The critically-acclaimed and story-driven roguelike Hades is filled with engaging, likable characters and set within a richly detailed world. Players set out to escape the Underworld as Zagreus, Son of Hades, and inevitably come to know and love the many colorful personalities they meet along the way. One of these characters is Sisyphus, a once-king punished for his attempts to cheat death. Sisyphus has been given a boulder to roll eternally up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time.
In the myth, Sisyphus chained up Death in order to cheat Hades, and Ares had to come to Death's aid. Meanwhile, Sisyphus had convinced his wife not to bury him or perform funeral rites. Because of this Sisyphus was allowed to return from the Underworld to "punish" his wife, but instead just stayed and lived to old age once more. Hades' Sisyphus, in contrast to the trickster-king of myth, is a cheerful and helpful man who's never actually seen pushing his boulder. He can be found in Hades' first area, Tartarus, where Megaera and the Furies are tasked with tormenting him. His chamber is marked by a "!" icon.
In Hades, players can free Sisyphus from his eternal punishment. By doing so they'll gain the companion Shady, who offers good damage and a care package of resources, including health. This quest begins similarly to Hades' other quests, like Dusa's favor or Orpheus and Eurydice's romance. Players will need to gift Sisyphus at least six nectar and speak to him whenever possible. He'll gradually tell his story as Zagreus visits, and he eventually prompts players to speak with Bouldy, his boulder.
How to Free Sisyphus in Hades
Once Sisyphus has received enough nectar, a dialogue will eventually appear in which Zagreus asks if he can help: ''Sisyphus, I know you tend to be in remarkably good spirits, all things considered, but there must be something I can do to help with your predicament, isn't there?'' This indicates the start of the favor.
Now, Zagreus can begin talking with other characters about ending Sisyphus' sentence. Players should keep in mind that each of the following NPCs should be gifted at least five nectar to reach the best relationship level.
Zagreus can seek out Megaera and ask her to go easier on Sisyphus if he can get Hades to end the sentence. From here, he should speak with Hades as much as possible until he gets the chance to ask Hades about Sisyphus. Hades doesn't care either way; if players can find his contract, Sisyphus can go free. Nyx can reveal the contract's location in the administrative chamber. If it's not yet unlocked, Zagreus must purchase the Administrative Privilege item from the House Contractor and return to speak with Nyx until he has a chance to ask about Sisyphus.
The final task to free Sisyphus in Hades is to purchase the Knave-King's Sentence work order from the House Contractor. After Zagreus does this, Sisyphus will be free to leave his eternal boulder-pushing torment. It costs four diamonds, so players should be sure to defeat the Bone Hydra a couple of times, upping the heat level with Hades' Pact of Punishment if necessary.
With his favor now complete, players can find Sisyphus one last time to gift him ambrosia. In return, he'll give Zagreus his companion, Shady. This is another of Hades' great narratives, as Sisyphus is quite the likable character, and ending his eternal torment is too good a chance to pass up.
Hades is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.