- "If you still want redemption, today is your lucky day."
- ―Heron to Evios and Kofi in War for Olympus.
Heron is the main protagonist character on Blood of Zeus. He is a young man and the illegitimate son of Zeus. As a threat descends upon Greece, he embarks on a journey to save the world.
History[]
Early life[]
Heron was born to Zeus, the king of gods, and Electra, a human woman mortal and the queen of Corinth. Rumored not to be the king's son Periander, Heron was destined to die upon his birth. Though the birth of his half-brother Seraphim briefly saved Heron from an untimely death, he was ultimately saved by his true father, Zeus.
In Back to Olympus, Zeus's wife Hera stated that he was one of Zeus's bastards. Afterward, Zeus took Heron and his mother to a village to hide away in. Upon their arrival, he covered the village in storm clouds to protect Heron and Electra from Hera's gaze. This resulted in the villagers' ostracism of them, as they believed Electra and Heron to be the cause of this seemingly bad omen. To keep watch over Heron and his mother, Zeus assumed the identity of an elderly mortal man named Elias. As Elias, he did his best to care for them, giving them food when he could, telling Heron stories of the gods, and even caring for Heron's arm after he'd managed to break it. At some point in his childhood, a group of boys attacked Heron, resulting in a scar over his left eye.
Throughout the Series[]
A Call to Arms[]
Heron collects some ore, but manages to earn only two drachmas. As he returns to his mother, Electra, they hear noises and see Alexia, who informs them that she is looking for a demon. The townspeople deny seeing any, and she continues on her way. Heron sees Elias had injured his leg and helps him out. He goes to take some water to clean the wound; however, he sees a dead woman in the fountain and is then attacked by a demon. The demon attacks him, but Alexia returns and starts fighting him. In a pinch, Heron helps her, slicing it with his arrow, but the demon manages to escape.
Heron wonders how such a thing could exist, and Elias tells him about the war with the giants. He tells him how the gods defeated the Titans, but as the last titan fell, he swore a curse on the gods, and when his blood struck the sea, the giants were born. The war between the giants and gods continued as neither could conquer the other. One day, Zeus convinces two giants to take up arms with them, and in a final battle against the giants, with the two giants' help, the gods defeat them giants. Hermes then gathers their souls while the giant's remains are cast into the ocean. Hephaestus forges a grand automation named Talos to stand guard over the cauldron with the souls so that evil could never return. Ages pass, and one day, a giant's body is cast ashore. A man finds it, and upon touching it, he starts to be poisoned by the evil. Eventually, other men join him, and they eat the giant flesh, turning into demons.
In the morning, Alexia tells Heron that he fought bravely and invites him to join her in the fight against demons and protect the town. Heron has no such desire as they had forsaken him and his mother. Heron wants to leave, but his mother tells him they can't and tries to tell him who his real father is. However, at that moment, people from the town come wanting to test if Electra is a demon. Heron starts fighting them, but as they overwhelm him, Electra burns her arm to prove that she isn't a demon.
Seeing Alexia leaving, Heron states that he should have gone with her. Elias tells him that war is upon them, and they need to prepare. He tells him to climb the mountain, and there he will find a rose bush, and underneath it, there is an adamantine ore from which they will make him a sword like no other.
Past is Prologue[]
In Heron's dream, Electra gives birth to a boy. King Periander comes and is happy to see it's a boy and has his eyes. Ariana informs him a second child is coming, and it's another boy. She explains there are two placentas, which means there are two fathers. Seeing the boy having blue eyes, Periander is angry and attempts to kill the boy, but an eagle storms in and saves it.
Heron then wakes up and continues climbing, reaching the mountain's top and seeing a blue rose bush. He starts digging and takes the ore back to Elias. Heron tells Elias he had seen a symbol of two winged horses rearing up and meeting in the middle. Elias tells him that it is the Seal of Corinth and that dreams can be deceiving. He explains that there are three Oneiroi and nightmares brought by Phobetor, illusions meant to deceive and confuse, and visions of the truth brought forth by Morpheus.
Heron tells Electra that he had a dream in which she was a queen. Electra confirms she used to be married to King Periander, but they had to leave. She explains that the marriage was prearranged, and not long after she married the king, she caught a god's eye.
Elias confronts Heron and reveals his true form of Zeus. He wants Heron to forgive him for everything; however, Heron tells him that he doesn't even want to see him again, and Zeus leaves.
The Raid[]
As Hera leaves, Hermes arrives and informs Zeus that Heron's town is under attack, and Zeus tells him to clear the cloud cover.
