Kratos (God of War)
Encyclopedia
Kratos is a video game character
from Sony Computer Entertainment
's
God of War
series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology
. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War
(released in March 2005), which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist. Kratos has been consistently voiced by TC Carson.
Kratos embarks on a series of often forced adventures in attempts to avert disaster or change his fate. Kratos is usually portrayed as being oblivious to all else in the execution of these adventures, often engaging in morally ambiguous activities and performing acts of extreme violence. Each adventure forms part of a saga
with vengeance as a central theme, and provides additional information on Kratos' origins (eventually revealed to be a demigod
) and relationship with his family and the gods.
Kratos has received positive critical reception, being described by reviewers as a "sympathetic antihero". The character is also associated with products including artwork, clothing
, comic book
s, fast food
, the internet
, a novel
, sweepstakes
, toy
s and cell phone skins, with Game Guru claiming that "Practically anyone, even if they hadn't played any of the God of War games, would know about Kratos."
strived to create a character that looked "brutal", but still separated his appearance from what is considered to be the traditional Greek hero. Traditional armor was also removed from the character, in order to promote the character's "individualism". One of the early concepts was a fully masked character, but the idea was abandoned when such designs seemed "soulless", lacking a defined personality.
Some models included unconventional elements, including an infant being carried on Kratos' back, while others were deemed to include excessive detail, such as hair and other "flowing things".
The double-chained blades were selected as Kratos' signature weapons as they emphasized the character's animalistic nature while still allowing combat to remain fluid.
Jaffe commented on the final version of Kratos stating while "...he (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."
Other features include a scar across the right eye, and a large red tattoo (originally blue but changed late in production) beginning at the left eye and ending at the left shoulder. The scar is eventually revealed to be a result of a childhood encounter with the Olympian
god Ares
, while the tattoo is a tribute to his deceased brother Deimos, who had similar birth markings (God of War: Ghost of Sparta
). Other changes that occur during the course of the series include the temporary addition of divine armor as the God of War (modelled on Ares' own armor) (God of War II
), an abdominal scar (God of War II
) and ability enhancing armor such as the Golden Fleece
(an epaulet - God of War II
) and the Boots of Hermes
(God of War III
).
Kratos' appearance can also be altered in bonus play, as completing a game at certain levels of difficulty unlocks bonus costumes. Several costumes were also available exclusively via pre-order and other promotions (e.g. God of War III
), but are now available via the PlayStation Store
. Although many bonus costumes are consistent with story themes, others are blatantly humorous (e.g. the female Athena
) or farcical (e.g. the "Spud of War"). A total of 27 bonus costumes are available for use throughout the series.
According to an early God of War script, the character has a height of 6'6 to 6'7.
, often performing questionable actions.
An oracle foretold that the demise of Olympus
would not happen at the hands of the Titans
- imprisoned after the Great War
- but rather by a "marked warrior". The Olympians
Zeus
and Ares
believed this warrior to be Deimos, the brother of Kratos, due to his strange birthmarks. Ares interrupts the childhood training of Kratos and Deimos in Sparta (with Athena
watching) and kidnaps Deimos. Kratos attempts to stop Ares, but is swept aside and scarred (across his right eye) by the Olympian. Taken to Death's Domain, Deimos is imprisoned and tortured for many years by the god of death, Thanatos
. Believing Deimos to be dead, Kratos marks himself with a red tattoo (identical to his brother's birthmark) to honor his sibling.
Kratos eventually becomes the youngest Captain of Sparta's army, but is revealed to have had a thirst for power. Faced with total defeat at the hands of a barbarian
horde, Kratos called for aid to Olympian
god Ares
. Given the Blades of Chaos, Kratos destroys his enemies and blindly follows the God of War, killing hundreds in his name. After Ares tricks Kratos into murdering his wife Lysandra and daughter Calliope in a temple dedicated to Athena, the Spartan is shocked out of his bloodlust and renounces service to Ares. As the temple burns, a village oracle
curses Kratos and condemns him to wear the "mark of his terrible deed", being the ashes of his family. The ashes turn Kratos' skin ash-white, earning him the title "Ghost of Sparta."
