Warning - This article delves deep into some of the main plot points of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok.Kratos may be the Greek god of war, but he still relies on weapons just as much as his fists to kill things. The Ghost of Sparta has amassed quite an assortment of killing tools since his debut back in 2005, all of which have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Thanks to his Spartan training and unbridled rage, Kratos wields each weapon with deadly efficiency.
The recent God of War games are no different. While 2018's God of War bought back the Blades of Chaos, it also gave players the frost-based Leviathan Axe to play with. Kratos brings these two weapons with him on his new journey in God of War Ragnarok along with the new wind-infused Draupnir Spear. Kratos uses these weapons throughout the game, but keen-eyed players will notice that he treats each of them differently based on how he got them.
The Blades Of Chaos
The Blade of Chaos are Kratos' iconic weapons that go back all the way to the very first God of War game on the PlayStation 2. After swearing a life of servitude to Ares in exchange for the power to defeat a Barbarian king, Kratos is given a pair of short blades with long chains affixed to their handles. To ensure Kratos's loyalty, Ares had the chains seared onto Kratos's arms - a symbol of his subjugation to the then-Greek god of war. Kratos used the Blades of Chaos to kill the Barbarian king as well as countless creatures and people; not all of whom were guilty as much as they simply got in Kratos's way.
Kratos brings the Blades of Chaos with him to the Norse realms, but instead of wielding them, he initially hides them under the floorboards of his family's home. The blades remind him too much of the past and the monster he was, so it is understandable that he doesn't want to see them, much less use them. But even after he is forced to use them to save the life of Atreus in 2018's God of War, Kratos wields the Blades of Chaos with contempt. He is always reluctant to pick them up and prefers to use his wife Laufey's Leviathan Axe instead. This is shown at the start of God of War Ragnarok, where Kratos brings the axe with him when out hunting with Atreus while the Blades of Chaos are left at his house. Kratos is even reluctant to bring the blades with him at the start of their new journey to stop Ragnarok and does so only out of necessity to battle the hordes of Helheim.
Whenever Kratos doesn't need the Blades of Chaos, he can be seen treating his old weapons poorly. Due to age and negligence, the blades have a rustic and battered look to them. Kratos also drops them on the ground when retiring to his quarters in Sindri's house as opposed to the love and care he shows the Leviathan Axe. The Blades of Chaos may be Kratos's signature weapons, but he wants as little to do with them as possible.
The Leviathan Axe
A gift from his second wife Laufey before her death, the Leviathan Axe was created by Brok and Sindri in hopes that they would create a weapon that would be used for good. The brothers are and will forever be remorseful that they created Mjolnir, Thor's hammer that was used by the god of thunder to kill countless giants. Instead of making a lightning-based hammer as they did for Thor, they instead created a large, frost-infused axe for the woman who would be known as the Guardian of Jotunheim.
Because of Laufey's connection to the weapon, Kratos treats the Leviathan Axe with more care than any of his other killing tools. He made a special hook on his clothing to sheathe the axe and puts it away properly after using it. There are only a handful of individuals he trusts the axe with, these being Atreus, Brok, and Sindri. Atreus is the son of Kratos and Laufey and understands the importance of the weapon to his father. Brok and Sindri may be the ones who made the axe in the first place, but they also personally knew Laufey and what she stood for. Aside from taking care of the axe and limiting those who can use it, Kratos can also be seen looking longingly at the Leviathan Axe when he is on his own. This may seem weird to some, but for those who have lost a loved one, looking at the Leviathan Axe is an undeniable act of Kratos trying to connect with his wife.
The Draupnir Spear
The newest of Kratos's weapons, the Draupnir Spear was created by the Lady of the Forge in Svartalfheim with the help of Brok and Sindri. Draupnir is a magic ring that can create countless spears which Kratos can use and throw depending on the given situation. Its main purpose is to overwhelm and defeat Heimdall - the god of foresight and surveillance.
The Draupnir Spear is the only one of Kratos's current weapons that was made especially for him. The ring is fitted perfectly for Kratos to wear, the spear is mentioned by Kratos to be the first weapon he ever learned to use, and the red cloth wrapped around the weapon is made from Kratos's own blood. This being the case, Kratos wields the Draupnir Spear as if he had held it all his life. Each stab, hit, and throw is executed solidly and efficiently, and Kratos detonates the spears by confidently planting one of them on the ground. Since the Draupnir Spear remains in its ring form when out of combat, Kratos doesn't need to worry about carrying another weapon around with him.
The Blades of Chaos, Leviathan Axe, and now the Draupnir Spear all have their place in God of War Ragnarok's combat system. The first deals out swift, crowd-controlling fire attacks, the second doles out slow but hefty frost swings, and the last strikes a fine balance between precision and damage with its wind-based thrusts. Kratos now has three legendary weapons in his possession, making him one of the strongest (if not the strongest) god that presides over the nine Norse realms.
God of War Ragnarok is out now on PS4 and PS5.
