Hercules

Hercules

Hercules is the titular character of the franchise, who is based on the mythological Heracles, commonly referred to by the Roman spelling, Hercules. In the 1997 animated film, Josh Keaton voices Hercules as a teenager, Tate Donovan voices him as an adult, and Roger Bart provides his singing voice in "Go the Distance". He is a young man with orange hair and eyebrows and blue eyes. Young Hercules wears a one-sleeved Greek tunic with brown sandals. As a teenager, Hercules is a country boy depicted as tall and thin, with exaggerated proportions, such as a staggering pigeon-toed stance. After completing his hero training, Hercules physically changes from being slender to being top-heavy and muscular, having larger biceps and pectorals and a thicker neck, as well as a more confident stance. However, Hercules still retains some of his teenage flaws, such as being shy, awkward, clumsy and inept with a lack of coordination, occasionally taking a stance that is pigeon-toed or staggering as well as an instinctive reaction to scream loudly or run away. As a hero, Hercules wears a brown-orange brass Cuirass-like tank armor tunic with brown wristbands, matching warrior sandals, and a blue cape.

In creating the design for the infant version of Hercules used in the 1997 film, animator Randy Haycock drew inspiration by videotaping a friend's six-month-old and by renting films with babies in them, while the curly hairstyle for baby Hercules was derived from the appearance of Haycock's infant daughter. He stated that "Hercules' mannerisms come right off things I've picked up from her", even though Hercules is more caricatured than a real baby. The inspiration for teenage Hercules came from Haycock's experiences as an adolescent: he stated that "I was too tall and skinny for my age, and I was a lousy athlete. At home I broke just about everything..". Teenage Hercules has big hands and feet that the animator remembers having himself, as well as a lack of coordination. Andreas Deja was supervising animator for the adult version of Hercules. He studied photographs of Olympic athletes, specifically swimmers, who have long necks and natural musculature. He wanted to emulate the Greek tradition of character drawing, which he explains means "straight nose, pursed lips – almost cherubic, large eyes, a lidded look...The classic style you find on Greek vases or drawings".

In Hercules

In the original film, Hercules is born on Mount Olympus as a god and son of Zeus and Hera. However, Hercules' evil uncle Hades, who wants to take control of Olympus and the world, along with all of creation, is enraged at this. Knowing that, as a god, Hercules is immortal and invulnerable to harm, Hades sends his lackeys Pain and Panic to kidnap Hercules and turn him mortal using a magic potion. However, the arrival of two mortals, Amphitryon and Alcmene, causes Hercules to miss the final drop of the potion, causing him to retain his superhuman strength despite becoming mortal. The couple then adopts the child, considering his arrival a gift from the gods since they are childless. Zeus and the other gods discover the kidnapping too late, and because Hercules is now mortal, he cannot return to Mount Olympus.

Over the years, Hercules is raised as a farmer until his awkward teenage years where he is unable to control his godlike strength and struggles to be accepted by others, which worsens when the teenager's clumsiness and uncoordinated strength leads to him accidentally destroying a marketplace. Shortly afterward, Amphitryon and Alcmene inform Hercules that he is adopted, inspiring him to visit the temple of Zeus, where he learns of his godhood. Zeus tells Hercules that he must prove himself a true hero and instructs him to find the trainer of heroes Philoctetes (or "Phil"), while giving him the winged horse Pegasus to assist him in his journey. Phil initially declines returning to the hero training business, unconvinced that Hercules was the son of Zeus, but is convinced after Zeus strikes him with lightning. Having reached adulthood and passed his training, Hercules sets off with Phil to become a hero in Thebes. Along the way, Hercules saves a "damsel in distress" named Meg from Nessus, a centaur acting as the river guardian, and though Meg doesn't believe Hercules' "innocent farm-boy routine" he falls in love with her. Unbeknownst to Hercules, Meg is working unwillingly for Hades and relates the events to him; through this, Hades learns that Hercules is still alive and plots again to kill him at the start of his career. Meanwhile, Hercules arrives in Thebes and announces himself as a hero, only for the Thebans to dismiss the young man as an amateur and refuse to give him a chance to prove himself. Meg appears and lures Hercules to a rocky canyon outside of town, where he saves two boys, who are actually Pain and Panic in disguise, trapped in a cave. As an unimpressed crowd of Thebans watch Hercules rescue the trapped boys, the young hero also inadvertently releases a giant serpent-like creature, the Hydra, and bravely faces the monster with just a sword and his wits. Although he struggles in the fight, in which the beast initially swallows him whole, he cuts his way out by decapitation. However, Hercules is forced on the defensive, flying around on Pegasus as the Hydra's heads multiply and grows three heads every time one is cut off, the snarling heads overwhelming him until he smashes his fists into the mountainside, causing an avalanche that buries the multi-headed monster under a mountain of rocks. His victory earns him newfound fame and adoration from the citizens of Thebes as well as the anger of Hades. After defeating the Hydra, Hercules continues his heroics and becomes famous throughout Greece. Upon meeting with Zeus, Hercules believes himself ready to rejoin the gods, but Zeus tells him that his celebrity status is not enough to regain his immortality, as being famous is not the same as being a "true hero". However, he cannot tell Hercules what that means, as he must figure it out himself and "look inside his heart". Later on, Meg convinces Hercules to play hookie and on a date. At first, she was trying to learn his weaknesses, but she eventually fell in love with him. However, Phil ends the date, being enraged at Hercules for skipping training. He leaves to tell Hercules of Meg's association with Hades, but does not hear her refusal to help destroy Hercules. Hercules, ecstatic from the date, refuses to believe Phil's warning about Meg, prompting Phil to quit.

