The One Thing Everybody Gets Wrong About Kratos 

Edit: hey everyone, if you're watching this video as of November 16th 2022, you may notice there are a few parts missing from this video. This video was flagged for self-harm, so I cut a few parts and submitted the video to RU-vid support for a second look. And it has since been reinstated. I will eventually revert the video back to its original state so that those parts will be put back in. But I will do so only once the heat has died down. I want to say first of all, I know there are other similar videos on this topic, but I made sure specifically not to watch any of them so that I know everything I'm saying is my own words. If I repeat anything from those videos, I assure you, it's a pure coincidence.

In my opinion Ares won in the end. He created the perfect worrier who made Olympus fall which was Ares goal.

I always loved that the only thing Pandora had to say to be free of Kratos's grip was "You're hurting me". He instantly let her go, pure dad reflex.

It also needs to be stated good character doesnt mean good person. Just means well written and complex

My take is that the Kratos we meet in the Norse games is who he really was deep down, without constant abuse and tragedy he would be this serious but calm man who loves his family and cares for others; The pantheon took that from him leaving this angry husk of a man that did the equivalent of an animal backed into a corner

"Good character" doesn't automatically mean "morally good." Kratos is complicated, and the PS4 game was just the next step in his character development

The PSP games were a goldmine in terms of Kratos's character development, particularly his relationships with his daughter, mother and brother

I think what a lot of people forget about Kratos is that he's supposed to be the Protagonist of a Greek Tragedy, he gets what he wants in the end but by then, it's come at a very great cost.

People seem to ignore his interaction with Deimos, Spartan soldier, Pandora and Ares son. Especially with Pandora death he finally accepted how his revenge has cause destruction to innocent people, that was the point he started to move towards better future rather than going solely for revenge.

The gentleness in kratos Voice when he is with his daughter truly shows how much he loves her now I see why it was so hard for him to grow close to his son

"Wait, Kratos is a good character?!" "Always has been"

That narrative about GOW not being deep until recently is pure history revision. The series has always been very mature in more ways than just sex and violence

Honestly, after the ending of Ragnarok, I am so excited for Kratos's future. Where he almost cries as to what the future may hold for him. Something he wasn't even able to imagine. For the first time, I think Kratos actually has a dream and it's beautiful.

Everyone: Praise GOW 2018 for "Finally being mature and with a good story." OG GOW Fans: "And here I thought your kind were supposed to be so enlightened, so much...better than us, so much smarter."

About that ‘leaving daughter’ scene: That button mash mini game is a lot harder than any other version of it in CoO or another GoW. Let that sink in.

"The obsession of being mature comes of ironically immature" that is really great it makes me think back then a lot of the times when i just cringe at myself of thinking about my past past self, right now i just think cringing at myself back then just looks so immature, I think i can appreciate the steps I've taken myself more than to bash on it.

As far as aesthetics go, I always thought the design of Kratos was really cool, especially the lore behind it. The scar on his right eye is from Ares (foreshadowing his servitude to him and is a reminder of his failure to save his brother), the red tattoo on his body is a tribute to his brother's mark, the the ghostly look is from his wife and daughter's ashes following his murder of them, and the scar on his chest comes from Zeus. Just a crazy cool look.

The ending of God of War 1 is made even more painful for a couple of reasons. 1) He tries to end his own life to finally end the pain and the gods then "reward" him with immortality. His sanity is hanging on by a thread and the only thing that kept him from ending it sooner was his belief in the promise that the gods would take the pain away and his need to get revenge on Ares, but then they tell him that there is no chance that his pain will ever go away as long as he lives and then they make it so he can never die. And they call it a "reward" or believe it is a gift for his service when it's the exact opposite of what he wants. 2) Before jumping Kratos says, "Now there is no Hope." But according to the ending of God of War 3, Kratos used the power of Hope in order to defeat Ares. He absorbed Hope, in its purest form, but his guilt and depression are so much that he can't feel that Hope inside of him at all. His depression is so much that even Hope can't escape it causing him to want to end his own life.

Another great character moment that always stuck with me was his conversation with hercules. You can tell that he has no desire to kill hercules because he has no reason to fight him. He hasn’t wronged him in any way. Hell they haven’t even had a single interaction before gow 3. He even calls him brother which shows he has some respect for hercules. But by the end of the fight, Kratos lets his rage consume him and he devolves back into a bloodthirsty monster. Adds a layer of tragedy to that fight. If Kratos from ascension was in the same fight, I don’t think he would’ve killed him. And even if he did ascension kratos wouldn’t have killed him in such a brutal way.

