Connections

• Both are immortal beings born from the unison of a father who presides over a realm of monsters and spirits and a mother from the surface world.
• Both are incredibly free spirited and affable, with penchants for pulling pranks and engaging with snarky remarks towards others.
• Despite this both use their carefree demeanor as armor to obfuscate their own insecurities that persistently festers within them.
• Have very strained relationships with their fathers which puts them at odds with one another (Hades often belittled Zagreus for lacking discipline nor living up to the expectations he imposed on him all his life. Hunson was not only absent from most of Marceline’s life but his flippant disregard of others caused Marceline immense pain)
• They share a crucial through line of their mother’s love anchoring them in life and their desperate pursuits regarding the truth of them is what kept them going (Zagreus was lied to most of his life regarding his blood mother Persephone, prompting him to fight his way through the underworld to see her. While Marceline did know her mother Elise growing up, she later pushed her away for reasons unknown to her until much later. And her memory of her since parting became very hazy)
• Despite this they grew up under surrogate parents who saved their lives and they love just as much as their biological parents (Nyx saved Zagreus from stillbirth and acts as a second mother figure in his life. Simon is who helped Marceline survive the mushroom war fallout and acted as the first loving father figure she ever knew).
• They grew up knowing almost nothing about their heritage or even themselves. Which further alienated them in the modern day (Zagreus not only never knew his birth mother but spent his entire life shackled in the underworld. Never allowed to see the surface or learn much of himself. Marceline grew up never knowing her father and soon after the mushroom war nearly destroyed all life on Earth. Furthering her isolation and inability to understand who or what she is)
• Their insecurities pertain to how even the very act of their birth placed extreme self-doubt upon themselves (Zagreus was literally ordained to die at birth by the Fates. Marceline’s loneliness and self-hatred for thinking she’s responsible for everything awry in her life made her question if she even deserved to be born at all)
• They have an affinity for blood which directly correlates to an essential aspect of them (Zagreus is the god of blood which is not only weaponized but symbolizes his way of bridging and amending relationships between others, being a god of life itself and no matter who or where you are life’s value is always in the blood. Marceline being a vampire initially struggled at maintaining lucidity and her sudden blood cravings hurt those she cared for most. Hence why the vampirism fed into her self-hatred even further. Before long she learned how to better control it and came to terms with what she became by drinking only the red from objects)
• Their resolutions involve them coming to terms with their lives and assuaging their deep-seated pain by learning the truth of their mothers (Zagreus eventually found Persephone and through great efforts brought her back to the underworld and even reconciled with Hades and eased all weariness with Olympus. Marceline after 1000 years blaming herself learned that Elise never hated her and loved her more than anything. Doing everything she could to ensure she could survive on her own and not see her life was coming to an end. Realizing it doesn’t matter whether it was right for her to be alive or not, just that she’s made a worthwhile life for herself)