Blood of Zeus


Blood of Zeus, formerly known as Gods & Heroes, is an American adult animated fantasy action television series created and written by brothers Charley and Vlas Parlapanides for Netflix. Produced by Powerhouse Animation Studios and animated by South Korean studios Mua Film and Hanho Heung-Up, the first season premiered on October 27, 2020.
In December 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on May 10, 2024. According to the creators, they originally had five seasons outlined. In July 2024, the series was renewed for a third and final season, which premiered on May 8, 2025.

Premise

Set in mythical ancient Greece, the series revolves around Heron, the demigod son of Zeus, trying to save Olympus and Earth. Though Heron himself is an original character created exclusively for the series, the existence of such demigods born of the union between a god and a human is implied to be common in the original myths. The series claims in its prologue to be one of the tales "lost to history" rather than part of the current canon of Greek myths. It features gods, giants, demons, automata, titans, and mythical mounts from the original tales.

Voice cast and characters

Main

Season 1 (2020)

Season 2 (2024)

Season 3 (2025)

Development

According to an interview with series creators Charley and Vlas Parlapanides by Valentina Capoccia of Salicomix, the series was conceived with the idea of exploring Greek mythology from a fresh perspective, rather than retelling familiar myths. They cited Steven Pressfield's novel Gates of Fire, which depicts the Battle of Thermopylae through the eyes of a helot, as an influence. They applied this narrative approach by creating Heron, an original character imagined as the illegitimate son of Zeus, allowing the story to feel both intimate and unpredictable. The creators also noted that Heron's character arc was inspired by classical heroes such as Perseus and Theseus, while simultaneously addressing modern themes of identity, anger, and acceptance. His counterpart, Seraphim, was designed as a morally ambiguous figure embodying both tragedy and menace, echoing mythological figures such as Achilles and Medea. The creators described the contrast between Heron's personal growth and Seraphim's destructive rage as central to the show's dramatic tension.

Reception

Critical response

Season 1

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 100% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 8.14/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Reforging Greek mythology as an epic battle royale with slick imagery and sterling voice acting, Blood of Zeus earns a spot on the Mount Olympus of action animation."
Eric Francisco of Inverse called the series "Netflix's best American anime yet", while David Griffin of IGN gave it a 9/10 score. In a post summarizing an interview on her podcast with the show's creators, Kate Sánchez argued that the series offers a "nuanced take on anger and how it relates to power" and noted how the series is part of the "continuing trend of adult animation." Margaret Lyons of The New York Times also praised the show, calling it, "special and dazzling" and remarked on the series' large-scale storytelling and dramatic scope. Thomas West of Yardbarker called the series "one of the more extraordinary recent offerings" of television that depicts the myths of ancient Greece, while Sawyer Grant of Ranker named Blood of Zeus their #1 Greek mythology show. In 2023, Devon James of Collider ranked Blood of Zeus second on his list of "ten best shows based on mythology", praising it as "one of the most original modern shows based on Greek myths".

Season 2

The second season holds an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Blood of Zeus long-awaited second season steps down from Olympus to explore Greek myth's underworld, finding even more compelling lore and emotional texture than before."
Marilo Delgado from Espinof gave the second season a 4.5/5 score and wrote, "Blood of Zeus once again proves that it is one of the most entertaining animated series available." Daniel Kurland from Bubblebladder wrote, "Blood of Zeus was a fascinating dissection of not just Greek mythology, but demystifying the larger-than-life figures who are the basis from so much of modern culture's mythology and storytelling." Kate Sánchez from BUT WHY THO? gave the second season a 9.5/10 score and wrote "With fantastic animation that captures epic action moments and emotional character growth that goes far beyond expectations, Blood of Zeus second season is near perfect." Britany Murphy from Muses of Media gave the Second Season a 4.5/5 score and wrote, "The much-anticipated second season of Blood of Zeus has finally graced our screens, and it's a magnificent continuation of the divine drama that captured our attention in the first season." Frantz Jerome of Black Nerd Problems wrote that "Blood of Zeus deeply engages in the ethos of Greek society... The kinds of decisions characters make, the direction of a plot, the design of a character – each of these things hinges on culture". Tom's Guide named it among their list of top five shows about Greek mythology.

Season 3

The third season holds an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 8 reviews.
Paul Tassi of Forbes wrote, "I would highly recommend Blood of Zeus...The level of quality has been stellar and it's nice to watch something fully original for a change". Andres Cabrera of Geeks of Color called the show "remarkable", stating that "Blood of Zeus quickly set itself apart with a focused plot set in the world of Greek mythos complete with amazing references and a true genuine love of the canvas that the world of the Gods of Olympus and the Underworld offer". Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? praised the final season for bringing the story to a satisfying close, stating that the third season "completes an epic story". Alfred Molina's performance as Cronus also drew praise, with Anushka Bhattacharya of MSN noting that he "shines bright" in the role. Daniel Kurland of Den of Geek praised the series, calling it "a godly finish to a series that's always been incredibly passionate and sincere in its storytelling", adding that, "Everything comes together in Blood of Zeus season 3, which makes this an extremely satisfying conclusion to a truly epic story". Blood of Zeus has been compared to the series Game of Thrones with Margaret Lyons of The New York Times having wrote that the series "scratches that Game of Thrones itch", while Carolyn Jenkins of Collider described it as a "no-holds-barred epic" that is "just as bloody and dramatic as Game of Thrones". Memory Ngulube of Screen Rant called Blood of Zeus "undoubtedly one of the streamer's best" fantasy shows, praising it as a "hidden gem" and for its intricate storytelling and well-developed characters while Matt Kamen of Wired also stated that the series "impressed with smart writing that offers compelling twists on the classic myths". The series was listed among Muses of Medias top ten television series of 2025.

Accolades

In 2021, Paul Edward-Francis was nominated for the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production for the episode "Escape or Die".
Ryan Brothers won a Concept Art Association Award for an Animated Series Environment for his piece titled "The Burning Polis".
In 2025, Charley and Vlas Parlapanides were nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Animation for the second season episode "Winter is Born".
In 2026, Blood of Zeus was nominated for the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Broadcast Animation for the third season episode "A Breath Before Dying", with Rob McIntyre credited as the supervising sound editor and Sound Rebels providing sound design.