Given its origins as an epic poem, A Total War Saga: TROY is much more a story of personalities and heroes than the average Total War game. The two sides of the conflict, the Greeks (known in-game as Danaans) and the Trojans, both attracted their own legendary heroes who fought for them.
Danaans
Achilles, Warlord of the Myrmidons
Swift-footed Achilles, legendary hero of the Iliad and the greatest warrior of the Epic, joined the Achaeans alongside his Myrmidons to bring battle to the Trojans. Renowned for his immense skill in battle, his seeming invincibility and his temper and mercurial mood, Achilles was driven by his desire to become a legend.
In-game, Achilles begins play as leader of the Myrmidon faction in Phthia. His personal Legendary Quest involves building up his legend by conquering nearby provinces of Greece and battling strong opponents, before crossing the Aegean to battle Troy and its greatest protector, Hector.
- Arch-Enemy: Hector. If either side is left alive by the end-game their factions will almost inevitably come to blows, and the two fighting each other is a part of both men's Legendary Quest.
- Bash Brothers: Achilles will recruit his second cousin, life companion and paramour Patroclus early on in his Legendary Quest.
- Blood Knight: In case the quote didn't give it away. Achilles loves fighting strong opponents, and one of his faction mechanics are built around it by granting him bonuses by building his legend as a warrior. Notably, unlike most of the Achaen lords, he isn't even part of the pact to defend Helen's marriage, as he was too young, or not even born yet, to be one of her suitors. He's involved solely for the glory of combat.
- Broken Ace: The greatest warrior of the Achaean side, and also by far the least stable.
- The Determinator: Achilles starts the game fearless. Come what may, he will not flee from battle.
- Fragile Speedster: Achilles' best possible units are notably faster and more lightly-armored than other factions.
- Glory Seeker: His personal motivation for joining the war. Achilles was given a choice by the gods of a long, but unremarkable life or dying young in the Trojan War but immortalized by his deeds, and chose the latter.
- Hot-Blooded: His hot blood is a faction mechanic; if Achilles spends too long doing one thing (garrisoning, killing or invoking the gods by having priests in his army) his mood will change and your faction will gain both bonuses and penalties for it.
- World's Best Warrior: Explicitly the greatest warrior of the epic, none were Achilles' equal. In-game, he has the best melee stats of all the legendary lords and is optimized for hunting down and dueling his foe to death.
Agamemnon, King of Mycenae
Agamemnon, king of the city-state of Mycenae and older brother Menelaus, was the primary architect of the Trojan War on the Achaean side and leader of the alliance. Owner of a hundred ships, a vast army, great personal skill at arms and an unquenchable ambition and pride, Agamemnon was driven by the desire to cast down the house of Priam and end Troy's time in the sun as mightiest of the Aegean city-states.
In-game, Agamemnon begins the game as king of Mycenae in north-eastern Peloponnese. His personal Legendary Quest is designed to re-tell the story of the Trojan War as it happened in the Trojan Cycle, by first recruiting Odysseus and Achilles to his alliance, his ill-fated journey eastwards and then the attack on and conquest of Troy itself.
- Big Brother Instinct: Half of his motivation for the war is due to Paris and Helen humiliating his brother, which he's determined to make them pay for.
- Carry a Big Stick: His weapon of choice is a flanged mace called Agamemnon's Sceptre, which aids in recruiting warriors to his army.
- Cool Helmet: Stands out compared to the other examples in the game because he has four horns on his... which might call to mind Spikes of Villainy in a less charitable view of him.
- Foil: To Hector. Both are the leaders of their respective Leagues, whose mechanics limit their expansion, but Hector's Assuwian League is designed to bring in allies as equals and provides a bonus to all the participants. Agamemnon, meanwhile, is rewarded by attacking enemies and then vassalizing them rather than wiping them out wholesale, and gains bonus resources from his vassals that benefit him alone.
- Jack of All Stats: Both personally and army-wise: He's neither as strong offensively as Achilles nor as defensive as Hector, with a mixture of personal and army-boosting skills, and his unit roster is one of the most balanced in the game.
