The God Of War. Depending on who you ask it’s a different person to the Norse it’s Tyr, To the Egyptians, it would be Bast, to the Greeks Ares holds the title, but to gamers, we only know one god of war: Kratos. Kratos is a spartan man of ambition who climbed the ranks and became the new Greek god of war. He would then go on to hunt and kill the rest of the Greek pantheon, eventually even killing his father: Zeus. He would then move to Midgard and after his new wife Fay asked him and his son Atreus to spread her ashes to the highest peak in the realms, he and Atreus would go on a very long adventure to grant her last wish being accosted all the while. Throughout history we see adaptations of our favorite gods, today we’ll check out 25 of those who came closest to the ghost of Sparta.
25) Photo Taken By: Kirsten Acuna
How cool would a small Kratos Helheim minigame be the first time Kratos dies in combat for a second chance?
Our fine God of war meeting the goddess Hel. With the nordic style God Of War, we can hope to see this matchup in the games very soon! As the goddess of death and ruler of Helheim, I’m willing to bet we’ll be very well acquainted before the story ends. Of course with Kratos’ new ideas of gods being better, maybe he won't have to kill all the nordic gods in favor of making them better. Sure diplomacy is not as fun, but I’m still hoping for a Kratos wearing a big powdery court wig telling thor why he's a… has this gotten out of hand?
24) Shared By AmayaMarieSuta
Give the unstable man who killed your brother a better knife! Nothing bad can come of this!
With such bright white skin and red swirling tattoos, there’s only one man this could be. Having only recently killed the previous god of war, Ares, Kratos now wields the Blades Of Athena. Having lost his Blades Of Chaos during the battle with Ares, He was gifted these new blades by Athena as a kind of welcome to godhood! Please don’t kill us.
23) Cosplay By: Tom Badgerlock
Because it's all custom, I wonder how comfy Kratos' armor is?
Our new Kratos wielding the Blades of Chaos, and if you look close enough, The Smoldering brimstone set from Muspelheim. The realm of fire where very little live except the truly powerful. To get this armor, Kratos had to beat numerous challenges given by the realm of fire itself, then have the dwarven brothers Brock and Sindri craft the flames themselves into an armor made of fire. An impressive feat, yet even with this set, Kratos still prefers not to protect his chest and stomach.
22) Made by: Oldsnake
It's weird that he looks normal covered in his familys ashes. Why is that a normal sentance in this context?
A vision of a younger Kratos. A spartan warrior who led his people with a vicious fervor and defeated armies that had a 10:1 advantage over him, he was to be feared all across Greece. A time before he even tattooed his brother's markings onto himself, his failure to protect his brother would shape much of Kratos's life. I guess with spartans the mourning process includes a few more stages of grief.
21) Cosplay By: Marcos J Barbosa
Considering It was made by Zeus, of course it's almost as tall as Kratos
Kratos with arguably the most powerful weapon he’s ever wielded: The Blade Of Olympus. Having originally been used by Zeus to banish the Titans to Tartarus, This blade with the ability to slay deities found itself in Kratos’ possession. Unfortunately for Zeus, he wasn’t able to stop Kratos simply by killing him with this blade as Kratos simply escaped the underworld, pulled a UNO reverse card, and killed Zeus with the same sword.
20) Cosplay With Abi
It's nice to see the true god of war again. Standing right next to Kratos no less!
During the series, it's easy to forget Kratos originally was a human. This mountain of a man stands feet above the other mortals and even the tallest men have to look up in order to meet his gaze. In the first few moments, they meet we see how Kratos towered over Baulder. Definitely not a man I would backhand, but I guess it's not that bad when you don't feel pain
19) Cosplay By: Angelo Callerame
I've seen the new Kratos without the beard and it's really odd... Check it out here
Although he's tempered it over time, we can't forget Kratos' signature move is his Spartan Rage. We do notice, however, that he only uses it in the story while Atreus is being directly threatened. The first example is in the second main boss fight when the stranger threatens that he'll make the person in the cabin talk. It shows how much he cares for the boy even in the earliest parts of the game.
18) Cosplay By: StefanomeoLeathercraft
At the journeys end, that must have been one hel of a nap!