Although Kratos then vows to serve the other gods in order to receive forgiveness and relief from the nightmares of his past deeds, he is openly defiant. Kratos is reluctant to aid the gods when Helios
is kidnapped, and openly abandons them when the goddess Persephone
offers him a chance to be reunited with his daughter. Kratos, however, is eventually forced to reverse his decision when Persephone uses the Titan
Atlas (mythology)
in a bid to destroy the world and in turn Calliope. Knowing that while intervention will save Calliope it will keep them apart forever, a bitter Kratos kills Persephone, imprisons Atlas and frees Helios (Chains of Olympus
).
When Kratos grows tired of his service and confronts patron Athena
, the goddess advises that if Kratos will kill the rampaging Ares, the gods will forgive his sins. Kratos once again agrees out of selfish motives, and after finding and using Pandora's Box
, is ultimately successful. Despite being free of Ares' influence (including the Blades of Chaos), Kratos is not relieved of the nightmares that haunt him: only forgiven. A dissatisfied and despairing Kratos attempts to commit suicide, but is saved by Athena, who guides Kratos to Olympus (giving him the Blades of Athena) where he becomes the new God of War (God of War
).
Still haunted by the visions of his mortal past, Kratos - against the advice of Athena - embarks on a quest to find his mother, Callisto, in the city of Atlantis. Callisto attempts to reveal the identity of Kratos' father before being transformed against her will into a beast that Kratos is forced to kill. Before dying, Callisto advises Kratos to find his brother Deimos in Sparta. Kratos first frees the Titan Thera from imprisonment, which causes the destruction of Atlantis. After a skirmish with his brother Deimos, Kratos allies with his sibling to battle the God of Death Thanatos
. Thanatos kills Deimos but is then killed in turn by Kratos, who returns to Olympus enraged at the gods (Ghost of Sparta
).
Eventually shunned by the other gods and bored with life on Mt. Olympus, Kratos spends his time watching the Spartan army overrun Greece. After being falsely accused of committing murder and eventually killing Ceryx
, the son of Hermes
(Betrayal
), Kratos joins the Spartan army in city of Rhodes
, intent only on destruction. Zeus, however, weakens Kratos, and then tricks him into abandoning his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus (which Zeus uses to kill Kratos). Although Kratos overcomes all obstacles, he is stunned at Zeus' betrayal and swears revenge as he dies.
As Kratos falls into the Underworld, he is rescued by the Titan Gaia
. Banished to Tartarus
with the other surviving Titans after the First Great War
, Gaia and her brethren seek the death of Zeus. Kratos, fuelled by anger at the betrayal, agrees to aid the Titans and is instructed to find the Sisters of Fate
, with their power being capable of returning him to the moment of Zeus' treachery.
Kratos becomes both determined and utterly ruthless—in the pursuit of his goal he wounds a Titan, kills several Greek heroes without hesitation and deliberately sacrifices two scholars. All three of the Sisters of Fate are killed when they oppose Kratos, and in a final confrontation with Zeus is prepared to execute the King of the Gods. Zeus is only saved when Athena intervenes and sacrifices herself for him, with Kratos only then showing some remorse. Learning from a dying Athena that Zeus is in fact his father, and that Zeus wishes to avoid a repetition of what he himself did to his own father, Kronos. Kratos rejects any notion of a relationship and vows to both kill Zeus and destroy Olympus. Encouraged by Gaia, Kratos uses the power of the Fates to retrieve the Titans prior to their defeat in the Great War, and with their aid, storms Mt. Olympus (God of War II
).
Although Kratos kills Poseidon, he is abandoned by Gaia when an initial 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 will need to find the Flame of Olympus: the key to Zeus' defeat. Kratos murders both Titans and gods alike, ignoring the warnings of his victims as he seeks the Flame. Realizing the key to pacifying the Flame and reaching what is discovered to be Pandora's Box is in fact Pandora
herself, Kratos comes to care for the girl, 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 Pandora states there is no other option. Finding the Box empty, and driven berserk by Zeus' mockery, Kratos attacks his father. Although Gaia intervenes and attempts to kill both Kratos and Zeus, she is destroyed by Kratos, who then apparently defeats Zeus.
