The following contains spoilers for Kaos season 1, now streaming on NetflixKaos introduces audiences to a new modern take on the godly family of Zeus and Hera. Zeus and Hera are the King and Queen of the Olympians in the original Greek mythology that inspired Kaos. The show recreates their roles in the Netflix drama, as well as their original relationship from those ancient stories. It’s confirmed in Hera’s first appearance that she’s Zeus’ sister. The pair rule Olympus with an iron fist, but Zeus’ increasing paranoia about his prophecy highlights the cracks in their relationship and alliance.

Kaos‘ cast of characters only features a handful of Gods in season 1. This allows the show to also highlight important humans like Orpheus and Riddy. There are also other mythological forces in Kaos like the Furies or the Fates, disconnected from Zeus. However, the family tree constructed around Zeus and Hera is central to Kaos and serves as the key connecting thread between most of the godly characters seen and unseen. Here’s how the family tree in Kaos works, and which members of it are missing from season 1.

Poseidon

Zeus & Hera’s Brother (And Zeus’ Rival For Hera’s Heart)

Poseidon is one of Zeus and Hera’s brothers in Kaos, highlighting the incestuous and interconnected nature of the modern reimagining of Greek mythology. Poseidon was one of the six children of Cronos and Rhea. Kaos references Cronos as a monstrous figure who Zeus was eventually forced to kill. This reflects the original myths, where Cronos ate all of his children alive until Zeus got the chance to dethrone him and free his siblings. Zeus split his godly responsibilities with his siblings, with Poseidon becoming the God of the sea (as well as storms and horses).

This connection is present in Kaos, with the added twist that Hera and Poseidon are in the middle of an affair behind Zeus’ back. While Poseidon fully loves Hera, Hera coldly remarks throughout the series that Poseidon means little to her. She affirms this once and for all in the season 1 finale, where she spurs on his efforts to run away with her. Poseidon and Zeus’ brotherly relationship is tested in the season, with Zeus’ increasingly unstable behavior leading Poseidon to compare the current King of the Gods to their father.

Hades

The Other Brother Of Zeus & Hera

The other brother of Zeus, Hades is a far more mellow figure in Kaos. Having accepted his role as the King of the Dead in the Underworld, Hades has been reinterpreted in numerous ways over the years. This ranges from villainous in Disney to the romantic of Lore Olympus, the tragic figure of Blood of Zeus to the overbearing father figure of Hades. In Kaos, Hades is a more passive character, ultimately abiding by Zeus’ orders and suffering his brother’s wraith when he confronts him over the faltering power of the Frame.

Hades plays a quietly tragic role in Kaos, especially in relation to his brother Zeus. Throughout the season, Hades’ fears over the reliability of the Frame are revealed to come from a fear that his brother is walking into the prophecy he’s so desperate to change. The fact that Zeus meets this outreach with fury is one of the saddest moments in Kaos, with their siblings Hera and Poseidon genuinely shocked by Zeus’ actions. The Hades of Kaos is a uniquely fascinating take on the character and is teased to be one of the more sympathetic of the Gods.

Dionysus

The Only One Of Zeus’ Children To Appear In Kaos Season 1

Dionysus is one of the most compelling remixes of Greek Gods in Kaos, and the only one of Zeus’ many children who plays an important role in the first season of the show. Dionysus is the God of every and madness, considered to be lightweight aspects of the universe by other members of the Olympians. This sets up his season 1 arc, as he tries to both impress and get back at his father. Dionysus is the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, one of Zeus’ many affairs ended with Hera transforming the other woman into a bee for her hive.

Dionysus is an interesting example of Kaos balance between the gods and humanity, as his connections to Earth set off multiple plotlines and underscores his quiet humanity. His half-human origins are even referenced by Persephone at the end of the season as his great strength, attempting to remind him that Zeus’ brutality is a weakness and not a strength. While other children of Zeus could appear in a potential season 2 of Kaos, it’s likely the show will keep Dionysus at the center of the story.

Persephone

The Goddess Of Spring Has A Sweet Connection To Hades In Kaos

Persephone is the wife of Hades, and plays an important supporting role throughout the season. Several times throughout Kaos, Persephone serves as a vocal supporter and confidant to her husband. She pushes him to reveal the truth to Zeus, and is unafraid to confront him about what she believes is true. Although she’s not strictly a member of the Pantheon, Persephone is linked to them by blood in the original Greek myths. In those stories (and implied to still be the case in Kaos), Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, Zeus and Hera’s sister.

The tale of Hades and Persephone is one that stands out among the ancient myths, and has been frequently reimagined in recent years. In the original stories, Hades captured Persephone and forced her to become his bride. This is referenced in Kaos‘ final episode when Dionysus reveals he believed that was the case. It was actually a rumor spread by the Olympians, and Persephone actually cares deeply for Hades. This makes Kaos the latest reimagining of Greek mythology to go this route, with shows like Blood of Zeus and webtoons like Lore Olympus recreating a similar story.

The Other Olympians

There Are More Of Zeus & Hera’s Siblings Out There

Although only a handful of the Olympians appear prominently throughout the first season of Kaos, many others are referenced throughout the eight episodes. In the original myths, there were twelve gods considered to be the Olympians, split between Zeus’ siblings and his children. It’s implied they all share their original direct connections to Zeus in Kaos. Demeter is a fellow sister of Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, and Hestia. The latter was the Goddess of the Hearth in the original myths, who left her post among the Pantheon to make way for new Gods like Hermes and Dionysus.

Hestia doesn’t feature in Kaos season 1 at all. Zeus and Hera’s other sister, Demeter is traditionally the Goddess of the Harvest. Demeter is referenced late in the season by her daughter, Persephone. The Goddess of Love Aphrodite — whose origins in mythology differ between different myths, ranging from another child of Zeus to the spawn of Uranus’ severed genitalia — is also mentioned briefly in the season. “Episode 2” confirms in Kaos, that Aphrodite is a child of Zeus. The missing Gods could easily appear in a prospective season 2 (or beyond) of Kaos.

Zeus’ Other Children

The Siblings Of Dionysus Are Mentioned In Kaos‘ Second Episode

While Dionysus is the only child of Zeus to appear in Kaos season 1, he’s far from the only one referenced. On Zeus’ birthday, the frustrated King of the Gods calls his children in “Episode 2.” This includes his son Ares, the God of War. He is one of Zeus’ only legitimate children with Hera. Zeus’ other son with Hera is the God of Smithes, Hephestus. This god is referenced towards the end of the season when Hera produces an impressive knife for King Minos to use against his son, Glaucus, noting it comes from her son.

The other Gods Zeus calls in episode 2 are Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, and Hermes. The minor god Leto is the mother of Apollo and Artemis, and was terrorized by Hera for her affair with Zeus. A similar fate awaited the nymph Maia, who gave birth to Zeus’ other son Hermes. The myths surrounding Athena’s origins differ, but in many, she sprang from Zeus’ head fully grown and formed. Even outside the other Gods, Zeus is also the father of the hero Hercules, whose watch he gifted to Zeus becomes an important element of Kaos.