In our first interaction with Kratos we can see how his equipment has changed due to new conditions. In a now colder climate, he chooses a shoulder guard made of fine fur to keep himself warm, and a well-groomed beard that could rival any mountain man or Ron Swanson. We can also note his bandages that covered the scars his chains had caused giving ideas of shame in his past. I wonder if he has some kind of beard oil or if he can just grow it perfectly?
17) Cosplay By: Missmikkaa
I know there are reasons we don't, but I'd love to see Faye fight
(Sung to I would walk 500 miles) We would walk through 4 bad realms, and we would search through 2 more. To spread your ash on the highest peak, in the realm of giants is what we seek... *Ahem* A female style god of war that could give us an idea of who Fay, wife of Kratos and mother to Atreus, was. We hear from Kratos she was a beautiful fighter and was clearly a gentlewoman and we get hints by how Atreus treats the witch of the woods. Fay clearly meant a lot to both Kratos and Atreus as when asked by the witch how much the quest to spread her ashes meant the response was simply: "everything."
16) Shared By: Isak922
On my list of people to not mess with, Kratos ranks just below Atreus. If you come at Atreus, you're about to be best served with grilled cheese and crackers
Even without weapons, Kratos is a man to fear. Having ripped and torn his enemies to pieces, and even brutally beating several demigods to death, Kratos, even unarmed, is more than any man. He’s even killed several gods this way such as Poseidon with a neck snap, Thanatos by ripping his chest open, Helios by ripping his head clean off the body, and even Zeus by brutalizing him with man punches that brutalized Zeus's head like a messy watermelon. A true embodiment of the phrase: “ If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead”
15) Shared by WarlockOpain77
I want to hear Kratos singing just once before I die. Let's make it happen!
A true dad of war. After the death of Fay, It was Kratos who had to raise Atreus to be better. Through their journey up the mountain, they both had to learn and grow as people in order to progress. Each time they went backward as characters, the story too went backward to reflect it. Like how the boy became selfish and the story regressed to them going to the deepest part of Helheim moving them far off their intended path. Atreus even says: “No one can do this alone. all these obstacles… They’re just chances to prove we’re the ones who can beat them. We may argue, but when we work together, we are a good team!”
14) Cosplay By:Knightmage
There is a theory Kratos is weaker- well "Weaker"- but he's weaker in Midgard because he's a god of Greece. I like to think at the end Kratos will fight Odin in Greece with all his powers!
Kratos is exactly where spartans are made. Originally a Greek man, this setting is a great reminder of those origins. Specifically, near a colosseum, I think Kratos could have had a great career as a Gladiator! Although considering the whole thing with Zeus murdering his mother, and Ares tricking him into killing his family, maybe killing all the gods was the right choice after all. The phrase is after all: If you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life. I wonder if Kratos ever thought of killing the gods as a chore?
13) Cosplay By: Tommaso Ciampa
Does Kratos have to lift weights to keep shape? A good amount of gods had different shapes of fitness so does Kratos bench press Bald- I mean boulders on his days off?
Tommaso Ciampa actually fits Kratos really well considering he’s a wrestler! While many think of Kratos as a hack and slash, many people forget that spartans were trained in Pankration, A form of martial arts that mixed boxing and wrestling. We can see his wrestling skills as he uses a double leg takedown on Draugr ending it by crushing their heads we can also see instances of Kratos using other forms of combat like: Boxing, Kenjutsu, and Viking martial arts Gilma). Definitely not a man I'd pick a fight with, but I guess the gods have more pride than I do.
12) Cosplay By: Marcel & Kes Von Puch
Kratos always carries so many loose things. I wonder how many things get caught on rocks or trees?
Kratos is definitely in Full form here! We can even see his trusted shield given to him by his wife. It's interesting that the game draws a parallel like Fay is still protecting Kratos after death. We can also see the Bifrost given to Kratos by the witch. This gift shares a tone of “go out and explore the realms” Without these two, in both gifts and the people, Kratos may have already died, or at least failed his quest. Or maybe Kratos would have killed the Norse gods until he found one that could get him to Jontenheim.