- Our Founder: Can build statues to himself in friendly provinces, providing bonuses to recruitment and provoking enemies into attacking those settlements in particular.
- Pride: An immensely prideful man, who could neither tolerate Troy's ascendancy in the Aegean nor Achilles disobeying his orders.
- Puppet State: Agamemnon's thing is making these, called vassals. He can make demands out of his vassals, though asking for too much may cause them to be discontent and rebel.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: He's not the most powerful legendary lord in the game, but he can certainly hold his own and is almost powerful enough to match Hector one on one.
- Sibling Team: With Menelaus, the two being the core of the Achaean army.
Odysseus, Lord of Ithaca
Lord of the western isle of Ithaca, shrewd and resourceful Odysseus was the one to suggest the pact to unite Helen's suitors in her common defense, and found himself on the receiving end of that very same pact when Paris abducted her. Known as one of the wisest and cleverest thinkers on the Achaean side, Odysseus' cunning served both him and his side well during the war with Troy, as he fought to fulfill his duty and return to his family's side.
In-game, Odysseus begins play as leader of Ithaca, the westernmost realm on the map off the Greek peninsula. His faction mechanics allow him to plant secret hideouts in enemy towns, which grants him information and the ability to recruit units while in enemy territory, and he gains bonuses from owning coastal provinces.
- Modest Royalty: Wears considerably less gaudy, though by no means poor, armor, including the boar tusk helmet mentioned in the Iliad.
- Javelin Thrower: Not himself, but his best unique units notably all have a fair amount of javelins, and his Guerilla Ambushers are competitive with Harpy Fiends - and without unit limits!
- Stealth Expert: His faction has a bunch of units that are good at this, and Odysseus himself may pick up an ability which temporarily grants him unspottable (cannot be seen until an enemy is very close to him) and gives him snipe (shooting does not reveal him out of stealth).
- The Trickster: Depends on an indirect style of fighting and avoiding open combat. His unique troops gain bonuses when they flank enemies and have a bunch of javelins to slaughter anything from a flanking attack. His spies can create safe havens in neutral/enemy regions, which allows his forces to build new units and replenish in safe haven territory to harass enemies and consolidate to prepare against strongpoints. He also has access to the 'Stalk' stance at higher levels, allowing him to turn any battle into an ambush battle.
Menelaus, King of Sparta
Younger brother of Agamemnon and the king of the city-state of Sparta through his marriage with Helen, Menelaus lost both his wife and his legitimacy as king through Paris' actions. Driven by vengeance and a need to get Helen back, Menelaus called his brother into action and set the Trojan War into full motion, and joined its frontline as a warrior to obtain his revenge.
In-game, Menelaus starts the game as the king of Sparta, though he faces a loss of legitimacy and a popular rebellion as his first order of business. His personal Legendary Quest sees him join his brother in assembling the Achaean League, reclaim Helen, and attempt to resume his initially doomed attempt to conquer Crete.
- Arch-Enemy: Paris. If both factions survive long enough they are almost inevitably going to become rivals, and taking on Paris' faction is part of Menelaus' Legendary Quest.
- Cuckold Horns: His wife was taken by Paris (something his peers won't stop mentioning
) and he both wears a horned helmet and has a horned bull as his faction icon. - Enemy Exchange Program: Menelaus can hire units from any faction he is allied with, including unique units. This gives him, potentially, the greatest tactical flexibility in the game and the ability to mix-and-match elite units from any of the Achaean factions (and even the Trojan ones, should he somehow manage to get into their good graces).
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Begins play with Menelaus' Shield, a unique shield that buffs his army's morale.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Despite being the wronged part, he is overshadowed in importance by his brother as the leader of the Achaeans. Menelaus appears to be fine with this, being more concerned with reclaiming Helen.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Has the 'Diplomatic' tag in-game and is noted to view war more as a means to obtain a political goal than something desirable in and by itself. Compared to Agamemnon and Achilles, Menelaus is motivated by getting Helen back and getting his revenge on Paris specifically over fighting Troy entire.