I actually thought he had good guy qualities in the first games, but he was so consumed by rage that not many saw it.

I've always hated how people talked about "young" kratos. They always say he's evil and had no reason for his actions (also calling him misogynistic) but you definitely laid it all out in a very informative way. To me he's basically a different version of Guts from Berserk. They were both betrayed and lost everything,which made them into the same monsters they were fighting against and to top it off people never understood Guts and the reason he was like that. Just 2 broken men trying to make it through the world.

“Game journalism is the corpse that keeps twitching” couldn’t have said that better myself lol

It's just like Mimir said, "The pantheon had it coming." They toyed around with the mortals' lives so much for too long that one had enough and brought them down. Kratos just wanted peace and the Gods used him. He realized that they weren't the good wise all-powerful beings that they are said to be, they were selfish tyrants. He wanted vengeance for what they did to him and his family.

God of War Ragnarok has made me tear up multiple times and how much Kratos has been through. His father son moments with Atreus is so amazingly done that I can’t help but smile to how far he’s come to return to being such a loving father. Such an amazing character that teaches so many lessons.

Ares is the best definition of “be careful with what you wish”

This is why I love Kratos. A lot of people only know him as the angry guy who killed all the Greek gods, but there's a lot more to him than his anger

This is a bit late but in Spartan Culture, suicide was paramount to turning your back on your Culture family and every value they stood for so that makes Kratos jumping off that much more impactful

I think you've summed up Kratos's characterization really well. Because even though I was convinced at one point that he was a rampaging monster in human form, in a subconscious level, I was actually questioning that notion. And your explanation of him brought that to a conscious level. And for that, I thank you. As a sort-of aspiring storyteller writing a book, I would go on and dare say that the first God of War game actually follows the three-act structure quite well. And here's how: Story's premise: Kratos goes on a journey to stop Ares from threatening Olympus on behalf of the gods. (External conflict) Internal Conflict: Protagonist's desire - Kratos wants to have his nightmares erased from his mind. Protagonist's fear - Kratos is constantly reminded of his misdeed of killing his own family. Protagonist's misbelief - If Kratos accomplishes certain tasks for the gods, his nightmares will be erased from his mind. Act I: The Hook - Kratos is shown fighting the Hydra on behalf of Poseidon showing us players from the get-go what kind of game we're all in for. After Kratos (the player) kills the Hydra, backstory is shown about Kratos about what Kratos is and why he is this way. In the first few minutes, Kratos's internal conflict is shown through backstory during his time as a Spartan military leader, pledges himself to Ares, and consequently, Kratos under Ares's lust-for-blood spell ultimately leads Kratos to murder his own wife and child. The Setup - Kratos, on the verge of defeat and death, pledges himself to Ares. After Ares hears Kratos's call out of desperation, Kratos is given the Blades of Chaos by Ares. The Inciting Incident - Kratos goes on a rampage for the glory of Sparta and as a catalyst of Ares as the perfect warrior. Eventually this leads to Kratos unknowingly murdering his own family in a temple they were taking refuge in. And as a consequence, Kratos is forced to wear the ashes of his dead family on his skin for all to see what he has become. The Build-Up - He's confronted with the horror of what he's done and is now forced to live with the reality of his actions and the consequence of pledging himself to Ares. 1st Plot Point - Kratos decides to throw away his pledge to Ares and wants to have his nightmare of his actions erased by serving the gods instead of Ares. 1st Pinch Point - The gods wish to use Kratos to stop Ares after Ares decides to threaten Olympus itself. The reason for this is because Zeus forbids the gods from waging war with one another. Act II: Pre-midpoint action hero - Since Ares knows what's going on with Kratos, he sends hordes of his minions to stop Kratos. Midpoint - Kratos is tasked to obtain Pandora's box which is supposed to help him in his quest to stop Ares. Post-midpoint action hero - Kratos goes to the Desert of Lost Souls to obtain the box from Pandora's temple which is strapped onto Cronos's back. Kratos knows how next to impossible this task is but accepts the task regardless. 2nd Pinch Point - Ares is soon made aware that Kratos is in the Desert of Lost Souls and knows that Pandora's box is there. Act III: Supposed victory - Kratos finally reaches Pandora's box. But he has no idea that Ares knows of this. Disaster - Ares throws a massive column that travels across the world and impales Kratos effectively killing him. And in the process, Ares's minions take the box away from Kratos. Dark moment - Kratos is falling into the underworld as he is now dead. Recovery - Kratos fights his way out of the underworld. With the help of the mysterious gravedigger, Kratos knows that Olympus is still on his side after all this time. Climactic Confrontation - Kratos opens Pandora's box and goes toe-to-toe with Ares. This is the final boss battle in the game. Victory - Kratos eventually kills Ares after a long and arduous fight. Resolution - Kratos is eventually shown the true colors of the gods as they never meant to wipe away his nightmares as he himself believed that they might despite the fact that this promise was never made to him in the first place. Because his misbelief has been laid out for him in the end, Kratos tries to commit suicide but the gods don't allow this. Instead they allow him to become the new god of war in place of Ares. Which wasn't really something Kratos actually wanted to begin with. Which also sparks a series of Kratos giving the gods that what-for for not granting him what he asked for in the first place. Sorry this was a long comment post but after playing the game and beating it and then going it over with the three-act structure I now use to tell my own story of a former Army Ranger going on a quest for revenge of the man that assassinated his mother, I just had to do a little comparison of the three-act structure to God of War. And from what I find, the developers for the first game have done this beautifully. God of War will always be one of my all-time favorite video game series despite the fact that I no longer own a Playstation and instead play on PC.