Zeus, however, returns and attacks Kratos in spirit form. Kratos, now retreated into his psyche
, comes to forgive himself for his past sins with the help of Pandora. Pandora later appears and tells Kratos that hope will ultimately save him. A now whole Kratos is revived and easily destroys Zeus. Athena confronts Kratos and demands that Kratos return what she placed in Pandora's Box: hope. In a selfless act, Kratos refuses and impales himself on the Blade of Olympus, which disperses the power across the world for mankind's use. Athena departs as Kratos states that his need for vengeance is at an end.
Kratos' ultimate fate remains unknown (God of War III
).
stated God of War did not allow the player to initially understand Kratos, but would be evident by the game's conclusion. The character was regarded as a "sympathetic antihero" and a "badass", and described as "endearing" due to his unforgiving demeanor. IGN
similarly noted he was "ruthless", "merciless" and "savage", noting the character's main motive is vengeance and "All he desires is murder." IGN also stated that in time the player would begin to "love and loathe Kratos and hate Ares." GameDaily
included him in a top 25 list of video game anti-heroes, stating that they love him for how he "tears enemies limb from limb and looks awesome doing it".
GamePro
stated it was "Kratos' tragic fall and brutal ascension to the peaks of Mount Olympus that made the original God of War so memorable."
GamesRadar
listed Kratos as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating that while he appears at first to be a generic character, the players eventually learn that he is both an "unstoppable force of nature" and a "broken, tragic man".
Prince of Persia
producer, Ben Mattes, explained in an interview that he considers 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." Jeremy "Norm" Scott, creator of the comic strip Hsu and Chan
appearing in video game magazine
Electronic Gaming Monthly
, made similar comments and stated that Kratos was "average", and "did not exist, except as an avatar for the player."
At the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, Kratos was nominated for "Character of the Year" and awarded the "Biggest Badass" award. The 2011 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
lists Kratos as "ninth best video game character".
. The first set included two versions of Kratos (the first being Kratos wielding the Blades of Athena and the second being Kratos wearing the Golden Fleece
and holding a gorgon
's head). A twelve-inch variation of the second figure that plays six pre-recorded game quotes was included in this release.
A second two-figure set was also released, with Kratos wearing Ares' God of War armour.
Kratos has also been featured in a line of action figures released by DC Unlimited based on God of War III.
On January 29, 2010, it was announced that from February 1, 2010 until March 31, 2010, 7-Eleven would be selling a limited edition Slurpee drink called "Kratos Fury" (a blend of blackberries and frosty lime flavors) available in one of four exclusive God of War III Slurpee cups. The cups also featured codes that could also be used on the Slurpee website for exclusive God of War III and Slurpee themed downloadable content.
(also included monsters the Medusa
and Minotaur
and level designs), Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
, ModNation Racers
(complete with "Kart of Chaos") and the PS3 version of Mortal Kombat (including own stage with three "stage fatalities"). The character's image also appeared in The Simpsons Game
in a God of War parody (Kratos appears on a billboard
as the "God of Wharf", advertising a chowder
restaurant).
A film adaptation of the original God of War was announced in 2005. Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been written by David Self
and would be sent to an unspecified "huge-name director". Jaffe also confirmed that Universal Studios
is behind the making of the God of War movie but was unaware of its current status, and eventually stated that "it's doubtful that the film will even be made."
A novelization
of Kratos' first released adventure -God of War- was written by Matthew Stover
and Robert E. Vardeman
was released on May 25, 2010 by Del Ray Books.
