kratos stabbed the man and climbed on top of the bone, ready and willing to reach the surface of the mortal world once again.
Journeying through the Underworld, Kratos encountered creatures engulfed in flame which were the strongest he had faced yet. Large axe-wielding demonic Minotaurs appeared in all sorts of hellish areas, and screeching Harpies would attack Kratos while he tried to cross paths of rotating blades. Eventually, the Spartan warrior managed to escape the clutches of the Underworld, rescued by the old grave digger, who helped pull out Kratos.
The depiction of the Underworld in God of War is far more closely resembled to the Christian version of Hell. It appears well lit, and the souls who fall are overcome by flame. There are strange structures seen in the Underworld looking very much like bones, as well as rotating blades with blood stains all over them. Below the falling mortals lay the River Styx, depicted as being a current so strong even the most powerful mortal could not escape it.
God of War II
After Zeus killed Kratos with the Blade of Olympus, the Arms of Hades surfaced and reached out to Kratos’ corpse. Bringing him down with them, Kratos was met by Gaia who gave him the opportunity to resurface and change his fate. The wound left by the Blade of Olympus in his chest was scarred over, and Kratos opened his eyes. Climbing upon the walls of the Underworld, Kratos was powerful enough to overcome the arms which tried to pull him down.
The depiction of the Underworld in God of War II is similar to God of War, but not very much of it is seen in the game. Kratos’ main goal is to escape by jumping from wall to wall and destroy the Arms of Hades. When he resurfaces, the ground in which he climbed from the Underworld is put back together by a supernatural force.
In the fight with Icarus, Kratos fall into the Underworld, where Atlas holding the world, he climb his hands and Atlas help him to get up.
God of War: Chains of Olympus
After restoring life to the Fire Steeds, Kratos was taken into the Underworld. While journeying through the dark realm, Kratos met and fought Charon on his boat along the River Styx. Charon managed to subdue Kratos and knocked him off his boat unconscious into the pits of Tartarus, where the Titans were held.
While attempting to escape Tartarus, Kratos came upon the area where the mighty Atlas was being tortured to be empty. Someone had released him. Kratos was eventually able to escape the dark pits of Tartarus, where he would face Charon once again and defeat him. Taking Charon’s boat, Kratos followed the sunlight of Helios down the River Styx, coming upon the Temple of Persephone. Believing it to be a hallucination Kratos saw his daughter Calliope on the shorelines of the temple playing her song on the wood-made flute he made for her long ago.
Tracking her movements, Kratos finally arrived at the entrance to the Elysium Fields, where Calliope was kept. Instead of meeting his daughter Kratos was welcomed by Persephone, who told Kratos that in order to see his child he would have to surrender all his power to become worthy of Elysium.
Kratos was finally able to hold his daughter in his arms again, but was stopped when Persephone revealed her intentions. She would obliterate everything by using Atlas to destroy the Pillar of the World. Kratos, leaving his daughter, gained back his power by murdering various good souls of Elysium, and followed Persephone to the top of the pillar where they would fight.
Persephone was destroyed and Atlas was forced to uphold the world on his shoulders. Kratos saved both Olympus and the world from being destroyed, and was taken to the Suicide Bluffs.
The depiction of the Underworld in this game differs greatly than the previous installments. It remains a little more faithful to the Underworld of Greek mythology. The sky remains somewhat lighted because of the fallen sun and the River Styx is colored blood red. The Elysium Fields are very bright and peaceful, having various souls of mortals wander around aimlessly.
God of War III
In some pics is showing Kratos in the Underworld fighting with Hades. The depiction of it is similar with Tartarus from God of War: Chains of Olympus. There will be a lot of tormented souls visible. Kratos will encounter Athena's ghost, Cronos, Hades, and Cerberus in third part of God of War series. Before entering he must kill the guards to open the door to the Underworld. On the door is a carving of the Pillar of the World.
Kratos and the door to the Underworld.
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