Poseidon

Template:Infobox gods

“	You have disrespected the Gods for the last time, Kratos!	”
–Poseidon before his fight with Kratos

Poseidon is the ruler of the oceans and is surpassed in eminence only by his brother Zeus. He is the Olympian God of the seas, rivers, water, storms, tempests, winds, hurricanes, rain, floods, drought, earthquakes and horses, King of the Ocean and of Atlantis. He appears as an ally in God of War and a major antagonist in God of War III.

Greek Mythology

In Roman mythology, he was known as Neptune. Linear B tablets show that Poseidon was venerated at Pylos and Thebes in pre-Olympian Greece, but he was integrated into the Olympian gods as the younger brother of Hades and Zeus and third of all of his siblings, generally considered a little less powerful than Zeus. Poseidon and Amphitrite, a nymph and ancient sea-goddess and daughter of Oceanus, had many children including Triton, the messenger of the sea and herald to Amphitrite, Theseus, the cyclops Polyphemus, and Orion the giant master hunter.

Like his youngest brother Zeus, Poseidon was known for having many human lovers. In the known Greek Mythos, he raped Medusa on the floor of one of Athena's temples. Angered by the blasphemy but unable to harm Poseidon, Athena changed Medusa into a Gorgon. When she was later beheaded by the hero Perseus, Chryasor and Pegasus emerged.

In the God of War Series

Great War

Poseidon in the Great War.

Like most of his siblings, Poseidon was swallowed by the Titan King Cronos. When he was released, he fought alongside his brother, Zeus, in the Great War of the Gods and Titans. During a great battle between the Gods and the Titans, Poseidon aided his brother Hades to bring down the mighty Atlas. After Atlas saved his uncle Cronos from having his soul captured by Hades, Atlas was electrocuted by Poseidon's thunder, bringing him to his knees. Hades reacted swiftly and with his fiery chains he grasped onto Atlas. With Poseidon further electrocuting Atlas, Hades was able to capture the Titan's soul, making him stronger. After the Blade of Olympus was created and the Titans were banished to the Tartarus; the pit of torment, Poseidon was given dominion over all seas. He took Amphitrite as his wife and watched over the waters of Greece, being worshiped by sailors to grant safe passage in his waters.

Wager of the Gods

Poseidon briefly appeared as a contender in the wager of the gods, a contest in which they would each choose one mortal to represent them. The ultimate goal was to capture the healing elixir, Ambrosia. At first, Poseidon kept his champion a secret from the others until finally revealing the Theran warlord Herodius as his champion. Herodius entered said contest to save his people from a plague secretly created by Poseidon, but never returned, as Kratos and his Spartans killed both Herodius and his army. After the Spartans took Herodius' ship, Poseidon, enraged at Kratos for costing him the wager, unleashed his Hippocampi upon the ship. Although the Spartans survived, Poseidon created a massive whirlpool which dragged the Spartans closer and closer to the bottom of the sea. He then sent the Sea Snake to kill the Spartans, but the beast was killed by Kratos. The Spartans docked safely at their destination, infuriating Poseidon even further.

Aiding Kratos

For a period of time, the vicious beast known as the Hydra terrorized the Aegean Sea, until Kratos, guided by Athena, was called upon. Arriving upon a mess of shipwrecks, Kratos battled the various heads of the Hydra. During this feat, he was met by Poseidon, who granted Kratos the gift of Poseidon's Rage. With this magical ability, Kratos was able to cast a stream of lightning through his body into his enemies, destroying them or weakening them enough so that he may finish them off. This ability would also be of important use while battling against the Hydra King, the strongest and largest of the Hydra's heads. After destroying the beast, the nightmare the Hydra had caused for many sailors in the Aegean Sea came to an end. Poseidon was also given a section devoted to him in Pandora's Temple. In this section, Kratos obtained Poseidon's Trident, granting him the ability to breathe underwater and dive.

Atlantis' Destruction

Poseidon speaks to Kratos through a statue.

“	You have desecrated my kingdom! I will not forget this, Ghost of Sparta! You will answer for this afront!	”
–Poseidon's anger for Atlantis' destruction

While Poseidon does not appear physically, the Ocean God attacks Kratos with a massive whirlpool and other hazards as the Spartan tries to make his way back to the now sunken Atlantis. Later, he manifests himself through one of his statues. Infuriated with Kratos for releasing Thera, the Titaness of fire, and having her destroy Atlantis, his beloved city, he vows he will never forget Kratos' actions, promising he would one day answer for them. Also, his personal army, his "children", the Tritons, appear as enemies.

The Second Titanomachy

“	You challenge me, mortal?! A God of Olympus?!	”
–Poseidon, standing before Kratos

Poseidon in the The Second Great War.