“You are cruel, arrogant and selfish…but you are more than that. You have always been more than what others saw…you *are* more than that.”

19:37 Kratos destroying the world wasn't retconed, the Greek Mythology world is still destroyed, Kratos just ended up in the Norse Mythology world by heading north. Dad of Boy even shows other mythologies and travel between them by people like Tyr and Mimir, hell Mimir even admits he's from the Celtic Mythology world originally.

I honestly love all the main line God of War games. I do agree that kratos's story arc in the fourth game felt really safe and done before. But it felt like the natural progression of his character. A man can only continue to get more angry and depressed after so long and after killing literally everything then himself. The fourth game felt like a breath of fresh air.

What makes Kratos a compelling character is the fact that he’s very much shaped by his tragedies. Losing Deimos to Ares and Athena completely hardened him, and eventually drove him on a quest for power to prove his strength, and remain true to his Spartan origins. His wife and child were killed because Ares manipulated Kratos’ brutality into absolutely blind rage, and as a result, he killed Calliope and Lysandra. Ares thought that power meant more to Kratos, and wanted to sever his earthly tethers to make him the perfect warrior. He taught, because of his pride and power, that he was untouchable but didn’t take into consideration that Olympus will aid his bastard half brother. The irony here is that he moulded Kratos into the beast he became, and didn’t think that beast’s power and skill would exceed his own. Ares was resourceful but he was no match for Pandora’s box’ power. All this, coupled by Persephone causing him to lose Calliope again, and then losing Deimos and his mother, absolutely devastated him and left him with nothing but vengeance. His own father ruined him, caused his brother’s death and torment along with his mother, then betrayed him and made him lose the last thing The Ghost of Sparta cared about- Sparta. Kratos was always an incredibly compelling and somewhat understandable character, and was always likeable, but the sequel humanised him completely and made him completely likeable. He’s a man who found strength even in the darkest moments, quite literally, whether it be his absolute rage against Thanatos after he killed Deimos, or his drive for redemption causing him to kill Persephone after abandoning Calliope, or his desire for revenge and peace after realising Sparta’s fate. Also I definitely agree that Kratos has PTSD. He had visions, tremendous amount of guilt, nightmares, prone to rage, and avoided telling his son the full truth of his past. The overwhelming guilt and shame still greatly affects his life till this day, even if he forgave himself. Although he loves Atreus, he’d wish his family was still alive.

I’d also like to say that even if he is a monster in Gow 3, he still has some morals. He doesn’t want to kill Hercules or Hephaestus until they actively try to kill him. While he does kill the princess and the entire world, he has a heart scrap for those who remind him of what he’s lost. A father protecting his daughter and a brother, although he does viscously murder both of them in the end.

Another thing to remember is that in Greek mythology the "hero" was not always a good person. They were the protagonist who has been given a quest to accomplish and you see this in characters like Heracles who did absolutely monstrous things in their stories but are still considered heroes.

Thank you for this. The narrative that Kratos was a "shallow character" is one of the most disingenuous sentiments in all of gaming. But it goes to show how short attention spans are, how often the masses can succumb to group-think, how easily copy-pasting a popular formula wins over critics, and just how little gaming journalists actually know about writing.

I feel like this video makes the ending of Ragnarok so much more rewarding. After everything he has done and been through he has finally earned his happy ending and his redemption.

