Kratos | |
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God of War character | |
First game | God of War (2005) |
Created by | David Jaffe |
Based on | Fárbauti of Norse mythology (2018–present) |
Designed by | Charlie Wen |
Voiced by |
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Motion capture |
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In-universe information | |
Alias | Ghost of Sparta |
Species | Demigod [5] |
Children | Calliope (daughter) Atreus "Loki" (son) |
Origin | Sparta, Greece |
Nationality | Greek |
Kratos (Ancient Greek : Κράτος , lit. 'strength') is a character and the protagonist of Santa Monica Studio's video game series God of War , which is based on Greek mythology and, later, Norse mythology. Kratos first appeared in the 2005 video game God of War , which led to the development of eight more titles featuring the character as the protagonist. Kratos also appears as the protagonist of the comic book series God of War in 2010 and 2018, and in three novels that retell the events of three of the games. The character was voiced by Terrence C. Carson from 2005 to 2013, and by Christopher Judge, who took over the role, in the 2018 continuation, which is also titled God of War . Antony Del Rio voiced young Kratos in Ghost of Sparta .
Throughout the Greek era of the series, Kratos is portrayed as a Spartan warrior who becomes known as the "Ghost of Sparta" after Ares, his former mentor, tricks him into murdering his family. Kratos later avenges their deaths, kills Ares, and becomes the new God of War. Kratos is eventually revealed to be a demigod and the son of Zeus, who later betrays him. Kratos embarks on several adventures in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate, and is generally portrayed as a tragic figure. Vengeance is a central theme of the Greek era; installments focus on Kratos's origins, and his relationships with his family and the Olympian gods. In the Norse era, Kratos finds himself controlling his rage and learning how to be a father and mentor to his son, Atreus, who he helps to come to terms with his divinity. During their journey, Kratos and Atreus combat monsters and gods of the Norse realm, which leads to the catastrophic battle of Ragnarök. Redemption is a main theme of the Norse era and Kratos comes to terms with his godhood, eventually becoming the Norse God of War and championing the ideals of hope.
The God of War franchise is a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The character has been well-received by critics, becoming a video game icon, and has had several cameos in games outside the God of War series. Judge's performance as Kratos in the two Norse-based games was highly praised, and received numerous awards and nominations.
When designing Kratos, God of War (2005) creator and game director David Jaffe attempted to create a brutal-looking character that did not resemble a typical traditional Greek hero. [6] Jaffe wanted the character to be individualistic so Kratos would not wear traditional armor. [6] Use of a fully masked character was initially approved but the concept was abandoned because the design seemed "soulless" and lacked a "defined personality". [6] Some models included unconventional elements, such as Kratos carrying an infant on his back, [6] while others had excessive detail, such as long hair and other "flowing things". [6]
Charlie Wen, the director of visual development on God of War (2005) and God of War II , was responsible for designing Kratos. Wen said his direction for the design was influenced by similarly themed films and by pop culture. Wen made concept drawings of Kratos on napkins at a restaurant, having forgotten his sketchbook; he introduced the idea of the character's double-chained blades and eventually produced Kratos's iconic design. [7] [8] Double-chained blades were chosen as Kratos's signature weapon because they emphasized the character's animalistic nature while allowing combat to remain fluid. [6] Wen visualized the double-chained blades simultaneously activating as Kratos threw them with a balance of ferocity and accuracy. Jaffe said of the final version of the character:
[Kratos] may not totally feel at home in Ancient Greece from a costume standpoint, I think he achieves the greater purpose which is to give players a character who they can play who really does just let them go nuts and unleash the nasty fantasies that they have in their head. [9]
Wen gave Kratos his most-noticeable feature, his ashen complexion, a story development that earns Kratos the title Ghost of Sparta. [10] The character's other distinctive features include a scar across his right eye and a large, red tattoo that threads from his left eye, circles the left side of his torso, and ends at his left shoulder. The tattoo was originally blue but was changed to red late in production. [11] In the series lore, the scar is eventually to be the result of a childhood encounter with the Olympian god Ares, while the tattoo is a tribute to his dead brother Deimos, who had similar birth markings. [12] Other changes that occur during the Greek era of the series include the temporary addition of divine armor when Kratos is the God of War, an abdominal scar, ability-enhancing armor, such as an epaulet called the Golden Fleece—all in God of War II—and the Boots of Hermes in God of War III . According to an early God of War script, the character is 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m) tall, [13] but this was changed when Santa Monica Studios and Gnomon School investigated the animation-and-rigging history of the games, showing the Greek Kratos to be 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in) tall, and Norse Kratos to be 1.94 metres (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighing about 250 pounds (110 kg). [14] The designers of God of War (2018) gave Kratos a Nordic look that includes a full beard and changed his main weapon to a magical battle ax to make the combat more grounded. Unlike previous games, players can change and upgrade Kratos's three armor pieces, one of the game's role playing video game (RPG) elements. [5]
Throughout the Greek games, Kratos's appearance can be altered in bonus play; completing the game at certain levels of difficulty and in challenge modes unlocks bonus costumes. Several costumes were available exclusively via pre-order and other promotions from the PlayStation Store; God of War III includes three costumes that are based on early sketches of the character. [15] Many bonus costumes are consistent with story themes but others are humorous or farcical—such as the female costume "Athena" and the "Spud of War". [16]
