Wikipedia

Kratos (God of War)

This article is about the video game character. For the mythical figure, seeKratos (mythology).

Kratos(Ancient Greek:Κράτος,lit. 'strength') is a character and theprotagonistofSanta Monica Studio's video game seriesGod of War,which is based onGreek mythologyand, later,Norse mythology.Kratos first appeared in the 2005 video gameGod 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 seriesGod of Warin2010and2018,and in three novels that retell the events of three of the games. The character was voiced byTerrence C. Carsonfrom 2005 to 2013, and byChristopher Judge,who took over the role, in the 2018 continuation, which is also titledGod of War.Antony Del Rio voiced young Kratos inGhost of Sparta.

Kratos
God of Warcharacter
Kratos with the Leviathan Axe, as he primarily appears in theNorse eraof the series
First gameGod of War(2005)
Created byDavid Jaffe
Based onFárbautiofNorse mythology(2018–present)
Designed byCharlie Wen
Voiced by
Motion capture
  • Brandon Molale(2005)[2]
  • Joseph Gatt(2007–2010)[3]
  • Terrence C. Carson(2013)
  • Christopher Judge(2018–pres.)
  • Eric Jacobus(2018–present)[4]
In-universe information
AliasGhost of Sparta
SpeciesDemigod[5]
ChildrenCalliope (daughter)
Atreus "Loki"(son)
OriginSparta,Greece
NationalityGreek

Throughout the Greek era of the series, Kratos is portrayed as aSpartanwarrior who becomes known as the "Ghost of Sparta" afterAres,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 ademigodand the son ofZeus,who later betrays him. Kratos embarks on several adventures in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate, and is generally portrayed as atragicfigure.Vengeanceis a central theme of the Greek era; installments focus on Kratos's origins, and his relationships with his family and theOlympian 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 andgods of the Norse realm,which leads to the catastrophic battle ofRagnarök.Redemptionis 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.

TheGod of Warfranchise is a flagship title for thePlayStationbrand 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 theGod of Warseries. Judge's performance as Kratos in the two Norse-based games was highly praised, and received numerous awards and nominations.

Concept and design

Early concept art by Kratos's original designer/creator Charlie Wen, depicting unused variations of Kratos; these would later be used as bonus costumes inGod of War IIIinbonus play

When designing Kratos,God of War(2005) creator and game directorDavid Jaffeattempted to create a brutal-looking character that did not resemble a typicaltraditional 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 onGod of War(2005) andGod 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 theOlympian godAres,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 anepauletcalled theGolden Fleece—all inGod of War II—and the Boots ofHermesinGod of War III.According to an earlyGod of Warscript, 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 ofGod 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'srole playing video game(RPG) elements.[5]

Throughout the Greek games, Kratos's appearance can be altered inbonus 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 thePlayStation Store;God of War IIIincludes 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 themythical god named Kratoswho appears inPrometheus Bound;they coincidentally chose Kratos from the Greek word meaningstrength,of which the mythical figure is the personification.[18][17]Stig Asmussen,who worked on the first two games and was the game director ofGod of War III,called the naming coincidence a "happy mistake",[17]noting the games' character and the one inPrometheus Boundwere both "pawns".[17]Zoran Iovanovici ofCalifornia State University, Long Beach,said while the mythical Kratos is best known for chaining Prometheus, inGod 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 heroesPerseus,Theseus,andAchilles,[19][20]but his strongest influence is the heroHeracles(RomanHercules), who appears inGod of War IIIwith the Romanized name and is revealed to be Kratos's half-brother.[19]

Game directorCory Barlogsaid for 2018'sGod 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 ofOlympus,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-actionStar Warstelevision serieswas 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 theMarvel ComicscharacterHulk,Barlog said about Kratos: "We've already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of [Bruce] Banner now."[22]

Voice and actor portrayal

Christopher Judge,who is best known for his portrayal ofTeal'cinStargate SG-1,replacedTerrence C. Carson,who had voiced Kratos since the originalGod 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 performmotion capture.Although Carson performed motion capture for Kratos inAscension,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-oldSunny 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 onRagnarök,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 onRagnarök,was able to convince Judge of Williams' capability to direct the game, which Judge affirmed after working with him.[25]

Role in theGod of Warseries

Kratos (left) and Deimos (right) as boys in a flashback scene fromGod of War: Ghost of Sparta

Greek era

Backstory and comics (past)

Main article:God of War (DC Comics)

