u/Alkiserex

My point is that Kratos endured nearly 13 years as the God of War before Zeus decided he’d had enough. This is, of course, based on Daedalus’s notes, in which he recorded the number of days since he began work on the labyrinth a project he started after Zeus discovered Hephaestus’s lie following Ares death.

Kratos felt lied to and betrayed by the gods and tried to commit suicide to free himself from his nightmares, but Athena saved him and appointed him God of War. He finds it amusing, however, that Kratos with his temperament and tendency toward rage, especially when he feels deceived agreed to this arrangement for so long instead of immediately declaring war on the gods for refusing to free him from his nightmares, which would have been more his style than enduring this toxic arrangement among beings whom he sincerely truly despises. Especially since Kratos already possessed the power of a god after opening the can and didn’t need to stay on Mount Olympus to maintain it so instead, he could have declared war on the gods on the spot, but he didn’t; he just dragged his feet long enough that Zeus decided to get rid of him first, before Kratos finally got around to striking first.

If you were to put yourself in the judge’s shoes, would you consider that Kratos, through all his good deeds in Scandinavia, has made up for the mess he caused in Greece?

Or are Kratos’s actions so disgusting and cruel to you that it will never be possible for the balance it to be 50-50?

I’d love to read Kratos’s reflections from the Greek era on the events unfolding around him, the gods, the enemies he defeated, and how these experiences shaped and changed his mental state throughout the trilogy.

since he had his first family. It might be an interesting experience with this character, since we’ve finally closed the chapter on the depressed, broken, and unhappy Kratos. I’m curious to see what it will be like to play as a Kratos who’s happier and more at peace than ever before.

To make it into the top list of the best GOW boss fight intros right next to the battle against the Colossus of Rhodes in GOW and the battle against Poseidon during the climb up Mount Olympus in GOW 3

If you follow the Greek saga closely, you'll notice how, over time, more and more well-known figures on Mount Olympus are gradually disappearing. From game to game, Olympus is growing weaker and losing its influence.

1. The Furies began conspiring with Ares against Olympus; Zeus’s former allies, who had punished those who broke their oaths, turned against him. Ultimately, Kratos killed the Furies and saved Zeus’s stable rule, but at the same time, with the Furies’ death, Olympus lost control over those who broke their oaths, as there were no longer any Furies to keep them in check.

2. Persephone’s betrayal and death deprived Olympus of the guardian of the Elysian Fields. This situation also revealed that even within the ranks of Olympus, there are now those who have had enough of the gods’ rule and are willing to conspire, even if it means the destruction of all of Greece.

3. Ares is another god who tried to act against Olympus to prove to Zeus that he was superior to Athena, but he was stopped by Kratos. Yet another furious deity who broke away from the other gods and began acting against Zeus.

4. In God of War 2, the Fates were slain by Kratos, causing Olympus to lose the favor of fate and leaving the gods to fend for themselves. Not to mention that the fate of mortals no longer depended on the gods, since the Fates could no longer decide their life or death. Athena, on the other hand, was torn between Olympus and Kratos throughout the game, so her loyalty was ambiguous toward either side. Athena’s subsequent death deprived Olympus of the Goddess of Wisdom.

5. In God of War 3, however, we see that even Poseidon, in his notes, began to question Zeus’s actions whether regarding Pandora or Daedalus. To make matters worse, Athena returned from the dead and devised her own plan to destroy the gods by using Kratos. Zeus also made another enemy of his own son, Hephaestus, after he beat him to a pulp and took his daughter away from him. Hephaestus shared information about the fire of Olympus with Kratos, who already knew that the flame could not be touched. Hephaestus himself, however, remained passive for most of the game regarding Kratos’s actions because, after Zeus’s betrayal, he felt no need to attack Kratos in the name of Olympus and so Zeus lost yet another valuable ally, thereby protecting Olympus.

It’s true that Kratos overthrew the rule of Olympus by killing all the gods, but for that to be fully possible, all those events unfolding in the background had to take place so that the destruction of Olympus which was losing more and more power and influence with each game could be possible.

