History EnsembleDarkHorse / Mythology

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* [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Anubis]] in more modern times. He wasn't that central to the original canon, but he's so much more interesting than the chief gods like Ra or Osiris. Also, it's hard to find [[DarkIsNotEvil a death god who's an okay guy.]] Also, he appeals more to UsefulNotes/{{Furr|yFandom}}ies.
* The same could be said for [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Hades]] (minus the furry part), who is another example of a god associated with death who was actually an okay guy. The Ancient Greeks were rather wary of him, naturally, but in modern times he gets a lot more appreciation... [[SadlyMythtaken that is, if you are not]] [[EverybodyHatesHades Disney or Hollywood]]. This could be because he is a classic case of DarkIsNotEvil mixed with TheWoobie, and/or because he was one of the only gods in the Pantheon who wasn't a complete jerk.
** Disney tried to make Hades [[Disney/{{Hercules}} unlikeable]]. Thankfully, they [[AffablyEvil fa]][[LaughablyEvil il]][[LoveToHate ed]], and the movie was that much better for this "failure."
** Hephaestus has become this nowadays. His main flaw (his hideous looks) makes him seem to be more of a [[TheWoobie Woobie]] than back in Ancient Greece, when he would have been viewed as repulsive, plus, as with Hades, he's downright saintly next to his uncles, aunts, and cousins.
*** It doesn't hurt that his purview includes 'technology'.
* Honestly, this goes for most old-school gods associated with death. The actual ancients were generally cool with them, then with the rise of Christianity everything was interpreted by people who weren't followers of these old gods and so often judged them on their job and appearance, though currently we seem to be moving back to the older interpretations. Hades was one of the three big Greek gods and no worse than Zeus (the most feared was likely Poseidon, given that they were a seafaring culture), Charon is just a dude doing a job, the valkyries and the Morrigan are totally hot or basically celestial accountants, we now actually remember that most "death gods" had other aspects (Hades was married to the goddess of ''spring'', etc). It was actually gods like Thor, a drunkard and a rapist, who were the real assholes.
* [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Ares/Mars]] was a very unpopular god for the Greeks, but the Romans claimed to be his descendants. It is worth noting that despite widespread modern misinterpretations, the Roman gods were not {{ex|py}}act analogues of the Greek gods. Ares/Mars is a particularly notable case, as the Greeks saw Ares as the god of brutal warfare, while the Romans saw Mars as the god of warfare for the defense and spread of civilization. He even had an agricultural aspect leftover from an earlier Etruscan god and the fact that early Roman soldiers were basically drafted farmers. Some modern adaptations of Greek mythology also feature Ares in a much more positive light.
** So long as you're not counting ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' as a "modern adaptation"... which it isn't.
** So we're clear, when Homer referred to Ares he did so in almost the exact same terms as he did Scylla (of "and Charybdis" fame): Kukleion Athanaton. Evil Undying.
* Both [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest Sun Wukong]] and [[Literature/TheRamayana Hanuman]] got a disproportionate amount of attention, so much so that the former is now considered the main character of his story. The relationship between the two is interesting, but it's no surprise that they fill this role as they both get their fair share of badass moments.
** As for Hanuman, his EnsembleDarkHorse status has made him the most popular deity (alongside Lord Ram) in the UsefulNotes/{{Guyan|a}}ese and [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidadian]] regional variant of Hinduism.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai Budai]], a figure in Chinese folklore, often revered as a deity in Buddhism, is probably THE most popular Buddhist deity in western countries. While he is sometimes considered a bodhisattva, people with little to no knowledge of Buddhism often mistake him for THE [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Buddha]]. Chances are if you see a statue or other representation of a Buddha in fiction, it will be this plump bald man with a big smile.
* Dionysus was another of those really popular gods. Whereas with other gods they tended to at least know what their names meant (Herakles = Glory of Hera, for example), with Dionysus they just knew he was related to Zeus somehow (Dios) and maybe something about a mountain named Nysa? Or a nymph or something? Fuck it. His worship was drunken orgies and they got so popular the Roman senate had to ban them except by special dispensation and the ban was ignored. Bachanals FTW!
* [[Literature/TheBible Satan]] is known throughout the world as God's [[ArchEnemy nemesis]] and who's name is synonymous with evil,even though he's only mentioned offhandedly in most verses,his origin is not explained until the final book of the Bible,and even that origin has been debated.
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* [[Main/Satan Satan]] is known throughout the world as God's [[ArchEnemy nemesis]] and who's name is synonymous with evil,even though he's only mentioned offhandedly in most verses,his origin is not explained until the final book of the Bible,and even that origin has been debated.

* [[Literature/TheBible Satan]] is known throughout the world as God's [[ArchEnemy nemesis]] and who's name is synonymous with evil,even though he's only mentioned offhandedly in most verses,his origin is not explained until the final book of the Bible,and even that origin has been debated.