Poseidon is among the Gods who are listening to Zeus, who declares that they must unite against the new threat of Kratos, formerly the God of War and now a rogue mortal. Once the walls of Olympus begin to tremble, Poseidon and the other Gods ready themselves to face the Titans who have been saved from their banishment in the Great War by Kratos using the Loom of Fate.

After sharing looks with his brother Zeus, Poseidon dives off Mount Olympus, right into Epimetheus' chest, knocking him off the mountain, killing him almost instantly. Poseidon then dives into a large body of water at the base of the mountain, summoning a tendril from below that grabs Gaia's arm and begins pulling her. After Kratos defeats his minions, Poseidon then emerges within a watery construct in his image, projecting Hippocampi from his chariot. Poseidon sends his steeds to attack and restrain Gaia while he himself struggles with both Gaia and Kratos.

Death

Kratos kills Poseidon.

After a vicious battle, Gaia punches his chest, sending Kratos on a collision course with Poseidon's human form, which Kratos rips out of the watery construct and onto a platform. There he closes in on the weakened Poseidon, who warns Kratos that the destruction of Olympus would destroy the entire world. Kratos is unfazed by this, and proceeds to beat Poseidon uncontrollably; slamming his uncle's face repeatedly against a wall, and hitting him with his own head, before throwing him to a nearby wall. Poseidon then made a desperate attempt to escape and survive, but is unable to reach the edge and is grabbed by Kratos, who then proceeds to crush his eyes and finally break his neck, killing the sea god once and for all. This last struggle is seen through Poseidon's own perspective.

As Poseidon's lifeless body falls to the water below, his death causes a tidal wave that floods most of Greece. This would probably explain why the Desert of Lost Souls does not exist anymore.

In Poseidon's Chamber, Kratos finds a note Poseidon left where it is indicated he became interested in Pandora's power over Olympus and suspicious of Zeus' intentions, expressing fear his brother has changed for the worst.

The note reads:
A mere girl, somehow she is the key to the labyrinth. I brought this statue here, but so far have learned nothing. That mortal Daedalus, in his madness, has devised a way to shield secrets from even my far-reaching view. This does not bode well. I fear Zeus is no longer the brother I once knew- Poseidon

Another note indicates Poseidon's wrath and frustration towards Zeus, citing his brother's refusal to provide Olympus safe harbor from the storms that are brewing. What Poseidon means by that last comment is not clear, but it might allude to the apocalyptic future that Poseidon may have foreseen i.e. the destruction of Olympus. Even though Poseidon fought alongside his brother, he alone still had misgivings about Zeus.

Multiplayer

“

Join me, mortal, and receive the power to aid your injured brothers.

”

Poseidon is one of the four mentors of God of War: Ascension's Multiplayer. His statue is the fourth one in the Rotunda of Olympus.

Overview

The God of the Seas mainly focuses on defense and teamwork rather on attack power. Warriors aligned to Poseidon have the best resistance to damage in the game, however, they're also the weakest damage dealers, which makes Poseidon the polar opposite to Ares in Multiplayer. This makes the alignment mostly undesirable for many players. He also grants his servants powers over ice and the ability to heal their injured allies.

A warrior of Poseidon can resist very serious blows that most players would normally not be able to, but must learn to deal with the lack of physical power, which can make battles last much longer. Teamwork is the ultimate key to becoming a great warrior of the seas.

Support

Resilient to damage.

Water Magic

Decrease mobility and freeze opponents.

Poseidon Items

Increase defense and increase team ability.

Poseidon Weapons

Can decrease enemies mobility with ice and heal nearby allies in certain special attacks.

Poseidon Armors

Focus on physical and elemental resistances rather than in damage.

Personality

Prior to being infected by the evils of Pandora's Box, Poseidon was apparently a benevolent God, who cared greatly for many mortals and worshippers alike. He would often grant safe passage to many sailors and was protective of his own domain. In spite of his benevolent nature, he much like his brother cheated on Amphitrite by having many flings, Medusa and Princess being notable examples. After being infected probably with "Anger", he notably became much more angrier and weary as he gave multiple death threats to Kratos (who he aided in stopping the Hydra King prior to being infected) when the latter destroyed his city, warned him about challenging the Gods when confronting him and reasonably but angrily tried talking him out of destroying Olympus as it would mean the death of the entire world . Despite this, Poseidon notably showed greater resilience to the evils unlike his brethren, evidenced by his note indicating how he apologized to his Princess for making her the subject of his rage (though he did not free her) and disapproved of Zeus' cruelty towards Pandora as a result of "Fear" and expressed his fear that his brother changed for the worst.