A six issue comic book series
written by Marv Wolfman
with art by Andrea Sorrentino was released by Wildstorm
from March 2010 to January 2011 on a bi-monthly schedule with a collected edition released in March 2011. Courtesy of flashbacks
, the story explores Kratos' past as a Spartan soldier, and present during the period when Kratos first becomes the new God of War. On both occasions Kratos seeks the Ambrosia of Asclepius
, which has legendary healing properties.
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
from Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's
God of War
God of War (series)
God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War
God of War (video game)
God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
(released in March 2005), which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist. Kratos has been consistently voiced by TC Carson.
Kratos embarks on a series of often forced adventures in attempts to avert disaster or change his fate. Kratos is usually portrayed as being oblivious to all else in the execution of these adventures, often engaging in morally ambiguous activities and performing acts of extreme violence. Each adventure forms part of a saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
with vengeance as a central theme, and provides additional information on Kratos' origins (eventually revealed to be a demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
) and relationship with his family and the gods.
Kratos has received positive critical reception, being described by reviewers as a "sympathetic antihero". The character is also associated with products including artwork, clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s, fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
, the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, sweepstakes
Sweepstakes
The United States consumer sales promotion known as a sweepstake has become associated with marketing promotions targeted toward both generating enthusiasm and providing incentive reactions among customers by enticing consumers to submit free entries into drawings of chance...
, toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s and cell phone skins, with Game Guru claiming that "Practically anyone, even if they hadn't played any of the God of War games, would know about Kratos."
Concept and creation
During the creative process, game director David JaffeDavid Jaffe
David Jaffe is a video game designer originally from Birmingham, Alabama and currently residing in San Diego, California. He is divorced and has two children. Jaffe graduated from Alabama's Mountain Brook High School, located in Mountain Brook, AL, a suburb of Birmingham. Jaffe then attended the...
strived to create a character that looked "brutal", but still separated his appearance from what is considered to be the traditional Greek hero. Traditional armor was also removed from the character, in order to promote the character's "individualism". One of the early concepts was a fully masked character, but the idea was abandoned when such designs seemed "soulless", lacking a defined personality.
Some models included unconventional elements, including an infant being carried on Kratos' back, while others were deemed to include excessive detail, such as hair and other "flowing things".
The double-chained blades were selected as Kratos' signature weapons as they emphasized the character's animalistic nature while still allowing combat to remain fluid.
Jaffe commented on the final version of Kratos stating while "...he (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."
Outward appearance
The most notable external feature is Kratos' ash-white complexion, a story development which earns him the title "Ghost of Sparta."Other features include a scar across the right eye, and a large red tattoo (originally blue but changed late in production) beginning at the left eye and ending at the left shoulder. The scar is eventually revealed to be a result of a childhood encounter with the Olympian
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
god Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, while the tattoo is a tribute to his deceased brother Deimos, who had similar birth markings (God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
). Other changes that occur during the course of the series include the temporary addition of divine armor as the God of War (modelled on Ares' own armor) (God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
), an abdominal scar (God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
) and ability enhancing armor such as the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
(an epaulet - God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
) and the Boots of Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
(God of War III
God of War III
God of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
).
Kratos' appearance can also be altered in bonus play, as completing a game at certain levels of difficulty unlocks bonus costumes. Several costumes were also available exclusively via pre-order and other promotions (e.g. God of War III
God of War III
God of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
), but are now available via the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
. Although many bonus costumes are consistent with story themes, others are blatantly humorous (e.g. the female Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
) or farcical (e.g. the "Spud of War"). A total of 27 bonus costumes are available for use throughout the series.
According to an early God of War script, the character has a height of 6'6 to 6'7.
Role in series
Throughout the series, Kratos is portrayed as an anti-heroAnti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
, often performing questionable actions.
An oracle foretold that the demise of Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
would not happen at the hands of the Titans
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
- imprisoned after the Great War
Titanomachy
In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy or War of the Titans , was the ten-year series of battles fought in Thessaly between the two camps of deities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, based on Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus...
