The BEST episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys season 4

Every episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys season 4, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys season 4!

This is the story of a time long ago, A time of myth and legend, when the Earth was still young. The ancient gods were petty and cruel, and they plagued mankind with suffering and beseiged them with terrors. For centuries the people had nowhere to turn, no one to look to for help. Until he arrived. He was a man like no other. Born of a beautiful mortal woman, but fathered by Zeus, king of the gods. Hercules possessed a strength the world had never seen, a strength surpassed only by the power of his heart....No matter what obstacle, as long as there were people crying for help, there was one man who would never rest --- Hercules

Last Updated: 3/6/2024Network: SyndicationStatus: Ended
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Top God (2)
star
8.27
45 votes

#1 - Top God (2)

Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/16/1998

Upon Alcmene's death, Zeus asked Hercules to join him in ruling the gods of Olympus. Hercules, still bitter toward his father, couldn't decide. He recalled meeting Apollo, his half-brother, years ago. Apollo gave him ambrosia, which transformed him into a full god. But Zeus chastised his son, saying he was never destined for full godhood. Chagrined, Hercules relinquished his new powers but still fought Apollo to a draw. he then saved young Ariadne from Apollo's treachery. This recollection resolved Hercules' indecision: He agreed to join Zeus on Mount Olympus, where he could do the most good for mankind.

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Beanstalks and Bad Eggs
star
8.26
53 votes

#2 - Beanstalks and Bad Eggs

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/11/1997

With help from Autolycus, the king of thieves, Hercules set out to find Lianna, who had been kidnapped by the giant Typhoon and taken to a castle in the clouds. Climbing a huge beanstalk, the two men found Lianna in Typhoon's castle, caring for three golden eggs that belonged to the Harpies. Captured by the giant, Autolycus instructed Typhoon in the ways of romance. When the eggs hatched unexpectedly, Hercules saved them from a hungry snake-eel. He and Autolycus departed without Lianna, who decided her home was in the clouds with Typhoon and the Harpies.

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Prodigal Sister
star
8.16
51 votes

#3 - Prodigal Sister

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/22/1997

Ruun's parents were killed by renegade Amazons, who blind ed the boy during their attack. Years later, Hercules freed Ruun from slavery and the two searched for Ruun's sister, Siri. When they found her, they discovered she had grown up to become a confident, battle-savvy Amazon warrior. The Amazon Mayhem had told Siri she was abandoned by her parents, and Hercules forced her to question this story. During a Fire Stakes ceremony in which Mayhem and Siri battled Hercules, Siri discovered the truth: Mayhem had betrayed her. The evil Amazon fell to her death and the siblings were reunited.

Directors: Gary Jones
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Reunions (3)
star
8.08
48 votes

#4 - Reunions (3)

Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/23/1998

While Iolaus paid a visit to his mother, Hercules explored Olympus. He was hurt to learn the real reason his father had brought him there: Zeus needed protection from Hera and the other gods, who were conspiring against him. But Hercules couldn't turn his back on his father. Then Zeus allowed Hera to rip away his godhood in order to save Alcmene's spirit from eternal hell. Hercules went to the dark side of Olympus, where he overcame Apollo and Hera in battle. Zeus' godhood was restored, Alcmene returned to the Elysian Fields, and Hercules became a half-mortal again.

Directors: Charles Siebert
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Twilight (1)
star
8.06
80 votes

#5 - Twilight (1)

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/9/1998

As Alcmene's health failed, Hercules recalled the time years ago when the Parthans invaded Caylan territory. Young Hercules, Jason and Iolaus joined King Eteocles and fought bravely to repel the invaders, but the King was killed. Many more died before Hercules and Jason were able to make an offer of peace, asking King Stavros to share the disputed land with the Caylans. Stavros was impressed by their bravery and agreed ending the conflict. Back in the present , Alcmene passed away and was buried by hercules and his friends. Suddenly his father, Zeus, confronted an angry Hercules.

Directors: Philip Sgriccia
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My Fair Cupcake
star
7.86
78 votes

#6 - My Fair Cupcake

Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/25/1998

Autolycus convinced his former girlfriend, Cupcake, that he wanted to fix her up with Prince Alexandros at a royal ball. In truth, Autolycus wanted to steal the sapphire of Antioch from the prince. Introduced to Alexandros as Hermia, princess of Carpathia, Cupcake inadvertently delayed a war from breaking out between Carpathia and Antioch. But the traitor, prime minister of Antioch, stabbed Prince Alexandros. Finally King Georgas of Carpathia arrived and established peace, while the wounded Prince proposed marriage to Cupcake -- even though he knew her true identity. Too late Autolycus realized he was still in love with her.

Directors: Rick Jacobson
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Hero's Heart
star
7.79
82 votes

#7 - Hero's Heart

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/18/1997

Iolaus was depressed by his failure to save a woman from falling to her death, and he told Hercules to find another partner. Fortune, the goddess of luck, was behind it all. Feeling bad for Iolaus, she tried to make amends by wiping his memory of the tradegy. Unfortunately, the meddlesome Fortune accidentally erased his entire memory, including Hercules. Iolaus went to work for the troublemaker Zeno and wound up fighting Hercules until the son of Zeus convinced his friend he had the heart of a hero -- not a killer. Then Hercules summoned Fortune, who restored Iolaus' memory.