Powers and Abilities

“	All of Olympus unites against you!	”
–Poseidon

Poseidon was the second most powerful of the Olympian gods, second only to his brother Zeus, and surpassing his brother, Hades. It is notable that Poseidon could have single-handedly bested the Titans in God of War III, having downed two of them and making short work of Gaia, had Kratos not intervened. It should be noted that his power seems to be in direct proportion to the amount of water nearby. During the Second Titanomachy, Poseidon was strong because he had access to the sea, but once Kratos separated him from it, he was more vulnerable. This would explain why Poseidon resorts to using lightning instead of water during the first Titanomachy.

Poseidon in his elemental form.

• Atmokinesis: As the immortal ruler of the seas, Poseidon possesses the power to manipulate water, storms, and lightning, able to create strong waves and violent storms to bring the rage of the ocean upon those who anger him. Atmokinesis breaks down into several abilities.
• Eco-Hydrokinesis: Poseidon has complete control over the element of water. He can control all the water in the world.
• Cryokinesis: Poseidon can manipulate and control ice.
• Hydrokinesis: Poseidon can manipulate and control water, ranging from tidal waves and whirlpools to a watery construct in his image. Since water does not retain a shape, it is clear that Poseidon's control over water is not only immense but precise, in retaining the size and shape of his Titan form.
• Water Breathing: Poseidon can breathe underwater.
• Electrokinesis: Poseidon can generate and manipulate electricity. He used this power to help Hades in defeating Atlas. In God of War, he bestowed Kratos with a small portion of his electrokinetic power. In God of War III, he uses his trident to shoot bolts of electricity at Kratos and Gaia.
• Hydro-Electrokinesis: Due to his control over the seas and its storms, this accounts for Poseidon's electricity-based abilities.
• Immortality: As a god, he is immortal and can live forever. Like his brothers and the other Olympians, Poseidon doesn't age and is not affected by time, only divine weapons, other Gods, and Titans can kill him.
• Flight: Poseidon was able to propel or accelerate himself through the air with great speed and force.
• Power Granting: Poseidon can grant powers to his followers, as shown when he gave Kratos the power of Poseidon's Rage. He also gave the Redeemed Warrior great resilience, allowing them to sustain massive amounts of damage before death as well as the power to use the waters of the deep to aid them in battle by creating Walls of Water and even creating Sea Storms right in the midst of battle without being near a source of water, with these waters they are able to heal themselves and allies. Poseidon also grants his followers the use of Cryokinesis, allowing them to create large spires of ice and even freezing opponents to crush them.
• Shapeshifting: He could reform himself into a massive, elemental form resembling a Titan. This form, in his own image, was entirely water-based, with rocks forming details on his chest and head. In this form he is at his most powerful, with all of his powers and strength increased tenfold. However, his measure still pales in comparison with the Titans.
• Regeneration: He can regenerate himself. In God of War III, when you chop off one of several Hippocampi hands (sting/tentacles) and do not do further damage to it, it will regenerate again.
• Teleportation: As the ruler of Atlantis, Poseidon can teleport to anywhere via sea and water.
• Astral Projection: Poseidon was able to project an image of himself to communicate with Kratos.
• Plague Creation: Poseidon was able to create a plague to infect the village of Thera to encourage Herodius to search for the Ambrosia.
• Superhuman Strength: His Titanic form also primed his already great strength, allowing him to pound Gaia and Kratos with great force.
• Superhuman Durability: Poseidon can withstand great attacks before submitting to defeat, and due to his Warriors possessing great durability as well, he should be far more durable than Ares. In fact, his durability was likely only matched (or surpassed) by his brothers Hades and Zeus.
• Superhuman Stamina: Poseidon's energy and vigor in combat are far greater than that of mortal men, enough to fight the Titans, though he can be defeated.
• Superhuman Agility: Poseidon has a higher jumping capacity than mortals. It is unknown if his agility was on par with that of Hermes.
• Invincibility: When in the waters of the deep, Poseidon is invincible and all of his attributes are multiplied greatly. However the farther away he is from the sea, the less of his "true" power he can exhibit. This was the case with his battle with Kratos, as they were several miles away from the sea at the battle.
• Hippocampi Control: In elemental form, below his waist a large jet of water coming from a rock formation was maintained, with Hippocampi protruding out of it, which Poseidon used actively in his battle with Gaia and Kratos. He could also control them even without his elemental form, but the creatures themselves are smaller, one even managing to wrap around his forearm; this is seen when the gods looked down from Mount Olympus to the climbing Titans below. He can even use the Hippocampi as makeshift arms to battle Kratos and Gaia.

