Dahak
Gabrielle in Dahak's grasp
First appearance The Deliverer Last appearance Redemption Created by Robert Tapert
Statistics Name Dahak Occupation Evil God Species God Affiliation Hope Portrayed by  Michael Hurst & Mark Newnham

Khrafstar, aka The Deliverer, a devoted follower of Dahak.

Dahak is an evil god in the fictional universe of Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. He seems to be based on the evil demon Azhi Dahaka from Zoroastrianism, and the Judeo-Christian concept of Satan. Dahak may also be described as an evil perversion on the idea of the Judeo-Christian God with key characteristics twisted into polar opposites. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Robert Gerard Tapert (born May 14, 1955), sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G. Tapert, or Rip Tapert, is an American film producer, best known for his co-founding of, and his subsequent work with, the Renaissance Pictures company. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Hope. ... Michael Eric Hurst (born September 20, 1957 in Lancashire, England) is a New Zealand actor, director and writer, mostly on stage and television. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... A fictional universe is an imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction or translatable non-fiction. ... Xena. ... Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was a television series produced from 1995 to 1999, very loosely based on the tales of the classical culture hero Hercules. ... Zahak, Zahhak, Zahak-e Tāzi or (Arab Zahak) also knwon as Bivar-Asp, which means [he who has] 10,000 horses in the Pahlavi (middle Persian) language, and Avestan Āži-Dahāk) is a mythical figure of ancient Persia (Iran). ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (sometimes along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ... For other uses, see Satan (disambiguation). ...

Dahak first appears in the Hercules and Xena universe as a mysterious god worshipped by Celtic Britons, whose worship is interrupted by the invading Romans.^[1] He is frequently described as "the one true god" by his followers, who will bring his "kingdom to earth", instigating a purification through the "cleansing fires of war" and a "winter of a thousand years". To achieve this, Dahak's primary task in the series is to force himself into the world, and destroy the pantheons of Earth's creator gods by either killing or subverting their members. This article is about the European people. ... The Roman army is the set of land-based military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military. ... A pantheon (in Greek, παν – pan — all + θεός – theos — god) is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Norse, Egyptian, Shintoism, Greek, vodun, Yoruba Mythology and Roman mythology. ...

In his dark vision for the world the old, sick, lame and weak will be destroyed. It is also Dahak's intention to destroy the One God of the Israelites. Dahak is portrayed as a supreme, irredeemable force of seemingly endless evil of unknowable or uncomprehensible origins. Dahak, whilst inhabiting the body of Iolaus, credits himself with being known to turn entire oceans into barren and lifeless deserts. An Israelite is a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of the Biblical patriarch Jacob who was renamed Israel by God in the book of Genesis, 32:28 The Israelites were a group of Hebrews, as described in the Bible. ...

Dahak's cult has a mysteriously powerful following as he appears able to subvert and control humans through the dark allure of his deceptive teachings, which are described as "pure". In the world of Dahak everyone, from peasant to warlord, has their place in his grand plan. This article does not discuss cult in its original sense of religious practice; for that usage see Cult (religious practice). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A warlord is a person with power who has de facto military control of a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. ...

Dahak, like the One God of the Israelites, seeks to bring a child of his into the world. In order to achieve this he impregnates the companion of Xena, Gabrielle, with his dark seed: Hope.^[1] Hope, aside from being the daughter of Dahak, is actually an incarnation of his will. This is proven by her reoccurring lines: "You can't stop the will of Dahak"; "We're too close to fulfilling my father's will to stop now". Hope, by Dahak's plan, will in turn give birth to evil creatures called The Destroyers, whose primary function is to destroy the righteous and the good, feasting upon their flesh and revelling in their destruction.^[2] Dahak enlists Ares to father The Destroyers,^[3] but because of Xena and Gabrielle's actions, Hope and Dahak's plans are cut short and only one Destroyer is born.^[2] For the dwarf planet formerly nicknamed Xena see Eris (dwarf planet). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hope. ... Ares, God of War is a character on the television shows Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, played by the late Kevin Smith. ...

The machinations of the followers of Dahak bring him into frequent conflict with Xena, Hercules, and their respective allies, all of whom quickly become the primary obstacles keeping Dahak from being granted entry into the world. The gods themselves are paralyzed with fear and indecision, or else murdered outright, as in the case of the Sumerian Pantheon, when confronted by the malevolent power of the usurper. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Heracles. ... Sumer (or Å umer) was the earliest known civilization of the ancient Near East, located in the southern part of Mesopotamia (southeastern Iran) from the time of the earliest records in the mid 4th millennium BC until the rise of Babylonia in the late 3rd millennium BC. The term Sumerian applies...

Dahak's "true" form.

Dahak's final defeat is at the hands of Hercules and Iolaus. Hercules tells Dahak, who has possessed Iolaus' body that his friendship with Iolaus is one of the best things that he has been blessed with.^[4] This moral sentiment upsets Dahak and weakens him enough for Iolaus to call out to Hercules from the spiritual realm Dahak has him trapped in. Hercules touches Iolaus' hand and is sucked into the spiritual realm where he sees his long dead friend. Dahak appears there too, in his true form: A huge crustacean-like monster. Hercules and Iolaus battle Dahak and send him into a fiery pit. This final act is said to have killed Dahak, but since darkness is a part of every human heart, it is debated whether or not Dahak can truly die.^[5] Dahak appears to Hercules in a dream, telling him that he is "the darkness that you hold closest to your heart." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Demonic possession, in supernatural belief systems, is a form of spiritual possession whereby certain malevolent extra-dimensional entities, demons, gain control over a mortal persons body, which is then used for an evil or destructive purpose. ...

There are some contradictions within the series regarding Dahak. The chief druid tells Hercules that he is a creature from beyond this world implying he is from a different world or dimension. Yet Dahak's recounting as well as that of the Titans suggests that he is a manifestation of the darkness within the world, which would indicate he is native to this world. Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a bas-relief found at Autun, France. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The Deliverer." Xena: Warrior Princess. 1997-10-20.
2. ^ ^{a b} "A Family Affair." Xena: Warrior Princess. 1998-10-12.
3. ^ "Sacrifice, Part 1." Xena: Warrior Princess. 1998-05-04.
4. ^ "Redemption." Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. 1999-01-18.
5. ^ "Faith." Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. 1998-09-28.