Highlights
- Illusions: Kratos is tormented by haunting visions from his past, weakening him in battle and disturbing his emotional well-being.
- Atreus: Kratos' enemies target his son to exploit his emotional connection and distract him in combat, posing a threat to his combat effectiveness.
- Vengeance: Kratos' quest for revenge consumes him, leading to suffering and emotional turmoil, ultimately weakening him and plunging him into violence.
Before he cemented his position as a fierce warrior and the ultimate God of War, Kratos, like other Greek gods, has always been plagued by the troubles that come with mortality. The aspects of emotional vulnerability and manipulation, whether they deal with Kratos himself or those close to him, have not only given us one of the most nuanced characterizations in video games but have also allowed players to witness the complexity of his journey toward redemption and self-discovery.
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Underneath all the stern expressions on Kratos’ face, the tough shell of his white ashen skin, and his battle-hardened physique, there lies a human aspect, one that is susceptible to weaknesses challenging his reputation as the God of War, but not necessarily his reputation as a relentless protector of others. It is all of these most significant weaknesses that paint the character of Kratos with depth and richness to show his tormented journey in all facets of humanism.
5 Illusions
Kratos has had a tragic past, to say the least. Every time, any character brings back those haunting memories, especially his foes, Kratos’ blood starts coursing through his veins. The immediate regret, rage, and despair that entails from these “visions” of Kratos’ past is something his greatest enemies can exploit and use to their advantage.
Numerous instances exist throughout the God of War games to demonstrate this. In God of War 3, Hera muddles the focus of Kratos by bringing back past illusions of his murdered family, ultimately weakening him in battle. God of War 2 has more “nightmare” moments riddled throughout, filling Kratos with guilt and challenging his resolve. God of War: Ascension sees the Furies set up an illusionary trap for Kratos, causing him to suffer from visions of his past in Sparta.
The God of War title in 2018 sees more of these tormenting illusions return to toy with Kratos’ emotions. Navigating through the Mirror Realms often reminds Kratos of his violent past as the Ghost of Sparta, while the goddess Athena offers conflicting advice to urge Kratos towards his possible violent fate. The Sisters of Fate return from God of War 2 (albeit the Norse variation this time) in God of War: Ragnarök, recalling his troubled actions of the past and reiterating the consequences he must face in the future. All of these illusions disturb the physical and emotional comfort of Kratos as he becomes more tense and weak, whether it's in the heat of battle or outside it.
4 Atreus
Another form of manipulation employed by the many foes of Kratos is when they choose to single out Kratos’ living son, Atreus instead of his deceased family of the past. Anyone who has played God of War (2018) and its sequel knows how pivotal Atreus is, not just to the whole story, but to Kratos individually as the God of War aspires to leave his troubled past behind for a chance at becoming a responsible and protective father.
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In God of War (2018), early sections of the game contain visions of Atreus’ death causing Kratos to always be vigilant and on the run for a safer refuge for themselves. This emotional connection between father and son is directly targeted by Baldur who threatens Atreus’ life provoking Kratos in battle. The Dark Elves also create illusions directly concerning Atreus to show him being in distress, thereby weakening Kratos’ focus in battle and bringing down his combat effectiveness.
In God of War Ragnarök, there is the whole matter of Odin exploiting the rifts between Atreus and Kratos, in an attempt to use Atreus against his own father. Kratos’ rightful care and dedication to protect Atreus at all cost, turns into a weakness to be exploited by his foes throughout the Norse saga.
3 Vengeance
Much of Kratos’ violent suffering and trauma can be attributed to his quest for quenching the thirst for vengeance. Though revenge is critical to the character of Kratos, it is also one of his bigger weaknesses, plunging him deeper into chaos and the endless cycle of violence. Much of the first God of War deals with Kratos trying to exact revenge on the gods of Olympus. God of War: Ghost of Sparta takes a similar turn with Kratos seeking vengeance against the gods who separated him from his brother, Deimos.
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This cycle of vengeance continues into God of War II, with Kratos being blinded by seeking revenge against Zeus, culminating in a brutal war against the gods of Olympus in God of War 3. God of War: Ascension sees Kratos set a new goal of vengeance against Furies who torment him for breaking his oath to Ares.
Although revenge remains the central motivation for Kratos in the earlier God of War games, it is also an attribute that comes at a great cost leading Kratos to suffering and emotional turmoil, ultimately weakening his resolve.
2 Elemental attacks
Throughout the God of War series, enemies of Kratos find a way to apply certain status effects or elemental weaknesses on him. These weaknesses are significant purely from a gameplay perspective. Across the different installments, Kratos must face challenges like immobility caused by icy attacks, continuous burn damage due to fire attacks, temporary stun state inflicted by electricity attacks, and impairment of abilities due to poison damage.
God of War (2018) and Ragnarök introduce a couple of new status ailments that can potentially weaken Kratos’ combat effectiveness. These include the build-up of “Bifrost” to do massive chunks of damage to Kratos' health and the “blind” status inflicted by Dark Elves to decrease Kratos’ visibility.
The effects of elemental attacks are more significant in boss battles as Kratos takes on the gods of Olympus. Ares’ fire attacks in God of War whittle Kratos’ health down over a period of time, while Poseidon’s powerful water attacks in God of War II can impair Kratos’ movement. Hades’ soul-based attacks in God of War 2 can adversely affect Kratos’ health and abilities. Finally, the main antagonist, Zeus, employs lightning attacks to electrocute Kratos (not too different from Thor in Ragnarök)
1 Rage
Kratos’ single biggest strength, but also his single biggest weakness remains his rage. The pure anger that stems out of Kratos, becomes an integral part of his motivation as he continues along his journey of vengeance, redemption, and transformation. The God of War’s rage is triggered on multiple occasions through Zeus’ taunts, Ares’ provocation of Kratos’ painful memories, and Baldur’s inability to feel pain. One of the Furies, Tisiphone in God of War: Ascension, sparks Kratos’ fury by repeatedly using provocative comments.
Magni and Modi from God of War (2018) take a page from the playbook of triggering Kratos, by insulting and belittling him, once again putting Kratos into a state of uncontrollable anger and leaving him oblivious of some of the ways he can be vulnerable in battle. Although Rage is a power element to Kratos, both mechanically and narratively, once in that mode, Kratos can hardly see or value anything beyond violence. This makes him a threat to himself and those around him, even if it may be his close ones.