That moment with Caliope is the definitive moment that I remember from the original series. Not any of the gruesome executions, the one moment where he has to leave his daughter behind. And it was put in a game that not many people played.

It's stupid that most people who played GOW 2018 never played or care to play the original Greek saga to see how Kratos' character developed over 6 games

Hephaestus betrayed Kratos and he considered why he did it. After that consideration, Kratos still respected Hephaestus' actions after killing him. I started with GoW 3 as a kid and went back to all the other games as the years went by but that little information I got as a kid always let me know that beneath all the bloodshed, there was a man in there. Hell, even Pandora giving Kratos the power of hope is an inner powerful moment to me that Kratos fights back against more than just the hopeless situation of beating Zeus, but the struggles he endures his whole life. I mean my god, when he first met Pandora he mistook her for Colliaope and just listen to the sound of his voice at the wonder of simply hearing his daughters voice. This broken man full of anger and sorrow just sounded like he was about to jump for joy with a smile. Even at a young age of not understanding the observation of story telling, I could tell Kratos was a deep character that's worth being invested in and I honestly didn't even know people thought other wise.

I love the growth of Kratos from the beginning. A man in extreme emotional pain, fighting for release, to a father with a loving son and at least some peace.

Watching this video brought me a new admiration for Ragnarok Kratos. How he carries himself through his actions, his own acknowledgment of how he can slip back into his senseless killing in GoW3, and how much he is terrified of losing his son due to his past.

I don't think Kratos destroyed the "entire world" at the end of God of War III, but merely the entire "Greek World". This explains why Scandinavia would still be around and untouched by the destruction that Kratos caused. The ancient Greeks were also extremely full of themselves so labeling their world as "the world" makes sense thematically speaking.

Something not enough people bring up in that scene with Pandora is that she doesn't break free from his grasp, since not even the gods seem able to do that - he LETS go when she says he's hurting her. The look of shock on his face makes me think he had an instant where he didn't see Pandora, but Calliape. THAT'S what makes him let go.

Excellent video! And great job showcasing Kratos's motivations and layers in the original run of games. Devil's advocate, what games journalists are clumsily trying to say is that "Greek Kratos"'s primary motivation is vengeance, whereas "Norse Kratos"'s primary motivation is love - respecting his dead wife's wishes, teaching his son to be better, keeping the demons at bay - it's a more relatable and nuanced character trait, than having succumbed to his (arguably justified) rage. Fantastic vid and congrats on the 1M! 💚

I always respected Kratos for his depressing and painful past. His new tone in the newer games makes sense to me.

For those wondering: Spartan male citizens *were* groomed into war from a very tender age. When a Spartan Male citizen was born he was taken by a significant member of society (priests come to mind) to be examined for genetic/physical deformities. If they were deemed 'unfit' they would literally be cast off a cliff and left to die of exposure and/or wild animals. Males were allowed to live in their birth home until the age of 8 years old, at which point "Agoge" aka "The Raising" began. Spartan boys lived with each other from their 8th to 21st birthdays and certain parts of their training included being left in the wilderness to fend for themselves, stealing whatever they needed. The act was not punishable unless they were caught and in fact Spartan youths were even *Encouraged* to straight up murder helots (the slave class of Spartan society) to conceal their crimes. There were in fact ceremonial parts of the year in Spartan society where the youths were set loose on Helots to terrorize them to ensure they remembered their place in society. On top of this Spartan males were also given their education in philosophy; learning their numbers and letters among others. "Proper" spartan males were essentially the noble elite 20 some percent of society. Also worth pointing out that while many get an idea that women belonged in the kitchen in early society, Spartan women were also groomed not just in tending the homestead but being viciously ready to protect it themselves if the army was out and away and in some ways even ruled over the males of society. In a twist of irony, while many consider Athens "The birthplace of democracy", Sparta was a very egalitarian society where women had an equal say in courts and in many cases actually had significantly more influence at court than Athenian women did. Spartans were also extremely big on heroism and standing up to your enemy, no matter the odds, go down swinging and never give up. I recall passage of one of the Spartan 300 setting off for Thermopylae, wherein one of the wives of the men setting of was handing him his shield. She gave him very simple instructions "Come home with this shield, or upon it", basically either return victorious or die fighting and return being carried on his shield for burial.

I always enjoyed the idea as well that characters always comment kratos is either slow, stupid or nothing without his strength when the first game is him pretty much only solving puzzles

Hades was definitely the one god with the most creative liberty taken in his depiction in the games. Dude was pretty chill in the actual mythologies, only becoming a player in a conflict due to the hero of the week trying to mess with the natural order of things.