The character was named at a late stage in the development of the original game after the character had already been fleshed out. [17] The creators were unaware of the mythical god named Kratos who appears in Prometheus Bound ; they coincidentally chose Kratos from the Greek word meaning strength, of which the mythical figure is the personification. [18] [17] Stig Asmussen, who worked on the first two games and was the game director of God of War III, called the naming coincidence a "happy mistake", [17] noting the games' character and the one in Prometheus Bound were both "pawns". [17] Zoran Iovanovici of California State University, Long Beach, said while the mythical Kratos is best known for chaining Prometheus, in God of War II, the video game character releases him. [17] Classical scholar Sylwia Chmielewski states the video game character Kratos draws extensively on other figures from Greek mythology, including the heroes Perseus, Theseus, and Achilles, [19] [20] but his strongest influence is the hero Heracles (Roman Hercules), who appears in God of War III with the Romanized name and is revealed to be Kratos's half-brother. [19]
Game director Cory Barlog said for 2018's God of War, Kratos had to change his cycle of violence and learn how to control his rage. He said Kratos had made many poor decisions, which led to the destruction of Olympus, and Barlog wanted to know what would happen if Kratos made a good decision. The birth of Barlog's son influenced the idea of Kratos's character change. [5] The canceled, live-action Star Wars television series was also an influence. [21] The bond between Kratos and his son is at the heart of the game, and Barlog said: "This game is about Kratos teaching his son how to be a god, and his son teaching Kratos how to be human again". Referencing the Marvel Comics character Hulk, Barlog said about Kratos: "We've already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of [Bruce] Banner now." [22]
Christopher Judge, who is best known for his portrayal of Teal'c in Stargate SG-1 , replaced Terrence C. Carson, who had voiced Kratos since the original God of War, as the voice of Kratos in the 2018 game. Commenting in response to the change, Carson said: "Sony went in a new direction". [23] Barlog said due to the way the earlier games were made, the studio was able to have someone other than the voice actor perform motion capture. Although Carson performed motion capture for Kratos in Ascension , Barlog said the actor change was made because of the type of camera work they wanted to do. They needed someone who was closer to Kratos's size to perform motion capture along with 10-year-old Sunny Suljic, who played Kratos's son, Atreus. Carson was unsuitable for this because he is much shorter than Kratos, who is over six feet (1.8 m) tall: "Offsetting [Carson's height] for the size of a child, it turned out it was going to be almost impossible to try and actually shoot them and go in and redo the animations". Judge was chosen because he is six feet three inches (1.91 m) tall and had the body of a professional football player. Judge accepted the role as an opportunity to add something new to the character. He researched the character and Carson's performance but decided not to imitate Carson, instead deciding to start anew because Santa Monica was going in a new direction. [24]
Prior to beginning work on Ragnarök , Judge briefly quit the game after finding out Eric Williams would be directing the sequel. Judge was uncertain about Williams but Barlog, who served as a producer and creative director on Ragnarök, was able to convince Judge of Williams' capability to direct the game, which Judge affirmed after working with him. [25]
Throughout the series, Kratos is portrayed as an antihero, [26] often performing questionable actions. His backstory is seen in the original God of War, Kratos's childhood is revealed in Ghost of Sparta, and the birth of his daughter is explored in the God of War comic series (2010–2011). In Ghost of Sparta, it is revealed the oracle had foretold the demise of Olympus would not happen by the hands of the Titans, who were imprisoned after the Great War, but rather by a marked mortal warrior. The Olympians Zeus, Athena, and Ares believed this warrior to be Deimos, Kratos's younger brother, due to his strange birthmark. Ares and Athena interrupted Kratos and Deimos's childhood training in Sparta and kidnapped Deimos. Kratos attempted to stop Ares, who swept him aside and scarred him across his right eye. Deimos was then taken to Death's Domain and imprisoned and tortured for many years by the god of death Thanatos. Believing Deimos to be dead, Kratos marked himself with a red tattoo identical to his brother's birthmark to honor him. [12]
Through flashbacks in the comic book series written by Marv Wolfman (2010–11), Kratos met his wife Lysandra, with whom he had a daughter named Calliope. Upon birth, Calliope was stricken with the plague. To save his daughter, Kratos was granted a quest to find the Ambrosia of Asclepius, an elixir with magical healing properties. Five gods entered into a wager with Ares; each god chose a champion to search for the Ambrosia with Ares's champion being Kratos. Kratos overcame all obstacles, including Hades's champion, the Barbarian Prince Alrik, who eventually became the Barbarian King, and thus Kratos saved his daughter. [27] [28] [29]
Via flashbacks in God of War, it is revealed Kratos became the youngest captain of Sparta's army (also shown in the 2010–11 comic series), but had a thirst for power. When Kratos was faced with total defeat by the Barbarian King and his horde, Kratos called upon Ares for aid. Kratos was given the Blades of Chaos, destroyed his enemies, and blindly followed Ares, killing hundreds in his name. During a bloody rampage, Ares tricked Kratos into murdering Lysandra and Calliope within a temple dedicated to Athena—unbeknownst to Kratos that they were in the temple. Kratos was shocked out of his bloodlust and renounced his service to Ares. As the temple burned, a village oracle cursed Kratos and condemned him to wear the "mark of his terrible deed", the ashes of his family, which turned his skin pale white, earning him the title, the "Ghost of Sparta". [30]
In Ascension, it is revealed because Kratos renounced and broke his blood oath to Ares, he was imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies. The oath keeper Orkos helped Kratos to overcome and kill the Furies. To be completely free of Ares's oath, however, Kratos was forced to kill Orkos, who begged Kratos to do so so that he too could be free. Although free of his oath to Ares, Kratos was flooded with the memories of killing his family. [31] He then vowed to serve the other gods in hopes that they would erase his memories and to receive forgiveness and relief from the nightmares of his past deeds, but he was openly defiant. [30]