- but rather by a "marked warrior". The Olympians
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
and Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
believed this warrior to be Deimos, the brother of Kratos, due to his strange birthmarks. Ares interrupts the childhood training of Kratos and Deimos in Sparta (with Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
watching) and kidnaps Deimos. Kratos attempts to stop Ares, but is swept aside and scarred (across his right eye) by the Olympian. Taken to Death's Domain, Deimos is imprisoned and tortured for many years by the god of death, Thanatos
Thanatos
In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...
. Believing Deimos to be dead, Kratos marks himself with a red tattoo (identical to his brother's birthmark) to honor his sibling.
Kratos eventually becomes the youngest Captain of Sparta's army, but is revealed to have had a thirst for power. Faced with total defeat at the hands of a barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
horde, Kratos called for aid to Olympian
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
god Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
. Given the Blades of Chaos, Kratos destroys his enemies and blindly follows the God of War, killing hundreds in his name. After Ares tricks Kratos into murdering his wife Lysandra and daughter Calliope in a temple dedicated to Athena, the Spartan is shocked out of his bloodlust and renounces service to Ares. As the temple burns, a village oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
curses Kratos and condemns him to wear the "mark of his terrible deed", being the ashes of his family. The ashes turn Kratos' skin ash-white, earning him the title "Ghost of Sparta."
Although Kratos then vows to serve the other gods in order to receive forgiveness and relief from the nightmares of his past deeds, he is openly defiant. Kratos is reluctant to aid the gods when Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
is kidnapped, and openly abandons them when the goddess Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
offers him a chance to be reunited with his daughter. Kratos, however, is eventually forced to reverse his decision when Persephone uses the Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Atlas (mythology)
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
in a bid to destroy the world and in turn Calliope. Knowing that while intervention will save Calliope it will keep them apart forever, a bitter Kratos kills Persephone, imprisons Atlas and frees Helios (Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in March 2008....
).
When Kratos grows tired of his service and confronts patron Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, the goddess advises that if Kratos will kill the rampaging Ares, the gods will forgive his sins. Kratos once again agrees out of selfish motives, and after finding and using Pandora's Box
Pandora's box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
, is ultimately successful. Despite being free of Ares' influence (including the Blades of Chaos), Kratos is not relieved of the nightmares that haunt him: only forgiven. A dissatisfied and despairing Kratos attempts to commit suicide, but is saved by Athena, who guides Kratos to Olympus (giving him the Blades of Athena) where he becomes the new God of War (God of War
God of War (video game)
God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
).
Still haunted by the visions of his mortal past, Kratos - against the advice of Athena - embarks on a quest to find his mother, Callisto, in the city of Atlantis. Callisto attempts to reveal the identity of Kratos' father before being transformed against her will into a beast that Kratos is forced to kill. Before dying, Callisto advises Kratos to find his brother Deimos in Sparta. Kratos first frees the Titan Thera from imprisonment, which causes the destruction of Atlantis. After a skirmish with his brother Deimos, Kratos allies with his sibling to battle the God of Death Thanatos
Thanatos
In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...
. Thanatos kills Deimos but is then killed in turn by Kratos, who returns to Olympus enraged at the gods (Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
).
Eventually shunned by the other gods and bored with life on Mt. Olympus, Kratos spends his time watching the Spartan army overrun Greece. After being falsely accused of committing murder and eventually killing Ceryx
Ceryx
In Greek mythology, Ceryx or Keryx was a son of Hermes and either Pandrosus or Agraulus. He was, like his father, a messenger of the gods....
, the son of Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
(Betrayal
God of War: Betrayal
God of War: Betrayal is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure mobile game published by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and released on June 20, 2007....
), Kratos joins the Spartan army in city of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, intent only on destruction. Zeus, however, weakens Kratos, and then tricks him into abandoning his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus (which Zeus uses to kill Kratos). Although Kratos overcomes all obstacles, he is stunned at Zeus' betrayal and swears revenge as he dies.
As Kratos falls into the Underworld, he is rescued by the Titan Gaia
Gaia (mythology)
Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
. Banished to Tartarus
Tartarus
In classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
with the other surviving Titans after the First Great War
Titanomachy
In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy or War of the Titans , was the ten-year series of battles fought in Thessaly between the two camps of deities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, based on Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus...