Kratos is one of my favorite protagonists ever. Everything about him is just so well done, from his design to his glimpses of humanity, and even his temper tantrums

imagine how much would mean a simple hug for Kratos, after all the death suffering and torture he went through, a simple act of kindness would mean the world to him

I Want To Point Out That Even In GOW3, Where He's Considered Completely Ruthless, He Still Shows Some Humanity Towards The Other Gods. He Tried To Talk Sense Into Hercules, Tried To Avoid Fighting Hermes, Tried To Leave Hera Alone, Tried To Give Helios A Chance, But They All Pushed Him. It's Easy To Ignore The Little Things When His Violence Is Louder, But The Fact Remains He Gave Them A Chance And They Kept Provoking Him.

13:12 I'd say that it takes that much strength not just because it's emotionally difficult for him, but also because he wanted to get her off of him without hurting her.

I always assumed Kratos did take blame for the murder, he's referenced it a few times. Even in 3 saying "I'm sorry...." and blaming ares for the setup.

I dont get how anyone would say that he wasn't a good character in the original series!?!? The story was extremely captivating and he was a tortured soul that you really want to see get his revenge.

Fully and utterly agree. Finally had a chance to play GOW4 when it came to PC earlier this year, and while I absolutely loved Kratos' journey in that game; *none* of it would be as potent or as meaningful to me without the older games. The themes of fatherhood especially are enhanced by the fact that, yes, Zeus *was* Kratos' father, and he treated him in a way that no father should. And I love that the writers play into that, with the Helheim story bit. Kratos' buried rage hits a lot harder because you *know* him. You know what he's capable of, you've followed him through every major chapter of his life. You know the fury he keeps in check to pursue a better and less destructive life. But you also know why it has to come out. He was always a good character, GOW4 just allowed him to start a journey towards being a *good person* . I would've been fine with him simply passing after the end of GOW3, with the Greek world rebuilding in his wake. But there is something interesting about an exiled Kratos trying to pick up the pieces and build some semblance of a decent life afterwards. All while clashing with a pantheon of Gods that's just as awful, if not more. I can't wait to see what Ragnarok does with his story, and I hope they continue to keep the older games in mind when it comes to his characterization.

That CS Lewis quote though... Really does sum up the argument nicely. It was a tough read for me but the Abolition of Man was really eye opening.

The whole 'it was a stupid thing' is also the entire point. Greek Mythology has heavy themes of hubris and monologuing in front of Kratos that he killed his wife and daughter are perfect representations of such.

I'd like to add a scene from GoW2. It is right after he learns that Sparta, his home, his people, are gone. Kratos ends up experiences so much rage that he pretty much breaks. As the Kraken comes up to kill him Kratos refuses to fight and any attempts to make him fight results in Kratos yelling lines of fury. Think about that for a moment. Kratos is so pissed off and done with the gods. That he attempts suicide for a second time willing to allow the Kraken to kill him off so that he his rage may finally end. Rage so self-destructing that a man, a demi-god, whose power is fueled by his rage. Breaks because of it. If Gaia didn't intervene Kratos would've died to the Kraken unable to go on any longer his own rage overwhelming the god of rage.

I really love kratos as a character. A year ago I lost my fiancée to a housefire due to bad electrical from a bunch of slum lords A year before I got evicted by a different group of slum lords. And before that I had all my pets die(3 cats and 2 dogs) in the same year. I’m 22 now and my entire adult life has been loss so far.( with quite a few good things as well) I am still currently working on the rage building inside me. I’ve made good progress especially in one year. Kratos hits home for me because growing up I always felt helpless. I grew up in an incredibly religious family and rarely got time to play GOW but when I did something felt different in me. I looked at the world around me as I grew up and what my family told me felt wrong deep inside my heart. I hated myself but then I felt powerless. Kratos challenges the gods to escape his own destiny and to make his own legacy. Seeing him be the best father he can is heartwarming to me. Like he finally got what he always wanted. Freedom and love. The chains on his arms always seared into him as if to say his fate was his legacy. He was a slave to forces beyond his power. Kratos was stubborn and a born warrior so he said “No”

Can we talk about the bacon intro?

Your final conclusion about how he's a man of contrast sums him up probably the best. Couldn't have said it better myself. Good shit, bro.

