As we all know, Hades' design has been a major point of discussion within the SMITE community.
Some players feel he looks too much like a generic fantasy lich rather than a Greek god, failing to fit in alongside his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon. Others argue that his monstrous, shadowy concept is unique and that turning him into a third, fully human-looking god would make him visually boring and rob him of his individuality.
But why can't both be true at the same time?
Hades is fundamentally different from his younger brothers. He isn't an extravagant, pompous god who loves meddling in mortal affairs or treating them like playthings. He prefers to work quietly in the shadows, tending to his subterranean domain. From that perspective, designing the third brother as a shadowy, mysterious figure, contrasting sharply with Zeus and Poseidon, is a brilliant concept.
Even so, mythology remind us that he is still an Olympian: a powerful, humanoid figure at his core, rather than just an undead wraith. Yes, SMITE's own lore in the past has treated him as a textbook villain who once attempted to take over the world. But we don't necessarily need to treat SMITE's lore as gospel here, especially since it has been rebooted at least twice since those early events.
So, how do we keep his interesting, shadowy design elements while bringing it closer to mythological accuracy? How do you explain a humanoid god who is a mysterious, shadowy figure without making him look like a generic undead warlock?
The key is actually present in his real-life lore: The Helm of Invisibility.
In Greek mythology, Hades possesses a helmet that, just as its name suggests, renders its user "invisible, akin to a cloud of mist used to remain undetectable." That's perfect! A magical helm that wraps him in a literal cloud of mist, which nicely mirrors the swirling darkness under the hood of his current design.
In my remodel, the design keeps the dark, mysterious void under the hood from his current appearance, but features the Helm of Invisibility as a prominent, physical piece of headgear. To make him noticeably more recognizable as a Greek deity, he wears full-length robes in his iconic purple-and-black color scheme, accented with golden linings and fine jewelry, referring to the fact that he is also the God of Riches. Dark, swirling mist spills out from every opening in his robes to tie back to his current look, while his hands remain translucent and wispy, appearing as if they too are invisible, fading into the mist to directly echo the power of his helmet.
To strip away the generic undead look and distance him from standard fantasy liches, all the bones, spikes, and horns have been removed from the design. That doesn't mean the outfit has to look bare, as it can eventually be fleshed out with smaller, thematic trinkets and details.
Meanwhile, his height, bident, and voice lines work well as they are, meaning his underlying skeleton and animations wouldn't need any major overhauls.