Meanwhile, Heron and Alexia fight a three-headed dog and kill one of the heads. As the demons come, they run towards the town. Heron tells them they can escape using the mines and heads to look for his mother. Hermes had cleared the clouds, and Zeus observed. The demons' leader sees Heron and throws his spear; however, Zeus speaks to Heron and warns him to stop, avoiding the spear. Zeus tells Heron to run, but Heron starts shooting arrows at the demon. As he is about to be killed again, Zeus helps him again; this time, Heron listens and runs.
Heron sees the demons have surrounded his mother and rushes in, but is easily beaten by Seraphim. Seeing the hatred in Heron's eyes, Seraphim tells him he has nothing left and will either join them or die. He then kills Electra and takes Heron.
A Monster is Born[]
Hermes asks Electra if there is someone she wants to see before she crosses over, and she states it's Heron. She appears before Heron, telling him that there are fates worse than death, and bids farewell.
Heron wakes in a caravan with other prisoners. He wonders where Seraphim is, but a man tells him that the least he heard is that he was after Alexia.
Escape or Die[]
Heron and other prisoners are taken to galley ships. On the ship, Heron comes up with a plan. He asks Kofi and Evios to cause a small commotion on who would use the toilet first and then push themselves into the guard and steal his keys. As they do, they free themselves and kill the guards below deck. They go on top, kill the remaining demons, and take over the ship. They ram the other ship and sink it. Seraphim returns to the ship to kill Heron. Seeing that he wields his sword, Zeus comments that Heron isn't ready and strikes the ship, destroying it with its lighting. He then hits the sea with lighting, causing waves to prevent Seraphim from killing Heron. In the process, the other Gods see Zeus' actions.
Back to Olympus[]
Zeus tells Heron that he is the key in this war and wants to help him. Heron gets on the griffon, and they fly towards Olympus.
On Olympus, the gods start to whisper that Heron is Zeus' bastard son and are unhappy; however, Hermes, then Apollo and Artemis welcome him. Hera arrives angry that he brought Heron, and Zeus explains that the war, the demons, and everything is his fault. He promises to remain faithful to her and asks for forgiveness, and Hera is willing to accept it only if Heron dies. As he can't do that, Hera takes the other gods and leaves. Zeus warns Poseidon that only a fool would trust her, but Poseidon replies that only a fool would anger her.
The next day, Zeus takes Heron to an arena, commenting that not all demigods have divine power and need to find out. Heron then engages one of Hephaestus' automatons. Zeus tries to teach him that strength and anger won't help him win, but Heron cannot do anything and loses fight after fight. Zeus visits Heron, telling him that he barely knew his father and wasn't raised by him. Instead, his father wanted him dead, and by the time he met him, he had to kill him to save his siblings. Zeus explains that he is great at many things, but being a father isn't one of them. Heron tries to fight the automaton the next day but is again easily defeated. Zeus tells him to let his anger turn inward, but Heron can't do it and asks why Zeus didn't save Electra and let Seraphim live. Zeus explains that, at times, he is powerless and won't kill Seraphim, as Electra wouldn't want it since he is also her son and Heron's half-brother.
Heron sees an opening in the automation and defeats it. Hermes arrives, informing Zeus that Hera and the other gods are in the Underworld; however, Hades remains neutral but is willing to accept any god who seeks refuge. Heron sees a spider on his hand, and Zeus realizes that the Fates are calling him. Heron asks Zeus if he can undo what has been done to Seraphim and confirms that it must be Seraphim's choice.
Heron enters to see the Fates; he tells them that he doesn't believe in fate, but in free will, and they explain free will and fate can coexist. They also explain that the fate of many will depend on his actions and show him a bit of what lies ahead. He sees Alexia and the others dying in the Fields of the Dead and realizes they need his help.
The Fields of the Dead[]
going through the mist, they face a satyr, but Heron arrives and kills it with an arrow.
Alexia and the rest reach the labyrinth and navigate it. They reach the location with the giant remains, but they are gone. Seraphim shows up with demons, and Heron realizes they have moved the remains. Seraphim asks Heron to join him and get their vengeance on the gods as they are the reason for all this and that their mother is dead. Heron tells him that Zeus can turn him into a human again, but Seraphim tells him to choose whether he is with or against him. Heron chooses not to join him, and they start a fight with the demons. Most perish in the fight, with only Heron, Alexia, Kofi, and Evios escaping and running away with the griffon.