Ajax the Great, son of legendary King Telamon, was a mountain of a man and a fierce warrior, second only to Achilles in martial prowess. With his seven–layered ox–hide shield, Ajax prevented the most grievous of losses by facing Hector in single combat and protecting the thousand ships from being burned down. For all his battles in The Iliad, Ajax was never wounded and never received support from the gods – he earned his glory by his own colossal strength and devotion to his allies, defending fallen comrades with no thought of retreat.
In-game, Ajax begins with his lands conquered due to a treacherous rival, and must reclaim them. To demonstrate his skill and grow his reputation, Ajax must travel around the Aegean Sea and seek illustrious Paragons to engage in a contest of battle on the Path to Greatness.
- Bash Brothers: With his half-brother, Teucer, who is available as a Homeric hero. While Ajax is a one-man shield wall, and his companions are heavily armoured, Teucer is an expert archer, as are his companions, encouraging you to use Ajax to hold enemies in place and keep them away while Teucer picks them off.
- The Big Guy: Just look at him. He's a towering wall of muscle, and it's clear he's the most built of all the heroes in the game. This also applies to most of his factions unique units, with the inhabitants of his native Salamis noted as being larger than most of the mainland Achaeans.
- Blood Knight: Quite possibly the only one who can rival Achilles in this regard.
- Boulder Bludgeon: He starts with the ability to throw boulders at his enemies, which is a reference to the legends where he nearly killed Hector on two different occasions by throwing a boulder at him.
- Foil: His and Teucer's relationship is one to Hector and Paris': Both are a pair of brothers, with the elder one being a Stone Wall and the younger one being an archer. However, while Hector and Paris are rivals who don't get along and lead their own factions, Ajax and Teucer are Bash Brothers who get along well and are both in the same faction.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: Teucer and Ajax often fought side by side in the legends, and the game encourages this with Teucer's "Half-Brother of Ajax" trait, which increases his motivation if he wins a battle alongside Ajax.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Carries an absolutely massive shield, with only the ones carried by actual Giants being larger. It is so large and tough that he is one of the toughest heroes in the game despite not wearing any body armour.
- Short Range Guy, Long Range Guy: He's the short-range Stone Wall to his younger half-brother Teucer's archer.
- Sibling Team: With his half-brother Teucer, who is a unique hero he can recruit, with Epic Missions focused on both recruiting him and levelling him up.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Goes into battle with barely anything but a loin cloth and his bronze helmet. Justified, as his massive shield and general toughness compensates for his lack of body armour.
Diomedes, son of Tydeus, was renowned as the greatest tactical mind of the Achaean effort against Troy. A seasoned veteran despite his young age, he had already participated in more battles than his peers, leading Argos to prosperity and greatness, second only to Mycenae. A champion of heroic virtues, he was the favourite of goddess Athena and was so ferocious in battle that he was said to have wounded Ares himself.
In-game Diomedes starts between the brothers Atreides, ready to support the Achaean host by defeating their common enemy in the Corinthians. From there, Diomedes can choose to conquer western Peloponnese or to take to the Aegean. But rumours speak of a new threat at Thebes, which will call the son of Tydeus back to the seven-gated city.
- Genius Bruiser: Diomedes was one of the greatest thinkers of the war, outsmarting the Trojans countless times being a master general and philsopher, but was also a fierce warrior; holding his own against the God's themselves in-battle.
- The Strategist: Diomedes is one of the finest in the Greek World; most of his mechanics and buffs reflect his mastery of warfare.
Trojans
Hector, Prince of Troy
Hector of the Shining Helm is the champion of Troy. The eldest of King Priam of Troy's princes and the heir presumptive, Hector was known both for his skill at arms and his skill at words. Despite his personal disapproval of his brother Paris and his father's refusal to rebuke him, Hector went to war to defend his home and family.
In-game, Hector leads the Prince Hector faction from Zeleia, and is in a permanent non-aggression pact with his sibling and father. His personal Legendary Quest involves building allies amongst Troy's neighbours in the Hellespont, reinforcing its eastern borders, and getting Lycia involved in the way before taking the battle to the invading Greeks.