11) Cosplay By: Leobane
Whats that quote from Castlevania? "This battle has been nothing but the worlds longest suicide note." It always had hints of tragedy replaying his journey through 3
Feels good to see what appears to be the Blades of Exile Imbued with Thera's Bane. Having received these after his final trip to the Greek underworld by Athena, Kratos would then use these blades to finish off the Greek pantheon. After the Blades of Athena were rusted and destroyed by the river Styx, Athena forged and gifted these new chained weapons in order to assist Kratos in his mission. She admits to Kratos that in order for humanity to have a chance, Zeus’ death would be necessary. In the end, Kratos chooses to give humanity the gift of hope instead of leaving it with Athena granting humanity the ability to hope. Thanks, Kratos, now I can keep hoping to get a PS5! Dated Jokes for the win!
10) Cosplay By: Calista Cosplay
I think the issue was Kratos is that family was rough. Lost his brother, killed his wife and child, loses the surroget daughter, he's had it rough
In the pre-Atreus era, Pandora was the closest we got to a familial bond with Kratos. Through his journey, Kratos slowly begins to care about Pandora and even kills the defenseless Hera for Calling Pandora a whore. He additionally attempts to prevent her from giving him the power to kill Zeus. He goes so far as to actively put her life over his own revenge showing great care for her considering what the god of gods put him through. In the end, when he lets her go after a moment's rage he feels great regret. Then when he gains nothing from Pandora's death, it finally sends him into his final rage, Killing Zeus once and for all.
9) Cosplay By: Cosplayinamerica
Kratos is 100% a perfect wilderness survivor. I'm willing to bet he even has the skills of an older fashioned Eagle Scout
Kratos expressed a mildly irritated gaze. Major Spoiler warning for this one) During the game Atreus becomes more and more selfish after realizing he’s a god. He begins to act exactly as Kratos had feared he would: arrogant, privileged, and quick to anger. Being new to the whole dad concept, Kratos does not entirely know how to handle this turn of events until Atreus is kidnapped and Kratos still rushes immediately to save him still showing compassion even after being shot with an arrow. Kratos then efficiently scolds Atreus in Hel where he tells him “You will honor your mother and abandon this path you have chosen.” Then softly, “It is not too late.” Maybe Kratos sees too much of himself in Atreus and fears that rash temper.
8) Cosplay By: DarkTowerKnight
I'd love to know the history of the Leviathan Axe! how it was made, used by Faye, and how it was given to Kratos.
Kratos and his Leviathan ax are very fun mechanics. Designed like a standard Viking ax, it has a myriad of special abilities all of which are specific to deal frost or cold damage. It additionally has an ability similar to Mjolner, Thor's hammer, being able to call it back with his will. This leads to a long-range ability without requiring a bow and has a heavier hit than an arrow. I personally want to know if Atreus will also be able to call it back, and what kind of weapons Kratos will acquire in the future. Hoping for Mjolnir for a dual wield returning weapon.)
7) Cosplay By: Damian Hammond
If his skin is made of ash mixed with flesh, I wonder what that feels like? I imagine it has a gritty feeling but the ash never rubs off so is it smooth?
A more realistic depiction of Kratos’ skin. Some may not know, but in reality, his skin isn't white, but the ashes of his wife and child. Too sudden? Ok, I'll break it down real quick. After Kratos nearly lost his life and battle to the barbarian king, he invoked Ares pledging an oath to the god. Ares killed all those Kratos had been fighting, giving him a victory and the blades of chaos. Now serving the god of war, Kratos and his armies carried out Ares will murdering thousands. Eventually, his rage met with a temple of Athena. Immediately killing everyone in the temple in the name of Ares. he didn't realize until after the carnage that his final victims were his wife and child, an act not out of coincidence, but orchestrated by Ares in an attempt to make Kratos stronger with rage. The Athenian village oracle then cursed him, magically covering his body in the ash of his family as a permanent reminder of birthing the name: Ghost of Sparta. For an oracle in service to the goddess of wisdom, do you think that was the wisest idea? To be fair this same god of wisdom jumps between Kratos and Zeus, so maybe we’ll just call her the goddess associated with peace and handcrafts?
6) Cosplay By: DalaiMickey
Say what you will, but the toning on this man is causing my printer to run out of ink!
Definitely some of the most realistic markings of Kratos. While larger now, early in his life he was about the barest muscled guy you’ll know! Markings to signify clearly defined muscles are clear around his entire body. While not the specific muscle that we think is strong, this signifies a life of hard work and dedication leading to a near-perfect portrayal of a healthy and strong body with very little weight added. If you were to guess his age, what do you think it would be? Assuming this is just after he becomes the new god of war, and he’s roughly 50. I want that P90X tape.