In Chains of Olympus, Kratos was reluctant to help the gods when Helios was kidnapped and openly abandoned them when Persephone offered him a chance to be reunited with Calliope. He was forced to reverse his decision when Persephone used the Titan Atlas in a bid to destroy the world and in turn, the spirit of Calliope. Knowing intervention would save Calliope but would separate him from his family forever, a bitter Kratos killed Persephone, imprisoned Atlas, and freed Helios. [32]
By the time of God of War (2005), Kratos had been serving the gods for 10 years, and had grown tired of his service and nightmares. He confronted his patron Athena, who advised him the gods would forgive his sins if he killed the rampaging Ares. With this selfish motive, he again agreed, and after finding and using Pandora's Box, he was successful. Despite being freed of Ares's influence, including the Blades of Chaos, Kratos was forgiven but was not relieved of his nightmares. Dissatisfied and despairing, Kratos tried to commit suicide but is saved by Athena, who guided him to Olympus. Kratos was awarded the Blades of Athena and the throne as the new God of War. [30]
The comic book series (2010–11) shows Kratos's present search for the Ambrosia of Asclepius, as he plans to destroy the Ambrosia to prevent worshipers of Ares from resurrecting their former master. Kratos overcomes several enemies, including the Chaos Giant Gyges, before destroying the Ambrosia. [27] Still haunted by the visions of his mortal past in Ghost of Sparta, and against the advice of Athena, Kratos embarked on a quest to find his mother Callisto in the city of Atlantis. Callisto attemptsled to reveal the identity of Kratos's father but was transformed against her will into a beast that Kratos was forced to kill. Before dying, Callisto advised Kratos to search for his brother Deimos in Sparta. Kratos then freed the Titan Thera from imprisonment, causing the destruction of Atlantis and consequently earning him the wrath of Poseidon. In Sparta, Kratos learns that Deimos is located in the Domain of Death. He finds and frees Deimos, who remained hostile toward his brother. The siblings skirmished until Thanatos attacked Deimos, who was rescued by Kratos, and the pair joined forces to battle the god. At this point, Thanatos realizes Ares, Athena, and Zeus chose the wrong Spartan; it was Kratos who should have been taken, the mark being his red tattoo and his skin turned white from his family's ashes. Thanatos then kills Deimos and Kratos in turn kills Thanatos. Kratos then returns to Olympus, enraged at the gods. [12] In Betrayal, the other gods have shunned Kratos, who decides to lead his Spartan army to overrun Greece. He is falsely accused of murdering Argos and he kills Ceryx, the son of Hermes, for interfering in his search for the true assassin, who escapes. [33]
Kratos joins the Spartan army in Rhodes, intent on destruction. Zeus weakens Kratos and tricks him into abandoning his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus, which Zeus uses to kill him. Kratos overomes all obstacles but is stunned at Zeus's betrayal and swears revenge as he dies. Kratos falls into the Underworld but was rescued by Gaia, who was banished to Tartarus with the other surviving Titans after the First Great War. Gaia and her brethren seek Zeus's death. Kratos, fueled by anger at his betrayal, agrees to aid the Titans and is instructed to find the Sisters of Fate, who are capable of returning him to the moment of Zeus's treachery. Kratos becomes determined and utterly ruthless; in the pursuit of his goal, he wounds a Titan, kills several Greek heroes without hesitation, and sacrifices two scholars, restoring his god powers. All three of the Sisters of Fate are killed when they oppose Kratos, who is prepared to kill Zeus in a final confrontation. Zeus is saved when Athena intervenes and sacrifices herself for him; only then does Kratos show remorse. Kratos learns from a dying Athena that Zeus is his father, a fact Zeus kept secret because he wished to avoid a repetition of what he did to his own father, Cronos. Kratos rejects any notion of a relationship and vows to kill Zeus and destroy Olympus. Encouraged by Gaia, Kratos uses the power of the Fates to retrieve the Titans before their defeat in the Great War and, with their assistance, storms Mount Olympus. [34]
Kratos kills Poseidon but Gaia abandons him when his first encounter with Zeus goes poorly. Stranded in the Underworld, and now betrayed by both the Olympians and Titans, Kratos learns from the spirit of Athena, who also provides the Blades of Exile, he needs to find the Flame of Olympus, which is the key to defeating Zeus. In his quest for the Flame, Kratos murders Titans and gods, ignoring the warnings of his victims. Kratos realizes Pandora is the key to pacifying the Flame and reaching Pandora's Box, which is engulfed by the Flame. Kratos comes to care for Pandora, who reminds him of his lost daughter Calliope. Kratos shows humanity when he attempts to stop Pandora from sacrificing herself to quench the Flame but reluctantly allows the act when she says there is no other option. Zeus provokes Pandora into sacrificing herself after he states Kratos would fail her like he failed his own family, causing Kratos to release Pandora and attack Zeus in a rage. Kratos finds Pandora's Box empty, and is driven berserk by Zeus's mockery. Kratos engages Zeus in another fierce battle. Gaia interrupts and tries to kill Kratos and Zeus. Kratos destroys Gaia and then apparently defeats Zeus. Zeus returns in spirit form and attacks Kratos, who retreats into his psyche and forgives himself for his past sins with the help of Pandora. Pandora appears and tells Kratos hope would save him. Kratos is revived and easily destroys Zeus. Athena confronts Kratos and demands he return the power of hope, the contents of Pandora's Box. In a selfless act, Kratos refuses, stating his need for vengeance is gone and impales himself with the Blade of Olympus, which disperses the power across the world for mankind's use. Athena, disappointed with Kratos, removes the Blade and departes as Kratos collapses next to the Blade of Olympus. The post-credits scene shows a trail of blood leading away from the Blade with Kratos's whereabouts unknown. [35]