- Action Dad: His son Scamandrius will be born halfway through his Legendary Quest, granting faction bonuses as the people of Troy look to Hector to protect his son's future.
- Ambadassador: His Assuwian League faction mechanic emphasizes building alliances and friendships to defend Troy... And he still kicks ass with the best of them.
- Arch-Enemy: Achilles. If either side is left alive by the end-game their factions will almost inevitably come to blows, and the two fighting each other is a part of both men's Legendary Quest.
- Foil: To Achilles. Hector is a calm, heavily armoured paragon, who fights to protect his family and his people, and his mechanic are the Assuwian League, focusing on gathering allies to help defend Troy, and buffing members as the league grows, and managing his relationship with his father and brother to determine who will lead their people when his father dies, meaning both focus on the well being of his people, one in the short term and the other in the long term. Achilles is a tempermental, lightly armoured Blood Knight, who fights for personal glory, and his mechanics focus on what mood he is in and building his legend, meaning both focus on himself, one in the short term and the other in the long term.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The responsible to Paris' foolish.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: His personal weapon is the Sword of Hector (better known as Durandal to readers of The Song of Roland), though in-game he fights mostly with a spear.
- Noble Top Enforcer: To Priam, being the chief architect of Troy's war efforts despite being personally against it.
- The Paragon: Hector is central to Troy's war efforts, and their warriors and allies look to him to represent the city at its best.
- Parental Favoritism: Priam favours him over Paris, though a player Paris will likely subvert it by winning their Sibling Rivalry.
- Stone Wall: Both on a personal, tactical and a strategic level. Hector's personal stats emphasize armour and hit points over offence and most of his skill tree involves buffing and healing his allies, his unique units are all heavy melee infantry with tons of durability but low speed and flexibility, his faction mechanic involves building defensive alliances to defend Troy, and his unique 'Walls of Troy' building tree allows him to add extra garrisons to any town in the game right off the bat.
- Warrior Prince: Is capable of tangling with Achilles and will defeat any non-Achilles legendary lord, contrasted with his brother Paris, who needs to avoid champion duels at all cost.
Paris, Prince of Troy
Paris was the younger brother of Hector, beloved of Aphrodite, and the instigator of the Trojan war when he absconded with Helen, wife of Menelaus. While no great warrior, he was still a prince and trained in arms and in leading men. He commanded some of Troy's forces during the war, driven to protect his beloved from the Achaeans.
In-game, Paris leads the Paris subfaction from Troy's coastal defenses in Larisa. His personal Legendary Quest involves making up for his actions by glorious actions in Troy's defence, while keeping his relationship with Helen as loving as possible and keeping her from being reclaimed by Menelaus.
- Adaptational Badass: Compared to The Load of the poem, Paris in-game is a full-fledged Legendary Lord, skilled in archery. Like in the Poem he will lose — badly — if he tries battling Menelaus in a duel, but he will put a severe dent into any lord if he's allowed to stay at range.
- Adaptational Heroism: In The Iliad, Helen loving Paris was explicitly caused by Aphrodite, making it a case of Questionable Consent. No such thing is evident in-game; Helen absconded with him entirely willingly.
- Arch-Enemy: Menelaus. His legendary quest eventually involves defeating Helen's other would-be suitor and removing him from the war, and to this end the two will almost inevitably come to blows.
- Character Exaggeration: Amazon players that initiate diplomacy with him while having good diplomatic relations will sometimes find it sounds a lot like he's flirting with you, just to top him "started a gigantic war by absconding with the Spartan king's wife".
- Happily Married: His marriage to Helen is genuinely happy, with his faction mechanics giving him penalties if he ranges too far abroad from her while Helen inspires the local populace where she resides.
- Jerkass: He's generally unpleasant in his diplomacy lines, and none of the other factions except Priam and Hector seem to enjoy interacting with him either.
- Lover, Not a Fighter: One of his selection quotes, and also somewhat true in-game. Paris is no slouch with a bow, but he's the weakest Legendary Lord in melee combat.