In television series

The 1998 TV series Hercules: The Animated Series follows Hercules' adventures as a teenager before the main of the film, with Tate Donovan reprising his role. The series takes places during the years he spent training to be a hero under the tutelage of Phil before his "Zero to Hero" transformation; he is referred to as a "demigod" throughout the series. Young Hercules is a hero-in-training enrolled at Prometheus Academy, a high school for both gods and mortals. He is joined by two new friends, Icarus and Cassandra. Many of the Olympian deities pay visits to him and either help or hinder him in his adventures.

Hercules also appears in the television series House of Mouse, in the Walt Disney World version of Fantasmic!, occasionally at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for greetings in the Long Lost Friends area, and in Fantasyland. Hercules also had his own stage show on the Disney Cruise Line. Hercules is a playable character who is available to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.

An iteration of Hercules appears in the Once Upon a Time episode "Labor of Love", portrayed by Jonathan Whitesell.

In video games

Hercules appears in the Kingdom Hearts series, in which the Hercules-themed world Olympus Coliseum regularly appears. In the series, Sora helps Hercules defeat Hades, who has joined Maleficent's group of villains and still seeks to take over Olympus. In English, he is voiced by Sean Astin in the first game, with Tate Donovan reprising his role in later games as well as Josh Keaton as younger Hercules in the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. In Japanese, he is voiced by Yasunori Matsumoto, with Masakazu Suzuki voicing younger Hercules in Birth by Sleep.

Meg

Megara, commonly shortened to Meg, is a slave who used to work for Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. In all English-language media, she is voiced by Susan Egan. Meg is loosely based on the mythological Megara, the first wife of Hercules in mythology, as well as Deianira, who in Greek mythology was the third wife of Hercules. Meg has fair skin and waist-length dark auburn hair which is worn in a ponytail, and wears a Grecian-style dress. She also wears a dark purple loose-sash around her waist. Sometime during the events of Hercules, Meg sold her soul to Hades to revive her deceased lover. Hades agreed on the condition that she serve him, which she accepted. However, shortly after her lover was revived, he fell in love with someone else and left Meg locked in servitude to Hades. While Meg follows Hades' orders, she occasionally shows open defiance to him.

Meg first appears on screen while trying to convince the centaur Nessus to join Hades' forces, only to have him attempt to seduce her. Hercules intervenes, believing Meg to be a "damsel in distress" and defeating Nessus in a fight, then falls in love with her in the process, which Hades plans to use to his advantage. Later in Thebes, Meg lures Hercules to a battle with the Hydra, whom he defeats. After Hercules achieves several more victories, Hades offers Meg freedom in exchange for discovering Hercules' weakness. However, Meg develops feelings for Hercules instead. Eventually, Hades realizes that Meg's affection is Hercule's undoing and uses her as leverage to convince Hercules to give up his strength for one day in return for her safety; if the deal is broken, his superhuman strength returns. Hades then reveals Meg worked for him, leaving Hercules heartbroken. Meg and Phil later find Hercules battling the Cyclops; after it is defeated, she sacrifices herself to save him from a collapsing column. Hercules succeeds in reclaiming her spirit and restoring her life during his foray into the Underworld. Despite being offered the opportunity to return to Olympus as a god, he declines and opts to remain on Earth with Meg.