Throughout the series, Kratos is portrayed as anantihero,[26]often performing questionable actions. His backstory is seen in the originalGod of War,Kratos's childhood is revealed inGhost of Sparta,and the birth of his daughter is explored in theGod of Warcomic series (2010–2011). InGhost of Sparta,it is revealed the oracle had foretold the demise ofOlympuswould not happen by the hands of theTitans,who were imprisoned after theGreat War,but rather by a marked mortal warrior. The OlympiansZeus,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 deathThanatos.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 byMarv Wolfman(2010–11), Kratos met his wife Lysandra, with whom he had a daughter named Calliope. Upon birth, Calliope was stricken with theplague.To save his daughter, Kratos was granted a quest to find the Ambrosia ofAsclepius,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 inGod 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 toAthena—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]

Ascension, Chains of Olympus,andGod of War(2005)

Main articles:God of War: Ascension,God of War: Chains of Olympus,andGod of War (2005 video game)

InAscension,it is revealed because Kratos renounced and broke his blood oath to Ares, he was imprisoned and tortured by the threeFuries.The oath keeperOrkoshelped 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]

InChains of Olympus,Kratos was reluctant to help the gods whenHelioswas kidnapped and openly abandoned them whenPersephoneoffered him a chance to be reunited with Calliope. He was forced to reverse his decision when Persephone used the TitanAtlasin 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 ofGod 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 usingPandora'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]

Comics (2010–11),Ghost of Sparta,andBetrayal

Main articles:God of War: Ghost of SpartaandGod of War: Betrayal

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 GiantGyges,before destroying the Ambrosia.[27]Still haunted by the visions of his mortal past inGhost of Sparta,and against the advice of Athena, Kratos embarked on a quest to find his mother Callisto in the city ofAtlantis.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]InBetrayal,the other gods have shunned Kratos, who decides to lead his Spartan army to overrun Greece. He is falsely accused of murderingArgosand he killsCeryx,the son of Hermes, for interfering in his search for the true assassin, who escapes.[33]

God of War II

Main article:God of War II
Kratos's initial appearance inGod of War III,and as he appeared throughout most ofGod of War II,wielding the Blades ofAthenawith theGolden Fleeceon his right arm. With the exception of a few details, such as the Golden Fleece and abdominal scar, this is largely Kratos's appearance throughout theGreek eraof the series.

Kratos joins the Spartan army inRhodes,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 theUnderworldbut was rescued byGaia,who was banished toTartaruswith 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 theSisters 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]

God of War III

Main article:God of War III

Kratos killsPoseidonbut 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 realizesPandorais 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 hispsycheand 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]

Norse era

God of War(2018)

Main article:God of War (2018 video game)

Decades after the events ofGod 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 ofMidgard,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 thenine realms.At Midgard's peak, they learn fromMímirthe highest peak is inJötunheim.During their journey, theÆsirgodBaldur,the brother ofThor,confronts them. Thor's sonsModi and Magnihelp 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 ofHelheimbecause 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 theVanirgoddessFreya,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 agiant,making Atreus part-giant. It is also revealed Faye originally wanted to name their sonLokibut Kratos preferred Atreus, which was the name of an honorable Spartan comrade. The giants also referred to Kratos asFárbauti.In Midgard,Fimbulwinterbegins and, after sleeping in the family home, Atreus has a vision Thor will come for them at the end of Fimbulwinter.[36]

RagnarökandValhalla

Main articles:God of War RagnarökandGod of War Ragnarök: Valhalla

Three years after the events of the previous game, the All-fatherOdinand 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 preventRagnarök.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 againstAsgard.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]

InRagnarök'sdownloadable content(DLC) packValhalla,it is revealed that Freya, now the Queen of the Realms, offered Kratos to join her council as the new Norse God of War, asTýrabandoned the position, but Kratos was reluctant due to his abuse of power on the Greek pantheon. Kratos and Mímir receive an anonymous invitation toValhalla,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]

Other appearances

Video games outside theGod of Warfranchise

The Greek and Norse versions of Kratos have appeared as playable characters and costumes in several PlayStation games outside theGod of Warseries. On August 21, 2008, the Greek Kratos, along with his Clubs of Chaos, was released as a downloadable character inHot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds.[39]As a pre-order bonus forLittleBigPlanetfromGameStop,customers received aSackboyKratos costume along with ones forMedusaand aMinotaur,as well as aGod of Warlevel sticker kit.[40]These were later released for purchase on January 26, 2009.[41]Kratos was also a guest character in 2009'sSoulcalibur: Broken Destiny,which includes his own story mode.[42][43]

