Template:Infobox gods "I am the Titan Gaia, ever present mother of Earth. I have watched you become a powerful warrior, and I have been with you through all the events of your life, but I can no longer simply watch. We will help you defeat Zeus. -Gaia
Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, Gaia (Γαîα) was the primal goddess personifying the earth. She was a primordial and chthonic ancient deity and was considered the Mother Goddess of all life. She was born of Chaos, arising as the everlasting foundation of the gods of Olympus. She created the titan Uranus, the starry sky, as her husband and to cover her, the hills, and the fruitless deep of the sea, Pontus. Together they created the the elemental Titans, amongst others the world ocean Oceanus, the pre-Olympic sun Hyperion ("The High-One"), Iapetus (father of Prometheus), Rhea, Mnemosyne ("Memory"), Phoebe ("Light") and Tethys (wife and sister of Oceanos, mother of the world rivers). After them was born Cronos, the wily, youngest, and most terrible of her children, who hated his sire.
In the God of War series
In the God of War series, Gaia is the narrator for all three games, but has only actually appeared in God of War II and God of War III. She is portrayed as being made of earth, covered head to toe with trees, and portly in shape reminicent of the Venus of Willendorf. She was banished at the end of the Great War but helped Kratos in his quest for revenge. In return, he rescued her along with the other Titans from the first Great War, and beginning the second Great War with the gods.
Birth and Early Days
In the beginning, there was only darkness-the first deity, Chaos. From Chaos came Nyx, and together they created the world. Wishing to survey their work, they made the Island of Creation, where all life would begin. The first to be born was Gaia, who would become the mother of the earth. Ouranos, personification of the sky, was then created, joining with Gaia and giving birth to the Cyclops, the Hecatonchires, and the Titans. Ouranos, out of disgust and hatred, imprisoned the Cyclops and Hecatonchires within Tartarus. Out of anger at the imprisonment of her children, Gaia asked the Titans to help overthrow Ouranos. Only Cronos accepted this task, and when Ouranos went to lay with Gaia, Cronos attacked his father with a stone sickle, castrating him and throwing the severed organ into the sea. From the dismembered genitals came Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Soon the Titans would rule the world with Cronos as their leader, but they had no sense of what to do until Gaia created Themis, who gave natural order to life.
Great War
It was prophesized that one day Cronos would also be overthrown by his children, and so he swallowed them after they were born. However, Cronos’ wife, Rhea, could not bear another loss and tricked Cronos into swallowing a stone wrapped in cloth. This baby was named Zeus, and would be raised within Gaia's own body until he came of age and decided to take revenge upon Cronos.
When Zeus became an adult, he freed his brothers and sisters from the belly of Cronos and began a revolt against the Titans, starting the Great War. During this war, Gaia aided the Titans in the battle, and was eventually cast into Tartarus along with her children.
God of War II
Gaia watched Kratos' rise as a Spartan general and subsequent fall as a servant of Ares. She had observed the growth of his abilities and strength from the time he was born. After Kratos was betrayed and killed by Zeus, Gaia appeared before him in a vision while he was being dragged down to the Underworld by the Arms of Hades. Asking if he was a coward who accepts death, Gaia renewed Kratos’ fighting spirit and filled his mind with vengeance and hatred towards Zeus. She prophesied that Kratos was destined to change the fates of all Olympus, and guided him to the Island of Creation, where he would have to defeat the Sisters of Fate and change his fate by going back in time to when he was betrayed by Zeus.
When Kratos lost all hope after the Last Spartan told him that his beloved city had fallen at the hands of Zeus, Gaia appeared once again in a vision while Kratos fought the Kraken. Taking the form of his wife, she told Kratos that there would be no eternal rest for him even in the afterlife. Zeus would see his soul tortured by Hades for all time. Once again the fallen God of War's fighting spirit was renewed, and Kratos destroyed the Kraken using the fires of the burned Sparta itself.
Gaia's next meeting with Kratos occured after the latter's failed attempt to kill Zeus. Using the Threads of Fate, Kratos traveled back in time to the final minutes of the Great War. He was greeted by Gaia, who revealed that she had been expecting him (it's unknown how she knew who he was and that he was coming, but she may have asked the sisters, or simply be omniscient). Gaia informs Kratos that even with his help, they still can't defeat the Gods. He then tells her that they can win in his time. Using the power of time, Kratos saved the Titans from being banished to Tartarus and took them back to the present. With the full power of the Titans behind him and the Blade of Olympus in hand, Kratos climbed Mount Olympus on the back of Gaia, beginning the second Great War.