In Hercules: The Animated Series, Meg appears twice, once as a teenager and once as an adult. She meets Hercules and offers him the chance to prove himself as a hero, having him retrieve her the amphora so she can use it to forget about Adonis, who she had a disastrous blind date with. He is able to retrieve it from Ares' sons, but Meg leaves Hercules behind to escape. She is taken to the Underworld by Pain and Panic and Hercules, despite her betrayal, goes after her. During a fight for the amphora, Meg tells Hercules she liked him from the start; they almost kiss, but the amphora's water is dropped on them, causing them to forget how they met. The episode "Hercules and the Yearbook" takes place after the events of the film and features Hercules and Meg moving his stuff from Phil's island. Hermes delivers a special package, which Hercules immediately hides from Meg. Phil reveals the incidents that occurred during his time at school, and Hercules tells Meg he did not want to show her the yearbook because he wants her to see him as a hero. However, Meg tells him that she accepts that part of his life regardless. However, this does not stop Hercules from having Hermes retrieve Meg's yearbook, and it is revealed Meg was a cheerleader and in the glee club.

Phil

Philoctetes, Phil for short, is a satyr who trains aspiring heroes, but has often been disappointed by his trainees' shortcomings. He retired after failing to train a successful hero, but returns to the career after being convinced to train Hercules.

After his training is complete, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus set out for the city of Thebes, where Hercules can prove his newfound worth as a hero. Along the way, Hercules saves Meg from the centaur Nessus. While Hercules becomes attracted to Meg, Phil immediately clashes with her and considers her a distraction. After Hercules offers himself as a hero in Thebes, despite Phil insisting that he was the "genuine article", the Thebans dismiss Hercules as an "amateur" rather than a professional hero. After the defeat of the Hydra and various monsters, Phil becomes a personal manager to the celebrity hero Hercules has become. Later on, Phil discovers that Meg is working for Hades, her mission being to find Hercules' weakness. Phil tries to warn Hercules, but abandons him after an argument ensues and Hercules hits him in his anger. When Hercules loses his powers to Hades, Meg convinces Phil to return to Hercules, motivating him into battling and defeating the Cyclops through improvisation. During the fight, Meg is mortally wounded by a falling column while saving Hercules, and Phil is left taking care of Meg while Hercules fights Hades and the Titans. After Hercules defeats Hades, Phil goes with Hercules to Mount Olympus, where he is seen making out with Aphrodite. When Hercules and his friends return to Thebes, Phil is gratified when the people refer to the mighty and triumphant Hercules as "Phil's boy".

In the TV series Hercules, he is Hercules's coach and best friend and sidekick.

Phil also appears in the Disney/Square Enix video game series Kingdom Hearts, in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts III. He also appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, in which Zack Fair asks him to train him as a hero. He also appears in the television animated series House of Mouse. Phil is also a playable character who is available to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.

In the film, Phil is voiced by Danny DeVito, while Robert Costanzo voices him in video games and television appearances. Ichirō Nagai voiced him in Japanese until his death, while Lakis Lazopoulos voices him in Greek.

Pegasus

Pegasus (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) is the winged horse of Hercules, who was created by Zeus out of clouds to aid Hercules. Zeus describes him as "a magnificent horse with the brain of a bird", as Pegasus' behavior is like both a steed and a bird, with habits such as clicking his tongue, whistling, and at times, perching on Hercules' shoulder.

Pegasus also appears in the Disney/Square Enix video games Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts III. Pegasus is also a playable character who is available to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.

Hades

Hades (voiced by James Woods) is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. Unlike his mythological counterpart, who is typically portrayed as a feared but relatively passive deity, this portrayal of Hades is more comedic while still being a villain. He wears dark robes with a skull-shaped perone fastening a chiton and his hair is a glowing blue flame that resembles the will o'the wisp. His hair flares up when he is excited and turns red when he is angry; this flame can also be extinguished. Hades seeks to overthrow Zeus and rule the universe, in line with other depictions of Hades in pop culture being villainous due to his association with death.

In Hercules

Before the events of the film, Meg sold her soul to Hades so he would return her boyfriend's soul. He did, but soon after Meg's boyfriend dumped her for another girl. As a result, she remains trapped as a slave to Hades, and he uses her beauty and charm to persuade monsters to join his army. In Hercules, Hades visits the Fates and learns that he could succeed at universal conquest by releasing the Titans in eighteen years, but if Hercules should fight, he will fail. To prevent this, he sends his minions, Pain and Panic, to kidnap baby Hercules and give him a potion that would render him mortal and kill him. However, Hercules does not drink all of it, and thus retained his godlike strength. Pain and Panic, however, tell Hades that Hercules is dead, hoping that he will not find out.