As a pre-order bonus forModNation Racersfrom 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'sMortal Kombat—as well as thePlayStation Vitaversion released in 2012—which features his own fighting stage and arcade ladder mode.[46]Kratos then appeared in the 2012crossoverfighting gamePlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale,which includes twoGod of War-inspired stages, severalGod of Waritems,[47]and series antagonist Zeus, who was released as a downloadable character on March 19, 2013.[48]Kratos's appearance inPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalewas seemingly made canon by a line of dialogue in 2022'sGod 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 theGod of Warfranchise's 10th anniversary, Kratos appeared as a secretBoss battlein the PlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,and PlayStation Vita versions ofShovel Knight,which released on April 21, 2015.[50][51]His next guest appearance was inLittleBigPlanet 3as 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 ofGod of War III Remasteredon PlayStation 4 in July 2015.[52]A costume of Kratos andGod of Warcustom decorations were included in the "Crafted Edition" ofTearaway Unfolded,which was released for PlayStation 4 on September 8, 2015.[53]TC Carsonprovided the Greek Kratos's voice in these guest appearances,[39][43][54][55]except forLittleBigPlanet,ModNation Racers,LittleBigPlanet 3,andTearaway Unfolded,where the character is only a costume, and inShovel Knight,which only has text dialogue.

In thePlayStation 5launch gameAstro'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 inGod of War(2018) in which the two travel in their boat.[56]Kratos would also be referenced in theAstro's Playroomsequel,Astro Bot(2024).[57]The Nordic Kratos became a cosmeticoutfitinFortnite Battle Royale's chapter two, season five event, Zero Point, which was released on December 3, 2020. Kratos is playable on all platforms on whichFortniteis available, marking the character's only appearance on theXboxandNintendoplatforms, as well asAppleandAndroiddevices; these platforms, includingWindows,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 inGod of War(2018).[58]An armor inspired by Kratos's Nordic appearance is obtainable in the Director's Cut ofGhost 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, andemotesfor each, were released forSackboy: A Big Adventurein the world ofLittleBigPlaneton November 9, 2022, the same day asGod of War Ragnarök's release.[60]An armor set inspired by the Nordic Kratos was added toDestiny 2as part of itsLightfall – Season of the Deeprelease on May 23, 2023. The set is for the Titan character class and is purchasable on all platformsDestiny 2is available on: PS4, PS5,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,and Windows. It features Kratos's red tattoo andbreechcloth,and is light gray. A special finishing maneuver that mimics the Blades of Chaos was also added.[61]

Kratos has also been parodied inThe Simpsonsfranchise. He appears as the "God of Wharf" on a billboard advertising a chowder restaurant inThe Simpsons Game.[62]

Film and television

Alive-action film adaptationof the originalGod of Wargame was announced in 2005.[63][64]During pre-production, new writers were hired to adapt the game[65]but the project remained indevelopment hell.Following the release of 2018'sGod 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 anyGod of Wargame in development.[67]The following May, it was instead announced that astreaming televisionseries adaptation of the Norse era, starting with the events of the 2018 installment,[68]was being developed forAmazon Prime Video.[69]

Kratos appears on theGuts of War II: Entrails of Intestinoxkiosk at E4, a parody of theElectronic Entertainment Expo(E3), inThe Simpsonstelevision episode "The Food Wife".[70]Kratos has also been parodied byAdult Swim'sclay-mationtelevision seriesRobot Chicken.He was first parodied inseason 5, episode 15,"The Core, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", whichshows how farKratos (voiced byBrian Austin Green) will go to collect blood orbs.[71]Sony later worked withRobot Chickento produce an advertisement forPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalethat parodies Kratos and other characters from the game.[72]

Kratos is set to appear in Amazon Prime Video's anthology seriesSecret Level,which is currently scheduled to be released on December 10, 2024.[73]

Novels

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 titledGod of Warand was published in May 2010.[74]Vardeman alone wrote the second novelGod 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'sGod of War,skipping a novelization ofGod of War III.[76]

