Highlights

  • What happens after a god dies in God of War remains a mystery, leaving the future fate of Kratos uncertain.
  • Kratos' potential demise in a future game would allow Atreus to take over as the franchise's lead, but a higher plane of existence may offer another path.
  • Athena's death suggests a possibility for Kratos to exist in a different form, challenging the notion of permanent death for gods.

Death is a constant in God of War, with Kratos bringing much of Greece's pantheon to heel before doing the same to the Norse gods in God of War: Ragnarok. However, despite the demise of these supposedly invincible creatures forming the core theme, there's no solid answer to the question of what happens after a god dies. Many expected Kratos to meet his end in Ragnarok's events, and although he managed to avoid this fate, it's an unknown quantity that is bound to loom like a shadow in future games until it's solved.

As the legend of Atreus continues to grow with each new iteration of the God of War series, his anticipated future as the face of the franchise poses a head-scratching equation. As long as Kratos lives, given his legendary role in catapulting the franchise to relevance, Atreus is bound to be in his shadow. In light of this development, it's become a matter of when, not if, Kratos gets phased out. According to rumors, Thor killed him in God of War Ragnarok's original script before Santa Monica allegedly backtracked on this plot point. The fact that his demise was under consideration makes it logical to think the God of War's death is inevitable.

A screenshot of Kratos from behind in God of War Ragnarok, showing off his weapons.
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God of War Death May Not Be as Permanent As it Seems

With this in mind, the ramifications of what happens after a god's death have become more important than ever. The original trilogy and Ragnarok have birthed different theories in this regard, and it'll be interesting to see what road Santa Monica follows. For instance, Kratos has died twice for longer than ten seconds in the franchise -- both times during which he was a mortal by canon standards. That's why he went to the underworld after his death, per the status quo for mortals, instead of disappearing forever like the gods. But if they have no afterlife, as every indication hints towards, one wonders what happens to gods when they die.

Odin was obsessed with this question, so it's obvious there's no simple answer like Valhalla or Helheim that solves the riddle. Unlike their Greek counterparts who had no reason to doubt their invincibility, God of War's Norse gods knew there would be a day of reckoning (Ragnarok) when their reign would end. The question of an afterlife seemingly drove Odin to do all he did, but unfortunately, the All-Father couldn't peek into the Realm of Creation sufficiently. If disappearing from existence is all there is to the riddle, then Kratos' death, if it happens, would conveniently open up the road for Atreus to take up his father's mantle and continue the series.

Athena and Thor's Dissolutions Hint at a Higher Plane of Existence for Kratos

However, Athena gave a glimpse into a different fate for the gods that could also be explored in Kratos' case. Athena died when Kratos stabbed her with the Blade of Olympus, but unlike others in the pantheon, she reached a higher plane of existence and still exists in some capacity. Her selfless death seems to have granted her access to this plane, and Thor's similar demise might open up some possibilities for Kratos in future games. Although it isn't clear what happened to Athena, and likewise Thor, after their dissolving selfless deaths, there might be room for them to still influence God of War's events in the future.

While disappearing entirely like Odin and countless other gods along Kratos' blood-stained journey would enable Atreus to become the undisputed protagonist, going down the "higher plane" route could be an actual possibility to keep the series' identity together. Judging from clues in the series, perhaps gods who sacrifice themselves can exist in another form while others fade, so it's possible (and even fitting) for the God of War to go down this route. ​​​Since Kratos escaped what was a logical ending in Ragnarok, the franchise protagonist may well endure in the future, since the Norse saga did little to answer the ultimate riddle of death for gods.