After discovering that Hercules is still alive, Hades sets up the Hydra as a fixed contest, but Hercules is able to defeat him. Frustrated, Hades sends more monsters, only for Hercules to defeat them. After learning that Hercules has fallen in love with Meg, he uses this to his advantage and makes a deal with Hercules: he must give up his superhuman strength for the next twenty-four hours in exchange for Meg's freedom. Hercules agrees, as long as Meg will be safe from any harm. Hades then reveals that Meg was working for him, crushing Hercules' will to fight. Hades then releases the Titans, who defeat and imprison the gods, and sends the Cyclops to kill Hercules to keep him from interfering in his plans, but Hercules defeats the monster using his wits. However, Meg is seriously injured saving Hercules from a falling pillar, negating Hades's deal that she would not be hurt. Hercules regains his powers and returns to Mount Olympus, where he defeats the Titans and frees the gods. Hades is upset by this, but taunts Hercules, telling him that while he was fighting the Titans, Meg died from her injuries.

At the film's post-climax battle, Hercules then travels to the Underworld to rescue her soul and offers himself to Hades in exchange for her freedom. He swims into the River Styx to retrieve her soul; he nearly dies, but his godhood is restored by the selfless act of being willing to risk his life to save her. Hercules emerges from the pit with Meg's soul in his arms, much to Hades' shock and anger. Knowing that he cannot stop Hercules, Hades begs him to try and ease things with him and the other gods, but Hercules refuses and punches Hades into the River Styx, where he is swarmed by vengeful souls and dragged into its depths.

In television series

Hades, once again voiced by James Woods, frequently appears in the Hercules TV series as one of Hercules' various antagonists. Unlike the film, Hades knew about Hercules' survival while Hercules was a teenager. Like in the film, Hades ultimately wanted control over Olympus, but his goals varied between each episode. Hades concocted several schemes, including (but not limited to) stealing Apollo's sun while Hercules was on duty as an intern to inspire a vote of No Confidence in Zeus ("Hercules and the Apollo Mission"), teaming up with Poseidon to move the River Styx to Greece as a means to conquer the country ("Hercules and the River Styx"), attempting to eliminate Hippocrates (and temporarily succeeding in doing so) after the latter causes a shortage of dead souls in the Underworld due to his medical procedures ("Hercules and the World's First Doctor"), and rewriting reality with the Tapestry of Fate to swap lives and roles with Zeus ("Hercules and the Tapestry of Fate"). Ultimately, all of Hades' schemes failed by the end of each episode due to the work of Hercules and his allies.

The crossover episode "Hercules and the Arabian Night" had Hades meet with Jafar's spirit from Disney's Aladdin franchise in the Underworld after the latter's defeat in The Return of Jafar. The two teamed up to try to take out Hercules and Aladdin by kidnapping Abu and Icarus and having the two heroes fight each other under the pretenses of saving their friends from the other hero. Hades also temporarily brought Jafar back to life by giving the latter a staff that granted Jafar a new body for as long as Jafar holds the staff. The two villains ultimately failed due to the heroes' teamwork, and Hercules broke Jafar's new staff in two. This led to Jafar being dragged down into the River Styx, presumably defeating him for good.

Hades also appears in several episodes of the television series House of Mouse, often in cameo appearances. He has a relevant role in the episode "Suddenly Hades", where after Pete tries to get the House closed by turning up the thermostat, as Mickey's contract states that the House will close if it is ever empty, Hades' ability to tolerate heat means that he remains comfortable in the House despite the rise in temperature, thus allowing Mickey to keep the House open. He also has another relevant role in the episode "Halloween with Hades", where he tries to ask Maleficent out on a date and asked Mickey for advice; while this advice does not work, Hades is able to win her over by showing his fiery personality in a fit of rage towards Mickey. The two are referred to by Minnie Mouse as "a match not made in heaven". He also appears in the series' direct-to-video film Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, as well as Mickey's House of Villains. In the latter, James Woods only voices Hades for one line, while Rob Paulsen provides the singing voice of Hades in the song "It's Our House Now!".