Directors: Philip Sgriccia
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War Wounds
star
7.79
47 votes

#8 - War Wounds

Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/2/1998

Hercules' brother, King Iphicles of Corinth, was not with his wife when she died -- he was out controlling rioting soldiers. For this he blamed the vetern warriors led by Ajax and demanded they leave Corinth without dedicating a statue. Hercules and Iolaus, friends of Ajax, tried to intervene. But deadly battles broke out when Iphicles killed Phidias, the statue's designer. Ajax tried to kill Iphicles as retribution, but he ended up devoured by giant sand worms. Tired of the madness, Iphicles relented by officiating at the dedication of Phidias' statue and extending land to the veterns.

Directors: John Mahaffie
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Armageddon Now (2)
star
7.65
55 votes

#9 - Armageddon Now (2)

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/28/1998

While Hercules and his double, the Sovereign, were stuck in the Netherworld, Iolaus traveled back in time to protect young Alcmene. But he couldn't prevent Callisto from killing Hercules' mother. Callisto then found her own family and, through a series of instinctive actions, she killed her mother and father. As more events began to go wrong, Hercules sent Iolaus a telepathic message: Get the Chronus Stone from Xena's scepter to travel back in time without Ares' help. Using a makeshift lightning rod, Hercules joined Iolaus in the past and sent Callisto back into the vortex, setting the timeline right.

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Armageddon Now (1)
star
7.50
56 votes

#10 - Armageddon Now (1)

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/21/1998

Hope, the treacherous daughter of Dahak and Gabrielle, went to the Ixion Caverns and freed Callisto. Hope gave the warrior-goddess a mission: rid the world of Hercules. Callisto joined forces with Ares, and the two reopened the vortex to the alternate universe. When the Sovereign appeared, Ares snatched his pendant of Hind's blood -- the only substance that can kill a god. But Callisto ripped the pendant from Ares' neck and used the blood to kill Strife. Hope then sent Callisto back in time to kill Hercules' mother, so Iolaus convinced Ares to send him back as well.

Directors: Mark Beesley
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Stranger in a Strange World
star
7.42
52 votes

#11 - Stranger in a Strange World

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/8/1997

A lightning bolt from the dying Zeus opened a vortex to a parallel universe, where Iolaus was a jester and Hercules was the malevolent Sovereign. This alternate Hercules and the alternate Xena were lovers, and they were attempting to kill Zeus with Hind blood. Ares, meanwhile, was the god of love, not war, and Aphrodite was a modest, sensitive goddess. When the vortex reappeared, Hercules, Iolaus, the Sovereign and the alternate Iolaus all wound up inside and fought a furious battle. Each managed to return to his proper universe except the Sovereign, who was trapped inside the vortex.

Directors: Michael Levine
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Regrets...I've Had a Few
star
7.15
54 votes

#12 - Regrets...I've Had a Few

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/25/1997

Celestra -- also known as "Death" -- came for Jaris, Hercules old friend. The goddess' appearance prompted Hercules to remember the time when, as a cocky youth, he met Celestra for the first time. It happened when young Hercules accidentally killed Jaris' brother, Bartoc. Hercules had kept the truth from Jaris and his family family for a while, but finally revealed his secret when a teenage gang attacked. But that was all in the past; now Hercules had to stop his friend from a rampage against the evildoers of his town. Celestra finally took Jaris, leaving Hercules with his memories.

Directors: Gus Trikonis
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Two Men and a Baby
star
7.04
48 votes

#13 - Two Men and a Baby

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/1997

Fleeing from Ares' soldiers, Nemesis burst into Hercules' campsite and proclaimed him the father of her sixpmonth-old son, Evander. Then she slipped away, leaving Hercules and Iolaus with the child, who soon demonstrated god-like powers. When they found her again, Nemesis revealed that the child was the son of Ares. The goddess Discord was consumed by jealousy and tried to make off with the baby, but Evander dispatched her over a tower wall. The powerful infant returned himself to the arms of his mother, and after a vicious battle with Hercules, Ares gave up his struggle for the baby.

Directors: Chris Graves
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If I Had a Hammer...
star
7.04
53 votes

#14 - If I Had a Hammer...

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/24/1998

Hercules reluctantly agreed to pose nude for King Armand's new museum centerpiece in exchange for the King's donation to the war orphans' fund. Meanwhile, the blacksmith, Atalanta, feeling lonely and frustrated, turned a pile of scrap metal into the towering , magnificent man of her dreams. But she didn't expect Hephaestus to bring the sculpture to life as a newborn Hercules. The evil goddess Discord prompted the impressionable ""Herc"" to commit murder, thus framing Hercules. In a final confrontation, Herc turned over a new leaf, helping Hercules save Atalanta's life. Herc was crushed in the process, his body reverting to scrap.

