Post by DSkillz on May 17, 2014 20:56:39 GMT
Ares (Hercules/Xena)
Ares is a character on the television shows Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Young Hercules. He was portrayed by New Zealand actor Kevin Tod Smith. Ares is a significant recurring antagonist during the first three seasons, makes a guest appearance in the "coda" episode of season four and was Xena's main love interest during seasons five and six. He is the primary antagonist of Season 5, wishing to derail the Twilight of the Gods, but changes once he realizes Xena's life is more important to him.
Suave, charming, witty, yet ruthless and amoral, Ares often represents, especially in the early seasons, the seductive power of war and the dark side. He repeatedly attempts to lure Xena away from her quest for redemption alongside Gabrielle, and to win her over as his Warrior Queen. He offers her huge armies and historic victories, great wealth and great power, and in later seasons his love, offers which she consistently rejects despite being sometimes tempted.
Much of Ares' relationship with Xena remains ambiguous, including whether he is at least partly redeemed by his love for Xena, or to what extent Xena reciprocates his feelings. He says several times that he has "a thing" for Xena, and this seems to prevent him from killing her, even when pitted against her in deadly combat, yet he pursues her sexually and romantically.
Their relationship prior to the show's timeline is also a mystery. The dialogue in an early episode strongly suggests that this is their first face-to-face meeting; subsequent episodes, however, establish that at some point in the past he trained her and may have been her lover as well. It is also stated that Ares gave Xena her signature weapon, the chakram.
"They had this idea for the God of War," Kevin Smith remembered. "They wanted a foil for Xena - someone who could beat her in battle, and a former mentor. The weird thing is there's sympathy for the character, because he's done terrible, terrible things and yet, at the bottom of it all, the only way this works is if you believe he truly loves Xena. Of course Ares did admit his love for her and Xena never said it but she loved Ares."
During season 1, Ares frames her for murdering three villagers in the hope that she will call on him for help when threatened with execution. He also takes the shape of her long-lost father Atrius and nearly tricks her into attacking a village. However, these plans are thwarted by Xena and Gabrielle.
In a Season 2 episode, Ares joins forces with Xena's now-dead archenemy, Callisto of Cirra, and engineers a body switch so that Callisto's soul occupies Xena's body while Xena is trapped in Tartarus. He seems to be grooming Callisto-in-Xena's body to be his new Warrior Queen, and has sex with her, but later turns away from her, realizing that she is too madly obsessed with revenge against Xena and too uncontrollable. Xena, who persuades Hades to release her, is able to send Callisto back to Tartarus.
Links:
Wikipedia
Legendary Journeys
Copyright Owner/Official Site
Universal Studios
Record:
W:
L:
Suave, charming, witty, yet ruthless and amoral, Ares often represents, especially in the early seasons, the seductive power of war and the dark side. He repeatedly attempts to lure Xena away from her quest for redemption alongside Gabrielle, and to win her over as his Warrior Queen. He offers her huge armies and historic victories, great wealth and great power, and in later seasons his love, offers which she consistently rejects despite being sometimes tempted.
Much of Ares' relationship with Xena remains ambiguous, including whether he is at least partly redeemed by his love for Xena, or to what extent Xena reciprocates his feelings. He says several times that he has "a thing" for Xena, and this seems to prevent him from killing her, even when pitted against her in deadly combat, yet he pursues her sexually and romantically.
Their relationship prior to the show's timeline is also a mystery. The dialogue in an early episode strongly suggests that this is their first face-to-face meeting; subsequent episodes, however, establish that at some point in the past he trained her and may have been her lover as well. It is also stated that Ares gave Xena her signature weapon, the chakram.
"They had this idea for the God of War," Kevin Smith remembered. "They wanted a foil for Xena - someone who could beat her in battle, and a former mentor. The weird thing is there's sympathy for the character, because he's done terrible, terrible things and yet, at the bottom of it all, the only way this works is if you believe he truly loves Xena. Of course Ares did admit his love for her and Xena never said it but she loved Ares."
During season 1, Ares frames her for murdering three villagers in the hope that she will call on him for help when threatened with execution. He also takes the shape of her long-lost father Atrius and nearly tricks her into attacking a village. However, these plans are thwarted by Xena and Gabrielle.
In a Season 2 episode, Ares joins forces with Xena's now-dead archenemy, Callisto of Cirra, and engineers a body switch so that Callisto's soul occupies Xena's body while Xena is trapped in Tartarus. He seems to be grooming Callisto-in-Xena's body to be his new Warrior Queen, and has sex with her, but later turns away from her, realizing that she is too madly obsessed with revenge against Xena and too uncontrollable. Xena, who persuades Hades to release her, is able to send Callisto back to Tartarus.
Links:
Wikipedia
Legendary Journeys
Copyright Owner/Official Site
Universal Studios
Record:
W:
L: