This article contains lore based on real-life sources from Norse mythology as introduced from the God of War Norse era.
“ | What can I say to you? I remember how it felt to take the throne. All that it meant. And all that it did not. A God of war... a God of pain. Of suffering. Of destruction. The Norns said I chase a redemption that I know I can never deserve. What does that make me? God of fools. A God of... hope. "When all else is lost..." You lost everything. And everyone. And you became... There is no forgiving you. You chose... I chose. What now? Should I, this same man, should I sit? Take? Proclaim? Lead? Place myself in service? In service. Should I... lose everything and everyone... will there still be enough left inside so that I do not become you? I do not know. But I have hope. You are cruel, and arrogant, and selfish. But... you are more than that. You have always been more than what others saw. You are more than that. | ” |
–Kratos confronting his younger self in the Valhalla DLC |
Kratos (Greek: Κράτος), also known as Fárbauti (Nordic: ᚠᚨᚱᛒᚨᚢᛏᛁ), the God of War/Stríðsguð (Nordic: ᛊᛏᚱᛁᚦᛊᚷᚢᛞ) is the main and titular protagonist of the God of War series. He is a demigod son of his father Zeus and mother Callisto, as well as a brother of Deimos. Kratos is also the father of Calliope and Atreus, and was married to Lysandra and Laufey.
Once the brutal captain of the Spartan army, Kratos led his men through numerous conquests across Greece, eventually facing the Barbarians. Overwhelmed and on the verge of death, Kratos struck a deal with Ares by committing atrocity under his name. Even his own family grew horrified by his actions. Tragically, Ares tricked him into killing his wife and child, branding him the "Ghost of Sparta" with their ashes fused to his skin. Seeking redemption, Kratos served the other Gods of Olympus for ten years, enduring their labors that deepened his hatred for them. Ultimately, he defeated Ares and claimed the throne of the "God of War", but his fury against the Olympians led to a series of battles that determined Greece's fate.
Eventually leaving Greece as well as his bloody past behind, Kratos ends up in Ancient Egypt and makes his way into Midgard. Having come to view his troubled past with great shame, Kratos has taken the initiative to mature and grow past his self-destructive tendencies, choosing to live as a man under the Norse Pantheon. He even finds love again with a woman named Faye, eventually fathering a son with her named Atreus. When Faye dies of unknown circumstances, Kratos and Atreus set out on a journey to spread her ashes from the highest peak in all the Nine Realms as it was her final wish. However, the two come into conflict with various Nordic creatures along their way, and are constantly pursued by a mysterious Stranger — seemingly under orders from the King of the Norse Pantheon himself, Odin.
As Ragnarök unfolds, Kratos and Atreus were confronted by Odin and Thor. While embarking on a perilous journey across the Nine realms in a desperate attempt to stop Ragnarök, they join Freya's forces, but despite their efforts, it could not be prevented. Uniting allies from across the realms, they waged war against Asgard, with Kratos facing Thor once more and ultimately defeating Odin. As Asgard fell, the trio returned to Midgard, where Atreus (now "Loki") — set out to seek any remaining Giants, bidding a heartfelt farewell to his father. Meanwhile, Kratos and Freya, alongside Mímir, began the monumental task of rebuilding and restoring the Nine realms. While also finally accepting his past while traveling in Valhalla, he decides to join Freya's council of Gods and reclaim the throne of the "God of War" once again.
Quick Answers
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Biography
See also: God of War: Ascension, God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War (2005), God of War (DC Wildstorm Comics), God of War: Ghost of Sparta, God of War: Betrayal, God of War II, God of War III, God of War: Fallen God, God of War: Lore and Legends, God of War (Dark Horse Comics), God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarök, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Before the God of War series
Part I: Kratos' Youth
Born in the Greek city-state of Sparta, Kratos is the demigod son of the King of the Gods, Zeus, and to a mortal woman named Callisto. Because of this, he has incredible intelligence, superhuman strength, and immense physical prowess. However, he is left unaware of who his father was for most of his life. Outraged at Zeus for fathering yet another bastard child, Hera ordered Kratos' execution on the day he was born.
But as for the King of the Gods, he took pity on the child and refused, leaving Kratos in Sparta to be raised by Callisto. Like all Spartan younglings, Kratos, with an incredible set of superhuman godly powers, (unknown that he is Zeus' son and the one whom he inherited the abilities), was monitored and trained for combat by the Spartan authorities; those who were deemed fit were to stay and be trained as Spartan warriors.
However, those who were deemed unfit would be sent to the mountains (possibly Mount Taygetos) to fend for themselves. Already feisty and aggressive at a young age, Kratos trained together with his younger brother, Deimos, who was also a demigod, as they dreamed of joining the Spartan Army when they grew up. Around this time, Zeus began to hear prophecies foretelling his demise at the hands of one of his sons, a mortal known as the "marked warrior".
Hoping to circumvent the cycle of patricide before it was too late, Zeus sent Ares and Athena to hunt down the “marked warrior”, wanting to dispose of the boy who would one day rise up against him. Ares, noticing Deimos' strange birthmarks, decided to invade Sparta with an army of centaurs and take him to Thanatos, the God of Death. Kratos tried to save his brother, but Ares struck him and knocked him into a pile of wood, leaving him with a permanent scar over his right eye.
Insulted by the mortal's defiance, Ares prepared to kill the young Spartan but was stopped by Athena. The Goddess reminded Ares that they had what they were looking for, and apologized to Kratos before disappearing in a burst of flames. The loss of his brother left an indelible mark on Kratos, as he vowed to never falter again. With full honour to his brother, Kratos had himself tattooed in the exact image of Deimos' birthmark. Kratos would later forget that it was Ares and Athena who took his brother from him and wouldn't realize it until after Ares' death.
Part II: Marriage and Fatherhood
As Kratos came of age, he became a respected member of the Spartan army, eventually marrying Lysandra and siring a daughter named Calliope. However, shortly after her birth, she fell ill, causing the Spartan authorities to deem her weak. Spartan law required that she be thrown into a chasm and left to die.
Determined to save his daughter, Kratos set out on a journey for the Ambrosia after hearing from an elder of its exceptional healing capabilities. But unbeknownst to Kratos, Ares had chosen him to be his champion in the wager of the Gods; a contest with the ultimate goal to capture the Ambrosia and the wager's victor would have statues erected in their honor all throughout Greece. A battalion of Spartans accompanied Kratos on his quest, including Captain Nikos.
Part III: Quest for Ambrosia and Atreus of Sparta
Along the way, he encountered a healer who gave him the Flames of Apollo. Kratos eventually encountered Poseidon's champion, Herodius, and killed him as the Spartans conquered his army and stole their ship. Enraged at Kratos for costing him the wager, Poseidon unleashed a handful of hazards at sea in the hopes of killing him but failed.
Later on, Kratos encountered Artemis' champion, Pothia, and killed her as well, with her army also falling victim to the Spartans, although Artemis did not retaliate. In fear that Kratos would defeat his champion, Alrik, the Barbarian King, Hades sent a torrent of fire through the sky. Although he failed to kill Kratos, he succeeded in killing many of Kratos' men, including Captain Nikos.
As he found the Ambrosia, Kratos encountered Cereyon, Helios' champion, and killed him as well. Alrik and his Barbarian Army battled the Spartans for the Ambrosia, as Alrik's Father was very ill and in need of the elixir. After a grueling battle between the two leaders, Kratos successfully captured the Ambrosia at the cost of his own men and summoned an army of Rocs to continuously torture Alrik.
Kratos then returned to Sparta and healed Calliope, obtaining the rank of 'Captain' from the King of Sparta. At some point after becoming captain, Kratos would command a young soldier named Atreus who remained hopeful even in the darkest times. When the day came for Atreus to lay down his life in battle, he did it without hesitation and saved many others, earning Kratos' respect so much that the captain carried Atreus home and personally buried him with full honours of Spartan custom, acknowledging him as the only Spartan who ever had a smile on his face even in battle.
Part IV: Vow to Ares, the God of War
Years later, Kratos became a Spartan general, winning many battles against other armies with brutal but effective tactics. However, his pride and hunger for power grew greater with every victory. Despite Lysandra's pleas, Kratos vowed to continue his bloody conquests "until the glory of Sparta [was] known throughout the world", spending time with his family only when he was able to return to Sparta.
Kratos and his Spartan army finally met their match when they encountered the merciless Barbarian tribes from the east that numbered in the thousands, led by Kratos' old enemy, Alrik. Outnumbered and overpowered, the Spartans quickly found themselves on the losing end of the battle.
With Kratos himself left at the mercy of Alrik - the Barbarian King, seeking revenge against Kratos for inadvertently causing the death of his father. In an act of desperation to save his life and refusing to accept defeat, Kratos called out to Ares, the God of War, pledging his allegiance in exchange for victory. Ares accepted the offer, proceeding to kill all of the Barbarians, and giving Kratos the Blades of Chaos as a sign of his servitude, permanently bound to him by searing the chains onto his arms. Immediately after receiving them, he used the Blades against Alrik and decapitated him in single combat, ending the battle in Sparta's victory.
Part V: The Ghost of Sparta is born
For a time, Kratos served Ares loyally, raiding villages, slaughtering innocents, and spreading chaos in his name. Under the God of War's influence, Kratos became utterly ruthless and gradually lost any semblance of the humanity he once had. One day, during a raid on a village of Athena's followers, Ares secretly transported Lysandra and Calliope to the village’s temple.
Ignoring the village oracle's warnings, Kratos entered the Temple of Athena. He slaughtered everybody inside in a fit of blind rage, including his wife and child (whom he believed were still in Sparta). Ares justified this as a means of severing Kratos' remaining attachments to the world, thereby molding him into the perfect warrior. Stricken with horror and grief at what he had done, Kratos left the bodies of his family to be burned within the temple, ultimately renouncing his allegiance to the God of War. The Oracle cursed Kratos, forcing him to forever wear the ashes of his dead family on his skin.
From that day onwards, Kratos became known as the 'Ghost of Sparta', his skin now 'pale as the moon' from the ashes that coated him. To other mortals, he was now marked by his ghostly white skin - the knowledge of his past actions often repulsed them to the point where they would rather die than allow him to save their lives. He became known as the personification of cruelty and selfishness. Word of this metamorphosis would spread even outside of Greece as Norse God and advisor to Odin, Mimir, who would become a future ally to Kratos himself, would later on instantly recognize who Kratos was.
God of War: Ascension
Part I
Realizing that he had been blinded by anger and manipulated by Ares, the God of War, to kill his wife and child, Kratos decides to seek revenge, breaking his oath to Ares to stay submissive and be a loyal servant. Angry with Kratos' decision, Ares orders the Furies to hunt him down so that he could once again be forced to serve him. Meanwhile, Kratos looked for a way to break his blood oath with Ares. But when entering the abandoned Kirra Village, he suddenly finds himself in his house which should be located in the city of Sparta. However, he was immediately awakened by Orkos, who tells him that all of this was just an illusion to weaken his mind.
Using Lysandra's necklace and ring, Orkos managed to get Kratos out of the illusion and instructed him to look for the Oracle in Delphi. While Kratos didn't believe Orkos' words, he still followed his direction to go look for the Oracle named Aletheia in the Delphi Mountains where, upon his arrival, he maneuvered around using the giant snake Python until he was able to reach the Oracle’s temple, where Aletheia was being held by Castor and Pollux, a pair of twins who were worshiped as Gods. This was because they were considered to have helped shipwrecked sailors and brought favourable winds to other sailors.
Castor asked Kratos to bring a proper offering for him if he wanted to meet Aletheia, and when Kratos refused, he became furious and immediately attacked, giving Kratos no other choice but to kill Castor and Pollux. They fought until the whole room shook and collapsed, before then retrieving the Amulet of Uroborus, an amulet that can be used to manipulate time in various ways. Kratos used it to restore the wreckage and reach Aletheia, who unfortunately was found dying after being crushed by the rubble. Both of her eyeballs were gone, and the Amulet of Uroborus couldn't be used to heal Aletheia's wounds.
Part II
Before she took her last breath, Aletheia, who already knew the purpose of Kratos' arrival, revealed Ares' evil plan to shape Kratos into a warrior capable of overthrowing Zeus, because then, Ares could become the new King of Olympus. Aletheia also told him that Orkos' intentions were pure, so Kratos could trust him. Finally, she said that the only way to break the blood oath between Kratos and Ares is to kill his oath-keeper. Hearing this, Kratos knew that the oath-keeper in question is the Furies, which according to Aletheia, the three sisters can only be conquered using the Eyes of Truth which were located on the island of Delos.
Armed with the insight he got from Aletheia, Kratos traveled a long way to Delos Island to look for the Eyes of Truth. But at Kirra Port, he once again meets Orkos who reveals that he is the son of Ares and Alecto, the Queen of the Furies. Orkos then explained Ares' evil plan to Kratos and the Eyes of Truth that Kratos is currently looking for are Aletheia's eyes. Afterwards, Kratos boarded a ship to Delos Island. Arriving on the island of Delos, Kratos explores the remains of the ruins of Apollo's Statue and encounters many enemies that get in his way, before he is once again tricked by the illusion of the Furies, teleporting him to the city of Sparta.
But this time, Kratos isn't fooled, and immediately faced the three sisters. Although the Furies attack him simultaneously, Kratos manages to cut off Megarea's arm, but Tisiphone comes attacking with her pet bird, Daimon. Unfortunately, when Kratos almost managed to kill Tisiphone, Alecto, in the form of a giant sea monster that sunk Apollo's Lantern which contained the Eyes of Truth, then returned to her human form and ensnared Kratos. Alecto asks Kratos to return to the side of Ares with the lure of being appointed as a God, but Kratos adamantly refused.
Part III
Hearing this refusal, Tisiphone and Megaera regrouped with Alecto and prepare to capture Kratos, but before they could do so, Orkos appeared and saved Kratos by taking him away to a different part of Apollo's Statue. Orkos then equips Kratos with the Oath Stone, a stone that has the power to create clones of the user. After a difficult, obstacle-filled journey, Kratos manages to repair the damage to the Statue of Apollo by using the Amulet of Uroborus, including the part of Apollo's Lantern which was previously sunken by Alecto, where the Eyes of Truth is hidden.
He then directed the eye's beam of light towards Apollo's Lantern and went there to get the Eyes of Truth. After successfully completing the Trials of Archimedes, where Kratos was made to slay a hoard of monsters, the Furies once again ambushed and snatched the Eyes of Truth from him. Orkos had been subdued by the Furies and Kratos was captured. For two weeks, Kratos was detained and tortured endlessly by the Furies inside the Prison of the Damned, where during that time, they always tried to persuade Kratos to return to being Ares' loyal servant. But Kratos' answer remained the same, swearing to never again serve the God of War.
One day, when Megaera came to torture him, Kratos managed to break free of his bindings and began pursuing Megaera relentlessly. In the midst of this chase, Kratos once again falls victim to an illusion where three women attempt to seduce him in a brothel. But the ring on one of the women's hands made Kratos realize that it was just another illusion and he immediately attacked Megaera. However, she managed to infect one of the limbs of the Titan Aegaeon with her insects. While it was a difficult fight, Kratos ultimately managed to conquer Aegaeon and then killed Megaera.
Part IV
With Megaera dead, Kratos retrieves the Amulet of Uroborus that was previously taken from him. He then continued his search for the two remaining Furies, Tisiphone and Alecto, during which Kratos fell victim to more illusions of the Furies. The first illusion places Kratos in a scenario where the King of Sparta wants to pay homage to him, and the second illusion places Kratos in his home, where he is reunited with his wife and child, Lysandra and Calliope. Even though the second illusion managed to trick him, Kratos immediately realized it was fake after seeing the ring that belonged to Lysandra.
Alecto once again tried to persuade Kratos to return to Ares' side with the lure that Kratos could live forever in the illusion of being with his family. But seeing the Eyes of Truth hanging on Alecto's hip, Kratos immediately refused, making Alecto furious and threatening to kill him if he did not agree to serve Ares. By using the Oath Stone, Kratos managed to escape from Alecto's snares and reclaim the Eyes of Truth. Tisiphone rejoins Alecto, but because he now had the power of the Eyes of Truth, the illusions of the Furies could be destroyed.
The Furies then created an illusion in the form of a large whirlpool, and Alecto changes form into a giant sea monster. Kratos mustered all his strength to face Alecto and Tisiphone, and by using the Eyes of Truth, he managed to subdue Daimon, Tisiphone's pet, which forces Alecto back into her human form, ending the illusion. In a last-ditch effort, Tisiphone changed into Lysandra, making Kratos hesitate for a moment, but he quickly remembered that it was just an illusion. Tisiphone then transformed herself into the Oracle from the village of Athena who was ignored by Kratos, claiming that “they” (referring to Lysandra and Calliope) were not at the village by coincidence, but her efforts were in vain.
Part V
Kratos could no longer be influenced and Tisiphone died at the Spartan’s hands. With only Alecto left, Kratos drew his Blades of Chaos and stabbed Alecto through the chest, instantly killing her. Following the death of the Furies, Kratos returned to Sparta and met Orkos, who congratulated him. But at the same time, he also revealed that when the Furies caught him, he had been made Kratos' oath- keeper. This meant that the oath between Kratos and Ares had not been severed. Orkos also did not want to live as an oath keeper who is still bound by Ares. For that, he asked Kratos to give him an honourable death.
Initially, Kratos refuses, not wanting to shed any more innocent blood, but in order to free Orkos and exact revenge on Ares, he is forced to do so. With the death of Orkos, Kratos' oath bond with Ares was finally broken. but his actions restored the memories of his dark past, when he killed his own wife and child. Kratos then burned down his house with Orkos' body inside. Now, free from the Furies but still tormented by the truth of his past, Kratos leaves Sparta and sets out to undo his wrongdoings.
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Part I
Free from the Furies but still tormented with the truth of his past, Kratos decides to faithfully serve the Gods of Olympus for the next ten years, hoping that in this way, he can redeem himself and his past sins can be forgiven. In his fifth year of service, Kratos was ordered to join the Attica warriors in their struggle against the incoming Persian soldiers attacking with a giant monster named Basilisk. Seeing the beast moving from place to place, climbing walls, and burning the city of Attica, Kratos chased after it, but in the middle of this chase, he accidentally met the King of Persia who was threatening two defensless women in a prison cell.
Kratos confronts him and the King of Persia informs that he wants to deliver Greece into the hands of the Persian Empire. This situation led Kratos to beat him until he fell helpless and begged to be forgiven, promising to give Kratos all his wealth. Ignoring his pleading, Kratos killed him and took his power to summon Efreet. Later on, after taking a quick rest, Kratos continues his pursuit of the Basilisk and subdues it. With this, he successfully completed the task given by the Gods of Olympus. But that alone is not enough for him. He climbed a cliff and asked the Gods what he should do next.
Suddenly, Kratos saw the sun fall from the sky and disappear, leaving the world in complete darkness. Kratos knew what he just saw wasn't a sign from the Gods, but something sinister, so he decided to investigate the place where the sun had fallen, where a mysterious light was shining. The mysterious light that brought Kratos to the city of Marathon was slowly being devoured by a black mist with the presence of several shadow warriors, which was the work of Morpheus, the God of Dreams. Kratos fights his way through the city of Marathon while trying to fight the influence of the black mist, while taking notice of a familiar melody.
Even though the influence of the black mist was quite strong, Kratos managed to get through it and found the ruins of what was later revealed to be the Temple of Helios. Inside, he was met by a Statue of Athena, who told him that Helios had been kidnapped from the sky by an unknown force, and the Temple where Kratos was currently is actually the horse-drawn carriage used by Helios to travel around the sky every day. Now without a master to order them, Helios' chariot fell to the Earth and the sky was filled with darkness. Morpheus then took advantage of this situation to put the Gods of Olympus into a deep sleep and started spreading a black mist all over Greece.
Part II
For this reason, before Morpheus succeeded in his goal, Kratos was assigned to find Helios and return him to the sky. Exploring the Temple of Helios, Kratos meets a statue of Eos, the Goddess of Dawn, who immediately informs him that Atlas had somehow been freed from the pits of Tartarus and kidnapped her brother, Helios, the God of Sun. Furthermore, she explained that Helios had extraordinary powers which can be used to destroy the whole world and now that Atlas has it, the world is in danger. For that, Eos asked Kratos to take Helios' shield, called the Sun Shield, which would help him on his journey.
After taking the Sun Shield and using it to open access to several doors in the Temple of Helios, Kratos met again with Eos in the Cave of Olympus, where it was revealed that Atlas was very dependent on the power of Helios, because after the Sun disappeared, his strength also slowly disappeared. Eos asked Kratos to save her brother and by doing so, she promised to make Helios try to convince Zeus to erase the nightmares that Kratos experienced, memories of his past actions that he would never be able to forget. Although, he doesn't believe in Eos' promise because it has been given so many times by the Gods of Olympus.
Kratos still follows Eos' advice to wake up Helios' fire horse which will take him to where Helios was being held captive, because after all, without Helios' absence, the world would be pitch black and everyone that is in it sooner or later will die. Kratos takes the Primordial Fire, a fire which is the source of Helios’ power, and uses it to awaken Helios' fire horse. However, when he left the Temple of Helios and was about to ride the horse-drawn carriage, the same melody was heard once again, and this time, Kratos recognized the music as the tune his daughter, Calliope, used to play on the flute.
Kratos was confused for a moment, but then realized that it was just the influence of Morpheus' black fog, and rode the horse-drawn carriage which, according to Eos, would take him to the place where Helios was being held. In the middle of the journey, Morpheus' black mist that covered the area managed to put Kratos into a deep sleep, and in his dream, he returned to the past, to the time when Calliope greeted him happily when he returned from war. Kratos also remembers the day when he made a bamboo flute for his daughter, and from there, Calliope would start to play a beautiful melody.
Part III
Unfortunately, that pleasant memory was soon destroyed by the bad memories which continued to plague Kratos’ mind. Kratos then woke up in the Underworld, Hades' residence, which was not enveloped by Morpheus' black fog. But the Primordial Fire which was the source of the carriage's power was not welcome here, so the light of the horse carriage suddenly dimmed and Kratos fell into the depths of the Underworld. Luckily, before touching the fires of the Underworld, Kratos grabbed onto the rocks and managed to climb back to the surface. From a distance, he saw the Light of Helios located right in front of the Pillar of the World, the pillar that supports the Greek World.
But on the way there, he realized that to reach that place, he had to cross the River Styx, so he rang a bell to summon a ship driven by Charon, a shipbuilder in the Underworld who was enslaved by Hades to transport the souls of the dead across River Styx. Charon refuses to help Kratos cross River Styx on the grounds that Kratos is still alive, leaving Kratos no any other choice but to face him. Unfortunately, Charon was too strong for Kratos, to the point where even Kratos is overwhelmed and thrown into the depths of Tartarus where the Titans were imprisoned by Zeus after losing in the Great War.
As he woke up in the depths of Tartarus, Kratos freed himself from the chains that bound him and battled a multitude of enemies, before then reaching the Temple of Zeus located in the Prison of Tartarus, where he found the Gauntlet of Zeus, the weapon Hephaestus forged for Zeus to bind the Titans in the depths of Tartarus after the Great War ended. With the Gauntlet of Zeus in his hand, Kratos tries to find a way out, and in the midst of his efforts, he realizes that what Eos told him is true, Atlas has managed to escape, leaving the chains that bound him broken.
After a dangerous journey, Kratos finally managed to climb out and meet again with Charon. Now by utilizing the power of the Gauntlet of Zeus, he easily conquered Charon and used a ship to cross River Styx. He grew closer to Helios' light which seemed to illuminate the darkness of the Underworld, but when he was almost at the pier, Kratos' attention was drawn to the appearance of his daughter, Calliope who was playing the flute, and singing the same beautiful melody. Unfortunately, before Kratos can reach it, Calliope disappeared.
Part IV
As if guided, Kratos followed Calliope into the Temple of Persephone until he reached the Pillar of the World, which was located at the top of the temple, where he met Persephone, the Goddess of the Ground. Persephone had been kidnapped annd brought into the Underworld and forced to marry Hades, making her his wife and Queen. Persephone realized that at this point, Kratos was fed up with the task given by the Gods of Olympus to save Helios, so she tried to get him to cooperate by telling him that she have also felt the same way. Moreover, she was also tricked by Hades into eating a pomegranate which turned out to be a curse, binding her to the Underworld forever.
But Kratos did not care and insisted she deliver him to his daughter, who according to Persephone, was in the Elysium Field, a part of the Underworld which is for the good and pure souls. Persephone granted his request, but to enter the Fields, Kratos must first surrender his powers before he can enter. Kratos immediately transferred his power into the Forsaken Tree and entered the Elysium Fields, where he finally met Calliope and immediately hugged her, making this the first time that Kratos has been happy since his service as the 'Ghost of Sparta'.
But in the midst of hugging her, Persephone comes to Kratos and reveals that it was she who freed Atlas from Tartarus and allied with Morpheus. Since childhood, Persephone has lost the life she longed for, she was kidnapped by Hades with the help of Zeus, forced to marry Hades, and has to care for the dead in the Underworld forever. Fed up with her life, Persephone frees Atlas and then assigns him to capture Helios. She also plans to use the destructive power that is in Helios to destroy the Pillar of the World, which would lead to the destruction of the Greek World.
Part V
After Helios was caught and the sky became pitch black, she asked Morpheus to make the Gods of Olympus fall into a deep sleep so that her plans couldn't be thwarted. Realizing the Elysium Fields will also collapse as a result from the destruction of the Pillar of the World, Kratos realized that he had made the wrong choice to surrender all his power to the Forsaken Tree. For this reason, with a heavy heart, he forced himself to return to being the 'Ghost of Sparta' by pushing Calliope away and killing the innocent souls in the Elysium Fields regaining his strength. Now, Kratos understands that he will never have the opportunity to be with his daughter again.
And when he heard Calliope's crying, his hatred for the Gods of Olympus deepened. Kratos chased after Persephone and faced her at the top of the Pillar of the World. With the anger and the power he has now, he managed to defeat Persephone's temptation, chained Atlas to the Pillar of the World and in the end killed the Queen. The Pillar of the World was partially destroyed as a result of the fight between Kratos and Persephone, forcing Atlas to stand over him and hold all of Greece on his shoulders. Before Kratos left the Underworld, Atlas asked whether Kratos really believes that the Gods will keep their promise to relieve Kratos of his nightmares.
Kratos replies that this is the only hope for him for now, because he can no longer return to the Elysium field. By killing Persephone and chaining Atlas to the Pillar of the World, Kratos has saved mankind. However, this meant nothing to him. Kratos then left the Underworld. Together with Helios, they used the fire-horse carriage to light up the world again. In the middle of this journey, Kratos, who was exhausted after taking such a dangerous journey, fell from the carriage. But he was saved by Athena and Helios. They both stripped him of his strength and equipment, before then leaving him unconscious on a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea.
God of War (2005)
Part I
Ten years into his service, he was assigned to bring peace in the Aegean Sea by killing a massive sea serpent monster named Hydra. On the way, Kratos was given the power of lightning by Poseidon, the God of Sea, which proved to be effective in conquering the Hydra's heads. He then entered the sea monster's throat to retrieve the ship's key from the Captain who seemed to be trying to climb out. But instead of helping the Captain, Kratos only took the key he needed and dropped the ship's captain into the Hydra's stomach, immediately killing him.
With the ship's key in his hand, Kratos entered to the Captain’s cabin and slaughtered all of the undead legionnaires that have killed the people who had taken shelter within. This terrible sight once again reminds Kratos of his past. In an effort to forget what he did in the past, Kratos celebrates victory with wine and women, but none of that helps and his visions continued to plague him. Enraged, he called out to Athena, and talked about how he has faithfully served the Gods of Olympus for ten years, but has yet to get what he wants, redemption for his past.
Hearing Kratos' anger, Athena gave him one final task; namely to find Pandora's Box and use the power inside it to conquer Ares. Athena wanted Kratos to travel to kill Ares, because at this very moment, Ares had surrounded the city of Athens, the capital of Greece. The reason Ares had invaded the city of Athens was because he was jealous of Athena. But now, Athena can only send Kratos to conquer Ares. This last task gives Kratos the opportunity to take revenge on Ares for the death of his wife and child. He then asked that will all the Gods can get rid of his bad dreams after this task is over.
Athena promised that should he succeed, the Gods would forgive Kratos' sins. Kratos then sailed to the city of Athens, motivated by the opportunity to take revenge against his former master. Arriving at the port of Athens, Kratos orders the women in his bed to gather their things and leave, despite their requests to stay with him longer. Deboarding the ship, Kratos made his way through the city, battling repeatedly with the forces of Ares’ army. During his journey through the city, he would receive additional gifts from the Gods of Olympus; Aphrodite would give him the head of Medusa to petrify his enemies, and Zeus would bestow the Spartan with the ability to hurl lightning bolts at his targets.
Part II
By using these powers lent by the Gods, Kratos was able to conquer Ares’ soldiers more easily. Making his way deeper into the city, he would eventually be met with an illusionary image of the Oracle of Athens, who asked Kratos to meet her at the Oracle’s Temple in order to teach him “how to murder a God”. Progressing further, Kratos sees a titanic Ares battling the forces of Athens in the distance. The Spartan swears he will take his revenge against the God of War before continuing his journey. Eventually, Kratos succeeds and reaches the Oracle's shrine, but there, he sees the Oracle being attacked and captured by a group of Harpies.
Giving chase, Kratos eventually reaches the Oracle's Temple. Upon getting to the outer courtyard, the Spartan was met with by a mysterious Grave Digger. While the old man did not reveal his identity, he seemed to have uncanny knowledge of what was going on among the Gods. Confused as to why the Grave Digger was making a grave in the middle of a battle, Kratos asked who the grave the man was digging was meant for. The Grave Digger responded that it was for Kratos, who was taken aback by this answer. The old man told him not to worry, as all would be revealed in good time, and that when all hope seemed lost, he would be there to help.
Confused by this, Kratos left him and continued his pursuit of the Oracle, who he managed to save when she almost fell from a rope. The Oracle immediately suspects that Kratos is motivated by something other than a desire to do good, so she decided to find out by looking through his memories despite his protests. The whole of Kratos’ past is revealed to her, from his brutal tactics in battle to his ambitions of having Sparta’s glory be known throughout the world. Horrified by these revelations, the Oracle wonders why Athena chose him as her champion. Angry, Kratos pushes the Oracle aside, warning her to stay out of his head.
The Oracle informed Kratos that a mere mortal would not be able to defeat Ares. The only power that can be used to stand a chance against the Gods is the power stored in Pandora's Box, which could be found in Pandora's Temple, located in the Desert of Lost Souls. The Oracle warns Kratos that there is not a single person who had succeeded in retrieving the Box, but Kratos was undeterred. Following the Oracle's directions, Kratos travels to the Desert of Lost Souls. While on the way towards the entrance of the desert, it is where a Statue of Athena appeared before him and told him that to reach Pandora's Temple, Kratos must follow the direction of the three Siren's chants.
Furthermore, she explains that Pandora's Temple is on the back of the Titan Cronos. Unlike the other Titans imprisoned in Tartarus, Cronos was punished by Zeus to walk in the empty desert while carrying the Temple of Pandora on his back for eternity. Kratos finds the three Sirens and kills them, as he sent the souls of the three to start opening a door to which led a platform where he found a Titan's Trumpet. Blowing into the horn, Kratos is able to summon Cronos. With Cronos arriving on the platform, Kratos jumps onto the Titan’s shoulders, after which he would climb for three days until he reached the Temple of Pandora.
Part III
Just outside the Temple's entrance, Kratos meets the Gate Keeper. He is the first person who tried to enter Pandora's Temple but failed to make through, and is now a living corpse. Upon his failure, the Gods forced him to guard the Temple's entrance and set fire to the bodies of everyone who failed to conquer the Temple of Pandora. Convinced that Kratos will end up failing like the others, the Gate Keeper ushered him into Pandora's Temple. Once inside, Kratos once again receives a gift from the Gods, this time from the Goddess Artemis, who bestows the Blade of Artemis upon him.
During his journey through Pandora's Temple as well, Kratos faces countless monsters, including a giant armoured minotaur. Making his way through various trials and obstacles, he finds Poseidon's Trident, which gives him the power to breathe underwater, and is met by Hades, who gives him the ability to call upon the Souls of Hades to aid him in battle. After completing all the trials of Pandora's Temple, Kratos is at last able to retrieve Pandora's Box, making him the first human to do so. Athena appeared and asked Kratos to bring Pandora's Box back to Athens and use it there so he can finally defeat Ares.
Kratos began pushing the Box out of the Temple, but his actions did not go unnoticed by Ares. Ares, who at that time was busy continuing his large-scale attack on the city, immediately realized that Kratos had managed to find Pandora's Box. In order to stop him, he picked up a broken pillar and threw it towards the Desert of Lost Souls, bidding farewell to his former servant. The pillar eventually reached Kratos and skewered him against the wall. Watching helplessly as Ares’ Harpies carry the Box away, Kratos was reminded of the night he murdered his wife and daughter before he died. Kratos then fell into the depths of the Underworld.
But before he fell into the River Styx, Kratos clings to the feet of the Boat Captain, hanging from the side of a platform in an attempt to avoid falling into the river himself. The Captain demanded that Kratos let go of him, lest they both end up falling, but the Spartan retorted that he still had business in the world of the living before stabbing the Captain with one of his Blades in order to pull himself up onto the platform. The Boat Captain recognizes Kratos in alarm before being kicked off the edge by the Spartan, leaving him to fall screaming into the river. Kratos made his way through the Underworld, slaughtering enemies and overcoming obstacles before he came across a rope.
Part IV
Upon seeing the rope in front of him, he would climb upwards as it led him into the sky. While climbing the rope, it brought him back to the surface near the grave that the old Grave Digger had been making outside the Oracle’s Shrine. The old man comments that Kratos had arrived not a moment too soon, as he had only just finished digging the grave. Confused, Kratos once again asked who the Grave Digger really was, but the mysterious old man only told the Spartan that Athena wasn't the only God watching over Kratos. An explosion rang out nearby, distracting Kratos briefly.
When he turned to look at the Grave Digger again, he found that the old man had seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving only his shovel behind. Not having anymore time to lose, Kratos rushes through the Temple of Pandora to reach Ares, and encounters the Oracle once again, finding her critically injured. The Oracle said that Kratos was too late, as Ares had managed to take over Athens, and that all hope was lost. However, Kratos was unmoved by these words, making his way back to the Blade of the Gods, where he would see Ares gloating to Zeus over his apparent victory, stating his intent to use Pandora’s Box to overthrow Olympus.
However, Ares turned around to find Kratos still alive. Nonetheless, he still felt the Spartan was no threat to him, mocking Zeus for sending a “broken mortal” to fight for him. While Ares was distracted, Kratos throws a lightning bolt to knock Pandora’s Box out of Ares’ hand. Kratos then opened the Box, absorbing the power within, making him grow to massive size. Kratos battles Ares viciously, using all the powers and skills he had acquired throughout his journey to overpower the God of War, but when it seems as though he has beaten him, Ares summons the power to trap Kratos in a psychological void, where there Kratos is transported back to the Temple where his family was killed.
He sees Lysandra and Calliope inside, before a series of demonic versions of himself appear and try to kill his wife and child. Kratos battles his illusionary selves to try and protect his family, eventually succeeding and declaring to Ares that he would not lose his family again. However, Ares mocked the Spartan before he ripped the Blades of Chaos from his arms and used them to kill Kratos' family anyway, leaving Kratos horrified and distraught. Just as Ares was about to deliver the finishing blow, Kratos noticed the Blade of the Gods and his fighting spirit was restored. He dodged out of the way of Ares’ attack, grabbing the massive sword and declaring that he still had allies on Olympus.
Part V
Kratos battled Ares once more, eventually overpowering and critically wounding him. Ares reminded Kratos that it was him who had saved him from dying at Alrik’s hands all those years ago, to which he replied that he hadn't forgotten. The God of War claimed that, in making Kratos kill his family, all he had wanted was to make the Spartan into a great warrior. Kratos coldly replied, “You succeeded.” before stabbing Ares through the heart with the Blade of the Gods, killing him. With Ares dead, Kratos did what was thought impossible, a mere mortal slaying a God, and saved Athens from destruction.
However, Kratos found that he would not receive the same salvation. When he asked Athena to rid him of his nightmares, she informs him that while the Gods of Olympus would keep their promise to forgive Kratos' sins, they never promised to free him from his nightmares, as no one could forget the terrible things he had done. Realizing that he would never be free from his torment, Kratos goes to the Suicide Bluff overlooking the Aegean Sea. Believing that the Gods had abandoned him, and that there was no hope for him, he threw himself from the cliffs, believing that death would be his escape from his madness.
However, the Gods of Olympus had other plans for him. Athena raised Kratos from the water and back onto the cliff, stating that someone who had accomplished what he had could not be allowed to die by his own hand. As a form of gratitude for serving the Gods, Athena offered him the vacant throne of Ares, as well as the Blades of Athena as replacements for the Blades of Chaos. Ascending the steps of Olympus, Kratos made his way to the Throne Room and took Ares’ throne for himself. From then on, Kratos would be known across all of Greece as the mortal who ascended to godhood and became the new God of War.
God of War: Greek Comics
Part I
Ares, the God of War has died. Now his throne is occupied by Kratos, a Spartan warrior being managed to kill the God with the power of Pandora's Box. One day, Kratos heard the news about Ares' loyal subordinates who were planning to revive their master by using the magical potion, the Ambrosia.
Part II
The Ambrosia is a healing potion concocted by the God of Healing Asclepius, which was used in the past by Kratos to cure Calliope of a mysterious plague infection. Kratos immediately rushes off to Tartarus, find a better way to avoid any obstacles, and then destroy the Ambrosia before it is too late.
Part III
In his journey, he managed to conquer a giant monster named Arachnid and several times was approached by Athena who tried warned of the dangers that lay in Tartarus. Kratos however ignored Athena's warning, and even thought about to himself that nothing could ever stop him in his path.
Part IV
Continuing the search, Kratos finds a corpse of the Spartan Army who once lived but died at the hands of the Army of Hades in order to take Ambrosia from Alrik. Now the corpses of the Spartan Armies have risen again and they were trying to kill Kratos in revenge for leaving them behind in the past.
Part V
Kratos managed to kill all the Spartan Army and he has successfully arrived in the Tree of Life. He also met Gyges and burn him to death using the Flame of Apollo. Kratos then left the area, knowing that Ares' followers will hunt him down for ruining their last opportunity to revive their Fallen God.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Part I
Although Kratos had been appointed the God of War to replace Ares, the memories of his past lingered. One day, he received a vision of his mother, Callisto, being held captive in the Temple of Poseidon in Atlantis. Kratos knew it wasn't an ordinary dream, and as such, he travelled to Poseidon’s Temple. During his voyage, Athena appeared and tried to prevent Kratos from carrying out his mission, saying that everything Kratos saw was only a dream, but her plea fell on deaf ears. When almost to his destination, the ship was attacked and was destroyed by Scylla, a monster sent by Poseidon, and Kratos crashes into the mainland of Atlantis.
After successfully driving Scylla away, Kratos makes his way to the Temple of Poseidon and came across his mother lying on a bed, weakened and frail. Callisto told her approaching son that she had missed him. At first, Kratos assumed that it was a trick by the Gods due to thinking that his mother was dead, but she assured him that it was truly her. After he closely examined her, Kratos realized that it was indeed his mother to which he was shocked to see her again. Surprised by this revelation, Kratos became furious, asking her who his father was and why Callisto had been lying about him for the death of his long lost brother, Deimos.
Callisto replied that Kratos' father forbade her to speak of that, but before she could tell who Kratos' real father was, she turned into a massive creature and attacked Kratos. Kratos was forced to fight his transformed mother, and after being seriously injured, Callisto returned to her original form. Before she succumbed to her injuries, she thanked Kratos for freeing her from the curse and asked him to save Deimos. To open the gate to the Domain of Death, Kratos needed a key called the Skull of Keres which, according to Callisto, is stored in the city of Sparta, Kratos' birthplace. Angry that the Gods had once again caused him to lose another of his family members, Kratos embarked on a journey to save his brother.
Part II
On the way to Sparta, Scylla once again appeared and attacked Kratos, who fell into the depths of the Methana Volcano. There he met the Titan Thera, who was imprisoned in the Methana Volcano by Poseidon. Thera asked Kratos to save him, or otherwise, he wouldn't be able to escape. For this reason, Kratos stabs the Blades of Athena into Thera's chest and gains the strength of Thera's Bane, a power that can imbue burning coals into the Blades of Athena and use them destroy the closed doors on the Methana Volcano. By doing so, Thera is now free from the chains that bind him. Kratos harnesses the power of Thera's Bane to battle a multitude of armoured enemies and smashing through various doors that impeded him.
After a long and dangerous journey, which included killing Scylla who once again interferes in his efforts to escape, Kratos managed to escape the Methana Volcano right when the mountain erupted, drowning the city of Atlantis and the entirety of Poseidon's Temple. Crashed far away to the Island of Crete, Kratos reaches Athena's Temple and vents his anger on Athena who had not told him that Deimos was still alive. Athena replied that Kratos still doesn't fully understand, and she asks Kratos to cease his mission, but upon hearing this, Kratos becomes furious and destroys the Statue of Athena, before he continued the journey to the city of Sparta.
On the way, he once again met with the same Grave Digger who previously helped him escape the Underworld. The Grave Digger talks about how Kratos has made a mistake by sinking Atlantis, and how Kratos would be unable to find Deimos. Just like Athena, he also asked Kratos to stop his quest. However, Kratos did not care about the words of the Grave Digger, but after this encounter, he would soon find his journey once again hampered. In the mountains of Aroania, he saw Erinys, the daughter of Thanatos, who was threatening the life of a Spartan while asking for the whereabouts of the Ghost of Sparta.
Part III
Sent by Thanatos after the city of Atlantis sank, Erinys is assigned to stop Kratos from reaching the Domain of Death. When the Spartan soldier admits that he does not understand Kratos' whereabouts, Erinys immediately slams him and stabbed him, leaving him to die on a rock. Kratos honours the death of the Spartan warrior and goes to Erinys who appears to have killed another group of Spartan warriors. The two of them engaged in a fight, during which Kratos managed to tear both of her wings. However, Erinys' wings grew back and she transformed into a giant armoured bird monster, forcing Kratos to use the power of Thera's Bane, stab it into her armour, and kill her.
After Erinys' death, Kratos finally made it to the city of Sparta. There, he took a secret path through the dungeon to enter the Temple of Ares. After reaching a loyal subordinate of Ares who was locked up, Kratos arrived at Ares' Temple which is now in the process of being converted into something strange and mysterious. In order to get the Skull of Keres which is the key to the gate of the Domain of Death, Kratos must first confront the shadows of his past. And now with the key in his hand, Kratos knows that he must return to the sinking city of Atlantis. However, Kratos' journey back to the city of Atlantis is not easy.
He had met Thanatos who asked him to stand down and immediately sent his troops when Kratos refused. Dealing with King Midas, the King who has the ability to turn everything he touches into gold, Kratos used him as a bridge for him to cross the lava; until finally reaching the ocean where a huge whirlpool had formed as a result for the destruction of Atlantis. The huge whirlpool and the lightning overhead shook the ship Kratos was on and dumps him in the city, where he is warned by Poseidon through one of his broken statues that he would make Kratos pay for the destruction of Atlantis.
Part IV
While Kratos was looking for the gate of the Domain of Death, Athena once again appeared to ask him to stop his search for Deimos, telling him that Deimos was a threat to Olympus before she apologized to him. Hearing Athena's apology, Kratos immediately recalled the day when Deimos was taken from him. At that time, before leaving Kratos, Athena also apologized. Her voice and manner of speaking matched Athena's apology at that moment, and because of that, Kratos realized that Athena was the one who took Deimos away from him. Enraged, Kratos asks why Athena didn't save Deimos then, but she didn't answer.
Kratos warned Athena not to hinder his efforts in rescuing Deimos. Following this, he went to open the gates of the Domain of Death using the Skull of Keres. Kratos arrives in the Domain of Death, a dark realm that lies between the lands of the living and world of the dead, a purgatory ruled by Thanatos that even Gods do not dare to enter. Walking further, Kratos enters the Temple of Thanatos and for the first time, he reunites with Deimos. Kratos immediately frees Deimos, but Deimos isn't happy with the arrival of his brother. He blamed Kratos for not helping him when he needed it the most, and for that, he attacked Kratos.
Deimos is shown to be a tough opponent, dropping Kratos from a great height and beating him without stopping until Kratos' was left bloodied and wounded. However, Kratos never retaliated against his brother. In the middle of this fight, Thanatos grabbed Deimos and carried him away. Barely able to stand as a result from Deimos' beating, Kratos follows Thanatos to a cliff and quickly saves Deimos. After reuniting, Kratos and Deimos join forces to face Thanatos. Thanatos talks about how the Oracle's predictions did come true, a 'marked warrior' will bring destruction to Olympus, however Athena and Ares mistook Deimos for the warrior.
Part V
Kratos is the one referred to by the Oracle as the 'marked warrior' and supposed to be brought to the Domain of Death. However, none of that mattered anymore, because Thanatos had a plan- to kill them both. After engaging in a fierce fight, Thanatos turned into a giant monster resembling a dragon, but Deimos manages to stab Thanatos in the eye. However, Thanatos fought back by crushing him and threw his body aside, instantly killing Deimos. Deimos' death culminated in more anger as Kratos immediately exerted all his strength to kill Thanatos. Kratos then took his brother's lifeless body to an already empty grave prepared by none other than the Grave Digger, telling his brother that he was free now.
He once again attempts to kill himself by jumping the cliff, but immediately stops by asking himself what he has done and what he is now. The Grave Digger answers that Kratos had become "Death, the Destroyer of Worlds" before mysteriously disappearing. Athena attempts to elevate Kratos to full godhood, only to have the Spartan stop her from doing so. Kratos then returns to Olympus stating the Gods will pay for what they have done. As Kratos leaves, Athena quietly asks Kratos to forgive her before calling him “brother", marking the first time Athena acknowledges that they are siblings. Later, the Grave Digger is shown laying Callisto to her grave, saying "Now, only one remains".
A third grave is seen, implied to have been dug for Kratos. The scene shifts to Kratos on his throne, wearing his newly forged armour, furious and determined to exact vengeance on the Gods of Olympus. Kratos, driven by his rage and the loss of his brother and mother, leads the Spartans into a vicious battle to take over the city of Rhodes.
God of War: Betrayal
Part I
Since the death of his brother Deimos, Kratos has isolated himself from the other Gods and spent most of his time helping Sparta in conquering Greece. He, along together with the Spartan Army carried out an attack on a city, and this action angered the Gods, so in the midst of the struggle, Kratos is attacked by Argos, the pet of Zeus' wife, Hera.
Part II
Argos fled several times, but Kratos luckily manages to catch up to him by pushing him into a big ditch, where Argos was killed at the hands of a mysterious Assassin. When approached, the Assassin doesn't say anything and runs away, forcing Kratos to chase after him.
Part III
But in his pursuit, he is repeatedly hampered by Hades' forces, making him believe that the Assassin is Hades, trying to ruin his reputation as the God of War. Kratos believes that all of this could make sense, considering the fact that he had killed Hades' wife, Persephone.
Part IV
After successfully eliminating Hades' troops, Kratos' pursuit was stopped by Ceryx, the son of Hermes, who allowed the Assassin to escape. By order of Zeus, Ceryx asks Kratos to stop his pursuit.
Part V
But Kratos doesn't care and immediately confronted Ceryx. While fighting him, Ceryx ultimately dies at Kratos' hands, and Kratos soon realizes that Zeus will not remain silent on this deed. And so, the Assassin was never seen again after this.
God of War II
Part I
Kratos doesn't care about his misdeeds and he continues Sparta's war campaign. He ordered his army to attack Rhodes, the major Greek port city. Athena begs Kratos to stop, because the Gods of Olympus have started to become furious with him for his destructive behaviour, and she would no longer be able to protect him. But once again, Kratos ignored her warning, telling her he didn't need her protection, before he descended to Earth, where he helps his Spartan Army destroy the city of Rhodes. In the middle of the battle, an eagle suddenly appears and drains a portion of Kratos’ godly power, reducing him to normal human size, which the Spartan believes is Athena’s doing. This power is then bestowed on the Colossus of Rhodes, bringing it to life and making it fight against Kratos and his Spartan Army.
Even so, Kratos still possessed most of his godly power, allowing him to defeat the enemies before him with little effort. However, he had a hard time dealing with the Colossus, due to its sheer size and titanic strength. As a result, Zeus bestows Kratos with the Blade of Olympus, the very weapon that the had used to end the Titanomachy. Kratos asked why Zeus was helping him, to which Zeus replied that what he did was for the good of Olympus. Kratos, not caring about Zeus’ cryptic answer, went to get the Blade of Olympus. He drained his remaining godly power into the Blade, rendering him mortal once more but allowing him to effectively battle the Colossus.
With this, he started destroying the Colossus' foundations from within, and in the end, succeeded in conquering the animated statue. Kratos shouted into the sky, asking if the Gods needed any more proof than this to see that they could not stop him, not noticing the Colossus collapsing behind him. The giant statue’s hand fell and crushed him, destroying his armour and knocking the Blade of Olympus away from him. Mortally injured without the power of the Gods, Kratos knew his only hope for survival lay with the Blade. He slowly stumbled his way towards the Blade of Olympus, trying to retrieve it. However, before he made it to the Blade, the same eagle that took his powers appeared and revealed itself as Zeus.
Zeus had planned all of this from the beginning, deliberately making Kratos sacrifice his godly power into the Blade in order to force Kratos to surrender and submit to him. He was afraid that Kratos would try to kill him like he had done to Ares. Feeling betrayed, an angry Kratos refuses to submit, claiming that the choices the Gods gave were as useless as the Gods themselves. Zeus then impales Kratos with the Blade of Olympus. After leaving Kratos to die, Zeus uses the power of the Blade of Olympus to kill everyone present in the battle of Rhodes. Horrified and enraged, Kratos swore revenge against Zeus for his betrayal before dying.
Because of his death, Kratos is dragged down into the Underworld once again. As he is pulled into Hades’ depths, he receives a visit from the Titaness Gaia. As she appeared before him, Gaia explains that she had watched over Kratos his entire life. She asks Kratos to help the Titans escape their confinement in exchange for helping him take his revenge against Zeus. Gaia informed him that the only way to defeat Zeus is to use the power of the Sisters of Fate, who have the power to alter the fate of every God, Beast, or Titan. Only with that power can Kratos change his fate.
Part II
Refusing to die, Kratos agreed to help Gaia, who healed his wounds before he began attacking the Underworld's hands that ensnared him, and managed to climb out of the Underworld once again. Rising from the dead for a second time, he found himself back in the city of Rhodes. Kratos commands the last Spartan warrior to return to Sparta and prepare for battle. He then rode the Pegasus prepared by Gaia and headed for Olympus to seek his revenge. However, partway there, Gaia informs Kratos that he can no longer enter Olympus, due to him not being a God anymore. Instead, Gaia orders Kratos to find the Sisters of Fate and use their power to travel back in time to the moment where Zeus betrayed him.
That way, Kratos can take the Blade of Olympus and use it to kill Zeus. And so, he set out for the Island of Creation, where the Sisters of Fate reside. When passing through the ice mountains which is the place Titan Typhon was imprisoned, Pegasus was crushed under Typhon's hand, leaving Kratos no other choice but to find a way to free him. He ventured across the mountains and coincidentally encountered Prometheus.
Prometheus is seen being chained and his body torn apart by an eagle, having been imprisoned by Zeus after being caught stealing the Primordial Fire and gave it to mortals. As a punishment for his actions, Prometheus was tied up on the rocks to then have his organs eaten by a giant eagle and at night, they would grow back to be eaten again the next day. Prometheus begged Kratos to free him from his torture.
Kratos steals the Typhon's Bane from Typhon and uses it to break the chains that held Prometheus, dropping him into the Primordial Fire and burning him alive, freeing him from his endless torment. Gaining great strength from the ashes of Prometheus, Kratos is imbued with the power of the Titans. Using that power, Kratos knocked Typhon’s hand away and released Pegasus, continuing his journey to the Island of Creation. But as he made his way towards the island, a swarm of Griffins attacked the moment they saw Pegasus, forcing Kratos to fend them off. When Kratos was about to arrive at the Island of Creation, a Griffin succeeded in weakening Pegasus and he is forced to make a death-defying leap towards the Island of Creation.
Luckily, he was saved by using the Blades of Athena to latch onto the rocks and climb onto solid ground. To reach the Palace of Fates, Kratos had to use the Steeds of Time. Exploring the Island of Creation, Kratos asked Gaia's reason for helping him, and Gaia told him about the Great War that made the Titans holds a grudge against Zeus to this day. Armed with this knowledge, Kratos reaches the Steeds of Time and realized that in order to control the horses, a special key, kept by Theseus, was needed. For that, he went to find the key and encountered Theseus, who immediately laughed out loud when he learned of Kratos' intention to kill Zeus.
Part III
Theseus knew that Kratos no longer has the powers of a God, so he challenges him to a fight, thinking he will easily beat Kratos. But quickly thereafter, Kratos' power frightened Theseus and he summoned a hoard of monsters to fight for him. Kratos used Typhon's Bane to force Theseus down and then kill him by crushing his head with the Horse Keeper’s door. After Theseus' death, Kratos takes the Horse Keeper's Key attached to the door and uses it to move the Steeds of Time, bringing the Island of Creation closer to the Palace of Fates. During this journey, he was warned by a statue of Lahkesis, one of the Sisters of Fate, that Kratos' fate has been shaped and cannot be changed, but Kratos doesn't listen and destroys the statue, before then continuing journey through a swamp, where he reunited with Alrik, the Barbarian King.
It is revealed that Alrik escaped Hades' torment and went on a long journey headed for the Island of Creation for two reasons, to change his fate and to further get revenge on Kratos. For that, the two of them once again engaged in a fierce battle and Alrik summons the souls of the dead, including the soul of the Boat Captain Kratos had killed over thirteen years prior. However, in the end, Kratos manages to eliminate this enemies, seize Alrik's Barbarian Hammer, and use it to crush his skull, killing him once more. Continuing the journey to Palace of Fates, he must face Cerberus and obtain the Golden Fleece from him, an enchanted armour which he later used to kill Euryale, Medusa's sister, and take her head.
While he was there, Kratos also met Perseus, his half-brother, trapped in the bathhouse. Perseus wished to see the Fates in order to resurrect his wife, Andromeda. However, he became trapped in the bathhouse instead. Thinking the arrival of Kratos is a trial given to him by the Fates, Perseus challenges Kratos to a duel, hoping the Sisters of Fate would witness it and give him a chance to revive his wife. Or if not, at least he would be known as the person who managed to kill the Ghost of Sparta. But in fact, Perseus is no match for Kratos, and although he can make himself invisible with Hades’ helmet, Kratos easily attacked and then threw him into a large hook, impaling and killing him. Taking Perseus' Shield, Kratos uses it to open access to the lowlands, where he realized that to reach the Palace of Fates, he had to cross a great chasm. Before he could cross, he was accosted by Icarus, now an old man who at this point had lost his sanity.
This happened because previously, Icarus had died and entered the Underworld, where he was tortured relentlessly until he lost his sanity. After spending dozens of years repairing his wings, he finally managed to escape from the Underworld, and tried to reach the Sisters of Fate to change his destiny. During this meeting, Icarus tries to stop Kratos' attempts to find the Sisters of Fate, saying that it was a trial he was given, rambling on about how Kratos will not make it across the great chasm, while he himself will succeed by using its wings. Hearing this, Kratos plans to use Icarus' wings to cross the great abyss, but Icarus resisted and both of them fell into the abyss.
Kratos struggles briefly with Icarus and tore off both of his wings, letting him fall once more into the Underworld, while he managed to fly to safety by landing on Atlas. On his way back to the surface, Kratos broke some of the chains that bound Atlas' body, lightening some of the burden and catching the Titan’s attention. Noticing Kratos' presence, Atlas became furious, considering Kratos was the one who chained his body to the Earth when facing Persephone. Atlas tries to crush Kratos, but then stops his attempts after learning that Kratos is now the enemy of Zeus, and he even plans to change his destiny for the sake of killing the God.
Part IV
After telling Kratos how Zeus created Blade of Olympus during the Great War and used it to drive the Titans into the depths of Tartarus, Atlas gives Kratos some of his powers and brings him back to the surface. Using Icarus' wings, Kratos arrives at the Palace of Fates. There, he forced two scholars to read incantations and sacrifice themselves as a condition for meeting the Sisters of Fate, before they met an ordinary soldier trying to reach the Sisters of Fate himself, forcing Kratos to confront him in a very dimly lit room. Kratos managed to defeat him and throw him out of the window, only to discover that it was the Last Spartan.
When Kratos demands to know why the soldier did not return to Sparta, the Last Spartan told him that Sparta has been destroyed, and that Zeus was responsible. After killing Kratos, Zeus came to the city of Sparta and destroyed it. The Spartan people called out for Kratos to help them, but he never came. This left the Last Spartan no choice but to take a long journey to the Palace of Fates to reach the Sisters of Fate and change the fate of the city and Sparta. Before breathing his last breath, the Spartan soldier placed his hope on Kratos. The death of the Spartan warrior enrages Kratos, who calls Zeus a coward and demanded he come down and face him. Amidst this despair, the Kraken came up from behind and grabbed Kratos. The Spartan struggled against the beast’s grip, but proved unable to free himself as the Kraken began crushing him.
At that moment, Kratos experienced a vision of Sparta in ruins, where he would see Lysandra (Gaia in disguise) standing on a hill. Kratos apologized to his wife and begged her to forgive him. Gaia encourages him to continue the struggle, for if Kratos surrenders, then Zeus will send his soul to Hades to be tortured for eternity. Furthermore, Gaia informs him that the Titans want Kratos to lead them in battle against the Gods of Olympus, before empowering him with an even stronger Rage of the Titans. With mounting anger, Kratos manages to free himself from the kraken’s grip and kill it. Using the Phoenix that he freed from the Phoenix Chamber, Kratos finally reaches the main shrine of the Sisters of Fate. Kratos enters the shrine and encounters one of the Sisters, Lahkesis. Lahkesis him tells that destiny can only be shaped by the Sisters of Fate, and that Kratos was never fated to kill Zeus.
In fact, Kratos' presence there was also part of the destiny created by the Sisters of Fate. Refusing to believe Lahkesis, Kratos retorted that his destiny was formed because of his own doing, threatening to kill her if Lahkesis did not let him pass, getting the two involved in a fight. When Kratos almost succeeded in defeating her, Lahkesis summons her sister, Atropos, who then takes Kratos to the past, to his battle with Ares. Atropos tries to destroy the Blade of the Gods, the sword Kratos used to kill Ares, so that Kratos would die at the God of War’s hand, but this effort is quickly thwarted by Kratos, and the two return to the present in the Temple of Lahkesis. Lahkesis is annoyed by this failed attempt and attacks Kratos once again, only now being assisted by Atropos from behind the room’s mirrors.
After a long and fierce battle, Kratos managed to trap Lahkesis and Atropos in the mirror and destroys it, imprisoning them forever. Kratos then continued his journey to meet the last Sister of Fate, Clotho. Due to her gigantic, misshapen body being covered in a multitude of arms, Kratos first had to pin her many limbs down in order to climb up and reach her head, before he impaled her through her skull and killed her. The deaths of the Fates gave Kratos a chance to change his destiny by using the Mirror of Destiny located in the Loom Chamber. He returns to the time when Zeus betrayed him, and, having regained his godly powers, immediately attacked Zeus as he was killing the Kratos from the past.
Part V
Zeus was surprised by Kratos' presence and assumed that the Sisters of Fate had helped him, but while pulling the Blade of Olympus, Kratos informed that the Sisters of Fate were dead. This made Zeus realize that he had underestimated Kratos and immediately attacked him. The two of them engaged in a battle in the sky and landed on the Summit of Sacrifice, where Rhea had given her children to Cronos for him to consume. It was also here that Rhea saved baby Zeus' life by tricking Cronos into eating a stone. In his full God form, Zeus summons an army of Sirens and throws thunderbolts, but Kratos manages to fight back by paralyzing him with the Sirens’ screams.
Kratos then impaled Zeus' hand with the Blade of Olympus, causing him to shrink back to normal size. In a very intense battle, Zeus seized the Blade of Olympus from Kratos, but the Spartan soon reclaimed it before stabbing and throwing Zeus into a pillar. Kratos attempts to knock the pillar onto Zeus, but Zeus manages to destroy it and this time, he uses the power of his lightning to weaken Kratos. Feigning defeat, Kratos claimed to surrender to Zeus and dropped the Blade of Olympus, begging Zeus to kill him and release him from his suffering. Zeus returned to human size and picks up the Blade of Olympus, saying he would end the Spartan’s life, but that his torment was just about to begin.
However, Kratos quickly dodged the incoming attack and overpowered Zeus once more. When Zeus fell powerless, Kratos took the Blade of Olympus and prepared to deliver the finishing blow. But his attempt to kill Zeus was thwarted by Athena, who suddenly appeared and blocked the attack, begging Kratos to stop. Zeus took advantage of this situation and tried to escape, claiming that Kratos had started a war that he couldn't win. Before Zeus escaped, Kratos made one last effort to kill him, pushing Athena away and charging at Zeus. But when Kratos thrust his sword forward, Athena jumped in front of it, taking the blow meant for her father.
Zeus managed to escape, while Kratos, horrified by what he had done, asked why Athena sacrificed herself. Athena replied that she had done it for the safety of Olympus. Furthermore, Athena revealed that the reason Zeus wanted to kill Kratos was because he was afraid that what happened to his father would happen again. Ouranus was killed by Cronos; Cronos was overthrown by, Zeus; and now, Zeus feared being killed by his own son: Kratos. Zeus' main intention was to break the Cycle of Patricide. Kratos was shocked by this sudden revelation, and before taking her last breath, Athena begs Kratos to stop seeking revenge, warning him that all the Gods of Olympus would unite against him and that if Zeus died, the world would be destroyed.
At this point, Kratos had succumbed to his madness, and he vowed that if all of Olympus would stand against him, then all of Olympus would die, before Athena passed away. After this, he used the Fates’ Loom Chamber once again and traveled back in time to the Great War. Kratos brings the Titans with him to the present day in Ryder to face the Gods. Meanwhile, Zeus, still injured from his fight with Kratos, held a meeting with the other Gods to join forces to face the Ghost of Sparta. At that instant, Mount Olympus started to shake and when the Gods looked down, they saw a very terrible sight: the Titans were climbing up the mountain with Kratos on Gaia's shoulders. Armed with the Blade of Olympus, he shouted at his father, declaring that his son had come back, and that the end of Olympus was at hand.
God of War III
Part I
Seeing the Titans climbing the mountains of Olympus with Kratos on Gaia's shoulders, Zeus orders the Gods of Olympus, to attack Kratos and his Titan allies. Poseidon jumped down and managed to kill Epimetheus with one strike, and after taking down several Titans, he summoned the Giant Hippocampi to hinder Gaia's movements, forcing Kratos to confront him. Kratos managed to free Gaia from the Hippocampi, enabling him to reach Poseidon, who was taking refuge in the colossal beast.
Kratos, exerting all his strength, manages to destroy the stone structure that protects the colossal heart of the Hippocampi and frees Gaia from the snares of Poseidon's forces, giving Gaia the chance to throw a devastating punch at the Hippocampi, sending Kratos flying into it, grabbing Poseidon, tearing him from the water and slamming him against the rocks. Poseidon was badly injured, while the Hippocampi shattered and collapsed into the sea. Before meeting his death, Poseidon tells Kratos that no matter how many Gods he kills, there will always be other Gods who will oppose him.
Undeterred, Kratos retorts by saying that all Gods who stand in his way will meet the same fate. Additionally, he did not care when he heard Poseidon talk about how the fall of Olympus would mean the end of the world. Kratos attacks Poseidon in a blind rage, grabbing him by the neck and beating him relentlessly, before then slamming and throwing him against a boulder. In desperation, Poseidon tried to crawl back to the ocean, but before he could do so, Kratos grabbed his leg, gouged out both of his eyes, and broke his neck, before then letting the corpse of the God of the Sea fall from the mountains. With Poseidon's death, the oceans unleashed a flood that was so devastating, it created a tsunami that swept across Greece.
The flood drowned all of the inhabitants of Greece, except for those who were on Olympus or other high mountains. Kratos climbed back into Gaia's hands, and the two of them managed to reach Zeus, who had been waiting for their arrival. In this confrontation, Kratos scoffs, saying that now Zeus will no longer have the protection of Athena, because she is dead, to which Zeus replies that Athena's death was caused by Kratos' blind rage and lust for vengeance. Realizing that Kratos is not about to stop his quest for revenge, Zeus confronts him and unleashes a massive lightning bolt, which he then uses to knock Kratos and Gaia off Mount Olympus.
Zeus' lightning blast managed to tear off part of Gaia's arm, making it difficult for her to climb up and return to the fight. Kratos, having also lost his grip, urges Gaia to help him, but the Titan refuses, claiming that it will only cause both of them to fall. As Gaia attempts to climb back up, Kratos continues to slip, reminding Gaia of the reason she had saved him from death, namely to kill Zeus together. However, Gaia reveals that Kratos was just a pawn to her and nothing more, serving no further use now that the Titans have almost reached Zeus to finally exact revenge.
Gaia continues to climb Olympus, letting Kratos fall into the Underworld. Betrayed once again, Kratos falls into the River Styx and is drained of his strength by the souls of the dead. Additionally, he had lost the Blade of Olympus during his fall, and the Blades of Athena had been corroded beyond repair by Styx’s water. Upon reaching the mainland, he meets the Astral Form of Athena who had attained a "higher existence" because of the sacrifice she made to protect Zeus. The purpose of her arrival this time was to offer Kratos assistance in getting revenge on Zeus, informing him that to kill Zeus, Kratos must find the source of his power, namely the Flame of Olympus and destroy it.
Hearing this, Kratos asked why Athena, who had previously sacrificed herself for the safety of Zeus, now wanted to help him kill Zeus. Athena explained that she had seen a truth she had not known before, and to regain Kratos' trust, she transforms the damaged Blades of Athena into the Blades of Exile, claiming that the weapon will guide Kratos to the Flame of Olympus. While leaving Kratos, Athena reminded him that as long as Zeus reigns, there was no hope for humanity, so she asked Kratos destroy the Flame of Olympus. Armed with this information, Kratos traveled through the Underworld and retrieves Apollo's Bow from Peirithous, whom he burned to death with the fiery breath of Cerberus.
Part II
Kratos used the bow to destroy the thorn bushes that blocked his path. Continuing the journey, Kratos comes across the Three Judges, massive statues of King Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus. Looking into Kratos' heart, the Three Judges decided that Kratos was not ready for the afterlife, and urged him to enter a nearby portal. Stepping through, Kratos found a statue of a mysterious woman who called him father. Because of this, it made Kratos mistake her for Calliope, but he quickly realized he was mistaken. In reality, the girl was Pandora, the namesake of Pandora’s Box. She revealed that she knew about Kratos from the other Gods, and asked him to rescue her, though Kratos had no interest in helping her.
But before Pandora could explain further, Kratos' attention was diverted by Hades' voice mocking him. Kratos orders Hades to face him, and Hades found him too impatient, saying that the two of them would meet soon enough. Descending into the depths of the Underworld, Kratos meets Hephaestus, who is in despair and blames Kratos for his exile to the Underworld. However, Kratos had no interest in fighting with the God of Smith. Asking Hephaestus about the whereabouts of the Flame of Olympus, he received a sarcastic answer, with Hephaestus saying that if he could get out of Hades, he could reach the Flame, and that the Flame of Olympus will kill anyone who touches it, no matter human or God. Leaving the Forge, Kratos decided to leave Hephaestus alone in the meantime.
Kratos then met again with another Pandora's Statue through which Pandora once again begged to be released, but Kratos didn't care and took the Blade of Olympus which had fallen next to the statue. Arriving in the Kingdom of Hades, Kratos uses the coffin where Persephone's corpse was kept to open a passage to a dark room, where he came face to face with Hades. Hades blames Kratos for the deaths of his niece, Athena, his brother, Poseidon, and especially his wife, Persephone. For for all the pain he received, he promised to make Kratos feel the same way. Emerging from the darkness, Hades tries to draw out Kratos' soul and absorb it, but Kratos managed to fight back by tearing Hades' flesh and destroying it.
Kratos also tried to pull Hades’ Helmet of Darkness off of his head, but his attempts only made Hades angrier, and he responded by throwing him on the ground, creating a large hole. When Hades was about to attack, Kratos intercepted his attack by tying the Blades of Exiles' chain to the Claws of Hades, entangling him. The two Gods then started a tug of war. While trying to fight Hades' pull, Kratos continued to attack him using the Blade of Exile in his other hand, until he finally succeeded in destroying the Helmet of Darkness and seizing the Claw of Hades, dropping Hades into the River Styx. But that alone would not kill him.
Hades quickly reappeared, much larger than before, now without the Helmet of Darkness, uncovering his hideous, skeletal face. By using the Claws of Hades, Kratos managed to weaken Hades, corrode his skull, draw out his soul and absorb it, killing him instantly. Hades' death caused all souls in the Underworld to run rampant. Now with Hades' soul inside him, Kratos could swim through the River Styx without hindrance. The river flow brought him back to Hephaestus who was quite surprised to learn that Kratos had managed to kill Hades. Kratos' attention is then drawn to the Hyperion gate at nearby which, according to Hephaestus, only the Gods can enter, but now that Kratos has the soul of Hades, he can enter any Hyperion Gate he pleases.
He also told the Spartan that he was once the most talented Blacksmith in all of Olympus, and because of that, Zeus tasked him with creating a vessel to hold the evils of the world. Hephaestus did so, creating Pandora’s Box, as well as Pandora herself. Eventually, Pandora took on a life of her own, and Hephaestus came to love her as a daughter. However, his happy life ended when Kratos killed Ares. The day Ares was killed, Zeus suddenly became very cruel. Thereafter, he snatched Pandora away and banished him to the Underworld.
Because of this, Hephaestus begged Kratos to save his daughter, but as usual, Kratos had no interest in helping others and left. After being reminded by Athena of his mission to kill Zeus, Kratos went through the Hyperion Gate which redirected him to the mountains of Olympus. On the outskirts of Olympus, he saw Helios driving his chariot, prompting Kratos to give chase. But in his pursuit, he ran into Gaia, who was struggling to climb the mountain and pleaded with Kratos to help her. Remembering the Titan’s betrayal, Kratos resolutely refused and injured her arm even further.
In despair, Gaia pleaded that Zeus must be overthrown by the Titans, but Kratos brushed it off, saying that this was his battle before he severed her arm with the Blade of Olympus, causing her to fall to her apparent death. Continuing his pursuit, Kratos found Helios engaged in battle with Perses. He decided to intervene by firing catapults at Helios' chariot, throwing Helios towards Perses who immediately crushed him. Seeing Helios laying nearby, Kratos rushed to reach him, but before he could kill him, an army of shield-bearing minions formed a protective field around him, forcing Kratos to take control of a Cyclops and use it to destroy the defenders. As a last resort, Helios tried to trick him by saying that he never forgot how Kratos had rescued him from Persephone decades prior.
Part III
Helios promised to repay Kratos in full, to which Kratos asked where the Flame of Olympus was, but did not answer the question. Helios claimed that Kratos could never kill Zeus, and when he saw Kratos off guard, he tried to blind him with a beam of sunlight. Although this attack was a surprise, Kratos managed to block the sunlight from his eyes and slowly walked closer to Helios, before then mercilessly stomping on his head. Helios begged Kratos to stop and told him that in order to kill Zeus, Kratos must step into the Flame of Olympus.
But Kratos saw through Helios' lie, remembering what Hephaestus mentioned earlier. Helios once again tried to defend himself by assuming Hephaestus was a fraud and that he had fallen out of favor with Olympus, to which Kratos responded that this was why he trusted the Smith God over him. Kratos, having lost his temper, tore Helios' head off of his body with his bare hands, killing him. With Helios dead, the sun is shrouded with dark clouds. But even though Helios was dead, his head could still emit intense sunlight. Kratos' path than further continues inside the darker caves of the Mount Olympus, using Helios’ Head as a lantern.
Kratos then used Icarus' Wings to reach the top of Mount Olympus. However, during his ascent, he was attacked by Perses, possibly in revenge for Gaia's death, forcing Kratos to kill him. Reaching the Labyrinth's area, he met Hermes, who childishly mocked Kratos for his foolish failures in the past and gave him more insulting remarks for his apparent stupidity. On the other hand, he even told Kratos that his quest for revenge was useless, and he was running out of time for redemption. Most importantly, he would fail to defeat Zeus. Initially, Kratos tried to ignore Hermes, but Hermes continued to provoke him, making Kratos more irritated and he decided to chase after him even though Hermes was significantly faster.
Climbing up the Chain of Balance, the chain that connected the Underworld to Mount Olympus, Kratos reached the Flame's Chamber, the room where Pandora's Box was kept. Apparently after being used by Kratos to kill Ares, Pandora's Box was then placed in this room under the protection of the Flame of Olympus. Surprised and confused, Kratos was about to touch it, but he was immediately stopped by Athena who told him that it was indeed the same Pandora's Box that was opened by Kratos years ago. Although Kratos had gained some of the power of Pandora's Box, there was still a more powerful force within the Box, a power capable of killing Zeus. Furthermore, Athena told him that after The Great War ended, Zeus understood that there was an evil power that emerged from that great battle, the evils that would create fear, greed, and hatred.
Zeus knew that these evils, if allowed to roam freely, would destroy the world of Mortals and Gods alike. Zeus ordered his son, Hephaestus, to create a vessel strong enough to contain such Evil, and so, Pandora's Box was created. When Kratos opened Pandora's box to kill Ares, the evil power entered Kratos' body, enabling him to slay the God of War. Seeing Ares' death at the hands of Kratos, Zeus feared that he would suffer the same fate as Ares, which was why he betrayed Kratos. Athena then explained that the Power of the Evils dwelling within Kratos at that time would not be able to kill Zeus. He would need to become even more powerful, and that power was now stored in Pandora's Box.
Kratos asked, how could he open Pandora's Box if the Box itself was protected by the Flame of Olympus, to which Athena replied, "as the name suggests", the key to opening Pandora's Box was Pandora herself. Armed with this information, Kratos now knew that he must free Pandora. Hermes reappeared while Athena was away and provoked Kratos into chasing after him. Throughout this chase, Hermes, with his childish nature, belittled Kratos, who he considered slow. He then crossed a large gap and waited for Kratos at the top of a Statue of Athena, continuing to taunt him. Using a nearby catapult, Kratos threw a large rock at the Statue of Athena and simultaneously used the rock as a way to reach Hermes.
The boulder knocked down the Statue of Athena, making Hermes frightened. Simultaneously, with the collapse of the Statue, Hermes fell and was injured. Kratos used this opportunity to beat him mercilessly and then cut off both of his legs, killing him. Hermes' death causes a deadly plague to spread throughout the land of Greece. Kratos then took Hermes’ Boots and used them to cross a large chasm. When he arrived at an empty forum, he encountered Hera. Knowing that Kratos was looking for Pandora, a drunk Hera immediately ordered Hercules, Kratos’ half-brother, to kill him.
Hercules declares his hatred for Kratos, claiming that Zeus had always favored Kratos more than himself. For this reason, he wanted to kill Kratos and take the throne of the God of War for himself. Along with his minions, Hercules attacked Kratos using the Nemean Cestus, a weapon he obtained after successfully defeating the Nemean Lion. The two were involved in a fierce fight, where Kratos gradually stripped away his armor, making Hercules furious.
Hercules then smacked the Nemean Cestus into Kratos' hand. With pride, he bragged to Hera about his imminent victor. However, he didn't realize that Kratos had regained his focus and attacked him from behind, stripping the Nemean Cestus from his hands. In a last-ditch effort to defeat his opponent, Hercules lifts the arena floor, hoping Kratos will fall and die, but Kratos was able to climb back up and beat his half-brother mercilessly, smashing his face until the floor beneath them cracked and both of them fell into an underground sewer system. Exiting the sewer area, Kratos was reunited with the Pandora's Statue, and this time with the intention of helping, he asked where Zeus is holding the girl.
Part IV
Pandora tells him that she is being held somewhere in the Labyrinth, but before she can explain further, Zeus silences her and warns Kratos to back off. Not caring about Zeus' warning, Kratos decided to go see Hephaestus to ask about where the Labyrinth Pandora spoke of was. He reached Hephaestus' Forge through Hyperion's Gate located in Aphrodite's room, after pampering Aphrodite. Hephaestus immediately realized the purpose of Kratos' arrival and asked him to stay away from Pandora, saying that Kratos was the reason why Pandora ended up being held in the Labyrinth and why he was exiled to the Underworld.
Hephaestus knew that the safest place to store Pandora's Box was in the Flame of Olympus, a fire that even Gods can't touch. The only way to destroy the Flame of Olympus and to open Pandora's Box was with a key, and that key is Pandora herself, created from the Flame of Olympus. In other words, Pandora's life must be sacrificed to open Pandora's Box. As time went by, Hephaestus began to care for Pandora, thinking of her as his own daughter, and so when Zeus came to take Pandora's Box, he deliberately hid Pandora. Hephaestus also lied to Zeus by saying that the safest place to store a Pandora's Box was on the back of the Titan Cronos, for the sake of protecting Pandora, and so that Pandora's life would not exchanged by somebody else to destroy the Flame of Olympus.
But his whole plan fell apart when Kratos managed to take Pandora's Box off Cronos' back and used the power within to kill Ares. Immediately, Zeus knew that Hephaestus had lied to him, and as a consequence of that, Zeus tortured Hephaestus until the God of Blacksmiths revealed the truth, that place the safest way to store Pandora's Box is in the Flame of Olympus and that Pandora is key to open it. Hearing this, Zeus immediately exiled Hephaestus to the Underworld, moved Pandora's Box into the protection of the Flame of Olympus, and robbed Hephaestus of Pandora, keeping her somewhere in the Labyrinth, hoping that no one would use Pandora to claim the power stored in Pandora's Box.
Unmoved by the story, Kratos says that he will stop at nothing to seek his revenge on Zeus, even though Pandora's life will be the price. Initially, Hephaestus couldn't accept Kratos' selfish attitude, but then realized they had the same goal, namely to overthrow Zeus, so he asked Kratos to look for the Omphalos Stone in the depths of Tartarus and promised to make him a special weapon that would be useful in Kratos' journey. Though somewhat doubtful of Hephaestus' intentions, Kratos rushes off to Tartarus and finds Gaia's severed hand that lay in Cronos' palm. Cronos blames Kratos for the death of Gaia and how he was exiled by Zeus to Tartarus. For that, he tried to crush Kratos' body, but managed to fight back by blinding Cronos using Helios' Head beam.
Falling into Cronos' hands, Kratos forcibly removes one of his fingernails, causing excruciating pain and giving Kratos the opportunity to release the crystal holding the Temple of Pandora on Cronos' shoulders by using the Nemean Cestus. However, Cronos grabbed Kratos and ate him. Unexpectedly, the Omphalos Stone that Kratos was looking for was apparently in Cronos' stomach because the stone was given by Rhea to Cronos to replace the baby Zeus that was about to be eaten by Cronos. At that time, Cronos did not realize that he had eaten the Omphalos Stone, mistaking it for a baby Zeus. Kratos eventually manages to retrieve the Omphalos Stone and cuts his way out of Cronos' stomach using the Blade of Olympus.
Cronos pleads with Kratos to let him live, because now Kratos had what he wanted. However, Kratos ignored the plea and instead thrust a pointed crystal into Cronos' chin, instantly weakening him. Cronos calls Kratos a coward who killed his own kin, and without mercy, Kratos stabs his grandfather in the forehead with the Blade of Olympus, killing him. Back at Hephaestus’ Forge, Kratos angrily accuses the God of sending him on a suicide mission, but Hephaestus replies that he knew Kratos can handle Cronos. Kratos than took out the Omphalos Stone which Hephaestus later forged into a new weapon, the Nemesis Whip, as a reward. When Kratos received the Nemesis Whip, Hephaestus immediately electrocuted him, trying to kill Kratos to save Pandora.
Apparently, this is what he has planned since he found out that Kratos was looking for Pandora. Kratos managed to fight the effects of the electrocution, repel Hephaestus' attack that was about to fall on him using a forging tool, and stab Hephaestus to death. Before exhaling his last breath, Hephaestus begs Kratos to spare his own daughter, Pandora. Using the Nemesis Whip to reach the Gardens of Olympus, Kratos once again encounters a drunken and depressed Hera. Hera blamed Kratos for the destruction of her garden and mockingly says that Kratos will not be able to find a way out of this labyrinth-like garden. Kratos tried to ignore it, but when he heard Hera calling Pandora a "little whore", his anger took control of him and he snapped Hera’s neck, killing her.
Hera's death caused all the plants to wither and die. Having made it through the Gardens of Olympus, Kratos arrives at the Labyrinth referred to by Pandora, where he is met by Daedalus, the father of Icarus, the man who had been met by Kratos on his way to the Palace of Fates. For approximately twelve years, Daedelus was employed by Zeus as the architect to create this Labyrinth with the promise of being reunited with his son, Icarus. When in reality, Icarus had already fallen into the Underworld because Kratos tore off his wings. After the Labyrinth was finished, Daedalus was instead imprisoned by Zeus in one of the Labyrinth’s traps, but that didn't make Daedalus stop believing that Icarus was still alive.
When Kratos approached him from the shadows, Daedalus thought he was his son, but his hopes were dashed when Kratos reveals that Icarus is dead. Ignoring Daedalus' pleas, Kratos activates the mechanisms of the maze, bringing together the separated boxes and making way to a cage, where Pandora has been locked up by Zeus, but the process of unifying the Labyrinth killed Daedalus. Pandora was so relieved to see Kratos come to save her, and both of them immediately find a way out of the maze. Along the way, Pandora, initially only seen by Kratos as the key to Pandora's Box, slowly reminds him of his daughter, Calliope, while also beginning to grow more affection for Pandora.
But unfortunately, he knew that he had to continue his revenge on Zeus. And so, his one last task is to go to Flame's Chamber, the space where Pandora's Box is stored in. As Pandora's Box is located on Olympus, and Pandora herself couldn't climb that high, Kratos planned to lift the platform of the Labyrinth they were standing on. And the way to do that was to destroy the Chain of Balance that connected the Underworld to Olympus. Kratos flies down to the Underworld and severs the Chain of Balance from below, destroying the Three Judges in the process. After the chain was destroyed, Pandora communicated with Kratos through one of the Statues there, saying that Zeus was coming for her.
Part V
Because Zeus had noticed Pandora's disappearance from the cage, this forced Kratos to rush back up using Icarus' Wings. Arriving back at the Labyrinth, Pandora seemed to be safe due to Athena's protection. Athena then reminded Kratos (though Kratos seems notice and suspicious to Athena's scheme) of his main mission, to kill Zeus. Kratos climbed the Chain of Balance all the way to Flame's Chamber and began lifting the Labyrinth, bringing Pandora to the Chamber. Seeing Pandora's Box in front of her, Pandora began walking towards the Flame, willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of destroying the Flame and opening Pandora's Box, but at this point, Kratos began to have second thoughts and could not bear to let Pandora sacrifice her life.
He said he would find another way, but Pandora insisted on sacrificing herself, saying that this was the destiny that she must fulfill. However, in the middle of their argument, Zeus came and captured Pandora. Kratos demanded Zeus release Pandora, but Zeus refused and mocked Kratos' obsession with saving Pandora. He then asked Kratos to see the destruction he caused on Olympus. Zeus expressed regret for pitying Kratos, calling it the "biggest mistake" he had ever made. After Zeus threw Pandora aside, Kratos and Zeus fought once again.
Meanwhile, Pandora attempted to reach the Flame of Olympus, but Kratos caught and held her hand tightly, not intending to let go. With the situation escalating as a whole, Zeus started provoking Kratos by insulting his failure to protect his family in the past. Unable to contain his anger, Kratos released Pandora's hand and proceeded to beat Zeus, followed by a massive explosion after Pandora was consumed by the Flame. Regaining his senses, Kratos no longer saw Pandora, only Pandora's Box which was no longer protected by the Flame of Olympus. Kratos opened the Box, only to find it empty. Zeus began laughing as he mocked his son for another failure on his part.
Kratos' anger mounted and he followed Zeus out of the Pavilion. While looking at the destruction of Greece caused by Kratos, Zeus talked about how he had much to fix after killing him. The two began to fight again, but in the middle of this fight, the Pavilion suddenly shook, and Gaia, having survived her fall, appeared once more, surprising Kratos. Enraged, Gaia attempted to kill both the father and the son by destroying the Pavilion, and in an attempt to escape, both Kratos and Zeus jumped inside Gaia. They continued to fight near Gaia's heart while sucking the life out of her to heal themselves.
After a very fierce battle, Kratos managed to stab Zeus and pierce Gaia's heart with the Blade of Olympus, killing both of them simultaneously. Waking up on the destroyed peak of Olympus, Kratos pulls the Blade of Olympus from Zeus' body, tossing it aside before walking away. However, Zeus’ spirit suddenly emerged and attacked Kratos, draining his remaining strength which fills him with fear. Trapped inside of his own mind and tormented by all of the memories of his past, Kratos was convinced by the spirit of Pandora to confront his past and forgive himself.
Finally, he dove into a pool of blood to confront his demons using the Power of Hope. And by using this same power, Kratos returned to his physical form, regained his godly powers, and, no longer needing the Blades of Exile, mercilessly beat Zeus to death, finally achieving the vengeance he had sought. The death of Zeus plunged the Greek World into total chaos. Kratos stood atop the cliff, looking out at the horizon and realized what he had done. Athena then came to congratulate him and said that humanity was now ready to hear her message.
Kratos was left confused, as her message would seem to be worthless to a world that had been utterly destroyed. Whatever her intentions, Athena asked Kratos to give up the Power he claimed from Pandora's Box, but Kratos told her that the Box was empty. Athena then explained that after the Great War ended, Zeus housed all the evil forces of fear, greed, and hatred in Pandora's Box. But as a form of prevention whenever the Box was opened, Athena inserted the most powerful weapon ever, the Power of Hope, into Pandora's Box. Hearing Kratos insist that Pandora's Box had nothing in it, Athena reconsidered what had happened.
She then realized that when Kratos opened Pandora's Box for the first time, the evil power housed within it came out and spread throughout the Greek World, infecting the Gods of Olympus and turning them into individuals filled with greed, hatred, and fear. That's why ever since Ares was killed, Zeus was always filled with fear and became so obsessed with killing Kratos. All that time, Athena thought the Power of Hope that she had placed inside Pandora's Box had never come out, and that the reason Kratos could kill Ares was because the Evils had entered Kratos' body, but she was wrong.
While the evils transformed the Gods of Olympus into beings filled with greed, hatred, and fear, the Power of Hope that Athena put in the Box came out and hid within Kratos, allowing him to kill Ares. But the Power of Hope was buried deep within Kratos, trapped under his guilt. After Pandora led him to forgive himself for his past, the Power of Hope that was in Kratos came out, allowing him to kill Zeus. Athena asked Kratos once more to return the Power to her. But Kratos, overwhelmed by grief over Pandora's death and the destruction of the Greek World caused by his selfishness, refused to return it. Instead, he took the Blade of Olympus and used it to impale himself, horrifying Athena.
As a result, the Power of Hope was released into the world, so that the mortals would be able to endure the destruction and rebuild without relying on the Gods. Athena became furious, and she chastised Kratos, claiming that mankind wouldn't know what to do with it. She then told Kratos that she was disappointed with him, only to be met with a mocking grin and a weak chuckle from the Spartan. Athena pulled the Blade of Olympus out of Kratos’ body and tossed it aside before disappearing and leaving him to die. Kratos collapsed as his blood continued to pool around him. However, Kratos found that he would not die, being cursed to be unable to end his own life. With nothing left for him in the ruins of his homeland, Kratos crawled down the mountain and sailed away from Greece, going into a self-imposed exile.
God of War: Egypt Comics
Part I
However, Kratos, having somehow survived, discovered that he is still immortal and is cursed to walk the Earth forever as punishment for his terrible deeds, and the only God, sans Athena, who survived the destruction of Greece. Upon discovering the Blades of Chaos (which haven't been seen since his fight with Ares), he attempted to get rid of them by tossing them into the sea, stating that even if he were doomed to an eternity of deathless misery, he could at least be rid of the Blades. As he wandered into a nearby cave to sleep, the Blades reappeared somehow, impaled in the rock when he awoke. Determined to have solitude and be rid of his curse, he sets sail, tossing the Blades of Chaos away yet again. As he finally reaches an island, he wanders for days without sleep until he succumbs.
Once again, the Blades return to him and again he disposes of them. Soon, he wanders into a village, it's inhabitants being aware of his legend, and from there as well, he meets an old man that tells him that everyone is afraid of him because they know he is the 'Ghost of Sparta' and that he is in the Land of the Pharaohs, but his destiny is not staying there. Kratos tells the old man to leave him alone and pushes him away, but the man tells him more about his destiny. However, Kratos continues in his long journey without sleeping, and later he was attacked by two jackals, then he stops at an oasis to rest were he meets a Baboon that talks to Kratos about his destiny, but Kratos thinks that he is losing his mind.
Part II
Kratos then continues his odyssey and tries to eat. However, he ends up falling asleep, and it is then that the Blades of Chaos would start to reappear once again. Kratos discovers that Persephone's words had an effect on him and discovers that he is immortal, then Kratos continues his journey without sleeping and tortures himself in order to stay awake before eventually passing out and beginning the process again. Then at a river, he meets an Ibis. The Ibis talks Kratos about destiny again, but Kratos says that he will not surrender and begs the Ibis to leave him alone. Although, Kratos faints and the Ibis tell him that he will use all his strength for his long journey. Shortly after fainting, Kratos started having a dream where he was in an unknown place. There, he encounters a statue of Athena who tells him they're not through yet, and that he must return home and embrace his destiny and fulfill his purpose.
However, Kratos refuses, figuring she was the one responsible for returning the Blades of Chaos to his side and demanding that she leave him alone. Upon awakening, the Blades returned to his side once more. The same old man he had encountered before asks Kratos if he found the answers he sought, only for the Spartan to answer that he is cursed forever to walk. The old man tells Kratos that the hour he'll be needed in is fast approaching and to prepare himself for the battle to come. However, Kratos refuses to listen and hurls his Blades into a lake before venturing on his own again.
Part III
Eventually, Kratos would return to the same village he entered months before with the same fearful expressions. As it turned out, the villagers had prayed for salvation as a large crocodilian-like monster known as the Chaos Beast was seen on the distance who is now attacking them. However, Kratos questioned why the villagers prayed to Gods to save them from monsters, stating that the Gods are monsters and monsters don't answer prayers. The old man returns and says that perhaps Kratos was the answer to their prayers and states that it's written he would return. Having had enough of the villagers begging him, Kratos walks away, threatening to kill them if they don't leave him alone.
The old man tells Kratos to stop and asks if he could show mercy upon them just as he would have wished mercy upon his lost loved ones. The man tells Kratos once again that he cannot outrun destiny and that the past will always be with him. Having had enough talk about his destiny, Kratos lashes out, saying he's had enough of others telling him what to do and that only he can decide his own destiny with no God or man to compel him. As the Chaos Beast drew closer, the old man questions if Kratos is willing to let the villagers die just to delay the inevitable for a short while longer. Kratos simply answers that he wants to be left alone. Before he could continue, however, the old man disappeared upon turning his head.
Part IV
At this point, Kratos starts to question if he's finally driven to madness and what is even real anymore. Finally, the Chaos Beast confronts Kratos, to which the weary Spartan responds by demanding it to leave him alone in his misery. The beast only growled at Kratos which ultimately provokes him into fighting the creature, as he lunges right at it. Kratos fought with the Chaos Beast, destroying several of village's houses in the process, before getting pinned to the ground. The Chaos Beast then tries to devour Kratos in its jaws, but the Spartan kills it by tearing its upper jaw off and shouted in rage. The villagers then re-emerge from hiding to look at the damage done by Kratos' battle before fleeing in terror once again.
A frustrated Kratos questions if the villagers are never satisfied and stated the monster they fear is already dead. The mysterious old man appeared to Kratos again, stating that his purpose has not yet been fulfilled. Noticing that he appears and disappears rather quickly, Kratos questioned if he's even here at all. The old man responded that it only matters that Kratos hears him and sees the threat looming over him. Suddenly, a much larger Chaos Beast resembling a hippopotamus emerged from the river and began attacking. The old man then states that the hour of Kratos' need has finally come. Growing weary of the situation, Kratos shouts that he doesn't care about the villagers or his time of need.
Part V
Also, Kratos questions if the beast came up to avenge its kin or simply eat the villagers. The Chaos Beast simply roars at Kratos and prepares to fight him. Desperately wanting to be left alone and for his torment to end, Kratos decides to turn back and lunge at the beast. Kratos tries punching it in the nose, only for it to prove ineffective before being sent flying into a mountain by a powerful kick, knocking the Spartan unconscious. Once again, Kratos woke up in a dream realm where he was confronted by Athena and the Egyptian God of Wisdom, Thoth. They tell him that he's outran his destiny for far too long and that he must embrace it.
Kratos becomes furious over the fact that he's cursed to forever use the Blades of Chaos and that it is his purpose in life. Upon grabbing the Blades, Kratos reawakens and slashes at the Chaos Beast. It actually managed to cut through its thick hide before it kicked the Spartan away. However, Kratos uses the Blades to ground himself before cutting off the charging Chaos Beast's leg. He then uses the Blades to slice the beast some more before finally killing it by slicing its head off. Afterwards, Kratos collapsed where the old man, revealed to be Thoth, tells him that he's fulfilled his purpose. The Spartan then laments on how rage and bloodshed are his curse and how he's trapped in a cage of his darkest emotions and constantly reliving his worst nightmares before moving onward.
God of War: Lore and Legends
Part I
Centuries after the destruction of Olympus, Kratos lives a secluded life in the Northlands, the realm of the Norse Gods. It is revealed that the chaos caused by Kratos only destroyed Greece instead of the entire world and that different mythologies are separated by location, somehow all co-existing on the same planet despite contradicting one another.
Part II
After 75 years of solitude, he met Faye, a fierce warrior from a sundered realm and engaged her in battle. Unbeknownst to Kratos, she is a Jötnar. The fight was brief as they shared world weariness. And soon after, the two got to know one another and eventually fall in love. Ten years later, they build a cabin in the Wildwoods. Furthermore, Kratos divulges his past to his wife and hides the Blades of Chaos in the basement, still being unable to be rid of them.
Part III
Twenty-two years pass until Faye gives birth to a son named Atreus, although she initially wanted to name him Loki. The boy was raised mainly by Faye, who taught him how to hunt and how to read the Nordic language, among other things. Also, Kratos would forbade Atreus from ever going down into the basement because he wanted to keep the Blades of Chaos (and by extension his past) hidden from Atreus.
Part IV
Per Faye's request, Kratos never took Atreus hunting since the boy was constantly sick. When Faye spoke about the Æsir Gods, Kratos decided to listen to her stories on the off chance they ever came looking for him. In an effort to practice control, Kratos would often "test" himself by venturing into the woods in search of enemies. While Faye thought Kratos was looking to pick fights, Kratos was actually seeking to control his rage by not fighting and only deflecting attacks until his enemies tire themselves out.
Part V
It is implied he failed repeatedly until, in one instance, he encountered a pack of wolves and succeeded in fending them off as well. However, a Troll appeared and was able to push Kratos to the point he lost control and he slaughtered the Troll with ease, causing Kratos great anger with himself for failing in his personal mission. Kratos would continue to "test" himself, resulting in him not being home very often.
This led Atreus to believe Kratos does not care about him or Faye. Kratos rarely instructed Atreus to perform any chores since he was always away and did not know how healthy Atreus was. Instead, he reinforced Faye's instructions such as when Faye told Atreus to cut some firewood, Kratos (after forcing it out of Atreus) enforced the decision and told Atreus to pull his weight.
God of War: Norse Comics
Part I
One day, Faye leaves to go hunting, leaving Atreus and Kratos at home. Kratos instructs Atreus to stay behind and chop wood as he heads off to find another “challenge” for his rage control. He soon comes across a giant Bear attacking an old man, and Kratos fails to control himself, violently killing the bear before walking off, blaming the old man for setting off the events that led to him losing control. He leaves him for dead, returning home as another group of men watch him pass through an illusionary wall cloaking his home. Kratos returns to find Atreus playing with toys instead of chopping the wood, but before he can scold the boy, the group of men arrive and begin to speak to Kratos in their language, which he cannot understand.
Part II
Atreus now translates and reveals that the men have come to take revenge on Kratos, blaming him for their brother’s death. Kratos denies killing anyone, claiming that he only killed a beast, before the men transform into bear-like creatures themselves and engage in battle. Kratos defeats the creatures, killing one who is threatening Atreus with the axe that was to use to cut down a wood. When another man threatens to go bring the rest of his clan to the house, Kratos chases him, bringing Atreus along. Frustrated at losing the man’s trail, Kratos begins to feel his rage boiling inside, but he is able to control it, just as he tries to teach Atreus to control his own fear.
Part III
Atreus suggests that the pair visit the Seer, who may know more about the clan of Beast Men. Kratos agrees, and Atreus leads the way. Once they arrive at her hut, Kratos speaks with the Seer, who reveals that the men are known as Berserkers, who receive their strength from their own fury, focusing it through a totem they worship. Kratos asks the location of the totem, and the Seer only states that she can reveal the location through a ritual she must perform. Kratos and Atreus wait outside for her answer, and she soon shows them the way to the totem, warning Kratos that he must control his own anger in order to defeat the Berserkers. Kratos leaves Atreus with the Seer and journeys to the Berserker’s camp, where he finds their sacred totem.
Part IV
While Kratos tries to sneak past the sleeping Berserkers to destroy their leader, one awakens and alerts the rest, as they transform into their bear-like forms. Kratos' rage immediately burns white-hot, and he attempts to fight the horde, only to find their own strength surpassing his. Finding himself unable to use his brute strength alone, Kratos remembers the Seer’s words and centers himself, controlling his rage and thinking quickly to destroy the totem, transforming the Berserker’s back to their human forms, who he is easily able to kill before burning their encampment to the ground. Back in the Seer’s hut, the old woman gives Atreus a mysterious knife, telling him that he must use it soon.
Part V
Before he can ask what she means, a Berserker arrives in the hut and attacks the Seer. Kratos arrives shortly after, and snaps the man’s neck, instantly killing him. As she lays dying, the Seer asks Kratos to take care of her remains, before warning him that while he is able to defeat his enemies with ease, one day he'll have to conquer himself. Kratos exits the woman’s hut, and he and Atreus build a funeral pyre for the Seer’s body. As they walk back home, Kratos tells his son, as well as himself, that from now on, he will handle the fighting from their next adventures on the forest.
God of War (2018)
Part I: The Marked Trees
Several years later, Faye died from unknown circumstances and requested that her family take her cremated ashes to be spread from the highest peak in the Nine Realms. Faye's death saddened Kratos and this situation left him with no choice but to raise Atreus alone, something he had never done before. Before their journey started, Kratos cut down a tree marked with Faye's handprint using the Leviathan Axe, a weapon that belonged to Faye that she left to Kratos before she died. This tree, along with others that Faye had marked, were used to construct Faye’s funeral pyre. As he reached down to pick up the fallen tree, the leather wrappings that hid the scars on his arm came loose.
When Atreus approached him with some kindling he had found, Kratos told him to go back to the boat while he fastened the wrapping back on. After tying the tree onto the boat, the father and son made their way back home. Atreus commented that the forest felt different now, and asked Kratos if something had changed, to which the Spartan responded that everything had changed, and that Atreus shouldn't dwell on it. While Atreus prepared Faye’s body, Kratos chopped up the last tree to finish building the pyre. After he was finished, he entered the home and picked up Faye’s body, telling her to find her way home, and that she was free.
He carried her body out of the house and placed her on the pyre before he lit it. In the middle of the cremation process, Atreus took his mother's knife from her corpse and burned his hand. Kratos had him hold a handful of snow before taking some of his arm wrappings and using them to bind Atreus’ hand. He picked up Faye’s knife and gave it to his son, telling him it was his now, before ordering him to show his hunting skills by finding a deer. They would then go into the Wildwoods while they waited for Faye’s pyre to finish burning. While hunting a deer in the forest, Atreus shows his hunting abilities that Faye had taught him.
When they found the deer, Atreus became overexcited and shot at the deer against his father’s orders, causing Kratos to angrily scold his son and take his bow, before collecting himself and telling Atreus to fire his bow only when he told him to. Atreus sheepishly apologized, to which Kratos responded that he shouldn't be sorry, only that he should be better, before telling his son to find the deer. During the hunt, they encountered a group of Draugr, which Kratos dispatched with relative ease. Shortly afterward, Atreus spotted the deer entering the ruins of an old temple, and the father and son gave chase.
They eventually caught up to the deer, and Kratos returned his son’s bow so that he could shoot it. Atreus successfully hit the deer with an arrow, but was shocked to find that it was still alive. Kratos told him to finish the deer off with his knife, but Atreus lacked the resolve to do so, so Kratos aided him in euthanizing the deer. He moved to place a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder, but relented and instead returned his knife to him. Suddenly, a Troll appeared and attacked the two, forcing Kratos and Atreus to fight it. The Troll was defeated after Kratos snapped its neck, but he immediately realized that Atreus was still not ready when he saw his son attack the Troll’s corpse by wildly slashing at it with his knife. After calming his son down, they began the trek back home. On their way back to the house, they encountered several more Draugr, as well as a strange creature they had never seen before, being immune to the effects of the Leviathan Axe.
Part II: The Stranger
Arriving back in their house, Kratos collected Faye's ashes and stored them in a bag, before entering the home and lecturing Atreus on his loss of control over his anger. He told Atreus to try and hit him as proof of his control, swatting the boy’s strikes away with little effort, angering him and causing him to suffer a coughing fit. Kratos reiterated that his son was not ready for the journey, much to Atreus’ frustration. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard overhead outside the cabin, and shortly thereafter, an unknown man came knocking on the door and demanded that Kratos show himself. Realizing the potential danger, Kratos ordered Atreus to hide under the floor, before he opened the door and confronted the Stranger. The Spartan demanded to know what the man wanted, with the latter claiming he already knew the answer.
Kratos told the man he didn't have whatever he was after, and that he should move on as he turns to go back inside, but the Stranger goads him on by calling him a coward. Kratos warned the man not to seek a fight with him, but the man insisted that is what he wanted before striking Kratos across the face. Kratos snarled at the Stranger, warning him to leave, but he claimed the only way that would happen is if Kratos killed him, punching him several more times until Kratos grabbed his fist, telling the man that he had warned him, and punched him square in the face, knocking him back several feet. But unexpectedly, when Kratos was about to finish him off, the visitor threw a single punch that threw Kratos high into the air and all the way behind the house.
At this point, Kratos realized that the man is not an opponent to be underestimated. The two engaged in a fierce battle, and during the fight, Kratos was flung onto the roof of the house. After punching a large hole through the roof, the Stranger saw Atreus' bed and wondered what Kratos was hiding from him. Kratos got on top of him and began pummeling the man, once again demanding that he leave. After the man trapped Kratos in side of a large boulder, he decided to turn his attention to whoever was hiding in the house. Not wanting the man to know about Atreus, Kratos unleashed his Spartan Rage, hitting the man with powerful and violent blows. However, it seems that all of Kratos' attacks were ineffective, with the man claiming that he felt no pain at all. However, Kratos continued to fight, eventually overpowering the man before snapping his neck and throwing his body into the chasm created during their battle.
Badly beaten and weak from his brawl with the Stranger, Kratos feebly made his way back to the house, wondering how the man knew him, and how “they” (likely referring to the Gods) had finally found him after so long. He admitted to Faye that he wasn't ready to raise Atreus alone, and that neither of them were ready for the journey to the mountain. However, he also acknowledged that, because of the Stranger finding them, they could no longer stay in the Wildwoods. Entering the house, Kratos pulled Atreus out of the basement after assuring the boy that he was okay. He told his son to gather his things and prepare to leave. Atreus reminded his father that he had said he wasn't ready, and Kratos replied that he wasn't, but that he should prove him wrong.
After seeing the destruction caused by Kratos and the Stranger’s battle, Atreus asked if his father had killed him, to which the Spartan replied that he did what he had to. As they maneuvered the chasm, Kratos told Atreus that they would encounter many different enemies on their journey, and that he should close his heart to their suffering, as they would show no sympathy for him. After reaching the top of a hill, Kratos and Atreus discovered that the Wildwoods were surrounded by trees which formed a protection stave around the forest. Noticing that a point in the stave was broken in the area where the last tree needed for Faye’s pyre was cut down, they realized that the trees Faye had marked for her pyre were part of the stave.
Part III: Path to the Mountain
Unbeknownst to Kratos, his actions cut off the protection that existed for years. Kratos revealed that Faye had hand-marked the trees that she wanted for her pyre with her handprint. Not understanding why Faye would go to such lengths to keep their family hidden, Kratos and Atreus continued their journey. Later, they entered a ruin that Atreus pointed out had an awful smell. Suddenly, a group of people attacked them, starving and driven to the point of cannibalism, intending to capture Kratos and Atreus so that they could eat them. Kratos ordered his son to stay out of the way, engaging the men and killing them with little effort. However, one of the men attacked Atreus, who stabbed him with his knife before he fell on top of him. Rushing to his son’s aid, Kratos pulled the man’s body off of him, discovering that Atreus had unintentionally killed him, an act which left the boy shocked and horrified. Kratos held his son’s face in his hands as he started to cry, reminding him to close his heart. Pulling his knife from the man’s body, they prepared to leave when the men’s bodies suddenly reanimated as undead creatures similar to the one they had encountered in the Wildwoods. After fighting the creatures and putting them down for good, Kratos and Atreus searched for a way out of the ruins. Kratos commented that Atreus was distracted by his memories of killing the man, and that they would return home if he did not collect himself.
After leaving the ruins, they could hear someone shouting nearby, and soon after, they met a Dwarf named Brok, who was attempting to get his beast of burden to cross the bridge. Atreus claims that she was scared of something in the tree line across the bridge, and tells Kratos to throw his axe to scare it off. Kratos does so, and it is revealed that Atreus was right, with Brok’s beast now willing to cross the bridge. Brok mentions to Kratos that he and his brother were the ones who forged the Leviathan Axe, although Kratos initially doesn't believe him until the Dwarf mentions the brand on the axe’s handle. The Dwarf offers to improve the axe for Kratos, along with any equipment he and Atreus have. After improving the axe, Brok points out that the things in the trees, revealed to be a group of Draugr, had returned, suggesting that Kratos try out his newly upgraded weapon. The Spartan does so while Atreus takes shelter in Brok’s shop. After defeating the Draugr, Kratos and Atreus part ways with the Dwarf and continue their journey, with Kratos lecturing his son for leaving him to fight alone. Later on, Atreus found the tracks of a boar, and the father and son decided to hunt it, with Kratos commenting that it was important for a warrior to keep his skills sharp. They eventually discovered the animal, and Atreus shot at it, though the arrow only bounced off the animal’s hide, making the boy wonder if the boar was magical somehow, before continuing to pursue it.
When he finally did wound the boar, the boy chased after it, loosing his knife in the process when it got caught on a branch. Kratos picked up the knife before realizing that Atreus had disappeared in a heavy fog that covered the path ahead. He quickly chased after his son, calling out to him while making his way through the maze-like pathway. He eventually caught up to Atreus, finding the boar heavily injured and under the care of a mysterious woman, who revealed herself to be a witch when she used Seiðr magic in an attempt to heal the boar, who was named Hildisvíni. The “Witch of the Woods” asked that Kratos and Atreus accompany her to her home, which lay underneath a giant tortoise, in order to help her tend to Hildisvíni. While she sent Atreus to gather some supplies from her garden, she told Kratos in secret that she knew he was a God, and that he was not from Midgard.
She asked if Atreus knew about his and his father’s heritage, to which Kratos angrily responded that it wasn't her concern. She warns the God of War of the danger he has put the two in, as the Aesir Gods will be very hostile towards them as a result, claiming they didn't take well to outsiders, but admitted that he was correct about it not being her concern, before asking him to collect Lamb’s Cress from her garden to finish Hildisvíni‘s treatment, to which he begrudgingly agrees. After finding the Lamb’s Cress, he found Atreus struggling to pull the plants he was asked to collect. Kratos offered the boy’s knife to him, causing Atreus to chastise himself for loosing it while pursuing the boar. Afterwards, they returned to the Witch, who finished healing Hildisvíni. Before leaving, Kratos and Atreus received a protective charm from the Witch, claiming it would keep them hidden from “those who would make their journey difficult” (referring to the Æsir), as well as a magic compass that would point them towards their chosen destination. The Witch then ushered the father and son out of her home, wishing them luck on the way out.
Getting into a boat they found in the caverns beneath the Witch’s house, they made their way to the Lake of Nine, where they found a statue rising out of the water, with a message written on it saying, "Sacrifice your arms to the center of the water, awaken again the cradle of the world". Kratos threw the Leviathan Axe to the lake at Atreus’ suggestion, but was surprised to find that the Axe would not return to him when he called it. Suddenly, the water became violently turbulent, tossing the boat around on the waves before something huge began to emerge from the water. Soon after, the two found themselves staring into a massive eye.
Atreus revealed to his father that it was Jörmungandr, the World Serpent. Jörmungandr spat the Leviathan Axe out of its mouth back at Kratos, before it began speaking to him in a language neither he nor Atreus could understand. As the Serpent began to slumber again, Kratos and Atreus realized that its awakening had dropped the water level of the lake, which revealed that the statue was standing on top of a large structure, the Temple of Týr, which had previously been submerged in the water. The two decided to look around, shortly afterwards reuniting with Brok, who had set up shop inside the Temple. Continuing across the Temple’s bridge, they came across a series of poison-generating Scorn Poles, which Kratos used his Axe to freeze in order to get passed them. He revealed that it was Faye who had taught him how to counter the Scorn Poles’ poison. Atreus claimed that it was funny to think of his mother teaching something to Kratos, which the Spartan agrees with. Soon after, they meet Sindri, Brok's brother and owner of the other half of the two's brand, who was curious as to why Kratos is in possession of the Leviathan Axe, as it was created specifically for Faye.
Atreus explains how his mother had already passed away, and Sindri decides to help the two in creating improvements to their armor and weaponry, like Brok, claiming that it's what Faye would have wanted him to do. Kratos and Atreus then continue up the mountain, with Atreus asking if he could carry Faye’s ashes for a while. When Kratos refused, Atreus asked why, claiming she meant more to the boy than his father anyway, before attempting to rephrase by saying that Kratos was hardly ever around, to which his father stated it would serve him to stop talking. As they came across a large door, Kratos attempted to open it before he was attacked by an Ogre. Kratos and Atreus fought and managed to defeat the beast, along with a group of Seiðr-corrupted Reavers, before continuing up the mountain. However, they find themselves halted by a strange, black fog blocking their way up the mountain. The Witch unexpectedly shows up in front of the two again, explaining that the fog is called “Black Breath”, and how the only way to cast it away is by using the Light of Alfheim. She then takes them back to Týr's Temple, tasking Kratos with repairing the temple’s mechanical parts before realigning it with the Realm Towers lining the Lake of Nine. There she takes them to the temple’s Realm Travel Room, the only place in all the Nine Realms one can use to travel between said Realms. Using a Bifröst, they move the temple's bridge platform to the Alfheim Gate, transporting them to Alfheim.
Part IV: The Light of Alfheim
As they arrive, the Witch points out the Light of Alfheim in the distance, but claimed something was wrong, as the Light was dimmer than usual. For reasons unknown, she is magically and violently pulled out of Alfheim, but not before telling Kratos to use the Bifröst to obtain the Light and recharge it. She additionally attempts to warn Kratos about stepping into the Light, but is unable to finish before she is pulled back into Midgard. Continuing on, the father and son notice how the realm is in constant war between the Dark Elves and the Light Elves, with Kratos stating they were witnessing the war’s end. Atreus asks if they should help the Light Elves, but Kratos states they are only there to recharge the Bifröst, and the war between the Elves doesn't concern them. As the duo make their way across Alfheim, the Dark Elves and their leader, Svartáljǫfurr, try to kill Kratos and Atreus, seeing them as intruders to their territory. Atreus begins experiencing what seems to be auditory hallucinations, hearing voices ranging from aggressive to peaceful, and even that of his mother. After fighting their way through countless numbers of Dark Elves, they make it to the central chamber of the Light of Alfheim. After they arrive there, Kratos gives the Leviathan Axe to Atreus, telling him only to use it as a last resort, before then stepping into the Light to absorb the Light of Alfheim into the Bifröst, which clearly causes him pain.
While inside the Light, Kratos follows Faye's ashes and he has auditory visions of how Atreus resents him for not being a loving father. In the vision, he arrives on the bridge of Jötunheim and he sees Faye in the distance. Before he is able to reach her, Kratos is pulled out of the Light by Atreus. Kratos then angrily scolds Atreus, before he realizes he had been in the Light much longer than he had thought, seeing piles of Dark Elf corpses surrounding the Light. Atreus is clearly angry and scared, and lashes out at Kratos, who numbly takes the intense response. Kratos then infuses the Talon Bow with the Light of Alfheim, and with the newfound power, make their way out of the Temple of Light as the Light Elves return and reclaim the Temple for themselves. On their way out, Kratos and Atreus are ambushed by Svartáljǫfurr, but Kratos manages to overpower and kill the Dark Elf king by impaling him with his own spear. As he died, Svartáljǫfurr claimed that the father and son had made a grave mistake, causing Atreus to wonder if they had aided the wrong side. Continuing onwards, Atreus expresses his frustration with Kratos seemingly only talking to him when he needed something from him, and claims things would be different if his mother were with them. Kratos bluntly states that if Faye were still alive, they wouldn't be in Alfheim at all. While heading back to Týr's Temple, Atreus asks Kratos if he had seen Faye in the Light, to which he replies he had not, before the boy angrily accuses Kratos of not loving Faye - Kratos snaps at his son, and argues that they simply have different ways of grieving. Atreus apologizes, and Kratos says that he knows that losing Faye hasn't been easy, before explaining that while he was in the Light, he had only felt moments pass. Atreus accepts this, and they reconcile.
Part V: Inside the Mountain
After returning to Midgard, the duo make their back to the Mountain and dispel the Black Breath with the recharged Bifröst. They enter the Mountain and discover that Giants had once lived there. While making their way through the Mountain, the father and son’s bond begins to strengthen. Riding a lift to the higher levels of the Mountain, Atreus asks Kratos what they will do once they scatter Faye’s ashes, to which Kratos answers they will return home, stating they must continue Atreus’ training and bolster their defenses to make their home safe again. As they near the top of the Mountain, the father and son are attacked by Hræzlyr, a dragon living in the mountain, and manage to fend it off. Making a detour, Kratos and Atreus discover hardened Yggdrasil sap, which explodes when exposed to Hræzlyr’s electricity, using it to clear a path forward. Soon after, they hear Sindri screaming, and discover him being attacked by Hræzlyr. Kratos manages to kill the Dragon with the help of Atreus, impaling it through the neck with a large crystal, and the grateful Sindri gives Atreus braided mistletoe arrows, and also infuses lightning into the Talon Bow with one of Hræzlyr’s fangs. The pair use the new arrows to get to the Mountain’s peak. Before they reach the very summit, Kratos stops Atreus, noticing that his quiver’s strap had come loose, and uses one of his mistletoe arrows to bind it, stating that while they would endure pain, the same would not be said about faulty equipment. Nearing the summit, the father and son hear people talking, and discover the same mysterious man whom Kratos had fought at their house earlier, having somehow survived their fight, along with two other men, talking to a man embedded in a tree.
By eavesdropping on them, they find out that the man is the Aesir God Baldur, the son of Odin, and that they are looking for Kratos and Atreus. The man in the tree refuses to help them, and the men leave. Kratos and Atreus and the duo learn that the man in the tree is Mimir, claiming to be “The Smartest Man Alive”. Kratos asks why Baldur was pursuing him and his son, to which Mimir didn't have an answer, admitting there were “a few gaps in [his] knowledge”, but that he could figure it out if given time. After learning of the father and son’s mission to scatter Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in the Realms, Mimir informs them that the highest peak wasn't in Midgard, but in Jötunheim, to which Kratos states that this couldn't be what Faye meant. Mimir tells them that the only way to reach Jötunheim, due to the Realm Tower in the Lake of Nine missing, is with a special “Black Rune” known only to the Giants, and that he is willing to help them find it. When Kratos asks what they must do, Mimir tells the Spartan to cut off his head, and to find someone who could use magic to revive him afterwards. Kratos asks if Mimir is certain about this, stating that if it doesn't work, he will be dead, to which Mimir replies that Odin tortures him every day, and that his current predicament can't be considered living. Atreus states that he can't watch and leaves, and Mimir tells Kratos that he should reveal his godhood to his son, warning him that the boy may come to hate him and risk losing him forever - Kratos argues that there is much he would rather have his son not know about him. Mimir asks the Spartan if he values his secrecy over his own son, to which Kratos states that he will now cut off the man’s head, doing so with one clean strike. With Mimir's severed head, the duo then return to the Witch's Woods.
Arriving at the Sanctuary Grove, Atreus greets the giant tortoise, referring to it as “Chaurli”, which Kratos is irritated by. Before they enter the Witch’s home, Atreus asks if they can keep Mimir’s head if they can't revive him. Kratos rejects this idea, but says he can feed it to the fish. For some reason, the Witch becomes panicked when she sees Atreus' mistletoe arrows, and orders him to discard them before offering replace them with her own, as she had no use for them. Afterwards, they both help her revive Mimir's head. Upon resurrection, Mimir accidentally reveals the Witch to be Freya, the queen of the Vanir Gods and Odin's former wife. Kratos gets angry with her for not telling him about her godly identity, to which she asks if he really intended to lecture her about hiding the truth. Angered, he orders Atreus out of Freya’s home and leaves without thanking her. Kratos and Atreus make their way back to the Lake of Nine. After Mimir tells them to go to the horn Kratos and Atreus encountered earlier, Kratos holds Mimir's head to the horn, who blows into it. This summons the World Serpent, who immediately devours the statue of Thor next to the Muspelheim Tower. Mimir explains this is because the serpent hates Thor. Mimir then speaks in Jörmungandr's dead language to see if he recognizes him.
He initially misspeaks, saying that Kratos and Atreus are friends of Odin, causing Jörmungandr to become irate until Mimir assures him that they are not. Mimir apologizes and confides that he has never spoken the Giant’s tongue sober. Jörmungandr tells Mimir how to get to Jötunheim - first, they must retrieve Thamur's Chisel, then learn the Black Rune with which they can enter the gateway on the Summit. After the conversation, the serpent realigns the bridge to help them reach Thamur's chisel. Mimir also notes that Jörmungandr seemed to recognize Atreus. While on their way to Thamur's corpse, Mimir tells the story of Odin and Freya's marriage, which was concocted by himself in order to bring peace between the Æsir and Vanir Gods.
After the death of Odin's first love, the Giantess Fjörgyn and mother to Thor, Odin felt heartbroken and Mimir noticed this. He created a treaty which would give Odin a wife - the Goddess Freya. Freya agreed to marry Odin, and him her, not only because of her fertile beauty, but also her vast knowledge of Vanir magic, something Odin felt intrigued in learning. Freya regretted the marriage when Odin's obsession with Jötunheim got in the way again, and Odin betrayed her and stole her magic knowledge. Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir make it to the dead Stone Mason's body, with the head telling the father and son how Thamur had encountered Thor after he had gone searching for his son, Hrimthur, after a heated argument. But Mimir tells them that they will have to climb up to his hammer and smash the ice, as neither their weapons nor Thor's hammer can demolish it.
Kratos notices Thamur’s hammer and gets an idea. He and Atreus climb up to the hammer and detach the chains allowing the hammer to fall and smash through the almost impenetrable ice. After defeating more enemies, the trio overhears voices of the demigods Modi and Magni. The father and son were just about to retrieve part of Thamur’s chisel when Magni appears, having been battling an Ogre, snapping his neck, before he notices the duo. Magni tells them to surrender per Odin’s orders, but Kratos refuses, to which Magni draws his weapon and prepares himself for battle. Kratos tells Atreus to flee as he will most likely get killed. But Modi appears and a fight ensues. The demigod brothers use their snow-blind ability to gain the advantage, during which Kratos asks why they hunt them and what Odin wants.
Magni replies he doesn't know and he doesn't care, while Modi decides to taunt Atreus, mostly referring to his deceased mother in order for him to lose control of his actions. Despite the taunts, Atreus manages to stay calm with his father's words. While Magni distracts Kratos, Modi taunts the boy again, this time causing Atreus to lose control and charge wildly against the God with his knife. Kratos breaks his defense and kills Magni by striking him in the face with his axe, causing Modi to run away from Kratos in fear and cowardice. Atreus, still angered over the insults, recklessly shoots arrows at him before showing early signs of his sickness again, running a fever and coughing up blood. Mimir suggests that they return to Freya, but Atreus adamantly refuses, claiming that he is fine and just needs to catch his breath.
Part VI: The Sickness
Kratos and Atreus journey back to Týr's Temple to retrieve the Black Rune, and Atreus offers to teach his father how to read the runes. Kratos is initially reluctant, but eventually agrees. Soon after, Modi ambushes the duo, pinning Kratos down with his lightning. Modi claims that Kratos had ruined everything for him, saying that he had earned his father’s hammer, but now he'd only get because Magni's dead and that he'd be seen as a joke as he lived under his brother's shadow for most of his life. Atreus yells at him to stop, only for Modi to spur another insult about Faye, causing the boy to charge at him, only for Modi to knock him aside and continue electrocuting his father. Atreus shrugs off the attack and says he doesn't know anything about his mother, and Modi says that he'll be his new brother and will get to know him real soon, right after he finishes killing Kratos.
This causes Atreus to activate his Spartan Rage for the first time, before collapsing. Upon seeing his son, Kratos struggles to get up and activate his own Spartan Rage, shrugging off Modi’s lightning and causing a frightened Modi to back away in terror. Kratos disarms Modi before knocking him into a wall with a vicious punch before Modi runs away, crying in fear. The Spartan then rushes to his son’s side, and Mimir suggests that Kratos takes Atreus back to Freya for help. As they enter the Witch's cave, an unknown person blows into the horn at Týr’s Temple to call the World Serpent. Arriving at Freya’s home, Kratos begs her for help, claiming it was urgent. At first, Freya refuses to help Kratos due to his resentment towards deities, but when Kratos tells her that Atreus had fallen ill, Freya quickly changes her mind and lets them in. Freya tells Kratos that this is no ordinary illness because of his son's true nature lying within him.
To cure the illness, Freya instructs Kratos to retrieve the Bridgekeeper's Heart in Helheim, but not after telling him that his Leviathan Axe will be useless, as the enemies there will be immune to frost, as well as warning him that to never travel on the Bridge of the Dead as it is a one-way ticket into Helheim. Kratos states that he must return home to “dig up a past [he] swore would stay buried”. Freya ensures Kratos that the boy is not his past, but his son, and that he needs his father before she gives him the travel rune to Helheim. Before leaving, Kratos attempts to apologize to Freya for his previous behavior, but Freya stops him, telling him he didn't need to explain, as she understood his wariness towards Gods. Kratos then rushes home via Freya’s boat, and experiences a hallucination (created by the guilt of his past sins) of Athena, before he orders her to get out of his head. After arriving at his home and dealing with a group of Hel-Walkers, he enters the cabin and pulls a cloth-bundled object out from the floorboards, before unwrapping it and revealing it to be the Blades of Chaos. His hands begin to shake, but he steels his resolve and begins wrapping the Blades’ chains around his arms, all while the hallucination of Athena goads and taunts him about his past, stating that he cannot change and that he will always be a monster. While Kratos is aware of this, he tells Athena that he is no longer her monster.
Exiting his home, Kratos is met by another group of Hel-Walkers, which he dispatches with great ease thanks to the Blades’ fire magic. Afterwards, Kratos journeys to Týr's Temple, where he briefly meets with Brok, who takes interest in the Blades of Chaos, stating that they reeked of foreign magic. After learning of Atreus’ predicament, the dwarf offers to help Kratos, but the Spartan turns him down, saying that what he did at his shop was enough. Kratos then left to activate the travel room to Helheim, where Mimir tells him that no one, not even the Gods, can survive the cold in Helheim, and, after arriving, notices that Helheim is too overpopulated as the worthy are supposed to go into Valhalla. Kratos eventually reaches the bridge and spots Máttugr Helson, the Bridgekeeper, and Mimir suggest he cause trouble, as he is very good at it, to get the Troll’s attention. He steps onto the bridge where the Troll notices him and the two engage in an intense battle, with Kratos emerging victorious, killing Máttugr and removing his heart. Just as Kratos was about to leave, he encounters an illusion of Zeus. Mimir is surprised to learn that Zeus was his father. Confused, Kratos asks Mimir what is on the other side of the bridge. Mimir reminds him to never go beyond the bridge. As he prepares to leave, Brok appears and asks to borrow Kratos’ Blades, imbuing them with the ability to channel the Winds of Hel. After this, Kratos begins making his way back to Týr’s temple.
As Kratos journeys back to Midgard, Mimir pieces together the relationship Kratos had with Athena, his fire blades, Zeus being his father, and his ash-white skin, realizing he is hanging from the hip of none other than the Ghost of Sparta himself. Kratos coldly tells him to not call him that, with Mimir asking the Spartan not to get him wrong, saying that the Greek Pantheon got what was coming to them. Mimir also tells Kratos to tell Atreus of his godly heritage, but Kratos refuses to do so, demanding that Mimir remain silent on what they experienced in Hel. Mimir states that Atreus will eventually have to be told his true nature soon, but Kratos drops the subject.
Part VII: The Truth
Back in Midgard, Kratos returns to Freya's house with Máttugr’s heart, and Freya begins healing Atreus. During this, Freya revealed that she too had a son, and that when she learned he would die a needless death, she tried to protect him against this fate, but admitted that she had really only done it to protect herself from losing him, and couldn't see his hatred for her until it was too late, and vowed to learn from her past mistakes, concluding that Atreus must know the truth if he is to fully heal. Kratos states that Atreus is “cursed”. Atreus recovers successfully and continues on the journey. As they are about to leave the grotto, Kratos notices Atreus acting quiet, and knows that he overheard his talk with Freya. Atreus tells his father that he said he was cursed, thinking he meant that he was weak because he wasn't like his father, and thought after everything they had been through on their journey, maybe everything was different. Kratos tells him he doesn't know everything. Atreus says he is aware of this, but at least he knows the truth.
Kratos finally musters the courage to reveal the truth to his son; he is a God from a far away land, having chosen to live as a mortal man after arriving in Midgard, but states he was a God by birth, and so was Atreus. When the boy is silent, Kratos asks if he had anything to say. Atreus asks his father if he can turn into an animal, which leaves Kratos confused, but he assures him that he is unsure, as he does not know of his future godlike powers. Atreus is excited that he is a God and asks his father if Faye was a God as well. Kratos tells his son that she was a mortal, but was aware of his true nature. When the boy asks why his father waited so long to tell him, Kratos comforts Atreus saying that he hoped to spare him, that being a God can be a lifetime of anguish and tragedy, which is the curse he had referred to.
Atreus, however, claims he doesn't feel like a God, but Kratos states that, in time, both father and son will learn. Atreus is still unsure if he could turn into a wolf, but Kratos is welcome to be surprised, and Mimir adds that every God is unique, such as Atreus having a faculty for languages especially for one so young. They return to Týr's Temple and activate the sandbowl which lowers then down to Týr's Vault. After getting past the first trap, Kratos and Atreus discover a room where they encounter many traps and relics Týr has collected from many different lands, including Greece.
Kratos notices an amphora with leftover Lemnian wine from the Greek island of Lemnos and takes a sniff of it, which seems to give him some level of calmness and nostalgia. But as he puts it back, he then notices a terracotta vase with an image of him covered in blood and with the Blades of Chaos on his hands. Kratos, seeing as he is not being watched, takes the vase and observes his image with visible regret and sorrow on his face. When Atreus, having found an Egyptian Pschent crown and put it on, questions him on what he found, he breaks the vase and tells his son to focus on their mission. Unknown to him, Atreus had already taken note of Kratos' image on a piece of the broken vase on the floor. As they continued to make their way through the Vault, Atreus asked what his father had seen that set him off, but Kratos brushes it off as a “rash impulse”, and that Atreus need not concern himself with his failures. Atreus accepts this, claiming that his father did seem to like smashing pots a lot, which Mimir laughs at.
Upon lowering the Black Rune, Kratos gets caught in a trap in which he tells Atreus to match the symbols on the wall, featuring Sköl and Hati with the Sun and Moon, to match their proper placement. Atreus successfully does so, but this doesn't stop the trap at all as the floor begins lifting them up to a ceiling of spikes, which prompts Atreus to sacrifice his mother's knife in order to break the chain, stopping the trap and releasing Kratos. As they are about to retrieve the Black Rune, Kratos gives Atreus a second knife, one of a pair which he had crafted with a mix of metals from his homeland and the metals from the Norse World on the day of Atreus’ birth. He also shares to his son that the power of a warrior comes from within, but only when tempered by emotions, as being a God has a greater responsibility, and that Atreus must be better than him. After retrieving the Black Rune, Kratos tosses it aside when he sees the stone is blank, but after Atreus catches it, the Rune appears before the stone crumbles. At the same time, a duo of Trolls, Grendel of the Frost and Ashes, awaken, forcing the father and son to fight them, defeating them with relative ease. As they are leaving, Kratos gives Atreus a drink of the wine from the amphora he took earlier before drinking some himself explaining the origins of the wine. Atreus asks his father if he had only killed those who were deserving of it, to which the Spartan hesitantly answers “yes”.
Over time, Atreus starts to become arrogant and cocky after learning of his godhood which deeply concerns Kratos. Mimir asks Atreus if he's ready to see Jötunheim, Atreus answers that, while he's excited, he's sad that the journey is almost over. Atreus asks his father if he can tell Sindri about him being a God, which Kratos refuses, stating that while he had kept his secret for too long, Atreus now had to keep their secret. Later on, Sindri quickly catches their attention. Kratos coldly reiterates that Atreus was not to tell him that he's a God. When Sindri inquires as to what they were talking about, Kratos simply replies that it's a family matter, to which the Dwarf adds that he knows a thing or two about family matters. Atreus whines about the fact that Sindri talks complains Brok all the time and how Brok is better than he is. So he tells Sindri to stop talking about it out of spite, claiming they were tired of hearing about “little people’s little problems”, leaving the dwarf upset.
When Kratos asks his son why he spoke so cruelly to Sindri, Atreus explains that he's fed up of all the talk about him and his brother. Kratos agrees, but says that while they are annoying, there was no need to make him an enemy and that it was unnecessary and unkind. Atreus scoffs at this, claiming that honesty was more important than kindness, which Kratos claimed Faye would disagree with, to which the boy stated that she wasn't a God, so she wouldn't get it. Later, Atreus asks if he could carry his mother’s ashes, to which Kratos refuses due to the boy speaking ill of her, claiming that Faye was better than a God, and reminding him that he will not dishonor her. After entering the Mountain, they once again encounter Modi, who had been beaten mercilessly into a bloody pulp by his father, saying that his father blamed him for Magni’s death.
Atreus threatens him to get out of their way, or he'll pick up where his father left off. Modi tries to attack, but is too injured to do so, Atreus looks back at his father for permission to kill Modi, to which he answers that Modi isn't worth killing due to his battered state. Atreus said that he should pay for all the insults Modi said about his mother. Kratos refuses to let him kill the demigod, but Atreus reminds him that they're Gods and they can do whatever they want, to which Modi spurs one last insult about Faye, before being stabbed in the neck by Atreus. Kratos tries to restrain him, but it falls on deaf ears, Atreus says that his knife is much better than his mother's, before kicking Modi down a ravine. Kratos reprimands him for killing Modi against his wishes, stating that his recklessness and arrogant nature will make him a target, reminding him that while he had taught him to kill, it was only in defense of himself, and never as an indulgence. When Atreus claims no one cared about Modi anyway, Kratos tells him that there are consequences to killing Gods. Atreus yells at Kratos, demanding to know how he knows such a thing. Kratos doesn't answer, only warning him to watch his tone.
Part VIII: Back in Helheim
After reaching the summit, Kratos activates the portal to Jötunheim with the newly acquired chisel and the Black Rune, and the father and son are about to enter when Baldur ambushes the duo, with the Aesir gaining the upper hand. Kratos tells his son to cross the bridge, but Atreus ignores his father's orders and shoots Baldur several times before being knocked aside. Baldur explains that the boy has the brains now with Kratos being a nuisance. Kratos manages to block Baldur's attack and knock him into the portal, causing it to collapse. Kratos tells his son to leave, with Baldur agreeing and taunts Atreus by saying he should let the grownups do the fighting. Atreus charges at the God, but Kratos restrains him saying he's not ready, in which Atreus responds by shoving his father away and shooting him with one of his shock arrows, incapacitating him.
He charges at Baldur again and stabs him in the shoulder, but Baldur, being invincible, shrugs off the attack and drives the knife into Atreus’ shoulder before taking the boy with him. Kratos follows behind and lands on Baldur's dragon. After a brief scuffle, Baldur manages to knock Kratos off, with Kratos landing safely onto the Temple Bridge. Kratos runs towards the temple with Brok asking of who activated the bridge. Kratos catches up to Baldur, who says that the portal is locked into Asgard, and it'll be over for him when the entire weight of Asgard descends upon him. Kratos knocks Baldur aside and instead locks into Helheim. Kratos, Atreus, and Baldur fall into Helheim getting sucked through the gate and being flung over the Bridge of the Damned.
After pulling Atreus out from the rubble, Kratos angrily scolds his son, stating he would not tolerate his insubordinate behavior, demanding that he honor his mother and abandon his path of arrogance and cruelty, and making it clear that it was Atreus’ fault they were trapped in Hel, telling him to never forget that. Soon after, Atreus encounters an illusion of the moment when he killed Modi, with Kratos telling him to look away. Mimir explains that this is how Hel punishes its inhabitants, by forcing them to relive the memories of their greatest regret. They start their journey back to across the Bridge of the Damned, with Mimir saying that the boat is the only way back and will take them halfway back to the Temple Bridge. As they journey back, Atreus asks if there is anything he can do to help his father, but Kratos refuses him, coldly stating that he had done enough. Later, they encounter Baldur once again, but this time, he encounters an illusion of when he first got his power of invulnerability, which the father and son eavesdrop on. It is revealed that his mother is none other than Freya herself. Freya cast a spell on him to prevent him from dying or feeling pain; however, this also made Baldur unable to feel anything, from food, temperature, women, etc. Baldur demanded Freya undo the spell, but she refused, prompting Baldur to strangle her in a rage, before dropping her and declaring that he never wanted to see her again. Present-day Baldur regrets not killing Freya, and chastises his past self before falling to his knees, calling himself a coward.
Kratos and Atreus eventually make it to the boat where they set sail back to the Temple Bridge. But the boat gets stuck halfway across, so Kratos finally lets Atreus help him get it unstuck. Mimir says that even though they will make it back to Midgard in one piece, he tells them that there's no other way to Jötunheim. As they get near the bridge, both father and son hear Kratos and Zeus speaking, prompting Kratos to state that they had to hurry. As they get closer to the Temple Bridge, they encounter an illusion of a younger version of Kratos viciously killing Zeus, which causes the present day Kratos to freeze up. Atreus tells him to focus as the boat is near the bridge and about to collapse because the fires surrounding it had caused the boat to burn. After crash landing in the Realm Travel Room, they find the missing panel about Týr traveling, to other lands including Greece.
Mimir then realizes that there's another way to Jötunheim by making a key and the secret to unveiling the missing Jötunheim gate as Odin never gave up hope. On their way back to Midgard, Kratos asks Mimir of Baldur's vulnerability, Mimir says that there's none at all, as he's invulnerable to threats: physical or magical. All three realize that Mimir was bewitched Freya during the reanimating process, forcing to him to mechanically repeat the phrase "invulnerable to all threats, physical or magical" whenever he tries to speak of Baldur's weakness. After showing Brok the picture of making the key, he refuses to do so, as he tends to make weapons of war, not tools, and states that even if he did want to make it, he didn't have any Skap Slag needed to do so. Sindri shows up with the required Skap Slag, and the brothers reconcile and together, they make a key for them, combining their respective branding irons to mark the key. When Atreus asks why the Huldra Brothers’ rune looks different, Sindri explains that it had to be reforged.
Part IX: Týr's Secret and The Truth Revealed
Going down to the lower part of the temple, Kratos uses the Huldra Brother’s key to unlock the door beneath the travel room, where they find that the realm crystal to Jötunheim is on the floor, but realize the room is upside down and could be flipped. After avoiding many traps and fighting enemies, they manage to break the chains holding the temple in place and Kratos was able to flip the temple and manages to recover the Unity Stone. Mimir explains that Týr used the travel rune to follow his own path, hence why he was able to travel to other lands, in the Realm Between Realms. After making it into the void, the Unity Stone provides the duo with protection as Kratos leaps into the void.
After landing without any side effects, Atreus notices the missing Jötunheim Tower was in the Realm Between Realms all long. They enter the tower and insert the stone into a pedestal where it absorbs all the stone's energy. After fighting countless waves of enemies as the Tower traveled to several other Realms, Kratos opens the door and the father and son find themselves back in Midgard. With the Tower restored, the duo plus Mimir lock Jötunheim in, but Mimir realizes that the Travel Crystal is missing. Mimir explains that they need his other eye to get to the Realm. Without hesitation, they ask Brok and Sindri about it, but Sindri was unable to finish his part because of his germophobia, so Brok says that they had been asked by Odin to make a giant statue of Thor (the same one that was sitting in the Lake of Nine which Jörmungandr had devoured previously) with a hidden compartment in the hammer, but had turned the offer down, though clearly the All-Father had gotten the job done without them.
Kratos suggests the only way to retrieve it is by going inside the Serpent's belly. They make haste towards the horn where Mimir calls the Serpent once again and asks if they could travel inside his stomach to retrieve his missing eye. The Serpent agrees and Kratos and Atreus row into the belly of the beast and manage to retrieve Mimir's other eye. As they leave, however, a rumbling sound could be heard from the outside. Initially believing their presence had upset the Serpent’s stomach, Kratos knows that this is not the case, realizing that something is wrong. Kratos and Atreus are thrown out of the Serpent's mouth as it falls back unconscious. While Atreus wonders who hurt the Serpent, Freya appears and says that she is looking for her son, saying that the woods and fields call his name.
Kratos and Atreus keep their distance, as she is Baldur's mother after all. When Freya asks of why Atreus is standing so far from her, Baldur appears from the icy river and says that he had figured hurting the World Serpent would bring them out in the open. Baldur quickly notices his mother, and Freya tries to talk with him, saying she knows he's still angry and that how he feels hasn't changed. Baldur cuts her off mid-sentence, saying he had initially thought about what he would say to her, but now realized that he doesn't need her to understand anything at all - that he didn't need her at all. Before Baldur could do anything to her, Kratos steps between them and attempts to reason with Baldur, saying that even if he does kill her, he will never find peace walking the path of vengeance, something he knew all too well. Baldur disregards this warning, and says that he'll deal with him once he's done killing Freya, but Kratos pushes him back, which escalates into a fight, with Freya trying to stop it by restraining both Kratos and Baldur.
A few seconds into the fight, Freya restrains Kratos with Atreus attempting to free him. Baldur advises Atreus to step aside, but Atreus instead stands in front of his father to protect him, which prompts Baldur to punch Atreus, only for the mistletoe arrowhead strapped to his quiver piercing his hand. Kratos, free from his bonds, tends to Atreus, who, to his surprise, is alright and not suffering any wounds, only having had the wind knocked out of him by the punch. Baldur is astonished by the arrow and starts to feel excitement upon the broken spell, before being restrained by Freya again, this time, in control of the reanimated corpse of Thamur. The corpse moves them to a new location, during which Atreus recalls how Freya claimed that mistletoe was “wicked”, to which Mimir states that he had finally remembered that mistletoe was what could reverse Baldur’s invulnerability, and Kratos adds that he can now be killed.
Freya assures them that she can reason with him, but Kratos says that he means to kill her, to which Freya adds that she doesn't care and will protect him. A second fight ensures with the now-vulnerable Baldur celebrating that he can feel pain again. Midway through the fight, Kratos stuns Baldur, but Freya blocks their path to him with Thamur’s hand, but Kratos lifts the hand with ease and notices the crystal on the Giant’s ring, and orders his son to shoot it at the exact timing, which he does. As the battle progresses, Freya summons a legion to attack. As Kratos stuns Baldur, the reanimated Giant, under the control of Freya, uses his chisel to separate the two, in which Baldur yells out he will kill her as he proceeds to climb the chisel with Kratos and Atreus hot on his trail. A short scuffle breaks out on top of the chisel before Thamur tumbles them off onto his hand.
In a stranglehold, Baldur tells them he wants to thank them for breaking the curse that was inflicted upon him and will rejoice soon. Kratos activates his Spartan Rage once again and breaks free with Atreus close behind. Another fight ensues, with Kratos and Atreus gaining the upper hand as the father and son formed a formidable team as they both combined their incredible divine power and fighting prowess against Baldur, who is unable to fight back. Near the end of the fight, Kratos uses his Blades of Chaos to stun him before stunning him more with a series of close-quarters attacks along with Atreus doing the same thing with his own agile melee attacks.
Kratos beats Baldur relentlessly before Thamur uses his freeze breath in an attempt to freeze Kratos and Atreus. Atreus then calls the now conscious World Serpent, to separate Freya and Thamur, an act that astonished and impressed even Kratos. Kratos attempts to strangle Baldur, but Atreus, quoting his father before he killed Modi, reminds him he is beaten and not worth killing. Kratos warns Baldur in return to not come near them nor touch Freya again, to which Freya says that she doesn't need his protection, and the two leave to allow the mother and son to settle things. Baldur explains that no matter where he goes or what he says, she will never stop interfering with his life.
Freya explains that she was only trying to protect him. But Baldur says that she still needs to pay for the lifetime she stole from him. Freya explains that she has paid many times and if seeing herself dead will make things better, she wouldn't stop him, and she lets Baldur strangle her. Atreus alerts Kratos of what's going on and he interferes with Baldur, putting him in a chokehold. Baldur asks why Kratos even cares, saying that he could have walked away, to which Kratos quotes Zeus, saying “the cycle ends here”, and explains that they must be better, before snapping his neck and killing him at last. Freya is devastated upon seeing her son's lifeless body and threatens Kratos to use all of her power to curse him. Atreus argues that he saved her life.
But Freya is unfazed and calls Kratos an animal, passing on his cruelty and rage, and that he will never change. Kratos says that she does not know him well enough. Freya claims that she knows enough, and condescendingly asks if he can say the same about Atreus. Kratos tells Atreus to listen close and informs him that he is from the land of Sparta, and how he made an oath to a God that cost him his soul. He admits that he killed many who were deserving, but also many who were not, and adds that he killed his father. Atreus is shocked and disgusted upon learning that the illusion in they saw in Hel was his father killing his grandfather, and asks if that is how it always ends, with children killing their parents since they're Gods. But Kratos assures him that this is not the case, and that they “will be the Gods [they] choose to be, not those who have been".
Freya leaves in silence afterward, with Baldur in her arms. Mimir asks if they're the bad guys now, Kratos says that might be true, but she could never make that choice. Atreus asks why Freya threatened his father even though she loathed the Æsir, Mimir states that they killed her son and that the death of a child is something that a parent cannot get over. But he assures him that Freya will get over her son's death in time and that Kratos did the right thing, claiming the Realms were a better place with Freya alive. Kratos then tells his on that they should finish their journey while he still had the strength to do so. They begin the journey back to Týr's Temple, and Mimir explains Hrimthur's story. He adopted the guise of a mortal and promised the Aesir that if he can finish building the wall around Asgard within two years and finish it.
If so, he would be allowed to meet with Freya, and if not, they will owe him nothing. Odin was suspicious of the Stranger but agreed to do as he asked. Using his father's knowledge of stone masonry, Hrimthur finished the wall, much to Odin's frustration. He met with Freya and whispered something in her ear. As he was about to leave Asgard, Thor was waiting for him. The Giant realizes he'd been double-crossed, but he did not care, as his plan was complete. Mimir suspects that Hrimthur added a weak spot in Asgard's walls and passed this knowledge to Freya.
Part X: Jötunheim at last
After arriving at the Realm Travel Room, Kratos locks in Jötunheim and orders Atreus by giving him Mimir's head and positioning it into the beam and straight onto the door finally unlocking Jötunheim. Before Kratos and Atreus can finish their journey, Mimir says that they should leave him here, as he doesn't want a decomposing head ruining the father-son moment. Before Kratos could say anything, Brok and Sindri show up impressed and how they wanted to see this, Mimir at first refused, but knowing there would be no other way, he allowed the Dwarves to watch him. Kratos passes the head to Sindri, who passed to his brother and father and son make their way into the Realm, with Mimir telling them to hurry back.
Kratos and Atreus finally reach the Giant's fingers, with Kratos unraveling his bandages, saying that he has no more to hide. Additionally, Kratos finally gives Atreus the bag of his mother's ashes, telling him to carry her for this last leg of their journey. They make their way into a vast room where they encounter statues of Giants, possibly the few remaining Giants having escaped Midgard. As they are leaving the room, Atreus touches the wall which crumbles around them and seeing a mural depiction of his mother with a bunch of Giants, their meeting with the World Serpent for the first time, as well as the Dragon in the mountain, the stonemason, and their fight with Baldur. Atreus realizes that the Giants prophesied their journey.
Kratos tells him that their journey is his story and that he's not the only parent with secrets, making Atreus realize that Faye was a Giant too. When Atreus asks why she didn't tell them, Kratos explains that she sent them here knowing they would find this, and that she would've had good reasons. Kratos deduces that Baldur was never sent to find him, and he was tracking Faye all along, not knowing she was only ashes. Atreus, with a full set of confidence, says she hasn't been wrong yet and that they were so close to the end, with Kratos agreeing as he looked at a plaque of Atreus holding his dead body and screaming in agony.
Kratos and Atreus reach the top, noticing all the dead Giants. Atreus hands over the bag full of ashes to his father, but Kratos says that they will do it together and calls him “son“. After spreading her ashes, Atreus voices his confusion over his name on the wall, saying the Giants called him “Loki”. Kratos explained that it was the name Faye wanted to call him when he was born, and was probably the one she used when speaking of him with her people. When Atreus asks why, Kratos says they will find out some other day. As the two leave, Atreus asks his father why he wanted to call him Atreus. Kratos tells him he was named after a compassionate Spartan soldier who filled the lives of his fellow soldiers with joy and happiness.
Atreus is impressed and tells him he actually told a good story and that Mimir missed it. As they near the travel room, Atreus s that they could just go home, but they could also prove themselves useful by exploring some more and defeating corrupted Valkyries. As they enter the room, Mimir is glad to see them and adds that he reached his limit for Dwarven Charm. As they are heading back to Midgard, Mimir warns them that Fimbulwinter - the great winter that precedes Ragnarök - is upon them, but it was not supposed to happen for at least another hundred years, and that Kratos may have accelerated the events.
As they arrive home, Atreus claims that he will sleep through winter. Kratos tells him to get some rest, with Atreus replying that he is way ahead of him. That night, Atreus has a vision of Thor showing up at their house when Fimbulwinter ends. When they wake up, Atreus tells Kratos about his dream. At first, Kratos brushes it off as just that, a dream, but when Atreus claims that this dream felt different, like it was real, he assures his son that they will worry about it tomorrow, as there is still much they can do today.
God of War Ragnarök
Part I
Three years have now passed since Kratos and Atreus spread Faye's ashes on the highest peak in Jötunheim. After killing Baldur, they saved the nine Valkyries who were cursed by Odin. With Baldur's death, it has caused a long winter known as the Fimbulwinter. According to Mimir, it is foretold that Fimbulwinter will last for three years preceding the coming of Ragnarök. Throughout the long Fimbulwinter, Kratos and Atreus still both live in the Wildwoods, hunting and training in preparation for Ragnarök while also avoiding a vengeful Freya, having reclaimed her warrior spirit and repeatedly attempted to kill Kratos in order to avenge her fallen son.
Atreus, having learned that he is a descendant of the Giants through his mother, has begun studying magic. Later on, the two build more protection staves around the forest, and they have three pet wolves, named Fenrir, Speki, and Svanna, who they rescued from being killed and eaten by a group of Kol Raiders. The three wolves were assigned to pull their sled so that Kratos and Atreus could easily venture through the forest, but in the third year of Fimbulwinter, Fenrir fell ill and eventually was unable to leave their house due to his weakness. While wanting to make sure Atreus can survive on his own after learning of his prophesied death in Jötunheim, he is unwilling to allow his son to become involved in the war of Ragnarök, and therefore plans to stay hidden while waiting for Fimbulwinter to end. But unbeknownst to him, Atreus frequently ventures out with Sindri to find out his purpose as "Loki", believing that he has a larger role in the imminent Ragnarök, as well as searching for Týr, the Norse God of War, who was believed dead by the people of the Realms.
One day, both Kratos and Atreus went hunting in the forest outside to their sanctuary. While doing so, Kratos resides in a cave looking at the pouch that had once held his wife's ashes, solemnly reminiscing about the time he had spent with Faye. Shortly thereafter, Kratos puts the pouch away and begins sharpening his son's arrows while waiting for Atreus to return, the boy having gone out to hunt for food. Finishing their respective activities, Atreus returns with a deer he had hunted, and Kratos gives him the arrows he had crafted. Following this, the father and the son both felt that the weather was beginning to worsen, and the two headed outside, preparing to return home.
Part II
While Kratos straps the deer to their sled, Atreus pulls out a marble which he had obtained during his outings with Sindri and looks at it, quickly putting it back in his pocket before his father could notice. Kratos asks if his son is ready to return home, and the boy agrees. The two then boarded their sled and began heading back, but their journey is stopped when they recognized Freya's presence from a distance. Soon after, they spotted her in the distance, with Kratos ordering Atreus to ready himself for battle as Freya charges at them. Freya transforms herself into a bird and lands on the sled, returning to her original form and attempting to strike Kratos with her sword, barely having enough time to deploy his shield. they head further into the snow, Freya continues attacking them, forcing Kratos to endure her attacks and losing his fur cloak in the struggle, before Atreus points his bow at her and pleads with her not to make him fire.
Seeing Atreus, Freya briefly pauses before continuing her assault. Not wanting to fight Freya, who they still considered a friend, especially since she treated Atreus' illness three years ago, Kratos tries to get past her. In order to get rid of Freya though, Kratos further defended himself by evading her chokeholds. Luckily, Kratos manages to grab Freya's sword and strike it on the ground, allowing the sled to hinder her movements. Freya is eventually thrown from the sled and slams into a tree branch, leaving her stunned and allowing Kratos and Atreus to ride away. Freya furiously screams after Kratos as an avalanche begins, threatening to swallow them up, but the duo manage to get to safety just in time, entering their protection stave and making their way back to their house.
As the duo arrive at their home, Atreus feeds Speki and Svanna with the deer they had hunted, which Kratos watches with a small grin, before going to greet Fenrir. The boy tries to help Fenrir eat, but the wolf’s condition had worsened, and he fails to eat even a tiny piece of meat. Kratos tells Atreus that it is time to let Fenrir go, and he watches as his son emotionally comforts Fenrir as he dies, noticing a strange light leave the wolf’s body. After Fenrir passes away, Kratos wants to train Atreus so that he can take his mind off of his grief, but Atreus, saddened and angry over losing the wolf, gets into a brief argument with his father about their isolated lifestyle and wanting to know about his role as Loki, before asking his father to let him bury Fenrir in peace. Kratos agrees, and goes inside the house. He is met by Mimir, who had remained behind during their hunting trip, and informs him of Fenrir’s passing. Mimir is saddened by this news, and asks how Atreus is handling the loss, to which Kratos simply replies “not well”, and that he has gone to bury Fenrir, before getting into bed and falling asleep.
That night, Kratos has a dream about Faye when they were pursuing a sick wolf that had entered their territory. She mentions that she had predicted the wolf would find its way in, and how they shouldn't wait for problems to come to them before taking action, as Kratos believes. After a while, Kratos loses track of Faye and calls out to her before she reappears and places her hand on his forehead, telling him that time was running out, and that there was much to do. Kratos is suddenly engulfed in a snowstorm and begins to panic before he is awoken by Mimir, who reveals that Atreus still has not returned from burying Fenrir, and, worried for his son’s safety, goes outside to look for him. After finding no sign of the boy around their house, Kratos takes Mimir out into the Wildwoods to search for Atreus, following his tracks in the snow. During their search, Mimir asks Kratos about the dream he had, wondering if he was having nightmares about his past again, to which the Spartan replied that he wasn't, and that he felt Faye was trying to tell him something, making Mimir wonder if he was talking to ghosts again (possibly referring to Athena). Kratos claims this is not the case, but that what he saw was “more than [a] memory”.
Stopping in a small clearing after noticing that Atreus’ tracks suddenly stopped, Kratos is ambushed by a group of Raiders. After killing his attackers, the Spartan states that they shouldn't be this close to his home, to which Mimir suggests they investigate the nearby protection stave. Upon doing so, Kratos discovers that the stave had been destroyed, along with the mutilated body of a bear, seemingly mauled to death by an even larger bear. He and Mimir come to the conclusion that the animals’ fighting had damaged the stave, and that either the surviving bear had begun pursuing Atreus, or the boy had followed it wanting to help treat its injuries, given his compassionate nature towards animals. Continuing the search, Kratos talks with Mimir regarding his prophesied death from the mural in Jötunheim, and how he had argued with Atreus when the boy accused him of hiding from Odin, with Mimir saying it was understandable wanting to keep a low profile after killing three of the Aesir God’s family (Magni, Modi, and Baldur). Kratos states that a reckoning is sure to come, and that he needs to know that Atreus will be able to survive without him. Kratos comes across a cave where the Raiders have made camp and enters, clearing out its inhabitants as he continues searching for Atreus.
Part III
Exiting the cave, Kratos comes upon another clearing in the forest and calls out for his son, before he is ambushed by a massive bear called Björn. Björn proves to be a formidable opponent, nearly overpowering Kratos with his size and ferocity, which forces him to unleash his Spartan Rage. With this, the Spartan is able to brutally beat and strangle the bear into submission, at which point it transforms and reveals itself to be a seriously wounded Atreus. Shocked and horrified, Kratos rushed to help Atreus heal his wounds. The pair deduced that Atreus' intense emotions after Fenrir's death caused him to uncontrollably transform. Atreus panics, claiming he didn't mean to do it, but Kratos assures him it wasn't his fault, but that this was why they couldn't abandon his training. Atreus begins talking about looking for answers again, and claims there might be someone who could help, but Kratos stops him, emphasizing that he could have killed him, that they didn't know the full extent of his powers, and that they won't take unnecessary risks. Atreus argues that inaction is a risk too, and asks that Kratos stop thinking like a father and start thinking like a general, which the Spartan adamantly refuses. Kratos tells Atreus to gather himself, before clearing a path forward and making their way towards the house.
As the father and son return home, Kratos has Atreus create a new stave from a tree close to the one he had damaged earlier, before they are alerted by a sudden cry nearby. The sound is revealed to be two bear cubs beside the corpse of the bear Atreus had killed, revealing that it had been the cubs’ mother, leaving Atreus horrified. The boy claims he didn't mean for this to happen, to which Kratos replies that intent doesn't matter, only consequences. When Atreus asks if there is anything they can do for the cubs, Kratos says that there is nothing they can do, and that nature will take its course with them. After the cubs run off, the father and son then return home and, after hanging up their weapons, return to bed.
While both father and son were asleep, they were suddenly awoken by a violent lightning storm, prompting Kratos to grab his Leviathan Axe and see what was going on outside. Opening the door, he discovers a large, hooded man outside, and demands to know who he is. The man brushes his cloak aside and exposes Mjölnir hanging from his belt, revealing himself to be Thor, the God of Thunder, just as Atreus had predicted in his vision three years prior. Thor asks to come inside, producing a bottle of mead. Kratos is initially hesitant, claiming he would not be good company, but Thor insists that they could find lots of things to talk about. The Spartan relents, issuing Atreus back inside as Thor approached, the two Gods briefly staring each other down before entering the cabin. Sitting at the table, Thor pours some mead and offers it to Atreus, but Kratos grabs the Aesir’s arm and pushes it away. A tense conversation begins between them, with Kratos asking what he wants, and Thor replying that he is just being polite. He comments that Kratos seems like “a calm and reasonable person”, before asking the Spartan if this is the case. Kratos replies that he can be, if the situation calls for it. A moment passes before there is a knock at the door, prompting Kratos to have Atreus answer it.
The boy opens the door, revealing the second visitor is Odin, the King of Asgard. He enters the cabin and joins Kratos and Thor at the table. Wanting to get straight to business, Odin says he can understand that Kratos killed Magni and Modi out of self defense, claiming that “dying is what we Æsir live for”, but that killing Baldur had deprived him of his “closer”, and that while he had lost his mind, the All-Father still considered him valuable. Odin claims that Kratos owes him a debt, and makes an offer to the “esteemed, retired God of War”: in exchange for him and Atreus not antagonizing the Æsir Gods, Odin and Thor would do the same, in order to maintain peace between the two parties. Odin states that as part of this deal, Atreus has to stop searching for Týr, something Kratos was unaware of, but claims that he would allow them to keep Mimir, having been aware of them freeing him from his imprisonment on the Mountain. Mimir, who Atreus had hidden under Kratos’ bed before Thor had entered their home, demands to know why they should believe him, and warns Kratos about the All-Father’s untruthful nature, claiming that “if he tells you snow is white, he’s lying”. In an attempt to sway Kratos to his side, additionally offers to deal with Freya and keep her off his back. Unconvinced and unwilling to put Freya in danger, Kratos coldly refuses the deal.
Seeing that he couldn't convince Kratos, Odin ominously tells Thor not to “take all day”, to which Thor says that it's “about time”, calling Mjölnir to his hand before throwing it at Kratos, launching him through the roof of the cabin and high into the air. Thor grabs Kratos in midair and introduces him to the concept of “blood payments”, meaning that he gets to take something from Kratos as retribution for his killing Baldur, Magni, and Modi, claiming the Spartan would catch on. The two eventually land at the Temple of Týr, and they engage in a brutal fistfight, with Thor demanding that Kratos show him the “Ghost of Sparta” he had heard so much about. Initially fighting barehanded, Kratos summons the Leviathan Axe and strikes Thor in the stomach with it, but the Æsir is unimpeded and continues to fight. After being launched onto the Temple’s bridge, Kratos is gradually overwhelmed by Thor until he gets struck in the head with Mjölnir and nearly dies, only to be forcefully revived by Thor using his hammer’s lightning to defibrillate him, before continuing to try and goad Kratos' rage so he can see the true nature of the God of War.
Throughout the fight, Thor dedicates a particularly devastating hit to Baldur, Magni, and Modi respectively, with the latter’s mention prompting Kratos to call out Thor for putting Modi last, even in death, which angers the Thunder God. Kratos adds that Modi had died from the injuries Thor gave him, and that he had sought Kratos and Atreus out of fear for his father, prompting the Æsir to sarcastically mock the Spartan for trying to be a “model father”. Kratos and Thor charge at each other and swing their respective weapons, causing the Leviathan Axe and Mjölnir to strike each other and cause a massive explosion, which creates a massive, frozen lightning bolt in the middle of the frozen Lake of Nine. Thor claims that this spectacle feels familiar, prompting Kratos to ask what he means, but the Æsir brushes it off and continues his assault. As the fight continues, despite Kratos' best efforts, Thor's tenacity and sheer strength, along with the absence of the Blades of Chaos, leaves Kratos struggling to gain the upper hand. The God of Thunder strikes his Guardian Shield with Mjölnir hard enough to substantially damage and disable it, then grabs him by the throat and claims he can see how his sons lost to the Spartan, albeit a “lesser version” of himself, but states that he isn't like his sons, adding that Odin has plans for Atreus. Enraged, Kratos breaks free and punches Thor in the face with his full godlike might, knocking one of the Æsir’s teeth loose. Thor is satisfied with this, pulling out the loose tooth and throwing it aside, telling Kratos to consider his blood debt payed, and that he would see him around before flying away.
Part IV
Wounded and exhausted from the battle, Kratos is met by the Huldra Brothers, Brok and Sindri, who the Spartan asks for aid in returning home, since Odin is still with Atreus. Brok offers to let Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir stay at Sindri’s house for a while, but Kratos initially refuses, not willing to abandon his home, until Brok points out that their home isn't safe if Odin and Thor can come and go as they please. Returning home, Kratos is relieved to find Atreus and Mimir safe, but is angered by how the boy hid the fact that he was searching for Týr and information on Loki without his knowledge. He asks what Odin had said to Atreus, to which the boy answers that he wanted to pay for the damage to their home, producing an Asgardian coin that the Allfather had left him, and that he had invited the boy to Asgard, which he refused. Turning his attention to his son’s secret outings, Kratos demands to know why Atreus kept this from him, to which he answers he knew his father wouldn't let him do it if he knew about it. Atreus claims he has something to show his father and asks him to trust him. However, an angered Kratos stated that his son had broken his trust. Atreus then asks for a chance to regain his father’s trust, claiming he had found something that proved Týr was alive in the ruins of the temple north of their home. Begrudgingly, Kratos agrees, gathering his equipment and grabbing Odin’s coin. Stepping outside, Kratos throws the coin into the distance, and follows his son into the Wildwoods again.
As they make their way through the woods, Kratos asks Atreus why he had gone to the temple ruins, with the boy replying he had been lead there in his dreams. The father and son encounter more Raiders, and notice some being caught in traps hanging from the trees, indicating that there was something hunting them. Eventually, the duo discover the mysterious predator to be a Stalker, which attacks them as they near the ruins. During the fight with the Stalker, Kratos’ already-damaged Guardian Shield is rendered completely unusable, but they still manage to defeat it and continue their journey. Eventually, they reach the ruins, where they approach Sköll and Hati's Jötunn mural, which actually has a secret room inside that reveals the real fate of the two Giant wolves; at some point they were captured by the Æsir, but were later rescued and relocated to Vanaheim. Additionally, the moon had somehow been stolen and hidden somewhere, but would eventually be found and returned to the sky, allowing Sköll and Hati to continue their pursuit after following an arrow fired into the sky. Another story shows that Týr was meant to lead an army against Asgard during the battle at Ragnarök, which implied that Týr was still alive.
Exiting the hidden room, Atreus shows his father a series of drawings on a nearby wall he had made based on what he had seen, taking notes about clues of “black smoke” and “bleeding earth”, as well as the “marble” he had found and previously kept hidden. Mimir recognizes the marble as being of Jötnar make. When asked if Atreus had been back to Jötunheim, the boy reveals he had been investigating the other Jötnar shrines around Midgard with Sindri, much to Kratos’ displeasure. Atreus claims he had talked Sindri into helping him, and asks Kratos not to be too upset with the Dwarf. As Kratos ponders on the mural’s clues, Mimir states that the clues likely refer to Svartalfheim, the Realm of the Dwarves, which is known for its many mines that belch black smoke, determining that Týr was being held there. Atreus becomes excited and asks what their next step should be, to which Kratos responds that they will return home for now.
As they leave the ruins, Kratos questions Mimir on what Odin had said to Atreus, to which the fae responds by trying to reassure him by reminding him that Atreus had told them about Odin’s offer, and that he shouldn't worry about it. However, the Spartan remains suspicious of what Atreus hadn’t told them. Mimir asks him not to hold his son’s curiosity against him, as it goes with being young. Kratos retorts that in his youth, children learned obedience, to which Mimir asks him if this is what he wants for his son. The fae tells him that Atreus will eventually find his own path to walk, and that if Kratos didn't want to lose him, he should be smart and walk alongside him for a while. Continuing to make their way home, Atreus attempts to convince Kratos that they should go to Svartalfheim, claiming they might find valuable resources while they are there. Kratos stops Atreus, telling him they will go, much to the boy’s surprise, but tells him that if they don't find Týr, he will have to give up his search for good. Atreus promises his father that he won't be disappointed.
After returning home, the father and son are met by Sindri, who leads them to his home in the Realm Between Realms. Bringing them inside his home, Brok arrives shortly after and expresses surprise at how drastically Atreus has changed in the last three years, not recognizing him until Kratos pointed out the fact that it was his son. Atreus tells Sindri about his and Kratos’ intention of looking for Týr, prompting Sindri to feign surprise. Atreus then revealed that Kratos already knew about what he and Sindri had been doing, much to the dwarf’s dismay. Kratos confronts Sindri for aiding in his son’s “disobedience”, to which Sindri claims this was not the case, that he had only been watching out for the boy while they were exploring the shrines, before sheepishly pleading for someone else to speak.
Atreus changes the subject, stating they are going to Svartalfheim, prompting Brok and Sindri to suggest seeking out Durlin, a “cousin of sorts”, who had actually aided Faye in an attempted, albeit unsuccessful, rebellion against Odin. Brok offers to work on the father and son’s equipment before they leave, prompting Kratos to ask the dwarf to repair his Guardian Shield. Afterwards, everyone heads outside to the Mystic Gateway, where Brok and Sindri use a device that harnesses Mimir’s Bifröst eyes to modify it, making it into the new (and only) way of traveling to the other Realms. Sindri instructs the father and son to find Durlin in Niðavellir, Svartalfheim’s capital city, and cryptically warns them about the Grim that inhabit the wetlands outside the city. In the Dwarf's Realm, after Durlin finds out that his former disgraced comrade and Kratos' wife, Faye, has already passed away, he secretly gives Atreus directions to the Jarnsmida Pitmines to find Týr.
Týr turns out to be alive, and but has developed poor mental health and has made a vow against violence after years of torture. After Kratos yells at him to join the group, Týr tags along, not as a soldier but at least as someone with information. They all return to Sindri's house. Kratos and Mimir lament about how times were simpler in the past and how finding Týr might have been a mistake from Atreus. Kratos, Mimir, and Týr planned to visit Alfheim in order to see what secrets Groa's Jötunn shrine may unlock there. Atreus tags along and they face off against the Light Elves, who took control of the Light of Alfheim and its temple.
Part V
Upon reaching Groa's shrine, it is revealed to an amused trio and a shocked Týr that Groa, the Sorceress, lied about the Ragnarök prophecy to Odin; instead of all Nine Realms being destroyed together, a "Champion" will unite the Nine Realms against Asgard and only the Æsir Realm will be destroyed through warfare. Týr is dismayed by the revelation and they return home. Týr convinces Atreus that maybe he is the "Champion" of the Jötnar, irritating Kratos. Seeing that his father doesn't look forward to Atreus being this war hero, he retreats to his new room and suddenly wakes up in Ironwood, which is in Jötunheim.
After looking for his son for two days, Kratos found Atreus but is angry at his son for making up lies and sneaking out all by himself and questions why he has been missing for two days. Their tense reunion is cut short by the Valkyrie Vanadis, who attacks them. During the battle, Kratos recognizes Freya in her and is distracted, which is why she temporarily gains the upper hand. Atreus trying to help his father by turning into a bear, but he instead stops him from attacking Freya, who demands a temporary collaboration with Kratos and Mimir in Vanaheim so that she should be free from Odin's curse. Brok tags along to meet up with an old friend of his. The Dwarf is trapped though by Freyr, the God of Peace and Freya's brother.
Freya tells him that they are her allies, and she quickly stops being hostile to Kratos, Brok, and Mimir. Brok stays in Freyr's camp to meet up with another Dwarf, Lunda. The Ghost of Sparta and Freya find the source of her curse, which is guarded by the multi-dimensional dragon Niðhogg. Freya decapitates her and finally frees herself from being restricted to travel the Nine Realms. When Kratos asks what will happen next between them, she says that while she'll always be angry at Kratos for killing Baldur, claiming retribution by defeating Odin is more important. They reconcile and become allies. She returns to Freyr's camp soon after and reconciles with his brother too.
Part VI
Back at Sindri's home, Kratos continues to demand the truth from Atreus, who has already considered going to Asgard as a spy against Odin. Mimir, Freya, Týr, Brok, and Sindri all discourage him from going to Odin, but he runs away. Kratos plans to consult the fates of Norse Mythology, The Norns. With Mimir and Freya, they travel to Midgard, where the Norns toy with them before allowing the trio to consult them. In the Well of Urd, the Norns reveal three important informations. Firstly, Kratos will eventually die. Secondly, there is no predetermined fate for everyone, and that all prophecies and predictions were based on people's identities and actions. Finally, Heimdall plans to kill Atreus.
Kratos, Mimir, and Freya are all perturbed by their words, but Kratos is only concerned about how to defend his son. And he can only do so by planning to kill Heimdall. After telling the Huldra Brothers of their trip to the Norns, Brok suggests that in order to overwhelm Heimdall's prediction ability, the duplicating ring Draupnir will have to be modified into a Spear that detonates its duplicates on command. Kratos, Mimir, Freya, and Brok head to Svartalfheim to meet the only entity capable of forging the Draupnir Spear: the Lady of the Forge. However, while the Spear was forged, Brok realizes that the Lady doesn't see her because his restored soul is incomplete.
He figures out and is enraged to know that he actually died, but Kratos consoles him. Odin visits the God of War in the Dwarf Realm and Kratos demands Odin to give back his son Atreus back or else he warns Odin that he'll may "meet the God" he once was, in which Odin respond to Kratos with some threatening words by insulting him. As Kratos returns to Sindri's house, he dreams of another memory of Faye, this time with an infant Atreus. Kratos remains haunted by his dreams of the past. Atreus returns to Sindri's house, which is terrorized by Hel-Walkers due to a rift made by Garm, the Giant white wolf, due to Atreus and Thor's daughter, Thrùd releasing it and caused it to wreck all the Reality Realms.
Part VII
Fortunately, Kratos came to the rescue and fended off the Hel-Walkers. After Freya and Atreus seal it back, he reunites with Kratos. Ratatoskr grants travel access to Kratos and Atreus to Helheim. They hunt down Garm and break it's neck, but Garm is immediately resurrected, as the Giant Hel-Hound has no soul for them to kill. Atreus realizes that Fenrir's soul is contained in his knife due to his funerary chant, and with Kratos' help, Fenrir's soul is transferred to Garm's body. Kratos, realizing what has happened, commands Fenrir to return to Midgard. The father and son starts opening up about their own secrets, like Kratos' Draupnir Spear and Atreus' journey to Ironwood, and they fully reconcile before returning home.
Kratos, Mimir, and Atreus travel to Vanaheim soon after to aid Freyr and Freya. Firstly, they searched for Sköll and Hati, who are missing, and Atreus signals them to turn day back into night so that everyone can tell time again. Secondly, Kratos and Mimir face Heimdall in battle, with Kratos who is the only one to ever hit Heimdall thanks to his godlike speed, fast-reflexes and combat skills, despite Heimdall’s foresight powers which Heimdall was never been hit or touched by any opponents he faced before, but after Kratos pierce him in the arm using his Draupnir Spear, Heimdall does not accept being granted mercy by the God of War, causing Kratos to blow up Heimdall's arm as a consequence.
Kratos tells Heimdall he was on his final warning, though Mimir doubted this would mean much to the Æsir. Utterly shocked in pain and now on the verge of madness, a desperate Heimdall used his anger as well as his mastery of Bifröst to actually construct a new arm from the stump of the one he just lost, at the cost of excruciating pain. Fueled with hatred and berating Kratos for having humiliated him, a prideful Heimdall recklessly charged at his opponent in an attempt to kill him for good. The severely wounded Æsir now throwing everything he had at Kratos, making generous use of his prosthetic Bifröst arm the environment at his advantage.
Part VIII
Kratos, who lost his control of his rage, brutally kills Heimdall, much to Mimir's horror, and they save Freyr, who is injured and ambushed by the Einherjar. Kratos takes Heimdall's horn, Gjallarhorn, and the Rebels escape through riding Skiðblaðnir, and Birgir leaves them to save the group from Wyvern. Atreus tells the group back home about Odin's mask and plans to return to Asgard to gather more information. Kratos reluctantly accepts. Atreus returns home, having escaped from Thor in Asgard, and shows the mask to everyone inside Sindri's house. Týr proclaims that he will take them to Asgard to fight Odin, using the mask as leverage.
However, Brok is suspicious of his plan because he never say that he had a way to Asgard this whole time. Annoyed, Týr stabs Brok and is revealed to be Odin all this time including the time when Kratos and Atreus met him in prison but is unaware that Týr is Odin in disguise. He escapes, declaring war on Kratos. A dying Brok forgives Sindri for lying about his death, and the latter teleports a dead Brok away from the Realm Between Realms. Kratos and Atreus goes back to their real home to grieve, and Kratos and Mimir gently tells Atreus to confront his mistakes instead of running away from them. They meet up with an angry Sindri in his and Brok's former forge, and the Dwarf ends his friendship with Atreus.
The trio return to Freya, who plans to mobilize the Nine Realms against Asgard. Kratos and Atreus (Mimir too, but Hildisvini takes him to Helheim to communicate with Hraesvelgr) are tasked with finding Surtr in Muspelheim, who refuses to join their forces if it means sacrificing Sinmara too in the process. However, upon seeing that Kratos' Blades of Chaos are made of Primordial Fire, he joins them and fuses with the Blades' fire instead. The father-son duo reunites with Freya in Midgard to talk about their success. Freya then tells them that the last part of their plan is to appoint a General to lead them against Ragnarök. She asks that Kratos considers the role, and he goes to his tent to rest.
Part IX
The Ghost of Sparta dreams of Faye yet again, who is, this time, preparing for her eventual death early on. Kratos does not panic from the dream this time, and he accepts Freya's suggestion that he would be the General of the Nine Realms. In Tyr's Temple, he and Freya deliver an impassioned speech before blowing Gjallarhorn, granting all the Nine Realms access to Asgard. Asgard's forces attempt to sever their link to the other Realms to thin out Kratos' forces, and Atreus and Sindri opens a secret passage in Asgard's wall. Thrud attempts to kill Atreus, but is stopped by Sif and Skjöldr, who figures out that Odin is disinterested in saving his own people.
Entering Asgard's city, Thor fights the younger Jörmungandr and with a powerful hit, sends him back in time, just before he fights Kratos. With Kratos now fully focused and both of them at a similar state of having fought for prolonged periods of time, Kratos proves to be superior and after a vicious duel, eventually overpowers and defeats Thor, but shows mercy, and convinces Thor to join him to fight Odin for the sake of their children. Odin arrives at the scene quickly, and kills Thor, just before hitting Thrud with Mjölnir. Kratos takes on the All-Father with Atreus, but found himself struggling against Odin's excellent combination of physical combat and magic and the injuries and strain he had suffered from fighting Thor.
However, Freya's arrival decisively tips the scale in Kratos's favor and he, Atreus, and Freya overpower Odin after Atreus destroys his mask. He watches as Atreus drags his soul to Loki's Marble, which was given by Angrboda, and offers Freya the chance to decide Odin's fate, but Freya has learned her lesson of how meaningless vengeance is and lets Atreus have the decision. However, Sindri, still enraged and vengeful, smashes the Marble, effectively killing Odin, and Surtr, now named Ragnarök, prepares to incinerate the Nine Realms. Angrboda and Fenrir, who has Garm's powers, help Kratos escape. Freyr sacrifices himself to ensure that Freya would reach Fenrir's rift in time. Asgard is destroyed.
Part X
Atreus, unconscious, wakes up and sends his goodbyes to the remaining survivors. He reunites with Kratos and Angrboda, who takes them into one last secret Jötunn shrine: Faye's. Atreus confesses that he has to travel alone from now on in order to find the rest of the Jötnar. Although saddened, Kratos supports his decision and embraces his son, bidding him farewell before Atreus and Angrboda departs, being proud that his son could now go on his own travels and no longer needs him. Kratos finds out that there is another shrine behind Faye's: his very own. He is destined to eventually become the beloved Allfather of the Nine Realms. Utterly shocked and reduced to happy sobs, he invites Mimir and Freya to help him rebuild the Nine Realms post-Ragnarök. They both accept the offer, and the adventures of Kratos, Mimir, and Freya continue.
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Part I
Following the events of Ragnarök, Kratos receives a message from an unknown sender to participate in the challenge of Valhalla. He and Mimir arrive at the Ascending Sands at the entrance of Valhalla, from where Kratos forces his way into the lower levels of Valhalla. Upon entering, Kratos loses all outside enchantments, shield, and armor, besides his core weapons. He fights through waves of enemies he has faced in the Nine Realms, but due to his entering Valhalla incorrectly, he seemingly dies on the attempt.
Part II
Kratos and Mimir are resurrected on the Ascending Sands, where they meet Freya and the Valkyries, who scold him for entering Valhalla. However, Kratos, avoiding Freya due to her offer to become the new Norse God of War, reenters Valhalla through a ritual, and Kratos fights through waves of scenes of his memories of the Nine Realms. After several battles, Kratos has a vision of the throne he sat on during his time as the Greek God of War. He hears the voice of the Greek God of the Sun Helios, who Kratos had killed years before. Kratos blacks out and is transported back to the Ascending Sands, but reenters Valhalla.
Part III
Upon reaching the higher levels of Valhalla, Kratos finds a memory of Greece. While venturing through this memory, Mimir is replaced by the head of Helios, who taunts Kratos during this journey. Kratos enters his memory of the chamber of sacrifice he used to sacrifice an Athenian soldier during his quest for revenge against the Olympians. He faces waves of old foes from Greece, summoning the Blade of Olympus to dispatch them, before preparing to sacrifice Helios. Just as Helios is about to be incinerated, he changes back into Mimir. Kratos breaks Valhalla trying to save Mimir, almost falling into a chasm, but is saved by the Valkyrie Sigrun.
Part IV
Kratos goes back through Valhalla a third time, this time facing the Labyrinth on his journey to the chamber of sacrifice, but this time sacrifices himself instead of Helios. He is resurrected in front of Týr, who Kratos finds out is the one who invited him to Valhalla to help him find inner peace. He faces Týr in combat and defeats him, before being shown a vision of his battle against the barbarian horde before going into the servitude of Ares. The cycle of facing Týr continues twice again, with Kratos being shown two more visions. The first is of his relationship with Helios prior to the vengeance against Olympus. The second, being his relationship with Pandora, whom Kratos saw as an adopted daughter before her death.
Part V
Finally, after defeating Týr a fourth time, Kratos is granted a final vision of his younger self on the Throne of War. Kratos, after centuries of suffering, comes to terms with his rage. He decides to become more than just a God of War, but a God of Hope, taking the throne and moving past his life of revenge. Kratos then returns from Valhalla by using the gate, this time greeted by Shield Maidens and finally agreeing to join Freya´s council.
Personality & Appearance
Personality
- Kratos: "By the Gods, what have I become?"
- Grave Digger: "Death. The destroyer... of worlds."
- ―Kratos and the Grave Digger.
In the Greek Era and Norse Era
Greek Era
Kratos was originally an incredibly destructive, ruthless, violent, fierce, brave, and brutal warrior who is focused mainly on his own goals, and turning what guilt he has into anger. Whenever he is wronged, he becomes obsessed with revenge and will destroy who or whatever he has to get his vengeance. At first, Kratos wanted revenge on Ares for making him kill his family, then Zeus for trying to kill him, and his lust for vengeance consumed him to where he no longer cared for the world as it was destroyed by his actions. His inability to accept full responsibility for his actions makes him shift the blame to others for his actions. Due to his many painful memories, Kratos is often stoic and silent, but brutally vocal in battle.
At the early stages of his time in Greece, Kratos still had a degree of morality, being genuinely shameful of his reputation as the “Ghost of Sparta”, visibly aghast by the fear and hatred others have for him, as shown by his reaction when a woman in Athens to give him a key. However, she ran away in terror and call him a monster. With this as well, he shows clear remorse and anguish as he observed the massacres committed by Ares' minions, causing him to question what he had done and become. He even shows a willingness to save others and show regret when he fails, as displayed by his failed attempts to save Aletheia, giving them comfort when he failed, and he refuses to kill Orkos at first despite knowing killing him is the only way to be free from Ares. He also pushed an innocent man out of the way of an incoming attack that would have killed him on Delos. In addition, Kratos genuinely cared for and was loyal to his home and his people, Sparta. However, Zeus would later destroy his home causing Kratos to be devastated and making him openly rebel against the Gods and defy fate to save Sparta. Even at his worst, Kratos displayed remorse for killing Hephaestus, bearing him no actual ill will and seeing him as a better parent than himself, and slaying Athena when she died for Zeus.
Even as Kratos became more self-centered and obsessed with revenge, he is still capable of showing mercy. Having only desired the death of Zeus, Kratos would not hesitate to kill any of the Olympians who tried to get in his way, but on numerous occasions, he also proves to be quite willing to try reasoning with and telling his half-siblings or other relatives to step aside, only fighting them when they fought him openly or when they provoked him deeply, as displayed by Kratos warning Theseus to step aside lest he face death before ultimately killing him, attempting to reason with Hercules, displaying some pity for his brother's efforts to earn Zeus' favoritism, knowing fully well Zeus didn't care much for his family. He would also ignore Hermes until his provocation became too much and Hera until she insulted Pandora.
He also seems to retain a degree of honour, both before and after he became utterly obsessed with vengeance, as he absolutely loathes cowardice and is more than willing to intervene and kill any such people with selfish self-preservation, as displayed by his disgust of the scholars of the Island of Creation for their willingness to use others as a human sacrifice and straight up telling them to "die with honour", his immediate brutal murder of the Persian King for his cowardly willingness to sell his kingdom to Kratos for mercy, him sinking the Boat Captain while inside the Hydra King out of contempt for his willingness to abandon his own men, and his utter disgust for Castor's cowardice, sparing the slaves he ordered to remove Kratos when they fled and brutally killing him.
For all his faults, Kratos deeply loved his family, his murder of them being his deepest regret and driving him into madness. In fact, the only time he is happy being when he got to see Calliope again, displaying enormous pain and hesitation to leave her behind to save her and the world. Kratos also deeply cared for Deimos, to where he tried to protect him even in the face of possible death against Ares and Athena. And even years later, he did his best to rescue him from Thanatos, even allowing his brother to vent his anger and beat him down and being so enraged by his death that he was able to kill the God of Death afterwards. With this as well, he genuinely felt very remorseful over killing his mother, Callisto and with Deimos' death, he would vow vengeance against the Gods.
Kratos' growing madness from the visions of his deeds and his efforts to rid himself of his nightmares had led him to promiscuity, laying with random women. Even during conflicts such as the Persian invasion and the siege of Rhodes, Kratos had taken what opportunity he could when engaging in affairs with many beautiful women. At times, however, he received very little to no comfort especially when such encounters had constantly reminded him of his first wife Lysandra. Kratos has also shown a noticeable dislike and hatred towards being indebted to someone. This was evident by how he coldly told Athena he did not owe her anything, even though she made him a God, shielded him from Zeus and Olympus' wrath, and aided in his revenge against Zeus.
Furthermore, he is initially willing to spare Helios and giving him only one and final chance to help him find the Flame of Olympus and only resorting to killing him after Helios remained defiant and tried to cruelly trick him. Reminded of his own daughter later on, Kratos developed a strong bond with Pandora and was unwilling to sacrifice her to acquire the power needed to kill Zeus and destroy Olympus entirely. Her sacrifice affected him dearly, causing him to bitterly lament she died for his vengeance and being inspired by her to discover the power of Hope, and it was the fact that her sacrifice was in a sense meaningless that finally overcame his desire for vengeance and sacrifice himself to release Hope for humanity as Pandora had wished.
Norse Era
During his time in the Norse Pantheon, Kratos has accepted full responsibility for his actions in Greece, displaying extreme sadness and regret, and at times even falling into a state of depression, when confronted about his past behavior. He also now dreads being called the "Ghost of Sparta", angrily telling Mimir not to call him that. This remorse and shame is due to the fact that Kratos has realized how meaningless and hollow vengeance feels, as despite succeeding in killing Zeus and the Olympians, it amounted to nothing but burdening Kratos with the ultimate sin of leaving Greece near-completely destroyed and gave him absolutely no solace or joy, causing him to genuinely regret killing his father, realizing how horrible and selfish the act was. He shows genuine empathy towards Baldur for attempting to get revenge on Freya and tries to talk him out of it, and is willing to kill him only when he attempts to do so, wishing to end the cycle of children killing their parents.
At first, Kratos saw the godhood of him and his son as a curse, going to great lengths to cover up his past as a God from Atreus and at first wishing that Atreus would just live as a normal human. However, after seeing how his secrecy nearly killed his son, Kratos came to terms with the fact that Gods, including him and his son, have the responsibility with the power they have to not be reckless. As such, Kratos becomes the voice of reason towards Atreus when his godhood makes Atreus arrogant and ruthless, eventually successfully getting through him. His love for his son proved to be Kratos' redeeming point, as despite initially attempting to hide his past, realizing that his secrecy would only lead to Atreus suffering allowed him to overcome his shame and anguish over his past and confess to Atreus a summary of everything he did back in Greece. He was even willing to take up the Blades of Chaos in order to save his son, despite his tormented feelings over his past and strong attempts to leave it be.
While Kratos still resents the Gods of Olympus, as displayed by his cold response to the spirit of Athena, and distrusts divine beings, he has become much more reasonable in dealing with them. Kratos shows no desire to oppose the Norse Gods, simply wishing to avoid interactions with them, having come to realize that the consequences of killing a God can be catastrophic for the world around him and not wishing to repeat what he had done in Greece, and is even willing to accept them as allies should they prove worthy of his trust. Kratos also willingly trusted Mimir, after the latter showed genuine desire to help him and his son and eventually came to be fond of him later on, confiding in him his deepest doubts and darkest secrets, and viewing him as a brother figure, even calling him "brother" once and eventually getting interested in Mimir's own life and struggles such as his relationship with Sigrun, whereas he would be unconcerned with other's affairs before. Despite having always been on the edge with Freya and growing to distrust her completely after learning she was a God, he was able to come to trust and care for Freya after she saved his son, and even learning Freya had bewitched Mimir to prevent them from learning Baldur's weakness did not dwindle Kratos' reasonable side, as he cared enough for her to fight Baldur for her and later saved her life by killing Baldur when he attempted to choke her to death. He did not harm her when she swore vengeance on him, understanding the pain she feels, having felt the same after killing his family, and believes that time will eventually cause her to forgive him. Once Kratos and Freya make amends, his trust further deepens, even admitting to Mimir, he valued her as a friend though he expressed his doubts about whether she saw him as a friend or simply found him useful, only for Mimir to scoff at the doubts.
Over the years since their last journey, the bond between his companions had only grew stronger, but also making efforts to further being more inclined to show affection through both gestures and words. However, Kratos was still not without his flaws, struggling with Atreus' increasing independence due to how much it contrasted the discipline taught to him and his Spartan brethren, causing him to still retain a degree of stern distance and commanding presence over his son. This was also due to Kratos having seen prophecy in Jötunheim foretelling his death, becoming more determined to prepare him to survive on his own. With it, he even shows a degree of hypocrisy, as he is angered by the revelation that Atreus was sneaking out without permission, despite the fact Kratos too had kept secrets for so long from Atreus. He eventually realized how much his attitude was wrong, toxic and cruel. This realization ultimately compelled Kratos to sincerely apologize to his son and finally show support of his decisions, culminating in Kratos accepting Atreus' path to leave the Norse lands to search for the Giants and showing great pride that his son has matured and no longer requires him.
On the other hand, Kratos initially refused to lead during Ragnarök because he was haunted by his past mistakes, where his reckless actions led to disaster. But by the end of this war, he realized that Gods could be both good and bad, which made him embrace his godhood. He accepted the responsibility of using his powers to help others but didn't want to be officially recognized as a God. Fearing he might fall back into his old ways again, he chose not to join Freya's council and decided to be a helpful God without holding any authority. After facing the trials of Valhalla and receiving encouragement from Týr, Mimir, Freya, and the Valkyries, Kratos came to greatly feel remorse for several meaningless murders he committed in Greece, such as the Boat Captain and Helios. He addressed his remorse while undergoing his trials in Valhalla to come to terms with his past life. e realized that his actions of releasing Hope into Greece and helping the Nine Realms were enough to atone for his sins. This led him to dedicate himself to becoming the "God of Hope".
In God of War: Ascension
Kratos starts by experiencing an illusion of being with his wife, Lysandra, at their home in Sparta. The Furies create this illusion, but Orkos helps Kratos see that it isn't real. This moment highlights Kratos' deep pain and his ability to recognize and reject deception. Orkos then tasks Kratos with finding the Oracle, Aletheia. Kratos' acceptance of this mission shows his willingness to seek the truth and break free from his ties to Ares, driven by his desire for redemption. Upon reaching his destination, Kratos encounters Castor and Pollux. Their impatience leads to a fight, where Kratos' combat skills and fighting styles shine through.
He then finds Aletheia, who is dying from her injuries. She tells him about the Eyes of Truth and directs him to the island of Delos. This interaction shows a more thoughtful side of him. While traveling to Delos, Kratos meets Orkos again in a ship. Orkos reveals more about Ares' past, adding depth to Kratos' understanding of his situation and fueling his determination to break free. On the island of Delos, Kratos explores the ruins of Apollo's Statue and fights many enemies. He is once again deceived by the Furies, who create illusions of his dead wife and daughter Calliope, his King, and a Spartan soldier. These illusions torment Kratos, reflecting his ongoing struggle with guilt and grief.
Unfortunately, Kratos is recaptured and tortured by the Furies in the Prison of the Damned for two weeks. Despite their efforts to persuade him to return to Ares' service, Kratos remains defiant. His resilience and refusal to give up showcase his strong will. After defeating the Furies, Kratos returns to Sparta and meets Orkos (for the final time). Orkos asks Kratos to kill him to break the bond with Ares. Kratos complies, freeing himself but also restoring painful memories of killing his wife and child. This act highlights Kratos' inner conflict and the heavy burden of his past.
In God of War: Chains of Olympus
Kratos starts by helping the Attica warriors fight off the Persian forces and their king. His relentless drive and combat skills are clear as he takes on both human soldiers and mythical creatures like the Basilisk without hesitation. After defeating the Persian king, Kratos notices the sky turning gray, signaling something ominous. In the city of Marathon, he battles shadow warriors, showing his ability to face both physical and supernatural threats. Kratos explores various temples and meets Eos, the Goddess of dawn. Through her, he learns about Morpheus, Atlas, and more. These encounters reveal Kratos' willingness to seek knowledge and understand the larger conflicts at play.
He also acquires the Sun Shield and Primordial Fire, demonstrating his resourcefulness. These items are crucial for his journey, highlighting his ability to adapt and use whatever tools are available. Hearing his daughter Calliope's flute is a deeply emotional moment for Kratos. It shows his vulnerable side and the pain he carries from losing his family. Kratos then enters the Underworld and faces Charon, the ferryman of the dead. After being defeated and sent to Tartarus, he discovers Zeus' Gauntlet. This newfound power allows him to return and defeat Charon, showcasing his resilience and determination.
Kratos suddenly decides to meet Persephone and learns about her tragic and sad life. Desperate to reunite with his daughter Calliope, he sacrifices his power, only to be betrayed by Persephone. This betrayal forces him to reclaim his strength and confront her, showing his ability to push himself even the deepest emotional manipulations. In the end, Kratos overcomes her challenges and defeats Persephone, chaining Atlas to the Pillar of the World. However, despite him saving the Greek world, the Gods will not free him of his past nightmares.
In God of War (2005)
The game begins with Kratos standing on a cliff, contemplating suicide. This sets the stage for his character—a man consumed by guilt and despair, seeking an end to his suffering. The scene then shifts to Kratos battling the Hydra on a ship. Here, his combat skills and fierce determination are on full display. He fights with a brutal efficiency, showing no fear against the monstrous creature. After defeating the Hydra, Kratos talks to Athena. She tasks him with defeating Ares, who is attacking her city. Kratos agrees because he is tired of his long service with the Gods.
In Athens, Kratos fights countless enemies, showcasing his tactical brilliance and unyielding will. His encounters with the Gods of Olympus also reveals his complicated sense of duty towards them, adding depth to his character. Kratos meets the Oracle of Athens who is kidnapped by Harpies, and this fuels his determination to continue his quest. The appearance of the Grave Digger also adds a bit of mystery while continuing his way. In the Desert of Souls, Kratos finds a statue of Athena and blows the Titan's trumpet. He then rides on the back of Cronos, showing his boldness and willingness to face immense challenges head-on.
Throughout his journey, Kratos acquires powerful items like the Blade of Artemis and Poseidon’s Trident. These weapons symbolize his adaptability and increasing power as he faces new threats. Kratos then fell into the Underworld because of Ares finding out that he is opening Pandora's Box. His escape and climbing back to the living world highlight his indomitable will and refusal to give up. In his final showdown with Ares, Kratos uses the Blade of the Gods to defeat him. This victory shows his strength, and strategic mind. However, even in this victory, he remains haunted by his past.
In God of War: Ghost of Sparta
During the events of "Ghost of Sparta", early in his tenure as the "God of War", Kratos was suffering from visions of his mother and brother, people he believed to be long dead. Despite Athena's pleas to ignore these visions, Kratos ventured to find out the truth. Kratos first found his mother, who was old and ill, and is also cursed to forbid into telling Kratos about who his real father is. However, she reveals to him that his long lost brother is still alive all this time. This news fills Kratos with hope and guilt, as he has always blamed himself for Deimos' abduction by the Gods. Sadly, Callisto's transformation into a monster and her death deepen Kratos' hatred for the Gods and this boils his determination to save Deimos.
Traveling to Sparta, Kratos faces his past. The visions of his younger self and the reactions of the Spartans to him as a God highlight his inner conflict. When encountering his another Spartan soldier again, this event also reveals a more vulnerable side of Kratos, showing that beneath his fierce exterior lies a man driven by the pain of his past. The loss of his camaraderie (because of Erinys' abuse) intensifies his quest, pushing him to confront his deepest fears and memories as he sets out to rescue Deimos. Beforehand, he also learns that Deimos is held in the Domain of Death, ruled by Thanatos. With the help from the Titaness Thera, Kratos fights his way from lots of obstacles.
Kratos later found his brother, Deimos, mentally broken and harboring a great rage towards Kratos for failing to save him during their childhood. His breaking point that destroyed any potential of happiness was during his battle against the God of Death, Thanatos. Throughout this, Deimos was eventually killed without mercy. This was the moment that sent Kratos down his spiral of utter hatred and madness, with the last person he ever cared about being stolen from him by the Gods. With the death of both his family, his hatred reached its highest peak after learning of their role in his mother’s and brother's suffering. As a result to all of this, he defiantly swore vengeance upon the Gods of Olympus.
In God of War: Betrayal
Since the death of his brother Deimos, Kratos feels a lot of guilt. He isolates himself from the Gods and focuses on helping Sparta conquer an unnamed Greek city. This shows his inner struggle and grief. During an attack on a city with the Spartan Army, Kratos' actions anger the Gods, like Zeus and Hera. He ends up fighting Argos, Hera's pet, showing his anger and combat skills.
Kratos then chases a mysterious Assassin who kills Argos, facing obstacles from Hades' forces along the way. He believes Hades is behind it, seeking more answers on why he is doing this. Defying Zeus' orders, Kratos confronts Ceryx, son of Hermes. This shows his rebellious nature and determination to find the answers. He doesn't care about the risks and continues to pursue justice.
The whole reason on why Zeus actually sends Ceryx is to deliver a message, wants to slow this relentless pursuit and lets Kratos understand the destruction he has already caused. The game then concludes as Kratos kills Ceryx and the Spartan Soldiers celebrate, but observing the dead God's body, he realizes that Zeus would eventually take action for this act of defiance.
In God of War II
Even with Kratos as the new "God of War", he is still haunted by the memories of his family's death. Because of this, Kratos is more aggressive and relentless, often acting without considering the consequences. Kratos leads the Spartan army to conquer Rhodes. Athena, his current ally right now, warns him to stop his destructive ways, but Kratos ignores her. Zeus, disguised as an eagle, drains Kratos of his godly powers and brings the Colossus of Rhodes to life. Even without his powers, Kratos fights enemies and the Colossus with sheer determination. He retrieves the Blade of Olympus, using it to defeat the Colossus, but it collapses on him, leaving him severely injured. As Kratos lies dying, Zeus reveals his betrayal and kills him.
Sent to the Underworld, Kratos is saved by Gaia, a Titaness, who tells him that Zeus feared him. Gaia advises Kratos to find the Sisters of Fate to change his destiny. Fueled by vengeance, Kratos escapes the Underworld and sets off on his journey. On his quest, Kratos encounters more Greek Gods, battling them with his characteristic ruthlessness. He also learns later on that Zeus is his father, which deepens his sense of betrayal and rage. Determined to change his fate, Kratos eventually reaches the Sisters of Fate. He defeats them and forces them to send him back to the moment Zeus killed him.
Back in the past, Kratos confronts Zeus again, this time overpowering him. As Kratos is about to kill Zeus, Athena intervenes and sacrifices herself to save Zeus. She warns Kratos that all of Olympus will unite against him if he continues his quest for revenge. Unmoved, Kratos vows to destroy Zeus and the other gods. In the game's final scenes, Kratos allies with the Titans and leads them in an assault on Mount Olympus, declaring war on the Gods. Right now, he is further driven by such intense anger as he seeks final revenge against Zeus and the Gods of Olympus once and for all.
In God of War III
The story continues with Kratos, driven by an intense need for revenge against Zeus. Riding on the Titaness Gaia, he shows his relentless determination to climb Mount Olympus and kill Zeus. Kratos' ruthless nature is clear when he fights Poseidon, the God of sea. He brutally kills Poseidon, causing massive floods, showing he doesn't care about the chaos he creates as long as he gets his revenge. Gaia then betrays Kratos, letting him fall into the Underworld. Stripped of his powers, Kratos' sheer willpower keeps him going. With guidance from Athena, he regains his strength and continues his quest to defeat Zeus.
In the Underworld, Kratos' tenacity is evident. He defeats Hades, reclaiming some of his powers. His perseverance, even in the face of death, highlights his unyielding spirit. Back on Olympus, Kratos' aggression is unrestrained. He kills Helios, plunging the world into darkness, and Hermes, causing a plague. His single-minded pursuit of revenge shows no concern for the devastating consequences. Kratos' softer side also appears with Pandora. He shows protective instincts and empathy, seeking to save her. Despite Hephaestus' trickery, Kratos has a strong awareness of others, while remaining focus on his goal.
Kratos continues his vengeful rampage, killing Hercules and Hera, causing more chaos. Each death shows his unstoppable nature, driven solely by his hatred for the Gods. The final battle with Zeus is fierce, reflecting Kratos' peak rage and desire for retribution. Inside Gaia's heart, he fights with relentless fury and ultimately kills Zeus. After Zeus' death, Kratos confronts his guilt and past sins. This reveals his inner struggle and potential for change. Guided by Pandora's spirit, he embraces hope and self-forgiveness, showing a glimmer of redemption.
Athena's demand for the power of Hope leads Kratos to a final act of defiance. By impaling himself with the Blade of Olympus, he releases hope into the Greek world, demonstrating a self-sacrificial side. This act highlights his complex personality, capable of change. As the story finishes, a post-credits scene shows the Blade abandoned on the ground, with a trail of blood leading to the cliff's edge, indicating that Kratos has survived and left, with his ultimate fate being unknown.
In God of War (2018)
Kratos, now living in the Norse realm of Midgard, mourns the death of his wife Laufey. He is now stern and a quiet man, struggling to raise his son Atreus. Faye's last wish was for them to spread her ashes from the highest peak in all the Nine realms. Kratos and Atreus begin their journey. Kratos is harsh and distant, focused on teaching Atreus survival skills but not showing much affection. His strictness comes from his fear of his own violent past and wanting to protect Atreus. They are then attacked by Baldur, a strange God who can't feel pain. Kratos fights fiercely to protect Atreus, revealing his still-powerful warrior instincts. After defeating Baldur, Kratos becomes more cautious and determined to keep moving.
They meet Freya, a kind witch who helps them. Kratos is wary and mistrustful, but he accepts her aid when Atreus falls ill. This shows Kratos' deep care for his son, even if he doesn't show it well. Kratos and Atreus continue their journey, encountering the friendly World Serpent and the helpful dwarves, Sindri and Brok. These interactions reveal Kratos' practical and sometimes humorous side, though he remains focused on their mission. They reach the mountain peak in Midgard and meet Mimir, a God of wisdom. Kratos' practical side shows when he decapitates Mimir to gain his knowledge, and his acceptance of unlikely allies reflects his commitment to fulfilling Faye's wish.
When Atreus learns he is part-god, he becomes arrogant. Kratos is frustrated and worried, fearing Atreus might follow his dark path. He tries to teach Atreus humility and control, showing his protective instincts. Kratos goes to Helheim to save Atreus from an illness, confronting his past by retrieving the Blades of Chaos. This painful journey shows Kratos' growth in accepting his past while striving to be better for Atreus. They finally confront Baldur. Despite Freya's pleas, Kratos kills Baldur to save her, showing his willingness to make hard decisions to protect others. This act demonstrates his evolving understanding of being a father and protector.
At the highest peak in Jötunheim, Kratos and Atreus spread Faye’s ashes. Kratos’ reverence shows his deep love for Faye and respect for her wishes. They also learn about their unique identities, which Kratos accepts. Returning to Midgard, Kratos begins to show more warmth towards Atreus. The journey has softened him, making him more open. They dream of Thor’s arrival, hinting at future challenges, but Kratos is now a more understanding and protective father.
In God of War Ragnarök
“ | Son, listen closely. You feel their pain because that is who you are. And you must never sacrifice that. Never. Not for anyone. I was wrong, Atreus. I was wrong. Open your heart. Open your heart to their suffering. That is your mother's wish, and mine as well. Today, son... Today, we will be better. | ” |
–Kratos expressing remorse for his earlier indifference towards the suffering of civilians and encouraging Atreus and himself to help them |
Three years after his quest to scatter his late wife's (Faye) ashes with Atreus, Kratos has mellowed and softened significantly. While he still maintains his brusque, imposing demeanor, he proactively helps others and readily calls them friends, openly admitting that he cares for them. His bond with his son, Atreus, and the Huldra brothers has noticeably grown stronger. By the time his second journey begins, Kratos has matured to the point where he now properly addresses individuals by their names rather than pronouns, demonstrating his ability to maintain strong bonds of friendship and show tolerance towards his allies.
Aside from his consistent efforts to be there for his son, Kratos openly asks Mimir, Brok, and Sindri for their opinions, takes their suggestions to heart, and is more than willing to comfort them when they are down. He also refuses to fight Freya because he still sees her as a friend, repeatedly holding himself back and sincerely helping her free herself in an effort to redeem himself in her eyes, despite knowing she might decide to kill him afterwards. He even spares Heimdall, despite the prophecy that Heimdall would slay Atreus, only resorting to killing him when Heimdall proves too insane to be intimidated by a warning. Finally, Kratos refuses to deliver the fatal blow to Thor.
Kratos also sets aside his pride to learn how to read and write runes from Atreus, and writes in his journal about how, while he would never actually admit it to him, he is proud of the man his son is becoming. The former "God of War" has even developed a dry sense of humor, often pointing out the repetitiveness in others' snide remarks. However, Kratos struggles with the fact that Atreus is becoming independent, not knowing how to react to this since, as he stated to Mimir, "Spartans are taught discipline". Despite this, Kratos maintains his stern behavior, authoritative attitude, and strict demeanor towards Atreus.
Throughout the three years of Fimbulwinter, Kratos has rigorously trained Atreus, much to his son's annoyance and frustration. Unbeknownst to Atreus, Kratos saw a prophecy in Jötunheim foretelling his own death, and his harsh training is meant to prepare Atreus to survive on his own and anticipate the coming of that time. Because of this prophecy and his own disastrous history with apocalyptic wars and predictions, Kratos is initially adamant about sheltering Atreus under the guise of training, dismissing his son's desire to find his own identity.
As a result, Kratos is understandably angered when he discovers that Atreus has been sneaking out without his permission. Atreus points out that Kratos has been hypocritically keeping secrets from him for most of his life, despite Kratos' best intentions. While Kratos went along with Atreus' requests to fulfill various Jötnar prophecies, he did so primarily to protect his son. He takes extreme offense when Atreus begins to embrace his Jötnar name, "Loki", angrily declaring that "[he] is Atreus, [his] son." Also, Kratos still retained his dislike for debts. He angrily reprimanded Freya when she angrily reminded him of a debt he owed her, while saying he would have always helped her, despite everything that happened between them. This was following a brief hostile spat between them where she told him to kill.
When Atreus refuses to elaborate after disappearing for two days, Kratos reaches his breaking point and tells him to choose between being a liar or "his son." This ultimatum drives Atreus to run away, feeling that his father will not allow him to have his own identity. However, Kratos' encounters with the Norns and his travels through Helheim to deal with Garm ultimately lead him to realize that he was wrong to depend on his son to remain tethered to his humanity and to dictate as much of his path as possible. He shows great remorse for his actions and sincerely apologizes to Atreus, becoming supportive of his son's decisions. Kratos eventually accepts Atreus' path to leave the Norse lands to search for the Giants, showing great pride in his son's maturity and independence.
Kratos' greatest change comes when he confronts the Norns and discovers the truth about destiny: there is no actual predestined fate. Prophecies are merely the result of seers predicting the consequences of individuals' actions. To subvert prophecy, one must face their flaws and strive to be better. Realizing he can be better than the monster he once was, Kratos takes this newfound understanding to heart. He makes great efforts to change, developing a sense of compassion previously unseen in him, and learns to distinguish between justice and vengeance.
Because of this, it is shown that while Kratos activated Ragnarök after Brok's death to defeat Odin and end his tyranny once and for all, he refused to abandon the innocent Æsir and Midgardians in Asgard. He willingly risked his and Atreus' lives to give the innocents a chance to escape the destruction of Asgard. After seeing Faye's mural, which foresaw that he would become a revered God beloved by the people, Kratos was visibly overjoyed, driven to tears by the revelation. He openly seeks to repair all the damage that Thor and Odin caused to the Nine Realms, finally becoming a true hero dedicated to helping others.
In God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Upon entering Valhalla and undergoing its trials when considering taking up Týr's position as the "God of War", Kratos matured further and finally accepted responsibility and expressed deep remorse for some of the vile actions from his past, such as killing Helios, especially after an illusion of the latter manifested itself at times and taunted him, and the Boat Captain, finally accepting that he was unnecessarily cruel towards the latter, who had not harmed in any way and was only fearful for his life at the time due to coming up against a monster he could not beat. Also, he took pity on Magni and Modi, despite having no sympathy for them whatsoever prior to their deaths, after realizing that they were dealt an unfair hand at life due to being abused by their father, sent to their deaths by their uncle and belittled by their grandfather following their passing, even realizing that Atreus could have turned out like them had he been raised in the Spartan ways which were brutal, abusive and unforgiving. Also, his relationship with Mimir has grown even further to the point where he would take interest in knowing more about the latter's relationship with Sigrun.
Appearance
Kratos is the epitome of what a Spartan soldier is in that he is essentially made for battle. He is very tall, being 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in) at Greece, and 1.94 metres (6 ft 4 in) throughout the Norse Pantheon. Kratos also currently weights in at roughly 250 pounds (110 kg). Due to his long lifetime as a warrior, Kratos is in peak physical condition of a large, athletic frame with a well-defined and muscular build. During his youth, Kratos wore a brown cloth draped over his shoulders, while a Spartan blanket with orange patterns hung down near his legs, adding a touch of Spartan heritage to his attire. His left arm was wrapped in bandages to protect himself from injuries. He even trained barefoot, a common practice to toughen his feet and improve his agility. Then he also has a teenage deep voice and while training with his younger brother Deimos, Kratos carries a wooden spear with him and a shield sometimes.
As Kratos matures, he sported a red tattoo going down the majority of his upper body and up to his face, a tattoo he wore in honour of his brother, Deimos. On his face, besides the aforementioned tattoo, he has a scar on his right eye and a black goatee and hazel brown eyes. The scar was caused by Ares when Kratos was a child and tried to save his brother from the raid of Gods on Sparta. When he was promoted as a Spartan general, Kratos wore a sleeveless bronze chestplate, showing his muscular arms. The armor featured a orange symbol in the center, marking his high rank and authority to his army. Besides that, he wore a simple loincloth, allowing him to keep his equipments. Kratos also carries the Sword of Valor during his battles, and it seems sharp and deadly. For his feet as well, Kratos wore a metalic sandal.
As time went on in the Greek era, his skin turns ashen white, a result of being covered in the ashes of his dead family, a mark of his past and a curse. His prominent red tattoo running from his left eye, over his head, and down his left shoulder made this his distinctive look. Kratos typically wears a Greek-style armored skirt, that is made of leather and metal strips. This offers warmth while allowing for freedom of movement in battle. He also has armbands, providing protection for his arms while also having metal greaves for his lower legs. Apart from his armor and weapons, Kratos’ attire is quite minimal, which also shows his muscles and some scars on his skin. Other than that, he does wield other mythical weapons, such as the Blades of Chaos, the Blade of Olympus, and more extra equipments each adding to his arsenal during combat.
In the Norse era, Kratos changes significantly to reflect his age, experience, and the cold climate of Midgard. As an older man, he wears leather armor, black pants and flat boots suited for the harsh Norse terrain. Kratos also sports a bushy, thick beard, giving him a rugged look. He even has a significant scar on his abdomen from when he impaled himself with the Blade of Olympus at the end of God of War III. During combat, Kratos would carry his Leviathan Axe, Guardian Shield and even the Blades of Chaos later on. Throughout Fimbulwinter and Ragnarök, Kratos' appearance becomes even more battle-worn. He wears solid leather armor, with three pieces on his shoulders for added defense. Initially, he dons a fur cloak, which he loses during a fight with Freya. His legs are also all covered in brown bandages again, hiding his black pants. Kratos' skin looks more paler due to the cold climate. Also, Mimir’s head hangs from a small metal bit on Kratos’ waist, serving as a constant companion and source of wisdom.
On the Greek Era and Norse Era
On God of War: Ascension
On God of War: Chains of Olympus
On God of War (2005)
On God of War: Ghost of Sparta
On God of War: Betrayal
On God of War II
On God of War III
On God of War (2018)
On God of War Ragnarök
On God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Powers & Abilities
Powers
- Transcendental God Physiology: As the son of Zeus and to the mortal woman Callisto, Kratos was born a demigod, already granting him superhuman physical prowess. Already beyond most mortals and monsters, to where armies of them pose no threat to him, his acquiring of the power of Hope and becoming a true God; the God of War, as well as numerous absorption and exposure of various powers during his life dramatically enhanced Kratos' powers, allowing him to kill all the Olympian Gods and Titans. After leaving Greece, with the magics he had lost to him, and being older, it's ambiguous whether Kratos' godly physical prowess and abilities have grown or reduced over time. Despite suppressing his power, Kratos is still far more powerful and capable of dispatching armies of monsters in the Nine Realms. He can also easily fight on par with and overpower Norse Gods on the level of Magni, Modi, Heimdall, Baldur, Thor and Týr, the former two being the powerful sons of Thor and the latter four being among the strongest of the Æsir as the sons of Odin. Kratos even managed to match blows with and eventually defeat Thor, the physically strongest and second most powerful Norse God, in their battle at Ragnarök. The idea of his interference in Ragnarök makes even Odin afraid of him, with him avoiding conflict with him until Kratos was weakened before their final fight and Kratos, while weakened from his fights in the Twilight of Asgard, especially against Thor after overcoming the hordes of Asgard's army, being the one who primarily handled the All-Father between himself, Atreus, and Freya. In Valhalla, after overcoming many trials of the realm, he was able to fight on par with and defeat his Norse counterpart Týr, during four arduous rounds, having being recognized by him after coming to terms with his past and forgiving himself. Thus, Týr eventually considers him a worthy successor as the God of War of the Nine Realms.
- Immortality: As the former Greek and present Norse God of War, Kratos is immortal. Only a sufficiently powerful weapon or an extremely powerful being can kill him. Kratos has been cursed for his sins to never be able to die at his own hands, henceforth how he survived his suicide with the Blade of Olympus. Despite physically aging, he will not die from old age and his aging has seemingly been halted by the time he was an old man, as he remained in his 50's up to when he first met his second wife to when he finally completed his journeys in the Norse Realm.
- Immesaureable Strength: Kratos possesses incredible superhuman strength, which only grows over time, eventually reaching immeasurable levels. While being originally defeated by Alrik, later, he was able to easily subdue and rip apart many large and powerful beasts and creatures such as Undead Legionnaires, infected humans, monsters, and magical beings using only his bare hands, including even the Hydra. Kratos was later capable of matching, overpowering and even killing the Gods themselves with his raw strength, such as Ares, Helios, who he casually decapitated with his bare hands, Poseidon, who he ripped out of his watery construct, beat down with his bare hands, gouged his eyes and snapped his neck, Hades, who he pushed back and then ripped out the soul of using the Claws of Hades, and finally Zeus, who he was able to beat to death. He also prevented both Cronos and Atlas, the two strongest Titans, from crushing him with their fingers and even overpowered Cronos when he tried to crush him with two hands. In his battle against Hercules, who is considered to be unrivaled in terms of sheer strength, Kratos proved himself stronger, capable of stopping his charges and even forcing him backward and also able to break free from his bear hugs, throwing Hercules with great ease over a great distance, overpowering and pummeling him to death despite his brother's invulnerability. Even after becoming older, rusty and suppressing his power, Kratos still remains extraordinarily strong in Midgard. He could effortlessly lift and throw massive boulders, easily exert more than enough force to overpower and slaughter monsters with raw strength alone, such as snapping the neck of a troll, crushing the head of a monster, tearing apart the rock-like forms of certain creatures, and lift enormous weights, as shown when he pushed the World Bridge surrounding Týr's Temple with little effort and flipped the entire Tyr´s temple with similar ease. Kratos also still has more than enough strength to take on and defeat powerful Norse Gods as he effortlessly overpowered Modi, easily ripping his mace from him and stunning and wounding him enough with a single punch to make him retreat, instantly pushed aside Magni, and overpowered Baldur in raw strength with considerable effort, managing to restrain him firmly, free himself from Baldur's grasp, and ultimately snap his neck. After the death of Baldur, he trains together with Atreus throughout Fimbulwinter to prepare for more upcoming threats, eventually returning to peak shape. By the time Kratos encounters Heimdall, he easily overpowered him in terms of strength, casually gaining the upper hand in grapples and drawing blood with a single punch before utterly beating him badly with three slams to the ground, killing him by choking him to death within a matter of moments. He could physically overpower and subdue the Valkyries, using his bare hands to rip apart their wings and break out of their grip. With only one hand, Kratos physically overpowered Freya, tossing her sword attack aside with his shield, freeing himself from Freya holding him down, and ripping Freya's sword off him despite her resistance. Kratos was also strong enough to contend with Thor, the Norse God of Strength and the physically strongest of them all, when both of them were holding back (Kratos due to his usual insistence on not becoming the old monster he once was and Thor due to Odin's orders); he was able to draw blood from Thor, eventually break free of his grips, and repeatedly hold a well-matched physical struggle with Thor, such as when he pushed Thor a distance away with the Guardian Shield and kept him at bay before he divided his hand into summoning the Leviathan Axe and when they grappled with Thor's Mjölnir on even terms over the air with the Leviathan Axe, with Thor having to physically slam him down with his free hand. Despite being overwhelmed by Thor's tenacity and briefly restrained by a chokehold to the neck, by unleashing his true strength due to being completely enraged, Kratos was strong enough to break free and deliver a blow that sent Thor staggering and knocked a tooth off him. Later on, when they fought in Ragnarök, while fighting seriously and holding back to a much lesser extent than before, Kratos ultimately proved to be stronger than the Æsir-Jötnar hybrid, managing to successfully pin him down and pummel him for a short time before Thor knocked him backwards, wrench his hand free from Thor's grip to impale him with the Draupnir Spear, physically lift and hurl Thor into the roof of the Great Lodge with enormous strength, and clashed the Leviathan Axe into Mjölnir with sufficient force to eventually knock the hammer out of Thor's hand, before lifting him into the air with the Axe lodged in his stomach and knocking him down to the ground. Soon after defeating Thor, Kratos retained enough strength to battle with Odin, manhandling and throwing the All-Father away and his blows having visibly greater impact on Odin compared to Atreus and Freya as they worked together to critically injure and overpower the King of the Æsir. While traveling in Valhalla, Kratos was twice able to defy the makings of Valhalla through sheer strength alone, first when he forcefully opened the sealed doors of the realm, a feat that even Freya found insurmountable, and when he managed to rip open the cage he accidentally trapped Mimir in to be sacrificed, although both occasions proved ultimately fruitless, as he was still susceptible to the curse of breaching Valhalla and could not escape the consequences of breaking the rules of Valhalla when he saved Mimir. With considerable effort, Kratos was able to outmatch Týr in battle, physically overpowering the taller Norse God of War in a grapple, stunning and knocking him a few feet back with a single punch to the face, and even casually lifting and throwing him to the ground, his punch when blocked by Týr causing a shockwave.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Kratos is extraordinarily durable. He can easily fall from great heights and walk away unharmed, and could easily withstand crushing, stabbings, beatings, and powerful magical attacks with little injuries, attacks that would instantly kill any normal human, beast or even other demigods, having taken numerous exceedingly strong physical attacks from the Gods and Titans and mostly survived with only minor wounds and damage. In the Norse Realm, Kratos remains tremendously durable despite his age, although initially hampered by his lack of fighting against threatening opponents and also due to Kratos holding himself back. He withstood multiple harsh attacks from Baldur, with Baldur needing three rounds of fighting to beat him to a bloody pulp and even then Kratos was better off than Baldur in terms of physical injuries by the end of their first fight. Even with his continued restraint of his full power, Kratos managed to withstand multiple extremely strong blows from Thor, whose blows were stated by him to be as heavy as any he had felt, although he was briefly knocked out by the God of Thunder before being revived to continue their fight. At peak shape, Kratos proved capable of withstanding several attacks from an utterly bloodlusted and enraged Thor, being thrown around, punched and even shrugging off a hit with Mjölnir to the head with little damage. Afterwards, Kratos withstood being pierced by Gungnir, quickly blocking the blade before it could penetrate any further whilst physically overpowering Odin and tossing him aside. He is also fully capable of surviving in extreme environments, as he was unaffected by the cold of Hel, which not even Odin could physically survive without using a spell, nor the heat of Muspelheim, and was able to withstand the flow of Surtr's flames into his Blades of Chaos with only minimum pain. With considerable effort, Kratos was able to withstand the Light of Alfheim to enter and collect the light needed to continue his journey with Atreus, with him being completely unfazed by attempting to breach the Light whereas just touching it burned Atreus' hand and knocked him back, a feat that Odin, disguised as Týr, found highly shocking and implied not even he or anyone else could achieve.
- Superhuman Speed and Reflexes: Kratos is incredibly fast, having wielding tremendous superhuman speed, and also has stupendous fighting reflexes, capable of matching the likes of Zeus who has the speed of lightning, Castor and Pollux using Chronokinesis in combat. He was also able to keep up with Hermes using his boots enough to successfully stay on his tracks and after he was weakened, defeat him. His speed surpassed the Sisters of Fate, as shown when he could easily fight and outpace two of them at once, tagging them while also avoiding their attacks. His old age seemed to have not diminished his speed, as he still remained exceptionally fast. He was able to deliver multiple fatal blows to Magni within seconds without the demigod being able to react at all. With considerable effort, he was able to eventually overcome Baldur's light speed, and Heimdall's near-teleportational speeds, successfully reacting to their attacks, keeping up with them in vicious exchanges, and eventually delivering attacks that defeated them. Even in a physically drained state, Kratos was able to battle with Thor, delivering numerous blows on the God of Thunder and reacting to a decent amount of Thor's attacks, before he was eventually caught, and in their final battle, Kratos was eventually able to outpace Thor with considerable effort, managing to avoid Thor's fierce charge and swiftly beat up on him and impale his hand before he could get up.
- Superhuman Agility: Kratos has tremendous agility, capable of easily climbing mountains and buildings, jumping great heights and landing without any problems, and swinging on ropes to cross long gaps. His coordination is also remarkable, being able to easily stay on top of struggling beasts.
- Superhuman Stamina: Kratos possesses an almost unlimited amount of stamina compared to a mortal man, allowing him to remain constantly active for days without tiring. This allows him to accomplish such feats as spending days scaling the temple of Pandora to reach Pandora's Box or taking down enormous monsters that require him to stay on the move constantly. Should Kratos expend all his stamina, he only momentarily requires rest or food to restore it. In the Norse Realm, Kratos' old age has somewhat reduced his stamina and vitality, exacerbated by his lack of practice against powerful opponents, but he still remained exceptionally vigorous even at the beginning of his and Atreus' journey, being able to fight and defeat Baldur three times despite Baldur's invulnerability meant whenever Kratos killed him, he would quickly resurrect, and still had just enough strength to walk back to his home. As he continued to journey, his stamina steadily grew stronger as he started to become accustomed to performing at intense levels once again, traversing the Nine Realms while defeating countless enemies with increasingly greater vigor and even besting Gods on Magni and Baldur's level, all while showing only minimum fatigue. By the end of Fimbulwinter, Kratos demonstrated greater stamina than before already from the start of his second journey, with Mimir commenting that at this point, Kratos could stay awake for days without trouble, as he was able to fight off Freya in an intense battle while showing no fatigue. After only a few moments to rest, he was able to search for Atreus for hours, overpower his bear form in a fierce fight without slowing down despite being noticeably challenged by his son's transformation, and with only a few moments of rest, had enough energy to reach a stalemate with Thor in a brutal prolonged battle with only minimum effect on his performance, and despite the clear strain and fatigue from the affair, managed to follow his son to the mural of the Celestial Wolves all the way to Sindri's cabin. During Ragnarök, Kratos fought through numerous forces of Asgard, including the "endless" army of the Einherjar, up until he finally defeated Thor, still having enough strength afterwards to handle and defeat Odin with help from Atreus and Freya.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Kratos' regenerative healing factor allows him to heal and regenerate from injuries at a fast rate, making him able to recover from attacks that would normally kill other beings. He can also regenerate even from being hit by divine beings or divine weaponry, although in case for divine weapons, they can still leave behind scratches and scars. If needed, Kratos can focus his energy and rage to heal himself almost instantly from even severe injuries, being able to heal from damage caused by the likes of Baldur and Thor.
- Superhuman Senses: Kratos’ senses are heightened, which make him heavily aware of his surroundings and able to sense danger when it's near.
- Rage Empowerment: Kratos was able to tap into his overwhelming volumes of rage for greater physical prowess and the ability to increase his superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and durability, making him much stronger than normal. He can also harness the ultimate powers of his rage in several magical weapons in his arsenal. In Greece, he was only able to channel his anger through the powers of the Blades of Chaos, Blade of Olympus, and the blessed ashes of Prometheus and the power of Thera, but by the time of his journeys in the Norse lands, Kratos' experience and relentless training to master his rage granted him the ability to freely call upon concentrated bursts of his powerful Spartan Rage, allowing him to become more powerful and unleash a wild but focused aggressive barrage of attacks. He even managed to develop his skill with the ability to where he was able to manifest it in numerous forms, capable of only healing himself or unleashing a devastating attack from the power of his weapons.
- Hope: Tyr, at the end of God of War: Valhalla, states that some of the power of Hope still resides in him, but how much and the vastness of this power is unclear.
- Fate Immunity: Kratos was shown to be able to often escape his own destiny and prophecies, being able to contradict the prophecies of his own death in both Greek and Norse mythology.
Elemental Powers (Greece)
- Power Absorption: Throughout his life, Kratos has been shown to absorb power from various sources, be it Gods or Titans. Among the greatest power, he has absorbed the Power of Hope, unlocked Pandora's Box, and even successfully went inside the Flame of Olympus. This therefore allowed him to kill the immortal Olympians and despite releasing it in his suicide attempt, it seems that the part of Hope is still inside him. Kratos also seems to absorb the greatest feature from Gods or out of powerful creatures he kills. He absorbed Hades' soul in God of War III, which was incredibly important to Kratos' power level. Kratos also became the God of Death in some ways, as he killed Thanatos, which most likely added to his already immense powers. These abilities were no longer present after he moved to and settled in Midgard. Kratos revealed that he tried to use some of these abilities, but could not, and Freya or Atreus commented this was possibly due to the destruction of his homeland. It is possible that Kratos' immense strength, durability, and resistance to magical and divine power are partly due to his constant exposure to and absorption of various different powers during his life, which are traits that he retains permanently despite the destruction of his homeland.
- Atmokinesis: With the Blade of Olympus, Kratos can summon a massive tornado by slamming the blade to the ground.
- Aerokinesis: With Typhon's Bane, Kratos can fire gusts of wind and homing wind blasts and generate whirlwinds and tempests.
- Electrokinesis: Kratos had gained the power to manipulate electricity from various sources throughout his life. First, he gained Lightning of Zeus from Python's Belly, allowing him to empower his blade with lightning to shock enemies and create electrical fields and mines as well as his chain and also create a large vortex of electric energy. He then acquired the Gauntlet of Zeus, which allowed him to use electricity to greatly increase his speed and enhance his blows with electricity as well as unleash lethal jolts. He was also given two versions of lightning magic: Zeus' Fury, which allowed him to generate powerful thunderbolts, and Poseidon's Rage, which allowed him to generate a circle of electricity around himself and summon lightning bolts from the sky. The Eye of Atlantis granted Kratos the power to unleash furious strikes of lightning from the orb and generate arcs of lightning. Although he lost that power after Zeus stripped him of his godly powers, he was given back the power to manipulate lightning by Chronos' Rage, allowing him to create blue orbs of electricity and after sufficiently leveling it up, he can also cause the orb to explode at will. Hephaestus also granted Nemesis Whip, one of Kratos' weapons, the power to emit electricity to shock others and also unleash blasts of thunder energy.
- Pyrokinesis: Throughout his journey, Kratos has been gifted with several powers to manipulate fire. First was the Fire of Ares, which allowed him to empower his weapons to create fiery explosions with combos and overall enchant attacks with fire as well as create searing cores of fire. The second was the Thera's Bane, which temporarily allowed him to greatly increase the power of the Blades of Athena and also create exploding searing cores. Rage of the Titans was acquired when he freed Prometheus from his torment, allowing him to clad himself of fire and generate fiery bursts and torrents. Upon arriving in the Norse Realm, Kratos somehow acquired the power of Spartan Rage, which allowed him to empower his fists with what appeared to be fire and empower thrown stones to explode upon impact. He can also use the Blades of Chaos to channel their fire energy, albeit only after he stabs his enemies.
- Cryokinesis: With the Ice of Poseidon, Kratos was granted the power to create tempests and waves of ice, empower his weapons with ice, fire ice shards and manifest spikes of ice. The Horn of Boreas allowed him to summon icy tempests. After arriving in the Norse Realm, Kratos' power to manipulate ice lies with the Leviathan Axe, which while wielded by Kratos can fire waves of ice energy and freeze enemies.
- Geokinesis: With Atlas Quake, Kratos was capable of creating strong earthquakes and throwing large boulders. In the Norse Realm with the help of Spartan Rage, Kratos could also shake the ground and throw large boulders.
- Chronokinesis: With the Amulet of Uroborus, Kratos could manipulate time in a variety of ways, such as casting blasts able to decay enemies, healing himself, restoring massive broken structures, and slowing down enemies. He was also able to use the Loom Chamber's threads to go back in time before he was killed by Zeus. Also, with the help of the Amulet of the Fates, Kratos could slow down time. In the Nordic Realm, Kratos could use the Talisman of the Worlds and other talismans, as well as enchantments to slow down time and enemies.
- Photokinesis: With the Primordial Fire, Kratos could summon orbs of light and hurl them towards his enemies.
- Soul Manipulation: With the Soul of Hades, Kratos was granted the power to summon blasts of soul energy and unleash the deceased souls that inhabit the Underworld upon enemies. The God of Death later granted Kratos the power to summon the souls of the Underworld in the form of the magic of the Army of Hades. Although he lost the power to do this after losing his godhood, Kratos received the Blades of Exile from Athena which grants him the power to resurrect and control the souls of his deceased Spartan brethren. He later obtains a stronger version of the power after obtaining the Claws of Hades, allowing him to rip out other's souls and control it to attack enemies as well as summon souls of the enemies he had defeated.
- Divine Energy Manipulation: With the Blade of Olympus, Kratos was able to fire powerful blasts of divine energy.
- Void Creation: With the Scourge of Erinys, Kratos was granted the power to create voids of darkness capable of sucking in enemies, stealing their life force and yielding it to Kratos.
- Magical Revelation: With the Eyes of Truth, Kratos was able to dispel all sorts of illusions, magic barriers and dark magic spells used by The Furies.
- Underwater Breathing: With either Poseidon's Trident or Triton's Lance, Kratos could breathe underwater indefinitely and swim with incredible speed.
- Clone Creation: With the Oath Stone of Orkos, Kratos can create copies of himself to aid him against his enemies.
- Petrification: With either Medusa or Euryale's heads, Kratos can turn enemies into stone.
- Flight: Kratos, using Icarus' wings, could hover above the ground and fly through the air.
Elemental Powers (Norse)
- Njörd's Tempest: A rapidly-spinning melee attack. Creates an icy whirlwind around Kratos.
- Fury of the Ice Troll: Kratos charges the Leviathan Axe before sending out a shockwave that slows enemies and knocks them down while dealing Frost damage.
- Tyr's Revenge: Kratos throws the Leviathan Axe, which then grinds against the target for a few seconds before launching into the air and slamming back down, causing an explosion of Frost.
- Leviathan's Wake: Kratos throws the Leviathan Axe, the weapon plowing through any enemy in its way while causing an explosion that sends them flying.
- Charge of the White Bear: Kratos enhances the Guardian Shield with ice, charging forward with the shield in front before slamming into an enemy and throwing them upward. He can follow up the charge with a Shield slam attack that causes an icy wave to be sent forward.
- Wrath of the Frost Ancient: Kratos fires a frost beam from the Leviathan Axe, slowing down and damaging all enemies hit.
- Strike of the Udgard: Kratos swings the Leviathan Axe, creating an icy shockwave that lunges forward. Kratos can follow up the initial wave with two more.
- Hel's Touch: The Leviathan Axe releases an omnidirectional shockwave that knocks enemies back.
- Thiazi's Talon: A propulsive slice that sends out a vertical wave of frost energy. Kratos can follow up the initial wave with two additional ones after charging up the attack.
- Ivaldi's Anvil: Kratos slams the Leviathan Axe into the ground, creating a shockwave that freezes all enemies caught in the blast radius. It also creates a second, smaller shockwave when Kratos pulls the axe from the ground.
- Mists of Helheim: Kratos throws the Leviathan Axe at the ground, stabbing it into the surface and creating a circular area that deals Frost damage to enemies inside of it.
- Frost Giant's Frenzy: A set of slam attacks that launch the enemies and send them flying.
- Blessings of the Frost: A brief buff to the Leviathan Axe that enhances all damage dealt by it. Every hit also causes an explosion of Frost and sends out a wave of Frost.
- The River of Knives: Kratos drags his axe across the ground, sending out a trio of ice shards.
- Glaive Storm: Kratos throws his axe, which then seeks out and tracks enemies, dealing Frost damage.
- Breath of Thamur: Kratos summons a massive Frost storm that deals damage to enemies inside its radius.
Abilities
- Gifted Intellect: Though often knocked for just being a brute, Kratos could demonstrate a surprising amount of intelligence and wisdom to deal with numerous non-combative threats in his way. By the time he settled in the Norse Pantheon, Kratos' intelligence and wisdom has grown further due to his experiences. His intelligence primarily manifests itself in a remarkable degree of deductive analysis throughout his journeys, which has only sharpened in time as he experienced both numerous intellectually challenging situations and manipulations/deceits. Numerous times, he was able to solve complex puzzles and problems that were made by some of the greatest intellects of Greece. During his travels across the Norse lands to spread Faye's ashes, Kratos swiftly figured out the right way through the numerous Nordic puzzles in his way, which were made by the likes of the Giants and Týr, among the greatest minds in the Nine Realms, even managing to guide Atreus into solving the puzzle while he himself was trapped. Kratos has also developed an uncanny knack for deducing whenever something was wrong and if a person is hiding something from him, even with only minor hints, from his experience of being tricked numerous times, as displayed by his quick wariness with Freya due to correctly deducing she was no mere mortal or witch, due to her godhood. He was also quick to deduce after learning Freya is Baldur's mother that Freya bewitched Mímir to ensure he couldn't tell them Baldur's weakness, and even swiftly saw through Mimir's efforts to conceal knowledge about the Valkyries. He accurately predicted that a ghost's offer to reunite him and Atreus with Faye was but a mere trick, and his correct insight that Atreus was seriously thinking of going to Odin.
- Master Tactician: Kratos has proven to be quite cunning and resourceful, being able to make good use of the environment and available tools to come up with ways to systematically defeat his enemies and swiftly adapt to unexpected situations, as shown when he repeatedly turned his enemies' weapons against them, quickly figured out a way to break through the ice created by Thamur in his dying breath using Thamur's gigantic hammer, and came up with a successful plan to turn the War Machines used by Asgard against them by using it to destroy the Great Lodge.
- Master Leader: Kratos was an exceptionally effective leader, being the youngest captain of Sparta and later given the title of general of the Spartan Army and leading his soldiers to numerous victories, and later led his own men when he became the new God of War unchallenged until the Gods themselves interfered. Even Atreus admits despite not getting along with Kratos that his father is definitely capable in leading the way for both of them, and usually follows him without hesitation. Despite his initial reluctance, Kratos was able to lead the armies of Ragnarök against Asgard effectively, giving decisive commands that were followed through without hesitation. Faye even foresaw that Kratos' leadership skills would allow him to unite all the Nine Realms after Ragnarök.
- Expert Deceiver: To a certain extent, Kratos has been able to trick his enemies by making use of their emotions to his advantage, using Megaera's anger against him and feigning defeat to Zeus to catch him off-guard. During his first journey with Atreus, he was able to successfully keep up the facade of being a simply exceptional mortal rather than a God, limiting his powers to a sufficient degree to keep his son from suspecting it, before eventually coming clean.
- Indomitable Will: Determined and dedicated to anything he sets his mind to, Kratos has demonstrated great willpower and fortitude during his journeys. During the Greek Era, Kratos was driven by his need for vengeance and refused to give up until he killed those who wronged him, and was able to accomplish feats that were believed impossible, such as killing a God, getting into the Domain of Death to save his brother, obtaining Pandora's Box, escaping from the Underworld, changing his fate, and killing Zeus. In the Norse Era, despite choosing to kill only in self-defense and to protect his son and allies, Kratos showed no fear in any of his fights against the Aesir gods or any of the creatures he fought, never giving up until they were defeated. When the Norns told him that Heimdall intended to kill Atreus, Kratos became fixated on killing Heimdall, even after Mimir, a trusted friend, initially warned him several times that he had no way to reach Heimdall nor a method to overcome his foresight abilities, Kratos stubbornly remained focused, bluntly stating that Heimdall knowing that he desired to kill him was no advantage. His enormous mental strength was depicted by how he could successfully break free from illusions and resist great magics, as shown when he broke free from the Furies' illusions, stopped Hades from ripping his soul, and resisted Aphrodite's seduction. After moving to the Norse Realms and finding love again and having Atreus, Kratos' willpower, no longer driven by his rage, but instead by love for his newfound family, has only grown stronger due to being tempered by his experiences. Driven by a desire to be a good father to Atreus and ensure his son does not repeat his mistakes, Kratos' willingness allowed him to hold himself back even when Atreus acts defiant, simply and patiently telling him to follow and restraining his anger, and he refused to give up even as Atreus became more arrogant upon learning he was a God, persisting until he was finally able to make Atreus sense his emotions. Despite the loss of Faye and his grief over it, he was able to remain strong due to Atreus, and his love for Faye drove him to not only travel to the highest mountain in Midgard, but even willing to reach Jötunheim despite the immense difficulty all for the sake of scattering her ashes as she wished in the right place.
- Master Combatant: Supplementing Kratos' extraordinary physical powers is his nigh-unmatched battle prowess, being phenomenally lethal and dangerous in all forms of combat, both armed and unarmed, acquired from years of training as a Spartan warrior, which already sufficed to make him the youngest captain and later the greatest general of the Spartans, having killed and slain thousands of enemies for Sparta. His combat skills was further honed by experiencing numerous difficult ordeals during his service to the Gods and triumphing over armies and powerful monsters, eventually his prowess reached levels where with the divine weapons granted to him and his superior physical prowess, Kratos bested and killed all the Gods and Titans in his path, despite them having significantly greater experience in combat and also natural usage of divine magic, displaying evidently superior fighting skills. Upon settling in Midgard, despite having not engaged in combat with god-level enemies for decades and his old age, Kratos' fighting skills have only grown in time, relying more on his skills and experience, described by Mimir as the most proficient killer he had ever seen, even in comparison to most of the war-loving tribe of the Æsir. Despite the restraints on his power and also being burdened by Atreus' fragility and his son's undeveloped physical abilities and skills, Kratos' combat skill made him more than capable of dispatching countless of monsters in battle. Despite the burdens on him, Kratos was able to aptly handle the formidable sons of Thor, while being particularly hindered by Atreus' emotions going wild by Modi's taunts, slaying Magni in combat and forcing Modi to escape in fear. In his first fight with Baldur, Kratos was capable of defeating the invulnerable and previously unbeatable finest tracker of Odin three times, even with Baldur having the advantage as he revived with all the damage Kratos dealt to him gone and felt no exhaustion from the fight. Even while briefly overtaken and hampered by Atreus' arrogance at the time, Kratos still successfully fended off Baldur in their second fight and even had a slight edge before they were forced to conclude the fight in a stalemate. In their third fight, Kratos was ultimately able to defeat Baldur once again with minimum help from Atreus. He also successfully defeated the corrupted Valkyries, including even their formidable Regent Queen Sigrún, his skill leaving Sigrun utterly impressed to where she adamantly believed and insisted that Freya ally with Kratos instead of seeking vengeance, as he would be an invaluable ally against Asgard. He was also able to repeatedly survive the attempts of Freya, the true Queen of the Valkyries, to kill him and push her back, and fought with Freya when she had recovered her Valkyrie wings, temporarily only losing just because he recognized her and got distracted by this, with Freya noting Kratos never really fought her and was holding back all along. Despite being regarded by Thor himself as holding back in their first fight and lacking the full extent of his equipment, he was still able to contend with the mightiest warrior of Asgard for a prolonged period of time, skillfully holding off a decent amount of Thor's aggressive assault and managing to deliver numerous blows in his own right before Thor eventually gained the upper hand, with Thor admitting Kratos was indeed formidable and it was only natural his sons and brother would have lost to him. In their second fight, despite Kratos struggling in their previous encounter and Thor going all-out this time, Kratos was able to evade Thor's blows, made full use of his arsenal and strategically countered Thor whenever he tried to use his hammer, leading to Kratos beating Thor decisively. Kratos was also able to successfully stay in combat with Heimdall despite him using his Foresight and eventually become the only person to not only land a single hit on the so-called undefeatable vigilant of the Æsir, but also defeat him, adapting to his precognition swiftly and quickly overpowering and killing Odin's left-hand man. Afterwards, despite all the battle he has been through in Ragnarök, Kratos was still able to hold his ground against Odin himself despite his usage of spells, even managing to overwhelm him at one point before Odin turned the tides using his magic to cast a binding spell, and with help from Atreus and Freya, he was able to overtake the All-Father and eventually defeat him. Kratos also defeated all the Berserkers, including their King Hrólf Kraki and defeated the Valkyrie Queen and the Vanir Goddess Gná, comparable in strength to Freya. While in Valhalla, Kratos fought and overwhelmed Týr repeatedly to the point of yielding and eventually admitting defeat in numerous fierce duels as part of the trial to prove his readiness to continue until the end and as preparation for him to take his place as the new God of War, despite Týr using fighting styles and weapons from lands foreign to Kratos, with the Norse God of War admitting Kratos as being his superior in combat and describing him as being “unstoppable”, even while refraining to deliver the final blow.
- Sword Mastery: Kratos is an exceptionally skilled swordsman, blades being among his most primary type of weaponry. He used the Sword of Valor to kill many enemies with masterful expertise as a Spartan general, and with divine swords such as the Blade of the Gods, and the Blade of Olympus, he was able to skillfully fight and slay powerful enemies such as Ares, the Colossus of Rhodes, Cronos and Gaia. Despite rarely fighting with blades in the Norse Realm, Kratos is shown to retain his skill in swordsmanship whenever the occasions presented it, wielding a sword summoned by runic attacks to easily deliver devastating attacks as well as stealing and dispatching Light Elves with their own weapon easily.
- Hammer Expertise: Kratos was able to use the Barbarian Hammer easily and with remarkable skill.
- Axe Mastery: Kratos is extremely skilled with wielding an axe in combat, with him wielding Faye's Leviathan Axe with devastating proficiency to skillfully kill numerous monsters. At one point, Kratos was able to kill off Magni with a series of precise blows at fatal spots in a matter of moments. He was even able to successfully wield the Leviathan Axe against Thor and his usage of Mjölnir, fulfilling the purpose of Leviathan's creation, managing to overwhelm Thor enough to finally make him draw his hammer and eventually best and disarm Thor of his hammer with the Axe in their final duel, and managed to impale Odin in the shoulder with the axe.
- Chain Mastery: Kratos is exceedingly skilled in the manipulation of chained weaponry such as the Blades of Chaos; his trademark weapon, the Blades of Athena, the Blades of Exile, the Claws of Hades, and the Nemesis Whip, with great precision and proficiency to devastatingly assault his foes over any distance and at high-speed, use them as a means to swing over chasms and also use them as a restraint on his foes.
- Shield Mastery: Kratos is exceptionally skilled in using a shield, as demonstrated with his Guardian Shield, masterfully using it for numerous purposes, such as effectively defending against numerous projectiles or close-range attacks and even able to use it offensively, skillfully countering close-range attacks and delivering numerous attacks.
- Spear Mastery: Kratos is also exceptionally skilled at wielding spears in combat, having wielded the Spear of Destiny and Arms of Sparta with great skill. Upon receiving the Draupnir Spear, a magic ring which creates limitless amount of its namesake spears, his skill proved to be still as sharp of ever, able to use the spear to successfully overpower Heimdall in combat and even match Odin's own in their fateful confrontation.
- Master Marksman: He is also a highly skilled marksman, capable of using ranged weapons (throwing weapons and bows) with devastating ease and proficiency. He is also able to apply his marksmanship with the Leviathan Axe, as he can throw it at his target and can summon it back to him.
- Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Although primarily using weapons, Kratos is also an exceptional martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant, proficient in numerous techniques of Greek wrestling, boxing, and Pankration, able to skillfully wrestle and throw down enemies and unleash fast-paced barrages of uppercuts, punches, kicks, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and spinning haymakers that can easily and quickly overwhelm most opponents. His unarmed fighting skills can easily subdue even powerful monsters and multiple opponents, even at one point dispatching numerous Asgardian soldiers with a single hand while the other was carrying Freyr. Even without weapons, Kratos was able to defeat the extremely skilled hand-to-hand fighter Baldur in single combat three times, although not without extreme effort and being initially pressured by his skill, as well as battle back Thor in unarmed combat, managing to maneuver out of Thor's grip and deliver numerous blows on him, even at one point gaining the upper hand and pummeling him decisively for a short moment. He also easily disarmed and bested Modi while enraged, and even overpowered Freya using solely his skill in unarmed combat, reversing her hold on him, delivering attacks that knocked her off him when she tried to break his neck, and even disarming her of her sword at their final exchange, all while having the use of only one hand. Kratos even outmaneuvered Odin in the final battle against him unarmed, lifting and tossing him aside and helping Freya and Atreus swiftly beat him down.
- Master Swimmer: Kratos, thanks to his superhuman strength and stamina, is a skilled swimmer, capable of swimming at great distances and going underwater to reach his destinations.
Bestowed Abilities (Greece)
- Poseidon's Rage: Harnessing the power of sea storms, Kratos can vaporize his enemies with powerful streams of lightning.
- Medusa's Gaze: Torn from the Gorgon Queen's serpentine body, Kratos can harness the power of Medusa's head to turn his enemies to solid stone.
- Zeus' Fury: Granted to him by the King of the Gods himself, Kratos can hurl thunderbolts at his enemies from afar. Can be charged for a devastating blast of lightning.
- Army of Hades: The God of the Underworld granted Kratos command of the Dead. Kratos summons invincible vicious warrior spirits to tear his enemies to shreds. Ares himself could not withstand such an assault.
- Rage of the Gods: Granted to him by the Goddess Athena, Kratos could focus his rage and power to give himself godlike powers, becoming invincible and granted infinite power (magic), but only for a short time.
- Typhon's Bane: Torn from the eye of the imprisoned Titan, Typhon, this ability manifested into the shape of a bow. Kratos could harness the power of wind to fire blasts of wind or create small tornadoes.
- Cronos' Rage: Before his fall in the Great War with the Gods, Cronos, the leader of the Titans hid away the last of his magic. Granted to Kratos, he could place orbs of electricity that would electrocute anything nearby and explode.
- Euryales Gaze: Torn from the body of Medusa's sister Euryale, Kratos can use the Gorgon's head much like the Medusa's Gaze.
- Atlas Quake: Granted to him by the mighty Titan Atlas, Kratos can pound the earth with his fists to send shock waves of debris in all directions.
- Rage of the Titans: By freeing Prometheus and allowing him to be consumed in fire, his ashes, tainted with the power of the Titans, have been given to Kratos and allow him control of fire as well as making his durability and speed go up.
- Efreet: By summoning the Fire Demon Efreet, Kratos can command it to pound the ground with its fists and burn enemies in the process.
- Light of Dawn: Drawing power from light itself, Kratos can create orbs of light and force and hurl them at his enemies.
- Charon's Wrath: With the mask of the ferryman of the Underworld, Kratos can send forth a blast of green flame that will slowly end the life of those it touches.
- Divine Reckoning: With the Blade of Olympus in hand, Kratos can plunge the weapon into the ground and envelop himself in a vortex of energy that decimates nearby enemies.
- Army of Sparta: Calling forth the spirits of his Spartan comrades, Kratos can command them to form an impenetrable phalanx around him and attack his enemies with spears and a rain of arrows.
- Soul Summon: Harnessing the power of the Claws of Hades, Kratos can call forth various ethereal beasts to attack his enemies.
- Nemean Roar: By slamming the Nemean Cestus into the ground, Kratos can send forth a barrage of powerful shockwaves.
- Nemesis Rage: Using the Nemesis Whips, Kratos can send forth a surge of electric energy that will attach to an enemy and attack others as well.
- Rage of Sparta: By drawing upon the power of the Blade of Olympus, Kratos can become temporarily invulnerable and move at greater speeds.
Bestowed Abilities (Norse)
- Aegir's Protection: Creates a temporary circular defensive zone that prevents Kratos' attacks from being interrupted while reducing the amount of damage he takes. Restores a small amount of health.
- The Charm of Infinite Storms: Summons a storm of ice that prevents Kratos’ attacks from being interrupted, reduces the amount of damage he takes and inflicts normal and Frost damage to all nearby enemies.
- Talisman of Cursed Power: Unleashes a wave of Cursed Mist that instantly weakens all surrounding enemies by lowering all of their Stats.
- Talisman of the Realms: Summons a Realm Shift that slows down all nearby enemies.
- Shattered Gauntlet of the Ages: An ancient relic of Hel deemed too powerful to remain whole. When enhanced with at least 3 of 6 mystical gems, becomes capable of releasing a powerful blast of energy.
- Eye of the Outer Realm: Increases overall Stats.
- Andvari's Soul: The soul of the Dwarf Andvari, with which Atreus can seemingly communicate. Grants a high activation chance of a Health Burst on any Runic Attack kill.
- Nörd's Temporal Stone: Grants a low activation chance of triggering a Realm Shift after taking damage.
- Ivaldi's Corrupted Mind: The twisted mind of the Dwarven alchemist Ivaldi contained within a gemstone. All nearby enemies within 15 meters are weakened, lowering their overall stats.
- Muspelheim Eye of Power: Increases overall Stats and grants resistance to Burn damage.
- Asgard's Shard of Existence: Charging up the Enchantment for a few seconds grants Fortification, causing an explosive knockback on the next successful block.
Weapons
Greek Era
The Blades of Chaos were forged at the darkest depths of the Underworld by Ares himself. They were imbued with Primordial Fire, which allowed them to ignite with every attack that the user performed. The blades' chains would stretch out for a set distance with each attack, allowing for fluid movement no matter who wielded them. The chains of the blades were permanently seared onto the forearms of the wielder, which served as a reminder of their oath to the God of War, and could only be removed either by the "God of War" himself or when the wielder's time of servitude ended. However, when their creator is dead with the servant still owning them, they can be removed or equipped, whenever needed.
After Kratos pledged his life to the God of War, Ares had his Harpies fetch the Blades of Chaos and bestowed them on the Spartan, claiming they were weapons truly worthy of a God's champion. After Ares decimated the Barbarian forces, Kratos used his new weapons to slay the Barbarian King, Alrik, in single combat. Kratos continued to utilize the blades during his time of servitude to Ares and the Gods - even against his own wife, Lysandra, and daughter Calliope, whom he unknowingly killed while he was in a god-driven rage that was set by Ares.
Kratos, at the peak of his task to kill the God of War, had the Blades of Chaos stripped away from him after he defended his family in one of Ares' Illusions. With the blades taken away from him, Ares manipulated the blades to once more kill Kratos' family, while a helpless Kratos watched in horror. After the fall of Ares, the blades were never seen again, but Kratos was soon granted the similar Blades of Athena. After killing Ares and taking his place as the God of War, Kratos gained all of Ares' weapons, including the Blades of Chaos. Although, he vowed never to use them again.
The Blades of Athena were a pair chained weaponry that were bestowed to Kratos by Athena after he killed Ares. They were the second pair of blades that Kratos wielded. Also known as "Athena's Blades", this weapon were seemingly identical to the Blades of Chaos when Kratos first received them. The blades also had the same abilities as the Blades of Chaos.
While Kratos was a God, the Blades of Athena gave off a yellow aura and were gold in color with blue-colored Glyphs due to the godly magic that emanated from them. After Kratos drained the remainder of his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus, they reverted to their basic form with a steel color and a faint yellow aura.
They were then leveled up much like the Blades of Chaos and gradually regained their gold color. From its final level, they emitted a red flaming glow and the glyphs became red in color. However, when Kratos fell into the River Styx, the blades were destroyed and rusted. Afterwards, the Astral Form of Athena took the ruined blades and transformed them into the Blades of Exile.
The Blades of Exile were the third and last set of chained blades that were wielded by Kratos and were given to him by the Astral Form of Athena at God of War III. The blades replaced the Blades of Athena as Kratos' primary weapons, as the latter, which he received upon his rise to God of War, were thoroughly rusted and destroyed by his fall into the River Styx. The Blades of Exile also had a slightly different design, but their model did not change as they leveled up with the only exception being the amount of, "flames," that the blades emitted when they were in use.
The blades had attack patterns that were similar to their predecessors, the Blades of Chaos and of Athena, but with distinctly different designs. The blades' primary features include tormented demonic-like faces with horn-like curved spikes that appeared out of the, "heads," on the hilts, pronounced hooks on their lower edges, and an intricate pattern of shimmering orange stripes on the flat sides of the blades, which emitted fire whenever they were swung. The Blades of Exile granted Kratos the magic power, Army of Sparta, as well as the ability to grapple enemies.
The Blades of Exile were one of the only three weapons that were not destroyed by Zeus after he rose from his body in his Astral Form and attacked Kratos. It was unknown what happened to the Blades of Exile after Kratos impaled himself with the Blade of Olympus. They were last seen discarded by Kratos after he had forced Zeus' soul back into his body. Though considering how the chains on Kratos' arms were loosened upon Zeus' death, it could simply be implied that he no longer had use for the blades and their main purpose was complete.
The Blade of Artemis was a large, curved blade that was utilized with both hands, and was formerly used by Artemis. It was once used by Artemis to slay a Titan. Artemis gave it to Kratos shortly after he entered Pandora's Temple. Surrounded by raw energies, the blade was capable of piercing armor and could easily damage any enemy.
It could then be leveled up to further increase damage, which also changed its energy color. Kratos used the blade even after he became the new God of War, as seen in God of War: Betrayal. However, during God of War II, Kratos did not wield the Blade of Artemis anymore.
The weapon made no appearance in Ghost of Sparta, though the game took place soon after God of War (2005). It was likely that Artemis took back her blade after the events of God of War (2005).
The Blade of Olympus itself was a large golden and white metal blade with bluish hues of energy that brimmed through and around it. Also, the weapon was created in the First Titanomachy by Zeus as means to end the war. After the defeat of Atlas, Zeus returned to the battlefield and wielded his new weapon. He pushed the blade into Earth and chanted that he banished the Titans to the depths of Tartarus.
The weapon was seen again in Rhodes, when Zeus sent it down for Kratos to help him destroy the Colossus of Rhodes. But, as the collapsing Colossus of Rhodes' hand crashed down on Kratos, it appeared that he was severely weakened by giving his power to the blade. Beatened up, Kratos tried to regain the blade, only for Zeus to arrived and retrieved it, and thus prevented Kratos from regaining his powers. Zeus then shoved the blade into Kratos' abdomen, which brought him to the verge of death, and sent him to the Underworld. Later, Kratos regained the Blade of Olympus after he went back through time and with it, he fought and nearly killed Zeus on the Summit of Sacrifice. Kratos, who intended to thrust the blade through Zeus' chest, invoked Athena's interference, and killed her instead of Zeus.
The Blade of Olympus also appeared in God of War III, as Kratos planted the blade on top of Gaia's back during the Titans' siege of Mount Olympus. When both he and Gaia were thrown off of Olympus, Kratos wedged it into Gaia in an attempt to hold on, but both he and the blade fell into the Underworld. Later, when Kratos retrieved the blade from a Statue of Pandora in the depths of Hades, he was able to use it as a part of the Rage of Sparta. The Rage of Sparta was the only means by which he used the Blade of Olympus. Nonetheless, the blade proved quite useful and strong in defeating some of the major opponents that were encountered over the course of his journey. It was used to slay Cronos and Perses as Kratos journeyed through the Underworld and Olympus, and in the final battle, it was used to kill both Zeus and Gaia. In the very end, Kratos ultimately used the blade to stab himself, and thus, released the power of Hope that dwelt within him, as well as the power within the blade itself, which was rendered useless. The Blade of Olympus was last seen in the ground of Zeus' Battle Arena, abandoned, following Kratos' disappearance from Olympus.
The Barbarian Hammer is a slow, but powerful melee weapon originally wielded by the Barbarian King, Alrik. Kratos could deliver powerful slams and smashes. The hammer itself is large, bloodied, and spiked, that also had the ability to summon Cursed Souls from the Underworld. It was extremely useful in situations where multiple enemies were approaching, as one or two blows by the hammer could kill them in an instant. By leveling up the Barbarian Hammer, it could increase its damage power, and gained new abilities for it. Although slow and heavy in use, the Barbarian Hammer was, statistically speaking, the most powerful melee weapon, next to the Blade of Olympus.
The Claws of Hades were a pair of chained weapons formerly utilized by Hades. They were later procured by Kratos after Hades' death. During both of the Great Wars, Hades could be seen fighting with this weapons. They were depicted as a set of spiked chains with two hooks at the end of each that glowed pale purple. Hades was "draped" in them, and they were embodied with his magic powers. Using the magic stored within the chains, Hades could pull out the soul of his enemies.
This was also seen in one of the cutscenes in God of War II, where Hades ripped out the soul of Atlas and absorbed it. Those chains were extremely lethal weapons as they allowed Hades to attack at short and long distances. They glowed with a dark purplish aura that indicated the number of souls it absorbed. By absorbing countless souls, the chains' attack power increased as well as speed. Hades had the ability to summon Legions of the Undead as well as a wide array of Undead Beasts by using the claws' power. The chains were a very powerful part of Hades' arsenal, and, with them, defeated many Titans in the Titanomachy.
In God of War III, Kratos used this weapons after he took them from Hades. The claws allowed Kratos to summon the souls of the undead. With them, Kratos could rip the souls out of his enemies and they then would attack the other enemies. They had an attack that was similar to the Barbarian Hammer which allowed Kratos to summon souls of the enemies he fought in order to occupy them. A soul could be selected in the power up menu out of a selection of beasts that Kratos encountered on his quest. The Claws of Hades were later destroyed by Zeus' Astral Form along with the rest of Kratos' Equipment excluding the Blades of Exile, the Blade of Olympus, and the Boots of Hermes.
The Nemean Cestus were a pair of large metal gauntlets, each forged that resembled a snarling lion's head, that greatly increased the strength of its wielder when they were worn. They were also similar to the Claws of Hades. With each strike, a sound of a lion roaring/growling could be heard slightly.
During Hercules' fight with Kratos, the former donned the Cestus as he engaged the Spartan in battle. However, the Cestus were forcefully taken from him, and Kratos used them to batter his half-brother to death. The Nemean Cestus was the only weapon that was able to destroy Onyx, a type of rock that frequently appeared in God of War III, in the form of shields, walls, and armor. They were also the only weapon that was capable of killing Skorpius, as the creature's body was armored with Onyx.
The Cestus even proved useful against the Bronze Talos and, when fully upgraded, against the King of the Gods, Zeus. Like most of Kratos' Weapons, except for the Blades of Exile, the Blade of Olympus, and the Boots of Hermes, the Nemean Cestus was destroyed by Zeus' Astral Form.
The Nemesis Whip consisted of a pair of chains, each ending in three claw-like daggers that gave off a teal colored aura. It was crafted for Kratos by Hephaestus after he brought him the Omphalos Stone, a decoy that Cronos originally mistook for baby Zeus and swallowed many years ago. Initially, Hephaestus intended to use them as a conduit for his own powers in order to kill Kratos, but the Spartan threw off the attack, turned the Whip against its creator, and killed the God of Smith.
The weapon is attacked in a similar fashion to the Blades of Exile, but were faster and weaker, with a focus on multiple hits instead of single, powerful blows. It had the power to conduct electricity and electrocute whomever stood in Kratos’ way. The whips were useful when they were leveled up to recharge the Rage of Sparta while fighting opponents.
Despite the weak power per hit, unlike other weapons, the launch attack does not require "hold button" input, making it the quickest weapon in terms of throwing launch-able airborne. Combine with the range, the Nemesis Whip possess a superior capability in counterattacks and setting up enemies for combo, making it the most effective weapon against elite and agile enemies that can block/parry, such as the Satyr, Siren and Elite Minotaur.
Like most of Kratos' Weapons, excluding the Blades of Exile, the Blade of Olympus, and the Boots of Hermes, the Nemesis Whip was destroyed by Zeus' Astral Form during his final attempt to defeat Kratos.
The Spear of Destiny will be later wielded upon by Kratos on God of War II as he is on his way to the Titan Typhon, because before he arrived at the Island of Creation, a Dark Rider appeared and attacks him with the spear. Kratos then jumped onto the Dark Griffin after he jumped off to Pegasus and counterattacked the Dark Rider. Kratos stabbed him numerous times and took the Spear of Destiny. From there, Kratos speared the Dark Griffin and chopped its wings off, which sent it crashing to the ground.
Because the weapon is now wielded by Kratos, he could perform deadly swipes and stabs, and could also fire dangerous piercing projectiles at enemies. Furthermore, the spear can create purple crystals that were infused in its ends, which could be used to pierce enemies and even created more explosive crystals. It also had the ability to extend and retract itself for greater range attacks.
Norse Era
The Leviathan Axe is a magical axe which was originally owned by Faye, the mother of his future son, Atreus. The axe has the properties of ice magic as swinging its blade creates light blue energy waves, which can be charged up, and hitting the ground freezes enemies close to impact. Kratos also throws the axe directly towards opponents in battle and it seems that it can return to his hand by raising it but only for a limited range. The Leviathan Axe's ice magic is very effective against enemies with the attribute of Burn, while the fiery swing of the blades damage effectively those of Frost. After meeting with Brok and Sindri, gem slots called Runic Attacks are given on each weapon's head that modifies the axe's and the blades' abilities.
The Guardian Shield is a golden circular shield attached to a golden gauntlet in Kratos' arm that he uses both offensively and defensively. He wears it like a brace for his left forearm but it instantly retracts to its full form at will. He is shown to pair this with his axe or his left Blade of Chaos in battle. He can infuse the magical abilities of his Leviathan Axe and the fire of his left Blade of Chaos into the shield, allowing for more explosive and devastating combos. And he is able to parry with the shield, managing to deflect enemy projectiles back at them.