, Gaia and her brethren seek the death of Zeus. Kratos, fuelled by anger at the betrayal, agrees to aid the Titans and is instructed to find the Sisters of Fate
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
, with their power being capable of returning him to the moment of Zeus' treachery.
Kratos becomes both determined and utterly ruthless—in the pursuit of his goal he wounds a Titan, kills several Greek heroes without hesitation and deliberately sacrifices two scholars. All three of the Sisters of Fate are killed when they oppose Kratos, and in a final confrontation with Zeus is prepared to execute the King of the Gods. Zeus is only saved when Athena intervenes and sacrifices herself for him, with Kratos only then showing some remorse. Learning from a dying Athena that Zeus is in fact his father, and that Zeus wishes to avoid a repetition of what he himself did to his own father, Kronos. Kratos rejects any notion of a relationship and vows to both kill Zeus and destroy Olympus. Encouraged by Gaia, Kratos uses the power of the Fates to retrieve the Titans prior to their defeat in the Great War, and with their aid, storms Mt. Olympus (God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
).
Although Kratos kills Poseidon, he is abandoned by Gaia when an initial 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 will need to find the Flame of Olympus: the key to Zeus' defeat. Kratos murders both Titans and gods alike, ignoring the warnings of his victims as he seeks the Flame. Realizing the key to pacifying the Flame and reaching what is discovered to be Pandora's Box is in fact Pandora
Pandora
In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts...
herself, Kratos comes to care for the girl, 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 Pandora states there is no other option. Finding the Box empty, and driven berserk by Zeus' mockery, Kratos attacks his father. Although Gaia intervenes and attempts to kill both Kratos and Zeus, she is destroyed by Kratos, who then apparently defeats Zeus.
Zeus, however, returns and attacks Kratos in spirit form. Kratos, now retreated into his psyche
Psyche (psychology)
The word psyche has a long history of use in psychology and philosophy, dating back to ancient times, and has been one of the fundamental concepts for understanding human nature from a scientific point of view. The English word soul is sometimes used synonymously, especially in older...
, comes to forgive himself for his past sins with the help of Pandora. Pandora later appears and tells Kratos that hope will ultimately save him. A now whole Kratos is revived and easily destroys Zeus. Athena confronts Kratos and demands that Kratos return what she placed in Pandora's Box: hope. In a selfless act, Kratos refuses and impales himself on the Blade of Olympus, which disperses the power across the world for mankind's use. Athena departs as Kratos states that his need for vengeance is at an end.
Kratos' ultimate fate remains unknown (God of War III
God of War III
God of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
).
Critical reception
GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
stated God of War did not allow the player to initially understand Kratos, but would be evident by the game's conclusion. The character was regarded as a "sympathetic antihero" and a "badass", and described as "endearing" due to his unforgiving demeanor. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
similarly noted he was "ruthless", "merciless" and "savage", noting the character's main motive is vengeance and "All he desires is murder." IGN also stated that in time the player would begin to "love and loathe Kratos and hate Ares." GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
included him in a top 25 list of video game anti-heroes, stating that they love him for how he "tears enemies limb from limb and looks awesome doing it".
GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
stated it was "Kratos' tragic fall and brutal ascension to the peaks of Mount Olympus that made the original God of War so memorable."
GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
listed Kratos as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating that while he appears at first to be a generic character, the players eventually learn that he is both an "unstoppable force of nature" and a "broken, tragic man".
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games....
producer, Ben Mattes, explained in an interview that he considers 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." Jeremy "Norm" Scott, creator of the comic strip Hsu and Chan
Hsu and Chan
Hsu and Chan is a comic strip created by Jeremy "Norm" Scott that appeared in the video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly from October 1999 until the September 2008 issue. The strip has appeared at 1UP.com until September 30, 2009 when the blog ended and Norm promised to continue the comic at...
appearing in video game magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, made similar comments and stated that Kratos was "average", and "did not exist, except as an avatar for the player."
