Kratos

Concept and design

When designing Kratos, God of War (2005) creator and game director David Jaffe attempted to create a brutal-looking character that did not resemble a typical traditional Greek hero. Jaffe wanted the character to be individualistic so Kratos would not wear traditional armor. Use of a fully masked character was initially approved but the concept was abandoned because the design seemed "soulless" and lacked a "defined personality". Some models included unconventional elements, such as Kratos carrying an infant on his back, while others had excessive detail, such as long hair and other "flowing things".

Charlie Wen, the director of visual development on God of War (2005) and God of War II, was responsible for designing Kratos. Wen said his direction for the design was influenced by similarly themed films and by pop culture. Wen made concept drawings of Kratos on napkins at a restaurant, having forgotten his sketchbook; he introduced the idea of the character's double-chained blades and eventually produced Kratos's iconic design. Double-chained blades were chosen as Kratos's signature weapon because they emphasized the character's animalistic nature while allowing combat to remain fluid. Wen visualized the double-chained blades simultaneously activating as Kratos threw them with a balance of ferocity and accuracy. Jaffe said of the final version of the character:[Kratos] may not totally feel at home in Ancient Greece from a costume standpoint, I think he achieves the greater purpose which is to give players a character who they can play who really does just let them go nuts and unleash the nasty fantasies that they have in their head.

Wen gave Kratos his most-noticeable feature, his ashen complexion, a story development that earns Kratos the title Ghost of Sparta. The character's other distinctive features include a scar across his right eye and a large, red tattoo that threads from his left eye, circles the left side of his torso, and ends at his left shoulder. The tattoo was originally blue but was changed to red late in production. In the series lore, the scar is eventually to be the result of a childhood encounter with the Olympian god Ares, while the tattoo is a tribute to his dead brother Deimos, who had similar birth markings. Other changes that occur during the Greek era of the series include the temporary addition of divine armor when Kratos is the god of war, an abdominal scar, ability-enhancing armor, such as an epaulet called the Golden Fleece—all in God of War II—and the Boots of Hermes in God of War III. According to an early God of War script, the character is 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m) tall, but this was changed when Santa Monica Studios and Gnomon School investigated the animation-and-rigging history of the games, showing the Greek Kratos to be 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in) tall, and Norse Kratos to be 1.94 metres (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighing about 250 pounds (110 kg). The designers of 2018's God of War gave Kratos a Nordic look that includes a full beard and changed his main weapon to a magical battle ax to make the combat more grounded. Unlike previous games, players can change and upgrade Kratos's three armor pieces, one of the game's role playing video game (RPG) elements.

Voice and actor portrayal

Christopher Judge, who is best known for his portrayal of Teal'c in Stargate SG-1, replaced Terrence C. Carson, who had voiced Kratos since the original God of War, as the voice of Kratos in the 2018 game. Commenting in response to the change, Carson said: "Sony went in a new direction". Barlog said due to the way the earlier games were made, the studio was able to have someone other than the voice actor perform motion capture. Although Carson performed motion capture for Kratos in Ascension, Barlog said the actor change was made because of the type of camera work they wanted to do. They needed someone who was closer to Kratos's size to perform motion capture along with 10-year-old Sunny Suljic, who played Kratos's son, Atreus. Carson was unsuitable for this because he is much shorter than Kratos, who is over six feet (1.8 m) tall: "Offsetting [Carson's height] for the size of a child, it turned out it was going to be almost impossible to try and actually shoot them and go in and redo the animations". Judge was chosen because he is six feet three inches (1.91 m) tall and had the body of a professional football player. Judge accepted the role as an opportunity to add something new to the character. He researched the character and Carson's performance but decided not to imitate Carson, instead deciding to start anew because Santa Monica was going in a new direction.

Prior to beginning work on Ragnarök, Judge briefly quit the game after finding out Eric Williams would be directing the sequel. Judge was uncertain about Williams but Barlog, who served as a producer and creative director on Ragnarök, was able to convince Judge of Williams' capability to direct the game, which Judge affirmed after working with him. Carson reprised the role in God of War Sons of Sparta (2026) for the first time since Ascension.