5) Cosplay By: Kikoezeonwuka / Jemandeze
I think it must be said that while he was tricked, Kratos ended up killing his entire family, Zeus and Pandora included, out of lapses due to rage. Yes he was tricked or egged on, but his fists were still the weapons used.
Major Spoilers) Kratos and Athena always had a bit of an… interesting past. Having kidnapped Demos, Kratos’ brother, While he was young, She and Ares set the young spartan on a path of revenge for his brother eventually leading him to kill Ares. After killing Ares, she gifted Kratos with the blades of Athena which he would use to take out many remaining gods and nearly Zeus. Throwing herself in front of the blade and saving Zeus, Athena would die ?) at the hands of Kratos from the blade of Olympus. She would then remain to Kratos as some kind of spirit giving him the blades of exile to kill the final god because now the world is better off without the god? After killing Zeus, she asked Kratos to give her the power of hope in order to help the humans, but Kratos released it to the humans much to Athenas’ spirits chagrin. She then appears to Kratos again as he goes back to retrieve the blades of chaos leading many to question what kind of entity she is. She always seems to swap to the losing side at the last minute just to see if she can pull out a last-second win, but I can’t tell you for the life of me why.
4) Cosplay By: Theronincosplay
Mimir tells Kratos that he's resurected, but he isn't alive. He's still quite dead. I'm curious if there's a way the gients knew, using time magic or the sort, he could be whole again?
Everyone's favorite fine detailed, smartest man alive Or dead) Mimir who has the answer to our every question! with a few gaps, terms and conditions do apply. Either way, a magically reanimated head sitting on the back of Kratos’ belt is an excellent piece of comedy and a remarkably good storyteller. He gives Kratos and Atreus all the information they could want except on Boulder. Boulder is invulnerable to all threats, physical or magical! In all reality, having the god of wisdom as a personal wiki how the guide is just about one of the funniest things I've ever seen, and an excellent way to give us extra information on any subject. It’s just so strange when he thinks about Balder and Freya…
3) Cosplay By: Spartano Cosplay
It's curious to see that even when standing still Kratos is still in athletics stance ready to move at any time
One of the most gritty depictions of Kratos, You can Physically see the hate in his eyes. Most reminiscent of his final revenge against Zeus, Kratos has not so much to the gods, and he’s finally going to put an end to their tyranny over the world. When he does finally kill Zeus, and he sees the world in its broken state, what will he do? Will he try to heal the world or simply hide from it? To answer that question, Kratos has to kill Zeus and finally finish this duel-decade grudge.
2) Cosplay By: Fredwolf
I wonder if all spartans had a 6th sense that let them know whats behind them, or if Kratos takes a second to survey the firld and predicts his suroundings?
The OG or Original God, A perfect depiction of Kratos in his prime. Filled with rage and anger at the truth of his familial carnage, compounded by the loss of his brother, Kratos has sworn to kill the God of War. While a mere mortal, he was a spartan gifted with chains beyond the power of any man. He also has the power of Pandora's box giving him the strength to kill an immortal being. This path would belong, and the consequences would be unfathomable, but no consequence, no burden, not even death would be able to stay Kratos’ blade from reaching Ares’ throat
1) Cosplay By: Atlant 85 / Alexwolf_Cosplay
"Everything is different now, do not dwell on it"
This is what we are greeted to when the god of war 4 finally came out. Immediately we knew it was going to be a different kind of story. With the aged Kratos, his long beard, a handprint far smaller than his own, and the somber tone all fit to introduce us to Kratos a second time. In the first scene, we see that he does still have his rage, but he’s also learned to control it. We also have a young boy, his son. Although Atreus calls him father, Kratos calls him Boy showing a disconnect between them. And in the first few lines of dialogue, the game tells the player “Everything is different, do not dwell on it.” The game masterfully introduces us to the game and its characters with only limited but intentional dialogue between the two. Kratos looking aged could be from his life, but it’s also due to the loss of his wife. As we see later he’s no longer solely powered by his rage, but only uses it as a tool to further his own goals. all of this is captured in this image. We also learn that Kratos is around 1000 years old…I bet he eats kale.