- Save the Princess: If the town that has Helen in it falls to an enemy, they will automatically capture Helen. Paris' quest then becomes taking her back.
- The Un-Favourite: Priam prefers Hector to him, and the Sibling Rivalry mechanic between the two decides which one ultimately becomes the heir.
Aeneas, Lord of Dardania
Son of the love goddess Aphrodite and the first cousin of Priam, Aeneas came to Troy's defence during the Trojan war, bringing with him the Dardanians from the Hellesphont. He is said to hold special favour in the eyes of the gods, and was driven to fulfill the destiny the gods had in store for him.
In-game, Aeneas leads the Dardanians from their capital of Dardanos north of Troy. His faction mechanics involves invoking the gods and the spirits of the dead for visions and commands, which will unlock bonuses if followed.
- Dead Person Conversation: Aeneas can consult ancient (and recently deceased) heroes with his Stygian Voices to boost his faction at the cost of divine displeasure.
- Religious Bruiser: He gains automatic favour with Aphrodite every turn, and his faction mechanics both involve invoking the gods and spirits.
- We Have Reserves: Aeneas' unique unit selection includes of two very early-game light infantry units, which are incredibly cheap and can be drafted into his army en masse. Two of them are even Expendable, meaning they can flee and your other units will not care.
Sarpedon, King of Lycia
Son of Zeus, the king of the gods, Sarpedon leads Lycia, a kingdom of former exiles from Crete that have settled on the southern Anatolian coast. Motivated to keep his compacts with Troy, he is a fierce warrior from atop his chariot, in spite of his advancing age.
In-game, Sarpedon leads the Lycians from their capital of Lycia south east of Troy. His faction mechanics involves bartering and stockpiling rare resources, he can meddle with other factions' bartering agreements and spend his rare resources to gain bonuses in settlements he controls.
- Adaptational Wealth: Nothing in the original poem indicates that Sarpedon was much of a merchant.
- Age Lift: Sarpedon is notably older than the rest of the cast, but is still able to hold his own in battle. This is a nod to the genealogical plot-hole in The Trojan Cycle that his brother is Minos, king of Crete who lived three generations prior to the Trojan War, which in other texts was said to be because of a blessing of long-life from Zeus himself.
- Lightning Bruiser: Sarpedon starts the campaign with a unique light chariot unit available allowing for easy dominance in early game open-field battles. This eventually gets superseded by a unique heavy chariot unit that is superior to those available to other factions.
- Proud Merchant Race Guy: He gains Influence in any faction he trades with, meaning that making deals with other factions can allow him to later slip into their barter agreements and make himself the agreed-upon trader or convince them to break the agreement. He is also uniquely capable of gathering and making use of the celestial iron, white granite and Minoan relics resources, which can be found in certain provinces with deposits of them or by buying them off of other factions - even if you're at war with them! Clearly, no factions will turn down perfectly good gold.
Rhesus, Mighty King of Thrace
In-game, Rhesus commands the disparate tribes of Thrace, which he must unit to aid in the defense of Troy.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Rhesus' forces are specialized in charging in and smashing the enemy, as they lack shields but have high morale and armor piercing damage. That being said, their chariots give them plenty of options for flanking and Rhesus is especially good at launching ambushes.
- Barbarian Tribe: Rhesus' forces are comprised of Thracian tribesmen, who aren't as civilized as the other factions (even the Amazons under Penthisilea are more organized). They're so "primitive" that they cannot recruit agents, instead needing to enact religious rituals for the same purpose.
- Bling of War: Goes into battle wearing golden armor and an equally ornate mask.
- The Cavalry: Story-wise, he's fulfilling this role as part of Troy's Gondor Calls for Aid. Mechanically, he makes heavy usage of chariots and horsemen to mow down the Greeks.
- The Horde: While not a horde faction in gameplay, Rhesus' forces are still an army of disparate tribesmen with less professionalism than the Greeks or the Trojans.
Memnon, King of Aethiopia
Memnon was the half cousin of Hector and Paris, who came to the aid of Troy from his home in Aethiopia.