* [[Satan Satan]] is known throughout the world as God's [[ArchEnemy nemesis]] and who's name is synonymous with evil,even though he's only mentioned offhandedly in most verses,his origin is not explained until the final book of the Bible,and even that origin has been debated.

* Both [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest Sun Wukong]] and [[Literature/TheRamayana Hanuman]] got a disproportionate amount of attention, so much so that the former is now considered the main character of his story. The relationship between the two is interesting, but it's no surprise that they fill this role as they both get their fair share of {{badass}} moments.

* [[ClassicalMythology Ares/Mars]] was a very unpopular god for the Greeks, but the Romans claimed to be his descendants. It is worth noting that despite widespread modern misinterpretations, the Roman gods were not {{ex|py}}act analogues of the Greek gods. Ares/Mars is a particularly notable case, as the Greeks saw Ares as the god of brutal warfare, while the Romans saw Mars as the god of warfare for the defense and spread of civilization. He even had an agricultural aspect leftover from an earlier Etruscan god and the fact that early Roman soldiers were basically drafted farmers. Some modern adaptations of Greek mythology also feature Ares in a much more positive light.

* [[EgyptianMythology Anubis]] in more modern times. He wasn't that central to the original canon, but he's so much more interesting than the chief gods like Ra or Osiris. Also, it's hard to find [[DarkIsNotEvil a death god who's an okay guy.]] Also, he appeals more to UsefulNotes/{{Furr|yFandom}}ies.
* The same could be said for [[ClassicalMythology Hades]] (minus the furry part), who is another example of a god associated with death who was actually an okay guy. The Ancient Greeks were rather wary of him, naturally, but in modern times he gets a lot more appreciation... [[SadlyMythtaken that is, if you are not]] [[EverybodyHatesHades Disney or Hollywood]]. This could be because he is a classic case of DarkIsNotEvil mixed with TheWoobie, and/or because he was one of the only gods in the Pantheon who wasn't a complete jerk.

* [[EgyptianMythology Anubis]] in more modern times. He wasn't that central to the original canon, but he's so much more interesting than the chief gods like Ra or Osiris. Also, it's hard to find [[DarkIsNotEvil a death god who's an okay guy.]] Also, he appeals more to {{Furr|yFandom}}ies.

* Herakles (aka Heracles, or Hercules when his cult made it to Rome) was insanely popular in the ancient world. Everybody and his kid sister loved Herakles. You know the expression "The gods help those who help themselves?" You know how it's actually from one of Aesop's fables and never appears in Christian or Muslim scripture? Herakles said it. He got shoved into every darn myth and story they could think of. Fuckin' loved 'im.

* Honestly, this goes for most old-school gods associated with death. The actual ancients were generally cool with them, then with the rise of Christianity everything was interpreted by people who weren't followers of these old gods and so often judged them on their job and appearance, though currently we seem to be moving back to the older interpretations. Hades was one of the three big Greek gods and no worse than Zeus (the most feared was likely Poseidon, given that they were a seafaring culture), Charon is just a dude doing a job, the valkyries and the Morrigan are totally hot or basically celestial accountants, we now actually remember that most "death gods" had other aspects (Hades was married to the god of ''spring'', etc). It was actually gods like Thor, a drunkard and a rapist, who were the real assholes.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai Budai]] a figure in Chinese folklore, often revered as a deity in Buddhism, is probably THE most popular Buddhist deity in western countries. While he is sometimes considered a bodhisattva, people with little to no knowledge of Buddhism often mistake him for THE [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Buddha]]. Chances are if you see a statue or other representation of a Buddha in fiction, it will be this plump bald man with a big smile.

* Honestly, this goes for most old-school gods associated with death. The actual ancients were generally cool with them, then with the rise of Christianity everything was interpreted by people who weren't followers of these old gods and so often judged them on their job and appearance, though currently we seem to be moving back to the older interpretations. Hades was one of the three big Greek gods and no worse than Zeus (the most feared was likely Poseidon, given that they were a seafaring culture), Charon is just a dude doing a job, the valkyries and the Morrigan are totally hot or basically celestial accountants, we now actually remember that most "death gods" had other aspects (Hades was married to the god of _spring_, etc). It was actually gods like Thor, a drunkard and a rapist, who were the real assholes.

* [[TheTrickster Loki]] of NorseMythology has acquired far more popularity than he originally possessed, due to his traits of ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and (often deadly) practical jokes being more appealing to more modern audiences (generally the favourite was originally Thor, his policy of "[[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer hit it with a hammer first]] ask questions never" being, interestingly, ''less'' appealing to modern audiences).
** Arguably, Loki was "originally" not as unpopular as he became when the Christians got hold of Norse mythology and associated him with Satan. The only extant versions of the Norse myths are Literature/TheEddas, which were written well ''after'' the Christianization of the mythos.