HADES, the main antagonist within Horizon Zero Dawn, may not be well known or understood by players who have not played the previous game. He can be difficult to explain without players first understanding who GAIA is. HADES is simultaneously a part of GAIA and a separate entity.
What is HADES?
Originally, HADES was a part of GAIA, the advanced AI terraforming system created by Dr. Elisabet Solbeck. HADES was one of the nine subordinate functions of GAIA that had specific responsibilities within the terraforming cycle. He was in charge of destroying the terraforming cycle if it wasn't working properly or had too many issues. Over the last thousand years of being within GAIA, he destroyed the first four attempts at life.
Around the time that Aloy was born, a mysterious signal was sent to GAIA that caused her to destroy herself. It sent all of her subordinate functions across the land when she did this. Some stayed semi-functional, but others evolved into new versions of their previous selves. Without GAIA to guide the subfunctions, many of them became paranoid and scared, slowly corrupting their functions.
Due to the deteriorating terraforming system, it began to fail. During the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy discovers a group of rogue Carja called the Eclipse. This cult group followed and worshipped HADES, granting him all the power they could. With the growing climate crisis, all HADES wanted to do was destroy the world and complete his function. At the end of the previous game, Aloy destroys HADES and ends the Eclipse faction destroying the Carja.
For more Horizon Forbidden West content, be sure to check out How to complete “Plainsong” Hunting Grounds in Horizon: Forbidden West? on Pro Game Guides.