God of War III
"Listen carefully Kratos, you were a simple pawn, nothing more, Zeus is no longer your concern, this is our war, not yours!" - Gaia
In God of War III, Gaia continued to ascend Mount Olympus, with Kratos scaling her body and exploring it like any other environment. As she neared the summit, one of Poseidon's Hippocampi attacked Gaia, forcing Kratos to defend her. The beast viciously drilled giant holes in Gaia's body, including one that led to Gaia's heart, which Kratos entered after defeating the Hippocampi a second time, discovering remnants of Zeus' own stay within the Titan's care. Despite her injuries, Gaia aids Kratos in killing Poseidon by pinning the Sea God to the mountain, allowing Kratos to deal crippling blows. Near the end of the fight, Poseidon attempted to pin her with all of his Hippocampi's claws, but Kratos freed her arm and fended off the monstrous horses long enough for Gaia to deliver a massive punch to Poseidon's main body, also allowing Kratos to rip the god out of his watery construct.
After Poseidon's death, Kratos and Gaia continued travel towards Zeus, but are thwarted by the King of the Gods and a well-aimed lightning bolt, sending Gaia and Kratos plummeting back down. Gripping Mount Olympus for dear life, one of Gaia's hands partially snaps off, barely connected by enormous vines. Kratos attempts to hold on to Gaia's back, but after calling for aid, Gaia refuses. Stating that both of them would die if she tried to help, and trivialising Kratos' revenge as being secondary to the Titans', Gaia lets Kratos fall, believing him a pawn that had lost its usefulness.
When Kratos reaches the city of Olympia, Gaia is seen in distress and asks Kratos for his help. Kratos, still enraged that Gaia did not help him when he was hanging on for dear life, retorts that it was in fact Gaia and the Titans that were the pawns, his pawns, in a show of cruel irony. Kratos then proceeds to sever the vines connecting Gaia's snapped-off hand with the Blade of Olympus, sending Gaia to her apparent doom at the bottom of Mount Olympus. When Kratos visits Tartarus he find's Gaia's severed hand and meets Cronos, who states that Gaia is dead and attempts to kill Kratos to avenge her.
The death of Gaia.
To Kratos' shock, however, in the middle of his battle with Zeus, Gaia returns, having replaced her severed hand with one made of twisted tree roots. She declares that she had never sought Kratos' death, but now sees no other option due to the damage he has inflicted on her Earth. Zeus commented that she should have chosen another pawn, but Gaia simply replies that she will destroy them both, crushing The Shrine of Olympus in her hands. Both father and son fall into Gaia, and find their way back to her heart, where Kratos shatters its defenses and draws energy from the Titan, causing her immense pain. After Zeus makes his appearance, the battle resumes, until Kratos stabs Zeus with the Blade of Olympus and runs him through Gaia's Heart, killing her as her body collapses on Olympus and crumbles into dust. When Kratos awakens from the fall, all that remains of the mighty Titan is large chunks of earth and withered trees and branches.
Gallery
Trivia
- Gaia, serving as Narrator in all of the God of War games prior to God of War III, is voiced by actress Linda Hunt. In God of War III, no longer the narrator, she is voiced by Susan Blakeslee. However, in the opening cinematic detailing Kratos' past, Linda Hunt still narrated the prologue. She voiced the Village Oracle who cursed Kratos as well.
- Interestingly, Gaia only narrates the story of God of War II up until the point when Kratos first meets her in the Underworld. Beyond that, she does not narrate, but has a similar job by speaking directly to Kratos in the background on numerous occasions throughout the game.
- It is interesting to note, and the subject of many fans curiosity, that when Zeus and Gaia meet at the end of God of War III, Zeus states "your pawn has failed you, Gaia. Perhaps you should have chosen the other one." It is left ambiguous who this "other one" is. There is speculation that it was referring to Ares since he was the one most likely to rebel against Zeus. It is revealed in Ghost of Sparta that Zeus was refering to Deimos, Kratos' brother as the Gravedigger refered to Deimos as "the other one".
- Though Gaia is addressed as being one of the Titans in the God of War series, she wasn't considered one in real myth. In real Greek mythology, Gaia was essentially the Earth itself. With Ouranus embodying the Heavens, she then gave birth to the twelve Titans.
- Gaia first sided alongside Kratos in his quest for revenge, only to reveal he was being used as a pawn when finally reaching Zeus. This turn of events did not bode well, and proved her downfall.