The Knife of Kratos was crafted by the "God of War" himself and it is used during his travels throughout the Northlands. He forged the knife, mixing metals from his homeland and metals from the lands that they were currently in. This is one of two knives that he possessed, the other belonging to Atreus, "Champion of the Jötnar".
The Blades of Chaos were found again by Kratos himself in the Egypt Realm and brought them with him to the Norse Realm, where he hid them, wrapped together in a thick red cloth with a simple Grecian Pattern on it, under the floorboards of his Cabin, hoping never to use them again. He explains why he kept the Blades of Chaos, despite his painful history, as he could not be rid of them at all; the Blades always found their way back to him under the most contrived circumstances. For example, he tried to dump them in the ocean but the sea itself rejected them and destroyed his boat. He washed up ashore with the blades next to him. After this incident, he gave up and hid them beneath the floorboards as a forced reminder of his tragic history and explosive rage.
Eventually, however, Kratos' son falls ill due to the conflicting natures within him. Learning that the main ingredient needed to treat Atreus was in Helheim—where the ice magic of the Leviathan Axe was useless due to the unyielding cold of the realm as no enemy can be killed with such weapon—Kratos retrieved the blades from their hiding place and grimly rebound their chains to his forearms in order to use them once more. An opposed to the ice-aspected Leviathan Axe, the blades give off the element of fire. Once upgraded progressively, the blades change gradually in appearance, restoring the cracked Greek blades into a more Nordic style, adding Nordic glyphs similar to the Leviathan Axe.
These Glyphs glow fiery orange when ignited, and small runes written in old Nordic decorate the edges of each blade. The hilts become gold in color and gain two slots on the skulls' eyes for Runic Attacks; one for light and one for heavy, while also allowing Kratos to change the pommels for different attributes. Kratos can also infuse the fire of his left blade to his Guardian Shield, before slamming it to his foes, dealing massive damage. The blades, via a Runic Attack called Meteoric Slam, can summon a meteor shower of fire that deals Burn damage to enemies. After meeting Brok in Helheim, the Blades were also upgraded to temporarily channel energy known as the Winds of Hel. Additionally, each upgrade was accompanied by an increasingly more intricate motif of a Serpent or Dragon just beneath the blade.
By the time Ragnarök begins, the magic-weakening effects of Fimbulwinter had reverted the Blades of Chaos back to their cracked, rusted state. However, like before, Brok and Sindri (and later on Lúnda) were able to upgrade the blades once again by using Chaos Flames. The skull design of the blades’ hilts undergoes a drastic transformation, bearing a more Nordic motif than their original form. When fully upgraded, the flat surfaces of the blades are outlined with gold, most intricately along the very edge of the blade, and the glyphs become golden as well. Along with this, Kratos also uses the blades as a means of climbing and maneuvering high cliffs, as well as pulling down certain blockades.
Surtr, the first Fire Giant, sensed the Primordial Fire within the Blades of Chaos, and while the fire was from a foreign realm, Surtr believed that their origin should not matter and would be essential in turning him Ragnarök without the need to sacrifice Sinmara. When reaching the Spark of the World, Surtr imbued his fire to the Blades of Chaos and through them caused some pain to both Surtr and Kratos. Following Surtr's instructions, Kratos used his blades to stab Sinmara's heart within Surtr's body, empowering the first Fire Giant to become Ragnarök
The Draupnir Spear is a golden magical spear that was forged by The Lady of the Forge with Kratos’ blood for the sole purpose of killing the Æsir threat, Heimdall. He wears it as a ring on his right hand but it can be summoned at will. The spear has the ability to near-infinitely create spear duplicates that can be thrown and detonated by slamming the butt of the spear into the ground. It also has properties of wind magic, which allows it to draw in enemies and blast them back a good distance away. Kratos can also absorb elemental attributes from enemies using the spear and use it against them for a limited time.
Gram (Old Norse: Wrath) is a relic that can be found in the Temple of Light in Alfheim. It is a powerful sword that is possibly well known for being used to slay dragons, hence its alias The Dragon's Bane. Gram is proven to be powerful and superior because in the Norse Mythology, it had accomplished many feats, but one of the feats that is well-known is slaying different dragons.
Ridill, or Riðill, is the sword of the Dwarf (now Dragon) Reginn. It is one of the many usable relics that Kratos can use. In Norse Mythology, the sword was used to cut out many hearts and it is owned by Regin, a dwarf. When pronounced and spoken out-loud, it sounds almost identical to the word Riddle.
Hrotti is a relic and magical sword that used to be part of Fafnir's treasure until it was stolen from the dwarf's treasure vault. Kratos can obtain the Hilt of Hrotti by venturing to the Plains region of the Vanaheim Crater, and dispatching the Oath Guards (Jørgen, Vali, Egil), three Travelers who are trying to locate and assassinate Birgir for heresy. Kratos can kill the Oath Guards in any order he wishes, the second of whom drops the hilt upon death.
Tyrfing is a magical sword that has a long and "bloody history". It is one of the sword relics whom Kratos can use in battle. A type of sword with a golden hilt that would never miss a stroke, would never rust, and even cut through rock and iron. When Tyrfing was finally finished, it gleams brightly and shone like fire. However, the sword was bestowed with a curse so that every time it is drawn, it will easily kill anyone on its path.
The Skofnung is a sword that was once wielded by King Hrólf Kraki, the King of Berserkers. Once known as the sharpest sword in Midgard, the hilt was used to contain the souls of the twelve (12) Berserkers. Eventually, the hilt was found by Kratos. During the battle against Hrólf Kraki, Kratos managed to weaken and decapitate him. After the Berserker King’s death, Kratos kept the sword and vowed to use it for good from then on.
Equipments
Greek Period
- Magic Pouch: Another signature item for Kratos which he carries since his time as a general for Sparta. He can carry numerous equipment or weapons and take them out just by reaching into it while thinking about the chosen item. This pouch is able to carry things much as big as Kratos himself and wears it under his loincloth. Because of this, Kratos also carried many other powerful weapons or relics throughout the series, some of which include the Barbarian Hammer, the Nemean Cestus, and the Blade of Artemis etc.
- Poseidon's Trident: Grants Kratos the ability to breathe underwater indefinitely.
- Amulet of the Fates: Is only used near certain statues, where Kratos can move through time while all around him slows.
- Golden Fleece: an indestructible piece of armor for the wearer's arm. It has the ability to catch incoming enemy projectiles and send them back to the enemy.
- Icarus' Wings: They were torn apart by Kratos from the legendary Icarus, Kratos can use the artificial wings to glide and fly with the help of powerful upward drafts.
- Sun Shield: It originally belongs to Helios, the God of the Sun. This shield can block enemy attacks and projectiles.
- Triton's Lance: Helps Kratos swim, dive, and breathe underwater indefinitely.
- Bow of Apollo: a magical bow that can fire an infinite amount of flaming arrows. Can set objects and enemies on fire.
- Head of Helios: Torn by the God of War himself, Kratos. He can harness the power of Helios' head to illuminate his way through dark areas and even damage his enemies with powerful surges of light.
- Boots of Hermes: They were a pair of winged sandals. It was taken by Kratos from Helios. With the source of the God of Speed's power in his possession, Kratos can run up walls and ram his enemies at great speeds, leaving a trail of fire in his wake.
Norse Period
- Stone Mason Chisel Tip: It is a stone used to access Jötunheim’s hidden gates located on the mountains in Midgard. For this to work, both Kratos and Atreus must observe carefully on their surroundings. Upon doing so, Kratos needed to use the magical Chisel Tip to open them. To further add to this, the tip was also used to unlock hidden chambers and secret passages.
- The Witch's Compass: they were a magical talisman granted to Kratos and Atreus by Freya in her guise as the “Witch of the Woods”. They can then use the compass to lead Kratos, Atreus, and even Mimir to either their main destination or to navigate all across the Nine realms.
- Bifröst Lamp: a relic that is used by Kratos as a key to travel between the Nine Realms. In order to properly work, the Bifröst lamp needs to be imbued with the Light of Alfheim. The lamp is later destroyed in God of War Ragnarök, as Brok and Sindri use its light to modify the Mystic Gateway, thus making Realm Travel easier.
- Unity Stone: a secret and special travel stone of Týr and is a key item in God of War (2018). As it turns out, the stone was found after Kratos and Atreus entered the secret chamber of Týr's Temple. After Kratos overturns the structure by flipping it upside down, Atreus breaks the Magic Shield that Týr conjured, allowing Kratos to retrieve the Unity Stone. Upon reaching the end of the path on a branch of Yggdrasil, the stone was used by Kratos and Atreus to survive falling off the path to get to the Realm Between Realms (which they accessed from a Mystic Getaway). Reaching and entering the Jötunheim Tower, the stone was used in bringing the tower back to the Lake of Nine. When the tower returned to Midgard, the Unity Stone was left inside, since its purpose has been fulfilled.
- Head of Mimir: Mimir was bound to a tree at the top of Midgard’s mountain, and with Kratos' permission, they decapitated him and took the head with them. Then, they went to the Witch's Cabin to revive the head and then later have a companion to talk with, share stories about the Norse Realm, and eventually lead them to Jötunheim’s hidden gate.
- Yggdrasil Realm Seeds: they were introduced in God of War Ragnarök as the only means to unlock access to new Mystic Gateways throughout the Nine Realms. They effectively replace the Bifröst Lamp, which was previously used by Kratos to travel through Týr's Temple.
- Spiritual Stones: Also more commonly known as Marbles, were magical items used by the Jötnar. During Ragnarök, Angrboda fights alongside with Fenrir and used them to save Atreus, Kratos, Freya and Mimir from Asgard's destruction. As Atreus decided to travel outside of the Nine Realms to find other surviving Giants and fully accepts his identity as "Loki", Angrboda gives him her marble so he can visit her at any time.
- Draupnir: a magical ring created by Brok and Sindri and gifted to Odin. It has the ability to duplicate itself every ninth night, thus dripping eight new rings, although the copies have no value at all. Due to its unique magical capabilities, this legendary ring was eventually given to Kratos as a means to craft the Draupnir Spear, created with the sole purpose of killing Heimdall, the Watchman of the Æsir.
- Gjallarhorn: a mighty horn belonging to one of the Æsir God Heimdall. The horn was obtained after the Greek God of War Kratos killed Heimdall in battle prior to the beginning of Ragnarök and took it for himself. When he presented the horn to his son and allies, they were astonished that the Spartan managed to obtain the horn. Gathering at the Temple of Týr, Kratos brandishes the horn and sent out a massive, earth-shattering horn blast that echoed across all the Nine Realms and ignited all realm Towers, announcing the beginning of the final battle and signalling the armies of Alfheim, Helheim, and Vanaheim to go to battle. It eventually dissipated, having served its purpose.
- Skíðblaðnir: It is a collapsible, magical boat that was previously owned by the Vanir God Freyr, who then gave it to Kratos to use whenever he needed. Since it was created by the Vanir Gods, it was given the ability to fly and even fold itself when not in use.
Relationships
Greek Timeline
Zeus was Kratos' father but Kratos would not know this until after he waged war against the Gods of Olympus. Zeus aided Kratos when he was tasked to kill Ares by giving him the magic “Zeus' Fury” and helping Kratos escape the Underworld, though Kratos would never know about the latter. After being infected with the evil fear from Pandora's Box, Zeus became paranoid and fearful of Kratos, believing he would kill him. This was because the Gods wouldn't remove the nightmares from his past, his destructive conquest of Greece, and also cause Kratos would make the Gods pay for the suffering of his mother Callisto and his brother Deimos.
As a result, Zeus killed Kratos and also, to make him suffer, he destroyed Sparta. However, these actions would come back to haunt Zeus as Kratos was able to return to life with the aid of Gaia, and after defeating the Sisters of Fate, he went back in time to have his revenge on Zeus. During their final battle, a black smoke (possibly fear) came out of Zeus‘ body and he seemingly allowed himself to get beaten up by Kratos. It is possible that he realized that by causing so much suffering to Greece, he no longer deserved to be King of Olympus and all of the destruction that was caused was because of his own actions was due to himself, not to Kratos. Years later, Kratos regretted killing Zeus, for despite the pain Zeus caused him, vengeance from his death only felt empty. This is shown during his travels in Helheim as the Realm would torture him by making him relieve the moment he killed Zeus.
Callisto was Kratos' mother. When Kratos became the new "God of War", Callisto contacted Kratos through his dreams, begging for aid. Kratos decided to investigate and found her in the Temple of Poseidon. At first he believed her to be a trick of the Gods, but after closely examining her, he realized that it was in fact Callisto. Callisto explains to Kratos that his brother, Deimos, was alive. Kratos is angry that his mother kept this from him, having convinced Kratos in childhood that he had been lost. She explains that she was forbidden from revealing this information to him by Kratos' father. Having never known his father, Kratos expresses confusion. Callisto then reveals to Kratos that Zeus is his father. Callisto then turned into a monster and attacked Kratos, and he was forced to kill her in self-defense. He showed regret and remorse in her death, showing that he still loved her. Callisto was not angry at her son for killing her, and instead thanked him for releasing her from her torment. Even in death, she still loved him and begged the Gods to allow him mercy, and to punish her for his crimes as she blamed herself for all the things he had done. Her death would affect Kratos immensely, as he blamed the Gods for what happened to her and he would make them pay for what they did, something he achieved when he waged war on them.
Deimos was Kratos' younger brother. When they were young and training to become warriors of Sparta, Kratos was harsh and strict on Deimos, but cared for him deeply, on the inside. When Ares captured Deimos, Kratos tried to save him, only to be swatted away like a fly by Ares. Callisto lied to Kratos, saying that Deimos was dead and it heavily affected him. He vowed never to falter again and, to honor his brother, he gave himself a tattoo in the exact image of his brother's birthmarks. When he learned the truth from his mother, that Deimos was alive, he vowed to save him no matter what. When Deimos was killed by Thanatos, Kratos was so enraged that he killed Thanatos without mercy, avenging Deimos' death. He vowed to bring about the Gods' downfall for what they did.
Lysandra was Kratos' first wife. He loved her dearly, and whenever Kratos had enough time to spare from his conquest of Greece, he would go to see her and his daughter Calliope. She loved Kratos in return and was also worried about him, as she believed that his conquest of Greece was going too far and that he was doing it for personal glory rather than for the glory of Sparta. When Kratos accidentally killed her, her death, along with his daughter's, would haunt him for the rest of his life. If one looks at Kratos journal in his ship, he states that no matter how which woman he sleeps with, they all remind him of Lysandra.
Centuries later, despite marrying Faye, while traveling in Valhalla, it is shown that Kratos still loved Lysandra and compared her to Faye in terms of character. Having grown to realize the truth of Lysandra's words, one of Kratos's regrets would be that he wasn't a good husband to her, lamenting that he didn't spend enough time with her and regretting his rebuttal of her hopes for him.
Calliope was Kratos' daughter and, just like his wife, he loved her dearly. He gave her a flute, which Calliope kept and treasured, as it was a memento from him. She kept it even in death. When Kratos was in the Underworld to save Helios, he saw Calliope and wished to be with her, even planning to leave the world at the mercy of Morpheus. Kratos got his chance when Persephone allowed him to enter the Elysium Fields, but only after he sacrificed all of his power first.
Calliope was thrilled to see her father again and Kratos, for the first time since being the "Ghost of Sparta", was happy, and he was seen smiling. However, once Kratos realized the truth- that Persephone was going to destroy the Greek World to have her revenge against the Gods of Olympus, he had no choice but to abandon her as it was the only way to save her. Although he succeeded, he was never allowed to see his daughter again. Calliope was so depressed after her father had abandoned her, that she lost the will to play her flute.
Centuries later, despite fathering Atreus, Kratos still thinks about his daughter, although he seldom spoke of her with others. However, in Vanaheim, when Freya accused Kratos of having no idea how much grief he caused her by killing her only child, Kratos replied that he knew exactly how it felt, revealing how he had been tricked into killing his wife and daughter with his own hands, a story that left Freya shocked. Kratos told her that he swore vengeance upon the gods for what they did to his family, but even after destroying all of Olympus, his guilt still remained, hoping to make Freya realize that pursuit of vengeance would not bring her peace.
Whilst exploring Valhalla, Kratos eventually came across Calliope's flute. He then told Mimir of his last memories with Calliope, how she always loved to play a specific tune on her flute whenever he returned home from a military campaign, and how his decision to leave her behind in the Elysium Fields haunted him for much of his life, with his sadness and regret only being eased upon meeting Faye. Kratos reveals that, before meeting Faye, he would have traded all the years that followed his exit from Elysium for mere hours with Calliope.
Kratos first met Ares indirectly after the latter and Athena arrived in Sparta to take his brother Deimos and get rid of him due to the "Marked Warrior" prophecy, with Ares giving Kratos the scar over his left eye after punching him to prevent the latter from saving Deimos. Kratos would eventually forget this and later served Ares after he saved Kratos from the Barbarians during his conquest of Greece. Ares saw Kratos as the perfect warrior and could use him to take down Zeus and become the new ruler of Olympus. After Kratos killed his enemies to ensure that Kratos would do his bidding, and to make him the ultimate warrior, he forced Kratos to kill innocent people "in the name of Ares". This proved to be easy since Kratos already had a rising bloodlust. His last test was for Kratos to kill his own family, as Ares believed they were holding him back. With them gone, Ares believed Kratos would become stronger- that he would become death itself.
Kratos, however, was enraged and disgusted by what Ares made him do and decided to no longer serve him. Ares refused to let go of Kratos and sent the Furies after him to force him to return. Once Kratos killed the Furies and broke his bond with Ares, his plans were ruined and both had nothing but contempt for each other. Kratos longed for revenge against Ares and finally got his chance when the Gods commanded him to use Pandora's Box to kill him. When Kratos was on the verge of killing Ares, he begged for mercy and justified the murder of his family as trying to make him into a great warrior. Kratos refused to spare Ares and killed him, finally avenging the deaths of his family. Kratos admitted that Ares succeeded in turning Kratos into a great warrior.
Even centuries later, Kratos made it clear he did not regret killing Ares despite having grew to regret his many other actions, describing him as a cruel God and showing nothing but bitterness and contempt towards Ares for tricking him into killing his family.
Kratos served Athena just like he served all the other Gods of Olympus, although his relationship with her was perhaps the strongest among the Greek Pantheon. It was Athena who would deliver Kratos his next assignment during his service with the Gods, she also tries to convince Zeus to relieve Kratos from his nightmares, saves him from a pointless suicide, and it was she who turned him into the new "God of War" after he killed Ares as reward for his services. She even saved Kratos when he was a child from Ares when they took Deimos, and asked Kratos for forgiveness afterwards, showing that while she thought she was protecting Olympus from the "Marked Warrior" prophecy, she had some regrets in doing so, even calling him "brother", showing that she was aware of his relationship to Zeus. Kratos himself respected Athena to a degree and was one of the few people he cared about outside his family. However, once Kratos began a conquest of Greece, he refused to listen to Athena’s pleas to stop, and she had no other choice but to help Olympus rid themselves of him.
Athena discovered that Kratos was alive after Zeus betrayed him, showing that she was still keeping an eye on him. She tries to convince Kratos to abandon his revenge against Zeus, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. When Kratos was on the verge of killing Zeus, Athena intervened and Kratos accidentally killed her, an act he was more strongly affected by than even Zeus. As she lays dying, Athena tells Kratos the truth- that Zeus was his father and tried to kill him. She told him this to end the cycle of patricide, to make Kratos abandon his revenge on Zeus. Kratos refused, stating he has no father. Realizing that Kratos would never stop trying to kill Zeus, she warned him that the Gods would not stop pursuing Kratos, as Zeus was needed for Olympus would prevail. This did not deter Kratos, who stated that if all of Olympus denied him his vengeance, then all of Olympus would die.
After turning into a spirit and realizing the truth of Pandora's Box, Athena began aiding Kratos in his revenge against Zeus. While Kratos was initially suspicious of her, he agreed to her plans of using the Flame of Olympus to destroy Zeus. Once Zeus was killed and the Greek Pantheon was no more, Athena congratulated him and decided that mankind was ready to hear her message, but Kratos stated that the world was in ruins and her message was useless. She wanted to use the power of Hope, which Kratos used to kill Zeus, to rebuild the world in her image, but Kratos refused after realizing she was just using him like before. Rather than entrust the future to Athena, Kratos impales himself with the Blade of Olympus, releasing hope to the mortals so they could live without the Gods of Olympus. Enraged, Athena declared mortals would not know what to do with such power, and told Kratos that he had disappointed her. Removing the Blade from his body, Athena left Kratos to die.
However, Kratos survived his suicide, and migrated to Midgard. During his time there, Kratos would experience hallucinations of Athena's spirit during his quest to find a cure for his son's illness. He apparently has dealt with her appearing before, because of his lack of surprise. These hallucinations taunted Kratos, saying that he was pretending to be something he is not, and that he would always be a monster. Kratos agreed, saying that while he was still a monster, he is no longer her monster.
Atlas despised Kratos for saving the Gods of Olympus and warned him that he would regret what he did. They met again when Kratos was searching for the Sisters of Fate. At first, Atlas tried to kill him but Kratos managed to convince him otherwise. Realizing he was an enemy of Zeus, Atlas tested him and when Kratos passed, he realized that Kratos was a worthy ally of the titans. He helped Kratos across the Great Chasm and wished him luck in his quest.
Aphrodite aided Kratos during his quest to kill Ares by giving him Medusa's head. This allowed Kratos to turn his enemies into stone. During Kratos' war against the Gods of Olympus, Aphrodite didn't participate in defending Olympus, not caring that the other Gods were getting killed or that the world was ending and only cared about having sex. When Kratos first met her, she was being pleased by her handmaidens, but as soon as she saw Kratos, she wanted him to have sex with her. Kratos was unable to harm Aphrodite due to not being threat for him and never caused him any harm as well because of her powers. But fortunately for Kratos, he could resist her attempts to seduce him thanks to his willpower and as his revenge against Zeus was more important to him.
An enraged Aphrodite told Kratos that it had been long since a real man came to see her- the bridges leading to her chambers have been nearly destroyed and Zeus refused to allow Daedalus to repair so he could continue working on the Labyrinth to imprison Pandora. Eventually, Aphrodite discovered that Kratos needed help with the bridges and that only Hephaestus could help him. She agreed to show him the way but only if she had sex with him. Kratos agreed, and after finishing, she was angry that Kratos wanted to have his revenge over having sex with her but kept her end of the deal and showed Kratos a portal that lead straight to Hephaestus. When Kratos returned, Aphrodite was ready for another round with him and he can chose to have sex with her or be on his way to continue his revenge.
Hera was Zeus' wife, but Zeus would constantly have affairs behind her back and would have children from this affairs. This is why she hated Kratos- because he was a living reminder that Zeus cheated on her. She told her husband to kill Kratos when he was a child, but Zeus instead took pity on him and refused, enraging Hera even more. Every time she met Kratos, she was insulting and hostile towards him while Kratos himself was surprisingly calm. It is possible that since Hera was so weak, Kratos didn't see her as a threat. He would have let her live if she had she not insulted Pandora, who Kratos was close to. However, due to Hera's bitterness and insults, he killed her without a second thought afterwards.
Centuries later, Kratos still had no regrets to killing her because of her nature.
Kratos served Helios just like he served the other Gods of Olympus. When Helios was captured by Atlas, It was Kratos' mission to save him. When he succeeded and returned Helios to his rightful place in the sky, Helios was grateful and even wanted to help Kratos when he was found weak after the journey but was denied by Athena who knew he would live. They would see each other again when Kratos waged war against the Gods of Olympus, with Helios fighting for Olympus. Kratos aided Perses in his fight. With Helios weakened and at Kratos' mercy, he remembered the debt he still owed Kratos and begged Kratos to save him again, promising to repay him.
Kratos was intrigued by the offer, but was still suspicious. He demanded Helios to tell him where the Flame of Olympus was. Helios refused to tell him and tried to use the power of the Sun to kill Kratos, but Kratos was able to withstand his attack and stepped on Helios. Helios tried to trick Kratos by making him touch the Flame of Olympus, but this didn't work, as Kratos already knew that doing so would end in his death. Realizing that his end was near, Helios told Kratos killing him would not lead him to Zeus. Kratos disagreed, and ripped Helios' head off and began using it as a lantern.
Centuries later, while traveling Valhalla, it was revealed that a part of Kratos regretted killing Helios, as he had grew to realize that he didn't really need to kill the God of the Sun and had repaid Helios' previous saving of his life with his ruthless, relentless anger, especially as killing Helios greatly increased the suffering of Greece. Due to this, Helios would replace Mimir at certain times in accompanying him to Valhalla, and while acting cold towards Helios, Kratos never retorted against Helios's words and even apologized to Helios by admitting he was unjust in killing him.
Kratos served Hades just like he served all the other Gods of Olympus. Hades aided Kratos when he was attempting to acquire Pandora's Box by giving him the magic Army of Hades. After being infected by the evils of Pandora's Box this made him hate Kratos for killing his wife Persephone. He would also despise Kratos for killing Poseidon and his niece Athena. When Hades fought Kratos, he tried to kill him and vowed to make him suffer for all the pain he caused him but the tables were turned when Kratos stole his weapons, the Claws of Hades, and stole his soul instead, and killed Hades.
Kratos served Hermes along with the other Gods of Olympus. However, it seems that Hermes didn't contribute to Kratos' service as much as the other Gods did, as he is not shown giving Kratos any assignments to do. Kratos encounters him during his war against Olympus but Kratos didn't see him as a threat and only attacked Hermes when he insulted and provoked him. Hermes, instead of fighting Kratos, tried to avoid him by running at fast speeds. Once cornered, he tried to defeat Kratos, but because of his weakened state he easily fell to the Spartan. In his final moments, he insulted Kratos one last time before being killed by him.
Hercules was Kratos' half-brother. They seemed to know each other before Kratos waged war on the Gods and addressed each other as brothers.
However, Hercules was jealous of Kratos because he had gained more fame and glory than him by allowing him to kill Ares, and by becoming the new "God of War" while he himself was sent on his labors, which he considered pitiful by comparison. Because of this, Hercules believed that Kratos was Zeus' favourite and wanted to kill him to prove to their father that he deserved the title of the God of War. Kratos, however, had no intention of fighting Hercules and instead tried to reason with him, saying that his war with the Gods had nothing to do with Hercules and that he was misguided in thinking Zeus had favourites. But Hercules refused to listen and attacked Kratos, who was then forced to kill his brother.
Hercules remains the only God Kratos actually tried to dissuade from fighting against him and the only divine sibling Kratos openly acknowledged, besides Deimos. Despite this, however, while Kratos did not want his brother's death, centuries later, he admitted he didn't regret stopping him from becoming God of War even if it meant killing him, as his desire for the throne was driven by selfish reasons.
Kratos and Hephaestus seem to know each other before his exile. While Hephaestus blamed Kratos for his suffering, he was never hostile to Kratos and was friendly towards him. Hephaestus told Kratos what he knew about the secrets of Olympus- particularly the Flame of Olympus. He also told Kratos how he used to be the prize craftsman in Olympus, and how he enjoyed his life on Olympus, but when Kratos killed Ares, that was when his life changed. It was at that point that Zeus became the monster he was now. He beat Hephaestus to a bloody pulp and took Pandora, his daughter, away from him so he could suffer for all eternity. Hephaestus tried to recreate Pandora, but no matter how hard he tried, he failed, time and time again.
Knowing of Kratos' skill, he hoped that he could recover her for him, but Kratos refused. He tried to persuade Kratos by reminding him that he, too, used to be a father. While Kratos was moved by this, he still chose not to help Hephaestus. Later, Kratos encountered Hephaestus again. At first, he mistook him for Aphrodite but then realized his error. Kratos told him he was seeking the Labyrinth. Hephaestus, confused, thought he sought the Flame of Olympus, but realized what Kratos was planning. He told him to stay away from Pandora. Hephaestus explained that Kratos was the reason she was in there in the first place, and why he was also banished to the Underworld.
Kratos denied doing anything wrong to Hephaestus, but by opening Pandora's Box he had. He told Kratos that to contain the evils born from the Great War, he had to use a power greater than the Gods- the Flame of Olympus, which, when he finished it he knew putting it in the Flame would be the safest place. To get the Box, he created Pandora who was needed to pacify the Flame, but in time, he saw Pandora as his daughter and couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Hephaestus lied to Zeus, telling him that it is still on the back of Cronos. It is because it was the safest place as he thought no one could best the Titan. It was after Kratos succeeded in getting the Box that Zeus knew Hephaestus lied to him. Zeus tortured him until eventually he told the truth about where to put Pandora's Box, and how Pandora was needed to get the Box. When trying to convince Kratos to not sacrifice Pandora, he instead sent him on a suicide mission and hoped that Cronos would kill him. Instead, Kratos killed Cronos. Hephaestus forged the Nemesis Whip and tried to kill Kratos himself to protect Pandora but Kratos managed to kill him instead. His last wish was that Pandora forgive him for failing to protect her and begged Kratos to spare her. Kratos wasn't angry at Hephaestus for trying to kill him, as he was just trying to protect his child, something Kratos himself understood. Kratos knew that if he had been in the Hephaestus' situation, he would have done the same thing.
Centuries later, he admitted he regretted killing Hephaestus because he was undeserving. Kratos also voiced praised of his craftmanship, during a talk with Atreus.
At first, Kratos wasn't interested in Pandora as he only cared about getting his revenge on Zeus. However, once he figured out that Pandora was needed to gain Pandora's Box, the very thing that Kratos needed to kill Zeus, he went to rescue her. When the time came for him to sacrifice Pandora, Kratos relented as he had bonded with Pandora and wanted to find another way to kill Zeus. When Pandora sacrificed herself to unlock the Box, it was shown to be empty, leading Kratos to believe that she was sacrificed in vain. This turned to be false as Pandora's spirit communicated with Kratos inside his mind, allowing him to forgive himself for his sins and use the Power of Hope that was buried deep within him to kill Zeus. Inspired by Pandora's words, he released the power of Hope in a way that allowed the mortals of the Greek World to live without the Gods of Olympus.
Kratos served Poseidon just like he served all the other Gods of Olympus at first. Poseidon aided Kratos against the Hydra by giving him the magic 'Poseidon's Rage'. However, Kratos' destructive conquest of Greece along with Kratos destroying Atlantis, and with the evil of Pandora's Box infecting him, made Poseidon despise Kratos. When Kratos attacked Olympus with the Titans, Poseidon battled Kratos with all his might to make him pay for the crimes he committed against him, only to be eventually killed by Kratos.
Centuries later, in Midgard, Kratos briefly allured to his fight with Poseidon and his skirmish with the hippocamps when he, Freya and Mimir found a Kelpie during their search for the Norns. Freya sarcastically replied that his brutal battle with Poseidon may not be the Kelpie's favorite subject.
Kratos encountered Persephone while in the Underworld. At that point, he wanted to be with his daughter, Calliope, even willing to abandon the Gods to the power of Morpheus. He was insulting and hostile to Persephone, but nevertheless, she helped Kratos reunite with his daughter. She warned him that the world would suffer for his choice, which Kratos ignored. Persephone revealed that Kratos being reunited with his daughter was part of her plan to destroy the world and free herself from her miserable existence. Realizing that the destruction of the world would mean the end of Calliope, as well, Kratos' rage at Persephone increased. He was forced to abandon his daughter and Kratos killed Persephone for both threatening to put his daughter in harm's way and for making him give up the only chance he had to be with her.
Kratos was aware of Theseus, as Theseus was aware of Kratos losing his divine status as the "God of War" and mocked him for it as well as his journey to reach the Sisters of Fate. Kratos had some respect for Theseus, as he was the last person that Kratos believed would serve the Sisters of Fate and would have let Theseus lived had he not decided to fight and kill Kratos.
When Kratos discovered that his brother Deimos was alive and being tortured by Thanatos, Kratos was enraged and vowed to rescue his brother. He hated Thanatos for all the pain he caused to Deimos and worked with his brother to make Thanatos pay. When Thanatos ended up killing Deimos, Kratos' hatred grew further for his enemy and killed Thanatos without mercy.
Erinys was sent by Thanatos to stop Kratos from saving his brother. Kratos was determined to save him and would not allow anything to stop him, including Erinys. Kratos likely was neutral and annoyed towards Erinys, as she was simply an obstacle for him to overcome in saving Deimos not only for trying to stop him, but likely became more wrathful towards her killing of several Spartan soldiers.
Kratos was Zeus' son, which made Gaia his great-grandmother. Ever since Gaia and the other Titans were banished to Tartarus by Zeus, she wanted revenge on her grandson. She saw Kratos as the warrior she needed to enact her revenge and kept a close eye on him. When Zeus betrayed Kratos, Gaia saved him and told him to go to the Sisters of Fate; that way, he could go back in time to the point where Zeus betrayed him so he could have a better chance at defeating Zeus.
She explained to Kratos that the reason she helped Kratos was to get revenge on Zeus for his betrayal against all the Titans. When Zeus was supposed to be eaten by his father, Cronos, Rhea (Zeus' mother) instead gave her child to Gaia to protect him and to raise him to free his brothers from Cronos. However, her act of compassion for Zeus would come back to haunt her, as Zeus not only wanted to free his brothers from his father, but also to take his place as the new ruler of the mortal world. By throwing his aunts and uncles into Tartarus, he betrayed all Titans just because of the sins of one.
When Kratos was about to give up and be killed by the Kraken, Gaia appeared before him and told him he must press on, for a Great War was coming and they needed him to lead them into battle. She warned him that if Zeus were to discover that Kratos was alive, he would hunt him down and kill him, and then Hades would collect his soul and make sure that Kratos was forever tortured. Gaia encouraged Kratos to keep going by giving him the ashes of his beloved Sparta so that it could fuel his rage, giving Kratos back his will to live.
Kratos went back in time to the first Great War and saved Gaia along with the rest of the Titans, and together they climbed Mount Olympus ready to have their revenge on Zeus. While climbing the mountain, Poseidon joined the fight and tried to pull the Titans off the mountain. Together, Kratos and Gaia defeated Poseidon. They eventually reached Zeus and, in an attempt to kill them, Zeus fired a lightning bolt at them. Gaia tried to stop her grandson but was too slow. Kratos begged Gaia for aid but Gaia refused to help Kratos, for if she did, they would both fall. Kratos reminded her that the promised death of Zeus was why she saved Kratos. To this, she stated she had saved him only to serve the Titans. It was at this point that Gaia revealed her true colors- that she saw Kratos as nothing more than a pawn who had lost its usefulness and told Kratos that Zeus was no longer his concern, that was their war, not his, after which she purposely let him fall off the mountain into the Underworld.
Kratos later encounters Gaia again in the City of Olympia, where she appears to have been further pushed back from Olympus by her injury and is now hanging onto a cliff edge. Seeing Kratos again, Gaia expresses surprise and then requests his assistance in getting back to the battle. Kratos, still enraged by her betrayal, sarcastically repeats her request for help and then points out she betrayed him. Gaia attempts to justify herself, but Kratos simply ignores her and begins cutting through what's left of her arm. When the Titaness asks if she means nothing to him, Kratos coldly echoes her previous words to him before he fell off the mountain by telling her that she was simply a means to an end, nothing more and that this was his war, not the Titans. He then stabbed the last remaining bone that connected her arm to her nearly severed hand with the Blade of Olympus, causing it to explode and the Titaness to fall beyond the cliff edge, leading Kratos to believe she died.
However, during Kratos' final showdown with Zeus, Gaia was shown to be in fact still alive, and had managed to grow a new hand which she then used to climb all the way up to the top of Olympus. Kratos expressed surprise at seeing her alive, to which she responded that the world bleeds because of all of the destruction he caused by killing the Gods. Gaia then remarked that she never wanted Kratos dead but he has left her no choice. She attempted to crush both father and son with her hands, but Kratos and Zeus jumped into the hole in Gaia's shoulder to quickly escape. Kratos killed his great-grandmother shortly thereafter by purposely destroying her heart during his fight with Zeus, which caused her body to fall at Olympus.
As Kratos was Zeus' son, Cronos was Kratos' grandfather. They first met when Kratos tried to retrieve Pandora's Box. Cronos didn't seem to care, and allowed Kratos to climb to Pandora's Temple to claim Pandora's Box. When Kratos succeeded, Zeus, who was consumed by fear, believed that Kratos would seek Cronos' aid. Zeus also blamed Cronos for Kratos managing to retrieve the box as he was supposed to kill anyone trying to reach Pandora's Temple. He promptly banished Cronos to the pits of Tartarus. Cronos despised Kratos, blaming him for his torment.
They met again when Kratos went to Tartarus, where he tried to kill Kratos as punishment for his suffering, and also to avenge Gaia who was supposedly dead. Unlike many, Cronos acknowledged the Spartan's skill and even called him a great warrior. Unable to defeat Cronos head-on, Kratos used his wits and skills and managed to avoid Cronos but instead damage parts of his body. Eventually, Cronos captured Kratos and ate him. This would later prove to be an error as Kratos managed to cut Cronos open from the inside, releasing his intestines. Realizing he had been bested, he pleaded Kratos to leave him be, but Kratos ignored his pleas and killed Cronos. Realizing that his death was nigh, he insulted Kratos one last time by calling him a coward who kills his own kin. While it was true that Kratos wanted to kill his father Zeus, Cronos himself was no better as he tried to kill his own children as they were prophesied to kill him, showing that his last words were ironic.
Norse Timeline
Laufey the Just, or Faye as she is affectionately called, became Kratos' second wife after he left Greece for Midgard. The two met and fought when Faye was looking for her Leviathan Axe before falling in love and settling down. Together, they bore another child who was named Atreus. Faye, like Lysandra before her, loved Kratos dearly and she shared his animosity towards the Gods. She was aware of the role he and their son would play regarding Ragnarök.
To that end, she instructed her husband to, after her death, cremate her and spread her ashes upon the highest peak in the Nine Realms. Kratos, up to that point, was unaware of Faye's status as a Giant but had found love again with her, having cared deeply for her just as he had for Lysandra. He was enraged when Atreus believed that he lacked grief for her, and despised how her son spoke ill of her. His love for Faye was so great that he knew she had good reasons to hide the fact she was a Giant from her family, and angrily rebuffed Freya when she insinuated that Faye sent him on his journey to Jotunheim so that he could avenge her race by bringing down Asgard, unintentionally implying that Faye only married him to manipulate and use him as a weapon against the Aesir. After bringing down Asgard and defeating Odin, Kratos found her shrine, which revealed that she had destroyed Atreus' shrine in the Jotunheim mountain specifically so that Kratos and Atreus wouldn't know their fate (which the giants had prophesized would end with Kratos' death at Thor's hands). Kratos realized that Faye went against her own people to protect him and Atreus, and not let them be bound by the fate that the Giants had carved out for them, undoubtedly proving that her love for him was genuine.
His relationship with Faye was shown further in depth in his dreams. Faye would lightly tease Kratos for his gruff and quiet demeanor and spend time hunting together in the forest. Kratos deeply respected Faye and her kind nature, telling Atreus that she was better than a God. Kratos would use Faye's example of kindness to steer Atreus onto a better path: when Kratos and Atreus were stuck in Hel thanks to Atreus' recklessness, he outright demanded Atreus to honor Faye and abandon his path of pride and violence he'd chosen. Because of Kratos' faith in Faye, he was shocked to learn that she was responsible for the destruction of the valley in Vanaheim in her fight with Thor. Kratos remarks how he'd never imagined Faye could possess the kind of wrath to cause such devastation.
Atreus is the son of Kratos and Laufey the Just. He was Kratos' second child after Calliope. At Faye's request, Kratos did not raise Atreus and instead spent most of his time either hunting or training to control his rage. This meant that Kratos rarely ever interacted with Atreus during his early developing years, and whenever he did speak to Atreus, he was often blunt and distant, leading to Atreus believing that Kratos didn't care for him, as well as knowing nothing about Kratos' past. Once Faye died, he decided to raise Atreus himself, focusing on teaching him survival skills and preparing him for their journey to spread Faye's ashes, but was often harsh and brusque with his words, rarely showing affection. Deep down however, Kratos loved and cared for Atreus, his strictness coming from his resentment of his own violent past and wanting to protect Atreus. Kratos feared that, without discipline, or if Atreus learnt about his past, he would grow up to become a cruel, violent god, no better than the man he once was in Greece. Kratos often scolded Atreus whenever he made a mistake, and although at times he would shout in anger, he always managed to calm himself down before things got too heated.
Kratos took him to Freya so she could save him, and traveled to Helheim to find the ingredient needed to revive him. This was also one of the rare occasions in a long time that Kratos has ever been terrified and desperate enough to ask another God if he still did not fully trust for help, even going as far as apologizing to Freya for his initial rudeness over learning about her identity and godhood.
At first, he kept his past a secret from his son out of shame, but eventually told him more about it so Atreus didn't make the same mistakes he did and so that he could be better than he was. They bonded during their journey and now both were willing to protect each other from any threat.
At first, Kratos was wary of Freya as he didn't like strangers, but did help her as it was his fault that her friend was hurt. Even though Freya wanted to help Kratos and Atreus, he was still suspicious of her and only allowed it because Faye's quest was more important. Once he realized the truth, that she was a Goddess, he instantly no longer trusted her due to his own experience with the Gods of Olympus. Once Atreus was sick though, he instantly went to Freya and begged her to save his son. Freya agreed and told Kratos of the ingredient she needed to create a cure that would bring Atreus back from the brink of death; the heart of the Bridgekeeper in Helheim, the Realm of the Dead. Before he left, Kratos attempted to apologize for his earlier behavior towards her, only to be stopped by Freya, who reassured him that he was right to distrust the word of a God. Freya then promised she would keep his son safe until he returned, noting that she was a parent as well.
After retrieving the heart and returning to Freya's home, the two briefly discussed how the cure would only be temporary and that in order to heal properly, Kratos would need to tell Atreus the truth about his nature as a God. Freya then revealed she also had a son, whom she had not seen in a very long time and that she too had let her own fear take precedence over what her son needed, but she never realized his growing resentment until it was too late. Freya advised Kratos to not make the same mistake and reassured him that while the truth is never simple, nothing ever is when it comes to being a parent. Atreus then awoke, the cure having broken the fever. After this interaction, Kratos gained a newfound respect for Freya and vowed to never forget how she helped his family.
He was quick to figure out upon learning that Baldur was Freya's son and that Freya was the one who cursed Mimir so that he couldn't say anything about it. Still, despite this, Kratos still cared for and respected her as he did not attack her and told Atreus to remain calm and actively defended Freya from Baldur. Alas, this would cause Freya to turn against Kratos, though, neither of them were eager to engage one another, Freya pleading with Kratos and Atreus to stop attacking Baldur and let her reason with him and Kratos in return not attacking her for her attempts and continuing to fight Baldur to protect her. In a cruel twist of fate, Kratos managed to repay this debt by killing Baldur, Freya's son, who was about to strangle his mother to death due to the resentment and hatred he had carried for her for cursing him with sensory deprivation as a side effect of her invulnerability spell for over a hundred years. Freya was enraged by the death of her son and vowed revenge. Kratos wasn't angry because of what she said as he understood the pain of losing a child, and hoped that in time Freya would forgive him for what he did.
Freya would eventually keep her promise of revenge and began attacking Kratos and Atreus whenever they left home to get food. Kratos, however, would not fight back and only fend her off, showing that he still cared for her despite her hatred. His care was still strong that he even refused Odin's offer to keep Freya off his back in exchange for not attacking the All - Father and leaving him alone. Freya would even send Raiders to his home to try and kill him but that did not change his care for her. After this, the two would temporarily form a truce to save Vanaheim where their relationship would be rocky at first with Freya rebuffing Kratos' attempts at consoling her, but after killing Níðhögg, Freya would admit that Kratos did not deserve to die, despite claiming that a part of her would hate him, to which Kratos understands and tells her that she does not need to explain herself to him about it. Overtime, after he helps her break off her ties to Odin and helps her defend her people, they would both make amends, with Freya even slowly understanding and empathizing with Kratos more after he reveals his tragic life and past to her.