Decades after the events of God of War III, Kratos, having survived his apparent death from releasing the power of hope in Greece, arrives in ancient Scandinavia in the Norse realm of Midgard, and fathers a boy named Atreus, who is unaware of his true nature. Kratos has abandoned his double-chained blades as a symbol of the abandonment his old persona; instead, he uses a battle ax called the Leviathan Axe, which originally belonged to his second wife and Atreus's mother, Laufey (called Faye by Kratos), who recently died. Faye's last wish was for her ashes to be spread at the highest peak of the nine realms. At Midgard's peak, they learn from Mímir the highest peak is in Jötunheim. During their journey, the Æsir god Baldur, the brother of Thor, confronts them. Thor's sons Modi and Magni help Baldur but are killed by Kratos and Atreus. Around this time, Atreus falls ill; to cure him, Kratos must recover his old weapons, the Blades of Chaos, to battle the beings of Helheim because the Leviathan Axe, which inflicts frost damage, is useless there. While retrieving the blades, Athena appears and goads him about his past. Kratos travels to Hel, killing the troll that guards the realm, and retrieves the cure. After curing him, Kratos reveals to Atreus he is a god. The pair receives assistance from a witch, who is later revealed to be the Vanir goddess Freya, Baldur's mother, who cast a spell of immortality on him; the spell protects Baldur but causes him to no longer physically feel anything, for which he resents Freya.
Kratos and Baldur eventually battle, during which Baldur's spell is broken. Kratos decides to let Baldur go but Baldur attempts to kill Freya, forcing Kratos to kill him. Freya swears revenge against Kratos for killing her son and taunts Kratos for not revealing his troubled past to Atreus. Kratos decides to tell Atreus he had killed his fellow Greek gods, including his father Zeus—whose illusion he saw in Helheim—but that he and Atreus should learn from these experiences and not repeat past mistakes. Kratos and Atreus travel to Jötunheim, where it is learned Faye was a giant, making Atreus part-giant. It is also revealed Faye originally wanted to name their son Loki but Kratos preferred Atreus, which was the name of an honorable Spartan comrade. The giants also referred to Kratos as Fárbauti. In Midgard, Fimbulwinter begins and, after sleeping in the family home, Atreus has a vision Thor will come for them at the end of Fimbulwinter. [36]
Three years after the events of the previous game, the All-father Odin and the god of thunder Thor confront Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir. Kratos duels Thor after which, Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir travel across the nine realms in hopes of finding a way to prevent Ragnarök. Along the way, a vengeful Freya confronts them but they eventually make amends. Unable to prevent Ragnarök, Kratos, Atreus, and their allies unite the realms in a war against Asgard. Kratos again battles Thor, who is killed by Odin for refusing to kill Kratos. Kratos, Atreus, Mímir, and Freya then engage Odin in battle and defeat him as Asgard is destroyed. Returning home to Midgard, Atreus, as Loki, decides he needs to find any remaining giants and bids farewell while Kratos learns he is destined to become a revered god. Along with Freya and Mímir, Kratos begins rebuilding the realms and restoring peace. [37]
In Ragnarök's downloadable content (DLC) pack Valhalla, it is revealed that Freya, now the Queen of the Realms, offered Kratos to join her council as the new Norse God of War, as Týr abandoned the position, but Kratos was reluctant due to his abuse of power on the Greek pantheon. Kratos and Mímir receive an anonymous invitation to Valhalla, which is later revealed to be from Týr so that Kratos can confront his past and forgive himself. Kratos goes through several trials in Valhalla and eventually makes amends with his past self and accepts the seat as the Norse God of War, championing the ideals of hope. [38]
The Greek and Norse versions of Kratos have appeared as playable characters and costumes in several PlayStation games outside the God of War series. On August 21, 2008, the Greek Kratos, along with his Clubs of Chaos, was released as a downloadable character in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds . [39] As a pre-order bonus for LittleBigPlanet from GameStop, customers received a Sackboy Kratos costume along with ones for Medusa and a Minotaur, as well as a God of War level sticker kit. [40] These were later released for purchase on January 26, 2009. [41] Kratos was also a guest character in 2009's Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny , which includes his own story mode. [42] [43]
As a pre-order bonus for ModNation Racers from GameStop, customers received a Kratos Mod and his Kart of Chaos. [44] These were released for purchase on November 2, 2010. [45] Kratos's next guest appearance was in the PlayStation 3 version of 2011's Mortal Kombat —as well as the PlayStation Vita version released in 2012—which features his own fighting stage and arcade ladder mode. [46] Kratos then appeared in the 2012 crossover fighting game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale , which includes two God of War-inspired stages, several God of War items, [47] and series antagonist Zeus, who was released as a downloadable character on March 19, 2013. [48] Kratos's appearance in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was seemingly made canon by a line of dialogue in 2022's God of War Ragnarök; Mímir asks Kratos about a tournament he was in to which Kratos replies he did not want to talk about it. [49]
As part of the God of War franchise's 10th anniversary, Kratos appeared as a secret boss battle in the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita versions of Shovel Knight , which released on April 21, 2015. [50] [51] His next guest appearance was in LittleBigPlanet 3 as another Sackboy costume in his Fear Kratos form, along with Sackboy costumes of Zeus, Hercules, Poseidon, and Athena, and a costume of Hades for the character Toggle. This coincided with the release of God of War III Remastered on PlayStation 4 in July 2015. [52] A costume of Kratos and God of War custom decorations were included in the "Crafted Edition" of Tearaway Unfolded , which was released for PlayStation 4 on September 8, 2015. [53] TC Carson provided the Greek Kratos's voice in these guest appearances, [39] [43] [54] [55] except for LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, LittleBigPlanet 3, and Tearaway Unfolded, where the character is only a costume, and in Shovel Knight, which only has text dialogue.
