Is Aquaman a God, Demigod, or Something Else Entirely?

Aquaman is rightfully among the most iconic characters in the DC Comics Universe, and despite being most popular for having the ability to talk to fish and other forms of marine life, Aquaman is extremely powerful. Even though his origin story slightly changed over the years, the issue of his parentage remained more or less consistent. And this is what we’re going to explain today, Aquaman’s origin and whether he is a god, demigod, human, or something in-between. 

Aquaman is neither a god nor a demigod. He is a human-Atlantean hybrid due to his mother being an Atlantean princess and his father being a human. Although in part inspired by ancient sea gods such as Neptune and Poseidon, this was never a part of his character. Aquaman is vastly powerful, but he was never biologically related to deities inside DC continuity. 

Now that we’ve given you the short answer, it’s time to analyze it in more detail. If you’re interested in where Aquaman got his powers and what his relation to Atlantean god Poseidon is, stay with us and keep reading!

Aquaman has had several origin stories over the years 

Aquaman is not only among the most iconic DC characters, but he is also among the oldest. The first version of Aquaman debuted in 1941 in ‘More Fun Comics #73’ Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris created him, and surprisingly, his origin was 100 % percent human. 

During the 40′, Atlantis and ancient Greco-Roman influences were all the rage in entertainment as numerous superheroes were, in one way or another, inspired by ancient gods associated with these cultures, as well Atlantis. 

But, as all things stand, Aquaman’s first origin story was an uncomplicated one. Arthur Curry was born as a son to a famous undersea explorer; he was an only child as his mother died prematurely while he was a baby.  

Following his mother’s death, Arthur’s father turned to his greatest passion, exploring and uncovering the ocean’s secrets. He was indeed blessed when he happened upon ruins of an ancient underwater city, something he strongly suspected was Atlantis. 

Aquaman’s father built himself a home in the underwater ruins, slowly accommodating himself to the life beneath the waves. He learned how to harvest the power of the sea and survive under the surface, as well as how to utilize ancient Atlantean technology. He eventually transferred all this knowledge to his son. 

With the help of his father’s knowledge and experience as well as Atlantean Technology, Aquaman became known as a human that can breathe and thrive under the water, as well as survive for extended periods of time. 

As you can see, not only was Aquaman, during his early history, not a deity, he was a mere human. He got his powers through sheer determination, training, and his father’s knowledge. 

However, Aquaman’s character will be reworked numerous times in the future, and he will become exponentially stronger and more powerful. He will also receive a reworked origin story. 

Aquaman is a human-Atlantean hybrid

Aquaman’s most recent origin story puts him down as half-human, half-Atlantean with no traces of divine blood but with quite a lot of royal blood. 

Aquaman’s mother, Atlanna, was a member of the Atlantean royal family, and even though her society was highly oppressive, she would occasionally wander near the surface. During one such outing, Atlanna found herself in a storm and saw a sailboat capsize due to violent gusts of wind. Atlanna decided to save the sailor that was thrown overboard, and that human sailor turned out to be Tom Curry, Arthur’s father. 

Atlanna fell in love with Tom, despite him being a human and her being Atlantean Royalty, and the two were soon blessed with a child who Atlanna named Arthur Curry due to her fondness toward the human world. The family lived happily in Tom’s lighthouse for a time, but eventually, the things that seemed unimportant at the start of their romance took over their lives, and Atlanna’s past came back to haunt her. 

Atlanna was aware that due to her royal Atlantean ancestry, her son and husband would forever be in danger, so she left them to return to her underwater kingdom. Tom raised Arthur mostly alone, and the stress associated with his newly-revealed power eventually took his life. 

Where did Aquaman get his powers? 

All of Aquaman’s powers stem from his Atlantean physiology, and as such, he is perfectly adapted to life underwater, meaning he can breathe and swim vastly faster, even than the finest human swimmer. He is stronger and more durable than humans. He has a moderate affinity for magic and has a wide range of abilities that you would associate with someone who is created for life underwater, such as communication with marine life.

Despite all of his powers, Aquaman has no divine blood. He is heir to the throne of Atlantis and has royal Atlantean blood but no connections to gods themselves, as far as we are aware. 

How is Aquaman connected to Poseidon? 

DC Comics’ version of Poseidon is one of the principal gods worshipped in Atlantis due to the god’s connection with the kingdom’s history. It was Poseidon that led Atlantean hero Arion to the ocean rich with Life Force, a power that Atlanteans are able to utilize for various magical purposes. 

Even though Aquaman possesses the Trident of Poseidon, he is in no way biologically related to the Olympian god. However, what might surprise you that is that another Justice League member that often works with Aquaman is related to Poseidon; of course, we’re talking about the demigoddess Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman. 

Poseidon is the brother of Zeus, and Zeus was recently revealed to be Wonder Woman’s true father, retconning her origin story about being made out of clay. Poseidon is Wonder Woman’s uncle, but Arthur Curry has no familial relationship with him. 

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!