In game Memnon leads a horde faction in the south eastern part of the map. His faction mechanics involve razing Achaean settlements to the ground and completing quests for the pharaoh he serves.
- Dragon-in-Chief: While he may serve the Pharaoh in Egypt, he is the one leading the Pharaoh's forces in the Aegean, and calling the shots in the Trojan war
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: In the actual legend Memnon arrives to bolster the defences of Troy after the death of Hector. In game he arrives when Hector is still alive and is a wandering army attacking the Achaeans.
- The Horde: Memnon's forces are a horde faction, and cannot build any cities. Ostensibly, this is because they are a military expedition from Egypt and thus come from a completely distinct territory from the other factions that are simply aiming to win the war and return home.
- Token Minority: Memnon is the only legendary lord that is Black as he comes from Aethiopia rather than the Aegean like the rest of the legendary lords.
Amazons
Hippolyta, High Queen of The Amazons
Hippolyta was the queen of the Amazons at the end of the Bronze Age. While her younger sister Penthesilea led their vengeful tribe to war, Hippolyta was more concerned with securing a peaceful future for her people.
In-game Hippolyta starts with little expansion option and must contend with being a semi-settled horde. Both a skilled fighter and diplomat, Hippolyta is a fitting choice for players who prefer to control a limited amount of land while still growing in power.
- Action Girl: Leads a whole faction of them. One of the only female Heroes, and a talented warrior rumoured to be a daughter of Ares.
- Cool Crown: One made from solid gold.
- Spared By Adaptation: Sort of. There are several different legends in which Hippolyta dies, almost all of which took place before the war. The one exception is from Greco-Roman Posthomerica, written sometime in the latter half of the 4th Century AD, where she is killed in a hunting accident by Penthelisea during the early days of the war, which is the reason why Penthelisea came to Troy. No matter which legend you choose, she was never involved in the war.
Penthesilea, Warlord of the Amazons
Penthesilea was the warrior queen of the Amazons during the Trojan War. While her sibling Hippolyta ruled over Amazon society, Penthesilea led their younger, hot-blooded sisters to war. Born Melanippe (‘the Black Mare’) she witnessed the devastation of Themiscyra by Athenian raiders as well as the murder of her beloved sister Antiope. Taking on the name Penthesilea (‘strong grief’), she offered her life to the bloodthirsty god Ares, swearing to visit vengeance upon those who desecrated the golden capital.
In-game she starts as a horde faction directly before the Greeks. As the Black Mare for her ruthless resolve, Penthesilea is for players who prefer to paint a trail of destruction across the map using devastating Horde tactics
- Blood Knight: Her primary gimmick, Battle Honor, encourages this play style, giving access to powerful unique units and other bonuses so long as she keeps fighting. Just to hammer it home, she even gets increased favor from Ares.
- Dark Action Girl: In contrast to her sister; Penthesilea is bloodthirsty and punctuates the look even more by wearing black eyeliner.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Penthesilea starts with an armor item which is her face-concealing helmet that takes Achilles by surprise after he's killed her and it's removed. As can be seen from her image, she's not wearing a face-concealing helmet.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Her primary motivation: revenge against the Danaan's for the destruction of Themyscira.
Monsters
The Lernean Hydra, Many-Headed Serpent
A child of Typhon and Echidna. This multi-headed headed serpent made its lair in the swamps of Lerna and was infamous for its poisonous breath and blood and for its ability to regrow lost heads. The legendary Herakles was tasked with slaying the beast as the second of his twelve labours, though thanks to its central, immortal head the creature never truly died...
In-game, the Hydra and its cult lurks in the black depths of Lerna, and will ravage the land around it. It provides a selection of devoted Cultists who wield poison weapons and disgusting mutated visages; vitality, a mechanic focused on the beast gorging on the dead and empowering your army or the Hydra itself; and a selection of cult-inspired buildings.
- Back from the Dead: Downplayed. Although it didn't strictly die, its fate in the backstory was the same as in myth — Herakles defeated it, killed its central body and all but one of its heads, and buried the last, immortal head under a rock. It stayed there for a long time, until its blood, leaking into the land, was able to corrupt enough people to have it dug free, after which it eventually grew a new body.