One thing you forgot to mention was that in the end of GoW 3 Kratos was more focused on getting his revenge, and did not care about any of the powers acquired by the gods he had killed. In a moment he seems to be debating on giving the powers to Athena who he has seem to care about in GoW 2 and is shown to be the most selfless out of the gods, aiding Kratos in his quests, from when he was little, all the way till the very end. Making Kratos believe that she was different. It wasn’t until the end where she mistakenly revealed that she knew that there were evils in the box and hope to stop those evils, that Kratos realized that once again Kratos his entire life has been a pawn to them, to stop Ares. Upon retrieving the box of pandora the first time, the plot was for the evils to latch on to Kratos, and the hope to latch on to Zeus. Giving Kratos the madness, sins and evil to destroy Ares, and Zeus the hope needed to destroy Kratos when needed. They were trying to do the same thing as Areas was trying to do, which was to control kratos “the ultimate weapon” through torment and madness. That’s why whenever he did an useless task, all they did for him was offer him more power and riches. They though that the evils from the box could be controlled with fantasies of power. This is why the gods disapproved of Kratos using his powers as a god to do tasks that were not dictated by the gods themselves. This is also why Kratos actions of raining war upon the other cities of the other gods was seen as if the evils that were thought to be possessed by Kratos were becoming too much and they need to be stopped. But in reality it was the hope in Kratos that was able to see past the god’s masks and see that the gods were truly evil and they were a plague, and the evils that has latched on to Zeus made Zeus mad and made Zeus think that Kratos was a useless servant that was threatening his power, they could do anything to him. And why he ended up killing Kratos in GoW 2. Even when he came back Athena still thought that Zeus had the hope in him and Kratos had the evils. I think that It was till the beginning of GoW 3 when Kratos died for the 3rd time and managed to come back with hope of getting his revenge that Athena saw that Kratos was filled with hope. She helped him destroy Zeus. Once Zeus was destroyed, she expected Kratos “the dumb servant” to give up all the gods powers unto her, so she could become the next Queen goddess of Olympus. That’s when Kratos saw that she was no different than anyother god and she was as power hungry, sinful and Evil as all the others gods, willing to destroy anything in their path to have power. Kratos understood that to defeat the gods he had to be like the gods, but in his last moment he gave that up and did the most humane thing. He gave his life, his godness, powers and released the powers of the gods unto the world for the world to be free. Foiling Athena’s plans. Amongst all the gods, the god of war was the only good one. Even in god of war all the gods he kills that fought against him, all sought a selfish reason for their glory, power, godhood, etc. Kratos only did the things he did because he knew that the only way for the world to be at peace, was for there to be no gods. Including himself. Also taking his revenge.

Kratos is like an onion, he has many layers.

The thing is, Kratos from GoW1 to 3, has nothing more to lose and bet than his own life, except times when he has to care for Caliope or Pandora... In GoW4 and Ragnarok, the thing is not just about him, but about Fey's will and the Boy. Having something to fight besides your own life or revenge, changes everything always.

Here something I appreciate. In GOW1 you see a lot of glimmer and humanity in Kratos eyes. As you play the games you see how he is losing that glimmer in GOW3 he barely has light in his eyes. That is subtle character telling and i love it

I didn't actually know about all those articles, they have no idea, the first God of War is basically a greek tragedy, everything from a pretty unsympathetic hero to a very tragic and sad ending

One thing I will always love about Kratos as a character is the fact that he embodies the very concept of drive and determination. If he wants something, whether it be revenge on someone who wronged him or a monster's heart to save his son, literally nothing is going to stop him. Not gods, not demons, not even the jaws of death itself can keep him from achieving his goal

Kratos: These hands are rated E for everyone

GOW4 had the story of the horse and Stag that really sums up Kratos life perfectly. The problem about all of this is that Kratos chose this route in life, he was motivated by his trauma of his past but the major turning point in his story is when he fell in battle, in a battle that he knew was impossible but still reckless and fueled by his uncontrollable thirst for victory he charged in. Unable to let his rage and quest be quelled, unable to accept defeat and death he turned to Ares to help him and in return he lost his soul and freedom which is worse than death. Where his bit and bride was his rage and it continued to control him for the rest of days making him do unspeakable horrors to those that did deserve it, and those innocents that did not deserve it.

i always like to think that him giving the power to the people at the end of 3 is just one last middlefinger to the Gods and puts him back on a better path.

On the note of GOW being more "grown up" I'll let this quote do the talking. “Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” ― C.S. Lewis These know nothing game "journos" are themselves infants. *People I watched the video, this comment was a pre video thought.

Brother I’ve been saying this for years he is one of the most misunderstood video game characters

Seeing this after Ragnarok (and that one sequence in Helheim between Kratos and Atreus, you know the one), man I can't help but sympathize with his grief. This series will always be one of my favorites.