In the PlayStation 5 launch game Astro's Playroom (2020), which contains several homages to PlayStation's history, two robots dressed as the Nordic Kratos and his son Atreus are seen re-enacting the scene in God of War (2018) in which the two travel in their boat. [56] Kratos would also be referenced in the Astro's Playroom sequel, Astro Bot (2024). [57] The Nordic Kratos became a cosmetic outfit in Fortnite Battle Royale 's chapter two, season five event, Zero Point, which was released on December 3, 2020. Kratos is playable on all platforms on which Fortnite is available, marking the character's only appearance on the Xbox and Nintendo platforms, as well as Apple and Android devices; these platforms, including Windows, have Kratos's default appearance while players on the PlayStation versions get an exclusive armored Kratos that is based on the golden armor obtained from defeating the Valkyries in God of War (2018). [58] An armor inspired by Kratos's Nordic appearance is obtainable in the Director's Cut of Ghost of Tsushima , which was released on August 20, 2021, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. [59]
Costumes of the Nordic Kratos, Atreus, and Freya, and emotes for each, were released for Sackboy: A Big Adventure in the world of LittleBigPlanet on November 9, 2022, the same day as God of War Ragnarök's release. [60] An armor set inspired by the Nordic Kratos was added to Destiny 2 as part of its Lightfall – Season of the Deep release on May 23, 2023. The set is for the Titan character class and is purchasable on all platforms Destiny 2 is available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. It features Kratos's red tattoo and breechcloth, and is light gray. A special finishing maneuver that mimics the Blades of Chaos was also added. [61]
Kratos has also been parodied in The Simpsons franchise. He appears as the "God of Wharf" on a billboard advertising a chowder restaurant in The Simpsons Game . [62]
A live-action film adaptation of the original God of War game was announced in 2005. [63] [64] During pre-production, new writers were hired to adapt the game [65] but the project remained in development hell. Following the release of 2018's God of War, rumors about a potential adaptation of that game began circulating. [66] In May 2021, however, a Sony spokesperson said there was no film adaptation for any God of War game in development. [67] The following May, it was instead announced that a streaming television series adaptation of the Norse era, starting with the events of the 2018 installment, [68] was being developed for Amazon Prime Video. [69]
Kratos appears on the Guts of War II: Entrails of Intestinox kiosk at E4, a parody of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), in The Simpsons television episode "The Food Wife". [70] Kratos has also been parodied by Adult Swim's clay-mation television series Robot Chicken . He was first parodied in season 5, episode 15, "The Core, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", which shows how far Kratos (voiced by Brian Austin Green) will go to collect blood orbs. [71] Sony later worked with Robot Chicken to produce an advertisement for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale that parodies Kratos and other characters from the game. [72]
Kratos is set to appear in Amazon Prime Video's anthology series Secret Level, which is currently scheduled to be released on December 10, 2024. [73]
Kratos is the main character in novelizations of the video game series. Matthew Stover, Robert E. Vardeman, and James M. Barlog wrote novels retelling the games' events and further exploring their stories. Together, Stover and Vardeman wrote the first novel, which is titled God of War and was published in May 2010. [74] Vardeman alone wrote the second novel God of War II , which was published in February 2013. [75] The third novel, God of War – The Official Novelization , was written by Barlog and published in August 2018; this is a novelization of 2018's God of War, skipping a novelization of God of War III. [76]
Video game publications have given Kratos a positive reception. Magazines, including Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition , [77] described him as one of the greatest and most iconic video game characters. [78] [79] [80] [81] Alex Navarro of GameSpot regarded the Greek Kratos as a "sympathetic antihero" and a "badass", describing him as endearing due to his unforgiving demeanor, but added the slowly-developing story offered players "no understanding [of Kratos]" in the original game's early stages. [82] GamesRadar+ included Kratos as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating while he appeared at first to be a generic character, players eventually learn Kratos is both an "unstoppable force of nature" and a "broken, tragic man". [83]
Knowing of the talks about a God of War film at the time, both Jesse Schedeen of IGN and Marissa Melisa of UGO Networks described Kratos as a character who deserved his own movie. [84] [85] In 2012, Justin Amirkhani of Complex said Kratos had the best fighting game cameos for his guest appearances in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny and Mortal Kombat, [86] while in 2023, Drea Avellan called him one of the "most badass" video game characters of all time. [87] Kratos's Blades of Chaos were also cited by Lance Cartelli of GameSpot as one of "the most badass swords in video game history". [88] Ivan Sulic of IGN said Kratos was ruthless, merciless, and savage, noting his main motive in the Greek games was vengeance and that "all he desires is murder". [89] Sulic also stated "in time", the player would begin to "love and loathe Kratos and hate Ares". [89] Patrick Shaw of GamePro said it was "Kratos' tragic fall and brutal ascension to the peaks of Mount Olympus that made the original God of War so memorable". [90] GamesRadar+ staff described Kratos as "one of PlayStation's most popular representatives", and described him as the "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, writing: "Being insanely violent isn't exactly an uncommon trait amongst game characters, but driven by a rage wrought from his guilt (slaughtered thousands, including—oops—his wife and daughter) Kratos kills with such convincing visceral aggression it elevates him way beyond the status of brain-dead murder-bot". [91]
