Netflix’s ‘KAOS’ Cast And Character Guide

Let me make this very clear at first: I am no expert in Greek mythology. We’re talking about Kaos here, which is the Netflix-ication of Greek mythology, and it works wonderfully. I’m sure Charlie Covell had a very exciting pitch for Netflix about the show (having a hit series in the form of The End of the F***ing World certainly helped them), and half the battle was won with the casting of Jeff Goldblum as Zeus. We’re going to look into Zeus and the other characters in this article and draw a comparison between the show’s version and Greek mythology. I’ve done quite a bit of research for this one, in case you’re wondering. 

The Gods

Zeus

Greek mythology says Zeus is the highest-ranked god amongst all, which automatically makes him the king. He’s the protector of both gods and humankind. He’s also referred to as the god of the sky and can do lightning strikes at free will. The Kaos version of Zeus is all that, except he’s not at all the protector but the opposite. In many ways, Jeff Goldblum’s Zeus should remind you of any fascist right-wing leader who doesn’t care about anything other than himself (and takes pride in that).

Hera

Hera, of course, is the god of marriage and childbirth. She’s also the wife (and sister) of Zeus, which makes her the queen. In the show, however, Hera comes off as a selfish, conniving woman who doesn’t at all care about the humans, just like her husband. Like Zeus, she also seeks more power and would go to any length to get it.

Poseidon and Hades

Poseidon, aka the god of the sea, is Zeus’ brother, and even though he’s not marked evil by Greek mythology, it is told that he does have a cruel side. Hades, on the other hand, is the god of the underworld. He’s neither good nor evil, as per what’s written in the mythology. The interpretation of Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) and Hades (David Thewlis) in Kaos is pretty much accurate. Poseidon does have a secret affair going on with Hera, while Hades eventually goes against his brother, which adds some new angles to the story.

Prometheus 

I’m sure after Zeus, Prometheus is the most popular Greek god out there. The myth of Prometheus bringing fire for mankind is quite well known. Quite naturally, he’s the god of fire. He’s certainly the best one out there, all thanks to his intellect and compassionate nature. Stephen Dillane, whom you know for playing Stannis Baratheon in Game of Thrones, plays the part in Kaos. He’s the narrator of the show, which makes him extremely important. Dillane is fantastic in the show, and at times, he even pulls off the unthinkable—stealing the scene from Jeff Goldblum.

Dionysus

God of pleasure or desire, aka, Dionysus, has the most interesting interpretation in Kaos. He’s Zeus’ son with a human woman whom he has never seen. Early on in the show, he’s desperately seeking his father’s approval, but eventually, Dionysus finds a better purpose, and the character growth is quite riveting to see. 

The Fates & The Furies 

The three sisters, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, are called Moirai in Greek mythology, and it translates to Fate in English. Kaos doesn’t deviate much here, as the Fate in the show is pretty much the same as how it’s written in the mythology. Like fate, fury is also represented by three sisters: Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. They are called furies together. In Kaos, The Furies play a very important role, especially in the rise of Ariadne as a rebel.

The Humans

Orpheus and Eurydice 

The ill-fated romance of Orpheus and Eurydice is quite well-known even beyond the realms of Greek mythology (can I please say GM from now on, though?). Musician Orpheus could not accept his wife’s Euridice’s untimely death, and he went to the underworld to bring her back. The show’s version of Orpheus and Euridice, aka Riddy, are also husband and wife, but their marriage is failing here, and Orpheus is oblivious to it. Riddy has fallen out of love, and Orpheus is too full of himself to see it. He’s still a talented musician, and after Riddy’s sudden death in a freak accident, he does travel to the underworld in order to rescue his beloved. 

Ariadne, Minos, and the Minotaur 

In the GM, Cretian King Minos keeps the half man-half beast Minotaur in the labyrinth. Minos’ daughter is princess Ariadne, who falls in love with Theseus, who eventually kills the Minotaur. Kaos takes the essence of the character’s mythological origins and turns it into something that serves the narrative better. Here, Minos is president of Create. Ariadne, her daughter, is into Theseus, who’s her bodyguard and also a friend of the Trojan rebels. There’s Minotaur too, but with a twist that I wouldn’t want to spoil for you in case you are reading this and haven’t watched Kaos yet.

Caeneus 

Along with Riddy and Ari, Caeneus is the third most important human being in the show. Kaos takes major liberty with this character, as the version of the show does deviate quite a bit from the character’s mythological origin. Unlike GM, Caeneus (who’s born as a girl, Caenis) doesn’t get raped by Poseidon. The show changes his origin to Amazon, and here, he’s born as a girl, and things get difficult once puberty hits. The Amazons not accepting males in their tribe comes into the equation, and Caeneus has to go. The show also gives us an unlikely romance between Caeneus and Riddy, which is refreshingly believable.

Other Characters

Not only does the show change the character of Persephone to a confident, headstrong woman, it also takes a dig at the age-old myth that says she was abducted and raped by Hades, who eventually marries her. Here, Persephone is married to Hades, but the two of them are actually in love, and no such terrible thing ever happened to her. On that note, another Netflix show, Blood of Zeus has also done something interesting with Persephone and Hades which you might want to check out.

Among the other notable characters, we get to see Minos’ architect Daedalus, Trojan priestess Casandra, and underworld boatman Charon (who has a major connection with Prometheus in the show). Trojan queen Andromache and her son Nax are also there in the mix. Last but not least, Medusa turns into a supervisor in the underworld. And when someone asks if she really has a head full of snakes, she makes a cheeky response by making one of her snakes hiss at them.