Trivia

• Coincidentally, Poseidon's voice actor in the first game, Fred Tartasciore, also voiced Poseidon in the Nintendo 3DS game, Kid Icarus Uprising. Tartasciore also voices the character of Magnus in said game.
• His character for God of War III was the most complex for the developers; it took them about 6 to 12 months to fully design his monstrous form.
• Poseidon is the first God seen in God of War and the first boss battle in God of War III.
• In God of War: Ascension, Poseidon's gigantic one-eyed son Polyphemus appears as a Titan and the boss of the desert multiplayer map.
• It is interesting to note that Poseidon was investigating the recent decisions of Zeus for the manufacture of the Labyrinth, and its mysterious prisoner. He took to view that recently, Zeus was not the brother he knew before, as Zeus was infected with Fear. Unlike his brothers, Poseidon showed more resilience to the evils of Pandora's Box, and although corrupted as well, it was not to the extent of his brothers.
• Poseidon appears much older in God of War than in God of War III. His beard, for example, is whiter and bushier than in God of War III. Like Poseidon, many Gods looked different in God of War than they did in following games because, at that time, possible sequels were not yet certain.
  • It may also be because Poseidon, like the other gods, could change his appearance.
  • If this is this case though, Poseidon's true form is unclear. It seems likely that his older appearance is his true form, but as a god, he wishes to appear youthful.
• Poseidon's chambers adorn statues on the wall that look like Poseidon did in God of War.
• During his fight with Kratos, Poseidon mentions "Atlantis will be avenged!", referencing the events of God of War: Ghost of Sparta.
  • It's strange that during his fight with Kratos, Poseidon didn't mention the death of his own son, Theseus as he did mention the destruction of Atlantis. It is likely due to the fact that Kratos returned in time and defeated Zeus, creating a timeline where he did not have to travel through the Island of Creation and avoiding his battle with Theseus. Some other events that happened during such travel, like the battle against Alrik, proved in his tortured note scrambled in Underworld makes the second option the most likely.
• Poseidon's chariot is pulled by the Hippocampi, creatures with the bodies of horses and the tails of fish. This may seem strange as horses are not aquatic creatures, but Poseidon when challenged to create a beautiful land animal in Greek mythology, Poseidon created these horses and became his signature creatures. In ancient Greek mythology, his chariot was pulled by the Hippocampi as well.
• By comparison, it is very clear that the designs for Poseidon's monstrous watery form were based heavily off the older artwork made for the Titan Oceanus, who was considered for (but cut from) God of War II. It is said by the developers in a God of War III bonus video that Oceanus' concept was partially used in designing Poseidon.
• Poseidon was seemingly infected with the evil Anger after Kratos opened Pandora's Box.
• After being weakened, the glowing tattoos on Poseidon's body become very faint and slowly glimmer. This suggests the tattoos somehow represent his vital signs.
• As a powerful god and having the power to control the seas, Poseidon could have killed the Hydra with ease. However, Athena could have planned to leave this task to Kratos, so that he could acquire the Poseidon's Rage ability, empowering Kratos and helping him to defeat Ares in an easier way.
  • The God of War novel reveals that Athena indeed convinced Poseidon that the Hydra was sent by Ares. Since Zeus has forbidden the Gods from warring with one another, Poseidon's intervention would breach this rule, so he resorts to giving Kratos the power to destroy the Hydra instead.
• Poseidon appears briefly in Bit of War when the time of the gods comes to an end and Olympus makes a desperate attempt to regain power.
• In the Chamber of the Flame in God of War III, there are pictures of Poseidon with tentacles in the background; they could either belong to the Kraken or Scylla, if the tentacles do belong to one of the said monsters then it is highly likely that Poseidon was the one who sent them to attack Kratos in previous installments of the series, which was proven for Scylla as she was the Guardian of Atlantis.
• In a leak after God of War III, it is said that Poseidon does not favor the trident much, but started using it as a symbol after his patron city, Atlantis, began using it as there only weapons, besides bows. He is heard saying "I would use my hands if I could" which leads people to believe he uses his combat avatar to drown his enemies. However, it is not known if this is true.
• In God of War III, Poseidon is one of three boss characters in the game where Kratos does not gain any additional abilities or weapons upon the latter's death. The other two is Poseidon's father Cronos and his brother Zeus.

Gallery

Kratos battling Poseidon

Results after Poseidon's death

Poseidon during the Great War

Poseidon effigy in GoW: Ascension

Poseidon boss battle PS3 vs PS4

Video

God of War 3 - Poseidon Battle HD

Kratos vs. Poseidon

Related Pages

• Gods
• Poseidon's Trident
• Poseidon's Rage
• Poseidon's Chamber (God of War)
• Poseidon's Chamber (God of War III)
• Atlantis
• Hippocampi
• Temple of Poseidon