- Fed to the Beast: The Hydra's vitality levels are initially quite low, and so the player needs to restore the creature's strength to access its full potential. This can be done by feeding defeated enemies to the monster... or by sacrificing your own troops.
- Giant Animal Worship: The Hydra is attended by a cult of unfortunate wretches whose minds have become addled by the monster's venom, and who seek to spread its worship. Said cultists serve as the monster's foot soldiers in battle and were instrumental in its resurrection.
- Healing Factor: Its most iconic ability; it's so strong that it eventually reformed after being torn apart by Herakles.
- Our Hydras Are Different: The original: a massive, swamp-dwelling, nine-headed serpent with regenerative capabilities, poisonous blood and toxic breath.
- Poisonous Person: Both the blood and breath of the Hydra are extremely poisonous, giving it access to a variety of poison based attacks. It infects targets with poison with every attack, exhales clouds of poison at close range, and can spit toxic projectiles at range.
- Super Spit: It can spit volleys of venom as a ranged attack.
- Truer to the Text: The game is one of the few works to remember that one of the Hydra's heads is immortal — it's why the creature is still alive to the game's present time period, despite supposedly being slain by Heracles.
Cerberus, the Hound of Hades
Cerberus is brother to the Hydra and son of Typhon himself, the inconceivable creature who single-handedly challenged all Olympians and almost defeated them. It is said that Cerberus is in fact a hundred-headed beast, yet no more than three of his heads can be perceived at any one time. Still, he howls and groans with the throats of all the shades which have well and truly lost all sense of selfhood since laying eyes upon him at the gates of the Underworld
In-game, Cerberus is present at the shore's of the river Styx, guarding it eternally alongside his host of spirits. The nightmarish hound of the Underworld brings forth legions of shades from the depths of Hades, loyal ghostly soldiers. His "Souls" mechanic has him became stronger as the dead pile on and Cerberus feasts on their souls, or can be used for buffs on the campaign map, and he can generate more from a unique set of offering pits.
- Animalistic Abomination: Its design in Total War is suitably horrifying; it three heads look nightmarish, with traits of a horse, hound, and human grinning, alongside its dog-like body, and slavering serpent for its tail.
- Balancing Death's Books: Cerberus can call the shades of the dead to fight in his wake, but requires equivalent amounts of living souls to be sent to the Underworld in their place — in game terms, spectral units become available based on how many enemies he kills.
- Deathbringer the Adorable: Downplayed — he has a button for petting him on the campaign map, which will cause him to roll over for a belly rub as well, but he'll maintain some of his creed as the impassable Hellhound guard to the Underworld by snapping at the petter by the end of the animation.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: His eyes glow red with the fires of the underworld.
- Hellhound: A massive, demonic, multi-headed, snake-tailed and -maned hound who guards the entrance to the Underworld.
- Night of the Living Mooks: Cerberus can bring shades over from the Underworld to serve as laborers or to fight in battle alongside living troops.
- Playing with Fire: In battle, he can summon the fires of the river Phlegethon to create bursts of flame among enemy soldiers.
- Soul Eating: Cerberus devours the souls of his victims alongside their flesh, growing in power as he does so.
- Throat Light: His mouths glow red as flame.
- Truer to the Text: This is one of the few works of fiction that remembers that Cerberus had a mane made out of living snakes and another snake head at the end of his tail.
Griffin Patriarch, King of Beasts
- Flunky Boss: In battle, he can shriek to summon lesser griffins to his side.
- Monster Progenitor: He's depicted as being the literal patriarch and ancestor of the lesser griffins that inhabit the northern mountains.
- Our Gryphons Are Different: The Griffin Patriarch is the progenitor of common griffins, and has the hindquarters and ears of a lion and the forequarters of a griffon vulture.
- Wind from Beneath My Wings: The Griffin Patriarch can employ its massive wings to generate a powerful blast of wind, which can disrupt formations and damage enemy troops.