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Medea Culpa
star
7.00
53 votes

#15 - Medea Culpa

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/7/1998

When they were teenagers, Hercules, Iolaus and Jason banded together to kill the Ghidra, one of Hera's deadly pets. On their journey they met the beautiful young Medea, who decided to join their quest. Soon a love triangle developed in which Medea fell for Hercules while Jason was smitten with Medea. Their jealousies temporarily drove the friends apart, which was Hera's plan all along. But Medea wanted no part of Hera when the angry goddess struck down Jason. Medea healed Jason with her own powers and helped the three friends defeat the hideous, two-headed Ghidra in its lair.

Directors: Charles Siebert
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Hercules on Trial
star
6.76
51 votes

#16 - Hercules on Trial

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/31/1998

Hercules' good deeds landed him on trial when Kazankis, a Hercules impersonator, was killed. Charged with manslaughter, sedition and undermining the authority of the gods, Hercules pleaded innocent on all counts. But Spencius, the government prosecutor, showed how Hercules' acts of heroism caused Kazankis and others to emulate his actions, putting themselves and their families at risk. Although Hercules began to doubt himself, he told the court that society needs heroes who are not afraid to risk their lives for others. The case was ultimately dismissed, and Hercules was freed.

Directors: John Laing
Web of Desire
star
6.60
55 votes

#17 - Web of Desire

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/1/1997

The pirate captain Nebula tried to bury her stolen trunk of jewels in a seaside cave. But the horrifying Arachne, half spider and half woman attacked her. When Hercules and Iolaus showed up, they joined forces with Nebula to try and destroy Arachne before she could destroy them. Arachne swooped down from the ceiling of the cave and snatched Iolaus. Finding his friend wrapped in a cocoon, Hercules took on the spider-woman. During the fight he held up a reflective shield, and when Arachne saw her own image, she backed away in horror, right into a flaming cocoon.

Directors: Michael Levine
Men in Pink
star
6.15
53 votes

#18 - Men in Pink

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/14/1998

When Salmoneus and Autolycus were mistaken for the murderers of King Pholus, they disguised themselves as performers in the widow Twanky's all girl dance troupe. Autolycus promptly fell for the voluptuous Cupcake, while Salmoneus earned the unwanted affections of their pursuer, the late king's greedy brother Gekkus. Things got worse when the two men were forced to perform the Hootchi-Coochie-Jiggle-Wiggle in the buff, although Twanky was thrilled. The final showdown with Gekkus on stage was perceived by the audience as part of the show, Cupcake helped Autolycus and Salmoneus overcome Gekkus, who was hauled away as the king's killer.

Directors: Alan J. Levi
...And Fancy Free
star
5.96
48 votes

#19 - ...And Fancy Free

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/29/1997

Ever since she was a little girl, Althea wanted to be a dancer. The awkward young woman endured taunts from the graceful Oena because she wanted to compete in the Panathenia ballroom dance competition. Then Hercules volunteered to be her dance partner. Anxious to make sure the duo would not defeat his niece Oena, Asterius tried to have them killed. But they thwarted his paln and took lessons from the widow Twanky. After fighting off an attack by Asterius' henchmen, Hercules and Althea arrived at the Panathenian just in time and performed the dance of their lives to thunderous applause.

Directors: Michael Hurst
One Fowl Day (2)
star
5.94
50 votes

#20 - One Fowl Day (2)

Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/4/1998

The pig Katherine, who had fallen in love with Hercules, told him of her deisre to become human. Hearing this, Aphrodite turned Katherine into a woman in her own image. The human Katherine happily stripped off all her clothes to roll in the mud. Meanwhile, Ares punished Autolycus and Iolaus for turning Discord into a chicken. Mistaken for the big-footed, two-headed Forest People of legend, the pair was on display at a circus when Hercules rescued them. In the end, Aphrodite turned Katherine back into a pig, and the animal was happy to rejoin her family.

Porkules (1)
star
5.92
80 votes

#21 - Porkules (1)

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/28/1998

Discord shot Hercules with Artemis' bow, turning him into a pig. Then she sent the hunter Colchis after Hercules, but the pig jumped from Iolaus' arms and ran off. After a butcher caught him and threw him into a meat wagon, Hercules was befriended by a female pig, Katherine. Autolycus and Iolaus rescued the two pigs from a slaughterhouse, where Hercules communicated with his friends through Fleevio the parrot. Retreating to Alcmene's home, they eventually got the drop on Discord. Iolaus shot the mischievous goddess with Artemis' bow, turning her into a chicken, and Hercules returned to normal.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules
star
5.69
54 votes

#22 - Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/7/1998

After an earthquake shook Los Angeles, the writers and producers of Hercules discovered their star, Kevin Sorbo, had disappeared. An emergency staff meeting was called in the show's production offices. Many solutions to the problem were suggested and rejected. Unable to find a suitable replacement to play Hercules, the writers and producers got into a brawl. Then Ares and Strife appeared, pleased at the pandemonium their earthquake had caused. Just before the show could be cancelled, Kevin Sorbo showed up, fresh from rescuing people throughout the area. Sorbo was in fact Hercules, just pretending to be a mortal actor.