Role in the God of War series

Greek era

Throughout the series, Kratos is portrayed as an antihero, often performing questionable actions. His backstory is seen in the original God of War, Kratos's childhood is revealed in Ghost of Sparta, and the birth of his daughter is explored in the God of War comic series (2010–2011). In Ghost of Sparta, it is revealed the oracle had foretold the demise of Olympus would not happen by the hands of the Titans, who were imprisoned after the Great War, but rather by a marked mortal warrior. The Olympians Zeus, Athena, and Ares believed this warrior to be Deimos, Kratos's younger brother, due to his strange birthmark. Ares and Athena interrupted Kratos and Deimos's childhood training in Sparta and kidnapped Deimos. Kratos attempted to stop Ares, who swept him aside and scarred him across his right eye. Deimos was then taken to Death's Domain and imprisoned and tortured for many years by the god of death Thanatos. Believing Deimos to be dead, Kratos marked himself with a red tattoo identical to his brother's birthmark to honor him.

Through flashbacks in the comic book series written by Marv Wolfman (2010–11), Kratos met his wife Lysandra, with whom he had a daughter named Calliope. Upon birth, Calliope was stricken with the plague. To save his daughter, Kratos was granted a quest to find the Ambrosia of Asclepius, an elixir with magical healing properties. Five gods entered into a wager with Ares; each god chose a champion to search for the Ambrosia with Ares's champion being Kratos. Kratos overcame all obstacles, including Hades's champion, the Barbarian Prince Alrik, who eventually became the Barbarian King, and thus Kratos saved his daughter.

Via flashbacks in God of War, it is revealed Kratos became the youngest captain of Sparta's army (also shown in the 2010–11 comic series), but had a thirst for power. When Kratos was faced with total defeat by the Barbarian King and his horde, Kratos called upon Ares for aid. Kratos was given the Blades of Chaos, destroyed his enemies, and blindly followed Ares, killing hundreds in his name. During a bloody rampage, Ares tricked Kratos into murdering Lysandra and Calliope within a temple dedicated to Athena—unbeknownst to Kratos that they were in the temple. Kratos was shocked out of his bloodlust and renounced his service to Ares. As the temple burned, a village oracle cursed Kratos and condemned him to wear the "mark of his terrible deed", the ashes of his family, which turned his skin pale white, earning him the title, the "Ghost of Sparta".

In Ascension, it is revealed that Kratos was imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies for renouncing and breaking his blood oath to Ares. The oath keeper Orkos helps Kratos to overcome and kill the Furies. To be completely free of Ares's oath, however, Kratos is forced to kill Orkos, who begs Kratos to do so so that he too could be free. Although free of his oath to Ares, Kratos is flooded with the memories of killing his family. He vows to serve the other gods, in hopes that they will erase his memories, and to receive forgiveness and relief from the nightmares of his past deeds, but he was openly defiant.

Norse era

Decades after the events of God of War III, Kratos, having survived his apparent death from releasing the power of hope in Greece, arrives in ancient Scandinavia in the Norse realm of Midgard, and fathers a boy named Atreus, who is unaware of his true nature. Kratos has abandoned his double-chained blades as a symbol of the abandonment his old persona; instead, he uses a battle ax called the Leviathan Axe, which originally belonged to his second wife and Atreus's mother, Laufey (called Faye by Kratos), who recently died. Faye's last wish was for her ashes to be spread at the highest peak of the nine realms. At Midgard's peak, they learn from Mímir the highest peak is in Jötunheim. During their journey, the Æsir god Baldur, the brother of Thor, confronts them. Thor's sons Modi and Magni help Baldur but are killed by Kratos and Atreus. Around this time, Atreus falls ill; to cure him, Kratos must recover his old weapons, the Blades of Chaos, to battle the beings of Helheim because the Leviathan Axe, which inflicts frost damage, is useless there. While retrieving the blades, Athena appears and goads him about his past. Kratos travels to Hel, killing the troll that guards the realm, and retrieves the cure. After curing him, Kratos reveals to Atreus he is a god. The pair receives assistance from a witch, who is later revealed to be the Vanir goddess Freya, Baldur's mother, who cast a spell of immortality on him; the spell protects Baldur but causes him to no longer physically feel anything, for which he resents Freya.