I don't buy that Kratos was ashamed of his past enough not to wear it, since he has no problem with Atreus having it sewn into his clothes

1. If that were to happen, Kratos would lose his motivation to rebel against the gods.

2. With a clear mind, free from madness, he could draw conclusions from all of this instead of focusing on conquering Greece, as in the second game, to distract himself from his nightmares.

If I had to describe this saga somehow, I’d call it “dark hardcore heavy metal” in these games, Greece seems like the worst place in the world. Every so often, there are catastrophes on a civilizational scale,

- Gods of War conquering great cities

- The casual deaths of civilians in the most grotesque ways

- A raging titan trying to destroy the pillar of the world

- A main protagonist who doesn’t care about the lives of innocent people and runs roughshod over everyone

- Death lurking at every turn and at the most unexpected moments

- Loud and aggressive choral music

- The most cynical portrayal of the gods in Greek mythology

- The destruction of a country at the end of the story

- Gore and violence are commonplace

PURE CINEMA

This shows that they have secured the best position for themselves at Sony. We're talking about a studio that has been very cautious when it comes to announcing its games and publicly reporting on their further development. This is a studio that has been able to stay silent for 3-4 years before revealing a product that's fully polished and worth showing.

1. God of War Laufey

2. God of War Trilogy Remake

3. God of War (next Kratos game)

That's why this situation feels so new to me they've announced as many as three different game projects in a single calendar year. It's been a long time since I've seen such a strong display of confidence from this studio specifically, that they'll be able to deliver all these games without fear that any of them will be canceled. My point is that they must feel extremely confident about the development of these projects since they decided to officially announce all of them to the public which shows that Sony must trusts them more than any other studio.

Which, as the narrator confirms at the beginning of the game, is indeed the case

,,Kratos had no need for the love of petty gods. He had found a new family in the warriors of Sparta, GAINING SOLACE FROM HIS PAST in the carnage of battle."

I think that amid the debate over whether Kratos has become worse than Ares, it’s worth pointing out this particular difference between the two Gods of War, because while both caused destruction, they did so for completely different reasons.

While God of War 2018 and Ragnarok focused on Kratos’s redemption and his second chance as a father, it seems that all of his story arcs have been resolved. As a result, many people don’t see any further room for development in his character.

However, there are storylines that could be further explored.

1. Kratos as a leader trying to live up to his role as the new God of War. As a god, he’ll be put to the test by having to make difficult decisions that determine the lives of others lives he didn’t care about when he was a ruthless god of war in Greece. In God of War Valhalla, Kratos pondered whether he should be a god again; a new game could explore this storyline further by depicting Kratos as he tries to prove to everyone that he is the God of War that people need. The climax of this storyline should be a moment where Kratos realizes he no longer needs to forcefully prove anything and that he is already that god.

2. In the Norse saga, Kratos tried to come to terms with his sins and mistakes, whereas in his next saga, Kratos could take on the role of a mentor who tries to help people who have strayed just as he did in the past. We see glimpses of this in his confrontation with Baldur or later with Freya, but it would be interesting to see Kratos fully embrace the role of a mentor to the lost, someone who wants those around him to be better as well.

3. An expansion of his approach to relations with the gods on an international scale, in which Kratos, for example, would have to negotiate with the gods in some way. We know that Kratos hates the gods, and he had a hard time accepting the Norse gods into his life, so it would be interesting to see Kratos who, because of his position, has to interact with gods from other lands from time to time, whether due to some kind of divine international delegation among the gods or an invasion of his land. Basically, Kratos as a politician.

I'm writing this to finally put to rest the idea that Kratos did it solely out of selfishness, just to spite Athena.

This excerpt is from a retrospective book celebrating the franchise's 20th anniversary

My favorite Cory Barlog quotes:

"Yeah, he leaves a huge body count and a bloody trail in his wake. But he's bringing down a corrupt system too, right? These Greek gods are terrible, they're nasty and capricious. And in the end, Kratos even gives mankind hope and free will! So, despite the cruelty of his methods, he's actually making the Greek world a better place."

