Astyanax, the Trojan prince, was presumed dead after the Trojan War, but he is still alive. In KAOS, Daniel Monks plays Astyanax.
Hecuba, who was once the queen of Troy, now lives in Krete with her daughter-in-law, Andromache. When Troy fell, both women witnessed the deaths of their husbands.
Furthermore, Andromache’s son, Astyanax, also known as Nax, was hurled from the city walls after the surrender of the Trojans.
However, Astyanax survived, a fact known only to the Trojans. He lives in hiding, protected by them, and is seen as a symbol of hope.
The leader of the Trojan 7
After the fall of Troy, the surviving Trojans came to Krete seeking refuge. While they were allowed to live in the city, they were deprived of the rights enjoyed by the citizens of Krete.
The Trojans are oppressed and segregated, not integrated with the rest of Krete. Now, only a few thousand remain, and they are barely surviving.
Minos refuses to treat them justly, believing that they should endure the punishment chosen by the gods. Their fall from greatness is seen as justified by many, including Minos.
However, Astyanax refuses to accept their current reality as the will of the gods. He sees it as unfair and does not worship the gods who abandoned his people.
As the leader of a group of seven young Trojans, called the Trojan 7, he decides to make his disdain for the gods clear by desecrating a monument built in their honor.
The group carries out the plan, angering Minos, who fears and reveres the gods. Minos then sets out to capture the Trojan 7 and manages to catch all of them except Astyanax.
Minos declares that if the leader of the group does not surrender, he will unleash the Minotaur, a feared beast, upon the Trojans, but if he surrenders, Minos promises to spare the other six.
Astyanax is not a coward; he wants to save his companions by surrendering and taking responsibility for his actions, which leads to his mother and Theseus locking him in a room to prevent him from turning himself in.
Apart from his family, the rest of the Trojan 7 also refuse to let him surrender, as he is their prince and their only hope.
Theseus, who is Ari’s bodyguard, then asks her to save the Trojan 7 to appease the Furies. He introduces her to Astyanax, revealing that the Trojan prince never died.
Astyanax’s death
Ari takes Astyanax to her father, convincing him to pardon the Trojan 7. Since it is Ari’s birthday, Minos agrees but later goes back on his word when Poseidon pressures him to punish the offenders.
Astyanax is dragged out of his house in the middle of the night and killed. His body, along with those of his companions, is displayed for the whole city to see.
After his death, in the Underworld, Astyanax passes through the Frame, and his soul is harvested, but he somehow manages to escape the Nothing.
He becomes the first human to witness what happens when souls pass through the Frame, an experience that traumatizes him.
Before he can reveal the truth to anyone, he is caught and sent back to the Nothing, where Hades personally harvests his soul, which is witnessed by Caeneus and Riddy.
The harvesting of Astyanax’s soul, a man who never worshipped or trusted the gods, leads to Caeneus and Riddy uncovering the lies of the gods, ultimately causing their downfall.
Also Read: Caeneus: KAOS character explained