Summary
The protagonist of theGod of Warseries, Kratos, hasn’t exactly had the best life. Through death, deception, betrayal, and even apocalypse, Kratos has gone through some truly dark events. His journey is far from over, and theGod of Wargames continue to excite fans with their thrilling combat, and enchanting stories of godly mythologies from around the world.
With over 10God of Wargames in the series, some of them have some truly dark endings that add to the pain of Kratos’ journey. With the latestGod of WarGame,God of War: Ragnarok, Kratos is faced with an impending apocalypse, and new challenges of fatherhood. Yet, how does the game hold up to some of the darkest endings inGod of Warhistory?
Kratos embarks on a rageful journey across Ancient Greece after the betrayal of his fellow gods. Kratos was always seen as a black sheep, but this was confirmed to him after Zeus’ murder of the God of War. Kratos journeys out of Hades’ realm and wields the Blade of Olympus, the weapon capable of killing Zeus. Yet, the blade meant for Zeus pierces Athena’s heart,killing the one person left that Kratos trusted.
The game ends with Kratos siding with the Titans, declaring war on all of Olympus.God of War 2has the gods of Olympus watch as the Titans invade their kingdom, teasing the final part of the trilogy that would end in utter bloodshed, and a full-scale war by none other than Kratos himself. It’s a pretty dark ending, knowing that Kratos is going to devastate Greece for his chance at revenge against the man he just found out was his own father.
Featuring in between the firstGod of Wargame, Kratos’ journey here begins just six months after he murdered his wife and daughter. Kratos’ quest for freedom begins here, as he is captured and imprisoned by the Furies for betraying Ares. Kratos is forced to kill the Furies to free himself and reclaim the truth that is unknown to him.
With the death of the Furies, Kratos must kill his oath keeper, Orkos, to free them both from Ares’ servitude. Kratos kills Orkos, a close friend, and reclaims his freedom and memories. Yet,these memories come as a burden, as he uncovers the memories of his own slaughtering of his wife and daughter. The clarity of these deaths would haunt him forever, and begin his journey to kill Ares.
Kratos succeeds in killing Ares, the god that enslaved him to eternal service to the God of War. With Ares’ death, Kratos has done the impossible, as a mortal, defeating a god is no easy task, but one that Kratos accomplishes, causing a grand upset in Zeus’ kingdom. The reason Kratos went on this journey to kill Ares was to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter and try to absolve himself.
The ending of the game has Kratos attempt suicide, as he leaps off of the highest mountain in Greece, putting to an end a decade of misery. Yet, in his darkest hour, the gods of Olympus saved him, calling upon him to become the new God of War.
Kratos embarks on a journey for the gods of Olympus on a promise to free him from his past. This game takes place halfway through the originalGod of War, with Kratos still in his service to the gods and Ares. Kratos is tasked with waking the gods from their slumber, caused by Helios’ disappearance and the powers of Morpheus. The game itself is fairly dark, as Kratos reunites with his daughter, Calliope, but has no choice but to pull away.
Kratos does what he does best, which is to murder gods. He kills Persephone, Hades’ wife, and keeps Atlas enslaved to hold up the world. Despite saving mankind, Kratos cared not, for he had forsaken and abandoned his daughter, a task that he had to do to save her afterlife. Kratos lands on the same cliff that he would later attempt to take his life, with his promise from the Gods unfulfilled.
Set between the firstGod of WarandGod of War 2, this game has Kratos venture to Atlantis, where players will uncover more about his past to learn of his mother, and his long-lost brother, Deimos, the man prophesied to bring the destruction of Olympus. The ending has Kratos and Deimos team up to fight Thanatos, but the might of Thanatos kills Deimos, leaving Kratos once more without a brother, and without a family.
With his mother and brother dead, Kratos has no ties left to the human world and even contemplates suicide again. With nothing to bind him to mortals, he is ready to become a god. However, Kratos rejects this godhood, andhis rage binds himto a fate that would see the gods destroyed.
Kratos has a new journey awaiting him, as he is once again a father. Kratos’ wife is dead, and he must take his sonacross the Norse realmsto scatter her ashes. This game uncovers more of Kratos’ mental state in a new realm, his distrust for gods, and his unwillingness to show his son his true self. The ending ofGod of War(2018) has Kratos and Atreus unify their father and son bond to kill Baldur, evoking the wrath of Freya, their friend, and the only god they trust.
With Baldur’s death, the first snowfall begins, and Ragnarok will come for the realms, thrusting Kratos into yet another apocalypse that he is responsible for. It’s a dark ending, one that promisesthe death of Odinand the Norse gods. Even if Kratos managed to accept who he is, it can’t stop what’s coming.
Kratos’ journey comes to an end withGod of War 3. After his promise to bring the destruction of Olympus to Zeus’ front door, he has achieved the impossible, and just one man has managed to kill practicallyevery god in Zeus’ kingdomand beyond. With all the gods dead, and a brutal murder of the king of the gods, Zeus, humanity is left with no hope, and each god holds powers now unleashed to devastate the world, bringing forth an apocalypse.
Kratos’ quest for vengeance has blinded him to understanding the fates of mortals. After beating Zeus to death with his own hands, and seeing what he has brought to the world, he decides to put an end to his vengeance by driving the blade of Olympus through his chest, killing himself to provide humanity with hope, and a fate free from the rule of gods. Although there is hope for life, the ending has Kratos bleeding out, along, with dying to end his story.