In video games

Hades also appears in the Kingdom Hearts series, where James Woods reprises his role as his English voice, while he is voiced in Japanese by Kyusaku Shimada, who does an impersonation of Woods. He was originally in league with Maleficent and used the Heartless to try to take over the worlds. Hades wants to dispose of Hercules and tricks Cloud Strife into challenging Hercules in the Preliminaries at the Olympus Colliseum. In return, Hades "promises" Cloud he will lead him to Sephiroth. However, once Sora arrives, Hades changes plans and has Cloud attack Sora. When Cloud refused to kill Sora or is defeated, depending on the outcome, Hades sends Cerberus to take care of Cloud. After Maleficent's defeat, Hades battles Sora and loses. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a facsimile Hades appears as part of Sora's memory and the darkness in Riku's heart. In Kingdom Hearts II, Hades joins forces with Pete and decides to use Auron, who has already died, to fight against Hercules; however, Auron rebels against Hades and fights him, only to be interrupted by Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy. They fight Hades, but, due to the Underworld curse, he is invincible to their attacks. Hades then sends Cerberus and later the Hydra against Sora and his friends. Upon discovering that Sora's Keyblade can unlock any lock, Hades initially plans to use it to unlock the Underdrome, the Underworld's own coliseum. However, when Pete informs him that the Keyblade will only work for Sora, Hades kidnaps Megara and traps her in the locked Underdrome, forcing Sora to unlock it to rescue her. After defeating Pete and the Hydra again, Sora and his friends eventually fight and defeat Hades. However, Hades survives and acts as a challenger in the last tournaments, which are unlocked near the end of the game. In the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, he attempts to use Terra to kill Hercules, but Terra resists the darkness in his heart, so Hades places Zack Fair under his control to eliminate both Terra and Hercules. However, Terra defeats Zack and frees him from Hades' influence. Later, Hades and the Ice Colossus, a replica of the Ice Titan, fight Aqua in the Coliseum, but Aqua defeats both of them and Hades flees to the Underworld to further his plans. In Kingdom Hearts III, Hades puts his final plan into motion, unleashing all the Titans to assault Olympus, but Hercules, along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, thwart his plans.

Hades is a playable character who is available to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.

Hades appears in the DLC "The Storybook Vale" for Disney Dreamlight Valley, being one of the villagers of the titular valley.

Other appearances

Hades stars in "Villains Tonight" on the Disney Magic and Disney Dream, a musical stage show featuring many villains from various Disney films, including Dr. Facilier, Ursula, Scar, Yzma, Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar, as well as Pain and Panic. In the plot of the show, Hades has "softened a bit" and made the Underworld a fun place. However, the Fates tell him he has until midnight to become more evil or he will no longer rule the Underworld. Therefore, he summons the most evil villains in his quest to become more evil.

Hades appears in the film Descendants 3, where he is portrayed by Cheyenne Jackson. Hades is among the villains imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost by King Beast, despite his godhood. He is later revealed to be Mal's father, and briefly lends his ember to her to undo a spell done by a jealous Audrey. He is later brought over from the Isle of the Lost to revive Audrey, in the act insinuating that the punishment of Beast is injust and that he has a prejudice about the villains. By the end of the film, Hades approves of Mal's marriage to Ben, as interaction between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost is now allowed. Cheyenne Jackson also voices Hades in the animated television special Descendants: The Royal Wedding. A teenage Hades appears in Descendants: The Rise of Red, portrayed by Anthony Pyatt.

Disney Villains: Hades, a comic book miniseries by Dynamite Entertainment tells a story of Hades scheming to steal the Golden Fleece and use its reality-warping power to conquer Olympus. To do this, he assembles a team to help him consisting of Arachne, Orpheus, Icarus and the Minotaur making sketchy claims to reward them with their desires. The team finds themselves racing Jason and the Argonauts to Colchis, which has been warned of the heist by Medusa, who rejected Hades's offer.

Pain and Panic

Pain (voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait) and Panic (voiced by Matt Frewer) are a pair of shapeshifting imps who are Hades' minions. Pain is fat and crimson, while Panic is skinny and turquoise. Panic is paranoid and easily scared, but appears to be relatively smart and is cautious. He appears to be more honest than Pain. Pain is bossy, hot-tempered, and sly, but also clumsy and impulsive; he also seems to be less intelligent than Panic.

In the film, Hades sends them to kidnap baby Hercules, make him mortal, and kill him. However, they fail to kill him, and he keeps his godlike strength, allowing him to dispose of them before they have a chance to kill him. Not wanting Hades to know about their failure, they tell him that Hercules is dead. Many years later Hades discovers that Hercules is actually alive. Throughout the rest of the film, they are seen either cheering Hades's monsters on, buying Hercules' merchandise, grovelling to Hades, or using their powers to contact Meg. When Hades plots against Hercules, Pain and Panic lure and capture Pegasus by assuming the form of a female Pegasus. At the end of the film, Hades is punched into the river Styx, which they witness and hope he does not return.

Pain and Panic also appear in the Hercules TV series as Hades's lackeys. They also appear in the House of Mouse television series, usually along with Hades. They also appear in Kingdom Hearts II, where they are working for Hades and work at the Underdrome. Pain and Panic are also playable characters who are available to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.

