Charon 01
Charon in "Hercules in the Underworld
Portrayed By Michael Hurst
Peter Rowley
Series HTLJ, XWP, YH
First Appearance Hercules in the Underworld
Last Appearance "You Are There"
Also Known As The Boatman, The Ferryman
Affiliations Hades

Charon, or the Ferryman, was responsible for ferrying the souls of the dead across the River Styx into the Underworld. It was customary for the passengers to pay him which is why many people buried their loved ones with a coin in their mouth or over their eyes.

Hercules tricked Charon into ferrying him across Styx so that he could help catch Cerberus who was loose and wreaking havoc in the Underworld. He did not have a coin to pay Charon and even stole Charon's lantern (Hercules in the Underworld). Hercules next visited the Underworld to "rescue" Persephone when Hades brought her there. Charon again ferried the hero across Styx and Hercules told him to put the ride on his "tab" (HTLJ "The Other Side"). In the Xena episode "You Are There" Charon mocks Hercules' status as a superhero and calls him a "super-cheapskate".

When Hades brought Hercules to the Underworld to meet Timuron, Charon told a companion to "hide the lanterns" as Hercules stole Charon's lantern on a previous visit (HTLJ "Highway to Hades").

Hades told Hercules that Charon had been making some mistakes lately and indicated that he had been drinking. Charon accidentally sent the Enforcer to the Underworld even though she wasn't a mortal (HTLJ "Not Fade Away").

Charon was interviewed by Nigel in River Styx. Nigel wanted to know more about Xena and her victims. Charon felt that the Warrior Princess was a little over-celebrated, but she was good for business. (XWP "You Are There").


Appearances and MentionsEdit


  • Charon was played by Michael Hurst and by Peter Rowley in scenes where another Michael Hurst character interacted with Charon.