Ares

Mighty god of war, son of Zeus and Hera, half-brother to Hercules and brother to Aphrodite and Athena. Ares has a fondness for battle and women. He constantly makes attempts to win Xena back to his side and would like her to be his warrior queen although we all know this isn't going to happen!

Ares appears in numerous Xena episodes. Most of the time he is portrayed as the villain but he also has a sensitive side and a sense of humour. Although he is initially driven by lust for Xena, he eventually falls in love with her but is overcome by fear of her rejection of him. He makes a tremendous sacrifice in "Motherhood", when he defies his sister, Athena taking the side of the woman he loves instead. He also gives up his immortality to save both Gabrielle and Eve. He soon gets fed up with being mortal though, especially when he is forced to pay for his betrayal of the gods when he is tormented by the Furies in "Coming Home".