Critics have acclaimed Kratos's portrayal in 2018's God of War, with many complimenting his more-layered and relatable personality compared to previous versions. Dave Thier of Forbes wrote: "Kratos is a character this time", calling him "fleshed-out" and "surprisingly engaging", [92] while Jonathon Dornbush of IGN said the game "transforms him from the previous games' flat embodiment of the bloodthirsty warrior cliché into someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of my favorite protagonists in recent media". [93] Similarly, Stephen Farrelly of Red Bull stated: "This God of War reflects a new, more nuanced Kratos in that it's measured, deep and ... complex". [94] According to Mike Hume of The Washington Post , Kratos "taught him as a father". Hume said even if the teachings are occasionally challenging, Kratos takes it upon himself to teach Atreus because he is aware of the difficulties in the world. Kratos is aware of the risks his son will encounter on their travels. Hume added Kratos and Atreus strike a balance in their love and connection. Atreus improves himself as a result of paying attention to his father's advice. Kratos develops compassion as he begins to see the world more like his son does. [95]
Nathan Ingraham of Engadget , though saying it was an exaggeration, wrote: "Kratos is more nuanced and shows more emotion in the game's opening hour than he did in the entire previous trilogy". [96] Nick Plessas of Electronic Gaming Monthly said the story's most-memorable moments were the interactions between Kratos and Atreus. He also noted: "There is often some comic relief to be found when Kratos' curtness and Atreus' charming naivety collide". [97] Briana Lawrence of The Mary Sue said Kratos and Atreus's father-son adventure reminded them that they were not alone, [98] while Jakejames Lugo of Red Bull said the father-son-duo shared a remarkable relationship and made for a stunning virtual photography subject. [99] Kratos was cited as one of the best video game characters of the 2010s by Polygon writer Colin Campbell, particularly his appearance, and wrote: "In 2018's God of War, [Kratos] retains his skills as a warrior, but is now a father whose gruff, tough-love approach to parenting belies a touching capacity for love and tenderness toward his son, and a deep grief for his late wife". [100]
Kratos has also been criticized, predominantly during the Greek era of the series. Prince of Persia producer Ben Mattes said he considered Kratos "a supercool character, but it's black and white; his personality is pure rage, his dialogue is pure rage, his character design is pure rage—it's kind of easy". [101] Jeremy "Norm" Scott, creator of the comic strip Hsu and Chan , stated in Electronic Gaming Monthly Kratos was average and "did not exist, except as an avatar for the player". [102] Jesse Schedeen of IGN described Kratos as the sixth-most-overrated video game character and said: "Kratos is the typical testosterone-fueled He-Man that modern entertainment has too much of". [103] Dante Douglas of Paste referred to power fantasy as the "Muscle-Bound Warrior Man" and said it was the commonest way men are sexualized in video games. According to Douglas, one well-known example was Kratos, whom he also cited as being characterized by hypermasculinity. He also said one of the primary distinctions between the sexualization of female characters and Kratos, and other instances of "power fantasy", was their agency. Rather than being intended for sexual stimulation, the male character's sexual activities served as avatars for straight male gamers to demonstrate their might through conquest. [104] Jaffe expressed distaste for the direction of Kratos's character development in the Norse era games, saying experiences reflective of ageing developers were ill-fitting for the character. [105]
During the 9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Terrence C. Carson's portrayal of Kratos in the original God of War was awarded with Outstanding Character Performance – Male by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences; [106] a few years later, Carson's performance in God of War III received a nomination for Outstanding Character Performance during the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. [107] At the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, Kratos was nominated for "Character of the Year" and awarded "Biggest Badass". [108] GameSpot included Kratos in its "All Time Greatest Video Game Hero" contest, in which the character reached the "Elite Eight" round before losing to Mario. [109]
The portrayal of Kratos in God of War (2018) was received favorably by the industry, with the character's new voice actor Christopher Judge earning a BAFTA Award for Performer at the 15th British Academy Games Awards. [110] He was also nominated for Best Performance at The Game Awards 2018. [111] While he did not win the award in 2018, Judge won Best Performance for his performance as Kratos in God of War Ragnarök at The Game Awards 2022. [112] [113] For both God of War (2018) and Ragnarök, Judge's portrayal won him and the creative team the Outstanding Achievement in Character awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. [114] [115] In 2024, a poll conducted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) with around 4,000 respondents named Kratos as the ninth-most-iconic video-game character of all time. [116]
The National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) produced two series of action figures based on God of War II. The first set included two versions of Kratos; one wielding the Blades of Athena, and the other wearing the Golden Fleece and holding a Gorgon's head. The second set included a twelve in (30 cm) figure that played six game quotes. [117] A second two-figure set was released, with Kratos wearing the God of War armor. [118] In October 2009, United Cutlery created a scaled replica of Kratos's Blades of Chaos that included a custom display stand with the God of War logo. [119]
