Most Interesting Gods and Goddesses in Video Games

Last updated on June 23rd, 2022 at 04:24 am

In the world of video games, the creators want players to experience innovative stories and well-developed characters. On top of that, they also want to face players with overwhelming challenges. In such cases, the creators would introduce mythological aspects to keep us on our toes.

Whether a character rises to divine ranks throughout the story or they meet a god or a goddess who provides guidance, or perhaps even they turn out to be our nemesis, the mythological factor does enrich a game one way or the other.

The sheer gravity of a divine being introduced in a video game oftentimes leaves players in awe. That’s why there are numerous gods and goddesses in various games created over the years. With that in mind, here are some of the most interesting gods and goddesses in video games.

Minerva

Minerva belongs to the Roman pantheon and she’s the Greek equivalent of the goddess Athena. Experts believe that her name is a mishearing of the Latin word “mens”, which means “mind”. Her most notable appearance is in the game Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

Here, a character named Genesis recites the poem called “Loveless”. He does so because he wants to reenact the story of the poem in order to meet the so-called goddess. All of his efforts were in hopes that she can cure his degradation.

“When the war of the beasts brings about the world’s end, The goddess descends from the skies, Wings of light and dark spread afar, She guides us to bliss, Her gift everlasting”.

Minerva’s presence in the game portrays her as part of the “Lifestream”, the planet’s way of reacting when it’s in danger. This symbolism reflects Minerva’s role as that of Sophia. In Gnostic belief, Sophia was an Aeon made from the pure energy of the divine realm of light. This divine realm of light was often referred to as the Absolute. She was fragmented and trapped inside the bodies of human beings.

The Greek Pantheon

If you wanted to get familiar with the Greek pantheon in a somewhat unorthodox way, you should look no further than the “God of War”.

In this story, the character known as Kratos is tricked by the god of war Ares into killing his family. As Kratos is also known as the ghost of Sparta, you can probably understand his wrath. Whether you like it or not, this was a common scenario in Greek mythology. Kratos fueled by vengeance usurps Ares and becomes the new god of war.

“If all of Olympus will deny me my vengeance, then all of Olympus will die!”

As you probably know, Kratos goes on to fight and eventually kill almost every character in the Greek pantheon.

Amaterasu

It’s not every day that you get a chance to learn more about Japanese mythology. For instance, Amaterasu the goddess of the sun who reigns over the heavenly realm Takamagahara is portrayed in the Okami series. Here, she rules alongside her siblings Tsukuyomi the goddess of the Moon and Susanoo the Storm god.

“Amaterasu now is the time. We have never needed your power more. Shine your divine light upon this broken and polluted world. Let your heavenly rays become our hope as you guide us all!“

Set in classical Japan, Okami combines Japanese mythology and folklore. Okami takes on the form of a white wolf to fight the evil demon serpent Orochi. She defeats the demon sealing him away in the mortal realm. A 100 years later the seal is broken and Amaterasu must fight the demon once more.

Many deities in one place

If you really want to familiarize yourself with as many deities as possible then you should check out Smite. Smite is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game that hosts over 70 different gods and goddesses. As you may imagine, you unlock gods and goddesses to fight other gods and goddesses in a divine battle royal.

Here, you can find all deities, ranging from well-known to lesser-known ones. For instance, the Roman god Mercury – one of the most famous deities of luck and fortune in history will often fight alongside Zeus or even Odin.

“Hey, wanna see me run around the world? Done!“ – Mercury

Although packed with action and thrill, Smite is also packed with terrible puns and great humor. This certainly brought a different light to mythology altogether.

The god of lightning

Arguably the best personification of every lightning deity from history is Raiden from the Mortal Kombat series. He is the God of Thunder and Lightning like many other famous deities, such as Zeus, Thor, Perun. In the game, he’s also the protector of the Earthrealm and one of the strongest characters.

“Too long have I allowed the Earthrealm to endure the horrors of war.”

Raiden still possesses some of his supernatural or even divine attributes even though he abandons his divinity to protect Earthrealm. The symbolism here refers to all the main deities across various pantheons. They possessed the power of lightning and were both rulers of the divine and protectors of the human realms.

Gods and goddesses in video games have always been a welcome sight. Their presence gave the games more depth in both gameplay and storytelling. That’s why so many deities are commonly found throughout various games as their myth and legend lives on.