Ares
From Legendary Journeys
Ares was the Greek God of War and a son of Zeus and Hera. Ares was portrayed as being the funny, stylistic one of the Gods. The archetypical ideal of the warlords, tall, dark, handsome, with well-groomed sideburns, a swaggering walk, and wearing black studded leather that leaves his muscular arms bare. He is a reccuring character in both, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. He is Hercules brother, and is obsessed, and later in love, with Xena.
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[edit] Characterization and Personality
Despite the often chaotic results of his worshipers actions, Ares sees himself as a subtle strategist, as befits the god of war, rather than the god of brawling. He also comes across as a curious mix of sportsman and cheater.
In his relations with the other Olympians, he relies on the fact that they need him, so he usually runs his own agendas with little regard to the wishes of his colleagues. He’s genuinely fond of his sister Aphrodite, though he seldom lets it show. Discord and Deimos (and his predecessor Strife before his death) are his junior partners, whom he bullies and directs.
His relationships outside the Olympians include competitive rivalry with Kal and a treasonous pact with Dahak.
And, finally, he’s obsessed with the two greatest heroes of Greece: Hercules (whom he wants to destroy), and Xena (whom he wants back). Most of his schemes these days are centred on those.
He often attempts to lure Xena away from her quest with Gabrielle, to join him as his Warrior Queen. He offers her huge armies and historic victories, great wealth and great power, and in later seasons his love -- offers which she consistently rejects despite being sometimes tempted. Ares is responsible for giving Xena the Chakram.
[edit] Powers
Ares possesses most of the abilities of a god. He has shown superstrength at times and cannot feel pain or be killed unless affected by Hind's blood or more powerful gods such as Dahak. Ares can teleport around Earth and to Mt. Olympus at will. He can also turn invisible to everyone or just certain people, though it has been shown that Xena can sense his presence even when invisible. His offensive powers are fire balls and lightning bolts. He also has telekinetic abilities, can heal people or bring them back to life, and time travel as seen in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys episodes Armageddon Now part 1 and 2. Ares possesses combat prowess similar to Hercules and Xena. He is also a great swordsman. Ares has had several sidekicks, including Strife, Discord and Deimos. His favorite warrior is Xena and he tries to use Serena but ends up killing her. Ares also has a demon-dog creature named Greigus in the first season of Hercules that he tries to use to kill Hercules but fails.
Ares is shown to be a skillfull manipulator and a master strategist.
[edit] Xena First Season
Ares framed her for murdering three villagers in the hope that she would call on him for help when threatened with execution. He also takes the shape of her long-lost father Atrius and nearly tricks her into attacking a village. However, these plans are thwarted by Xena and Gabrielle.The Reckoning,Ties That Bind
[edit] Hercules and Xena Third and Second Season
Ares joined forces with Xena's now-dead archenemy Callisto and engineered a body switch so that Callisto's soul occupied Xena's body while Xena was trapped in Tartarus. He seemed to be grooming Callisto-in-Xena's body to be his new Warrior Queen, and had sex with her, but later turned away from her, realizing that she was too madly obsessed with revenge against Xena and too uncontrollable. Xena, who had persuaded Hades to release her, was able to send Callisto back to Tartarus. Intimate Stranger
After losing his godhood due to Sisyphus' trickery, he needed Xena's help to get it back; Xena reluctantly agreed to help him after realizing that the world needed a God of War and Ares was the best man for the job. As a mortal, Ares showed a new humanity and conscience, but after getting his godhood back he seemed to revert to his former cold-hearted self. Ten Little Warlords
[edit] Hercules and Xena Fourth and Third Season
Ares had sired a child with the now-mortal Goddess of Retribution, Nemesis. The child, Evander, was born with supernatural abilities. Ares wanted to take the boy from Nemesis and raise him to be loyal to him, hoping to use him as a weapon against Hercules. However, Hercules and Iolaus managed to foil his plan and return the child to his mother. Two Men and a Baby
Later, Ares teamed up with Callisto, now a goddess, to trap Hercules in a passageway between parallel world. Callisto (working with Dahak's daughter Hope) then turned on Ares, badly beat him in a hand-to-hand fight, and used a dagger dipped in the blood of a golden hind to kill Strife.
Ares' relationship with Xena grew more complicated; he was still trying to win her back to the fold, but also tried to form an alliance with her to fight the evil god Dahak. Under threat from Dahak, Ares ended up briefly switching sides until Dahak was defeated by Xena.
Ares plotted with his mother Hera to kill Zeus.
[edit] Hercules Fifth and Sixth Season
During Dahak's attack in Greece, Dahak tells his followers to kill the god who helped him out, that is, Ares. Hercules sends Morrigan and Nebula to protect Ares, because Ares dying allows Dahak to grow stronger. Morrigan and Nebula protect Ares, fighting white robed goons. Hercules talks to Dahak. Ares turns on Morrigan and Nebula, letting them be attacked, while he makes his way to the temple where Hercules is trying to exorcise Iolus from Dahak's grasp. Ares gets his powers back, following the defeat of Dahak.