People dismiss Kratos' plight for the same reason people ignore male suicide. Obviously, this is a fantasy story with the pain he's enduring pushed to the extreme. But trauma on weak men is justified by them being weak, and trauma on macho looking men that got that way from struggle isn't real because they are strong. It's such a toxic interpretation of how men deal with trauma.

Kratos's wife and child was supposed to be in Sparta. Ares placed them in the Oracle's village to manipulate Kratos into killing his own family. Kratos was possessed by the power given to him by Ares and in his blind rage and loyalty, he killed his family without realizing it.

He also killed the boat captain in GOW1 for absolutely no reason other than he didnt seem to want to waste effort in saving his life. Valhalla has him revisit this as it stuck with him deeply. He said himself it would have cost him nothing to save his life. So Kratos killing Poseidon's princess isnt too uncharacteristic given his first couple of actions in the first game we were ever exposed to his character in.

i love this, the idea of watching a broken man become ridicicoulsy vengful and powerful and have his arc in gow ps4 and ragnarok re soften things , man some of the best emotional story telling there is

one big point you forgott to mention is that kratos doesnt go the extra mile to kill. all the gods he killed he did because they were o his way to zeus or didnt allow to go after zeus. he didnt want to kill hercules as he says...this is not between us hercules. but hercules kept on insisting that by killing kratos he will earn the grace of approval. hermes he could not have been bothered to kill but hermes dropped those fire bars and kratos got triggered. imagine turning your back to a tiger or provocating him. perses the titan he one shots with the blade attacked kratis first. kratos was just flying the icarus vent but perses attacks him. not all fights have been started by kratos. that is important to remember

Ares also thought that in completing the blood oath by killing his wife and child, that Kratos will always serve him as enforced by the furies. Kratos was under their illusion since he started serving Ares but the illusion broke once he killed his wife and child. Ares probably didn't know this would happen. But even if so, the furies were supposed to enforce Kratos servitude due to the blood oath, but Kratos defeated them. He was the first to ever do this, so Ares probably didn't think Kratos was strong enough to do it at this point.

"I find it very creatively stifling when maturity can only mean one thing: critical acclaim can only come when you follow a very strictly determined set of checkmarks" And you have just gained a new follower, good sir.

Seeing Kratos happy and content in ragnarok made me tear up. Such a great series

I will respectfully disagree on the Ares part for a specific reason. He wanted Kratos to have no ties to the mortal realm and become stronger. Ares likely didn't have a clue what killing them would do because already to him, why should anyone one care? He's a god, what need does he have for family? That and literally having a god complex probably meant that Kratos being distraught would make no sense to him.

Love this video. It disgusts me when I hear people say that God of war was never had a good story until it becomes like the Last of Us with God of war 4.

Even more, in GOW II, Kratos says that he doesn't want to destroy Olympus only Zeus, so actually Kratos knew his limits and is when Athena tells him that all Gods would try to stop him that decides to Destroy Olympus

GoW always had deeper themes, such as the idea of vengance being a double edged sword or that in attempting to defy fate you somehow end up setting up the stage for that specific scenario to happen. The style in the new entries seem to place the story more in view over the gameplay (basically like a movie more than a game), pointing out the message more clearly instead of letting the player pick it up as they think about it more. Perhaps that is why some people point the character development to be more precise in the new games.

That use of the button mash to show Kratos’ struggle with leaving his daughter, is both the greatest use of a bottom mash I’ve ever seen in a game, and shows to me that the original GOWs were far more then just ‘immature toxic masculinity’.

I think even GOW PS4 missed a lot about his previous characterization. It's painted like everything was his fault due to his anger, but kind of ignore how horribly he was abused and betrayed over and over. At that point what else could he do but fight back. The series was always a power fantasy, but not just for powerful violence, but to feel like maybe if you could just fight back against anyone who has used and hurt you if you get angry and indignant enough. Kratos was a product of the world around him and eventually destroyed that world bc it was broken. The more he's betrayed and manipulated the angrier and more violent he gets. Even when he tries to do things differently or end it all he's just used again and forced into the cycle. And it's interesting how the true way to have stopped him would have been kindness, but there was no kindness in the gods, so he had to give up his humanity. But yet, in his last act, he shows kindness and releases hope back into the world.