But given Midas’s misery and madness, death is an act of some kind mercy for him especially considering that he stuck his hand into the lava, thinking it was the River Styx, which kills anyone who falls into it. Though he surely wanted to die on his own terms, rather than be casually thrown into the lava.

In my opinion, if a character like Ares or Zeus shows up, it’s to play a necessary role in the plot not just as a reminder that “THESE ARE THE GODS WE KILLED IN THE GREEK TRILOGY AS KRATOS, AND NOW THEY’RE ALL HERE, DO YOU FEEL NOSTALGIC?”

Cory also says that the new Ghost of Sparta adventure will be connected to God of War: Laufey and will mark the beginning of an entirely new saga

In the first God of War, we learn that Kratos sold his soul to the God of War in exchange for the power to survive the war against the barbarians during Sparta’s military campaign. From games such as Sons of Sparta and Ghost of Sparta, we know that Kratos was looked down upon in Sparta for being a bastard as Deimos himself tells Kratos, they are outcasts in Sparta because of their shameful origins in the eyes of others. When Kratos lost Deimos, he tattooed his younger brother’s markings on himself as a reminder never to give in again and never to feel as powerless as he did on the day Ares and Athena invaded Sparta.

The first God of War shows us how the ruthlessness and brutality of those in power led to tragedy in Kratos’s life, but it never explained where that drive came from within Kratos himself, why he wanted to become stronger and stronger, and why he was so desperate to conquer and win more and more. Here, however, these two spin-offs neatly address this issue, as Kratos’s thirst for power stemmed from unresolved traumas such as

1. The need to elevate his social status and the desire to climb as high as possible in the Spartan military hierarchy, stemming from the fact that as a child he was looked down upon for being a bastard raised solely by his mother. This sense of inferiority and shame drove Kratos to desperately prove himself as a great warrior, which later led him to become the youngest general in the Spartan army.

2. A feeling of complete helplessness after he was unable to do anything to save Deimos; Kratos hated that feeling and did everything he could to ensure he would never end up in the same situation again, so he began desperately seeking to grow in strength at any cost. It’s easy to deduce that every time Kratos feels powerless like when Alrik was about to kill him the only thing on Kratos’s mind was the night Deimos was taken away, because he was too weak to save him. So he gave his soul to Ares to rid himself of that feeling forever and finally feel truly powerful.

3. The Spartan upbringing itself was ruthless; it relied on corporal punishment and was focused on radical discipline and obedience to produce the best possible soldier, which only strengthened Kratos’s motivation to grow in strength.

When Kratos’s family died and his life became focused on freeing himself from nightmares, revenge, and redemption, his thirst for power evolved as it took on a specific form. Previously, Kratos had sought power simply for the sake of feeling he possessed incredible might. Later, his quest for strength stemmed from the need to accomplish a specific task rather than simply possessing power and feeling strong.

1. In the first God of War, he sought Pandora’s Box to save Athen's ans kill Ares

2. In God of War 2, he sought the Fates to prevent his own death

3. In God of War 3, he once again sought a way to open Pandora’s Box to kill Zeus

4. In God of War: Ascension, he gathered the powers of the gods to free himself from serving Ares

5. In God of War: Chains of Olympus, he collected the gods’ artifacts to save Helios and stop Persephone

6. In God of War: Ghost of Sparta, he once again collected the gods’ artifacts, this time to save his brother

His need for power didn’t stem primarily from a desire to possess power, but rather from the need to be able to achieve a goal he had set for himself or one the gods had set for him. I wrote this post to show that Kratos power hunger is more complex and has more nuances to it than just the fact that Kratos is a one dimensional monster who wanted more power and lost everything because of it.

