Despite what game name says, Pit —the main character from the Kid Icarus franchise— is not based on Icarus from Greek mythology (at least not originally), but on Eros (Greek)/Cupid (Roman).
The original Japanese name for the game is A Mythology of Light: The Mirror of Palutena, and there is no reference to Icarus anywhere. And even though they don't mention Eros/Cupid either, the inspiration is clear: a character with wings carrying a bow and arrow. Even some artwork shows Pit wielding heart-shaped arrowheads.
So where did this Icarus connection come from? Well obviously from the western name Kid Icarus. My guess is Nintendo of America didn't want the character to be associated with Eros —a mischievous demigod that causes people to fall in love and have sex. So the only other famous Greek mythology character with (temporary) wings was Icarus, and that's why I think they chose that name.
Interestingly, the great Game Boy sequel that no one played, was never released in Japan. In that game's ending, they literally show Pit flying close to the sun and losing his wings (which is what Icarus is famous for). I guess Nintendo of America really wanted to distance Pit from Eros/Cupid as much as they could.
I haven't played the 3DS game, so I don't know if they make any references to Eros/Cupid/Icarus too.
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Another old lie is that the character was called Kid Icarus. This might be hard to believe for a younger generation that grew with Smash Bros., but there was a time where people thought the character was called Kid Icarus and not Pit. This was perpetuated by the Captain N cartoon which literally always called the character Kid Icarus, and never Pit.
The original Japanese name for the game is A Mythology of Light: The Mirror of Palutena, and there is no reference to Icarus anywhere. And even though they don't mention Eros/Cupid either, the inspiration is clear: a character with wings carrying a bow and arrow. Even some artwork shows Pit wielding heart-shaped arrowheads.
So where did this Icarus connection come from? Well obviously from the western name Kid Icarus. My guess is Nintendo of America didn't want the character to be associated with Eros —a mischievous demigod that causes people to fall in love and have sex. So the only other famous Greek mythology character with (temporary) wings was Icarus, and that's why I think they chose that name.
Interestingly, the great Game Boy sequel that no one played, was never released in Japan. In that game's ending, they literally show Pit flying close to the sun and losing his wings (which is what Icarus is famous for). I guess Nintendo of America really wanted to distance Pit from Eros/Cupid as much as they could.
I haven't played the 3DS game, so I don't know if they make any references to Eros/Cupid/Icarus too.
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Another old lie is that the character was called Kid Icarus. This might be hard to believe for a younger generation that grew with Smash Bros., but there was a time where people thought the character was called Kid Icarus and not Pit. This was perpetuated by the Captain N cartoon which literally always called the character Kid Icarus, and never Pit.
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