Every god in the KAOS cast: Orpheus, Prometheus & more mythology explained

❘ Published: 2024-08-30T13:36:45

Netflix

Was Greek mythology your favorite topic in school? Oh boy, do we have the show for you. Whether you’ve watched it or not, let’s dive into the stories of every main god in the KAOS cast.

From Prometheus to Riddy and Medusa, KAOS has no shortage of recognizable names. These fictional behemoths lord over lightning, love, and the seas.

This new TV show doesn’t take the typical approach though. This is a modern retelling instead of the far-flung past in a fictionalized Greece. The Sopranos of godliness.

From Poseidon’s trident to Medusa’s (literally) breathtaking locks, we’ve broken down the deities’ powers, what they represent, and how they’re different in the Netflix KAOS cast.

Jeff Goldblum as Zeus

Zeus needs little introduction. Any Greek mythology story is likely to feature the king of the gods. Zeus commands the skies, lightning, thunder, fate, and law. An all-powerful leader should be just and fair, but Greek mythology is as messy as human history.

Zeus is infamous for his extra-marital affairs. He fathered countless children with other women despite being wed to Hera – some of them full-blooded gods, and some demi-gods because of frolics with mortals. His icon is a lightning bolt, and art depicts him as a middle-aged man with an impressive beard.

His stories range from ones of great heroics to tales that make him sound terrifying. The crux of Zeus’ mythology is that he’s deeply flawed but immensely powerful. He lords over his children and creations while having complicated love-hate relationships with them.

Janet McTeer as Hera

Hera is the Goddess of marriage, women, and family. The pomegranate is the symbol most associated with her, connotating beauty, fertility, and immortality.

The queen of the gods is jealous and vengeful (who can blame her), often taking it out on Zeus’ many lovers and their offspring. Her children include Ares (god of war), Hebe (goddess of youth), and Hephaestus (god of blacksmiths).

Because of her marriage to the chief deity, it’s easy to cast Hera as a victim. She’s anything but. She’s scorned instead of sad in the most interesting adaptations. She often had her own agenda, and while her relationship with Zeus is real, she’s powerful enough to not just be an extension of him.

Aurora Perrineau as Eurydice/”Riddy”

Eurydice was a mortal wood nymph, spiritually connected to trees. She’s most renowned for her tragic love story with Orpheus, which led them both to disaster when she died from a snake bite and ended up in the underworld.

Her death and Orpheus’ attempts to bring her back are central to her story, so she’s often a symbol of love and the inevitability of losing it eventually.

Nicknamed “Riddy” in KAOS, Eurydice is married to Orpheus but has an affair with Caneus. The show takes refreshing steps to add layers to her outside of her relationship with Orpheus.

Killian Scott as Orpheus

Orpheus is a world-famous musician in KAOS, inspired by his mythology. He’s notable for his musical talent, often depicted playing the lyre. His music could charm creatures and plants, and he represents love and artistry.

However, he’s the other side of the coin in this tragic love story. Orpheus desperately tried to retrieve Eurydice from the underworld after her death. He nearly succeeded, making the failure that much worse.

He typically meets a tragic end after living in despair without his wife. Their story has inspired many works of art, though, which he’d surely appreciate.

Misia Butler as Caneus

Born a woman named Caenis, Caeneus was transformed into a man by Poseidon as a reward for granting him her favor. This transformation made Caeneus nearly invulnerable. His skin became impenetrable, making him a uniquely powerful warrior.

His most notable tale is one of woe. He fought in a battle against Centaurs, who, after being unable to wound him, buried him alive under logs and rocks.

Caeneus symbolizes reinvention and the fluidity of identity. This makes the character a great jumping-off point for trans stories and thematically exploring gender. The KAOS cast made full use of this, with trans actor Misia Butler bringing him to life.

He told Radio Times, “To experience such incredible writing that really allows for a trans character, trans-masculine character, to have such character outside of their identity, is really special. I think that it doesn’t happen so often, and I feel very blessed for that.”

David Thewlis as Hades

This isn’t Thewlis’ first time playing a deity. He appeared as the god of war, Ares, in Wonder Woman. He also got cozy with The Endless in Netflix’s The Sandman, so clearly he can’t get enough of this stuff.

Hades is the god of the underworld, overseeing the natural order. He’s dark, but not morally evil. He’s also not the god of death itself, instead ruling over the dead and the underworld. His other name, Plouton, means wealthy, so Hades is connected to natural riches like precious minerals and fertile land.

