He’s a monster. Honestly, if you look at the early 2000s games, there isn't much to like about Kratos. He’s a ball of rage wrapped in ash. But that’s exactly why the storyline of God of War is so captivating. It’s a decades-long arc about a man who realized—far too late—that revenge is a hollow victory. Most people think it’s just about a bald guy hitting gods with axes, but it’s actually a Greek tragedy that somehow stumbled its way into a Norse redemption story. It’s messy. It’s violent. And it’s surprisingly human.
How it All Started: The Spartan’s Original Sin
Kratos wasn't born a god. He was a Spartan commander. He was good at it, too. Maybe too good. In his desperation to win a battle against a barbarian horde, he called out to Ares, the God of War. "Destroy my enemies, and my life is yours." Bad move. Ares gave him the Blades of Chaos—those iconic chained swords seared onto his forearms—and turned him into a killing machine.
The tragedy hits its peak when Ares tricks Kratos into raiding a village. In the heat of the bloodlust, Kratos kills his own wife and daughter. Their ashes were cursed to cling to his skin forever. That’s why he’s white. It’s not face paint; it’s the literal remains of his family. This moment is the heartbeat of the storyline of God of War. Without this trauma, Kratos is just a generic action hero. Instead, he’s a man fueled by a self-loathing so deep he decides to take down the entire Olympian management structure.
The Greek Erasure
By the time we get to God of War III, Kratos has basically deleted Greece. He kills Poseidon, and the seas flood the world. He kills Helios, and the sun vanishes. It’s apocalyptic. You’re playing as the villain, even if the game tries to tell you the gods deserved it. Zeus, his father, is the ultimate target. The cycle of patricide—sons killing fathers—is a huge theme here. Cronos killed Uranus, Zeus killed Cronos, and now Kratos is coming for Zeus.
It’s exhausting. By the end of the third game, Kratos is standing in the ruins of the world. He’s won, but there’s nothing left. He tries to end his own life by impaling himself with the Blade of Olympus, releasing the power of "Hope" back to humanity. Most of us thought that was the end. We were wrong.
A Second Chance in the North
Fast forward years—maybe centuries, the timeline is a bit fuzzy—and Kratos is in Midgard. He has a beard. He has a son named Atreus. And he has a dead wife named Faye. This shift in the storyline of God of War is what saved the franchise from becoming a relic of the "edgy" 2000s.
Kratos is trying to be a "dad," but he has no idea how. He calls Atreus "Boy" because he’s terrified of getting close. He’s hiding his past. He’s hiding his godhood. But the Norse gods, specifically Baldur, don't leave him alone. They think he’s someone else, or they just want a fight. Either way, Kratos is forced back into the life he tried to leave behind.
The Twist in the Woods
The 2018 game is really a road trip story. They’re just trying to scatter Faye’s ashes on the highest peak in all the realms. Along the way, they find out Faye wasn't just a human; she was a Giant. And Atreus? His Giant name is Loki.
Yeah. That Loki.
This changes everything. Suddenly, the storyline of God of War isn't just about a guy escaping his past; it’s about a father trying to prevent his son from becoming a monster like him. Kratos sees the cycle of violence starting again. He sees Atreus getting arrogant with his godhood. He sees the murals in Jotunheim that predict his own death. It’s terrifying because, for the first time, Kratos has something to lose besides his own life.
Ragnarök and the End of Fate
God of War Ragnarök is where the heavy lifting happens. Odin is the big bad here, but he’s not a thunder-bolting Zeus clone. He’s a manipulator. He’s a cult leader. He tries to get into Atreus’s head by offering him answers about his identity.
The central conflict isn't just the literal end of the world. It’s about whether you can change your nature. Can a "God of War" ever be a "God of Peace"? The game introduces the Norns—the Norse version of the Fates—and they tell Kratos something profound: there is no destiny. There is only the fact that people are predictable. They tell him he’ll die because he always chooses the path of the killer.
The Redemption of the Ghost of Sparta
Kratos chooses differently. In the final siege of Asgard, he stops being the destroyer. He protects the innocent. He lets Atreus go off on his own journey. The mural at the very end of the game shows Kratos being worshipped—not as a god of fear, but as a god of love and restoration. It’s an incredible payoff. He finally washed off the metaphorical ash.
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Why This Story Still Hits Hard
Honestly, most games don't get this kind of character growth. Kratos starts as a 2D avatar of rage and ends as a weary, wise father. It works because the developers at Santa Monica Studio didn't reboot the story; they grew up with it. Cory Barlog and Eric Williams understood that players who played the original games in 2005 are now parents themselves. We relate to the exhaustion. We relate to the fear of our kids making our mistakes.
Key things to remember about the storyline of God of War:
- The Blades vs. The Axe: The Blades of Chaos represent Kratos's past and his slavery to Ares. The Leviathan Axe represents his present and his connection to Faye. When he has to dig up the Blades in the 2018 game, it’s a moment of immense shame.
- The Cycle of Patricide: From Uranus to Odin, fathers in this series are almost always terrified of being replaced by their children. Kratos breaks this by actually supporting Atreus.
- The Nature of a God: In Greece, being a god meant you could do whatever you wanted. In the Norse realms, Kratos learns that being a god means you have more responsibility to be better.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Newcomers
If you’re trying to wrap your head around this massive narrative, or if you’re planning a replay, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience.
- Play the "Valhalla" DLC: Seriously. If you’ve finished Ragnarök, this free update is the true epilogue. It forces Kratos to literally sit on a throne and face his younger self. It’s the final piece of the puzzle regarding his self-forgiveness.
- Read the Lore Markers: A lot of the world-building regarding Faye’s rebellion against Odin is hidden in the environment. She was the one who set the whole story in motion, long before Kratos ever picked up the axe.
- Watch the "Raising Kratos" Documentary: It’s on YouTube. It shows how the team struggled to make Kratos likable again. It gives you a whole new appreciation for the writing.
- Pay Attention to Mimir’s Stories: The "Smartest Man Alive" isn't just there for comic relief. His tales about Odin’s cruelty provide the necessary context for why Asgard needs to fall.
The storyline of God of War is complete for now, at least for this chapter. Kratos has transitioned from a man who destroyed a world to a man who is rebuilding one. He’s finally at peace, and in the world of gaming, that’s the rarest ending of all.