In Early Access, Hades 2 had an ending… of sorts. But it foretold much more to come, which players are now finally getting to experience with the game’s full release. Now that the full game has arrived, Melinoe’s nightly excursions above and below build up to the game’s true ending. The story of Hades 2 doesn’t unravel in linear fashion. Instead, you’ll need to speak with everyone you meet and learn the trajectory of the narrative via conversation and key points of interest. But it’s a story, and an ending, well worth working towards.
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When playing through Hades 2, you’re more or less working towards two interconnected final boss fights. The first unfolds through Melinoe’s efforts to defeat Chronos and take back the Underworld. But before too long, her family requests help on the second front – Olympus. Therefore, to truly get the full ending for Hades 2, you will need to prevail against Chronos and reach the heights of Olympus. But defeating Chronos just once won’t be enough. He is an immortal Titan, after all.
Hades 2 Follows a Protagonist Who Has Trained for One Purpose Her Entire Life
Melinoe doesn’t truly remember her family, as Chronos separated them when she was very young. Instead, she was raised by Hecate, the Witch of the Crossroads. Together, the two witches work to unravel Time itself, with the aid of the Greek Gods and Goddesses alongside many other key figures from Greek Mythology. Most of Melinoe’s extended family never knew she had survived Chronos’ initial attack on the Underworld, and she is meeting most of them for the first time as she sets about her task.
To truly get everything out of the story of Hades 2, you’ll want to speak with everyone – especially characters who have an exclamation point over their heads in the Crossroads. It’s through these conversations that you learn of Melinoe’s past – her rivalry with Nemesis, her connection with Artemis and Selene, and of course, her relationship with Hecate herself. Major events, such as your first defeat of Chronos, will unlock new remarks from every character, adding more depth and breadth to Melinoe’s story.
Through this dialogue, you learn of Melinoe’s dedication to her family and her purpose. She is determined to defeat Chronos and reclaim her family’s place in the Underworld. But she’s also willing to go to the surface when called, even learning an incantation to overcome her birthright. As a being of the Underworld, Melinoe shouldn’t be able to go to the surface, and yet… she finds a way. Through her witchcraft, Melinoe is able to defy even the rules of her godly heritage and do the near impossible – including, she hopes, defeating Time himself.
Melinoe Must Connect With Her Brother to Truly Stop Time
Once Melinoe defeats Chronos for the first time, the nature of her true task begins to unfold. While Chronos is temporarily unmade, Melinoe makes contact with her brother, Zagreus, in the past. This connection is the key to the true plan that she and Hecate have cooked up. Melinoe tasks her brother with learning more of Chronos in his time, before the Titan returns and unseats Hades. As a player, that means you have to beat Chronos several more times, gathering materials and intelligence to cast a final incantation that will defeat Time for good. For Melinoe, it means convincing the brother she can’t remember of who she is, and that he can truly aid in her task.
From there, your path to the ending of the Chronos plot is all about defeating him, time and time again. Each time, you will gather more Zodiac Sand and enjoy a brief time to chat with Zagreus about his search to learn more about Chronos. Time is hidden away, healing from the Gods’ last attempt on his life, but Melinoe is convinced her brother holds the key to sealing him away for good. As you persist in your task, it becomes clear that not even the other Gods and Goddesses understand Melinoe’s true plan. Together with Hecate and Zagreus, she works to uncover the secret to cast Dissolution of Time, which will stop Chronos from coming back after he is defeated.
The first component of this final incantatio is 5 Z-Sand, which means vanquishing Chronos at least five times. But the other ingredient is a bit of a mystery at first. Along with the incantation, Melinoe and Zagreus must also work out a weapon powerful enough to vanquish Chronos. After you get the amount of Z-Sand you need for the Incantation, Zagreus will figure out that Gigaros is the weapon you need, bringing you even closer to defeating Time itself… sort of.
Hades 2 Has Two Final Bosses, Who You Must Defeat Multiple Times
Before you can reach the true ending, you’ll also need to get ahold of Entropy, which you can only get by defeating Typhon, the final boss on the surface. You will need another incantation to do this, Disintegration of Monstrosity, which requires 4 V-Lens and the weapon Gigaros. Like Chronos, you must take down this mighty foe multiple times before you’ll have enough V-Lens to cast the incantation. This is no easy task, as Typhon is a truly terrifying monster who requires even more effort to defeat than Chronos himself. His HP bar is hidden from you, so it’s tough to see your progress. But eventually, with the aid of the Gods, Melinoe can defeat Typhon.
In true Roguelike fashion, you will need to contend with these two final bosses multiple times before you reach the end. In total, you’ll need to defeat Chronos at least 7 times and Typhon at least 5 to acquire all of the materials you need to unlock the ending.
To truly reach the ending of Hades 2, you will need to have Gigaros, which Zagreus gifts Melinoe after you defeat Chronos enough times. Then, you will need to slay Typhon, gain Entropy, and cast Dissolution of Time. From there, Melinoe will face Chronos one final time. This is how you will reach the final ending and the post-game content of Hades 2.
The True Hades 2 Ending Ensures a Continued Roguelike Postgame
Ultimately, the end of your fight against Time is one that some players find disappointing. After all that work to find the true way to unravel time, Melinoe ultimately decides to spare Chronos after the two have a brief conversation. So, you never do truly kill Time, which can feel like a bit of a letdown. But of course, actually destroying Time itself would probably not be the wisest move. On top of that, this ending ensures that the “true ending” is only the beginning, allowing continued gameplay for players to enjoy postgame. This includes the final defeat of Typhon and a trip to meet the Greek Gods and Goddesses in person atop Olympus.
After Melinoe spares Chronos, we uncover a kinder, happier version of Chronos, who tasks Melinoe with eliminating the past remnants of his darker self from the Underworld. This is all thanks to some time travel shenanigans and Zagreus’ decisions in the past, which lead Chronos to see another path. Of course, he then has to make sure that path remains open by dealing with the less friendly version Melinoe has come to know. Who better to tackle those remnants than Melinoe herself?
Though some players may find the ending disappointing, it is certainly surprising and unexpected. It also means that, while the story itself is more or less complete, players can continue to explore the depths of the Underworld, ticking off final tasks from the Fates and the Oath of the Unseen. This also leaves more time for you to build relationships and truly uncover the vast nooks and crannies that the story in Hades 2 has to offer.
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