Kratos was featured in a line of action figures DC Unlimited released and based on God of War III; this line included the characters Zeus, Hades, and Hercules. [120] Between February 1, 2010, and March 31, 2010, the convenience store chain 7-Eleven sold a limited-edition Slurpee drink called "Kratos Fury" and four exclusive God of War III cups bearing codes that could be used to access God of War III and Slurpee-themed downloadable content on the Slurpee website. [121] The video game website X-Play filmed a parody music video of Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy" [122] in which Jessica Blake played Aphrodite. [123]
Kratos's visage has appeared on the PlayStation Portable exclusive bundle pack Chains of Olympus, [124] and on the PlayStation 3 God of War III sweepstakes prize video game consoles. [125] A limited-edition, ten-inch (25 cm) figurine of Kratos was the grand prize of a sweepstakes in a promotion for God of War Collection in November 2009. [126] A six-inch (150 mm) figure of Kratos was included in the God of War: Ascension—Collector's Edition . [127] In June 2014, a Kratos Pop! Vinyl Figure was released. [128]
The same year, Sony partnered with Gaming Heads to produce a limited-edition (500 units), life-size bust of Kratos. It is 28 inches (71 cm) tall and sits upon a Greek-inspired column. [129] One hundred units of a "Fear Kratos" version of the bust that was based on the Fear Kratos costume from God of War III were also produced that year. [130] In 2015, Sony again partnered with Gaming Heads to produce a limited-edition (1,250 units), lunging Kratos statue that is 19 inches (48 cm) tall and depicts Kratos wielding the Blades of Exile. [131] For the God of War franchise's 10th anniversary in March 2015, Gaming Heads produced two limited-edition "Kratos on the Throne" statues, depicting the final scene of the original God of War game. Both statues are 29 inches (74 cm) tall; the Regular Edition (1,250 units) depicts Kratos in his normal attire and the Exclusive Edition (500 units) depicts Kratos in his God of War armor. [132] In November 2015, Sony announced it would release a new Kratos statue the following month to celebrate God of War's 10-year anniversary. Santa Monica designed the limited edition (500 units), polystone statue, which is over 26 inches (66 cm) tall and includes leather, cloth, and metal pieces. [133] In 2023, a rubber duck depicting Kratos was made. [134]
In Norse mythology, Móði and Magni are the sons of Thor. Their names translate to "Wrath" and "Mighty," respectively. Rudolf Simek states that, along with Thor's daughter Þrúðr ("Strength"), they embody their father's features.
God of War is a 2005 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 on March 22, 2005, the game is the first installment in the God of War series and the third chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, a Spartan warrior who serves the Olympian gods. The goddess Athena tasks Kratos with killing Ares, the God of War and Kratos' former mentor who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. As Ares besieges Athens out of hatred for Athena, Kratos embarks on a quest to find the one object capable of stopping the god once and for all: Pandora's Box.
The Olympians are a fictional species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. These characters are based on the Twelve Olympians/Dii Consentes and other deities of Classical mythology. During the beginning of the 1960s, the exploits of the Asgardians Thor and his evil brother Loki demonstrated that an updating of ancient myths could again win readers. In 1965, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the Olympians in Journey into Mystery Annual #1.
God of War II is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 on March 13, 2007, the game is the second installment in the God of War series, the sixth chronologically, and the sequel to 2005's God of War. It is based on Greek mythology and set in ancient Greece, with vengeance as its central motif. The player character is protagonist Kratos, the new God of War who killed the former, Ares. Kratos is betrayed by Zeus, the King of the Olympian gods, who strips him of his godhood and kills him. Slowly dragged to the Underworld, he is saved by the Titan Gaia, who instructs him to find the Sisters of Fate, as they can allow him to travel back in time, avert his betrayal, and take revenge on Zeus.
God of War: Chains of Olympus is a 2008 action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It is the fourth installment in the God of War series, the second chronologically, and a prequel to the original God of War. It is loosely based on Greek mythology and set in ancient Greece, with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls Kratos, a Spartan warrior who serves the Olympian gods. Kratos is guided by the goddess Athena, who instructs him to find the Sun God Helios, as the Dream God Morpheus has caused many of the gods to slumber in Helios' absence. With the power of the Sun and the aid of the Titan Atlas, Morpheus and the Queen of the Underworld Persephone intend to destroy the Pillar of the World and in turn Olympus.
God of War III is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the God of War series, the seventh chronologically, and the sequel to 2007's God of War II. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the former God of War, after his betrayal at the hands of Zeus, King of the Olympian gods, whom he learned was his father. Reigniting the Great War, Kratos ascends Mount Olympus until he is abandoned by the Titan Gaia. Guided by Athena's spirit, Kratos battles monsters, gods, and Titans in a search for Pandora, without whom he cannot open Pandora's Box, defeat Zeus, and end the reign of the Olympian gods to have his revenge.
God of War: Betrayal is an action-adventure mobile game developed by Javaground and Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) Los Angeles division, and published by Sony Pictures Digital. Released for mobile phones supporting the Java Platform, Micro Edition on June 20, 2007, it is the third installment in the God of War series, and the fifth chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, Betrayal is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, who became the new God of War after killing the former, Ares. Kratos is framed for the murder of Argos and pursues the true assassin across Greece, resulting in a confrontation with Olympian messenger Ceryx.