I'm sure some people have said it already but in ascension right before he kills her, the queen transforms into the seer from the first game and says his wife and daughter weren't there by chance, combine that with the seer wearing Ares' symbol and we have even more tragedy

At 19:28 you called Kratos “A tragic character” and wether that was intentional or not, that’s a great tie to Greek story telling. Many Greek tales were told by a tragedy and Kratos himself being tragic further reinforces the idea that his story is a Greek tale.

Iirc, it's implied that during Kratos' ransacking, Ares blinded him with rage, which has mythological basis. Hera did something incredibly similar to Hercules, even leading to Herc killing his wife and child in a similar fashion, leading to his 12 labours as atonement I maintain the time travel thing was a good call. He's so detached from who he was he doesn't even consider the idea he could save Sparta or his family, it just doesn't occur to him. He's THAT completely tunnel visionsed with pure fury Great vid 👍

I always felt Kratos's rage toward Zeus happened initially during the events in 'Ghost of Sparta' because this was when he found out that Zeus was his true father, who then proceeds to warp his mother into the monster, forcing him to kill her at the moment he finds she is still alive.

People will never understand that deep in his heart, he is a calm and reasonable person.

7:40 There actually is a reason for it to be ares' fault. Kratos left his wife and kid in sparta. They shouldn't have been there, but ares put them there knowing that someone would kill them. The fact that it was kratos himself was just unfortunate happenstance

NEVER forget the "journalist" who went out to throw opinions about Kratos' development and when asked if he played the original trilogy he said he just played the GOW3 demo, I don't remember exactly who said it, but to paraphrase, pre 2018 God of War is basically lots of brutality and then it hits you with the deep and hearthfelt moment where Kratos' humanity is put at the spotlight, while in 2018 it's a long winded show of Kratos' overcoming of his own past and his learning of how to be a father for his son while you get the few in betweens where he has to tap into his monstruosity to get him and Atreus closer to their goal

13:26 This idea is beautifully put in God of War (2018) as well, when Freya says to Kratos "You are just an animal! Passing on your cruelty and rage; you will never change!", to which Kratos responds "Then you do not know me."

The entire god of war series paints a whole picture that shows a tragic scene of familial abuse and generational trauma at that. Kratos would still be the same raging monster he is in the original trilogy even without all the crazy Greek mythical powers, the abusive nature of the gods of Olympus took his humanity to do their evil bidding and make him a slave. We just see how in GOW4 and GOW:R Kratos finally choosing to end the cycle of abuse and use his atonement to make a better world for his son and his new allies in Midgard.

100%!! Been saying this the whole time. I never liked the shallow portrayal games journalism gave Kratos in the Greek era, it was such a diservice to a fantastic series (minus Ascension).

7:34 actually what really happened when kratos was raiding that village was normal. He was sent by ares to destroy that village. At first his wife and daughter were not there in that village but then area transported them there in that house right before kratos killing them so in reality it really was ares fault since he was the one who teleported both his wife and daughter there knowing that those were his only connections remaining and not knowing that his mother and brother still live. Area thought that this would make the perfect warrior who would be able to defeat gods like in gow 3.

i liked how he was willing to let heracles go free because he had been through the ringer just like him and seemed genuinely upset that he had to kill him

I remember seeing my boyfriend playing gow3 back in the days. I wasn't a gamer so I saw very little of that game. Kratos seemed to me a crazy guy and the game was just funny and gore oriented to watch. In 2018 I was playing from some years and felt ready to start the new gow, only knowing the burden of Kratos and the end of Olympus. I couldn't bond a lot with him until this year when I played Ragnarok. I fell deeply in love with Kratos and wanted to know more of his past, so I played all the greek saga on ps plus and then gow2018 again. Great great saga, great character indeed. But I think that is the Norse saga that show you Kratos in the right light. Not because of the more "mature" crap, I think he always have been really mature. Is only that the first saga is more focused on gameplay and the narrative isn't so deep. Nowadays games are more cinematics, the developers have enough resources to dig a bit deeper in narrative. There are more interactions, more dialogues. What I mean is that even if I love the greek Kratos, without the Norse saga maybe the Greek one could be less interesting to me: from the overacting of the greek Kratos to the sex scenes. As a woman I don't feel that the game is misogynist, but I must say that is hard to feel deepness when your enemies have always those big boobies and you have minigames like with Aphrodite. It's ok to me seeing him going with prostitutes, he explains that he try to forget his past even with sex, and he's a spartan general after all, but it's clear that the way they show you is just for fun, come on. Apart from that, I'm with you with the journalists stuff: despite the type of narrative or game, Kratos was a good character and we shouldn't write stories or make art depending of current ideology or to show something politically correct, or is the death of artworks.