Later Ares chases Hercules into the alternative realm. Hercules learns that Nebula is the evil empress in the parallel world. Ares and the Sovereign fight because Ares has hinds blood. Ares stabs the Sovereign with the hinds blood knife and kills him, giving Hercules pains Hercules free the gods, with Iolaus tagging along. Ares and Nebula do the nasty, courtesy of the parallel god of love. Ares finds Hercules in the maze, and they fight, and eventually Hercules escapes.
Hercules turns invisible and Ares tortures him, as part of a curse planned by Discord, Deimos and Ares.
Ares and Hercules briefly teamed up to stop the Archangel Michael from destroying the world by unleashing the Apocalypse.
Ares was back to plotting against Zeus, this time by releasing two of the Titans once imprisoned by the Gods, but Hercules and Iolaus stopped him again.
[edit] Xena Fifth Season
After the Fates prophesied that Xena's child Eve would bring about the end of the Olympian gods, Ares tried to declare his love for Xena, offering to protect her and her baby from the other gods and willingly become mortal if they could be together and have a child of their own. Ares offers to take Xena away but she declines. Xena rushes to stop the battle and surrenders her daughter. Just as Athena is about to kill Eve, Ares intercedes and begins to fight Athena. Xena takes on Ilainus and kills her while Gabrielle and the villagers force Athena's army to retreat. Athena disappears with Ilainus' body. With the battle over, Ares wishes to pick up where he left off with Xena. Xena rejected his offer, refusing to believe that his feelings could be sincere.
When Xena and Gabrielle faked their deaths to escape the gods' persecution, Ares inadvertently thwarted their plans by burying them in an ice cave where they slept for 25 years. After mourning Xena for years, Ares unknowingly took Eve (now the Roman warrior Livia) as his protegée and lover. When Xena returned, he resumed his pursuit of her; enraged by her continuing rejection, he first encouraged Livia/Eve to kill her, and then joined the other Olympians in their effort to kill Eve. At the last minute, however, his love for Xena prevailed, and he gave up his godhood to heal the mortally wounded Gabrielle and Eve.
[edit] Xena Sixth Season
After the Twilight of the Gods (Olympian Massacre), the Olympian worship died out and Ares was no longer allowed to act as patron god of warriors. Early in season 6 he was driven mad by the Furies, a plot that was devised in order to pit Xena against Ares and have one or both of them kill each other. As Xena and Gabrielle head out to find Ares, Fury Xena is belittling him into such a rage that he dives for her, threatening her life. She vanishes and when Ares looks up, he sees the real Xena, who tries to make him realize that the Furies are driving him mad. Unable to convince him, Xena dodges his blows and escapes, concluding that Ares must kill her in order to be released from the clutches of the Furies. Xena was able to defeat the Furies, and, as mortals, they were both able to share a tender, sweet moment together. Coming Home
Xena risked her life to save the now-mortal Ares from the Furies. Xena helped Ares again, hiding him from vengeful warlords on her family's farm. Gasgar, the warlord decides to dispatch his army when young Siki reveals that he followed Ares and two women to the Lacoon Valley. Meanwhile, Xena, Gabrielle and Ares get word from a concerned neighbor named Greba that Gasgar's army is headed their way. Xena immediately sets off to intercept him. When Xena enters Gasgar's tent, she claims she has come to present him with Ares' head on a platter. Gasgar insists he doesn't need her help, but becomes interested when Xena tells him she knows where Ares is. Xena and Gabrielle stage a fight to the unsuspecting Gaspar heads off in search of Ares, once again in the wrong direction. Later that day, Xena and Gabrielle return to the farm with Horace, whose owner has been convinced that the dog will be better off there, and they bid farewell to Ares. Old Ares Had a Farm
While in Rome when Xena tries to stop Caligula. Ares slips into the crowd. Xena jumps out of the chariot and lands in front of Caligula. She goes to kill him, but Ares runs from the crowd and pushes her aside. He tells an angry Xena that if she kills Caligula, she also kills Aphrodite. He says the lives of Caligula and Aphrodite are bound together somehow. Later Ares tells Xena that the God of Love becomes unbalanced without the God of War. Later in the palace, Caligula brings out Ares and tells Xena to kill him. Xena says okay, but there's a floor show Cinda and I used to do and we'd like to perform it first. She gets all hot with Ares and asks Caligula if he'd like to participate. He says no. Xena goes to him and kisses him and bites his lip. Ares and Gabrielle watch Xena seduce Caligula. Xena goes back to Ares and kisses his nipple. When Xena defeats Caligula, Ares helps Aphrodite adjust to being mortal. The God You Know
Nigle a reporter attempts to interview the mortal Ares. Drunk, Ares scoffs at the idea of Xena becoming his queen. After mentioning that other Greek gods escaped the Twilight, Nigel hears a voice and storms into the dilapidated shack. There, he finds Xena, and is thrown out by Ares. Xena restored his godhood with a golden apple wrested from Odin, but refused his offer to become a goddess and rule by his side. You Are There
Ares and Xena were once again adversaries as she foiled his plot to get the Amazons into a war with the Romans in order to gain more worshipers. However, they also seemed to share a new mutual understanding and acceptance. Path Of Vengence
[edit] Notable Kills
[edit] Background
- Ares was played by Kevin Smith.
- The Ares Monster was played by Mark Newnham and voiced by Al Chalk.
[edit] Related Articles
- Sword of Ares
- Halls of War
- Ares: with Detachable Weapons of War action figure