Cory Barlog is an American video game designer, director, and writer who is the current creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio. He is best known for his work on the God of War series.
God of War is an action-adventure game franchise created by David Jaffe and developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio. It began in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console and has become a flagship series for PlayStation, consisting of nine installments across multiple platforms. Based on ancient mythologies, the series' plot follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the God of War and comes into conflict with various mythological pantheons. The earlier games in the series are based on Greek mythology and see Kratos follow a path of vengeance against the Olympian gods; the later games are based on Norse mythology and see Kratos on a path of redemption while also introducing his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist.
Ares has appeared frequently in modern popular culture; he usually appears as the ancient Greek god of war in the most generally familiar classical mythology.
The characters of the God of War video game franchise belong to a fictional universe based on Greek mythology and Norse mythology. As such, the series features a range of traditional figures, including those from Greek mythology, such as the Olympian Gods, Titans, and Greek heroes, and those from Norse mythology, including the Æsir and Vanir gods and other beings. A number of original characters have also been created to supplement storylines.
God of War is a six-issue American comic book limited series set in the Greek mythology era of the God of War universe. The series was written by Marv Wolfman, illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino, and the cover art for each issue was produced by Andy Park, who was also an artist for the video game series. The first five issues of God of War were published by WildStorm. Due to the company's closure in December 2010, the final issue was published by their parent company, DC Comics. The series' launch coincided with the release of the video game God of War III in March 2010. The final issue was published in January 2011, followed by a trade paperback in March.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is a 2010 action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It is the sixth installment in the God of War series, the fourth chronologically and the second to not be developed primarily by Santa Monica Studio. Loosely based on Greek mythology, Ghost of Sparta is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the God of War. Kratos is still haunted by the visions of his mortal past and decides to explore his origins. In Atlantis, he finds his mother Callisto, who claims that his brother Deimos is still alive. Kratos journeys to the Domain of Death to rescue his brother. After initial resentment from Deimos, the brothers team up to battle the God of Death, Thanatos, Deimos' captor.
God of War: Ascension is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Released in March 2013, it is the seventh installment in the God of War series and a prequel to the entire series. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist, Kratos, the former servant of the God of War Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. In response to this tragedy, Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. Kratos was, therefore, imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies, guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment. Helped by the oath keeper, Orkos, Kratos escapes his imprisonment and confronts the Furies, aiming to free himself of his bond to Ares.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a 2012 crossover fighting game developed by SuperBot Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features various characters drawn from different PlayStation video game franchises competing against each other in multiplayer battles. The game was released in November 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.
God of War is an action-adventure video game series, the first era of which was loosely based on Greek mythology. Debuting in 2005, the series became a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and the character Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The series consists of nine games across multiple platforms; the first seven make up the Greek era of the series. Five of the Greek era games have been re-released through three separate compilations for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) platform: God of War Collection (2009), God of War: Origins Collection (2011), and God of War Saga (2012). With the exception of God of War III in the God of War Saga, each collection features remastered ports of the games that were not originally released on the PS3. God of War III was later remastered as God of War III Remastered and released on PlayStation 4 (PS4) in July 2015. God of War: Betrayal, God of War: Ascension, God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarök are the only installments that have not been remastered for a newer platform or included in a collection.
God of War is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released for the PlayStation 4 in April 2018, with a Windows port released in January 2022. It is the eighth installment in the God of War series, the eighth chronologically, and the sequel to 2010's God of War III.
Sunny Suljic is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Bob in Yorgos Lanthimos's 2017 drama The Killing of a Sacred Deer and as the voice and motion capture actor for Atreus, the son of Kratos, in the 2018 video game God of War, for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Performance in a Video Game and the D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Character. He reprised the role in the game's 2022 sequel, God of War Ragnarök, for which he was nominated for Best Performance at The Game Awards 2022, the BAFTA Award for Performer in a Leading Role, and the D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Character. In 2018, Suljic had his first lead role in Jonah Hill's film Mid90s, for which he received a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer nomination.
Warriors Orochi 4, released as Musou Orochi 3 in Japan, is a 2018 hack and slash video game developed by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment of the crossover series Warriors Orochi, a combination of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series. The game was released in Japan on September 27, 2018, and in North America and Europe in October.
God of War Ragnarök is a 2022 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first cross-gen release in the God of War series, and was released for Windows on September 19, 2024. It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's God of War. Loosely based on Norse mythology, the game is set in ancient Scandinavia and features series protagonist, Kratos, and his now teenage son, Atreus. Concluding the Norse era of the series, the story follows Kratos and Atreus' efforts to prevent the nine realms from being destroyed by Ragnarök, the eschatological event which is central to Norse mythology and was foretold to happen in the previous game after Kratos killed the Aesir god Baldur.
Cory Barlog: I wanted to reimagine the gameplay, give players a fresh perspective and a new tactile experience while delving deeper into the emotional journey of Kratos to explore the compelling drama that unfolds when an immortal demigod makes a decision to change.
Oracle: From this night forward, the mark of your terrible dead will be visible to all! The ashes of your wife and child will remain fastened to your skin, never to be removed! Narrator: And with that curse, all would know him for the beast he had become, his skin white with the ash of his dead family. The ghost of Sparta had been born.