Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The underworld finally has a Queen!
Rachel Smythe ended Lore Olympus Season 2 on a high note, with Persephone battling Kronos and reuniting with Hades after ten long years of pining and misery. Remember, she was exiled on Earth after Zeus put her on trial and banned her from having any contact with the other realms.
Season 2 of Lore Olympus was fantastic, not only did it give readers an epic climactic battle, but it also provided a cute romantic reunion between the lead couple. Rachel Smythe could’ve added a few more chapters in the same season and ended the webtoon, but instead, we have a whole new season with several long, winding chapters, some of which feel overstretched. “This is what an essay looks like when the student is simply trying to meet the word count,” a reader hilariously commented on one of the filler chapters.
Also Read: Lore Olympus Season 1 Review
For fans who love the artwork, the illustrations in the webtoon remain gorgeously engrossing, colorful and glossy as always. Those cheering for Hades and Persephone’s eternal happy ending will, of course, enjoy this final season. There are plenty of romantic moments between the two, with the slow-burn aspect of their romance continuing as they don’t get married immediately. It’s super cute how Hades fusses and frets over how he should propose to Persephone while everybody around them treats them like they’re already an official item. Except for Mama Demeter, of course, who, despite being a witness to blunt admissions of her daughter’s love for the King of the Underworld, chooses to remain in denial.
In a pleasant surprise, Lore Olympus Season 3 has some entertaining flashback scenes illustrating why Demeter despises Hades so passionately. Not just that, another throwback also reveals why she is excessively possessive of Persephone and treats her like a child who must be chained to her mother at all times. Rachel Smythe has breathed fresh life into all the Greek gods, and almost all of them are exceedingly likable, despite their flaws—except for Apollo. Of course, I am on team “we hate Apollo”; there’s nothing redeeming about that egotistical, manipulative, psychopathic god. Persephone is ten years older and stronger in Season 3, yet the mere sight of Apollo on a poster makes her freeze with trauma.
I recently saw “Blood of Zeus” on Netflix, and hated Hera’s character in it, even though she has solid reasons for behaving like a malevolent villain in it. But in Lore Olympus, you’ve got to admire Hera and the way she puts up with the cheating Zeus and cheers for Persephone. Nicknamed “the Golden Traitor” by Kronos, Hera continues to be haunted by him and plays a major role in ensuring he is unable to storm back to power. Honestly, I think I might even like Hera more than Persephone’s character in “Lore Olympus”, simply because she has so much more years of experience and baggage, making her a far more complex personality than the sweet-cute Spring Goddess. Among the male characters, Hades is hands down as my favorite, since Smythe consistently portrays him as a sensitive, loyal, patient, kind King, who is deeply respectful of Persephone’s feelings, space, and boundaries.
There’s also a mystery character introduced this season, a child deity said to be trapped with Kronos in Tartarus, which generates significant mystery and intrigue through the chapters, keeping viewers guessing who it might be. Hades works hard with Hecate and the others to free the deity but has a difficult time gaining access to Tartarus. Hecate should totally get her own spin-off series, so should Hermes, Artemis, and even Eros!
It’s all the little side stories and the various subplots involving different gods and goddesses that make Lore Olympus such a joyful read. If you’ve read the first two seasons and didn’t mind the major deviations made by the author from what some would call the “original myths,” then you will enjoy this final installment too. The climax was somewhat convoluted, introducing a new villain (if you could call an old god new) and posing twin trouble for all the realms in the form of a massive conspiracy against the Olympians. Rachel Smythe could’ve kept things simple, but well, stories with gods need grand endings, don’t they? Slow-paced but with beautiful illustrations and a heartwarming romance at the center of it all, Hades and Persephone’s love comes to a well-deserved conclusion in this season.
You can read “Lore Olympus” on Webtoon.
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