@stolenbythegods asked: Random ass question bc I was thinking; how would your big 3 be if they had gotten each other's domains instead? E.g if Poseidon got the heavens, Zeus got the underworld, and Hades got the seas? What would it look like? Would they be different? How would they feel?
this is such a fascinating thought experiment, mostly because... i don't think any of them would do well at all outside their current domains.
starting with poseidon: he is a very wild, carefree, and untamable god who does as he pleases. if he were to become king of the gods the way he once wanted, olympus would be in disarray. this isn't to say that he would be intentional in screwing everything up, but the sheer weight of duty, the necessity for organization and temperance, and the emphasis on fairness would be extremely difficult for poseidon. he would do a fine job of being god of the skies - though there might be a little more torrential flooding - but its being king that would be where he fails. if he thought zeus was a bad king, well... he would be worse.
poseidon in the underworld would go slightly better. i don't think the darkness would bother him as much as it bothers zeus (see below), but he would not be as impartial and fair as hades is. the dead would be sorted more haphazardly, divided with emotion and less with reason. in that, there would be chaos for sure. not to mention, poseidon's inferiority complex is already so bad, that if he ended up with the short straw (literally) he would be insufferable.
as for hades: i think this is probably one of the only examples where either of the three would flourish in another realm. while i don't think he has quite the temperament for the creatures of the sea, he would run a tight ship and keep things orderly. there would likely be a bit of pushback against him - too strict, where ocean dwellers are more free - but the proximity to his olympian family, and freedom from the darkness of the underworld, would do wonders for hades' overall mental health and wellbeing.
as king of the gods, hades could do well at some things. he would be just and fair, he would be organized, he would uphold laws and keep everything orderly. where this would not work well is in the stress of it. hades would simply not be able to hold the weight of all that pressure, and would crack under it. if he doesn't become cruel and jaded, he would dive headfirst into a nervous breakdown. constantly being the center of attention would drive him crazy. though good at being king of the gods in theory, he would be terrible in practice. as for the skies, though - he would have the entire earth fertile and well-watered, so there's that!
finally, zeus: he would be alright as god of the seas. i don't foresee any real problems arising from his leadership, though i can say - being king of the gods forced zeus to learn a few hard truths, including how to keep his temper in check, how to be fair, and how to grow and show love. as god of the sea, those lessons would not be learned in a timely manner, and i can see his emotions running rampant. he would be just as, if not more temperamental than poseidon, and the seas would become an even more dangerous place than they already are. if given the freedom to let his temper flare, it could get ugly. i think he would also feel shafted after all his hard work in the titanomachy.
zeus would not survive being the god of the underworld. the darkness would eat away at him immediately. being around nothing but the dead would crush his soul. he would be fair in his judgements, but zeus would become a shell of his former self living down there. he would shirk his duties in an attempt to feel the sun. he would be a vibrant god brought very low, and it would break everyone's heart to see him that way, i think. not good, not good at all.
this is all to say that, to me, this is proof that the three of them are exactly where they are supposed to be. there may be debate that the realm they inherit dictates their personality, but i think its the other way around. hades is fair and withstanding, so the underworld is his. poseidon is wild and untamed, so the sea is his. zeus is just and confident, so the skies are his. they might dream and hope for different stations, but ultimately, no one could do their jobs better than they do - and that's on the will of the fates.
