Summary
Hades 2’s surprisingly packed Olympic Update adds a reference to everyone’s favourite character - the Supportive Shade who backed Zagreus up in Elysium’s arena.
One of the main reasons everyone fell so in love withHadeswhen it first released is because of how well-written all of its characters are. From leads like Zagreus and Hades himself to Gods like Athena and Dionysus,there’s not a single weak link in Hades' roster. That being said, there is one character who reigns above them all - the Supportive Shade.
For those of you who have somehow forgotten the GOAT of Hades (and I don’t mean Pan), the Supportive Shade,who is always depicted in red, was the lone supporter of Zagreusduring his battles against Theseus and Asterius in Elysium. While the rest of the crowd shirked our boy, the Supportive Shade always stood by Zag’s side and quickly became a fan favourite.
Minor spoilers for Hades 2’s Olympic Update below.
Hades 2 Has Added A Nod To The Supportive Shade
Earlier this week, Supergiant Games dropped a huge update for Hades 2out of nowhere that expands the game with a new area, new characters, and a whole lot more. The Olympic Update also adds some more story content, including a new incantation thatlets you attempt to wake Hypnos up from his sleep by going into his mind.
Once you do, you’ll find yourself in an area that’s filled with cardboard cutouts of characters, including Hades and Thanatos.As pointed out by Redditor lowkeyloki444, the room is also full of cardboard Shades, including a red one that will surely be familiar to fans. That’s right, the Supportive Shade is back in Hades 2, and looking as supportive of Zagreus as ever.
Of course, it’s not theactualSupportive Shade since it’s just a representation of him in Hypnos' mind, but it does raise a few questions. How does Hypnos know a Shade that only Zagreus has encountered? Where is the cutout of Zag in his mind? Are both of our faves safe and making a return in the future?
My headcanon is that Zag loves the Supportive Shade so much that he’s told Hypnos all about them.
Time will only tell on that last part, but it’s nice to see Supergiant Games referencing yet another beloved character in Hades 2. Here’s hoping they get the chance to step out of the shade and into the spotlight.