Kratos and Baldur eventually battle, during which Baldur's spell is broken. Kratos decides to let Baldur go but Baldur attempts to kill Freya, forcing Kratos to kill him. Freya swears revenge against Kratos for killing her son and taunts Kratos for not revealing his troubled past to Atreus. Kratos decides to tell Atreus he had killed his fellow Greek gods, including his father Zeus—whose illusion he saw in Helheim—but that he and Atreus should learn from these experiences and not repeat past mistakes. Kratos and Atreus travel to Jötunheim, where it is learned Faye was a giant, making Atreus part-giant. It is also revealed Faye originally wanted to name their son Loki but Kratos preferred Atreus, which was the name of an honorable Spartan comrade. The giants also referred to Kratos as Fárbauti. In Midgard, Fimbulwinter begins and, after sleeping in the family home, Atreus has a vision Thor will come for them at the end of Fimbulwinter.

Three years after the events of the previous game, the All-father Odin and the god of thunder Thor confront Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir. Kratos duels Thor after which, Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir travel across the nine realms in hopes of finding a way to prevent Ragnarök. Along the way, a vengeful Freya confronts them but they eventually make amends. Unable to prevent Ragnarök, Kratos, Atreus, and their allies unite the realms in a war against Asgard. Kratos again battles Thor, who is killed by Odin for refusing to kill Kratos. Kratos, Atreus, Mímir, and Freya then engage Odin in battle and defeat him as Asgard is destroyed. Returning home to Midgard, Atreus, as Loki, decides he needs to find any remaining giants and bids farewell while Kratos learns he is destined to become a revered god. Along with Freya and Mímir, Kratos begins rebuilding the realms and restoring peace.

Other appearances

Video games outside the God of War franchise

The Greek and Norse versions of Kratos have appeared as playable characters and costumes in several PlayStation games outside the God of War series. On August 21, 2008, the Greek Kratos, along with his Clubs of Chaos, was released as a downloadable character in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds. As a pre-order bonus for LittleBigPlanet from GameStop, customers received a Sackboy Kratos costume along with ones for Medusa and a Minotaur, as well as a God of War level sticker kit. These were later released for purchase on January 26, 2009. Kratos was also a guest character in 2009's Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny.

As a pre-order bonus for ModNation Racers from GameStop, customers received a Kratos Mod and his Kart of Chaos. These were released for purchase on November 2, 2010. Kratos's next guest appearance was in the PlayStation 3 version of 2011's Mortal Kombat—as well as the PlayStation Vita version released in 2012—which features his own fighting stage and arcade ladder mode. Kratos then appeared in the 2012 crossover fighting game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, which includes two God of War-inspired stages, several God of War items, and series antagonist Zeus, who was released as a downloadable character on March 19, 2013. Kratos's appearance in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was seemingly made canon by a line of dialogue in 2022's God of War Ragnarök; Mímir asks Kratos about a tournament he was in to which Kratos replies he did not want to talk about it.

As part of the God of War franchise's 10th anniversary, Kratos appeared as a secret boss battle in the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita versions of Shovel Knight, which released on April 21, 2015. His next guest appearance was in LittleBigPlanet 3 as another Sackboy costume in his Fear Kratos form, along with Sackboy costumes of Zeus, Hercules, Poseidon, and Athena, and a costume of Hades for the character Toggle. This coincided with the release of God of War III Remastered on PlayStation 4 in July 2015. A costume of Kratos and God of War custom decorations were included in the "Crafted Edition" of Tearaway Unfolded, which was released for PlayStation 4 on September 8, 2015. TC Carson provided the Greek Kratos's voice in these guest appearances, except for LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, LittleBigPlanet 3, and Tearaway Unfolded, where the character is only a costume, and in Shovel Knight, which only has text dialogue.

