Movies Like Hercules

Frequently asked about Hercules

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• Why does Hercules lose his godhood as a baby?▾

  Hades plots to overthrow Zeus and learns from the Fates that the newborn Hercules will thwart his plans, so he sends his minions Pain and Panic to kidnap the baby and feed him a potion that strips away his immortality. They succeed in making him drink most of the formula, but are interrupted before he finishes the last drop, which is why Hercules remains mortal yet retains his superhuman strength. This loophole is what allows him to grow up on Earth as a misfit while still being recoverable as a god later.

• How can Hercules become a god again, and what finally qualifies him?▾

  Zeus tells Hercules that he must prove himself a 'true hero' on Earth to restore his godhood, but performing heroic feats and becoming famous is not enough on its own. It is only when Hercules willingly offers his life in exchange for Meg's by diving into the River Styx to save her soul that his selfless act causes his star to shine and his immortality to return. The film's thesis, voiced by Zeus, is that 'a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.'

• Why does Meg betray Hercules, and what is her backstory with Hades?▾

  Meg sold her soul to Hades to save a previous boyfriend's life, only for that boyfriend to immediately leave her for another woman, which is why she is bitter and indentured to the Lord of the Underworld. Hades exploits this by ordering her to find Hercules's weakness, and she reluctantly cooperates because she has no choice. She ultimately refuses to keep manipulating him once she falls in love, and Hades uses that love itself as the leverage that breaks Hercules in the third act.

• Why does Hercules lose his strength after making a deal with Hades?▾

  Hades offers Hercules a bargain: give up his strength for 24 hours in exchange for Meg's safety, sealed with a handshake. There is a clause that the deal is voided if Meg gets hurt during that period, which Hades conceals. When a column falls on Meg while she pushes Hercules out of the way, the contract breaks and his strength returns, allowing him to fight back against the Titans Hades has unleashed on Olympus.

• Why can Hades enter the River Styx unharmed but Hercules nearly dies in it?▾

  Hades is the god of the Underworld, so the souls of the dead and the waters of the Styx are his domain and cannot claim him. Hercules, who is mortal at that point in the story, is vulnerable to the river's soul-draining effect and visibly ages and weakens as he dives deeper to retrieve Meg. He survives the dive only because his selfless willingness to die for her triggers his transformation back into a god mid-rescue, making him impervious to the river just in time.