10 Dark Moments In Disney Animated Films

Who'd have suspected that a river of souls would be a morbid affair?

Hercules was a mixed bag, and received equally mixed opinions. With the stylistic choice of the film being akin to Las Vegas, the music being in a Gospel style, and it being a loose commentary on celebrity culture, it was certainly an interesting way to deliver the myth of the Greek hero.

What was surprising about the movie, however, was the casting of James Woods as Hades, which was a very odd choice, but it truly paid off. He talks quick and sharply, a lot like a lawyer, making sly deals (and admittedly sticking to them) in his plot to overthrow Olympus which he was cast from into the Underworld.

As the god of the dead, Hades deals with the River Styx - which is depicted here as a river of souls who are drifting with the current, and also attempt to repeatedly drag Hades into the depths with them.

Hercules, a mortal at this point in the film, attempts to grab Megara's soul from the river, but his hands immediately age doing so, and as she swirls to the bottom, the hero dives in to save her, rapidly aging like it was shown prior. However, in this act of self-sacrifice, he becomes immortal again, and emerges glowing from the river, before delivering a well-deserved punch to Hades straight into the damned souls, which immediately flock to him and drag him down.

With Hades being immortal himself, it means that he would suffer this fate for all eternity.