Collecting stuff is a weird hobby when you stop and think about it. You’re basically paying a premium to have a piece of plastic stare at you from a shelf while you try to remember why that specific digital character made you cry at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday. But if you’ve played through the Norse saga or spent your childhood ripping wings off Valkyries in ancient Greece, you get it. God of War figures aren't just toys; they’re physical anchors to one of the best stories ever told in gaming.
The problem? The market is a mess. If you go on eBay right now and search for Kratos, you’re going to see a dizzying range of prices from $20 knock-offs that look like they’re melting to $3,000 statues that require a literal mortgage payment.
People mess this up constantly. They buy the first thing they see on a targeted ad, only to realize the paint job looks like a toddler handled it, or the articulation is so stiff that the "Ghost of Sparta" can't even hold his own axe. Honestly, finding a good Kratos or Atreus figure is about understanding the tiers of manufacturing. You’ve got your mass-market stuff from companies like NECA or McFarlane, and then you’ve got the high-end resin "statues" from Prime 1 Studio that basically double as furniture.
The NECA Era and Why It Still Matters
For a long time, NECA was the king of the mountain. If you wanted God of War figures back in the PS2 and PS3 days, you went to them. They captured that raw, angry, "I’m going to murder the entire Olympus" energy perfectly. Their 7-inch Kratos figures are legendary, specifically the ones based on God of War III.
They didn't just do Kratos, either. They actually gave us some variety. You could find Ares, or even Kratos in the God Armor. The detail on the Golden Fleece on his arm? Surprisingly good for the price point at the time.
But here’s the catch. NECA stopped making these a while ago. That means if you’re looking for a brand-new one today, you’re dealing with the secondary market. And the secondary market is full of bootlegs. If the price seems too good to be true—like a "Mint in Box" 2007 Kratos for $30—it’s a fake. The plastic will smell like chemicals, the joints will snap, and the skin tone will be a weird shade of grey-green instead of that iconic ash-white.
I’ve seen collectors lose hundreds because they didn't check the seals on the box. NECA figures have a specific weight to them. They feel substantial. If you pick it up and it feels like a hollow Happy Meal toy, put it back.
That One Mondo Figure Everyone Obsesses Over
If you want the peak of "sixth scale" (which is about 12 inches tall), you have to talk about Mondo. Their Kratos figure from the 2018 game is a masterpiece. It’s got over 25 points of articulation, which is cool, but the real draw is the sheer amount of stuff it comes with. You get the Leviathan Axe, the Blades of Chaos (with real metal chains!), and even Mimir’s head.
Mimir is the standout. Most companies would just make him a static piece of plastic, but Mondo actually gave him some personality in the sculpt.
Why does this one matter? Because it represents the shift in how we see God of War figures. We moved from "angry guy with blades" to "complex father with a heavy past." The leather stitching on his pauldron is visible. You can see the individual hairs in his beard. It’s the kind of thing you put in a glass case with a spotlight, not something you leave on a dusty bookshelf next to your old college textbooks.
Prime 1 Studio: When You Have Too Much Money
Look, we have to talk about the "Statue" side of this. These aren't action figures. You can't pose them. They are essentially museum pieces made of polystone. Prime 1 Studio is the gold standard here.
They released a 1/4 scale Kratos and Atreus statue that stands nearly 29 inches tall. It’s massive. It’s also terrifyingly detailed. They used translucent resin for the skin to make it look like actual flesh. When the light hits it, it doesn't just bounce off plastic; it glows slightly, mimicking the way light passes through human skin (subsurface scattering, for the nerds out there).
The base alone is a work of art. It’s covered in snow, Norse runes, and the remains of enemies. But it costs more than a high-end gaming PC. Is it worth it? For 99% of people, no. But for the person who wants a "shrine" to the series, there is nothing better. Just make sure your shelf can handle the weight—these things weigh 60+ pounds. If you put a Prime 1 piece on a cheap IKEA shelf, you’re going to have a very expensive pile of rubble in the morning.
The Atreus Problem: Why He's Hard to Find
It’s actually kind of annoying how hard it is to find a good Atreus. Most companies focus entirely on Kratos because he’s the "face" of the brand. But the whole point of the new games is the duo.
Sony’s own "PlayStation Shapes" line (made by Spin Master) finally gave us an affordable Atreus, but the quality is... okay. It’s fine for a desk. It’s not something that’s going to blow your mind. For a long time, the only way to get a high-quality Atreus was to buy the expensive Kratos bundles.