In the PlayStation 5 launch game Astro's Playroom (2020), which contains several homages to PlayStation's history, two robots dressed as the Nordic Kratos and his son Atreus are seen re-enacting the scene in God of War (2018) in which the two travel in their boat. Kratos would also be referenced in the Astro's Playroom sequel, Astro Bot (2024). The Nordic Kratos became a cosmetic outfit in Fortnite Battle Royale's chapter two, season five event, Zero Point, which was released on December 3, 2020. Kratos is playable on all platforms on which Fortnite is available, marking the character's only appearance on the Xbox and Nintendo platforms, as well as Apple and Android devices; these platforms, including Windows, have Kratos's default appearance while players on the PlayStation versions get an exclusive armored Kratos that is based on the golden armor obtained from defeating the Valkyries in God of War (2018). An armor inspired by Kratos's Nordic appearance is obtainable in the Director's Cut of Ghost of Tsushima, which was released on August 20, 2021, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Film and television

A live-action film adaptation of the original God of War game was announced in 2005. During pre-production, new writers were hired to adapt the game, but the project remained in development hell. Following the release of 2018's God of War, rumors about a potential adaptation of that game began circulating. In May 2021, however, a Sony spokesperson said there was no film adaptation for any God of War game in development. The following May, it was instead announced that a streaming television series adaptation of the Norse era, starting with the events of the 2018 installment, was being developed for Amazon Prime Video. Ryan Hurst, who played Thor in Ragnarök, was originally cast in the role of Kratos, however, while filming a stunt in late June 2026, he tore his bicep, which required surgery. Due to the estimated time of recovery, Dave Bautista was cast to replace Hurst in the role.

A parody of the Greek Kratos appears on the Guts of War II: Entrails of Intestinox kiosk at E4, itself a parody of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), in The Simpsons television episode "The Food Wife". The Greek Kratos has also been parodied by Adult Swim's clay-mation television series Robot Chicken. He was first parodied in season 5, episode 15, "The Core, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", which shows how far Kratos (voiced by Brian Austin Green) will go to collect blood orbs. Sony later worked with Robot Chicken to produce an advertisement for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale that parodies Kratos and other characters from the game.

The Nordic Kratos, voiced by Judge, also had a cameo in Amazon Prime Video's anthology series Secret Level. He appeared in the first season's finale, which released on December 17, 2024.

Novels

Kratos is the main character in novelizations of the video game series. Matthew Stover, Robert E. Vardeman, and James M. Barlog wrote novels retelling the games' events and further exploring their stories. Together, Stover and Vardeman wrote the first novel, which is titled God of War and was published in May 2010. Vardeman alone wrote the second novel God of War II, which was published in February 2013. The third novel, God of War – The Official Novelization, was written by Barlog and published in August 2018; this is a novelization of 2018's God of War, skipping a novelization of God of War III.

Cultural impact

Reception

Video game publications have given Kratos a positive reception. Magazines, including Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, described him as one of the greatest and most iconic video game characters. Alex Navarro of GameSpot regarded the Greek Kratos as a "sympathetic antihero" and a "badass", describing him as endearing due to his unforgiving demeanor, but added the slowly-developing story offered players "no understanding [of Kratos]" in the original game's early stages. GamesRadar+ included Kratos as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating while he appeared at first to be a generic character, players eventually learn Kratos is both an "unstoppable force of nature" and a "broken, tragic man".

Knowing of the talks about a God of War film at the time, both Jesse Schedeen of IGN and Marissa Melisa of UGO Networks described Kratos as a character who deserved his own movie. In 2012, Justin Amirkhani of Complex said Kratos had the best fighting game cameos for his guest appearances in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny and Mortal Kombat, while in 2023, Drea Avellan called him one of the "most badass" video game characters of all time. Kratos's Blades of Chaos were also cited by Lance Cartelli of GameSpot as one of "the most badass swords in video game history". Ivan Sulic of IGN said Kratos was ruthless, merciless, and savage, noting his main motive in the Greek games was vengeance and that "all he desires is murder". Sulic also stated "in time", the player would begin to "love and loathe Kratos and hate Ares". Patrick Shaw of GamePro said it was "Kratos' tragic fall and brutal ascension to the peaks of Mount Olympus that made the original God of War so memorable". GamesRadar+ staff described Kratos as "one of PlayStation's most popular representatives", and described him as the "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, writing: "Being insanely violent isn't exactly an uncommon trait amongst game characters, but driven by a rage wrought from his guilt (slaughtered thousands, including—oops—his wife and daughter) Kratos kills with such convincing visceral aggression it elevates him way beyond the status of brain-dead murder-bot".