Gods

Greek Gods

Zeus (voiced by Rip Torn in the film, Corey Burton in the TV series and Kingdom Hearts III, and Genzo Wakayama in Japanese in Kingdom Hearts III) is the ruler of Mount Olympus and king of the gods, as well as Hera's husband and father of most Olympian gods. Many eons ago, Zeus imprisoned the Titans, who threatened to destroy the world, deep beneath the ocean. Unbeknownst to Zeus, the next planetary alignment would reveal the location of the Titans' prison, and he is unaware his brother Hades was planning to release the Titans. Following Hercules's birth, Hades kidnaps him and makes him mortal to prevent the prophecy from coming true, as it would result in his defeat. When Hercules grows into a teenager and goes to his temple, Zeus tells him that he must become a "true hero" to rejoin the gods, which he later defines as something more than being famous. However, he refuses to clarify what it means as this is something that Hercules needs to figure out on his own, only telling Hercules to "look inside his heart". Zeus is later betrayed by Hades, but Hercules later saves him and Olympus. Hercules becomes a god after sacrificing himself to save Meg, as Zeus reveals that his son is finally a true hero and can be a god. Nonetheless, Zeus is supportive of his son's decision to remain with Meg on Earth.

Hera (voiced by Samantha Eggar) is the goddess of women and marriage and the queen of the gods. She is also Zeus's wife and mother of most Olympian gods.

Hermes (voiced by Paul Shaffer) is the messenger of the gods, who is frequently sent by Zeus to contact Hercules.

Apollo (voiced by Keith David) is the god of light and music and Artemis's twin brother, who drives the Solar chariot.

Amphitrite (voiced by Leslie Mann) is the goddess of the sea, Poseidon's wife, and Otus and Triton's mother.

Aphrodite (voiced by Lisa Kudrow) is the goddess of love, who is strong minded, feisty, and clever. She is Hephaestus's wife, but it is indicated that she is attracted to Phil, whom she is seen making out. As well, Hades is constantly trying to flirt with her, to no avail. In Hercules and the Dream Date, she brings Hercules' clay sculpture to life after he asks her for a favor.

Other Greek myths

The Fates are three deities who see the future and decide how long mortals live. They share a single eye among them, a trait taken from another mythological trio, the Graeae.

Clotho (voiced by Amanda Plummer in the film, Tress MacNeille in the TV series) is the Fate who spins the Thread of Life. She has green skin, wavy yellow worm-like hair and a long pointed chin. In the film, she is flattered by Hades.

Lachesis (voiced by Carole Shelley) is the Fate who measures the thread's length and decides how long mortals will live. She has blue skin and a long pointed nose.

Atropos (voiced by Paddi Edwards) is the Fate who cuts the thread. She is short, has purple skin, green serpent-like hair and is the only fate to have one eye socket. In "Hercules and the Tapestry of Fate", she has a crush on Hercules and flirts with him.

The Muses are the five goddesses who provide inspiration for the fine arts, who act as a girl group to narrate the story as a Greek chorus. The Muses also appear in Mickey Mouse Funhouse, where they reside in the Land of Myth and Legend.

Calliope (voiced by Lillias White) is the Muse of Epic Poetry, who wears a headband over her big, curly hair. She is the tallest Muse, and serves as their de facto leader.

Clio (voiced by Vaneese Thomas) is the Muse of History, who wears her hair in a ponytail.

Melpomene (voiced by Cheryl Freeman) is the long-haired, melodramatic Muse of Tragedy.

Terpsichore (voiced by LaChanze) is the Muse of Dance, who has short hair.

Thalia (voiced by Roz Ryan) is the short and plump, wisecracking Muse of Comedy.

Norse Gods

In the episode "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods", Hercules and Phil visit Valhalla and meet the Norse gods, including:

Loki (voiced by Vince Vaughn) – The cunning, manipulative god of mischief, who planned to have Hercules replace Thor as the god of thunder, allowing him to more easily bring about Ragnarok.

Odin (voiced by Garrison Keillor) – The one-eyed king of Valhalla, who is rather deadpan and often exasperated by Loki and Thor's antics.

Thor (voiced by David James Elliott) – The loud and aggressive god of thunder, who wields the hammer Mjolnir. He briefly loses his position to Hercules after being defeated by him in a duel; the challenge was actually fixed by Loki, who wanted Thor out of the way because he is predicted to avert Ragnarok.

Egyptian Gods

In "Hercules and the Romans", the gods of the Egyptian mythology earn temporary worship from the Roman Empire before the Greek pantheon assumes this role and they are driven away by Hercules and Icarus.

Ra (voiced by Stan Freberg) – A god with the head of a falcon.

Bastet – A goddess with the head of a cat.

Khnum – A god with the head of a ram.

Prometheus Academy

The Prometheus Academy is a fictional high school that appears in the Disney animated television series Hercules. Though set in Ancient Greece, specifically Athens, the academy shares many traits with modern educational institutions. It is coeducational, with both male and female students, and teaches subjects such as history, astronomy, shop class, theater arts, and "Home Greconomics".

As a teenager, Hercules attends the academy while training with Philoctetes to become a hero. Many other students at the academy are based on characters from mythology.

