Zeus

"It takes the simplicity of a child to teach us the most obvious lesson. Evander was right. Sometimes we can just start over."
 * - Zeus in "Full Circle"

Zeus was the powerful king of the Olympian gods and the God of lightning and thunder. His father, Kronos, was king of the Titans and when Kronos feared one of his children would steal his throne he began to swallow each of His newborn children. Zeus' mother, Rhea, saved Zeus from this fate. In turn, Zeus freed his siblings from their imprisonment and declared war on Kronos and anyone who supported him in an event that came to be called the Titanomachy. With the Help of the Ribs of Kronos Zeus killed his father and took his place as King of the Gods.

Zeus married his sister Hera who became queen of the Olympians. Zeus was a great lover of mortal women. He took many human sexual partners and thus fathered many half-gods. Sometimes, he would take the form of a mortal man or of an animal when he visited his mortal women. For example, when he fathered Hercules with Alcmene he took the form of Alcmene's dead husband Amphitryon.

Zeus' personal guards are known as the Proxidicae (XWP "God Fearing Child").

Powers:
Zeus is probably the most powerful god ever seen in the series. He is capable of manipulating (giving and remove the powers of other gods, altering his appearance, teleportation, immortality and manipulating the lightning even at a distance. He has been seen capable of destroying Hera, dispersing her molecules.

Background

 * Along with Hercules, Iolaus and Hera, Zeus is one of four characters to appear in both Hercules and the Amazon Women and Full Circle. Along with Hera, he also appears in Hercules's final appearance in God Fearing Child.
 * Of all the Olympians shown in the Xenaverse, Zeus's portrayal is generally the most consistent with his mythological counterpart: aloof yet outrageous, neutral but with a love of humanity, practically all-knowing and nearly omnipotent.
 * Zeus's role as an advisor and mentor to Hercules in the telemovies properly belongs to Athena in mythology. This portrayal is also directly at odds with his portrayal in both HTLJ and YH, where he is very aloof, with Hercules rarely seeing him and deeply resenting his absence.
 * Anthony Quinn portrayed Zeus in the Hercules telemovies. Peter Vere-Jones played him in "Judgment Day," while Roy Dotrice took over the role at the end of Season 4. Charles Keating played Zeus on the final episode of Hercules and in "God Fearing Child." John Bach played him in the Young Hercules episode "Valley of the Shadow." His voice actor in Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus was Peter Rowley.