Critics have acclaimed Kratos's portrayal in 2018's God of War, with many complimenting his more-layered and relatable personality compared to previous versions. Dave Thier of Forbes wrote: "Kratos is a character this time", calling him "fleshed-out" and "surprisingly engaging", while Jonathon Dornbush of IGN said the game "transforms him from the previous games' flat embodiment of the bloodthirsty warrior cliché into someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of my favorite protagonists in recent media". Similarly, Stephen Farrelly of Red Bull stated: "This God of War reflects a new, more nuanced Kratos in that it's measured, deep and ... complex". According to Mike Hume of The Washington Post, Kratos "taught him as a father". Hume said even if the teachings are occasionally challenging, Kratos takes it upon himself to teach Atreus because he is aware of the difficulties in the world. Kratos is aware of the risks his son will encounter on their travels. Hume added Kratos and Atreus strike a balance in their love and connection. Atreus improves himself as a result of paying attention to his father's advice. Kratos develops compassion as he begins to see the world more like his son does.

Merchandise and promotion

The National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) produced two series of action figures based on God of War II. The first set included two versions of Kratos; one wielding the Blades of Athena, and the other wearing the Golden Fleece and holding a Gorgon's head. The second set included a twelve in (30 cm) figure that played six game quotes. A second two-figure set was released, with Kratos wearing the God of War armor. In October 2009, United Cutlery created a scaled replica of Kratos's Blades of Chaos that included a custom display stand with the God of War logo.

Kratos was featured in a line of action figures DC Unlimited released and based on God of War III; this line included the characters Zeus, Hades, and Hercules. Between February 1, 2010, and March 31, 2010, the convenience store chain 7-Eleven sold a limited-edition Slurpee drink called "Kratos Fury" and four exclusive God of War III cups bearing codes that could be used to access God of War III and Slurpee-themed downloadable content on the Slurpee website. The video game website X-Play filmed a parody music video of Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy", in which Jessica Blake played Aphrodite.

Kratos's visage has appeared on the PlayStation Portable exclusive bundle pack Chains of Olympus, and on the PlayStation 3 God of War III sweepstakes prize video game consoles. A limited-edition, ten-inch (25 cm) figurine of Kratos was the grand prize of a sweepstakes in a promotion for God of War Collection in November 2009. A six-inch (150 mm) figure of Kratos was included in the God of War: Ascension—Collector's Edition. In June 2014, a Kratos Pop! Vinyl Figure was released.

The same year, Sony partnered with Gaming Heads to produce a limited-edition (500 units), life-size bust of Kratos. It is 28 inches (71 cm) tall and sits upon a Greek-inspired column. One hundred units of a "Fear Kratos" version of the bust that was based on the Fear Kratos costume from God of War III were also produced that year. In 2015, Sony again partnered with Gaming Heads to produce a limited-edition (1,250 units), lunging Kratos statue that is 19 inches (48 cm) tall and depicts Kratos wielding the Blades of Exile. For the God of War franchise's 10th anniversary in March 2015, Gaming Heads produced two limited-edition "Kratos on the Throne" statues, depicting the final scene of the original God of War game. Both statues are 29 inches (74 cm) tall; the Regular Edition (1,250 units) depicts Kratos in his normal attire and the Exclusive Edition (500 units) depicts Kratos in his God of War armor. In November 2015, Sony announced it would release a new Kratos statue the following month to celebrate God of War's 10-year anniversary. Santa Monica designed the limited edition (500 units), polystone statue, which is over 26 inches (66 cm) tall and includes leather, cloth, and metal pieces. In 2023, a rubber duck depicting Kratos was made.