Cultural impact

Reception

Nordic Kratoscosplayat the 2018New York Comic Con

Video game publicationshave given Kratos a positive reception. Magazines, includingGuinness World Records Gamer's Edition,[77]described him as one of the greatest and most iconic video game characters.[78][79][80][81]Alex NavarroofGameSpotregarded 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 aGod of Warfilm at the time, both Jesse Schedeen ofIGNand Marissa Melisa ofUGO Networksdescribed Kratos as a character who deserved his own movie.[84][85]In 2012, Justin Amirkhani ofComplexsaid Kratos had the best fighting game cameos for his guest appearances inSoulcalibur: Broken DestinyandMortal 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 ofGameSpotas one of "the most badass swords in video game history".[88]Ivan Sulic ofIGNsaid 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 ofGameProsaid it was "Kratos' tragic fall and brutal ascension to the peaks of Mount Olympus that made the originalGod of Warso 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'sGod of War,with many complimenting his more-layered and relatable personality compared to previous versions. Dave Thier ofForbeswrote: "Kratos is a character this time", calling him "fleshed-out" and "surprisingly engaging",[92]while Jonathon Dornbush ofIGNsaid 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 ofRed Bullstated: "ThisGod of Warreflects a new, more nuanced Kratos in that it's measured, deep and... complex ".[94]According to Mike Hume ofThe 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 ofEngadget,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 ofElectronic Gaming Monthlysaid 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 ofThe Mary Suesaid Kratos and Atreus's father-son adventure reminded them that they were not alone,[98]while Jakejames Lugo ofRed Bullsaid 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 byPolygonwriter Colin Campbell, particularly his appearance, and wrote: "In 2018'sGod 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 Persiaproducer 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 stripHsu and Chan,stated inElectronic Gaming MonthlyKratos was average and "did not exist, except as an avatar for the player".[102]Jesse Schedeen ofIGNdescribed 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 ofPastereferred 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 byhypermasculinity.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]

Christopher Judge's performance as Kratos in 2018'sGod of Warand its 2022 sequelRagnarökwas met with acclaim.

During the9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards,Terrence C. Carson's portrayal of Kratos in the originalGod of Warwas awarded withOutstanding Character Performance – Maleby theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences;[106]a few years later, Carson's performance inGod of War IIIreceived a nomination forOutstanding Character Performanceduring the14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[107]At the2010 Spike Video Game Awards,Kratos was nominated for "Character of the Year" and awarded "Biggest Badass".[108]GameSpotincluded Kratos in its "All Time Greatest Video Game Hero" contest, in which the character reached the "Elite Eight" round before losing toMario.[109]

The portrayal of Kratos inGod of War(2018) was received favorably by the industry, with the character's new voice actor Christopher Judge earning aBAFTA Award for Performerat the15th British Academy Games Awards.[110]He was also nominated for Best Performance atThe Game Awards 2018.[111]While he did not win the award in 2018, Judge won Best Performance for his performance as Kratos inGod of War RagnarökatThe Game Awards 2022.[112][113]For bothGod of War(2018) andRagnarök,Judge's portrayal won him and the creative team theOutstanding Achievement in Characterawards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[114][115]In 2024, a poll conducted by theBritish 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]

Merchandise and promotion

Kratos statue included in theGod of War: Ascension—Collector's Edition

TheNational Entertainment Collectibles Association(NECA) produced two series ofaction figuresbased onGod 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 aGorgon'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 theGod of Wararmor.[118]In October 2009, United Cutlery created a scaled replica of Kratos's Blades of Chaos that included a custom display stand with theGod of Warlogo.[119]

Kratos was featured in a line of action figures DC Unlimited released and based onGod of War III;this line included the characters Zeus, Hades, and Hercules.[120]Between February 1, 2010, and March 31, 2010, the convenience store chain7-Elevensold a limited-editionSlurpeedrink called "Kratos Fury" and four exclusiveGod of War IIIcups bearing codes that could be used to accessGod of War IIIand Slurpee-themed downloadable content on the Slurpee website.[121]The video game websiteX-Playfilmed a parody music video ofRobin Thicke's "Sex Therapy"[122]in whichJessica Blakeplayed Aphrodite.[123]

Kratos's visage has appeared on thePlayStation Portableexclusive bundle packChains of Olympus,[124]and on thePlayStation 3God of War IIIsweepstakes 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 forGod of War Collectionin November 2009.[126]A six-inch (150 mm) figure of Kratos was included in theGod 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-sizebustof 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 fromGod of War IIIwere 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 theGod of Warfranchise's 10th anniversary in March 2015, Gaming Heads produced two limited-edition "Kratos on the Throne" statues, depicting the final scene of the originalGod of Wargame. 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 hisGod of Wararmor.[132]In November 2015, Sony announced it would release a new Kratos statue the following month to celebrateGod of War's 10-year anniversary. Santa Monica designed the limited edition (500 units),polystonestatue, 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]

See also

Further reading

  • Stanley, Alyse (November 11, 2022)."The evolution of Kratos".The Washington Post.RetrievedDecember 23,2022.

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