The academy was named after the Titan Prometheus, who brought fire from Mount Olympus, the metaphorical "light of reason", to mankind, and was punished by Zeus by being chained to a rock and having his liver pecked out by an eagle each day for eternity. A bronze statue depicting Prometheus and his punishment is the central point of the academy's courtyard.

Prometheus Academy students

Icarus (voiced by French Stewart) is Hercules' best friend, who escaped from the Labyrinth with his father Daedalus on wax wings. He became "brain-fried" after flying too close to the Sun, but despite his accident, he still flies when he gets the chance. He is very adaptable, but can be jealous and act irrationally. Daedalus is a teacher at the academy, but Icarus does not acknowledge his parents' divorce. Icarus flirts with Cassandra at every opportunity he gets, despite Cassandra not reciprocating his feelings. After graduating, he goes into inventing with his father and makes a fortune, earning the commercial title "The Wax-Wing King". Phil says that in adulthood, Icarus helps his father with inventions.

Cassandra (voiced by Sandra Bernhard) is the other best friend of Hercules, an attractive yet anti-social girl. She is the daughter of Vic (Fred Willard) and Evelyn (Georgia Engel), who is cursed with the ability to foresee catastrophic events, but never to be believed. When one of these prophetic trances overcome her, she becomes immobile, which Icarus calls her "Cassandra-Vision". Cassandra is constantly annoyed by Icarus's flirtatious behavior towards her, but tolerates his presence because before Hercules joined the trio, she had no friends besides him. But even after she befriended Hercules, she still continues to socialize with Icarus, even admitting to him that she considers him a good friend. In adulthood, Cassandra's visions have made her famous, even getting her own public show.

Adonis (voiced by Diedrich Bader) is the cowardly and narcissistic prince of Thrace, who believes that anything can be solved with power and money. He bullies Hercules and Icarus every chance he gets, but sometimes can be their friend. He also annoys the gods, which resulted in Gaia putting a curse on him once. In "Hercules and the Yearbook" at graduation, he was one credit short and had to attend summer school as a result.

Anaxarete (voiced by Cree Summer) is Hercules's girlfriend during "Hercules and the Jilt Trip", who later breaks up with him.

Andromeda (voiced by Kath Soucie) is a new student who attracts Hercules's attention.

Ajax (grunts by Frank Welker) is a barbarian student with poor hygiene.

Prometheus Academy staff

The following are the faculty members of Prometheus Academy:

Parentheses (voiced by Eric Idle) is the principal.

Cassiopeia (voiced by Alice Ghostley) is the poetry professor.

Phys Oedipus (voiced by Richard Simmons) is the Physical Education professor.

Miss Thespius (voiced by Kathy Najimy) is the drama professor. She has very long, ankle-length, brown hair worn in a ponytail.

Daedalus (voiced by David Hyde Pierce) is the ProAc Shop Class Instructor, Icarus's father, and greatest inventor of all antiquity.

Herodotus (voiced by Paul Reubens in his first appearance, Jess Harnell in his second appearance) is the strict History professor.

Pygmalion (voiced by Calvert DeForest) is the Art professor, who is married to a statue of a woman that Aphrodite brought to life.

Ptolemy (voiced by George Takei) is an Astronomy Instructor.

Aesop (voiced by Bob Keeshan) is the Storytime Instructor for ProAc Jr (Prometheus Junior Academy).

Euphrosyne (voiced by Melissa Manchester) is the Home Greconomics Professor.

Linus (voiced by Jason Marsden) is the Music professor.

Euclid is the Geometry professor.

Jr. Prometheus Academy students

The junior school attached to Prometheus Academy. The students that attend are also figures from mythology or ancient history, but are preteen versions of these characters before they became famous. One of their teachers is Mr. Aesop, who tells stories, his eponymous fables, to teach students.

Alcides (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh)

Alex (voiced by Courtland Mead) is a kid whose sandals are always untied because he has trouble with knots. Just like his historical counterpart, Alex would become Alexander the Great and solve the Gordian Knot by slicing it.

Brutus (voiced by Pamela Adlon) is a centaur foal.

Callista (voiced by Lacey Chabert)

Phillip (voiced by Ryan O'Donohue) is a kid with teething troubles.

Heroes

Achilles (voiced by Dom Irrera) is an old hero who everyone has forgotten except for Hercules. He was once trained by Phil, but failed due to his heel.

Agamemnon (voiced by Patrick Warburton) is a famous hero who is the drill sergeant for the Spar O.T.C.

Alectryon (voiced by Steve Hytner) is a guard and former student of Philoctetes, who was turned into a rooster for falling asleep on guard duty and crows to wake people up.

