Blood of Zeus is Greek Mythology in Castlevanialand

I grew up with Greek mythology. Perseus slaying the Medusa without gazing into her eyes, Theseus killing the minotaur in the labyrinth, Odysseus defeating Troy with his Trojan Horse stunt and many more. But never have I heard of the story of Heron until I watched this new animated series from Netflix called Blood of Zeus.

Like many of the heroes of Greek mythology, Heron is borne out of the union between a Greek God (Zeus in this case) and a mortal woman. But unlike the other sons born out of godlock, Heron does not actually exist in Greek mythology but is instead a creation of Netflix’s animated series.

The 8-part series opens with an Amazonian warrior called Alexia chasing two demonic-looking creatures who escape into a village. Alexia pursues and meets our main protagonist Heron, who is a commoner leading a simple existential life in the village. Heron and his mother are reviled by the villagers and often treated badly for they see mother and son as the harbinger of bad luck for the village.

The arrival of the demons and Alexia catalyses the rise of Heron as he is thrust into the ongoing battle between Alexia and the demons. Heron and Alexia become friends and soon realise that the real war is between the Greek gods and the evil giants. The Greek gods had defeated the evil giants but humans which lusted for power fed upon the carcass of the dead giants, turning into “demons” that hunted other humans. This conflict between humans and demons is just the tip of the iceberg. For behind the scenes, there is another larger conflict that is brewing.

This animated series from Netflix offer much familiarity to fans of Greek mythology while spinning the tale of a new original hero.

The battle expands to a universal war when the Greek gods themselves turn against one another. In one corner stands Zeus, king of the gods and in the other his wife Hera, who is super pissed at Zeus for his philandering ways. Heron is soon caught up in a larger battle between all the different factions. When Heron discovers that is actually the son of Zeus, he is angry with his father for hiding the truth from him and at first, renounces Zeus. But later, he changes his mind when he realizes that Zeus had always been protecting him and his mother.

Heron is the underdog as he takes on Seraphim, the leader of the demons, and against the odds, Heron will eventually prevail. Seraphim is strong and holds two powerful weapons. The first is a spear that will always return to him. The second is a powerful adamantium sword that will cut through anything. Ironically, the sword was made by Zeus for Heron but in a moment of rage, Heron throws the sword away.

Expect plenty of amazing battle scenes. If you thought Castlevania – Netflix’s other violent animated series – was impressive, then Blood of Zeus certainly won’t disappoint. If you grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons or World of Warcraft, you will also appreciate the difference between a manticore and a hippogryph. Both are mounts, except the bad guy rides on the manticore while our hero Heron flies into battle on a hippogryph. I am just glad it’s not another boring Pegasus.

This animated series from Netflix offer much familiarity to fans of Greek mythology while spinning the tale of a new original hero. Expect plenty of familiar Greek Gods, including Poseidon, Hera, Hades, Apollo, Hermes and Hephaestus. The battle between the gods and the titans? Check. Zeus throwing lightning bolts at will? Check. Animosity between brothers? Check. Debauchery and nudity? Not quite, but there is plenty of violence and gore.