Hermes
Messenger of the Gods
Hermes was the Olympian God of Travelers and Messengers, son of Zeus and famed for his unmatched speed. Arrogant and swift, he taunted Kratos through a long chase across Olympus before the Spartan cornered him and severed his legs to claim his winged boots.
Hermes was the Olympian God of Travelers, Messengers, Thieves, and Speed, the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. Famed as the Messenger of Mount Olympus and the swiftest of the Gods, he served his father dutifully even as his arrogance and vanity set him apart from his more powerful half-siblings. He met his end during Kratos's assault on Olympus, cornered after a long chase and stripped of the winged boots that gave him his speed.
Messenger of Olympus#
Born during the centuries-long Great War, Hermes first knew life as a soldier in his father's cause, dodging boulders hurled by the Titans and witnessing Zeus forge and wield the Blade of Olympus to banish them to Tartarus. After the victory of the Gods, Hermes used his charm to secure his place as the Messenger of the Gods, sidelining the goddess Iris to become the chief bearer of messages among the Olympians.
Beyond his role as messenger, Hermes worked with the dream god Morpheus to deliver dreams to sleeping mortals and gods, and served as a guide for the souls of the dead into the Underworld. He was an important deity with many duties, though not on par with his mightier half-siblings such as Ares and Athena. He competed in the Wager of the Gods, the contest in which each god backed a mortal champion in the search for Ambrosia, championing the warrior Danaus and boasting of victory, though Danaus ultimately fell to Hades's champion, Alrik.
The chase and death#
When Kratos and the Titans assaulted Mount Olympus, Hermes was among the Gods who fought them, leaping from a balcony and running straight down the mountain itself. He was not seen again until Kratos entered the Labyrinth, where Hermes confronted him directly, taunting him over his quest for vengeance and boasting of his own speed before racing up the Chain of Balance with Kratos in pursuit.
Reappearing in the Chamber of the Flame, Hermes again mocked Kratos's slowness and led him on a perilous chase around the outside of the Olympian Citadel. Kratos finally cornered him by launching a boulder from a catapult, chaining himself to it as it smashed into a statue of Athena on which Hermes had perched, bringing both crashing down. Injured and exhausted, unable to flee, Hermes chose to fight, relying on his speed and agility but forced to pause for breath. Upon his defeat he mocked Kratos a final time, declaring that the Spartan would in the end betray only himself. Kratos overpowered him and severed his legs to claim the winged Boots of Hermes. With his death, Hermes's corpse dissolved into a swarm of disease-carrying flies that spread across Olympus, sowing pestilence and killing many of its servants. Long after, in the Norse lands, Kratos recalled him obliquely in the tale of the tortoise and the hare, the proud, swift hare standing for Hermes and the steady tortoise for Kratos.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Hermes in God of War?
- Hermes was the Olympian God of Travelers, Messengers, Thieves, and Speed, the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. Famed as the Messenger of Mount Olympus and the swiftest of the Gods, he served his father even as his arrogance and vanity set him apart from his more powerful half-siblings.
- How did Hermes become Messenger of the Gods?
- After the Gods' victory in the Great War, Hermes used his charm to secure his place as the Messenger of the Gods, sidelining the goddess Iris to become the chief bearer of messages among the Olympians. He also worked with the dream god Morpheus to deliver dreams and served as a guide for souls of the dead into the Underworld.
- How did Kratos catch Hermes?
- After a long chase across Olympus, Kratos cornered Hermes by launching a boulder from a catapult and chaining himself to it. The boulder smashed into a statue of Athena on which Hermes had perched, bringing both crashing down and leaving the god injured and unable to flee.
- How did Hermes die in God of War?
- After cornering and overpowering him, Kratos severed Hermes's legs to claim the winged Boots of Hermes. With his death, Hermes's corpse dissolved into a swarm of disease-carrying flies that spread pestilence across Olympus and killed many of its servants.
- What was the Wager of the Gods that Hermes competed in?
- The Wager of the Gods was a contest in which each god backed a mortal champion in the search for Ambrosia. Hermes championed the warrior Danaus and boasted of victory, though Danaus ultimately fell to Hades's champion, Alrik.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
- WikiHermes — God of War Wiki entry
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