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Cupid is the God of Love and the son of Aphrodite and an unspecified father. His job is to spread love to mortal beings by causing them to fall in love with one another at first sight. Aphrodite and Cupid often had disagreements over just how to do their respective jobs, and while Aphrodite is technically his boss as well as his mother, Cupid dislikes having to obey her orders about which mortals to influence.

Biography[]

As an infant, Hera cursed Cupid so that if he ever felt unrequited love for a mortal, he would turn into a Green-Eyed Monster. Later, when Cupid fell in love with the beautiful Psyche, the curse took hold. Trying to spare her son from the curse, Aphrodite asked Hercules to help her keep Psyche away from Cupid, knowing that Cupid looked up to and respected Hercules. She accidentally shot Hercules with one of Cupid's Arrows, making the hero fall in love with Psyche. When Cupid saw this, he was filled with jealousy and transformed into the Green-Eyed Monster. Since Hercules is a Demigod, he was eventually able to overcome the power of the arrow and convinced Aphrodite to turn Psyche into an immortal so that Cupid's curse would no longer affect him, and so that Psyche would not grow old and die, which would break Cupid's heart (HTLJ "The Green-Eyed Monster").

Later, Cupid and Psyche got married and had a son, Bliss, who causes chaos for Xena and Gabrielle when he takes his father's arrows and shoots people with them in "Comedy of Eros." Xena sends Joxer to find Cupid so the God could reverse the effects and clean up the mess made by Bliss.

Powers and abilities[]

As an Olympian God, he has the basic Powers and Abilities shared among all Olympians, he has enough power to make one day repeat itself over and over again.

Power Over Love: Cupid is a God of Love. He possesses a quiver of arrows that, when they strike a mortal, causes the victim to fall in love with the next person they see. These arrows also work on Demigods, Cupid also (and possibly Zeus & Aphrodite) has the ability to dispel the effects of his arrows.

Flight: Cupid possesses a pair of white feathered wings, which allow him to fly.

Cupid's Arrows

Cupid's Bow

Background/Trivia[]

  • Cupid was played by Karl Urban, who also played Julius Caesar, Mael and Kor.
    • Much like Kevin Smith playing both Iphicles and Ares, the visual differences between Cupid and Caesar were extreme enough that there was no need to recast one role with a different actor.
  • Urban was the first actor to have to wear prosthetic wings for a role in the Xenaverse. He was also the only one required to do so shirtless, and thus had to endure prosthetics to keep them adhered to his back. Later all of the actors playing Archangels also had to wear them, but their wings were heavier and more complicated – Charles Mesure was the only actor who was able to hold them up on his own.

Mythology[]

  • The producers of Hercules and Xena drew upon the Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche in which Cupid falls in love with a mortal whom Venus despises because, as a princess her beauty makes her subjects pay more attention to her than to the worship of Venus. She orders her son, Cupid, to make Psyche fall in love with the most vile thing in the world. Instead he accidentally scratches himself with his arrow and falls in love with her instead. When Psyche finally learns of Cupid's love, Jupiter makes her immortal. They have a daughter, Voluptas, or "pleasure".
  • Cupid's Greek name is Eros. Some sources list Ares as his father, though others say it is Hephaestus or that he is a primal force who predates the Titans. His father in the Xenaverse is never revealed, though it is more likely to be Ares than Hephaestus given that Aphrodite doesn't start dating Hephaestus until "Love Takes a Holiday" (although they could have had a one-night stand sometime earlier)

Gallery  []

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Appearances and Mentions[]

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