Charon

Charon (Greek: Χάρων) was the ferryman of the Underworld and a boss in God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Quick Answers

What role does Charon play in Greek mythology?

Charon, in Greek mythology, is the underworld's ferryman who transports deceased souls across the rivers Styx and Acheron, the divide between the living and the dead. The souls must provide a gold coin to board his boat or be left to roam the docks. Charon is frequently portrayed with a scythe and a golden mask.

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How does Charon's role in 'God of War: Chains of Olympus' differ from his mythological role?

Charon's role in 'God of War: Chains of Olympus' differs from his mythological role as he is depicted as an undead ferryman serving Hades and Persephone, a role he despises. He is portrayed as a tall, gaunt figure with a golden mask and a large scythe. In mythology, he is simply the ferryman of the River Styx. The game sees Charon refusing to ferry the living Kratos, leading to a battle that ends with Kratos defeating him and gaining the power of Charon's Wrath.

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What rivers does Charon ferry the souls of the dead across in Greek mythology?

Charon, the underworld's ferryman in Greek mythology, transports the deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron, which divide the realm of the living from the dead. A gold coin is required for a soul to board Charon's boat, failing which, the soul is doomed to roam the docks.

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What happens to the souls who cannot pay Charon's fee?

Souls unable to meet Charon's fee are condemned to roam the docks, relying on the charity of others for a spare coin. The dying traditionally place a gold coin under their tongue or over their eyes, providing their souls with the necessary fare for the ferryman.

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Greek Mythology

In Greek mythology, Charon was the ferryman of the underworld who ferried the souls of the dead across the rivers of Styx and Acheron which separated the world of the living from the world of the dead. In order to board the ferryman's boat a dead soul must pay Charon with a gold coin in order to go on board, otherwise, the soul has to wander the docks as a beggar and pray for anyone to give him/her a spare coin. Those who are dying place a gold coin under their tongue or over their eyes so that their souls would have a coin in order to pay the ferryman.

God of War Series

God of War: Ascension

Charon does not actually appear in this game but can be considered a Primordial being (although not necessarily an Olympian god), since he's a son of Nyx.

It's unknown if Charon took part in the war of the Primordials. Albeit having enough power to knock out Kratos once, he doesn't seem to be powerful enough to have participated in this war and survived it. Even his powers in Chains of Olympus seem to come from Persephone, and not from himself.

Since Charon's past was never mentioned or revealed in the Series, it's possible that, in the God of War Mythos, Charon would have been a very powerful being, like the other Primordials, but would have died in the war, making him become the undead ferryman seen in Chains of Olympus. It's also possible that he was a demigod, but still a mortal, like the Jailer of Tartarus, and that after he died, he served Hades and Persephone for the rest of eternity.

Chains of Olympus

In God of War: Chains of Olympus, Charon is depicted as a tall, gaunt man with pale skin. He wears dark robes with several decapitated heads attached to them, and a golden mask covering his skull-like face. As a weapon, he carries a large, deadly scythe, which he also uses as a walking stick. It appears that Charon despises his job as ferryman, as he tells Kratos. Kratos comes to Charon's docks upon the River Styx. Upon arrival, the ferryman refuses to give Kratos passage, as he is still living, so the two of them fight for the control of the ship. After a short battle, however, Charon knocks Kratos unconscious and throws him into the depths of Tartarus.

After Kratos obtains the Gauntlet of Zeus and escapes Tartarus, he once again encounters Charon. After destroying the three pillars that Charon use to regain health, and weakening him enough, Kratos impales him with Charon's Scythe. However, Charon manages to survive, and eventually, Kratos grabs hold of him and continues to beat his face until he dies, defeating him once and for all. Upon defeating Charon, Kratos then takes the ferryman's golden mask, which gives him the power of Charon's Wrath.

God of War III

Although Charon does not make an appearance in God of War III, there is a carving of him on the gate to Persephone's Shrine.

Powers and Abilities

Charon has a large plethora of powers. First off, he can move with great speed and deliver fast, long range swipes with his scythe, a 5-hit-combo that can be blocked (except when his scythe strikes from behind) with the sun shield as well as green orbs and he also has vast strength, stamina, agility, durability, endurance, and accuracy. He can dissipate into the ground and then reappear at another location, making it hard for Kratos to attack him. He can summon green orbs, which he then hurls at Kratos.

Finally, he can also blast a cloud of green ravenous flames from his mask, which does rapid, continuous damage to Kratos if he gets hit. Charon can also control his ferry to unleash an incredible wave of energy onto the deck, killing everything in its' way instantly. He also could charge his scythe with energy. When slammed into the ground, it released shockwaves.

Along with being a son of Nyx, making him a dark protegonoi god and brother to Thanatos and the Fates, along with many other such quitessential dieties, he is also a servant of Hades and Persephone, the King and Queen of the Underworld. He was powerful enough to stand up to Kratos wielding the Primordial Fire, along with the Light of Dawn and the Sun Shield, a great feat for a being like him since the dark protegonoi, including his brother Morpheus and his mother herself are especially vulnerable to the divine, primordial light.

Trivia

• If you have the Spud of War (unlimited magic), using Charon's Wrath during the battle may activate a glitch; when Charon's health bar is less than 40%, there would be a point that his health bar would not go down any further. Continuous use of Charon's Wrath in this state can allow you to make 1000+ Hits with Godly, Immortal, and Impossible descriptions.
• He is one of the two children of Nyx to make an appearance in Chains of Olympus; the first being Morpheus.
• Charon is also present in the Inferno segment of Dante's Divine Comedy, once again, taking the role of the ferryman that guides souls across the river Acheron. Dante and Virgil cross the river to Limbo where King Minos judges the dead. The game based on this epic also features an incarnation of Charon, though this version is fused to his massive ship. He too is defeated and killed by the game's protagonist, Dante Alighieri.
• In some versions of mythology, Charon actually had a mask, which he needed to use because his face was so horribly gruesome that if any soul saw it, it would never dare to step on his boat.
• Charon, Alrik, Zeus and Thor are the only characters to have bested Kratos in a fight.
• He is the second character to defeat Kratos in a fair and square fight, the first being Alrik, the third being Zeus and the fourth being Thor.

Gallery

Charon being beaten to death.

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