- NAME:KRATOS
- FIRST APPEARANCE: GOD OF WAR
- LAST SEEN IN: GOD OF WAR (2018)
- FINEST HOUR:GOD OFWAR (2018)
- NOTABLE FOR:BEING ANGRY
Since making his debut in God Of War, Kratos has showcased the best Sony has to offer through his spectacular epic battles
Kratos’ many violent encounters with the gods of Greek mythos are all traced back to his history as a Spartan warrior.About to lose in battle, Kratos
calls on the Greek god Ares, pledging himself tohis service in return for victory, which Ares grants, binding Kratos with his trademark weapon, the Blades of Chaos, at the same time. Kratos’ relationship with Ares turns sour when he is tricked into murdering his own family and has their ashes bonded to his skin to give him his famous pale complexion and earn him the nickname, the ‘Ghost of Sparta’. His quest for revenge against Ares is where we pick up our journeywith Kratos in the 2005 PS2 titleGod Of Waras he rampages through the realms of men and gods, eventually killing Ares and taking his place as the new God of War.
So it was in 2007 withGod Of War II. At the beginning ofthe game, Kratos loses his godhood and is killed by Zeus. On his way to the Underworld, Kratos is saved by the Titan Gaia,who sets him on a quest to find a way to travel back in timeto the moment of Zeus’ betrayal. Thus begins another questof revenge for a notoriously angry man, during which we get to fight a host of mythological figures, including Theseus,Icarus and the Kraken, as the series doubled down on its jaw-droppingly spectacular boss battles. This game didn’t take major steps forward in terms of its mechanics, but it did iron out the creases, making for a near flawless action experience.
At the end ofGod Of War II, Kratos pledges to end thereign of the gods of Mount Olympus and that’s where wepick up whenGod Of War IIIwas released for the PS3 in 2010 as Kratos joins the Titans on a climb up the mountain of the gods. Taking advantage of the additional power of the PS3,this entry upped the scale of the exciting action combat the series was known for, blowing us away with stunning scenes as we battled against the likes of Poseidon, Hades and even Zeus himself. After defeating Zeus and seemingly ending the era of the Olympian Gods, Kratos, a character defined by his anger and violence, finally forgives himself for his past sins,sacrificing himself to give humanity hope.
Outside of these mainline titles, Kratos has starred in a number of spin-offs that fill in gaps in the character’s story.2008 PSP titleGod Of War: Chains Of Olympusis a prequel to the original game, and 2010’sGod Of War: Ghost Of Sparta,which also released on the PSP, tells the story of Kratos’attempt to find his missing brother, Deimos, after becoming the God of War.God Of War: Ascension, released on the PS3in 2013, again goes back in theGod Of Wartimeline to the moment when Kratos renounced his oath to Ares, tasking you with escaping from and defeating the three Furies who have imprisoned and tortured Kratos at Ares’ behest.
Kratos has found a new lease of life in the PS4 era with his latestGod Of Warreboot. Kratos’ rage-filled persona was a lot of fun to inhabit, but he was a bit one-note. That, along with the fact that he’d already slaughtered almost every god and creature in Greek mythology, led developers Sony Santa Monica to give us a new version of Kratos in a brand new setting. Set in a world of Norse gods, Kratos is now a father who has taken steps to control his rage for the benefit ofhis son, Atreus. Kratos and his son set out on a journey to scatter the ashes of Kratos’ wife and Atreus’ mother, whose last wish was to have her ashes scattered from the highest peak of the nine realms. This new setup has given Kratos now sporting a big hipster beard and a hefty axe insteadof his trademark Blades of Chaos the opportunity to show more range as a character and further endear himself to fans.Of course, it’s also offered up an excuse for some more epic god-based battles from a new mythological pantheon.
The game’s bold re-imagining of Kratos is accompanied by an overhaul of the series’ core mechanics, including a new over-the-shoulder camera and RPG-lite systems. It’s been a roaring success. A character who looked like he might have been running out of places to go has been reinvigorated. It seems that his status as PlayStation standard bearer isn’t over just yet
BLADES
Even if the beard didn’t give away the identity of Kratos,his impressive weapons would. This pair of chained blades were fashioned by Ares, the God of War, and were first used by Kratos in the original game.
SKIN
Kratos’ trademark white complexion earned him the nickname ‘Ghost of Sparta’. He gained it after being tricked into killing his family by Ares. He was cursed for his act,their ashes bonded to his skin to forever remind him of what he had done.
VIKING
Kratos’ appearance has changed significantly since the end of God Of War 3. He’s looking slightly older, and is now rocking a big bushy Viking beard and some sparse leather armour.
TATTOOS
Kratos’ brother, Deimos, was taken as a boy by the former God of War, Ares. The pair were later reunited in God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta, before Deimos was killed by Thanatos, the God of Death. Kratos’ red tattoos are intended to honour his brother, mimicking his birth marks
ABDOMEN
Kratos’ abdomen has taken a bit of a battering over the years. That scar is a result of first being impaled by Zeus with the Blade of Olympus, and later impaling himself in the same area at the end of God Of War 3
BLADES OF CHAOS
Even if the beard didn’t give away the identity of Kratos, his impressive weapons would. This pair of chained blades were fashioned by Ares, the God of War, and were first used by Kratos in the original game.
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