American Gods

Although the Greek deities are part of an ancient heritage, many of them are still very well-known and popular to this day. From the books written about them to the movies that reimagine them, gods and monsters still live on in the current zeitgeist. With that in mind, here are 20 gods that define popularity.

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1. Persephone

Persephone is quite the popular goddess and is a major figure in the romantic literary genre. Many authors have retold her love story with Hades through the novel medium, and you’d be surprised how many young girls are familiar with her and her story.

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2. Zeus

Zeus is undoubtedly the king of gods and has inspired multiple depictions through video games, books, and movies alike. Consider the recent Netflix show Blood of Zeus, or the highly popular Percy Jackson & The Olympians book series.

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3. Poseidon

Speaking of Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Poseidon is a pivotal character in that series as Percy’s father. Additionally, the God of the Sea is often mentioned in Aquaman lore and played a pivotal role in the well-remembered Odyssey.

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4. Circe

Circe skyrocketed to popularity after the bestselling book by the same name, written by Madeline Miller, took the world by storm. With an aptitude for transforming men into animals, this chaotic goddess has also had a long-standing role as a pivotal Wonder Woman villain.

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5. Hades

Hades, the God of the Underworld, is popular in numerous mediums. Firstly, as the other half of Persephone’s love story, he’s very popular in the romantic literary genre. In addition to this, he was popularized by Disney’s depiction of him in the movie Hercules, as well as in the hit video game Hades.

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6. Medusa

While not a goddess, Medusa is also well-remembered as a once-beautiful woman who has a tendency to turn people to stone with just a look. She was a major villain in both the Clash of the Titans movie and in the Percy Jackson books and movie. She also appeared in the video game Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

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7. Aphrodite

While Aphrodite doesn’t often appear in media, she’s still well-known and revered by many. As the goddess of beauty and desire, many women keep her in mind when considering trends and aspirations. Plus, the famous Birth of Venus art piece has done well to immortalize her further.

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8. Apollo

Apollo is the god of the sun, music, and prophecy, and is often associated with the Oracle of Delphi. In media, he’s made numerous appearances in the Percy Jackson books, as well as the movie Troy, and the successful video game Smite.

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9. Artemis

On the other side of the coin is Apollo’s sister Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the wilderness. Known as an icon for independence, it makes sense that Artemis is pivotal in both the Wonder Woman mythos as well as in the recently influential video game Horizon Zero Dawn—where she was supposedly the inspiration.

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10. Ares

Ares is well-known for his brutality as the God of War. With a name like that, it makes sense that he was key in the video game of the same name, and he also played the major villain in the 2017 Wonder Woman movie.

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11. Hercules

Technically a demigod, Hercules’s story is well-known to many thanks to the success of the 1997 Disney movie. As one of the most famous Greek heroes out there, it makes sense that he’s still quite popular.

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12. Prometheus

Prometheus may just be the most popular god in terms of media representations. For instance, he was a major character in the recent Netflix show Kaos, but he has also had sci-fi movies named after him. Additionally, he is the inspiration for Frankenstein’s story.

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13. Orpheus

Orpheus is a legendary musician who struggles to save his wife from the Underworld, and this story has been immortalized through media as well. Not only did he appear in Netflix’s Kaos, but he also appears in the video game Hades, and in the Broadway musical Hadestown.

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14. Athena

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, warfare, and strategy, and is also considered a feminist icon in modern times. She makes numerous appearances in the Wonder Woman mythos and is also a pivotal character in the Percy Jackson series.

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15. Icarus

While Icarus is not a god by any means, his story is very popular and serves as a constant reminder against hubris. After all, “flying too close to the sun” is a saying that stems from Icarus’s plight.

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16. Chiron

Chiron, like Icarus, is also not a god but is known as a teacher and mentor to many great heroes. Admired for his wisdom, he serves as a teacher both in the Percy Jackson universe and in Netflix’s Blood of Zeus.

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17. Hermes

The fact that there’s a whole luxury bag line named after Hermes may just say something about his popularity. Aside from that, he’s also considered the original speedster and is an inspiration for the many Flash heroes in DC.

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18. Dionysus

As the god of wine, pleasure, and revelry, it makes sense that Dionysus had a song written about him by The Orion Experience. But aside from this song, he often appears in TV shows and books as a fun but kind-hearted individual.

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19. Perseus

Perseus, who is a demigod, has been popularized as a hero appearing in many mediums. Not only is he Percy Jackson’s namesake, but he is also the hero in Clash of the Titans as well.

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20. Eros

Eros is the god of love and desire and is known by another familiar name: Cupid. During Valentine’s Day, you can expect to see plenty of Eros imagery. Plus, Lady Gaga did write that one song about him.

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