War for Olympus[]
Zeus explains that they need to find the Cauldron and Hermes volunteers. However, Heron states that he is the swiftest of the gods, and Hera would expect him, so he says that he will go.
Heron heads to the backline of the attack. When he reaches it, he shoots an arrow into the sky to let Zeus know they have reached it. While the gods and giants fight, Heron, Alexia, Kofi, and Evios search for the Cauldron but can't find it. They see the arrow he shot in the air, and his hand landed with two dead crows on it. As he hears more crows, Heron realizes the Cauldron is in the air and calls the griffon.
Heron manages to get the Cauldron, but Seraphim catches up to him and kills the griffon. As they fall to the ground, Heron engages Seraphim in a fight. Seraphim manages to hold Heron, calling its spear to pierce his chest. Recalling Zeus's words, Heron stops resisting and lets the spear pierce him, pushing it through him and piercing Seraphim behind him. Heron then activates his divine power and unleashes lighting over Seraphim, defeating him. The giant's leader, severely injured, tries to smash Heron, but he uses the bracer on the Cauldron and collects all the giants' souls back at the Cauldron.
Heron later wakes up bandaged in bed. Hermes tells him that Zeus was proud of him, just like they are now. He sees the gods fixing all the damage to Olympus from the battle and reunites with Alexia, Kofi, and Evios.
Physical Appearance[]
Heron is a lean but above-average height with an athletic build in his late teens.[1] He has short wavy brown hair and electric blue eyes inherited from his father. He appears to have a well-built body and tanned skin. On Heron's left eyebrow is a diagonal scar he received from bullies in his youth.
Personality[]
Heron is a strong-willed young man who is willing to fight to the death to protect the ones he loves. He has some anger issues and often lets that be his driving force when fighting. He blames his father for what happened to his mother and even told his father he never wanted to see him again.
When Zeus took it upon himself to bring Heron to Olympus, it greatly showcased Heron's and his father's relationship. Notably, during his training segment with Zeus and Hephaestus, he was mostly a failure and made up of nothing but frustration for Heron.
Zeus continuously tells Heron to "turn inward" and "let go of his anger, " explaining that true strength doesn't come from hate. (contradicting what Seraphim told him.)
Zeus sees Heron frustrated after their training and tells Heron about his difficulty being a good father and how he never knew his father, as he wanted Zeus dead. Heron is seen being a little sympathetic towards his father, and his training continues the next day.
During training, Heron gets frustrated once again and questions Zeus:" How could you let her die? How could you let Seraphim live?" Zeus then informs Heron that Seraphim is his brother, shocking Heron as well and making him rethink his relationship with Seraphim, showing how quickly he is willing to forgive him.
During the Battle for Olympus, Heron takes Zeus's advice and finally turns inward, showing that he can fight with hate strategy and will.
When the battle for Olympus ends, he is content with the result. He appears to have some sympathy toward his once-resented father, Zeus, and he is seemingly happy that Apollo, Hermes, and Hephaestus are waiting for him.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Olympian Deity/Human Physiology: Heron is inherently born a god from his biological father, Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, and half-human from his biological mother, Electra. He possesses a wide variety of superhuman physical attributes of an Olympian god and represents a near-perfect human being. Because humans are biologically similar to Olympians, Heron can become as strong as any pure-blooded Olympian. As he pushes himself, he can become faster and stronger than he was before.
- Superhuman Strength: According to Zeus, while not all demigods possess divine strength, he believed Heron did. While not immediately evident at the start of the anime. Heron possesses immense physical strength, lifting a bulk stone boulder in place. Notably, in combat, he has taken on foes such as Seraphim and his demon minions with either weapons or his bare hands. He punched Seraphim with enough force to deal considerable damage, kicking up a significant amount of dirt and cracking the ground beneath them.
- Superhuman Durability: Herons' body and muscle tissues are far more resistant to certain types of injury than normal human beings, such as impact forces. Evios even mentioned that it seemed that he and Kofi had been whipped by their demon captors much harder than Heron when, in truth, this probably stemmed from his durability. He is even durable enough to withstand bludgeoning punishment from Ares.
- Superhuman Stamina: Heron's enhanced musculature produces considerably fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a normal human being. As a result, his endurance allows him to exert his maximum capacity for an extremely long period without tiring at all.
- Superhuman Speed & Reflexes: Heron could run and move with great speed. He was shown to be capable of running fast enough to reach the gate before it closed in seconds. His inhuman speed also extended to his reflexes, enabling him to block and quickly take action when he saw that the villagers and his mother were about to be executed.