In the first God of War, we learn that Kratos sold his soul to the God of War in exchange for the power to survive the war against the barbarians during Sparta’s military campaign. From games such as Sons of Sparta and Ghost of Sparta, we know that Kratos was looked down upon in Sparta for being a bastardbas Deimos himself tells Kratos, they are outcasts in Sparta because of their shameful origins in the eyes of others. When Kratos lost Deimos, he tattooed his younger brother’s markings on himself as a reminder never to give in again and never to feel as powerless as he did on the day Ares and Athena invaded Sparta.

The first God of War shows us how the ruthlessness and brutality of those in power led to tragedy in Kratos’s life, but it never explained where that drive came from within Kratos himself, why he wanted to become stronger and stronger, and why he was so desperate to conquer and win more and more. Here, however, these two spin-offs neatly address this issue, as Kratos’s thirst for power stemmed from unresolved traumas such as

- The need to elevate his social status and the desire to climb as high as possible in the Spartan military hierarchy, stemming from the fact that as a child he was looked down upon for being a bastard raised solely by his mother. This sense of inferiority and shame drove Kratos to desperately prove himself as a great warrior, which later led him to become the youngest general in the Spartan army.

- A feeling of complete helplessness after he was unable to do anything to save Deimos; Kratos hated that feeling and did everything he could to ensure he would never end up in the same situation again, so he began desperately seeking to grow in strength at any cost. It’s easy to deduce that every time Kratos feels powerless like when Alrik was about to kill him the only thing on Kratos’s mind was the night Deimos was taken away, because he was too weak to save him. So he gave his soul to Ares to rid himself of that feeling forever and finally feel truly powerful.

- The Spartan upbringing itself was ruthless; it relied on corporal punishment and was focused on radical discipline and obedience to produce the best possible soldier, which only strengthened Kratos’s motivation to grow in strength.

When Kratos’s family died and his life became focused on freeing himself from nightmares, revenge, and redemption, his thirst for power evolved as it took on a specific form. Previously, Kratos had sought power simply for the sake of feeling he possessed incredible might. Later, his quest for strength stemmed from the need to accomplish a specific task rather than simply possessing power and feeling strong.

- In the first God of War, he sought Pandora’s Box to save Athena from Ares

- In God of War 2, he sought the Fates to prevent his own death

- In God of War 3, he once again sought a way to open Pandora’s Box to kill Zeus

- In God of War: Ascension, he gathered the powers of the gods to free himself from serving Ares

- In God of War: Chains of Olympus, he collected the gods’ artifacts to save Helios

- In God of War: Ghost of Sparta, he once again collected the gods’ artifacts, this time to save his brother

As I’ve already shown, his need for power didn’t stem primarily from a desire to possess power, but rather from the need to be able to achieve a goal he had set for himself or one the gods had set for him. I wrote this post to show that Kratos's power hunger is more complex and has more nuances to it than just the fact that Kratos is a monster who wanted more power and lost everything because he is angry one dimensional character.

With this move, Ares could have fueled Kratos’s hatred for Athena and Olympus and given him the right motivation to overthrow the gods for him. After all, Ares wanted to overthrow Olympus using Kratos as his greatest asset, as revealed in the plot of Ascension.

Besides, Kratos would have believed it because his family was in Athena’s temple at that very moment, so she must have been the one to transport them there to punish Kratos. In this simple way, Ares would have diverted Kratos’s wrath away from himself, directed it toward Olympus, and still kept him under his control.

In my opinion, Kratos statement “I killed many who were deserving. And many who were not. "I killed my father..." is so vague that it doesn’t even begin to convey the scale of what Kratos did in Greece, and Zeus himself is portrayed in this game as a poor victim of Kratos’s someone Kratos regretted killing rather than as a tyrant who got what he deserved. Atreus learned that Kratos killed his father, but unlike in the story of Baldur and Freya, he never learned the context of the story between Kratos and Zeus. By the end of the game, Atreus knows only that Zeus is dead, but he never learned why he was killed and doesn’t understand why Kratos did what he did.

Original Video: https://youtu.be/PCZDwR95qpE?is=H5bIvTzTXBPmf1MU