There's a weird psychological thing in toy collecting where sidekicks just don't sell as well, so manufacturers make fewer of them. This creates a supply-demand nightmare. If you see a stand-alone Atreus that actually looks like Sunny Suljic (the actor), buy it. They disappear fast.
Articulation vs. Sculpt: The Great Debate
When you're hunting for God of War figures, you have to decide what you value more. Do you want to "play" with it? Or do you want it to look exactly like a screenshot from the game?
- Medicom Toy (MAFEX): They are reportedly working on a Kratos that promises incredible articulation. You can actually get him into a proper combat crouch. The trade-off is often visible joints—you’ll see the ball-hinges in the elbows and knees.
- McFarlane Toys: They did a 7-inch Kratos for the 2018 game. It looks great from a distance and it's cheap. But the movement is limited. It’s basically a "statue-lite."
- Hot Toys: People have been begging for a Hot Toys Kratos for years. If it ever happens, it will be the definitive version. They specialize in seamless bodies, meaning you wouldn't see the elbow joints at all. It would just look like a shrunken-down human.
Spotting the Fakes in the Wild
Seriously, the bootleg market for God of War figures is rampant. China produces thousands of "knock-off" versions of the NECA and Play Arts Kai figures.
Here is how you tell the difference:
First, look at the eyes. On a real figure, the eyes are aligned and sharp. On a fake, Kratos often looks like he’s looking in two different directions at once. It’s hilarious but depressing if you paid $80 for it.
Second, check the paint on the red tattoo. On the legitimate figures, the tattoo has a slight "weathered" look, like it’s part of the skin. On fakes, it’s usually a bright, flat red that looks like it was applied with a Sharpie.
Third, the box art. Counterfeiters suck at printing. The colors on the box will look washed out or blurry. If the logo looks like it was a low-res JPEG blown up too large, walk away.
Why 2026 is the Best Time to Buy
Believe it or not, the "hype" premium on the Norse figures has started to stabilize. When God of War Ragnarök first launched, prices were insane. Now that the dust has settled and we're looking toward whatever Santa Monica Studio does next, collectors are starting to rotate their displays.
You can find some great deals on local marketplaces like Facebook or Mercari. A lot of people bought the Jotnar Edition of the game just for the map and the dice, and they’re selling off the other bits.
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Also, keep an eye on smaller boutique companies. We’re seeing a rise in "unlicensed" 1/6 scale figures that are technically called things like "The Ghost of Spartan" to avoid lawsuits. Sometimes, these actually have better quality than the official ones because they’re made by fans for fans. Just know that they have zero resale value to "purist" collectors.
How to Display Them Without Looking Like a Hoarder
Context is everything. If you just throw ten figures on a shelf, it looks like a toy aisle.
Try this instead:
- Group by Game: Put your Greek-era Kratos with a dark, fiery background. Use some orange LED strips to mimic the fires of Hades.
- Use Props: Buy some 1/12 scale rocks or fake snow from a craft store. Placing Kratos and Atreus on a "snowy" ledge makes the figure look 10x more expensive than it actually was.
- Lighting: Never use overhead ceiling lights. It flattens the sculpt and makes the plastic look shiny and cheap. Use side-lighting to create shadows in the muscle definition. It makes Kratos look as intimidating as he does on your 4K TV.
What's Next for Collectors?
The rumor mill is always spinning. With the Amazon Prime "God of War" show in development, we’re likely going to see a whole new wave of figures based on the live-action actors. This usually happens: a new show comes out, interest spikes, and the "original" game-based figures skyrocket in value.
If you’ve been on the fence about getting a high-quality Kratos, now is probably the window before the "TV show tax" kicks in.
Collecting these things is a rabbit hole, honestly. You start with one "cool" desk toy and six months later you’re researching the chemical composition of acrylic risers and arguing about the accuracy of leather stitching on a 1/6 scale belt. But hey, it beats a lot of other hobbies.
Actionable Next Steps for Collectors:
- Check the "Sold" Listings: Before buying any God of War figure on eBay, filter by "Sold Items." This tells you what people are actually paying, not just what greedy sellers are asking for.
- Audit Your Shelves: If you’re buying a statue larger than 1/6 scale, check the weight limit. Standard glass "Detolf" shelves are known to shatter under the weight of heavy resin statues.
- Focus on the Blades: When inspecting a used figure, always check the chains. The plastic "chains" on cheaper figures are the first thing to break. If you can find a figure with real metal chains, it’s a massive upgrade in terms of longevity and look.
- Join a Community: Hop into groups like the "God of War Collectors" on Facebook or Reddit. People there are hawks when it comes to spotting fakes and will usually alert the group when a rare piece hits the market at a fair price.