At the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, Kratos was nominated for "Character of the Year" and awarded the "Biggest Badass" award. The 2011 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition is a Guinness World Records book dedicated to video games. The first edition was released in February 2008 in association with the video games world records' tracking organization Twin Galaxies. The second edition was released in 2009...
lists Kratos as "ninth best video game character".
Merchandise
Two series of action figures based on God of War II have been produced by National Entertainment Collectibles AssociationNational Entertainment Collectibles Association
The National Entertainment Collectibles Association or NECA is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films, video-games, sports, music, and television based in New Jersey...
. The first set included two versions of Kratos (the first being Kratos wielding the Blades of Athena and the second being Kratos wearing the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
and holding a gorgon
Gorgon
In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
's head). A twelve-inch variation of the second figure that plays six pre-recorded game quotes was included in this release.
A second two-figure set was also released, with Kratos wearing Ares' God of War armour.
Kratos has also been featured in a line of action figures released by DC Unlimited based on God of War III.
On January 29, 2010, it was announced that from February 1, 2010 until March 31, 2010, 7-Eleven would be selling a limited edition Slurpee drink called "Kratos Fury" (a blend of blackberries and frosty lime flavors) available in one of four exclusive God of War III Slurpee cups. The cups also featured codes that could also be used on the Slurpee website for exclusive God of War III and Slurpee themed downloadable content.
Other media
Kratos has been featured as a playable character in five other PlayStation games outside the God of War series. These include Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (complete with "Club of Chaos"), LittleBigPlanetLittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...
(also included monsters the Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
and Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
and level designs), Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny is a fighting video game in the Soul series for PlayStation Portable . It was announced by Namco Bandai on April 28, 2009. It uses many of the features of Soulcalibur IV, including its character customization mode...
, ModNation Racers
ModNation Racers
ModNation Racers is a kart racing game developed by United Front Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content will be a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share." adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated...
(complete with "Kart of Chaos") and the PS3 version of Mortal Kombat (including own stage with three "stage fatalities"). The character's image also appeared in The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North...
in a God of War parody (Kratos appears on a billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
as the "God of Wharf", advertising a chowder
Chowder
In North America Chowder is a generic name for a wide variety of seafood or vegetable stews and thickened soups, often with milk or cream. Some varieties are traditionally thickened with crushed ship biscuit instead of flour, which is more usual...
restaurant).
A film adaptation of the original God of War was announced in 2005. Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been written by David Self
David Self
-Current projects:David Self is writing two separate screenplays for films based on superheroes Deathlok and Captain America. The screenwriter also wrote an early draft based on another superhero, Namor...
and would be sent to an unspecified "huge-name director". Jaffe also confirmed that Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
is behind the making of the God of War movie but was unaware of its current status, and eventually stated that "it's doubtful that the film will even be made."
A novelization
God of War (video game)
God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
of Kratos' first released adventure -God of War- was written by Matthew Stover
Matthew Stover
Matthew Woodring Stover is an American fantasy and science fiction novelist. He is perhaps best known for his four Star Wars novels, including the novelization of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon...
and Robert E. Vardeman
Robert E. Vardeman
Robert Edward Vardeman is an American science fiction fan and writer. He got his start in writing by writing for science fiction fanzines, and was nominated for the 1972 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. Vardeman is one of the founders of Bubonicon, a science fiction convention in Albuquerque, New...
was released on May 25, 2010 by Del Ray Books.
A six issue comic book series
God of War (comics)
God of War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by the company Wildstorm, and written by Marv Wolfman with art by Andrea Sorrentino.The series chronicles the adventures of Kratos, the protagonist of the God of War video game series....
written by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
with art by Andrea Sorrentino was released by Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
from March 2010 to January 2011 on a bi-monthly schedule with a collected edition released in March 2011. Courtesy of flashbacks
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
, the story explores Kratos' past as a Spartan soldier, and present during the period when Kratos first becomes the new God of War. On both occasions Kratos seeks the Ambrosia of Asclepius
Asclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
, which has legendary healing properties.