In Greek mythology, he kidnapped his niece, Persephone. This led to the creation of the seasons as her mother, Demeter (the goddess of agriculture), grieved her. KAOS flips the script on this, instead making he and Persephone’s relationship consensual.

Rakie Ayola as Persephone

Persephone’s story is not a nice one. She was picking flowers in the fields when Hades kidnapped her and took her to the underworld, where she was forced to be his wife. Zeus is Persephone’s father, making the myth… it’s all very Game of Thrones.

Demeter stopped prioritizing the world’s harvest after her daughter was abducted, resulting in famine. Zeus demanded Hades release Persephone, but Hades had tricked her into consuming a pomegranate seed. No biggie, right? Well, eating it meant she could no longer completely return to the world of the living.

Instead, she had to spend one-third of the year in the underworld, and the rest with Demeter. As much as she’s connected to Hades, her tragedy really represents her mother’s love.

This is untrue in KAOS’ canon (minor spoiler ahead). She rips into Hera for spreading the lie. “They pity me, they think I was kidnapped, raped, in some cases. And a pomegranate? I don’t eat pomegranate, I’m allergic. They think I don’t love Hades,” she says in Episode 8.

Cliff Curtis as Poseidon

Aquaman, basically. Poseidon is one of the most famous Greek gods and commands the seas. He’s usually in conflict with his brothers, Zeus and Hades, and wants to get out from under their thumb.

By far one of the most physically powerful gods, Poseidon’s iconography has been used countless times in fiction. He’s also known for his moody character – a change in his temperament could cause calm seas or massive storms.

Like how Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman are DC’s trinity, Greek mythology also has a ‘big three’: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The three brothers divided the world among themselves after beating the Titans.

KAOS’ version is more of a supercriminal, smoking cigars and controlling the waters.

Stephen Dillane as Prometheus

Prometheus is the Titan descendant who was cursed for stealing fire from Mount Olympus and giving it to humanity. This enabled civilization to progress. He was tortured endlessly for this gift by Zeus, who bound him to a rock so that an eagle could nibble on his regenerating liver every day for eternity.

Hercules eventually saved him, much to the glee of mortals. As such, he began to be interpreted as a champion of humanity later and the fight against oppression (in this case, oppression is a serial cheater with around two million children).

Prometheus has inspired many stories; there’s even an Alien movie named after him. He’s a symbol of the pursuit of enlightenment, which is why Ridley Scott aptly used his name for a film about people who wanted to understand their place in the stars and meet their engineers.

His name means “forethought.” He’s the KAOS cast’s narrator, so Dillane’s voice introduces key characters and sets the stage.

Nabhaan Rizwan as Dionysus

Dionysus is the god of wine and festivity. He represents the ecstatic and liberating aspects of life, or hedonism, depending on how conservative you are. His most unusual traits are his dual nature and the fact he was born twice.

He’s both joyous and destructive, symbolizing the yin and yang of order and chaos. As for the born twice thing, his mother Semele birthed him then he was later reborn from Zeus’ thigh. We’re really getting into the meat of it now!

Dionysus is often accompanied by Maenads (essentially groupies), who partake in his… celebrations.

Debi Mazar as Medusa

Medusa is often depicted as a villain in stories inspired by Greek mythology. Once a beautiful maiden, Athena cursed Medusa, transforming her into a Gorgon with snakes for hair and a gaze that will turn your unexpecting hero to stone! She’s not a god, but a prominent figure nonetheless.

A lot of literature about Medusa explores what could be perceived as misogyny in her back story (one of the most fun things about Greek mythology is how it can be reinterpreted). Medusa can symbolize female rage, power, and victimization, to some people. Her image has been recontextualized in various feminist works of art.

Her transformation was a punishment for ‘vanity’ or, in some versions of the story, due to being assaulted by Poseidon in Athena’s temple. She was later killed by Perseus, who used her severed head as a weapon.

The show unfortunately doesn’t do a whole lot with her but it was still great to see her included.

Those are the gods and their companions in the KAOS cast! Though there are many smaller side characters too, so have fun spotting them all.

Read why the KAOS creator doesn’t want to hear your Greek mythology accuracy complaints or about the KAOS Easter egg you definitely missed for more. Also, check out other TV shows streaming.