When we think about Greek mythology, several works including art and movies reimagine the folklore. Blood of Zeus, directed by Shaunt Nigoghossian, is one such anime that has managed to redefine and reimagine folklore and myth through modern storytelling. This adult anime is a modern take on Greek mythology and the classic heroic themes.
The story follows the protagonist Heron who is determined to fulfill his purpose of saving the world from a demonic army while experiencing his inner conflicts. The series also highlights the see-saw effect between the protagonist as well as the villain Seraphim.
Elias Toufexis, the Canadian actor who voiced the role of Seraphim, sheds light on the antagonist’s complexity as a character and how he has grown. He also talked about his fear of almost ‘losing him’ in the process, along with the need to connect and identify with the character.
Seraphim’s complexity as a villain in Blood of Zeus
Seraphim’s journey as a villain starts with hate and culminates in sympathy as we witness his losses. He’s a half-demon who is also a half-brother to Heron in the sense that they both were born to the same mother. However, his losses and tragic events make him more complex as a villain.
As opposed to the idea of unadulterated rage, he displays a righteous rage and carries out his vengeance along with his goals while working beside the Gods later on. Elias Toufexis, who voiced Seraphim in the series, spoke about the character’s complexity as a villain in an interview.
To add to that, the villain is a layered character through and through. This only goes on to show that the antagonist is capable of being rooted for by the viewers and also manages to garner and bring out their empathetic side through his arc.
Seraphim, the reimagined villain in Blood of Zeus
Seraphim, like most characters in the show, is reimagined and written differently which is pretty evident through his character development and growth. The antagonist endured great loss and while he initially started as a sinister and stereotypical villain consumed with vengeance, his redemption arc proved otherwise.
Needless to say, the redemption arc showed a more compassionate and loving side of the antagonist, the thought of which, terrified its voice actor, Elias Toufexis. The voice actor stated his concerns regarding the character’s authenticity being compromised in the interview. He quoted :
I liked the idea of the redemption arc… But I didn’t want to lose him. Seraphim, [even] while doing that redemption arc, he’s still in it for himself, so to speak. But at that same time, [Seraphim] does say one of my favorite things about this season… I just want these people I’ve harmed to be okay in the afterlife.
To say the least, the villain in this series is more of an anti-villain considering the losses he endured apart from his fair share of wrongs. His ability to correct his wrongs in a sense, makes him an anti-villain. To add to that, a Reddit user pointed out this aspect in their post.
It’s honestly a shame Seraphim is the ‘villain’
byu/xehanortsguardian inBloodofZeus
Apart from the redemption arc, this modern retelling and revisiting of classics, myths, and folk legends makes it more palatable to viewers. Besides, the re-telling of characters reiterates the quote “to err is to human” which makes it all the more relatable.
Blood of Zeus is available for streaming on Netflix
