Is Kratos really a god? Where is he originally from? God of War

God of War is one of the most beloved video game series of all time. From a gory, action-packed title that people really, REALLY adored, to spawning one of the greatest games of the last generation, and arguably, of all time – no soul remains uninformed on the franchise’s success. 

But if we were to break the series’ games down to their core and try to figure out what made them so successful in the first place, I think the first thing to pop into everyone’s mind would be its protagonist – Kratos. 

Man, Kratos is just the absolute peak of badassery. Some might write him off as a vengeful, arrogant A-hole initially, but spend some time observing him, and you’ll find that he’s a much more complex character with layers that go deeper than any iceberg. 

We know that it’s the story of a God – pretty apparent from the title “God of War” – but who is Kratos? What are his ambitions, goals, strengths, etc.?  

God of War’s protagonist, Kratos, is a spartan warrior and a demigod from Greece, who, after killing Ares, became the God of War. After killing most of the gods by the end of God of War 3, he eventually settles down in Midgard with his wife, Faye, and son, Atreus. 

Of course, there’s a lot (like, A LOT) more to him than just that – I basically jumped past all the games before the 2018 soft-reboot all the way to it. But fret not, I’m not going to leave you with just that small snip.  

That said, let’s take a look at Kratos’ godhood and his place of origins. 

So, what type of God is Kratos? Is he the real God of War? 

Kratos is a demigod who becomes the legit God of War after killing the former holder of that title, Ares. Though Kratos doesn’t fulfill his GoW role anymore, he’s still technically the God of War as long as the position isn’t officially taken up by someone else. 

Now it’s time for a history lesson – one that’s actually fun and not boring as Hades’ place (Get it? Heh, I know I’m lame). 

So, Kratos is the demigod son of Zeus and a woman Callisto, born in Sparta – unfortunately, he would never come to know of his goodhood until much later in life. But, even before his birth, an oracle had prophesized the end of Olympus would be brought forth, not by titans, but by a mortal, marked warrior. 

The gods, thinking that it was Deimos, Kratos’ younger brother who carried a strange birthmark, kidnapped him and tortured him for many years. Thinking that his brother was dead, Kratos marked his head with a red tattoo, identical to Deimos, to honor him – this is where our prophesized anti-hero was born. 

As Kratos grew older and became the captain of the Spartan warriors, so did his thirst for power. To that end, he’d sign a pact of sorts with Ares, receiving his signature Blades of Chaos, filling himself up with bloodlust and following him blindly.  

Little did he know that this would be his downfall. 

Ares would eventually trick Kratos into killing his wife, Lysandra, and his daughter, Calliope, in a temple dedicated to Athena, which finally snapped him out of his bloodlust and realizing the consequences of his actions. This is where the roots of Kratos’ fight against Ares starts out. 

After this whole thing, God of War: Ascension is where Kratos’ battle against the gods truly begins, with us at the helm, and by the end of it all, he makes his way to Midgard. Wait, how did he make his way to Midgard, you ask? Well, let’s find out. 

Read More: Add Satrajit’s God of War Blog here as soon as it goes up. 

Where is Kratos from and why is he in Norse lands now? 

So, a lot of people initially felt confused as to how Kratos was able to jump mythologies just like that – from Greek to Norse when 2018’s God of War came out. Well, I’m gonna clear that out for you.  

If you’re about to play the God of War on the PC, this might help you understand a ton of things pretty easily – prepare yourself. 

So, you know how Kratos is from Sparta, right? His entire series has, up until God of War (2018), taken place in Ancient Greece and Olympus, where all of his battles with the gods took place. 

Turns out, the Greek gods are not not the only ones that exist in their plane. The Norse gods, that are central to the 2018 title, are just in a different territory of this realm. 

These gods are, to put it simply, bound to their respective territory and, as such, cannot intervene in each other’s matters. So, how did Kratos make his way from one pantheon to the other? 

At the end of God of War 3, Kratos’ homeland is ruined and we get to see how the flood envelopes everything we’ve come to know in this series – now, notice how, in the 2018 game, there’s just a lot of water everywhere and a boat is used as the main source of transportation. 

So, that means the flood had a lasting impact on all the pantheons and not just the one we’ve known so far. In some twisted way – they’ve come to connect with one another. With Kratos surviving his final battle against the gods, it makes sense for him to ferry himself to the next Pantheon, which ends up being Midgard. 

This is where Kratos finally finds some rest. He eventually ends up marrying Faye, a frost giant from Jötunheim and together, they raised their son, Atreus, until Faye’s death. 

And that is where God of War (2018) begins. 

About God of War(2018)

Developed by Santa Monica Studios, God of War is a single-player action-adventure game. Unlike the previous installments of the franchise that deals with Greek mythology, this installment is set in Norse lore.

Before dying, Kratos’ second wife’s last wish is for her to be cremated at the highest peak of the nine realms. Therefore, with his son, Atreus, Kratos embarks on a difficult journey teeming with monsters and gods to fulfill his wife’s final request.