- Superhuman Agility: Heron naturally possesses perfect agility, dexterity, balance, and bodily coordination, making him a great combat warrior. He can use his agility to strike from an angle where he may finish his opponent and find his balance quickly after taking a hit or dodging.
- Superhuman Senses: He has a superior sense of hearing, sight, and touch compared to any human he comes across.
- Accelerated Healing Factor: Heron can heal from injuries at an accelerated rate, meaning he can heal much faster than a normal human being. However, depending on the severity of his injuries, some can heal within hours, while others take longer.
- Electrokinesis: Heron much like his father Zeus, He has the ability to summon lighting.[2] Shown when he was almost beaten to death in his last moment, but recalling Zeus words allowed Heron to activate his divine power as his entire body surged with lightning and unleashes lighting over Seraphim, defeating him with a single respective blast. Though at first, he had only done this a few times when his eyes glowed blue in moments of anger and shot tiny volts of electricity.
- Electro-Blast: In this state, not only are his already potent physical abilities amplified, but it also allows him to send out large shockwaves of blue lightning from his body and seemingly amplifies the power engulfing his hands in lightning to amplify his punches as well.
- Electrical Healing: Heron is able to use his electricity to heal wounds, which was proven after his brother was injured and woke up from his blackout.
Abilities[]
- Indomitable Will: Heron was severely injured and still fought despite the pain. Even after being impaled by a bident, Heron continued to fight for what he believed was right.
- Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Heron is a highly skilled and formidable hand-to-hand combatant. Despite his limited combat experience at first, which made it easy for master combatants like one of Hephaestus' automatons and Seraphim to counter him, Heron quickly adapted and improved with each exchange against them, showing shocking instincts and refined movements. In Season 2, Heron became extremely adept at wielding his vast energy during combat, becoming even more of a threat.
- Swordsmanship: Even before training, Heron would sometimes wield a sword with enough skill to best demons, displaying his natural, innate talent with the sword.
- Archery: Heron is highly proficient with a bow. He is probably the greatest marksman in the series. His aim is so great that he can fire at Seraphim despite being dozens of meters away and accurately shoot a torch that was not meant to be used as a bowstring.
- Tactics/Instinct: Before and during his training with Zeus, he showed an incredible number of maneuvers and strategies. After his training, he learned not to let anger cloud his judgment, allowing him to think more calmly in combat situations.
Equipment[]
- Bow and Arrow: Crafted by Hephaestus, Heron wielded a powerful bow and arrow during the battle for Olympus in the eighth and final episode of season 1. It appears to be crafted of a special metal as it immediately defeated a demon once it came in contact with them.
- Adamantium Sword: Zeus handcrafted him a sword from a precious metal that he sent Heron to retrieve from atop a mountain. The sword glowed light blue and could cut through any metal or material. After Heron became frustrated with his father, he threw the sword away, which was later retrieved by Seraphim and sent by Hera. In season 2, he retrieves the sword from the ocean and now carries it as his primary weapon.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
- A Call to Arms
- Past is Prologue
- The Raid
- A Monster is Born
- Escape or Die
- Back to Olympus
- The Fields of the Dead
- War for Olympus
Trivia[]
- Heron and his brother Seraphim are twins brothers born with different fathers; this is an extremely rare occurrence known as heteropaternal superfecundation. Thus, genetically, they are maternal half-siblings.
- A similar situation occurred in Greek mythology with another of Zeus's sons, Heracles, born as a demigod and a famous Greek hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and Iphicles, the twin half-brother of Heracles, born as a human mortal and prince subsequently king of Micens, the son of Amphitrion and Alcmene.
- According to one of the gods of Olympus, Heron is the seventh bastard that Zeus brings to Olympus.[3]
Gallery[]
References[]
See also[]
| Blood of Zeus | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Heron • Zeus • Hera • Seraphim • Electra • Alexia • Evios • Kofi • Ariana • Hermes • Apollo • Ares • Poseidon • Hades |
| Species | Human • Demon • God • Titan • Giant • Wraith • Centaur |
| Items | Cauldron • Hades' Bident • Adamantium Sword |
| Location(s) | Olympus • Underworld • Corinth • Polis • Melidoni |
| Season 1 | (Episodes: A Call to Arms • Past is Prologue • The Raid • A Monster is Born • Escape or Die • Back to Olympus • The Fields of the Dead • War for Olympus) |
| Season 2 | (Episodes: A Shadow Emerges • Weights & Measures • Winter is Born • Funeral Games • Judgement Day • Crossing Paths • The Hidden Realm • The Three Trials) |