Bellerophon (voiced by David Schramm) is the hero king of Corinth, who takes Pegasus in and names him "Ignatius". With help from Pegasus, Bellerophon is able to defeat the Chimera.

Cletus (voiced by Charles Kimbrough) is Bellerophon's servant.

Butes (voiced by Steven Wright) is the beekeeper from the Argo.

Chiron (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson in his first appearance, Louis Gossett Jr. in his second appearance) is a centaur and hero, who is now a famous hero-trainer and author. He is both a rival and friend to Phil and a hunting buddy of Nestor and Meleager.

Hippocrates (voiced by Mandy Patinkin) is the World's First Doctor. He cures people of plague and is capable of bringing the dead back to life, much to the dismay of Hades.

Hylas (voiced by Rocky Carroll) is "the bad boy of rowing". In "Hercules and the Poseidon Cup Adventure", he was on Adonis' team until he got injured and Hercules ended up taking over.

Jason (voiced by William Shatner) is the leader of the Argonauts.

Lynceus (voiced by Larry Miller) is the helmsman of the Argo.

Supporting

Bob (voiced by Charlton Heston in the film and Robert Stack in the TV series) is an incorporeal voice who opens most episodes and is sometimes helped by the Muses, who act as a Greek chorus. Bob has a wife named Mrs. Bob and two children named Tiffany and Chad. Their only appearance on screen is in the episode "Return of Typhon", when Bob is convinced by the Muses to take a holiday.

Demetrius (voiced by Wayne Knight) is a pottery salesman who owns a pottery shop. He barely tolerates Hercules out of fear of him breaking his pottery, but the loss of his shop angers him to the point that he orders Amphitryon to keep him away from the marketplace.

Amphitryon (voiced by Hal Holbrook) is a mortal farmer and Hercules' father, who is protective of him.

Alcmene (voiced by Barbara Barrie) is Amphitryon's wife and Hercules' mother, who is friendly and loving.

Charon is the rower of the ferry in the Underworld.

Circe (voiced by Idina Menzel) is a sorceress who, while looking for suitable boyfriends, turns most of the male cast into various animals.

Chipacles (voiced by Mike Connors) is the head city-state police officer for the Athens Police Department, who takes his job very seriously.

Croesus (voiced by Wayne Newton) is the richest man in the world and owner of Atlantis City, whose vast wealth causes the Gods and the Fates to give in to his bribes. He once had Pain and Panic capture Cassandra after bribing Hades so that the vision of Atlantis City sinking would not come true. He even bribed the Fates to declare the vision false. After Homer was also captured, Hercules goes to rescue Cassandra and Homer, causing Croesus to bribe Poseidon to send Scylla to attack Hercules. Their fight accidentally caused the Fates to cut the Atlantis City banner, causing Cassandra's vision to come true and the Fates to flee back to Fate Mountain.

Creatures

Acheron (voiced by Joel Murray) and Ocnus (voiced by Kathy Kinney) are a giant spider and giant mosquito duo who tried to prey off of Hercules and the Jr. Prometheus Academy students.

Arachne (voiced by Vicki Lewis) is a spider-like monster who is the guardian of the Tapestry of Fate; she only became a guardian because her mother said she should see the world and eat exotic people. She appears in "Hercules and the Tapestry of Fate"., where she attempts to eat Hercules and Icarus, but is unsuccessful. When Hades changed the Tapestry, Arachne was reduced to minding the cave where the Tapestry used to be.

Argus Panoptes (voiced by Harvey Fierstein) is a multi-eyed monster who has a history with Hermes, and appears in "Hercules and the Bacchanal".

Briareos (voiced by Reggie Miller) is a Hecatonchires. In this show, Briareos is a giant that can conjure arms from the ground and water. He is also a fan of the comic book hero Myklos.

The Caucasian Eagle (voiced by Jerry Stiller) is a giant eagle who was ordered by Zeus to eat Prometheus's liver every day. It appears in "Hercules and the Prometheus Affair". Hercules battled the eagle while trying to free Prometheus; after Hercules freed the Titan, the Eagle allied with Hades, who briefly turned him into a fiery phoenix to battle Hercules again.

Catoblepas (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) is a bull monster that Phil once fought, who appears in "Hercules and the Phil Factor".

The Centaurs are a race of creatures who are half-man and half-horse.

Nessus (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a large centaur who is known as the "River Guardian". He is a minor villain and, in the film, is the first monster Hercules fought in his journey to become a true hero. Hades wanted to recruit Nessus into his army and sent Meg to do so, but Nessus wanted Meg to be his lover in exchange. She refused, but this only made Nessus more persistent. However, Hercules intervenes and defeats him in a fight.