Kratos met Baldur when he attacked Kratos' home. At first, Kratos didn't want to fight Baldur, but Baldur's attacks as well as his provocation forced Kratos to defend himself. Once Kratos discovered the truth, that Freya was Baldur's mother and he was going to kill her to punish her for all the pain she caused, Kratos tried to stop him. He understood why Baldur was going to kill Freya but warned him that vengeance would not bring him peace and was forced to fight and kill Baldur to protect Freya. Kratos both despised and pitied Baldur, as Baldur represented Kratos at the stage of his life where he was consumed by vengeance, refusing to stand down or listen to warning no matter how many times he was told, even continuing his hunt of Kratos after getting his neck snapped during their first encounter. Similarly, Kratos ignored every mortal and god that told him to abandon his pursuit of vengeance, and stopped at nothing, even death, to kill Zeus.
Kratos took no pleasure in killing Baldur, knowing that it would cause Freya immense grief, however he didn't regret his actions, as he knew that if he let Baldur live, he wouldn't have abandoned his pursuit of vengeance and would have tried to kill Freya and himself.
Brok was the first ally Kratos met on his quest to spread Faye's ashes. Like with Sindri, Kratos was often blunt and unfriendly with Brok, even dismissing Brok's claim that Brok had made the Leviathan Axe along with his brother, only believing him when Brok showed solid proof. Brok's unusual manners and foul tongue both amused and bemused Atreus, whilst Kratos often found his chatter annoying. Nevertheless, he acknowledged Brok's skill as a smith and his knowledge of the realm gateways, allowing him to work on his gear and the Axe, often used the Gateways when travelling around Midgard and requested Brok's help on making a key by Mimir's counsel. Despite finding both the Huldra brothers annoying, Kratos was more tolerant of Brok than Sindri, as Brok's more blunt and straightforward demeanor suited Kratos more than Sindri's more chatty, overly-friendly and germophobic behavior, which Kratos was often irritated by. Furthermore, Kratos openly showed respect to Brok when he offered to help him on his dangerous journey to Helheim, as Kratos politely refused the offer, telling Brok that his smithing work had aided them more than enough already. Kratos never showed offense to Brok's foul language, even when it was directed at him, as Kratos quickly realized that it was said out of crude habit rather than genuine intention to offend him.
Three years later, Kratos' relationship with Brok had improved, calling him by his name and accepting his invitation to stay at their home in the Realm between Realms, despite showing reluctance at leaving his home in Midgard. In his journal, Kratos noted that despite Brok's foul tongue and ill-manners, there was wisdom in his words, and that he found him 'acceptable company.' This was shown when Kratos allowed Brok to accompany him as an ally in battle more than once, and openly chose Brok over Sindri when going to Svartelheim to make the Draupnir Spear, which was Brok's idea, stating that Brok spoke plainly and was therefore more trustworthy. When Brok was shocked and angered over the realisation that he had an incomplete soul and Sindri had lied to him about his death, Kratos comforted Brok, using Brok's own advice regarding form and nature to reassure him that he was a good person and a great blacksmith who's blessing was no less valuable than The Lady's, showing how much he valued Brok's wisdom and desire to help others as well as his skill. After Brok's death at the hands of Odin, Kratos was deeply saddened, taking time away from the war effort with Atreus to grieve Brok, and it was ultimately what drove him to lead the Realms against Asgard.
Kratos met Sindri while on his quest to spread Faye's ashes. As with others, Kratos was often blunt and demanding with Sindri, refusing to put up with his germaphobic demeanor. However, he acknowledged Sindri's talents and allowed him to upgrade the Leviathan Axe. After having saved Sindri from a dragon, he refused to outright admit to Sindri that he wanted to save him, insisting that the dragon was only in their way. Like Atreus, he would be annoyed at Sindri's habit of constantly badmouthing and complaining about Brok. Despite this, he refused to go so far as to confront Sindri about this, as he disagreed with how Atreus spoke to Sindri in regards to this. Kratos would also agree to visit certain shrines and dungeons as favors for Sindri, though usually if there was some reward in it for Kratos and Atreus.
Three years later, his relationship with Sindri had improved. While angered upon learning that Sindri had been helping Atreus behind his back, Kratos admits in his journal that he was nevertheless grateful someone had been there to help Atreus, so he holds back his frustration at Sindri for the most part. After Atreus had attacked Sindri when he'd lost control and turned into a bear, Kratos would ask Sindri if his injuries hurt, demonstrating how Kratos had become considerate of Sindri's well-being. In the wake of Brok's death, Kratos empathized with Sindri's grief, telling Atreus to leave Sindri alone and let him mourn as he wished. When Atreus questioned whether Atreus and Kratos were Sindri's family as well, Kratos assured him that they were, proving that Kratos had come to genuinely see Sindri as a true friend. At Brok's funeral, Kratos affectionately placed his hand on Sindri's shoulder and tried to talk to him, remaining calm when Sindri reacted angrily to him.
Kratos would encounter the sons of Thor (including Magni) during Faye's last request and like many before him, was not impressed by them, calling them fools. Unlike Atreus, who felt bad for them for having a terrible father, Kratos didn't feel such sympathy, believing that since they are no longer children, they have no excuse. However, once he and his son Atreus fought them near Thamur's chisel, he took the fight seriously. During the ensuing battle between Magni and his brother Modi, Kratos overpowers and kills him, forcing Modi to run away in fear. Despite this, Magni sees Kratos as a worthy opponent and “challenge”. In his Journal, Kratos noted that Magni was strong, but extremely arrogant.
Kratos held Modi in low regard, disliking him for his cowardice, the insults he made about Faye, and worse; playing a hand in the return of the sickness of Atreus in Tyr's temple. Seeing his son in danger made Kratos give into his rage and he easily overpowered Modi; he would have harmed Modi further had he not been more worried about his son instead. When he encountered Modi again in Midgard's mountain, he felt some pity for him since he was badly wounded by his own father and tried to convince Atreus not to kill him, as he was no longer a threat. When Atreus killed Modi, Kratos was shocked and horrified, warning him that there are consequences to killing a God. True enough, Thor would come to seek revenge for the deaths of his sons. As the two Gods battled, Kratos would call him out for his terrible parenting which lead to their deaths, especially Modi, which insulted Thor.
When facing Valhalla's trials, Kratos encountered and defeated an illusion of Modi, albeit more powerful than he had been in real life. Kratos was initially confused as to why his memory of Modi was weighed heavily enough on his mind that he would be summoned as an opponent in Valhalla. However, after battling Valhalla's version of Magni, Kratos realized that, due to being more knowledgeable about the Aesir family, he had developed a new perspective on Thor's sons. Kratos felt that, due to their cruel upbringing and harsh treatment under Odin, Thor and Baldur, they never had a proper chance to become decent people, realizing that had he raised Atreus in the way that he himself was raised in Sparta, Atreus would have grown up to be no better than Thor's sons. By fighting Modi in a fair 1-on-1 duel in Valhalla, Kratos understood that he was giving him an honor in death that he never received in life.
Kratos met Mimir at the top of a mountain while the former ambassador is imprisoned on a tree by Odin. In Mimir's request, Kratos cut off Mimir's head and bring it to Freya to reanimate him. Kratos always called Mimir "head". Throughout both games, Mimir and Kratos start to develop a friendship. Mimir often recited stories of the Nine Realms, the Giants and the Aesir, and liked to make jokes as well as give Kratos advice when he felt that Kratos wasn't handling his relationship with Atreus optimally. Whilst Atreus greatly appreciated Mimir's presence, Kratos was often annoyed by Mimir's excessive chatter and angered when Mimir tried to advise him with regards to parenting, though he trusted and valued his knowledge on the Nine Realms and on rare occasions, bantered with him in his own blunt way.
Over the next three years however, Kratos' relationship with Mimir drastically improved, as he starts to call Mimir by his name, and calls him 'Brother' multiple times, trusting his advice both on the realms and his relationship with Atreus, only ever showing anger towards him when he learnt that Mimir enslaved aa giant sea creature many years ago in order to impress Odin. Kratos openly shares his thoughts and tales of his past with Mimir, and more frequently exchanges jokes with him, even chuckling on occasion. In Valhalla, Kratos noted in his journal that with Atreus starting his own journey and Freya being occupied, he valued his friendship with Mimir more than ever, and wished that he had met Mimir years ago shortly after his rampage through Greece, where he had wandered the lands alone, riddled with hate and misery, believing that Mimir's presence would have helped him greatly.
Kratos knew little about Odin during Faye's life, as he seldom listened to Faye's stories about the Gods, only knowing that Odin was the king of the Aesir. Due to his previous experiences with the Olympians, especially Zeus, Kratos likely viewed Odin with contempt before he learned much about him. Through Mimir's guidance, he would learn about the atrocities that Odin committed on the Nine Realms, notably how he drove the Giants into near extinction, his marriage to Freya, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and his manipulative, deceitful nature. These stories, along with his encounters with Baldur and Thor's sons, reinforced Kratos' contemptuous thoughts on Odin, viewing him as a cruel, manipulative, paranoid God who cared nothing about the suffering of others. During his journey to fulfil Faye's last wish, he believed that Odin had sent his kin to hunt him due to his past life as the "Ghost of Sparta". Upon realizing that Faye was a Giant and she had foreseen their entire journey to spread her ashes, he realized much later that Odin was actually trying to track her all along to find a way into Jötunheim, unaware that she was already dead.
After completing Faye's request, he tasked Atreus with repairing the protective stave across their home as he knew that Odin would seek revenge on him and Atreus for killing three of his kin, this view reinforced by him glimpsing a mural image in Jötunheim that had prophesized his death. Odin eventually managed to track him down and met the Ghost of Sparta face-to-face along with Thor. Despite three of his kin being killed by Kratos, Odin claimed that he actually wanted peace with Kratos and attempted to strike a deal, in that he would not attack Kratos and his son, in return, Atreus would stop looking for Týr and Kratos would spill no more Aesir blood. Odin was willing to allow Kratos to keep Mimir and settle his score with Freya in order to convince Kratos to accept.
Kratos knew from Mimir's counsel that Odin was not to be trusted, and the fact that he was willing to harm Freya only further strengthened his refusal, as he still cared about Freya and had no intention of allying himself with the one who caused her so much pain. Despite wanting nothing to do with Odin, Kratos initially had no intention of fighting him, knowing all too well the consequences of war with the gods, fearing that it would lead to the same decimation and slaughter that he had caused in his quest to kill Zeus. However, things would worsen when he realized that Odin invited Atreus to Asgard, an invite that Atreus later accepted. Kratos was no stranger when it came to the Gods using other people, he also witnessed first hand what happens to people who fell for Odin's lies, knowing that it would lead to his son's death or, even worse, Odin would manipulate Atreus into doing unspeakable acts to further his goals, turn him against his own father, and then dispose of him when he was no longer needed. This pushed Kratos towards opposing Odin, and when Odin encountered Kratos in Svartelheim and again claimed to desire peace between them, Kratos coldly rebuffed him, even threatening him with war if he didn't return his son to him. This pushed Odin into reminding Kratos of his destructive past, claiming that he was still nothing more than a uncaring monster and that Atreus would never want to rejoin him as a result, in an attempt to place doubt into Kratos' mind.
Later on, when Odin killed Brok, this was the last straw for Kratos and he agreed with Freya to unleash Ragnarök and start the war of Asgard. Although he did unleash war on Asgard, he made it clear he only did it because Odin forced his hand and was unwilling to make the finishing blow to Odin, instead trusting it to Freya. Like the others, he was content to keeping Odin's soul trapped in the marble but when SIndri came to destroy it, Kratos was the only one whose face was expressionless, showing that even he knew Odin had it coming.
Kratos was only vaguely aware of Thor before Faye's death, recognizing him as the "God of Thunder" when seeing his statue. Through Mimir, he would learn about Thor's drunken, violent nature and the atrocities that he committed, particularly against the giants of Jötunheim and how he nearly wiped them from existence. Through this, as well as meeting Magni and Modi, and learning from a spirit that his mother was killed by the God of Thunder during a drunken rage, Kratos developed a low opinion of Thor, believing him to be a destructive, remorseless brute and a terrible father, using the spirit's story as a lesson to his son that it was a nature of a God to cause harm to others. Regardless, he didn't underestimate Thor either, as he warned his son not to take the Gods lightly after they successfully destroy a statue of Thor, showing that he saw Thor as a formidable opponent.
Eventually, they would meet face-to-face during Fimbulwinter, with Kratos recognizing him with the huge thunderstorm and the legendary Mjölnir being dead giveaways. Even though Thor stated all he wanted was to talk with Kratos and have a drink with him, Kratos was unwilling to let him enter his home as he was wary of how dangerous he was, and although he allowed Thor to enter, he kept his guard up, barely taking his eyes off of him until Odin arrived. Tension was in the air as it was obvious that Thor wanted revenge on Kratos for the deaths of Baldur, Magni, and Modi. It was only when Odin gave him permission did he unleash his fury on Kratos and vowed to take a piece of Kratos for all the pain he caused to his family.
Although Kratos fought back, he intially tried to reason with Thor stating that he didn't seek that fight with his brother or his sons. Thor scoffed at this, and demanded that Kratos showed him the strength and rage he was so infamous for, having looked forward to this battle for a long time. This gave Thor a mental edge against Kratos during the fight, and along with his sheer strength and tenacity, he became one of the few to actually succeed in killing him. Thor, however, wanting to see the monster inside Kratos, refused to end the battle that way and instantly revived him. When reasoning failed, Kratos became more aggressive, blaming Thor for Modi's death, as the only reason they found Modi in Midgard in such a weakened state was due to the beating Thor had given him. Thor was angered by this, and continued his fight with Kratos; having him on the ropes and, after breaking his shield and grabbing him in a chokehold, had Kratos in an extremely vulnerable position. Thor took this chance to threaten Atreus, a remark that made Kratos lose control of his anger, breaking free and delivering a fearsome punch that staggered Thor and knocked out a tooth, but satisfied him, stating that his blood debt was paid as he had gotten a taste of Kratos' true power. After the fight, Kratos took Thor as a serious threat, noting that his blows were as heavy as anything he'd ever felt, that Thor fought like a warrior who lusted for battle rather than outwardly causing pain, and he was glad that their fight ended prematurely.
As Kratos continued his travels, he eventually started to develop empathy for Thor as he learnt that Thor had received a brutal upbringing from Odin, a deliberate attempt on Odin's part to mold Thor into a merciless killer that didn't think for himself or question anything that Odin ordered. Atreus made it clear that Thor really did love his family and regretted what he had done to Magni and Modi, having promised to quit drinking after their deaths and being more protective of his remaining child Thrúd, who turned out to be a decent person that befriended Atreus. Kratos recognized that he and Thor had led similar lives, both powerful warriors with destructive pasts and tragic losses, used and abused by evil Gods for their own ends, the key difference being that Kratos eventually broke free of his father's hold, whereas Thor remained stuck under Odin's. Eventually, when Kratos unleashed Ragnarök and waged war on Asgard, they engaged in one last battle. This time, Kratos had learned from their previous fight and used every weapon and skill at his disposal to overwhelm Thor as he proved to be the better warrior, only holding back enough to avoid dealing the final killing blow, controlling his inner rage. Throughout the fight, Kratos tried to reason with Thor, believing that they didn't have to fight and that Odin didn't care about him or his family, and eventually spared him as he managed to get through to Thor, telling him that they must be better for the sake of their children. As a result, when Odin appeared and furiously berated Thor for standing down against Kratos, Thor cast his hammer aside and openly refused Odin's order. Unfortunately, it also lead to his death, with Odin killing him. When Lúnda mentioned that she planned to tell everyone that he took down Thor, Kratos sadly stated that that was not what happened, showing that he felt saddened that Thor had died before he had a chance for redemption.
Kratos knew nothing about the Norse "God of War", mainly because Odin made it his mission to make sure no one knew about him after imprisoning him, laying waste to his temple and everything he stood for, and convincing everyone that he was dead. He learned more about Týr while traveling through his temple and also through his good friend Mimir, developing a measure of respect for his counterpart, as Týr was a God who encouraged peace and sharing wisdom, only resorting to war when it was necessary, something that Kratos very much attested to after learning from the mistakes he made during his life in Greece. He approved of Mimir using Týr as an example to Atreus to use his godhood to help others, althoughhe showed guilt and regret when exploring his vault, knowing deep down that Týr, a God that Atreus looked up to, was a far better and wiser God of War than he ever was, as he was consumed by rage and hate during his time on the throne. When meeting Týr in the land of the dwarves, Kratos was not impressed and believed he would not be as useful as Atreus hoped, though he expressed pity for his condition and respect for his desire to avoid war. However, his anger and distrust for Týr would increase for his continued uselessness and for playing a hand in Atreus going to Asgard, eventually ignoring his advice entirely when he learnt that Heimdall intended to kill Atreus. After freeing the real Týr in Niflheim, Kratos had little to say, Odin's deception of Týr still etched in his mind, as well as the fact that he and Freya had much work to do in restoring the realms and the real Týr needed time to process everything that had happened in his absence.
After meeting Týr again in Valhalla and realising that he had sent the invitation, Kratos was confused as to what Týr's intentions were, skeptical when Týr claimed that he intended to help Kratos overcome his mental struggles. This skepticism soon vanished after Týr challenged him to a friendly fight, and proceeded to put him through several Valhalla gauntlets, each one ending with an increasingly tougher fight between the two of them, all the while delving into Kratos' past and helping him accept the mistakes he made in Greece rather than push them away the back of his mind, which eventually gave Kratos enough courage to accept Freya's proposal and become the new God of War in the Nine Realms. In his journal, Kratos praised Týr not only for his formidable skill in battle but also his wisdom and insight into his mental struggles, fully understanding why he was so beloved during his time as the Norse "God of War".
Sif, the wife of Thor, primarily interacts with Atreus rather than Kratos. Her character is focused upon her perspectives through her family interactions and her influence over her children, Thrúd. While Kratos and Sif do not have direct interactions, her presence and actions impact the broader story, especially in relation to Thor and and the Aesirs, which indirectly affects Kratos' journey. However, Kratos would later encounter Thrúd and cross paths with her while mourning Thor's death.
Speki and Svanna are the two wolves that pull Kratos and Atreus’ sled. They had previously been captives of a Raider camp before Kratos and Atreus freed them, and against Kratos' wishes, Atreus named them. They assist in traveling across the cold climate, providing not only transportation but also a sense of companionship and reliability. While Kratos valued their usefulness, he seldom showed affection to them, unlike Atreus, who often comforted and chatted with them. When Kratos and Freya set out to find the Norns, Freya scolded Kratos' brusque demeanor towards them, highlighting that their fear of traversing the Frozen Lake was due to the Kol-Raiders, who frequently ate wolves and were likely the ones who had previously captured them. After clearing out the raider camps, Kratos realized that this fear extended towards him due to his behaviour, and showed them affection for the first time, petting them whilst awkwardly mixing up their genders. In his journal, Kratos noted that he now felt a desire to bring them comfort as well as protect them.
Fenrir is the oldest and the original leader of the three wolves alongside Speki and Svanna. He is also sick yet beloved pet of Atreus as well. Kratos’ relationship with the wolf is limited, but Atreus shares a compassionate interactions with Fenrir, and also sees him more as a member of the family. With the news of his death, Kratos allows Atreus to bury him.
Kratos' first encounter with Freyr was a tense one, as Freyr believed that Kratos was working for Odin, only standing down when Freya intervened. After breaking Freya's curse, Freyr accepted Kratos as an ally, despite admittingly not knowing much about Kratos at all. In his journal, Kratos seemed befuddled by Freyr, noting that his 'roguish' and laid-back demeanor was unimpressive and didn't resemble any great leaders or diplomats that he had known in Greece, and wondered how Freyr had managed to create temporary peace between the Elves and had formed a resistance group consisting of races who would usually never cooperate with each other. Despite this, Kratos recognized his efforts in the Vanir-Aesir conflict and accepted him as an ally in their resistance against Odin and the Aesir gods. Whilst the two rarely speak to each other, there is a mutual respect between the two warriors. Freyr’s primary concern is to protect other people and most importantly — his sister. Kratos' relationship with Freyr also aligns with his goals of opposing Odin's tyranny.
Lunda is a skilled dwarven blacksmith who offers her services to Kratos and Atreus. She provides critical support in the form of upgraded weapons and armor. Kratos respects Lunda for her craftsmanship and dedication, but finds her overly friendly mannerisms strange, and often catches her staring flirtatiously at him. Lunda starts to notice his discomfort, and eventually offers to apologize for her comments on his appearance, but Kratos replies that it isn't necessary, and that she can carry on if she desires, which amuses her.
When Kratos and Atreus encounter him, Durlin is initially cautious and reluctant to get involved. However, after hearing Faye's death, he tells a little bit about his secret and pasts. As it turns put, he was also a former rebel leader, who, alongside Laufey, led a failed coup against the Aesir. Durlin's relationship with Atreus also shines when he secretly gives him directions to the Jarnsmida Pitmines to find Týr.
Ratatoskr, the enigmatic squirrel who manages the World Tree Yggdrasil, serves as an advisor to Kratos. Although their interactions are infrequent, Ratatoskr provides some guidance and lore about Níðhöggs that aids Kratos in his quest. The relationship is more advisory than personal, with Kratos sometimes being comfortable to listen on Ratatoskr’s wisdom as he navigate the Nine realms.
Kratos knew little about Heimdall, only first hearing about him when Mimir bitterly referenced him after meeting Durlin, revealing that he was likely the one who had burned the humiliating mark in Durlin's head as a way to remind him of their failed rebellion. When the Norns revealed that Heimdall intended to kill Atreus and that they knew Kratos would kill him and subsequently trigger Ragnarok, Kratos became fixated on killing Heimdall, despite knowing that this could fulfil the very outcome he hoped to avoid- a war with Asgard and his eventual death. He ignored Mimir's warnings on Heimdall's foresight abilities making his death near-impossible, but did agree to ask the Huldra Brothers for their advice on how to beat him. With Brok, Kratos built the Draupnir Spear, a weapon designed to counter Heimdall's foresight by overwhelming his senses via its ability to detonate and generate limitless copies of itself. Kratos maintained that he only sought to protect his son with Draupnir, and had no intention of starting a war with Odin unless Atreus' safety was under threat. After Atreus returned from Asgard, Kratos abandoned his desire to kill Heimdall, as Atreus was now safe and by his side again.
Fate, however, had other plans and when Kratos and his son Atreus went to aid Freya in Vanaheim, he encountered Heimdall. As Freya went ahead to aid her brother, Kratos and Heimdall dueled, with Heimdall frequently taunting and insulting Kratos, avoiding every attack thanks to his foresight. However, by using his skills and Draupnir, Kratos managed to land a solid blow on Heimdall, which shocked the arrogant God, who couldn't even remember the last time anyone had done such a thing, and subsequently became more aggressive and easier to hit. Kratos eventually overpowered Heimdall and impaled him against a wall, but refused to kill him. Heimdall was shamed by Kratos' pity, and, upon realizing he was being this way because of his son, he vowed to kill Atreus to spite Kratos. Kratos blew up his arm as payback and told him he was on his last warning. Heimdall, however, refused to walk away and conjured a new arm to continue the fight with Kratos to get revenge for humiliating him. Heimdall then attacked Kratos with everything he had, repeatedly vowing to kill his son whilst continuing to taunt and insult him. Kratos feared that killing Heimdall would prove the Norns right, that deep down he hadn't changed and he was no different to the god-killing monster that he once was in Greece, but Heimdall's repeated threats and taunts eventually caused him to snap. When Heimdall threw dirt in his eyes, Kratos furiously dropped him with a vicious attack, then repeatedly smashed his head into the ground and strangled him to death, killing him in a matter of seconds. Once Kratos's rage subsided, he felt horror at what he had done, fearing that his burst of anger and feeling of satisfaction at killing Heimdall had proven the Norns right and that there was now no way of avoiding Ragnarök. In his journal, Kratos described Heimdall as a cruel, pompous bully.
Angrboda is one of the last remaining Giants. While Kratos’ direct interactions with her are limited, her significance is felt deeply through her bond with Atreus. Kratos respects her knowledge and the vital role she plays, understanding that her guidance and friendship is crucial for Atreus’ path. This relationship highlights Kratos’ willingness to trust others and despite having had minimal screen-time with her once again during at his travels on restoring the Nine realms, Kratos continues to trusts her and further respects his relationship with the young Giantess. Kratos even openly gives her his approval, outright stating that he likes her upon learning of her disciplined personality.
Etymology
Greek Etymology
Kratos (or Cratos) is the son of Pallas and Styx and he has three siblings named Nike ('Victory'), Bia ('Force'), and Zelus ('Glory'). Kratos is characterized as brutal and merciless, repeatedly mocking both Hephaestus and Prometheus and advocating for the use of unnecessary violence. He defends Zeus' oppressive rule and predicts.
Norse Etymology
Kratos is known by the Jötnar as Fárbauti (ᚠᚨᚱᛒᚨᚢᛏᛁ), meaning "cruel striker" and interpreted as "lightning". Fárbauti is the Jötunn husband of Laufey and the father of Loki. Fárbauti's character are thought to have been inspired by the observation of the natural phenomena surrounding the appearance of wildfire.
Trivia
General Facts
- Kratos is voiced by Terrence C. Carson from God of War (2005) to God of War: Ascension, and by Antony Del Rio as a young Kratos in God of War: Ghost of Sparta. It is until Christopher Judge then took over the role of a much older Kratos throughout God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarök and God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
- According to a God of War III special feature, Kratos stands 8 feet tall.
- This was later changed to him being 7 feet 8 inches (2.34 meters) tall in the Greek Era games, and having his height further reduced to 6 feet 4 inches (1.94 meters) in the Norse Era games to ease up the motion capture devices so that it is more realistic, as per Christopher Judge's proportions and as per an interview with Axel Grossman.
- From God of War I to God of War III, Kratos' tattoo gets thinner and thinner and changes slightly in design. In the first game, it stretches on his chest from close to his sternum to past his left nipple. In the second, it is closer to his nipple. In the final game, it does not cover his nipple at all.
- Kratos' family is shown to be the only people he has ever truly loved. The only time he has ever been seen smiling was when he found Calliope in the Underworld. Kratos was very distraught when he had to leave her once again.
- Later, when he encounters an illusion of his late wife, he begs her for forgiveness, something he has never been seen doing before. When he is forced to kill his mother, he is distraught by it. When his younger brother Deimos is killed, Kratos is devastated before he unleashes his rage on Thanatos for his actions.
- He also cares a lot about his second child, Atreus, protecting him during their journey. He is also more concerned about his well-being and temperament, frantically seeking Freya's help because he fell ill from his induced rage, he also disciplines his son like any typical father could. While his relationship with Faye, his second late wife, was not known well, he was visibly angered when Atreus accuses him of not mourning for her.
- Despite the fact that Kratos' chains from when he very first became a slave to Ares all those years ago were branded onto his bare flesh, they seemingly were able to be removed, as mentioned above, he wears various things under his chains to keep them off his bare skin. While it is revealed in the God of War: Fallen God (Egypt Comics) that the Blades of Chaos have been following Kratos his entire life after he received them from Ares, it was only the Blades that follow him.
- Before the final release God of War (2018), Kratos' eyes supposedly color green as seen portrait image.
- Kratos' God of War (2018) appearance as a tall, muscular, pale man with a thick dark beard, a bald head, tattoos across his head and body and an axe, bears a great resemblance to Grog StrongJaw from Critical role. Grog is a goliath Barbarian often wielding a greataxe, and as a barbarian, he utilizes rage in combat to deal more damage and become more durable. While it's likely a coincidence, many fans of Critical Role and God of War have noticed the resemblance.
- Comparing Kratos' character model from God of War III to his character model from God of War 2018, he became noticeably shorter in height in the 2018 release. While his height has remained inconsistently reported, he was roughly 8 feet tall during the entire Greek saga, though he is roughly 6 feet 6 inches tall in the Norse saga. This is due to the developer's wanting to give Kratos a more realistic appearance.
- His entire body shape has also remained slightly inconsistent over the Greek saga, as the size of his head physically was different between each title, as every Greek Saga Games used a different character model for Kratos. His head was cartoonishly small for his III character model. It is unnaturally small in proportion to his shoulders and the rest of his body, while his arms and legs are also too long in comparison to his torso.
- His skirt length also changed across the games too, and the chains (and in some games, red gloves worn under the chains) on his forearms changed too. These drastic changes for his character model across the series can be attributed to better hardware and graphics developments being made as the games were being worked on.
- Kratos' face looks quite different in complexion and expression to how he looks in God of War II, and so forth. However, the character model used for his appearance in God of War III and God of War: Ascension are the same, with the only major changes to the Ascension model being his tattoo being a very deep red color compared, along with his ashes being whiter, and his expression looking sad at times, with scratches, dirt, and cuts all over his chest. Although, his shin guards also gain a small piece of additional metal on his left leg in II and III.
- In God of War III and God of War: Ascension, Kratos' head was slightly shrunk, and it made his head look disproportionately small in comparison to the rest of his body. It is unknown why this change was made, but his head was later made with a much more human-like size in the Norse Era.
- The Spartan Renegade armor set in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is likely a nod to Kratos and God of War as it features a set of chains wrapped around the protagonist Kassandra's arms in a similar fashion to Kratos.
In Greek Era
- Kratos kills about one God in every game (a total of 14 Gods), with the most notable exception being God of War III, where he kills a total of 7 Gods.
- It is unknown why many characters, even if they are fully aware of Kratos' demigod status, still call him a mortal. It could be that they did not feel like calling him a demigod, or they use it as an insult, making Kratos feel that he is beneath them.
- Prior to being revealed to be the "Marked Warrior", who the prophecy foretold the end of Olympus would be at his hand, Kratos was said to be 'marked warrior' by many individuals. The village Oracle who cursed him when she bonded the ashes of his family to his skin stated that the mark of his deeds would be visible to everyone, and a spider he encountered during his quest to destroy the Ambrosia to stop the followers of Ares from reviving him stated he is a mortal marked with destruction.
- By technicality, Kratos managed to free himself from his past in God of War: Chains of Olympus. When he gave up his weapons, powers, and abilities, Kratos' tattoo and pale skin were also removed, thus granting him amnesty. However, he was forced to regain everything at the cost of his daughter, Calliope.
- In all of the main installments of the God of War series, Kratos is killed at some point by impalement through his abdomen. The first time was from a stone pillar being hurled at him by Ares, the second time was from Zeus driving the Blade of Olympus into his chest, and the final time was him committing suicide by using the Blade of Olympus once again.
- Kratos has killed both of his parents in his quests: He is forced to reluctantly kill his mother Callisto in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, and brutally kill his father Zeus in God of War III.
- Most of Kratos' actions during the series were driven by rage and vengeance. Some exceptions are when he was searching for the Ambrosia to save his daughter, when saving his brother Deimos while ignoring any and all godly warnings, and when trying to prevent Pandora from sacrificing herself in the Flame of Olympus, and later to spread his second wife's ashes on the highest peak in the Nine Realms (which turned out to be in Jötunheim), accompanied by his son Atreus.
- Kratos has killed three different people directly from bashing their faces in with something (or his bare hands). Those being, slamming a huge metal door into Theseus' head over and over, punching Hercules in the face with the Nemean Cestus, and finally, Kratos punching Zeus in the face with his bare fists until it kills him from blunt trauma to the head.
- In the series, when Kratos encounters any of his half-siblings or cousins, he initially does not intend to battle them but is ultimately forced to when they either provoke him or challenge him. Prime examples include both Perseus, Theseus and Hercules.
- It is never clearly mentioned how long Kratos reigned as a God, but judging from the fact that it has been over 4603 days and has spent a total of 12.6 years of working. This implies that 12.6 years have passed between God of War and God of War III.
- With this information, one can assume that Kratos was born between 510 BC ~ 500 BC and that God of War III finished around 470 BC ~ 460 BC, as he spent about 12 years as a God, 10 as a slave to Olympus, and even before. Judging by his voice pattern and physical appearance, his age in God of War III is estimated around 40 ~ almost 50 years old.
- Many suggests that Kratos was actually born between 230 BC ~ 220 BC and that God of War III finishes between 190 BC ~ 180 BC.
- Kratos is also seen having sad expressions. In God of War: Ascension, Kratos is seen desolated as he's trapped in the Furies' illusions. Later, he's seen genuinely sad by the fact he has to kill Orkos to free himself from Ares.
- Kratos' fighting style changes throughout the game as he becomes more and more experienced. In God of War: Ascension, he uses the Blades of Chaos to perform grabs while in all other games, he prefers to overpower his enemies by grabbing them with his hands. In God of War III, many of his moves are slightly faster than the older games.
- The Amazonian Warrior from God of War: Ascension was based on drawings for a character that was meant to be Kratos' daughter. "With the mysterious fate of Kratos at the end of God of War III, we knew we wanted to give him a successor - a new hero who would go looking for him," Juan writes. "Not unlike the most recent entry in the series, we imagined that he had a hidden daughter and began sketching ideas of what she would look like"
In Norse Era
- Because of Faye, Kratos is knowledgeable of some of the Norse Gods, such as Thor and Odin. However, he is far less knowledgeable than either Atreus or Mimir, and will occasionally ask them for information: this serves as a means for the game to share the world's lore with the player.
- After leaving the Greek World following all the chaos he has caused there, Kratos begins to develop some sort of loathing towards his "Ghost of Sparta" moniker and even warns Mimir when he addresses him as such.
- While on the boat with Atreus, if Mimir is not present by this time, Kratos will tell stories he heard from a famous storyteller, who is highly implied to be Aesop, a famous Greek storyteller. Many of these stories do eventually foreshadow moments in the game and parallel other moments in the series. Atreus stated that Kratos is not a good storyteller and while he does have some negative complaints towards the stories he tells, he repeatedly states Kratos' skill outright is bad. The night before Kratos launches an assault on Asgard, he tells one more story to Atreus in his tent, but only tells half of it, later finishing it after the war is won. This story is also one of Aesop's fables.
- The story of The Hare and Tortoise was very similar to the fight between Kratos and Hermes. Like the hare in the story, Hermes is too confident of his speed and constantly mocks Kratos' inability to catch him. Like the Tortoise, Kratos remains steady and determined to defeat him and becomes the winner between the two.
- The Horse and the Hunter story is similar to Kratos battle against the Barbarians. A horse allows himself to be made into a hunter’s mount in order to kill his enemy, a stag, but is denied his freedom afterwards. The story shares similarities with Kratos pledging himself to Ares in a bid to destroy his enemies, which included the Barbarian King, and sacrificing his freedom for the sake of revenge.
- The Young Crab and his Mother story mirrors the relationship between Kratos and his son. Kratos often verbally reminds Atreus to be a better person than him. However, as in the story where the mother crab cannot teach her son how to walk forwards, Kratos struggles to teach his son compassion and discipline when Kratos' own life has been marked by so much suffering and death.
- The Thief and His Mother parallels the relationship between Freya and Baldur. In the story, a thief is arrested and sentenced to death and as a last request, he wanted to see his mother before his execution. When she came to see him, he angrily bit off his mother's ear and proclaimed that it was her fault for never disciplining him when he first started stealing. In God of War (2018), Freya loved Baldur more than anything and when she learned from the norns that he would die a needless death, she made him immortal but it deprived him of every sensation in the process. Baldur grew to resent his mother for doing this and would eventually try to murder her for causing a century of misery.
- The Frog and Scorpion is a more overt example as both Kratos and Faye compared the Gods to the titular scorpion. As both believe the only nature of a God is to be praised for dooming others.
- The Old Man and Death mirrors Kratos' life up to the point that he travelled to Midgard and met Faye. In the story, an old man had the duty of chopping wood for his village, carrying the logs on his back and manually transporting them every day. Over time, the heavy burden weakened the man, who became resentful and miserable as years passed, eventually throwing the logs down and calling for Death to take him. When Death arrived, he asked the man why he had called him, to which the old man had a change of heart, and instead asked Death to help him carry the logs so he could finish his journey.
- In Greece, Kratos' duties involved fighting for Sparta and serving the Olympians. As years passed, the demands of the gods became more difficult, and as Kratos lost the people he loved as a result, he became more and more unstable as his hate began to consume him. Eventually, he reached his breaking point, when, after losing his entire family to the Gods, Zeus betrayed him, killing him and laying waste to his army and all of Sparta. Kratos then 'threw down the logs' and declared war on Olympus, unable to bear the weight of their demands any longer. After slaughtering the Gods and laying waste to his homeland, Kratos wished for death, but was unable to die, and travelled to the Norse lands to start a new life, still ridden with hate and guilt, begging for release. After meeting Faye and fathering Atreus, Kratos had a new purpose in life, and no longer wished to die, instead choosing to keep living in order to protect his new family and friends.
- This story also reflects the change of heart Kratos had during the assault on Asgard, that by opening his heart to the innocent casualties of Asgard and choosing for fight for justice rather than vengeance, he ultimately averted his own death prophecy.
- When speaking with Freya about Helheim, he implies to her that he is familiar with another afterlife, a reference to him traveling through the Underworld several times during his quests.
- While in Hel, Kratos witness a reenactment of his final battle with Zeus at the end of God of War III. However, Kratos' voice of him screaming at Zeus are redone with Christopher Judge's voice instead of Terrence C. Carson. The blades that Kratos throws away in the scene were also changed to the Blades of Chaos instead of Blades of Exile.
- While in Týr's chambers, he finds a vase containing Lemnian wine, from Lemnos, a Greek Island near his birthplace in Sparta. He and Atreus drink the centuries-old wine and Atreus is disgusted by it, while Kratos enjoys it.
- Also in Týr's chambers, he destroys a vase. This vase is painted with Kratos standing over a pile of bodies, holding the Blades of Exile and screaming into the air as blood drips from the blades. He smashes it before Atreus can see it, so his past is not revealed to him.
- Kratos tells Atreus that he has met many spirits before. He could be talking about Athena, or the many times he has faced undead foes like Alrik.
- As part of his Greek culture and of his past, he treats Atreus in a different way than he did with his daughter Calliope, as Spartans were taught how to fight and survive at a young age with a 'sink or swim' philosophy. When asked about it by Atreus, Kratos states that he did not raise his son that way not because he thought him weak, but because he believes he didn't have to endure it like his father did, much to Arteus' thanks.
- When he reveals his past to Atreus, he mentions that he has killed those who were deserving, such as Ares, Persephone, and Thanatos, while he has slaughtered those who were not, such as the countless innocents he killed while serving Ares, including his daughter and wife.
- During some side missions, Kratos and Atreus learn of people killing their fathers, which Atreus finds surprising. Ironically, this was the case with Kratos and Zeus.
- In that side mission, Kratos didn't face the ghost of the father as he told his tale, possibly still ashamed of what he did.
- Many times through his adventure with Atreus, he reminds his son of the danger of the Gods, that there are no good Gods.
- In God of War (2018), the scar on Kratos’ back is white like the rest of his skin, but in God of War Ragnarök, it is red like his tattoo, most easily seen in the second Faye dream sequence.
- Interestingly, Kratos is only tortured by his vision of killing Zeus in Helheim, despite the countless crimes and atrocities he committed including the killing of his own wife and daughter. It might be because Kratos had already forgiven himself for those sins while he was tormented by fear, leaving the murder of Zeus as the only sin Helheim can punish him with, since Kratos himself is now a father.
- After seeing Zeus for the first time in Helheim, Kratos seemingly reacts with fear upon seeing his father after decades had passed since the former's death. This could hint that despite Zeus being dead for a very long time, he continues to haunt Kratos subconsciously, being a continual reminder of his greatest failure and his lust for revenge leaving him with nothing, thus giving some form of "last laugh" over Kratos.
- Interestingly, when Mimir tells the story of Jörmungandr being sent back in time Kratos reacts with disbelief, claiming it as madness, despite the fact that he himself has travelled through time in the past and has seen multiple instances of time manipulation in his life.
- Interestingly, Mimir himself originally didn't believe the story of Kratos traveling back in time, saying that it had to be exaggerated. Upon telling the story, both Freya and Mimir call it the most dangerous action they both have ever heard.
- Kratos believes that fate is a lie, however he is unaware of the 'Marked Warrior' prophecy, which predicted his destruction of Olympus and the Gods exactly. His actions within the Norse Realm were also predicted by the Jötnar race long before he ever arrived, showing that predetermined destinies are actually true and Kratos has been unwittingly fulfilling prophecies all of his life.
- When Kratos confessed to Atreus that he is a God, many took it to mean that he only has divine blood, but due to his ability to kill the Nordic Gods without the Blade of Olympus, he is likely referring to him being a full God.
- When Mimir asks Kratos about having any pre-Fimbulwinter cravings, Kratos simply replies with "olives," which Mimir has never heard of, being that olives originate from the Mediterranean area.
- Mimir asks about the Battle of Thermopylae, which he heard about during his traveling years, and whether Kratos fought there. Kratos reveals that for many years he regretted not being one of the 300 Spartans that died alongside King Leonidas, but no longer felt that way.
- Kratos does not appear to take care of his weapons and armor. When asked about the old armor's that Brok and Sindri forged for him, Kratos mentions that he used all of them. Both Brok and Sindri tell Kratos to be more careful with his gear and criticizes him for breaking the armors they made for him as well as the condition of the Leviathan Axe. This would also explain why Kratos is missing all the weapons from his past games as they either break from him using them so much or he simply throws them away when done with them.
- Despite being shown wearing a fur cloak in the promotional posters and opening sequence of the game for God of War Ragnarök, he loses this cloak during the initial struggle with Freya and never replaces it. However, with the release of the game’s New Game Plus update, a new armor set, the Black Bear Set, was added that bears the cloak and is equipped at the start of the NG+ game.
Guest Appearances
- Kratos makes a guest appearance in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. He fights with the Blades of Chaos, Blade of Olympus, Icarus' Wings, and Poseidon's Rage.
- Kratos also makes a guest appearance in the PS3 golf game, Everybody's Golf: World Tour. Playing with the 'Clubs of Olympus', Kratos is portrayed being quite rude to his caddy, blaming all his bogies and missed shots on The Sisters of Fate.
- The PS3 exclusive kart racing game ModNation offers Kratos, and his Kart of Chaos, as a playable character when pre-ordering. Kratos, along with other pre-order incentives, were made available worldwide.
- In 2009's Game of the Year LitteBigPlanet, there is a rare character costume of Kratos, as well as Medusa and Pandora's Guardian.
- Kratos appears in the PlayStation Three and PlayStation Vita versions of the 2011 game Mortal Kombat, with his own set of moves, and a personal God of War battle arena. He is not, however, a part of the storyline.
- In the game Age of Mythology and its expansion, The Titans, there is a character named Kastor. Interestingly, his name can be arranged into Kratos. His background shares slight similarities to Kratos', as he too distrusted the Gods and sided with the Titans while, unbeknownst to him, being used as a pawn.
- Kratos is one of the playable characters in the multi-franchise fighter PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale. Along with him, God of War-franchise member Hades also makes an appearance, albeit as a background character. Zeus also appears as a playable DLC character in the game.
- A God of War themed event was added in Destiny of Spirits, alongside advanced summons which had Kratos in it.
- Kratos appears in the PlayStation 3/4/Vita versions of Shovel Knight.
- Norse Kratos appears as a skin exclusively for The PlayStation Version of Fortnite.
- Kratos appears in 'bot form Astro Bot with the moniker "Dad of Boy." His description reads "Greece? That's ancient history!"